Search

The major commercial crops in Pakistan are citrus fruit trees, which are farmed extensively and serve as the country's principal source of foreign exchange. A local citrus plant, Citrus paradisi, variety Foster is famous for its valuable fruit and fruit juice, however, tons of peels of this fruit are thrown as waste, which otherwise can be utilized in formulating nutraceutical and cosmetics. In the present study, essential oil of fruit peels was obtained through hydro-distillation, which was then analyzed through GC-MS analysis and studied for its antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential. GCMS analysis revealed the presence of several components; major were found to be limonene, α-terpineol, caryophyllene, δ-amorphene, elemol, γ-eudesoml, nootkatone and di-isooctyl phthalate. Although, the oil showed weak free radical inhibition, it was potentially active in CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating antioxidant assays. The oil also exhibited anti-glucosidase, anti-amylase activities and also exhibited potent inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, which makes it strong candidate for nutraceuticals and skin care products. The docking studies also substantiate our results and caryophyllene, γ-eudesoml and nootkatone showed good binding affinity α-glucosidase and α-amylase and all tested compounds showed the higher binding affinity towards the enzyme tyrosinase.

The aim of the present research work was to investigate the variation in nutritional potential, phenolic profile, antioxidant, and free radical scavenging activities of four wildly grown accessions of Cucumis melo var. Agrestis. The accessions of Cucumis melo var. Agrestis were collected from different areas of the district Faisalabad and Layyah of Punjab province (Pakistan). Mineral profile and amino acid analysis were examined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and an amino acid analyzer. High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the separation and quantification of polyphenols from chloroform and methanol fractions of Cucumis melo. ICP-OES was used for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of elements, and results showed that magnesium (533.6–663.2 ppm) and iron (308.1–590.8 ppm) were the most abundant minerals. Amino acids analyzer showed that valine (0.03–45.58 mmol/L) and taurine (0.03–2.34 mmol/L) were present in the highest concentration. The methanol extract yield of the accessions was in the range of 14.00–17.03 g/100 g of plant material. HPLC analysis showed the detection of eleven phenolic compounds, and the most abundant compound was chlorogenic acid (1120.53–1237.52 µg/g), followed by gallic acid (188.14–930.74 µg/g) and vanillic acid (6.35–298.81 µg/g). Chloroform and methanol fractions were analyzed for antioxidant activity, and results showed that all the fractions were rich in total phenolic content (TPC) (26.6–112.00 mg/100 g) and total flavonoid content (TFC) (20.5–77.9 mg/100 g). Methanol fraction of accession-1 showed the best free radical scavenging capacity (82.2 %) and % inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation activity (84.4 %) than other fractions. Statistical analysis revealed significant variation among the nutritional potential and antioxidant activity of all the accessions.

This work aims to enhance the efficiency and properties of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) by introducing silver and zinc ions. CMC incorporated with a silver (CMC-Ag) and CMC incorporated with zinc (CMC-Zn) composites and films were prepared, characterized and evaluated for biological activities respectively. The CMC-Ag and CMC-Zn composites and composite films showed notable antibacterial and antioxidant activities based on increasing Ag and Zn concentrations. The CMC-Ag composite films displayed the highest wound contraction 89.79% followed by CMC-Zn composite films 89.24% on the 10th day with low levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Histological images of wounds treated with these composite films exhibited healed epidermis and a clear view of collagen deposition. These findings demonstrate that our prepared composite films have auspicious features with eloquent antibacterial, antioxidant and wound-healing properties which could be used as biobased wound dressings.

Conclusion: The results clearly indicate that a high dosage of MPT showed antiobesity activity which was comparable to the same effects produced by the conventional drug orlistat.

The present research study aims to appraise the potential of polyphenol-rich extracts from two Brassica rapa varieties on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities using carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats. Methanol extracts of peels and pulps of Brassica rapa yellow root (BRYR) and Brassica rapa white root (BRWR) were prepared using the soxhlet extraction technique. All four extracts were analyzed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for the polyphenols, and results showed that 10 phenolic acids and 4 flavonoids were detected. Gallic acid was the major phenolic acid (174.6–642.3 mg/100 g of dry plant material) while catechin was the major (34.45–358.5 mg/100 g of dry plant material) flavonoid detected in the extracts. The total phenolic contents (TPC) of BRYR peel, BRWR peel, BRYR pulp and BRWR pulp extracts were in the range of 1.21–5.01 mg/g of dry plant material, measured as GAE, whereas the total flavonoid contents (TFC) were found in the range of 0.90–3.95 mg/g of dry plant material, measured as QE. BRYR peel extract exhibited the best DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50, 3.85 µg/mL) and reducing potential as compared with other extracts. The in vivo anti-inflammatory potential was assessed by carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, and the analgesic potential was investigated by a hot plate test. Suppression of biochemical inflammatory biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration were also determined. Results showed that BRYR peel extracts reduced paw edema and suppressed the production of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP and RF most significantly, followed by BRWR peel, BRYR pulp and BRWR pulp extracts. In addition, histopathology observation also supports the anti-inflammatory effect of peel extracts as being greater than that of root pulp extracts. Moreover, it was observed that the analgesic effect of the root-peel extracts was also more pronounced as compared with root-pulp extracts. It can be concluded that BRYR peel extract has higher phenolic contents and showed higher suppression of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP and RF, with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

Background and Objectives: Citrullus colocynthis belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is a wild medicinal plant used in folk literature to treat various diseases. The purpose of the current study was to explore the antihypertensive and antioxidant potentials of Citrullus colocynthis (CC) polyphenol-rich fractions using a spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) model. Materials and Methods: The concentrated aqueous ethanol extract of CC fruit was successively fractioned using solvents of increasing polarity, i.e., hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The obtained extracts were analyzed for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total flavonol content (TOF). Moreover, the CC extracts were further evaluated for radical scavenging capacity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays and antioxidant activity using inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation and determination of reducing potential protocols. The phytochemical components were characterized by HPLC–MWD–ESI–MS in positive ionization mode. Results: The results showed that ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) exhibited a higher content of phenolic compounds in term of TPC (289 mg/g), TFC (7.6 mg/g) and TOF (35.7 mg/g). EAF showed higher antioxidant and DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities with SC50 values of 6.2 and 79.5 µg/mL, respectively. LCMS analysis revealed that twenty polyphenol compounds were identified in the EAF, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, mainly myricetin and quercetin derivatives. The in vivo antihypertensive activity of EAF of CC on SHR revealed that it significantly decreased the mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressures (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) as compared to normal and hypertensive control groups. Moreover, EAF of CC significantly reduced the oxidative stress in the animals in a dose-dependent manner by normalizing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NOx) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Furthermore, the treatment groups, especially the 500 mg of EAF per kg body weight (EA-500) group, significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Conclusion: It was concluded that the EAF of CC is a rich source of polyphenols and showed the best antioxidant activity and antihypertensive potential in SHR.

Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. fil.) is commonly utilized as a culinary and medicinal fruit and is most famous in indigenous systems of medicine. The present research work aims to appraise and validate the potential of polyphenol-rich star anise tea (SAT) on oxidative stress, obesity and related biochemical parameters in high-fat-sugar-diet (HFSD)-induced obesity model in rats. SAT was prepared using the traditional method in warm water. The Reverse Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis was performed for the simultaneous determination of phenolic acids and flavonoids in SAT. Two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) were selected to investigate the anti-obesity potential of SAT using HFSD-induced obese rat model. Major (>5 mg/100 mL) phenolic acids in SAT were p-coumeric acid, gallic aid, cinamic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid while catechin and rutin were the major flavonoids detected in the SAT. SAT exhibited 51.3% DPPH radical scavenging activity. In vivo study showed that higher doses of SAT (500 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the body weight increase (74.82%) and BMI (0.64 g/cm2). Moreover, significant reductions in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL were recorded in all the treatment groups in comparison to the HFSDC group. Furthermore, SAT reduced the alterations in MDA, SOD and GSH levels of experimental groups thus showing the potential against oxidative stress. The SAT-500 group showed a significant decrease in the elevated kidney and liver weights and atherogenic index in comparison to the HFSDC group. The present study proved that SAT exhibited strong protective effects against obesity and oxidative stress, especially at higher doses.

(1) Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of Salvadora oleoides (S. oleoides) and Salvadora persica (S. persica) polyphenols as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. (2) Methods: Aerial parts and fruits of S. oleoides and S. persica were collected from the periphery of District Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan. Methanol extracts were prepared using the Soxhlet extraction technique. Extract yield varied from 8.15 to 19.6 g/100 g dry plant material. RP-HPLC revealed the detection of thirteen phenolic aids and five flavonoids. Gallic acid, hydroxy benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, and cinamic acid were the major phenolic acids, whereas catechin, rutin, and myricetin were the flavonoids detected. (3) Results: Maximum total phenolic contents (TPCs) (22.2 mg/g of dry plant material) and total flavonoid contents (TFCs) (6.17 mg/g of dry plant material) were found in the fruit extract of S. persica, and the minimum TPC (11.9 mg/g) and TFC (1.72 mg/g) were found in the aerial part of S. oleoides. The fruit extract of S. persica showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of all the extracts was performed on albumin-induced rat paw edema that was comparable with the standard indomethacin; S. persica fruit extract showed remarkable anti-inflammatory activity. Analgesic activity of aerial part and fruit extracts of S. oleoides and S. persica was investigated using a mouse model, and the results showed that maximum possible analgesia of fruit extracts of S. persica was 53.44%, which is better than the PC group (52.98%). (4) Conclusions: The variations in the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of methanolic extracts of S. oleoides and S. persica were found to be significant, and they have therapeutic potential as antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agents.

The main objective of this research work was to evaluate the variation in nutritional profile, antioxidant, anti-proliferative and antibacterial activities of selected species of Brassica. Five locally grown Brassica species (cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, white cabbage and Chinese cabbage) were collected from Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad, Pakistan. Polyphenolic rich extracts of these Brassicaceae species were prepared by Soxhlet extraction technique using ethanol. Phenolic acids, flavonoids and sugar contents of the investigated species were determined and quantified by RP-HPLC. Antioxidant activity was carried out by measurement of total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), reducing potential and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity. Anti-proliferative activity of all the extracts was determined by MTT assay on lung cancer cell line A549. Antibacterial activity was tested against the two bacterial strains, i.e., Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). HPLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid and benzoic acid as the major phenolic acids, whereas catechine was the major flavonoid in most of the extracts. The TPC ranged from 9.7 to 32.8 mg/g of dry plant material, measured GAE and TFC ranged from 7.7 to 23.7 mg/g of dry plant material, measured as CE. Higher TPC and TFC were found in red cabbage extract followed by cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage and Chinese cabbage. Red cabbage extract also showed higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 2.3 µg/mL) followed by cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage and Chinese cabbage. Maltodextrose was the major sugar followed by fructose in all species of Brassica. Promising anti-proliferative and antibacterial activities were also recorded by the selected Brassica extracts.

The aim of the study was to compare the physicochemical parameters, sugar, vitamin C, and phenolic profiles in five genotypes of local indeterminate tunnel tomato hybrid (LITTH) (LITTH-778, LITTH-784, LITTH-786, LITTH-788, and LITTH-790) of natural parthenocarpic tomato (NPT) and normal seeded tomato (NST). Samples were collected from the experimental fields of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Physical parameters (fruit shape, fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, number of seeds per fruit, and shelf-life) and chemical composition (moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, total carbohydrate, crude protein, and vitamin C) of NPT and NST were analyzed by reported methods. The methanolic extracts of tomato pulp were prepared by shaking and extracts were assayed for antioxidant activity. Sugar contents and phenolic profile of NPT and NST were estimated using HPLC method. Weight and size of NPT were less and smaller than the NST. Moreover, NPT were seedless with longer shelf-life and had more phenolic and flavonoid contents than the NST. HPLC analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid were major phenolics in methanol (polar solvent) extracts of NST, and caffeic acid, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid in NPT extract. NPT contained higher concentration of sugar contents, but lower concentration of vitamin C than NST. In 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, NPT fruit extracts showed high scavenging activity with the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 22.56 μg/mL compared to NST fruit extracts having IC50 29.49 μg/mL. This study provided useful information for farmers and nutritionists.

Human population is exceeding beyond the carrying capacity of earth resources and stresses like water shortage faced by the plants is jeopardizing the food security. Current research study was aimed to investigate the potentials of Zn-Aspartate (Zn-Asp), Zn-Sulphate (ZnSO4) and L-Aspartate (L-Asp) to be used as osmolytes and role of various levels of these chemicals in combating drought stress in maize plants in Punjab, Pakistan. Study was performed on two plots corresponding to drought and controlled environments. The lamina of maize plants was sprinkled row wise with various treatments including No spray (NS), water sprinkle (WS), sprinkle with ZnSO4 0.25% and 0.50%, sprinkle with Zn-Asp 0.25% and 0.50% and Foliar sprinkle of L-Asp 0.5% and 1%, respectively. Role of major osmoprotectants and secondary metabolites was analyzed and positive changes were found in total soluble sugars (41.16), flavonoids (5387.74), tocopherol content (9089.18), ascorbic acid (645.27) and anthocyanin (14.84) conc. which assists in mitigating drought menace on maize. Shoot mineral ions (Ca, K, Zn, P, Mg and N) status of water stressed maize plants was also analyzed and it was found that application experimental dose enhanced their availability to crop. Physio-biochemical studies were performed on antioxidants enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), carotenoid content (CC), malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, aspartate and free amino acid contents. The activity of SOD was increased by 28.5% and activity of POD was increased by 33.33% due to foliar applied 0.5% Zn-Asp under drought stress. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll A, B and total chlorophyll content) analysis was also carried out in this study. It was found that conc. of different chlorophylls pigments increased (chl-A: 2.24, chl-B: 25.12, total chl: 24.30) which enhanced photosynthetic activity culminating into better growth and yield). The level of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide decreased by 43.9% and 32.8% respectively on treatment with 0.5% Zn-Asp proving the efficacy of the treatment in drought amelioration. Study reveals that Zn-Asp induced modulations are far better than conventional sulphate salts in mitigating water scarce environment. Current study recommends the use of the Zn-Asp to meet the global food and agricultural challenges as compared to ZnSO4 and L-Asp due to its better drought amelioration properties. This research provides valuable informations which can used for future research and practical use in agriculture fields by indigenous and other people to enhance yield of maize to meet the food necessities of country.

The aim of the study was to investigate the variation in nutritional composition, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of tomatoes grown in fly ash blended soils, i.e.,T1 (soil 100% + 0% fly ash), T2 (soil 75%+ 25% fly ash), and T3 (soil 50% + 50% fly ash) soils. The tomato samples were harvested and screened for their proximate analysis, mineral composition, vitamin C contents, phenolic profile, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Results showed that T3 soil crop has high proximate composition, vitamin C, and phenolic contents as compared with T2 and T1 soil crops. Furthermore, significant variation in the elements analysis was observed in the crops grown in T1, T2, and T3 soils. T3 soil crop exhibited better antioxidant activity in term of total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoids contents (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing potential as compared with T2 and T1 soil crops. Similarly, maximum inhibition zones were observed for T3 soil crop when tested for Staphylococcus aureus isolate 1 and 3 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In conclusion, the crop grown in T3 blended soil had high antioxidant and antibacterial potentials and better nutritional composition.

Abstract Background Designer eggs (DEs) have gained positive importance in maintaining cholesterol level, triglyceride profile and protection towards cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as omega-3 (or) n-3 fatty acids. However, extreme heat conditions effect the quality as well as quantity of EFAs during the production of designer egg dried powder (DEDP). Therefore, the main mandate of research was the development of DEDP and determination of spray drying conditions impact on fatty acids composition of DEDP samples. Methods The DEs were produced, collected, de-shelled, homogenized and diluted before spray drying to get fine powder. The spray drying of DEs was carried out using a laboratory spray drier. An experimental design was used for the drying parameters, where the inlet air temperature was varied (160, 180 and 200 °C), feed flow rate (200, 300 and 400 mL/hr), atomization speed (16,000, 20,000 and 24,000 rpm) and outlet air temperature (60, 70 and 80 °C) at different levels. For convenience of experimental design coding was used. The DEDP was collected in a single cyclone separator and was stored after packaging for consecutive 2 months at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively. The powder yield was calculated from the collected dry mass in the collecting vessel divided by the processed whole egg diluted matter. The total lipids of DEDP samples were determined gravimetrically. The esters of fatty acids in each sample were prepared and analyzed through Gas Chromatograph apparatus. The oxidative stability of DEDP samples was estimated by following standard procedure of peroxide value. Results The powder yield of DEDP as a result of different operating conditions was found in the range of 30.06 ± 0.22 g/500 mL to 62.10 ± 0.46 g/500 mL DEs sample. The decreasing trend in moisture content (4.4 ± 0.16% towards 4.0 ± 0.09%) and total fat content (45 ± 0.65 g/100 g towards 41 ± 0.35 g/100 g) in DEDP samples was observed with increased inlet and outlet temperature while fat content increased at high feed flow rate and atomization speed. In this study, loss of PUFAs in DEDP samples was followed due to their active role regarding to human health. For alpha-linolenic (ALA) fatty acids, maximum value at 4 °C observed was 127.32 ± 0.27 mg/50 g egg and 124.43 ± 0.32 mg/50 g egg while the minimum value observed for ALA was 100.15 ± 0.09 mg/50 g egg and 97.15 ± 0.06 mg/50 g egg after 30 and 60 days storage, respectively. The significant decrease trend for eicosapentaenoic (EPA) fatty acids values from 11.78 ± 0.31 mg/50 g egg to 2.18 ± 0.14 mg/50 g egg at 25 °C under spray dried conditions of inlet air temperature (180 °C), feed flow rate (300 mL/hr), atomization speed (24,000 rpm) and outlet air temperature (80 °C) after 60 days storage period was noted. The docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids value in DEDP was decreased from 15.49 ± 0.79 mg/50 g egg (0 day) to 10.10 ± 0.64 mg/50 g egg at 60 days (4 °C) and same decreasing trend was observed at 25 °C. The decreasing order for total omega-3 fatty acids retention in DEDP during storage intervals was found as 162.33 ± 1.64 mg/50 g egg > 158.61 ± 1.53 mg/50 g egg > 148.03 ± 1.57 mg/50 g egg (0, 30 and 60 days stored at 4 °C) and 162.33 ± 1.64 mg/50 g egg > 151.56 ± 1.54 mg/50 g egg > 135.89 ± 1.62 mg/50 g egg (0, 30 and 60 days stored at 25 °C). The peroxide value (PV) levels obtained in DEDP samples after 60 days were higher (0.78 ± 0.06, 0.81 ± 0.02 meq/kg O2) when compared to initial readings at 0 day (0.65 ± 0.04 meq/kg O2). The PV of DEDP samples reached their maximum peaks after 60 days at 25 °C. The increasing order showed that lipid oxidation increased with storage. However, the overall PV never exceeded the limit of 10 (meq/kg) considered as a threshold limit. Conclusions Extreme hot conditions (> 180 °C) of spray dryer reduce the quality of designer egg dry powder. Extreme conditions assist PUFAs loss and decrease in storage stability due to high lipid oxidation.

Teh ultrasound-assisted magnetic stirrer was used as an effective extraction technique for teh evaluation of total phenolic contents (TPC) and antioxidant potential of ten Pakistani brown rice cultivars. For this purpose, ultrasonic (240W frequency 50/60 Hertz) assisted magnetic stirrer coupled with three solvents methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol in pure and aqueous fractions (80:20) were used for teh extraction of brown rice material. Teh extract yields of brown rice were obtained from 1.62 g/100g to 3.67 g/100g for all teh varieties. Aqueous isopropanol preferably and methanol (80:20) showed best extraction yields on teh dry mass basis of brown rice. Teh contents of total phenolics were determined as highest (496.9 mg GAE/kg) in Basmati Pak while lowest (137.7 mg GAE /kg) in non-basmati Irri-6 variety. For antioxidant activity, brown rice extracts of Basmati Pak showed teh best potential at IC50 2.19 mg/mL against DPPH radical scavenging. Reducing teh power of Basmati Pak was found highest at 0.85. Brown rice extract of Basmati 515 showed best ferrous ion metal chelation at 5.78 Eq. EDTA mg/100g.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the phytochemical profile of green grasses including barley and wheat. Green grasses were procured from Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. All the phytochemical parameters were determined through standard methods with slight modifications. The explored parameters include proximate analysis, mineral profile, vitamin profile, and especially antioxidant profile (total phenolic contents (TPCs), free radical scavenging activity, flavonoids, and phenolic acids). The results portrayed that there was a significant difference between the proximate parameters, vitamin, and minerals profile of both barley and wheatgreen grasses. The antioxidant profile – antioxidant activity (283.5%) and free radical scavenging activity (99.29%) – of barley grass was much higher than wheatgrass. The TPCs (203.52 µmol of GAE/g) and flavonoids (161.12 μmol/L) were much higher in wheatgrass as compared to barley grass. Barley grass showed maximum contents of phenolic acids including benzoic acid (73.84 µg/g), caffeic acid (86.61 µg/g), gallic acid (6.33 µg/g), syringic acid (170.46 µg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (42.52 µg/g), and Ferulic acid (1560.3 µg/g). Conclusively, barley grass showed higher antioxidant potential.

Adsorption of SO2 on pure B12P12 and Zn-doped B12P12 is investigated through density functional theory methods. Zn adsorption on BP delivers four optimized geometries: B-Top, P-top, b64, and ring-enlarged geometry with adsorption energies of −57.12 kJ/mol, −14.50 kJ/mol, −22.94 kJ/mol, and −14.83 kJ/mol, respectively. The adsorption energy of SO2 on pristine boron phosphide is −14.92 kJ/mol. Interaction of SO2 with Zn-doped boron phosphide gives four different geometries with adsorption energies of −69.76 kJ/mol, −9.82 kJ/mol, −104.92 kJ/mol, and −41.87 kJ/mol. Geometric parameters such as dipole moment, QNBO, frontier molecular orbital analysis, PDOS, and global indices of reactivity are performed to visualize the changes in electronic properties of B12P12 after Zn and SO2 adsorption.

Different techniques are being employed to reduce the adverse effects of water stress on seed yield and quality of crop plants. The current study aimed to improve the water stress tolerance of field-grown sunflower by foliar-supplied ecofriendly iron-chelated aspartate (Fe-Asp) in comparison with FeSO4. Water stress decreased the plant growth and yield, accompanied with disturbed water relations, nutrient acquisition, accumulation of amino acids, and antioxidative defense mechanisms. However, lipid peroxidation, total anthocyanin, and photosynthetic pigments were increased. Fertigation of FeSO4 and Fe-Asp as foliar sprays proved effective to reduce the negativities of limited irrigation on biomass production and seed yield, accompanied with a reduction in lipid peroxidation and improvements in water relations, antioxidative defense mechanisms, and leaf photosynthetic pigments. In comparison with FeSO4, foliary applied Fe-Asp better improved the plant water relations with more accumulation of essential amino acids and nutrient acquisition, especially leaf aspartate (Asp) and Fe accumulation which showed better translocation. Overall, foliary applied Fe-Asp proved better for induction of drought tolerance in sunflower plants as compared with FeSO4. The study recommended the use of the ecofriendly Fe-Asp as a foliar spray for better growth and production of sunflower under limited irrigation.

Heavy metals are rapidly polluting the environment as a result of growing industrialization and urbanization. The presence of high concentrations of chromium (Cr), along with other pollutants, is widespread in tannery wastewater. In Pakistan, as a result of a severe shortage of irrigation water, farmers use tannery wastewater to grow various crops with a consequent decline in plants’ yield. This experiment was performed to assess growth revival in sunflower plants irrigated with 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% tannery wastewater, by foliar application of 0, 2.5, and 5.0 mM citric acid (CA). The wastewater treatment curtailed biomass accumulation, the growth rate, and chlorophyll contents by exacerbating the oxidative stress in sunflowers. Foliar application of CA considerably alleviated the outcomes of Cr toxicity by curbing the Cr absorption and oxidative damage, leading to improvements in plant growth, biological yield, and chlorophyll contents. It is concluded that foliar application of CA can successfully mitigate the Cr toxicity in sunflower plants irrigated with tannery wastewater.

In the present work, the antioxidant activity of different solvent extracts of wheat (var. Inqalab 91) bran was evaluated following different antioxidant assays using canola oil as the oxidation substrate. The bran samples were extracted with 80% and 100% methanol and acetone. A preliminary assessment of the antioxidant activity of the 80 and 100% acetone and methanolic extracts of wheat bran was done by the measurement of % inhibition of peroxidation in a linoleic acid system, total phenolic contents (TPC) and bleachability of β-carotene in the linoleic acid system. Additionally, the canola oil samples were stabilized with crude concentrated extracts and subjected to ambient aging (6 months). The extent of oxidative deterioration was followed by the measurement of peroxide-, p-anisidine-, conjugated dienes-, and trienes- values. The results of ambient stored samples revealed a significant improvement in these oxidation parameters. The overall order of antioxidant activity of the extracts as determined by various antioxidant assays was determined to be; 80% methanolic extract > 100% methanolic extract > 80% acetone extracts . 100% acetone extract. The results of the present comprehensive analysis demonstrate that extracts of the wheat bran indigenous to Pakistan are a viable source of natural antioxidants and might be exploited for commercial and neutraceutical applications.

The antioxidant potential of 100% and 80% methanol extracts from the seeds of three barley varieties (Jou 83, Jou 87 and Haider 93) was assessed. The extract yields from barley seeds ranged from 3.23% (Haider 93,100% methanol) to 5.31% (Jou 83, 80% methanol). The total phenolic contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 values) and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation of barley seed extracts (BSE) were determined to be 88.1-145.7 mg/100g, 90.8-168.6 μg/mL and 62.6-74.6%, respectively. The antioxidant effectiveness of BSE was also assessed by stabilizing sunflower oil (SFO) with BSE at a concentration of 600 ppm (oil weight basis). The stabilized (treated with extract) and the control (without extract addition) SFO samples were subjected to accelerated (oven heating at 60ºC for 30 days, 8 h heating cycle/day) storage. These were analyzed at regular intervals for the extent of oxidative changes according to the measurements of their contents of peroxide value, para-anisidine value, conjugated dienes and conjugated trienes. Generally, the 80% methanol extract of barely seeds demonstrated better antioxidant action than the 100% methanol extract. The antioxidant activity of BSE was also found to be considerably varied among the varieties tested. The present results suggest that antioxidant extracts from barely seeds might be used to protect vegetable oils from oxidation.

This study was carried out in order to probe the extent of oxidative alterations in soybean oil (SBO), subjected to ambient and sunlight storage, over a period of 180 days. The magnitude of oxidative changes was monitored by the periodical measurement of peroxide value (PV), color, free fatty acid (FFA) contents, refractive index (RI), p-anisidine-, conjugated dienes-, conjugated trienes-, and iodine- values. At the end of storage period (180 days), the initial contents of FFA (0.02 % as oleic acid) and PV (0.02 meq/kg of oil) of the SBO samples subjected to ambient and sunlight storage reached the level of 1.77, 2.90 % and 20.52, 41.89 meq/kg of oil, respectively. The initial values of RI (40°C) (1.4630), panisidine (1.10), conjugated dienes (0.08) and conjugated trienes (0.04) rose to the point of 1.4647, 1.4659; 36.13, 50.40; 23.97, 41.49 and 13.81, 19.35, respectively. Whereas, the iodine value (g of I /100 g of oil) decreased from 138.00 to 126.18 and 118.04, respectively. At the end of storage period, the overall order, indicative of the oxidative changes in RI, FFA, IV, color (red + yellow), PV, P-anisidine, conjugated dienes and conjugated trienes of the SBO subjected to ambient and sunlight storage was as follows: 1.001:1.002, 1.00:1.65, 0.91:0.86, 0.80:0.60 + 0.75:0.50, 1.00:2.04, 1.00:1.39, 1.00:1.73 and 1.00:1.40, respectively. The results of various parameters investigated in the present study demonstrated the magnitude of oxidative deterioration of the SBO samples exposed to sunlight to be significantly (P < 0.05) pronounced as compared with that of ambient.

Variation in the yield and composition of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) seed oil from two differently adopted (non-saline and saline) provinces of Pakistan was examined. Hexaneextracted M. oleifera seeds from saline and non-saline areas contained 33.50% and 32.79% oil yield, respectively. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant differences in the physical (refractive index (40 oC), color and specific gravity (24 °C) or chemical (iodine value, free fatty acid value, peroxide value, unsaponifiable matter, saponification value, conjugated diene and triene values and p-anisidine value) characteristics of the oils obtained from both areas. The concentration of C18:1 and C16:0 was significantly (P < 0.001) higher whereas, that of C14:0 was lower in M. oleifera seed oils from the saline area. A tocopherol analysis demonstrated the concentration of α- and δ-tocopherol of Moringa seed oils to be significantly (P < 0.001) higher from the saline area. Whereas, the contents of γ-tocopherol was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) higher in the Moringa seed oils native to the non-saline area. Results from the present study revealed that salinity did not affect the oil content of M. oleifera seeds. Nevertheless, it might affect the tocopherol and fatty acid profiles of M. oleifera seed oil.

The antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging capacity of the essential oil and three different extracts of wildly grown Mentha longifolia (M. longifolia) were studied. The essential oil from M. longifolia aerial parts was isolated by hydrodistillation technique using Clevenger-type apparatus. The extracts were prepared with three solvents of different polarity (n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol) using Soxhlet extractor. Maximum extract yield was obtained with methanol (12.6 g/100 g) while the minimum with dichloromethane (3.50 g/100 g). The essential oil content was found to be 1.07 g/100 g. A total of 19 constituents were identified in the M. longifolia oil using GC/MS. The main components detected were piperitenone oxide, piperitenone, germacrene D, borneol, and β-caryophyllene. The total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) contents of the methanol extract of M. longifolia were found to be significantly higher than dichloromethane and hexane extracts. The dichloromethane and methanol extracts exhibited excellent antioxidant activity as assessed by 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging ability, bleaching β-carotene, and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation assays. The essential oil and hexane extract showed comparatively weaker antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. The results of the study have validated the medicinal and antioxidant potential of M. longifolia essential oil and extracts.

It has been a strong consumer interest to choose high quality food products with clear information about their origin and composition. In the present study, a total of 22 Asian soy sauce samples have been analyzed in terms of 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Spectral data were analyzed by multivariate statistical methods in order to find out the important metabolites causing the discrimination among typical soy sauces from different Asian regions. It was found that significantly higher concentrations of glutamate in Chinese red cooking (CR) soy sauce may be the result of the manual addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the final soy sauce product. Whereas lower concentrations of amino acids, like leucine, isoleucine and valine, observed in CR indicate the different fermentation period used in production of CR soy sauce, on the other hand, the concentration of some fermentation cycle metabolites, such as acetate and sucrose, can be divided into two groups. The concentrations of these fermentation cycle metabolites were lower in CR and Singapore Kikkoman (SK), whereas much higher in Japanese shoyu (JS) and Taiwan (China) light (TL), which depict the influence of climatic conditions. Therefore, the results of our study directly indicate the influences of traditional ways of fermentation, climatic conditions and the selection of raw materials and can be helpful for consumers to choose their desired soy sauce products, as well as for researchers in further authentication studies about soy sauce.