TF Content Research Articles

Release of elements and phenolic and flavonoid compounds from herbs and spices into acacia honey during infusion

AbstractAcacia honey was infused with basil, oregano, marjoram, dill, garlic or cinnamon at infusion rates of 0–5% by mass for a 6 months period. After removal of the infusates, macro and micro element concentrations were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined spectroscopically. The greatest release of elements, phenols and flavonoids, (% release/1% infusion rate) were for phenols (1.22–3.74, respectively), flavonoids (0.12–2.18), K (0.39–0.78), P (0.14–0.87), and S (0.07–0.85). The least release was for Ba (0.04–0.17), Fe (0.03–0.41) and B (− 0.006 to 2.33). Dill showed the most important effect on the Na concentration of honey enriched (at 5.00%) with > 90 times higher content (328 ± 4 mg/kg) compared to control honey (3.46 ± 0.07 mg/kg). Sr content was more than 50 times higher in honey enriched with marjoram (1383 ± 10 µg/kg), and honey enriched with dill showed more than 30 times higher Fe content (4112 ± 14 µg/kg). Enrichment with dill had the greatest effect on Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Na and Fe content of control honey, and garlic had the most important effect on the B, P, S, Zn, TP and TF content. Enrichment with these herbs and spices resulted in increases in element, total phenolic and flavonoid content of acacia honey.

Optimizing suitable solvent for phenylpropanoid extraction and antioxidant activities in Agastache rugosa hairy roots

Agrobacterium-mediated hairy roots (HRs) can induce genetic stability, rapid growth, and the synthesis of bioactive compounds in plant roots. Agastache rugosa is otherwise called Korea Mint and several studies have reported that this plant has been used for the treatment of various diseases due to the presence of a variety of bioactive compounds. A. rugosa HRs are rich in secondary metabolites than the seedling roots, and the HRs extract might be more useful in pharmacology, especially in cosmetology. This study aimed to select the suitable solvent for the extraction of phenylpropanoid compounds, total phenolic (TP), flavonoid (TF), and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS scavenging activity, and reducing power assay). In this study, we extracted the A. rugosa HRs with three different extracts of solvent (water, MeOH, and EtOH) of A. rugosa HRs and analyzed the phenylpropanoid compounds, TP, TF, and antioxidant activities. The result showed that 70% MeOH extracts showed the highest activities in all assays, followed by the 70% EtOH, and water extracts. In addition, 70% of MeOH extracts showed the highest TP and TF (46.14±0.25 GAE mg/g DW and 65.46±1.41 QE mg/g DW, respectively) contents, which was 1.96- and 1.76- times higher than that of the water extracts. The phenylpropanoids in A. rugosa HR extracts were identified by using HPLC, and the results showed that 70% MeOH and EtOH showed the highest contents. Regarding these results, we can conclude that 70% MeOH is the optimal solvent to extract the A. rugosa HRs for the highest phenylpropanoid, TP, TF content, and antioxidant activities. This study might be useful for producing useful compounds at an industrial scale.

Coffee Fruit Roasting: An Approach To Enhance Yield and Bioactivities of Ethanol Extracts from Coffee Husk

This study aims to investigate the effects of roasting dried coffee cherry on total phenol (TP), tannin, and flavonoid (TF) content and to examine the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of a coffee cherry husk-derived ethanol extract. Accordingly, the TP and TF content after different roasting regimens ranged from 9.00 to 123.49 mg GAE/g and 2.69 to 35.34 mg QE/g, respectively. The total tannin content decreased from 42.45 mg TAE/g to 0.27 mg TAE/g by the treatment. The DPPH radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacities extended from 24.68 ± 0.05 to 93.83% and 14.45 to 76.07%, respectively, while the ferric reducing capacity increased from 10.85 to 47.02 mg AAE/g. An extract with increased TP and TF as well as stronger antioxidative activity was found to be produced by mild temperature (150 °C) roasting for 25 min or 180 °C for 10 to 15 min, after which the potency declines. The bacterial inhibition zones also increased from 7.03 to 21.30 mm and from 6.00 to 15.77 mm forE. coli and S. aureus, respectively. This study demonstrated that roasting degrades tannin and enhances the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of ethanol extracts of coffee husk.

Phytochemical screening and in-vitro biological properties of unprocessed and household processed fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn.) seeds and leaves

The impact of household processes on fenugreek leaves and seeds has been analyzed for total phenolic (TP) and total flavonoid content (TF), and in-vitro biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Processes included air-drying for leaves and germinating, soaking, and boiling for seeds. Air-dried fenugreek leaves (ADFL) had high TP (15.27 mg GAE g−1 D.W.) and TF (7.71 mg QE g−1 D.W.) (milligram quercetin equivalents per gram dry weight). The TP contents of unprocessed, germinated, soaked, and boiled seeds were 6.54, 5.60, 4.59, and 3.84 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg GAE g−1 D.W.), respectively. The TF contents in unprocessed fenugreek seeds, germinated fenugreek seeds, soaked fenugreek seeds, and boiled fenugreek seeds (BFS) were 4.23, 2.11, 2.10, and 2.33 mg QE g−1 D.W., respectively. Sixteen phenolic and nineteen flavonoid compounds has been identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH·), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+·), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP·) assays indicated that ADFL had the highest activity. Antimicrobial activity has been evaluated against each of the eight pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. ADFL showed the strongest activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations values ranging from 0.03 to 1.06 and 0.04 to 1.18 mg ml·1 against bacterial and fungal strains, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in-vitro against RAW 264.7 macrophage cells using the nitric oxide (NO) assay. Results revealed that ADFL had the highest cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity according to the NO assay. Household processes significantly reduced the in-vitro biological properties of processed seeds.

Putative application of Najas marina L. extracts as a source of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and genotoxic properties.

In this research paper, the total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), and tannins (TT) content in the acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of Najas marina L. and the identification and quantification of phenolic acids and flavonoids from the ethyl acetate extract were performed. Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm properties of the mentioned extracts were investigated in vitro. The genotoxic potential was analyzed in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The TP and TF content was higher in the ethyl acetate extract, dominated by quercetin (172.4 µg mg-1) and ferulic acid (22.74 µg mg-1), while the TT content was slightly higher in the acetone extract. Both extracts tested showed limited antioxidant effects compared to ascorbic acid. The strongest antibacterial activity was observed with Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus (MIC and MMC at 0.31 mg ml-1) and S. aureus ATCC 25923 (MIC at<0.02 mg ml-1), while antifungal activity was limited. Both extracts tested showed better activity on preformed biofilms. Acetone extract had no genotoxic activity but showed significant genoprotective activity against mitomycin C-induced DNA damage in cultured PBLs. Results of our research demonstrate the potential for the development of plant-based antibacterial and biofilm agents.

Synthesis, antioxidant activity, docking simulation, and computational investigation of novel heterocyclic compounds and Schiff bases from picric acid

In this elucidation, we used the available picric acid commercial for the synthesis of different heterocyclics such as carbothioamide and 1,3,4-oxadiazole and different Schiff bases derivatives. Furthermore, the synthesis route of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives is known in literature but we used here an aprotic solvent without basic conditions. Moreover, all the synthesized compounds exhibited antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid substance amount (TF), iron (III) reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The compounds 5d, 5e, and 5f showed excellent activity in all of the TPC, TF, FRAP, and DPPH parameters compared to the standards used. In addition, it was determined from the statistical studies that compound 4a and 5b as TPC and TF content; compounds 5c, 5e, and 5f as TPC content, and compounds 5a, 5c, and 5g as TF content showed similar, good-moderate effectiveness compared to the standards used. Also the docking stimulation of synthesized compounds with different proteins PDBID:2CDU and PDBID: 3RP8 showed excellent binding energy with Schiff base compounds, in addition to the optimization of these heterocycles with DFT/B3LYP/6-31 basis and determination there physical descriptor's which indicated the activity of Schiff base with correlated with biological evaluation.

In Vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of Algerian propolis against Human Breast Adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) Cells and Investigation of its Potential Mechanism of Action

&lt;p&gt;Background: Breast cancer is a major cause of death in women worldwide. Propolis antitumor activity has become the subject of growing research related to breast cancer. Algerian propolis is being studied for its antitumor activity on several cell lines. However, little is known about its cytotoxic activity on the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. &lt;p&gt; Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of Algerian propolis on human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-MB-231) and explain its mechanism of action. &lt;p&gt; Methods: Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using an MTT assay, and mechanisms involved in the cytotoxic activity were also investigated. In addition, the chemical profile was analyzed by the determination of TP and TF contents. &lt;p&gt; Results: TP and TF of the tested propolis varied between 1.36±0.15 and 97.85±2.98 GAE μg/mg for TP and 0.08±0.10 and 33.22±1,17QE μg/mg for TF. Propolis treatment of MD-MB-231 cells for 24 hours was found to suppress the growth of the tested cell line in a dose-dependent manner. The tested propolis probably induced an intrinsic pathway of apoptosis through caspase cascade and activation of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as BAX, p53, and p21. In addition, cell proliferation was found to be inhibited by the diminution of CYCLIN2 and CDK4 activities associated with the increase in P21 acting as a protein inhibitor. &lt;p&gt; Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that Algerian propolis could be used as a complementary treatment for breast cancer. Our propolis was found to suppress the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.&lt;/p&gt;

Thermogravimetric-infrared analysis and performance optimization of co-pyrolysis of oily sludge and rice husks

In this paper, thermogravimetric-infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze co-pyrolysis of oily sludge (OS) from oil penetration and rice husks (RH) at various ratios (1:0; 3:1; 1:1; 1:3; 0:1), obtaining pyrolysis weight-loss behaviors, the laws of mutual synergy, and gas volatilization characteristics. The Coats-redfern and response surface method were employed to analyze kinetics and optimize pyrolysis, respectively. The Ti, Tmax, and Tf increase as the heating rate increases, and the weight loss increases in the second stage. With the increase of the proportion of RH, the Ti and Tmax of the mixture increase, while the Tf and residual content decrease. The co-pyrolysis of the OS and RH has synergistic effects. The addition of RH is beneficial to reduce the E of OS pyrolysis. The mixing ratio affects the strength of small-molecular-gases volatilization. When the RH ratio is 58.9% at 10K/min, the minimum predicted E and residual amount of co-pyrolysis are 58.602 kJ/mol and 42.6%, respectively.

Phytonutrients, Colorant Pigments, Phytochemicals, and Antioxidant Potential of Orphan Leafy Amaranthus Species.

The underutilized Amaranthus leafy vegetables are a unique basis of pigments such as β-cyanins, β-xanthins, and betalains with radical scavenging capacity (RSC). They have abundant phytonutrients and antioxidant components, such as pigments, vitamins, phenolics, and flavonoids. Eight selected genotypes (four genotypes from each species) of underutilized Amaranthus leafy vegetables were evaluated for phytonutrients, pigments, vitamins, phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants in a randomized complete block design under ambient field conditions with three replicates. The studied traits showed a wide range of variations across eight genotypes of two species of Amaranthus leafy vegetables. The highest fat, β-xanthins, K, dietary fiber, Mg, β-cyanins, Mn, chlorophyll ab, Zn, TP, TF, betalains, chlorophyll a content, and (RSC) (DPPH) and RSC (ABTS+) were obtained from A. tricolor accessions. Conversely, the highest protein, Cu, carbohydrates, Ca, and chlorophyll b content were obtained from A. lividus accessions. The highest dry matter, carotenoids, Fe, energy, and ash were obtained from A. tricolor and A. lividus. The accession AT2 confirmed the highest vit. C and RSC (DPPH) and RSC (ABTS+); AT5 had the highest TP content; and AT12 had the highest TF content. A. tricolor accessions had high phytochemicals across the two species, such as phytopigments, vitamins, phenolics, antioxidants, and flavonoids, with considerable nutrients and protein. Hence, A. tricolor accessions can be used as high-yielding cultivars comprising ample antioxidants. The correlation study revealed that vitamin C, pigments, flavonoids, β-carotene, and phenolics demonstrated a strong RSC, and showed a substantial contribution to the antioxidant potential (AP) of A. tricolor. The investigation exposed that the accessions displayed a plentiful origin of nutritional values, phytochemicals, and AP with good quenching ability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that provide enormous prospects for nourishing the mineral-, antioxidant-, and vitamin-threatened community.

The Profile of Polyphenolic Compounds, Contents of Total Phenolics and Flavonoids, and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Bee Products.

This study aimed to characterize bee products (bee bread, bee pollen, beeswax, and multiflorous honey) with the profile of phenolic compounds, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, and antioxidant and microbiological properties. The TP and TF contents could be ordered as follows: bee pollen > bee bread > beeswax > honey. The UPLC−PDA−MS/MS analysis allowed identifying 20 polyphenols. Sinapic acid dominated in bee pollen, gallic acid in the bee bread and honey, while pinobanksin was the major compound of beeswax. The data showed that bee pollen and bee bread had a stronger antioxidant potential than honey and beeswax. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the bee products was studied using 14 bacterial strains. Bee bread’s and bee pollen’s antimicrobial activity was higher towards Gram-negative strains. In comparison, honey was more potent in inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria. Our study indicates that bee products may represent valuable sources of bioactive compounds offering functional properties.

High Iron and Iron Household Protein Contents in Perineuronal Net-Ensheathed Neurons Ensure Energy Metabolism with Safe Iron Handling.

A subpopulation of neurons is less vulnerable against iron-induced oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. A key feature of these neurons is a special extracellular matrix composition that forms a perineuronal net (PN). The PN has a high affinity to iron, which suggests an adapted iron sequestration and metabolism of the ensheathed neurons. Highly active, fast-firing neurons—which are often ensheathed by a PN—have a particular high metabolic demand, and therefore may have a higher need in iron. We hypothesize that PN-ensheathed neurons have a higher intracellular iron concentration and increased levels of iron proteins. Thus, analyses of cellular and regional iron and the iron proteins transferrin (Tf), Tf receptor 1 (TfR), ferritin H/L (FtH/FtL), metal transport protein 1 (MTP1 aka ferroportin), and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) were performed on Wistar rats in the parietal cortex (PC), subiculum (SUB), red nucleus (RN), and substantia nigra (SNpr/SNpc). Neurons with a PN (PN+) have higher iron concentrations than neurons without a PN: PC 0.69 mM vs. 0.51 mM, SUB 0.84 mM vs. 0.69 mM, SN 0.71 mM vs. 0.63 mM (SNpr)/0.45 mM (SNpc). Intracellular Tf, TfR and MTP1 contents of PN+ neurons were consistently increased. The iron concentration of the PN itself is not increased. We also determined the percentage of PN+ neurons: PC 4%, SUB 5%, SNpr 45%, RN 86%. We conclude that PN+ neurons constitute a subpopulation of resilient pacemaker neurons characterized by a bustling iron metabolism and outstanding iron handling capabilities. These properties could contribute to the low vulnerability of PN+ neurons against iron-induced oxidative stress and degeneration.

THEOBROMINE AND THEOPHYLLINE DETERMINATION IN BLACK TEA BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS USING LARGE VOLUME SAMPLE STACKING

Some features of the formation of methylxanthines during growth and development of tea leaves are discussed, and the information about the content of minor methylxanthines, theobromine (TB) and theophylline (TF), in tea products is summarized. The expediency of using TB and TF as marker substances characterizing the quality of tea is substantiated. Possibility and limitations of using electrophoretic methods for TB and TF determination in tea products were investigated. Experimental studies were carried out to develop a method for TB and TF determination in black tea by capillary zone electrophoresis using the procedure of analytes online concentration – large volume sample stacking (LVSS-CZE-UV). Optimized conditions for the analytes separation were using the borate buffer solution (pH = 9.8, 90 mM concentration) and 20 kV voltage in the system. The following conditions for the analytes concentrating were proposed: time for introducing a 40-fold diluted tea extract (1.0 g per 100 ml of water) was 200 s at 50 mbar; the polarity reversal time was 1.5–1.7 min at a voltage of –10 kV. Under the selected conditions, the TB and TF concentration efficiency factors were 28 and 38, respectively. The analysis time did not exceed 22 min. For the developed method, the repeatability, intralaboratory precision, trueness and accuracy of the results of analytes determination in black tea samples were evaluated. Determining TB (0.04–4.0 mg/g concentration range) and TF (0.04–1.0 mg/g concentration range) in tea showed that the relative standard deviation of the results of the analytes determination σ(Δ) did not exceed 7 and 12 %, respectively. Analysis of various samples of black tea using the developed method showed that TB content ranged from 0.14 to 2.32 mg/g and TF content ranged from "&lt; 0.040" to 0.15 mg/g.

Antioxidant Activity and Antidiabetic Activities of Northern Thai Indigenous Edible Plant Extracts and Their Phytochemical Constituents

Diabetes is a disease affecting health and economic system. The diabetic drugs are often reported to have side effects. So, antidiabetic activities such as alpha-amylase inhibition and alpha-glycosidase inhibition, total phenolic content (TP), total flavonoid content (TF), antioxidant activity and some phytochemical constituents of twenty-eight indigenous edible plants obtained from northern Thailand, were investigated to evaluate the potential of preventing diabetes. It was found that Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam., Azadirachta indica A . var. indica, Glochidion hirsutum, Glochidion wallichianum, Polygonum odoratum showed high amount of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. Those indigenous species also showed low IC50 for alpha-glucosidase inhibitory and alpha-amylase inhibitory which are lowered than that of acarbose standard. The IC50 for alpha-glucosidase inhibition negatively correlated well with TF content, TP content, and antioxidant activity. Thus, these five indigenous plants might be natural antidiabetics suitable for use as functional foods in the future.

Comparative account of vitamin C contents, antioxidant properties and iron contents of minor fruits in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a habitat of diverse fruit varieties; nevertheless 95% of them are underutilized by people due to unawareness of their nutritional values and health aspects, and hence become ‘minor fruits’. This study was aimed on revealing vitamin C, iron and antioxidant contents of 29 varieties of minor fruits (MFs) with the comparison of the same with three best commonly consumable fruits (CFs), namely Carica papaya, Mangifera indica and Psidium guajava. Ascorbic acid (Asc), dehydroascorbic acid (DAsc), vitamin C (TC), phenolic (TP), flavonoid (TF), iron (Fe) contents and antioxidant capacities (AOCs) of fruits were determined using standard methods. The results of mean Asc, DAsc, TC, TP, TF and Fe contents in 100 gm of MFs ranged from 3.1 to 121.5 mg, 1.2 to 70.7 mg, 6.6 to 136.1 mg, 24.9 to 1613.3 mg Gallic acid equivalent, 6.2 to 228.0 mg Quercetin equivalents and 0.2 to 4.9 mg respectively. DPPH and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays were used for AOCs and variation of IC50 values in a DPPH assay was 1.2 to 245.4 mg/ml whereas FRAP values ranged from 9.6 to 486.7 ?mol FeSO4/gm. Among the studied minor fruits, Melastoma malabathricum (Maha bovitiya/ Malabar melastome) is found as the best respect to all considered parameters. As a conclusion, it can be stated that, the Sri Lankan minor fruits are good alternatives to the common fruits as they are recognized as good source of vitamin C, iron and higher content of antioxidants. As an outcome, Sri Lankan minor fruits can be promoted as alternatives to common fruits and as source of revenue for national economy.

Effect of in vitro digestion on phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of different apple (Malus domestica) varieties harvested in Mexico

Apple has phenolic compounds that provide it antioxidant capacity, but during the digestion process, these compounds can undergo changes that modify their bioaccessibility and subsequently decrease the beneficial effects on human health. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on bioaccessibility (B) of the total content of phenolic compounds (PC), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (TA), and antioxidant capacity (ABTS, DPPH) of five different apple varieties. Samples were subjected to static in vitro digestion model following the InfoGest consensus protocol. After the in vitro digestion, the PC, TF, TA, ABTS, and DPPH content were significantly different (p≤ 0.05) in each digestion stage. The intestinal stage released higher content of PC (20.79–81.43 %) and TF (43.08–83.41 %), while the gastric stage released higher content of TA (126.49–204.23 %) (p ≤ 0.05). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that Red Delicious variety was mainly correlated with higher content of PC, TF, and TA before and after in vitro digestion. At the gastric stage, TA presented correlation with ABTS (r: 0.83) and DPPH (r: 0.87), while, in the intestinal stage, PC and TF presented the highest correlation with ABTS (r: 0.97–0.98) and DPPH (r: 0.86–0.92). Though in vitro digestion favors the release of PC, TF, and TA, their content was lower than that obtained before in vitro digestion, which suggests that chemical extraction could overestimate the bioavailability of phenolic compounds.

Bioactive Phenolic Compounds of Two Medicinal Mushroom Species Trametes versicolor and Stereum subtomentosum as Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Agents.

Medicinal mushrooms have tremendous potential in production of bioactive compounds with diverse bioactivities while the biochemical potential of some specific mushroom strains (autochthonous for the region) in production of specific bioactive agents may be of the main importance in a continuous search for novel strains with supreme activities all over the world. In this study, the ethanolic (EtOH) and water (H2 O) extracts of wild-growing polypore mushroom species were investigated: Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd and Stereum subtomentosum Pouzar. This study was designed to determine total phenol (TP), flavonoid (TF) and protein content (TPR) as well as LC/MS/MS phenolic profile related to in vitro antioxidant, antiproliferative (MTT assay) (AP) and DNA fragmentation properties. The H2 O extracts expressed better antioxidant scavenging potential than EtOH showing the highest activity for the T. versicolor (IC50 =5.6 μg/mL, IC50 =0.6 μg/mL for DPPH. and OH. , respectively) while O2 .- activity achieved the best activity for S. subtomentosum (IC50 =4.1 μg/mL). In contrary, the highest AP activity was obtained for the EtOH extracts of S. subtomentosum (IC50 =141.1 μg/mL). The EtOH extracts of both species showed the highest TP, TF and TPR content. Obtained results of DNA degradation indicate genotoxicity potential of the extracts at high concentration. The LC/MS/MS detection showed that the majority of analyzed extracts contained phenolic acids, p-hydroxybenzoic and protocatechuic acid. The obtained results suggest that analyzed medicinal mushroom species, T. versicolor and S. subtomentosum, could be of potential interest as new sources of strong natural antioxidants as well as antiproliferative agents in the future.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Leaves and Seed as a Potential Source of the Bioactive Compounds: Effects of Various Extraction Solvents on Biological Properties.

Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) is a potential source of bioactive constituents and natural antioxidant. The current study determined the impact of various solvents on extraction yield, recovery of polyphenol and flavonoid, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties of Kenaf leaves and seed. The powder of leaves and seed was separately extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water solvent. Among them, the ethanol extract of leaves and seed showed the highest extraction yield, and their GC-MS analysis revealed a total of 55 and 14 bioactive compounds, respectively. The total polyphenols (TP) and flavonoids (TF) content were quantified by a spectrophotometric technique where water extracts displayed a noteworthy amount of TP and TF content compared to other extracts. A similar demonstration was noticed in antioxidant activity, evaluated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacity. In addition, cytotoxicity and anti-lung cancer activity were identified against mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH3T3) and human lung cancer (A549) cells. All extracts of leaves and seed were observed as non-toxic to the NIH3T3 cells, but slight toxicity was expressed by n-hexane extracts at the optimum dose (1000 µg/mL) of treatment. In parallel, n-hexane and ethanol extracts (leaves and seed) exposed promising anti-lung cancer activity at the same concentration. Furthermore, antibacterial activity was assessed using disc diffusion assay, and seed extracts exhibited a significant inhibition zone against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms. Overall, Kenaf seed extracted with polar solvents was found very potent in terms of important bioactive compounds and pharmacological aspects, which can be an excellent biological matrix of natural antioxidants.

Synthesis and properties of castor oil‐based polyurethane containing short fluorinated segment

AbstractThis study successfully incorporated a short‐segment fluorine‐containing chain extender (2,2,3,3‐tetrafluoro‐1,4‐butanediol [TF]) into castor oil‐based polyurethane (COPU) to synthesize TF/COPUs. The interactions between TF and COPU components were identified by Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies, the results revealed that the increase in the TF content increased the van der Waals forces in CF…CO and the hydrogen bonding force in CF…HN. Atomic force microscopy indicated that the addition of more TF contributed to a higher level of microphase separation in the TF/COPUs. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the TF component can enhance the thermal resistance of TF/COPUs. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of TF/COPUs increased with the TF content. The stress–strain testing showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break values decreased with the TF content. This tensile behavior may be due to the molecular weight of a TF/COPU decreased with the TF content as evidenced by the gel permeation chromatography results. The hydrolytic degradation tests of dipping TF/COPUs in 3 wt% NaOH solution indicated that TF could lower the surface free energy and enhance the degradation stability of TF/COPUs.

Sulforaphane and its antioxidative effects in broccoli seeds and sprouts of different cultivars

The purpose of this study was to clearly understand the health-promoting potentials of broccoli seeds and sprouts according to identify their representative bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities in six varieties. Sulforaphane (SF) extraction was firstly optimized from seeds and sprouts. Then SF extracted under optimized conditions from seeds and sprouts were compared. Most varieties obtained the maximum SF, total phenolic (TP) and flavonoid (TF) contents in sprouts on day 3. SF contents in sprouts were 46%–97% of seeds, whereas TP and TF contents in sprouts were 1.12–3.58 times higher than seeds among varieties. After in vitro digestion, broccoli sprouts from MNL variety kept considerable SF, TF, and TP contents, as well as antioxidant capacities, with all values higher than seeds. Compared with seeds, sprouts after 3 days germination were also recommended as raw materials of functional foods that possess high health-promoting potential.

Silver nanoparticles and silver salt (AgNO3) elicits morphogenic and biochemical variations in callus cultures of sugarcane.

The research work was arranged to check the role of AgNPs and silver ions on callus cells of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. cv CP-77,400). AgNPs were synthesized chemically and characterized by UV-Vis spectra, XRD and SEM. AgNPs and silver ions were applied in various concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60 ppm) to sugarcane calli and the induced stress was characterized by studying various morphological and biochemical parameters. AgNPs and silver ions treatments produced high levels of malondialdehyde, proline, proteins, TP and TF contents. Similarly, CAT, SOD and POX activity was also significant in both treatments. The lower concentration of AgNPs and silver ions (20 ppm) provided maximum intracellular GSH level. This work mainly showed effects of AgNPs and silver ions on sugarcane calli in terms of morphological aberrations and cell membrane damage due to severe oxidative stress and production of enhanced levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants as self-defence to tolerate oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species. These preliminary findings will provide the way to study ecotoxicity mechanism of the metal ions and NPs in medicine industry and in vitro toxicity research. Furthermore, silver ions alone and their chemically synthesised AgNPs can be used for various biomedical applications in future.