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This study investigates the chemical composition, nutritional, and biological properties of extracts obtained from A. melanocarpa berries using different extraction methods and solvents. Hydrodistillation and supercritical fluid extraction with CO2 allowed us to isolate fruit essential oil (HDEX) and fixed oil (SFEEX), respectively. A phenol-enriched extract was obtained using a mild ultrasound-assisted maceration with methanol (UAMM). The HDEX most abundant component, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), was italicene epoxide (17.2%), followed by hexadecanoic acid (12.4%), khusinol (10.5%), limonene (9.7%), dodecanoic acid (9.7%), and (E)-anethole (6.1%). Linoleic (348.9 mg/g of extract, 70.5%), oleic (88.9 mg/g, 17.9%), and palmitic (40.8 mg/g, 8.2%) acids, followed by α-linolenic and stearic acids, were the main fatty acids in SFEEX determined using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector and an evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-DAD/ELSD). HPLC-DAD analyses of SFEEX identified β-carotene as the main carotenoid (1.7 mg/g), while HPLC with fluorescence detection (FLU) evidenced α-tocopherol (1.2 mg/g) as the most abundant tocopherol isoform in SFEEX. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-MS (LC-ESI-MS) analysis of UAMM showed the presence of quercetin-sulfate (15.6%, major component), malvidin 3-O-(6-O-p-coumaroyl) glucoside-4-vinylphenol adduct (pigment B) (9.3%), di-caffeoyl coumaroyl spermidine (7.6%), methyl-epigallocatechin (5.68%), and phloretin (4.1%), while flavonoids (70.5%) and phenolic acids (23.9%) emerged as the most abundant polyphenol classes. UAMM exerted a complete inhibition of the cholesterol oxidative degradation at 140 °C from 75 μg of extract, showing 50% protection at 30.6 μg (IA50). Furthermore, UAMM significantly reduced viability (31–48%) in A375 melanoma cells in the range of 500–2000 μg/mL after 96 h of incubation (MTT assay), with a low toxic effect in normal HaCaT keratinocytes. The results of this research extend the knowledge of the nutritional and biological properties of A. melanocarpa berries, providing useful information on specific extracts for potential food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valorization of food industry by-products as sources of bioactive compounds is at the forefront of research in functional foods and nutraceuticals. This study focuses on bioactives of apple cider by-products (ACBPs) with putative cardio-protective properties. Total lipids (TLs) were extracted from ACBPs of apple varieties that are low (ACBP1), medium (ACBP2), and high (ACBP3) in tannins and were further separated into polar lipids (PLs) and neutral lipids (NLs). The functionality of these lipid extracts and of their HPLC-derived lipid fractions/PL subclasses were assessed in vitro against human platelet aggregation induced by the thrombotic and inflammatory platelet agonists platelet-activating factor (PAF) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The fatty acid profile of PLs and their most bioactive lipid fractions were evaluated by GC–MS analysis. The PL extracts exhibited higher specificity against the PAF-induced platelet aggregation compared to their anti-ADP effects, while TL and NL showed lower bioactivities in all ACBPs. HPLC analysis unveiled that the most bioactive PL from all ACBPs were those in PL fraction 3 containing phosphatidylcholines (PCs). PLs from all ACBPs and their PC bioactives were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and especially in the essential omega-6 (n-6) linoleic acid (LA) and omega-3 (n-3) alpha linolenic acid (ALA), with favorably low values of the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, thus providing a rationale for their higher anti-inflammatory bioactivities. Within this study, highly bioactive PL compounds with strong anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet properties were identified in ACBPs, which can be potentially utilized for producing cardio-protective functional foods and/or nutraceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferulated polysaccharides such as pectin and arabinoxylan form covalent gels which are attractive for drug delivery or cell immobilization. Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast known for providing humans with health benefits; however, its application is limited by viability loss under environmental stress. In this study, ferulated pectin from sugar beet solid waste (SBWP) and ferulated arabinoxylan from maize bioethanol waste (AX) were used to form a covalent mixed gel, which was in turn used to entrap S. boulardii (2.08 × 108 cells/mL) in microbeads using electrospray. SBWP presented a low degree of esterification (30%), which allowed gelation through Ca2+, making it possible to reduce microbead aggregation and coalescence by curing the particles in a 2% CaCl2 cross-linking solution. SBWP/AX and SBWP/AX+ S. boulardii microbeads presented a diameter of 214 and 344 µm, respectively, and a covalent cross-linking content (dimers di-FA and trimer tri-FA of ferulic acid) of 1.15 mg/g polysaccharide. The 8-5′, 8-O-4′and 5-5′di-FA isomers proportions were 79%, 18%, and 3%, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of propidium iodide-stained yeasts confirmed cell viability before and after microbeads preparation by electrospray. SBWP/AX capability to entrap S. boulardii would represent an alternative for probiotic immobilization in tailored biomaterials and an opportunity for sustainable waste upcycling to value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and anxiety disorders are widespread diseases, and they belong to the leading causes of disability and greatest burdens on healthcare systems worldwide. It is expected that the numbers will dramatically rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Established medications are not sufficient to adequately treat depression and are not available for everyone. Plants from traditional medicine may be promising alternatives to treat depressive symptoms. The model organism Chaenorhabditis elegans was used to assess the stress reducing effects of methanol/dichlormethane extracts from plants used in traditional medicine. After initial screening for antioxidant activity, nine extracts were selected for in vivo testing in oxidative stress, heat stress, and osmotic stress assays. Additionally, anti-aging properties were evaluated in lifespan assay. The extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus, Campsis grandiflora, Centella asiatica, Corydalis yanhusuo, Dan Zhi, Houttuynia cordata, Psoralea corylifolia, Valeriana officinalis, and Withaniasomnifera showed antioxidant activity of more than 15 Trolox equivalents per mg extract. The extracts significantly lowered ROS in mutants, increased resistance to heat stress and osmotic stress, and the extended lifespan of the nematodes. The plant extracts tested showed promising results in increasing stress resistance in the nematode model. Further analyses are needed, in order to unravel underlying mechanisms and transfer results to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire (Zingiberaceae) is a medicinal herb found in Southeast Asia that is used for the treatment of malaria, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, etc. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an ethanol extract of Amomum tsao-ko (EAT) on obesity and hyperlipidemia in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-carbohydrate diet (HCD). First, the mice were divided into five groups (n = 6/group) as follows: normal diet, HCD, and HCD+EAT (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day), which were orally administered with EAT daily for 84 days. Using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) analysis, we found that EAT inhibited not only body-weight gain, but also visceral fat and subcutaneous fat accumulation. Histological analysis confirmed that EAT decreased the size of fat tissues. EAT consistently improved various indices, including plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, atherogenic index, and cardiac risk factors, which are related to dyslipidemia—a major risk factor for heart disease. The contents of TC and TG, as well as the lipid droplets of HCD-induced hepatic accumulation in the liver tissue, were suppressed by EAT. Taken together, these findings suggest the possibility of developing EAT as a therapeutic agent for improving HCD-induced obesity and hyperlipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to characterize the properties of pectin extracted from sugar beet pulp using subcritical water (SWE) as compared to conventional extraction (CE). The research involved advanced modeling using response surface methodology and optimization of operational parameters. The optimal conditions for maximum yield of pectin for SWE and CE methods were determined by the central composite design. The optimum conditions of CE were the temperature of 90 °C, time of 240 min, pH of 1, and pectin recovery yield of 20.8%. The optimal SWE conditions were liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio of 30% (v/w) at temperature of 130 °C for 20 min, which resulted in a comparable yield of 20.7%. The effect of obtained pectins on viscoamylograph pasting and DSC thermal parameters of corn starch was evaluated. The contents of galacturonic acid, degree of methylation, acetylation, and ferulic acid content were higher in the pectin extracted by SWE, while the molecular weight was lower. Similar chemical groups were characterized by FTIR in both SWE and CE pectins. Color attributes of both pectins were similar. Solutions of pectins at lower concentrations displayed nearly Newtonian behavior. The addition of both pectins to corn starch decreased pasting and DSC gelatinization parameters, but increased ΔH. The results offered a promising scalable approach to convert the beet waste to pectin as a value-added product using SWE with improved pectin properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate pomace (PP) is the solid waste produced in bulk by the pomegranate juice industry which is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids that can replace the hazardous chemical antioxidants/antimicrobials currently used in the agro-food and cosmetics sectors. In the present work, the vacuum microwave assisted extraction (VMAE) of natural antioxidants from raw pomegranate pomace was investigated and successfully optimized at an industrial scale. For the optimization of PP VMAE a novel, highly accurate response surface methodology (RSM) based on a comprehensive multi-point historical design was employed. The optimization showed that the maximum recovery of PP total polyphenols as well as total PP flavonoids were obtained at microwave power = 4961.07 W, water to pomace ratio = 29.9, extraction time = 119.53 min and microwave power = 4147.76 W, water to pomace ratio = 19.32, extraction time = 63.32 min respectively. Moreover, the optimal VMAE conditions on economic grounds were determined to be: microwave power = 2048.62 W, water to pomace ratio = 23.11, extraction time = 15.04 min and microwave power = 4008.62 W, water to pomace ratio = 18.08, extraction time = 15.29 min for PP total polyphenols and PP total flavonoids respectively. The main conclusion of this study is that the VMAE extraction can be successfully used at industrial scale to produce, in economic manner, high added value natural extracts from PP pomace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet pepper is one of the most important economic fruits with nutritional attributes. In this sense, the nutraceutical value of consumed products is a major concern nowadays so the content of some bioactive compounds and antioxidants (phenols, ascorbic acid, lycopene, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and antioxidant activity) was monitored in 18 sweet pepper landraces at two maturity stages (green and red). All the traits except chlorophylls significantly increased in red fruits (between 1.5- and 2.3-fold for phenols, ascorbic acid, and 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition activity, 4.8-fold for carotenoid and 27.4-fold for lycopene content), which suggests that ripening is key for obtaining desired fruit quality. Among landraces, P-44 in green fruits is highlighted for its content in carotenoids, chlorophylls, phenols, and ascorbic acid, and P-46 for its antioxidant capacity and lycopene content. Upon maturity, P-48, P-44, and P-41 presented higher levels of phenols and lycopene, and P-39 of phenols, carotenoid, and DPPH. This work reflects a wide variability in the 18 pepper landraces at bioactive compounds concentration and in relation to fruit ripeness. The importance of traditional landraces in terms of organoleptic properties is emphasized as they are the main source of agricultural biodiversity today and could be helpful for breeders to develop new functional pepper varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food sector includes several large industries such as canned food, pasta, flour, frozen products, and beverages. Those industries transform agricultural raw materials into added-value products. The fruit and vegetable industry is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the world agricultural production market, which commercialize various products such as juices, jams, and dehydrated products, followed by the cereal industry products such as chocolate, beer, and vegetable oils are produced. Similarly, the root and tuber industry produces flours and starches essential for the daily diet due to their high carbohydrate content. However, the processing of these foods generates a large amount of waste several times improperly disposed of in landfills. Due to the increase in the world's population, the indiscriminate use of natural resources generates waste and food supply limitations due to the scarcity of resources, increasing hunger worldwide. The circular economy offers various tools for raising awareness for the recovery of waste, one of the best alternatives to mitigate the excessive consumption of raw materials and reduce waste. The loss and waste of food as a raw material offers bioactive compounds, enzymes, and nutrients that add value to the food cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper systematically reviewed literature with different food loss and waste by-products as animal feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products that strongly contribute to the paradigm shift to a circular economy. Additionally, this review compiles studies related to the integral recovery of by-products from the processing of fruits, vegetables, tubers, cereals, and legumes from the food industry, with the potential in SARS-CoV-2 disease and bacterial diseases treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving toward a more sustainable development, a pivotal role is played by circular economy and a smarter waste management. Industrial wastes from plants offer a wide spectrum of possibilities for their valorization, still being enriched in high added-value molecules, such as secondary metabolites (SMs). The current review provides an overview of the most common SM classes (chemical structures, classification, biological activities) present in different plant waste/by-products and their potential use in various fields. A bibliographic survey was carried out, taking into account 99 research articles (from 2006 to 2020), summarizing all the information about waste type, its plant source, industrial sector of provenience, contained SMs, reported bioactivities, and proposals for its valorization. This survey highlighted that a great deal of the current publications are focused on the exploitation of plant wastes in human healthcare and food (including cosmetic, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food additives). However, as summarized in this review, plant SMs also possess an enormous potential for further uses. Accordingly, an increasing number of investigations on neglected plant matrices and their use in areas such as veterinary science or agriculture are expected, considering also the need to implement "greener" practices in the latter sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheese ripening involves a number of biochemical processes, mainly of a proteolytic nature, which are initially triggered principally by milk-coagulating enzymes and, afterward, by microorganisms or enzymes of microbial origin. The proteolytic reactions affect, primarily, the synthesis of macro- and medium-molecular peptides from casein. In turn, the advanced proteolysis ends in the formation of short peptides and free amino acids. Further reactions may lead to the formation of nutritionally unfavorable biogenic amines. The present study aimed to determine changes in the contents of bioactive peptides (anserine and L-carnosine), free amino acids, and biogenic amines throughout the ripening of cheese models produced with the addition of Lactobacillus genus bacteria. The contents of amino acids varied considerably in the cheese models, depending on the bacterial strain added and ripening time. After five weeks of ripening, the total content of free amino acids in the cheese models ranged from 611.02 (a cheese model with Lactobacillus casei 2639) to 1596.64 mg kg−1 (a cheese model with Lb. acidophilus 2499). After the same time, the contents of the total biogenic amines in the cheese models with the addition of lactobacilli were lower than in the control cheese model (except for the model with Lb. rhamnosus 489). Anserine was detected in all cheese models (79.29–119.02 mg kg−1), whereas no L-carnosine was found over a five-week ripening period in the cheese models with Lb. delbrueckii 490 and Lb. casei 2639. After a five-week ripening, the highest total content of bioactive peptides was determined in the cheese models containing Lb. acidophilus 2499 (136.11 mg kg−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural triterpene from Olea europaea L. with multiple biological properties. The aim of the present study was to examine MA's effect on cell viability (by the MTT assay), reactive oxygen species (ROS levels, by flow cytometry) and key antioxidant enzyme activities (by spectrophotometry) in murine skin melanoma (B16F10) cells compared to those on healthy cells (A10). MA induced cytotoxic effects in cancer cells (IC50 42 µM), whereas no effect was found in A10 cells treated with MA (up to 210 µM). In order to produce a stress situation in cells, 0.15 mM H2O2 was added. Under stressful conditions, MA protected both cell lines against oxidative damage, decreasing intracellular ROS, which were higher in B16F10 than in A10 cells. The treatment with H2O2 and without MA produced different responses in antioxidant enzyme activities depending on the cell line. In A10 cells, all the enzymes were up-regulated, but in B16F10 cells, only superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase increased their activities. MA restored the enzyme activities to levels similar to those in the control group in both cell lines, highlighting that in A10 cells, the highest MA doses induced values lower than control. Overall, these findings demonstrate the great antioxidant capacity of MA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]