Source Of Health-beneficial Compounds Research Articles

Effect of Field Trial on Silymarin Complex Composition and Antioxidant Assessment of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaertner).

Plant foods are receiving increasing attention as a valuable source of health beneficial compounds. Understanding the impact of growing conditions on the quality of milk thistle is critical for determining appropriate agro-ecological and agro-economic parameters for its production and, subsequently, food products rich in health-beneficial compounds. For this purpose, a randomized milk thistle cultivation trial was established in the experimental field of Agritec Plant Research Plc. in Šumperk, Czech Republic, and carried out for two subsequent growing seasons in 2020 and 2021. The milk thistle achenes, variety Mirel, were sown in the row width of 12.5, 25 and 37cm; and the qualitative parameters of each field trial such as achenes yields, silymarin complex determination and also antioxidant assessment (total phenolic content, total flavonoids content, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity) were evaluated. The environmental impact of the extraction process was reduced by using pressurized liquid extraction with 60% EtOH (v/v). The weather conditions during the trial as well as the row spacing of milk thistle sowing were revealed to have a significant influence on the evaluated parameters (p ≤ 0.05). The highest yields of evaluated parameters were obtained for the growing season 2021 and the row spacing of 37cm.

Temperature and precipitation at specific growth stages influence soybean tocopherol and lutein concentrations

AbstractSoybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an important source of health beneficial compounds, including tocopherols and lutein. Seeds with elevated concentrations of these health beneficial compounds may be required to meet the increasing needs of the functional food market. A study was conducted for a period of 11 years in Ottawa, ON, Canada to examine the relationship between temperature and precipitation during specific growth stage intervals (GSI) and the concentration of tocopherol (toc) and lutein in the seeds at harvest. Tocopherol concentrations in soybean were most influenced by air temperature changes, while lutein concentration was more sensitive to precipitation. Heat stress via the accumulation of temperatures greater than 31°C during the mid‐vegetative to physiological maturity GSI was positively correlated (r2 = 0.94) with α‐toc concentration. Lutein concentration was negatively correlated (r2 = 0.61) with mean cumulative precipitation (cppt) during the seed development to maturation GSI. Overall, reproductive stages were more responsive to climatic variables than vegetative stages. In addition, the cultivars with higher toc or lutein concentrations were less affected by climatic variables than cultivars with lower concentrations. Climatic factors and abiotic stress during specific growth stages may have significant impact on concentrations of health beneficial compounds in mature seeds and this should be considered in the production of soybean for the functional food market.

Valorization of red raspberry ( Rubus idaeus L.) seeds as a source of health beneficial compounds: Extraction by different methods

Fruit processing by-product, raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) seeds were utilized to obtain health beneficial oils. Cold pressing (CP) and supercritical CO2 extraction (SFE) were applied to separate oil from seeds. Raspberry seed oils were analyzed in terms of fatty acids (FA) content, tocopherols, and functional quality indices. The residues after extractions were analyzed in terms of free and total ellagic acid content (TEAC). CP provided higher extraction yield than the SFE method. Oils isolated by both methods have a significant amount of ω-3 FA, even though oil obtained by SFE had slightly higher ω-3 FA content. Furthermore, oils obtained with both extraction methods exhibited high values of tocopherol content. In terms of ellagic acid content, residues after SFE had higher values of free and TEAC than residues after CP. Practical applications Raspberry seeds are currently underutilized by-product of the fruit processing industry. These seeds could be further processed to obtain oil with high quantity of essential ω-3 fatty acid and polyphenol extracts with high content of ellagic acid. Isolated oil and phenolic extracts could be used in various food, cosmetic, and nutraceutical products to increase its nutritive composition and functional properties. Utilization of cold pressing (conventional extraction technique) and supercritical CO2 extraction (novel and green extraction technique) for oil recovery in the same study enables a direct comparison of these techniques and reveals the advantages and disadvantages of supercritical CO2 extraction for potential industrial application.

Impact of climatic factors at specific growth stages on soybean soyasaponin I concentration

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an important source of health-beneficial compounds, including soyasaponin I. A field study was conducted for 11 yr in Ottawa, ON, Canada, to assess the impacts of temperature and precipitation during specific growth stage intervals on soyasaponin I concentration in three soybean cultivars. Soyasaponin I concentration response to air temperature and precipitation variables were observed at specific growth stage intervals for some cultivars. The response was complex and cultivar specific. Overall, reproductive stages were more responsive and 20 °C appeared to be a critical threshold in determining soybean soyasaponin I concentration response to air temperature.

Apple Fruit as a Source of Health Beneficial Compounds

Fruits are well known for their high value in human health. Epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of fruits, vegetables and their products are inversely related to carcinogenesis, coronary heart disease, mortality, and aging processes.

Phytochemical screening, anthocyanins and antimicrobial activities in some berries fruits

Berries are tasteful fruits and are widely believed to be a source of health beneficial compounds. The aim of this study is to evaluate the bioactive compounds of the fruits of berries including anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, lycopene and β-carotene as well as Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of ethanolic extracts of eight different types of berries (black berry, raspberry, red currant berry, crane berry, Egyptian black mulberry, blueberry, long mulberry and strawberry). The results confirmed the presence of a variety of phytochemicals including; tannins, coumarins, steroids, carbohydrates, volatile oils, amino acids, quinones, xanthoproteics and phenols at high concentration in most types of berries studied. Black berry, crane berry and blueberry showed the appearance of all phytochemical constituents tested, while long mulberry showed the lowest concentration of these constituents. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy technique showed the characterization of compounds or functional groups found in the lyophilized powder of berries fruits. Also, antimicrobial activity of methanolic extracts of berries was tested, the results revealed that the ethanolic extract of Egyptian black mulberry had the highest antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus fecalis, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus and the tested fungi; Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus sp.

Dynamics in the concentrations of health-promoting compounds: lupeol, mangiferin and different phenolic acids during postharvest ripening of mango fruit.

Mango fruit (Mangifera indica L.) is renowned for its pleasant taste and as a rich source of health beneficial compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in concentrations of health-promoting compounds, namely ascorbic acid, carotenoids, antioxidants, lupeol, mangiferin, total phenols and individual phenolic acids, as well as ethylene production and respiration rates during climacteric ripening in 'Kensington Pride' and 'R2E2' mango fruit. The climacteric ethylene and respiration peaks were noted on the third day of the fruit ripening period. The concentrations of total carotenoids in the pulp, total antioxidants in both pulp and peel, and total phenols of the peel, lupeol and mangiferin were significantly elevated, whereas the concentration of ascorbic acid declined during post-climacteric ripening. Gallic, chlorogenic and vanillic acids were identified as the major phenolic acids in both pulp and peel of 'Kensington Pride' and 'R2E2' mangoes. The concentrations of phenolic acids (gallic, chlorogenic, vanillic, ferulic and caffeic acids) also increased during the post-climacteric phase. The concentrations of all phenolic compounds were several-fold higher in the peel than pulp. Mangoes at post-climacteric ripening phase offer the highest concentrations of health-promoting compounds. Peel, at this stage of fruit ripening, could be exploited as a good source for extraction of these compounds. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.