Composition Of Active Compounds Research Articles

Extending the Shelf Life of Apples After Harvest Using Edible Coatings as Active Packaging—A Review

Extending the shelf life of perishable food, such as apples, and storing them in cold conditions and/or controlled atmospheres have been of great interest in the last decades. Apples are very valuable fruits with many health benefits, but during storage at ambient conditions, they ripen quickly and lose moisture, causing lower crispness or other negative effects, resulting in waste problems. There has been growing attention to protective edible coatings or active packaging films based on biopolymers and natural bioactive substances. Edible coatings and films allow for combination with functional ingredients or compounds, affecting the maintenance of the postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables. They also ensure the preservation of the sensory characteristics of food, and they can have antimicrobial or antioxidant properties. All these aspects play a significant role in the storage of apples, which can also help prevent waste, which is in line with the circular economy approach. The functionality of coatings and films is closely related to the type, content, and composition of active compounds, as well as their interaction with biopolymers. Active coatings with the addition of different functional compounds, such as plant extracts, phenolic acids, and nanoparticles, can be an alternative solution affecting the postharvest quality of apples during storage, maintaining the fruit’s stability, and thus minimising their waste. The most important issues related to the latest reports on improving the postharvest quality of apples using edible coatings incorporated with various active substances were evaluated. Agricultural conditions and factors that affect the postharvest quality of apples were described. The requirements for protective coatings for apples should be focused on low-cost materials, including waste-based resources, good miscibility, and compatibility of components. Those factors combined with the storage conditions may result in shelf life extension or retention of the postharvest quality of apples, regardless of the variety or cultivation techniques.

Comparison of total flavonoid content and DPPH● sequestration in Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica coffee beans

Coffee beans obtained from the Coffea genus of plants are a key source of flavonoids, which are synthesized within many plants as a secondary metabolite. Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds primarily studied for their antioxidant, anti-tumor, and neuro-therapeutic properties, amongst other properties. Coffee contains a wide variety of flavonoids, such as catechins, quercetin, and myricetin. Given ecological and genomic differences across species of coffee plants, such as the Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, and Coffea liberica species, variations in their metabolic pathways affect chemical composition of the beans acquired from each plant. In turn, this affects bioavailability and composition of active compounds within different species, with the possibility of rendering one species more pharmacologically favorable. We hypothesized that such differences may significantly affect the flavonoid content within different species, and therefore, their antioxidant capacities within the body. We conducted total flavonoid content assays to quantify holistic composition of flavonoids across different species. We also utilized a DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical assay to characterize antioxidant capacity by measuring each extract’s ROS-sequestering capabilities. Robusta coffee beans obtained from the C. canephora plant elicited the highest absorbance value within the flavonoid content assay, signaling greater flavonoid content within Robusta coffee. Moreover, Robusta coffee also presented greater inhibition percentages than other species in the DPPH free radical assay, indicating higher antioxidant capacity within Robusta coffee. Ultimately, these results suggest that the radical sequestering potential of Robusta coffee provides valuable insight into the viability of coffee as a therapeutic agent.

Phytochemistry, Biological, and Pharmacological Properties of Abies alba Mill.

Abies alba Mill. (Pinaceae), silver fir, is a widespread gymnosperm species in Europe, important for its ecological, economic, social, and cultural significance, as well as for its use for food and bioremediation purposes. The various parts of the plant (leaves, branches, cones, wood, bark) are also of pharmaceutical interest due to their composition of active compounds. In the last three decades, an impressive amount of research has been dedicated to this species. The variability of the chemical composition of essential oils (whether they come from leaves, oleoresin from branches, or other parts of the plant) is impressive, even in the case of specimens collected from the same geographical area. For essential oils prepared from needles or twigs and branches, limonene, β-pinene, α-pinene, camphene, β-phellandrene, and bornyl acetate are the leading compounds, although their wide variations seem to correspond to multiple chemotypes. Both bark and wood are rich in lignans and phenolic compounds. Matairesinol is apparently the dominant lignan in bark, and secoisolariciresinol and lariciresinol are the dominant ones in wood samples. Pharmacological studies with promising results have evaluated the antioxidant effect (mainly due to essential oils), but also the antimicrobial, antitumor, probiotic, antidiabetic, anti-steatosis, and anti-psoriatic activities.

Combination of Extraction and Distillation Red Ginger Rhizome on the Composition of Active Compounds and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activity

In Indonesia, red Ginger is commonly used as traditional medicine and health drink. Its bioactive compounds are generally extracted separately in essential oils or oleoresin only. This study aims to maximize the extraction of red ginger rhizome bioactive compounds in the form of oleoresin and essential oil simultaneously and examine the effect of the different methods of extraction and distillation on the quality. The first method is essential oil extraction by water-steam distillation, continuing with oleoresin extraction of the ginger rhizome, while the second method is oleoresin extraction of fresh rhizome, continuing with distillation. The essential oil quality is determined based on the chemical composition and the tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory activity. The results showed that the essential oil produced by the second method contains higher zingiberene content (28.5%) with clear pale-yellow color, while the first method is orange with 15.4% zingiberene. The 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and 10-gingerol content of the oleoresin by the second method is higher than the first method. Furthermore, the inhibition test of two tyrosinase enzyme activities showed that the essential oil and extract from the two method is not significantly different. Thus, in addition to obtaining two extracts at once in the form of oleoresin and essential oil, this study also showed that the extraction process carried out before distillation of the rhizome could increase the yield of both extracts and increase the quality of red ginger essential oil.

Unsupported Ni—Mo—W Hydrotreating Catalyst: Influence of the Atomic Ratio of Active Metals on the HDS and HDN Activity

Hydrotreating is one of the largest processes used in a refinery to improve the quality of oil products. The great demand of the present is to develop more active catalysts which could improve the energy efficiency of the process when it is necessary for heavier feedstock to be processed. Unsupported catalysts could solve this problem, because they contain the greatest amount of sulfide active sites, which significantly increase catalysts’ activity. Unfortunately, most of the information on the preparation and properties of unsupported catalysts is devoted to powder systems, while industrial plants require granular catalysts. Therefore, the present work describes a method for the preparation of granular Ni—Mo—W unsupported hydrotreating catalysts and studies the influence of the Ni/Mo/W atomic ratio on their properties. Catalysts have been prepared by plasticizing Ni—Mo—W precursor with aluminum hydroxide followed by granulation and drying stages. Ni—Mo—W precursor and granular catalysts were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption method, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and thermal analysis. Granular catalysts were sulfided through a liquid-phase sulfidation procedure and tested in hydrotreating of straight-run vacuum gasoil. It was shown that the Ni/Mo/W atomic ratio influenced the formation and composition of active compounds and had almost no influence on the textural properties of catalysts. The best hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity was obtained for the catalyst with Ni/Mo/W ratio—1/0.15/0.85, while hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) activity of the catalysts is very similar.

Gamma irradiation as suitable preservation method on herbal medicine: a review

The trend of consuming herbal medicines has been increasing over the past three decades. No less than 80% of the world's population has used herbal medicines as a treatment. One of the problems in herbal medicine is the high level of microbial contamination caused by raw materials and production processes. Various attempts have been made to overcome these problems, one of them is the gamma irradiation method. Although irradiation has been widely used for food sterilization, the use of irradiation for sterilization on herbal medicines is still debated. It is because irradiation may affect the composition of active compounds of herbal medicines. This review aimed to discuss the applications of gamma irradiation for herbal medicines by emphasizing the chemical constituent stabilities of herbal medicines.

Encapsulation of ginger oleoresin with a combination of maltodextrin and skim milk powder as wall material

Ginger oleoresin has active ingredients that are very sensitive to temperature, light, process and storage conditions. Its thick and sticky physical properties also make it difficult in application and handling. Encapsulation is the solution to overcome this problem. The purpose of this study is to select the concentration of maltodextrin and skim milk powder as wall material, the ratio of emulsifier to oleoresin, and to determine the best formulation affected by the ratio of wall material to oleoresin on the characteristics of encapsulated ginger oleoresin. The best formula for encapsulation is from the ratio of maltodextrin and skim milk powder 0.5 : 1.0 as wall material and oleoresin concentration is 15% of the wall material. This treatment resulted in 92.31% encapsulation efficiency. Increase of maltodextrin concentration leads to increase emulsion viscosity, decrease emulsion stability and increase solubility in water, meanwhile increase of skim milk powder and oleoresin concentration leads to increase the encapsulation efficiency. GC-MS analysis of essential oils in oleoresin and in microcapsules show that there is no different composition of active compounds. The application of ginger oleoresin microcapsules on instant ginger tested by hedonic test found that the highest score consisted of 0.3 g of microcapsules in formula.

Studi Perbandingan Metode Isolasi Ekstraksi Pelarut dan Destilasi Uap Minyak Atsiri Kemangi terhadap Komposisi Senyawa Aktif

Basil plants has potential as one source of essential oil applied in the flavor and fragrance industries. The isolation can be carried out by two methods, steam distillation and solvent extraction. This study analyzes the comparison of steam distillation and solvent extraction methods on the result of compound composition. The steam distillation process was performed for 4 hours, 6 hours, and 8 hours. Distillate was separated between the crude essential oil and water layer. The extraction process was performed for 6 cycles using n-hexane and ethanol as the solvent. The extract was separated between the basil essential oil and the solvent by rotary evaporator. Basil essential oil composition was analyzed using GC-MS. The result of the study shows that the basil essential oil composition obtained from solvent extraction is different with the results obtained from the steam distillation process. Isolation of carvacrol, hexadecanol, hydroxydihydromaltol, glycidyl methacrylate, 3-pyrroline, beta bisabolene, isopropyl butyrate, safrole, geraniol, carbamic acid, butyl alcohol 2-D1 (top note) are more effective by solvent extraction process with ethanol as the solvent. Isolation of geranial, neral, fanesol, alpha bergamotene, alpha bisabolene, and linalool is more effective by steam distillation process in 4 hours.

Environmental Control of an Argon Plasma Effluent and Its Role in THP-1 Monocyte Function

Plasma medicine is a rapidly advancing field. As one promising application, cold plasma has been ascribed a beneficial role in wound healing in which monocytes/macrophages play an important part. Wound healing and many other physiological and pathological processes are subject to redox control. Cold plasma expels reactive species of many kinds, thereby altering the redox state and mediating cell and tissue responses. Controlling this species efflux could be a valuable asset to control biological effects. We, therefore, investigated the biological response of a plasma treatment regimen that was gas shielded from the ambient environment. In this gas curtain, several N2:O2 ratios were investigated, and we discovered a modulation within the composition of active compounds ( ${\text {NO}}_{2}^{-}$ , ${\text {NO}}_{3}^{-}$ , and H2O2) in physiological solutions. Using a human monocyte cell line, the cell’s scavenging activity toward these molecules was assessed. With regard to cellular processes important in wound healing, such as cytokines release, O2 shielding provided stronger stimulation compared to N2 shielding. Altogether, the results support the idea that tuning the plasma-derived reactive species composition may be an interesting approach to improve plasma medical applications.

Comparative studies on the antioxidant capacities and catechin profiles of conventional and organic green tea

As one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, green tea has been extensively studied for its wide array of health benefits. In this study, the composition of active compounds and antioxidative activity was analyzed using various antioxidant assay systems and compared between organic green tea (OGT) and conventionally grown green tea (CGT). OGT extract was prepared in the same way as CGT with the exception of fertilizer and insecticide, which were used only for CGT preparation. There were no significant differences in total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity tested against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. In addition, the antioxidant activities shown with both assays were highly correlated with the polyphenol contents (r 2 > 0.99). No significant differences were observed in the cellular antioxidant activity assay using HepG2 cells (P > 0.05). However, substantially higher concentrations of catechins, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate, were found in the OGT (7.64 vs 5.54/100 mg extract). Thus, OGT could be considered as a potent and safe antioxidative resource, being free of both fertilizer and herbicide uses. However, the advantages of OGT should be further optimized to provide a wide range of physiological effects, considering the price of production and parallel amounts of the active ingredients in CGT.

Total Phenol, Antioxidant Activity, Flavonoids, Anthocyanins and Color of Honey as Affected by Floral Origin Found in the Arid and Semiarid Mediterranean Areas

Honey samples representing 12 different Mediterranean floral sources in Jordan were investigated for their phytochemical compounds and color. The floral composition (% pollen), total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity, anthocyanins and color varied between locations. Total phenolics were highest (86.3 mg GAE/100 g) in the multifloral summer honey from Sarrout location and lowest (33.7 mg GAE/100 g) in the early spring harvest from the Jordan Valley. The flavonoid, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities were highest in summer honey from Umm Alyanabea location (4.6 mg/100 g, 4.1 mg/100 g and IC50 = 24.5 mg/mL, respectively) and were lowest in the early spring honey harvest from the Jordan Valley. The colors of Jordanian honey were visually noticeable, varying from yellowish, yellowish green to darker colors. Significant differences existed in the phytochemical compounds in different honey samples from different Mediterranean areas in Jordan. These differences mainly depended on floral sources. Practical Applications Honey is a natural product produced primarily from the nectar secreted by flowering plants gathered and processed by the honeybee (Apis millifera). It is an important and unique food product containing bioactive compounds derived from plant nectar or added by bees, and these compounds are known to act as natural antioxidants that play an important role in food preservation and human health through combating damage caused by oxidizing agents. Honey collected from different nectar of plant flower species contains different levels of phenolics that possess antioxidant activity, so different honey properties were expected since the composition of active compounds in honey from different locations should be different. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the bioactive compounds and color of honeys obtained from various plant vegetations in the arid and semiarid Mediterranean areas in Jordan.