Optimisation,characterisation and quantification of phenolic compounds in olive cake

The phenolic compounds in extracts from pressed olive cake were investigated. Free phenolic compounds were extracted from olive cake using methanol. To liberate bound phenolic compounds, the olive cake was subjected to basic and acidic hydrolysis followed by methanol extraction. The individual phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the extracts were determined. The highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were obtained using methanol extraction for 12 h at 70 °C. The RP-HPLC profiles for full-fat and defatted olive cake showed that protocatechuic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid, rutin and hesperidin were the predominant free phenolic compounds. Meanwhile, syringic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid and protocatechuic acid were the predominant bound phenolic acids. A positive correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The results indicated that most of the phenolic compounds in olive products were present in their free forms (75–90% of total phenolic content), while bound phenolic compounds were only a small proportion (10–25%) of total phenolic content.     

Antioxidant activity and polyphenol contents in Brazilian green propolis extracts prepared with the use of ethanol and water as solvents in different pH values

Propolis is a natural product with a variable and complex chemical composition associated with its high concentration on polyphenolic compounds. The effect of pH variation (2.0, 3.0, 4.3, 6.0 and 8.0) during aqueous and ethanolic propolis extraction was studied for up to 10 days. Total phenols and flavonoids contents were measured for the extracts by spectrophotometric assays. Antioxidant activity was measured by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ferric thiocyanate (FTC) methods. The best time of extraction was up to 5 days for all samples. Basic aqueous extracts (pH 8.0) resulted in a higher concentration of compounds than the extract without pH modification, reaching an increase of 160% in flavonoids and 25% in phenols. Ethanolic extracts with pH variation resulted in an extract with 50% less polyphenols and 6% less flavonoids than extract without pH modification. The antioxidant activity was highest for ethanolic extract at pH 4.3 and aqueous extract at pH 8.0 – almost 90% and 45%, respectively, in DPPH method – and was related to the level of polyphenols by Pearson's correlations.     

Potential of nanofiltration for the concentration of bioactive compounds from watermelon juice

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of nanofiltration for the concentration of bioactive compounds of watermelon juice. Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant activities were determined through two assays, ferric reducing antioxidant power and DPPH. The content of lycopene, flavonoids and total phenolic in the concentrate samples increased with the increase in the volume reduction factor. Volume reduction factor of three showed the best performance of concentration, generating the highest values for lycopene, flavonoid and total phenolic contents. Average permeation flux was 2.3 L h^?1 m^?2, with continuous extraction of the concentrate at a volumetric reduction ratio of three. Lycopene showed the highest rejection coefficient (0.99), followed by flavonoids (0.96) and total phenolic content (0.65). The hydrophilic antioxidant activity values in both assays were higher than the lipophilic antioxidant activity values. A highly significant correlation was noted between the contents of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, and lycopene and their antioxidant potential in both lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions.     

Effects of pulsed thermosonication treatment on fungal growth and bioactive compounds of Berberis vulgaris juice

In this study, the single and combined effects of pulsed‐ultrasound amplitude (100 W, 30 kHz with 25 and 50% amplitude levels for up to 30 min) and temperature (65 °C and 75 °C) on fungal growth, total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of Berberis vulgaris juice were investigated. The combination of pulsed ultrasound at 50% amplitude for 30 min at temperature of 75 °C as the most effective treatment was resulted in a reduction of about?3.083 ± 0.02, ?3.04 ± 0.03, ?3.10 ± 0.01 and ?2.88 ± 0.02 log (N/N₀) on S. cerevisiae, A. flavus, A. versicolor and B. fulva, respectively. Additionally, the highest total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity were noted for the barberry juice after 30 min of sonication with 50% pulsed‐ultrasound amplitude at either 65 °C or 75 °C. Pulsed thermosonication is a promising technology to extend the shelf life of B. vulgaris fruit juice because of the improvement of antioxidant activity as well as microbial quality.     

Optimisation of microwave‐assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from broccoli and its antioxidant activity

The effect of independent variables of microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE), extraction temperature (50–90 °C), microwave power (100–200 W), solvent concentration (methanol/water, 50–90%, v/v) and extraction time (1–27 min) on total phenolics and flavonoids contents as well as antioxidant activity of broccoli extracts was investigated. Response surface methodology was successfully applied for optimisation and the high correlation of the mathematical model indicated that a quadratic polynomial model could be used for optimisation of investigated responses. Considering the maximum amount of extracted total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity expressed as ORAC value, the optimal conditions for all three investigated responses were obtained (temperature ?71.11 °C; microwave power ?167.03 W; solvent concentration ?75.95%; and extraction time 16.34 min), which is in agreement with optimal conditions obtained for each investigated responses. The development of simultaneously MAE methods for total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity of broccoli extracts might simplify assessment of broccoli as valuables source of antioxidants.     

Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Capacity of Extensively Used Medicinal Plants in Sri Lanka

The burden of chronic diseases is rapidly increasing worldwide. Diet and nutrition are important factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout the entire life course. Physiological and biochemical alterations in the human body may result in overproduction of free radicals leading to oxidative damage to biomolecules (e.g. lipids, proteins, DNA). Use of medicinal plant based products has increased recently because of their exerted beneficial properties such as antioxidant, anticancer, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities. The present study was designed to assess the in vitro antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging capacity of ten medicinal plants which are extensively used in the Ayurvedic treatment systems in Sri Lanka. Water extracts were prepared and evaluated for their free-radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity using a number of chemical assays; DPPH, ABTS and FRAP. The total Phenolic (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) were also assessed. The TPC and TFC values of the extracts varied from 295.94±3.65 – 5.22±0.08 (mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight) and 115.01±1.69 – 0.97±0.002 (mg Catechin Equivalent (CE)/g dry weight) respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were higher for the Nelli (Phyllanthus emblica) extract while the least activity was observed in Venivel (Cosciniumfenestratum) extract. The FRAP activity of the extracts was well proved with the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. A positive, significant linear relationship between antioxidant activity and TPC and TFC content showed that phenolic compounds and flavonoids were the dominant antioxidant components in the medicinal herbs studied.     

食醋抗氧化性初步研究

测定了不同品种食醋中总酚、总黄酮含量及DPPH自由基清除活性,结果显示,不同品种食醋中均含有丰富的总酚和总黄酮,其中香醋中含量最高,总酚、总黄酮含量分别达到2.212mg/ml和1.623mg/ml,白醋含晕最低,总酚、总黄酮含量分别达到0.604mg/ml和0.4138mg/ml,因此,总酚含量、总黄酮含量、DPPH自由基清除率可作为评价食醋抗氧化性的指标,来鉴别不同品种食醋.     

Oxidative enzymes and functional quality of minimally processed grape berries sanitised with ozonated water

Thompson Seedless (TS) and Black (BS) grapes sanitised with 2, 4, 6, 8 mg L^?1 O₃ or NaOCl (100 mg L^?1) were stored 21 days at 5 °C. Ozonated water stimulated the respiration rate, especially after 5 days of storage, and increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activity compared to NaOCl‐sanitised grapes. Total polyphenol content (TPC) was 23–50% higher in TS and 18.5–28% higher in BS samples sanitised with ozonated water. Twofold higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was registered in TS at all of the evaluated O₃ doses while the doses of 6 and 8 mg L^?1 increased TAC by 19–30% in BS. The use of ozonated water as a sanitising method, especially at 6 and 8 mg L^?1 doses, improved the functional quality and maintained low microbial counts on fresh‐cut grapes being a good alternative for the industry.     

Nutritional composition and antioxidant activity in hazelnut shells from US‐grown cultivars

The hard shell of a hazelnut is a major waste of the hazelnut industry. The chemical composition, phenolic compounds (total phenolics, tannins and condensed tannins), antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS free‐radical scavenging assays), and the relationships between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of the hazelnut shells from twelve US grown cultivars were investigated to for potential commercial development. Crude fibre accounted for over 85% of total carbohydrate. The shells contained high concentrations of phenolic compounds. Concentrations of phenolic constituents and ABTS^?+ ‐scavenging capacities were significantly higher (P > 0.05) in the Oregon cultivars than their Nebraska counterparts. There were significant positive correlations between ABTS^?+ scavenging capacities and the phenolic compounds, whereas DPPH^? ‐scavenging capacity demonstrated a weak negative correlation with ABTS^?+ scavenging capacity and the phenolics. The results suggest that hazelnut hard shell may serve as a potential source of natural antioxidants for food applications.     

Effect of germination on vitamin C,phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is well known for its health benefits and chemical composition. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes caused by germination in vitamin C, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of flaxseed. It was observed that eight‐day germination of flaxseed sprouts caused increases in phytochemical contents, that is 22.1‐fold increase in vitamin C, 2.67‐fold increase in phenolics and 5.48‐fold increase in flavonoid contents as compare to initial concentration in flaxseeds on dry weight basis. The stimulation was also noted in the three identified phenolic acid ingredients including caffeic acid, p‐coumaric acid and ferulic acid. Similarly, the total PSC and ORAC values of flax sprouts at day 8 increased by 3‐ to 4‐folds compared to nongerminated flaxseeds. It is revealed that comparatively, 8‐day germination of flax sprouts leads to a significant increase in vitamin C, phenolic constituents and total antioxidant activities than those of flaxseeds.     

Antioxidant capacity and polyphenolic content of high-protein lupin products

In order to produce high protein lupin products, α-galactoside extraction from Lupinus angustifolius cv. Troll and cv. Emir and Lupinus albus cv. Multolupa, and protein isolation from L. albus cv. Multolupa were carried out. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), DPPH radical-scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA), peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), superoxide dismutase-like activity (SOD-like activity), total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoids were determined in lupin products. In L. angustifolius cv. Troll, L. angustifolius cv. Emir and L. albus cv. Multolupa α-galactoside-low flours, the TEAC and DPPH-RSA decreased (43%, 38%; 73%, 82%; 77%, 38%, respectively). PRTC decreased in L. angustifolius cv. Troll and L. albus cv. Multolupa α-galactoside-low flours (13% and 98%, respectively), while in those of L. angustifolius cv. Emir, PRTC increased (25%). SOD-like activity and TPC were also affected by α-galactoside extraction and reductions of 30–52% and 38–56%, respectively, were observed. The protein isolate of L. albus cv. Multolupa presented lower TEAC (24%), a similar level of PRTC and twice higher level of DPPH-RSA than did α-galactoside-low Multolupa flour. Moreover, the SOD-like activity of lupin protein isolate was sharply reduced but the TPC content was 24% higher. The technological procedures, α-galactoside extraction and protein isolation, provide high protein lupin products but with lower antioxidant capacity and total phenolic compounds than the raw seeds, although the levels of antioxidant capacity of these lupin products resemble those of cereals.     

Bioavailability of phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds in foods originate from one of the main classes of secondary metabolites in plants. They are essential for the growth and reproduction of plants, and are produced as a response for defending injured plants against pathogens. In recent years, there is a growing interest in phenolic compounds and their presumed role in the prevention of various degenerative diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The importance of antioxidant activities of phenolic compounds and their possible usage in processed foods as a natural antioxidant have reached a new high in recent years. The absorption and bioavailability of phenolics in humans are also controversial. Data on these aspects of phenolics are scarce and merely highlight the need for extensive investigations of the handling of phenolics by the gastrointestinal tract and their subsequent absorption and metabolism. In this article, absorption, metabolism, and the bioavailability of pheniolic compounds are reviewed.