Flavonoids: Nutraceuticals for Rheumatic Diseases via Targeting of Inflammasome Activation

Inflammation, an innate immune response that prevents cellular damage caused by pathogens, consists of two successive mechanisms, namely priming and triggering. While priming is an inflammation-preparation step, triggering is an inflammation-activation step, and the central feature of triggering is the activation of inflammasomes and intracellular inflammatory protein complexes. Flavonoids are natural phenolic compounds predominantly present in plants, fruits, and vegetables and are known to possess strong anti-inflammatory activities. The anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids has long been demonstrated, with the main focus on the priming mechanisms, while increasing numbers of recent studies have redirected the research focus on the triggering step, and studies have reported that flavonoids inhibit inflammatory responses and diseases by targeting inflammasome activation. Rheumatic diseases are systemic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases that primarily affect joints and connective tissues, and they are associated with numerous deleterious effects. Here, we discuss the emerging literature on the ameliorative role of flavonoids targeting inflammasome activation in inflammatory rheumatic diseases.     

板栗壳黄酮结构分析及其对胰脂肪酶活力的抑制作用

在分析板栗壳黄酮结构的基础上，研究其对胰脂肪酶的抑制作用及类型。采用醇提法提取板栗壳中的黄酮，并用AB-8大孔吸附树脂进行纯化，冻干后得到的黄酮含量为（107.50±1.00）mg/g，提取得率为（5.66±0.05）%。利用超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱质谱联用技术对板栗壳黄酮进行结构分析，鉴定出8 种黄酮类化合物。采用对硝基苯酚法测定胰脂肪酶活力，分别考察板栗壳黄酮对胰脂肪酶的抑制效果及不同反应条件下板栗壳黄酮对胰脂肪酶活性的影响，结果表明，板栗壳黄酮对胰脂肪酶有较好的抑制作用，半抑制浓度（half maximal inhibitory concentration，IC50）为0.074 mg/mL，且使胰脂肪酶最适pH值向碱性偏移。通过Lineweaver-Burk双倒数作图法确定其抑制类型为非竞争性抑制，抑制常数Ki＝53.19 mg/mL。由此可见，板栗壳黄酮是一种效果良好的胰脂肪酶抑制剂。     

A novel antioxidant source: evaluation of in vitro bioaccessibility,antioxidant activity and polyphenol profile of phenolic extract from black radish peel wastes (Raphanus sativus L. var. niger) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potency of polyphenolic extract from black radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. niger) root peel waste (PEBRRP) as an antioxidant food additive. PEBRRP was found a powerful antioxidant extract, in which had 172.9 ± 11.5, 462.72 ± 3.05, and 796.51 ± 10.4 mg TE per g dw of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by CUPRAC, DPPH, and FRAP assays, respectively. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of PEBRRP were found as 305.51 ± 5.2 mg GAE per g dw and 171.58 ± 6.2 mg CAE per g dw, respectively. The ferulic acid (28.02 ± 4.5 mg per g dw) and epicatechin (19.82 ± 3.6 mg per g dw) were identified as the main polyphenols in undigested PEBRRP. The bioaccessibility of total phenolic and total flavonoid compounds of PEBRRP was found approximately 5%, and the antioxidant capacity of bioaccessible PEBRPP fraction was determined 6% in CUPRAC, 36% in DPPH and 47% in FRAP methods.     

Impact of Ozonation Process on the Microbiological Contamination and Antioxidant Capacity of Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) Fruit during Cold Storage

In the studies conducted, the impact of the innovative ozonation procedure on the microbial state and antioxidant potential of highbush blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) stored under cold storage conditions was assessed. Microbiological analysis was carried out to determine the total number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and the total number of fungi during the storage experiment. In addition, changes in the flavonoid, anthocyanins, and vitamin C content and the total antioxidant capacity were monitored during the storage. The degree of fruit infection with gray mold and anthracnose was determined. It was found that daily ozonation of fruits with a dose of 15 ppm for 30 min, every 12 h, for 28 days effectively reduced the development of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi. On the last day of storage, symptoms of the infection by gray mold were observed in 27.5% of the control fruit, while the absence of symptoms was observed in case of the ozonated fruit. On the other hand, ozone was ineffective in case of inhibiting the infection by anthracnose. Nevertheless, the ozonation process allowed maintaining a high antioxidant potential of the fruit and substantially reduced losses of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and vitamin C. The utilized procedure has proved to be effective, providing the possibility of extensive use of ozone as a factor allowing sustaining a high commercial and consumption value of the fruit over extended time.