Protein extracts from amaranth and quinoa as novel fining agents for red wines.

Due to allergenic concerns, only pea, potato, and wheat proteins have been approved as alternatives for replacing animal-based fining agents in wines. In pursuit of other substitutes, this work aimed to determine the fining ability of amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.) proteins (AP) in red wine, compared to quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) (QP) and a commercial pea protein. Phenolic and volatile composition, as well as color characteristics, were analyzed. AP was as effective as QP at decreasing condensed tannins, with AP at 50 g/hL being the most effective treatment (25.6% reduction). QP and AP produced a minor or no statistical change in the total anthocyanins and wine color intensity. They reduced the total ester concentration, but the total alcohols remained unchanged. The outcomes of AP and QP were similar, and sometimes better than the pea proteins, thus suggesting that they could be promising options for the development of novel fining agents.

Wet peroxide oxidation process catalyzed by Cu/Al2O3: phenol degradation and Cu2+ dissolution behavior.

Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) has become an important deep oxidation technology for organics removal in wastewater treatments. Supported Cu-based catalysts belong to an important type of CWPO catalyst. In this paper, two Cu catalysts, namely, Cu/Al2O3-air and Cu/Al2O3-H2 were prepared and evaluated through catalytic degradation of phenol. It was found that Cu/Al2O3-H2 had an excellent catalytic performance (TOC removal rate reaching 96%) and less metal dissolution than the Cu/Al2O3-air case. Moreover, when the organic removal rate was promoted at a higher temperature, the metal dissolution amounts was decreased. Combined with hydroxyl radical quenching experiments, a catalytic oxidation mechanism was proposed to explain the above-mentioned interesting behaviors of the Cu/Al2O3-H2 catalyst for CWPO. The catalytic test results as well as the proposed mechanism can provide better guide for design and synthesis of good CWPO catalysts.

Catalytic green synthesis of Tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles for phenolic compounds removal and molecular docking with EGFR tyrosine kinase.

In this study, tin dioxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) were successfully synthesized through an eco-friendly method using basil leaves extract. The fabricated SnO2 NPs demonstrated significant adsorption capabilities for phenol (PHE), p-nitrophenol (P-NP), and p-methoxyphenol (P-MP) from water matrices. Optimal conditions for maximum removal efficiency was determined for each phenolic compound, with PHE showing a remarkable 95% removal at a 3 ppm, 0.20 g of SnO2 NPs, pH 8, and 30 min of agitation at 35 °C. Molecular docking studies unveiled a potential anticancer mechanism, indicating the ability of SnO2 NPs to interact with the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase domain and inhibit its activity. The adsorption processes followed pseudo-second order kinetics and Temkin isotherm model, revealing spontaneous, exothermic, and chemisorption-controlled mechanisms. This eco-friendly approach utilizing plant extracts was considered as a valuable tool for nano-sorbent production. The SnO2 NPs not only exhibit promise in water treatment and also demonstrate potential applications in cancer therapy. Characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) provided comprehensive insights into the results.

Performance of electro-Fenton process for the treatment of synthetic sulphidic spent caustic waste stream generated from petroleum refineries.

Sulphidic spent caustic (SSC) is an alkaline waste stream which is generated during caustic scrubbing of liquefied petroleum gas and ethylene products. Due to presence of high concentrations of sulphides and phenols, the waste stream requires proper treatment before mixing with the low strength wastewater streams produced from other refinery operations. Electrochemical process is an emerging treatment method that can work efficiently at ambient conditions. The present study reports performance of electro-Fenton (EF) process for the treatment of synthetic SSC wastewater (sulphides = 10 g L-1, phenol = 2 g L-1 and pH = 12.9). The EF runs were carried out for 2 h duration in a reactor equipped with iron electrodes. The effects of H2O2 dose (0.26-1.3 M), current density (1-20 mA cm-2), pH (4.5-12.9) and stirring speed (100-1000 rpm) were investigated on removal of pollutants. The H2O2 was rapidly consumed in initial 30 min during which the significant fraction of the pollutants was degraded or removed. The optimum conditions for EF process were found to be as follows: pH = 4.5, H2O2 dose = 1.05 M, current density = 5 mA cm-2 and stirring speed = 500 rpm. At these conditions, the maximum sulphide and phenol removals from the wastewater were 98% and 91%, respectively. The results will be helpful to the wastewater treatment plant operators worldwide dealing with high concentrations of such pollutants.

Assessment and identification of bioactive metabolites from terrestrial Lyngbya spp. responsible for antioxidant, antifungal, and anticancer activities.

Lyngbya from fresh and marine water produces an array of pharmaceutically bioactive therapeutic compounds. However, Lyngbya from agricultural soil is still poorly investigated. Hence, in this study, the bioactive potential of different Lyngbya spp. extract was explored. Intracellular petroleum ether extract of L. hieronymusii K81 showed the highest phenolic content (626.22 ± 0.65 µg GAEs g-1 FW), while intracellular ethyl acetate extract of L. aestuarii K97 (74.02 ± 0.002 mg QEs g-1 FW) showed highest flavonoid content. Highest free radical scavenging activity in terms of ABTS•+ was recorded in intracellular methanolic extract of Lyngbya sp. K5 (97.85 ± 0.068%), followed by L. wollei K80 (97.22 ± 0.059%) while highest DPPH• radical scavenging activity observed by intracellular acetone extract of Lyngbya sp. K5 (54.59 ± 0.165%). All the extracts also showed variable degrees of antifungal activities against Fusarium udum, F. oxysporum ciceris, Colletotrichum capsici, and Rhizoctonia solani. Further, extract of L. wollei K80 and L. aestuarii K97 showed potential anticancer activities against MCF7 (breast cancer) cell lines. GC-MS analyses of intracellular methanolic extract of L. wollei K80 showed the dominance of PUFAs with 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester, (Z,Z,Z) as the most abundant bioactive compound. On the other hand, the extracellular ethyl acetate extract of L. aestuarii K97 was rich in alkanes and alkenes with 1-hexyl-2-nitrocyclohexane as the most predominant compound. Extracts of Lyngbya spp. rich in novel secondary metabolites such as PUFAs, alkanes, and alkenes can be further explored as an alternative and low-cost antioxidant and potential apoptogens for cancer therapy.

Phytochemical analysis and bioactivity assessment of five medicinal plants from Pakistan: Exploring polyphenol contents, antioxidant potential, and antibacterial activities.

Plants have always been the prime focus in medicine industries due to their enormous ethnobotanical uses and multitude of biological and therapeutic properties. In the current study, preliminary phytochemical composition, Total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) with the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of hydroalcoholic extract and n-hexane, chloroform and n-butanol fractions of five selected medicinal plants [Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers., Lavandula stoechas L., Aesculus indica (Wall. ex Cambess.) Hook, Iris ensata Thunb., and Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers.] from Pakistan, have been evaluated. TPC and TFC were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu's and AlCl3 methods respectively. The antioxidant activity was performed by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC while the antibacterial potential of these plants was determined by agar well diffusion assay. K. pinnata (Lam.) Pers. exhibited the highest TPC (695 ± 13.2 mg.GA.Eq.g-1DE ± SD) in n-butanol fraction and the highest TFC in its chloroform faction (615 ± 6.31 mg Q.Eq.g-1 DE ± SD). The n-butanol fraction and hydroalcoholic extract of I. ensata Thunb. exhibited strong antioxidant potential by DPPH and CUPRAC assays respectively, whereas K. pinnata (Lam.) Pers. n-butanol fraction exhibited the strongest reducing potential. The hydroalcoholic extract of all tested plants exhibited significant antibacterial activity against tested bacterial strains with ZI (12-18 mm). Conclusively, K. pinnata (Lam.) Pers. (Family: Crassulaceae) and I. ensataThunb. (Family: Iridaceae) exhibited the highest antioxidant and antibacterial potential. They can be explored for the isolation of phytoconstituents responsible for this potential and serve as a lead for the production of new natural antioxidants and antibacterial agents that can be used to cure various diseases.

Exogenous Putrescine Changes Biochemical (Antioxidant Activity, Polyphenol, Flavonoid, and Total Phenol Compounds) and Essential Oil Constituents of Salvia officinalis L.

Polyamines are small polycationic molecules containing amines that are present in almost all cells of living organisms and act in a wide range of physiological processes, growth, and development, biological and protection of cells against free radicals. This research is based on principal component analysis (PCA) and calculation of selection criteria (SC) to investigate the effect of foliar spraying of polyamine putrescine on essential oil yield, essential oil compounds, antioxidant activity, and biochemical compounds (polyphenol, flavonoid, and total phenol compounds) of Salvia officinalis. The treatments used included four levels of putrescine, Put (Control: 0, Put1: 500, Put2: 1000, and Put3: 1500 mg L-1 ) with five replications. Based on our results, four factors had eigenvalues≥1 and showed a cumulative variance percentage of 92.57 % by applying different concentrations of putrescine. According to the results of this research, putrescine had significant effects on the amount of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. The best attention to improving the essential oil yield of sage was 1000 mg L-1 . The crucial essential oil compounds of different Put treated sage were: cis-thujone (35.34 %), camphor (15.60 %), trans-thujone (9.90 %), 1,8-cineole (9.46 %), α-humulene (3.85 %), viridiflorol (3.62 %), camphene (3.58 %), α-pinene (3.50 %), ß-pinene (2.78 %), and limonene (1.23 %). The results showed that the amount of total phenol, the phenolic composition of catechin, and the antioxidant activity of sage plant extract increased significantly when putrescine was used at 1000 mg/liter. Results can use the current research to optimize the production management of medicinal plants and improve the quality of their products. In addition, the advantage of using putrescine is that it increases antioxidants and reduces oxidative damage, and can replace medicinal plants as suitable natural preservatives, thus improving food quality and safety.

Changes in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of three Amaranthus L. genotypes from a model to household processing.

Amaranthus L. leaves are consumed as vegetables and are a rich source of secondary plant metabolites. The phenolic profiles of the three analyzed genotypes by LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD were characterized by high amounts of hydroxycinnamic glucaric and -isocitric acids. 'Gartenfuchsschwanz' (A. hybridus L.) and 'Red Callaloo' (A. tricolor L.) had similar profiles. 'Gemüse-Amaranth' (A. tricolor L.) had a high amount of caffeoylglucaric acid 4, which was isolated, and afterward identified by NMR. Its antioxidant activity, measured by TEAC, DPPH, and TPC, was similar to 5-caffeoylquinic acid, common in many plant species. The antioxidant activity of Amaranthus L. can be explained rather by their different phenolic- and ascorbic acid concentrations than by their species. Household cooking reduces antioxidant activity due to oxidation processes while leaching into cooking water could be neglected. Amaranthus L. baked into a wheat-dough-matrix showed lower phenolic concentrations, presumably due to the formation of phenol-protein-bounds and thermal degradation.

Identification of Polyphenolic Compounds Responsible for Antioxidant, Anti-Candida Activities and Nutritional Properties in Different Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Hull Cultivars.

The use of by-products from the agri-food industry is a promising approach for production of value-added, polyphenol-rich dietary supplements or natural pharmaceutical preparations. During pistachio nut processing, a great amount of husk is removed, leaving large biomass for potential re-use. The present study compares antiglycative, antioxidant, and antifungal activities as well as nutritional values of 12 genotypes belonging to four pistachio cultivars. Antioxidant activity was measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. Antiglycative activity was evaluated as inhibition of advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation in the bovine serum albumin/methylglyoxal model. HPLC analysis was performed to determine the major phenolic compounds. Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (120.81-181.94 mg/100 g DW), gallic acid (27.89-45.25), catechin (7.2-11.01), and eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside (7.23-16.02) were the major components. Among genotypes, the highest total flavonol content (14.8 mg quercetin equivalents/g DW) and total phenolic content (262 mg tannic acid equivalent/g DW) were in KAL1 (Kaleghouchi) and FAN2 (Fandoghi), respectively. The highest antioxidant (EC50 = 375 µg/mL) and anti-glycative activities were obtained for Fan1. Furthermore, potent inhibitory activity against Candida species was recorded with MIC values of 3.12-12.5 µg/mL. The oil content ranged from 5.4% in Fan2 to 7.6% in Akb1. The nutritional parameters of the tested cultivars were highly variable: crude protein (9.8-15.8%), ADF (acid detergent fiber 11.9-18.2%), NDF (neutral detergent fiber, 14.8-25.6%), and condensed tannins (1.74-2.86%). Finally, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside was considered an effective compound responsible for antioxidant and anti-glycative activities.

Anticoronavirus Evaluation of Antimicrobial Diterpenoids: Application of New Ferruginol Analogues.

The abietane diterpene (+)-ferruginol (1), like other natural and semisynthetic abietanes, is distinguished for its interesting pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial activity, including antiviral. In this study, selected C18-functionalized semisynthetic abietanes prepared from the commercially available (+)-dehydroabietylamine or methyl dehydroabietate were tested in vitro against human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E). As a result, a new ferruginol analogue caused a relevant reduction in virus titer as well as the inhibition of a cytopathic effect. A toxicity prediction based on in silico analysis was also performed as well as an estimation of bioavailability. This work demonstrates the antimicrobial and specifically antiviral activity of two tested compounds, making these molecules interesting for the development of new antivirals.

Crystal engineering of ionic cocrystals comprising Na/K salts of hesperetin with hesperetin molecules and solubility modulation.

Hesperetin (HES) is a weakly acidic flavonoid of topical interest owing to its antiviral properties. Despite the presence of HES in many dietary supplements, its bioavailability is hindered by poor aqueous solubility (1.35 µg ml-1) and rapid first-pass metabolism. Cocrystallization has evolved as a promising approach to generate novel crystal forms of biologically active compounds and enhance the physicochemical properties without covalent modification. In this work, crystal engineering principles were employed to prepare and characterize various crystal forms of HES. Specifically, two salts and six new ionic cocrystals (ICCs) of HES involving sodium or potassium salts of HES were studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) or powder X-ray diffraction and thermal measurements. Structures of seven of the new crystalline forms were elucidated by SCXRD, which revealed two families of isostructural ICCs in terms of their crystal packing and confirmed the presence of phenol...phenolate (PhOH...PhO-) supramolecular heterosynthons. Diverse HES conformations were observed amongst these structures, including unfolded and folded (previously unreported) conformations. One ICC, HES with the sodium salt of HES (NESNAH), was scalable to the gram scale and found to be stable after accelerated stability testing (exposure to elevated heat and humidity). HESNAH reached Cmax after 10 min in PBS buffer 6.8 compared with 240 min in pure HES. In addition, relative solubility was observed to be 5.5 times greater, offering the possibility of improved HES bioavailability.

The interaction mechanisms, biological activities and digestive properties between Tartary buckwheat protein and phenolic extract under pH-driven methods.

The preparation of Tartary buckwheat protein and phenolic extract complex by pH-driven treatment was studied. The phenols identified by HPLC-MS spectrometry mainly include rutin, quercetin and kaempferol. The content of phenol bound to protein was 33.49 and 6.31 mg/g. The FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed that the treatment of pH-driven and combination of phenol can affect the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein. The alteration of free sulfhydryl content indicated that there may be binding between phenol and Cys residue of protein. Molecular docking analysis showed the binding sites of the phenols and protein treated at different pH values were significantly different. Furthermore, In the simulated digestion in vitro, the digestibility of complex was significantly lower than that of protein. Pepsin can promote the antioxidant ability, and have little effect on ADH activation. The above result can play a positive role in the development of the food field.

Fibre fermentation and pig faecal microbiota composition are affected by the interaction between sugarcane fibre and (poly)phenols in vitro.

We investigated the effects of (poly)phenol-rich sugarcane extract (PRSE), sugarcane fibre (SCFiber), and the combination of them (PRSE + SCFiber) on the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) production using in vitro digestion and pig faecal fermentation. Measuring total phenolic content and antioxidant activity through the in vitro digestion stages showed that PRSE + SCFiber increased the delivery of (poly)phenols to the in vitro colonic fermentation stage compared to PRSE alone. The PRSE + SCFiber modulated the faecal microbiota profile by enhancing the relative abundances of Prevotella, Lactobacillus, and Blautia, and reducing the relative abundance of Streptococcus. PRSE + SCFiber also mitigated the inhibitory effects of PRSE on SCFA production. These results suggest that the inclusion of sugarcane fibre with PRSE could increase the availability of phenolic compounds in the colon and modulate the gut microbiota towards a more favourable profile.

Unveiling Chemical, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Fagonia indica Grown in the Hail Mountains, Saudi Arabia.

The Aja and Salma mountains in the Hail region are home to a variety of indigenous wild plants, some of which are used in Bedouin folk medicine to treat various ailments. The purpose of the current study was to unveil the chemical, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Fagonia indica (Showeka) grown widely in these mountains, as data on the biological activities of this plant in this remote area are scarce. XRF spectrometry indicated the presence of some essential elements, which were in the order of Ca > S > K > AL > CL > Si > P > Fe > Mg > Na > Ti > Sr > Zn > Mn. Qualitative chemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, phenols and cardiac glycosides in the methanolic extract (80% v/v). GC-MS showed the presence of 2-chloropropanoic acid 18.5%, tetrahydro-2-methylfuran 20.1%, tridecanoic acid 12-methyl-, methyl ester 2.2%, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester 8.6%, methyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate 13.4%, methyl linoleate 7.0%, petroselinic acid methyl ester 15%, erucylamide 6.7% and diosgenin 8.5%. Total phenols, total tannins, flavonoids, DPPH, reducing power, -carotene and ABTS IC50 (mg/mL) scavenging activity were used to measure the antioxidant capabilities of Fagonia indica, which exhibited prominent antioxidant properties at low concentrations when compared to ascorbic acid, butylate hydroxytoluene and beta-carotene. The antibacterial investigation revealed significant inhibitory effects against Bacillus subtilis MTCC121 and Pseudomona aeruginosa MTCC 741 with inhibition zones of 15.00 ± 1.5 and 12.0 ± 1.0 mm, respectively. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) ranged between 125 to 500 µg/mL. The MBC/MIC ratio indicated possible bactericidal efficacy against Bacillus subtilis and bacteriostatic activity against Pseudomona aeruginosa. The study also showed that this plant has anti-biofilm formation activity.

Subcritical Water Extraction of Onosma mutabilis: Process Optimization and Chemical Profile of the Extracts.

The aboveground and root parts of Onosma mutabilis were extracted using subcritical water and the process was optimized with response surface methodology. The composition of the extracts was determined by chromatographic methods and compared to that of conventional maceration of the plant. The optimum total phenolic contents for the aboveground part and the roots were 193.9 and 174.4 µg/g, respectively. These results were achieved at a subcritical water temperature of 150 °C, an extraction time of 180 min, and a water/plant ratio of 0.1, for both parts of the plant. Principal component analysis revealed that the roots contained mainly phenols, ketones, and diols, with the aboveground part mostly alkenes and pyrazines, whereas the extract from maceration contained mainly terpenes, esters, furans, and organic acids. The quantification of selected phenolic substances showed that subcritical water extraction compared favorably to maceration, especially with respect to pyrocatechol (1062 as compared to 10.2 µg/g) and epicatechin (1109 as compared to 23.4 µg/g). Furthermore, the roots of the plant contained twice as much of these two phenolics compared to the aboveground part. Subcritical water extraction of O. mutabilis is an environmentally friendly method that can extract selected phenolics at higher concentrations compared to maceration.

Selective removal of uranyl ions using ion-imprinted amino-phenolic functionalized chitosan.

The recovery of uranium from aqueous effluents is very important for both the environment and the future of nuclear power. However, issues of sluggish rates and poor selectivity persist in achieving high-efficiency uranium extraction. In this study, uranyl (UO22+) ions were imprinted on an amino-phenolic chitosan derivative using an ion-imprinting method. First, 3-hydroxy-4-nitrobenzoic acid (HNB) units were joined to chitosan via amide bonding, followed by reducing the -NO2 residues into -NH2. The amino-phenolic chitosan polymer ligand (APCS) was coordinated with UO22+ ions, then cross-linked with epichlorohydrin (ECH), and finally the UO22+ ions were taken away. When compared to non-imprinted sorbent, the resulting UO22+ imprinted sorbent material (U-APCS) recognized the target ions preferentially, allowing for much higher adsorption capacities (qm = 309 ± 1 mg/g) and improved adsorption selectivity for UO22+. The FTIR and XPS analyses supported the pseudo-second-order model's suggestion that chemisorption or coordination is the primary adsorption mechanism by fitting the data well in terms of kinetics. Also, the Langmuir model adequately explained the isotherms, suggesting UO22+ adsorption in the form of monolayers. The pHZPC value was estimated at around 5.7; thus, the optimum uptake pH was achieved between pHs 5 and 6. The thermodynamic properties support the endothermic and spontaneous nature of UO22+ adsorption.

Bombax ceiba Linn. leaf extract rich in phenolic compounds to mitigate non-alcoholic fatty liver-related complications in experimental model.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance (IR), and hypertriglyceridemia are common features observed in non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). There is a critical medical necessity to find novel therapeutics that can halt the development of NAFLD. METHODS: Bombax ceiba Linn. leaf extract was prepared and its phytochemical profile was determined. Standard and high carbohydrate high-fat diets (HCHF) were prepared. Rats were fed HCHF for 18 weeks to induce a non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) model. Forty male rats were divided into control, B. ceiba Linn. leaf extract, NAFL, prophylactic, and treated groups. Serum fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), intelectin-1 (ITLN1), p38 MAP kinase (MAPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were evaluated. RESULTS: Data obtained showed that HCHF-induced NAFL resulting in a significant increase in FBS, serum insulin, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, LDL, TG, ALT, AST, and IL-6 and a significant decrease in serum levels of HDL, ITLN1, p38 MAP kinase, and PPAR-α compared to the control group. The analysis of B. ceiba Linn. leaf extract showed high content of phenol compounds which may cause a significant decrease in the levels of FBS, insulin, HOMA-IR values, lipid profile, and levels of IL-6 while a significant increase in serum levels of LDL, ITLN1, p38 MAP kinase, and PPAR-α compared to the NAFL group. CONCLUSIONS: B. ceiba Linn. Leaf extract is a highly protective and promising therapeutic agent against inflammation and oxidative stress in the NAFLD model induced by HCHF.

Derivatives of sesquiterpenes, 2-furaldehyde, phenols, and alkaloids isolated from Taraxacum mongolicum.

Four new compounds (1-4), together with 23 known compounds (5-27), were isolated from the whole plant of Taraxacum mongolicum. Among them, one racemic mixture (4) was separated with a chiral HPLC column. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic evidence and mass spectrometry. The absolute configurations of compounds 1, 3, and 4 were determined via comparison of their calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 3 showed an inhibitory effect against aldose reductase with a 59.1% inhibition. Two known compounds (13 and 27) showed α-glucosidase inhibition of 51.5% and 56.0%, respectively.

Bilberry-containing supplements on severe dry eye disease in young and middle-aged adults: A 3-month pilot analysis.

Purpose: To explore the effect of bilberry and fish oil combination supplement on a small clinical sample patient-base with severe dry eyes. Methods: Twenty-four subjects were recruited with twelve randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Inclusion criteria included severe dry eye symptoms determined by scores >33 from the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. The intervention group was instructed to take an oral supplement with key ingredients of 600 mg bilberry extract and 240 mg docosahexaenoic acid-refined fish oil once daily for 3 months. The control group did not take any supplements. Mean changes in OSDI score, non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT), phenol red thread test (PRT), and percentage of meibomian gland openings were used as outcome measures. Testing was done at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up. Comparison between the treatment and control groups, and the younger adult and middle-age groups were performed. Results: The mean baseline values for the treatment and control groups were not clinically different. The OSDI score, NITBUT, PRT, and percentage of meibomian gland openings improved after taking the supplements for 3 months. The OSDI score, NITBUT, and PRT showed clinical improvements between the intervention and control groups. These improvements were consistent between the two age groups. Conclusion: This study suggested preliminary improvements in signs and symptoms of severe dry eyes that were independent of age after taking dietary supplementation of bilberry extract and fish oil for 3 months. Further studies using more device-based measures and a placebo supplement are warranted.

Application of chickpea-based edible coating with chickpea husk polyphenols on the preservation of sunflower seeds.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of a chickpea-based edible coating with the addition of polyphenols on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory quality of roasted sunflower seeds throughout storage. Four different samples were prepared: roasted sunflower seeds (control sample, SF-C), roasted sunflower seeds with BHT (SF-BHT), roasted sunflower seeds with chickpea-based coating (SF-CCs), and roasted sunflower seeds with chickpea-based coating with chickpea polyphenolic extract (SF-CCPE). The samples were stored for 60 days at room temperature, and their chemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters were analyzed. The acceptability of fresh samples was also studied. The use of chickpea-based coatings retarded the lipid oxidation process efficiently, but the inclusion of chickpea polyphenols in the coating enhanced the protective effect. At 60th day of storage, no statistically significant differences were found between SF-CCPE and SF-BHT in relation to peroxides and conjugated dienes values, saturated/unsaturated ratio, and hexanal content. Linoleic acid content was reduced significantly more in SF-CCs than SF-CCPE. The addition of chickpea coating with chickpea antioxidants did not modify the flavor of the sunflower seeds and was the most accepted treatment by the consumer. The formation of undesirable flavors (cardboard and oxidized) was less in SF-CC, SF-CCPE, and SF-BHT without finding significant differences between these treatments. None of the samples presented microbiological contamination or an increase in bacteria, yeast, and molds during storage. The chickpea-based coating was able to retard lipid oxidation in roasted sunflower seeds, proving to be a good alternative as a natural method to preserve foods with high lipid content. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Discarded chickpeas and chickpea husks constitute byproducts from the chickpea industry. The grain husks are currently discarded or marketed at a very low cost, constituting a novel residue with antioxidant properties. Considering the growing interest in sustainability and the circular economy, this investigation proposes the utilization of nutritional materials to prepare edible coatings. The chickpea-based coatings loaded with polyphenol extract (obtained from the husk of chickpea) demonstrated to have a protective effect against lipid oxidation process in sunflower seeds, which represent a good alternative to be used for the food industry to increase the shelf life of lipid foods.