Higher Total Antioxidant Capacity Research Articles

Study of the functional properties of a fermented milk product based on mare’s milk

In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in the use of mare’s milk for human nutrition as well as in the use of this product for treatment and prevention of diseases such as hepatitis, chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, tuberculosis and others. The beneficial properties of mare’s milk are determined first of all by its significant differences from ubiquitous cow’s milk. Many studies show that consumption of fermented milk products offers various advantages for health and the use of probiotic cultures in the composition of starters for fermented milk products allows imparting several functional properties to a product. However, kumis is the only available fermented milk product from mare’s milk on the market. Therefore, the development of new fermented milk products based on mare’s milk is topical and highly demanded. Fermented milk products were developed based on mare’s milk and mare’s milk with addition of cow’s milk using the association consisted of the starter for yogurt and the probiotic strain L. rhamnosus F. The aim of the work was to determine functional properties of fermented milk products based on mare’s milk and mare’s milk with addition of cow’s milk by in vitro methods. It was proved that the products had the high total antioxidant capacity, antiradical and antimicrobial activities as well as the low value of atherogenicity (1.22); the ratio of hypocholesterolemic fatty acids to hypercholesterolemic fatty acids is 1.40.

Effects of garlic and onion powder on egg production, antioxidant status and some blood parameters in chukar partridges

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of onion-garlic powder on egg production, antioxidant capacity and blood biochemistry in chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar). The study was conducted for 12 weeks during the laying period and a total of 240 partridges were divided into 4 groups (control, 1% onion, 1% garlic, and 1% onion and 1% garlic). The highest total antioxidant capacity, feed consumption and egg production were determined in the garlic group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively) and the lowest egg production and feed intake was observed in the onion group. Egg production in the garlic –onion mixture group was also higher than the control and only onion group (P < 0.01). While there was no statistical difference in blood HDL, LDL, glucose, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus levels (P > 0.05), blood urea, ALT, AST levels were higher (P < 0.05) in the garlic group with the highest egg production and feed intake (P < 0.01) compared to the control and onion groups. Unlike many studies, the highest cholesterol levels were determined in the garlic supplemented group (P < 0.05) and the expected positive effects were not seen in onion powder.

Lycopene Reduces the In Vitro Aging Phenotypes of Mouse Oocytes by Improving Their Oxidative Status.

Simple SummaryOvulation is the process of oocyte release from the ruptured mature ovarian follicle into the oviduct. Fertilization usually occurs within 10 h post-ovulation in most mammals. If fertilization is delayed, the oocyte viability and quality will decrease, with many deteriorative changes in oocyte phenotype due to oxidative stress. This process is termed postovulatory aging. Postovulatory aging is a major problem that limits the success of many assisted reproductive technologies. Lycopene is a red carotenoid dye found within tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Lycopene has been reported to have a strong free-radical scavenging ability. our data showed beneficial effects of lycopene supplementation of in vitro maturation media during in vitro aging of mouse oocytes by reducing the oxidative stress damages that led to their apoptosis. The present study introduces lycopene as a natural supplement to reduce the postovulatory aging of mammalian oocytes.Postovulatory aging is a major problem that limits the success of many assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Oxidative stress is a leading cause of oocyte aging. This study investigated the effects of lycopene supplementation of in vitro maturation (IVM) medium during the aging of mouse oocytes on the oocytes’ morphology and oxidative stress status. Mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected and cultured in the IVM medium either for 17 h, (freshly matured oocytes), or for 48 h, (in vitro-aged oocytes), with or without lycopene. The rate of fragmented and degenerated oocytes and the oocyte levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were estimated and compared. Oocytes aged with 200 nM lycopene revealed significantly less fragmentation and degeneration, lower H2O2 and MDA levels, and higher TAC, GSH and SOD levels than those aged without lycopene. CAT levels were unchanged by lycopene treatment. Taken together, our data showed beneficial effects of lycopene during in vitro aging of mouse oocytes by reducing the oxidative stress damages that lead to their apoptosis. The present study introduces lycopene as a natural supplement to reduce the postovulatory aging-dependent abnormalities of mammalian oocytes.

Association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and hypertension in Iranian Kurdish women

BackgroundAntioxidants intake from diet has been identified as one of the effective factors in the development of hypertension (HTN). The present study aimed to investigate the association between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and HTN in women.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed using the baseline phase data of the ravansar non-communicable disease cohort study. The TAC was calculated using food items of the food frequency questionnaire. TAC scores were classified into four groups (quartile). The first and fourth quartiles had the lowest and highest TAC scores, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to estimate the odds ratio.ResultsA total of 5067 women were included in the study. Women with the highest socioeconomic status (SES) had a significantly higher TAC intake compared to those with the lowest SES (P < 0.001). The participants in the third and fourth quartiles of the TAC had significantly lower odds of HTN, respectively by 21% (OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.972) and 26% (OR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.91), compared to the first quartile. After adjusting for confounding variables was found to significantly reduce the odds of developing HTN in the fourth quartile of TAC by 22% compared to the first quartile (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.97).ConclusionA high dietary TAC was associated to a decreased odd of HTN in women. We could suggest a diet rich in natural antioxidants as it may help prevent development of HTN.

Glucose Tolerance, Antiprotease Activity and Total Oxidant/Antioxidant Capacity Studies of β-Glucosidase Hybrid Nanoflower for Industrial Applications.

β-Glycosidases, which catalyse the hydrolysis of glycoside bonds, have a wide spectrum of industrial applications. However, the reaction product glucose inhibits the activities of many β-glucosidases. Consequently, the reduced catalytic activities of the enzyme limit the industrial applications of the enzymes. For that reason, the studies dealing with maintaining the activities of the relevant enzymes at high glucose concentrations are a great interest among the researchers. In this context, herein, protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers were synthesized using β-glucosidase and copper ion by fast sonication method for 10 min. After characterization of synthesized nanoflowers, pH/temperature studies, glucose tolerance, anti-protease activity, recyclability and total antioxidant and total oxidative capacity levels were estimated. Accordingly, the optimum pHs of free β-glucosidase and hybrid nanoflower (β-GNF) were found to be 6 and 5, respectively, and the optimum temperature values for both hybrid nanoflowers and free enzyme were 40 °C. β-GNF exhibited better activity than free enzyme in low acidic and alkaline environment and at high temperature. The nanoflower retained nearly all (99 %) of its initial activity at all glucose concentrations (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL), especially at pH 5 and 6. Also, β-GNF maintained more than 90 % of initial activity at 0.01 and 0.05 mg/mL glucose at pH 4 and 7. It also displayed about 96 % high residual activity after proteinase K treatment for 3 h at 37 °C, while that of the free β-glucosidase was about 87 %. The reusability studies showed that β-GNF only lost ∼28 % of its initial activities at the end of five cycles. The hybrid nanoflowers at 5 mg/mL concentration exhibited the high total antioxidant capacity. In addition, low total oxidant capacity and oxidative stress index levels were recorded at the same concentration of the hybrid nanoflower. The findings of the present study revealed that β-GNFs may be evaluated as a candidate for various industrial applications due to its high glucose tolerance, anti-protease activity, reusability and resistance to low acidic/alkaline environment and high temperature.

Purple grape juice improves performance of recreational runners, but the effect is genotype dependent: a double blind, randomized, controlled trial

BackgroundWe examined the influence of superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) Arg213Gly and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated α-Receptor (PPARα) 7G/C polymorphisms to a single dose of purple grape juice supplementation on time-to-exhaustion running test, redox balance and muscle damage in recreational runners.MethodsForty-seven male recreational runners performed a running test until exhaustion after supplementation with grape juice or a control drink. Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma nitrite (NO), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured pre and post exercise. Also, polymorphisms were analyzed in DNA extracted from the oral mucosa.ResultsGrape juice improved the time-to-exhaustion. When analyzed by genotype, the recreational runners with GG+CG genotypes of the SOD3 gene had greater time-to-exhaustion than the CC genotype, but was no different for the PAPRα gene. A slight difference was noted in TAC, since the CC genotype of the SOD3 gene showed higher TAC values in the post-exercise compared to the baseline and with pre-exercise, but these values did not increase compared to the CG+GG group, respectively. The SOD3 and PPARα genes were similar at all times for the other biochemical variables.ConclusionThe ergogenic effect of grape juice was genotype-dependent for SOD3 Arg213Gly. However, biochemical redox balance markers did not explain this difference.

Evaluation of the in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds of black cumin (BARI‐1cumin) methanolic extract

AbstractThis study aims to evaluate the phenolic contents, chemical composition, mineral amount as well as antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts from dried black cumin (Nigella sativa L; family: Ranunculaceae) seed powder. We also performed an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process to understand the effect on phenolic components and their antioxidant activity after gastrointestinal digestion. Black cumin showed high amounts of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, such as dihydroxybenzoic acid and ferulic acid, through high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. Six mineral elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Se, and Zn) were determined by using coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while 25 fatty acids (13 saturated, 7 unsaturated, and 5 unsaturated omega fatty acids) were also identified by gas chromatography, with linoleic acid the most present. In addition, black cumin extract presented high antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC. Additionally, dried black cumin powder was evaluated after gastrointestinal digestion: phenolic compounds (1.81‐fold), flavonoids (1.03‐fold), and antioxidant capacity (up to 2.1‐fold) increased in gastric fraction compared to the undigested methanolic extract. Moreover, a higher amount (p &lt; 0.05) of total phenolic content and flavonoids, as well as higher total antioxidant capacity, were found in the gastric and elimination fraction than in the bioaccessible fraction. Our results demonstrated that there were a significant decrease in the quantity of phenolic compounds (68%) and flavonoids (95.53%) after gastrointestinal digestion in the bioaccessible fraction as well as a reduced the antioxidant activity (10.79%–94.84%), suggesting that phenolic compounds are responsible for antioxidant activity.

Composition of the essential oils, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the methanolic extract of Prangos uloptera

Background: Prangos uloptera is a medicinal plant from the Apiaceae family which is native to Iran. Objectives: In the current study, phytochemical constituents of the essential oils, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of the aerial parts of P. uloptera were investigated. Materials and Methods: To determine the main ingredients of the essential oils and to investigate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of this plant, the GC-MS (gas chromatography - mass spectrometry) analysis, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and microdilution method were used. Results: The GC–MS analysis showed that the leading constituents of the essential oils were butyl octanoate (24.88%), 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z) (14.19%) and alpha-pinene (19.28%) in the flowers, fruit and leaves, respectively. The greatest amount of phenolic compound was observed in methanolic extract of the leaves (0.5 ± 0.11 mgGAEs/g). Likewise, the greatest level of flavonoids (0.074 ± 12.4 mg QEs/g) was identified in the leaves. Furthermore, DPPH assay showed the most radical scavenging activity (IC50 201.7 ± 20.39 μg/mL) in the methanolic extract of the leaves. The highest total antioxidant capacity was observed in the fruit (0.004 ± 0.0005 g AAE/ml). The antibacterial activity of the plant extracts against the pathogenic fungal and bacterial species was investigated by broth microdilution method. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) amounts were in the ranges of 312 to 10000 and 1000 to 10000 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this research demonstrated that P. uloptera was a potent source of useful bioactive compounds, making it a promising candidate for further studies.

Investigation of the Light Intensity Effect on Growth, Molting, Hemolymph Lipid, and Antioxidant Capacity of Juvenile Swimming Crab Portunus trituberculatus

An eight-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of eight light intensities (0, 0.83, 1.61, 8.17, 15.89, 31.38, 63.69, and 124.31 μmol m-2 s-1) on the survival, growth, antioxidant, molting-related and apoptosis-related gene expression of juvenile swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus. The results showed that the survival rate of crabs was the highest under the light intensities of 8.17 and 15.89 μmol m-2 s-1. Under this light intensity, the crabs had the lowest hemolymph glucose (GLU) but the highest triglyceride (TG) content. The crabs in these treatments also had the highest total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, and the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The growth performance (including weight gain and specific growth rate) and molting frequency of crabs increased with increasing light intensity. The improved growth performance and molting of 8.17 and 15.89 μmol m-2 s-1 groups were also accompanied by up-regulated of the retinoid-X receptor (rxr), ecdysone receptor (ecr), nuclear receptor E75 (e75) gene expression, and down-regulated molt-inhibiting hormone (mih) gene expression. In addition, suboptimal light intensity (0, 0.83, 63.69, and 124.31 μmol m-2 s-1) significantly up-regulated the expression of apoptosis-related genes including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (jnk), tumor suppressor p53 (p53), and B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl-2). Taken together, the suitable light intensity for the juvenile P. trituberculatus was estimated to be 9.96 μmol m-2 s-1.

Impact of coffee preparation on total phenolic content in brewed coffee extracts and their contribution to the body's antioxidant status.

Although coffee has been reported as a major contributor to antioxidants in the diet, there are limited studies assessing how brewing methods and types of coffee affect antioxidant capacity of coffee consumers. This study was aimed to investigate the impact of coffee preparation on total phenolic content in brewed coffee extracts and their contribution to antioxidant status. We examined how the different brewing methods affect total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in brewed coffee extracts, then assessed the antioxidant status of coffee consumers after drinking coffee. Results showed that consuming capsule versus French press coffee provides a higher total phenolic content and drinking capsule coffee leads to greater antioxidant status as shown by the higher total antioxidant capacity in urine. Further studies can expand on this by using a broader range of brewing methods to evaluate the contribution of brewing methods of coffee to antioxidant status.

Effects of magnolol and honokiol blend on performance, egg quality, hepatic lipid metabolism, and intestinal morphology of hens at late laying cycle

Magnolol and its isomer honokiol are polyphenols with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. We evaluated the effects of magnolol and honokiol supplementation alone or in combination with hen diets during the late laying cycle. A total of 540 Jingfen pink-shell laying hens (50 weeks old) were randomly assigned to six treatments: a control diet and diets supplemented with 300 mg/kg magnolol (M300), honokiol (H300), or 300 mg/kg total phenols with a magnolol/honokiol ratio of 2:1 (M200H100), 1:2 (M100H200), and 1:1 (M150H150). Compared with that of the control, all supplementation groups had higher laying rates and the M300, M100H200, and M150H150 groups showed comparatively lower feed conversion ratios. Magnolol and honokiol supplementation increased the Haugh units of fresh eggs at week 62 and alleviated the decline of the Haugh units of eggs stored for 14 days. Compared with that of the control group, the serum total antioxidant capacity of the M100H200 and M150H150 groups significantly increased, and all supplementation groups had higher total antioxidant capacity and lower malondialdehyde content in the liver. With respect to lipid metabolism, the M200H100 and M150H150 groups had lower total and relative liver weights compared with those of the control and H300 groups. The mRNA expression levels of CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1, fatty acid synthase and stearyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 involved in lipogenesis; microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and apolipoprotein B involved in fatty acid transport; and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta were lower in all supplementation groups compared with those in the control. With respect to gut health, the heights of the jejunum and ileum villi significantly increased in all supplementation groups compared with those of the control, and the jejunum villus heights of the M300 and M150H150 groups were higher than those of the H300 and M100H200 groups. The H300 and M150H150 groups had higher mRNA expression levels of zonula occludens-1 in the ileum compared with those in the control and M300 groups, whereas all supplementation groups had higher mRNA levels of claudin-1 than that of the control group. In conclusion, magnolol and honokiol improved hen performance and the albumen quality of fresh and stored eggs by improving the antioxidant capacity, liver lipid metabolism, and intestinal health of laying hens. The combination of magnolol and honokiol at a 1:1 ratio may be an optimal choice for hen diet supplementation.

In vitro antioxidant and antifungal activities of different solvent extracts of leaf peel and gel of Aloe succotrina and their bio-control of leaf spot disease of Phaseolus vulgaris seedlings

Phytochemical constituents, in vitro antioxidant and antifungal activities of leaf peel and gel of Aloe succotrina (Xanthorrhoeaceae) using different solvents, n-butanol, ethylacetate, water and methanol, were evaluated. The antifungal effects of these different solvent extracts against pathogenic fungi, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cochliobolus specifer, causing leaf spot disease of seedlings of Phaseolus vulgaris were evaluated. In addition, their effects on different growth attributes and metabolite content of treated P. vulgaris seedlings were measured. Highest flavonoid content was measured in the ethylacetate extract, while, the highest concentrations of saponins and tannins were measured in butanol extract. Water and methanol exhibited higher phenolic content. All solvent extracts of leaf peel and gel of A. succotrina could be categorized as strong radical scavengers based on their respective inhibitory concentration at 50% scavenging activity (IC50) values. The highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured for the methanol leaf peel extract [194.04 mg ascorbic acid (AA) equivalent /g dry weight (DW)]. Alternaria alternata was the most resistant species showing the least growth inhibition percentages in vitro antifungal assays. All plant extracts exhibited considerable growth inhibition (> 70%) with C. cladosporioides referring to its pronounced susceptibility. The leaf spot disease incidence of P. vulgaris seedlings was completely disappeared after seedlings treatment by the methanol leaf peel extract of A. succotrina. Moreover, most measured seedlings growth attributes, e.g., the shoots and roots lengths, the contents of photosynthetic pigments and carbohydrates were significantly enhanced. The methanol extracts of leaf peel of A. succotrina could be considered as potential sources of antioxidant as well as antifungal compounds to control A. alternata leaf spot disease. Treatment of P. vulgaris with water leaf and gel extracts of A. succotrina improved its growth attributes and resistance against leaf spot caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cochliobolus specifer.

Antioxidant, flavonoid, α-tocopherol, β-carotene, fatty acids, and fermentation profiles of alfalfa silage inoculated with novel Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici strains with high-antioxidant activity

Six lactic acid bacteria strains with high-antioxidant activity were screened and applied to alfalfa silage to develop antioxidant probiotics for silage production. Alfalfa was ensiled without inoculants (control) or with a commercial strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GFG) and antioxidant strains L. plantarum 24-7 (24-7), L. plantarum BX62 (BX62), L. plantarum AS21 (AS21), L. plantarum FM15 (FM15), Pediococcus acidilactici 13-7 (13-7), P. acidilactici J17 (J17) at dry matter concentration of 400 g/kg for 60 d, respectively. Alfalfa silage was investigated on silage fermentation, chemical and microbial compositions, antioxidant enzymes, total flavonoid, α-tocopherol, β-carotene and fatty acid. The results showed that AS21, FM15, 13-7, and J17 inoculations improved (P < 0.001) lactic acid concentration in alfalfa silage compared with control and GFG-treated silages. Compared with control and GFG-treated silages, AS21- (P < 0.001), FM15- (P = 0.007), 13-7- (P = 0.03), and J17-treated (P < 0.001) silages decreased ammonia nitrogen concentration. All inoculants with high-antioxidant activity reduced the losses of α-tocopherol (P < 0.001) and β-carotene (P < 0.001). Higher total flavonoid concentration was found in 24-7- (P = 0.004), BX62- (P < 0.001), FM15- (P = 0.03), J17-treated (P < 0.001) silages versus control. In comparison to control and GFG-treated silages, 24-7- (P < 0.001), BX62- (P < 0.001), AS21- (P = 0.004), FM15- (P = 0.002), J17-treated (P < 0.001) silages had higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Except for strain J17, inoculations with the screened strains had higher (P < 0.001) total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity in alfalfa silage compared with control and GFG-treated silages. The highest T-AOC (P < 0.001, 200 U/g FW) was observed in AS21-treated silage. Inoculated silages had higher (P < 0.001) glutathione peroxidase activity versus control. Conversely, compared with control and GFG-treated silages, lower superoxide dismutase activity was observed in FM15- (P < 0.001) and J17-treated (P < 0.001) silages. Lower lipoxygenase (LOX) activity (P < 0.001) was observed in screened strains treated-silages compared with control and GFG-treated silages. Pearson correlation analysis showed that T-AOC was positively correlated with α-tocopherol (r = 0.66, P = 0.05) and β-carotene (r = 0.76, P = 0.02), but negatively correlated with LOX (r = − 0.67, P = 0.05). Conclusively, all the tested strains with high-antioxidant activity can be used as candidate strains to improve the antioxidant status of ensiled alfalfa, and strain AS21 is the most preferred strain.

Effects of dietary curcumin in growth performance, oxidative status and gut morphometry and function of gilthead seabream postlarvae

An imbalance in the production and detoxification of reactive oxygen species and other oxidants can disrupt all types of cellular compounds, and lead to a state of oxidative stress. Preventing this state is essential to improve growth and health in animal production. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess if the dietary supplementation of curcumin could improve the antioxidant status and intestine structure and functionality of gilthead seabream postlarvae, with the global objective of improving fish growth performance and robustness. Two experimental diets supplemented with different doses of curcumin (LOW and HIGH diets), and a commercial diet were fed to quadruplicate groups of postlarvae, for 20 days. At the end of the feeding trial fish fed the supplemented diets significantly improved their antioxidant status compared to CTRL fed fish. LOW and HIGH fed fish presented lower protein oxidative damage (P < 0.05) and higher total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). Moreover, postlarvae fed curcumin supplemented diets also presented an upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2 – related factor 2 (nrf2) and glutathione-disulfide reductase (gr) in HIGH (P < 0.05) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) in LOW treatments (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in growth performance, intestine morphometry, and digestive enzymes activities among treatments (P > 0.05). In conclusion, dietary curcumin supplementation was able to enhance gilthead seabream postlarvae robustness through a modulation of the oxidative status, increasing total antioxidant capacity and decreasing protein oxidative damage. This data provide evidence that curcumin can be a suitable feed additive to promote heath status and robustness of fish at early stages of development, therefore contributing for the development and sustainability of marine fish hatchery production.

Comparative Study of the Antioxidant Constituents, Activities and the GC-MS Quantification and Identification of Fatty Acids of Four Selected Helichrysum Species.

Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae) is a plant genus comprising distinctively of aromatic plants of about 500–600 species. Since most of these plants have not been previously studied, extensive profiling helps to validate their folkloric uses and determine their potential value as sources of plant-derived drug candidates. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the antioxidant activity (DPPH, NO, FRAP); total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and fatty acid compositions of the aqueous acetone extracts from four Helichrysum plants namely, Helichrysum pandurifolium, Helichrysum foetidum, Helichrysum petiolare, and Helichrysum cymocum. The results obtained showed that the H. cymocum extract had the best DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 11.85 ± 3.20 µg/mL) and H. petiolare extract had the best nitric oxide scavenging activity (IC50 = 20.81 ± 3.73 µg/mL), while H. pandurifolium Schrank extract (0.636 ± 0.005 µg/mL) demonstrated the best ferrous reducing power, all of which are comparable with results from ascorbic acid used as the standard. The IC50 values of the radical scavenging activity ranged from 11.85–41.13 µg/mL (DPPH), 20.81–36.19 µg/mL (NO), and 0.505–0.636 µg/mL (FRAP), for all the plants studied. The H. petiolare has the highest total antioxidant capacity (48.50 ± 1.55 mg/g), highest total phenolic content (54.69 ± 0.23 mg/g), and highest total flavonoid content (56.19 ± 1.01 mg/g) compared with other species. The fatty acid methyl esters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results obtained showed variations in the fatty acid composition of the plant extracts, with H. petiolare having the highest saturated fatty acid (SFA) content (7184 µg/g) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content (7005.5 µg/g). In addition, H. foetidum had the highest monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content (1150.3 µg/g), while H. cymocum had the highest PUFA:SFA ratio of 1.202. In conclusion, the findings from this study revealed that H. pandurifolium Schrank, H. foetidum, H. petiolare, and H. cymocum are repositories of natural bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting benefits that need to be investigated, for both their antioxidant activity in a number of disease conditions and for further exploration in drug discovery and development projects.

FLUCTUATIONS OF TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY (TAC) IN FRESH AND REFRIGERATED FRUIT JUICES BOUGHT IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

Fruit juices contain phenolic compounds and vitamin C which possess antioxidant capacity. A knowledge of the effect of refrigerated storage on the total antioxidant characteristics of citrus fruits is necessary. Total antioxidant capacities (TAC) of nine Nigerian fruits were collected from a local market. The pulp and seed free juices were obtained using a Gallenkamp juicer. The fresh fruit juices namely; Green Apple, carrot, Grape, Mango (Mangifera indica), ?Bush mango‘(Irvinga gabonesis), Orange, pawpaw, pineapple and watermelon were stored in plastic containers and refrigerated at 20C for 0, 15, 30,60,120, 240,and 360minutes. The juices were thereafter assayed for total antioxidant capacity during the timed intervals. Fresh Mango fruit juice had the highest TAC with a value of 76.62 ± 0.16mM Trolox Equil/L. Pawpaw and pineapple juices had the lowest value of 11.89±1.29 mM and 12.91± 1.05mM Trolox Equil/L respectively. The results showed general fluctuations in the TAC of all the fruit juices. These values fluctuated between 15 and 30minutes period and rose to a peak between thirty minutes to two hours, except for apple which peaked at the fourth hour. Thereafter a downward trend was observed in all the fruit juices. TAC decreased thereafter to values lower than that obtained at 0hr. There were no significant difference at p ? 0.05 between the values for TAC at 0 and 6hr for carrot, grape, apple and pineapple juices. Therefore these juices have the greatest storage stability and the smallest antioxidant capacity decrease. Watermelon and pawpaw juices have the lowest TAC and after 6hours of refrigerated storage, the values were significantly lowered. Fruit juices should be consumed within two hours of its preparation to benefit maximally from its antioxidant content and effect

Effect of different extraction conditions on phlorotannin content and antioxidant activity of extract from brown algae ( Sargassum angustifolium )

Brown algae are a valuable source of natural antioxidant compounds, especially phlorotannins. In this study, the extraction was performed from brown alga Sargassum angustifolium by three methods: solvent, ultrasound- assisted and microwave-assisted. Then the amount of phlorotannin content and antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated. The solvent extraction was performed at room temperature (26-28 °C) with ethanol/ water solvent in three ratios (30:70), (50:50), and (70:30). Also, the extraction was performed by ultrasound- assisted and microwave-assisted with ethanol solvent in three durations of 10, 25, and 40 minutes. Ultrasound- assisted conditions included 24 kHz frequency, 400 w power level and 50% amplitude. The power level of microwave-assisted was 450 w. The amount of phlorotannin content, total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant power, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and total antioxidant capacity in different extracts were evaluated. The results showed that the yield of phlorotannin content was dependent on the solvent concentration, and its amount increased with increasing polarity of the solvent. According to this, the maximum amount of phlorotannin was obtained from ethanol/ water treatment (30:70) at the rate of 3.40± 0.00 mg phloroglucinol per gram dry weight that was significantly higher than the other two treatments (P< 0.05). The highest total phenol content was obtained in ethanol/ water treatment (30:70) and the highest total antioxidant capacity was obtained in ethanol/ water treatment (70:30). According to all factors and variables considered, the best treatment was microwave assisted- extraction in the duration of 25 and 40 minutes. Finally, it was found that the extract of brown alga S. angustifolium was a perfect choice for the extraction of antioxidant compounds, especially phlorotannins for dietary and medicinal purposes.

Dietary vitamin C in pre-parturient dairy cows and their calves: blood metabolites, copper, zinc, iron, and vitamin C concentrations, and calves growth performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin C supplementation on blood parameters of pre-parturient (PP) dairy cows and growth performance and immune system of their newborn calves. Forty PP cows (at approximately 21days before calving and an average weight 791 ± 50kg) were allocated into two experimental treatments: (1) basal diet without vitamin C supplementation (CO) and (2) basal diet with 20g of vitamin C supplementation from 21days before calving to parturition (VC). After parturition, the experiment continued by grouping the calves into four dietary treatments with 8 calves in each treatment. The experimental treatments were (1) control calves with no vitamin C supplementation and from cows that received no vitamin C supplement (CON), (2) calves supplemented with 600mg of vitamin C per day and from cows that received no vitamin C supplement (CVC), (3) calves supplemented with no vitamin C and from cows that received 20g of vitamin C per day (MVC), and (4) calves supplemented with 600mg of vitamin C per day and from cows that received 20g of vitamin C per day (CMVC). Serum concentrations of glucose, HDL and LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, and albumin of cows were not affected by vitamin C supplementation during pre-parturient period. However, cows that received VC diet had lower (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations, higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and vitamin C concentration in their blood compared to CO cows. Vitamin C supplementation had no effect on plasma iron, copper, and zinc concentrations of PP cows. Similarly, vitamin C supplementation had no effect on total feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of suckling calves. However, calves in the CMVC group had higher (P < 0.05) overall daily weight gain compared to the other groups. Calves in the CVC and CMVC groups had lower (P < 0.05) blood MDA concentration on days 7 and 21. The highest (P < 0.05) blood TAC level was recorded in CMVC calves. Control group calves had lower (P < 0.05) blood superoxide dismutase activity compared to the other calves. Blood levels of alanine aminotransferase on days 7 and 21 and aspartate aminotransferase on day 7 were higher (P < 0.05) for calves in the CON and MVC groups. Based on the results, vitamin C supplementation had positive health effects on the oxidative parameters of PP dairy cows and also improved the performance and health status of the calves.

The Response to Oxidative Damage Correlates with Driver Mutations and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Myelofibrosis.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is the Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the worst prognosis and no response to conventional therapy. Driver mutations in JAK2 and CALR impact on JAK-STAT pathway activation but also on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS play a pivotal role in inflammation-induced oxidative damage to cellular components including DNA, therefore leading to greater genomic instability and promoting cell transformation. In order to unveil the role of driver mutations in oxidative stress, we assessed ROS levels in CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells of MF patients. Our results demonstrated that ROS production in CD34+ cells from CALR-mutated MF patients is far greater compared with patients harboring JAK2 mutation, and this leads to increased oxidative DNA damage. Moreover, CALR-mutant cells show less superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant activity than JAK2-mutated ones. Here, we show that high plasma levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) correlate with detrimental clinical features, such as high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and circulating CD34+ cells. Moreover, in JAK2-mutated patients, high plasma level of TAC is also associated with a poor overall survival (OS), and multivariate analysis demonstrated that high TAC classification is an independent prognostic factor allowing the identification of patients with inferior OS in both DIPSS lowest and highest categories. Altogether, our data suggest that a different capability to respond to oxidative stress can be one of the mechanisms underlying disease progression of myelofibrosis.

Effect of cultivar and drying methods on phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in olive (&lt;i&gt;Olea europaea&lt;/i&gt; L.) leaves

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;Up to 5% of the total olive weight arriving at the mill is discarded as leaves. Interest in the possible uses of these residues is growing, because they constitute a potential cheap and abundant source of compounds with high total antioxidant capacity (TAC) associated with total phenolic content (TPC) and biophenols such as hydroxytyrosol (HC) and oleuropein (OC), which could be used as nutraceuticals or as natural substitutes for synthetic antioxidants. However, studies that characterize specific cultivars, interannual variability, and different drying methods are lacking. This work investigates the TAC, TPC, HC and OC in olive (&lt;italic&gt;Olea europaea&lt;/italic&gt; L.) leaves under four drying methods (vacuum-drying, oven-drying, freeze-drying and air-drying). Leaves were collected from cultivars 'Arbequina' grown under organic methods and from 'Arroniz', 'Empeltre', 'Arbosana', 'Picual' and 'Arbequina' grown under conventional systems. Among fresh samples, 'Arbosana' leaves presented the highest TPC (34.0 ± 1.1 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW)) and TAC (146 ± 20 μmol Trolox equivalents/g DW) and the lowest interannual variability of the TPC (3.2%). The four tested drying methods were also compared as the effect on TPC, TAC, HC and OC. Freeze-drying and air-drying best preserved TPC and TAC in olive leaves. However, air-drying maintained greater OC (14–40 mg/g DW) than freeze-drying (3–20 mg/g DW). Air-dried ecological 'Arbequina' leaves exhibited the highest TPC and TAC. Consequently, this cultivar presented more valorization opportunities as a source of nutraceuticals or natural antioxidants.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;