Activity profiling of Serbian and some other European Merlot wines in inflammation and oxidation processes.

Merlot are worldwide recognized red wines. Several studies show that red wines have health benefits, mainly due to their phenolic constituents. This study evaluates twelve Serbian and other five European (French, Italian, Macedonian, Slovenian, Spanish) Merlot wines in respect of their phenolic composition and biological activity. The latter was evaluated through a set of in vitro experiments related to common benefits of moderate red wine consumption in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Among the examined phenolics, the most abundant acid in all samples was the gallic acid (14.3-58.3 mg/L), catechin (9.1-49.3 mg/L) was the dominant flavonoid, malvidin-3-O-glucoside (2.63-66.5 mg/L) leading anthocyanin, whereas resveratrol was found in a usual concentration (0.18-4.67 mg/L). Differences determined in phenolic profiles, mainly in content of quercetin, rutin and p-coumaric acid, leaded to separation of Serbian from foreing Merlot wines. Results of standard antioxidant assays (DPPH•, ABTS•+ and •NO scavenger capacity reducing power (FRAP), lipid peroxidation) revealed French Merlot as the most potent, but also pointed out some Serbian samples. The correlation between the content of dominant phenolics and antioxidant activity was sporadic, but samples with the highest overall phenolic content, generally had higher antioxidant potential. Concentration of wines and number of cells in ant-inflammatory assay were chosen to mimic in vivo conditions. So, the potency of examined wines to decrease the production of macrophage-derived PGE2 and TXA2 (up to 65.5 and 47.9%, respectively), could be considered as in vitro evidence of positve health effect. Regarding the phenolic content and anti-inflammatory contribution of the most abundant compounds, no correlation was witnessed. In general, this study showed interesting potential of Serbian Merlot wines, comparable to health-promoting effects of renewed Eurepean ones.

Phenolic profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of black (Tuber aestivum Vittad.) and white (Tuber magnatum Pico) truffles.

The aim of this study was a comprehensive investigation on phenolic profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of the still insufficiently explored black summer truffles (Tuber aestivum Vittad.) and white (Tuber magnatum Pico) truffles. Methanol and water extracts, obtained by maceration and Soxhlet extraction, were examined. Forty-five phenolics was studied using LC-MS/MS: presence of 14 compounds was confirmed, with the most dominant being p-hydroxybenzoic acid, baicalein and kaempferol (T. aestivum), epicatechin and catechin (T. magnatum). Moderate antioxidant activity of both species was determined through several assays. Only T. magnatum showed anti-inflammatory potential by inhibiting COX-1 and 12-LOX pathway products synthesis. Methanol extracts exerted cytotoxicity against some tumour cell lines (HeLa, MCF7, HT-29), besides the prominent activity of water extracts towards breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7). To conclude, these results support further investigations of phytochemicals and biological activity towards verification of nutraceutical use of both species.

Plantain (Plantago L.) species as novel sources of flavonoid antioxidants.

To examine the antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of selected Plantago species (P. argentea Chaix., P. holosteum Scop., P. major L., P. maritima L., and P. media L.), various assays that measure free radical scavenging ability were carried out: DPPH, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, and nitric oxide scavenger capacity tests, reducing power (FRAP) assay, and Fe(2+)/ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation. In all of the tests extracts showed a potent antioxidant effect compared with BHT, a well-known synthetic antioxidant, and the extract of P. major, accepted as an official remedy. Besides, in examined extracts the total phenolic amount (ranging from 38.43 to 70.97 mg of GAE/g of dw) and the total flavonoid content (5.31-13.10 mg of QE/g of dw) were determined. Furthermore, the presence and content of selected flavonoids (luteolin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, apigenin, rutin, and quercetin) were studied using LC-MS/MS technique. LC-MS/MS analysis showed noticeable qualitative and quantitative differences between the species according to which the examined Plantago species could be regarded as a possible new source of natural antioxidants. In this study three of the species examined, P. maritima, P. argentea, and P. holosteum, have been analyzed for the first time.