Major Antioxidant Compounds Research Articles

Bioactivity-Guided Isolation of Secondary Metabolites with Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities from Camellia fascicularis.

Camellia fascicularis has important ornamental, medicinal, and food values, which also have tremendous potential for exploiting bioactivities. We performed the bioactivity-guided (antioxidant and antimicrobial) screening of eight fractions obtained from the ethyl acetate phase of C. fascicularis. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, and the antibacterial activity was measured by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. The results of bioactivity-guided isolation indicated that the major antioxidant compounds in the ethanolic extracts of C. fascicularis may be present in fractions (Fr.) (A-G, obtained after silica gel column chromatography). Fr. (D-I, obtained after silica gel column chromatography) is a fraction of C. fascicularis with antimicrobial activity. The structures of compounds were determined by spectral analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) combined with the available literature on secondary metabolites of C. fascicularis leaves. In this study, 17 compounds were identified, including four phenolics (1, 3-4, and 14), a phenylpropane (2), five terpenoids (5-7, 12, and 15), four flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides (8-10 and 16), and two lignins (13 and 17). Compounds 4-7, 13-15, and 17 were isolated from the genus Camellia for first time. The remaining compounds were also isolated from C. fascicularis for first time. The evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities revealed that compounds 1, 3, 9, 11, and 17 exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the positive control drug (ascorbic acid), and compounds 4, 8, 10, and 13 showed similar activity to ascorbic acid. The other compounds had weaker or no significant antioxidant activities. The MIC of antibacterial activity for compounds 4, 7, and 11-13 against P. aeruginosa was comparable to that of the positive control drug tetracycline at 125 µg/mL, and other secondary metabolites inhibited E. coli and S. aureus at 250-500 µg/mL. This is also the first report of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of compounds 5-7, 13-15, and 17. The results of the study enriched the variety of secondary metabolites of C. fascicularis and laid the foundation for further research on the pharmacological efficacy and biological activity of this plant.

Optimizing ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Canthium horridum blume leaves utilizing polyols: A study on skin-related activities

The focus on reducing organic solvent usage, owing to their negative environmental and health impacts, is driving a search for innovative green alternative solvents in academia and industry. Canthium horridum Blume (CH) exhibits many therapeutic activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the optimal solvent concentration using a simplex-lattice design with an aqueous-polyols mixture and to optimize the parameters for extracting bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities from ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of CH leaves through central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM). This study examines the total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activities, comparison of different extraction conditions, identification of bioactive compounds, cell cytotoxicity, cellular antioxidant activity, and melanin content reduction efficacy of the extracts. According to the findings from the simplex-lattice model, the ideal solvent composition consisted of 32.57%w/w butylene glycol, 32.92%w/w glycerine, and 34.51%w/w water. Furthermore, based on the response model, optimal extraction conditions were identified as a 15-min extraction time and a solvent-to-sample ratio of 32.94:1. In comparison to alternative extraction methods, ultrasonic-assisted extraction using the aqueous-glycerine-butylene glycol (GB-UAE) extract resulted in notably elevated TPC and antioxidant responses (p < 0.05). Major antioxidant bioactive compounds included 4-(Butoxymethyl) phenol, 3-O-Caffeoyl-4-O-methylquinic acid, Quercetin 3-(2G-glucosylrutinoside), 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid and other bioactive compounds. The GB-UAE extract revealed greater cell viability than UAE using ethanol (EtOH-UAE) extract in both cytotoxicity and cellular antioxidant assays at the same concentration. Additionally, it exhibited comparable melanin content reduction efficacy at a higher concentration compared to that of EtOH-UAE extract. The researcher anticipates that the current study will advance the utilization of an aqueous-polyols system for extracting bioactive compounds extending beyond CH leaves. Although the potential applications of CH leaves in cosmetics and pharmaceutical formulations have been identified, further comprehensive mechanistic and clinical studies are required to fully understand their effects.

In vivo anti-aging properties on fat diet-induced high fat Drosophila melanogaster of n-butanol extract from Paecilomyces hepiali

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of the development and application of Paecilomyces hepiali, a fungus with edible and medicinal value, as a foodborne antioxidant and anti-aging agent. Its n-butanol extract (PHE) from rice cultures was selected for anti-aging experiment because of significant free radical scavenging activity in vitro. In vivo, PHE could significantly prolong the mean lifespan, 50 % survival days, and the maximum lifespan of Drosophila on a high-fat diet. It is amazing that the mean lifespan increased from 19.1 days to 32.9 days, 50 % survival days increased from 15.7 days to 34.3 days, and the maximum lifespan extended from 44.7 days to 52.7 days, when the high-fat female Drosophila model was fed with 10 μg/mL PHE. Further research showed that PHE reduced the accumulation of peroxide products and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Then, through antioxidant activity tracking, dimerumic acid (compound 1, the IC50 value of 3.4 μg/mL on DPPH free radicals scavenging activity), 4,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxypentanoic acid (compound 2, new compound), and thymidine (compound 3) were isolated from PHE. It is worth mentioning that dimerumic acid, the major antioxidant compound of PHE (content up to 3 %), was discovered in P. hepiali for the first time. It was concluded that PHE showed excellent anti-aging activity at a very low concentration on fat diet-induced high fat Drosophila melanogaster, and dimerumic acid may be its main material basis. These results indicated that PHE had the potential to be developed as antioxidant and anti-aging agent in the healthcare industry.

Chemical Identification and Antioxidant Screening of Bufei Yishen Formula using an Offline DPPH Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography Q-Extractive Orbitrap MS/MS.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has high morbidity and mortality and presents a threat to human health worldwide. Numerous clinical trials have confirmed that Bufei Yishen formula (BYF), an herbal medicine, can alleviate the symptoms of COPD by reducing oxidative stress-mediated inflammation. However, the active components of BYF remain unclear. We developed an efficient ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography Q-Extractive Orbitrap mass spectrometry method to identify the composition of BYF and determine its antioxidant profile through an offline screening strategy based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH)-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 189 compounds were identified in BYF extract, including 83 flavonoids, 24 lignans, 20 alkaloids, 15 saponins, 11 terpenoid, 10 saccharides, eight lipids, seven organic acids, two coumarins, two amino acids, and seven other compounds. Among them, 79 compounds were found to have a potential antioxidant activity. In vitro validation indicated that the free radical scavenging activities of rosmarinic acid and calycosin were similar to that of the positive control (DPPH IC50 = 25.72 ± 1.02 and 147.23 ± 25.12 μg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, calycosin had a high content in serum after the oral administration of BYF, indicating that calycosin might be the major antioxidant compound in BYF.

Identification of Major Antioxidant Compounds from the Edible Mushroom Basidiomycetes-X (Echigoshirayukidake).

Basidiomycetes-X, of which Japanese vernacular name is Echigoshirayukidake, is a local speciality mushroom found and cultivated in Japan that has been distributed as a precious cuisine material or as a functional food with medicinal properties. Antioxidant activity-guided isolation of major ingredients in Basidiomycetes-X revealed the presence of ergosterol, trans-10,cis-12-octadecadienoic acid (a conjugated linolenic acid, 10(E),12(Z)-CLA) and 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl‑4H‑pyran-4-one (DDMP). Approximately 21% of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazino radical (DPPH) scavenging activities in the methanolic extract were related to 10(E),12(Z)-CLA, while approximately 6.2% of the activity was related to ergosterol. DDMP was present in both methanolic and water extracts, and the activity related to DDMP was conspicuously detected in water extracts. Moreover, uridine and adenosine were identified as major components of Basidiomycetes-X. The ingredients identified in Basidiomycetes-X are expected to be involved in biological functions observed in this mushroom, which is an attractive functional food resource.

A Major Diplotaxis harra-Derived Bioflavonoid Glycoside as a Protective Agent against Chemically Induced Neurotoxicity and Parkinson's Models; In Silico Target Prediction; and Biphasic HPTLC-Based Quantification.

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have a role in developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and inflammatory movement disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis that affect millions of populations. In searching for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules from natural sources that can counteract neurodegenerative diseases and arthritis, the flavonoid-rich extract of Diplotaxis harra (DHE) was selected based on its in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. DHE could inhibit the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expressions in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages from 100% to the level of 28.51 ± 18.67 and 30.19 ± 5.00% at 20 μg/mL, respectively. A TLC bioautography of DHE fractions using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH) led to the isolation of a major antioxidant compound which was identified by X-ray diffraction analysis as isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (IR3G). IR3G also exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory activity, particularly by suppressing the upregulation of iNOS expression, similar to that of dexamethasone (DEX) at 10 μM to the level of 35.96 ± 7.80 and 29.34 ± 6.34%, respectively. Moreover, IR3G displayed a strong neuroprotectivity (>60% at 1.0−4–1.0−3 μM) against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-challenged SHSY5Y neuroblastoma, an in vitro model of dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Accordingly, the in vivo anti-Parkinson potentiality was evaluated, where it was found that IR3G successfully reversed the 6-OHDA-induced locomotor deficit in a zebrafish model. A study of molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of IR3G and its aglycone isorhamnetin (IR) against human acetylcholine esterase (AChE), monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), and Polo-like kinase-2 (PLK2) was performed and further outlined a putative mechanism in modulating neurodegenerative diseases such as PD. The free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory through anti-iNOS and anti-COX-2 expression, and neuroprotective activities assessed in this study would present partial evidence for the potentiality of D. harra-derived IR3G as a promising natural therapeutic agent against neurodegenerative diseases and inflammatory arthritis. Finally, a biphasic HPTLC method was developed to estimate the biomarker IR3G in D. harra quantitatively.

Compositional Analysis and Antioxidant Activities of Thymus pubescens Essential Oil from Iran.

The genus Thymus is one of the well-known members of the Lamiaceae, comprising about 215 species. It is a polymorphic genus in this family. Therefore, possible differences in chemical composition among polymorphs may result in differences in their biological activities. This study was designed to specify chemical composition in order to assess antioxidant activities and to characterize active constituents of essential oil of Thymus pubescens. Essential oil was collected by hydrodistillation and was analyzed using GC-MS and GCFID. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by ABTS radical cation scavenging and β-carotene bleaching inhibition methods. Detection and identification of antioxidant components were performed by TLC-bioautography assay using ABTS•+ reagent. GC analyses indicated the presence of 39 components, accounting for 96.64% of total constituents, with thymol (38.67%), γ-terpinene (7.46%), and p-cymene (5.54%) as the main components. The IC50 values for antioxidant activities were equal to 1.15 (1.05 - 1.25) μg/mL and 0.45 (0.33 - 0.62) μg/mL for ABTS•+ scavenging and β-carotene bleaching inhibition tests, respectively. TLC-bioautography of oil resulted in the identification of thymol as the major antioxidant compound. Essential oil exhibited very potent and significant antioxidant activities correlated well with increasing dose in vitro.

Variations in the Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Different Rosa rugosa Organ Extracts

Rosa rugosa is widely used as a health food and medicine due to its broad pharmacological properties. Although the bioactivities obtained from plant materials is related to the type and amount of phytochemicals in each extract, no systematic information is available on the organ-dependent bioactivities of R. rugosa. Here, the antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities of R. rugosa stem, leaf, flower, and fruit ethanol extracts were evaluated. Overall, the stem extract exhibited the highest levels of DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing power, and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity compared with other organ extracts, whereas leaves contained potent anticancer compounds that were particularly effective against A549 cells. Additionally, the leaf extract inhibited the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, resulting in the transcriptional repression of pro-inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, significant correlation between phytochemical content and bioactivities indicated that phenolic compounds play as a major antioxidant compound of R. rugosa. Taken together, these findings suggested that the spatial distribution of the phytochemicals contributed to the biological activities of R. rugosa. Given that R. rugosa fruits and flowers are already being used in health foods and medicine, these results indicate that the leaves and stems of R. rugosa should also be included and used as natural sources of antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory agents.

Major Antioxidant Compound of Polyporus Parvovarius Culture Filtrate

During the screening of natural antioxidants from the culture broths of fungi of mushroom origin, the culture broth of Polyporus parvovarius was found to exhibit potent antioxidant activity. An antioxidative substance, compound 1, was isolated by solvent partitioning and column chromatography, and its chemical structure determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods to be 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. Compound 1 exhibited potent free radical scavenging activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 101.4 µg/mL against the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical. These results indicate that the culture filtrate of P. parvovarius has antioxidant properties, with the major antioxidant compound confirmed as a protocatechuic aldehyde; these findings provide novel insights regarding mushroom-induced antioxidant resources.

Taste-active indicators and their correlation with antioxidant ability during the Monascus rice vinegar solid-state fermentation process

The present study evaluated the changes of taste profiles, taste active indicators, and antioxidant activity in Monascus rice vinegar during the solid-state fermentation process, as well as their potential relationships. The results showed that the contents of antioxidant components and antioxidant activity increased with fermentation time. According to the taste active value (TAV) evaluation, seven organic acids and four free amino acids (FAAs) with high TAVs were considered as taste active indicators. The correlation analysis between antioxidant activity and major antioxidant compounds in Monascus rice vinegar followed the order: FAAs＞total phenols＞total flavonoids＞organic acids. Further analysis revealed that seven key components including acetic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, Glu, Ala, and Val were taste active indicators of antioxidant activity, which had significant effects on the taste characteristic and antioxidant activity in Monascus rice vinegar. Thus, our findings would provide references to regulate the antioxidant characteristic of Monascus rice vinegar through the key taste active indicators, and would provide new insights to further explore the development of new vinegar-based functional foods.

The Potential of High-Anthocyanin Purple Rice as a Functional Ingredient in Human Health.

Purple rice is recognized as a source of natural anthocyanin compounds among health-conscious consumers who employ rice as their staple food. Anthocyanin is one of the major antioxidant compounds that protect against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause cellular damage in plants and animals, including humans. The physiological role of anthocyanin in plants is not fully understood, but the benefits to human health are apparent against both chronic and non-chronic diseases. This review focuses on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation in the whole plant of purple rice, from cultivation to the processed end products. The anthocyanin content in purple rice varies due to many factors, including genotype, cultivation, and management as well as post-harvest processing. The cultivation method strongly influences anthocyanin content in rice plants; water conditions, light quantity and quality, and available nutrients in the soil are important factors, while the low stability of anthocyanins means that they can be dramatically degraded under high-temperature conditions. The application of purple rice anthocyanins has been developed in both functional food and other purposes. To maximize the benefits of purple rice to human health, understanding the factors influencing anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation during the entire process from cultivation to product development can be a path for success.

Combining ability and gene action studies to select okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) inbred for carbohydrate, vitamins and antioxidant traits

Development of quality hybrids having better productivity as well as rich in major antioxidant and phytochemical compounds is a prime objective of any vegetable improvement program throughout the world. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.), a member of the family malvaceae is a rich source of several minerals, vitamins and crude fiber. Thus, to exploit its nutritional potential in the form of hybrids selection involving right parents is the foremost criteria. With this aim, the present experiment was designed to know about the gene action for quality traits involving 10 lines and 3 testers in line × tester method. ANOVA revealed significance for all the traits. On the basis of both gca effect and per se performance, Pusa Bhindi-5 was regarded as the best parent for chlorophyll content (a and b), DOV- 92 for total carotenoids, Kashi Pragati for ascorbic acid and sugar content and Pusa Sawani for total phenol. Similarly, on the basis of both sca effect and per se performance, the cross Kashi Pragati × Pusa Bhindi-5 was found to be the best hybrid combination for chlorophyll a only, DOV- 1 × Pusa Bhindi- 5 for total carotenoids, Kashi Pragati × Pusa A-4 for ascorbic acid and DOV- 92 × Pusa Bhindi- 5 for antioxidant content of fruit. Analysis of degree of dominance and predictability ratio also indicated the presence of non-additive gene action for all the traits. In was concluded that parents which performed well for particular trait, possessed high potentiality for heterosis breeding program.

Nutritional characterization of some natural plants used in poultry nutrition

Abstract Current nutritional strategies of livestock industry are focused on evaluating the effects of terrestrial sources rich in natural bioactive compounds that can be used in farm animal feed and the subsequent implications on the quality of resulting animal products. In this context, the present study aimed to characterize from a nutritional point of view some natural plants used as phyto-additives in poultry nutrition: oregano, mint, basil, sage, fenugreek, thyme, turmeric, cumin and rosemary. The results of this study on plants nutritional evaluation showed a varied proximate analysis. Of all the plants, cumin, fenugreek and basil were the richest source of crude protein. Thyme had a large ether extractives content, followed by rosemary, sage and cumin. The obtained results revealed that oregano has the strongest antioxidant capacity (849.77 mmols equiv. asc. acid; 863.57 mmols equiv. vit. E), the highest total polyphenols concentration (86.77 mg GAE/g) and lutein and zeaxanthin (304.23 μg/g) of the analysed plants. Nevertheless, all plants had high concentration of total polyphenols, except cumin, a large amount of xanthophylls and vitamin E. After oregano, sage and thyme have been noted for their antioxidant capacity and major antioxidant compounds. Basil and sage revealed the highest amount of essential trace elements.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from a tea blend

Although tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, its benefits is not fully achieved because its bioactive compounds are not efficiently extracted from the plant. In this work the extraction of bioactive compounds from a tea blend, composed of 40% green tea, 40% white tea, 10% mint and 10% peppermint, was investigated using a microwave-assisted technique. The effects of ethanol concentration, extraction time, and liquid/solid ratio on the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant potential were quantified. An optimization study was also performed to identify the conditions that enable the maximum extraction of phenolic and flavonoids contents, with a maximum antioxidant capacity. The predicted optimal conditions included a 38.8% ethanol concentration, 3 min of extraction, and a 184.1 mL/g liquid/solid ratio. HPLC analyses were also performed to identify the major antioxidant compounds and the results confirmed the high antioxidant potential of the studied tea blend.

Effect of antioxidant-rich propolis and bee pollen extracts against D-glucose induced type 2 diabetes in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the preventive effect of propolis, bee pollen and their combination on Type 2 diabetes induced by D-glucose in rats. The study was carried out by feeding daily two concentrations (100 and 200 mg/Kg BW) of propolis or bee pollen (or their combination to normal (non-diabetic) and diabetic rats for a period of 16 weeks. In vivo biochemical changes associated to diabetes are induced by drinking a solution containing 10% of D-glucose (diabetic rats). The in vitro antioxidant activity was also evaluated and the chemical composition of propolis and bee pollen extracts was determined by UHPLC-DAD. Phytochemical composition of propolis and bee pollen revealed the presence of several natural antioxidants, such as hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols and stilbens. The major antioxidant compound present in propolis was Naringin (290.19 ± 0.2 mg/Kg) and in bee pollen was apigenin (162.85 ± 17.7 mg/Kg). These results have been related with a high antioxidant activity, more intense in propolis extract. In rats, the administration of D-glucose had induced hyperglycemia (13.2 ± 0.82 mmol/L), increased plasmatic insulin levels (25.10 ± 2.12 U/L) and HOMA-IR index (14.72 ± 0.85) accompanied with dyslipidemia, elevation of hepatic enzyme levels, and a change in both serum renal biomarkers and plasmatic calcium. The co-administration of propolis and bee pollen extracts alone or in combination restored these biochemical parameters and attenuated the deleterious effects of D-glucose on liver and kidney functions. Furthermore, these effects were better attenuated in the combined therapy-prevented diabetic rats. Hence, it is possible to conclude that propolis and bee pollen can be used as a preventive natural product against diabetes induced dyslipidemia and hepato-renal damage.

Essential Constituents of Truffle in Kurdistan Region

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Essential constituents of truffle distributed in three different habitats of Kurdistan Region were investigated. Carbohydrates are the most abundant macronutrient ranged from 24.5% to 37%, the protein content was 4.4-5.0 %, fat 2-2.5 %, ash 3-3.2 % and moisture 73-75 %. High level of Chitin, a water insoluble polysaccharide was determined, (21-25 % of DM). The obtained results show high concentration of macro elements, potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and sodium, lower contents of essential elements iron, zinc, copper and chrome were found. Chemical constituents responsible for the antioxidant actions were examined as antioxidant activity (FRAP values), ascorbic acid, total phenolic, total flavonoids, β-carotene, tannin, lycopene and overall anthocyanins stated on a dry mass basis were (13-17 mmol Fe+2 equivalent/100g), (14-15.6 mg/100g), (14-20 mg/g DM), (6.19-8.41mg/100g), (1.55-2.16 mg/100g DM), (10.9-17.3 mg/g) (0.03-0.06mg/100g) and (10-15mg/100g DM) respectively. Total phenolics were the major antioxidant compounds as compared to β-carotene and ascorbic acid content.

Inhibition of p66Shc Oxidative Signaling via CA-Induced Upregulation of miR-203a-3p Alleviates Liver Fibrosis Progression

We previously found that inhibition of p66Shc confers protection against hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation during liver fibrosis. However, the effect of p66Shc on HSC proliferation, as well as the mechanism by which p66Shc is modulated, remains unknown. Here, we elucidated the effect of p66Shc on HSC proliferation and evaluated microRNA (miRNA)-p66Shc-mediated reactive oxidative species (ROS) generation in liver fibrosis. An in vivo model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and an LX-2 cell model were developed. p66Shc expression was significantly upregulated in rats with CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and in human fibrotic livers. Additionally, p66Shc knockdown in vitro attenuated mitochondrial ROS generation and HSC proliferation. Interestingly, p66Shc promoted HSC proliferation via β-catenin dephosphorylation in vitro. MicroRNA (miR)-203a-3p, which was identified by microarray and bioinformatics analyses, directly inhibited p66Shc translation and attenuated HSC proliferation in vitro. Importantly, p66Shc was found to play an indispensable role in the protective effect of miR-203a-3p. Furthermore, carnosic acid (CA), the major antioxidant compound extracted from rosemary leaves, protected against CCl4-induced liver fibrosis through the miR-203a-3p/p66Shc axis. Collectively, these results suggest that p66Shc, which is directly suppressed by miR-203a-3p, is a key regulator of liver fibrosis. This finding may lead to the development of therapeutic targets for liver fibrosis.

Antioxidant Activity of Dictyotales from Tropical Reefs of Brazil.

Macroalgae produce a large range of primary and secondary metabolites with ecological and economical importance. Studies on antioxidants from marine algae have increased notably, focusing on searching new sources of natural compounds for different applications, in which tropical species have been shown to have high potential, often improved by stressful environmental conditions during the tide cycle with periods of emersion and submersion. Therefore, in order to characterize the antioxidant activity and relate it to local environmental tide exposure, three species of brown marine algae, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Dictyopteris delicatula, and Lobophora variegata from two beaches on the northeast coast of Brazil were studied. Dichloromethane:methanol (DCM:M) and aqueous extracts were tested for ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) antioxidant assays and total phenolic compounds. Aqueous extracts of C. cervicornis showed up to 10 times major antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds than DCM:M extracts. Different characteristic of antioxidant activity were identified among the beaches, species, and extracts, in which aqueous extracts from C. cervicornis and L. variegata showed the most promising matrices for future prospection of natural antioxidants.

Effect of the Refining Process on Total Hydroxytyrosol, Tyrosol, and Tocopherol Contents of Olive Oil.

The impact of the olive oil refining process on major antioxidant compound levels was evaluated by means of UHPLC analysis of lampante olive oils collected at different stages of the refining procedure (degumming, chemical and physical flash neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization). For this purpose, the evolution of the tocopherol fraction was investigated by means of the UHPLC-FL method, while the influence of the refining process on the total hydrolyzed phenolic content was assessed by measuring hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol levels after acid hydrolysis of the phenolic extracts. Refining was found to have a marked effect on total hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol contents, as they are completely removed in the early steps of the refining procedure. In contrast, the variation trends of tocopherols are not always clear-cut, and significant decreases in content from 7% to 16% were only revealed during refining in four out of nine samples. In addition, five of the nine refined oils showed final tocopherol concentrations higher than 200 mg/kg, the limit imposed by international standards regarding the content of such compounds in commercial olive oils. This study supports the need for a revision of the International Olive Oil Council (IOC) standard relative to the limit established for tocopherol addition to refined oils to avoid possible legal and economic trade issues.

In vitro antioxidant capacity and phytochemical characterization of Eryngium kotschyi Boiss.

Context: Eryngium kotschyi is one of the species of Eryngium genus and was endemic to Turkey. It was known, that traditionally uses of this plant in the South-Western part of Turkey for the treatment of various diseases. Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant capacities of methanol extract and ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water sub-extracts as well as to determine the phytochemical composition and to quantify the major antioxidant compounds in the active sub-extract. Methods: Besides the total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid compounds, the antioxidant capacity of E. kotschyi was evaluated by DPPH●, ABTS+● and FRAP methods and qualitative and quantitative determination of phytochemical constituents in active sub-extract by LC-MS/MS. Results: The highest total phenolic (173.710 ± 1.088 mg gallic acid equivalent/gextract) and total flavonoid content (86.978 ± 0.650 mg catechin equivalent/gextract) was found in ethyl acetate sub-extract of E. kotschyi (EKE) and this sub-extract showed the highest antioxidant capacity on DPPH● (IC50 = 0.264 ± 0.040 mg/mL), ABTS+● (at a concentration of 0.125 mg/mL equivalent to 0.497 µM Trolox) and FRAP (at a concentration of 1 mg/mL equivalent to 1476 ± 5.292 mmol Fe2+) tests. Preliminary examination of the mass spectrums revealed the presence of 24 phytochemical compounds in this sub-extract and 7 of them was quantified. According to quantitative analyses the main compounds of EKE sub-extract were rosmarinic acid (490.820 ± 0.703 µg/mgextract), chlorogenic acid (80.405 ± 0.170 µg/mgextract), isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside (72.280 ± 0.33 µg/mgextract), rutin (63.020 ± 0.052 µg/mgextract) and caffeic acid (55.153 ± 0.523 µg/mgextract). Conclusions: The data suggest that EKE possess utilizable antioxidant properties in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of this sub-extract could be due to high content of phenolic and flavonoid contents.