Amygdalin Content Research Articles

Phytochemical profiling, antioxidant and HepG2 cancer cells' antiproliferation potential in the kernels of apricot cultivars.

Phytochemical composition, in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells were studied in the kernels of apricot cultivars grown in the northern areas of Pakistan.Relatively, the kernel of Habbi cultivar/AP-12 depicted significant potential to scavenge DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals as well as oxygen radical absorbance capacity along with highest contents of total flavonoids, phenolics, chlorogenic and syringic acids on dry weight basis. The average concentration of quercetin ranged 0.072–1.343 mg/100 g, and of EGCG from 0.713 to 6.521 mg/100 g with maximum concentration in Hulappa/AP-3 and Kho Chali-Khatta 3/AP-17, respectively. Amygdalin content was highest (1145 mg/100 g) in the kernel of Balaani/AP-14. Highest inhibition of HepG2 cells was found in the kernel of Waflu Chuli/AP-9 (EC50 = 15.70 ± 3.77 mg/mL). The PCA showed significant contributions of polyphenols and flavonoids towards biochemical assays, while CA revealed similarities and associations among various cultivars. Our study revealed that Habbi, Waflu Chuli, Thukdeena and Balaani kernels are rich sources of bioactive compounds and possess significant antioxidant and anticancer activity and can contribute considerably in the prevention and treatment of chronic health disorders.

Protective effect of amygdalin on epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in experimental chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mice.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory pulmonary disease characterized by continuous, progressive limitation of airflow. Airway remodelling, which is correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), is a typical pathophysiological change of COPD. Amygdalin, an active ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicine bitter almond with extensive pharmacological effects, was shown to inhibit tissue fibrosis in recent studies. In this study, a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) and mice were exposed to cigarette smoke, and EMT levels were investigated after treatment with different concentrations of amygdalin. Morphology was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Evaluation of the expression of TGF-β1, smad2/3, and p-smad2/3 in lung tissue was conducted out via ELISA, Western blot, and real-time PCR. The results showed that E-cadherin expression was significantly increased, whereas vimentin, TGF-β1, and phosphorylated smad2/3 (p-smad2/3) expression was markedly decreased in the amygdalin-treated groups compared with the model group. Therefore, our study demonstrated a protective role of amygdalin in the murine EMT process after COPD.

Determination of Amygdalin in Nectarine Nucleolus by Capillary Electrophoresis

This paper investigated the determination of amygdalin content in Nectarine Nucleolus by high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method. The borax solution of 20 mmol concentration containing 15% methanol was chosen as buffer solution. The experiment was performed at a constant voltage of 18kV and UV detection wavelength of 210 nm. The content of amygdalin in Nectarine Nucleolus was 108.01 mg/g (RSD = 5.9%) (n = 6). The average recovery was 95.7%. This method is suitable for the detection of the content of amygdalin in Nectarine Nucleolus.

Determination of Amygdalin in Apple Core by Capillary Electrophoresis

This paper investigated the determination of amygdalin content in Apple Core by high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method. The borax solution of 20 mmol concentration containing 15% methanol was chosen as buffer solution. The experiment was performed at a constant voltage of 18kV and UV detection wavelength of 210 nm. The content of amygdalin in Apple Core was 3.432 mg/g (RSD = 4.5%) (n = 6). The recovery was in the range of 88.1% - 115.7% (n = 5). This method is suitable for the detection of the content of amygdalin in Apple Core.

Determination of Amygdalin in Cherry Seed by Capillary Electrophoresis

This paper investigated the determination of amygdalin content in Cherry Seed by high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method. The borax solution of 20 mmol concentration containing 15% methanol was chosen as buffer solution. The experiment was performed at a constant voltage of 18kV and UV detection wavelength of 210 nm. Measured amygdalin content in Cherry Seed was 2.045 mg/g (RSD = 5.98%) (n = 6). The recovery of amygdalin in Cherry Seed sample was in the range of 97.7% - 120.5% (n = 6). The average recovery was 109.7%. This method is suitable for the detection of the content of amygdalin in Cherry Seed.

Proteinski izolat uljane pogače semena šljive - potencijalni izvor bioaktivnih peptida

In this study some functional properties and the in vitro digestibility of protein isolates from plum oil cakes, obtained by supercritical fluid extraction and cold pressing, as a control, were described and compared. Amygdalin contents in the protein isolates were at amounts considerably lower than regulatory. Solubility profiles of both protein isolates were typical for this type of plant proteins. Proteins showed good digestibility, which was assessed by gastrointestinal proteases (pepsin and pancreatin). SDS-PAGE analysis was used for characterisation of protein digests which showed that the protein isolates were completely digested. In vitro antioxidant capacity by three complementary methods and enzyme inhibitory effects towards Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) related to the onset of hypertension were determined. All obtained protein hydrolysates acted as DPPH and ABTS scavengers, as reducing agents and also as ACE enzyme inhibitor. Hence, the protein isolates obtained from plum kernel cake showed to be a potential source of natural products for food applications, with good digestibility and beneficial bioactive properties.

Change in amygdalin contents of maesil (Prunus mume) wine according to preparation steps and its characteristics

Change in amygdalin contents of maesil (Prunus mume) wine according to preparation steps and its characteristics

Discrimination of intact almonds according to their bitterness and prediction of amygdalin concentration by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Intact almond kernels (N = 360, half sweet and half bitter) were analyzed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) for the prediction of amygdalin concentration and to classify them according to their bitterness. Amygdalin concentrations for sweet and bitter almonds, determined by high performance liquid chromatography, were between 0.7–350 and 15,000-50,000 mg kg−1, respectively. Concentrations were successfully predicted by applying partial least squares (PLS) to the pre-treated spectral data with R2p of 0.951 and RMSEP of 0.398. Additionally, linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and PLS-DA models were constructed to classify samples according to their bitterness. All three models provided a satisfactory discrimination of almonds into sweet and bitter categories, providing overall accuracy values of 83.3%, 86.1% and 98.6%, respectively. The results indicate the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for the reliable, easy and fast prediction of amygdalin concentration, and for almond classification according to their bitterness.

Comparison of amygdalin and benzaldehyde levels in California almond (Prunus dulcis) varietals

Almonds (Prunus dulcis), are characterized into three flavor phenotypes: bitter, semi-bitter and sweet. Amygdalin is a cyanogenic diglucoside responsible for bitterness in almonds. Studies have shown that amygdalin can hydrolyze to release benzaldehyde, which is the key component of almond aroma. In this study, the amygdalin and benzaldehyde content of fourteen sweet cultivars of almonds from four growing regions in California were determined. Solid-phase extraction and ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-(ESI)MS/MS) were used to determine the amygdalin content in the raw almond kernels. Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine the benzaldehyde concentration in raw almond kernels. Saturated salt water was added to the sample to improve the extraction of benzaldehyde in the headspace. Results indicated that the mean concentration of both amygdalin and benzaldehyde are significantly different (p<0.0001) among the fourteen cultivar. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between the amygdalin and benzaldehyde concentrations among the 14 cultivars. Although 'Nonpareil' cultivars is considered the premier snacking almond, 'Aldrich' has significantly higher concentrations of benzaldehyde in the headspace, the key contributor of the almond aroma.

Wild almond (Amygdalus pedunculata Pall.) as potential nutritional resource for the future: studies on its chemical composition and nutritional value

Wild almond germplasm resources have still not received enough attention in the chemical composition and application of seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition and analyze the nutritional value of longstalk almond seeds (Amygdalus pedunculata Pall., a native species of China and Mongolia). In order to evaluate the nutritional value of samples, parameters including the protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and the oxidative stability were measured. Results indicated that the seeds were rich in crude fat (49.34 g/100 g) and crude protein (22.30 g/100 g). The average content of amygdalin was 3.55%. The amino acids in the seeds were abundant but incomplete. The content of unsaturated fatty acid in the seed oil reached 97.89%, which was mostly comprised of oleic acid and linoleic acid. Five different sugars, namely fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose, were detected in the seeds. With regard to mineral composition, the seeds contained ten mineral elements and high concentrations of Zn, Ca, and Se. The nuts were also an excellent source of vitamin E, vitamin B3, folate, phytosterols, and phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values (18.64 ± 0.2 µmol TE/g) indicated that the seeds were a good dietary source of antioxidants. In addition, these findings are important for the nutrition sciences, because fatty acids, lipid soluble vitamins, phytosterols, flavonoid, phenolic compounds and ORAC, in particular, seem to have considerable effect on health.

Potential of NIR spectroscopy to predict amygdalin content established by HPLC in intact almonds and classification based on almond bitterness

In this study, 360 intact almonds, half sweet and half bitter, were assessed by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict amygdalin content (established by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) and by applying partial least squares (PLS) to the spectral data. After optimising amygdalin extraction and chromatographic conditions, the amygdalin contents found by HPLC were not detected or below to 350 mg kg−1 for sweet almonds, and between 14,700 and 50,400 mg kg−1 for bitter almonds. The intact almond spectra resulted in good predictions of amygdalin content with R2p of 0.939 and RMSEP of 0.373. Almonds were correctly classified into sweet and bitter by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and PLS-DA, with sensitivity and specificity values higher than 0.94 for evaluation set samples. Based on these results, it can be concluded that NIR spectroscopy is a good non-destructive alternative to be used as an automatic in-line classification system by food industry.

Chemical compositions and antioxidant capacity of by-products generated during the apricot kernels processing

ABSTRACTThe compositions and antioxidant capacity were investigated about the by-products (blanching water concentrate (BWC) and debitterizing water concentrate DWC) produced during the industrial processing of apricot kernels, to evaluate the by-products’ potential utilization. The results indicate that the by-products contain a great number of compounds like amygdalin, protein, phenolics, and flavonoids. Among them, the amygdalin has the highest content both in BWC and DWC, which is 33.48 ± 0.04 and 23.89 ± 0.03 (g/100 g dry base weight), respectively. Furthermore, the by-products exert good antioxidant functions including the higher reducing power and radical-scavenging capacity on the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals, which is mainly attributed to the phenolic compounds, not the highest content of amygdalin by the principal component analysis and verification test of DPPH radical-scavenging capacity. In conclusion, the by-products definitely have great potential for utilization and should be recycled from the wastewater in the apricot kernels processing industry, especially for amygdalin.

Evaluation of the effect of amygdalin on survivin gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

The effects of amygdalin as an herbal substance on prevention of cancer cells proliferation it has been shown. Also, survivin gene is one of the important genes on inhibition of apoptosis and controlling of the cell cycle in cancer cell lines. For this purpose, the present study was undertaken for the first time to evaluate the effects of amygdalin on survivin gene expression in MCF-7 and HDF. The MCF-7 (Breast cancer cells) and normal HDF were treated by different doses of amygdalin (0.5 to 10 mg/ml). Then, the MTT assay was done on each cell groups on 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment. In each period time the cells were detached and used for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Finally, the survivin gene expression in each cell groups was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (q-RT-PCR) analysis. The MTT assay was showed that 5 mg/ml of amygdalin concentration at 48 hours after treatment it was suitable for evaluation of this compound on MCF-7 and HDF cell lines. The survey results of q-RT-PCR were showed in both amygdalin-treated MCF-7 (MCF-7+AMG) compare to the treated HDF (HDF-AMG as an control group) the expression level of survivin gene were decreased but this reduction only in MCF-7+AMG group was statistically significant (p &lt;0.05). Our findings indicated that amygdalin in particular; decrease the survivin mRNA in MCF-7 breast cancer cells compare to normal healthy cells and leads to apoptosis and the death of cancer cells. It is suggested that in future study it must be better the effects of amygdalin supplemented with surfactant investigate against other cancer cells and evaluate the more molecular markers to specify the anti-cancer activity potential of this herbal compound.

The influence of microwave cooking on the nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of the underutilized perah seed.

Perah seed is one of the most underutilized oilseeds, containing high nutritional values and high percentage of α-linoleneic acid, which may have a high potential in food and pharmaceutical applica- tions. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of microwave (MW) cooking on the proximate composition and antioxidant activity of perah seeds. In this study, the proximate composition and amygdalin concentration of MW ir- radiated perah seeds were determined. The total phenolic content (TPC), Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and antioxidant activity of methanol (PME), 70% methanol in water (PMW), ethanol (PEE), 70% ethanol in water (PEW) extracts and methanol extract of oil (PMO) were evaluated during MW cooking. The anti- oxidant activity was evaluated using multiple assays, namely DPPH radical scavenging activity, β-Carotene bleaching assay, and reducing power. Microwave cooking did not significantly increase crude lipid and carbohydrate content, and the amounts of other nutrients such as ash, crude protein and fibre remained almost unchanged. As evaluated by HPLC, the amygdalin concentration in the seeds was reduced by MW cooking. The TPC, MRP and anti- oxidant activity of the solvent extracts of perah seeds increased significantly with increasing roasting time. Of all the extracts, PMW at all MW cooking times displayed the highest antioxidant effectiveness. However, thermal treatment significantly reduced the antioxidant properties of PMO. The values for TPC, MRP and antioxidant effectiveness of the samples were ranked in the following order: PMW > PEW > PME > PEE > PMO, in both control and microwaved samples. In determining the overall quality of the products, MW cooking time was found to be a critical factor. Solubilization of phenolic compounds and formation of MRPs during MW cooking could have caused the increase in antioxidant activity of the perah seeds.

Amygdalin Contents in Peaches at Different Fruit Development Stages.

Amygdalin contents of the seeds, endocarps, and mesocarps from three peach cultivars (i.e., Stone Peach, Hikawa Hakuho, and Bakhyang) were measured at three stages of fruit development (stone-hardening, fruit enlargement, and ripening). The peach samples were dried and defatted with a Soxhlet apparatus, reflux extracted with methanol, and analyzed using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. During all fruit development stages, the amygdalin contents in the seeds were higher than those in the endocarps and mesocarps. The amygdalin contents of the Stone Peach were comparatively higher than the Hikawa Hakuho and Bakhyang (P<0.05). Further, the amygdalin contents during ripening were very low or not detected. Overall, the amygdalin contents of the three peach cultivar samples (seed, endocarp, and mesocarp) increased until the fruit enlargement stage and either remained constant or decreased during ripening.

Laetrile: The unknown fact in Cancer Care; Way to Nursing Practice

Laetrile is synthetic form of the natural substance called as amygdalin which found naturally in raw nuts and the pips of many fruits, particularly apricot pips/kernels. Laetrile is often touted as a cancer remedy. There are sayings that vitamin B17 foods can cure cancer or at the very least put it in remission when large doses are consumed every day, but this is merely anecdotal evidence, not specific scientific evidence but using laetrile for cancer treatments has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Further research studies are necessary to conform whether to consume vitamin B17 content food or not. Nurse must know about alternative therapy for the patients with cancer by using amygdalin content food.

Amygdalin delays cell cycle progression and blocks growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro

AimsDespite impressive survival benefits from new agents to treat metastasized prostate cancer (PCa), progressive drug resistance hinders long-term response and restricts the efficacy of subsequent therapy. Due to reported antitumor activity of amygdalin and growing popularity for complementary and alternative medicine the potential of this natural, widely used substance to exert antineoplastic effects on prostate cancer cells has been assessed. Main methodsLNCaP (castration-sensitive), DU-145 and PC3 cells (castration-resistant) were exposed to different concentrations of amygdalin for 24h or 2weeks. Cell growth was measured by the MTT test, clonal formation by the clonogenic assay. Flow cytometry served to investigate apoptosis and cell cycle phases. Cell cycle regulating proteins and the mTOR–akt signaling axis were analyzed by western blotting. Key findingsAmygdalin dose-dependently diminished tumor cell growth with maximum effects at 10mg/ml. Apoptosis of PC3 and LNCaP but not of DU-145 cells was reduced, whereas colony formation was suppressed in all cell lines. A decrease in the number of G2/M- and S-phase cells along with an elevated number of G0/G1-phase cells was recorded. The cell cycle proteins cdk 1, cdk 2 and cdk 4 as well as cyclin A, cyclin B and cyclin D3 were modulated by amygdalin after both 24h and 2weeks. Distinct effects on p19 and p27 expression and on Akt, Rictor and Raptor activation became evident only after 2weeks. SignificanceAmygdalin exhibits significant antitumor activity in both castration-sensitive and castration-resistant PCa cell lines and merits further evaluation for therapeutic purposes.

Apricot and other seed stones: amygdalin content and the potential to obtain antioxidant, angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor and hypocholesterolemic peptides.

Stones from olives and Prunus genus fruits are cheap and sustainable sources of proteins and could be potential sources of bioactive peptides. The main limitation to the use of these seeds is the presence of amygdalin. This work proposes to determine amygdalin in olive and Prunus seeds and in protein isolates obtained from them. Moreover, antioxidant, angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, and hypocholesterolemic properties will be evaluated in hydrolysates obtained from these seeds. Despite some seeds contained amygdalin, all protein isolates were free of this substance. Two different procedures to obtain bioactive peptides from protein isolates were examined: gastrointestinal digestion and processing with Alcalase, Flavourzyme or Thermolysin. Higher antioxidant, ACE inhibitor and hypocholesterolemic activities were observed when proteins were processed with Alcalase, Flavourzyme or Thermolysin. The highest antioxidant and ACE inhibitor capacities were observed for the Prunus genus seed hydrolysates while the highest capacity to reduce micellar cholesterol solubility was observed for the apricot and olive seed hydrolysates.

Problems and Pitfalls in the Analysis of Amygdalin and Its Epimer.

α-[(6-O-β-d-Glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-(αR)-benzeneacetonitrile, or R-amygdalin, is the most common cyanogenic glycoside found in seeds and kernels of the Rosaceae family and other plant genera such as Passiflora. Many commercially important seeds are analyzed for amygdalin content. In "alternative medicine", amygdalin has been sold as a treatment for cancer for several decades without any rigorous scientific support for its efficacy. We have found that there are some inconsistencies and possible problems in the published analytical chemistry of amygdalin. It is shown that some analytical approaches do not account for the presence of the S-isomer; therefore, a fast reliable method was developed using a chiral stationary phase and HPLC. This approach allows "real-time" monitoring and complete and highly efficient separations. It is found that the S-amygdalin continuously forms in aqueous solutions. A striking result is that the conversion of amygdalin is glassware dependent. "Clean" vials from various vendors can show drastically different reaction rates of the conversion to the isomer (S-amygdalin, also called neo-amygdalin). The epimerization kinetics are dependent on the solvent, temperature, pH, and the nature of the container. For example, epimerization in water was complete in <15 min in a new glass vial taken from the box, whereas it can take >1 h in specially cleaned glassware. Conversely, epimerization can be significantly delayed at high temperature if high-density polyethylene is used as the container. Hence, inert plastic containers are recommended for storage of aqueous amygdalin solutions. Commercial preparations of R-amygdalin actually contain greater quantities of S-amygdalin and ∼ 5% of other degradation products.

ATIVIDADE DE ß-GLUCOSIDASES EM EXTRATO ENZIMÁTICO OBTIDO DE AMÊNDOAS DE PÊSSEGO

RESUMO A presença dos glicosídeos cianogênicos amigdalina e prunassina, e de ß-glucosidases as quais hidrolisam estas moléculas, faz com que a amêndoa de pêssego apresente potencial toxidez pela possibilidade de liberação de cianeto de hidrogênio, impossibilitando a utilização da amêndoa e de subprodutos como alimentos. Até o presente, não há dados disponíveis na literatura sobre as condições de hidrólise das enzimas presentes neste material. Este trabalho visou a mensurar o conteúdo de amigdalina, e as condições ideais de pH, temperatura e concentração do substrato de extrato bruto de ß-glucosidases para a atuação enzimática, em amêndoas de pêssego. Os resultados demonstraram a presença do glicosídeo na amêndoa de pêssego em níveis semelhantes aos relatados para outras amêndoas. Quanto à atividade de ß-glucosidase, a enzima apresentou Km e Vmáx de 2,7 mmol.L-1 de amigdalina e 0,1407 mmol de glicose.min-1.mg-1 de proteína, respectivamente, valores que indicam menor afinidade pelo substrato amigdalina do que de enzimas purificadas que catalisam as mesmas reações. O pH ótimo da enzima foi o 7,0, porém entre 5,0; 6,0 e 8,0 ainda ocorre elevada atividade. A enzima demonstrou estabilidade nas temperaturas empregadas neste estudo, apresentando máxima atividade a 60ºC. Deste modo, o uso destas alterações não é suficiente para inativação enzimática e utilização segura das amêndoas de pêssego.