Enhancement of oleanolic acid concentration through acid hydrolysis of saponin-rich extracts from Chenopodium berlandieri.

The study investigated Chenopodium berlandieri to analyze its oleanolic acid (OA) content. Response surface methodology with central composite design was used to improve saponin extraction, varying temperature, ethanol, and sample-to-solvent ratio. Best conditions (65 °C, 50% ethanol, 1:10 ratio) yielded 53.45 ± 0.63 mg/g of extract from Huauzontle seeds. Temperature linearly impacted extract yield, while temperature and ethanol influenced total saponin content. Hydrolyzing saponin-rich extracts produced OA-rich extracts. Characterization via HPLC-ELSD and LC-MS identified OA4 as the most concentrated OA saponin (5.54 ± 0.16 mg/g). OA alone reached 2.02 ± 0.12 mg/g. Acid hydrolysis increased OA content by up to 3.27×, highlighting the potential of hydrolyzed Huauzontle extracts as a natural ingredient for various industries due to enhanced OA content.

Impact of In Vitro Digestion on the Digestibility, Amino Acid Release, and Antioxidant Activity of Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) and Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) Proteins in Caco-2 and HepG2 Cells.

This study evaluated the impact of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the digestibility, amino acid release, and antioxidant activity of proteins from amaranth (Amarantus cruentus L.) and cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen). Antioxidant activity was assessed using ORAC, ABTS, DPPH, and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assays in human intestinal Caco-2 and hepatic Hep-G2 cell lines. The results showed that amaranth had higher protein digestibility (79.19%) than cañihua (71.22%). In addition, intestinal digestion promoted the release of essential amino acids, such as leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine, in both protein concentrates. Concentrations of amaranth and cañihua proteins, ranging from 0.125 to 1.0 mg mL-1, were non-cytotoxic in both cell lines. At a concentration of 0.750 mg mL-1, simulated gastrointestinal digestion enhanced cellular antioxidant activity. Intestinal digest fractions containing peptides >5 kDa were the principal contributors to CAA in both cell lines. Notably, cañihua proteins exhibited high CAA, reaching values of 85.55% and 82.57% in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells, respectively, compared to amaranth proteins, which reached 84.68% in Caco-2 and 81.06% in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, both amaranth and cañihua proteins, after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, showcased high digestibility and released peptides and amino acids with potent antioxidant properties, underscoring their potential health benefits.

Black Bean Hulls as a Byproduct of an Extraction Process to Enhance Nutraceutical and Glycemic-Related Properties of Nixtamalized Maize Tostadas.

Black bean hulls (BBH) are rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, which can be incorporated into common staple foods such as maize tostadas, enhancing the nutraceutical properties of these products. This study incorporates black bean hulls to produce nixtamalized maize tostadas with nutraceutical properties. Nixtamalized corn flour (NCF) and black bean hulls (BBH) were characterized in terms of protein, fat, crude and dietary fiber, anthocyanin concentration, and different starch fractions. NCF and BBH depicted 53.7 and 16.8% of total digestible starch (TDS), respectively, and 1.2 and 7.6% of resistant starch (RS), in the same order. BBH was incorporated into nixtamalized flour at 10, 15, and 20% w/w, and the resulting dough was thermo-mechanically characterized. Tostadas with BBH had higher protein, dietary fiber, and anthocyanin concentrations. Enriched tostadas did not show significant changes in texture or other sensory characteristics. However, a reduction in total digestible starch (61.97 up to 59.07%), an increase in resistant starch (0.46 to 2.3% from control tostadas to 20% BBH tostadas), and a reduction in the predicted glycemic index (52 to 49), among other parameters, indicated that BBH is a suitable alternative for developing nutraceutical food products.

Eryngium Species as a Potential Ally for Treating Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes.

Medicinal plants possess natural compounds that can be used as an alternative for synthetic medicines that may cause long-term side effects on patients such as neurocognitive effects, muscular and hepatic toxicity. Metabolic Syndrome is associated with increased risk of several diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension thus, becoming the greatest challenge as a growing public health concern worldwide. Latin-American countries possess a wide diversity of medicinal plants that have been used to treat different health conditions since pre-Hispanic times. Eryngium spp. has been studied due to their beneficial properties mainly to treat diabetes, dyslipidemia, blood pressure, and digestive problems. This review gives an update mainly on the pharmacological activities of the Eryngium spp., summarizing the biological activities and plausible mechanism of action of their bioactive components toward metabolic syndrome. For instance, flavonoids and tannins proved to increase the levels of HDL and reduced the levels of VLDL, LDL. On the other hand, phenolic acids improved glucose metabolism through the inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and reestablished the impaired activity of enzymes related to glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis. The terpenes and sesquiterpenes like ß-farnese, ß-pinene, and calamenene exhibited a protective effect by reducing the oxidizing damage by the regulation of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Saponins controlled the dyslipidemia by reducing the serum concentrations of lipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol. Finally, the aerial parts of Eryngium had the capacity of inhibiting dietary carbohydrate digestive enzymes, thus controlling glucose levels. The Eryngium plant is normally consumed as an infusion to obtain the benefits of the plants, however novel technologies such as cavitation, ultrasound assisted, microwave assisted, and supercritical fluid have been applied to improve the extraction yields and selectivity of bioactive compounds. The common treatment to control diabetic dyslipidemia are synthetic medicines such as metformin and ezetimibe, which allows the regulation of glucose, cholesterol and insulin resistance. However, patients that take these medications may present side effects such as muscular toxicity, hepatic toxicity, neurocognitive effects, just to name a few. More studies regarding the efficacy and safety of the use of traditional medicinal herbs are required. However, these materials may be used in the treatment of diabetes related conditions to ensure life quality and reduce side effects among the diabetic population.

Punicic Acid and Its Role in the Prevention of Neurological Disorders: A Review.

Millions of people worldwide are affected by neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). NDs are characterized by progressive damage and death of nerve cells accompanied by high levels of inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress conditions. Punicic acid, the main bioactive component of pomegranate (Punica granatum) seed oil, is an omega-5 isomer of conjugated α-linoleic acid that has shown strong anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects that contributes towards its positive effect against a wide arrange of diseases. Punicic acid decreases oxidative damage and inflammation by increasing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. In addition, it can reduce beta-amyloid deposits formation and tau hyperphosphorylation by increasing the expression of GLUT4 protein and the inhibition of calpain hyperactivation. Microencapsulated pomegranate, with high levels of punicic acid, increases antioxidant PON1 activity in HDL. Likewise, encapsulated pomegranate formulations with high levels of punicic acid have shown an increase in the antioxidant PON1 activity in HDL. Because of the limited brain permeability of punicic acid, diverse delivery formulations have been developed to enhance the biological activity of punicic acid in the brain, diminishing neurological disorders symptoms. Punicic acid is an important nutraceutical compound in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.

Nanofiber Systems as Herbal Bioactive Compounds Carriers: Current Applications in Healthcare.

Nanofibers have emerged as a potential novel platform due to their physicochemical properties for healthcare applications. Nanofibers' advantages rely on their high specific surface-area-to-volume and highly porous mesh. Their peculiar assembly allows cell accommodation, nutrient infiltration, gas exchange, waste excretion, high drug release rate, and stable structure. This review provided comprehensive information on the design and development of natural-based polymer nanofibers with the incorporation of herbal medicines for the treatment of common diseases and their in vivo studies. Natural and synthetic polymers have been widely used for the fabrication of nanofibers capable of mimicking extracellular matrix structure. Among them, natural polymers are preferred because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and similarity with extracellular matrix proteins. Herbal bioactive compounds from natural extracts have raised special interest due to their prominent beneficial properties in healthcare. Nanofiber properties allow these systems to serve as bioactive compound carriers to generate functional matrices with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-viral, and other properties which have been studied in vitro and in vivo, mostly to prove their wound healing capacity and anti-inflammation properties.

Microencapsulation of steroidal saponins from agave sap concentrate using different carriers in spray drying.

Concentrated agave sap is a product with in vivo proven hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic activities, as well as in vitro anticancer potential. In the present work, a factorial design was used to determine the suitable drying conditions of concentrated agave by studying the effect of inlet temperature (150 °C, 180 °C and 210 °C) and the type of carrier agent (maltodextrin, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, guar gum and xanthan gum). The response variables for each treatment were the product recovery and microencapsulated saponins. Further characterization of concentrated agave powders was performed: solubility in water, hygroscopicity, moisture content, tap density, bulk density, Carr's index followability and morphology by scanning electron microscopy analysis. The hydroxypropyl methylcellulose proved to improve physicochemical properties and enhance product yield, using 210 °C inlet temperature and a mix of carrier agents of maltodextrin/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/xanthan gum at 50/48.5/1.5 (w/w/w) proportion exhibited the highest saponin recovery of 53.81%. Moreover, different carrier agents in powders revealed two shapes, regular spherical shape with smooth surface and collapsed shapes. The use of polymers excipients helped to decrease the stickiness of the desired product and enhanced the powder stability and microencapsulation of the steroidal saponins.

Nano-sized carriers for capsaicinoids with topic analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Capsaicinoids confer the pungency in chili peppers and are proven to contain many beneficial traits, among them analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Capsaicinoids produce a burning sensation when administered and have other secondary effects given their pungency. This is why many drug delivery vehicles have been tested to prove their efficacy in reducing the secondary effects of these compounds while still having its primary beneficial effects. There are many articles that talk about the formulation of drug delivery systems and their properties yet there is little information on the therapeutic effects of applying these drug delivery systems. This review is focused on studies' results that prove efficacy of capsaicinoids specially in those that use them in nano-sized drug delivery systems. Nano-sized carriers have been proven to reduce the secondary effects of capsaicinoids while improving the bioavailability, absorption, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of these compounds.

Encapsulation of phenolic compounds with liposomal improvement in the cosmetic industry.

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites present in plants which possess ideal structural characteristics for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. These compounds are usually stable and bioactive in plants but after the extraction, they are susceptible to degradation as they are very sensitive to light and heat. They are also characterized by having a low solubility, bioavailability and rapid metabolization. In order to increase the compound bioavailability and solubility, liposomes are an efficient way to encapsulate the compounds. This encapsulation prevents the rapid degradation and acts as a control to regulate the release of these compounds. In this review, factors which intervene in the efficacy of liposomes will be shown by in vitro and in vivo assays as the size of liposomes, phase transition temperature, pH, zeta potentials, fluidity of bilayer, charge, bioaccessibility and low toxicity. Also, the cosmetic application of phenolic compounds against diseases will be discussed.

Enhanced exosome-mediated delivery of black bean phytochemicals (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for cancer treatment applications.

Exosomes are a subpopulation of membrane-derived cellular vesicles (30-150 nm) that play an important role in intercellular communication. Because of their natural function as nanocarriers, several applications have been developed for these nanovesicles, including drug delivery. Here we loaded saponins and flavonoids obtained from a black bean extract (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with antiproliferative activity into exosomes extracted from different cell lines to induce an enhanced response in vitro. We demonstrated that exosomes can be loaded with at least three different phytochemicals in a one-step process to deliver these compounds to recipient cells. Moreover, we found that the bioactivity of the exosomal extract is greater than those observed in other formulations of the same extract. Our results suggest that exosomes are a promising alternative for improved delivery of complex mixtures of bioactive compounds, such as plant extracts. Therefore, future applications for these nanovesicles may include the development of new products for human use with enhanced nutraceutical properties.

Exploiting Phenylpropanoid Derivatives to Enhance the Nutraceutical Values of Cereals and Legumes.

Phenylpropanoids are a diverse chemical class with immense health benefits that are biosynthesized from the aromatic amino acid L-phenylalanine. This article reviews the progress for accessing variation in phenylpropanoids in germplasm collections, the genetic and molecular basis of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and the development of cultivars dense in seed-phenylpropanoids. Progress is also reviewed on high-throughput assays, factors that influence phenylpropanoids, the site of phenylpropanoids accumulation in seed, Genotype × Environment interactions, and on consumer attitudes for the acceptance of staple foods rich in phenylpropanoids. A paradigm shift was noted in barley, maize, rice, sorghum, soybean, and wheat, wherein cultivars rich in phenylpropanoids are grown in Europe and North and Central America. Studies have highlighted some biological constraints that need to be addressed for development of high-yielding cultivars that are rich in phenylpropanoids. Genomics-assisted breeding is expected to facilitate rapid introgression into improved genetic backgrounds by minimizing linkage drag. More research is needed to systematically characterize germplasm pools for assessing variation to support crop genetic enhancement, and assess consumer attitudes to foods rich in phenylpropanoids.

Characterization and Quantitation of Triterpenoid Saponins in Raw and Sprouted Chenopodium berlandieri spp. (Huauzontle) Grains Subjected to Germination with or without Selenium Stress Conditions.

Pseudocereal Chenopodium berlandieri spp. (huauzontle) was evaluated to determine saponin composition. Saponins were evaluated in raw and germinated grains subjected to chemical stress induced by sodium selenite. Analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with ELSD detector revealed the presence of 12 saponins, identified according to compounds previously assayed in Chenopodium quinoa. Saponins found at the highest concentrations in raw grains were derived from oleanolic and phytolaccagenic acids. Total saponin concentration significantly decreased in germinated compared to raw grains due to the significant loss of 90.1% and 95.7% of the phytolaccagenic acid without and with chemical selenium stress, respectively. The most abundant saponin in germinated sprouts decreased during normal germination. Interestingly, the concentration of this particular saponin significantly increased during the Se-induced stress germination. Chemical stress with selenium salts proved to change the saponin composition in geminated Chenopodium berlandieri spp. grains, therefore affecting their potential use as ingredient in the food industry.

Influence of Excipients and Spray Drying on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Nutraceutical Capsules Containing Phytochemicals from Black Bean Extract.

Black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a rich source of flavonoids and saponins with proven health benefits. Spray dried black bean extract powders were used in different formulations for the production of nutraceutical capsules with reduced batch-to-batch weight variability. Factorial designs were used to find an adequate maltodextrin-extract ratio for the spray-drying process to produce black bean extract powders. Several flowability properties were used to determine composite flow index of produced powders. Powder containing 6% maltodextrin had the highest yield (78.6%) and the best recovery of flavonoids and saponins (>56% and >73%, respectively). The new complexes formed by the interaction of black bean powder with maltodextrin, microcrystalline cellulose 50 and starch exhibited not only bigger particles, but also a rougher structure than using only maltodextrin and starch as excipients. A drying process prior to capsule production improved powder flowability, increasing capsule weight and reducing variability. The formulation containing 25.0% of maltodextrin, 24.1% of microcrystalline cellulose 50, 50% of starch and 0.9% of magnesium stearate produced capsules with less than 2.5% weight variability. The spray drying technique is a feasible technique to produce good flow extract powders containing valuable phytochemicals and low cost excipients to reduce the end-product variability.

Effect of Agave americana and Agave salmiana Ripeness on Saponin Content from Aguamiel (Agave Sap).

Steroidal saponins have shown beneficial health effects. Agave spp. leaves and rhizomes are sources of these compounds, but their presence has not been reported in the aguamiel. Aguamiel is the sweet edible sap from mature agave, and its quality is influenced by the plant ripening stage. The purpose of this research was to identify and quantitate saponins in aguamiel from Agave americana and Agave salmiana at two ripening stages. Saponins and sapogenins were identified with HPLC/ESI-MS/TOF and quantitated with HPLC/ELSD. Results proved the presence of saponins derived from kammogenin, manogenin, gentrogenin, and hecogenin. The saponin content in aguamiel from immature A. salmiana was 2-fold higher (478.3 protodioscin equivalents (PE) µg/g aguamiel (DM)) compared with A. americana (179.0 PE µg/g aguamiel (DM)). In both species, saponin content decreased when plants reached sexual maturity. This should be considered before evaluating the effects of Agave spp. as a source of bioactive saponins.

Evaluation of the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of extracted saponins and flavonols from germinated black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Flavonoids and saponins from common beans have been widely studied due to their bioactivity. This research evaluated the effect of germination of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines of saponins and flavonoids extracted from seed coats, cotyledons and sprouts. Principal component analysis was performed to achieve punctual associations between the black bean saponins and flavonoids concentrations to the antioxidant capacity and the antiproliferative activities. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of extracts were higher when obtained from seed coats, mainly from the 3rd germination day. The extracts obtained from seed coats after 3 and 5 germination days inhibited all cancer cell lines proliferation with no cytotoxicity against control cells. Genistein was related with the activity against mammary cancer cells but flavonols and group B saponins were more related with hepatic and colon cancers. Non-glycosilated flavonols were related with antioxidant capacity.