Volatile Compounds and Antioxidative Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Porophyllum tagetoides</Emphasis> Extracts

Porophyllum tagetoides is an annual warm-weather herb that has an intense typical smell. Its leaves are commonly used in soup preparation and traditional medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Its volatile compounds and antioxidant properties were evaluated in crude, aqueous and ethanol leaf extract and an oil emulsion using different antioxidant assays in vitro, such as: DPPH radical scavenging activity, redox potential, polyphenol content, reducing power and optical density. A high antioxidative activity was found when comparing leaves with stems. The crude extract from leaves showed a very high reducing power (2.88 ± 0.20 O.D.) and DPPH radical-scavenging activity (54.63 ± 4.80%), in concordance with a major concentration of vitamin C (23.97 ± 0.36 mg/100 g). Instead, the highest polyphenol content (264.54 ± 2.17 mg GAE/g of sample) and redox potential (561.23 ± 0.15 mV) were found by the ethanol and aqueous extract, respectively. Aldehydes and terpenes such as nonanal, decanal, trans-pineno, β-myrcene and D-limonene were the major volatiles found. This study suggests that Porophyllum tagetoides extracts could be used as antioxidants.     

Effects of Pressurized Low Polarity Water Extraction Parameters on Antioxidant Properties and Composition of Cow Cockle Seed Extracts

Antioxidant activity of pressurized low polarity water (PLPW) extracts of cow cockle seed and extraction residues were determined using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The effect of extraction conditions (temperature (125, 150 and 175 °C) and time) on the antioxidant activity and the relationship amongst the antioxidant activity and extract composition (total phenolics and saponin content) were determined. The antioxidant activity of PLPW extracts increased with extraction temperature. Increasing activity with time was also observed at 175 °C. PLPW extraction residues had the highest activity suggesting antioxidant compounds were not completely extracted by PLPW. Antioxidant activity correlated well with total phenolics content of samples (R ² ≥ 0.94), however no correlation was observed with the saponin content. A strong correlation was observed between the antioxidant activity values obtained using different methods (R ² ≥ 0.94). These results point to the potential of PLPW extraction as a method to modify the activity of biological materials for the production of customized extracts.     

槟榔汁喷雾干燥工艺研究

研究槟榔汁喷雾干燥工艺条件。在单因素试验基础上,选取进风口温度、进料量、空气流量3个因素的3个水平进行正交试验,得到槟榔汁喷雾干燥工艺的优化组合条件为进风口温度190℃、进料量25 mL/min、空气流量为700 L/h。在此条件下所得产品的总生物碱含量、水分含量、出粉率分别为0.459%、5.17%和88.6%。     

Hypocholesterolemic Activity from the Leaf Extracts of Cnidoscolus chayamansa

The aim of this study was to determine the hypocholesterolemic activity of Cnidoscolus chayamansa. In an in vivo model, high-cholesterol diet administered to mice Balb/c induced hypercholesterolemia. Three extracts from Cnidoscolus chayamansa (ethanol, methanol and an aqueous extract) were tested on hypercholesterolemic mice. Active extracts were assessed against the in vitro inhibitory activity of the same three extracts on the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme by using Vero cells. The specific chemical groups present in the phytochemical extracts were also determined. Only the aqueous extract (at either doses employed) showed a significant cholesterol reduction (27.9 and 31.1%, for 50 and 100 mg kg⁻¹, respectively P < 0.01). The extract did not inhibit the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme, suggesting that its compounds act at another level in cholesterol metabolism. Reactions to secondary metabolites indicate the presence of alkaloids in the aqueous and ethanol extracts and phenol hydroxyls in the ethanol and methanol extracts.     

Sugars Profiles of Different Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and Almond (Prunus dulcis) Cultivars by HPLC-RI

Sugar profiles of different almond and chestnut cultivars were obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), by means of a refractive index (RI) detector. A solid-liquid extraction procedure was used in defatted and dried samples. The chromatographic separation was achieved using a Eurospher 100-5 NH₂ column using an isocratic elution with acetonitrile/water (70:30, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. All the compounds were separated in 16 min. The method was optimized and proved to be reproducible and accurate. Generally, more than 95% of sugars were identified for both matrixes. Sugars profiles were quite homogeneous for almond cultivars; sucrose was the main sugar (11.46 ± 0.14 in Marcona to 22.23 ± 0.59 in Ferragnes g/100 g of dried weight), followed by raffinose (0.71 ± 0.05 in Ferraduel to 2.11 ± 0.29 in Duro Italiano), glucose (0.42 ± 0.12 in Pegarinhos two seeded to 1.47 ± 0.19 in Ferragnes) and fructose (0.11 ± 0.02 in Pegarinhos two seeded to 0.59 ± 0.05 in Gloriette). Commercial cultivars proved to have higher sucrose contents, except in the case of Marcona. Nevertheless, chestnut cultivars revealed a high heterogeneity. Sucrose was the main sugar in Aveleira (22.05 ± 1.48), Judia (23.30 ± 0.83) and Longal (9.56 ± 0.91), while glucose was slightly prevalent in Boa Ventura (6.63 ± 0.49). The observed variance could serve for inter-cultivar discrimination.     

Effect of heat treatment on the flavor of oat flakes

In order to assess the effect of heat treatment procedure on the flavor and volatile compounds of oats, raw oats, kiln and dried oats, dehulled oats and oat flakes were analysed. A sensory profile method was used to monitor changes in flavor. It changed from hay-like for raw oats into nutty, bread-like for oat flakes. Headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) and solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) techniques were applied for isolation of aroma compounds. The most abundant compound in headspace was hexanal – its concentration varied from 176 to 1671 μg/kg depending on the processing stage. The key aroma compounds of oat flakes identified using gas chromatography – olfactometry and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) were 2-methyl-3-furanthiol with roast/cooked oatmeal flavor together with methional, dimethyl trisulfide, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-methyl-3,5-diethylpyrazine.     

Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Betalain Extracts from Intact Plants and Hairy Root Cultures of the Red Beetroot Beta vulgaris cv. Detroit Dark Red

Betalains are water-soluble plant pigments that are widely used as food colorants, and have a wide range of desirable biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-cancer properties. They can be produced from various plants, notably beetroot, but betalain products obtained in this way also have some undesirable properties and are difficult to standardize. A potentially attractive alternative is to use hairy root cultures. In the study reported here, we found that betalain extracts obtained from hairy root cultures of the red beetroot B. vulgaris cv. Detroit Dark Red also had higher antioxidant activity than extracts obtained from mature beetroots: six-fold higher 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability (90.7% inhibition, EC₅₀ = 0.11 mg, vs 14.2% inhibition, EC₅₀ = 0.70 mg) and 3.28-fold higher oxygen radical absorbance capacity (4,100 μM TE/g dry extract, vs 1,250 μM TE/g dry extract). The high antioxidant activity of the hairy root extracts was associated with increased concentrations (more than 20-fold) of total phenolic concomitant compounds, which may have synergistic effects with betalains. The presence of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, catechin hydrate, and epicatechin were detected in both types of extract, but at different concentrations. Rutin was only present at high concentration (1.096 mg.g⁻¹ dry extract) in betalain extracts from the hairy root cultures, whereas chlorogenic acid was only detected at measurable concentrations in extracts from intact plants.     

Screening of Dried Plant Seed Extracts for Adiponectin Production Activity and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Inhibitory Activity on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

To search for dried plant seeds with potent anti-diabetes activity, we conducted a large scale screening for inhibitory activity on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and facilitating activity on adiponectin production in vitro. These activities in 3T3-L1 adipocytes were screened from ethanol extracts of 20 kinds of dried plant seed marketed in Japan. komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), qing geng cai (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), green soybean (Glycine max), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and sugar snap pea (Pisum sativum L.) markedly enhanced adiponectin production (11.3 ~ 12.7 ng/ml) but Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus), edible burdock (Arctium lappa L.), bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) did not (0.9 ~ 2.7 ng/ml). All adiponectin-production-enhancing seeds except spinach (2.7 pg/ml) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) (6.6 pg/ml) effectively decreased tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels (0.0 pg/ml). We further examined the effects on free radical scavenging activities in the dried seed extracts. Although scavenging activity correlated well with total phenolic content of samples, no correlation was observed with adiponectin production. These results point to the potential of dried seed extracts as a means to modify the activity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha for the adiponectin production.     

Antioxidant Activities of Four Edible Seaweeds from the Southern Coast of Thailand

The aqueous extracts of four marine algae, Caulerpa racemosa var. macrophysa, Gracilaria tenuistipitata var. tenuistipitata, Sargassum sp., and Ulva lactuca, from the coastal areas in Southern Thailand, were prepared by boiling dried seaweed powder in water for 3 h, and by autoclaving each sample at 120 °C for 3 h. They were then freeze-dried and evaluated for their antioxidant activities using DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), hydroxyl radical (OH^•) and superoxide anion (O₂^•−) scavenging assays. Boiling extracts of the seaweeds, except C. racemosa, were found to have higher total phenolic contents (TPC) than those obtained from the autoclave method. The antioxidant results also showed that O₂^•− scavenging activity existed only in the boiling extracts of C. racemosa, G. tenuistipitata, and U. lactuca. In DPPH and OH^• assays, however, almost all the boiling extracts were less active than the autoclave ones. Among the four alga species, Sargassum sp. was the most active. Both extracts of this seaweed had the highest TPC and also displayed the strongest DPPH^• and OH^• inhibitory activities. A strong positive-correlation between the antioxidant potency and TPC of the autoclave extracts was found, while for the boiling extracts such relation was very weak. This result thus reflected that in addition to the phenolic compounds, there might be some other active components present in these extracts involved in the antioxidant activity.     

Evaluation of potential applications for chestnut (Castanea sativa) shell and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) bark extracts

The potential of chestnut shell and eucalyptus bark extracts as phenol substitutes in the formulation of adhesives, as chrome substitutes in leather tanning and as a source of antioxidants compounds has been studied. The influence of extraction conditions, type and concentration of alkaline compounds (NaOH, Na₂SO₃ and Na₂CO₃) and temperature, on extraction yield and on extract characteristics: Stiasny number, tannin content, total phenols content, FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) antioxidant capacity and molecular weight distribution was analysed. Chestnut shell extracts had much better properties than eucalyptus bark extracts and significantly higher extraction yields were obtained. The increase of temperature from 70 to 90 °C not only increased the extraction yield but also improved the quality of the extracts. For both materials, the 2.5% Na₂SO₃–90 °C extract, together with the 2.5% NaOH–2.5% Na₂SO₃–90 °C extract for chestnut shell, showed high extraction yields and the best properties for all the applications proposed.     

Influence of carboxylic acids on mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch by spray drying

Biodegradable packaging is gaining much attention in food industry as the awareness on sustainability has increased. Thermoplastic starch is a possible alternative. This study evaluated the influence of malic acid (MA) and citric acid (CA), used as a plasticizer, on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch (TPS) obtained by spray drying. TPS powder was produced from solution spray drying. This powder was further compression molded to prepare TPS dog-bone test samples. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results showed that both the spray dried TPS powder and dog-bone test samples were amorphous in nature irrespective of the amount of plasticizer added. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of solution spray dried TPS powder. No noticeable difference was observed in the morphology. Particles were spherical in shape with homogenous surface. The FT-IR analysis indicated the interaction of plasticizers with starch chains by hydrogen bonding. During TGA analysis, apart from moisture loss at 100 °C, samples were thermally stable up to 170 °C. Mechanical testing of TPS dog-bone revealed that sample containing malic acid as plasticizer exhibited a more elastic behavior as compared to citric acid plasticized formulations. It was revealed that the tensile strength of TPS dog-bone samples was inversely proportional to the quantity of plasticizer used.     

Vacuum Drying for Extending Litchi Shelf-Life: Vitamin C,Total Phenolics,Texture and Shelf-Life Assessment

In an attempt to obtain shelf-stable litchi fruit with preserved nutritional quality and good sensory features, quarters of peeled and pitted fruits were vacuum dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C at a constant pressure of 8.0 kPa. The product was assessed for its vitamin C, total phenolics and texture (hardness). In addition, the product with the best texture was assessed for its shelf-life by means of accelerated testing. Results suggest that vacuum dried litchi retained almost 70% of the vitamin C and total phenolics when compared to frozen fruits (control). Vitamin C and phenolic compounds content significantly decreased with drying, while no difference was found between different drying temperatures. Hardness increased with drying temperature. The sample dried at 70 °C presented crispness, which is a desired quality feature in dried fruit products. This sample was subjected to shelf-life evaluation, whose result suggests a shelf-life of eight months at 23 °C. Total color change (CIE ΔE₀₀) was the expiry criterion. Vacuum drying was a suitable technique for producing shelf-stable litchi fruit with good texture while preserving its desirable original nutrients. Consumption of vacuum dried litchi may be beneficial to health due to its remarkable content of phenolic compounds and vitamin C.     

Combination of On-Line Solid-Phase Extraction with LC-MS for the Determination of Potentially Hazardous Glycoalkaloids in Potato Products

A simple and rapid method for the determination of naturally occurring, potentially hazardous glycoalkaloids (GAs) in potatoes and their products has been developed. The procedure is based on the on-line solid-phase extraction of the acetic acid extracts from potato products and combined with liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) in a fully automated system (Symbiosis™, Spark Holland Instruments, Emmen, The Netherlands). As sorbent material HySphere™ 18HD was used for alkaloid enrichment. GAs were eluted with the LC gradient and directly analysed by MS. Detection of the analytes was achieved in the sensitive multiple reaction monitoring mode using two characteristic ions (m/z 98 as a qualifier for GAs and m/z 868.3 as a quantifier for α-solanine or m/z 852.4 for α-chaconine). Typical validation data for method precision (v _k α-solanine = 5.3–6.5, v _k α-chaconine = 3.4–15.4), accuracy (average recovery of α-solanine = 84%, average recovery of α-chaconine = 87%) and linearity over the range from 1 to 1,000 ng ml⁻¹ (R ² = 0.9915 for α-solanine, R ² = 0.9939 for α-chaconine) with detection limits of 0.3 ng ml⁻¹ for α-chaconine and 0.5 ng ml⁻¹ for α-solanine were obtained. GA contents of commercial potato products were determined by the new on-line method and afterwards compared with those obtained with an established high-performance LC routine procedure. Better performance of the on-line procedure was obvious from the standard deviations of both methods. Other advantages included a strong reduction of overall analysis time, human intervention and solvent consumption as well as waste production. The time required for the on-line analysis was 5 min, which would allow processing of almost 100 samples in 8 h.     

Kinetics of the Inhibition of Renin and Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme by Polar and Non-polar Polyphenolic Extracts of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernonia Amygdalina</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gongronema Latifolium</Emphasis> Leaves

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro modulation of the renin-angiotensin system by polyphenolic extracts and fractions of two green leafy vegetables, Vernonia amygdalina (VA) and Gongronema latifolium (GL), that are used for food and medicinal purposes. An 80% acetone extract of each leaf was fractionated on silicic acid-packed column to give two main fractions: acetone eluate (flow-through) and ethanol eluate (column-bound), that consist mostly of chlorophyllic and non-chlorophyllic fractions, respectively. Column fractionation resulted in polyphenolic fractions that displayed higher potency against angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and renin than the crude acetone extracts; generally, the chlorophyllic fraction was more active than the non-chlorophyllic fraction. ACE-inhibitory activity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the chlorophyllic fraction of VA than GL, with IC₅₀ values of 0.207 and 0.413 mg/ml, respectively. Similarly, the chlorophyllic fraction of VA had significantly higher (p < 0.05) renin inhibition than GL, with IC₅₀ values of 0.172 and 0.513 mg/ml, respectively. Kinetics studies showed that the chlorophyllic fractions of VA and GL exhibited mostly mixed-type ACE and renin inhibitions. We concluded that the hydrophobic nature of the chlorophyllic fraction may have contributed to the increased interaction with enzyme protein and inhibition of activities of ACE and renin.     

Antioxidant Effect of Dietary Supplement Withania somnifera L. Reduce Blood Glucose Levels in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

The phenolic compounds and flavonoids were determined from the extracts of Withania somnifera root (WSREt) and leaf (WSLEt). The WSREt has 28.26 mg/g total phenolic compounds and 17.32 mg/g flavonoids, whereas WSLEt has 5.4 mg/g total phenolic compounds and 5.1 mg/g flavonoids. The WSREt, WSLEt and glibenclamide were orally administered daily to diabetic rats for 8 weeks. After the treatment, the levels of urine sugar, blood glucose, liver glycogen, and antioxidants like vitamin C and E in plasma and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver, kidney and heart were determined. Diabetic rats showed a significant (p < 0.05) elevation in glucose and TBARS and a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in glycogen, vitamin C and E, SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, and GSH levels when compared to normal control rats. Administration of WSREt, WSLEt and glibenclamide to diabetic rats restored the levels to normal. In the light of aforesaid facts, it is suggested that the presence of phenolic compounds including flavonoids in W. somnifera root and leaf extracts and their antioxidant activity may play a vital role in reduction of blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.     

Comparative Study of Onion (Allium cepa) and Leek (Allium ampeloprasum): Identification of Organosulphur Compounds by UPLC-QTOF/MS and Anticancer Effect on MCF-7 Cells

Onion (Allium cepa) and leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) are common herbs and vegetables found in our daily life. It belongs to the genus Allium, which is usually known for their high antioxidant and anticancer properties. Medical researchers highly recommend the exploitation of herbs and plants as alternative ways in the treatment of cancer. This research was designed to study the anticancer effects of onion and leek extracts on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell. Crude extracts of ethanol, methanol, and water of onion and leek were obtained by maceration. MCF-7 cells were cultured in complete media at 37 °C and subjected to different treatments that involved varying concentrations (10, 50, and 100 μg/mL) of onion and leek extracts for 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. The percentage of cell viability and the concentration of extracts on MCF-7 cells were determined using MTT assay. The water leek extract proved to be the most effective extract at 50 μg/mL, whereby it showed a significant inhibition ability due to the presence of entadamide A-β-D-glucopyranoside as identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS). Further studies about the mechanism of both extracts in causing cell death and the determination of the presence of other bioactive compounds in the extracts are needed.

     

Improvement of cake quality by superheated steam treatment of wheat

In order to improve cake quality, soft wheat was treated with superheated steam (SS) and used to make Madeira cakes, after which the cake batter properties and cake quality were analyzed. Both the cake batter properties and cake quality were significantly affected by SS treatment and cake quality was improved at some specific conditions. Batter viscosity was higher than the control at most conditions of SS treatment and it increased when treatment time was increased from 1 min to 7 min at 140 °C, 165 °C, 190 ^oC and 215 °C. Batter density decreased at some specific conditions. Except the treatment of wheat at 115 °C for 1 min and at 140 °C for 5 min and 7 min, other conditions all led to the decrease of baking loss of cakes. Specific volume of cakes increased at the conditions of 165 °C for 3 min, 190 °C for 1min and 215 °C for 1min. Texture properties and sensory qualities were improved at relatively high temperature for a short time of SS treatment. In conclusion, SS treatment of wheat at the conditions of relatively high temperature for a short time could improve cake quality significantly and SS treatment at 190 °C for 1 min was the best condition.     

基于二次通用旋转组合设计的草果含片配方优化

草果是药食兼用的中药材和香料植物之一,富含多种生物活性物质,具有调节胃肠、通便等多种药理作用。但对于草果功能性新产品的研发却鲜有报道,在市场上也极其少见,又因含片具有便于携带和食用的特点,因此本研究采用草果为主要原料制作水提物,喷雾干燥后添加一定的辅料,以感官评分为依据,利用单因素和二次通用旋转设计优化工艺配方,并测定其微生物指标和理化指标,研制一款风味独特的新型草果含片。通过实验探究新型草果含片的最佳工艺流程和最优配方。新型草果含片的最佳工艺流程为：沸水中加入草果粉煮3 min（粉∶水=1∶10）,尼龙网过滤（重复3次）,浓缩滤液,喷雾干燥后得到草果水提物,原辅料混合,制粒,干燥,造粒,过筛（100目筛网）,添加硬脂酸镁,压片成型。新型草果含片的最佳配方为：草果水提物含量为25 g,蜂蜜粉含量为100 g,百香果含量为150 g,β-环状糊精含量为15 g,麦芽糊精含量为50 g,白砂糖粉含量为200 g,硬脂酸镁含量为10 g。此条件下制得的草果含片不仅保留了草果的独特风味,且口感细腻、微甜,食用方便,且具有一定的保健功效,是一款对草果开发利用具有极大研究价值的新型产品。在未来的研究中,可对草果含片的保健功效及具体有效成分进行进一步地探究,对草果功效及成分的研究和新产品开发对草果的精深加工和产业发展具有重要意义。     

Antioxidant,Antimicrobial and Genotoxicity Screening of Hydro-alcoholic Extracts of Five Serbian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Equisetum</Emphasis> Species

The hydro-alcoholic extracts of five Equisetum species, E. arvense L., E. sylvaticum L., E. fluviatile L., E. palustre L. and E. telmateia Ehrh., growing-wild in Serbia were evaluated for their genotoxicity, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity and the results related to the total phenol content and HPLC flavonoid profiles. The total phenol content was 92–349 μmol expressed as equivalents of chlorogenic acid per g of dried plant material. Main identified compounds were kaempferol-, quercetin- glycosides and caffeic acid derivatives. E. telmateia extract showed the greatest antioxidant capacity. Almost all tested microorganisms demonstrated some degree of sensitivity to the examined extracts. All tested extracts at 62.5 μg/ml showed higher incidence of micronucleus formation than in the control sample. The obtained data allowed mutual comparison of examined species and their assessment as possible sources of antioxidants, antimicrobials and/or genotoxic substances.