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Background: 1,8 cineole-rich supercritical CO2 extract of small cardamom seeds of Alleppey green variety exhibiting prominent antioxidant property was microencapsulated and utilized in formulating an antioxidant-rich custard. However, the antioxidant potency of the prepared custard was not appreciable. To redress the phytochemical loss during custard preparation, custard using nanoliposomes was formulated. Patents related to 1,8 cineole-rich food products have been revised thoroughly. Objective: : The objective of the current study is to examine whether nanoencapsulationmediated entrapment of antioxidants is more effective in fortifying a dessert, namely custard, vis-à-vis microencapsulated (spray dried)-mediated enhancement of antioxidative potency in the same. Methods: Our previous investigations have established that nanoliposome of 1,8 cineole- rich supercritical CO2 extract of small cardamom seeds effectively redresses type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. In the current investigation, this pre-characterized nanoliposome which exhibited appreciable in vitro and in vivo antioxidant efficacy has been utilized at varying concentrations for fortification of a custard. The designer custard samples have been characterized for their sensory and physicochemical properties, identification of the cardamom antioxidants therein and determination of the synergistic efficacy value of the identified antioxidants. Results: The custard formulated with 0.3% nanoliposomes exhibited appreciable antioxidant potency in terms of DPPH radical scavenging activity (304.58±1.09 mg/ml) and reducing power (0.020±0.001 mg BHT/g custard), conferred by its total phenolic content (0.049±0.004 mg GAE/g custard). It also had relatively more stable textural attributes vis-à-vis the control sample (formulated with the non-encapsulated native extract). GCMS analysis of the nanoliposome-fortified custard confirmed retention of the spice antioxidants, namely1,8- cineole, α-terpinyl acetate, α-terpineol and linalool and its synergistic efficacy value being greater than unity, attested to the synergistic presence of the said antioxidants therein. The newly formulated custard retained more than 4.5 times of 1,8-cineole (5.05 mg/g custard) vis-à-vis the custard sample (1.12 mg/g custard) prepared with a microencapsulated (spray-dried) formulation of the extract. Additionally, the absence of heavy metals in the formulated custard confirmed it to be safe for human consumption. Conclusion: This is the first study on the application of nanoliposomes of spiceuticals in the formulation of a dessert, and more emphatically on use of a ‘green’ supercritical CO2 extract of spice antioxidants in fortification of a dessert to achieve antioxidant synergy.

In the present investigation, the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extracts of small cardamom (SC) and yellow mustard (YM) seeds have been investigated for their efficacies in combating type 2 diabetes in streptozotocin-induced Wistar albino rats. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in the rats were monitored on days 8, 15 and 21. On day 15, FBG level reduced appreciably by 31·49 % in rats treated with SC seed extract and by 32·28 % in rats treated with YM seed extract, comparable to metformin (30·70 %) and BGR-34 (a commercial polyherbal drug) (31·81 %) administered rats. Either extract exhibited desirable effects on hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and catalase activities in controlling diabetes. A molecular docking exercise was conducted to identify specific compounds in the extracts which possessed augmenting effect on G6PD. The results revealed that all the bioactive compounds in the extracts have binding affinities with the enzyme and contributed to the antidiabetic efficacies of the extracts as G6PD augmenters. The effects of the extracts on insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake were investigated using non-invasive modelling by iHOMA2 software. This in vitro approach indicated that extract administration resulted in increased both insulin sensitivity of the liver and glucose uptake in the gut. The findings of the present study attest these SC-CO2 extracts of the spices as safe alternatives of metformin and BGR-34 in combating type 2 diabetes and could be safely subjected to clinical studies. These extracts could also be employed in designing proactive food supplements in mitigating the metabolic disorder.

Background: Low height-for-age (stunting) is a state of chronic undernutrition in children and adolescents. Studies reported that India has very high prevalence of stunting in children, particularly from rural and tribal communities. Objective of the present study was to record prevalence of stunting in 6 to 18 year-old boys and girls from two tribal communities (Limbu and Mech) in Darjeeling and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal, India. The study also aimed to compare height-for-age of the participants with standard growth reference curves. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample comprises 1523 individuals of both sexes from Limbu (377 boys, 379 girls) and Mech (365 boys, 402 girls) communities. Height data was normalized using LMS. Results: Overall frequency of stunting among 6 to 18 year-old boys (33%) and girls (34.7%) was remarkably high. Prevalence of stunting was higher in Limbu boys (43.5%) and girls (44.6%) than their age-peers from Mech community (boys 22.2%, girls 25.4%). Height data after normalization, shows that all centile curves of height of Limbu and Mech boys and girls are consistently below the standard height-for-age reference curves of the WHO. Limbu and Mech children appear to be taller with respect to their median (50th percentile) height when compared with the median height of children in the dataset of Indian Council of Medical Research. Conclusion: High frequency stunting in Mech and limbu children was recorded and situation of girls was worse. There was a tendency of decline in prevalence of stunting with advancement of age among children.

This study aimed to formulate melatonin (MT)-rich nanocapsulates from natural sources for mitigating hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes. The in vivo hypocholesterolemic and antidiabetic efficacies of the MT-rich extract of yellow mustard (YM) seeds has already been established in our previous investigation. This outcome prompted us to formulate nanoliposomes of the aforesaid extract to enhance the said therapeutic efficacies. YM extract has been encapsulated in the form of nanoliposomes (YM-PN) and subjected to detailed functional characterization. YM-PN has been administered orally (550 mg/kg b.w. for 28 days) in Wistar albino rats and, post-sacrification their plasma MT level, fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, serum lipid profile and activities of key enzymes of glucose and cholesterol metabolic pathways were assayed. Functional characterization of YM-PN revealed PEGylated-o/w type-hydrophilic nanoliposomes which demonstrated prolonged and sustained release of MT (63.32% after 8 h). A synergistic consortium of antioxidants conferred strong antioxidant activity to YM-PN. Oral administration of YM-PN to diabetic and hypercholesterolemic rats restored their normal FBG and total cholesterol (TC) levels, respectively, with desirable up-down regulations of key enzymes of glucose and cholesterol homeostasis. Plasma MT levels also improved in these animals. The in vitro non-invasive model of iHOMA2 predicted that YM-PN increased hepatic insulin sensitivity and/ or glucose uptake in the gut in diabetic rats. The synergistic consortium of bioactives (including melatonin) in YM-PN is an authentic lead for natural product-based medicines in redressing hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes.

In this study highlights on the optimization of extraction process parameters of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity from Spirulina platensis, through ultrasonication (probe) technology. Especially, optimization of ultrasonication parameters was carried out employing Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and response surface methodology. Alongside the three levels of extraction parameters i.e. solvent volume, extraction time and frequency have been fixed. As responses, the total yield of extract, total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50) of the extracts were determined. The variability of each response variable was determined by developing multiple linear regressions. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) of developed mathematical models allowed the prediction of the behaviour of the responses, as a function of the variables involved in the process. The optimized extraction conditions were obtained at 58.76 kHz frequency, 10 mL of solvent volume for 6 min. Simultaneously this extract exhibited the highest content of total phenolic content (30.89 mg GAE/g powder), IC50 for DPPH activity (151.27 µg/mL). The extract exhibited an important antioxidant i.e. caffeic acid, which was quantified as 660.72±41.05 µg/g of dry algal powder using HPLC. In spite of fact that, this study offers an alternative method for obtaining natural antioxidants from algae for food and pharmaceutical applications. Keywords: Microalgae; Probe sonication extraction; Total phenolic content; Antioxidant activity

This study investigates mass transfer and hydrodynamic parameters of supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) extraction of 1,8-cineole from small cardamom seeds (SCs). Solubility of 1,8-cineole in sc...

The present study has endeavoured a unique application of the sleep hormone, melatonin as a food antioxidant in synergism with other antioxidants. Two lemon–mustard based nutraceutical beverages, brown mustard beverage (BMB) and yellow mustard beverage (YMB), were formulated using brown and yellow mustard seed extracts based on highest synergistic combination of four antioxidants (melatonin and ɣ-tocopherol from mustard seeds; ascorbic acid and citric acid from lemon). Evaluation of microbial load, sensory attributes, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, hypocholesterolemic and antidiabetic properties (in vitro) of the beverages revealed that YMB had a shelf life over 360 days and BMB over 240 days, vis-a-vis 21 days for the control sample at 4 ± 1 °C. The beverages retained considerable amount of melatonin even after 360 days (87.13 ± 0.92% for BMB and 91.97 ± 0.89% for YMB) of storage in amber-colored glass bottles at 4 ± 1 °C. These antioxidant-rich beverages could be novel designer nutraceutical foods. Besides, this methodology of formulation of the beverages based on synergistic activities of multiple antioxidants could be successfully adopted industrially in development of innovative antioxidant-rich food products.

Optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction parameters was carried out employing a full factorial design of experiments and response surface methodology, to obtain an extract p...

A lutein-rich extract from African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) flowers (packaged-irradiated) obtained by the green technology of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction at 450 bar (4.5 × 107 Pa), 80 °C after 105 min of extraction time had lutein content of 215.53 ± 3.75 mg/100 g dry basis (d.b.) and DPPH radical scavenging activity of 0.83 ± 0.03 mg/mL (IC50 value). This antioxidant-rich extract was microencapsulated by spray drying to improve shelf-stability of lutein. The encapsulation parameters were optimized using a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array design to obtain highest microencapsulation efficiency (ME%) under the experimental conditions. The optimized conditions of spray drying obtained were: spray concentration (%w/w) of 30, wall material composition of maltodextrin:gum Arabic :: 60:40, core (lutein):wall material :: 1:30, sample feed flow rate of 0.90 mL/min (1.5 × 10− 8 m3/s), inlet air temperature of 170 °C, spray gas flow rate of 742 L/h (2.06 × 10− 4 m3/s) and atomization pressure of − 60 mbar (− 6000 Pa). At these conditions ME(%) was found to be the highest (78.32%) w.r.t. lutein content (1.28 ± 0.05 mg/g powder). The encapsulate possessing highest ME% exhibited concomitant highest antioxidant activity (IC50 value of 2.33 ± 0.39 mg/mL and FRAP value of 6.16 ± 1.30 mM FeSO4 equivalent/g d.b.) vis-a-vis those obtained at other encapsulation conditions. Besides, half-life of the best encapsulate (Ebest) was 6.90 times higher than the native extract under ambient storage conditions (23 ± 2 °C, 80% R.H., in the dark). Along with Ebest, lutein-rich native extract and pure lutein were characterized by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analyses, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. Ebest was then employed in designing a novel lutein-rich ready-to-serve beverage and its sensory, physicochemical and phytochemical properties were evaluated.

E-nose technology has been successfully employed in determination of rancidity in nutraceutical-rich drop cookies. The cookies were formulated with extracts obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extractions and post-extraction sample matrices of black pepper and small cardamom. Rancidity in cookies was estimated by comparing the odor profiles of stored cookies with the profiles of deliberately rancid cookies (training sets), using e-nose. PCA plots along with spoilage indices obtained from Mahalanobis distances calculated from e-nose responses revealed that the extracts and post-extraction sample matrices of these spices performed as natural antioxidants in preventing rancidity in cookies. Both the extracts enhanced the shelf lives of cookies by at least 120 days; post-extraction matrices of black pepper and small cardamom enhanced the same by 80 and 40 days, respectively. These findings were further affirmed by biochemical analyses and linear regression equations were generated for prediction of FFA content, PV, and MDA values from the spoilage indices of each type of cookie. Thus, spoilage indices can circumvent the requirement of conducting cumbersome biochemical assays for estimation of rancidity in cookies. Similar applications of e-nose technology and spoilage indices can be envisaged for other bakery products also.

Extraction of eugenol from dried tulsi leaves powder (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) of ‘West Bengal origin’ (Eastern India), Ram tulsi variety, was carried out using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction. The optimized parameters for highest yield of eugenol [2.96 mg (g dry tulsi leaves)−1] were 20 g of tulsi leaves powder (dp = 0.42 mm) extracted at 50 °C, 200 bar and 90 min extraction time at a constant flow rate of 2.5 L min−1 of gaseous CO2. Statistical analyses revealed that only extraction pressure showed significantly effect on the yield of eugenol. The extraction kinetics of eugenol from tulsi matrix followed first order kinetics (Higuchi model). Characterization of the packed bed of tulsi leaves was also carried out during steady and unsteady states of extraction and empirical correlations were developed among dimensionless Reynolds, Sherwood and Schmidt numbers. The correlation coefficients were found to be low owing to leaf mucilage which impeded extraction of eugenol from tulsi leaves.

Phytomelatonin-rich (194.02 ± 2.45–205.80 ± 1.67 ng/g of dry mustard seeds) and erucic acid-lean (below 2%) extracts from an oilseed crop, (yellow and black mustard seeds) have been successfully obtained by ultrasonication-assisted-extraction in ethanol–water. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analyses have confirmed the presence of phytomelatonin along with tocopherol, ascorbic acid, limonene and linalool in the extract. Field emission scanning electron micrographs confirmed the cavitational effects of sonication on mustard seed matrices. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy established the strong antioxidant activities (72.25–75.49%) of the extracts foregoing erroneous spectrophotometric result of pan assay interference compounds. A synergistic effect value of 1.13 (greater than unity) confirmed synergistic co-existence of the antioxidants in the extract. This study interestingly revealed that an antioxidant synergy could be obtained by classical reductionism. Acute oral toxicity of the extracts were found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight of rats. The extracts are perfectly safe to be utilized as antioxidative food supplements. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13197-019-04161-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Melatonin-rich and 1,8-cineole-rich extracts have been successfully obtained from yellow mustard (YM) and small cardamom (SC) seeds, respectively, employing green technology of supercritical CO2(SC-CO2) extraction. Chemical profiling confirmed the presence of melatonin and 1,8-cineole and co-extractants in the respective extracts. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy attested strong antioxidant activities of the extracts foregoing pan-assay interference compounds involved in spectroscopic analysis. These extracts also exhibited synergistic efficacies greater than unity confirming antioxidant synergy among the co-extracted bioactives therein. To ascertain hypocholesterolaemic efficacies, these extracts were co-administered orally with Triton X (at the pre-optimised dose of 175 mg/kg body weight (BW)) to Wistar albino rats at doses of 550, 175 and 55 mg/kg BW. Serum total cholesterol levels in the rats were monitored on days 3, 7, 15 and 21. On day 21, total cholesterol level reduced appreciably by 49·44 % in rats treated with YM seed extract and by 48·95 % in rats treated with SC seed extract, comparable with atorvastatin-administered rats (51·09 %). Either extract demonstrated inhibitory effects on hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase activity. A molecular docking exercise identified specific compounds in the extracts which possessed binding affinities comparable with therapeutically used HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.In silicoandin vivostudies concertedly concluded that the consortium of bioactive components in the extracts cannot be considered as invalid metabolic panaceas and therefore these ‘green’ extracts could be safely subjected to clinical studies as preventive biotherapeutics for hypercholesterolaemia. These extracts could be consumedper seas hypocholesterolaemic supplements or could be ingredients of new spice-based therapeutic foods.

Yellow corn (Zea mays) kernels (fresh and preserved [120‐day stored]) were subjected to extraction of lutein employing supercritical carbon dioxide at 500 bar, 70°C for 90 min. The extract of preserved kernels possessed appreciably higher (21.42%) lutein content vis‐a‐vis that obtained from fresh samples. Either extract had desirable ratio of 3–3.47:1 of ω‐6/ω‐3 fatty acids. These extracts were then employed in designing new nutraceutical foods viz. a lutein‐rich food supplement (LFS) and a lutein‐fortified ready‐to‐eat potato soup with minimum loss of lutein during processing. Lutein contents of the LFS and the soup were 3.14 ± 0.16 mg/100 g (dry weight basis [d.b.]) and 1.09 ± 0.06 mg/100 g (d.b.), respectively, corresponding to 5.16% and 10.94% losses of lutein, respectively. These new designer lutein‐rich nutraceutical food products could be promising contributors of dietary lutein. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: New nutraceuticals such as lutein‐fortified ready‐to‐eat potato soup and a freeze‐dried lutein‐rich food supplement have been developed using lutein‐rich SC‐CO₂ extracts of yellow corn grits. It is opined that these value‐added designer products containing adequate amounts of lutein would act as safe alternatives of existing therapeutic drugs such as lutein capsule and are expected to enhance the daily dietary intake of lutein.

Tuberose cut flowers, available as loose flowers, were treated with gamma (γ) irradiation and generally regarded as safe (GRAS) preservative solutions for extension of shelf life. The flowers were packaged in low-density polyethylene bags, heat sealed and stored at 23 ± 2°C, 80% relative humidity (RH) and 4 ± 1°C, 40% RH, respectively. The flowers stored at these two temperature regimes were subjected to sensory evaluation and biochemical analyses. From these assessments, the longest shelf life of tuberose flowers was found to be 8 days at 23 ± 2°C, 80% RH (compared to 4 days for control) and 24 days at 4 ± 1°C, 40% RH (compared to 8 days for control) using combination treatment of low dose γ-irradiation (0.02 kGy) and preservative solutions (4% sucrose and 0.02% CaCl2). Ethanolic extract of tuberose flowers of the most shelf stable set (stored at 4 ± 1°C), i.e. at the end of 24 days, showed antimicrobial potency against the common skin pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923 and MDR strains), ...

Background: African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) flowers are highly valued for their ornamental appeal as well as medicinal properties. However, their short shelf lives cause high post-harvest loss and limit their export potential. The review of patents and research articles revealed that different types of packaging designs/materials have been successfully employed for extension of shelf lives of cut flowers. Objective: The current work focuses on designing of different packaging configurations and selection of best configuration for preservation of marigold cut flowers. Methods: Ten packaging configurations, composed of four different packaging materials i.e., low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate, glassine paper and cellophane paper, were designed. Each pack, consisting of 20 ± 1 g of marigold flowers along with non-packaged control set were stored at 23 ± 2°C, 80% R.H., in an environmental chamber and the flowers were evaluated for their sensory attributes, phytochemical characteristics and physicochemical parameters of senescence to determine their shelf lives. Results: Flowers packed in LDPE bag showed highest shelf life of 8 days with a lead of 4 days compared to control (shelf life - 4 days). This study also established for the first time the phenomenon of carotenogenesis in marigold cut flowers with significantly (P

Small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) seeds were subjected to α-amylase-assisted supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction at the optimized conditions of 200 bar, 50 °C and 135 min extraction time to obtain 1,8-cineole-rich extract. At these extraction conditions, 29.55 % enhanced yield of 1,8-cineole was obtained in the extract. This extract was microencapsulated by spray drying and the parameters of the same were optimized with respect to microencapsulation efficiency. The optimized conditions were inlet air temperature (130 °C) and wall material composition (maltodextrin: gum arabic:: 70:30). SEM analysis revealed that the mean particle diameter of this encapsulate was 7.76 µm. The half-life of the encapsulate was 6.12 times higher than the extract, while accelerated stability study revealed 7.88 times higher stability of the encapsulate over the extract.

Expeller-pressed virgin coconut oil, known to have disagreeable rancid-acid odor due to the presence of octanoic acid, was subjected to gamma (γ) irradiation for removal of the same. Sensory evaluation in tandem with electronic nose (Heracles and ENOVISION) analyses established that the oil irradiated at 4.2 kGy had no rancid-acid odor (absence of octanoic acid) at the end of 28 days of storage at 23 ± 2 °C. Therefore, 4.2 kGy was established as the “appropriate irradiation dose” for removal of rancid-acid odor of virgin coconut oil. A “deodorization index” with respect to rancid-acid odor was also developed using electronic nose for confirmation of this “appropriate dose” and thereby provided possible means of preventing detrimental effects of high dose of γ-irradiation in oils. GC–MS analysis of hydrocarbons extracted from oil irradiated at 4.2 kGy by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction revealed radiolysis of octanoic acid resulting in elimination of rancid-acid odor. Further, γ-irradiation at 4.2 kGy did not affect the antioxidant potency of coconut oil rendering it a safe and healthy alternative to conventional deodorization techniques for oils. Development of methodology for assessment of rancid-acid odor of coconut oil using electronic nose has been reported for the first time in this work.

Methyl eugenol-rich extracts from dried tuberose flowers (Polianthes tuberosa L.) of Calcutta single variety were obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction. The optimized conditions for highest yield of methyl eugenol were 50 °C, 300 bar, 135 min with 1 L min−1 flow rate of gaseous CO2. Solubilities of methyl eugenol under different SC-CO2 extraction conditions were evaluated by Hildebrand solubility parameter and Chrastil equation. The extraction curve of methyl eugenol followed plug flow model. Steady state extraction occurred up to 100min, followed by unsteady state. Release of methyl eugenol from tuberose flowers followed first-order kinetics (Peppas model) and non-Fickian diffusion. Packed bed characterization was carried out using dimensionless numbers of mass transfer, considering steady and unsteady states of extraction. These findings could be used in the development of the pilot plant and commercial scale extraction of methyl eugenol from floral matrices.

Background & Objectives:In our previous investigation, oral administration of 1,8- cineole-rich supercritical carbon dioxide extract of small cardamom seeds in Wistar albino rats resulted in achieving normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum cholesterol levels. The objective of this study was to further protect the aforesaid extract and to enhance its in vivo therapeutic efficacies in redressing type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, by encapsulating it as nanoliposomes. Patents related to nanoliposomes have been revised thoroughly.Methods:PEGylated nanoliposomes of the aforesaid extract were formulated using soya phosphatidylcholine and Tween 80 by probe-sonication. These nanoliposomes were subjected to in vitro characterizations and were orally administered to Wistar albino rats at three different doses viz. 550, 175 and 55 mg/kg b.w. for detailed investigation of their antidiabetic and hypocholesterolemic efficacies.Results:FT-IR, DSC and XRD analyses, HLB value (16), entrapment efficiency (84%) and release kinetics (obeying Higuchi model) revealed that the nanoliposomes were o/w type and were hydrophilic. They exhibited appreciable in vitro antioxidant potency (59% DPPH scavenging activity) owing to a synergistic consortium of antioxidants present therein. Oral administration of the liposomes in rats at 550 mg/kg b.w. could restore their normal FBG levels and serum lipid profiles on day 35, with desirable up-down regulations of related key enzymes. The iHOMA2 model could successfully predict the effects of nanoliposomes on insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in rat liver and brain, respectively.Conclusion:Nanoliposome of 1,8-cineole rich extract of small cardamom seeds is a new biotherapeutic in redressing type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.

The present study demonstrates the efficacies of synthetic 1,8-cineole and an 1,8-cineole-rich supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extract of small cardamom seeds in preventing oligomerization of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ42) and inhibiting iron-dependent oxyradical production in vitro. The oligomerization of Aβ42 was monitored by thioflavin T assay and MALDI-TOF analysis of the oligomers. The iron-dependent production of oxygen free radicals was detected by fluorometric benzoate hydroxylation assay. We observed that both pure 1,8-cineole and 1,8-cineole-rich extract of small cardamom seeds at concentrations of 50 µM and 100 µM prevented the production of reactive hydroxyl radicals from a mixture of Fe2+ and ascorbate. However, the 1,8-cineole-rich extract of small cardamom seeds prevented in vitro Aβ42 oligomerization more effectively vis-a-vis the synthetic (99% pure) 1,8-cineole. Additional study on SHSY5Y cells indicated that both pure 1,8-cineole and 1,8-cineole-rich SC-CO2 extract of small cardamom seeds prevented iron-dependent cell death. Since oxidative damage, Aβ42 aggregation and loss of cell viability (iron-induced) are characteristics of onset of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, our results suggest a putative therapeutic role of 1,8-cineole-rich extract of small cardamom seeds over pure 1,8-cineole in preventing this neurodegenerative disease.

This chapter reviews occurrence and distribution of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, and catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) in edible plant parts. It enumerates roles in human health, beneficial and adverse. It discusses the scope of utilization of these edible plant neurotransmitters in humans through consumption of neurotransmitter-enriched and/or fortified food products, as a substitute for pharmaceutical drugs.

Optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction parameters for ‘piperine’ extraction from Malabar black pepper ( Piper nigrum L.) has been conducted by a three-level full factorial design. The optimized conditions obtained were: 20 g pepper, mean particle diameter 0.42 mm, 300 bar, 60°C, 45 min extraction time and 2 L/min flow rate of gaseous CO 2 . A correlated Chrastil equation has been generated to predict solubility of piperine in SC-CO 2 under different extraction conditions. The extraction curve followed plug flow model. Extraction kinetics followed Higuchi model. The packed bed was characterized using an empirical correlation ( r =0.96) among Re, Sc and Sh numbers.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), the King of Spices is the most popular spice globally and its active ingredient, piperine, is reportedly known for its therapeutic potency. In this work, enzyme-assisted supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of black pepper oleoresin was investigated using α-amylase (from Bacillus licheniformis) for enhanced yield of piperine-rich extract possessing good combination of phytochemical properties. Optimization of the extraction parameters (without enzyme), mainly temperature and pressure, was conducted in both batch and continuous modes and the optimized conditions that provided the maximum yield of piperine was in the batch mode, with a sample size of 20 g of black pepper powder (particle diameter 0.42 ± 0.02 mm) at 60 °C and 300 bar at 2 L/min of CO2 flow. Studies on activity of α-amylase were conducted under these optimized conditions in both batch and continuous modes, with varying amounts of lyophilized enzyme (2 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg) and time of exposure of the enzyme to SC-CO2 (2.25 h and 4.25 h). The specific activity of the enzyme increased by 2.13 times when treated in the continuous mode than in the batch mode (1.25 times increase). The structural changes of the treated enzymes were studied by (1)H NMR analyses. In case of α-amylase assisted extractions of black pepper, both batch and continuous modes significantly increased the yields and phytochemical properties of piperine-rich extracts; with higher increase in batch mode than in continuous.

Potato wedges were deep, shallow, and par-fried in soybean, sesame, and mustard oils using a laboratory formulated citric acid based antioxidant. The wedges were stored at –18 °C for 10, 20, 30, and 40 days. The quality of the wedges was assessed by subjective method (sensory analysis) and objective method (texture studies). Fuzzy logic was applied as a tool to analyze the linguistic data of subjective evaluation. Objective evaluation was conducted by studies on hardness, shear modulus and shear energy of the wedges. The wedges with highest defuzzified scores (obtained by sensory evaluation) and minimum changes in textural properties (P mustard > soybean (deep fry), mustard > soybean > sesame (shallow fry) and soybean > mustard > sesame (par-fry).

Microencapsulation of a natural food colourant (enriched in anthocyanins) extracted from peels of eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) was carried out in a calcium alginate matrix to improve its shelf life and portability. Encapsulation parameters were optimised using response surface methodology. Stable beads with a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 73.56% and the best combination of phytochemical properties were obtained using 43.50 g/l sodium alginate, 20.0 g/l calcium chloride and 12.50 g/l colour concentration. The morphology of the encapsulated beads was determined from scanning electron microscopy photographs, while their physicochemical properties such as antioxidant activity, total anthocyanin content and total phenolic content were determined by biochemical assays. A storage study established that encapsulation of colour extract enhanced its shelf-life 16-fold, compared to the un-encapsulated colour extract. The release profiles of the colour from encapsulated beads were found to follow first-order anomalous transport kinetics. Food application in jelly crystals was also designed wherein these encapsulated beads were successfully used as a natural colourant.

Yellow maize kernels were subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction to obtain a lutein-rich extract with potential nutraceutical properties. SC-CO2 extraction parameters (pressure and temperature) were optimized by employing a full-factorial (32) design of experiments and response surface methodology, based on yield of lutein, antioxidant activity, and ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio of the extracts. A Chrastil equation was also developed for predicting the solubility of lutein in SC-CO2 under different extraction conditions. The optimized extraction condition was obtained at 500 bar, 70 °C for 90 min, at which the extract was found to possess a unique combination of the highest lutein yield (275.00 ± 3.50 μg/g of dry weight), along with a well-balanced ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio (3:1). Moreover, the total phenol content and antioxidant activity were also found to be the highest at this condition. This lutein-rich extract is a promising nutraceutical or dietary supplement in the food industry.