Bioactive Constituents in Cold-Pressed Plant Oils: Their Structure, Bioactivity and Chromatographic Analysis.

Cold-pressed oils are oils prepared from pressing plant materials with a screw or hydraulic press, yielding oils with little contamination of harmful chemicals and high content of nutrients and functional constituents. Cold-pressed oils have gained increasing recognition as food supplements for preventing and ameliorating body deterioration due to ageing and the progression of lifestyle diseases or non-communicable diseases. This article aimed to review their structure, bioactivity, and chromatographic analysis of the mostly found functional compounds in cold-pressed oils, including phytosterols, carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, and lignans), and squalene.

Bioactive Potential of Carrot-Based Products Enriched with Lactobacillus plantarum.

The primary goal of this study was to generate different kinds of functional products based on carrots that were supplemented with lactic acid bacteria. The fact that carrots (Daucus carota sp.) rank among the most popular vegetables in our country led to the convergence of the research aim. Their abundance of bioactive compounds, primarily polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids, offers numerous health benefits. Among the obtained products, the freeze-dried carrot powder (FDCP) variation presented the highest concentrations of total carotenoids (TCs) and ß-carotene (BC) of 26.977 ± 0.13 mg/g DW and 22.075 ± 0.14 mg/g DW, respectively. The amount of total carotenoids and ß-carotene significantly increased with the addition of the selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for most of the samples. In addition, a slight increase in the antioxidant activity compared with the control sample for the FDCP variant, with the highest value of 91.74%, was observed in these functional food products. The content of polyphenolic compounds varied from 0.044 to 0.091 mg/g DW, while the content of total flavonoids varied from 0.03 to 0.66 mg/g DW. The processing method had an impact on the population of L. plantarum that survived, as indicated by the viability of bacterial cells in all the analyzed products. The chromatographic analysis through UHPLC-MS/MS further confirmed the abundance of the bioactive compounds and their corresponding derivatives by revealing 19 different compounds. The digestibility study indicated that carotenoid compounds from carrots followed a rather controlled release. The carrot-based products enriched with Lactobacillus plantarum can be considered newly functional developed products based on their high content of biologically active compounds with beneficial effects upon the human body. Furthermore, these types of products could represent innovative products for every related industry such as the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries, thus converging a new strategy to improve the health of consumers or patients.

Monitoring the dynamic changes in aroma during the whole processing of Qingzhuan tea at an industrial scale: From fresh leaves to finished tea.

Aroma is one of the most outstanding quality characteristics of Qingzhuan tea (QZT), but its formation is still unclear. Thus, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the whole processing of QZT were investigated by headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Based on 144 identified VOCs, the results showed that de-enzyming, sun-drying, and piling fermentation were the key processes of QZT aroma formation. Furtherly, 42 differential VOCs (VIP > 1.0 and p < 0.05) and 16 key VOCs (rOAV > 1.0 and/or ROAV > 1.0) were screened. Especially, sulcatone and ß-ionone (rOAV > 100 and ROAV > 10) were considered the most important contributors to the aroma of QZT. The metabolisms of key VOCs were mainly involved in oxidative degradation of fatty acids, degradation of carotenoids, and methylation of gallic acid. This study could help to more comprehensively understand the aroma formation in QZT processing at an industrial scale.

Simultaneous extraction of crocin and geniposide from gardenia fruits (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) by probe-type ultrasound-assisted natural deep eutectic solvents and their inhibition effects on low density lipoprotein oxidation.

The simultaneous extraction of crocin and geniposide from gardenia fruits (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) was performed by integrating natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Among the eight kinds of NADES screened, choline chloride-1,2-propylene glycol was the most suitable extractant. The probe-type ultrasound-assisted NADES extraction system (pr-UAE-NADES) demonstrated higher extraction efficiency compared with plate-type ultrasound-assisted NADES extraction system (pl-UAE-NADES). Orthogonal experimental design and a modified multi-index synthetic weighted scoring method were adopted to optimize pr-UAE-NADES extraction process. The optimal extraction conditions that had a maximum synthetic weighted score of 29.46 were determined to be 25 °C for extraction temperature, 600 W for ultrasonic power, 20 min for extraction time, and 25% (w/w) for water content in NADES, leading to the maximum yields (7.39 ± 0.20 mg/g and 57.99 ± 0.91 mg/g, respectively) of crocin and geniposide. Thirty-three compounds including iridoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenes in the NADES extract were identified by LC-Q-TOF-MS2 coupled with a feature-based molecular networking workflow. The kinetics evaluation of the conjugated dienes generation on Cu2+-induced low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation via the four-parameter logistic regression model showed that crocin increased the lag time of LDL oxidation in a concentration-dependent manner (15 µg/mL, 30 µg/mL, 45 µg/mL) by 12.66%, 35.44%, and 73.42%, respectively. The quantitative determination for fluorescence properties alteration of the apolipoprotein B-100 exhibited that crocin effectively inhibited the fluorescence quenching of tryptophan residues and the modification of lysine residues caused by reactive aldehydes and malondialdehydes. The pr-UAE-NADES showed significant efficiency toward the simultaneous extraction of crocin and geniposide from gardenia fruits. And this study demonstrates the potential utility of gardenia fruits in developing anti-atherogenic functional food.

Effect of Extraction Methods on the Antioxidant Potential and Cytotoxicity of the Combined Ethanolic Extracts of Daucus carota L., Beta vulgaris L., Phyllanthus emblica L. and Lycopersicon esculentum against Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells.

Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet may alleviate the risk of developing chronic diseases. Daucus carota L. (carrot), Beta vulgaris L. (beetroot) Phyllanthus emblica L. (amla), and Lycopersicon esculentum M (tomatoes) are traditionally consumed functional foods that contain a high concentration of antioxidants, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and numerous phytochemicals. This study assessed how three distinct preparation methods affect the phenolic, flavonoid, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents, antioxidant level, and cytotoxicity of the combined fruit extract. The fruit samples were taken in the ratio of carrot (6): beetroot (2): tomato (1.5): amla (0.5) and processed into a lyophilized slurry (LS) extract, lyophilized juice (LJ) extract, and hot-air oven-dried (HAO) extract samples. The sample extracts were assessed for their phytoconstituent concentrations and antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. The total phenolic content in LS, LJ, and HAO extracts was 171.20 ± 0.02, 120.73 ± 0.02, and 72.05 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, respectively and the total flavonoid content was 23.635 ± 0.003, 20.754 ± 0.005, and 18.635 ± 0.005 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g, respectively. Similarly, total ascorbic acid content, carotenoids, and antioxidant potential were higher in the LS and LJ extracts than in HAO. Overall, the LS extract had a substantially higher concentration of phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as higher cytotoxic potential, compared to the LJ and HAO extracts. The LS extract was tested in the MKN-45 human gastric cancer cell line to demonstrate its effective antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity. Hence, lyophilization (freezing) based techniques are more effective than heat-based techniques in preserving the phytoconstituents and their antioxidant and cytotoxic potential.

Phytoconstituents, antioxidant and antiglycation activity of Chrysophyllum cainito L., Hancornia speciosa Gomes and Plinia glomerata Berg. fruits.

The present study verified the presence of phytoconstituents and evaluated antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, NO and TBARS tests) and antiglycation (REM test) activities of unconventional wild edible fruits Chrysophyllum cainito, Hancornia speciosa and Plinia glomerata. It was verified the presence of phenolic compounds for all fruits and flavonoids were observed only for C. cainito, which presented in its peel the highest total phenols (90.34 µg GAE mg-1) and flavonoids (30.4 µg RE mg-1) content. Sugar concentration was significant for all fruits, where H. speciosa showed the highest reducing sugar content (576.12 mg g-1) and C. cainito pulp showed the highest total sugar content (858.67 mg g-1). All fruits presented vitamin C and carotenoids, highlighting P. glomerata with the best results for ascorbic acid (2260.94 mg 100 g-1) and carotenoids (59.62 µg g-1). Extracts presented antioxidant activity, highlighting C. cainito peel that presented 65.64% (DPPH), 231.34 µM TE L-1 (FRAP), 49.34% (NO) and 22.56% (TBARS), while in antiglycation evaluation, P. glomerata showed evident activity. Therefore, it was possible to determine different phytoconstituents, and antioxidant and antiglycation activities of the fruits. These data provide subsidies for application of these fruits in new studies, to increase knowledge and preservation of these species.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in garambullo fruit (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) at different ripening stages.

Garambullo (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) is endemic in México, and although popularly consumed locally, its nutritional characteristics and value have not been studied in details. The objective of this work was to investigate the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in garambullo fruit from different sites at three ripening stages. Fruit from the three ripening stages (red, purple, and dark purple) were investigated for their physicochemical characteristics, hydrophilic (phenolic compounds, betalains, and ascorbic acid), and lipophilic (carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids) bioactive compounds, using spectrophotometry, gas chromatography (GC-FID), and high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC/DAD-ESI-MS). The antioxidant capacity was measured with the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the ferric-ion-reducing antioxidant power assays. The color components of the fruit, chroma and a* values increased, whereas lightness (L*) and b* significantly decreased during ripening. Five betacyanins and four betaxanthins were tentatively identified with HPLC/DAD-ESI-MS, and betacyanins were more abundant than betaxanthins. Betalains content and antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic extracts significantly increased during ripening. Ten phenolic compounds were identified, with ferulic acid being the most abundant. Tocopherols were low (0.023-0.033 mg/100 g fw). Five fatty acids were abundant, and linoleic acid was the most important. Phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, and fatty acids decreased during fruit ripening. Garambullo fruit is rich in phytochemical compounds of importance for human nutrition and health. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The physicochemical and bioactive compounds characterization in garambullo fruit is important to establish maturation and harvesting indices, postharvest strategies to preserve fruit quality and prolong postharvest life, promote the consumption and utilization of the fruit, and the designing of proper functional foods. In addition, the knowledge on the bioactive components might be useful to include this fruit in personalized nutritional approaches for patients with risks of certain chronic diseases. The methodology used in this study could be useful for the study of other fruits, especially those from the Cactaceae family.

Evaluation of Selected Medicinal, Timber and Ornamental Legume Species' Seed Oils as Sources of Bioactive Lipophilic Compounds.

Bioactive lipophilic compounds were investigated in 14 leguminous tree species of timber, agroforestry, medicinal or ornamental use but little industrial significance to elucidate their potential in food additive and supplement production. The tree species investigated were: Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia concinna, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia odoratissima, Bauhinia racemosa, Cassia fistula, Dalbergia latifolia, Delonix regia, Entada phaseoloides, Hardwickia binata, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Senegalia catechu, Sesbania sesban and Vachellia nilotica. The hexane-extracted oils of ripe seeds were chromatographically analysed for their fatty acid composition (GC-MS), tocochromanol (RP-HPLC/FLD), squalene and sterol (GC-FID) content. A spectrophotometrical method was used to determine total carotenoid content. The results showed generally low oil yield (1.75-17.53%); the highest was from H. binata. Linoleic acid constituted the largest proportion in all samples (40.78 to 62.28% of total fatty acids), followed by oleic (14.57-34.30%) and palmitic (5.14-23.04%) acid. The total tocochromanol content ranged from 100.3 to 367.6 mg 100 g-1 oil. D. regia was the richest and the only to contain significant amount of tocotrienols while other oils contained almost exclusively tocopherols, dominated by either α-tocopherol or γ-tocopherol. The total carotenoid content was highest in A. auriculiformis (23.77 mg 100 g-1), S. sesban (23.57 mg 100 g-1) and A. odoratissima (20.37 mg 100 g-1), and ranged from 0.7 to 23.7 mg 100 g-1 oil. The total sterol content ranged from 240.84 to 2543 mg 100 g-1; A. concinna seed oil was the richest by a wide margin; however, its oil yield was very low (1.75%). Either ß-sitosterol or Δ5-stigmasterol dominated the sterol fraction. Only C. fistula oil contained a significant amount of squalene (303.1 mg 100 g-1) but was limited by the low oil yield as an industrial source of squalene. In conclusion, A. auriculiformis seeds may hold potential for the production of carotenoid-rich oil, and H. binata seed oil has relatively high yield and tocopherol content, marking it as a potential source of these compounds.

Nutritional and antioxidant profile of the Physalis fruit grown in three Andean regions of Peru.

Background: Physalis peruviana L. fruit contains nutritional and bioactive compounds of immense importance to public health and represents a potential ingredient for the development of functional foods and beverages. Objective: This study aimed to determine the chemical and nutritional composition as well as the antioxidant capacity of the P. peruviana L. fruit grown in Peru in three areas of the Central Andean region. Material and methods: Proximal and physicochemical analyses and estimation of mineral content, vitamin C, total carotenoids, total polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] and 2, 2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) [ABTS] assays) were performed using standardized methods. Results: The fruits were collected from three regions of the Peruvian Andes (Ancash, Cajamarca, and Cusco). The results showed that the content of potassium (306.54-327.60 mg/100 g) and iron (12.93-14.47 mg/kg) was prominent. The Physalis fruit had high levels of vitamin C (47.20-52.20 mg/100 g), total polyphenols (68.17-83.40 mg equivalents of gallic acid/100 g), and carotenoids (1.12-1.73 mg ß-carotene/100 g). Higher values for antioxidant capacity were obtained with the ABTS method (896-1003.33 µmol Trolox/100 g) than with the DPPH method (290-309 µmol Trolox/100 g). Conclusions: This study confirms that the P. peruviana fruit has properties that could provide important health benefits and that it could be used for the development of functional foods and food supplement.

Spectroscopic biofeedback on cutaneous carotenoids: A powerful tool for primary prevention in advanced age.

Antioxidants exhibit a powerful defense mechanism against aging and chronic disease. The human skin reflects the overall antioxidant status of the body. The cutaneous carotenoid concentration is a biomarker for individual nutritional intake of antioxidants, as it correlates with the overall antioxidant status. The cutaneous carotenoid concentrations of 44 adults were measured using a multiple spatially resolved reflection spectroscopy. During the first phase of the study, measurements of carotenoid concentrations were performed without revealing the antioxidant status, followed by an intervention phase during which the volunteers were informed about their individual values by biofeedback. During the third phase, biofeedback was combined with an additional intake of fruit juices. Across time points, participants showed increasing levels of carotenoid status. Thus, biofeedback leads to an improvement of the carotenoid value of the skin. Providing a biofeedback measurement to monitor the individual antioxidative status may be an easy and cost-effective way of primary prevention.

Floral Pollen Bioactive Properties and Their Synergy in Honeybee Pollen.

Honeybee pollen (HBP) is a mixture of floral pollen collected by honeybees near the hive. It is characterized by a composition rich in phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamins that act as free radicals scavengers, conferring antioxidant and antibacterial capacity to the matrix. These bioactive properties are related to the botanical origin of the honeybee pollen. Honeybee pollen samples were collected from different geographical locations in central Chile, and their total carotenoid content, polyphenols profile by HPLC/MS/MS, DPPH radical scavenging capacity, and antimicrobial capacity against S. pyogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, and P. auriginosa strains were evaluated. Our results showed a good carotenoids content and polyphenols composition, while antioxidant capacity presented values between 0-95 % for the scavenging effect related to the botanical origin of the samples. Inhibition diameter for the different strains presented less variability among the samples, Furthermore, binary mixtures representing the two most abundant species in each HBP were prepared to assess the synergy effect of the floral pollen (FP) present in the samples. Data shows an antagonist effect was observed when assessing the carotenoid content, and a synergy effect often presents for antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity for bee pollen samples. The bioactive capacities of the honeybee pollen and their synergy effect could apply to develop new functional ingredients for the food industry.

Development and application of a SFC-DAD-MS/MS method to determine carotenoids and vitamin A in egg yolks from laying hens supplemented with ß-carotene.

ß-Carotene, a provitamin A carotenoid, can be converted into vitamin A in animals' bodies, and can also be accumulated intactly in many animal products. In this study, supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was utilized to determine ß-carotene and different forms of vitamin A in eggs simultaneously. According to the results, ß-carotene contained in yolk reached a plateau after about 2 weeks of supplementation. With an increase in dietary supplement level, the amount of ß-carotene gradually increased, as well as slightly changing the yolk color. Moreover, the contents of retinoids including retinol, retinyl propionate, retinyl palmitate and retinyl stearate were also elevated in yolks with the ß-carotene additive levels; meanwhile, the lutein and zeaxanthin decreased. On the whole, ß-carotene in the diet of laying hens could be partially deposited in egg yolk, and the contents of vitamin A in yolk could be increased due to ß-carotene bioconversion.

Biochemical responses in leaf tissues of alkaloid producing Psychotria brachyceras under multiple stresses.

Under natural conditions plants are generally subjected to complex scenarios of combined or sequential environmental stresses. Among the various components of plant biochemistry modulated by abiotic variables, a pivotal role is played by antioxidant systems, including specialized metabolites and their interaction with central pathways. To help address this knowledge gap, a comparative analysis of metabolic changes in leaf tissues of the alkaloid accumulating plant Psychotria brachyceras Müll Arg. under individual, sequential, and combined stress conditions was carried out. Osmotic and heat stresses were evaluated. Protective systems (accumulation of the major antioxidant alkaloid brachycerine, proline, carotenoids, total soluble protein, and activity of the enzymes ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) were measured in conjunction with stress indicators (total chlorophyll, ChA/ChB ratio, lipid peroxidation, H2O2 content and electrolyte leakage). Metabolic responses had a complex profile in sequential and combined stresses compared to single ones, being also modified over time. Different stress application schemes affected alkaloid accumulation in distinct ways, exhibiting similar profile to proline and carotenoids, constituting a complementary triad of antioxidants. These complementary non-enzymatic antioxidant systems appeared to be essential for mitigating stress damage and re-establishing cellular homeostasis. The data herein provides clues that may aid the development of a key component framework of stress responses and their appropriate balance to modulate tolerance and yield of target specialized metabolites.

Integral valorisation of tomato by-products towards bioactive compounds recovery: Human health benefits.

The tomato processing industry is one of the world's most important markets. This industry aims to optimise production, minimise energy costs and waste streams while ensuring high-quality products. This sector produces substantial amounts of by-products frequently disposed of as waste rather than reintroducing them with a new intent into the supply chain. However, these by-products are rich in bioactive compounds (BC), including carotenoids, fibre, which exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties, and cardiovascular protection. Reusing these compounds is favourable to reducing the environmental impact and enables the development of added-value products with various possible uses such as food and feed additives, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, etc. This review summarises relevant issues towards the recovery and valorisation of BC from industrial tomato by-products within a circular economy context.

The potential effects of chlorophyll-deficient mutation and tree_age on the accumulation of amino acid components in tea plants.

Albino tea has been receiving growing attention on the tea market due to its attractive appearance and fresh taste, mainly caused by high amino acid contents. Here, variations in the contents of five free amino acids in relation to pigment contents and tree age in two hybrid populations'Longjin 43'(♀) × 'Baijiguan'(♂) and 'Longjin 43'(♀) ×'Huangjinya'(♂) with 334 first filial generation individuals including chlorophyll-deficient and normal tea plants were investigated. The data showed that the contents of main amino acids in all filial generation gradually decreased as plant age increased. Principal component analysis indicated that the amino acid content of individual plant tended to be stable with the growth of plants. Correlation analysis clarified that several main amino acids were significantly negatively correlated with chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents. Our results showed that the accumulation of amino acids in tea plant was closely related to leaf color variation and the tree age during growing period.

Phenolic and carotenoid characterization of the ethanol extract of an Australian native plant Haemodorum spicatum.

Bloodroot (Haemodorum spicatum) is an Australian native bulb plant yielding red pigment. This study aimed to characterize the phenolic and carotenoid profiles of the 80% ethanol extract of the H. spicatum bulb by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD. Results revealed the relatively low total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the bulb extract with the maximum absorbance at 477 nm. Only 2 carotenoids (lutein and capsanthin) were detected at relatively low levels in the extract. A total of 40 phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, including 5 phenolic acids, 13 flavonoids and 22 other phenolic compounds, where 35 were reported for the first time in H. spicatum, together with 3 previously reported phenylphenalenones, haemodorol, haemoxiphidone and 2,5,6-trimethoxy-9-phenyl-1H-phenalen-1-one, and 2 oxabenzochrysenones, 5-hydroxy-2-methoxy-1H-naphtho[2,1,8-mna]xanthen-1-one and 5-hydroxy-1H-naphtho[2,1,8-mna]xanthen-1-one. This study provided the most comprehensive phenolic and carotenoid profiles of H. spicatum up to date.

Cold pressed pumpkin seed oil fatty acids, carotenoids, volatile compounds profiles and infrared fingerprints as affected by storage time and wax-based oleogelation.

BACKGROUND: Pumpkin seed and sunflower oil are rich in bioactive compounds, but are prone to oxidation during storage. Their fatty acids, carotenoid and volatile compounds and their Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) profiles were studied during 8 months storage in order to assess the overall quality, but also to assess the impact of the oleogelation as conditioning process. RESULTS: The fatty acids methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The linoleic acid was the most abundant in the oils (604.6 g kg-1 in pumpkin and 690 g kg-1 in sunflower), but also in oleogels. Through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), lutein and ß-carotene were determined as specific carotenoid compounds of the pumpkin seed oil and oleogel, in a total amount of 0.0072 g kg-1 . The volatile compounds profile revealed the presence of alpha-pinene for the pumpkin seed oil and oleogels and a tentative identification of limonene for the sunflower oil. Hexanal was also detected in the oleogels, indicating a thermal oxidation, which was further analyzed through infrared spectroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: During 8 months storage, the decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acid total amount was 5.72% for the pumpkin seed oil and 3.55% for the oleogel, while in the sunflower oil samples of 2.93% and 3.28% for the oleogel. It was concluded that oleogelation might protect specific carotenoid compounds, since the oleogels displayed higher content of ß-carotene at each storage time. Hexanal and heptanal were detected during storage, regardless of the oil or oleogel type. FTIR analysis depicts the differences in the constituent fatty acids resulting due to thermal oxidation or due to storage. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tomato seed oil-enriched tomato juice: Effect of oil addition type and heat treatment on lycopene bioaccessibility and oxidative stability.

In this study, tomato seed oil conventional emulsion (7 µm) and nanoemulsion (0.146 µm) with desirable stability were prepared, then the effect of tomato seed oil addition (bulk and emulsified forms) and thermal treatment on properties of tomato juice was evaluated. Tomato juice without oil and heat treatment exhibited the lowest bioaccessibility of lycopene (17.8 %). Incorporation of oil and applying heat treatment significantly increased the extent of lipid digestion and bioaccessibility of lycopene. In this regard, the nanoemulsion had the highest bioaccessibility (44.85 %) compared to conventional emulsion (33.90 %) and bulk oil (27.11 %), due to the smaller oil droplets. The oxidative stability of oil in heat-treated tomato juice samples decreased during 28 days of storage at 4 °C, whereas the nanoemulsion exhibited the highest peroxide value (4.43 meq O2/kg of oil) compared to conventional emulsion and bulk oil (3.91 and 3.49 meq O2/kg of oil, respectively) at the end of the period.

Monitoring antioxidants by coulometry: Quantitative assessment of the strikingly high antioxidant capacity of bergamot (Citrus bergamia R.) by-products.

A recently optimized rapid, cheap, and accurate coulometric method has been exploited to determine the antioxidant capacity of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso) by-products, including first (FPJ) and second press juices (SPJ), in comparison to analogous products from several citrus species. Extracts from the entire edible part (i.e., juice and pulp) and de-oiled peel of bergamot were also assayed. The Coulometrically Determined Antioxidant Capacity (CDAC) data, expressed as moles of electrons per mass of sample, were evaluated with other parameters such as total phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical inhibition. The CDAC of bergamot FPJ (39 mmol e- kg-1) was comparable with other citrus juices (20-65 mmol e- kg-1 range), whereas the CDAC of bergamot SPJ (816 mmol e- kg-1) was strikingly higher than the counterparts from other citrus fruits. This value approached that of bergamot peel extracts (822 mmol e- kg-1). Bergamot peel and SPJ also exhibited the highest DPPH inhibition. The CDAC values were associated with the HPLC-determined content of flavonoids, namely neoeriocitrin, naringin, and neohesperidin, which were 4-10-fold more concentrated in bergamot SPJ and peel than in SPJ from other citrus species. These findings contribute to point at bergamot by-products as rich sources of antioxidant compounds on a quantitative basis, highlighting their enormous potential for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food applications.

Breastmilk PUFA strongly associated with maternal dietary intake but not anthropometric parameters and breastmilk carotenoids.

BACKGROUND: Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and the optimal n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio are essential for proper neurodevelopment in infancy. This study aimed to evaluate the association between breastmilk fatty acid intake and maternal dietary intake, anthropometrics and breastmilk carotenoid levels. METHODS: This observational, prospective study included 44 women in the first, third, and sixth month of lactation. At each study visit, maternal anthropometric measures were assessed and breastmilk samples were collected and assessed for fatty acids and carotenoids. At the third and sixth month, maternal diet was evaluated by three-day foods record. RESULTS: Mean breastmilk docosahexaenoic (DHA) was 0.58%, 0.47%, and 0.49%, respectively at the 1, 3, and 6 month (p ≤ 0.05). Mean DHA intake were higher in month 3 compared to 6: 357 vs. 169 mg/day. Pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with SFA, PUFA, and n-6 PUFA at 1 month, whereas current BMI to SFA at months 1 and 3. DHA was correlated with lycopene, total carotenoids at 1 month and total carotenoids at month 3, whereas n-3 PUFA to lycopene at 1 month. DHA, n-3 PUFA, n-6 PUFA and saturated (SFA) levels were associated with its dietary intake both at months 3 and 6, AA/DHA and LA/ALA ratios only at month 3. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal intake of PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratios were a good predictor of its breastmilk composition, whereas pre-pregnancy and current BMI, as well as breastmilk carotenoids had a limited influence.