High Rutin Content Research Articles

Characterization and mapping of a QTL derived from Solanum habrochaites associated with elevated rutin content (quercetin-3-rutinoside) in tomato

Consumption of flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables is linked to beneficial health outcomes. Tomato is among the most widely consumed and economically important vegetables worldwide and improvement of the nutrient content could lead to significant health benefits. Rutin, (quercetin-3-rutinoside), the main flavonol in tomato fruit, is confined to the peel. Rutin synthesis is limited by low expression of chalcone isomerase, the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of naringenin chalcone to naringenin quercetin. The wild tomato species Solanum habrochaites is a major source of new alleles to improve cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center identified introgression line (IL) LA3984 containing a segment of S. habrochaites on chromosome 5 expressing high levels of rutin in full red ripe fruit. An AVRDC high rutin tomato line evaluated for 2 years and two seasons in Taiwan produced mean rutin content about four- to five-fold greater than the mean of all entries and about 11–12 times higher than the commercial fresh market and processing tomato cultivars. The quantitative trait locus (QTL) conditioning high rutin content was mapped to a 0.42 Mb segment on chromosome 5 flanked by markers c2_At3g55120/TaqI and ch05-4.883/ApaLI. Marker c2_Atg55120 overlaps with the chalcone-flavonone isomerase gene Solyc05g10320, and a second chalcone-flavonone isomerase gene is located 3,000 bp upstream from c2_At3g551220. Results of this project will facilitate breeding of high flavonoid tomato lines.

Electroanalysis for Quality Control of Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) Fruits and their Commercial Products

The use of natural antioxidants is widespread around the world since they may delay oxidative stress and, consequently, degenerative diseases. Among the prescribed healthy habits for humans is the consumption of fruits containing high levels of phenolic compounds and other radical scavengers. Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) is very appreciated for its high content of ascorbic acid (AA) and rutin, two remarkable natural antioxidants (NA). Industrialized as frozen pulp and processed as juice, it is also a good source of carotenoids and anthocyanins. Nevertheless, its commercialization is hindered by its low stability. Considering the great potential of acerola frozen and dried products as rich sources of NA, the development of analytical methods focusing on the determination of active components is imperative for their quality control. Therefore, the aim of this work was to apply differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) for quality control of different products made of acerola fruits. Quality control samples consisted of acerola products spiked with AA, which was the biomarker, compared with its contents in samples analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA). DPV was employed for quantification of AA in all samples. The achieved limits of detection and quantification were 0.31 and 0.96 mM, respectively, whereas the recovery range was from 97.4 to 102.2 %; the results presented good accuracy and correlation with HPLC-PDA method. In addition to its use in identification, DPV proved to be helpful to check the integrity of natural products and avoid adulteration. Moreover, the electrochemical index proposed is in accordance with traditional methods for estimating antioxidant capacity.

Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds, Pharmaceutical Quality, and Anticancer Activity of Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii L.)

In this study, we investigated some bioactive compounds and pharmaceutical qualities of curry leaf (Murraya koenigii L.) extracts from three different locations in Malaysia. The highest TF and total phenolic (TP) contents were observed in the extracts from Kelantan (3.771 and 14.371 mg/g DW), followed by Selangor (3.146 and 12.272 mg/g DW) and Johor (2.801 and 12.02 mg/g DW), respectively. High quercetin (0.350 mg/g DW), catechin (0.325 mg/g DW), epicatechin (0.678 mg/g DW), naringin (0.203 mg/g DW), and myricetin (0.703 mg/g DW) levels were observed in the extracts from Kelantan, while the highest rutin content (0.082 mg/g DW) was detected in the leaves from Selangor. The curry leaf extract from Kelantan exhibited higher concentration of gallic acid (0.933 mg/g DW) than that from Selangor (0.904 mg/g DW) and Johor (0.813 mg/g DW). Among the studied samples, the ones from Kelantan exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (DPPH, 66.41%) and ferric reduction activity potential (FRAP, 644.25 μm of Fe(II)/g) followed by those from Selangor (60.237% and 598.37 μm of Fe(II)/g) and Johor (50.76% and 563.42 μm of Fe(II)/g), respectively. A preliminary screening showed that the curry leaf extracts from all the locations exhibited significant anticarcinogenic effects inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and maximum inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cell was observed with the curry leaf extract from Kelantan. Based on these results, it is concluded that Malaysian curry leaf collected from the North (Kelantan) might be potential source of potent natural antioxidant and beneficial chemopreventive agents.

Antioxidant Characteristics of Latvian Herbal Tea Types

Abstract The aim of the study was to characterise antioxidative properties and antiradical activity of the herbal tea collection in Latvia. High-pressure liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry methods were used to characterise antioxidant properties of herbal tea. Antiradical activity was determined spectrophotometrically. The antiradical scavenging activity was measured by the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) reaction. The herbal tea antiradical scavenging activity was estimated as the broken down quantity of DPPH on 100 grams of the herbal tea. Individual polyphenols in the herbal tea were identified and determined by liquid chromatography. Antiradical scavenging activity of the herbal tea was found to be 104 mol 100 g-1 tea. The following polyphenols were identified chromatographically in herbal tea: gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic acids, rutin, catechin, vanillin, and epicatechin. Altogether 12 different varieties of herbal tea samples were analyzed. The results showed that different types of herbal tea substantially differed in composition. Polyphenol content of herbal teas was in the range of 1 mg in 100 g of tea up to 8 g per 100 g of tea. In the case of virus-related disease, infections and weakness of the organism, it is recommended to use tea with high content of rutin, as in Verbascum thapsiforme Schr., Alchemilla vulgaris L., Comarum palustre L. herbal tea.

Influence of sowing date and stand density on rutin level in buckwheat

The use of buckwheat as a source of rutin for medicine or food supplement requires a high content of this component in pimary row materials. The study was aimed at the investigation of the influence of stand density and sowing dates on the rutin content in the aboveground parts at the stage of flowering and achenes of two buckwheat species (Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum). The rutin content in the aboveground parts of buckwheat was significantly higher in plants sown in mid-May. The sowing date did not influence the rutin content in the achenes. The whole buckwheat plant contained the highest content of rutin in 25 cm rows with a sowing ratio of 200 achenes per square metre. However, the final rutin amount obtained from a buckwheat stand depended on the production of biomass. Common buckwheat provided a higher rutin yield because it produced a higher amount of biomass of inflorescences, the part rich in this flavonoid. Therefore 12.5 cm rows with 400 seeds per square metre are suitable for rutin production because of the higher number of plants. We can recommend tartary buckwheat for achene production as a source of rutin for human nutrition or food supplement because it provides twenty-fivefold more rutin than common buckwheat.

Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of buckwheat leaf and flower mixture in hyperlipidemic rats

As a source of biologically active compounds, buckwheat has beneficial effects in nutrition due to its high content of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Aim of our study was to examine effects of buckwheat on plasma lipid status and phospholipids fatty acids composition, histological and parameters of oxidative stress in Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet. This study showed that buckwheat leaf and flower (BLF) mixture supplementation significantly reduce weight gain, plasma lipid concentrations and atherogenic index in rats fed a high-fat diet. Treatment of the high-fat group of animals with buckwheat significantly increased percentage of n-6 fatty acids as well as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decreased percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and oleic acid. Buckwheat antioxidant effects diminished negative influence of high-fat diet in hyperlipidemic rats, while pathohistological analysis of liver confirmed changes after high-fat consumption. Our results showed hypolipidemic, antiatherogenic and antioxidative features of buckwheat leaf and flower mixture, and these parts of the plant with the highest rutin content could be beneficial in prevention and curing of hyperlipidemia.

Anti-oxidant capacity, total phenolic contents and HPLC determination of rutin in Viola tricolor (L) flowers

Background: Natural products with anti-oxidant properties have gained importance in recent years due to their ability to neutralize free radicals or their actions. Viola tricolor belong to Violaceae family and is known as heartsease. The aims of the study was to evaluate the phenolic contents and anti-oxidant capacity in the different flowers and leaves/ roots fractions of Viola tricolor, as well as was identified and quantify rutin in the flowers fractions. Materials and Methods: Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, the anti-oxidant capacity by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging method and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay. The presence of rutin was investigated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results: In the flowers fractions the phenolic content varied from 12.84 ± 0.072 to 0.23 ± 0.042 mg/g; and 7.49 ± 0.002 to 0.63 ± 0.002 mg/g for leaves/roots. IC50 DPPH values ranged from 13.40 to 14.18 mg/ml in flowers, and 32.84 to 284.87 μg/ml for the leaves/roots. The fractions showed inhibition against TBARS, following order: ethyl acetate fractions > butanolic fractions > dichloromethane fractions. HPLC results indicate a very high content of rutin (177.46 mg/g) in this species that could explain the good anti-oxidant activities and the high phenolic contents in these fractions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that V. tricolor contains anti-oxidant principles and rutin contribute, in party, for the action.

Evaluation of flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity of the aerial parts of common and tartary buckwheat plants.

The analysis of major and minor flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity of stems, leaves, flowers, unripe seeds and ripe seeds of common and tartary buckwheat plants collected during different growth periods was addressed in this study. The highest rutin contents were observed in flowers and leaves collected from common and tartary buckwheat at early flowering as well as flowering and seed formation states. A low quercetin contents were found in all studied aerial part of buckwheat plants. Quercitrin (quercetin-3-rhamnoside) was only found in flowers collected at different growth periods while flavone C-glucosides were accumulated preferentially only in unripe seeds collected from common buckwheat at an early flowering state. The rank of antioxidant capacity provided for aerial parts of common and tartary buckwheat at early flowering state was as follows: flowers > leaves > stems. The highest contribution of rutin to the antioxidant capacity of the aerial parts of common and tartary buckwheat was found for stems followed by leaves, flowers and unripe seeds. The results demonstrate that flowers from common and tartary buckwheat collected at early flowering as well as flowering and seed formation states have the future potential to be a useful food ingredient.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) Grain and Fractions: Antioxidant Compounds and Activities

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an alternative crop belonging to the Polygonaceae family. In comparison to antioxidant activity of frequently used cereals, buckwheat has been reported to possess higher antioxidant activity (AOA), mainly due to high rutin content. The objective of this work was to determine the main antioxidant compounds and AOA of buckwheat grain fractions (whole grain, hull, and groat). Buckwheat grain fractions were extracted with ethanol/water (80/20, v/v), followed by determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content. Quantification of phenolic compounds and tocopherols was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The AOA was estimated by 2 direct electron spin resonance (ESR) and 4 indirect (spectrophotometric) tests. Significantly higher contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids were found in buckwheat hull than in whole grain and groat. Protocatechuic, syringic, and sinapic acid, rutin, and quercetin were found in all tested fractions, whereas vanilic acid was found in whole grain and hull. The content of total tocopherols in investigated samples ranged from 23.3 mmol/g for hull to 61.8 mmol/g for groat. Hull was superior in scavenging activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(•)), hydroxyl ((•)OH), and superoxide anion (O(2)(•-)) radicals, reducing activity, AOA by β-carotene bleaching method, and chelating activity on Fe(2+) as evidenced by its lower IC(50) value. Obtained results can broaden the utilization of buckwheat, especially a share of hull in whole grain flour production. Obtained results suggest possibility to supplement the whole grain buckwheat flour with hull, which leads toward better usage of by-products in buckwheat production, and enhancement of antioxidant potential of the final product.

Phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) herb and root extracts

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) is a plant from Polygonaceae family, commonly used as a pseudocereal since it is nutritionally similar to grains. Due to high rutin content, it is traditionally used as a remedy for cardiovascular diseases. While numerous phenolic compounds were identified in this plant, only several have been quantified so far. The objective of this work was to obtain detailed phenolic profile of 80% ethanolic extracts of rhizoma, stems, leaves, flowers, and complete aboveground parts of buckwheat cultivated in Serbia. Total of 45 phenolics, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins and lignans, were quantified by LC-MS-MS technique. In addition, antioxidant activity was evaluated for herb and rhizoma extracts, regarding their ability to reduce Fe3+-TPTZ complex, scavenge DPPH, O2 -, OH and NO radicals, and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Dominant phenols in all investigated extracts were quercetin and its glycosides – rutin, isoquercitrin, quercitrin and hyperoside, accounting for 16–18% of herb, flowers and leaves dry extract, thus making buckwheat a species extraordinarily rich in flavonols. Phenolic acids were less abundant, their total content not exceeding 4%, with quinic, 5-O-caffeoylquinic and (to a lesser extent) protocatechuic acid as the most significant. Both herb and rhizoma extracts exhibited high reduction capacity and radical-scavenging potential, in some cases higher than that of commercial antioxidants. In general, herb exhibited higher activity, which is in line with found higher phenolics content. Obtained results confirm F. esculentum to be a rich source of bioactive natural products and a valuable potential ingredient of functional foods.

Enhanced in vitro production of Ruta graveolens L. coumarins and rutin by mannitol and ventilation

Ruta graveolens shoot cultures were maintained on static medium supplemented with 0, 1, 2 and 3 % mannitol. The cultures were grown in vessels that ensured a ventilation rate of 7.44, 10.82 or 62.83 air exchanges per day (V1, V2 or V3, respectively). The growth index and fresh weight were significantly increased at 1 % mannitol and decreased with increasing mannitol concentrations, whereas the dry weight (DW) and DW % increased at higher concentrations of mannitol. Improving the culture ventilation significantly increased all of these parameters. A higher concentration of mannitol resulted in a higher proline content and percentage of coumarins and rutin, but the final accumulation of these bioactive molecules decreased. The coumarins, calculated as xanthotoxin, were increased from 8.15 to 13.60 mg g−1 DW using (V1 and mannitol-free medium) and (V2 with medium enriched with 2 % mannitol), respectively. Rutin was linearly increased by raising the mannitol concentrations, achieving the highest content of 54.87 mg g−1 DW using V2 and medium supplemented with 3 % mannitol. The lowest accumulation of coumarins and rutin (32, 144 mg vessel−1, respectively) were found on mannitol-free medium using V1, whereas the highest rutin contents were found on medium with 1 % mannitol using V3. A GC analysis revealed the presence of five main compounds in all of the cultures, coumarin, 7-hydroxucoumarin, scopoletin, xanthotoxin and bergapten, whereas pasoralen was not detected when the cultures were maintained on mannitol-free medium, regardless of the type of vessel. Moreover, the concentrations of these compounds varied according to the mannitol concentration and ventilation.

Differential transcript profiling through cDNA-AFLP showed complexity of rutin biosynthesis and accumulation in seeds of a nutraceutical food crop (Fagopyrum spp.)

BackgroundBuckwheat, consisting of two cultivated species Fagopyrum tataricum and F. esculentum, is the richest source of flavonoid rutin. Vegetative tissues of both the Fagopyrum species contain almost similar amount of rutin; however, rutin content in seed of F. tataricum are ~50 folds of that in seed of F. esculentum. In order to understand the molecular basis of high rutin content in F. tataricum, differential transcript profiling through cDNA-AFLP has been utilized to decipher what genetic factors in addition to flavonoid structural genes contribute to high rutin content of F. tataricum compared to F. esculentum.ResultsDifferential transcript profiling through cDNA-AFLP in seed maturing stages (inflorescence to seed maturation) with 32 primer combinations generated total of 509 transcript fragments (TDFs). 167 TDFs were then eluted, cloned and sequenced from F. tataricum and F. esculentum. Categorization of TDFs on the basis of their presence/absence (qualitative variation) or differences in the amount of expression (quantitative variation) between both the Fagopyrum species showed that majority of variants are quantitative (64%). The TDFs represented genes controlling different biological processes such as basic and secondary metabolism (33%), regulation (18%), signal transduction (14%), transportation (13%), cellular organization (10%), and photosynthesis & energy (4%). Most of the TDFs except belonging to cellular metabolism showed relatively higher transcript abundance in F. tataricum over F. esculentum. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of nine TDFs representing genes involved in regulation, metabolism, signaling and transport of secondary metabolites showed that all the tested nine TDFs (Ubiquitin protein ligase, ABC transporter, sugar transporter) except MYB 118 showed significantly higher expression in early seed formation stage (S7) of F. tataricum compared to F. esculentum. qRT-PCR results were found to be consistent with the cDNA-AFLP results.ConclusionsThe present study concludes that in addition to structural genes, other classes of genes such as regulators, modifiers and transporters are also important in biosynthesis and accumulation of flavonoid content in plants. cDNA-AFLP technology was successfully utilized to capture genes that are contributing to differences in rutin content in seed maturing stages of Fagopyrum species. Increased transcript abundance of TDFs during transition from flowers to seed maturation suggests their involvement not only in the higher rutin content of F. tataricum over F. esculentum but also in nutritional superiority of the former.

AFLP fingerprinting of tartary buckwheat accessions (Fagopyrum tataricum) displaying rutin content variation

In light of the economic importance of buckwheat as well as existence of enormous accessions of Fagopyrum species in the Himalayan regions of India, the characterization of tartary buckwheat for rutin content variation vis-à-vis DNA fingerprinting was undertaken so as to identify fingerprint profiles unique to high rutin content accessions. Rutin content analysis in mature seeds of 195 accessions of Fagopyrum tataricum showed a wide range of variation (6μg/mg to 30μg/mg D.W.) with most of the accessions (81%) containing 10–16μg/mg of rutin followed by 14% accessions with significantly higher rutin content (17μg/mg to 30μg/mg) and 5% accessions with low rutin content (≤10μg/mg). AFLP fingerprinting of 18 accessions having high (≥17μg/mg) and low rutin content (≤10μg/mg) with 19 EcoRI/MseI primer combinations yielded 136 polymorphic fragments out of total 907. The hierarchical and model-based cluster analyses of AFLP data strongly suggested that the 18 populations of F. tataricum were clustered into two separate groups. The high and low rutin content accessions were clustered into two separate groups based on AFLP fingerprinting. The AFLP fingerprints associated with high rutin content accessions of F. tataricum are expected to be useful for evaluation, conservation and genetic improvement of buckwheat.

Exogenous application of salicylic acid enhanced the rutin accumulation and influenced the expression patterns of rutin biosynthesis related genes in Fagopyrum tartaricum Gaertn leaves

Except for buckwheat, no cereal or pseudocereal contains any detectable rutin. This study was carried out to compare the rutin content in leaves treated with various concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) (50 mg l−1, 100 mg l−1, 150 mg l−1) for various lengths of time (2–120 h) to those of untreated F. tartaricum. Rutin content in leaves during the early stages of SA treatment (100 mg l−1, 150 mg l−1; 24–48 h) were higher than at other times. The highest rutin content (40.3 mg gFW−1) was found in leaves treated with 150 mg l−1 SA for 48 h. We cloned partial cDNAs of five genes known to be related to rutin biosynthesis from the leaves of F.tataricum using RACE. These genes were chalcone synthase (FtCHS), flavonol synthase (FtFLS-like), flavone 3-hydroxylase (FtF3H), 4-coumaroyl CoA ligase (Ft4CL), and 4-coumaroyl CoA ligase 2 (Ft4CL2). The protein sequences of these genes were analyzed by similarity searching and phylogenetic trees. Apart from the FtFLS-like gene, which had poor identity with F. esculentum, the other genes showed high similarity to those in F. esculentum. During the early stages of SA treatment (24–48 h), expression levels of four genes (FtCHS, FtFLS-like, FtF3H, and Ft4CL) were higher than controls but that of Ft4CL2 was not. Most notably, the expression level of FtFLS-like 24 h after application of 150 mg l−1 SA was 14.79 times of the control. These results suggest that rutin content can be enhanced to great extent by SA treatment and the gene expression patterns of rutin-biosynthesis-related genes are regulated by SA.

Flavonoid compounds and their antioxidant activity in extract of some tropical plants

The study was counducted to investigate flavonoids content and antioxidant activities in some tropical plants namely cabbage (Brassica oleracea), green chilli (Capsicum annum), red chilli (Capsicum annum), carrot (Daucus carota), red spinach (Amaranthus gangeticus), white radish (Raphanus sativus), lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and turmeric (Curcuma longa). Total flavonoid (TF) content was observed to be highest in red chili (0.939 mg/g DW) and low content of TF was observed in red spinach (0.066 mg/g DW). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to identify and quantify the five important flavonoid components (quercetin, catechin, kaempferol, apigenin and rutin). High content of quercetin (0.639 mg/g DW), catechin (0.14 mg/g DW), apigenin (0.047 mg/g DW) and rutin (0.069 mg/g DW) was detected from red chilli and high content of kaempferol (0.13 mg/g DW) was detected from carrot. Red chilli with high flavonoid compounds showed highest antioxidant activity (78.66%) determined by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Results suggested a good potential of flavonoid compounds and antioxidant activity in red chilli and this plant could be useful for both food flavourings and in traditional medicine. Key words: Total flavonoid, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), red chilli, antioxidant activity.

Changes in phenols contents from buckwheat sprouts during growth stage

Germinated buckwheat is buckwheat seeds soaked in water just until it begins to bud. Buckwheat sprouts are seedling plants of buckwheat grown up to 10-15cm. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal growth period for accumulating the most abundant functional phenol(s) in germinated buckwheat that had been soaked in darkness and buckwheat sprouts cultivated by hydroponic culture. The rutin contained in germinated buckwheat was analyzed by CE (capillary electrophoresis). Phenols, including isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, vitexin, and rutin were separated from buckwheat sprouts by HPLC and identified by LC-MS. The highest rutin content in germinated buckwheat was found to be 15.8mg/100g DW at 20h after germination. Buckwheat sprouts contained five kinds of major phenols. The highest amounts of isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin were measured at day3, with the exception of rutin, and then a gradual decrease was observed as the sprouts grew. The quantities of isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin at day3 were 5.8, 11.7, 26.2, and 28.9mg/100g FW, respectively. The rutin content rapidly increased to 109.0mg/100g FW until day6. The highest total phenols in buckwheat sprouts were 162.9mg/100g FW at day6. Germinated buckwheat soaked for 20h and buckwheat sprouts cultivated for 6days were rich in dietary phenol(s), which makes these plants a valuable functional food for human consumption.

Eating Buckwheat Cookies Is Associated with the Reduction in Serum Levels of Myeloperoxidase and Cholesterol: A Double Blind Crossover Study in Day-Care Centre Staffs

Buckwheat food is a good source of antioxidants, e.g. rutin, and other beneficial substances. Here we investigated the effects of the intake of common buckwheat (low rutin content) and tartary buckwheat cookies (high rutin content) on selected clinical markers. A double blind crossover study was performed among female day-care centre staffs (N = 62) from five day-care centres. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group initially consumed four common buckwheat cookies per day (16.5 mg rutin equivalents/day) for two weeks, while the second group consumed four tartary buckwheat cookies per day (359.7 mg rutin equivalents/day). Then the groups switched their type of cookies and consumed them for another two weeks. We monitored selected clinical markers related to cardiovascular disease and lower airway inflammation, lung function, and subjective breathing difficulties in the staffs. Intake of tartary buckwheat cookies reduced the serum level of myeloperoxidase (MPO) by a factor 0.84 (p = 0.02). When grouping the two types of buckwheat cookies together, there was a reduction of total serum cholesterol (p < 0.001) and HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001) during the study period, with improved lung vital capacity (p < 0.001). The degree of reduction in total and HDL cholesterol levels was similar in staffs with low and high body mass index (cut off 25). In conclusion, intake of tartary buckwheat cookies with high level of the antioxidant rutin may reduce levels of MPO, an indicator of inflammation. Moreover, intake of both types of buckwheat cookies may lower cholesterol levels.

Chemotype and genotype combined analysis applied to tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) analytical traceability

A large number of fresh fruits and vegetables are primary sources of antioxidants; tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is accepted worldwide as a significant source of antioxidant functional compounds (vitamin C, lycopene, rutin). Many cultivars and hybrids of tomato, having different chemical and nutritional characteristics, are available on the market. Tomato cultivars for industrial processing are very different, not only in fruit characteristics (size, shape), but also in lycopene and antioxidant contents. The aim of this study was the chemotyping and genotyping of the tomato varieties Heinz 3402, Leader and Perfectpeel, (1) to evaluate the genetic traceability of these varieties, and (2) to determine whether their functional antioxidants compounds are useful markers of traceability. Principal component analysis (PCA) was first applied to the Random Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprints, confirming that this approach is a powerful identification method at intra-specific level. Heinz 3402 showed the highest antioxidant activity, followed by Perfectpeel and Leader varieties. Perfectpeel showed the lower lycopene content, while Leader and Heinz 3402 showed significantly higher values (13.68 and 15.78 mg/100 g, fresh weight, respectively). The highest rutin content was observed in Heinz 3402 (12.46 ± 0.69, mg/100 g, fresh weight), followed by Leader (7.87 ± 0.72) and Perfectpeel (2.70 ± 0.68). Antioxidant capacity was significantly correlated with the lycopene and rutin content. Finally, PCA was applied to chemotype data-sets, confirming both mineral content and functional antioxidant compounds as useful markers to unambiguously identify these high-lycopene content varieties.

Screening of sage and thyme plant extracts for some phenolic acids and rutin

Objectives: In this study, using HPLC-ED system, analysis of chlorogenic acid (CGA), gallic acid (GA), rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA), and rutin was carried out in water extracts of sage and different thyme. Methods: Analyses of CGA, GA, RA, CA and rutin were performed of herbs sage and thyme. The drug (1g) was powdered and extracted with pure water (9ml). Afterward 1ml of that extract was decanted and centrifuged. Supernatant was used for analysis. The standard solutions were of CGA, GA, RA, and CA dissolved in mobile phase, and rutin was dissolved pure water. HPLC conditions were following: Mobile phase methanol-acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (20+10+70+1); ED detector with range 50nA, potential +0.840 V, filter 0.02Hz; flow rate 1ml/min; temperature 25°C, Column: ODS hypersil. Results: The content in (mg/g) of CGA was in the sage 0.36, GA 0.09, RA 5.45, CA 0.73, and rutin 11.8, thyme: (Thymus vulgaris L. CGA 1.21, GA 0.3, RA 4.27, CA 0.66, and rutin 24.9, Thymus serpyllum L. CGA 4.6, GA 0.95, RA 17.27, CA 1.36, and rutin 17.27, Thymus sibthorii Benth. CGA 1.44, GA 0.3, RA 5.5, CA 0.95, and rutin 22.64). Conclusion: The highest content of CGA, RA, CA and GA was determined in herbs of Thymus serpyllum L., and highest content of rutin was determined in Thymus vulgaris L.

Determination of quercetin glycosides and free quercetin in buckwheat by capillary micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A simple and reliable method for determination of quercetin glycosides and free quercetin in buckwheat flower, leaves, stems and achenes was developed. The method consists of flavonoid extraction from freeze-dried homogenous material in 50% v/v methanol solution and in presence of an antioxidant, cleaning of extract and analyte isolation using SPE. Analytical step uses capillary micellar electrokinetic chromatography. The working ranges, LOD and LOQ, recovery, precision and measurement uncertainty were calculated. The method is suitable for samples from buckwheat. The highest content of rutin was found in flowers of both kinds of buckwheat (99,400 mg/kg in F. esculentum, 108,000 mg/kg in F. tataricum). The free quercetin occurs in flowers and achenes of F. esculentum, whereas flowers and achenes of F. tataricum contained quercitrin.