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Background: The sunflower oil industry produces a large amount of waste that is not currently commercially exploited, as in the case of oil-tank settlings. The recovery of a high value-added by-product, such as sunflower wax, would increase the commercial value of this waste. In this original research paper, a method that allows the recovery and purification of this by-product was developed. The wax was characterized and its potential use as an organogelator agent was investigated., Results: The waste sample was composed of 45.1% oily material, 16.9% of this being impure waxes. Purification was performed through two different methods, obtaining three waxes with different degrees of purity. All the waxes were composed of wax esters with a range of 40-60 carbon atoms, exhibiting traces of carotenes, free fatty acids, and free fatty alcohols. The presence of phospholipids was observed in two of them. The third wax presented a higher total wax ester content and physicochemical characteristics (color and thermal behavior) similar to those of commercial sunflower waxes, and was the most efficient organogelator agent, requiring only a small amount of wax (1.5%) to structure high oleic sunflower oil., Conclusion: It was verified that sunflower wax could be recovered from oil-tank settlings. A purification method that allowed sunflower wax with similar physicochemical properties to those of commercial waxes to be obtained was also developed. The purified waxes were capable of structuring high oleic sunflower oil. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The properties of high loading capacity and long-term absorption are of great significance in the field of nutraceuticals or drugs delivery. Herein, we developed an innovative method to achieve these expected effects using plant exine capsules, a kind of natural pollen grains, which could provide large internal cavities for loading and robust exine against harsh conditions. In our work, we firstly made a soluble mixture of glycerol monostearate (GM) and nobiletin (NOB) inside the cavities of plant exine capsules by ultrasound with high temperature to obtain a supersaturated state of NOB, which could be characterized by XRD, DSC and FTIR. After that, the loaded capsules were cooled to room temperature. Alginate hydrogels were then selected for encapsulating and further controlling NOB release in simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. As a result, it demonstrated that our approach was able to reach an extremely high NOB loading capacity of 770 ± 40 mg/g using sunflower pollen grains (SPGs). Meanwhile, the existence of GM, SPGs and alginate hydrogels all retarded the release of the NOB synergistically, thus taking a slow release effect in the stomach while a long-term effective absorption in the intestine. Taken together, our processing method of encapsulating hydrophobic nutraceuticals provides an important insight for broadening the applications of nutraceutical or drug encapsulation and delivery., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phytoremediation is a valuable technology for mitigating soil contamination in agricultural lands, but phytoremediation without economic revenue is unfeasible for land owners and farmers. The use of crops with high biomass and bioenergy for phytoremediation is a unique strategy to derive supplementary benefits along with remediation activities. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a high-biomass crop that can be used for the phytoremediation of polluted lands with additional advantages (biomass and oil). In this study, 40 germplasms of sunflower were screened in field conditions for phytoremediation with the possibility for oil and meal production. The study was carried out to the physiological maturity stage. All studied germplasms mopped up substantial concentrations of Pb, with maximum amounts in shoot > root > seed respectively. The phytoextraction efficiency of the germplasm was assessed in terms of the Transfer factor (TF), Metal removal efficiency (MRE) and Metal extraction ratio (MER). Among all assessed criteria, GP.8585 was found to be most appropriate for restoring moderately Pb-contaminated soil accompanied with providing high biomass and high yield production. The Pb content in the oil of GP.8585 was below the Food safety standard of China, with 59.5% oleic acid and 32.1% linoleic acid. Moreover, amino acid analysis in meal illustrated significant differences among essential and non-essential amino acids. Glutamic acid was found in the highest percentage (22.4%), whereas cysteine in the lowest percentage (1.3%). Therefore, its efficient phytoextraction ability and good quality edible oil and meal production makes GP.8585 the most convenient sunflower germplasm for phytoremediation of moderately Pb-contaminated soil, with fringe benefits to farmers and landowners., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

An experiment was carried out to determine energy values of high-protein sunflower meal (HP-SFM) and to compare the energy values of HP-SFM determined using either a phosphorus (P)-deficient basal diet or a P-adequate basal diet. Twenty-four growing barrows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 6 replicates per treatment. Four experimental diets including 2 basal diets containing 2 levels of standardized total tract digestible P (i.e., P-deficient and P-adequate) and the other 2 diets containing 30% HP-SFM with each basal diet (i.e., HP-SFM 1 diet and HP-SFM 2 diet) were formulated to determine the energy values of HP-SFM and to compare energy values of HP-SFM determined by the difference method using 2 basal diets. Pigs were fed diets for 15 d including 10 d for adaptation and 5 d for total collections. Pigs were then moved to indirect calorimetry chambers to determine total heat production (THP) and fasting heat production (FHP). A reduced (P < 0.01) amount of nitrogen was retained in pigs fed the P-deficient basal diet compared with those fed the other diets. The THP of pigs fed the HP-SFM 1 and 2 diets was greater (P < 0.01) than those fed the P-deficient basal diet with the intermediate value for pigs fed the P-adequate basal diet. The retained energy (RE) as protein of pigs fed the P-deficient basal diet was less (P < 0.01) but RE as lipid was greater (P < 0.01) than those fed the P-adequate basal, or HP-SFM 1 and 2 diets. However, there was no difference in FHP of pigs among the dietary treatments. The NE of HP-SFM determined using the P-deficient basal diet was 2,062 kcal/kg, as-fed basis, whereas the value determined using the P-adequate basal diet was 2,151 kcal/kg. Although no differences were observed in energy values, the amount of P in basal diet might affect energy balance by modifying N utilization, thus, a diet containing adequate amount of P is a more suitable basal diet when the difference method is used for calculation of NE in a feed ingredient., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Sunflower residues are considered a prominent renewable source for biogas production during anaerobic digestion (AD). However; the recalcitrant structure of this lignocellulosic substrate requires a pretreatment step for efficient biomass transformation and increased bioenergy output. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of alkaline pretreatment of various parts of the sunflower residues (e.g., heads and stalks) on their methane yield. Experimental data showed that pretreatment at mild conditions (55 °C; 24 h; 4 g NaOH 100 g -1 total solids) caused an increase in the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of both heads and stalks of the sunflower residues as determined in batch tests. The highest methane production (268.35 ± 0.11 mL CH 4 g -1 volatile solids) was achieved from the pretreated sunflower head residues. Thereafter; the effect of alkaline pretreatment of sunflower head residues was assessed in continuous mode; using continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) under two operational phases. During the first phase; the CSTRs were fed with the liquid fraction produced from the pretreatment of sunflower heads. During the second phase; the CSTRs were fed with the whole slurry resulting from the pretreatment of sunflower heads (i.e., both liquid and solid fractions). In both operating phases; it was observed that the alkaline pretreatment of the sunflower head residues had a negligible (phase I) or even a negative effect on biogas production; which was contradictory to the results of the BMP tests. It seems that; during alkaline pretreatment; this part of the sunflower residues (heads) may release inhibitory compounds; which induce a negative effect on biogas production in the long term (e.g., during continuously run digesters such as CSTR) but not in the short-term (e.g., batch tests) where the effect of the inoculum may not permit the inhibition to be established.

This study investigated the effects of different amino acids on the fermentation of pure inulin and glucose using Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9 in order to improve the production of R,R-2,3-butanediol (R,R-2,3-BD) respectively. The inulin extract from Jerusalem artichoke tubers contained 19 common amino acids, which were detected by HPLC. Arg featured the highest content (1290 mg l -1 ). A single add-back experiment of 20 common amino acids indicated that Asn, Ser, His and Arg are key amino acids in R,R-2,3-BD synthesis during inulin fermentation using P. polymyxa ZJ-9. The corresponding yields of R,R-2,3-BD reached 24·32, 22·32, 22·03 and 21·04 g l -1 after the four key amino acids (1·5 g l -1 each) and glucose were evaluated in this fermentation. The yields were considerably higher than that of the control group (12·11 g l -1 ). With the addition of the mixture of four amino acids (1·5 g l -1 each), the highest yields of R,R-2,3-BD (25·07 and 17·47 g l -1 ) were obtained with the increase of 107·0 and 89·1% during the fermentation of glucose and pure inulin respectively. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Paenibacillus polymyxa is a micro-organism with a reported potential for industrialized production of R,R-2,3-butanediol. The nitrogen sources have a significant effect on R,R-2,3-butanediol formation using P. polymyxa. This study demonstrated a highly efficient new method to improve the yield of R,R-2,3-butanediol without adding other nitrogen sources except amino acids during the fermentation. This will therefore decrease the production cost of R,R-2,3-butanediol and provide a new strategy for promoting synthesis of amino acid-dependent products., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Although water-in-oil-in-water (W 1 /O/W 2 ) double emulsions have been associated with a spectrum of potential applications in foods, their complex microstructure is significantly unstable. Pickering stabilization, reputed for superior and longer-term interfacial stabilization when compared to surfactant-stabilized systems, could provide the opportunity to enhance double-emulsion stability. The current work presents a systematic study on the impact of progressively adopting such a Pickering intervention onto one or both interfaces of W 1 /O/W 2 emulsions relevant to foods. A range of surfactants/emulsifiers and particles have been used at the W 1 /O or O/W 2 interface of the W 1 /O/W 2 microstructure and, where appropriate, cross-compared with the equivalent interfaces of simple emulsions (W/O and O/W, respectively). As the aqueous compartments of all investigated systems were not osmotically balanced (at the point of formulating/forming these), any advantages in terms of double-emulsion stability enhancement can be directly attributed to the employed particle stabilization. It is demonstrated that, although partial Pickering intervention can encourage stability (particularly if that is introduced at the inner W 1 /O interface), only complete Pickering stabilization of the double microstructure can ensure that the oil globule size is maintained and the internal water phase is retained over a storage period of one month.

Phytophthora capsici Leonian causes destructive economical losses in pepper production, and a promising source of natural fungicides- Helianthus tuberosus leaves was reported. The antifungal activities of different extracts and compounds from H. tuberosus leaves against the phytopathogen, P. capsici Leonian, were examined by chemometric analysis, including HPLC-MS/MS and multivariate data analyses. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis were applied to examine the four groups of H. tuberosus leaves samples, including crude extracts obtained by different methods, including refluxing, macerating, and refluxing under vacuum; four fractions, namely, petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (Chl), ethyl acetate (EA), and n-butanol (NB) fractions; the samples of three H. tuberosus cultivars; and the samples at three growth stages of cultivar Nan Yu. The phenolics contents were categorized based on 3,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-DiCQA), 1,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (1,5-DiCQA), 3- O -Caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), and 4,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (4,5-DiCQA), which were predominant in all the samples. Antifungal activity assay revealed that Chl and NB fractions were more active against P. capsici Leonian with lower IC 50 (half of maximal inhibitory concentration) values, whereas partial least squares-discriminate analysis suggested caffeoylquinic acid isomer(4-CQA), methyl-quercetin glycoside(MQG), and caffeic acid(CA) might be the main active components in H. tuberosus leaves against P. capsici Leonian. Furthermore, microscopic evaluation demonstrated structural deformities in P. capsici Leonian treated with Chl and NB fractions, indicating the antifungal effects of H. tuberosus leaves. These results imply that H. tuberosus leaves with a high concentration of phenolics might be a promising source of natural fungicides.

Functionalities, conformational characteristics and antioxidative capacities of sunflower meal protein isolate (SMPI) and its hydrolysates (SMPIH) at various degree of hydrolysis (DH) (6, 12, 18, 24%) were investigated following sonication. Enzymolysis notably enhanced the solubility, foaming properties and emulsion stability index (ESI) of untreated and sonicated SMPI at most examined pH. Nonetheless, emulsion activity index (EAI) of SMPI were more than SMPIH at all pH values, especially at pH 4.0-10.0 (P < 0.05). Compared with control, sonication improved solubility, foaming capacity and emulsification properties, but decreased foaming stability and had significant influence on the SMPI and SMPIH structure. Furthermore, sonication efficaciously enhanced reducing power and superoxide, and ABTS radical scavenging capacity of all preparations (P < 0.05) over control, confirmed by the analyses of hydrophobicities and content of amino acid compositions. Finally, our investigation suggests that sonicated SMPIH can create new opportunities for developing natural additives for different cosmetic, food and pharmacological preparations., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study evaluated the thermal properties of sponge cake batters with different functional ingredients, and the effects of their adding on starch gelatinization. Samples of sponge cake batter: with wheat flour (control batter), with a reduced quantity of wheat flour and addition of functional ingredients (sponge cake batter with 50% einkorn wholemeal flour, sponge cake batter with 20% Jerusalem artichoke powder, sponge cake batter with 35% cocoa husk powder) were investigated. Using the method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) the starch gelatinization temperature intervals (°C) and energies of the different batters during baking were evaluated. Based on the experimental results, it could be concluded that the addition of functional ingredients in the cake batter retard the starch gelatinization. The gelatinization occurs at higher temperature and with higher energy consumption. The retarding effect of the functional ingredients is related to the water binding capacity and the presence of dietary fiber., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effects of 10 and 20 days of fermentation followed by freeze-drying on the vitamin C and fatty acids contents, chemical conversions and overall chemical composition of Jerusalem artichoke were studied. Fermentation between the 10th and 20th days increased content of all saturated fatty acids and two of the four unsaturated fatty acids. The only fatty acid content that decreased was that of C18:1 cis 9 acid, which was suggested to be converted to other fatty acids. The experimental data, which were supported by energetical feasibility, suggested the reaction pathways of the mutual conversions of fatty acids and confirmed the decreased vitamin C content during fermentation. Discriminant modelling of the spectral data successfully distinguished the fresh, 10 days and 20 days fermented samples. The correlation of the spectral and reference data allowed to construct reference models for predicting the content of vitamin C and C18:1 cis 9 fatty acid., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phenolic acids including chlorogenic acids are major polyphenolic compounds found in Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus L.). The plant itself is an emerging biorefinery crop due to the inulin-rich tubers, a bioethanol feedstock, but the aerial parts represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. We have determined the level of major phenolic acids in extracts of four plant organs: tuber, leaf, flower, and stem. Employing three heating conditions (20 °C, 60 °C, and microwaving), corrected total phenolic content (TPC) was highest in the leaves (4.5-5.7 mg gallic acid equivalents g -1 dry substance), followed by flower (2.1-2.9), tuber (0.9-1.4), and lowest in stem extracts (0.1-0.2). A previously overlooked interference of the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, namely a signal contribution from ascorbic acid, caused overestimation of TPC in various organs ranging from 65% to 94%. Radical scavenging activity of extracts correlated significantly with TPC, both on corrected (R 2 = 0.841) and uncorrected (R 2 = 0.884) values. Out of the identified phenolic acids determined by quantitative HPLC-UV analysis, chlorogenic and dicaffeoylquinic acids accounted for 72-82% of corrected TPC in leaf and tuber extracts. Optimization of leaf extraction was tested in a 2 3 -factorial Central Composite Face (CCF) design. Temperature was the most important model term, and a solvent strength of less than 50% ethanol promoted the highest TPC yields. Further developments in extraction processing of crop residues may open avenues for improving the utilization of Jerusalem artichoke in valuable products.

In this study virgin olive oil obtained from cv. Nizip Yaglik (NY) was adulterated with different proportions (5 and 10%, v/v) of cotton (CO) and sunflower (SO) oils. Fatty acid and sterol profiles of olive oil were analyzed by using gas chromatography (GC). Also, difference of Equivalent Carbon Number 42 values (ΔECN42) of oil samples were determined by using GC and HPLC. Due to results of fatty acids analysis, the percentage of oleic acid was decreased when CO and SO were added. Palmitic acid was increased over the addition of CO, and decreased with the addition of SO. The ΔECN42 values were increased in adulterated oils. These values showed further increase in adulterated oils with SO. Beta-sitosterols decreased to 91.06 and 88.54% when mixed with 5 and 10% SO, respectively. On the other hand, decline was negligible when mixed with CO. According to principal component analyses (PCA), pure NY and adulterated oils were clearly separated in different parts of screen plot according to fatty acids, triacylglycerol (TAGs) and sterol profile. The outcomes of this first investigation provide valuable information for about the differences of fatty acids, ΔECN42 values and sterol compounds between Turkish olive oil from Nizip Yaglik cv. and its adulteration with cotton and sunflower oil. It was observed that fatty acids are not very effective in detecting adulteration of NY oil, but ΔECN values, sterols and Rmar values can be used to detect adulteration of NY olive oil.

Effective detection of biomarkers for tumor cells has been the focus of attention. In this work, we have successfully fabricated a highly sensitive sensor based on solution-gated graphene transistors (SGGT) for detecting lactic acid content accumulated in tumor cells through their glycolysis metabolism. The sensing mechanism of the lactic acid sensor is attributed to electrochemical catalysis of H 2 O 2 produced by the oxidation of lactic acid by lactate oxidase near the gate electrode. The key component of the sensor is the functionalization of porous carbon loaded with ceria nanoparticles derived from a novel one step in situ pyrolysis of pretreated Jerusalem artichoke stalk, which significantly improved the sensor sensitivity, i.e. a detection limit as low as 300 nM and linear range from 3 μM to 300 μM. The optimized lactic acid sensor has successfully applied to the detection of lactic acid in practical cell culture samples with high credibility. The SGGT-based lactic acid biosensor shows great potential for the application in tumor microenvironment due to its superior biocompatibility and accuracy., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Sunflower stalk-derived biochars (BC) were prepared at various temperatures (i.e., 500, 650, and 1000 °C) and demonstrated as a highly efficient catalyst in persulfate (PS) activation for the oxidation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) at 60 °C. The apparent PNP oxidation rate constant in the BC500 (0.1543 L mol -1 S -1 ), BC650 (0.6062 L mol -1 S -1 ), or BC1000 (2.1379 L mol -1 S -1 ) containing PS system was about 2, 8 and 28 times higher than that in PS/PNP (0.0751 L mol -1 S -1 ) system, respectively. The effect of reaction temperature on PNP oxidation was also investigated. Furthermore, the radical quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) were employed to investigate the sulfate and hydroxyl radicals for PNP oxidation. The Raman results suggested that the defective sites on biochars possess vital role for oxidation of PNP in PS system. The possible activation pathway of PS/BC was proposed that the defective sites on BC were involved for weakening the O-O bond in PS and subsequently cleaving O-O bond by heat to generate sulfate radical. The oxidation of PNP at low concentration (below 100 μg L -1 ) was completely removed in urban wastewater by PS/BC system within 30 min. This work would provide new insights into PS activation by BC catalyst and afford a promising method for organic pollutant removal in high-temperature wastewater.

Orobanche cumana is a root parasitic plant causing considerable yield losses in sunflower cultivation. The holoparasite fulfills its entire demand for water, minerals, and organic nutrients from the host's vascular system. In this study, the ultrastructure of the phloem connection between the haustorium of young O. cumana tubercles and the sunflower root has been examined for the first time. Parasite and host tissues were intermingled at the contact site and difficult to distinguish, but sieve-tube elements of O. cumana and sunflower could be differentiated according to their plastid ultrastructure. While O. cumana sieve-element plastids were larger, often irregular in shape and contained few, small starch inclusions, sieve-element plastids of the host were significantly smaller, always roundish with more and larger starch inclusions. This made it possible to trace the exact contact site of host and parasite sieve elements to show a direct symplastic phloem connection between the two species. The interspecific sieve plate showed more callose on the host side. This allowed detection of newly formed plasmodesmata between host sieve-tube elements and parenchymatic parasite cells, thus showing that undifferentiated cells of the parasite could connect to fully differentiated sieve elements of sunflower. Furthermore, the arrangement of phloem within the O. cumana tubercle as well as differences in sieve-element plastid ultrastructure during shoot development in O. cumana were investigated and are discussed in this paper.

Sunflower see/ds (Helianthus annuus L.) were roasted in an electric forced air oven for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min at 125, 135 and 145 °C. The effect of temperature and time on the flavor profile of the samples were evaluated by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Unsupervised Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) multivariate statistical methods were used to visualize, group and classify the samples. 114 volatiles were identified in the roasted sunflower seeds (RSF), with terpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene), heterocyclic compounds (2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, pyridine), aldehydes (2-methylbutanal, furfural, hexanal, phenylacetaldehyde), hydrocarbons (octane, 2-isobutyl-1,4-dimethylcyclohexane, 6,6-dimethylundecane), alcohol (3-methyl-2-propyl-1-pentanol), and γ-butyrolactone being dominant compounds. The content of most volatile compounds increased with increase in roasting temperature and time, such as esters, terpenes, pyrazines, aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, and 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine contributed to be the major role in roast and nutty flavor of the roasted sunflower seeds. Roasting at 125 °C for 45 min was found to be the better condition for roasted sunflower seeds, which gave the lowest off-flavor and burnt tastes.

The capacity of biochar to take up heavy metals from contaminated soil and water is influenced by the pyrolysis temperature. We have prepared three biochar samples from Jerusalem artichoke stalks (JAS) by pyrolysis at 300, 500 and 700 °C, denoted as JAS300, JAS500, and JAS700, respectively. A variety of synchrotron-based techniques were used to assess the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the molecular properties and copper (Cu) sorption capacity of the samples. The content of oxygen-containing functional groups in the biochar samples decreased, while that of aromatic structures and alkaline mineral components increased, with a rise in pyrolysis temperature. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy indicated that sorbed Cu(II) was partially reduced to Cu(I), but this process was more evident with JAS300 and JAS700 than with JAS500. Carbon K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy indicated that Cu(II) cations were sorbed to biochar via complexation and Cu-π bonding. With rising pyrolysis temperature, Cu(II)-complexation weakened while Cu-π bonding was enhanced. In addition, the relatively high ash content and pH of JAS500 and JAS700 facilitated Cu precipitation and the formation of langite on the surface of biochar. The results of this investigation will aid the conversion of halophyte waste to useable biochar for the effective remediation of Cu-contaminated soil and water., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work aimed to evaluate the in vivo capacity of a vegetable oil blend formulation (VOB) developed to accelerate cutaneous wound closure. Total thickness wounds were punctured on the skin on the back side of each animal and topically treated with the VOB formulation, Dersani ® ointment or the vehicle control. After 2, 7, 14, 21 days post-wounding, five animals from each group were euthanized, and the rates of wound closure and re-epithelialization were evaluated. The wounds were harvested for histological and biochemical analysis. VOB resulted in faster and greater re-epithelialization in the in vivo excisional wounds, exhibiting significant wound area reduction of 8.9, 8.0, 35.1, 45.2 and 47.0% after 2, 5, 10, 14 and 21 days post-wounding, respectively, when compared with the vehicle control. Histological and biochemical analyses showed that the VOB-treated wounds exhibited a significant increase of granular tissue and controlled inflammatory response by modulation of the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1. Moreover, VOB-treated wounds showed a significant and concrete increase in the deposition and organisation of collagen fibres in the wound site and improved the quality of the scar tissue. Altogether, these data revealed that VOB accelerates wound healing processes and might be beneficial for treating wound disorders.

Curcumin is an antiinflammatory molecule, however, due to its lipophilic nature, has the limitation of very low aqueous solubility and degrades rapidly when dispersed in aqueous media. The potential of sunflower seed protein isolate (SFPI), one of the underutilized plant protein, as a drug carrier was studied by synthesizing SFPI nanoparticles (NPs) and encapsulating curcumin in NPs. Increase in solubility of encapsulated curcumin was observed with an encapsulation efficiency of 83%. Stability studies showed that curcumin-SFPI NPs are stable in water and in gastrointestinal condition. The mechanism of interaction of curcumin involves the binding with the hydrophobic patches of protein. In complex with NPs, curcumin showed potent antioxidant activity; antiinflammatory effect of curcumin was studied by following lipoxygenase inhibition (IC 50  = 45.3 µM). The study explores the potential of sunflower seed protein to be used as carrier for delivery of nutraceutical by taking curcumin as model compound. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Sunflower seed protein is one of the versatile, quality proteins found in abundance; yet it is an underutilized plant protein. The study exploits the use of sunflower seed protein as a delivery system for lipophilic nutraceuticals by synthesizing NPs and encapsulating them. Solubility and stability of curcumin is increased along with enhanced antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity in complex with SFPI NPs when compared to free curcumin., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Protein-based nanoparticles (NPs) with favorable properties including enhanced absorptivity and low toxicity still suffer a major challenge for rapid nutraceutical or drug release after oral administration. Hence, we introduced a secondary encapsulation for unstable factor to attain a controlled-release effect in a gastrointestinal environment. In this work, assembled nanoparticles engineered by nobiletin (NOB), zein, and tannin acid (TA) were first reported for drug delivery systems. The TA added was capable of obtaining further assembly to stabilize nobiletin in comparison with NOB-loaded zein NPs only. Sunflower pollens (SPGs) were selected as carriers for further oral delivery, while zein was chosen as a coating material for capping SPGs absolutely. As a result, the NOB/zein/TA NPs (NZT NPs) obtained had a stable size of 100 nm after 48 h. Besides, they could improve the chemical stability of NOB for at least 120 days at 4 °C compared with zein NPs (ZT NPs). Owing to the secondary capping by SPGs, the final system was able to release selectively via an oral route, that is, achieving no release in a gastric environment and slow release in an intestine environment. Generally, our research proposed a secondary protection model to prevent drug-loaded NPs from resolving after oral administration, which provided a new perspective for nutraceutical or drug encapsulation and controlled-release delivery.

Flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, which are located in the upper epidermis of plants, are well known to screen ultraviolet radiation, thus protecting the underlying tissue from these harmful wavelengths. Both classes of secondary products complement each other over the UV spectral region according to their absorption spectra: flavonoids are most efficient as UV-A attenuators while hydroxycinnamates (HCAs) screen well within the UV-B region. Analysis of epidermal transmittance revealed a substantial UV-A screen in Helianthus annuus L. cv. Peredovick. Identifying responsible pigments by HPLC-MS, we found surprisingly low amounts of flavonoids but dominant abundance of the HCA derivatives chlorogenic and di-caffeoyl quinic acid. Both display low UV-A absorbance and thus, should contribute only a little to UV-A protection. However, growth at high light led to a decrease of epidermal transmittance at 366 nm of up to 90%. Underpinning the screening role, HCA autofluorescence microscopy revealed storage to occur predominantly in vacuoles of the upper epidermis. UV-A treatment in the absence of D1-repair resulted in photosystem II inactivation proportional to epidermal UV-A transmittance. Our findings suggest that UV-A protection can be achieved solely with HCAs, apparently through accumulation of high amounts of these compounds.

Pathogenic agents cause an increased risk of various fatal diseases and there is a need to reduce this risk using medicinal plants and their seeds. The present research work was designed to study the efficacy of different sunflower seed hybrid varieties (i.e. FH622, FH620, FH615, FH613 and FH545) chemically primed with potassium nitrate as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. Antioxidant potential was determined using DPPH test, reducing power, TPC and TFC. Antibacterial activity was determined against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial species. After one week, the germination data including mean germination and percentage of final emergence was calculated. It was found that seed varieties FH620 and FH615 have higher values of mean germination as compared to FH545 while FH615 has higher percentage of final emergence as compared to FH620 and FH545. High phenolic and flavonoid contents were observed in FH620 and FH615 as compared to FH545 variety. It was also observed that seed variety FH615 when treated with KNO3 solution had significantly high germination as well as antioxidant parameters and antibacterial activity as compared to other varieties. Similarly FH615 showed high antibacterial activities against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. This study showed that all selected sunflower hybrids have good antioxidant and antibacterial potentials that would further be used for different trials to cure different pathogen related diseases, and these are natural sources of antioxidants for commercial and therapeutic applications.

This study explores the preparation of antioxidant starch food packaging materials by the incorporation of valuable phenolic compounds extracted from sunflower hulls, which are an abundant by-product from food industry. The phenolic compounds were extracted with aqueous methanol and embedded into starch films. Their effect on starch films was investigated in terms of antioxidant activity, optical, thermal, mechanical, barrier properties and changes in starch molecular structure. The starch molecular structure was affected during thermal processing resulting in a decrease in molar mass, smaller amylopectin molecules and shorter amylose branches. Already 1-2% of extracts were sufficient to produce starch films with high antioxidant capacity. Higher amounts (4-6%) of extract showed the highest antioxidant activity, the lowest oxygen permeability and high stiffness and poor extensibility. The phenolic extracts affected predominantly the mechanical properties, whereas other changes could mainly be correlated to the lower glycerol content which was partially substituted by the extract., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ) seed extract, standardized for 40% chlorogenic acids on weight and body composition of obese adults. Fifty subjects were randomly assigned to sunflower extract or isocaloric placebo groups, receiving respectively 500 mg/day of treatment for 12 weeks. At the end of the intervention, a significant decrease in body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference was observed, especially for obese female subjects above 30 years. Those changes were associated with modified body composition related to fat mass loss. A decrease in blood cholesterol was also observed, supporting the potential action of sunflower extract on lipid metabolism. It was concluded that consumption of sunflower extract has a beneficial effect on body weight, fat mass, and lipid profile, providing evidence for its use as a natural anti-obesity herbal extract.

Background: In our previous study, we isolated and characterized a lectin called Helja from Helianthus annuus (sunflower) and then, in a further study, demonstrated its antifungal activity against Candida spp. Since Candida infections are a major health concern due to the increasing emergence of antifungal resistant strains, the search for new antifungal agents offers a promising opportunity for improving the treatment strategies against candidiasis., Purpose: The aim of this work was to get insights about the mechanism of action of Helja, an antifungal lectin of H. annuus, and to explore its ability to inhibit Candida albicans biofilm development and adherence to buccal epithelial cells (BEC)., Study Design/methods: Yeast viability was evaluated by Evans Blue uptake and counting of colony forming units (CFU). The yeast cell integrity was assessed using Calcofluor White (CFW) as a cell wall perturbing agent and sorbitol as osmotic protectant. The induction of oxidative stress was evaluated using 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) for detection of hydrogen peroxide. The adherence was determined by counting the yeast cells attached to BEC after methylene blue staining. The biofilms were developed on polystyrene microplates, visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy and the viable biomass was quantified by CFU counting. The binding lectin-Candida was assessed using Helja conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (Helja-FITC) and simultaneous staining with CFW. The cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH) was determined using a microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons method., Results: C. albicans cells treated with 0.1 µg/µl of Helja showed a drastic decrease in yeast survival. The lectin affected the fungal cell integrity, induced the production of hydrogen peroxide and inhibited the morphological transition from yeast to filamentous forms. Helja caused a significant reduction of adherent cells and a decrease in biofilm biomass and coverage area. The treatment with the protein also reduced the surface hydrophobicity of fungal cells. We show the binding of Helja-FITC to yeast cells distributed as a thin outer layer to the CFW signal, and this interaction was displaced by mannose and Concanavalin A., Conclusion: The results demonstrate the interaction of Helja with the mannoproteins of C. albicans cell wall, the disruption of the cell integrity, the induction of oxidative stress, the inhibition of the morphological transition from yeast to filamentous forms and the fungal cell viability loss. The binding Helja-Candida also provides a possible explanation of the lectin effect on cell adherence, biofilm development and CSH, relevant features related to virulence of the pathogen., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the biochemical and enzymatic properties of chlorogenic acid hydrolase (ChlH) from Aspergillus niger SD14.721 and its applicability in sunflower seed protein processing., Results: The ChlH with two identical subunits (97 kDa) was highly stable. Its optimal temperature and pH were determined as 60 °C and pH 7.0. The K m towards chlorogenic acid (CGA) was 1.85 μM. Based on its N-terminal sequence (AVDSVDAIFA), the purified ChlH appeared to be a new chlorogenic acid hydrolase. When applied in sunflower seed protein extraction, ChlH removed 99.13% of CGA in sunflower seed pastes, thus the colour of sunflower seed protein (SSP) changed from green to grey and its visual acceptance improved. Meanwhile, the solubility, water absorption capacity, and emulsification stability of SSP were increased 48.39%, 59.32% and 22.92%, respectively., Conclusions: A new ChlH was obtained and its feasibility as a CGA-removal tool to obtain high quality SSP was demonstrated.

Jerusalem artichoke is an important natural matrix for inulin production. In this experiment, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the spray-drying parameters in order to determine the maximal inulin yield. For this study, three independent variables (heating temperature (Tª, 110-120 °C), creep speed (V, 18-22 rpm) and pressure (P, 0.02-0.04 MPa)) were used in the experimental design. Using the Box-Behnken design, the optimal parameters obtained were: drying temperature 114.6 °C, creep speed 20.02 rpm, and pressure: 0.03 MPa. The inulin yield, water content and particle size of inulin obtained by spray-drying and freeze-drying were compared. In this regard, the spray-dried inulin consisted of a white powder having a fine particle size, and the freeze-dried inulin had a pale-yellow fluffy floc. On the other hand, the drying methods had a great influence on the appearance and internal structure of inulin powder, since the spray-dried inulin had a complete and uniform shape and size, whereas the freeze-dried inulin had a flocculated sheet structure. The analysis showed that the spray-drying led to a higher inulin yield, lower water content and better surface structure than freeze-drying.

The analysis of general content of polyphenols, minerals and antioxidant activity of infusions from selected coffee substitutes is presented. The obtained results showed that the coffee infusions prepared from acorns exhibit the highest radical scavenging capacities for DPPH (EC 50  = 0.063-0.066 mg d.w. /mL), ABTS (EC 50  = 0.021-0.029 mg d.w. /mL), OH(EC 50  = 2.050-2.378 mg d.w. /mL) as well as the highest ability to Fe 3+ reduction (FRAP) (∼1.1 mmolFe/g d.w ). These coffee substitutes also contain the greatest values of polyphenols (45-50 mgGA/g d.w ). Analyzed coffee substitutes differ in both quality and quantity of polyphenols, but all tested coffees contain gallic and chlorogenic acids. The most of phenolic compounds was found in herbal-cereal coffee substitute. The quantitative results and PCA analysis indicated a good correlation between the antioxidant activity and total polyphenols, flavonoids and gallic acid content. Using the obtained data on the composition and antioxidant properties of extracts the cluster analysis (CA) was performed to distinguish similar or close types of coffee., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Heliaquanoid A (1), the first exo-2,4-linked Diels-Alder adduct between a pseudoguaianolide dienophile and a guaianolide diene, and heliaquanoids B-E (2-5), four new 2,4-linked Diels-Alder adducts between a xanthanolide dienophile and a guaianolide diene, were isolated from stems and leaves of Inula helianthus-aquatica. Their structures were determined by NMR spectroscopy, a modified Mosher's method, electronic circular dichroism, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against HL-60 cells with IC 50 values of 7.5 and 4.9 μM, respectively.

Background: Green formulations with herbal oils and natural nonionic emulsifiers project several advantages, like favorable viscosity profiles, for use as topical applicants. Their inherent constituents also protect the skin against free radical damage and lipid peroxidation. They may hence serve as alternatives for synthetic chemical-based formulations., Objective: Formulation and characterization of Helianthus annuus-alkyl polyglucoside cream for topical application has been attempted. Its inherent sun protection factor has been measured and compared with a similar commercial formulation. It is well known that the internal network of liquid crystals of such emulsifiers can store depot water to maintain moisturization for long time, thus bestowing beneficial dermatological effects., Methods: Physicochemical characterization of the oil was done. The formulation process for the cream was optimized for reduced particle size with respect to ultrasonication conditions. It was characterized extensively; its inherent sun protection factor was measured and compared with a similar commercial cream., Results: The cream was smooth, creamy, and showed non-Newtonian thixotropic behavior and good shear-thinning features with an SPF of 6.3 that compared favorably with a similar commercial cream., Conclusions: The cream may serve as a good topical applicant and also help in skin hydration due to the inherent nature of the emulsifier. It may protect against UV radiations due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of the natural oil constituents. It may be used as a low-SPF formulation., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Adsorption behaviors of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution using sunflower stem pith (SSP) as adsorbent were investigated. The effects of adsorption conditions such as adsorption time, initial concentration of MB and dosage of SSP on the detoxification of MB were examined. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using three well-known isotherms: Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin. The results indicated that the Langmuir isotherm fitted well to the data as compared with another isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir isotherm model was 277 mg/g at 338 K. Kinetic analyses were conducted using pseudo first order, pseudo second order and the Elovich model. The regression results showed that the MB adsorption was described by the pseudo second order model. Different thermodynamic parameters such as Gibb's free energy (ΔG o ), standard enthalpy change (ΔH o ) and standard entropy change (ΔS o ) were also evaluated. The results showed that the detoxification of MB using SSP as adsorbent was feasible, non-spontaneous and exothermic under experimental conditions.

We discuss the separation and determination of cadmium and copper in plant samples such as Triticum durum (wheat) and Helianthus annuus (sunflower) using open tubular capillary electrochromatography with indirect detection. Before performing the analysis, the samples were digested by microwave-assisted methods using HNO 3 . Regarding the electrophoretic system, several experimental parameters were previously evaluated such as the capillary surface, mobile phase composition, buffer, pH, and voltage applied. The baseline resolution of the studied metals was obtained within 8 min by using a capillary immobilized with carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a background electrolyte composed of 6 mM imidazole, pH 4.0. The applied voltage and the temperature were set at 20 kV and 25°C, respectively. Precision, detection, and quantification limits, along with linearity were investigated. The limits of detection and quantification were 2.20 and 7.40 μg/kg, for Cu 2 ⁺ and 0.05 and 0.20 μg/kg in the case of Cd 2 ⁺. A good linearity was achieved over a concentration working range of 7.5-100 and 0.2-25 μg/kg for Cu 2 ⁺ and Cd 2 ⁺ accordingly. Recovery data for validation studies were found in a range of 98.2-101.5% for both analytes., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The aim of this research was to develop a method for simultaneous quantification of proteins and main polyphenolic compounds extracted from oleaginous meal by aqueous media. Size exclusion chromatography with a Biosep column (exclusion range from 1 to 300 kDa) and acetonitrile/water/formic acid (10:89.9:0.1 v/v) eluent at 0.6 mL min -1 yielded the most efficient separation of sunflower proteins and chlorogenic acid monoisomers (3-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, and 4-caffeoylquinic acid). After a study of the stability of the extract components, the incorporation of a stabilization buffer (0.5 mol L -1 tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-hydrochloric acid/1.0 mol L -1 sodium chloride at pH 7) was proposed to avoid polyphenol-protein interactions and/or isomeric transformation. The use of 214 nm as the wavelength for protein quantification was also included to minimize the effect of interference from polyphenol-protein interactions on the quantification. Under the used experimental conditions, the protein and chlorogenic acid monoisomer signals remained stable during 300 min at 20 °C (95-125% of the starting value). The developed method was validated and parameters such as specificity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy were determined. The results from size exclusion chromatography correlated well with the results of protein determination by the reference Kjeldahl method. The proposed method was successfully applied for rapeseed extract analysis making simultaneous quantification of proteins and major rapeseed polyphenols (sinapine and sinapic acid) possible. Graphical abstract.

Background: Sunflower seed derived butter can be a source of protein and phenolic antioxidants in refrigerated dough. Chlorogenic quinone-amino acid induced greening can however occur at alkaline pH, which could result in less bioavailable conjugated phenol-amino acids. Acidulants were tested as potential anti-greening ingredients in refrigerated chemically leavened cookie dough. Effect of refrigerated storage time, leavening agents and acidulants on tryptophan fluorescence (λex = 280 nm, λem = 300-500 nm), color (hunter L*, a*, b* color scale), reducing capacity [1,1'-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity (FCRC)], and hydroxycinnamic acids were measured., Results: The pH range of acidified doughs was 4.83-6.98 compared to 7.65-9.18 in non-acidified leavened doughs after 24 days. Greening was higher in baking soda dough control (a* = -0.54) than baking powder dough control (a* = 2.98) after 24 days, attributed to higher pH (9.18) of the former compared to pH 7.14 in the later. Tryptophan fluorescence intensity in baking soda dough decreased in the order: control > glucono-delta lactone ≈ citric acid after 24 days. The DPPH and FCRC of acidified doughs were greater than corresponding control doughs., Conclusion: The use of acidulants would prevent greening in sunflower dough without lowering its phenolic concentration, making use of sunflower butter in refrigerated dough for baked goods feasible. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus Linne ) is a tuberous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, which originates from North America, and is also known as wild sunflower or topinambur (TPB). It is characterized by good tolerance to frost, drought and poor soil, strong resistance to pests and plant diseases. For ages it was cultivated due to being both an edible tuber and having healing properties. In folk medicine, TPB leaves are used for the treatment of bone fractures and pain. TPB tubers are rich in sugar and have therefore been used for the production of functional food ingredients, such as inulin. Moreover, TPB is one of the potential crops for bioenergy production, such as bioethanol, biobuthanol and biodiesel, and chemicals (lactic acid, butyric acid). A number of bioactive compounds from the above ground parts of this plant have been isolated which have demonstrating antifungal, antioxidant and anticancer activities. In recent years, a number of animal experiments have been carried out to assess the health properties of TPB. Obtained results show that TPB possess a wide spectrum of medical applications, e.g. reduction in the levels of plasma glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride. Interestingly, TPB has been shown to be a valuable alternative source of prebiotic compounds. This review article presents recent scientific reports on the chemical and biological properties of TPB and its potential use as a prebiotic diet supplement.

As part of our efforts to exploit the antitrypanosomal potential of sesquiterpene lactones (STL) from Helianthus tuberosus L. (Asteraceae), besides the known 4,15- iso -atriplicolide tiglate, -methacrylate and -isobutyrate, a hitherto unknown STL was isolated. Its structure was solved by extensive NMR measurements and confirmed by single crystal X-ray crystallography. This novel compound is a structural analog 4,15- iso -atriplicolide tiglate that possesses the same basic furanoheliangolide skeleton but differs in the position of the oxo function which is at C-2 instead of C-1, as well as in the fact that the oxygen atom of the furanoid ring is part of a hemiketal structure at C-3 and a double bond between C-5 and C-6. For this new STL we propose the name heliantuberolide-8- O -tiglate. Its activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (causative agent of East African Human Typanosomiasis, Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas Disease), Leishmania donovani (Visceral Leishmaniasis) and Plasmodium falciparum (Tropical Malaria) as well as cytotoxicity against rat skeletal myoblasts (L6 cell line) was determined along with those of the hitherto untested 4,15-iso-atriplicolide methacrylate and isobutyrate. In comparison with the iso-atriplicolide esters, the new compound showed a much lower level of bioactivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In the present study sunflower protein isolates were subjected to heat treatment (80 °C for 5 min, 15 min and 25 min) at three pH values (3.5, 4.5 and 5.5). The strength of gel prepared from treated protein isolates was lower than the gels from native protein isolates and gel strength increased with increase in temperature treatment. Higher denaturation temperatures were observed in treated protein isolates than native protein isolates and increased with increase in thermal treatment time. Treated protein isolates showed more resistance against thermal degradation than native protein isolates as was evident from thermal gravimetric analysis. Secondary and tertiary structure determined by circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence respectively were significantly altered after thermal treatment. Lower crystal size along with reduced crystallinity was observed in treated protein isolates than native protein isolates and was further reduced with increase in heating time as was determined by X-ray diffraction., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Network coupled with genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) have been used to develop a model and optimise the conditions for the extraction of pectin from sunflower heads. Input parameters were extraction time (10-20 min), temperature (40-60 °C), frequency (30-60 Hz), solid/liquid ratio (S/L) (1:20-1:40 g/mL) while pectin yield (PY%) was the output. Results showed that ANN-GA had a higher prediction efficiency than RSM. Using ANN as the fitness function, a maximum pectin yield of 29.1 ± 0.07% was searched by genetic algorithm at the time of 10 min, temperature of 59.9 °C, frequency of 30 Hz, and solid liquid ratio of 1:29.9 g/mL while the experimental value was found to be 29.5 ± 0.7%. Extracted pectin was characterised by FTIR and 13 C NMR. Thus, ANN coupled GA has proved to be the effective method for the optimization of process parameters for pectin extraction from sunflower heads., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Jerusalem artichoke is widely used as raw material for industrial production of inulin. Pressing (compression) and diffusion are two effective technologies for bio-compounds' recovery from plants. In this work, pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment at 400, 600, and 800 V/cm during 100 ms was applied to facilitate juice and solutes recovery from Jerusalem artichoke . The application of PEF led to electroporation of cell membranes and enhanced the tissue compression/juice expression and solutes diffusion. The consolidation coefficient (calculated by application of semi-empirical model) of PEF treated sample at 800 V/cm was 6.50 × 10 -7 m²/s, which is significantly higher than that of untreated sample (5.02 × 10 -9 m²/s) and close to that of freeze-thawed sample. Diffusion experiments with PEF treated samples were carried out at 25, 50, and 75 °C. A PEF treatment of Jerusalem artichoke at 800 V/cm led to a similar diffusion behavior at 25 °C, compared to diffusion behavior obtained from untreated sample at 75 °C.

Jerusalem artichoke (JA, Helianthus tuberosus L.) has been researched extensively due to its wide range of uses, but there are limited studies on its flowers. In this study, we report the first detailed phytochemical study on JA flowers, which yielded 21 compounds. Compound 4 was identified as a major water-soluble yellow pigment of JA flowers. In addition, the methanol extract of JA flowers and the isolates were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among the tested compounds, compound 13 showed the strongest ABTS + free radical scavenging activity with SC 50 value of 2.30 ± 0.13 μg/mL, and compound 6 showed most potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with inhibition rate of 60.0% ± 10.3% at a concentration of 250 μg/mL. Results showed that methanol extract of JA flowers exhibited antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities which could be attributed to its phenolic ingredients including chlorogenic acid derivatives, flavonoids and phenols.

Engagement of an extended β-sheet is a common substrate/inhibitor interaction at the active site of serine proteases and is an important feature of Laskowski mechanism inhibitors that present a substrate-like loop to a target protease. This loop is cleaved but subsequently relegated forming a stable inhibitor/protease complex. Laskowski inhibitors are ubiquitous in nature and are used extensively in serine protease inhibitor design. However, most studies concentrate on introducing new sidechain interactions rather than the direct contributions of the substrate-like β-sheet to enzyme inhibition. Here we report the crystal structure of an simplified β-sheet inhibitory motif within the Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor (SFTI) in complex with trypsin. We show that the intramolecular hydrogen bond network of this SFTI variant (SFTI-TCTR) engages the inhibitor sidechains that would normally interact with a target protease, giving mainchain interactions a more prominent role in complex formation. Despite having reduced sidechain interactions, this SFTI variant is remarkably potent and inhibits a diverse range of serine proteases. Crystal structural analysis and molecular modelling of SFTI-TCTR complexes again indicates an interface dominated by β-sheet interactions, highlighting the importance of this motif and the adaptability of SFTI as a scaffold for inhibitor design., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

An experiment was conducted to determine the relative bioavailability (RBV) of P in high-protein sunflower meal (HP-SFM) fed to broiler chickens based on bone traits and to determine the effects of dietary phytase supplementation and increasing levels of HP-SFM as a P source on bone traits, growth performance, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of DM and nutrients. In total, 240 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 1 of 10 experimental diets with 6 replicate cages of 4 birds each and fed experimental diets from day 14 to 21 of age. Diets included a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet (0.35% total P; P-deficient diet), or the basal diet supplemented with 0.05, 0.10, or 0.15% P from either monosodium phosphate (MSP) or HP-SFM. Another 3 diets were formulated by supplementing the HP-SFM-containing diets with 500 phytase unit/kg of phytase. The bone mineral content (BMC), bone area (BA), and bone mineral density (BMD) of femur and tibia and tibia ash content increased (linear, P < 0.01) with increasing dietary P content from MSP. A linear increase in femur and tibia BMC, femur BA, and tibia BMD was also observed (P < 0.01) with increasing level of dietary P from HP-SFM. The RBV of P in HP-SFM based on femur and tibia BMC were 41 and 44%, respectively. Dietary phytase supplementation increased (P < 0.01) most of bone traits of the birds except for femur BMD. In addition, birds fed the diets supplemented with dietary phytase had greater (P < 0.05) BW gain, feed efficiency, and AID of P than those fed the diets without dietary phytase. In conclusion, the estimated RBV of P in HP-SFM to P in MSP were 41 and 44% based on femur and tibia BMC, respectively. Also, dietary phytase supplementation increased AID of P, growth performance, and bone traits of the birds fed P-deficient diets containing increasing inclusion level of HP-SFM as a P source.

Background: Excessive ultraviolet radiation usually causes skin photoaging, inflammation, and even photocarcinogenesis. UV radiation-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a major contributing factor to photodamage. The flowers of Helianthus annuus L. have been reported to possess strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. However, there are few reports on the use of H. annuus L. to relieve UVB-induced photoaging., Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the protective effect of a 50% ethanol extract of H. annuus L. flower (HAF) against UVB-induced photodamage using normal human dermal fibroblasts., Methods: The secretion of ROS, interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), procollagen type I, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was measured with kits. The messenger RNA levels of COX-2, iNOS, and TGF-α were measured by RT-PCR. The AP-1, MAPK, NFAT, and Nrf2 pathways were investigated by Western blot analysis., Results: HAF extract significantly blocked UVB-induced ROS and MMP (MMP-1 and MMP-3) production and procollagen type I reduction. Further study demonstrated that the photoaging inhibitory actions were related to promotion of Nrf2 nuclear translocation, upregulation of TGF-β1 level, and downregulation of AP-1 and MAPK phosphorylation. Importantly, HAF effectively inhibited UVB-induced VEGF and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, COX-2, iNOS, and TNF-α secretion, which might be involved in the regulation of the NFAT signaling pathway., Conclusion: Our results indicate that HAF is a useful botanical source protecting against UVB-mediated skin photodamage., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Microparticles made from hydrogenated sunflower oil without essential oil and with different essential oil concentrations (75-300 g/kg; g of essential oil per kg of microparticles) were stored for 1 or 2 months at 25 or 37 °C. Before and after storage the essential oil concentration, flowability, optical appearance, melting behaviour and crystalline structure of the microparticles were investigated. Essential oil recovery, melting behaviour and crystalline structure were identical for the essential oil containing microparticles and were not affected during storage. The surface structure of the microparticles varied with their essential oil concentration. While the particles containing 75 g/kg essential oil were covered by erect fat crystals, those with 225 g/kg and higher were mostly smooth with some round shaped dumps. However, the surface of all essential oil containing microparticle batches had reached their final stage after production already and did not change during storage. Microparticles without essential oil presented two melting peaks; all microparticle batches with essential oil had one peak. Peaks in the X-ray scattering powder diffraction signal of the essential oil-free microparticles after production can be associated with the α-form of the hydrogenated vegetable oil. During storage, a conversion of the α-form to the stable β-form was observed. Microscopy showed that these microparticles also developed strong fat crystals throughout storage. The triglycerides in microparticles with essential oil seem to directly take on the stable β-form. The formation of robust microparticle agglomerates during storage was prevalently observed for the fat crystal forming product batches, meaning the products without or with low essential oil concentration.

The cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) have numerous economic advantages in the industrial bio catalysis. In the present study, the multi CLEAs containing protease, catalase, and lipase from the sunflower seeds using starch as a cofeeder as well as bovine serum albumin (BSA) are designed and prepared successfully. After optimization, multi CLEAs of enzyme have been prepared with ammonium sulfate (55% w/v), glutaraldehyde (100 mM), and 8 mg/mL of starch or 20 mg/mL of BSA. The activity recovery of protease, catalase, and lipase multi CLEAs-starch are 87, 61, and 60%, respectively. Whereas, CLEAs prepared with BSA are 74, 61, and 50% activity and multi CLEAs only 60, 44, and 41% of protease, catalase, and lipase, respectively. The multi CLEAs were used to catalyze the reactions for enhanced washing process. After adding multi CLEAs-starch, the stain removal percentage of detergents is enhanced by 83%.The present study reports a high stability, simplicity, low cost, and recyclability of the novel multi CLEAs from the sunflower seeds that make them efficient as a highly active biocatalysts in the biotechnological applications. We believe that these novel multi CLEAs present a new approach to the synthesis of multi enzyme biocatalysts from the cheap and friendly environmental sources., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) play critical roles in the development of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Inhibiting ACE and DPP-IV activity using peptides has become part of new therapeutic strategies for supporting medicinal treatment of both diseases. In this study, oilseed proteins, including soybean, flaxseed, rapeseed, sunflower and sesame are evaluated for the possibility of generating ACE and DPP-IV inhibitory peptides using different integrated bioinformatic approaches (UniProt knowledgebase, ProtParam, BLAST, BIOPEP, PeptideRanker, Pepsite2 and ToxinPred), and three bovine proteins (β-lactoglobulin, β-casein and κ-casein) as comparisons. Compared with bovine proteins, the potency indices of ACE and DPP-IV inhibitory peptides, calculated using the BIOPEP database, suggest that oilseed proteins may be considered as good precursors of ACE inhibitory peptides but generate a relative lower yield of DPP-IV inhibitory peptides following subtilisin, pepsin (pH = 1.3) or pepsin (pH > 2) hydrolysis. Average scores aligned using PeptideRanker confirmed oilseed proteins as significant potential sources of bioactive peptides: over 105 peptides scored over 0.8. Pepsite2 predicted that these peptides would largely bind via Gln281, His353, Lys511, His513, Tyr520 and Tyr523 of ACE to inhibit the enzyme, while Trp629 would be the predominant binding site of peptides in reducing DPP-IV activity. All peptides were capable of inhibiting ACE and DPP-IV whilst 65 of these 105 peptides are not currently recorded in BIOPEP database. In conclusion, our in silico study demonstrates that oilseed proteins could be considered as good precursors of ACE and DPP-IV inhibitory peptides as well as so far unexplored peptides that potentially have roles in ACE and DPP-IV inhibition and beyond., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Extracts from plants, rich in antioxidants may be used as active ingredients of many preparations, mainly due to their antioxidant, regenerative and anti-aging properties. The work involved a comprehensive evaluation of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) leaf and tuber extract as a multifunctional raw material., Methods: The plant extracts were prepared by using ultrasound-assisted extraction method (UAE).The content of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds of extracts were determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminium nitrate nonahydrate, respectively. Antioxidant activity of extract was analyzed using DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the effect of the investigated extracts on the proliferation of keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (BJ) was measured. To detect of intracellular reactive oxygen species level in tested cells, the fluorogenic dye H 2 DCFDA was used. In the next step, the ability of obtained extracts to regulate the expression of genes (SOD-1, Nox-4) involved in oxidative stress in cells was evaluated., Results: As a result of the conducted research, it was shown that leaf extract exhibit a higher content of phenols and flavonoids comparing to tuber extracts (5.07 and 7.14 fold higher, respectively). The opposite trend was observed after proliferation assay with Neutral Red test. It was shown that tuber extract in all applied concentrations (25-500 μg·ml - 1 ) had a positive effect on fibroblast growth. The leaf extract showed proliferative activity only for the smallest tested concentrations (25-100 μg·ml - 1 ). Similar trends were observed for HaCaT cells. The distinct effect of leaves and tuber extract on the generation of ROS was observed in HaCaT cells. In the present study, it was shown that tuber and leaf extracts may increase the expression of the ROS SOD-1 inactivating enzyme gene in the fibroblast cell line. There were no significant differences in gene expression of the ROS Nox-4 producing enzyme. In the case of keratinocytes, the opposite effect was observed., Conclusions: The study suggest that Jerusalem artichoke leaves and tubers extracts affect the cell proliferation and can alter the expression of genes related to oxidative stress.

There is significant interest in the formulation of liposome-based delivery systems using cheap plant-based commercial sources of lecithin. This study evaluated the impact of phospholipid type on the formation, stability, and curcumin-loading of sunflower liposomes. Four kinds of sunflower lecithin (Sunlipon 50, 65, 75, and 90) with different phosphatidylcholine (PC) levels were used to prepare the liposomes using microfluidization. The particle size, surface charge, microstructure, and stability of the liposomes were determined. All four kinds of lecithin were suitable for fabricating stable liposomes regardless of the PC content. Curcumin was loaded into the liposomes using a newly developed pH-driven method. The loading capacity and heat stability of curcumin increased as the PC content of the lecithin increased. These results showed that commercial plant-based lecithins may be suitable for overcoming some of the hurdles normally associated with using liposomes in the food industry, such as high cost and poor stability.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by complex symptoms. To treat AD without adverse effects, alternative therapeutic agents are required. The tubers of Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke) have been used in folk remedies for diabetes and rheumatism. However, its effect on AD development remains unknown. Therefore, this study examined the inhibitory effect of H. tuberosus (HT) on AD skin symptoms using an NC/Nga mouse model and HaCaT keratinocytes. The effect of HT and associated molecular mechanisms were evaluated in Dermatophagoides farina body (Dfb)-induced AD mice and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/interferon (IFN)-γ-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes by ELISA, western blot, and histological analysis. Topical HT administration attenuated AD skin symptoms in Dfb-induced AD mice, with a significant reduction in the dermatitis score and production of inflammatory mediators. HT also decreased epidermal thickness and mast cell infiltration. Moreover, HT restored filaggrin expression and inhibited adhesion molecules in the mice. These effects were confirmed in vitro. Furthermore, HT suppressed the activation of NF-κB, Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways induced by TNF-α/IFN-γ. These results suggest that HT is a potential therapeutic agent or supplement for skin allergic inflammatory diseases such as AD., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.