Red Grape Pomace Research Articles

Effects of Supplementing Grape Pomace to Broilers Fed Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Enriched Diets on Meat Quality

Simple SummaryChicken meat and its products are among the first-choice foods in most countries, due to the health benefits they provide and the relatively low price. However, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are highly susceptible to peroxidation, affecting nutritional, sensory characteristics and meat shelf life. A reasonable way and a good tactic to delay their lipid peroxidation would be using a natural antioxidant in feed formulation. Grape pomace (GP) is an agro-industrial by-product with high nutritional value as it is a rich source of polyphenols. The supplementation of broiler diets with grape pomace indicated an intensified color, improved texture and a decrease of lipid peroxidation parameters of broilers’ meat that had been fed with PUFA enriched diets.The effects of using grape pomace as natural antioxidant in polyunsaturated fatty acids enriched broiler diets (4% flaxseed meal) on color, texture and lipid peroxidation of meat were evaluated. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 200, Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to 5 groups and housed in an experimental hall with floored pens. Compared to the control group, the diet for the experimental groups included 3% or 6% of two grape pomace varieties, white and red. Diet formulation enrichment with red grape pomace influenced the meat color parameters, underlining an accentuated total color difference (ΔE) for both breast and thigh as compared to the control. The dietary supplementation with grape pomace led to the increase of meat hardness regardless of the amount and variety added. The grape pomace inclusion in broiler diets positively influenced meat color and texture. Regarding the lipid oxidation parameters, there was a decrease of the value of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in thigh meat in all experimental groups. Additionally, significant differences were highlighted for breast in 3% white grape pomace and 6% red grape pomace supplemented groups when compared to the control group. In conclusion, the supplementation of broiler diets enriched in PUFA with grape pomace improved meat color and texture, which are essential parameters for consumer’s choice. Also, the grape pomace supplementation indicated an improvement of thigh meat oxidative stability, especially regarding the TBARS value.

VALORIZATION OF RED GRAPE (VITIS VINIFERA CV. SANGIOVESE) POMACE AS FUNCTIONAL FOOD INGREDIENT

The winemaking process generates large amounts of by-products that are still a potential source of bioactive compounds to be used as functional food ingredients. This study is aimed to develop a cow milk kefir fortified with Sangiovese red grape pomace. The phenolic extracts of skins and seeds, which were obtained after infusion and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), were rich in (+)-catechin (105.0±147.0 mg/L) and (-) epicatechin (76.0±364.0 mg/L) based on HPLC-DAD analysis. The UAE-derived skin extracts were selected for their best antioxidant effectiveness and incorporated into kefir, whose functional properties have been investigated through spectrophotometric assays. The addition of UAE-derived skin extract to kefir was significantly effective in enhancing the total phenolic content (43.2 %) thus increasing the total antioxidant capacity (+47.7 %) and lowering IC50ABTS (-36.0%) and DPPH (-31.45%). An increased inhibitory activity towards ?-amylase, ?-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase was also achieved by decreasing the corresponding IC50 values (69.39 and 73.01 g/mL, respectively).

Development of antioxidant and antimicrobial xanthan-based cryogels with tuned porous morphology and controlled swelling features

Novel porous films based on xanthan gum (XG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and red grape pomace (RGP), as entrapped natural antioxidant agent, were prepared by freeze/thawing, a versatile and non-destructive method. The stability of XG/PVA films was dependent on the crystalline zones created by PVA under freeze/thawing treatment. After three cryogenic cycles, the introduction of RGP into the 3D polymer matrix plays a major role by hindering the access of water into the cavities already formed during the first and second cryogenic cycles. By contrast, XG/PVA-based cryogels with enhanced mechanical strength were obtained when the number of freeze/thawing cycles increased from three to seven, while pores stability was improved by entrapment of RGP. The remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of XG/PVA/RGP cryogel films compared to the XG/PVA films, indicates the potential application of these systems in food packaging.

Dual Extraction of Crustacean and Fungal Chitosan from a Single Mucor circinelloides Fermentation

Mucor circinelloides is a fungus that has been reported to produce ethanol, oil, protein, phosphate and glucosamine, depending on the available nutrients and cultivation conditions. Due to its ability to produce extracellular proteases, it is able to ferment polypeptides and amino acids broken down from various protein sources. In this study, we attempted to culture the Mucor circinelloides on waste substrates to deproteinize prawn shells for the extraction of chitin and subsequently extract chitosan from its fungal cell wall in a concurrent fermentation. The physio-chemical properties of the extracted crustacean chitin and fungal chitosan were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Elemental Analysis (EA). We found that Mucor circinelloides grown on okara and coffee waste behaved as an excellent protease producer and successfully extracted chitin from prawn shells with a degree of deacetylation of 69.94% and 68.82%, respectively, comparable to commercial chitin (70.46%). The fungal chitosan extracted from the fermentation of Mucor circinelloides on red grape pomace substrate showed a degree of deacetylation of 61.05%, comparable to commercial chitosan (64.00%). Our results suggested feasibility of extracting chitosan from seafood waste-streams using cost-effective microbial fermentation.

Feasibility of multi-hydrolytic enzymes production from optimized grape pomace residues and wheat bran mixture using Aspergillus niger in an integrated citric acid-enzymes production process

In this study, the potential of the co-generation of hydrolytic enzymes in the biorefinery plant for citric acid fermentation was investigated. Aspergillus niger B60 mycelium along with the solid residue after the recovery of sugars from white pomace (WP′) were recycled from citric acid fermentation. A mixture design was used to determine the optimum ternary feedstock mixture composed of WP′ (15%), red grape pomace (15%) and wheat bran (70%) that produced the target enzymes with high activities, which were compared to those from pure feedstocks. Maximum carboxymethyl cellulase, polygalacturonase, amylase, xylanase and acid protease activities obtained through solid-state fermentation (120 h, 30 °C) of the feedstock mixture were 668 IU/g, 3,151 IU/g, 1,099 IU/g, 579 IU/g and 204 IU/g (dry mass basis), respectively. The system was successfully simulated in SuperPro Designer. Results showed that the enzymes production process serves as the main contributor to the profitability of the biorefinery plant.

Polyphenols from grape pomace induce osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells.

Polyphenols are increasingly investigated for the treatment of periodontitis and research on their use in dental biomaterials is currently being conducted. Grape pomace extracts are a rich source of polyphenols. In the present study, the polyphenols of two different types of grape pomace were characterized and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector, and the effect of polyphenol-rich grape pomace extracts on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) osteogenic differentiation was investigated. Solid-liquid extraction was used to recover polyphenols from red and white grape pomace. The two extracts have been characterized through the phenolic content and antioxidant power. Human MSCs (hMSCs) from the bone marrow were cultured both with and without given amounts (10 or 20 µg/ml) of the obtained pomace extracts. Their effects on cell differentiation were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, compared with relevant controls. Results showed that both pomace extracts, albeit different in phenolic composition and concentration, induced multiple effects on hMSC gene expression, such as a decreased receptor activator of nuclear factor κ-B ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio and an enhanced expression of genes involved in osteoblast differentiation, thus suggesting a shift of hMSCs towards osteoblast differentiation. The obtained results provided data in favor of the exploitation of polyphenol properties from grape pomace extracts as complementary active molecules for dental materials and devices for bone regeneration in periodontal defects.

Nano-encapsulation of grape and apple pomace phenolic extract in chitosan and soy protein via nanoemulsification

Enhancement of lipid solubility and antioxidant activity besides maintenance of the stability for phenolics extract of grape and apple pomace could be achieved by their encapsulation. This work aims mainly to optimize nanocapsules (NCs) of total polyphenols extracted from golden apple (APP) and red grape (GPP) pomace in chitosan (polysaccharide) and soy protein. Nanoemulsification method was adopted with high encapsulation efficiency in case of soy protein, about 95%, and slightly lower efficiency for chitosan, about 75%. The NCs characteristics were confirmed by FTIR spectra, TEM, fluorescence spectra and spectrophotometric analysis. Good lipid NCs of oil/water emulsion type with diameter range of about 5˗300 nm were obtained in presence of Tween20 surfactant according to TEM images. FTIR spectra indicated that the most extracted polyphenolic compounds were encapsulated successfully. The NCs have enhanced the antioxidant activity of phenolic extract, apple juice and pineapple juice indicating their potential as food edible materials.

Fractionation of red wine grape pomace by subcritical water extraction/hydrolysis

The fractionation of red wine grape pomace (RWGP) by subcritical water (SBW) extraction/hydrolysis was studied in a semi-continuous reactor. Different temperature programs were used, comprising ramps and plateaus at different temperatures, with different time lengths. Pressure was kept constant at 100 bar. A program applied to previously defatted RWGP (def-RWGP) featuring plateaus at 50, 100 and 190 °C allowed the recovery of virtually all of the hemicellulose, while leaving in the residue essentially all of the lignin and the cellulose. The latter was readily hydrolyzed enzymatically. When using whole RWGP, it was shown that over 85 % of the lipids remained in the residue. The RWGP extracts had contents of phenolic compounds up to 29 g/100 gextract, and were rich in hemicellulose-derived carbohydrates, mostly in the form of oligomers. The extracts exhibited an antioxidant capacity that compared favorably with that of gallic acid.

Microbial extraction of chitin from seafood waste using sugars derived from fruit waste-stream

Chitin and chitosan are natural amino polysaccharides that have exceptional biocompatibility in a wide range of applications such as drug delivery carriers, antibacterial agents and food stabilizers. However, conventional chemical extraction methods of chitin from marine waste are costly and hazardous to the environment. Here we report a study where shrimp waste was co-fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ATCC 14917 and Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis ATCC 6051 and chitin was successfully extracted after deproteinization and demineralization of the prawn shells. The glucose supplementation for fermentation was replaced by waste substrates to reduce cost and maximize waste utilization. A total of 10 carbon sources were explored, namely sugarcane molasses, light corn syrup, red grape pomace, white grape pomace, apple peel, pineapple peel and core, potato peel, mango peel, banana peel and sweet potato peel. The extracted chitin was chemically characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to measure the degree of acetylation, elemental analysis (EA) to measure the carbon/nitrogen ratio and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to measure the degree of crystallinity. A comparison of the quality of the crude extracted chitin was made between the different waste substrates used for fermentation and the experimental results showed that the waste substrates generally make a suitable replacement for glucose in the fermentation process. Red grape pomace resulted in recovery of chitin with a degree of deacetylation of 72.90%, a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 6.85 and a degree of crystallinity of 95.54%. These achieved values were found to be comparable with and even surpassed commercial chitin.

Application of a seasoning obtained from red grape pomace as a salt replacer for the elaboration of marinated chicken breasts: study of their physical-chemical and sensory properties and microbiological stability

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to elaborate low-salt marinated chicken breasts by the addition of a seasoning obtained from red grape skins. The marinated chicken breasts were prepared by immersion in five different brines: only water (control), 0.5% and 2% of salt, 0.5% of salt and 2% of seasoning and 2% of salt and 2% of seasoning. The marinated breasts were stored under refrigeration and their shelf-life and physical-chemical composition were evaluated. The consumers’ acceptance of the product was also evaluated. The breast marinated with a brine of 0.5% of salt and 2% of seasoning had the same shelf-life than those marinated with 2% of salt. From a sensory point of view, the color of the chicken breasts marinated with the seasoning was the less accepted attribute. However, two groups of consumers were found, one more willing to try and accept new products and other more reluctant to try innovative foods.

Anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory properties of an ethanol-water red grape pomace extract

AbstractPrevious reports support that wine contains a mixture of micro-constituents in a proper quality and quantity that possess cardio-protective effect partly through Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) inhibition. Grape pomace (GP) is a source of wine-like micro-constituents that may be a suitable alternative in food fortification. Limited data exist concerning their effects on thrombosis and inflammation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine a grape pomace extract regarding its anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory properties. GP from four red grape varieties were extracted with 80% ethanol (GP:solvent 1:5w/v). The extract's total phenolic compounds were evaluated and the phenolic profile was performed by Ultrahigh-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography coupled to Mass-Spectrometry and the determination of fatty acids profile was performed by Gas-Chromatography. The extract's anti-platelet properties were tested in healthy volunteers’ platelet rich plasma by the light transmittance method, against three agonists: PAF, ADP and TRAP. The results expressed as IC50 values (μg of extract that cause 50% inhibition of aggregation) and EC50 values (agonist concentration that causes 50% of the maximum aggregation) in the extract's presence and absence. Concerning the extract's anti-inflammatory properties, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers were pre-incubated with different extract concentrations, which were tested for their effect on cell viability, for 1 h and then stimulated with LPS for 4 h. Secretion of IL-1β and TNF-a was measured and normalized with the total cell protein. Phenolic compounds were calculated at 8.79 ± 1.17 mg gallic acid per g of GP. The most abundant ones were catechin, epicatechin and quercetin at 202.9 ± 6.9, 84.8 ± 1.5 and 83.7 ± 3.5μg per g of GP respectively. Out of the 18 fatty acids detected, the most abundant ones were palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid at 28.7 ± 0.1, 11.4 ± 0.01, 32.5 ± 0.07, 12.7 ± 0.005 g per 100 g of fat. The extract's IC50 was calculated at 162.1 ± 66.9, 181.2 ± 82.3 and 156.3 ± 97.5μg against PAF, ADP and TRAP, respectively. The EC50 values in the presence of 150μg extract were increased (lower platelet aggregation sensitivity) approximately at 100%, 45% and 13% against PAF, ADP and TRAP respectively, compared to EC50 values in the absence of extract. The presence of 500 and 1000μg/mL of extract reduced LPS-induced TNF-a secretion at approximately 38.2% (p = 0.04) and 6.0% (p < 0.000), respectively. Potent anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory properties are combined in a grape pomace extract. The use of its bioactive micro-constituents is likely to lead to the production of functional foods with cardioprotective properties.

Temporal Responses of Microbial Communities to Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is an organic amendment-based management tool for controlling soil-borne plant diseases and is increasingly used in a variety of crops. ASD results in a marked decrease in soil redox potential and other physicochemical changes, and a turnover in the composition of the soil microbiome. Mechanisms of ASD-mediated pathogen control are not fully understood, but appear to depend on the carbon source used to initiate the process and involve a combination of biological (i.e., release of volatile organic compounds) and abiotic (i.e., lowered pH, release of metal ions) factors. In this study, we examined how the soil microbiome changes over time in response to ASD initiated with rice bran, tomato pomace, or red grape pomace as amendments using growth chamber mesocosms that replicate ASD-induced field soil redox conditions. Within 2 days, the soil microbiome rapidly shifted from a diverse assemblage of taxa to being dominated by members of the Firmicutes for all ASD treatments, whereas control mesocosms maintained diverse and more evenly distributed communities. Rice bran and tomato pomace amendments resulted in microbial communities with similar compositions and trajectories that were different from red grape pomace communities. Quantitative PCR showed nitrogenase gene abundances were higher in ASD communities and tended to increase over time, suggesting the potential for altering soil nitrogen availability. These results highlight the need for temporal and functional studies to understand how pathogen suppressive microbial communities assemble and function in ASD-treated soils.

Compositional Characterization of Different Industrial White and Red Grape Pomaces in Virginia and the Potential Valorization of the Major Components.

To better evaluate potential uses for grape pomace (GP) waste, a comprehensive chemical composition analysis of GP in Virginia was conducted. Eight commercial white and red pomace samples (cv. Viognier, Vidal Blanc, Niagara, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chambourcin) obtained from different wineries in Virginia, USA were used. For extractives, GPs contained 2.89%–4.66% titratable acids, 4.32%–6.60% ash, 4.62%–12.5% lipids with linoleic acid being the predominant (59.0%–70.9%) fatty acid, 10.4–64.8 g total phenolic content (gallic acid equivalents)/kg GP, 2.09–53.3 g glucose/kg GP, 3.79–52.9 g fructose/kg GP, and trace sucrose. As for non-extractives, GPs contained 25.2%–44.5% lignin, 8.04%–12.7% glucan, 4.42%–7.05% xylan, and trace amounts of galactan, arabinan, and mannan (less than 3% in total). Potential usages of these components were further examined to provide information on better valorization of GP. Considering the valuable extractives (e.g., polyphenols and oil) and non-extractives (e.g., lignin), designing a biorefinery process aiming at fully recover and/or utilize these components is of future significance.

Valorization of Red Grape Pomace Waste Using Polyethylene Glycol and Fibrolytic Enzymes: Physiological and Meat Quality Responses in Broilers

Simple SummaryRed grape pomace (GP) waste, although rich in beneficial phenolic compounds, is traditionally disposed in landfills and through incineration, resulting in environmental pollution. The revalorization of GP as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds in chicken diets is an environmentally sustainable and lower-cost alternative to current disposal methods. This approach has the potential to improve food and nutrition security while providing health benefits to consumers of poultry products. Unfortunately, the amount of GP that can be included in broiler diets is limited by fiber and condensed tannins found in this agro-waste. These compounds reduce the digestibility of GP in chickens, resulting in poor bioavailability of the beneficial bioactive compounds. Strategies are, therefore, required to ameliorate the effects of fiber and condensed tannins. This study investigated whether pre-treating GP with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a cellulolytic enzyme mixture (Viscozyme®) would improve feed intake, physiological parameters, carcass characteristics and meat quality parameters of broilers. It was concluded that PEG treatment successfully ameliorated the anti-nutritional effects of condensed tannins. However, the cellulolytic enzyme treatment was ineffective against GP fiber. The amount of grape pomace (GP) waste that can be included as a functional feed in broiler diets is limited by anti-nutritional compounds such as fiber and condensed tannins. This study evaluated the effect of pre-treating GP with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a cellulolytic enzyme mixture on physiological and meat quality parameters of broilers. Cobb 500 broilers (249.2 ± 20.31 g live-weight) were reared on five isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets: 1. Commercial chicken diet (CON); 2. CON containing untreated GP at 100 g/kg (dGP); 3. CON containing 100 g/kg GP pre-treated with PEG (50 g/kg) (dPEG); 4. CON containing 100 g/kg GP pre-treated with enzyme (1 g/kg) (ENZ); and 5. CON containing 100 g/kg GP pre-treated with PEG (50 g/kg) and enzyme (1 g/kg) (PENZ). Overall body weight gains were similar in broilers reared on the CON, dPEG, ENZ and PENZ diets but lower in dGP chickens. The meat of birds reared on dPEG, ENZ, dGP and CON had a similar water-holding capacity, which was lower than in PENZ chickens. Diets influenced the size of duodenum, ileum, jejunum and caeca. Polyethylene glycol treatment promoted similar body weight gains and hot carcass weights as the commercial control diet, suggesting that the anti-nutritional effects of condensed tannins were successfully ameliorated.

Application of the Just-About-Right Scales in the Development of New Healthy Whole-Wheat Muffins by the Addition of a Product Obtained from White and Red Grape Pomace.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of sensory attributes, by the use of just-about-right (JAR) scales and penalty analysis, of new healthy whole-wheat muffins with high fibre content due to the addition of two products obtained from white and red grape pomace. Furthermore, the nutritional, colour and texture properties of the muffins were evaluated. For that, five formulations of whole-wheat muffins were studied: a control muffin made with 100% whole-wheat flour and muffins made with 10 and 20% of white and red grape pomace product, respectively. The incorporation of grape pomace products in the recipe led to muffins with "high-fibre content", which would imply healthy properties in these muffins. The hardness and chewiness increased whereas the springiness, cohesiveness, resilience and colour parameters decreased when the grape pomace products were incorporated. The sensory analysis indicated high levels of acceptability of the muffins that incorporated white and red grape pomace products at concentrations of 10%. The penalty analysis showed that none of the attributes evaluated affected the acceptability of the new muffins significantly; only the darker colour of the muffins caused by the red grape pomace product could affect the acceptability, although this fact was not clearly demonstrated.

Effect of grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinotage) pomace supplementation on nutrient utilization in finisher lambs

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of feeding varying levels of sun–dried red grape pomace (DGP; Vitis vinifera L. cultivar Pinotage) on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, microbial nitrogen (N) supply, N retention and efficiency of N utilization in lambs. Twenty-one Dohne Merino wether lambs (6.0 ± 1.0 months and 51.6 ± 4.70 kg initial body weight) were randomly assigned to three diets containing 0, 100 and 200 g DGP per kg of diet dry matter in pelleted total mixed rations (TMR). The experiment consisted of 14 days for adaptation to the diets and 7 days for data collection. Intake of neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom) and starch decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) while ether extract intake increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with the addition of DGP. Apparent total tract aNDFom digestibility decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with increasing levels of DGP. Total volatile fatty acids (VFA) production was quadratically (P ≤ 0.05) influenced by DGP addition. Increasing levels of DGP led to a linear decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in concentrations of butyrate and valerate. Allantoin, microbial N supply, total purine derivatives excreted linearly declined (P ≤ 0.05) with DGP addition. Nitrogen retention and the efficiency of N utilization were not influenced by diet (P > 0.05). Overall, addition of DGP in the lamb finisher diets reduced carbohydrate intake, microbial N yield, total purine derivatives excreted and increased total VFA concentration but did not have adverse effect of DGP on N retention and the efficiency of N utilization.

Optimization of green extraction of phytochemicals from red grape pomace by homogenizer assisted extraction

Grape pomace is a by-product that contains high amounts of phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. For the efficient extraction of these compounds, extraction optimization was done in the present study. Glycerol concentration, a cheap, non-toxic and abundant green solvent, and liquid–solid ratio were evaluated as the independent factor of the optimization and total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging activity, total monomeric anthocyanin content, total proanthocyanidin content and ascorbic acid content was analyzed as responses. The result showed that glycerol concentration significantly affected all responses and increasing the concentration resulted in higher extraction of the phytochemicals. Additionally, liquid–solid ratio affected total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total proanthocyanidin content and ascorbic acid content of the extracts. Glycerol concentration of 50% (w/v) and liquid–solid ratio of 22.4 was determined to be optimum condition to maximize all responses. The optimum conditions were experimentally validated. Overall, the study showed that homogenizer assisted extraction using glycerol as a green solvent is a good method for extraction of phytochemicals from food processing by-products.

Red Wine Grape Pomace Attenuates Atherosclerosis and Myocardial Damage and Increases Survival in Association with Improved Plasma Antioxidant Activity in a Murine Model of Lethal Ischemic Heart Disease.

A healthy dietary pattern and high quality nutrient intake reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. Red wine grape pomace (RWGP)—a rich natural source of dietary fiber and antioxidants—appears to be a potential functional food ingredient. The impact of a dietary supplementation with RWGP flour was evaluated in atherogenic diet-fed SR-B1 KO/ApoER61h/h mice, a model of lethal ischemic heart disease. SR-B1 KO/ApoER61h/h mice were fed with atherogenic (high fat, cholesterol, and cholic acid, HFC) diet supplemented with: (a) 20% chow (HFC-Control), (b) 20% RWGP flour (HFC-RWGP), or (c) 10% chow/10% oat fiber (HFC-Fiber); and survival time was evaluated. In addition, SR-B1 KO/ApoER61h/h mice were fed for 7 or 14 days with HFC-Control or HFC-RWGP diets and plasma lipid levels, inflammation, oxidative damage, and antioxidant activity were measured. Atherosclerosis and myocardial damage were assessed by histology and magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Supplementation with RWGP reduced premature death, changed TNF-α and IL-10 levels, and increased plasma antioxidant activity. Moreover, decreased atheromatous aortic and brachiocephalic plaque sizes and attenuated myocardial infarction and dysfunction were also observed. These results suggest that RWGP flour intake may be used as a non-pharmacological therapeutic approach, contributing to decreased progression of atherosclerosis, reduced coronary heart disease, and improved cardiovascular outcomes.

Urease Inhibitory Potential and Soil Ecotoxicity of Novel “Polyphenols–Deep Eutectic Solvents” Formulations

New formulations based on red grape pomace polyphenols and deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been here evaluated as inhibitors of urease of agricultural interest (jack bean urease, JBU). DES based on choline chloride (CHO) and betaine (BET), combined with ethylene glycol (EG), citric acid (CA), and urea (U), were used both as extracting and carrying agents for polyphenols, becoming active components of the formulations here obtained. Among the various DES combinations, U- and CA-based ones gave the best polyphenol extraction performances, 1.2–1.4-times higher than those of the hydroalcoholic mixture. Among the various DES–polyphenols formulations, the one composed by CHO–EG showed the best antioxidant potential and urease inhibition: 60–90% inhibition of the total JBU activity was achieved with a CHO concentration of 5–20 mM. Good results were also achieved with the BET–EG polyphenol formulation, which was able to inhibit ca. 50% of urease activity at 20 mM concentration of BET. Low phytotoxicity of DES a...

Kinetic Improvement of Bioactive Compounds Extraction from Red Grape (Vitis vinifera Moldova) Pomace by Ultrasonic Treatment.

Grape pomace from a red grape variety (Vitis vinifera Moldova) cultivated in the northeastern region of Romania has been studied as a source for the extraction of total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) and total phenolic content (TPC) using ultrasonic treatment. The method of extraction described here uses two different solvents, namely 2-propanol and methanol. For each of the extraction solvents, we evaluated the singular influence and the impact of interactions between process parameters (solvent concentration, ultrasonic frequency, temperature, and extraction time) on the extraction yields of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds. Response surface methodology was implemented via a Box–Behnken design to optimize the extraction of TMA and TPC from grape pomace. According to the optimization, in order to achieve the highest yield of TPC (62.487 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g (d = 1.0)), the following conditions are necessary: solvent—2 propanol, solvent concentration 50%, temperature −50 °C and extraction time 29.6 min.