Effect of antioxidant-enriched foods on plasma Coenzyme Q10 and total antioxidant capacity

Twenty healthy subjects integrated their diet with two types of products sequentially: In the first phase (first 14 days), the volunteers were given the following food items not supplemented with vitamin E (vit. E) or Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀): breakfast, 250 mL skimmed milk; mid-morning snack, 330 mL fruit juice; mid-afternoon snack, low-fat yogurt 125 g; after dinner, low-fat dessert 110 g. In the second phase, from day 14 to day 35, the same items were added with vit. E and CoQ₁₀ (a total daily supplementation of 19.4 mg CoQ₁₀ and 13.7 mg vit.E). After taking the supplemented products for 2 weeks, plasma CoQ₁₀ reached 1.30 µg/mL, nearly twice the initial values. These levels further increased after 3 weeks of supplementation. Vit. E levels significantly (p <0.001) increased only after 3 weeks of supplementation, reaching 7.9 ± 2.8 µg/mL, 39% more than the initial value. The total plasma fatty acid pattern did not change substantially throughout the study. The increase of the total antioxidant capacity of plasma was significant (p <0.001) for days 28 and 35, with values close to 0.24 ± 0.09 mM Trolox (a nearly 60% increase).     

Protection of Antioxidants,Vitamins E and C,from Ultraviolet Degradation using Feruloylated Vegetable Oil

Natural antioxidants are often used in topical personal care formulations to protect the skin from oxidative stresses but are susceptible to degradation due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Feruloyl soy glycerols (FSG) are UV absorbers synthesized from the biocatalytic conversion of soybean oil and ferulic acid ethyl ester that have a total UV absorbance and photostability comparable to the commercial UV absorber, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (octinoxate, ONX). We examined the ability of FSG and ONX to photoprotect the antioxidant capacity of Vitamin E (VE), Vitamin C (VC), Vitamin E, and their derivatives, 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox, TLX) and L-ascorbic acid 6-palmitate (Vitamin C palmitate, VCP), from UV degradation. VE, VC, TLX, and VCP (100 μM solutions) acted as rapid antioxidants, scavenging >50% of the spontaneously formed free radical, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*, 200 μM), within 5 min in acetonitrile solutions. The vitamins and TLX were rendered slow antioxidants in the DDPH* assays, scavenging <50% of DPPH* within 30 min, after exposure of the acetonitrile solutions to UV radiation for 4 hours. VCP solutions were rendered moderate antioxidants, scavenging >50% of DPPH* within 30 min, after 4 hours exposure to UV radiation. FSG (100–1000 μM) was added to acetonitrile solutions of the vitamins and their derivatives to determine if FSG could photoprotect VE, TLX, VC, and VCP, allowing them to retain their antioxidant activities after 4 hours of UV irradiation. The addition of FSG, 500 and 1000 μM, allowed TLX and VE to retain rapid antioxidant activity after 4-hour UV exposure. VC retained rapid antioxidant capacity with 100 μM FSG after 4 hours of UV exposure. FSG performed comparably to slightly better than the commercial UV absorber, ONX, in protecting the antioxidant activities of vitamins and their derivatives from UV degradation. FSG also possessed intrinsic antioxidant capacity that ONX did not, which may have contributed to its better performance when mixed with the vitamins and their derivatives in the DPPH* assays.     

Antioxidant and Anti-inflammation Activities of Ocotea,Copaiba and Blue Cypress Essential Oils in Vitro and in Vivo

Essential oils are formed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites and are widely used in traditional medicine. In this research, the composition and biological activities of three commercial oils essential oils, Ocotea, Copaiba and Blue Cypress, were evaluated in cultured cells and in mice. GC/MS revealed different components within these oils. Ocotea and Copaiba did not have an antioxidant activity below 5 % (v/v), and Blue Cypress possessed a moderate anti‐oxidant activity. Ocotea was the most potent inhibitor against pro‐inflammatory mediators. In addition, Ocotea and a higher concentration of Blue Cypress suppressed LPS‐induced PGE2 production. Single high‐concentration administration of the oils showed acute toxicity in mice. Blood chemistry analysis showed the three essential oils to be quite safe under a lower sub‐lethal dosage. Our findings suggested that essential oils can be useful as active medicines to inhibit over‐activation of macrophages followed by stimulation by inflammatory mediators.     

Determination of Coenzyme Q<Subscript>9</Subscript> and Q<Subscript>10</Subscript> in Developing Palm Fruits

A series of biochemical changes took place as oil palm fruits developed into maturity. Among these are the active synthesis of glycerides as well as unsaponifiable compounds such as carotenes, vitamin E, sterols and squalene. Coenzyme Q₉ and Q₁₀ were found to be present at different stages of the oil palm fruits development. The presence of coenzyme Q₉ was detected as early as 4 weeks after anthesis (WAA) and its concentration diminished as the oil palm fruits ripen. Coenzyme Q₁₀ on the other hand, can only be detected from 12WAA onwards and its concentration remained at an elevated level throughout the remaining development period of the oil palm fruits. Their occurrence pattern suggested that there is a strong relationship between the concentration of coenzyme Q₉ and coenzyme Q₁₀ with the age of the oil palm fruits.     

Dolichol: A Component of the Cellular Antioxidant Machinery

Dolichol, an end product of the mevalonate pathway, has been proposed as a biomarker of aging, but its biological role, not to mention its catabolism, has not been fully understood. UV‐B radiation was used to induce oxidative stress in isolated rat hepatocytes by the collagenase method. Effects on dolichol, phospholipid‐bound polyunsaturated fatty acids (PL‐PUFA) and known lipid soluble antioxidants [coenzyme Q (CoQ) and α‐tocopherol] were studied. The increase in oxidative stress was detected by a probe sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Peroxidation of lipids was assessed by measuring the release of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Dolichol, CoQ, and α‐tocopherol were assessed by high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), PL‐PUFA by gas–liquid chromatography (GC). UV‐B radiation caused an immediate increase in ROS as well as lipid peroxidation and a simultaneous decrease in the levels of dolichol and lipid soluble antioxidants. Decrease in dolichol paralleled changes in CoQ levels and was smaller to that in α‐tocopherol. The addition of mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG‐CoAR), magnified the loss of dolichol and was associated with an increase in TBARS production. Changes in PL‐PUFA were minor. These findings highlight that oxidative stress has very early and similar effects on dolichol and lipid soluble antioxidants. Lower levels of dolichol are associated with enhanced peroxidation of lipids, which suggest that dolichol may have a protective role in the antioxidant machinery of cell membranes and perhaps be a key to understanding some adverse effects of statin therapy.     

In Vivo and In Vitro Evaluation of Urinary Biomarkers in Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Kidney Injury

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury (AKI). Previously, we reported that vanin-1, which is involved in oxidative stress, is associated with renal tubular injury. This study was aimed to determine whether urinary vanin-1 is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of AKI in two experimental models: in vivo and in vitro. In a rat model of AKI, ischemic AKI was induced in uninephrectomized rats by clamping the left renal artery for 45 min and then reperfusing the kidney. On Day 1 after renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), serum creatinine (SCr) in I/R rats was higher than in sham-operated rats, but this did not reach significance. Urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) exhibited a significant increase but decreased on Day 2 in I/R rats. In contrast, urinary vanin-1 significantly increased on Day 1 and remained at a significant high level on Day 2 in I/R rats. Renal vanin-1 protein decreased on Days 1 and 3. In line with these findings, immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that vanin-1 was attenuated in the renal proximal tubules of I/R rats. Our in vitro results confirmed that the supernatant from HK-2 cells under hypoxia/reoxygenation included significantly higher levels of vanin-1 as well as KIM-1 and NGAL. In conclusion, our results suggest that urinary vanin-1 might be a potential novel biomarker of AKI induced by I/R.     

醋酸木质素结构特性及抗氧化研究

采用醋酸法提取大叶麻竹笋笋壳中木质素,对其表面微观特性、结晶特性、热稳定性和吸湿特性等进行分析,并进一步研究了醋酸木质素的抗氧化能力,并与相同来源的纤维残渣和粗膳食纤维进行对比研究。研究结果表明：醋酸木质素表面成球形且结构粗糙多孔;并以无定形结构存在;热稳定性较好;吸湿率很低;在DPPH自由基清除能力和亚铁离子还原能力（FRAP）方面,醋酸木质素抗氧化能力高于人工合成的抗氧化剂BHT,其ABTS自由基清除能力与BHT相当,无显著差异。而且醋酸木质素的抗氧化能力都要显著高于相同来源的纤维残渣和粗膳食纤维。因此,醋酸木质素具有应用于抗氧化剂的潜力。     

Comparative Study of Fatty Acid Composition,Total Phenolics,and Antioxidant Capacity in Rapeseed Mutant Lines

There is limited variability within rapeseed germplasm in Morocco. Induced mutation was recently used to generate novel genetic variability and develop mutant lines combining desirable traits. In this context, nine promising advanced rapeseed M₂ mutant lines and the wild-type variety “INRA-CZH2” were evaluated for their seed oil content, fatty acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), and free-radical scavenging activity (FRSA) by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) methods. The results showed significant variability among all mutants in seed oil content (38.14–42.04%) and fatty acids (SAFA = 5.49–10.99%, MUFA = 50.33–71.62%, PUFA = 22.89–8.68%). The mutant H2M-5 exhibited the highest fraction of MUFA and the lowest proportion of SAFA and PUFA, while the mutant H2M-4 showed the highest SAFA and PUFA amounts and the lowest MUFA level. TPC varied from 2.16 to 4.35 mg GAE/100 g. The highest amount was found in the mutant H2M-1, which is about twice that of other mutants and the wild-type variety. FRSA differed significantly among the samples, and the variations observed for DPPH and ABTS methods were 40.5–59.28% and 40.31–59.86%, respectively. FRSA was positively correlated to TPC in the sampled oils (r = 0.801 and 0.802, P < 0.01). This is the first report emphasizing the biochemical potential of rapeseed varieties and novel mutants in Morocco. H2M-1, H2M-4, and H2M-5 were proposed for the Rapeseed National Breeding Program, as they showed higher levels in some biochemical traits of interest.     

Evaluation of Olive Preservation Methods on Bioactive Constituents and Antioxidant Properties of Olive Oils

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of preservation methods on less salty natural black table olives by evaluating the extracted olive oils. For this purpose, olives of the Gemlik variety obtained in two harvest years were brined and dry salted with 2 and 4% levels of salt and packaged with vacuum and modified atmosphere (60% N₂ and 40% CO₂) and treated with gamma irradiation (0, 1, 3, 5 kGy). The olive oil extraction process was applied to raw olives, olives after fermentation and olives at 4th and 8th months of storage time. Bioactive component analyses including total carotenoid, total chlorophyll, α-tocopherol analyses and antioxidant properties were performed along with determination of free fatty acids content (FFA) and peroxide values (PV). FFA and PV increased while α-tocopherol (TO), total chlorophyll (TCH), total carotenoids (TC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH· radical scavenging assay) values decreased with storage and increment of irradiation dosage. Principal components analyses (PCA) showed that olive oils were discriminated clearly according to harvest year, salt content and processing type (dry-salting and brining). Overall, this study revealed that chemical parameters of olive oils as the main component of the olives were affected by the harvest year, processing and preservation conditions along with fermentation and storage period of olives.     

高效液相色谱法测定维生素C泡腾片有关物质含量

目的:建立维生素C泡腾片中有关物质含量的测定方法。方法:采用高效液相色谱法,色谱柱为PerfectChrom 100 C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm);流动相为磷酸盐缓冲溶液(pH2.50±0.05);流速:0.8mL/min;进样量:20μL;检测波长为245 nm。结果:维生素C质量浓度在4.0~16.0μg/mL范围内,进样量在0.0618~0.5562μg范围内与峰面积线性关系良好(r=0.9990)。结论:该方法简便准确,稳定性好,可用于维生素C泡腾片中有关物质的含量测定。     

Kinetics of L-Ascorbic Acid Degradation in Pineapple Drying under Ethanolic Atmosphere

The kinetics of L-ascorbic acid degradation during drying of pineapple in normal and modified atmosphere was studied. Drying experiments were carried out in a tunnel dryer at two drying temperatures and air velocities. The drying atmosphere was modified by the addition of ethanol (0.5% v/v). The presence of ethanol in the drying atmosphere promoted a more intense water evaporation compared to the conventional process. Although the L-ascorbic acid degradation rate during the pineapple drying (final moisture content of 27% wet basis) under ethanolic atmosphere was higher, these samples retained higher amounts of L-ascorbic acid. Moreover, the Weibull model was applied to fit the kinetics data.     

Temperature-Dependent Mechanism of Antioxidant Activity of o-Hydroxyl,o-Methoxy,and Alkyl Ester Derivatives of p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid in Fish Oil

The autoxidation of purified fish oil in the presence of different concentrations of o‐hydroxyl, o‐methoxy, and alkyl ester derivatives of p‐hydroxybenzoic at 35–55 °C was evaluated by different kinetic parameters including the stabilizing factor as a measure of effectiveness, the oxidation rate ratio as a measure of strength, and the antioxidant activity which combines the two parameters. Methyl gallate as the most reactive antioxidant participated only in the main reaction of chain termination (ROO· + InH ROOH + In·). Gallic acid, ethyl protocatechuate, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid, were able to protect fish oil against oxidation in terms of the extent of their participation in the pro‐oxidative side reactions of chain initiation (InH + ROOH In· + RO· + H₂O and InH + O₂ In· + HOO·) and the antioxidative side reactions of chain propagation (In· + ROO· In‐OOR and In· + In· products).     

Evaluation of the Sorption Equilibrium and Effect of Drying Temperature on the Antioxidant Capacity of the Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

In recent years, interest toward berries has increased (e.g., Myrciaria cauliflora or jaboticaba) because of their high phenolic content (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) that has been associated with positive effects on consumer health and which play an important role in the antioxidant properties of food. This study analyzed the sorption isotherms, thermodynamic properties of sorption (isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy), and the evolution of the antioxidant capacity during the drying process. The effects of drying temperatures of 40°, 50°C, and 60°C on the antioxidant capacity and thermodynamic properties of sorption were evaluated. The gravimetric static method for sorption isotherm determination over a range of relative humidity levels from 0.10 to 0.90 was used. The sorption isotherms exhibited a Type II behavior, typical for many foods. The Guggenheim, Anderson, and Boer (GAB); Oswin; Peleg; and Lewicki models were used to fit the experimental data, and it was determined that the GAB and Peleg models were most appropriate for describing the sorption curves. The isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy were obtained from the experimental sorption equilibrium. The isosteric heat of adsorption decreased when the moisture content increased, while the Gibbs free energy increased. In addition, the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity increased while drying at 50°C and 60°C, whereas these factors decreased at 40°C. Our results provide the food industry with information concerning the best drying conditions to preserve antioxidant properties.     

Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Dietary Curcumin and Capsaicin in Induced Hypercholesterolemic Rats

Health beneficial hypolipidemic and antioxidant influences of dietary spice principles—curcumin, capsaicin alone and in combination included in the diet for 8 weeks were evaluated in induced hypercholesterolemic rats, in order to verify if there is any additive or synergistic effect of these two bioactive compounds. Dietary curcumin (0.2%), capsaicin (0.015%) or their combination significantly countered the hypercholesterolemia brought about by high cholesterol feeding. Hepatic cholesterol was lowered by dietary spice principles only in normal rats. Liver triglyceride levels were lowered in both normal and hypercholesterolemic rats by capsaicin. Curcumin and capsaicin lowered hepatic and blood lipid peroxides in hypercholesterolemic rats, while the effect in blood was additive with their combination. Hepatic ascorbic acid was enhanced by dietary spice principles in normal rats; glutathione was enhanced by their combination only in hypercholesterolemic rats. Activities of serum glutathione reductase, glutathione transferase and catalase and hepatic glutathione reductase in normal rats and serum glutathione peroxidase in hypercholesterolemic rats were enhanced by dietary spice principles. While dietary curcumin and capsaicin normalized the changes in the levels of antioxidant molecules and activities of antioxidant enzymes to a significant extent, this effect was not generally additive when given in combination, and was higher than the individual effects only in a few instances.     

Quantitative Evaluation of Oxidative Stability of Biomembrane Lipids in the Presence of Vitamin E

In this report, the oxidation of biomembrane lipids, phospholipid and cholesterol (ChH), was examined experimentally in the presence of vitamin E (V_EH) by using a liposome system, which is widely used as a biomembrane model. A kinetic model was constructed by taking into account mechanisms of antioxidation and pro-oxidation by V_EH and the co-oxidation mechanisms of biomembrane lipids reported previously. The model quantitatively described oxidation behavior in the liposome system under various V_EH addition conditions. The model also predicted oxidation behavior in vivo under various oral ingestion conditions of V_EH. The results suggest that ChH oxidation, which causes various diseases, can be suppressed effectively by taking a certain amount of V_EH once a day to avoid a reduction in the V_EH concentration present in the biomembrane. The proposed kinetic approach should be a useful tool for quantitatively characterizing complicated reaction systems, such as biomembrane oxidation.     

紫背天葵黄酮的体内外抗氧化作用

采用体积分数80%的乙醇提取紫背天葵中的总黄酮并测定其含量,将粗提液萃取,经AB-8型大孔吸附树脂纯化,以Vc为对照,测定紫背天葵总黄酮粗提液、纯化液对二苯代苦味酰基自由基(DPPH.)、羟基自由基(.OH)和超氧阴离子自由基(O2-.)的清除能力,并考察紫背天葵黄酮纯化物的体内抗氧化效果。结果表明,紫背天葵中粗黄酮含量为13.928 mg/g,纯化比率为32.79%;紫背天葵总黄酮粗提液、纯化液对3种自由基均有不同程度的清除作用,且清除作用随黄酮质量浓度的升高而增强,纯化液的清除作用强于粗提液;低剂量紫背天葵黄酮纯化物实验组小鼠肝脏和脑组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力和肝脏过氧化氢酶(CAT)活力显著高于对照组(p<0.05),而脑中的丙二醛(MDA)含量显著低于正常对照组(p<0.05)。     

维生素C含量测量不确定度评定

用已知浓度的碘（1/2I2）液滴定维生素C溶液来求其含量。得出用碘滴定维生素C含量的测量不确定的主要影响因素有称样量、含量重现性、滴定过程,维生素的扩展不确定度U=0.28%,k=2。     

Evaluation of the In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of Ruthenium Polypyridyl Compounds against Breast Cancer

The clinical success of cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin has sparked the interest of medicinal inorganic chemistry to synthesize and study compounds with non-platinum metal centers. Despite Ru(II)–polypyridyl complexes being widely studied and well established for their antitumor properties, there are not enough in vivo studies to establish the potentiality of this type of compound. Therefore, we report to the best of our knowledge the first in vivo study of Ru(II)–polypyridyl complexes against breast cancer with promising results. In order to conduct our study, we used MCF7 zebrafish xenografts and ruthenium complexes [Ru(bipy)₂(C₁₂H₈N₆-N,N)][CF₃SO₃]₂ Ru1 and [{Ru(bipy)₂}₂(μ-C₁₂H₈N₆-N,N)][CF₃SO₃]₄ Ru2, which were recently developed by our group. Ru1 and Ru2 reduced the tumor size by an average of 30% without causing significant signs of lethality when administered at low doses of 1.25 mg·L⁻¹. Moreover, the in vitro selectivity results were confirmed in vivo against MCF7 breast cancer cells. Surprisingly, this work suggests that both the mono- and the dinuclear Ru(II)–polypyridyl compounds have in vivo potential against breast cancer, since there were no significant differences between both treatments, highlighting Ru1 and Ru2 as promising chemotherapy agents in breast cancer therapy.     

Antioxidant Capacity of Rapeseed Extracts Obtained by Conventional and Ultrasound‐Assisted Extraction

Ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) and conventional solid–liquid extraction were applied to extract total antioxidants from two rapeseed varieties. The antioxidant capacities (AC) of winter and spring rapeseed cultivars were determined by four different analytical methods: ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′‐azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS). The average AC of the studied rapeseed cultivars ranged between 4.21–10.03 mmol Trolox (TE)/100 g, 7.82–10.61 mmol TE/100 g, 8.11–51.59 mmol TE/100 g, 22.48–43.13 mmol TE/100 g for FRAP, CUPRAC, DPPH and ABTS methods, respectively. There are positive correlations between total phenolics (TPC = 804–1625 mg sinapic acid (SA)/100 g) and AC of the studied rapeseed extracts (r = 0.2650–0.9931). Results of the principal component analysis (PCA) indicate that there are differences between the total amounts of antioxidants in rapeseed samples extracted by different extraction techniques. Rapeseed extracts obtained after 18 min of ultrasonication revealed the highest content of total antioxidants. The UAE is a very useful, efficient and rapid technique of oilseed samples preparation for determination of AC by different analytical methods.     

Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Compositions of Wheat Germ as Affected by the Roasting Process

Wheat germ is a good source for wheat germ oil, and it is a by‐product with highly concentrated nutrients from the wheat flour‐milling industries. In the present study, raw wheat germ was firstly heat‐treated at 180 °C for 20 min in a fluidized bed dryer, and further roasted at 180 °C for different periods of time. Roasting influence on total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activities, and phenolic compositions of wheat germ were evaluated. The roasting process significantly increased the TPC and antioxidant activities including free radical scavenging against DPPH and ABTS radicals, FRAP, and ORAC. In particular, the wheat germ roasted at 180 °C for 20 min showed higher antioxidant activity than those roasted at 180 °C for 5 and 10 min. Three major phenolic acids, namely, ferulic, chlorogenic, and caffeic acid, and four main flavonoids, namely, schaftoside and its isomers or adduct of sinapic acid were identified by HPLC. In general, the content of individual phenolic compounds decreased with prolongation of the roasting time except for ferulic acid. The results suggest that the antioxidant activities of wheat germ can be enhanced by roasting, and the enhancement effect might be partially attributed to the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRP).