Polyphenolic compounds characterization and reactive nitrogen species scavenging capacity of Oenothera paradoxa defatted seed extracts

Biological investigations have revealed high scavenging capacity of Oenothera paradoxa defatted seed extract on reactive nitrogen species such as NO and ONOO⁻. The characteristics of the polyphenols present in the extracts were checked using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray negative ionization ion trap mass spectrometry. Extracts contained five groups of compound: phenolic acids (gallic acid, ethyl gallate, ellagic acid and ferulic acid pentoside), flavanols (catechin, catechin gallate) and oligomeric procyanidins, flavonols (quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-pentoside and quercetin), and gallotannins (tetragalloyl glucose, pentagalloyl glucose and hexagalloyl glucose). Penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose were present in the extracts in concentrations from 9.44 to 16.75 mg/g, which demonstrated a significant NO and ONOO⁻ scavenging activity with IC₅₀ 0.20 and 0.06 μM, respectively, may be considered as an O. paradoxa extract quality marker.     

Antioxidant properties of mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) phenolic extracts against oxidative damage using biological in vitro assays

Purified mashua extracts (PME) from four different coloured mashua genotypes were assayed for oxidative damage prevention. Three in vitro assays for oxidative damage to biological structures rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as LDL and erythrocytes, were tested: AAPH-induced TBARS assay and Cu²⁺-induced conjugated dienes assay for LDL oxidation and AAPH-induced oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes. Additionally, ORAC antioxidant capacity, total phenolics (TP), total flavanoids (TFA) and total anthocyanins (TA) were evaluated. In the presence of 5 μM of gallic acid equivalents (GAE), inhibitions of LDL oxidation for the PME ranged from 29.1% to 34.8% and from 51.8% to 58.1% when the TBARS and conjugated dienes assays were performed, respectively. PME inhibited the hemolysis of erythrocytes within the range 20.8–25.1%. Thus, mashua phenolic extracts are capable of scavenging peroxyl radicals, as well as chelating redox metal ions in vitro. ORAC and LDL protection (TBARS and conjugated dienes assays) showed good correlations with the TP and TFA, suggesting that these compounds have a good ability to protect LDL molecules under the employed conditions. In contrast, inhibition of hemolysis did not show any correlation with the evaluated phenolic assays (TP, TA, TFA) or with any of the evaluated oxidative LDL assays, suggesting a specific action of some non-evaluated compounds present in the PME. The results of this study indicate that the mashua polyphenol extracts displayed good antioxidant properties against oxidative damage in biological structures rich in PUFA. The displayed antioxidant properties could be applied in the field of food or cosmetic industry.     

In vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. extracts against food-borne bacteria

Extracts of the Orthosiphon stamineus plant were tested for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities against selected food-borne bacteria in vitro. Whole O. stamineus plants (powdered) were extracted using various concentrations (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of methanol. O. stamineus extracted with 50% methanol, 75% methanol and fraction 5 of a 50% methanolic extract demonstrated inhibitory activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The inhibition observed with these O. stamineus extracts was comparable to the inhibition seen with the natural food preservative 5% lactic acid; this is likely due to the high concentration of rosmarinic acid found in the O. stamineus extracts. This study showed that the highest concentration of rosmarinic acid had the best antibacterial and free radical scavenging activities. This suggests that rosmarinic acid content is closely associated with antibacterial and free radical scavenging activities of O. stamineus extracts.     

Influence of source and quality on the color characteristics of annatto dyes and formulations

Annatto dyes containing different strengths of bixin, norbixin and their formulations such as water-soluble liquid, and oil soluble liquid were measured for L*, a* and b* in a Hunter color meter and the Yellow (Y) and red (R) units in a Lovibond tintometer. Seed source and dye purity had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the color characteristics L*, a*, b* and Y and R units of bixin/norbixin dyes and their formulations. These characteristics behaved independently when different dyes diluted to a common concentration of 50 mg bixin or norbixin/L. However, when individual bixin/norbixin dyes serially diluted L*, b* decreased and a* values increased with increase in concentration of bixin/norbixin. Similarly the increase in concentration of bixin/norbixin have shown decreasing trend on Y/R values due to increase in R-values in the tintometer. It has been observed that a* and R units generally increased with increase in concentration, and L* and b* values decreased and Y values are almost constant in both the bixin and norbixin dyes. However the b*/a* values showed lower values in bixin dyes and higher in norbixin dyes. Similarly R-values were higher in bixin dyes when compared to norbixin dyes.     

In vitro activity of methanol extracts of plants used as spices against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other bacteria

This study determined the phenolic composition of two thyme species (Lamiaceae), Origanum minutiflorum O. Schwarz and P.H. Davis and Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata, and assessed their antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities. “Kekik” is a collective term used in Turkey for plants that smell like thyme. O. minutiflorum, (locally “Sutculer kekigi”, endemic) and T. spicata var. spicata (locally “Karakekik”) are widely used in Turkey and are important export commodities.     

The potential of extracts of Caryocar villosum pulp to scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Caryocar villosum (piquiá) is a native fruit from the Amazonian region, considered to be an interesting source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, five extracts of C. villosum pulp were obtained, using solvents with different polarities and their in vitro scavenging capacity against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) was determined. Additionally, the phenolic compounds and carotenoids in each extract were identified and quantified by a high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometer detectors (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS). The ethanol/water and water extracts, which presented the highest phenolic contents (5163 and 1745μg/g extract, respectively), with ellagic acid as the major phenolic compound, proved to have the highest ROS and RNS scavenging potential. Nevertheless, in general, ellagic acid was less effective in scavenging ROS (IC(50) from 1.7 to 108μg/ml) and RNS (IC(50) from 0.05 to 0.59μg/ml), when compared to gallic acid (IC(50) from 0.4 to 226μg/ml for ROS and IC(50) from 0.04 to 0.12μg/ml for RNS). The results obtained in the present study clearly demonstrated that the in vitro antioxidant efficiency of C. villosum extracts was closely related to their contents of phenolic compounds.     

In vitro antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of herbs against Propionibacterium acnes

Propionibacterium acnes play an important role in the pathogenesis of acne by inducing certain inflammatory mediators and comedogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of herbal extracts against P. acnes. Among the ten tested herbs, methanolic extracts of rose (Rosa damascene), duzhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.), and yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) were found to inhibit the growth of P. acnes with respective minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2, 0.5, and 1 mg/ml. In addition, duzhong and yerba mate extracts reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-8, and IL-1β by human monocytic THP-1 cells pretreated with heat-killed P. acnes at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml. Our results suggested that duzhong and yerba mate extracts possess both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects against P. acnes and can possibly be used as therapeutic agents for acne.     

Profiling of in vitro neurobiological effects and phenolic acids of selected endemic Salvia species

The ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from 16 Salvia L. species were screened for their inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, lipoxygenase, and tyrosinase; the enzymes linked to neurodegeneration. Their antioxidant activity was also tested using DPPH radical scavenging, metal-chelation, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Total flavonoid content of the extracts was determined by AlCl₃ reagent, while HPLC technique was applied for analysis of various phenolic acids in the extracts. The extracts exerted weak cholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibition, and remarkable inhibition against lipoxygenase (13.07 ± 2.73-74.21 ± 5.61%) at 100 μg ml⁻¹. The methanol extracts showed higher antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP assays. The extracts were analyzed for their gallic, protocateuchic, p-hydroxy-benzoic, vanillic, caffeic, chlorogenic, syringic, o- and p-coumaric, ferulic, rosmarinic, and tr-cinnamic acid contents and the methanol extract of Salvia ekimiana (153.50 mg 100 g⁻¹) was revealed to be the richest in terms of rosmarinic acid.     

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis): A seed source of polyunsaturated fatty acids,tocopherols, phytosterols,phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity

Fatty acids (FA), phytosterols, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, total carotenoids and hydrophilic and lipophilic ORAC antioxidant capacities were evaluated in 16 cultivars of Sacha inchi (SI) seeds with the aim to valorise them and offer more information on the functional properties of SI seeds. A high α linolenic (α-Ln) fatty acid content was found in all cultivars (ω3, 12.8–16.0 g/100 g seed), followed by linoleic (L) fatty acid (ω6, 12.4–14.1 g/100 g seed). The ratio ω6/ω3 was within the 0.83–1.09 range. γ- and δ-tocopherols were the most important tocopherols, whereas the most representative phytosterols were β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Contents of total phenolics, total carotenoids and hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities ranged from 64.6 to 80 mg of gallic acid equivalent/100 g seed; from 0.07 to 0.09 mg of β-carotene equivalent/100 g of seed; from 4.3 to 7.3 and, from 1.0 to 2.8 μmol of Trolox equivalent/g of seed, respectively, among the evaluated SI cultivars. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among the evaluated SI cultivars in the contents of ω3, ω6, antioxidant capacities and other evaluated phytochemicals. SI seeds should be considered as an important dietary source of health promoting phytochemicals.     

In vitro antioxidative activities of extract and semi-purified fractions of the marine red alga, Rhodomela confervoides (Rhodomelaceae)

The methanol–chloroform extract of the marine red alga, Rhodomela confervoides, was measured for antioxidant activity, using the α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging assay and the β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay systems, and compared with those of the positive controls of butylated hydroxytoluene, gallic acid and ascorbic acid. The active extract was further purified by liquid–liquid partition to afford four fractions, of which the ethyl acetate-soluble (EA) fraction exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity in both assay systems. This fraction was further divided into seven subfractions, designated as EA1–EA7, by silica gel vacuum liquid chromatography. In most cases, EA1 and EA4 were found to possess the strongest activity. The total phenolic contents and reducing powers of the extract, fractions, and subfractions were also determined. Significant associations between the antioxidant potency and the total phenolic content, as well as between the antioxidant potency and the reducing power, were found for the tested fractions and subfractions.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of Holotrichia parallela Motschulsky extracts

Insects have been relatively unexplored as potential sources of natural antioxidants. We report the antioxidant activity of extracts of the adult large black chafer beetle Holotrichia parallela Motschulsky, a common crop pest in China. The antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract (EE) and the water extract (WE) of adult H. parallela were evaluated by four different in vitro assays. EE showed potent metal-chelating activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. WE proved to be an excellent antioxidant in the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and metal-chelating activity. Catechin was identified in the ethanolic extract and proteins were the main components in the water extracts. Both compounds could contribute to the antioxidant activity of the species. These results suggest that adult H. parallela might be used as a nutraceutical to alleviate oxidate-induced diseases and as a natural antioxidant additive in the food industry.     

Effects induced by the nodulation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on Glycine max (soybean) metabolism and antioxidant potential

This study was conducted in order to assess the effect of the inoculation of Glycine max (soybean) with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on the metabolite profile and antioxidant potential of its aerial parts. Extracts containing phenolic compounds and organic acids were analysed by HPLC–DAD and HPLC–UV, respectively. Volatiles profile was determined by HS-SPME/GC–IT-MS. The antioxidant activity of acidic and methanolic extracts was assessed against DPPH. Nodulation caused by B. japonicum led to an increase in the contents of phenolic compounds and organic acids. The same was observed for volatile compounds, with compounds like linalyl acetate, menthyl acetate and α-farnesene being detected only in inoculated plants. The phenolic extracts showed stronger antioxidant capacity than the organic acid extracts. In addition, extracts from plants nodulated with B. japonicum exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity than control samples. These findings suggest that the inoculation with nodulating B. japonicum strains may be employed to manipulate the content of interesting metabolites in G. max aerial parts.     

Phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of various botanical parts of the fruits of Prunus × domestica L. from the Lorraine region of Europe

Mirabelle plums represent a famous fruit from the Lorraine region, however little is known about their phytochemical composition. The oil of the fruit contained predominantly oleic acid (59%) and linoleic acid (29%). The total content of phenolic antioxidants in the whole fruits was 5.338 g/kg with 456 mg/kg (9%), 701 mg/kg (13%) and 4159 mg/kg (78%) detected in the peels, flesh and pits respectively. The peels contained solely 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (270 mg/kg) and rutin (186 mg/kg), the flesh exclusively echinoids (723 mg/kg), whereas the pits contained a rich variety of phenolic compounds (4.2 g/kg) dominated by amygdalin (3.8 g/kg), but with significant contributions from vanillin (102 mg/kg), guajacyl-glycerin-coniferyl aldehyde isomers (87 mg/kg), dehydro-diconiferyl aldehyde (52 mg/kg), and vanillin diglucoside (48 mg/kg). Of the major phenolic compounds tested across a range of in vitro assays, rutin was the superior antioxidant.     

Antioxidant activities of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz extracts

The antioxidant activities (AA) of Sechium edule extracts were tested by three established in vitro methods, namely reducing power, β-carotene linoleate model and 1,1- diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging. Leaf ethanolic extracts and leaf and seed water extracts showed strong inhibitory activity by β-carotene bleaching (AA values of 90%). Furthermore, these extracts exerted hydrogen-donating ability in the presence of DDPH stable radical (IC₅₀ 2 μg/ml). These extracts also showed strong reducing power by the potassium ferricyanide reduction method. Leaf and seed extracts may be exploited as biopreservatives in food applications as well as for health supplements or functional food, to aleviate oxidative stress.