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The aim of this study was to compare the main antioxidant compounds content and the antioxidant activity of white grapefruit and his new hybrid (Jaffa Sweeties). Total phenols were measured colorimetrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, phenolic acids—by HPLC, anthocyanins and flavonoids—spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activity of these fruits was determined by total antioxidant activity (TAA) and nitric oxide (NO) methods. Trans-hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic) were more abundant in white grapefruit than in his hybrid. However, on a fresh weight basis, grapefruit''s hybrid has a higher total phenol content as well as a higher antioxidant capacity in comparison with white grapefruit. A linear relationship existed between TAA and anthocyanins (R2=0.8068), TAA and flavonoids (R2=0.9320) and TAA and total phenols (R2=0.9446). Our findings indicate the following: (1) Both studied fruits contain a high concentration of natural antioxidants that have not only a high antioxidant activity, but also a good antioxidant quality. (2) The total phenol content and the antioxidant potential are significantly higher in the grapefruit hybrids than in white grapefruits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Kombucha, originated in China 2000  years ago, is a sour and sweet-tasted drink, prepared traditionally through fermentation of black tea. During the fermentation of kombucha, consisting of mainly acidic compounds, microorganisms, and a tiny amount of alcohol, a biofilm called SCOBY forms. The bacteria in kombucha has been generally identified as Acetobacteraceae. Kombucha is a noteworthy source of B complex vitamins, polyphenols, and organic acids (mainly acetic acid). Nowadays, kombucha is tended to be prepared with some other plant species, which, therefore, lead to variations in its composition. Pre-clinical studies conducted on kombucha revealed that it has desired bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholestorelomic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, etc. Only a few clinical studies have been also reported. In the current review, we aimed to overhaul pre-clinical bioactivities reported on kombucha as well as its brief compositional chemistry. The literature data indicate that kombucha has valuable biological effects on human health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Navicula incerta is a marine microalga distributed in Baja California, México, commonly used in aquaculture nutrition, and has been extended to human food, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries due to its high biological activity. Therefore, the study aimed to optimize culture conditions to produce antioxidant pigments. A central composite experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to analyze the best culture conditions. The medium (nitrogen-deficient concentrations), salinity (PSU = Practical Salinity Unity [g/kg]), age of culture (days), and solvent extraction (ethanol, methanol, and acetone) were the factors used for the experiment. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) and total carotenoids (T-Car), determined spectroscopically, were used as the response variables. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH • and ABTS •+ radical inhibition, FRAP, and anti-hemolytic activity. According to the overlay plots, the optimum growth conditions for Chl a and T-Car production were the following conditions: medium = 0.44 mol·L -1 of NaNO 3 , salinity = 40 PSU, age of culture: 3.5 days, and solvent = methanol. The pigment extracts obtained in these optimized conditions had high antioxidant activity in ABTS •+ (86.2-92.1% of inhibition) and anti-hemolytic activity (81.8-96.7% of hemolysis inhibition). Low inhibition (33-35%) was observed in DPPH • . The highest value of FRAP (766.03 ± 16.62 μmol TE/g) was observed in the acetonic extract. The results demonstrated that RSM could obtain an extract with high antioxidant capacity with potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry, which encourages the use of natural resources for chemoprevention of chronic-degenerative pathologies., Competing Interests: The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Focusing on licorice, a highly used raw material in health foods, quantitative analysis of functional/medicinal components and a safety and functional evaluation was carried out for herbal medicines, health food ingredients, and so-called health foods. A functional component, glabridin, was detected in herbal medicines from Glycyrrhiza glabra and G. inflata , health food ingredients, and in commercially available health foods that contain licorice. Likewise, glycyrrhizin, a medicinal component, was detected in these sources, except in licorice oil extract. Estrogen activity in vitro was detected in some of the herbal medicines, health food ingredients, and in health foods containing licorice. In the in vivo study, liver weight in ovariectomized (OVX) mice treated with licorice oil extract was significantly higher than that in OVX and sham mice in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that excessive intake of licorice oil extract from health foods should be avoided, even though these ingredients might be beneficial for medical use in order to maintain bone health in postmenopausal women. Measurement of hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) activity, reproductive organ weight, and fat and bone mass in OVX mice was considered useful for evaluating the safety and efficacy of estrogenic health food ingredients derived from herbal medicines., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.