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Demand for almond is in rise, due to its desired flavor and beneficial health-related properties. Roasting is the most common practice in almond processing, improving aroma and texture, as well as nutritional properties. "Shefa," a new Israeli almond variety, was recently introduced; however, no information is available regarding its phytochemical composition and response to roasting. The aim of the current work was to characterize its health-related composition, in addition to describe its response to moderate roasting conditions, including temperature and duration. For this, "Shefa" almonds were roasted at 100°C, 125°C, 150°C, and 175°C for 15 and 25 min. and compared to raw unroasted kernels. Health and nutritional quality parameters included antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS; spectrophotometric), total polyphenol, tocopherol and phytosterol content (spectrophotometric), and fatty acid profiling (GC-MS). Our results demonstrate that "Shefa" variety phytochemical composition resembles that of other Mediterranean almond varieties, e.g. Italian and Turkish are high in tocopherols and phytosterols, with average polyphenol content. Its antioxidant activity was 19.11, 25.56, and 22.18 mg TE/100 g DW for DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS, respectively. In addition, under the roasting conditions evaluated in the current work, "Shefa" almonds presented an improved health-related composition, with levels of antioxidant capacity, polyphenols, tocopherols, and phytosterols increasing with temperature and duration. "Shefa" response to roasting resembled that of other almond varieties evaluated under comparable roasting conditions. To conclude, the newly introduced Israeli almond "Shefa" has a healthy and nutritionally beneficial phytochemical composition, which improves with moderate roasting. Further investigation is needed to profile its polyphenol and tocopherol composition, to provide additional valuable insights into its phytochemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jojoba wax is gaining popularity among cosmetics consumers for its skin wound healing and rejuvenation bioactivities, attributed to collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis. However, information regarding wax phytochemical composition and quality parameters, as well as effect of cultivation practices, and fertilization in particular, on wax quality is limited. The aim of the current work was to study the effect of nitrogen (N) availability to jojoba plants on wax phytochemical composition and beneficial skin-related contents. For this, wax quality from a six-year fertilization experiment with five N application levels was evaluated. The chemical parameters included antioxidant activity, free fatty acid, total tocopherol, total phytosterol and oxidative stability, as well as fatty acid and fatty alcohol profile. Our results reveal that themajority of wax quality traits were affected by N fertilization level, either positively or negatively. Interestingly, while fatty acids were unaffected, fatty alcohol composition was significantly altered by N level. Additionally, fruit load also largely affected wax quality, and, due to jojoba's biennial alternate bearing cycles, harvest year significantly affected all measured parameters. Results shed light on the effects of N application on various biochemical constituents of jojoba wax, and imply that N availability should be considered part of the entire agricultural management plan to enhance wax quality. Some traits are also suggested as possible chemical quality parameters for jojoba wax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress increase susceptibility to neurodegeneration and other age-related pathologies. We have previously demonstrated that an infusion prepared from Pulicaria incisa (Pi) has protective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative effects in glial cells. However, the neuroprotective activities of Pi infusion in cultured neurons and aging mice have never been studied. In the following study, the effects of Pi infusion were explored in a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress model in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Profiling of the infusion by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and aucubin as some of its main constituents. H2O2-induced ROS accumulation and caspase 3 activity decreased SH-SY5Y viability and were prevented upon the pretreatment of cells with Pi infusion. Additionally, the Pi infusion upregulated cellular levels and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) as well as the phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Aging mice treated daily for 18 months with Pi infusion exhibited reduced neuronal cell death in the hippocampus as compared to age-matched controls. We, therefore, propose Pi infusion as a candidate regulator of oxidative stress in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]