Similar Chemical Profiles Research Articles

LC-MS metabolic profiling comparison of domesticated crops and wild edible species from the family Asteraceae growing in a region of São Paulo state, Brazil

• Metabolic profile comparison of three domesticated and six wild species. • Results were similar to chemophenetics at the tribal level. • Bidens , Youngia and Acmella had metabolic profile distinguished from other species. • Cichorium endivia was more similar to some wild species than C. intybus. Wild plants are consumed as food mainly during periods of famine and by poorer populations but could be alternatives to improve food variety in regions with high biodiversity. Wild edible plants can be a rich source of nutrients and/or dietary phytochemicals (secondary metabolites), but there has thus far been a lack of studies comparing the chemical composition of wild with domesticated species. This study presents an LC–MS-based metabolic profiling approach to compare chemical profiles of three domesticated and six wild edible plants from the family Asteraceae that are popular worldwide. Metabolic profiles of the leaves of the following species were compared: Cichorium endivia , C. intybus , Lactuca sativa , L. canadensis , Sonchus oleraceus, and Youngia japonica from the tribe Cichorieae, Acmella oleracea , tribe Heliantheae, Bidens pilosa , tribe Coreopsideae, and Galinsoga parviflora , tribe Millerieae, of which the first three are domesticated species and the latter six wild species. Chemical profile similarity of the investigated species followed chemophenetic characteristics at the tribal level. The presence of chalcones, flavanones, and aurones in B. pilosa and alkylamides in A. oleracea distinguished their chemical profiles from the other samples. The profile of Cichorium intybus was distinct from the other species from the tribe Cichorieae. Samples of L. canadensis , S. oleraceus, and C. endivia showed similar chemical profiles with each other and with a few L. sativa samples. Although wild edible plants are reported in the literature as a richer source of secondary metabolites than domesticated ones, this study highlights the chemical diversity in Asteraceae species focusing the importance of the taxonomic relationship and the metabolic profiles of the samples, since domesticated and wild species belonging to the same tribe showed similar chemical profiles.

Identification of Occupations Susceptible to High Exposure and Risk Associated With Multiple Toxicants: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014

Background: According to the World Health Organization, occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals are estimated to cause over 370,000 premature annual deaths. The risks due to multiple workplace chemical exposures, and those occupations most susceptible to the resulting health effects, remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study is to identify occupations with elevated toxicant biomarker concentrations and increased health risk associated with exposure to combinations of toxicants in a working US population from diverse categories of occupation. Methods: For this observational study of 51,008 participants, we used data from the 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We characterized differences in chemical exposures by occupational group for 129 chemicals by applying a series of generalized linear models with the outcome as biomarker concentrations and the main predictor as the occupational groups, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty income ratio, study period, and biomarker of tobacco use. We identified groups of occupations with similar chemical exposure profiles via hierarchical clustering. For each occupational group, we calculated percentages of participants with chemical biomarker levels exceeding acceptable health-based guidelines. Findings: Blue collar workers from “Construction”, “Other Services”, “Professional, Scientific, Technical Services”, “Real Estate, Rental, Leasing”, “Manufacturing”, and “Wholesale Trade” along with several unemployed groups have higher biomarker levels of toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, acrylamide, glycideamide, xylenes, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethane, methyl tert-butyl ether, and benzene compared to their white-collar counterparts. For these toxicants, 1-58% of blue collar workers from these industries have chemical biomarker concentrations exceeding acceptable levels. Interpretation: Blue collar workers and several unemployed groups have toxicant levels higher relative to their white-collar counterparts, often exceeding acceptable levels associated with noncancer effects. Our findings identify multiple occupations to prioritize for targeted interventions and health policies to monitor and reduce high toxicant exposures in susceptible individuals. Funding Information: Ravitz Family Foundation, University of Michigan Forbes Institute for Cancer Discovery, Harvard Data Science Initiative, University of Michigan Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, and National Institutes of Health (R01 ES028802, P30 ES017885, P30 CA046592, UG3 CA267907). Declaration of Interests: Drs. Nguyen, Colacino, Sartor, and Jolliet has nothing to disclose. At the time of the writing of the manuscript, Dr. Patel was a consultant and shareholder of XY.health. Dr. Patel is also paid by J&J.

Nutritional components characterization of Goji berries from different regions in China

Goji berries are used as functional food for hundreds of years in Asia, Europe, North America and Austria, and are popular for nutritive properties in global. Commercial Goji berries are mainly produced in Ningxia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia of China. However, the Goji berries produced in these regions exhibited different appearance and taste. Thus, characterization of the nutritional components in Goji berries produced in these regions could provide the guidance for application of them. In this study, 94 samples were collected, and a total of 20 amino acids, 17 nucleosides and nucleobases, 4 sugars and protein were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS, HPLC-ELSD or UV, and the variation was illustrated through heatmap clustering analysis, PCA and PLS-DA. The results showed that Goji berries from Xinjiang were rich in protein than the samples from other regions; those from Gansu and Ningxia were rich in amino acids, nucleosides and nucleobases; and those from Jiuquan of Gansu and Qinghai were rich in sugars. Heatmap clustering and PCA analysis results showed that all the samples exhibited a significant spatial aggregation, and the producing regions located along the Yellow River (belonging to the Hetao plain) produced Goji berries with the similar chemical profile. Additionally, PLS-DA analysis results showed that fructose and glucose were the predominant markers to distinguish Goji berries from different producing regions.

Identification of suitable substitute for Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz) by phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation

BackgroundSarpagandha is an important Ayurveda drug used for treating many diseases including high blood pressure. Rauvolfia serpentina is the genuine source plant for Sarpagandha and it is a critically endangered species belonging to the family Apocynaceae. The present study is aimed at finding out an appropriate substitute for the endangered species R. serpentina by evaluating the phytochemistry and biological activities of allied species such as Rauvolfia tetraphylla L, Rauvolfia hookeri S.R.Sriniv. & Chithra, Rauvolfia micrantha Hook.f., and Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill.ResultsThe result indicated that the root of R. serpentina is phytochemically similar with that of R. tetraphylla. Chemical profiling using HPTLC showed similar chemical profiles for R. serpentina and R. tetraphylla. LC/MS characterization of various species showed that most of the active alkaloids are common for both R. serpentina and R. tetraphylla. Anti-hypertensive activity and analgesic activity were evaluated in experimental animal model. Rauvolfia serpentina and R. tetraphylla showed comparatively significant reduction in systolic and diastolic pressure. Comparable analgesic activity was also shown by R. serpentina and R. tetraphylla.ConclusionOn the basis of phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation, it was concluded that the root of R. tetraphylla can be used as a validated substitute for Sarpagandha.Graphical abstract

In vitro antiproliferative activity of Amaryllidaceae species against the K562 human leukaemia cell line

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia is the most common leukemic cancer reported in children. Chemotherapy is the preferred treatment even though it continues to pose negative side effects of toxicity. Medicinal plants are reported to provide alternative treatment with lower toxicity levels. The three Amaryllidaceae species; Crinum bulbispermum, Boophone disticha, and Amaryllis belladonna Linnaeus have been reported for their anti-leukemic properties. These claims, however, lack supporting scientific data. The study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative activity of the three Amaryllidaceae species against the human K562 leukaemia cells, as well as their phytochemical composition. The plants’ roots, bulbs and leaves were extracted with water, and sequentially with selected organic solvents. Cell antiproliferation was investigated using the SRB assay. Thin Layer Chromatography was performed to compare chemical profiles of different plant parts, and of plant samples collected from different geographic areas. Most plant parts tested positive for terpenoids and flavonoids. Only the bulbs contained phytosterols and alkaloids. Plant samples of C. bulbispermum obtained from two geographic areas had similar chemical profiles. Water bulb extract of C. bulbispermum and B. disticha showed over 70% cell growth inhibition at concentration of 10 µg/ml, while their methanol extracts showed over 50% cell growth inhibition at 100 µg/ml and 10 µg/ml. Methanol root extract of A. belladonna L exhibited 100% cell growth inhibition at the concentration of 50 µg/ml and over 80% at 25 µg/ml concentration. In general, the polar extracts exhibited highest activity. The cell antiproliferation results obtained in this study support the use of the selected Amaryllidaceae species to treat leukemia as currently practiced in traditional medicine. The consistency of the constituents of the species, despite of their collection points, could enable standardization of traditional medicines.

Chemical Fingerprint Analysis for Discovering Markers and Identifying Saussurea involucrata by HPLC Coupled with OPLS-DA.

The quality control of Saussurea involucrata has been greatly improved by macroscopic and microscopic identification and chemical profiling described in Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 2005. However, these methods have their own limitations, e.g., their dependence on personal experience and expertise, and it is a huge challenge to identify closely related species that share similar or identical morphological characteristics and chemical profiles. A novel and generally accepted identification strategy is urgently needed as a complement to regulations for protecting the public health interests. In this work, a comprehensive chromatographic fingerprint method was developed and tested on 43 samples from four haplotypes of S. involucrata according to DNA barcoding. Three common patterns consisting of 20, 14, and 7 common peaks were generated by frequency filters of median, upper quartile, and 100%, respectively. Based on two formerly screened patterns, S. involucrata can be effectively identified from its five easily confused snow lotus species, including the most closely related plant (S. orgaadayi) in the orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models. The model is supported by good R and Q coefficients. In addition, different haplotypes of S. involucrata can be discriminated in the OPLS-DA model using the 20 common peaks. Among them, peaks 9, 11, 16 (zaluzanin C), and 18 (dehydrocostus lactone) have been identified as fingerprint markers of S. involucrata via S-plots and VIP values (>1). Additionally, peaks 19 and 20 were identified as linolenic acid and linoleic acid with anti-inflammatory activity, and they were isolated from the herb for the first time. Collectively, the chromatographic fingerprint of S. involucrata can be an effective and integrated method for the identification of authentic herbs from adulterant species or related plants, and discrimination of its different haplotypes provides an objective and reliable tool for quality control.

Individual Chemical Profiles in the Leach's Storm-Petrel.

Avian chemical communication, once largely overlooked, is a growing field that has revealed the important role that olfaction plays in the social lives of some birds. Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) have a remarkable sense of smell and a strong, musky scent. This long-lived, monogamous seabird relies on olfaction for nest relocation and foraging, but whether they use scent for communication is less well studied. They are nocturnally active at the breeding colony and yet successfully reunite with their mate despite poor night-vision, indicating an important role for non-visual communication. We investigated the chemical profiles of Leach's storm-petrels to determine whether there is socially relevant information encoded in their plumage odor. To capture the compounds comprising their strong scent, we developed a method to study the compounds present in the air surrounding their feathers using headspace stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We collected feathers from Leach's storm-petrels breeding on Bon Portage Island in Nova Scotia, Canada in both 2015 and 2016. Our method detected 142 commonly occurring compounds. We found interannual differences in chemical profiles between the two sampling years. Males and females had similar chemical profiles, while individuals had distinct chemical signatures across the two years. These findings suggest that the scent of the Leach's storm-petrel provides sociochemical information that could facilitate olfactory recognition of individuals and may inform mate choice decisions.

Car Tire Crumb Rubber: Does Leaching Produce a Toxic Chemical Cocktail in Coastal Marine Systems?

Crumb rubber granulate (CRG) produced from end of life tires (ELTs) is applied to synthetic turf pitches (STPs), playgrounds, safety surfaces and walkways. In addition to fillers, stabilizers, cross-linking agents and secondary components (e.g. pigments, oils, resins), ELTs contain a range of other organic compound and heavy metal additives. While previous environmental impact studies on CRG have focused on terrestrial soil and freshwater ecosystems, many sites applying CRG in Norway are coastal. This study investigated the organic chemical and metal additive content of 'pristine' and 'weathered' CRG and their seawater leachates, as well as uptake and effects of leachate exposure using marine copepods (Acartia and Calanus sp.). A combination of pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) and chemical extraction followed by GC-MS analysis revealed similar organic chemical profiles for pristine and weathered CRG, including additives such as benzothiazole, N-1,3-dimethylbutyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine and a range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phenolic compounds (e.g. bisphenols). ICP-MS analysis revealed g kg-1 quantities of Zn and mg kg-1 quantities of Fe, Mn, Cu, Co, Cr, Pb and Ni in the CRG. A cocktail of organic additives and metals readily leached from the CRG into seawater, with the most abundant leachate components being benzothiazole and Zn, Fe, Co (metals), as well as detectable levels of PAHs and phenolic compounds. Concentrations of individual components varied with CRG source material and CRG to seawater ratio, but benzothiazole and Zn were typically the organic and metal components present at the highest concentrations in the leachates. While organic chemical concentrations in the leachates stabilized within days, metals continued to leach out over the 30-day period. Marine copepods exposed to high CRG leachate concentrations exhibited high mortalities within 48 h. The smaller lipid-poor Acartia had a higher sensitivity to leachates than the larger lipid-rich Calanus, indicating species-specific differences in vulnerability to leachates. The effect on survival was alleviated at lower leachate concentrations, indicating a dose-response relationship. Benzothiazole and its derivatives are of concern owing to their proven toxicity, while bisphenols are also known to be toxic and were enriched in the leachates relative to the other compounds in the CRG.

Development and validation of a probe-based qPCR method to prevent parsley leaf material misidentification

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) leaf is an herb widely consumed for its health benefits. Due to similar morphological and chemical profiles, celery leaf may be a source of substitution in commercial parsley materials. In order to detect this substitution, the present work characterized parsley and celery leaf at the cultivar level by physical, chemical and DNA approaches. In contrast to the variations observed in physical appearances and chemical profiles that make verification of authenticity difficult, consistent differences observed between their DNA sequences are suitable for verifying parsley material authenticity. To identify parsley and detect celery simultaneously, a multiplex qPCR assay was developed and validated with respect to efficiency and specificity. Further testing indicated the assay can be used to detect 1% (w/w) celery in parsley materials with a probability of detection greater than 0.9. The developed method is well-suited for routine quality control to prevent parsley material misidentification in commercial trade.

The role of receptor models as tools for air quality management: a case study of an industrialized urban region

Evidence suggesting the association between the atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and health problems stress the need for the establishment of policies and actions aiming the improvement of air quality. As a start point, the knowledge of the main PM contributors is fundamental. Receptor models are frequently used for the identification and apportionment of local sources, nevertheless, some features of these models must be considered. For instance, whether the region has sources with similar chemical profiles and/or whether there is source temporal or spatial similarity, which can generate collinearity, affecting the sensibility of the models. In this work, it is presented some study of cases showing some strengths of the chemical mass balance model (CMB), such as to infer specific sources acting over specific locations in a same region, and its weaknesses for separating collinear sources. Besides, this work shows some study of cases reporting that the identification of specific PM markers (organic, inorganic, and crystallographic) and determined in the receptor samples can lead to better sources separation and improvements in the interpretation of the results using positive matrix factorization model. This work also highlights for the importance of the information provided by receptor models, in which should be carefully considered by the environmental agencies for decision-making concerning air quality management.

Amino-acid selective isotope labeling enables simultaneous overlapping signal decomposition and information extraction from NMR spectra

Signal overlapping is a major bottleneck for protein NMR analysis. We propose a new method, stable-isotope-assisted parameter extraction (SiPex), to resolve overlapping signals by a combination of amino-acid selective isotope labeling (AASIL) and tensor decomposition. The basic idea of Sipex is that overlapping signals can be decomposed with the help of intensity patterns derived from quantitative fractional AASIL, which also provides amino-acid information. In SiPex, spectra for protein characterization, such as 15N relaxation measurements, are assembled with those for amino-acid information to form a four-order tensor, where the intensity patterns from AASIL contribute to high decomposition performance even if the signals share similar chemical shift values or characterization profiles, such as relaxation curves. The loading vectors of each decomposed component, corresponding to an amide group, represent both the amino-acid and relaxation information. This information link provides an alternative protein analysis method that does not require “assignments” in a general sense; i.e., chemical shift determinations, since the amino-acid information for some of the residues allows unambiguous assignment according to the dual selective labeling. SiPex can also decompose signals in time-domain raw data without Fourier transform, even in non-uniformly sampled data without spectral reconstruction. These features of SiPex should expand biological NMR applications by overcoming their overlapping and assignment problems.

Comparison between Bulgarian and Macedonian propolis: chemical composition and plant origin

Propolis is used as a constituent in over-the-counter preparations, food additives, cosmetics, etc. Bulgarian and Macedonian propolis samples were analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of ethanol extracts after silylation, in order to determine the presence of bioactive substances with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and their chemical profiles were compared. Bulgarian and Macedonian propolis demonstrate very similar chemical profiles and belong to the Poplar type propolis, which has well-characterized qualitative composition and high content of bioactive substances. These results allow the standardization of Macedonian propolis to be approached on the basis of the recommendations by the International Honey Commission for poplar propolis. Keywords: Bulgarian propolis, Macedonian propolis, GC-MS, chemical profiling

Chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits against bacterial genera Mycobacterium and Streptococcus

This study aims to investigate chemical composition of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits and determine their in vitro antibacterial activity. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack ripe and unripe fruits collected in the Cerrado, in Rio Verde, southwestern Goiás, Brazil. They were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sesquiterpenes, which represent the most abundant class of compounds in oils, predominated in both ripe and unripe fruits. Major constituents of essential oils extracted from ripe fruits (RF-EO) were (-caryophyllene (21.3%), (-ylangene (13.3%), germacrene-D (10.9%) and (-zingiberene (9.7%) whereas the ones of unripe fruits (UF-EO) were sesquithujene (25.0%), (-zingiberene (18.2%), germacrene-D (13.1%) and (-copaene (12.7%). In vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils was evaluated in terms of its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values by the broth microdilution method in 96-well microplates. Both essential oils under investigation showed moderate anti-streptococcal activity against the following bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus and S. salivarius. MIC values ranged between 100 and 400 µg/mL. Regarding the antimycobacterial activity, essential oils from M. paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits were active against Mycobacterium kansasii (MIC = 250 µg/mL), moderately active against M. tuberculosis (MIC = 500 µg/mL) and inactive against M. avium (MIC = 2000 µg/mL). This study was pioneer in revealing similar chemical profiles of both essential oils extracted from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits, besides describing their in vitro anti-streptococcal and antimycobacterial activities.

Quality consistency evaluation on four origins of Cicadae Periostracum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis

Cicadae Periostracum, which is derived from the slough of Cicadidae insects, is a commonly used crude drug in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As specified in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Cryptotympana atrata (CA) is the only official species of this crude drug. However, the slough of other three species, i.e., Auritibicen flammatus (AF), Cryptotympana mandrina (CM) and Platypleura kaempferi (PK), have been also used as the origins of Cicadae Periostracum in Chinese herbal market, although whether the quality of these four origins is consistent or not is still unknown. In present study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the chemical profiles of the four origins. Totally, 34 N-acetyldopamine polymers were identified from the four origins, including 4 N-acetyldopamine dimers, 11 N-acetyldopamine trimers, 10 N-acetyldopamine tetramers, and 9 N-acetyldopamine pentamers. AF, CM and PK had similar chemical profiles with that of CA. The contents and compositional ratio of the four types of polymers in CA, AF and CM were consistent with each other, but significantly lower or different in PK. All these results suggested that AF and CM might be considered as the potential resources of Cicadae Periostracum concerning their consistent holistic quality, whereas whether PK could be used as potential origin of Cicadae Periostracum or not need further evaluation for their different compositional ratios and contents of the four types of N-acetyldopamine polymers. This is the first study on chemical profiling and comparison of N-acetyldopamine polymers in four origins of Cicadae Periostracum, which is beneficial for potential resources utilization and quality standard improvement of Cicadae Periostracum.

Fractionation of sugarcane trash by oxalic-acid catalyzed glycerol-based organosolv followed by mild solvent delignification

Sugarcane trash (SCT) is an under-utilized biomass with potential for conversion to fuels and chemicals. Here, we report an organosolv process involving pretreatment by aqueous glycerol followed by mild delignification with acetone for fractionation of SCT. The effects of glycerol and oxalic acid on efficiency and selectivity of the reaction were studied at different temperatures. The higher glycerol content was found to promote delignification efficiency and enhanced enzymatic digestibility of the solid. An optimal reaction using 80%v/v glycerol at 170 ℃, with 300 mM oxalic acid followed by acetone extraction at 30 °C led to cellulose recovery of 71.7%, whereas 96.8% and 83.9% of the initial hemicelluloses and lignin was removed into the aqueous-glycerol and acetone fractions, respectively. The isolated lignin was recovered with 73.7% yield and 94.6% purity and showed similar chemical profiles with higher thermal stability compared to commercial organosolv lignin according to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis.

Recombinant Subunit Rotavirus Trivalent Vaccine Candidate: Physicochemical Comparisons and Stability Evaluations of Three Protein Antigens.

Although live attenuated Rotavirus (RV) vaccines are available globally to provide protection against enteric RV disease, efficacy is substantially lower in low- to middle-income settings leading to interest in alternative vaccines. One promising candidate is a trivalent nonreplicating RV vaccine, comprising 3 truncated RV VP8 subunit proteins fused to the P2 CD4+ epitope from tetanus toxin (P2-VP8-P[4/6/8]). A wide variety of analytical techniques were used to compare the physicochemical properties of these 3 recombinant fusion proteins. Various environmental stresses were used to evaluate antigen stability and elucidate degradation pathways. P2-VP8-P[4] and P2-VP8-P[6] displayed similar physical stability profiles as function of pH and temperature while P2-VP8-P[8] was relatively more stable. Forced degradation studies revealed similar chemical stability profiles with Met1 most susceptible to oxidation, the single Cys residue (at position 173/172) forming intermolecular disulfide bonds (P2-VP8-P[6] was most susceptible), and Asn7 undergoing the highest levels of deamidation. These results are visualized in a structural model of the nonreplicating RV antigens. The establishment of key structural attributes of each antigen, along with corresponding stability-indicating methods, have been applied to vaccine formulation development efforts (see companion paper), and will be utilized in future analytical comparability assessments.

Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Waste Citrus Seeds: Chemical Composition, Nutritional and Biological Properties of Edible Fixed Oils

Seeds of Citrus plants (Rutaceae), an major agro‐industrial waste, are a potential source of valuable by‐products. The chemical composition, the antioxidant profile, and the biological/nutritional properties of fixed oils (SFE oils) obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction (at 300 bar and 40 °C) from seeds of mandarin (Citrus reticulata), lemon (Citrus limon), and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), discarded by a local agro‐alimentary industry are studied. The yields and compositions of SFE oils are compared to oils obtained by n‐hexane extraction of Citrus seeds in a Soxhlet apparatus (SoxE oils). Linoleic (35–42%), oleic (22–28%), palmitic (21–25%), α‐linolenic (4–10%), and stearic (4–7%) are the main oil fatty acids, while monolinolein and dilinolein derivatives represent the main triacylglycerols in SFE oils, determined by GC‐FID and HPLC‐DAD/ELSD techniques. Citrus SFE oils show lower yields than SoxE oils but similar chemical profiles. Principal components analysis applied to fatty acid and triacylglycerol data indicates that the oils from different seeds are tightly clustered. Moreover, SFE oils show radical scavenging activities (ABTS assays), an inhibitory effect on the growth of murine B16F10 melanoma cells and on the mushroom tyrosinase activity. Citrus SFE oils and de‐coated seeds are also evaluated for their attractant effect on the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata by behavioral assays. The results qualify Citrus SFE oils as a potential natural, environmentally‐friendly, resource for food/pharmaceutical applications.Practical Applications: The environmentally‐friendly supercritical CO2 extraction of waste lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit seeds gives edible fixed oils a richness in essential fatty acids, suitable for human nutrition and the preparation of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.Edible fixed oils obtained from lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit seeds by SFE‐CO2 extraction show high levels of essential fatty acids, antioxidant, anticancer, and antityrosinase activity.

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Thin Layer Chromatography Analysis of Stem Bark Extracts of African Mistletoe Parasitic on Vitellaria paradoxa, Piliostigma thonningii and Combretum fragrans

Aim: Mistletoes are highly utilized in traditional medicine to treat different kinds of diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes and malaria, among others. The chemistry of African mistletoe is not sufficiently documented. This paper is therefore, aimed at determining the phytochemicals present in the crude extracts of mistletoe parasitic on plants that are commonly seen as hosts.
 Study Design: This study was designed to compare the phytochemical profiles of mistletoe stem barks obtained from different plant hosts.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria, between August and September, 2018. 
 Methodology: Powdered stem bark of mistletoe was extracted successively with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out on the extracts. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was carried out on silica gel precoated plates in 9:1 (hexane/ethyl acetate), 1:1 (hexane/ethyl acetate), and 7:3 (ethyl acetate/methanol) mobile phases for hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts respectively.
 Results: The study revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins/phenols, cardiac glycosides, steroids and triterpenoids. It was evident from TLC analysis that mistletoes from various plant hosts contain similar chemical profile.
 Conclusion: We therefore debunk the claim by some herbalists that medicinal values of mistletoes vary due to host plant. This is the first time a study of this kind is reported on mistletoe parasitic on Vitellaria paradoxa Pilostigma thonningii, Combretum fragrans.

Morphogenesis and in vitro production of caffeoylquinic and caffeic acids in Baccharis conferta Kunth

We established a protocol for the in vitro propagation of Baccharis conferta Kunth. This plant is used to treat gastrointestinal problems, cramps, pain, respiratory problems, and insect bites. A high rate of shoot multiplication was obtained from nodal segments on Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium. The shoots regenerated roots without exogenous plant growth regulators (PGRs). All explants of wild leaves on MS medium containing 5 μM of thidiazuron (TDZ) produced friable callus. An organogenic response was achieved after 3 wk of culture when callus segments were transferred to MS medium containing a combination of plant growth regulators (PGRs): either (i) 5 μM indole butyric acid (IBA) + 5 μM kinetin (KIN) or (ii) 0.5 μM IBA + 1.10 μM benzylaminopurine (BAP). The morphogenetic responses of callus were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Shoots regenerated from callus and formed roots on MS medium without PGRs. The micropropagated plantlets and the organogenic callus showed similar chemical profiles in HPLC-mass spectrometry analyses. The main compounds present in the cultures were caffeoylquinic acids. Only plantlets contained small amounts of triterpenes (erythrodiol and ursolic acid). These findings will be useful for the micropropagation of this important native resource, and for further studies on its biology.

Hydroalcoholic extract from Baccharis dracunculifolia recovers the gastric ulcerated tissue, and p-coumaric acid is a pivotal bioactive compound to this action.

Baccharis dracunculifolia is a medicinal plant native to southeastern Brazil and is the main botanical source used by bees (Apis mellifera) in the manufacture of green propolis and display similar gastroprotective action and chemical profile. This article reports the healing gastric ulcer activity of the hydroethanolic extract of B. dracunculifolia (HEBD) in an acetic acid-induced ulcer model. In addition to the extract, the isolated compounds ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, baccharin, and aromadendrin-4'-O-methyl ether were also assayed. HEBD at a dose of 300 mg/kg reduced the ulcerated area by 49.4% after treatment for 7 days, twice a day. Histological analyses revealed that the margins and base of the ulcer obtained significant regeneration, and periodic acid Schiff base staining showed a 78.2% increase in the mucin levels. The action on the enzymatic antioxidant system demonstrated an increased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase, in addition to raising glutathione reduced levels and myeloperoxidase activity. HEBD did not show cytotoxicity in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylterazole bromine test. In vitro, HEBD inhibited the H+ /K+ -ATPase enzyme and showed antioxidant activity in the 2,2 diphenyl-1-picryllydrazyl test. Regarding the isolated compounds, oral administration of p-coumaric acid (15 mg/kg) reduced the ulcerated area by 66.2%. The results suggest that HEBD recovers the gastric ulcerated tissue, raising mucus and antioxidant enzyme levels, and reducing the H+ /K+ -ATPase activity. In addition, the findings confirm that p-coumaric acid is a pivotal bioactive compound on the gastric healing effects elicited by HEBD. © 2019 BioFactors, 45(3):479-489, 2019.