Purification Of Bioactive Compounds Research Articles

The effect of carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and α-terpineol in combination with vacuum packaging on quality indicators of anchovy fillets

Food safety issues associated with the increased use of synthetic and chemicals preservatives agents are receiving increasing attention. The utilisation of natural resources may provide a potential and advisable alternative to chemical preservatives in the seafood industry. This research study focused on the impacts of pure bioactive compounds (carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, and α-terpineol) on the sensory and microbiological (total viable count, TVC) and chemical qualities (total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), free fatty acid (FFA), and peroxide value (PV)) of vacuumed packaged anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) fillets during the refrigerated storage period. This study also evaluated the potential effect of bioactive compounds on biogenic amines (BAs) and ammonia (AMN) production in fish samples. Sensory investigations revealed that the control had an 8-day shelf life, that of the carvacrol and α-terpineol treatment was 15 days, and that of the thymol and eugenol treatment was 19 days. The application of bioactive compound on fish had a positive impact on the preservation of its oxidative stability through the reduction of TBA, FFA, and PV values as well as enhancement of the microbiological quality in comparision to the control. The use of pure bioactive compounds resulted in the reduction of the accumulation of BAs and AMN in anchovy fillets during 22 days of storage. The results exhibited that the pure bioactive compounds mainly eugenol and thymol, can increase the shelf life of anchovy. Therefore, they can be used by seafood industries as preservative agents due to their good antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

Investigation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory potential and ADMET studies of pure compounds isolated from Isodon rugosus Wall. ex Benth.

The strong ethnopharmacological utilization of Isodon rugosus Wall. Ex. Benth is evident in the treatment of several types of pain and inflammation, including toothache, earache, abdominal pain, gastric pain, and generalized body pain and inflammation. Based on this background, the antinociceptive effects of the crude extract, various fractions, and essential oil have been reported previously. In this research work, we isolate and characterize pure bioactive compounds from I. rugosus and evaluate possible mechanisms using various in vivo and in vitro models. The pure compounds were analyzed for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities through various assays. The column chromatography of the chloroform fraction of I. rugosus led to the identification of two pure compounds, i.e., 1 and 2. Compound 1 demonstrated notable inhibition (62% writhing inhibition, 72.77% COX-2 inhibition, and 76.97% 5-LOX inhibition) and anti-inflammatory potential (>50% paw edema inhibition at various intervals). The possible mechanism involved in antinociception was considered primarily, a concept that has already been elucidated through the application of naloxone (an antagonist of opioid receptors). The involvement of adrenergic receptors was investigated using a hot plate model (an adrenergic receptor antagonist). The strong ethnomedicinal analgesic background of I. rugosus, supported by previous reports and current observations, leads to the conclusion that I. rugosus is a potential source of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. It may be concluded from the results that the isolated analgesic compounds of I. rugosus may be a possible alternative remedy for pain and inflammation management with admirable efficacy and safety profiles.

Secondary Metabolite Profiling of the Endophytic Fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum L2D2 Isolated from Anaphalis contorta

In the last few decades, research on endophytic fungi has been increasing due to its applications in agriculture, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. Many studies indicate that fungal endophytes produce various types of bioactive compounds. In this study, the endophytic fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum L2D2 was isolated from the leaf of the medicinal plant Anaphalis contorta and secondary metabolites were collected. The crude extract was analyzed for the presence of seven phytochemicals, and it was observed that alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids were produced. It was also found that the endophyte extract had a total flavonoid content of 126.07 (µg of quercetin equivalent/mg) and a total phenolic content of 43.97 (µg of gallic acid equivalent/mg). The Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis reveals the presence of the major compound Dithiooxamide, which has a retention time (RT) of 50.030%, and the Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) study shows the most abundant compounds as Hexanal (RT of 3.687 min) in positive ionization and Rosamultin (RT of 24.387 min) in negative ionization. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy analysis also shows the presence of alcohol, aldehyde, aliphatic ether, aliphatic primary amine, alkene, alkyl halide, amine, aromatic amine, aromatic compound, carboxylic acid, ketone, phenol, and sulfoxide as functional groups. Further studies, like the purification of bioactive compounds and their biological activities, will reveal the applicability of T. longibrachiatum L2D2 in industries.

Extracts with antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea from potato industry waste

Potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fourth most important agricultural product after wheat, rice, and maize. Fresh potatoes or processed potato products generate large amount of by-products, such as peel, leaves, and stems. In peel and leaf potato, organic acids, amino acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, iridoids, oxylipins, glycoalkaloids among other compounds have been identified. In this work, potato leaves were used to extract compounds with antifungal activity against the phytophatogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Solvents with different polarities were used to extract bioactive compounds from potato leaves. The purification of bioactive compounds from leaf extracts from S. tuberosum was performed in various chromatographic steps, obtaining a bioactive fraction with at least two compounds. Based on the spectroscopic and thin-layer chromatographic data analysis, it can be suggested that this active fraction would have a terpenoid and an aromatic compound. This fraction inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea with an ED50 of 4.3 mg L−1. The unpurified extracts showed only pro-oxidant activity; however, the bioactive fraction did not show pro-oxidant or antioxidant effects. The results of this work suggest that potato by products can be used in the production of biofungicides to control to B. cinerea.

Unveiling the anti-proliferative and pro-thermogenic activity of Staurosirella pinnata (Bacillariophyta) bioproducts

Biorefinery co-products obtained from biomass of the field isolated diatom Staurosirella pinnata have been investigated for their bioactivity on selected human and murine cell lines. Biomass grown in indoor photobioreactor, collected at the stationary phase, was subjected to methanolic extraction to produce a crude extract, sequentially fractionated (hydrophilic-hydrophobic gradient) to obtain six fractions (A4, A5, A7; B4, B5, B6). Fractions' bioactivity was tested on BRAFwt and BRAFV600E human melanoma cell lines, compared to normal keratinocytes. All fractions showed cytotoxic activity, but only fraction A4 showed a remarkable cell-type selectivity, with cell death induction up to 70 % on melanoma cells. Further characterization allowed to identify and purify four apocarotenoids from fraction A4, representing the first report of such class of compound s in mass cultivated diatoms. In addition, fraction A5 resulted to be a mixture of oxylipins and fraction B4 of purine nucleosides, with adenosine as main component. Residual biomass was further processed to obtain an enriched lipidic extract, characterized by a high content of poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Anti-diabetic and anti-obesity activities were assessed by evaluating the expression levels of key proteins involved into thermogenesis (UCP1), lipolysis (Perilipin, HSL660), and mitochondrial dynamics (pDRP1, VDAC), on murine white adipocyte cell line. Overall, the data here reported confirmed S. pinnata as a platform for the discovery and purification of bioactive compounds with biomedical potential, and the biorefinery pipeline allow their combined isolation, thus advancing the sustainability of diatom exploitation for the discovery and production of bioactive molecules.

An integrated process for enhanced production and purification of fucoxanthin and sulfated polysaccharides in diatom Hyalosynedra toxoneides cultures

BackgroundThis study explores the efficient production and purification of health-promoting compounds, fucoxanthin and sulfated polysaccharides, from the diatom Hyalosynedra toxoneides, contributing to the growing demand for sustainable bioactive compounds. MethodsSemi-continuous cultivation of H. toxoneides (AQ9) in three medium concentrations (2.5f, 5f, 10f) was conducted in a custom-made photobioreactor. Fucoxanthin was extracted using 95 % ethanol, purified through silica gel chromatography, and characterized via high-performance liquid chromatography. Crude polysaccharides were obtained, purified using DEAE-Sephacel resins, and characterized for uronic acid and sulfate content. Significant findingsHigher culture medium concentrations led to increased biomass, fucoxanthin, and polysaccharide yields, providing insights for large-scale cultivation. With a 10f medium in semi-continuous cultures, we achieved the highest yields of approximately 1.18 g/L for cell mass, 4.45 mg/L for fucoxanthin, and 17.20 mg/L for crude polysaccharides, with corresponding productivities of 0.20 g/L/day, 0.74 mg/L/day, and 2.46 mg/L/day. Fucoxanthin was purified from crude pigments with 91 % purity and 70 % recovery. Meanwhile, two uncharacterized sulfated polysaccharides were isolated from crude polysaccharides using anion-exchange chromatography. Notably, the culture media influenced sulfated polysaccharide distribution. This integrated approach contributes to efficient production and purification of bioactive compounds from diatom cultures, with potential applications in diverse industries, including nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Studies of Rhaphidophora pinnata (L.f.) Schott.: A Review

Background/ Objective: plants that function primarily to maintain individual health and improve the quality of life throughout the year. a traditional plant as traditional medicine is dragon tail leaves (R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott.). Therefore, this review aims to share reports and provide a comprehensive explanation of the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of (R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott.). Methods: evaluation shared facts in the literature on phytochemical activity and pharmacological activity (R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott.) through 2012-2022. Three bibliographical databases were used to obtain the main report (Pubmed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar). The keywords in this search were “Pharmacology”, “Phytochemicals”, “(R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott.)” and “Bioactive compounds”. Results: a total of 17 studies classified as this evaluation fulfilled the criteria, 8 included and 9 included pharmacological.R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott contains phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids/steroids, and saponins. A series of pharmacological studies have reported on the plant R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott has the effect of Anticancer, Anticancer breast, Antibacterial, Antimutagenic, burns, Analgesic, anti hyperuricemia, and antihyperglycemia. Conclusions: Recent interest in traditional medicine from plants R. pinnata (L.f.) Schott exhibits potential activity against pharmacological effects associated with the presence of pure bioactive compounds.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of toosendanin and salanninolide from Melia volkensii and their antifeedant activity against economically important insect pests

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), sweet potato weevil (Cylas puncticollis) and red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) are insect pests of economic importance that negatively impact production of maize, sweet potato and stored grain, respectively. The continued use of synthetic insecticides to control these insect pests can cause undesirable effects to the environment, human, and other non-target organisms, leading to renewed interest in botanical pesticides as a safer alternative. In this study, bioactivity-guided strategy was applied to isolate insect antifeedants from Melia volkensii, a native tree species to the drylands of East Africa. Initial laboratory screening of M. volkensii nut and pulp crude extracts showed antifeedant activity against S. frugiperda, C. puncticollis and T. castaneum in our previous publication. Fractionation of the nut and pulp crude extracts using various solvents of increasing polarity showed that the antifeedant activity was retained in the dichloromethane fraction, which was subsequently purified by column chromatography. The resultant bioactive fractions were further purified by preparative-HPLC, preparative-TLC and recrystallization, which yielded two pure bioactive compounds characterized as toosendanin and salanninolide using NMR and LC-MS. Toosendanin and salanninolide showed strong activity against T. castaneum and S. frugiperda, with EC50 values of 0.11% and 0.14%, and 0.15% and 0.10%, respectively. In contrast, there was no antifeedant activity by both isolated compounds against C. puncticollis. This study provides new leads for development of insect control products from M. volkensii.

A comparative analysis of the antimicrobial activities of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees plant extracts and its pure diterpenoids: Andrographolide and neoandrographolide

The current study assesses the comparative potency of Andrographis paniculata crude extracts and their pure bioactive compounds against gram-positive, gram-negative and fungal pathogens. This study also estimated the polyphenolic contents present in different solvent extracts. A total of four solvent extracts of different polarities isolated from Andrographis paniculata and its major bioactive compounds were investigated against human pathogenic microbes. The antibacterial activities and minimum inhibitory concentrations were assessed by the broth dilution assay. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated by using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method and Aluminum chloride colorimetric method, respectively. Andrographolide and neoandrographolide both have significant antibacterial activities against all bacteria, but are completely inactive against Candida albicans. Ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts demonstrated antimicrobial activity against each microbe investigated in this study. Both diterpenoids and ethanolic extract were effective against Staphylococcus aureus. This study tried to conclude that most of the solvent extracts contain anti bacterial activity, but andrographlide and neoandrographolide are not the only antibacterial agents present in the crude of Andrographis paniculata and there are also other phytochemicals present which have great activity as an antifungal agent.

Special Issue on “Extraction and Purification of Bioactive Compounds”

Bioactive compounds, which are abundant in flora, fauna, and microorganisms, can potentially be used by various industries, including pharmaceuticals, functional foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics [...]

Supramolecular-solvent based extraction of hydroxytyrosol from brines of the processing of table olives

The recovery of bioactive compounds from agri-food waste is a growing sector and in line with the principles of green chemistry. In the last two decades, the development of processes for the extraction and purification of bioactive compounds that are cheaper, faster, simple, efficient, safe and ecological has been investigated. In this study, we develop for the first time a simple liquid–liquid extraction method of hydroxytyrosol from brines of the processing of table olives, an abundant and underutilized waste of the olive industry as alternative to nanofiltration and sorption onto resins. Brines contain a high concentration of phenolic compounds with beneficial health properties, the major compound being hydroxytyrosol. For the extraction of hydroxytyrosol from brines, green supramolecular solvents (SUPRASs) made up of 1,2-hexanediol and water and induced by salts (Na2SO4 and sodium citrate) were used, all innocuous and authorized ingredients for use in the cosmetic industry. The extraction process of hydroxytyrosol from brines was optimized (in terms of the amount of 1,2-hexanediol and salt for the synthesis of SUPRAS). The highest concentrations of hydroxytyrosol in the SUPRAS extracts (∼0.5–0.9% w/w) were obtained with 4.8% v/v of 1,2-hexanediol and 1 M of Na2SO4 for synthesis (equivalent to a SUPRAS:sample ratio of 1:20 v/v in the extraction process). The final extracts were further analyzed by liquid chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry to identify other compounds of interest.

Anticandidal and antioxidant potencies of endophytic fungi associated with Tinospora crispa

Abstract. Fathoni A, Hudiyono S, Cahyana AH, Ilyas M, Purnaningsih I, Agusta A. 2023. Anticandidal and antioxidant potencies of endophytic fungi associated with Tinospora crispa. Biodiversitas 24: 2547-2555. Natural products including endophytic fungi, have opportunities for medicinal uses as anticandidal and antioxidant agents. This study aimed to investigate the anticandidal and antioxidant activities of endophytic fungi isolated from Brotowali (Tinospora crispa (L.) Miers ex Hook.fil. & Thomson) using disc diffusion, thin layer chromatography (TLC) dot-blot, and microdilution methods. Eighty extracts were screened for anticandidal activity against Candida albicans (C.P.Robin) Berkhout and antioxidants against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. Disc diffusion results showed that 38 endophytic fungi had an anticandidal activity with an inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 7.00±00 to 18.1± 0.29 mm and 4 extracts with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 32-64 µg/mL (strong, MIC<100). The TLC dot-blot results showed that 23 extracts had antioxidant activity and 8 extracts were very strong with an inhibitory concentration of 50% (IC50) values of 7.76±0.77 to 25.54±1.37 µg/mL, while the antioxidant activity index (AAI) values ranged from 2.01±0.10 to 6.64±0.63 (very strong, AAI>2). Results of the Pearson correlations coefficient between the total phenolic content (TPC) value and AAI value, revealed that there was a low correlation, while the correlation of IZD and MIC as anticandidal has a moderate negative (the r value 0.332, and -0.673, respectively (P<0.01). Purification of bioactive compounds is necessary, and endophytic fungi associated with T. crispa can serve as a potential source of natural antioxidants and anticandidal agents.

Plant Cell Cultures: Biofactories for the Production of Bioactive Compounds

Plants have long been exploited as a sustainable source of food, flavors, agrochemicals, colors, therapeutic proteins, bioactive compounds, and stem cell production. However, plant habitats are being briskly lost due to scores of environmental factors and human disturbances. This necessitates finding a viable alternative technology for the continuous production of compounds that are utilized in food and healthcare. The high-value natural products and bioactive compounds are often challenging to synthesize chemically since they accumulate in meager quantities. The isolation and purification of bioactive compounds from plants is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and involves cumbersome extraction procedures. This demands alternative options, and the plant cell culture system offers easy downstream procedures. Retention of the metabolic cues of natural plants, scale-up facility, use as stem cells in the cosmetics industry, and metabolic engineering (especially the rebuilding of the pathways in microbes) are some of the advantages for the synthesis and accumulation of the targeted metabolites and creation of high yielding cell factories. In this article, we discuss plant cell suspension cultures for the in vitro manipulation and production of plant bioactive compounds. Further, we discuss the new advances in the application of plant cells in the cosmetics and food industry and bioprinting.

Identification of bioactive compounds Inhibitors of M. tuberculosis Growth Using Whole Cell Based High-Throughput Screening

Drug discovery and development for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has progressed significantly in more than 20 years, although it is still woefully underfunded. From a drug discovery perspective, tuberculosis is a particularly challenging disease. Screening for new antimicrobial agents is routinely conducted only against actively replicating bacteria. However, it is now widely accepted that a physiological state of nonreplicating persistence (NRP) is responsible for antimicrobial tolerance in many bacterial infections. The MICs of 138 established pure bioactive compounds determined in microplate cultures, of which anaerobic conditions were maintained for ten days and, for comparative purposes, aerobic conditions for seven days. Cultures exposed to drugs under anaerobic conditions followed by 28h of “recovery” under ambient oxygen produced a luminescent signal that was, for most compounds, proportional to the number of hits determined > 90% in MICs MABA was 99 (71.7%), GAS was 118 (85.5%), and MICs LORA was 7 (5.1%). As a result, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria conditions in vitro assays are prone to support a drug discovery program for tuberculosis. These potential bioactive compounds are in the drug discovery and development of anti-tubercular drugs.

Recovery of tetrodotoxin from pufferfish viscera extract by amine-functionalized magnetic nanocomposites.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) has been widely used in pharmacology, food poisoning analysis, therapeutic use, and neurobiology. In the last decades, the isolation and purification of TTX from natural sources (e.g., pufferfish) were mostly based on column chromatography. Recently, functional magnetic nanomaterials have been recognized as promising solid phases for the isolation and purification of bioactive compounds from aqueous matrices due to their effective adsorptive properties. Thus far, no studies have been reported on the utilization of magnetic nanomaterials for the purification of TTX from biological matrices. In this work, an effort has been made to synthesize Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 nanocomposites for the adsorption and recovery of TTX derivatives from a crude pufferfish viscera extract. The experimental data showed that Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 displayed a higher affinity toward TTX derivatives than Fe3O4@SiO2, achieving maximal adsorption yields for 4epi-TTX, TTX, and Anh-TTX of 97.9, 99.6, and 93.8%, respectively, under the optimal conditions of contact time of 50 min, pH of 2, adsorbent dosage of 4 g L-1, initial adsorbate concentration of 1.92 mg L-1 4epi-TTX, 3.36 mg L-1 TTX and 1.44 mg L-1 Anh-TTX and temperature of 40 °C. Interestingly, desorption of 4epi-TTX, TTX, and Anh-TTX from Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2-TTX investigated at 50 °C was recorded to achieve the highest recovery yields of 96.5, 98.2, and 92.7% using 1% AA/ACN for 30 min reaction, respectively. Remarkably, Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 can be regenerated up to three cycles with adsorptive performance remaining at nearly 90%, demonstrating a promising adsorbent for purifying TTX derivatives from pufferfish viscera extract and a potential replacement for resins used in column chromatography-based techniques.

In vitro Detoxifying Effects of Catunaregam nilotica(STAPF) Root Extracts against Naja nigricollis Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) Enzyme

Snakebite is a severe public health problem across the globe, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where most victims live in rural areas where their livelihood depends on farming and rearing animals. Catuneragamniloticahas been used in ethnomedicine to treat snakebites, and diarrhea among others. The study aims to evaluate the phospholipase A2 inhibition potential of C. niloitca using in vitro model. The plant was collected, authenticated, and sequentially extracted using solvents of increasing polarity starting from n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The extracts were screened in vitro for their inhibitory activity against N. nigricollisvenom using PLA2 assay, and polyvalent serum-base antivenin was used as a standard. The phytochemical screening conducted using standard procedures revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, tannins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones, and steroids which varies in the extracts. The extracts of the plant have demonstrated significant (p<0.05) and concentration-dependent antisnake venom activity by combating the hydrolytic actions of N. nigricollisPLA2 enzyme; methanol extract was the most active with PLA2 inhibition of 83.01 to 63.01% at1.0mg/mL to 0.125mg/mL respectively while hexane extract was the least active with percentage inhibition of 45.04 to 30.00% at 1.0mg/mL to 0.125mg/mL. In conclusion, the plant C. niloticahas demonstrated good antisnake venom activity and could be studied further for development as safe and affordable antivenom by subjecting it to bioassay-guided isolation and purification of bioactive compound(s) responsible for the observed activity.

Phytochemical Profiling of the Ethanolic Extract of Zaleya pentandra L. Jaffery and Its Biological Activities by In-Vitro Assays and In-Silico Molecular Docking

Zaleya pentandra L. jaffery is the only species of the genus Zaleya that grows in the Cholistan desert, Pakistan. It is a Xero-halophyte plant with high phenolic and flavonoid content. The present research was designed to investigate the phytochemical composition, biological activities, and in silico molecular docking of the ethanolic extract of Z. pentandra. The phytochemical evaluation was done through preliminary phytochemical testing, estimation of total bioactive content, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis for the identification of volatile compounds. For the evaluation of biological activities, antioxidants, and enzyme inhibition (α-glucosidase, cholinesterase, and tyrosinase), antibacterial and antiviral assays were performed. GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of 29 tentative volatile compounds. The ethanolic extract of Z. pentandra contains high phenolic content (119.6 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid content (45.5 ± 0.19 mg QE/g extract), which correlates with the strong DPPH, FRAP, and enzyme inhibition results. The ethanolic extract of Z. pentandra also showed dose-dependent antibacterial activity. Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found to be most susceptible, with 16 mm and 17 mm zone of inhibitions at a maximum dose of 20 mg/mL. Antiviral results showed that the ethanol extract has excellent activity against H9, IBV, and NDV viral strains. Additionally, in silico molecular docking was performed in order to determine the interaction and binding affinity between the enzymes and compounds identified by GC–MS. α-glucosidase, cholinesterase, and tyrosinase showed the highest binding affinity toward 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-n-(2-phenylethyl) benzamide, γ-sitosterol, and lactose. These findings can serve as a benchmark for anti-diabetic-, neuro-, and skin-protective uses of this plant and can be used for the isolation of pure bioactive compounds in the future.

Isolation and Identification of Constituents Exhibiting Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antihyperuricemia Activities in Piper methysticum Root

The aqueous extract of kava (Piper methysticum) root is known as a traditional beverage for daily intake in the Western Pacific Islands, such as Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu, to induce relaxation and health-beneficial effects. In this study, the antioxidant, anti-hyperuricemia, and antibacterial properties of kava root were investigated through the isolation and purification of bioactive compounds in ten fractions separated by column chromatography (CC). They included six flavonoids, 5-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavanone (C1), matteucinol (C2), isosakuranetin (C3), 5,7- dimethoxyflavanone (C4), 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxydihydrochalcone (in MC5) and alpinetin (C10), and seven kavalactones, 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) (in MC5 and C6), kavain (in MC7), yangonin (in MC7 and C8), dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) (in MC9), 7,8-dihydromethysticin (in MC9), dihydromethysticin (in MC9), methysticin (in MC9). The chemical structures of the compounds were illustrated by the analyses of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C-NMR), and X-ray diffraction. The evaluation of the free radical scavenging activity of the isolated substances via the DPPH and ABTS assays revealed that C3 (IC50: ABTS = 76.5; DPPH = 74.8 µg/mL) possessed the strongest antioxidant property. In terms of anti-hyperuricemia activity evaluated via the xanthine oxidase inhibitory in vitro assay, the compound C10 was the most promising inhibitor, revealing an IC50 of 134.52 µg/mL. The two kavalactone mixtures in MC5 and a pure compound C6 inhibited the growth of bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, while MC7 can constrain the development of Klebsiella pneumoniae. This is the first study to isolate, purify, and identify the flavonoids isosakuranetin, 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxydihydrochalcone and alpinetin in kava root and report their pharmaceutical potential. The identified bioactive compounds showed potent antioxidant, anti-hyperuricemia, and antibacterial activity and thus can enhance the value of beverages and foods derived from kava root.

Purification of bioactive compounds from blackberry pomace: Investigation of techniques to reduce fouling during flat membrane ultrafiltration process

Here we evaluated the use of static turbulence promoters of different pin diameters and ultrasound during the ultrafiltration of the blackberry pomace extract. The steady state fluxes during ultrafiltration of blackberry extract pomace through a polymeric 10 kDa membrane under ultrasound irradiation and with turbulence promoters with pins of 2.5 and 3.5 of diameters were 3.12 ± 0.08, 6.00 ± 0.14 and 4.02 ± 0.36 L h−1 m−2, respectively. The steady state flux under conventional ultrafiltration was 2.22 ± 0.12 L h−1 m−2. Cake formation was more effectively mitigated with the turbulence promoters than with ultrasound, since turbulence promoters provided the formation of effective secondary flows, while the ultrasound waves were not able to effectively remove the compressed cake layer. The permeate flux was greater with the turbulence promoter of pins with diameters of 2.5 mm than of 3.5 mm at the same specific energy consumption. The ultrafiltration process retained almost 80% of the bioactive compounds from the blackberry pomace extract and the applied devices did not significantly change the characteristics of the permeate extract. Thus, the use of turbulence promoters with pins of small diameters is recommended to improve the permeate flux during ultrafiltration process.

Marine-Bioinspired Nanoparticles as Potential Drugs for Multiple Biological Roles.

The increased interest in nanomedicine and its applicability for a wide range of biological functions demands the search for raw materials to create nanomaterials. Recent trends have focused on the use of green chemistry to synthesize metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles. Bioactive chemicals have been found in a variety of marine organisms, including invertebrates, marine mammals, fish, algae, plankton, fungi, and bacteria. These marine-derived active chemicals have been widely used for various biological properties. Marine-derived materials, either whole extracts or pure components, are employed in the synthesis of nanoparticles due to their ease of availability, low cost of production, biocompatibility, and low cytotoxicity toward eukaryotic cells. These marine-derived nanomaterials have been employed to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses as well as treat non-infectious diseases, such as tumors, cancer, inflammatory responses, and diabetes, and support wound healing. Furthermore, several polymeric materials derived from the marine, such as chitosan and alginate, are exploited as nanocarriers in drug delivery. Moreover, a variety of pure bioactive compounds have been loaded onto polymeric nanocarriers and employed to treat infectious and non-infectious diseases. The current review is focused on a thorough overview of nanoparticle synthesis and its biological applications made from their entire extracts or pure chemicals derived from marine sources.