Distinctive Compounds Research Articles

Metabolomics approach to identify key volatile aromas in Thai colored rice cultivars.

In addition to white jasmine rice, Thailand has many native-colored rice varieties with numerous health benefits and the potential to become a global economic crop. However, the chemical characteristics of aromatic substances in native-colored rice are still mostly unknown. This study aimed to identify the key volatile aroma compounds and the biosynthetic pathways possibly involved in their formation in Thai native-colored rice varieties, and thus leading to the search for potential genetic markers for breeding colored rice with better aromatic properties. Twenty-three rice varieties in four categories: aromatic white, aromatic black, non-aromatic black, and non-aromatic red, were investigated (n=10 per variety). Seed husks were removed before the analysis of rice volatile aromas by static headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Untargeted metabolomics approach was used to discover the key volatile compounds in colored rice. Forty-eight compounds were detected. Thirty-eight of the 48 compounds significantly differed among groups at p<0.05, 28 of which at p<0.0001, with the non-aromatic black and red rice containing much lower content of most volatile constituents than the aromatic black and white rice. Focusing on the aromatic black rice, the samples appeared to contain high level of both compound groups of aldehydes (3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanal, pentanal, hexanal) and alcohols (butane-2,3-diol, pentan-1-ol, hexan-1-ol). Biosynthetically, these distinctive black-rice volatile compounds were proposed to be formed from the metabolic degradation of branched-chain amino acids (L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid), involving the branched-chain aminotransferases and keto-acid decarboxylases and the 9-lipoxygonases and 13-lipoxygeases, respectively. The proposed degradative pathways of amino acids and fatty acids were well agreed with the profiles key volatile compounds detected in the Thai native-colored rice varieties.

Antiviral effects of the fused tricyclic derivatives of indoline and imidazolidinone on ZIKV infection and RdRp activities of ZIKV and DENV

The prevalence and ravages of Zika virus (ZIKV) seriously endanger human health, especially causing significant neurological defects in both neonates as pediatric microcephaly and adults as Guillain–Barré syndrome. In this work, we studied anti-ZIKV effects of the fused tricyclic derivatives of indoline and imidazolidinone and discovered that some of them are valuable leads for drug discovery of anti-ZIKV agents. The current results show that certain compounds are broad-spectrum inhibitors of ZIKV- and dengue virus (DENV)-infection while distinctive compounds are selective ZIKV inhibitors or selective DENV inhibitors. Compounds of 12, 17 and 28 are more active against Asian ZIKV SZ-VIV01 strain than African ZIKV MR766 strain. It is valued that silylation makes six TBS compounds of 4-nitrophenyl hydrazine series and phenyl hydrazine series more active against ZIKV infection than their phenols. Time-of-addition and withdrawal studies indicate that compound 12 majorly acts on post-infection of RNA synthesis stage of ZIKV life cycle. Moreover, compounds of 12, 17 and 18 are anti-ZIKV agents with the inhibitory activities to ZIKV NS5 RdRp while 12 doesn't inhibit DENV infection even though it is a DENV RdRp inhibitor, 17 is an active agent against DENV infection but is only a weak DENV NS5 RdRp inhibitor, and 28 is inactive against DENV infection and not a DENV NS5 RdRp inhibitor. As a result, a compound's antiviral difference between ZIKV and DENV is not always related to anti-RdRp difference between ZIKV RdRp and DENV RdRp, and structural features of a compound play important roles in executing antiviral and anti-RdRp functions. Further discovery of highly potent broad-spectrum or selective agents against infection by ZIKV and DENV will be facilitated.

Cuticular Hydrocarbon Polymorphism in a Parasitoid Wasp

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are major constituents of the cuticular lipid layer of insects. They serve not only as a barrier to desiccation, but often additionally mediate communication at close range. The compositions of the CHC profiles, i.e., the specific compounds and their relative amounts, usually differ between species. Additional intraspecific variability can be found between different populations, between colonies and castes of social insects, and between the sexes. Thus, such groups can often be distinguished based on distinctive compounds and/or specific compound ratios. The CHC profile may further be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, which therefore can impact, e.g., nestmate recognition or mate choice. However, consistent intrasexual variation seems to be rare. Here, we investigated a case of intrasexual CHC variability within a single population of a parasitoid wasp. While wasps of both sexes produced the same set of compounds, the relative amounts of specific compound classes revealed the presence of intrasexual chemical phenotypes. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of three distinct female CHC profile patterns within a population of a solitary insect that uses CHCs for mate recognition. Additionally, male CHC profiles, while overall very similar, could be separated into two chemotypes by multivariate analysis. The study of species exhibiting such intraspecific and intrasexual CHC variation will advance our understanding of the effects of CHC variability on both, desiccation resistance and intraspecific communication.

Individual Micron-Sized Aerosol Qualitative Analysis-Combined Raman Spectroscopy and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy by Optical Trapping in Air.

The attribution of single particle sources of atmospheric aerosols is an essential problem in the study of air pollution. However, it is still difficult to qualitatively analyze the source of a single aerosol particle using noncontact in situ techniques. Hence, we proposed using optical trapping to combine gated Raman spectroscopy with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in a single levitated micron aerosol. The findings of the spectroscopic imaging indicated that the particle plasma formed by a single particle ablation with a pulsed laser within 7 ns deviates from the trapped particle location. The LIBS acquisition field of view was expanded using the 19-bundle fiber, which also reduces the fluctuation of a single particle signal. In addition, gated Raman was utilized to suppress the fluorescence and increase the Raman signal-to-noise ratio. Based on this, Raman can measure hard-to-ionize substances with LIBS, such as sulfates. The LIBS radical can overcome the restriction that Raman cannot detect ionic chemicals like fluoride and chloride in halogens. To test the capability of directly identifying distinctive feature compounds utilizing spectra, we detected anions using Raman spectroscopy and cations using LIBS. Four typical mineral aerosols are subjected to precise qualitative evaluations (marble, gypsum, baking soda, and activated carbon adsorbed potassium bicarbonate). To further validate the application potential for substances with indistinctive feature discrimination, we employed machine learning algorithms to conduct a qualitative analysis of the coal aerosol from ten different origin regions. Three data fusion methodologies (early fusion, intermediate fusion, and late fusion) for Raman and LIBS are implemented, respectively. The accuracy of the late fusion model prediction using StackingClassifier is higher than that of the LIBS data (66.7%) and Raman data (86.1%) models, with an average accuracy of 90.6%. This research has the potential to provide online single aerosol analysis as well as technical assistance for aerosol monitoring and early warning.

Nanotechnology impacting probiotics and prebiotics: a paradigm shift in nutraceuticals technology

This is proven for a long that the incorporation of probiotics and prebiotics in diet exhibits beneficial effects on intestinal and intrinsic health. Nevertheless, this may encounter loss of vitality all along the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to meager intestinal delivery of probiotic active ingredients. In recent times, nanotechnology has been passionately used to escalate the bioavailability of active ingredients. Versatile forms of nanoparticles (NPs) are devised to be used with probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics or their different combinations. The NPs currently in trend are constituted of distinctive organic compounds like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, or inorganics such as oxides of silver and titanium or magnesium etc. This review critically explicates the emerging relationship of nanotechnology with probiotics and prebiotics for different applications in neutraceuticals. Here in this review, formulations of nanoprobiotics and nanoprebiotics are discussed in detail, which behave as an effective drug delivery system. In addition, these formulations exhibit anti-cancerous, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and photo-protective properties. Limited availability of scientific research on nanotechnology concerning probiotics and prebiotics implies dynamic research studies on the bioavailability of loaded active ingredients and the effective drug delivery system by including the safety issues of food and the environment.

Mining the nanotube-forming Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MR14M3 genome for determining anti-Candida auris and anti-Candida albicans potential by pathogenicity and comparative genomics analysis

There is a global health concern associated with the emergence of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) fungus Candida auris, which has significant mortality rates. Finding innovative and distinctive anti-Candida compounds is essential for treating infections caused by MDR C. auris. A bacterial strain with anti-Candida activity was isolated and identified using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The whole genome was sequenced to identify biosynthesis-related gene clusters. The pathogenicity and cytotoxicity of the isolate were analyzed in Candida and HFF-1 cell lines, respectively. This study set out to show that whole-genome sequencing, cytotoxicity testing, and pathogenicity analysis combined with genome mining and comparative genomics can successfully identify biosynthesis-related gene clusters in native bacterial isolates that encode antifungal natural compounds active against Candida albicans and C. auris. The native isolate MR14M3 has the ability to inhibit C. auris (zone of inhibition 25 mm) and C. albicans (zone of inhibition 25 mm). The 16 S rRNA gene sequence of MR14M3 aligned with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens with similarity (100%). Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MR14M3 establishes bridges of intercellular nanotubes (L 258.56 ± 35.83 nm; W 25.32 ± 6.09 nm) connecting neighboring cells. Candida cell size was reduced significantly, and crushed phenotypes were observed upon treatment with the defused metabolites of B. amyloliquefaciens MR14M3. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of B. amyloliquefaciens MR14M3 on Candida cells was observed through cell membrane disruption and lysed yeast cells. The whole-genome alignment of the MR14M3 genome (3981,643 bp) using 100 genes confirmed its affiliation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Genome mining analysis revealed that MR14M3-coded secondary metabolites are involved in the biosynthesis of polyketides (PKs) and nonribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs), including 11 biosynthesis-related gene clusters with one hundred percent similarity. Highly conserved biosynthesis-related gene clusters with anti-C. albicans and anti-C. auris potentials and cytotoxic-free activity of B. amyloliquefaciens MR14M3 proposes the utilization of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MR14M3 as a biofactory for an anti-Candida auris and anti-C. albicans compound synthesizer.

Sensory acceptability of antioxidant-based formulations dedicated to mitigate heterocyclic aromatic amines in cooked meat

In a previous work, we studied the inhibition of heterocyclic aromatic amine formation by natural ingredients rich in antioxidants: caper, oregano, wine and green tea. This present work aimed to assess the sensory impact of the addition of these ingredients in ground beef patties. The best liked formulations were determined by a hedonic scoring. Caper and oregano were not significantly different from the standard, the most appreciated, due to their congruency with cooked meat. Direct dissimilarity assessment was performed to evaluate the overall, gustative and odor differences between formulations. Olfactive differences were evidenced as key drivers of these differences. Standard and caper were close while oregano was found significantly different from them. A fast sensory profiling permitted to evidence that aromatic plant note was discriminant for oregano formulation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/multibooth olfactometry identified the distinctive odor-active compounds of the formulations as pyrazines and sulfide for oregano formulation and ester for caper formulation.

Phytochemical analysis of Ziziphus jujube leaf at different foliar ages based on widely targeted metabolomics

Abstract Based on metabolomics, the metabolites of Jujube leaves LS1 (one bud and two leaves), LS2 (one bud and three leaves), and LS3 (one bud and four leaves) were taken and examined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. There were 22 substance categories that were identified. Principal component analysis was also utilized to distinguish the metabolomics at the three different foliar ages, and the results suggested that the samples at different foliar ages were clearly separated, demonstrating that the metabolites in the three foliar ages were significantly different. Through the screening of differential metabolites and hierarchical clustering analysis, our results suggested that the composition and the content distribution of the differential metabolites at three different foliar ages were significantly different. In the LS1, delphinidin, N-hydroxy tryptamine, serotonin, methylquercetin O-hexoside, tricin 7-O-hexoside, and eriodictyol C-hexoside were identified as the distinctive compounds. In the LS2, N-caffeoyl agmatine, lysoPC 18:3 (2n isomer), N-(4′-O-glycosyl)-p-coumaroyl-agmatine, dihydromyricetin, and hydroxy-methoxycinnamate were identified as the distinctive compounds. Similarly, the 3-O-p-coumaroyl-quinic acid, O-feruloyl 4-hydroxylcoumarin, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, cyanidin 3-O-galactoside, quercetin O-acetylhexoside, and DIMBOA glucoside were identified as the distinctive compounds in LS3. These characteristic compounds could provide a strong theoretical basis for rapid identification of jujube leaves at different foliar ages.

Network Pharmacology- and Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Bioprospection of Aspalathus linearis for Type-2 Diabetes Care.

The medicinal herb Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) is globally recognized in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment due to its known and distinctive compounds. This work utilized network pharmacology (NP) coupled with molecular dynamics simulation in gaining new insight into the anti-diabetic molecular mechanism of action of rooibos teas. It looked at the interactions between rooibos constituents with various relevant protein receptors and signaling routes associated with T2DM progression. The initial analysis revealed 197 intersecting gene targets and 13 bioactive rooibos constituents linked to T2DM. The interactions between proteins and compounds to the target matrix were generated with the Cystoscope platform and STRING database. These analyses revealed intersecting nodes active in T2DM and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as an integral receptors target. In addition, KEGG analysis identified 11 other pathways besides the hub HIF-1 signaling route which may also be targeted in T2DM progression. In final molecular docking and dynamics simulation analysis, a significant binding affinity was confirmed for key compound-protein matrices. As such, the identified rooibos moieties could serve as putative drug candidates for T2DM control and therapy. This study shows rooibos constituents' interaction with T2DM-linked signaling pathways and target receptors and proposes vitexin, esculin and isovitexin as well as apigenin and kaempferol as respective pharmacologically active rooibos compounds for the modulation of EGFR and IGF1R in the HIF-1 signaling pathway to maintain normal homeostasis and function of the pancreas and pancreatic β-cells in diabetics.

2D Windmill-like Ln-Containing Organophosphonate-Based Polyoxomolybdates: Synthesis, Characterization, Fluorescence, and Magnetism.

By integration of {Ln(H2O)6}3+ into organophosphonate-based polyoxometalates, three Ln-containing organophosphonate-functionalized polyoxomolybdates Na1.5H1.5[{Ln(H2O)6}2{(Mo3O8)(O3PC(C3H6NH3)OPO3)}4]·(CH3CO2)·43H2O (Ln = Eu (1), Tb (2), and Dy (3)) are successfully prepared and systematically characterized. The X-ray crystallography analyses display complexes 1-3 crystallize in the C2/c space group of the monoclinic system and compose several distinctive tetramer windmill-like compounds that further assemble into two-dimensional (2D) frameworks associated with the {Ln(H2O)6}3+ core. The fluorescence spectra of 1-3 show red, green, and chartreuse emissions, respectively, originating in the typical f-f transitions of Ln3+ ions. More interestingly, complex 3 shows the field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM) properties, resulting from the fact that [(Mo3O8)4{O3PC(C3H6NH3)OPO3}4]8- offers excellent magnetic isolation for Dy3+ ions by the nearest Dy1···Dy2 distance of 11.207 Å. The study demonstrates that the incorporation of {Ln(H2O)6}3+ into organophosphonate-based polyoxomolybdates is an effective synthetic strategy in implementing late-model opto-magnetic materials.

Gene-Regulated Release of Distinctive Volatile Organic Compounds from Stressed Living Cells.

Breath-borne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been increasingly studied as non-invasive biomarkers in both medical diagnosis and environmental health research. Recently, changes in breath-borne VOC fingerprints were demonstrated in rats and humans following pollutant exposures. In this study, the eukaryotic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to study the release of cellular VOCs resulting from toxicant exposures (i.e., O3, H2O2, and CO2) and its underlying biological mechanism. Our results showed that different toxicant exposures caused the release of distinctive VOC profiles of yeast cells. The levels of ethyl acetate and ethyl n-propionate were altered in response to all the toxicants used in this study and could thus be targeted for future environmental toxicity monitoring. The RNA-seq results revealed significant changes in the metabolic or signaling pathways related to the ribosome, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolisms after exposures. Notably, the shift from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway of carbohydrate metabolism and the inhabitation of the aspartate pathway in the lysine synthesis was essential to the cellular antioxidation by providing reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The reprogrammed metabolisms could have resulted in the observed changes of VOCs released, e.g., the production of ethyl acetate for detoxification from yeast cells. This study provides further evidence that VOCs released from living organisms could be used to monitor and guard against toxic exposures while providing better mechanistic insights of the changes in breath-borne VOCs previously observed in rats and humans exposed to air toxicants.

Volatile Flavor Compounds of Pugionium cornutum (L.) Gaertn. Before and After Different Dehydration Treatments.

Pugionium cornutum (L.) Gaertn (also Pugionium) is a special Mongolian vegetable, belonging to the Cruciferous family, growing in arid and semi-arid areas of northern China, with a unique flavor and potential health benefits. This article aims to describe the profile of volatile flavor compounds in fresh and different dehydrated samples, establish the fingerprint, and identify the characteristic compounds. The fresh Pugionium sample and 3 kinds of dehydrated samples were analyzed. Headspace/gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (HS/GC-IMS) and solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS) were used for identification and relative quantification. HS/GC-IMS identified 78 compounds, whereas SPME/GC-MS identified 53 compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA), clustering analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used as appropriate to investigate variations in volatile compounds among Pugionium samples and identify distinctive compounds. The first two principal components described 76.5% and 69.5% of the variance of the data from HS/GC-IMS and SPME/GC-MS, respectively. By clustering analysis, 4 kinds of Pugionium samples could be classified into four independent groups. The similarity between fresh Pugionium and natural dehydration Pugionium was higher than the other two dehydrated samples, indicating that natural dehydration can better preserve the flavor of Pugionium. Most aldehydes and alcohols increased following different dehydration procedures, whereas esters decreased, and the dehydrated Pugionium samples have more harmonious and less pungent aroma than the fresh Pugionium. PLS-DA model analysis revealed that the marker compounds (VIP scores > 1) discriminating the flavor of the four samples for HS/GC-IMS and SPME/GC-MS were 24 and 15 compounds, respectively, such as 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate, 1-butene-4-isothiocyanate and other isothiocyanates, 2-propanone, nonanal, gamma-butyrolactone, 2,3-butanediol, 3-methyl-2-butenenitrile, and pentanal. Analysis of volatile compounds might be useful for monitoring the quality of Pugionium and guiding the cooking methods and processing technologies. More study is required to discover if the various volatile flavor compounds have biological or physiological impacts on nutrition.

All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Investigations on the Interactions between D2 Subunit Dopamine Receptors and Three 11C-Labeled Radiopharmaceutical Ligands.

The D2 subunit dopamine receptor represents a key factor in modulating dopamine release. Moreover, the investigated radiopharmaceutical ligands used in positron emission tomography imaging techniques are known to bind D2 receptors, allowing for dopaminergic pathways quantification in the living human brain. Thus, the biophysical characterization of these radioligands is expected to provide additional insights into the interaction mechanisms between the vehicle molecules and their targets. Using molecular dynamics simulations and QM calculations, the present study aimed to investigate the potential positions in which the D2 dopamine receptor would most likely interact with the three distinctive synthetic 11C-labeled compounds (raclopride (3,5-dichloro-N-[[(2S)-1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl]-2-hydroxy-6-methoxybenzamide)—RACL, FLB457 (5-bromo-N-[[(2S)-1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl]-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide)—FLB457 and SCH23390 (R(+)-7-Chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine)—SCH)), as well as to estimate the binding affinities of the ligand-receptor complexes. A docking study was performed prior to multiple 50 ns molecular dynamics productions for the ligands situated at the top and bottom interacting pockets of the receptor. The most prominent motions for the RACL ligand were described by the high fluctuations of the peripheral aliphatic -CH3 groups and by its C-Cl aromatic ring groups. In good agreement with the experimental data, the D2 dopamine receptor-RACL complex showed the highest interacting patterns for ligands docked at the receptor’s top position.

Decoding hexanitrobenzene (HNB) and 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) as two distinctive energetic nitrobenzene compounds by machine learning.

Energetic materials (EMs) are a group of special energy materials, and it is generally full of safety risks and generally costs much to create new EMs. Thus, machine learning (ML)-aided discovery becomes highly desired for EMs, as ML is good at risk and cost reduction. This work decodes hexanitrobenzene (HNB) and 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) as two distinctive energetic nitrobenzene compounds by ML, in combination with theoretical calculations. Based on a series of highly accurate models of density, heat of formation, bond dissociation energy and molecular flatness, the ML predictions show that HNB is the most energetic among ∼370 000 000 single benzene ring-containing compounds, while TATB possesses a moderate energy content and very high safety, as determined experimentally. This work exhibits the significant power of ML and presents an instructive procedure for using it in the field of EMs. The ML-aided design and highly efficient synthesis and fabrication combined strategy is expected to accelerate the discovery of new EMs.

A comparison of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and the Concept of Gandha with special reference to Balagraha

The ancient science of Ayurveda has many unique concepts regarding the creation of the living, health issues, diseases and their treatment. These are distinctive and have the scope to incorporate modern development into them. During the trying times of the recent pandemic, there has been the development of sensors for detecting VOCs (volatile organic compounds) produced by COVID-infected individuals which helped to diagnose the disease swiftly to minimize its spread. The interaction between pathogenic viruses in respiratory tract infection and the body's microenvironment produces distinctive volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are gaseous molecules released as a product of metabolic processes in the body whose composition changes directly as a result of pathologic processes, such as an infection. This concept of different body odours in physiological and pathological conditions has been mentioned in Ayurveda thoroughly, especially in the context of Balagraha (which can be correlated to various infectious diseases). This shows the science's proficiency to be way ahead of its time. Thus, the incorporation of such distinctive ayurvedic concepts will help in the comprehensive development of the medical sciences

Understanding the flavor signature of the rice grown in different regions of China via metabolite profiling.

Rice is the staple food of most people in China. The fragrance of rice varies from region to region, and high-quality rice always has a pleasant aroma. To protect consumers from misleading information and fraud, and to serve the interests of high-quality rice producers, and to develop a rice regional protection system in China, the phenotype of rice grown in different Chinese regions needs to be known. Thus the flavor phenotype of the rice cultivated in China is studied. The volatile organic compounds of rice samples in China have good classification potential and the 37 rice products investigated herein may be divided into three main categories: north-eastern rice, central and southern rice, and Shanghai rice. Orthogonal projection to latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model exhibited a good discrimination for rice samples in China. Based on selected distinctive biomarker compounds, data-driven soft independent modeling of class analogy was successfully applied to identifying the origin of samples. Moreover, the differential volatile compounds identified in this study endow the rice samples with distinctive flavor characteristics. The results of this study are valuable in understanding the difference of flavor characteristics of rice grown in different regions of China, and in the identification of geographical origins to develop China's geographic protection product industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Olive Tree Derivatives and Hydroxytyrosol: Their Potential Effects on Human Health and Its Use as Functional Ingredient in Meat.

Olive (Olea europaea) is one of the most extensive crops in the Mediterranean countries, and an important source of extra distinctive compounds that has been widely tested due to its known health benefits. Olive derivatives, such as extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and olive leaves are rich in antioxidant compounds such as hydroxytyrosol (HXT) and oleuropein and oleic acid, as main monounsaturated fatty acid. Because of HXT molecular structure, its regular consumption reports important beneficial properties such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer. As a matter of fact, its antioxidant and antimicrobial effects made this compound a good preservative agent against meat deterioration and spoilage, capable of replacing some synthetic additives whose continued and regular consumption may negatively affect the human health. On the contrary side, this extract has an unpleasant odor and flavor, so a synthetic source of HXT could also be used to improve the sensory quality of the meat products. In this sense, this review exposes the health benefits provided by the consumption of EVOO and HXT, and the newest research about its application on meat, together new trends about its use as functional ingredient in meat and meat products.

Molecular mechanisms of the irradiation-induced accumulation of polyphenols in star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.)

Irradiation technology has been shown to be a possible preservation technology used to prolong the shelf life and provide microbial decontamination of spices. In this study, the molecular mechanisms of the irradiation-induced accumulation of polyphenols in star anise were explored using metabolomics combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-Orbitrap (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap) high-resolution mass spectrometry. Fifty-six star anise samples from different areas processed with 2–10 kGy doses of irradiation were compared. The effect of post irradiation storage times ranging from 0 to 70 days was also evaluated. A total of 161 metabolites with variable importance on projection greater than 1 were characterized, and significant differences in flavonoid content in star anise were observed after irradiation. Absolute quantification was used for the quantification of distinctive compounds, and the limit of quantitation of the components was 1.90–6.53 μg/kg. The flavonoid content was stable on the 28th day of storage. The average content of flavonoids increased by 2–9 times due to the breaking of glycoside bonds in star anise by irradiation. C15H11O7+m/z 303.13045 and C3H3O2+m/z 71.01276 were defined as the characteristic fragments of flavonoids according to the mechanism of fragmentation. Checking the extraction ion chromatogram (EIC) characteristic fragments allows straightforward screening of untargeted flavonoids.

Identification of Distinctive Odor Compounds Generated from Garlic Infected by Potato Rot Nematode Using Gas Chromatography-olfactometry

Identification of Distinctive Odor Compounds Generated from Garlic Infected by Potato Rot Nematode Using Gas Chromatography-olfactometry

Capacidad metabólica de cultivos mixtos probióticos formados por cepas de Lactobacillus y Bifidobacterium para uso en alimentos lácteos fermentados funcionales

The metabolic capacity of probiotic mixed cultures formed by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains was assessed through the determination of the acidification profile and the production of amino acids and volatile compounds, during the fermentation of ultra-pasteurized skim milk. Two mixed cultures formed by [L. acidophilus + B. bifidum] and [L. acidophilus + B. animalis] stood out in the production of essential amino acids: His, Ile, Leu, Met, Thr, Trp and Val. As well as increased production of volatile compounds such as: acetoin, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, acetic acid, acid butanoic and hexanoic acid, in contrast to commercial fermented dairy products. Additionally, these bacterial mixed cultures were characterized by the production of distinctive volatile compounds: 1-heptanol, diisobutylcarninol, hemellitol, 1-dodecanol, acetone, 2-pentanone, 2-undecanone, ethyl acetate, benzaldehyde as well as valeric, acetyl valeric and isopropylpyruvic acids. Finally, the culture formed by [L. acidophilus + B. bifidum] presented a good acidification profile with a lactic acid production of 26.1 ± 0.1 g / L and pH 3.6 at the end of fermentation. This data suggests a great potential of these mixed cultures to improve the nutritional value and organoleptic characteristics of fermented dairy products, when added as starter or adjunct cultures in the fermentation process.