Identification and bioactivity evaluation of flavan-3-ols in the milk of dairy sheep fed Cynomorium songaricum

Cynomorium songaricum is a traditional medicine and also a food material that is eaten raw or processed as tea or beverages. As a featured plant in semi-desert grasslands, C. songaricum is also eaten by the cattle and sheep in the area. This research study fed dairy sheep C. songaricum to determine the flavan-3-ols in sheep milk. Catechin (Cat), epicatechin (Epi), procyanidin A1 (A1), procyanidin A2 (A2), and procyanidin B1 (B1) were detected in sheep milk with the concentration being Epi > A2 > Cat > B1 > A1 at 24 h after the administration of C. songaricum. Neither A1 nor A2 were detected in the methanol extract of C. songaricum. Cysteine degradation of the plant revealed that in addition to Epi, A2 was the extending unit of the polymeric flavan-3-ols in C. songaricum, indicating that A2 is released digestively from the polymers and enters the milk. Procyanidin B-1 was converted to A1 on incubation in raw but not heated milk, indicating that the A1 in milk is the enzymatically transformed product of B1. Accelerated oxidation showed that the flavan-3-ols, B1, Cat, and Epi significantly protects the unsaturated triacyglycerols in the milk from oxidation. The flavan-3-ol could slow down the oxidation of glutathione and the latter may play an important role in preventing the milk triglycerides from oxidation. Flavan-3-ols are polyphenols with many health benefits. The present research revealed the antioxidant activities of flavan-3-ols that could be absorbed to sheep milk, adding new evidences for the values of these flavan-3-ols and for the milk.     

苹果酒中酚酸、黄烷-3-醇的检测

以小国光(Ralls)和富士(Fuji)及其所酿制的新鲜苹果酒为试验材料,采用反相高效液相色谱法测定分析苹果原汁、发酵中酒样和苹果成品酒中11种酚酸、5种黄烷-3-醇的含量。结果表明:苹果和苹果酒中存在4种酚酸(原儿茶酸、绿原酸、咖啡酸、对-香豆酸)、2种黄烷-3-醇(儿茶素和表儿茶素);不同品种的苹果原汁和苹果成品酒中酚类物质的含量都存在显著差异。其中,小国光苹果和小国光苹果酒中的酚类物质总含量较高;对于每个品种,绿原酸都是最主要的酚酸类物质,含量最高的黄烷-3-醇类物质都是表儿茶素。随着发酵过程的进行,苹果酒中酚类物质的含量有不同程度的增加。其增加趋势为S型曲线,即先平缓再较快再平缓。     

Relationships between seed and berry development of Vitis Vinifera L. cv Shiraz: Developmental changes in seed morphology and phenolic composition

Berries were collected regularly from fruit set to berry maturity from irrigated (Shiraz) grapevines in a Barossa valley vineyard. Seeds were removed for detailed study of physical attributes (weight, moisture, colour) and phenolic composition (seed tannins). Three phases of seed growth and development were discerned: (1) a phase of seed growth characterised by a steady increase in both fresh weight and dry weight, biosynthesis and accumulation of flavan‐3‐ols and tannins, and green appearance; (2) a transition phase where seed fresh weight and dry weight reached a maximum, but with continuing enlargement of the basal end. Accumulation of flavan‐3‐ols and seed tannins also reached a maximum during phase 2, and was accompanied by an onset of tannin oxidation, and yellow appearance; and finally, (3) a phase of seed drying and maturation defined by a decrease in fresh weight due to water export, a sustained oxidation of tannins, and overall brown appearance. These phases in seed development correspond to particular stages in berry development. Seeds reached maximum fresh seed weight and full size at the beginning of berry colouring (veraison), while maximum dry seed weight coincided with maximum berry weight. Changes in seed phenolics were linked to berry development and maturation. Changes in seed coat colour were also related to developmental changes in berry anthocyanins and total skin phenolics, indicating that the external appearance and colour of the seed coat may be used as an additional indicator of overall berry ripeness. A graduated colour chart was developed to provide an objective index of seed coat colour and thus developmental status of seeds and berry.     

Air classification of barley flours to produce phenolic enriched ingredients: Comparative study among MEKC-UV, RP-HPLC-DAD-MS and spectrophotometric determinations

The aim of this paper was to use the air classification technology to produce barley flours enriched in phenolic compounds and to obtain naturally enriched ingredients for pasta and bakery industry.Phenolic compounds in barley have been described in literature using different methodologies that are not easily comparable. This paper describes a comparative study between different separative and spectrophotometric methods to determine free and bound phenolic compounds in barley flours and their air classified fractions from three different cultivars grown in the same experimental field.To this end, reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and spectrophotometric determinations were applied.The barley phenolic compounds analyzed included mainly catechins and proanthocyanidins as free phenols, and hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives as bound phenols.The enriched fractions obtained by air classification showed an increase of free flavan-3-ols of 157-173% compared to whole flour. The same fractions also reported larger concentration of bound phenolic compounds (160-236%) with respect to whole flours. Air classification results a good technique to enrich the flours and to utilize the barley co-products.     

The use of Nannochloropsis sp. as a source of omega‐3 fatty acids in dry pasta: chemical,technological and sensory evaluation

Nannochloropsis is a microalga characterised by having high amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a fatty acid known for its health benefits. The aim of this study was to elaborate dry pasta with a significant contribution of EPA using Nannochloropsis sp., without affecting the quality product and with good consumer acceptance. Technological quality was analysed in terms of cooking properties and texture profile. Cooked pasta was characterised through proximal composition, phenolic compound, fatty acid content and sensorial analysis. It was possible to replace up to 30% of wheat flour with microalgae without affecting the technological quality of pasta and with a significant contribution of EPA to the daily diet (0.237 g per 100 g pasta). The incorporation of 10% and 20% Nannochloropsis in pasta formulation allowed to decrease the n6:n3 ratio from 25:1 to 5:1 and 2:1, respectively. Therefore, the microalgae are an interesting ingredient to increase EPA consumption in products like pasta, while the sensory evaluation confirms the possibility towards a commercial approach.     

Varietal differences among the phenolic profiles and antioxidant properties of four cultivars of spine grape (Vitis davidii Foex) in Chongyi County (China)

Spine grape (Vitis davidii Foex) is an important wild plant species in South China. To provide sufficient experimental evidence for the strong antioxidant activity of spine grapes, four cultivars from Chongyi County, China, including three red varieties (Junzi #1, Junzi #2, and Liantang) and one white variety (Baiyu) were evaluated. The Junzi #1 had the highest phenolic content (total phenolic, flavonoids, flavanols, and anthocyanins) and the strongest antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical-scavenging capacity, cupric-reducing capacity and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity) among the four varieties. HPLC analysis of spine grapes revealed that the (+)-catechin was the most abundant phenolics and the hydroxycinnamic acids were the major phenolic acids in the four varieties. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the Junzi #1 belongs to the group with high phenolic content and strong antioxidant power. The results suggest the Junzi #1 has the best health promoting properties, and the higher utilization value and potential for development.     

Influence of malt on the xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol behavior in pale and dark beers: A micro-scale approach

The main objective of this work was to understand which compounds are responsible for the partial inhibition of xanthohumol (XN) thermal isomerization during wort boiling of dark malts. With such purpose, worts from different kinds of malt (pale, caramel and roasted) were chemically characterized (e.g. antioxidant activity, polyphenols and melanoidins contents) and studied by several chromatographic techniques. Molecular exclusion chromatography experiments showed that adsorption of XN to polyvinylpolypyrrolidone is lower for the high molecular weight fractions. It seems likely that this is due to the reaction between XN and coloured substances that changes chemical properties of XN or, at least, results in the formation of complexes that have different chemical properties. This leads to an inhibition of XN isomerization observed in this work. It was also verified that the melanoidins content was significantly higher in the higher molecular weight fractions, suggesting that probably these compounds are the main responsible for the XN isomerization inhibiting effect.