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The development of rootstocks that are less sensitive to abiotic and biotic stresses can help mitigate the negative effects of climate change on crop productivity, soil health, and water use. Though, the phenomenon of graft incompatibility is a significant limitation to the spread of new rootstock genotypes. Numerous studies have focused on this issue, highlighting the role of certain phenolic molecules as predictive markers of incompatibility. Given the lack of specific research on table grape, , this study proposes a protocol for the extraction of polyphenols from its woody tissues, which is a fundamental prerequisite for further analysis on secondary metabolites involved in graft incompatibility. The proposed eco-friendly method coupled a traditional maceration using solvent with a green technique utilizing an ultrasound-assisted extractor. The following parameters were compared: (1) sample weight (0.1 g, 0.5 g, and 1 g), (2) time of ultrasound-assisted extraction (10 min, 20 min, and 30 min), and (3) solvent volume for maceration (10 mL, 15 mL, and 20 mL). Four phenol classes were considered based on previous works on Vitis spp.: cinnamic acids, flavonols, benzoic acids, and catechins. The characterization of polyphenolic biomarkers was carried out via HPLC. 1 g of plant material, 30 minutes of sonification, and 20 mL of organic solvent was the combination of factors that resulted in the most efficient fingerprint, both quantitatively (267.68 ± 3.91 mg/100 g fresh weight [FW]) and qualitatively, with the four classes analyzed significantly represented. This is the first work to come up with an extraction protocol for phenol compounds in table grape woody tissue based on both ecological and routine techniques.

Morella spathulata (Myricaceae family) is a common plant from Madagascar and is present on the IUCN Red List of threatened species classified at the ’least concern’ level, used by the local population to treat numerous illnesses and pain. Despite its frequent use, comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological research on the species is limited. This study evaluated the antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as the toxicity of methanol extracts from the leaves (MS_L) and bark (MS_B) of M. spathulata. The research involved the analysis of nutritional traits such as sugars, organic acids, vitamin C, polyphenolic content (TPC) and the main phytochemicals by HPLC analysis. Antioxidant capacity was assessed through DPPH and FRAP assays. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing and carrageenan-induced paw oedema tests in mice. The results showed a high content of phenolic and bioactive components in the leaf and bark extracts, associated with antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. The interaction of key compounds such as ferulic acid and ellagic acid with proteins involved in pH regulation and immune modulation provides clues to the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects. However, conservation efforts are crucial due to habitat loss and illegal logging, and further studies are needed to fully explore the plant’s therapeutic potential.

Background: The aerial parts of Micromeria madagascariensis Baker and M. flagellaris Baker are used by the population of the Vakinankaratra and Itasy regions (Madagascar) to treat breathing difficulty, fever and/or headache, wounds, and sores. Purpose: This work aimed to characterise plant materials from M. madagascariensis and M. flagellaris to report i) chemical composition, ii) antimicrobial properties, and iii) antioxidant capacity of the essential oils extracted from the aerial parts of these species. Materials and methods: The essential oils from M. madagascariensis (MMO) and M. flagellaris (MFO) were obtained by hydrodistillation. Their chemical composition was quantified using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). MMO and MFO were also tested against 7 microbial strains using the disk diffusion method and their antioxidant capacity was assessed using the DPPH scavenging assay. Results: Hydrodistillation yielded 0.26% MMO and 0.29% MFO (w/w) in relation to the fresh weight. Twenty-seven compounds were identified by GC-MS in MMO extract against 36 in MFO one. The main compounds in MMO were pulegone (24.67%), trans-menthone (24.67%), eucalyptol (8.12%), β-caryophyllene (4.98%), α-guanene (4.47), iso-menthone (3.85%), iso-pulegone (3.34%), azulene (3.28%) and 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexenone (2.82%). The main compounds in the MFO were eudesma-4,11-dien-2-ol (13.88%), δ-guanene (6.62%), pulegone (6.40%), cyperone (5.56%), 4-epi-dehydrobietinol acetate (5.39%), eucalyptol (5.12%), trans-menthone (4.67%), limonene (3.77%) and sabinene (2.29%). Regarding the chemotaxonomy, M. flagellaris was very different from M. madagascariensis and both species also differed from the other Micromeria species, as confirmed by multivariate statistical analysis. Both MMO and MFO exerted activities against a large microbial spectrum; the antimicrobial activity of MMO was higher than MFO one against S. pneumoniae and C. albicans due to the presence of pulegone as the main component. MFO showed an excellent scavenging capacity with an SC50 value of 2.17 ± 0.03 μg/mL. Conclusion: The biological properties of the essential oils extracted from the selected species may explain their therapeutic value showing that Malagasy Micromeria species may be very important as new natural sources of bioactive compounds. This study may promote the effectiveness and quality of Malagasy Micromeria species, contributing to sustainable development and commercial valorisation of traditional preparations based on natural local resources.

Abstract Within the world of natural food supplements, organic extracts deriving from young plant meristematic tissue (bud-derivatives) are becoming attractive, thanks to their richness in bioactive molecules. This natural source is scarce, but every year, tons of plant material, including buds, come from city pruning. If this sustainable source is rather promising from a circular economy point of view, the safety of the obtained supplements must be assessed. In fact, anthropic microcontaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), could adsorb onto the urban buds, leading to a possible contamination of the bud-derivatives. In this study, we developed a magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (m-dSPE) based on molecularly imprinted microparticles, combined with GC-MS, to quantify the 16 priority PAHs in such extracts. The D-optimal experimental design was implemented to maximize analytes’ recovery with the smallest set of experiments. The optimized method was characterized by great selectivity thanks to the molecular imprinted polymer and ease of use provided by m-dSPE. Moreover, it complies with green principles, thanks to the minimum consumption of organic solvent (1.5 mL of acetone per sample). The recoveries ranged from 76 to 100% and procedural precision was below 10% for most PAHs. Despite the matrix complexity, low quantification limits (0.7–12.6 μg kg−1) were reached. This guaranteed the PAHs’ quantitation at levels below those indicated as safe by a European Community regulation on food supplements. None of the analyzed samples, coming from different anthropically impacted areas, showed concerning PAHs levels.

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a plant originating from South America. From this plant, mate a drink is produced. Brazil is the first mate producer in the world. The diffusion of mate is mainly limited to the native regions of South America, as it is consumed with cuia and bombilla. Trying to expand mate culture and export it towards Europe makes it necessary to offer this drink in a new guise that sets it apart from traditional preparation patterns. In this instance, the introduction of green tea mate may represent a solution. This innovative product comes from I. paraguariensis sprouts, which are further processed and consumed as green tea from Camellia sinensis. The present study aimed to investigate the physico-chemical and nutraceutical characteristics and consumer perceptions towards the visual aspect of the innovative green tea mate (L1, L2, and L3) compared to commercial traditional Brazilian mate (CI and CB) and roasted mate (L). Moreover, a preliminary sensory evaluation with untrained panellists was carried out. Significant results were detected, highlighting the higher content of bioactive compounds in the innovative product. Total Phenolic Content (TPC) almost doubled in green tea mate (L1 117.14 mg GAE/g d.p., L2 128.10 mg GAE/g d.p., L3 126.21 mg GAE/g d.p.) compared to the other samples (CI 71.91 mg GAE/g d.p., CB 54.23 mg GAE/g d.p., L 34.16 mg GAE/g d.p.) (p < 0.05). Considering caffeine, batches L1 and L3 had a content of 3.68 mg/g d.p. and 3.58 mg/g d.p., respectively, significantly higher when compared to the amount retrieved in the CB sample, 1.57 mg/g d.p. (p < 0.05). The consumer survey demonstrated the interest of consumers towards the new product, as it was perceived similar to more commonly consumed teas, while from a sensory point of view, a vegetal and hay flavour were more defining for the product.

Chestnut processing has increasingly grown in recent years. All the processes involved in the chestnut supply chain are characterized by the production of high levels of by-products that cause several environmental and disposal issues. The Castanea spp. fruit production is related to a high number of chestnut episperm. This underutilized agricultural by-product may be evaluated as a good resource for the extraction of health-promoting natural molecules, such as phenolics. This preliminary study aimed to develop and optimize, using a multivariate statistical approach, a sustainable protocol for the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of the main phenolics from chestnut episperm (cv Marsol, C. sativa × C. crenata). A design of experiment (DoE) approach was employed. This approach focused on the two quantitative UAE process factors: the extraction time (X1), within a timeframe ranging from 10 to 30 min, and the sample-to-solvent (w/v) ratio (X2), ranging from 1/30 to 1/10. These variables were investigated to determine their impact on phenol extraction yield. Exploratory analysis, in particular principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression (MLR), were carried out on the studied responses. The phenolic characterization of ten different extracts was also performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), both to define the levels of specific phenolics selected for their health-promoting properties and to evaluate some important features, such as the total antioxidant capacity. The values of total polyphenolic content (TPC) obtained in the different experiments ranged between 97 (extract 4) and 142 (extract 6) mg GAE/g of dried weight (DW). Moreover, results from the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) test confirmed the high TPC values, highlighting that all the ultrasound extracts contained excellent levels of molecules with good antioxidant properties. In particular, extracts 2 and 3 showed the highest AOC values (about 490–505 mmol Fe2+/Kg of dried weight). The proposed optimized protocol allowed for obtaining formulations characterized by high levels of tannins, phenolic acids, and catechins. Indeed, episperm extracts contained high levels of chlorogenic acid (15–25 mg/100 g DW), ferulic acid (80–120 mg/100 g DW), castalagin (20–80 mg/100 g DW), and vescalagin (40–75 mg/100 g). Finally, in this research study, the potential of chestnut episperm as a source of polyphenolic molecules to be extracted by green technologies and used in several food and/or pharmaceutical applications was evaluated to valorize a sustainable reuse strategy of agri-food processing by-products, also reducing the environmental impact of this waste derived from chestnut processing.

The phytochemical characterization of Castanea spp. fruits is very important for the development of effective strategies for the biodiversity conservation and traceability of chestnuts, as the chestnut is one of the most important Italian and European nut and forest species. In this study, several cultivars of C. sativa (sweet chestnuts and “marrone-type”), C. crenata, and hybrids of C. sativa × C. crenata were characterized by spectrophotometric (Folin–Ciocalteu assay for the total polyphenolic content and ferric reducing antioxidant power test for the antioxidant capacity) and chromatographic (high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array UV-Vis detector) protocols to define their phytochemical composition and nutraceutical properties. The phytochemical results were then used to build a multivariate statistical model (by principal component analysis) and obtain an effective and rapid tool to discriminate unknown cultivars (i.e., no information about their origin) belonging to different species. The multivariate approach showed that the genotype was a significantly discriminating variable (p < 0.05) for the phytochemical composition. Polyphenols (in particular, phenolic acids and tannins) have been identified as the main bioactive classes with the highest discriminating power among the different genotypes. The total polyphenol content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AOC) showed a rich presence of bioactive compounds (74.09 ± 15.10 mgGAE 100 g−1 DW and 11.05 ± 1.35 mmol Fe2+ kg−1 DW, respectively), underlining the potential health benefits and functional traits of chestnuts. The principal component analysis applied to phytochemical variables has proved to be an excellent and effective tool for genotype differentiation to be used as a preliminary method for identifying the species of Castanea spp. fruits with an unknown origin. The present study showed that a multivariate approach, based on phytochemical data and preliminary to genetic analysis, may represent a rapid, effective, and low-cost tool for the traceability and quality evaluation of chestnuts from different species and hybrids with no information on their origin.

Bud derivatives (BDs) represent a category of botanicals obtained by macerating the meristematic tissues (buds or young sprouts) of plants; widely used since ancient times in complementary medicine, they remain poorly investigated to date. In this study, a contribution is made toward the identification of the correct “a posteriori” attribution of the botanical species in commercial BDs, which is very important for ensuring the quality and safety of these natural products. Excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy proved to be a rapid, non-destructive and low-cost analytical instrument for providing a preliminary qualitative characterization of the BDs, allowing for the identification of specific spectral regions related to flavonol compounds and cinnamic and benzoic acids, in agreement with the targeted chromatographic analysis (HPLC-DAD), which completely defined a phytochemical profile for each BD considered. This information will be implemented in the first web application for the recognition of vegetable buds, named GEMMAPP, which was designed by the Authors and is proposed as a tool and future scientific data repository for providing information about the main, typical BDs of the France–Italy Alcotra territory.

More information on the effects of traditional cooking methods (roasting or boiling) on the chestnut composition may be important if health-promoting aspects are considered. The main aims of this study were to investigate and describe the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of raw, boiled, and roasted chestnuts from several Castanea spp. genotypes, evaluating the influence of the application of different traditional cooking methods on the nut phytochemical composition by chromatographic and spectroscopic strategies. The amounts of phenolics were used as selected variables together with total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity to perform a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Catechins and tannins were the main molecules in the phenolic phytocomplex, reaching 30–40% of the total, followed by phenolic acids (5–20%) and flavonols (about 5%). Gallic and ellagic acids were the most important phenolic acids in raw and processed chestnuts (about 20–70 mg·100 g−1 dried weight-DW and 10–50 mg·100 g−1 DW, respectively). Both of the cooking processes significantly influenced the polyphenolic content and the relative antioxidant capacity. This research may support and confirm the potential use of chestnuts for human health, increasing the information on the phenolic pattern of differently processed Castanea spp. fruits from different genotypes to (i) assess the potential health-positive effects, (ii) help processing companies to select specific varieties to commercialise in the market, and (iii) increase the use of these fruits with the relative increase in income for the producers.

Antioxidants are important supplements for the human body for their roles in human life for the maintenance of homeostasis. Tapia fruits (Uapaca bojeri) are used by the riverain population of the Tapia forests in Madagascar as complementary foods. This study aims to quantify the main antioxidants in the U. bojeri fruits to verify their contribution to the enhancement of their anti-inflammatory and antihyperglycemic effects. Standard phytochemical screening was used for qualitative analysis, while spectrophotometric (TPC, TAC, and TFC) and chromatographic analyses (HPLC) were used to quantify several phytochemicals in U. bojeri fruits. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and FRAP assays. The writhing test was used for the analgesic effects, the carrageenan-induced paw edema was used for the anti-inflammatory activity, and OGTT was used to test the anti-hyperglycemia property of the MEUB in mice. Several phytocompounds were detected and quantified in the fruits, including succinic acid (67.73%) as the main quantified compound. Fruits exerted a good antioxidant capacity and showed analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperglycemic activities in mice. Isolation of the bioactive compounds should be carried out to confirm these pharmacological properties and develop health-promoting food products or medicinal applications derived from this species.

Traditional medicine plays an important role in the Malagasy health system. In Madagascar, medicinal plants are the main remedies for several diseases, especially chronic diseases. Scientific studies are performed to valorize the use of Imperata cylindrica (Ic), Uapaca bojeri (Ub), Vaccinium secondiflorum (Vs), and Ravenala madagascariensis (Rm). Ic and Ub are used to treat some inflammatory-related diseases, Vs has an anti-diabetic value, and Rm is known as an antihypertensive. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies were carried out using standard scientific models to justify their properties. Firstly, the antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and/or vasorelaxant activities of their crude methanol extracts (ME) were evaluated according to ethnomedicinal information. The ME of Ic, Ub, and Vs showed potent antioxidant activities on DPPH and FRAP methods. These species are rich in phenolics, flavonoids, and organic acids, known for their antioxidant activities. They also possess significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively, assessed on the pain model caused by acetic acid (1%) and on inflammatory edema induced by carrageenan in mice. Sitostenone was isolated as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory compound from Ic. Ub and Vs ME significantly reduced the glycemia level after 30 min of glucose loading in mice compared to glibenclamide. Androsta-1,4-dien-3,16-dione was isolated as the vasorelaxant molecule from Rm, responsible for its antihypertensive activity. These results showed that there are some scientific reasons that can justify the therapeutic properties of these plants. It is very important to investigate the local use of biodiversity to identify new bioactive compounds, to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable development projects in Madagascar.

In European countries, the utilisation of chestnut flours (CF) has been increasing in the bakery industry because the CF ingredients provide not only nutritional and health benefits but also improve organoleptic and health-promoting properties. This work aimed to describe the phytochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of chestnut flours from different Castanea spp. genotypes and origins, studying the effects of the addition of CF to traditional wheat-based cookies on their quality and sensory traits. Commercial chestnut flours were also considered. CF used in addition to wheat-based flours may increase the quality and health-promoting value of bakery products for its many benefits: (i) nutritional and phytochemical value; (ii) zero-Km availability in many producing areas (Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America); (iii) for these areas, food security is connected to a vulnerable wheat-based food system. Chromatographic and spectroscopic methods were utilised to assess the composition and antioxidant properties of the considered chestnut flours. The sensory value of the prepared chestnut/wheat-based cookies was also assessed by a panel of common consumers (hedonistic test by a 9-points hedonistic scale). Monoterpenes were the main substances in the flour phytocomplex, reaching 80–90% of the total, followed by phenolics (8–12%) and vitamin C in trace (1–3%). Antioxidant capacity ranged from 9.64 ± 0.96 mmol Fe+2 kg−1 DW (BOUC flour from cv Bouche de Bétizac) to 17.33 ± 1.35 mmol Fe+2 kg−1 DW (CANA flour from cv Canalutta). In this research study, the cookies derived from CANA and BOUC flours were considered the most appreciated products by consumers, with values of 7.09 ± 0.46 and 6.88 ± 0.18, respectively. These results confirmed that integrating phytochemical data with sensory results is very important for food industries to obtain a complete description of the analysed flours and consequently of the derived products to produce new bakery products highly appreciated by consumers with high health value in comparison to the traditional products.

In recent years, research has focused on phenolic compounds and their putative role as markers of graft incompatibility. Thus far, no studies have been conducted on the role of phenolic compounds in chestnut (Castanea spp.). The present study investigated the content of phenolic compounds in different combinations of Castanea spp. cultivars and rootstocks. Analyses were performed on the inner and outer tissues of chestnut grafts at two phenological sampling stages. The separation, identification and quantification of the phenolic markers via HPLC were preceded by an ultrasonic green extraction. Two chromatographic methods were tested for a total of 15 phenol compounds. Flavonol compounds were not detected, while cinnamic acids were found in low concentrations. The amount of gallic acid turned out to be higher at the graft union of the incompatible combination (20.11 ± 1.47 mg/100 gFW vs. 8.94 ± 1.08 mg/100 gFW). The same pattern was observed for catechin (15.79 ± 1.83 mg/100 gFW vs. 9.63 ± 1.98 mg/100 gFW). Differences in tannin concentrations seemed to be species-specific, and were apparently not related to graft incompatibility. The present work underlines the potential application of certain phenol compounds for the early prediction of graft incompatibility in Castanea spp.