Tocopherol composition and antioxidant activity of Spanish wild vegetables

Traditional use of noncultivated vegetables has decreased with the development of agriculture and global supply chains. However, some species are still consumed as part of our traditional Mediterranean diet. Plants are among the most important sources of natural antioxidants for retarding lipid oxidative rancidity in foods or for pharmaceutical applications against chronic diseases related to free radicals production. The present study reports tocopherols composition and antioxidant activity of eight wild greens traditionally used in Spain. According to the edible part consumed, two groups were differentiated. Leafy vegetables whose young stems with leaves are consumed (Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lag., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Montia fontana L. and Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke), and wild asparagus whose young shoots with leaf buds scarcely developed are eaten (Asparagus acutifolius L., Bryonia dioica Jacq., Humulus lupulus L. and Tamus communis L.). Among the leafy vegetables, Silene vulgaris and Apium nodiflorum presented the highest antioxidant capacity and antioxidants contents. Among the wild asparagus, the highest antioxidant capacity was obtained in Humulus lupulus.     

蒸汽爆破处理对麦麸的酚酸组成及其抗氧化活性的影响

该试验旨在研究蒸汽爆破处理对小麦麸皮的酚酸组成及抗氧化活性的影响.将麦麸在不同处理压力(0.5,1.5,2.5 MPa)和不同处理时间(30,90 s)条件下进行蒸汽爆破预处理.通过水解和碱提的方法,将得到的麦麸进行提取,得到游离酚酸和结合酚酸2部分,对其中的几种主要酚酸,如香草酸、丁香酸,4-香豆酸,阿魏酸进行研究.结果表明,4种主要酚酸的含量在蒸汽爆破处理后均有所提高,其中阿魏酸的含量最高,结合酚酸中由未处理时的57.232μg/g提高到了1454.092 μg/g.该试验还进行了总酚测定,抗氧化活性的测定.通过总酚的测定可以看出,蒸汽爆破处理后,总酚的含量高于未处理麦麸,且随着处理强度的增加,呈现先增加后减少的趋势,在处理条件为2.5 MPa,30 s,总酚含量最高,约为未处理时的9倍.抗氧化试验得到的变化趋势与总酚呈现相似的规律,与未进行蒸汽爆破预处理的麦麸相比,处理后的麦麸表现出了更高的1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼(DPPH)和2,2-联氮-二(3-乙基-苯并噻唑-6-磺酸)二铵盐(ABTS)自由基清除率,以及在亚油酸体系中的抗氧化活性和还原能力.当处理条件为2.5 MPa,30 s时,抗氧化活性表现最高.由此可得到,2.5 MPa 30s是蒸汽爆破处理麦麸的最佳条件,此时麦麸中酚酸含量和抗氧化活性均较优,为以后麦麸中酚类物质的深度开发利用提供理论支持.     

Amino acid composition of soil organic matter

This study investigated the amino acid composition of soil organic matter extracted from ten surface soils in addition to surface soils from two long-term cropping systems [continuous corn (CCCC), corn-soybean-corn-soybean (CSCS), and corn-oats-meadow-meadow (COMM)] at two sites in Iowa: the Clarion-Webster Research Center (CWRC) and the Galva-Primghar Research Center (GPRC). Results showed that, with the exception of asparagine pluse aspartic acid and glutamine plus glutamic acid, the other 13 amino acids studied, expressed as perecentages of total amino acids extracted, were generally very uniform among the soils. The total amino acids extracted from the ten soils were significantly correlated with organic carbon (C) ( and clay content (, but not with total nitrogen (N), pH, or sand content. Expressed as percentages or organic C and N in soils, the amounts extracted ranged from 10.9% to 32.4% and from 12.0% to 27.4%, respectively. The amino acid N identified, expressed as percentages of organic N extracted, ranged from 32% to 50% and the C/N ratios of the extracted organic matter ranged from 10.1 to 14.9. The type of rotation did not significantly affect the total amino acid content of the soils from the same N treatment, but it did affect the total amino acid content of soils from the control plots. The total amino acids measured under the different crop rotations at the CWRC site were in the order: COMM>CCCC>CSCS. The order for the GPRC site was: CSCS>COMM>CCCC. The amino acid N identified, expressed as percentages of organic N extracted from soils at the CWRC site, ranged from 33.1% to 50% and for the GPRC site ranged from 26.5% to 51.4%. The C/N ratios of the organic matter extracted ranged from 10.4 to 14.1 and from 6.5 to 14.3 for the soils from CWRC and GPRC sites, respectively. Received: 26 May 1997     

Usefulness of amino acid composition to discriminate between honeydew and floral honeys. Application to honeys from a small geographic area

With the aim of finding methods that could constitute a solid alternative to melissopalynological and physicochemical analyses to determine the botanical origin (floral or honeydew) of honeys, the free amino acid content of 46 honey samples has been determined. The honeys were collected in a small geographic area of approximately 2000 km(2) in central Spain. Twenty-seven honey samples were classified as floral and 19 as honeydew according to their palynological and physicochemical analyses. The resulting data have been subjected to different multivariant analysis techniques. One hundred percent of honey samples have been correctly classified into either the floral or the honeydew groups, according to their content in glutamic acid and tryptophan. It is concluded that free amino acids are good indicators of the botanical origin of honeys, saving time compared with more tedious analyses.     

Isoflavone composition and antioxidant capacity of modified-lipoxygenase soybeans grown in Maryland

Maryland-grown soybean lines modified for low lipoxygenase-1 (LOX-1) content and a traditional nonmodified cultivar were analyzed for fatty acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), isoflavone composition, relative DPPH? scavenging capacity (RDSC), and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (HOSC). Soybean lines included black, brown, and yellow soybeans. TPC of all soybean lines ranged from 2.84 to 4.74 mg gallic acid equiv (GAE)/g flour. Total isoflavones were between 2.78 and 8.66 μmol/g flour. RDSC of all lines was between 0.48 and 14.62 μmol Trolox equiv (TE)/g flour, and HOSC ranged from 53.57 to 135.52 μmol TE/g flour. Some modified-LOX genotypes demonstrated antioxidant capacity and/or isoflavone content similar to or higher than those of the nonmodified cultivar (P < 0.05). Black soybeans demonstrated higher TPC and RDSC than most yellow soybean lines, although they did not have higher isoflavone content. The results demonstrate that modification of the LOX trait did not necessarily alter the antioxidant capacity or chemical composition of the experimental soybean lines when compared with a nonmodified cultivar. These soybean lines may be studied further for nutraceutical properties and use in functional foods.     

Analysis of volatiles from Spanish honeys by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME), followed by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) determination, has been used for the analysis of honey volatiles. Two SPME fibers were employed to study the composition of volatiles from various types of Spanish honeys. The best results were obtained with the Carboxen/PDMS fiber, using a homogenization time of 1 h at 70 degrees C and a sampling period of 30 min. A total of 35 compounds were detected, most of them identified by GC-MS and quantified using external standards. Differences in the composition of honey volatiles were obtained, and these results allowed the differentiation of honeys. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the utility of this technique as an alternative tool for the characterization of the floral origin of honeys.     

Identification and quantification of antioxidant components of honeys from various floral sources

Little is known about the individual components of honey that are responsible for its antioxidant activity. The present study was carried out to characterize the phenolics and other antioxidants present in honeys from seven floral sources. Chromatograms of the phenolic nonpolar fraction of the honeys indicated that most honeys have similar but quantitatively different phenolic profiles. Many of the flavonoids and phenolic acids identified have been previously described as potent antioxidants. A linear correlation between phenolic content and ORAC activity was demonstrated (R(2) = 0.963, p < 0.0001). Honeys were separated by solid-phase extraction into four fractions for sugar removal and separation based on solubility to identify the relative contribution of each fraction to the antioxidant activity of honey. Antioxidant analysis of the different honey fractions suggested that the water-soluble fraction contained most of the antioxidant components. Specific water-soluble antioxidant components were quantified, including protein; gluconic acid; ascorbic acid; hydroxymethylfuraldehyde; and the combined activities of the enzymes glucose oxidase, catalase and peroxidase. Of these components, a significant correlation could be established only between protein content and ORAC activity (R(2) = 0.674, p = 0.024). In general, the antioxidant capacity of honey appeared to be a result of the combined activity of a wide range of compounds including phenolics, peptides, organic acids, enzymes, Maillard reaction products, and possibly other minor components. The phenolic compounds contributed significantly to the antioxidant capacity of honey but were not solely responsible for it.     

Amino acid content and composition of winter wheat affected by Nitrogen Fertilization

The protein quality of wheat is closely correlated with its amino composition. Consequently, when conducting a N fertilization experiment, it is important to know how the ratio of essential amino acids determining the nutritional quality, especially that of the most important limiting amino acids of wheat within the increased protein content, works out. The effect of nitrogen fertilizer applied at different times and/or doses (0–200 kg/ha) was investigated on grain protein and amino acid contents and yields of a Hungarian bread wheat variety on a soil type of medium ? status (eutric cambisol) in Western Hungary for three years. 160 kg N/ha was necessary to reach the highest possible crude protein content and the split application of this dose proved to be the most beneficial to the crude protein yield on the three years’ average. Though most of the treatments seemed to be disadvantageous from the point of view of amino acid composition considering the nutritional quality, the amount of essential amino acids, especially that of lysine harvested per hectare showed a considerable increase (up to 28.4%).     

Engineering flax plants to increase their antioxidant capacity and improve oil composition and stability

The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the tissues is very important to human health and strongly depends on dietary intake. Since flax seeds are the richest source of polyunsaturated acids, their consumption might be beneficial for human health. Unfortunately, they are highly susceptible to auto-oxidation, which generates toxic derivatives. The main goal of this study was the generation of genetically modified flax plants with increased antioxidant potential and stable and healthy oil production. Since among phenylpropanoid compounds those belonging to the flavonoid route have the lowest antioxidant capacity, the approach was to inhibit this route of the pathway, which might result in accumulation of other compounds more effective in antioxidation. The suppression of the chalcone synthase gene resulted in hydrolyzable tannin accumulation and thus increased antioxidant status of seeds of the transgenic plant. This was due to the partial redirecting of substrates for flavonoid biosynthesis to the other routes of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Consequently, transgenic plants produced more (20-45%) polyunsaturated fatty acids than the control and mainly α-linolenic acid. Thus, increasing the antioxidant potential of flax plants has benefits in terms of the yield of suitable oil for human dietary consumption.     

Total antioxidant capacity of arginine-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) complex

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) have shown diverse biological activities, including anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-adipogenic, and anti-diabetogenic effects. Recent reports also showed that CLA has free radical scavenging capacity, which may give health benefits to human beings. However, the application of CLA as a bioactive ingredient has been limited due to its insolubility in water. To overcome this problem, we investigated antioxidant activities of arginine (Arg)-CLA, a water-soluble CLA salt, using both 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. CLA, Arg, and Arg-CLA all exerted radical scavenging activities in a dose-dependent manner in both assays. Arg-CLA at 20 mM scavenged 89 and 55% of ABTS and DPPH radicals in 3 h, respectively, whereas CLA alone quenched only 48 and 26% of them under the same conditions. The antioxidant activity of the Arg-CLA complex was found to be synergistic in ABTS assay and comparable to that of vitamin E in DPPH assay.     

Anthocyanin composition of wild Colombian fruits and antioxidant capacity measurement by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

The qualitative and quantitative anthocyanin composition of four wild tropical fruits from Colombia was studied. Compounds of "mora peque?a" ( Rubus megalococcus Focke.), "uva de árbol" ( Myrciaria aff. cauliflora O. Berg), coral, and motilón ( Hyeronima macrocarpa Mull. Arg.) fruits were separately extracted with methanol-acetic acid (95:5, v/v). The anthocyanin-rich extracts (AREs) were obtained by selective adsorption on Amberlite XAD-7. Each extract was analyzed by HPLC-PDA and HPLC-HRESI-MS(n) with LCMS-IT-TOF equipment in order to characterize the anthocyanin pigments and the coinjection in HPLC using standards allowed identifying the major constituents in each extract. The antioxidant activity was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV-vis spectroscopy, using ABTS and DPPH free radicals. The ARE of motilón ( H. macrocarpa Müll. Arg) exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity in comparison to the other extracts. A second-order kinetic model was followed in all of the cases. These results suggested that the studied fruits are promising not only as source of natural pigments but also as antioxidant materials for food industry.     

Amino acid composition of ryegrass in relation to nitrogen fertilization and soil water status

In a lysimeter experiment the overall amino acid concentration in dry matter of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) increased in response to nitrogen application. Lack of water reduced the overall concentration of most amino acids in dry matter except proline the concentration of which was increased. Nitrogen application as well as lack of water significantly affected the overall amino acid composition, and in particular the relative concentration of glutamic acid and proline, respectively, which might be attributed to variations in the free amino acid composition, and resulting in a decreasing overall ratio essential/not essential amino acids.     

Multivariate correlation between color and mineral composition of honeys and by their botanical origin

The mineral content and color characteristics of 77 honey samples were analyzed. Eighteen minerals were quantified for each honey. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to establish equations relating the colorimetric CIELAB coordinates to the mineral data. The results obtained shown that lightness (L) was significantly correlated with S, Ca, Fe, As, Pb, and Cd for the dark honey types (avocado, heather, chestnut, and honeydew). For the light and brown honey types (citrus, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and thyme), C(ab) and b showed the lower correlation with the mineral content of the honeys; their regression functions involve a few independent variables (Mg and Al for b and only Al for C(ab)). Furthermore, by means of application of linear discriminant analysis to the mineral content, it was possible to obtain a model that classifies the honeys by their lightness. The prediction ability of the built model, determined with the test set method, was 85%.     

Amino acid composition of rice callus tissue grown with different kinds of nitrogen sources

There have been several papers dealing with the difference in chemical composition between callus tissue and normal parent tissue. WEINSTEIN, TULECKE, NICKELL, and LAURENCOT (1–3) revealed, in a series of papers, that the contents of amino acids, sugars, and nucleic acids often differed strikingly between callus and normal tissue of Agave toumeyana Trel. (1), Ginkgo biloba, L. (2), and PAUL's scarlet rose (3). STEWARD, THOMPSON, and POLLARD (4) also reported that the content of some amino acids of rapidly growing and randomly proliferating tissue is outstandingly different from that of normal tissue.     

Assessment of radical scavenging capacity and lipid peroxidation inhibiting capacity of antioxidant

The role of radical scavenging antioxidants against oxidative stress has received much attention, and the antioxidant capacity has been assessed by various methods. Among them, a method that measures the effect of antioxidant on decay of the probe is one of the most widely used methods. The present study was performed to compare the two methods to assess the antioxidant capacity, one to follow the decay of the probe and the other to measure lipid peroxidation products in human plasma. It was shown that the method following probe decay was suitable for assessment of radical scavenging capacity of antioxidant, but not for the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation in plasma. This is true whether a hydrophilic or lipophilic probe is used. Such different results arise from the fact that the efficacy of inhibition of lipid peroxidation by antioxidants depends on the fate of antioxidant-derived radical and interaction between antioxidants as well as the capacity of free radical scavenging. Thus, the capacity of antioxidants for inhibition of lipid peroxidation should be assessed from the effect on the extent of oxidation, not from the effect on probe decay.