Natural Antioxidant Compounds Research Articles

Phytochemical, Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Psilocybe Natalensis Magic Mushroom.

Psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, have been used since ancient and recent times for depression and to improve quality of life. However, their anti-inflammatory properties are not known. The study aims at investing cytotoxicity; antioxidant; and, for the first time, anti-inflammatory effects of Psilocybe natalensis, a psilocybin-containing mushroom that grows in South Africa, on lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Macrophage cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and treated with different concentrations of Psilocybe natalensis mushroom extracted with boiling hot water, cold water and ethanol over 24 h. Quercetin and N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester were used as positive controls. Effects of extracts on the lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and cytokine activities were investigated. Phytochemical analysis, and the antioxidant and cytotoxicity of extracts, were determined. Results showed that the three extracts inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and interleukin 1β cytokine production significantly in a dose-dependent manner close to that of the positive controls. A study proposed that ethanol and water extracts of Psilocybe natalensis mushroom were safe at concentrations used, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in the mushroom extracts.

Antioxidant Compounds for the Inhibition of Enzymatic Browning by Polyphenol Oxidases in the Fruiting Body Extract of the Edible Mushroom Hericium erinaceus.

Mushrooms are attractive resources for novel enzymes and bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, mushrooms spontaneously form brown pigments during food processing as well as extraction procedures for functional compounds. In this study, the dark browning pigment in the extract derived from the edible mushroom Hericium erinaceus was determined to be caused by the oxidation of endogenous polyphenol compounds by the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme family. These oxidized pigment compounds were measured quantitatively using a fluorospectrophotometer and, through chelation deactivation and heat inactivation, were confirmed to be enzymatic browning products of reactions by a metalloprotein tyrosinase in the PPO family. Furthermore, a transcript analysis of the identified putative PPO-coding genes in the different growth phases showed that tyrosinase and laccase isoenzymes were highly expressed in the mushroom fruiting body, and these could be potential PPOs involved in the enzymatic browning reaction. A metabolite profiling analysis of two different growth phases also revealed a number of potential enzymatic browning substances that were grouped into amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic compounds, and purine and pyrimidine nucleobases. In addition, these analyses also demonstrated that the mushroom contained a relatively high amount of natural antioxidant compounds that can effectively decrease the browning reaction via PPO-inhibitory mechanisms that inhibit tyrosinase and scavenge free radicals in the fruiting body. Altogether, these results contribute to an understanding of the metabolites and PPO enzymes responsible for the enzymatic browning reaction of H. erinaceus.

Transformation of resveratrol under disinfection conditions

Trans-resveratrol becomes more and more popular all over the world as a powerful antioxidant. Since its positive properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor are indisputable, nowadays trans-resveratrol is used as a component of various products from nutriceutics to body care formulations, where it is supposed to behave as natural antioxidant and anti-aging compound. It is also added to food packaging materials to increase their stability or/and prevent oxidation. Nevertheless, being released to the environment resveratrol easily forms various transformation products with potentially negative environmental and health effects. The present paper deals with transformation of pure resveratrol and its formulation used as UV-protectors in conditions of aquatic chlorination. Over 80 transformation products were tentatively identified using gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and ultra pressure liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Chlorinated phenols and biphenyls are the most relevant among them. Estimation of toxicity of resveratrol products was carried out using luminescent bacteria V. fischeri tests.

Development and validation of a high throughput bioanalytical UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of tamoxifen and sulphoraphane in rat plasma: Application to an oral pharmacokinetic study

Tamoxifen (TAM) is the choice of a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of estrogen-positive receptor (ER+) breast cancer. Sulphoraphane (SFN), a natural plant antioxidant compound, also acts on estrogen-positive breast cancer receptor. Thus, a combination of TAM with SFN is preferred as it helps to minimize the drug-related toxicity and increases the therapeutic efficacy by providing synergistic anticancer effects of both drugs. In the present study, a new simple, sensitive, precise, and selective UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of tamoxifen and sulphoraphane using propranolol as an internal standard (IS) in rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was achieved on reverse phase Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, i.d., 1.7 μm) with an isocratic mobile phase composed of solvent A (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile) and B (0.1% formic acid in water) (80:20, v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.4 mL/min. The detection and quantification of analytes was performed on Waters ZsprayTM Xevo TQD using selected-ion monitoring operated under a positive electrospray ionization mode. The transitions were m/z = 372.0 [M+H]+ → 71.92 for tamoxifen, m/z = 177.9 [M+H]+ → 113.9 for sulphoraphane and m/z = 260.3 [M+H]+ → 116.1 for propranolol. The method was linear over the concentration range of 8–500 ng/mL (r2 = 0.9996) for tamoxifen, 30–2000 ng/mL (r2 = 0.9998) for sulphoraphane with insignificant matrix effect and high extraction recovery on spiked quality control (QC) samples. The intra- and inter-batch precisions and accuracy were within the acceptable limits, and both the analytes were found to be stable throughout the short term, long term and freeze thaw stability studies. The validated method was successfully applied for the simultaneous estimation of TAM and SFN in an oral pharmacokinetic study in female Wistar rats. This developed UPLC-MS/MS method could be a valuable tool for future pharmacokinetic interaction, therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic characterization of novel formulations.

Effects of Soil Fertilization on Terpenoids and Other Carbon-Based Secondary Metabolites in Rosmarinus officinalis Plants: A Comparative Study.

Rosmarinus officinalis is an evergreen aromatic plant with important commercial interest as it contains numerous essential oils (composed of terpenoid compounds) and phenolic constituents (natural antioxidant compounds). This work aims at evaluating the concomitant effects of different inorganic and organic fertilization treatments and the subsequent increases in soil nutrient availability on terpenoids and other carbon-based secondary metabolites, e.g., flavonoids and phenolic compounds, in Rosmarinus officinalis leaves. The results showed that, as expected, the structural carbohydrate content (lignocellulosic compounds) in stems was higher in fertilized plants than in controls. Additionally, positive correlations were observed of the absolute amounts of total terpenoids and some single terpenoid compounds with N or P contents in leaves. On the contrary, the phenolic and flavonoid concentrations in all the rosemary plant parts were lower with the fertilization treatments. Indeed, negative correlations between the phenolic compounds (and flavonoids) and N in rosemary leaves were also found. Overall, the results suggest that the terpenoid production’s response to fertilization was due to N, which is essential for protein synthesis and terpene synthase activity, and to P, which is necessary for the synthesis of both terpenoid precursors and ATP and NADPH, also needed for terpenoid synthesis. On the other hand, the basis for the fertilization’s effects on the production of phenolic compounds is the direct nitrogen trade-off between growth and the shikimic acid pathway by which phenolics compounds are synthesized.

Cytotoxic and antioxidant potentials of ellagic acid derivatives from <i>Conocarpus lancifolius</i> (Combretaceae)

Purpose: Isolation, characterisation and structure elucidation of compounds obtained from Conocarpus lancifolius and screening of their pharmacological effects in vitro.Methods: After collection, authentication and extraction from whole C. lancifolius plants, screening for secondary metabolites, thin-layer chromatography and subsequent open column chromatography were performed for phytochemical analysis and subsequent purification of the compounds. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic (UV-visible, infrared and mass) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR including BB, DEPT-135, 90 and two-dimensional correlation techniques, including HMBC and HSQC). The cytotoxic and antioxidant potentials of extracts and compounds obtained from C. lancifolius were evaluated using in vitro models.Results: Two ellagic acid derivatives, 2,3,8-tri-o-methylellagic acid (A) and 3-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (B), were isolated. Both compounds (A and B) were cytotoxic in a variety of cancer cell lines, including murine lymphocytic leukaemia (P-388, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) =3.60 and 2.40 μg/mL, respectively), human colon cancer (Col-2, IC50 = 0.76 and 0.92 μg/mL, respectively) and human breast cancer (MCF-7, IC50 = 0.65 and 0.54 μg/mL, respectively). Moreover, both compounds showed significant antioxidant potential in vitro.Conclusion: C. lancifolius extract and isolated ellagic acid derivatives (compounds A and B) possess cytotoxic and antioxidant properties. These findings suggest that C. lancifolius contains bioactive compounds that can be potentially developed as natural cytotoxic and antioxidant compounds.
 Keywords: Conocarpus lancifolius, Ellagic acid, Combretaceae, Cytotoxic activity, Antioxidant

Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Potential of Endophytic Fungi Isolated From Hibiscus sabdariffa

Introduction: Fungal endophytes are friendly microbes colonizing in plants and play an effective role in plant-environment interactions. They produce valuable secondary metabolites that both plants and human beings can benefit from such products. Diverse compounds are biosynthesized by endophytes to promote plant growth and prevent pathogen attacks. Some of these compounds can be used for human drugs as antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Thirteen endophytic fungal species were isolated from root, stem and leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa. The assessment of the antioxidants activity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hydrogen peroxide scavenging and reducing power assays of 26 ethyl acetate and 13 methanol crude fungal extracts has been carried out. Qualitative assay of bioactive compounds for 39 endophytic fungal extracts have been checked by standard procedures. Quantitative estimation of TPC and flavonoids content was done. The DPPH free radical scavenging was estimated using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), and hydrogen peroxide scavenging and reducing power assays were used to evaluate the antioxidants activity. Results: Qualitative detection of secondary metabolites revealed that endophytic fungal extracts from Aspergillus terreus isolated from the leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa was found to be able to produce all the tested functional metabolites with the highest total phenolic contents (204.5±0.4 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity for DPPH radical scavenging assay (91.88 ± 0.17 μg/mL). Conclusions: The present study revealed that metabolites produced by some endophytic fungi isolated from the medicinal plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa could be a potential source of novel natural antioxidant compounds.

Bioprospecting of Microbes for Valuable Compounds to Mankind

The most biological multiplicity on this planet is almost certainly concealed in soils. Many valuable bacteria had been extensively dispersed in soils worldwide, with soils from terrestrial, desserts and Antarctic. Hence, soils become an intensively utilized ecological niche for the inhabitants to generate various useful biologically active natural products such asantibiotics, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, neuroprotection, anticancer and other important compounds. Bacteria including Actinobacteria have been exceptionally valuable for the pharmaceutical industry due to their limitless capability to generate secondary metabolites with various biological activities and chemical structure. Therefore, this article aims to provide critical insight of bioprospecting of microbes for valuable compounds to mankind.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Enhanced the Neuroprotective Role of Curcumin against Epilepsy through Activation of Bcl-2 Family and P38 MAPK Pathways.

Oxidative stress of neurons caused by a series of complex neuropathological processes will induce certain neurodegenerative disorders including epilepsy. Curcumin (Cur) is an effective natural antioxidant compound; however, the poor bioavailability obstructs its neural protective applications. In this study, Cur is encapsulated in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for better neuroprotective efficacy. In vitro study certified that Cur-SLNs functioned obviously better against neuronal apoptosis than Cur, by significantly decreasing the level of free radical and reversing mitochondrial function through the activation of the Bcl-2 family. In vivo experiments showed that SLNs transported Cur through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The behavioral performance of epileptic mice was improved by Cur-SLNs, with more NeuN but less TUNEL positive cells observed in hippocampus. The in vivo mechanism was also explored. Cur-SLNs reduced neuronal apoptosis through Bcl2 family and P38 MAPK pathways. Overall, Cur-SLNs have better protective effects toward oxidative stress in neurons than free Cur both in vitro and in vivo, which suggests they may be a promising agent against neurodegenerative disorders including epilepsy.

Natural Antioxidants, Health Effects and Bioactive Properties of Wild Allium Species.

There is an increasing interest from the pharmaceutical and food industry in natural antioxidant and bioactive compounds derived from plants as substitutes for synthetic compounds. The genus Allium is one of the largest genera, with more than 900 species, including important cultivated and wild species, having beneficial health effects. The present review aims to unravel the chemical composition of wild Allium species and their healthrelated effects, focusing on the main antioxidant compounds. For this purpose, a thorough study of the literature was carried out to compile reports related to health effects and the principal bioactive compounds. Considering the vast number of species, this review is divided into subsections where the most studied species are presented, namely Allium ampeloprasum, A. flavum, A. hookeri, A. jesdianum, A. neapolitanum, A. roseum, A. stipitatum, A. tricoccum, and A. ursinum, with an additional composite section for less studied species. The information presented in this review was obtained from worldwide accepted databases such as Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar and Researchgate, using as keywords the respective names of the studied species (both common and Latin names) and the additional terms of"antioxidants" "health effects" and "bioactive properties". The genus Allium includes several wild species, many of which are commonly used in traditional and folklore medicine while others are lesser known or are of regional interest. These species can be used as sources of natural bioactive compounds with remarkable health benefits. Several studies have reported these effects and confirmed the mechanisms of action in several cases, although more research is needed in this field. Moreover, considering that most of the studies refer to the results obtained from species collected in the wild under uncontrolled conditions, further research is needed to elucidate the effects of growing conditions on bioactive compounds and to promote the exploitation of this invaluable genetic material.

A comparative study about antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)

Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) is a large family which involves approximately 455 genus and 3600 species. Coriander (C. sativum L.) and cumin (C. cyminum L.) are two members of Apiaceae family which commonly used for medicinal purpose due to their antioxidant activity. Since the antioxidants are compounds that prevent the oxidation by neutralizing free radicals, researches about their potential utilizations are of great interest for food science and technology. Due to the consumer preference and the worries about synthetic antioxidant compounds, the food industry shows tendency to use natural antioxidant compounds obtained from plant materials. FDA has recognized more than 150 plants as GRAS, without no limitations intake. Coriander, cumin, anise, fennel, thyme and oregano are some plants found in this list. The focus of this research is to contrast the composition of phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of these two medicinal herbs belonging to the Apiaceae family. For this purpose, coriander and cumin were analyzed for phenolic compounds and antioxidant assay. Antioxidant assay analyses were performed by applying cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), 2,2'-azino-bis3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl methods (DPPH).

UHPLC-MS phytochemical profiling, biological propensities and in-silico studies of Alhagi maurorum roots: a medicinal herb with multifunctional properties

The biological, chemical, and in silico properties of methanol and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of Alhagi maurorum roots with respect to the antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and phytochemical composition were evaluated. Total bioactive contents were determined spectrophotometrically, and the individual secondary metabolites composition was assessed via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) analysis. Antioxidant capacities were evaluated using a panoply of assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant power (CUPRAC), phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and metal chelating activity (MCA)). The enzyme inhibition potential was studied against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase, tyrosinase, urease and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes. The methanol extract was found to contain higher total phenolic (105.91 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (2.27 mg RE/g extract) contents which can be correlated to its more substantial antioxidant potential as well as AChE, BChE, tyrosinase and α-glucosidase inhibition. However, the DCM extract was the most effective against α-amylase (1.86 mmol ACAE/g extract) enzyme inhibition. The UHPLC-MS analysis of methanol extract identified the tentative presence of a total of 18 secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, saponins, phenolic and terpenoid derivatives. Three compounds named emmotin A, luteolin 5,3’-dimethyl ether, and preferrugone were further investigated for their in silico molecular docking studies against the tested enzymes. The selected compounds were found to have higher binding interaction with AChE followed by BChE, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and tyrosinase. The results of the present study have demonstrated A. mauroram to be considered as a lead source of natural antioxidant and enzyme inhibitor compounds.

Evaluation of phenolic constituent, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of sugarcane molasses towards foodborne pathogens

The employment of chemical synthetic as an antimicrobial agent in inhibiting microbial growth has become a major concern due to adverse health impact, food safety crisis and the pressure on food manufacturers. Essential bioactive compound in sugarcane molasses, a by-product from a sugar refinery process could be effective as an alternative antimicrobial substance. However, their antimicrobial properties are not understandable. This study aimed 1) to detect the total phenolic compounds present in sugarcane molasses extract and 2) to determine the antioxidants and antibacterial activities of sugarcane molasses extract towards foodborne pathogens. The phenolic compounds of sugarcane molasses extract were determined by UHPLC-MSMS. Antioxidant activities were estimated by a total phenolic compound assay and a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Meanwhile, antibacterial activities were carried out via disc diffusion, minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) assays. In this study, several extracted compounds were identified in sugarcane molasses extract and included gallic acid, phenylvaleric acids, quinic acid, tannic acid and 6-C-glucosyl-8-C-arabinosyl apigenin or arabinoysl-glucosylapigenin. The sugarcane molasses extract showed high total phenolic compounds with values of 7.6 mg GAE/g extract. Meanwhile, antioxidant activities of sugarcane molasses extract were also found high and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 value) was about 0.79 mg QE/g. The inhibition zone against four foodborne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ranged from 8.82±0.3 mm to 25.05±1.6 mm. Meanwhile, the MICs of sugarcane molasses extract ranged from 3.125% to 6.25% v/v and MBCs were 6.25% to >12.5% v/v. In conclusion, sugarcane molasses extract is rich in phenolic compounds and has the potential to be applied as the natural antioxidant and antibacterial compounds.

Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activities of Different Organic Extracts of Three Algerian Plants

We compared the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activities of three important species of Lamiaceae in Algeria (Mentha spicata, Ocimum basilicum and Thymus algeriensis). We noticed that the M. spicata species contains the largest fraction of phenolic and flavonoid products (231 and 22 mg / g) than the other two species studied. Other hand we founded that the two species M. spicata and T. algeriensis show excellent antioxidant activity in the ethanolic extract according to the two tests (DPPH and ABTS) compared to the ascorbic acid of reference. But the specie O. basilicum has good antioxidant activity in aqueous extraction. This Lamiaceae family takes an important place in the lives of Algerians citizens, so this species are very good source of natural antioxidant compounds in algerian traditional medicine.
 Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Lamiaceae, Mentha spicata, Ocimum basilicum and Thymus algeriensis, DPPH.

Effects of Microencapsulated Blend of Organic Acids and Essential Oils as a Feed Additive on Quality of Chicken Breast Meat.

Simple SummaryChicken meat is largely consumed around the world, with an increasing demand in recent years. Unfortunately, chicken meat is very susceptible to oxidative deterioration; therefore, poultry industries often use synthetic dietary additives to improve meat shelf-life. However, due to the public’s growing concern about the potential toxic effect of the synthetic additives, there is an increasing interest in natural antioxidant compounds. Among these, organic acids and essential oils could represent a favourable option to improve the characteristics of chicken meat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary supplementation of organic acids (sorbic and citric) and essential oils (thymol and vanillin) on the quality and shelf-life of broiler meat. The additive was supplemented for the entire growing cycle at the level of 0.5% (as a feed additive). This dietary strategy led a reduction in intramuscular fat content and an overall improvement in fatty acid profile. Moreover, the dietary supplementation of organic acids and essential oils reduced the lipid oxidation in cooked meat, whereas minor changes were observed for colour and lipid stability and for microbial loads in raw meat.The present study aims to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation based on a blend of microencapsulated organic acids (sorbic and citric) and essential oils (thymol and vanillin) on chicken meat quality. A total of 420 male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: the control group was fed with conventional diet (CON), while the other group received the control diet supplemented with 0.5% of a microencapsulated blend of organic acids and essential oils (AVI). In breast meat samples, intramuscular fat content and saturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio were reduced by AVI supplementation (p < 0.05). Moreover, atherogenic (p < 0.01) and thrombogenic (p < 0.05) indices were lower in AVI than CON treatment. AVI raw meat showed a lower density of psychrotrophic bacteria (p < 0.05) at an initial time, and higher loads of enterococci after 4 days of refrigerated storage (p < 0.05). No contamination of Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., and Clostridium spp. was found. TBARS values of the cooked meat were lower in the AVI treatment compared to CON (p < 0.01). Among colour parameters, a*, b* and C* values increased between 4 and 7 days of storage in AVI cooked meat (p < 0.05). Overall, organic acids and essential oils could improve the quality and shelf-life of poultry meat.

Curcumin Incorporation into Zn3Al Layered Double Hydroxides—Preparation, Characterization and Curcumin Release

Curcumin (CR) is a natural antioxidant compound extracted from Curcuma longa (turmeric). Until now, researches related to the incorporation of CR into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were focused only on hybrid structures based on a MgxAl-LDH matrix. Our studies were extended towards the incorporation of CR in another type of LDH-matrix (Zn3Al-LDH) which could have an even more prolific effect on the antioxidant activity due to the presence of Zn. Four CR-modified Zn3Al-LDH solids were synthesized, e.g., PZn3Al-CR(Aq), PZn3Al-CR(Et), RZn3Al-CR(Aq) and RZn3Al-CR(Et) (molar ratio CR/Al = 1/10, where P and R stand for the preparation method (P = precipitation, R = reconstruction), while (Aq) and (Et) indicate the type of CR solution, aqueous or ethanolic, respectively). The samples were characterized by XRD, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed IR (ATR-FTIR) and diffuse reflectance (DR)-UV–Vis techniques and the CR-release was investigated in buffer solutions at different pH values (1, 2, 5, 7 and 8). XRD results indicated a layered structure for PZn3Al-CR(Aq), PZn3Al-CR(Et), RZn3Al-CR(Aq) impurified with ZnO, while RZn3Al-CR(Et) contained ZnO nano-particles as the main crystalline phase. For all samples, CR-release revealed a decreasing tendency towards the pH increase, and higher values were obtained for RZn3Al-CR(Et) and PZn3Al-CR(Et) (e.g., 45% and 25%, respectively at pH 1).

Phytosomal nanocarriers as platforms for improved delivery of natural antioxidant and photoprotective compounds in propolis: An approach for enhanced both dissolution behaviour in biorelevant media and skin retention profiles

Propolis has been reported to possess rich content of antioxidant compounds and may provide health benefits through oxidative stress reduction. Presently, the formulation activities used to enhance the drug delivery have been hampered due to inherently low aqueous solubility and poor transdermal permeation of the bioactive phenols and flavonoids. Here, we show, the formulation of propolis extract (PE) into phytosome delivery systems. The optimum antioxidant activity was attained through extraction process using 75% v/v ethanol. The phytosome was prepared using thin-layer hydration technique with l-α-Phosphatidylcholine as a phospholipid. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was used to investigate the occurrence of molecular interactions between formulation components. This innovative approach could encapsulate >40% of bioactive compounds in PE, namely caffeic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. FTIR spectroscopy indicated new hydrogen bond formation, supporting successful phytosome formulation. The phytosomes enhanced the dissolution up to 4-folds of bioactive compounds in bio-mimicked release media, as well as improved penetrability and skin retention up to 6-folds of the three main compounds of propolis, when compared to non-encapsulated PE formulation. Importantly, the hydrogel containing phytosome showed a potential for UVA and UVB radiation absorption, indicated by the SPF values of higher than 15. To conclude, this work shows promising novel delivery approaches for PE in the treatment of organ injured stress oxidative and skin aging.

Spray drying of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) juice and analysis of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content

Mangosteen contains natural antioxidant compounds such as polyphenolic compounds. It is most fresh consumed and can not be stored for long especially after separated from its pericarp. One alternative to extend the shelf life is by drying the mangosteen fruit. Spray drying was investigated to this study to produce mangosteen juice powder which was examined for antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Mangosteen juice powder was dried with the addition of maltodextrin in a ratio of mangosteen: maltodextrin of 10:90; 30:70 and 50:50, which mangosteen was based on total solid value. Spray drying was carried out in 2 inlet temperatures condition, 140°C and 160°C, to observe the effect of temperature on antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. These 2 inlet temperatures of spray dryer did not affect the physical appearance, colour, taste, and aroma of mangosteen powder. Increment of spray dryer temperature did not show significant differences in total phenolic content and IC50 of antioxidant activity, except IC50 in the ratio of 50:50. At the ratio 50:50, the increment of spray dryer temperature decreases the antioxidant activity. Therefore, spray drying is a prospective drying option for mangosteen juice at the appropriate addition of maltodextrin and temperature process. It should maintain the physical and chemical properties of mangosteen and finally support ease of storage and shipping.

Antioxidant compounds from marine seaweeds and their mechanism of action

Investigation of natural products has moved toward marine environments as they are a source of many biologically active agents. The natural antioxidant compounds isolated from seaweeds provide a valuable contribution to the innovation of new drugs for chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress. While the antioxidant activity and nutritional benefits of various seaweed products are well recognized, their proper utilization as antioxidants remains at initial stages that require further investigative studies. This review provides a detailed study of isolated antioxidant compounds from seaweeds and their major mechanism of action by focusing on the reports from 2015 to 2019. The report discusses various active antioxidant compounds, including phenolics (e.g., phlorotannins), polysaccharides, and pigments with proven benefits against oxidative stress-related diseases, especially carotenoids, from the aspect of benefits to human health.

Antioxidant Properties and Redox-Modulating Activity of Chitosan and Its Derivatives: Biomaterials with Application in Cancer Therapy.

Many studies have shown that mitochondrial metabolism has a fundamental role in induction of carcinogenesis due to the influence of increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in all steps of oncogene transformation and cancer progression. It is widely accepted that the anticancer effect of conventional anticancer drugs is due to induction of oxidative stress and elevated intracellular levels of ROS, which alter the redox homeostasis of cancer cells. On the other hand, the harmful side effects of conventional anticancer chemotherapeutics are also due to increased production of ROS and disruption of redox homeostasis of normal cells and tissues. Therefore, there is a growing interest toward the development of natural antioxidant compounds from various sources, which could impact the redox state of cancer and normal cells by different pathways and could prevent damage from oxidant-mediated reactions. It is known that chitosan exhibits versatile biological properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and a less toxic nature. Because of its antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory activities, the biopolymer has been used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical, biomedical, food industry, health, and agricultural applications and has been classified as a new physiologically bioactive material.