Antioxidant activities of crude tea polyphenols, polysaccharides and proteins of selenium-enriched tea and regular green tea

The crude tea polyphenols, polysaccharides and proteins of regular green tea and Se-enriched green tea were investigated in vitro for antioxidant activities by auto-oxidation test (AAPH) and α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. Results showed that crude tea polyphenols of Se-enriched green tea provided the highest antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and the antioxidant activity was decreased in the order: crude tea polyphenols > crude tea proteins > tea polysaccharides. The crude protein of Se-enriched green tea was found to exhibit the highest antioxidant activity by AAPH method and the antioxidant activity was decreased in the order: crude tea proteins > tea polyphenols > tea polysaccharides. Tea polyphenols and tea polysaccharides of Se-enriched green tea presented significantly higher antioxidant activities than that of regular green tea. No significant difference of antioxidant activities was found between crude tea proteins of Se-enriched green tea and regular green tea. The combinations of Se with tea polyphenols and tea polysaccharides were responsible for the higher antioxidant activities of Se-enriched green tea than regular green tea.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of propolis from several regions of Korea

Biological activities of different propolis extracts in Korea were examined for the evaluation of quality comparison with that from Brazil (BZ). Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of propolis extracts from Yeosu (YS) and Cheorwon (CW), whose values were higher than BZ, were also shown to be more aboudant. The extracts of YS and CW also showed strong antioxidant activities, using the linoleic acid peroxidation and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging activity. However, the extract from BZ had less active antioxidant activity on linoleic acid peroxidation and DPPH free radical-scavenging activity of less than 70% than other extracts. The DPPH free radical-scavenging activity seems to relate with the antioxidant activity of linoleic acid peroxidation. The propolis with antioxidant activity also had DPPH free radical-scavenging activity. The extracts of YS and CW had effective antimicrobial activities on Staphilococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium and Candida albicans. Strong antioxidant, radical-scavenging and antimicrobial activities of YS and CW seemed to relate with high values, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents.     

Effects of caffeic acid and bovine serum albumin in reducing the rate of development of rancidity in oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions

The antioxidant properties of caffeic acid and bovine serum albumin in oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions were studied. Caffeic acid (5 mmol/kg emulsion) showed good antioxidant properties in both 30% sunflower oil-in-water (OW) and 20% water-in-sunflower oil emulsions (WO), pH 5.4, during storage at 50 °C. Although bovine serum albumin (BSA) (0.2%) had a slight antioxidant effect, the combination of caffeic acid and BSA showed a synergistic reduction in the rate of development of rancidity, with significant reductions in concentration of total volatiles, peroxide value (PV) and p-anisidine value (PA) for both emulsion types. The synergistic increase in stability of the OW and WO emulsions containing BSA and caffeic acid was 102.9% and 50.4% respectively based on total oxidation (TOTOX) values, which are calculated as 2PV + PA, with greater synergy calculated if based on formation of headspace volatiles. The OW emulsion was more susceptible to the development of headspace volatiles by oxidation than the WO emulsion, even though the degree of oxidation assessed by the TOTOX value was similar.     

Effects of pH on antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of tea saponins

In order to study the effects of environmental conditions, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of tea saponins (TS) in different pH values were evaluated. The antioxidant activity was examined by reducing power, superoxidant radical scavenging activity, metal chelating activity and so on. Antimicrobial activity was investigated using gram-negative, gram-positive bacterial and fungi. In vitro antioxidant activities exhibited pH dependency, and increased with increasing concentration of the extract. When pH was 8.0, TSs showed the best antioxidant activities, while the reversal result was found in antimicrobial measurement. At pH 8.0 and concentration 2.0 mg/mL, TSs scavenged 90.5% of superoxide radical. At pH 4.8, the minimum inhibitory concentration of TS was lower than 0.00625 % (w/v). The results indicate that TS can be an ideal antioxidant, and its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity depend on pH values.     

Antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of pu-erh tea

The biological action of water extract of pu-erh tea (WEPT) was evaluated by Salmonella mutagenesis assay and bacteria test. Like green tea, oolong tea and black tea, WEPT showed neither cytotoxicity and nor mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 with or without S9 mix (an external metabolic activation system). WEPT at 0.5-5 mg/plate expressed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect against both the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), an indirect mutagen which requires metabolic activation, and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (NQNO), a direct mutagen, in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. In general, the antimutagenic activity of WEPT against AFB₁ and NQNO was weaker than other tea extract because of the least amount of total catechin in WEPT. For antimicrobial action, WEPT, green tea, oolong tea and black tea at 2.0 mg/ml showed inhibitory effect on growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, but no effect on Escherchia coli. Obviously, WEPT has potential antimicrobial effect on gram-positive Staphylcoccus aureus and B. subtilis than that of gram-negative E. coli. In addition, caffeine and epicatechin (EC), main polyphenolic compounds in WEPT, showed both antimutagenic and antimicrobial effect against strains mentioned above, which may partially account for the antimutagenic and antimicrobial action of pu-erh tea.     

The composition of polyphenols and methylxanthines in teas and herbal infusions

The popularity of tea is increasing on the global aspect because of its role as a significant source of phenolic compounds in human diet. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the phenolic and methylxanthine composition as well as the antioxidant capacity of white, green, Oolong and black teas, and chamomile and linden infusions depending on the extraction conditions (water temperature and multiple extractions). The content of total phenols and total flavonoids in teas and herbal infusions was determined by using UV/vis spectrophotometric methods, whilst individual polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols) and methylxanthines were identified and quantified by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection. In order to determine the antioxidant capacity of teas the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays were applied. The highest content of phenolic compounds was determined in green tea, which also demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacity, whilst herbal infusions were characterised with the lowest content of phenolic compounds, as well as the lowest antioxidant capacity. The highest content of caffeine, as the most abundant methylxanthine, was determined in black tea. Extraction at 100 °C is the most effective to extract the highest content of polyphenols and methylxanthines in all studied teas.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial performance of different Argentinean green tea varieties as affected by whey proteins

Green tea contains a high percentage of polyphenols, which are potent antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. However, interactions between polyphenols and food components may decrease their potential benefits. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities of different Argentinean green tea varieties could be affected by whey proteins. The results showed some degree of masking in the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of green tea infusions when whey proteins are present. The degree of inhibition of antioxidant activity in each variety did not depend on the polyphenol concentration, indicating the importance of the particular polyphenol composition of each variety. The CH 410 variety exhibited the best performance as antioxidant and antimicrobial, even in the presence of whey proteins. The antimicrobial effects in the presence of whey proteins correlated with the polyphenol content of the green tea infusions and increased with the reduction of whey protein concentration. The antimicrobial effectiveness was similar within a pH range from 4.0 to 7.0, allowing its application to a wide group of foods.     

Albumin causes a synergistic increase in the antioxidant activity of green tea catechins in oil-in-water emulsions

Model oil-in-water emulsions containing epicatechin (EC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) showed a synergistic increase in stability in emulsions containing added albumin. EGCG showed a stronger synergy (35%) with ovalbumin than did EC. Oxidation of the oil was monitored by determining peroxide values and hexanal contents. The effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on model oil-in-water emulsions containing each of the green tea catechins [epicatechin gallate (ECG), EGCG, EC and epigallocatechin (EGC)] was studied during storage at 30 °C. The green tea catechins showed moderate antioxidant activity in the emulsions with the order of activity being ECG ≈ EGCG > EC > EGC. Although BSA had very little antioxidant activity in the absence of phenolic antioxidants, the combination of BSA with each of the catechins showed strong antioxidant activity. BSA, in combination with EC, EGCG or EGC, showing the strongest antioxidant activity with good stability after 45 days storage. Model experiments with the catechins stored with BSA in aqueous solutions confirmed that protein–catechin adducts with antioxidant activity were formed between the catechins and protein. The antioxidant activity of the separated protein–catechin adducts increased strongly with storage time and was stronger for EGCG and ECG than for EC or EGC.     

Possible mechanisms of the cancer-preventive activities of green tea

The cancer-preventive activities of tea and some tea constituents, such as caffeine and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), have been demonstrated in animal models. The mechanisms of action of the tea constituents have been extensively investigated, but the mechanisms for the cancer-preventive activity of tea are not clearly understood. This chapter discusses some of the reported studies on the green tea polyphenol, EGCG, and the major issues in the interpretation of these data. Among the different activities of EGCG observed in cell culture systems, we need to select the physiologically relevant ones based on the biological importance of the target as well as the effective concentration and whether the reaction can take place in vivo because of the limited bioavailability of EGCG. We also need to distinguish between primary and subsequent events. Possible artifacts should be recognized. The cancer-preventive mechanisms need to be validated in animal models or human samples.     

In vitro antioxidative and anticancer activities of tea glycoprotein in green tea

In this paper, the antioxidative and anticancer activities of tea glycoprotein (TGP) in green tea were studied. TGP was extracted from coarse old green tea and purified by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, and its purity was determined by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). The antioxidative activity of the TGP was evaluated by determining the change of the values of the heat-induced oxidation in a linoleic acid system with β-carotene, the decoloration of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and the superoxide generated from autoxidation of pyrogallol. The results show that the TGP possesses distinctive antioxidative activity. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of the TGP at different concentrations was evaluated by the MTT assay using two kinds of colon cancer cell lines (HCT-15, Caco-2). Dose-dependently TGP exhibited good antiproliferation activity to HCT-15, whereas exhibited very weak antiproliferation activity to Caco-2. Only at a very high concentration (409.6 μmol L⁻¹), the TGP obviously inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2. Whether there is a correlation between the antioxidative and the anticancer activity of the TGP, should be studied further.     

Identification of polyphenols in tobacco leaf and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Crude polyphenols were extracted from tobacco leaf by 80% ethanol solution with ultrasonic treatment and then purified by a macroporous resin. The polyphenols from tobacco leaf (PTL) were subjected to analyses by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The dominant polyphenols in tobacco leaf were identified as chlorogenic acid and rutin. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of PTL were investigated, including scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (5.02 μg/ml IC₅₀ value), hydroxyl radicals (49.6 μg/ml IC50 value) and superoxide anion radicals (44.0 μg/ml IC₅₀ value), inhibition activity of lipid peroxidation (132 μg/ml IC₅₀ value) and reducing power. The proliferation inhibition activities on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis were also measured for evaluating the antimicrobial activity of PTL. The diameters of inhibition zones were 20.23 ± 0.42, 17.66 ± 0.86 and 12.89 ± 0.29 mm, respectively. The results showed that PTL had great potential as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.     

Polyphenolic profile,antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity of grape skin extracts of 14 Vitis vinifera varieties grown in Dalmatia (Croatia)

The aim of the present study was to determine polyphenolic composition, related antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of grape skin extracts from 14 grape varieties (seven white and seven red grape) grown in Dalmatia (Croatia). The content of total phenols, flavonoids, catechins, flavanols and individual polyphenols ((+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, procyanidin B1 and procyanidin B2, quercetin glucoside, resveratrol monomers, piceid and astringin) was variety dependent. Antioxidant properties were determined as DPPH radical-scavenging ability (IC₅₀), ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), Fe²⁺-chelating activity (IC₅₀), and using β-carotene bleaching assay. The high antioxidant capacity of all extracts, both red and white, has been observed and related to the relative amounts of polyphenolic compounds with good antioxidant properties. The antimicrobial activity was screened by broth microdilution test using Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Infantis, Campylobacter coli). It was confirmed against all tested organisms. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), were found in the range 0.014–0.59 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/ml, with lower MICs of white cultivars, especially against Campylobacter and Salmonella.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of garlic in chicken sausage

The antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of equivalent concentrations of fresh garlic (FG), garlic powder (GP) and garlic oil (GO) were investigated against lipid oxidation and microbial growth in raw chicken sausage during storage at 3°C. The antioxidant activities were compared to that of a standard synthetic antioxidant; butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The initial mean levels of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value and peroxide value (POV) were 0.140 and 6.32, respectively. However after 21 days of storage, TBA and POV ranged from 0.151 to 4.92, respectively, in FG (50 g/kg) formulated samples to 0.214 and 8.64, respectively, in GO (0.06 g/kg) formulation. Addition of either garlic or BHA (0.1 g/kg) significantly delayed lipid oxidation when compared with control. The antioxidant activities of the various materials added followed the order FG>GP>BHA>GO. On the other hand, the initial aerobic plate count (APC) in the samples was 4.41 log₁₀ CFU/g. Addition of FG (30 g/kg) or GP (9 g/kg) significantly reduced the APC and, subsequently, the shelf-life of the product was extended to 21 days. However, addition of GO or BHA resulted in no significant difference in APC when compared with control. Sensory analysis indicated that FG had a significant stronger flavor than the other sausage formulations. The results suggest that fresh garlic and garlic powder, through their combined antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, are potentially useful in preserving meat products.     

茉莉花茶中茶多酚的提取分离纯化及其抗氧化性能研究

本实验采用溶剂法浸提茉莉花茶中茶多酚,研究发现,相对最优的工艺条件为:温度70℃,乙醇溶液浓度60%,提取次数1次,提取时间60min。在此浸提工艺下提取到茶多酚粗提物后用石油醚、氯仿和乙酸乙酯萃取,得乙酸乙酯相过聚酰胺柱分离纯化,将得到的不同洗脱组分过高效液相色谱检测发现:30%乙醇洗脱组分含表儿茶素没食子酸酯(ECG)最高,60%乙醇洗脱组分中含有表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCG),95%乙醇洗脱组分主要是儿茶素没食子酸酯(CG)。继而对不同组分进行抗氧化活性研究得出:60%洗脱组分对油脂的抗氧化活性最高;30%洗脱组分与60%洗脱组分对DPPH自由基50%清除率的浓度分别为0.1723mg/ml、0.1693mg/ml。     

Egyptian mango by-product 2: Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of extract and oil from mango seed kernel

Egyptian mango seeds were collected as wastes from local fruit processing units, the kernels were separated and dried. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of mango seed kernel extract and oil were investigated. The results indicated that combination of both mango seed kernel extract and oil had optimum antioxidant potency higher than each one alone. Addition of 400 ppm methanol extract and 5% mango seed kernel oil increased the oxidative stability of sunflower oil incubated at ambient temperature as well as sunflower oil during frying. Moreover, both extract and oil improved the stability and quality characteristics of fresh and stored potato chips. On the other hand, mango seed kernel extract reduced total bacterial count, inhibited coliforms growth, showed remarkable antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli strain and extended the shelf-life of pasteurized cow milk. These results provide useful information on the utilization of mango seed kernel as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial in foods.     

Antioxidant activities of different fractions of polysaccharide conjugates from green tea (Camellia Sinensis)

Three fractions of water-soluble polysaccharide conjugates, coded as TPC-1, TPC-2, and TPC-3, were isolated and purified from low-grade green tea (Camellia sinensis) by absorbent chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. Their chemical and physical characteristics were determined by chemical methods, gas chromatography and size exclusion chromatography with laser light scattering. Deoxyribose assay, photoreduction of Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT) assay and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay were applied to test the antioxidant activities of tea polysaccharide conjugates in vitro. The results indicated that the three polysaccharide conjugates were heteropolysaccharides bounded with protein. TPC-1 was composed of l-arabinose (Ara), d-ribose (Rib), d-xylose (Xyl), d-glucose (Glc), d-galactose (Gal) and d-mannose (Man). TPC-2 was only composed of four monosaccharides: Ara, Rib, Glc and Man. There was no Man detected in TPC-3. The protein contents of TPC-1, TPC-2, and TPC-3 were 2.8%, 3.8% and 4.0% and the molecular weights were 26.8 × 10⁴, 11.8 × 10⁴, 4.2 × 10⁴, respectively. TPC-3 showed the highest antioxidant activities among the three fractions of polysaccharide conjugates, with an IC₅₀ of 182 μg/ml for the deoxyribose assay, and 93 μg/ml for the photoreduction of NBT assay, values which were lower than those of TPC-1 and TPC-2 (P < 0.01). The effects of the molecular weight and protein content of the polysaccharide conjugates on the improvement of the bioactivities appeared to be significant.     

Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of finger millet polyphenols (Eleusine coracana)

Phenolic acids from finger millet (Eleusine coracana) milled fractions (whole flour, seed coat, 3%, 5% and 7%) were isolated and their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties were evaluated. Acidic methanol extracts from seed coat to whole flour were rich in polyphenol content and were found to be stable up to 48 h at pH 4, 7, and 9 as studied by ultraviolet spectroscopy. Diadzene, gallic, coumaric, syringic and vanillic acids were identified as major phenolic acids from the extracted phenolics. Diadzene content was highest in concentration in the 5% flour. The reducing power of seed coat extract was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of whole flour extract. Antioxidant activity (AA) as determined by the β-carotene–linoleic acid assay indicated that the AA was highest in seed coat extract (86%), whilst at the same concentration it was only 27% in the whole flour extract. The seed coat extract showed higher antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Aspergillus flavus compared to whole flour extract. From these observations, it can be inferred that the polyphenols are responsible for the microbial activity of the millet and the results indicate that potential exists to utilise finger millet seed coat as an alternative natural antioxidant and food preservative.     

Total content and speciation of aluminium in tea leaves and tea infusions

A total of 29 tea samples of different origin, 13 green tea samples, 13 black tea samples, two semi-fermented and one white tea, imported to the Czech Republic, were collected and analysed for total content of aluminium (Al) in tea leaves and tea infusions, as well as for Al compounds in these infusions. The total content of metals in tea leaves differs according to the type of tea (green or black) and is probably influenced by many factors, e.g., soil properties. The HPLC/IC speciation of Al in tea infusions was performed for all samples. The addition of Al³⁺ to the tea infusion proved that Al³⁺, Al(Y)²⁺ and Al(X)¹⁺ species can be determined in tea infusions. Increased extraction time did not show any affect on Al speciation, neither did the addition of sugar. After the addition of lemon juice, the speciation changed in one sample of black tea and five samples of green tea. These findings suggest that lemon juice as an additive can significantly influence Al speciation in tea infusions.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial peptidic hydrolysates from muscle protein sources and by-products

Bioactive peptides are short peptides approximately 2–30 amino acids in length. They are inactive within the sequence of the parent protein and can be released during gastrointestinal digestion, during food processing or by hydrolysis using commercial enzymes. Meat derived peptides have a myriad of bioactive potential including, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-thrombotic, ACE-I-inhibitory and cytomodulatory functions. Antioxidant and antimicrobial peptides isolated from meat muscle sources may be used as functional ingredient in food formulations to impart human health benefits and/or improve the shelf life of foods. This review collates information regarding peptidic hydrolysates with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties isolated from vertebrate and invertebrate muscle and by-products, identifying the sources, the isolation and characterisation techniques used, and the methods used to demonstrate these bioactivities in vitro.