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Heliyon Jun 2024Specific anthocyanins and phenolic compounds exhibit acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChEi) activity. In this study, the AChEi activity of jaboticaba peel extracts were...
Specific anthocyanins and phenolic compounds exhibit acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChEi) activity. In this study, the AChEi activity of jaboticaba peel extracts were investigated based on their high phenol contents. Jaboticaba peel ethanolic extract (PEX) and aqueous extract (PAX) were prepared by extracting jaboticaba peel with 95% ethanol and boiling water, respectively. Through HPLC-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA analysis, gallic acid was identified in PAX with a concentration of 598.13 ± 42.43 mg/100 g extract, and ellagic acid in PEX with a concentration of 350.47 ± 8.53 mg/100 g extract. Both PEX and PAX showed dose-dependent inhibition against AChE activity, with IC values of 3.54 and 4.07 mg/mL, respectively. The mechanism of inhibition of PEX was determined to be non-competitive inhibition based on the decreasing and relatively constant with increasing PEX concentration, as determined using a Lineweaver-Burk plot.
PubMed: 38912491
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32322 -
BMC Genomics Jun 2024Radish exhibits significant variation in color, particularly in sprouts, leaves, petals, fleshy roots, and other tissues, displaying a range of hues such as green,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Radish exhibits significant variation in color, particularly in sprouts, leaves, petals, fleshy roots, and other tissues, displaying a range of hues such as green, white, red, purple, and black. Although extensive research has been conducted on the color variation of radish, the underlying mechanism behind the variation in radish flower color remains unclear. To date, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating the variation mechanism of radish sprouts, leaves, fleshy roots, and flower organs. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing transcriptome sequencing to acquire transcriptome data for white and purple radish flowers. Additionally, the published transcriptome data of sprouts, leaves, and fleshy roots were incorporated to conduct a systematic analysis of the regulatory mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in these four radish tissues. The comparative transcriptome analysis revealed differential expression of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway genes DFR, UGT78D2, TT12 and CPC in the four radish tissues. Additionally, the WGCNA results identified RsDFR.9c and RsUGT78D2.2c as hub genes responsible for regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. By integrating the findings from the comparative transcriptome analysis, WGCNA, and anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway-related gene expression patterns, it is hypothesized that genes RsDFR.9c and RsUGT78D2.2c may serve as pivotal regulators of anthocyanins in the four radish tissues. Furthermore, the tissue-specific expression of the four copies of RsPAP1 is deemed crucial in governing anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation in different tissues of radish.
Topics: Raphanus; Anthocyanins; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene Expression Profiling; Transcriptome; Biosynthetic Pathways; Plant Proteins; Flowers
PubMed: 38902601
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10519-4 -
Food Chemistry Jun 2024Organic mulching offers numerous agronomical benefits, but its impact on wine quality remains unclear. This study assessed the effect of this practice on wine...
Organic mulching offers numerous agronomical benefits, but its impact on wine quality remains unclear. This study assessed the effect of this practice on wine physicochemical, phenolic composition and sensory properties. Over four years, three organic mulches (grape pruning debris (GPD), straw (STR), and spent mushroom compost (SMC)) and two conventional practices (tillage (TILL) and herbicide (HERB)) were evaluated in two locations. Wines from mulching treatments exhibited higher pH, potassium, hue, and lower tartaric acid. Moreover, the SMC mulch treatment showed lower amounts of wine anthocyanins, flavonols and hydroxycinnamics, probably due to increased nutrient availability. However, no differences were detected in the wine sensory analysis. Therefore, organic mulches could be alternative practices to mitigate the consequences of climate change without significant impact on young wine's phenolic profile and sensory properties compared to HERB and TILL conventional soil management. However, future studies should focus on wine evolution during aging.
PubMed: 38901341
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140045 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2024With the growing global population and climate change, achieving food security is a pressing challenge. Vertical farming has the potential to support local food...
With the growing global population and climate change, achieving food security is a pressing challenge. Vertical farming has the potential to support local food production and security. As a Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) system, vertical farming employs LED lighting which offers opportunities to modulate light spectrum and intensity, and thus can be used to influence plant growth and phytochemical composition, including antioxidants beneficial for human health. In this study, we investigated the effect of four red-to-blue light ratios of LEDs (R:B 1, 2.5, 5 and 9) on the growth and antioxidant components in red amaranth microgreens and red lettuce. Plant growth, total phenols, betalains, anthocyanins, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing antioxidant power assay) were evaluated. A higher proportion of red light resulted in biometric responses, i.e., stem elongation in red amaranth and longer leaves in red lettuce, while the increase in the blue light fraction led to the upregulation of antioxidative components, especially total phenols, betalains (in red amaranth) and anthocyanins (in red lettuce). The antioxidant capacity of both crops was strongly positively correlated with the levels of these phytochemicals. Optimizing the red-to-blue ratio in LED lighting could be effective in promoting antioxidant-rich crops with potential health benefits for consumers.
PubMed: 38899321
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1386988 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2024In the last decades, the world population and demand for any kind of product have grown exponentially. The rhythm of production to satisfy the request of the population... (Review)
Review
In the last decades, the world population and demand for any kind of product have grown exponentially. The rhythm of production to satisfy the request of the population has become unsustainable and the concept of the linear economy, introduced after the Industrial Revolution, has been replaced by a new economic approach, the circular economy. In this new economic model, the concept of "the end of life" is substituted by the concept of restoration, providing a new life to many industrial wastes. Leaves are a by-product of several agricultural cultivations. In recent years, the scientific interest regarding leaf biochemical composition grew, recording that plant leaves may be considered an alternative source of bioactive substances. Plant leaves' main bioactive compounds are similar to those in fruits, i.e., phenolic acids and esters, flavonols, anthocyanins, and procyanidins. Bioactive compounds can positively influence human health; in fact, it is no coincidence that the leaves were used by our ancestors as a natural remedy for various pathological conditions. Therefore, leaves can be exploited to manufacture many products in food (e.g., being incorporated in food formulations as natural antioxidants, or used to create edible coatings or films for food packaging), cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries (e.g., promising ingredients in anti-aging cosmetics such as oils, serums, dermatological creams, bath gels, and other products). This review focuses on the leaves' main bioactive compounds and their beneficial health effects, indicating their applications until today to enhance them as a harvesting by-product and highlight their possible reuse for new potential healthy products.
PubMed: 38895662
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1083759 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The viral main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 has been recently proposed as a key target to inhibit virus replication in the host. Therefore, molecules that can bind the...
BACKGROUND
The viral main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 has been recently proposed as a key target to inhibit virus replication in the host. Therefore, molecules that can bind the catalytic site of M could be considered as potential drug candidates in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Here we proposed the application of a state-of-the-art analytical platform which combines metabolomics and protein structure analysis to fish-out potential active compounds deriving from a natural matrix, i.e., a blueberry extract.
METHODS
The experiments focus on finding MS covalent inhibitors of M that contain in their structure a catechol/pyrogallol moiety capable of binding to the nucleophilic amino acids of the enzyme's catalytic site.
RESULTS
Among the potential candidates identified, the delphinidin-3-glucoside showed the most promising results. Its antiviral activity has been confirmed in vitro on Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, showing a dose-dependent inhibitory effect almost comparable to the known M inhibitor baicalin. The interaction of delphinidin-3-glucoside with the M pocket observed was also evaluated by computational studies.
CONCLUSIONS
The HRMS analytical platform described proved to be effective in identifying compounds that covalently bind M and are active in the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication, such as delphinidin-3-glucoside.
Topics: Blueberry Plants; Anthocyanins; Antiviral Agents; Chlorocebus aethiops; Vero Cells; SARS-CoV-2; Animals; Plant Extracts; Protease Inhibitors; Coronavirus 3C Proteases; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; COVID-19; Glucosides
PubMed: 38893578
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112702 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Gilli is a rare annual wild herb grown in Libya. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is one of the largest flowering plant families. Plants of this family are... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Gilli is a rare annual wild herb grown in Libya. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is one of the largest flowering plant families. Plants of this family are outstanding sources of various secondary metabolites with various biological activities. A UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of different extracts of in vivo and in vitro tissues of together with the fruit extract of the cultivated plant in both ionization modes was carried out for the first time in the current study. Our results reveal the tentative identification of eighty-seven compounds in the tested extracts, including thirty-two phenolic acids and their derivatives; thirty-seven flavonoid glycosides and aglycones of apigenin, luteolin, diosmetin, myricetin and quercetin, containing glucose, rhamnose, pentose and/or glucuronic acid molecules; seven anthocyanins; six tannins; three acetylenic compounds; and three nitrogenous compounds. The tentative identification of the above compounds was based on the comparison of their retention times and ESI-MS/MS fragmentation patterns with those previously in the literature. For this Apiaceae plant, our results confirm the presence of a wide array of secondary metabolites with reported biological activities. This study is among the first ones to shed light on the phytoconstituents of this rare plant.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Secondary Metabolism; Flavonoids; Methanol; Apiaceae; Fruit
PubMed: 38893577
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112694 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Grape pomace is the main by-product obtained from wine production that is still enriched in bioactive compounds. Within a framework of waste/by-product reuse through a... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Grape pomace is the main by-product obtained from wine production that is still enriched in bioactive compounds. Within a framework of waste/by-product reuse through a sustainable approach, various green methods were utilized in this work to recover anthocyanins from the pomace resulting from "Sangiovese" grape vinification. Ultrasound- and Microwave-Assisted Extractions (UAE and MAE) were coupled with the use of green solvents, such as acidified water, an ethanol/water mixture, and Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES), and their efficacy was compared with that of a conventional method based on a methanol/acidified water mixture. The Total Anthocyanin Index ranged from 36.9 to 75.2 mg/g DW for UAE, and from 54.4 to 99.6 mg/g DW for MAE, while resulting in 47.1 mg/g DW for conventional extraction. A Design of Experiments (DoE) approach was applied to MAE, the most efficient technique. Temperature, time, and the solid-to-liquid ratio were set as X variables, while malvidin-3--glucoside content and antioxidant activity were used as response variables, measured by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. The correlation between temperature and time and the antioxidant activity of the extract was positive, while it was found to be negative when considering malvidin-3--glucoside concentration as a response variable. Thus, the optimal conditions in temperature, time and solid-to-liquid ratio were different depending on the chosen variable. The results underline the importance of selecting an accurate response when using the response surface methodology approach.
Topics: Anthocyanins; Vitis; Green Chemistry Technology; Microwaves; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Antioxidants; Plant Extracts; Solvents; Wine
PubMed: 38893553
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112679 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Saffron () floral by-products are a source of phenolic compounds that can be recovered and used in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic industries. This study...
Exploring Phenolic Compounds Extraction from Saffron () Floral By-Products Using Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction, and Subcritical Water Extraction.
Saffron () floral by-products are a source of phenolic compounds that can be recovered and used in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic industries. This study aimed to evaluate the phenolic compounds' extraction using green extraction techniques (GETs) in saffron floral by-products and to explore the influence of selected extraction techniques on the phytochemical composition of the extracts. Specifically, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), subcritical water extraction (SWE), and deep eutectic solvents extraction (DESE) were used. Phenolic compounds were identified with (HR) LC-ESI-QTOF MS/MS analysis, and the quantitative analysis was performed with HPLC-PDA. Concerning the extraction techniques, UAE showed the highest amount for both anthocyanins and flavonoids with 50:50% / ethanol/water as solvent (93.43 ± 4.67 mg/g of dry plant, dp). Among SWE, extraction with 96% ethanol and t = 125 °C gave the best quantitative results. The 16 different solvent mixtures used for the DESE showed the highest amount of flavonoids (110.95 ± 5.55-73.25 ± 3.66 mg/g dp), while anthocyanins were better extracted with choline chloride:butane-1,4-diol (16.0 ± 0.80 mg/g dp). Consequently, GETs can be employed to extract the bioactive compounds from saffron floral by-products, implementing recycling and reduction of waste and fitting into the broader circular economy discussion.
Topics: Crocus; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Water; Flowers; Deep Eutectic Solvents; Solvents; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Flavonoids; Anthocyanins; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Ultrasonic Waves
PubMed: 38893476
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112600 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Cabernet Sauvignon from the California Paso Robles AVA was processed with a contrasting array of cap management frequencies, consisting of punch-down (PD) frequencies...
Cabernet Sauvignon from the California Paso Robles AVA was processed with a contrasting array of cap management frequencies, consisting of punch-down (PD) frequencies (0, 1, 2, and 3 PD/day) over two vintages, one of which the fruit was harvested at two contrasting maturity levels. Wines followed with up to 3 years of bottle aging for basic and phenolic chemistry, and the wines of the second harvest of 2020 were submitted to sensory analysis. There were almost non-existent effects due to the frequency of punch downs on parameters such as ethanol, pH, titratable acidity, lactic acid, and glucose + fructose. In 2019, the chromatic differences between different PD regimes were subtle, and minor effects of the punch-down frequency were observed for tannins and total phenolics. During the early stages of alcoholic fermentation, higher levels of all anthocyanin classes were observed in 1 PD wines and the lowest levels in 0 PD wines. The anthocyanin content of the wines of the first harvest (unripe) was 27% higher than that of the wines of the second harvest (ripe), but these differences disappeared after 3 years of bottle aging irrespective of the vintage and harvest date. Acylated anthocyanins were preferentially lost during aging, especially in 2019 wines and, to a lesser extent, in 2020 wines. In 2020, the polymeric pigment content of the wines of the second harvest was higher than in the wines of the first harvest, with 3 PD wines showing higher polymeric pigments and yellow hues than 0 and 2 PD wines after 3 years of bottle aging. Sensory analysis of the second harvest of the 2020 wines showed that the wines of all four PD regimes were perceived as drying, signifying they were perceived as equally astringent, which is consistent with comparable tannin levels on said wines. The perception of bitterness increased with the frequency of punch downs; thus, 3 PD wines showed the highest bitterness perception. It was concluded that in sufficiently warm fermentations and small volumes, phenolic extraction occurs regardless of fruit maturity and under conditions of minimum mixing.
Topics: Wine; Phenols; Vitis; Anthocyanins; California; Taste; Fruit; Humans; Fermentation
PubMed: 38893385
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112509