Ml Of Juice Research Articles

Immobilization of Commercial Pectinase (Polygalacturonase) on Celite and Its Application in Juice Clarification

The commercial pectinase (polygalacturonase) was immobilized on celite through adsorption. There was 2.5% concentration of glutaraldehyde used as cross-linking agent and a binding time of 4 h was found to be the best time for its proper binding. Binding efficiency of enzyme to the matrix was 43.18%. The immobilized enzyme retained almost 50% of activity after third cycle of reuse. Free enzyme showed maximum activity with polygalacturonic acid (PGA, 0.9%) as substrate at 40C temperature, pH 5.5 and incubation time of 20 min while immobilized enzyme showed maximum activity with PGA (0.9%) as substrate at temperature of 45C, pH 5.5 and incubation time of 15 min. Both free and immobilized enzyme were inhibited by metal ions, thiols, phenolics and protein inhibitors. For clarification of 1.0 mL of pineapple juice, 20 mg of immobilized enzyme per mL of juice at 45C temperature and 1 h of holding time was optimized. Practical Applications Pectinases find commercial application in fruit juice, wine, oil, tea, coffee, textile and paper-making industries using a wide variety of carriers and methods. One of the vital applications is the clarification and depectinization of fruit juices. The raw fruit juice obtained after pressing is very turbid viscous and contains a significant amount of colloidal compounds, mainly pectin that causes cloudiness; therefore, clarification of fruit juices involves the removal of juice haze by enzyme hydrolysis with pectolytic enzymes. Although pectinases enhance the clarification of juices, immobilization of these enzymes proves to be beneficial for industrial use. Immobilization of pectinase on celite through adsorption is a simple, cheap and effective method. For the clarification of pineapple juice, excellent results were observed using immobilized polygalacturonase in comparison with free enzyme.

Physicochemical Changes and Antioxidant Activity of Juice, Skin, Pellicle and Seed of Pomegranate (cv. Mollar de Elche) at Different Stages of Ripening.

In the present work, we investigate how the degree of ripeness (low, low-medium, medium and medium-high) affects the physical and compositional changes, as well as antioxidant properties of pomegranate fruit (cv. Mollar de Elche). The skin, pellicle, seed and juice were analysed. The fruit mass increased and the fruit skin became reddish (higher a* and lower h*) as the fruit ripening progressed. The lowest concentrations of flavonoids and hydrolysable tannins were recorded in skin and pellicles at medium-high maturity stage, which explains the decrease in the total phenols and reducing power during ripening of pomegranate. On the contrary, the highest concentration of flavonoids (165 mg of quercetin equivalents per 100 mL of juice) was determined in the juice at the most advanced ripening stage, concomitant with the highest total phenols (1695 mg of gallic acid equivalents per 100 mL of juice). Higher DPPH scavenging activity and an increase in the reducing power of juice were also observed during ripening. The trend of the above-mentioned properties allowed describing the fruit development and maturity.

Review of grapefruit juice-drugs interactions mediated by intestinal CYP3A4 inhibition

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that belongs to the Rutaceae family. One large grapefruit yields around 200–250 ml of juice, consumed regularly by many individuals owing to its nutritional value, including fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Grapefruit juice (GFJ) compounds, mainly naringin, bergamottin, and 6,7-dihydroxybergamottin (DHB), inhibit intestinal CYP3A4 enzymes, which are mediated by the metabolic processes of many drugs and result in the interaction between GFJ and drugs that are CYP3A4 substrates when administered concomitantly. GFJ-drug interaction is affected by several factors, including oral bioavailability, patient vulnerability, and factors related to GFJ consumption, such as the amount of GFJ consumed and the interval between GFJ and drug administration. Many drugs from different classes have the potential for interaction, including calcium channel blockers such as felodipine, statins such as simvastatin, immunosuppressants, benzodiazepines such as midazolam, antihistamines such as terfenadine, and many other drugs. Pharmacists have a strong medical background that makes them able to predict grapefruit-drug interactions. Thus, they play a critical role in reducing the risk of GFJ-drug interactions by advising and educating patients when dispensing prescribed and Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

The effects of beverages on plaque acidogenicity after a sugary challenge

Caries prevention traditionally has emphasized the restriction of cariogenic foods and beverages, but it has placed less emphasis on how the choice, combination and sequence of consumed foods and beverages may help reduce plaque acidogenicity. The authors conducted a study to examine whether whole milk, 100 percent apple juice or tap water affect dental plaque acidity in people after a sugary challenge. Twenty adults participated in a randomized controlled crossover study. Participants consumed four combinations of foods: 20 grams of dry sugary Froot Loops (FL) (Kellogg's, Battle Creek, Mich.) cereal, 20 g of FL followed by 50 milliliters of milk (FL/milk), 20 g of FL followed by 50 mL of juice (FL/juice) and 20 g of FL followed by 50 mL of water (FL/water). The authors used a touch microelectrode to take plaque pH readings at the interproximal space just below the contact area between the maxillary premolars on both left and right sides at two and five minutes after FL consumption and at two to 30 minutes after milk, juice or water consumption. Consumption of FL plaque pH (standard deviation [SD]) was 5.83 (0.68) at 30 minutes, whereas plaque pH (SD) in the FL/milk group was 6.48 (0.30), which was significantly higher than that for FL/juice (5.83 [0.49]) or FL/water (6.02 [0.41]) (P < .005) at 35 minutes. Drinking milk after a sugary cereal challenge significantly reduced plaque pH drop due to the sugary challenge. When discussing the cariogenicity of foods and beverages with patients, dentists and other health care professionals should emphasize that the order of ingesting sugary and nonsugary foods is important and may affect their oral health.

Bioavailability of phenolic compounds in grape juice cv. Autumn Royal

The bioavailability of major phenolics in Autumn Royal grape juice was measured in 16 subjects distributed into two groups: the experimental group (n = 8 receiving 300 mL of juice) and the placebo group (n = 8 receiving 300 mL of artificial beverage). Blood was obtained before and after 30, 90, 180, and 300 min after juice or placebo intake and 24-h urine was collected. At 30 min, catechin and gallic acid levels were 3.18 ± 0.06 and 0.33 ± 0.06 nmol/mL plasma (p < 0.01), respectively. The maximal plasma levels of catechin and gallic acid observed at 180 min were 7.11 ± 0.53 and 1.56 ± 0.07 nmol/mL, respectively. After 300 min, gallic acid was not detected and only two subjects exhibited measurable levels of catechin. After juice intake, urinary catechin and gallic acid contents were significantly higher than the basal values (p < 0.001). After a regular serving of grape juice, catechin and gallic acid are bioavailable and thus potentially capable of exerting their expected biological effects.

Nematocid effects of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.)

The watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) is often grown as a forced leaf vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals. Its specific taste and curative effects result from the presence of mustard glycosides (glucosinolates) that may also show nematocidic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of watercress eluate and juice on tomato plants inoculated with the northern root-knot nematode (NRKN) Meloidogyne hapla. It was found out that after the treatment of plants with solutions derived from watercress the yield of fruit was highly significantly increased. The highest yield increase (by 96 % to 165 %) was observed in the variant with the highest concentration of watercress extracts (macerate + 200 ml of juice). Although at lower concentrations of watercress solution the increase in yields was also reduced (by 57–118 %), the difference was still statistically highly significant. The effect of this treatment on the content of vitamin C was similar and the increase was also highly significant and ranged from 24 to 67 %. When evaluating the occurrence of nematodes on roots of tomato plants, the presence of pathogens was equal to zero percent in all treated variants. The treatment with this phyto-solution corroborated not only a nematocidic effect of watercress but also its positive influence on the yield and level of vitamin C in dependence on increasing concentrations of the effective agent. It can be therefore concluded that the watercress solution showed a promoting effect on tomato plants.

Características antioxidantes, fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas de jugo fermentado y sin fermentar de tres variedades de pitahaya (Hylocereus spp)

Dragon fruit juice from three variety (red, pink, and white) were evaluated in pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, color, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, while in fermented dragon fruit juice with Saccharomyces cerevisiae were also evaluated the mesophylls and yeasts plus molds, and alcohol grade. The contents of total soluble solids and pH decreased in the fermented juice of all varieties as consequence of the fermentation process. The phenolic compounds were higher in the red dragon fruit juice, followed by the pink and white dragon fruit with average values of 45.3, 32.1 y 24.6 mg of Gallic acid/100 mL of juice, respectively. Therefore, the antioxidant activity was higher in the red dragon fruit juice (160.84 mg of Trolox/100 mL of juice). Fermenting the juice increased the phenolic compounds (changing of 45.31 to 51.38 mg of galic acid/100 mL of juice, in red dragon fruit), however decreased the antioxidant activity (124.51 to 82.96 mg of Trolox/100 mL of juice, in pink dragon fruit). The alcohol grades in the fermented juices were among 2.9 to 3.9 % (v/v). At the end of the fermentation the higher yeasts plus molds (1580 CFU/mL) were in the white dragon fruit juice. However, after the pasteurization process the microbial load in all treatments were lower to 10 CFU/mL. The development of products such as fermented juice is a viable alternative for the commercialization of products derived from dragon fruit.

Impulsivity and drugs of abuse: A juice-reinforced operant procedure for determining within-session delay discounting functions in rhesus monkeys

IntroductionImpulsivity is a behavioral trait that is thought to contribute to a variety of disorders, including drug abuse. Efficient, sensitive procedures are needed for studying drug effects on impulsivity (e.g., delay discounting) in nonhumans. MethodsThree monkeys responded under an operant choice procedure whereby responses on one lever resulted in immediate delivery of 0.15ml of juice [Hawaiian Punch®] and responses on another lever resulted in delivery of 0.75ml of juice, either immediately or after a delay (3.75–40s). The delay to the larger reinforcer increased within-session across discrete blocks allowing for generation of delay-discounting functions within sessions. ResultsWithout delay, monkeys chose the larger reinforcer nearly exclusively. With increasing delay, monkeys progressively switched their choice from the larger to the smaller reinforcer in a delay-dependent manner. In 2 monkeys, acute administration of morphine (0.1 and 0.32mg/kg) or ketamine (0.1 and 0.32mg/kg) but not diazepam (0.1–1.0mg/kg) dose-dependently shifted the delay-discounting functions to the left, indicating increased discounting. In one monkey, daily morphine treatment (0.32mg/kg/day, 3-hour pretreatment) produced a rapid, sustained leftward shift in the delay-discounting function; the curve returned to the pre-drug position 6days after discontinuation of treatment. DiscussionThis delay discounting procedure is sensitive to both behavioral and pharmacological manipulations and appears to be particularly sensitive to chronic drug treatment and drug withdrawal. Given the importance of drug dependence and withdrawal in the initiation, maintenance of, and relapse to drug taking, this procedure should be useful to study one aspect of this process.

Biochemical, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of pomegranate fruits growing in Southern Italy (Salento, Apulia)

Four ecotypes of pomegranate fruits growing in the Salento area were characterized for their content in terms of total phenols, sugars, organic acids, anthocyanins, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The results showed that in the fruit juice the amount of phenols ranged between 0.8–1.7 g l−1; the content in terms of simple sugars was about 140 g l−1, while the amount of citric and malic acids ranged between 1.4–13.3 and 0.8–7.7 g l−1, respectively. Seven anthocyanin pigments were found; these were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively by HPLC-DAD-MS and identified as delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-arabinoside. The antioxidant activity, determined as DPPH scavenger and TEAC, ranged between 17.2 and 39.1% and between 9 and 19 μmol Trolox per ml of juice, respectively. All the pomegranate juices showed an anti-inflammatory activity (measured by COX inhibit...

Shelf-life and quality attributes in fresh-cut Galia melon combined with fruit juices

A new product composed of Galia melon pieces combined with natural Galia or Cantaloupe melon juices or different commercial juices was developed. The natural juices were freshly obtained and heat treated for 3 min at 70 °C. Each sample was composed of 100 mL of juice and 50 g of Galia melon pieces packed in polypropylene trays and stored at 5 °C up to 7 days. Microbial counts, vitamin C, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity and sensory analysis were performed. At the end of the storage, treatments with natural juices showed higher psychrotrophic (5.3–5.1 log cfu g−1), total aerobic bacteria (4.3 to 4.6 log cfu g−1) and lactic acid bacteria (5.1–5 log cfu g−1) counts. This was due to the high pH (6.7 to 7.1) compared to the low pH (3.5) from commercial ones. Vitamin C contents were higher on melon pieces combined with natural juices. The sensory panel did not find major differences on sensory parameters. Considering the results, fresh melon pieces with Cantaloupe juice is a good alternative by the high vitamin C content and no added sugar. However, the shelf-life period could be extended reducing the pH which would ensure an optimal microbiological quality.

Relative Significance of N Nutrition on Yield, Quality and Ethanol in Sugarcane (Saccharum species hybrid) Plant: Ratoon System

Field experiments were conducted at Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore during 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 crop seasons as plant and ratoon crop to find the effect of N nutrition on yield, quality and ethanol production from direct fermentation of juice in sugarcane. Treatments involving four nitrogen levels viz., 280, 350, 420 and 490 kg N/ha were laid out in the main plots while the subplot treatments included its split application at different days after planting (DAP) (3 splits on 45, 90, 135 DAP, 4 splits on 45, 90, 135 and 180 DAP, 5 splits on 45, 90, 135, 180 and 225 DAP, 6 splits on 45, 90, 135, 180, 225 and 270 DAP). High yields of 140.7 t/ha and 118.6 t/ha were recorded with the application of recommended dose of nitrogen (280 kg N/ha) in the plant and ratoon crop, respectively. Yields with N application at 45, 90 and 135 DAP exceeded those recorded over other splits. Juice quality and ethanol production per 100 ml of juice did not show a significant variation due to the treatments imposed. However, the variation in cane yields ultimately caused a variation in the amount of ethanol produced per hectare with respect to rates of N (8,544 and 7,566 l/ha in the plant and ratoon crop, respectively, at 280 kg N/ha) and split application (8,617 and 7,617 l/ha in the plant and ratoon crop, respectively, at 3 splits). Application of N at 280 kg/ha at 3 splits at 45, 90 and 135 DAP produced the highest ethanol yield.

Identification of (Poly)phenolic Compounds in Concord Grape Juice and Their Metabolites in Human Plasma and Urine after Juice Consumption

Analysis of Concord grape juice by HPLC with ESI-MS(n), PDA, and fluorescence detection resulted in the identification and quantification of 60 flavonoids and related phenolic compounds, which were present at an overall concentration of 1508 ± 31 μmol/L. A total of 25 anthocyanins were detected, which were mono- and di-O-glucosides, O-acetylglucosides, O-p-coumaroyl-O-diglucosides, and O-p-coumaroylglucosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin. The anthocyanins represented 46% of the total phenolic content of the juice (680 μmol/L). Tartaric esters of hydroxycinnamic acids, namely, trans-caftaric and trans-coutaric acids, and to a lesser extent trans-fertaric acid accounted for 29% of the phenolic content, with a total concentration of 444 μmol/L, of which 85% comprised trans-caftaric acid. Free hydroxycinnamic acids were also quantified but contributed to <1% of the total phenolic content (8.4 μmol/L). The other groups of polyphenolic compounds present in the juice, accounting for 24% of the total, comprised monomeric and oligomeric units of (epi)catechin and (epi)gallocatechin (248 μmol/L), flavonols (76 μmol/L), gallic acid (51 μmol/L), and trans-resveratrol (1.5 μmol/L). The bioavailability of the (poly)phenolic compounds in 350 mL of juice was investigated following acute intake by healthy volunteers. Plasma and urine were collected over 0-24 h and analyzed for parent compounds and metabolites. In total, 41 compounds, principally metabolites, were identified.

Increased Plasma Nitrite Enhances Exercise Performance in PAD:-A Nitric Oxide Effect?

Peripheral Arterial Disease is the manifestation of a failure to adequately supply blood flow and O2 to working tissues and presents as claudication pain during walking which subsides with rest. Any intervention that can improve tissue perfusion during exercise in PAD subjects is clinically significant. Nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is essential for vascular health and function and is implicated in aerobic exercise performance. Dietary inorganic nitrate is absorbed in the gut, converted to nitrite (NO2-) by comensural bacteria in saliva and then reabsorbed to become concentrated in the blood. Plasma NO2- is a marker of vascular NO production but recent findings suggest it may also be a protected circulating "sink" that can be converted to NO during hypoxic conditions, possibly aiding perfusion. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of a dietary provision of plasma nitrate on plasma NO2- and subsequent cardiopulmonary graded exercise test (CPX) performance in PAD subjects. METHODS: This was a randomized open label cross-over study of a HIGH (beet juice) versus a LOW (orange juice) nitrate drink (7 days between tests). On each visit subjects (n=8) underwent resting blood draws, followed by 500ml of juice and subsequent blood draws at 2hr, 3hr (pre-CPX), immediately and 10 minutes post CPX. Measures of brachial artery endothelial function following reactive hyperemia and calf tissue oxygenation using near-infra red spectroscopy during the CPX were also performed. All blood samples were immediately treated, snap frozen and stored for later analysis for plasma NO2- and nitrate using reductive chemiluminescence. RESULTS: There were no changes from rest (180±60nM) in plasma NO2- following the LOW drink. The HIGH drink increased plasma NO2- levels after 3 hours (1139nM±815, p≥0.01). Subjects walked 18% longer before reporting the onset of claudication pain (COT) (183±84sec to 215±99sec, p≥0.01) and 14% longer before stopping (TTE) (467± 223sec to 533±233sec, p≥0.01) following the HIGH vs LOW beverage. Interestingly, DBP was lower in the HIGH group at rest and during CPX testing (p≥0.05). CONCLUSION: A high nitrate drink increased plasma NO2- at 3 hours post consumption. This was associated with an increase in exercise performance (COT and TTE) in PAD subjects. Supported by Wake Forest TSC & Duke Pepper OAIC grants to JDA

Improving Blended Carrot-Orange Juice Quality by the Addition of Cyclodextrins During Enzymatic Clarification

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cyclodextrins (CDs) on carotene content and quality of blended carrot-orange juice after enzymatic clarification. The blended carrot-orange juice was treated with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and gamma cyclodextrin (γ-CD) in different concentrations (1–5 g/100 mL of juice) prior to enzymatic clarification. The results showed that in non-homogenized juice added with HP-β-CD, juice acidity was generally increased from 0.83 to 1.05 g/100 mL. In the homogenized juice added with 3% (w/v) HP-β-CD, the carotene content was also increased to 5.34 mg/mL, meaning two to six times compared to control samples. However, the addition of HP-β-CD prior to juice enzymatic clarification decreased the juice clarity more than that added with γ-CD; both CDs showed wider effect on the ascorbic acid content in non-homogenized than in homogenized, when compared to control samples. The non-enzymatic browning was significantly enhanced by the addition of CDs; though, the total polyphenol content increased with the addition of HP-β-CD from 32.59 to 37.09 and from 29.20 to 35.44 mg GAE/mL in non-homogenized and homogenized juice, respectively. The juice color turned red-yellow with increase in the carotene content of the juice. In conclusion, the addition of HP-β-CD in homogenized juice improved the nutritional and some physico-chemical parameters of the juice.

Pomegranate Juice Is Potentially Better Than Orange Juice in Improving Antioxidant Function in Elderly Subjects

In the present study, 26 elderly subjects were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups, that is, orange (low in antioxidant capacity) and pomegranate (high in antioxidant capacity) groups, and 250 mL of juice was consumed daily for 4 weeks. Changes in plasma antioxidant capacity, activity of antioxidant enzymes, contents of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, oxidized low-density lipoprotein and carbonyls, and the degree of DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells were measured. Urine samples were collected for determination of 8- hydroxy-2'- deoxyguanosine content. Increased plasma antioxidant capacity and decreased plasma carbonyl content were demonstrated after daily consumption of pomegranate juice. In comparison, orange juice consumption presented a less significant effect on antioxidant function in elderly subjects. It is concluded that daily consumption of pomegranate juices is potentially better than orange juice in improving antioxidant function in the elderly. Because the plasma ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and reduced glutathione contents did not differ significantly between the 2 groups in this study, the phenolics may be the functional components contained in pomegranate juice that accounted for the observations.

Dextranase production from Paecilomyces lilacinus and its application for dextran removal from sugarcane juice

Dextranase was produced from fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus by submerged fermentation under different cultural conditions viz. pH, incubation temperature, inoculum size and days of incubation for maximum enzyme production. Maximum enzyme production was achieved at pH 6.0 of Mandel media and at temperature 30°C. Inoculum size of 1 × 107 spores/ml was found to be optimum for maximum enzyme production. Enzyme production increased with the increase in days of incubation from 3 to 5 days and then declined thereafter. Dextranase units (from 1 to 15 U/100 ml juice) were exogenously added to sugarcane juice with an aim to optimize dextranase application for removal of dextran from cane juice. Addition of dextranase in juice of cane variety CoS 8436, resulted in relatively less increase in dextran content as compared to control during storage. Whereas, dextran content in untreated juice increased 10 times during 24 h of storage, the increase during this period was only 2.3 times in juice treated with 15 U of dextranase. With the application of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 units of dextranase in 100 ml of juice, dextran content was decreased by 15.51, 30.82, 50.20, 68.20 and 73.30 % as compared to the control (with no dextranase added) after 24 h of storage. This study finds application in minimizing the dextran problem in sugar industry.

Elemental content and nutritional study of blood orange juice

AbstractBACKGROUND: The elemental content of Sicilian red orange juices and the bioaccessibility of many elements of particular nutritional interest was evaluated.RESULTS: The elemental content of fresh juices from Sicilian blood oranges was analysed by ICP–OES, GF AAS, HG–AAS and CV AAS. Among the macroelements (Na, Ca, K, Mg and P), potassium occurred in the greatest amount, with 3.64% of the requested RDA for 100 mL of juice daily intake. The values of RDA 100 mL−1 of juice for Mg, P, Ca and Na resulted 1.61%, 1.26%, 0.59% and 0.09% respectively. For the trace elements Cr, Cu and Se, the RDA 100 mL−1 of juice were 9.20%, 7.14% and 1.82%, respectively.In vitro tests simulating the digestive process showed high bioaccessibility only for boron and manganese while that of copper, zinc and iron were consistently lower.CONCLUSIONS: Sicilian blood orange juices gave different results from non‐pigmented orange juices in terms of a higher content of copper, boron and lower content of chromium and manganese. However, among the nutritionally important elements, only manganese showed high bioaccessibility. The low bioaccessibility found for iron, zinc and copper is likely due to the presence in the orange juice of ligands such as polyphenols and organic acids. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

The role of iron chelation activity of wheat grass juice in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

7012 Background: A pilot study with wheat grass juice in major thalassaemia patients was done by a group of clinicians in IPGMR, Chandigarh, India. We performed a study of 200 patients of intermediate thalassaemia with wheat grass juice and found 80% patients becoming transfusion independent. During the study in majority of the patients, serum ferritin level was significantly less as compared to pretreatment values. The aim of our study was to see the effect of wheat grass juice in reducing Ferritin level in myelodysplastic syndrome and also do the biochemical analysis of the wheat grass juice. Methods: During period from January 2003 to December 2007 we selected 20 patients of transfusion dependent myelodysplastic syndrome in the oncology department of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute. The age range of the patients was 42 years to 72 years (median 55 years). The fresh leaves of 5–7-day-old wheat grasss including stems were made fresh juice and had given 30 mL of juice daily to all 20 patients for continuous 6 months. Wheat grass juice was analyzed by column chromatography and found to be rich in oxalic and malic acid which might have some role in dietary absorption of iron from intestine. Beside that the wheat grass juice was found to contain two unique active ingredients with iron chelating property which was performed by deoxyribose degradation assay. We compared aqueous soluble extract of 5–7-day-old plant and dose-dependent study showed a significant iron chelating activity of crude extract in comparison to known standard iron chelator desferroxamine (DFO). The active compounds of crude extract of wheat grass may chelate catalytic iron in iron overload disorders when taking systematic dose. Result: The mean serum Ferritin level of the patients was 2,250 (range 650–4,800) before wheat grass treatment. The mean reduced to 950 (range 68–1680) (p &lt; 0.0001). The performance status was improved from 60% to 80% (Karnofsky) after wheat grass treatment. The mean interval between transfusions was found increased. Conclusions: Wheat grass juice is an effective iron chelator and its use in reducing serum ferritin should be encouraged in myelodysplastic syndrome and other diseases where repeated blood transfusion is required. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Bioavailability of Anthocyanins from Purple Carrot Juice: Effects of Acylation and Plant Matrix

Absorption of cyanidin-based anthocyanins is not fully understood with respect to dose or anthocyanin structure. In feeding studies using whole foods, nonacylated anthocyanins are more bioavailable than their acylated counterparts, but the extent to which plant matrix determines relative bioavailability of anthocyanins is unknown. Using juice of purple carrots to circumvent matrix effects, a feeding trial was conducted to determine relative bioavailability of acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins and to assess dose-response effects. Appearance of anthocyanins in plasma was measured in 10 healthy adults for 8 h following consumption of purple carrot juice. Each subject consumed 50, 150, and 250 mL of juice containing 76 micromol (65 mg), 228 micromol (194 mg), and 380 micromol (323 mg) of total anthocyanins, respectively. Acylated anthocyanins comprised 76% of total anthocyanins in the juice, yet their bioavailability was found to be significantly less than that of nonacylated anthocyanins. Peak plasma concentrations of nonacylated anthocyanins were 4-fold higher than that for acylated anthocyanins. Absorption efficiency declined across the doses administered. Because the treatments were consumed as juice, it could be discerned that the difference in bioavailability of acylated versus nonacylated anthocyanins was not primarily caused by interactions with the plant matrix.

Seleção de genótipos de aceroleira assistida por marcadores isoenzimáticos visando à resistência a Meloidogyne incognita raça 2

A cultura da aceroleira despertou um grande interesse do mercado consumidor, tendo em vista o alto teor de vitamina C (ácido ascórbico), que varia entre 1.325 a 2.250 mg por 100 mL de suco. Com a expansão da cultura, surgiram problemas fitossanitários, entre os quais a infecção das raízes da aceroleira por nematóides. Os produtos químicos utilizados no controle dos nematóides são agressivos ao meio ambiente, e a seleção de genótipos resistentes e tolerantes constitui-se na melhor alternativa para a solução do problema. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em casa de vegetação com 18 genótipos de aceroleira, com o objetivo de encontrar genótipos resistentes e tolerantes a Meloidogyne incognita raça 2 assistida por marcadores isoenzimáticos, para indicar plantas destinadas a porta-enxerto. A avaliação foi realizada 60 dias após a inoculação mediante análise das variáveis: número de ovos por planta e por grama de raiz, índice de galhas e massa de ovos, biomassa fresca relativa do sistema radicular e biomassa fresca relativa da parte aérea. Os resultados permitiram identificar o genótipo 023-CMF como menos suscetível, e os genótipos 027-CMF e 035-CMF, como mais suscetíveis. Estudos realizados através da eletroforese isoenzimática com os sistemas α esterase, fosfatase ácida e peroxidase, 20; 40 e 60 dias após a inoculação com ovos de M. incognita raça 2, possibilitaram relacionar a expressão de proteínas com a suscetibilidade. Os genótipos mais próximos geneticamente, com índice de similaridade 0,941, foram 027-CMF e 026-CMF, 046-CMF e 026-CMF, e 041-CMF e 026-CMF. O menor índice de similaridade genética (0,115) foi observado entre os genótipos 002-SPE e 036-CMF.