Amount Of Bioactive Compounds Research Articles

Harvest Age Effect on Phytochemical Content of White and Black Glutinous Rice Cultivars.

Many studies have been conducted on the bioactive compounds of rice seeds, however, there is limited information on the bioactive compounds of rice sprouts. This study focused on the age effect on the phytochemical content of white and black glutinous rice sprouts harvested between 5 and 25 days old. We assessed yield, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, total chlorophyll content, and proximate analysis. HPLC results identified protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and rutin in the sprouts of both cultivars, ranging between 0.56–1.58, 0.65–7.69, and 0.47–1.68 mg/g extract, respectively. The amount of bioactive compounds and proximate compositions in black glutinous rice were generally higher than white glutinous rice in an age-dependent manner (p < 0.05). At 5–7 days, black glutinous rice contained the highest total anthocyanin content, while white glutinous rice contained the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoid content (p < 0.05). High total chlorophyll content was initially detected in white glutinous rice at a younger age than black glutinous rice (p < 0.05), while total chlorophyll content in both cultivars was not significantly different. Our study confirms the presence of phytoconstituents in the rice sprouts of white and black glutinous rice and their potential as functional foods and for being further development as natural health products.

Discrimination of Myrtle Ecotypes from Different Geographic Areas According to Their Morphological Characteristics and Anthocyanins Composition

Myrtus communis L. is an evergreen shrub that produces berries with a high content in antioxidant compounds. Since these compounds have demonstrated a positive effect on human health, the interest on berries and their usages has increased. However, environmental conditions may affect the productivity of these species and consequently the quality of wild myrtle. Ecotypes from diverse geographical origins may result in significant variations in terms of bioactive compounds content as well as in chemical traits. For this reason, in this work ecotypes from two different localizations have been studied to determine if their differences in morphological and anthocyanins traits can be attributed to their origin and the environmental characteristics of these locations. For this, chemometric analyses such as Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, were employed. The results showed differences between the ecotypes depending on their location. In particular, myrtle berries from maritime zones present greater fruit size and amount of bioactive compounds, which means an improvement in the quality of the final product based on this raw material. It can be concluded that both morphological and anthocyanins traits are related to the location of the ecotype and allow selecting the best ecotype for the required applications.

Effect of the spray and freeze dryers on the bioactive compounds of olive leaf aqueous extract by chemometrics of HCA and PCA

Olive leaf extract contains significant amounts of valuable compounds such as Oleuropein and phenolic compounds. The study aimed to introduce a proper method for drying olive leaf extract to increase its value in terms of valuable compounds with antioxidant properties and the correlation among all parameters. Extraction of olive leaf (Mary cultivar, Fars province) was performed using water and ultrasound device and the extract was condensing with two freeze-drying and spray drying methods, and some features were measured as follows: total tannin content, antioxidant activity and inhibitory strength of 50% using the DPPH method, total phenol content using Folin Ciocalteu colorimetric method, total flavonoid by aluminum chloride colorimetric method, and polyphenol compounds using HPLC in olive leaf extract samples. The results showed that the dried extract with freeze-drying had the highest total phenolic content 446.63 ± 7.6 (mg gallic acid per gram dry matter) and the highest antioxidant activity of 96.57 ± 0.19%, inhibitory effect of 0.44 ± 0.32 μg/ml, tannin content of 128.71 ± 0.26 mg of gallic acid per g of dry matter and total flavonoid 396.43 ± 0.25 mg of quercetin per gram of dry matter were seen in the dried extract with spray drying. Evaluation of the type and amount of bioactive compounds in three types of extracts (solution and condensate extracts) by principal components analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) showed that the use of spray drying has been effective in maintaining the amount of unstable polyphenolic and bioactive compounds.

Evaluation of Polyphenolic Compounds and Pharmacological Activities in Hairy Root Cultures of Ligularia fischeri Turcz. f. spiciformis (Nakai).

A considerable amount of bioactive compounds have been used for the biopharmaceutical engineering to help human health and nutrition. Hairy root culture (HRC) or transgenic root is a favourable alternative technique for phytochemical production. Ligularia fischeri is a significant source of pharmaceutically important active compounds with an enormous range of health care applications. HRC of L. fischeri was developed using Agrobacterium rhizogenes for the production of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical activities. Hairy roots (HRs) were selected by morphological assessment, genetic and molecular analyses. The maximum accumulation of fresh mass (94.15 g/L) and dry mass (9.45 g/L) was recorded in MS liquid medium supplemented with 30 g/L sucrose at 28 days. Furthermore, HRs successfully produced numerous polyphenolic compounds, including six hydroxycinnamic acids, seven flavonols, seven hydroxybenzoic acids, vanillin, resveratrol, pyrogallol, homogentisic, and veratric acids, which were identified by UHPLC analysis. HRs produced higher total phenolic (185.65 mg/g), and flavonoid (5.25 mg/g) contents than non-transformed roots (125.55 mg/g and 3.75 mg/g). As a result of these metabolic changes, pharmaceutical activities were found higher in HRs than non-transformed roots (NTRs). The present study indicates that HRC has the potential to increase the content of beneficial polyphenolic compounds with higher potential pharmaceutical activities. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report on enhancing the production of polyphenolic compounds with pharmaceutical activities from the HRCs of L. fischeri.

Electrophoretic mobility of nano-emulsified cinnamon oil in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) system

A novel application of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was evaluated to differentiate the quality of two commercial cinnamon bark oil samples extracted by steam distillation and cold pressed. Prior to the electrophoresis, cinnamon oils were emulsified with non-ionic surfactant, tween 80 at 2% v/v of critical aggregation concentration. The droplets prepared were within 30 to 70 nm size and zeta potential values of -4 to -12 mV consisted of certain amount of bioactive compounds that responded to specific molecular mass and electrophoretic mobility so that separation using SDSPAGE can be performed. The resolution bands at 21% gel with 48% acrylamide concentration and 3.33% of cross-linker demonstrated that high quality (steam distilled) cinnamon oil migrated slower through gel due to its large molecular weight components when compared to the low quality (cold pressed) cinnamon oil. The difference in the relative mobility, 0.68 and 0.75 of emulsified steam distilled and cold pressed cinnamon bark oils, respectively, was attributed by their entrapped components impinging upon their electrophoretic mobility.

Nutrient and Bioactive Composition of Five Gabonese Forest Fruits and Their Potential Contribution to Dietary Reference Intakes of Children Aged 1–3 Years and Women Aged 19–60 Years

Widely consumed forest fruits in Gabon were analysed for nutrient and bioactive compositions and their potential contributions to meeting the nutrient requirements of consumers. Edible pulps of Panda oleosa Pierre, Gambeya lacourtiana (De Wild.) Aubrév. &amp; Pellegr. and Poga oleosa Pierre contained substantial amounts of bioactive compounds; flavonoids (13.5–22.8 mg/100 g), proanthocyanins (2.4–7.6 mg/100 g), polyphenols (49.6–77.3 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (6.7–97.7 mg/100 g). The highest content of β-carotene (76.6 µg/100 g) was registered in fruits of Pseudospondias longifolia Engl. The fruits of P. oleosa had the highest essential minerals Fe, Zn and Se. If a child aged 1 to 3 years consumed about 200 g or if a non-lactating and non-pregnant woman consumed 300 g of Panda oleosa, Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr., G. lacourtiana, P. longifolia and Poga oleosa, they could obtain substantial DRI ranging between 20–100% for energy, vitamins C and E, iron, magnesium, iron and zinc. Forest fruits can considerably contribute towards the human nutrient requirements. Based on the results of this study, forest foods should be considered in formulating policies governing food and nutrition security in Gabon.

New insights in the control of antioxidants accumulation in tomato by transcriptomic analyses of genotypes exhibiting contrasting levels of fruit metabolites

BackgroundTomato is an economically important crop with fruits that are a significant source of bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid and phenolics. Nowadays, the majority of the enzymes of the biosynthetic pathways and of the structural genes controlling the production and the accumulation of antioxidants in plants are known; however, the mechanisms that regulate the expression of these genes are yet to be investigated. Here, we analyzed the transcriptomic changes occurring during ripening in the fruits of two tomato cultivars (E1 and E115), characterized by a different accumulation of antioxidants, in order to identify candidate genes potentially involved in the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid and phenylpropanoids.ResultsRNA sequencing analyses allowed identifying several structural and regulator genes putatively involved in ascorbate and phenylpropanoids biosynthesis in tomato fruits. Furthermore, transcription factors that may control antioxidants biosynthesis were identified through a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Results obtained by RNA-seq and WGCNA analyses were further confirmed by RT-qPCR carried out at different ripening stages on ten cultivated tomato genotypes that accumulate different amount of bioactive compounds in the fruit. These analyses allowed us to identify one pectin methylesterase, which may affect the release of pectin-derived D-Galacturonic acid as metabolic precursor of ascorbate biosynthesis. Results reported in the present work allowed also identifying one L-ascorbate oxidase, which may favor the accumulation of reduced ascorbate in tomato fruits. Finally, the pivotal role of the enzymes chalcone synthases (CHS) in controlling the accumulation of phenolic compounds in cultivated tomato genotypes and the transcriptional control of the CHS genes exerted by Myb12 were confirmed.ConclusionsBy using transcriptomic analyses, candidate genes encoding transcription factors and structural genes were identified that may be involved in the accumulation of ascorbic acid and phenylpropanoids in tomato fruits of cultivated genotypes. These analyses provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling antioxidants accumulation in ripening tomato fruits. The structural genes and regulators here identified could also be used as efficient genetic markers for selecting high antioxidants tomato cultivars.

Effects of Maturity at Harvest and Fermentation Conditions on Bioactive Compounds of Cocoa Beans.

Cocoa beans and cocoa products contain considerable amounts of bioactive compounds. Harvesting cocoa fruit too early or too late may have effects on the phenolic and alkaloid concentrations of the cocoa powder. Fermentation, a primary processing used to transform cocoa beans to cocoa powder, may also influence the contents of bioactive compounds. In this study, proanthocyanidins, the major compounds in cocoa polyphenols, caffeine and theobromine of cocoa beans, were evaluated at different maturities at harvest, and with different fermentation durations, with and without the addition of a commercial enzyme, Pectinex® Ultra SP-L. The amounts of proanthocyanidins, caffeine and theobromine, and the antioxidant capacities of the unfermented cocoa beans increased as the fruits matured. The values ranged from 16.12-27.28g catechin equivalents (CE)/100g dry weight (DW); 99.66-173.61mg/100g DW; 556.39-948.84mg/100g DW; 23.23-26.32mol Trolox equivalents (TE)/100g DW, respectively. Prolonged fermentation with or without the addition of pectinase, from three to seven days, significantly reduced the amounts of these compounds present. Fermentation using the enzyme significantly reduced the proanthocyanidin content and antioxidant capacity of the cocoa powder, with the overall means decreasing from 8.93-4.93gCE/100g DW and from 15.81-12.95gmol TE/100g DW, respectively. Two-way ANOVA analyses showed that the proanthocyanidins, caffeine, theobromine contents and the antioxidant capacity of cocoa beans were strongly dependet to their stages of maturity, fermentation methods and fermentation duration.

Leaf and root evaluation of bioactive compounds of different beetroot varieties

The importance of beetroot lies in the numerous health benefits, attributed to its wide-ranging array of minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds which play a key role in the human diet. Generally, beetroot is consumed for its root, however, its leaves also contain a good amount of bioactive compounds. The experiment was carried out with four beetroot varieties in order to compare the amount of bioactive compounds in the root and the leaf. The analyzed data were total dry matter content, total polyphenol, flavonoid and vitamin C.&#x0D; Results have shown that roots contain the highest amount of bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, leaves can be also considered a significant source. Therefore, consumption of the young leaves is highly recommended due to their availability after thinning or at maturity stage (60 days after the germination). Of the examined varieties, ‘Libero’ demonstrated the highest total polyphenol, flavonoid and vitamin C values, although it was found to be statistically insignificant.

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance thin-layer chromatography quantifications of some physiologically active secondary metabolites in Averrhoa carambola L. fruits

The extraction of crude drugs by using different solvents provides polarity-based fractions containing specific types of secondary metabolites. Averrhoa carambola L. fruits were extracted and fractionated, and petroleum ether extract was processed by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) technique for characterization by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The remaining part was extracted with methanol for high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis, for simultaneous quantitative determination of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and quercetin in methanolic fractions. Petroleum ether and methanol fractions were found to be the best for the highest possible recovery of target analytes. The chromatographic elutions of FAME compounds generated from ether extract were evaluated by GC–MS profiling. Ten fatty acid compounds were separated with the highest quantity of oleic acid methyl ester (42.88%). On other hand, polar fraction was processed by HPTLC profiling. For achieving good separation, a mobile phase of toluene–ethyl acetate–formic acid (5:4:1, v/v) was used. The densitometric determination was carried out at 310 nm in reflection–absorption mode. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 100–600 ng per spot for gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and quercetin. During the analysis, the dried raw material from A. carambola L. fruits showed the presence of gallic acid (0.96%), protocatechuic acid (0.05%), and quercetin (0.40%). The proposed method is simple, precise, specific, and accurate. The statistical analysis of the data obtained proves that the method is reproducible and selective and can be used for the routine analysis of the reported phenolic compounds in crude drug and extracts. The results indicated that the methanolic extracts of the plant contained a considerable amount of bioactive compounds. The presence of phytochemicals especially phenolics and flavonoids explains its use in various diseases. It may be concluded that the results obtained from the quantitative evaluation of quercetin by HPTLC fingerprinting could be useful in its authentication, the quality control of the drug, and in ensuring therapeutic efficacy.

Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and in Vivo Anti-inflammatory Activity of Traditionally Used Romanian Ajuga laxmannii (Murray) Benth. ("Nobleman's Beard" - Barba Împăratului).

In the Romanian folk medicine, aerial parts of Ajuga laxmannii (“nobleman’s beard,” Romanian – “barba boierului” or “avrămească” or “creştinească”) are traditionally used as galactagogue and anti-inflammatory agents. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition (polyphenols, iridoids, and phytosterols), antioxidant, antimicrobial and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of different extracts of A. laxmannii aerial parts. The major identified bioactive compounds were rutin, 8-O-acetylharpagide and β-sitosterol. The antioxidant activity of A. laxmannii extracts was evaluated using several methods, and the results showed good antiradical effects. Moreover, the antimicrobial evaluation showed a potent antifungal activity against C. albicans and P. funiculosum. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect was determined by monitoring some parameters involved in the inflammatory process. The results obtained showed differences between the analyzed extracts; and therefore the importance of choosing the best solvent in order to extract the appropriate amount of bioactive compounds. A. laxmannii ethanol extract showed an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing total leukocytes, PMN, phagocytosis, and oxidative stress. Compared to diclofenac, only the 50 mg/mL A. laxmannii extract had better anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects, and this could justify the importance of a correlation between the activity and the used concentration. These findings strongly suggest that A. laxmannii could be considered as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which could be further valued as anti-inflammatory agents in the composition of several herbal drugs.

Nuclear magnetic resonance and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques for the characterization of bioactive compounds from Humulus lupulus L. (hop).

Humulus lupulus L. (hop) represents one of the most cultivated crops, it being a key ingredient in the brewing process. Many health-related properties have been described for hop extracts, making this plant gain more interest in the field of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical research. Among the analytical tools available for the phytochemical characterization of plant extracts, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) represents a new and powerful technique. In this ambit, the present study was aimed at the development of a new, simple, and efficient qNMR method for the metabolite fingerprinting of bioactive compounds in hop cones, taking advantage of the novel ERETIC 2 tool. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply this method to complex matrices of natural origin, such as hop extracts. The qNMR method set up in this study was applied to the quantification of both prenylflavonoids and bitter acids in eight hop cultivars. The performance of this analytical method was compared with that of HPLC-UV/DAD, which represents the most frequently used technique in the field of natural product analysis. The quantitative data obtained for hop samples by means of the two aforementioned techniques highlighted that the amount of bioactive compounds was slightly higher when qNMR was applied, although the order of magnitude of the values was the same. The accuracy of qNMR was comparable to that of the chromatographic method, thus proving to be a reliable tool for the analysis of these secondary metabolites in hop extracts. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract related to the extraction and analytical methods applied in this work for the analysis of bioactive compounds in Humulus lupulus L. (hop) cones.

The Influence of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) on Sex Reversal in Guppy Poecilia reticulata

The roots and rhizomes of licorice (Glycyrrhiza) species have long been used worldwide as a herbal medicine and natural sweetener. Licorice is commonly present in menopausal botanical supplements in the United States. The estrogenic activities of different licorice species are variable and likely depend on the type and amounts of bioactive compounds. This study examined the effects of Licorice root extract on sex reversal in guppy, Poecilia reticulata . Newly born guppy fry (0.014 ± 0.001 mean weight), were randomly distributed into 30 L aquaria at a density of 80 fish per aquarium and subjected to a sex-reversal treatment by immersion application of licorise root extract for 30 days . The licorise root extract was incorporated into the aquarium water as follows: 0 (control), 0.25 and 0.5 g/ L licorice root extract. Each of the treatment group was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of fish. The treatment was repeated twice (in the beginning and half way through the experiment) during 30 days. At the end of experiment, the highest feminization (88%) was observed at 0.5 g\L licorise root extract group. Morphological and histological examinations of the gonads in all groups revealed no intersex fish. Histological examination of fish treated with licorise root revealed no damage to the testes or ovaries. This study demonstrated successful sex reversal with treatment of licorise root on new-born progenies of P. reticulate.

Studies of Nutritional and Phytochemical Profiles of Fermented Sourdough

&lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus&lt;/em&gt; sp. isolated from sourdough (collected from local bakery) in whole wheat flour, refined flour and in cow milk curd were analyzed based on the nutritional and phytochemical profiles of sourdough. In antibiotic disk diffusion assay, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus&lt;/em&gt; sp. shows negligible resistance towards streptomycin discs while no resistance was reported in case of chloramphenicol discs. The biochemical parameters show increase in carbohydrate, protein, riboflavin and folic acid contents in sourdough fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Curd made with only lactic acid bacteria isolate shows higher riboflavin content compared to other fermented food samples. Phytochemical profile shows that, the amount of bioactive compounds decreases with fermentation and present in higher amount in newly fermented sourdough with flavonoid and phenolic contents.

A novel co-culture system of adventitious roots of Echinacea species in bioreactors for high production of bioactive compounds

To efficiently produce bioactive compounds of Echinacea via adventitious root (AR) culture, we established an AR co-culture system of Echinacea species. ARs of different combination of Echinacea species [E. pallida (Epa), E. purpurea (Epu), and E. angustifolia (Ean)] were inoculated into 5 L balloon-type airlift bioreactors to select a suitable combination group. The biomass of ARs increased in the Epa+Epu group but decreased in co-culture groups of Epa+Ean and Epa+Epu+Ean. In the Epa+Epu group, the content and productivity of total phenolics, flavonoids, and caffeic acid derivatives increased, a monomer of caffeic acid derivatives (caffeic acid) that is absent in single-species cultures (Epa or Epu) were synthesized; moreover, Epa+Epu also showed the highest antioxidant activity. The inoculum proportions in Epa+Epu significantly influenced the co-culture effect; among the proportion groups (Epa:Epu = 1:6, 2:5, 3:4, 1:1, 4:4, 5:2, and 6:1), the Epa:Epu proportion of 4:3 was the most favorable for AR biomass and bioactive compound accumulation, and the antioxidant activity also peaked at 4:3 proportion. In addition, the co-culture system is suitable for large bioreactors (10 and 20 L), wherein the AR biomass increased without a decrease in the amount of bioactive compounds. A co-culture system was thus successfully established in this study, and AR cultures are expected to be used as an alternative raw material for the production of Echinacea-derived products.

Chemical, Nutritional, Rheological, and Organoleptical Characterizations of Stirred Pumpkin-Yoghurt

Pumpkin contains considerable amounts of bioactive compounds which hardly valorized in dairy products. This study aims to investigate the chemical, nutritional, rheological, and organoleptical properties of prepared stirred pumpkin-yoghurt. Stirred yoghurt with three different pumpkin varieties pulp [American (AP), Domestic (DP), and Indian (IP) pumpkin] at 15% was prepared and stored at 5°C ± 1°C up to 14 d. The chemical properties of yoghurts include protein, fat, crude fiber, and available carbohydrates were significantly affected by adding pumpkin without remarkable change in caloric value. Addition of pumpkin pulps decreased the pH and increased the acidity of stirred pumpkin-yoghurt significantly (P < 0.05). WHC of pumpkin-yoghurts was found to be statistically improved compared to control yoghurt (CY). L*, a*, b* means were differed significantly by adding pumpkin to yoghurt. Apparent viscosity was increased after manufacturing up to 14 d. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were counted from 8.59 to 8.73 CFU mL-1 in all stirred yoghurts after 1 d. After that, it was increased without notable effect of adding pumpkin pulps, and with slight simulation in LAB, growth was noticed in DP and IP yoghurts. Total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoid (TF), total flavonols (TFL), carotenoids contents, and antioxidant capacity of pumpkin-yoghurts were significantly increased. Fortifying yoghurt with pumpkin pulp was associated with a statistically significant effect on sensory parameters such as flavor, color, and overall acceptability. Scores of AP yoghurt showed the highest score which significantly differed from CY. It is obviously showed that panelists were favored the prepared stirred pumpkin-yoghurt. Thus, it is recommended that adding pumpkin pulps increases yoghurt health benefits and could be scaled up further.

Inhibitory Effect of Chemical Constituents Isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi on Polyol Pathway and Simultaneous Quantification of Major Bioactive Compounds.

Blocking the polyol pathway plays an important role preventing diabetic complications. Therefore, aldose reductase (AR) and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) formation has significant effect on diabetic complications. Artemisia iwayomogi has long been used as treatment of various diseases in Korea. However, no literatures have reported on AR and AGEs formation inhibitory activities of A. iwayomogi. For these reasons, we aimed to assess that A. iwayomogi had potential as anti-diabetic complications agents. We led to isolation of two coumarins (1 and 2), nine flavonoids (3–11), five caffeoylquinic acids (12–16), three diterpene glycosides (17–19), and one phenolic compound (20) from A. iwayomogi. Among them, hispidulin (4), 6-methoxytricin (6), arteanoflavone (7), quercetin-3-gentiobioside (10), 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (13), and suavioside A (18) were first reported on the isolation from A. iwayomogi. Not only two coumarins (1 and 2), nine flavonoids (3–11), and five caffeoylquinic acids (12–16) but also extracts showed significant inhibitor on AR and AGEs formation activities. We analyzed contents of major bioactive compounds in Korea's various regions of A. iwayomogi. Overall, we selected Yangyang, Gangwon-do, from June, which contained the highest amounts of bioactive compounds, as suitable areas for cultivating A. iwayomogi as preventive or therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetic complications.

Phenolic content, antioxidant potential and DNA damage protection of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) cultivars of North Indian region

Total phenolic contents, condensed tannin content, antioxidant activity and DNA damage protection of twelve pearl millet cultivars from North Indian region were assayed. All pearl millet cultivars showed considerable amount of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential. PUSA-415 showed the presence of maximum amount of extractable total phenolic content (7.32 mg GAE/g DWB), whereas HHB-223 cultivar depicted the highest amount of condensed tannin contents (138.45 mg CE/100 g DWB). Antioxidant activity was measured using different methods viz., DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, TAC and HFRSA. A clear correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different pearl millet cultivars. The extracts of all cultivars prevented the oxidative damage to plasmid DNA (pBR322) against DNA damaging Fenton’s reagent. However, cultivars PC-383, PUSA-415, PUSA-605, PC-612 and 841-B showed prominent DNA damage protection activity. The results of this study provide a scientific basis of the traditional use of pearl millet as a natural antioxidant mitigating DNA damage.

Kinetics and thermodynamics of the solid-liquid extraction process of total polyphenols, antioxidants and extraction yield from Asteraceae plants

Antioxidants derived from plants are widely used in dietary supplements and have been investigated for the prevention of diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease and altitude sickness. In order to obtain the highest possible amount of bioactive compounds from plant material, effective extraction procedures are required. One of the most widely used extraction techniques which requires no toxic chemicals is solid-liquid extraction. Mathematical modelling of solid–liquid extraction processes is an important engineering tool in the design process in order to reduce energy, time and chemical reagents consumption. In agreement with that, the aim of this paper was determination of the best suited kinetic model for description of the solid-liquid extraction of bioactive compounds from Asteraceae family plants. In this study, four most common representatives of Asteraceae family were chosen as subjects: camomile (Matricaria recutita L.), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web.), marigold (Calendula officinalis) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). Initial extraction rate, extraction capacity, activation energy, Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy were determined for all of the four analysed plants. The highest extraction efficiency of total polyphenols content, antioxidants and extraction yield were achieved at the highest extraction temperature of T=80°C for all four plants used in this study. Obtained results for activation enthalpies indicated that the extraction processes were endothermic and Gibbs free energy of activation indicated that they were endergonic and not spontaneous.

Effect of Preparation and Storage Conditions on Physical and Chemical Properties of Puree, Puree Juices and Cloudy Juices Obtained from Pumpkin with Added Japanese Quince and Strawberries

When evaluated in terms of taste, smell or active ingredients, pumpkin in itself is not very attractive as a raw material. Hence it seems recommendable to blend pumpkin with other fruits. The pumpkin chosen for the experiments was of the variety ‘Karowita’. The aim of the study was to compare the physical and chemical properties of pumpkin samples based on different storage conditions. Pumpkin puree, puree juice and cloudy juices containing Japanese quince and strawberries were evaluated for their physical and chemical properties initially and after three months storage at temperatures of 4 °C and 30 °C. Cloudy juices were prepared with pectolytic preparation. The extract dry matter in all the samples was at a similar level. Puree and puree juice had considerably higher viscosity than cloudy juices. The highest quantities of bioactive compounds were detected in slightly processed samples (puree, puree juice and cloudy juices) stored at 4 °C . Increased content of polyphenols was observed in puree and puree juice after storage. However, in the remaining samples, there was observed a decrease in the content of the compounds. A considerable decrease in carotenoids took place in samples subjected to pressing, where the amount of assayed carotenoids in puree was 5.24 mg/100 g fresh matter (FM), 4.15 mg/100 g FM in puree juice, and 0.18-0.47 mg/100 g FM in cloudy juices. The pressing also caused a significant decrease in colour parameters. Three months of storage showed markedly decreased contents of carotenoids and vitamin C.