Influence of storage variables on the antioxidant and antitumor activities, phenolic compounds and vitamin C of an agglomerate of Andean berries.

Berry consumption is increasing worldwide due to their high content of bioactive compounds. However, such fruits have a very short shelf life. To avoid this drawback and to offer an effective alternative for its consumption at any time of the year, an agglomerated berry powder mix (APB) was developed. The aim of this work was to evaluate the stability of APB during a 6-months-period storage at 3 temperatures. The stability of APB was determined by moisture, aw, antioxidant activity, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, vitamin C, color, phenolic profiles, and MTT assay. APB showed differences in antioxidant activity between 0 and 6 months. It experimented non-enzymatic browning, which was more remarkable at 35 °C. APB at time 0 exhibited growth inhibitory effects against HT-29 human cancer cells. Most properties were significantly modified by storage temperature and time, which induces a significant decreasing of bioactive compounds.

Arecaceae Seeds Constitute a Healthy Source of Fatty Acids and Phenolic Compounds.

Seeds of most Arecaceae species are an underutilized raw material that can constitute a source of nutritionally relevant compounds. In this work, seeds of 24 Arecaceae taxa were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs) by GC-FID, for phenolics by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and for their antitumor activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line by the MTT assay. Lauric, oleic, and linoleic acids were the prominent FAs. Cocoseae species contained total FAs at 28.0-68.3 g/100 g seeds, and in other species total FAs were from 1.2 (Livistona saribus) to 9.9 g/100 g (Washingtonia robusta). Sabal domingensis, Chamaerops humilis, and Phoenix dactylifera var. Medjool had unsaturated/saturated FA ratios of 1.65, 1.33-1.78, and 1.31, respectively, and contained 7.4, 5.5-6.3, and 6.4 g FAs/100 g seeds, respectively. Thus, they could be used as raw materials for healthy oilseed production. Phenolics ranged between 39 (Livistona fulva) and 246 mg/100 g (Sabal palmetto), and of these, caffeic acid, catechin, dactylifric acid, and rutin had the highest values. (-)-Epicatechin was identified in most seed extracts by LC-MS. Hydroalcoholic extracts from five species showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HT-20 cells growth at 72 h (GI50 at 1533-1968 µg/mL). Overall, Arecaceae seeds could be considered as a cheap source of health-promoting compounds.

Buglossoides spp. seeds, a land source of health-promoting n-3 PUFA and phenolic compounds.

Ahiflower oil© is extracted from the seeds of Buglossoides arvensis, which contains high amounts of stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3), while its phenolic composition still is unreported. Moreover, several Buglossoides taxa remain unstudied and could become natural sources of SDA. In this work, seeds of several Buglossoides taxa and Ahiflower oil© were screened for fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and in vitro antiproliferative activities against colorectal cancer cells. Four flavonoids and 16 phenolic acids were identified and quantified. Among Buglossoides taxa, the highest amounts of phenolic compounds were found in samples collected in Spain, under a warm Mediterranean climate. Rosmarinic and lithospermic acids were the main phenols found in Buglossoides seeds. The MTT assay showed dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects of B. arvensis extracts on HT-29 cancer cells, with a GI50value of ∼280 µg/mL after 72 h of cell exposure to seed extracts. The latter showed lower antiproliferative activity than that of pure phenolics due to the simultaneous presence of other compounds in the extracts, as evidenced by 1H NMR. This work constitutes the first approach to evaluate the seeds of several Buglossoides taxa as functional oils-providers to use them as functional foods.