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Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024L., a notable medicinal species in the tradition of the Balkan region, is a rich source of bioactive iridoids and phenolics previously described as high-resolution...
L., a notable medicinal species in the tradition of the Balkan region, is a rich source of bioactive iridoids and phenolics previously described as high-resolution taxonomical classifiers for the genus . However, their potential in investigating intra-species differentiation is here described for the first time. The aim was to recognize the sources of natural chemical diversity and their association with the genetic variability both within and among populations in the Central Balkans. Chemical diversity was assessed from methanol extracts and essential oils through untargeted and targeted metabolomics using state-of-the-art analytical tools, covering a broad spectrum of compounds that represent the metabolome. We found that chemodiversity primarily resides within populations of , and similar results were obtained at the DNA level using microsatellite markers. The low genetic and chemical differentiation of the studied populations implies that their metabolomic profiles may be less influenced by geographic distance and variable environmental conditions within the Central Balkans, as they are under the pivotal control of their genetic backgrounds. Screening the distribution of the major bioactive compounds belonging to phenolics (phenolic acids and flavonoids) and iridoids (both aglycones and glycosylated forms), within and among populations, is able to guarantee mass spectrometry-based tools for the selection of elite representative genotypes with practical importance. The knowledge acquired will allow us to delve deeper into the molecular background of chemical diversity, which is the course of our further work.
PubMed: 38891292
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111483 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques have garnered significant attention as green and sustainable methods for obtaining biologically active substances from a... (Review)
Review
Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques have garnered significant attention as green and sustainable methods for obtaining biologically active substances from a diverse array of plant byproducts. This paper comprehensively reviews the use of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in obtaining bioactive compounds from various plant residues, including pomace, seeds, skins, and other agricultural byproducts. The main purpose of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is the selective isolation and recovery of compounds, such as polyphenols, essential oils, vitamins, and antioxidants, that have significant health-promoting properties. Using supercritical carbon dioxide as the solvent, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) not only eliminates the need for hazardous organic solvents, e.g., ethanol, and methanol, but also protects heat-sensitive bioactive compounds. Moreover, this green extraction technique contributes to waste valorisation by converting plant byproducts into value-added extracts with potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This review highlights the advantages of SFE, including its efficiency, eco-friendliness, and production of residue-free extracts, while discussing potential challenges and future prospects for the utilisation of SFE in obtaining biologically active substances from plant byproducts.
PubMed: 38890941
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111713 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The recent millennium has witnessed a notable shift in consumer focus towards natural products for addressing lifestyle-related disorders, driven by their safety and... (Review)
Review
The recent millennium has witnessed a notable shift in consumer focus towards natural products for addressing lifestyle-related disorders, driven by their safety and cost-effectiveness. Nutraceuticals and functional foods play an imperative role by meeting nutritional needs and offering medicinal benefits. With increased scientific knowledge and awareness, the significance of a healthy lifestyle, including diet, in reducing disease risk is widely acknowledged, facilitating access to a diverse and safer diet for longevity. Plant-based foods rich in phytochemicals are increasingly popular and effectively utilized in disease management. Agricultural waste from plant-based foods is being recognized as a valuable source of nutraceuticals for dietary interventions. Citrus peels, known for their diverse flavonoids, are emerging as a promising health-promoting ingredient. Globally, citrus production yields approximately 15 million tons of by-products annually, highlighting the substantial potential for utilizing citrus waste in phyto-therapeutic and nutraceutical applications. Citrus peels are a rich source of flavonoids, with concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 g/100 g dry weight, depending on the citrus variety. The most abundant flavonoids in citrus peel include hesperidin and naringin, as well as essential oils rich in monoterpenes like limonene. The peel extracts exhibit high antioxidant capacity, with DPPH radical scavenging activities ranging from 70 to 90%, comparable to synthetic antioxidants like BHA and BHT. Additionally, the flavonoids present in citrus peel have been found to have antioxidant properties, which can help reduce oxidative stress by 30% and cardiovascular disease by 25%. Potent anti-inflammatory effects have also been demonstrated, reducing inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and TNF-α by up to 40% in cell culture studies. These findings highlight the potential of citrus peel as a valuable source of nutraceuticals in diet-based therapies.
PubMed: 38890908
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111681 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2024The transition towards a sustainable model, particularly the circular economy, emphasizes the importance of redefining waste as a valuable resource, paving the way for...
The transition towards a sustainable model, particularly the circular economy, emphasizes the importance of redefining waste as a valuable resource, paving the way for innovative upcycling strategies. The olive oil industry, with its significant output of agricultural waste, offers a promising avenue for high-value biomass conversion into useful products through microbial processes. This study focuses on exploring new, high-value applications for olive leaves waste, utilizing a biotechnological approach with Lactobacillus casei for the production of second-generation lactic acid. Contrary to initial expectations, the inherent high polyphenol content and low fermentable glucose levels in olive leaves posed challenges for fermentation. Addressing this, an enzymatic hydrolysis step, following a preliminary extraction process, was implemented to increase glucose availability. Subsequent small-scale fermentation tests were conducted with and without nutrient supplements, identifying the medium that yielded the highest lactic acid production for scale-up. The scaled-up batch fermentation process achieved an enhanced conversion rate (83.58%) and specific productivity (0.26 g/L·h). This research confirms the feasibility of repurposing olive waste leaves for the production of lactic acid, contributing to the advancement of a greener economy through the valorization of agricultural waste. KEY POINTS: • Olive leaves slurry as it did not allow L. casei to ferment. • High concentrations of polyphenols inhibit fermentation of L. casei. • Enzymatic hydrolysis combined to organosolv extraction is the best pretreatment for lactic acid production starting from leaves and olive pruning waste.
Topics: Fermentation; Lactic Acid; Lacticaseibacillus casei; Plant Leaves; Olea; Olive Oil; Glucose; Hydrolysis; Industrial Waste; Polyphenols; Biomass
PubMed: 38888798
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13217-z -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024The thrust of the study was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils extracted from Thymus pallescens de Noé and Cymbogon citratus Stapf. as well as...
The thrust of the study was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils extracted from Thymus pallescens de Noé and Cymbogon citratus Stapf. as well as to evaluate their efficacy in controlling Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in either single or combined populations. Carvacrol (56.04%) and geraniol (20.86%) were identified as the major constituents of T. pallescens and C. citratus respectively. The tested essential oils showed pronounced insecticidal activity against the pest species in relation with the applied doses. T. pallescens EO had the highest efficacy and S. zeamais was found to be more susceptible to both individual and combined treatments. With reference to the contact and fumigation assessments, T. pallescens EO effectuated corrected mortality rates ranging from 42.5-100% to 25-100% in S. zeamais with corresponding lethal concentration (LC) values of 17.7 µl/ml and 15µL/L air respectively. Whereas, the T. pallescens EO exhibited corrected mortality rates of 42.5-100% and 20-100% with corresponding LC values of 18.1 µl/ml and 15.5 µL/L air against T. castaneum in contact and fumigation assessments, respectively. The corrected mortality rates increased for both insect species when using combination treatments, with significant increases in the LC values, ranging from 8.59 to 49.9% for both pest species. Analysis of energy biomarkers in the treated insects indicate significantly increased protein and carbohydrate contents and decreased lipids levels. The study therefore demonstrated the bio-insecticidal toxicity of the EOs from T. pallescens and C. citratus against two important maize post-harvest pests, concurrently revealing significant positive and negative insecticidal activity gradients in relation to single or combined populations.
Topics: Animals; Oils, Volatile; Tribolium; Insecticides; Thymus Plant; Acyclic Monoterpenes; Weevils; Cymenes
PubMed: 38886531
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64757-3 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2024Using anaesthetics is an important application in aquaculture especially where the fish transportation, vaccination, grading, sorting activities and many other handling...
BACKGROUND
Using anaesthetics is an important application in aquaculture especially where the fish transportation, vaccination, grading, sorting activities and many other handling operations have been conducted during the different stages of production periods in the farms or hatcheries.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oregano essential oil (OO) as an anaesthetic for Nile tilapia and to determine the optimal concentration and post-application stress effects compared to clove oil (CO).
METHODS
Nile tilapia juveniles were exposed to different concentrations of OO (20-40-60-80-100 mg L) and CO (50 mg L) for different time periods to determine the optimal concentration and exposure time. After the effective concentration of OO was determined, in the second experiment, stress parameters (glucose, plasma cortisol) were analysed after 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h of application. The results compared to the control group and CO results.
RESULTS
The study found that OO which has carvacrol compound higher than 78% was an efficient anaesthetic for Nile tilapia, and the effective concentration was found to be 60 mg L. No significant differences were found between opercular beats in any concentration of OO and CO. Basal glucose level in blood without anaesthesia application and recorded at 39.33 mg dL and significantly lower than OO and CO at first two sampling points, 0 and 2 h (p < 0.05). According to plasma cortisol level results, although CO experimental group showed secondary stress response at 12 h (17.91 ± 4.21 ng mL), OO and CO group cortisol levels decreased at 24 h after anaesthesia application 7.13 ± 0.14and 7.01 ± 0.54 ng mL, respectively, below the control group cortisol concentration (12.28 ± 1.81 ng mL).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings have important implications for the aquaculture industry as the use of OO as an anaesthetic could reduce the stress and mortality associated with traditional anaesthetics. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of OO as an anaesthetic agent for other fish species and to determine the optimal concentration and exposure time for different species.
Topics: Animals; Cichlids; Anesthetics; Origanum; Stress, Physiological; Oils, Volatile; Clove Oil; Plant Oils; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Hydrocortisone; Aquaculture
PubMed: 38879883
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1492 -
PloS One 2024Milk thistle seed oil is still not a well-known edible oil. Silybum marianum (milk thistle), is present in several countries and is the only known representative of the...
Milk thistle seed oil is still not a well-known edible oil. Silybum marianum (milk thistle), is present in several countries and is the only known representative of the genus Silybum. However, Silybum eburneum, which is an endemic plant in Spain, Kenya, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, is considered a marginalized species. The present work is the first report that gives information on the lipid and phenolic profiles of Tunisian S. eburneum seed oil compared to those of Tunisian S. marianum seed oil. In addition, the antioxidant properties of these oils were determined with DPPH, FRAP, and KRL assays, and their ability to prevent oxidative stress was determined on human monocytic THP-1 cells. These oils are characterized by high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids; linoleic acid and oleic acid are the most abundant. Campesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, and β-amyrin were the major phytosterols identified. α-tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol found. These oils also contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds. The diversity and richness of Silybum marianum and Silybum eburneum seed oils in unsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and tocopherols are associated with high antioxidant activities revealed by the DPPH, FRAP, and KRL assays. In addition, on THP-1 cells, these oils powerfully reduced the oxidative stress induced by 7-ketocholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol, two strongly pro-oxidant oxysterols often present at increased levels in patients with age-related diseases. Silybum marianum and Silybum eburneum seed oils are therefore important sources of bioactive molecules with nutritional interest that prevent age-related diseases, the frequency of which is increasing in all countries due to the length of life expectancy.
Topics: Silybum marianum; Plant Oils; Seeds; Antioxidants; Humans; Phytosterols; Phytochemicals; Oxidative Stress; THP-1 Cells
PubMed: 38875282
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304021 -
BMC Plant Biology Jun 2024
PubMed: 38872091
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05237-8 -
Frontiers in Chemistry 2024Essential oils (EOs) from the genus have been reported as bactericides and fungicides. However, the properties of these oils can be affected by climatic factors, as...
Essential oils (EOs) from the genus have been reported as bactericides and fungicides. However, the properties of these oils can be affected by climatic factors, as well as the collection period, which promotes changes in the chemical composition of the oil. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the climatological influences on the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of . The leaves were collected in Marajó island (Brazil) monthly for a year. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between climatic parameters, content, and chemical composition of essential oil; multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the interrelationship between samples and their chemical constituents. The constituents with the highest contents (>2.0%) in essential oils during the studied period were 1,8-cineole (28.48% ± 4.32%), α-pinene (19.58% ± 2.29%), camphor (11.98% ± 2.54%), β-pinene (9.19% ± 1.47%), limonene (6.12% ± 3.15%), α-terpineol (2.42% ± 0.25%) and borneol (2.34% ± 0.48%). β-Pinene significantly correlated ( < 0.05) with precipitation and humidity. According to the chemometric tools, two groups were formed: chemical profile I, marked by 1,8 cineole, α-pinene, β-pinene, borneol, α-terpineol, and limonene, while group II (July) presented a chemical type characterized by camphor. It is understood that the species in question can be a reliable source of biologically active components during different climatic periods in the Amazon. The chemical variability could have significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry and traditional medicine.
PubMed: 38863674
DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1397634 -
Plant Biotechnology Journal Jun 2024Camelina (Camelina sativa L.), a hexaploid member of the Brassicaceae family, is an emerging oilseed crop being developed to meet the increasing demand for plant oils as...
Camelina (Camelina sativa L.), a hexaploid member of the Brassicaceae family, is an emerging oilseed crop being developed to meet the increasing demand for plant oils as biofuel feedstocks. In other Brassicas, high oil content can be associated with a yellow seed phenotype, which is unknown for camelina. We sought to create yellow seed camelina using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to disrupt its Transparent Testa 8 (TT8) transcription factor genes and to evaluate the resulting seed phenotype. We identified three TT8 genes, one in each of the three camelina subgenomes, and obtained independent CsTT8 lines containing frameshift edits. Disruption of TT8 caused seed coat colour to change from brown to yellow reflecting their reduced flavonoid accumulation of up to 44%, and the loss of a well-organized seed coat mucilage layer. Transcriptomic analysis of CsTT8-edited seeds revealed significantly increased expression of the lipid-related transcription factors LEC1, LEC2, FUS3, and WRI1 and their downstream fatty acid synthesis-related targets. These changes caused metabolic remodelling with increased fatty acid synthesis rates and corresponding increases in total fatty acid (TFA) accumulation from 32.4% to as high as 38.0% of seed weight, and TAG yield by more than 21% without significant changes in starch or protein levels compared to parental line. These data highlight the effectiveness of CRISPR in creating novel enhanced-oil germplasm in camelina. The resulting lines may directly contribute to future net-zero carbon energy production or be combined with other traits to produce desired lipid-derived bioproducts at high yields.
PubMed: 38859598
DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14403