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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) present a long duration and a slow progression. Good nutrition plays a predominant role in NCD prevention. In Chile, the cultivation of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) has recently been adapted to volcanic soils with low available phosphorus (P), which can affect the fruit quality in terms of their antioxidant compound content and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we carried out a study using organic (OF) or chemical (TF) fertilisers at 50 and 100% of the agronomical dose recommendation and without fertilisation (WF) under field conditions. Identification of phenolic compounds was done by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, whereas antioxidant activities were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The highest concentrations of anthocyanins and ascorbic acid were obtained in the OF treatments, showing a relationship with the CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity) values. The highest concentrations of total polyphenols were obtained in the TF treatments, according to the TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity), CUPRAC and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl tests. The highest enzymatic activities were observed also in the TF treatments. Compared with WF, TF treatment downregulates the cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) significantly at a dose of 100%, but we could not show a significantly downregulation yet. Our results suggest that enzymatic antioxidant activity responds better to a period of prolonged exposure to P fertilisation. There is no direct correlation between enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activity with respect to treatments with different types of P fertilisation.

Pigments/colorants including betalains, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and curcuminoids are widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. The increasing interest in natural pigments is related to their biological properties and safety. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) emerged as sustainable and promising solvents for the extraction of bioactive compounds. The application of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) presents many advantages for the recovery of pigments compared to conventional extraction techniques. This review examines the emerged combination of DES and UAE (DES-UAE) as performant recovery systems of pigments. The factors affecting the DES-UAE system, efficiency of DES-UAE for the recovery pigments such as anthocyanins, betalains, carotenoids, and curcuminoids, as well as their stability and bioavailability were discussed. It resulted that the DESs, combined with ultrasound-assisted extraction (DES-UAE) as an extraction system of pigments, showed higher performance compared to the conventional methods such as maceration, percolation, stirring-assisted extraction, and soxhlet extraction. Factors such as DES composition, solvent-to-sample ratio, extraction duration, temperature, pH, ultrasound frequency, and power greatly influence the performance of DES-UAE. The optimum temperature, time, pH, ultrasound frequency, and power for the maximum recovery of the pigments are 20–90 °C, 5–70 min, pH 1–3, 18–80 kHz, and 60–750 W, respectively. Moreover, the pigment-rich extracts obtained with DES-UAE showed strong thermal stability and high bioavailability of pigments.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonicaLindl.) is a perishable fruit with a huge potential for processing. In this study, the effects of food processing techniques and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the phenolics of loquat products were investigated. For this purpose, the results of processed loquat products including juice, nectar, leather, pulp, and jam were compared to the control loquat samples. Spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods were used to analyze the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC), individual phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin) as well as total antioxidant capacity by DPPH and CUPRAC assays. The TPC and TFC of loquat products varied from 61.2±5.4 to 855.7±36.0 mg GAE/100 g and 37.2±1.6 to 979.5±65.3 mg CE/100 g, respectively. As in total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants, the highest chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, and epicatechin contents were obtained in loquat leather as 201.20±9.99 mg/100 g, 47.50±2.21 mg/100 g, and 46.87±0.28 mg/100 g, respectively. In addition to these, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, it was revealed that loquat leather had the highest TPC, TFC, and total antioxidant capacity values compared to other samples. Results have indicated that the phenolic content of fresh loquat fruits could be improved or protected, mainly by processing into leather and/or jam. Thus, the product scale for this fruit can be increased by obtaining foods with high nutritional value.

Due to the negative impacts of food loss and food waste on the environment, economy, and social contexts, it is a necessity to take action in order to reduce these wastes from post-harvest to distribution. In addition to waste reduction, bioactives obtained from by-products or wastes can be utilized by new end-users by considering the safety aspects. It has been reported that physical, biological, and chemical safety features of raw materials, instruments, environment, and processing methods should be assessed before and during valorization. It has also been indicated that meat by-products/wastes including collagen, gelatin, polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, lipids, enzymes and chitosan; dairy by-products/wastes including whey products, buttermilk and ghee residue; fruit and vegetable by-products/wastes such as pomace, leaves, skins, seeds, stems, seed oils, gums, fiber, polyphenols, starch, cellulose, galactomannan, pectin; cereal by-products/wastes like vitamins, dietary fibers, fats, proteins, starch, husk, and trub have been utilized as animal feed, food supplements, edible coating, bio-based active packaging systems, emulsifiers, water binders, gelling, stabilizing, foaming or whipping agents.

Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) is a well-known fruit that has become increasingly popular among consumers due to its pleasant flavor, nutrient-dense content, and nutraceutical characteristics. Date seeds are the main by-product of date fruit consumption and processing. Date seeds are usually incorporated in animal feed; however, their application in human contexts, such as food products, remains minimal. Nonetheless, they contain significant amounts of bioactive phenolic compounds, primarily flavonoids, which possess potential health benefits. The current study investigated and compared the phenolic profile, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of aqueous extracts of nine different date seeds varieties. The phenolic profile, analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS), showed that total phenolic compounds ranged from 1.05 to 1.24 mg/g in Reziz and Naghal varieties, respectively, with flavan-3-ols predominating in all varieties. Results of the ABTS and DPPH assays revealed that the antioxidant activities against free radicals were directly correlated with the overall phenolic content, particularly for caffeic acid. Indeed, all date seeds possessed antibacterial capabilities, with a stronger effect observed on Listeria monocytogenesthan Escherichia coli. Additionally, date seeds demonstrated a promising source of oil rich in oleic and lauric acids, both of which are considered beneficial for health. According to our findings, date seeds are a significant source of bioactive compounds, which renders them ideal candidates for potential inclusion in human diets as food additives and nutraceuticals.

This research investigated if pitavastatin (Pita) might protect rats’ kidneys against thioacetamide (TAA). By altering the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway, pitavastatin may boost kidney antioxidant capacity and minimize oxidative damage. Statins have several benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The principal hypothesis of this study was that Pita can regulate the miR-93/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathways, which is thought to be responsible for its renoprotective effects. The experiment divided male rats into four groups. Group 1 included untreated rats as the control. Group 2 included rats which received TAA (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally thrice a week for two weeks) to destroy their kidneys. Groups 3 and 4 included rats which received Pita orally at 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg for 14 days after TAA injections. Renal injury increased BUN, creatinine, and MDA levels and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels. Pitavastatin prevented these alterations. TAA decreased PTEN and increased miR-93, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, and Stat3 in the kidneys. Pitavastatin also regulated the associated culprit pathway, miR-93/PTEN/Akt/mTOR. In addition, TAA induced adverse effects on the kidney tissue, which were significantly ameliorated by pitavastatin treatment. The findings suggest that pitavastatin can attenuate renal injury, likely by regulating the miR-93/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway. This modulation of the pathway appears to contribute to the protective effects of pitavastatin against TAA-induced renal injury, adding to the growing evidence of the pleiotropic benefits of statins in renal health.

Coffee (Coffea) is one of the largest-selling beverages in the world, creating a large amount of waste. The spent coffee grounds (SCG) contain numerous organic compounds (fatty acids, amino acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols) and minerals with extremely high economic value for recycling and thus have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Several studies have indicated various products that can be valorised from SCG, including biofuel, biopolymers, food components (such as bioactives i.e. antioxidants), food additives, animal feed, and construction materials. This review briefly summarises the composition of SCG, mainly focusing on bio-reusing products and standard recycling methods available today, with trends for future applications and potential directions.

Recent trends in food industry focus on utilization of fruit processing waste and by-products as novel ingredients due to their nutritional benefits. Apple seed is one such novel ingredient that can find application as functional ingredient in food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. The existing studies suggest that apple seed is a rich source of amino acids, fatty acids and polyphenolic compounds. This review discusses the nutritional and phytochemical profile as well as biological activities exhibited by the apple seed. It also highlights the current application of apple seed in food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries along with the safety aspects considering the presence of amygdalin. The apple seed meal, extracts or seed oil as novel ingredient can find various industrial applications given their dense nutritional profile. Besides their functionality, rigorous and extensive research is required to promote its usage at industrial level for harnessing the benefits of apple seeds.

•The effect processing methods on the nutritional, antinutritional and phytochemical composition of tiger nuts was assessed.•Roasting increase the phenolic content and antiocidant activity of tiger nut•Boiling and roasting alter the quality of tiger nut oil•The processing methods reduce the protein content of the nuts and significantly eliminate their antinutrents

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are common microorganisms found in various ecosystems including in plants, fermented foods, and the human body. Exploring the biodiversity of lactic acid microflora and characterization of LAB is a new approach to form a variety of starter communities to create innovative nutritional food matrices. There has been growing interest in LAB isolated from non-dairy environments as these bacteria exhibit significant metabolic diversity and have unique taste-forming activities. Disease may be prevented, or treated by LAB but the treatment of disease conditions with LAB is highly dependent on the host's microbiome and diet and varies in both effectiveness and side effects from individual to individual. Future perspectives on the study of LAB may be related to the expansion of our knowledge in the fields of genetics and genetic engineering. The application of genetic science may help to improve existing strains and develop new strains with characteristics designed for specific purposes. Therefore, the preservative effects of LAB and their metabolites, as well as their interaction on the growth of food borne pathogens and food spoilage microorganisms were elucidated. In addition, the competitive models for microbial growth between LAB and other microorganisms as well as the role of LAB in the elimination of toxic compounds in food products were discussed. Moreover, the review provided an overview of the risks and benefits of using LAB in the food industry.

In this study the effect of increasing dietary alpha tocopherol on vitamin E tissue concentrations, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), antioxidant enzymes, and fatty acid composition has been investigated in farmed Atlantic salmon. To this end fish (initial body weight ~ 193 g, n = 70 per group) were fed diets based on fish oil (27.5 %), fish meal (15.0 %), wheat gluten (20.6 %), and soy protein concentrate (24.0 %) for 14 weeks. Diets were supplemented with 0 (negative control), 150, and 400 mg/kg vitamin E as all-rac alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Dietary vitamin E did not affect feed conversion efficiency ratio but significantly (p < 0.05) increased alpha-tocopherol concentrations in salmon plasma, liver, and fillet (n = 8 per group each). The increase in fillet alpha-tocopherol was accompanied by a considerable decrease (p < 0.01) in malondialdehyde concentrations at the higher supplementation level. Furthermore, we observed an antagonistic interaction between alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in plasma at the highest supplementation level, since high dietary alpha-tocopherol reduced plasma gamma-tocopherol concentrations. Liver antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, remained largely unchanged in response to dietary alpha-tocopherol. Dietary alpha-tocopherol did not affect eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations in salmon fillet. Present data suggest that alpha-tocopherol supplementations beyond dietary recommendations may further improve flesh quality and nutritional value of Atlantic salmon fillet as far as malondialdehyde and vitamin E concentrations are concerned.

Turmeric is traditionally used as a spice and coloring in foods. It is an important ingredient in curry and gives curry powder its characteristic yellow color. As a consequence of its intense yellow color, turmeric, or curcumin (food additive E100), is used as a food coloring (e.g. mustard). Turmeric contains the curcuminoids curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Recently, the health properties (neuroprotection, chemo‐, and cancer prevention) of curcuminoids have gained increasing attention. Curcuminoids induce endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms in the organism and have anti‐inflammatory activity. Curcuminoids influence gene expression as well as epigenetic mechanisms. Synthetic curcumin analogues also exhibit biological activity. This Review describes the development of curcumin from a “traditional” spice and food coloring to a “modern” biological regulator.

Curcuma (Gelbwurzel) wird traditionell als Würzmittel für Lebensmittel eingesetzt. Curcumin ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Currypulvers und verleiht dem Pulver seine charakteristische Farbe. Aufgrund seiner intensiven gelben Farbe wird Curcuma bzw. Curcumin (Zusatzstoff E100) auch zum Färben von Lebensmitteln (z. B. Senf) verwendet. Curcuma enthält die Curcuminoide Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin und Bisdemethoxycurcumin. In jüngster Zeit werden vermehrt gesundheitsfördernde Eigenschaften (Neuroprotektion, Chemo‐ bzw. Krebsprävention) von Curcuminoiden diskutiert. Curcuminoide induzieren im Organismus endogene antioxidative Schutzsysteme und wirken entzündungshemmend. Curcuminoide beeinflussen die Genexpression sowie epigenetische Regulationsmechanismen. Synthetische Curcumin‐Analoga zeigen zum Teil biologische Wirkungen. Dieser Aufsatz beschreibt die Entwicklung von Curcuma vom “traditionellen” Würz‐ und Färbemittel zum “modernen” biologischen Regulator.

Catechins and procyanidins are major polyphenols in plant-derived foods. Despite intensive studies in recent years, neither their biochemical nor their toxicological properties have been clarified sufficiently. This study aimed to compare the methylation of catechins and procyanidins by the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in vitro. We conducted incubations with rat liver cytosol and human placental cytosol including S-adenosyl-L-methionine. The set of substrates comprised the catechins (–)-epicatechin (EC) and (+)-catechin (CAT), the procyanidin dimers B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, and B7 as well as procyanidin trimer C1. After extraction, metabolites were analyzed by means of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry. EC and CAT were converted to two monomethylated metabolites each by human and rat COMT, with the 3'-O-methyl derivatives being consistently the main metabolites. Furthermore, the flavanyl units of procyanidins were methylated consecutively, leading to monomethylated and dimethylated dimeric metabolites as well as monomethylated, dimethylated, and trimethylated C1 metabolites. The methylation status of each flavanyl unit was determined by means of mass spectrometric quinone-methide fragmentation patterns. In addition, molecular modeling studies were performed with the aim to predict the preferred site of methylation and to verify the experimental data. In conclusion, our results indicate that the degree and position of methylation depend clearly on the three-dimensional structure of the entire substrate molecule.