Pitahaya (Hylocereus ocamponis)-Peel and -Flesh Flour Obtained from Fruit Co-Products-Assessment of Chemical, Techno-Functional and In Vitro Antioxidant Properties.

The aim of this work was to assess the chemical composition and physico-chemical, techno-functional, and in vitro antioxidant properties of flours obtained from the peel and flesh of pitahaya (Hylocereus ocamponis) to determine their potential for use as ingredients for food enrichment. The chemical composition, including total betalains, mineral content, and polyphenolic profile, was determined. The techno-functional properties (water holding, oil holding, and swelling capacities) were also evaluated. For the antioxidant capacity, four different methodologies, namely ferrous ion-chelating ability assay, ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay; 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability assay, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical assay, were used. Pitahaya-peel flour had higher values for protein (6.72 g/100 g), ash (11.63 g/100 g), and dietary fiber 56.56 g/100 g) than pitahaya-flesh flour, with values of 6.06, 3.63, and 8.22 g/100 g for protein, ash, and dietary fiber, respectively. In the same way, pitahaya peel showed a higher content of minerals, betalains, and polyphenolic compounds than pitahaya-flesh flour, with potassium (4.43 g/100 g), catechin (25.85 mg/g), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (11.66 mg/g) and myricetrin (12.10 mg/g) as principal compounds found in the peel. Again, pitahaya-peel flour showed better techno-functional and antioxidant properties than pitahaya-flesh flour. The results obtained suggest that the flours obtained from the peel and pulp of pitahaya (H. ocamponis) constitute a potential material to be utilized as an ingredient in the food industry due to the high content of bioactive compounds such as betalains, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, with notable antioxidant capacity.

Uncovering Potentially Therapeutic Phytochemicals, In silico Analysis, and Biological Assessment of South-Chinese Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

Red dragon fruit is gaining popularity globally due to its nutritional value and bioactive components. The study aimed to assess the phytochemical, nutritional composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties of extracts from the South Chinese red dragon fruit peel, flesh, and seeds. Extract fractions with increasing polarity (ethyl acetate

Assessment of 28-day oral toxicity and antipyretic activity of the saline extract from Pilosocereus gounellei (Cactaceae) stem in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pilosocereus gounellei is a plant found in the Brazilian Caatinga and is popular due to its traditional uses in the treatment of inflammation. The present study was conducted to investigate the sub-acute toxicity of the saline extract from the stem of P. gounellei. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the 28-day oral toxicity (through behavioral, biochemical, hematological, and morphological analysis) and the antipyretic activity of the extract in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single oral dose (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) was administered daily over 28 consecutive days to male and female mice. Body weight, food and water intake, blood biochemical and hematological parameters, and urine composition were recorded. Histopathological examinations of the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, and heart were performed and oxidative stress in the organs was evaluated by lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and nitrite analysis. The antipyretic effect of the 500 mg/kg dose was assessed using a yeast-induced pyrexia model. RESULTS: Oral administration of the extract over 28 days did not affect body weight gain, food and water consumption, body temperature, and hematological parameters in male and female mice. Blood glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in male and female mice were reduced. Protein in the urine and histological alterations in both the liver and lungs were detected in male and female mice treated with the highest dose of the extract. SOD levels in the liver and the spleen increased significantly in both sexes, whereas lipid peroxidation decreased in the spleen of male mice. The extract also exerted an antipyretic effect after the first 60 min of the evaluation until the end of the observation duration (180 min). CONCLUSION: The saline extract from the stem of P. gounellei did not present significant toxic effects over 28 consecutive days and demonstrated antipyretic activity when administered orally. Moreover, the results suggest that the extract has potential hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Future studies are needed to investigate its pharmacological potential.

Assessment of N-glycan heterogeneity of cactus glycoproteins by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Artificial environmental conditions in tissue culture, such as elevated relative humidity and rich nutrient medium, can influence and modify tissue growth and induce spontaneous changes from characteristic organization pattern to unorganized callus. As succulent plants with crassulacean acid metabolism, cacti are particularly susceptible to this altered growth environment. Glycosylated proteins of Mammillaria gracillis tissues cultivated in vitro, separated by SDS-PAGE, were detected with Con A after the transfer of proteins onto the nitrocellulose membrane. The glycan components were further characterized by affinity blotting with different lectins (GNA, DSA, PNA, and RCA(120)). The results revealed significant differences in glycoprotein pattern among the investigated cactus tissues (shoot, callus, hyperhydric regenerant, and tumor). To test whether the N-glycosylation of the same protein can vary in different developmental stages of cactus tissue, the N-glycans were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS after in-gel deglycosylation of the excised 38-kDa protein band. Paucimannosidic-type N-glycans were detected in oligosaccharide mixtures from shoot and callus, while the hyperhydric regenerant and tumor shared glycans of complex type. The hybrid oligosaccharide structures were found only in tumor tissue. These results indicate that the adaptation of plant cells to artificial environment in tissue culture is reflected in N-glycosylation, and structures of N-linked glycans vary with different developmental stages of Mammillaria gracillis tissues.