Phenolic Antioxidant Research Articles

Functional Properties and Potential Applications of Wheat Bran Extracts in Food and Cosmetics: A Review of Antioxidant, Enzyme-Inhibitory, and Anti-Aging Benefits

This review examines existing studies on wheat bran extracts (WBEs) to provide an overview of their functional properties, including antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory activities, highlighting their potential as natural alternatives for applications in both the food and cosmetic industries. Despite variations in extraction techniques, WBEs consistently demonstrated a significant presence of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. In the food industry, WBEs are valued for their nutritional richness, including dietary fiber, proteins, and bioactive compounds such as arabinoxylans. These compounds improve food texture, stability, and baking properties. Additionally, WBEs have demonstrated antimicrobial potential, enhanced product quality, and serve as natural preservatives. Furthermore, WBEs exhibit significant inhibitory effects against collagenase and elastase, suggesting promising anti-aging potential. In the cosmetics sector, WBEs have gained attention due to their emulsion stability, skin-whitening properties, antimicrobial effects, and antioxidant capacities. They have the potential to enhance the stability of cosmetic emulsions, improve skin hydration, and inhibit enzymes linked to skin aging, positioning WBEs as potentially natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients in skincare and anti-aging products. Our recent pilot study also supports that WBEs enhance antioxidant defenses against oxidative stress in rats, highlighting their potential role in anti-aging interventions. To further elucidate the efficacy and bioavailability of the beneficial bioactive compounds in WBEs for both food and cosmetic applications, more comprehensive in vivo studies are required in the future.

Unveiling the nutraceutical potential of indigenous and exotic eggplant for bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity as well as its suitability to the nutraceutical industry

Eggplant is a nutritionally rich crop that has beneficial effects on human health. Wide diversity exists in eggplant in terms of biochemical content; however, extensive research work has not been undertaken to gain more in-depth knowledge on its antioxidant capacity to improve the quality of the existing popular cultivated varieties and develop/identify nutrient-rich germplasms. Therefore, a total of 57 genotypes were chosen for the study, and they were evaluated for various biochemical compounds. The biochemical traits taken were an average of three replications and these values were used for statistical analysis. The analysis of variance for five fruit quality parameters indicated a high variability among the eggplant genotypes, which signifies that at least one of the genotypes is statistically different from the rest. The total phenolics ranged from 39.63 to 312.65 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g with the highest being observed in Pusa Krishna. The flavonoid content ranged from 7.83 to 65.09 mg/100 g FW. The antioxidant assays, viz., cupric reducing antioxidant activity (CUPRAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), were evaluated which ranged from 51.48 to 200.36 mg GAE/100 g for CUPRAC and 35.36 to 214.01 mg GAE/100 g for FRAP. Principal component analysis (PCA) generated a total of five principal components, and the maximum variance of 90.72% was exhibited by the first three PCs. The agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) revealed similar results to the PCA by identifying three major clusters. Cluster 1 had a maximum number of genotypes grouped together, i.e., 48, followed by cluster 2 with six genotypes, viz., Pusa Krishna (G-32), G-5, Mayurbhanj Local, HABI-2, Solanum gilo, and Solanum sisymbrifolium, and cluster 3 had only three genotypes, namely, Solanum insanum, Solanum khasianum, and Solanum xanthocarpum. Furthermore, the wild species S. insanum, S. khasianum, and S. xanthocarpum can also be utilized as a donor line for carrying out the nutritional breeding program as they are the reservoir of many important biochemical genes.

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, TOTAL PHENOLIC AND TOTAL FLAVONOID CONTENTS OF WHOLE PLANT EXTRACTS TORILIS LEPTOPHYLLA L

The study investigates the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) of whole plant extracts of Torilis leptophylla L., a medicinal plant with potential therapeutic benefits. Extracts were prepared using various solvents to maximize the extraction of bioactive compounds. The antioxidant activity was assessed using standard assays such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. The TPC and TFC were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Results demonstrated significant antioxidant activity across all extracts, with ethanol extracts exhibiting the highest potency. The TPC and TFC analyses revealed a strong correlation between phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity. These findings highlight Torilis leptophylla L. as a promising source of natural antioxidants, supporting its potential use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Further studies are recommended to isolate and characterize individual phenolic and flavonoid compounds responsible for the observed activities. This research explores the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) of whole plant extracts from Torilis leptophylla L., an underutilized medicinal plant known for its health benefits. The study involved the extraction of bioactive compounds using solvents such as ethanol, methanol, and aqueous solutions to determine the most effective extraction method. Antioxidant activities were evaluated through multiple assays, including DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power). The TPC and TFC were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride colorimetric method, respectively. The results revealed that ethanol extracts displayed the highest antioxidant activity, with significant free radical scavenging abilities and reducing power. The TPC and TFC analyses indicated a robust correlation between phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity, suggesting that these compounds are major contributors to the plant's antioxidant properties. Specifically, the ethanol extract showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid concentrations, correlating with its superior antioxidant performance. These findings position Torilis leptophylla L. as a potent source of natural antioxidants, underscoring its potential for development into pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.

The Release of Bound Phenolics to Enhance the Antioxidant Activity of Cornmeal by Liquid Fermentation with Bacillus subtilis

This study investigated the influence of Bacillus subtilis fermentation on the composition of phenolic substances and antioxidant activity in cornmeal. The results indicate that the fermentation process significantly increased both the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). After 5 days of fermentation, the TPC rose from 31.68 ± 1.72 mg/g to 39.46 ± 2.95 mg/g, representing a 24.56% increase, while the TFC increased from 2.13 ± 0.11 mg/g to 7.56 ± 0.29 mg/g, marking a 254.93% increase. Additionally, the proportion of free phenolic compounds in cornmeal increased from 20.24% to 83.98%, while the proportion of bound phenolic compounds decreased from 79.76% to 16.02%. Furthermore, the hydrolytic enzyme activities of cellulase, β-glucosidase, and xylanase were significantly correlated with the free phenolic content (FPC) (r > 0.85, p < 0.05), indicating their crucial role in releasing free phenolic compounds from cornmeal. Employing scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses, we inferred that the carbohydrase enzymes produced by the microorganisms disrupted the cellular structure of cornmeal and weakened the interactions between bound phenolics and the food matrix, thereby facilitating the release of phenolic compounds. This release resulted in an overall increase in the antioxidant activity of the cornmeal. The study provided a novel approach to enhancing the bioavailability of phenolic acids in cornmeal, indicating the potential benefits of fermentation in food processing.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Tricosanthes cucumerina Leaves: Microencapsulation and Characterization

This study utilized the ultrasound-assisted extraction method to obtain an extract rich in phenolic compounds from the leaves of Tricosanthes cucumerina. The optimization of the experimental design identified the optimal extraction conditions: a temperature of 40 °C, a duration of 6.25 min, and an amplitude of 40%. Under these conditions, the extraction yielded the highest levels of phenolic compounds, measuring 262.54 mg of GAE (gallic acid equivalent) per gram. Further analysis of these extracts using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) demonstrated that ultrasound extraction increased the availability of bioactive compounds, such as p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid. The resulting extract was microencapsulated with sodium alginate as the wall material and then lyophilized to enhance the shelf life and stability of the phenolic compounds. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the microcapsules exhibited thermal stability, retaining their properties at temperatures up to 250 °C. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses corroborated the effectiveness of the encapsulation process. Consequently, the ultrasound-assisted extraction of T. cucumerina leaves is a promising alternative for incorporating bioactive compounds into food products, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, thus benefiting consumers.

Optimization of Extraction Conditions for Phenolic Compounds from Potato Tubers: LC-MS Phenolic Profile as a Powerful Tool to Assess the Genotypes, Vegetation Period, and Production Systems of Potato

Five different extraction methods were assessed to select an optimal procedure for extracting the phenolic antioxidants from potato tubers. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were determined for each type of extraction. In total, 144 samples of four potato varieties from three production systems, over a period of three years, were analyzed. The results show that TPC and RSA tests can be used as parameters for differentiating potato parts and variety and to distinguish the samples depending on ripening time and the production system. Higher values of TPC and RSA were observed in samples from the organic cultivation system compared to integral and conventional cultivation in the same cultivar. Finally, by the employment of UHPLC-LTQ Orbitrap XL, fifty-nine phenolic compounds were identified. It was concluded that the phenolic profile is a powerful tool for confirming botanical origin, distinguishing between genotypes, and distinguishing various production systems of potato.

Investigation of Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacities in Selected Turkish Indigenous Wheat Varieties.

Indigenous wheat varieties continue to be cultivated and preserved due to their climatic adaptability and distinctive flavor contributions to cultural cuisines. This study covers the research gap by investigating the natural bioactive and antioxidant compounds present in Turkish indigenous wheat varieties. To this aim, the phenolic composition, ash contents, and antioxidant capacity were investigated in eighteen different indigenous Turkish wheat varieties (4 monococcum, 3 dicoccum, 4 durum, and 7 aestivum genotypes). An overall comprehensive analysis was carried out using statistical tools such as Heatmap and PCA (Principal component analysis). The results indicated that dicoccum genotype exhibited highest soluble free (49.04 mg) and soluble conjugated phenolics (188.54 mg), whereas aestivum was found rich in insoluble bound (873.89 mg), total phenolic (1058.35 mg GAE/kg dm), and total flavonoid (380.43 mg CE/kg dm) contents. Moreover, monococcum, dicoccum, and durum genotypes exhibited non-significantly higher total antioxidant capacities compared to the aestivum wheat genotype. In conclusion, indigenous wheat varieties, particularly from the dicoccum and aestivum genotypes, have the potential to be a significant source of phenolic and antioxidant compounds. These findings suggest promising prospects for the selection of indigenous wheat varieties under on-farm conservation programs for future commercialization and breeding programs.

Solid-state fermentation of green waste for the production of biostimulants to enhance lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation under water stress: Closing the organic waste cycle.

Food production faces important challenges such as water scarcity and the overall need of novel sustainable strategies. This study assesses the effect of the biostimulant produced through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of green waste (wood chips and grass residues) inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum with and without l-tryptophan as a precursor for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, a well-known plant hormone. The fermented solid demonstrated significant positive effects on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under different irrigation conditions. Substantial enhancements were observed in growth parameters such as fresh weight, plant height, leaf area and leaf quantity, along with chemical parameters including total phenol content, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity (DPPH). The results also showed a positive impact on the nutritional quality of lettuce, particularly under normal irrigation conditions. In conclusion, this study highlights the biostimulant potential to improve the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce crops by reusing plant residues. Additionally, it poses the relevance of applying circular economy principles in sustainable agriculture and organic waste management.

Research advance of solid-phase microextraction based on covalent organic framework materials

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a fast and simple sample preparation technique that enables the enrichment of analytes, and it is used in combination with other detection techniques to provide accurate and sensitive analytical methods. SPME is widely used in environmental monitoring, food safety, life analysis, biomedicine, and other applications. The extractive coating is the core of the SPME technique, and the properties of the extractive coating greatly influence extraction selectivity and efficiency, as well as the enrichment effect. Therefore, the development of new and efficient extractive coating materials remains a hot topic in the analytical chemistry and sample preparation fields. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a kind of porous crystalline network polymer materials formed by covalent bonds. Owing to the advantages of large specific surface area, high porosity, good stability, high designability, simple synthesis and post-modification, etc., it has been widely used in gas adsorption, catalysis, sensing and drug delivery. In recent years, COFs have attracted much attention in the field of sample preparation. A variety of novel COF-based SPME materials had been developed for extracting and enriching various types of analytes through π-π interaction, hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic adsorption, and hydrogen-bonding, as well as pore effects. In this paper, the research advances of COFs for using in fiber-, in tube-, and membrane-based SPME over the past three years were discussed. Fiber surfaces had been modified with functionalized COFs or COF-hybrid materials for use in SPME through physical coating, in-situ growth, and chemical-bonding approaches. The combination of SPME fiber and chromatographic analysis can be used to detect a variety of analytes such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls, and pesticides in environmental and food samples, with good enrichment effects, wide linear ranges, and high sensitivity. Based on in tube-SPME, COFs-based monolithic column and fiber-filled tube as the extraction tubes were combined with high performance liquid chromatography online to develop highly sensitive detection methods for synthetic phenolic antioxidants and bisphenol compounds, respectively. In addition, COFs had also been used in membrane SPME technique, showing high efficiency in the extraction of trace polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water. Finally, the development trends of COFs in the field of SPME was prospected.

Effects of Cytokinins on Morphogenesis, Total (Poly)Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of In Vitro-Cultured Hop Plantlets, cvs. Cascade and Columbus

Effects of Cytokinins on Morphogenesis, Total (Poly)Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of In Vitro-Cultured Hop Plantlets, cvs. Cascade and Columbus

Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Activity of Astragalus onobrychis: Quantitative Analysis of Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidants, and Antibacterial Activities.

Plants play an essential role in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Plants show broad-spectrum biological activity due to the bioactive compound contents. Hence, plants provide an essential contribution to drug invention and progress. In this study, phytochemical analysis and antioxidant effects of the Astragalus onobrychis plant were investigated. The flower, leaf, and stem parts of Astragalus onobrychis were extracted with methanol. The quantitative analysis of corresponding parts was conducted by LC-ESI-MS/MS, and it was detected that the flowers, leaves, and stems contained 12, 19, and 17 compounds, respectively. The flowers were determined to contain kaempferol-3-glucoside (0.395 mg/g extract) as a major product. Additionally, routine (0.132) was defined as the leading product in the leaf parts of the plant. The main product of the stem part of the plant was detected as coumarin (0.068). Antioxidant activity tests of flower, leaf, and stem extracts of the Astragalus onobrychis plant were performed. It was determined that the flowers showed the highest antioxidants among them. DPPH activity of flowers was determined as 4.56 ± 0.42 (IC50, μg/mL). Moreover, the antibacterial activity of flowers, leaves, and stem was performed using B.subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa, and flowers displayed excellent antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and E. coli with a value of 10.5 μg/mL.

Effect of drying methods on phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of Capparis spinosa L. fruits

BackgroundDrying is a critical post-harvest process for medicinal plants, which are typically high in moisture and microorganisms. To prevent spoilage and quality loss, it is essential to dry these plants promptly. The drying method significantly impacts the levels of secondary metabolites and the organoleptic characteristics of medicinal plants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various drying methods on the total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, antioxidant activity, and phenolic acids in caper (Capparis spinosa L.) fruits. The experiment was performed using a completely randomized design with three replications and included 11 treatments: shade drying, sun drying, oven drying (at 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C), microwave drying (at 300 W, 600 W, and 900 W), freeze-drying, salt-drying, and a fresh plant sample as a control.ResultsAmong the drying methods tested, microwave drying consistently produced the highest levels of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity, regardless of wattage. Specifically, the highest total phenol content was observed in samples dried at 900 W microwave, 600 W microwave, and 70 °C in the oven (5.3, 5.37, and 5.31 mg GAE/g DW, respectively). Drying at 600 W microwave yielded the highest levels of caffeic, cinnamic, ferulic, vanillic, and protocatechuic acids (13.03, 3.85, 4.28, 9.73, and 5.6 µg/g, respectively) while drying at 900 W microwave also resulted in elevated levels of caffeic, ferulic, protocatechuic, and p-coumaric acids. The 70 °C oven drying method also showed high levels of caffeic, cinnamic, ferulic, vanillic, and protocatechuic acids. Freeze-drying achieved the highest levels of rosmarinic, gallic, and m-coumaric acids (320.17, 175.3, and 12.99 µg/g, respectively), while shade drying produced high levels of p-hydroxybenzoic, cinnamic, ferulic, m-coumaric, protocatechuic, and p-coumaric acids.ConclusionsOverall, microwave drying (especially at 600 W), oven drying at 70 °C, and freeze-drying emerged as effective alternatives to traditional drying methods. These methods not only preserved the color, texture, and taste of the fruits but also enhanced their bioactive compound levels.

Assessment of Antibacterial, Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Typha elephantina Roxb. (Hogla) Leaves

Typha elephantina Roxb, locally known as ‘Hogla’ in Bangladesh, is widely found in wet areas. In this work, T. elephantina leaves were used for developing the methanolic crude extract, which afterwards went through antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays in addition to phytochemical investigations. Alkaloids, carbohydrates, tannins, phenolics, carbohydrates and flavonoids were identified in the extract. The methanolic extract of the leaves of T. elephantina revealed the highest level of antibacterial activity against E. coli. It exhibited an IC50 of 42.02 μg/ml in the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The total phenolic content (TPC) of it was 29.96 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of test extract. In the anti-inflammatory assay, the extract reduced paw edema 28.8% (p < 0.05) and 38.83% (p < 0.01) in the third and fourth hours of carrageenan administration. Taken together, the leaves of T. elephantina might be considered biologically active. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 28(1): 56-62, 2025 (January)

In vitro Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Ethanolic Extract of Mentha viridis

Mentha viridis has been used as folk medicine traditionally for diverse pharmacological activity and used worldwide for its aroma for different purposes in particular with tea. This research was investigated to examine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of ethanolic extract of M. viridis. The antioxidant capacity was assessed by several assays namely DPPH free radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant assay, total phenolics and total flavonoids content assay. Determination of total phenolics and total flavonoids were performed spectrophotometrically using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminium chloride colorimetric assay methods respectively, while the free radical scavenging activity was estimated by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method. The antibacterial activity was estimated by agar disk diffusion method against a number of bacterial strains. The results exhibited that ethanolic extract M. viridis is the abundant source of phenolics and flavonoids but the total antioxidant activity was detected to be the highest in comparison to other phytochemical constituents. Extract showed robust free radical scavenging activity at a concentration of 500 μg/ml. The ethanolic extract of M. viridis displayed moderate inhibitory activity against the microorganisms S. aureus and E.coli. The interpretation stipulates that ethanolic extract of M. viridis is a potential origin of natural antioxidants due to presence of mainly polyphenolic components in it. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 28(1): 1-10, 2025 (January)

Effect of microwave roasting and different solvents on the extraction of bioactive compounds from date seed

In this study, phenolic compounds were extracted from date seeds treated with different roasting methods (microwave (MW) and traditional) with three different solvents (water, acidic water, and alcohol), and their changes were investigated. The best results for total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity were given by 80% methanol (%1 HCI) solvent. The highest amount of TPC was determined in MW roasting at 300 W (7601.71 ± 155.759 mg GAE/100 g dry weight), followed by unroasted (7333.64± 3.12 mg GAE/ 100g dry weight) samples. On the other hand, traditional roasting was less effective than MW roasting at 300 W in terms of TPC, it had the highest antioxidant activity in all samples. HPLC results showed that date seeds contained individual phenolics like caffeic acid, p-cumaric acid, gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and rutin, and their amounts were affected by different roasting methods. As a multivariate analysis, PCA was a successful method for the classification of roasting treatments based on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. According to these results, roasting had a significant effect on the extraction of phenolic compounds from date seed.

Chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Piper betle and Anethum graveolens essential oils against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the leading causes of infection worldwide due to its antimicrobial resistance. Plant-derived essential oils (EOs) have undergone extensive observational and clinical research to explore their antimicrobial properties. The present study aimed to check mec A positive MRSA isolates using sequencing analysis, determination of chemical composition using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of Anethum graveolens and Piper betle EOs against the infectious agent MRSA. The result demonstrates a significant antibacterial activity of both essential oils against MRSA clinical isolates. GC-MS analysis of Piper betle showed (41.06%) 3-Allyl-6-methoxyphenol (Eugenol) as the major compound, whereas Anethum graveolens exhibited o-cymene (14.01%) abundantly. Piper betle essential oil retained appreciable levels of total phenolic (39.5 ± 10.9mg/g of gallic acid equivalents) and flavonoid content (216 ± 145mg quercetin equivalent/g), when compared to Anethum graveolens essential oil. A strong correlation was observed between antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS), total phenolic, and total flavonoid content in the Piper betle and displayed using principal component analysis (PCA) and a scatter matrix plot. Parallelly, clear morphological bacterial alterations were visualized by scanning electron microscopy after treating it with essential oils. MRSA showed malformed cell surfaces or broken cells with pore formation and septae. These findings imply that both essential oils are potential natural sources of antimicrobials against the MRSA superbug. They can also be used in combination therapies with other plant EOs or with traditional antibiotics to combat the rise of bacteria resistance.

Application of Chia and Flaxseed Meal as an Ingredient of Fermented Vegetable-Based Spreads to Design Their Nutritional Composition and Sensory Quality

Fermented vegetable spreads could offer an opportunity to diversify the range of plant-based foods. The challenge in developing the spreads is to achieve high quality, including stable consistency, consumer desirability and high nutritional value. The aim was to evaluate the application of chia and flaxseed meal for fermented zucchini-cucumber spread production. The effect on the chemical composition, phenolic compound content, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality of the vegetable spread was evaluated. Its color, viscosity, and microstructure were also analyzed using instrumental methods. The meal addition varied from 4.0 to 14.0%. The spread with meal addition had higher fat, protein, ash, and dietary fiber content than the control. Total free phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity also increased, and chia seed meal impacted the parameters more. On the contrary, flaxseed meal improved more the product’s consumer desirability than chia. Both were effective gelling agents that increased viscosity and enhanced product spreadability, and only flaxseed meal showed a masking ability. Its addition reduced the perception and intensity of the bitter, tart, and sour taste. The spread formula consisting of fermented zucchini and cucumber with 9 to 11.5% flaxseed meal addition was the most recommended to achieve the product with high consumer desirability.

Microbial mediated silver nanoparticles enhance the potential of bioactive metabolites in the medicinal plant Linum usitatissimum.

Medicinal plants contain phytochemicals that confer therapeutic potentials, allowing plants to perform various biologically significant functions. However, the therapeutic potential of these bioactive metabolites against multidrug-resistant bacteria is limited. Hence, the potential use of rhizopheric bacteria to isolate silver nanoparticles to enhance the potential of bioactive metabolites has been adopted by researchers. Therefore, this research aimed to biogenically produce silver nanoparticles using the rhizospheric soil of Aloe barbadensis miller and to evaluate its impact in regulating the potential of bioactive metabolites produced from the medicinal plant Linum usitatissimum. The powder extract of Linum usitatissimum was macerated under four different environmental conditions including cold maceration, warm maceration, fermented, and unfermented for extraction of metabolites. Macerated extracts were then evaluated for phytochemical detection of bioactive metabolites like alkaloids, steroids, phenols, and saponins. Biogenic AgNPs were primarily confirmed by visible color change from colorless to brown and were further characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, giving two absorbance peaks at 440 nm and 445 nm. Functional groups attached to biogenic AgNPs were detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The crystalline nature of biogenic AgNPs was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) giving a diffraction peak at angles of around 36°, 46°, 67°, and 77°. The particle size and morphological appearance of biogenic AgNPs were confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The total phenolic content of biogenic AgNPs and bioactive metabolites was estimated by the Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) assay. The antimicrobial efficacy of biogenic AgNPs and bioactive metabolites against MDR bacterial strains was accessed. This research shows that biogenic AgNPs can be used as a strong agent in enhancing the antimicrobial potential of bioactive metabolites against MDR bacteria and they can be investigated for further experimental findings.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial efficacy of germinated Ocimum gratissimum and Ocimum basilicum seed.

The edible seeds of Ocimum gratissimum and Ocimum basilicum were found to be a potent source of phytochemicals with noteworthy antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to investigate the impact of germination and extraction solvents (ethanol (EtOH), distilled water) on the therapeutic properties exhibited and the ability of seed extracts to act as natural food preservatives. The EtOH extracts of germinated O. gratissimum and O. basilicum seeds exhibited more phytoconstituents content with significantly higher phenols (21.03 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 21.46 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g respectively) and flavonoids (11.92 ± 0.03 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g and 14.45 ± 0.04 mg QE/g respectively) than other extracts did. Thus, they exhibited superior antioxidant potential with substantially lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for scavenging 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical (0.013 ± 0.00 mg mL-1 and 0.007 ± 0.00 mg mL-1 respectively) and superoxide anion radical (4.33 ± 0.01 mg mL-1 and 4.14 ± 0.00 mg mL-1 respectively) and for inhibiting lipid oxidation (2.57 ± 0.00 mg mL-1 and 2.33 ± 0.00 mg mL-1 respectively) compared with other extracts. Further, they exhibited better antidiabetic potential with substantially lower IC50 values for inhibiting α-amylase activity (0.93 ± 0.01 mg mL-1 and 1.01 ± 0.01 mg mL-1 respectively) and α-glucosidase activity (0.60 ± 0.01 mg mL-1 and 0.51 ± 0.01 mg mL-1 respectively). Also, they showed superior antimicrobial potential with higher inhibition zones for Bacillus subtilis (13.98 ± 0.18 mm, 17.02 ± 0.18 mm respectively), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (19.00 ± 0.20 mm, 22.58 ± 0.45 mm respectively), Salmonella enterica (24.98 ± 0.18 mm, 22.17 ± 0.15 mm respectively), and Escherichia coli (23.50 ± 0.50 mm, 27.00 ± 0.20 mm respectively) and better inhibition of Aspergillus flavus growth (93.28% and 81.77% respectively) compared with other extracts. Both the O. gratissimum and O. basilicum seed extracts can be utilized efficiently as therapeutic agents to manage inflammation-driven diseases and diabetes, or as natural preservatives in foods and in edible films or coatings. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of geographical variation on nutritional and antioxidant properties of Basella alba L. from Sri Lanka

BackgroundBasella alba L. (Malabar spinach) is a widely consumed leafy vegetable, well known for its nutritional and therapeutic properties. These properties arise from the availability of essential nutrients, phytochemicals, and antioxidant potential, which may vary depending on environmental factors induced by the geographical location. In this study our aim is to investigate the correlation between the geographical location and proximate composition, phytochemical content, and antioxidant activity of B. alba harvested from fifteen locations in Sri Lanka.ResultsAccording to the statistical analysis by ANOVA and Tukey test, the results of proximate analysis confirmed that samples from different locations showed statistically significant variance in nutritional content. Furthermore, phytochemical content and antioxidant potential varied showing a significant difference between locations in total chlorophyll (27.53 to 6.69 µg/g dry weight), carotene (4.54 to 1.15 µg/g dry weight), total flavonoid content (10.54 to 3.94 mg/g dry weight in Quercetin equivalents), total phenolic content (8.33 to 0.46 mg/g dry weight in gallic acid equivalents), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (38.03–11.4% inhibition), and ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (1.23 to 3.76 mg/g dry weight in ascorbic acid equivalents) (p < 0.05). The Pearson correlation showed a strong positive correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Principal component analysis indicates the role of antioxidant activity and chlorophyll content in location differentiation, forming distinct clusters. Cluster analysis categorized samples into four groups, linking biochemical traits to agro-climatic zones. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed a close relationship between some locations due to their high antioxidant and phytochemical accumulation.ConclusionThis study exhibits the importance of geographical location on the phytochemical profile and antioxidant properties of B. alba. These findings can be used to refine optimal cultivation sites for B. alba to enhance the efficacy of its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential.