Identifying the temporal contributors and their interactions during dynamic formation of black tea cream.

Tea cream formed in hot and strong tea infusion while cooling deteriorates quality and health benefits of tea. However, the interactions among temporal contributors during dynamic formation of tea cream are still elusive. Here, by deletional recombination experiments and molecular dynamics simulation, it was found that proteins, caffeine (CAF), and phenolics played a dominant role throughout the cream formation, and the contribution of amino acids was highlighted in the early stage. Furthermore, CAF was prominent due to its extensive binding capacity and the filling complex voids property, and caffeine-theaflavins (TFs) complexation may be the core skeleton of the growing particles in black tea infusion. In addition to TFs, the unidentified phenolic oxidation-derived products (PODP) were confirmed to contribute greatly to the cream formation.

Metabolomics reveals the importance of metabolites in Mussaenda pubescens for antioxidant properties and quality traits.

Mussaenda pubescens (Mp) is a valuable medicinal plant that has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes or as a tea substitute. However, there are few studies on the comprehensive and dynamic evaluation of Mp metabolites. This study used an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) approach and biochemical analysis to investigate substance changes in leaves at three different stages and elucidate the relationship between metabolites and antioxidant capacity. The findings showed that Mp leaves contained 957 metabolites, the majority of which were phenolic acids, lipids, and terpenoids. The metabolite profiling of Mp leaves was significantly influenced by their growth and development at different stages. A total of 317 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were screened, including 150 primary metabolites and 167 secondary metabolites, with 202 DAMs found in bud leaf vs. tender leaf, 54 DAMs in tender leaf vs. mature leaf, and 254 DAMs in bud leaf vs. mature leaf. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanin concentrations decreased as Mp leaves grew and developed, whereas terpenoids increased significantly. The secondary metabolites also demonstrated a positive correlation with antioxidant activity. Phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthocyanins were the primary factors influencing the antioxidant activity of leaves. These findings provide new insights into the metabolite formation mechanism, as well as the development and utilization of Mp tea.

Investigating the simultaneous effect of chitosan and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, phenolic compounds, PAL enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in Salvia nemorosa L.

Considering the importance of Salvia nemorosa L. in the pharmaceutical and food industries, and also beneficial approaches of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis and the use of bioelicitors such as chitosan to improve secondary metabolites, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of chitosan on the symbiosis of AMF and the effect of both on the biochemical and phytochemical performance of this plant and finally introduced the best treatment. Two factors were considered for the factorial experiment: AMF with four levels (non-inoculated plants, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices and the combination of both), and chitosan with six levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 mg L-1 and 1% acetic acid). Four months after treatments, the aerial part and root length, the levels of lipid peroxidation, H2O2, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity, total phenol and flavonoid contents and the main secondary metabolites (rosmarinic acid and quercetin) in the leaves and roots were determined. The flowering stage was observed in R. intraradices treatments and the highest percentage of colonization (78.87%) was observed in the treatment of F. mosseae × 400 mg L-1 chitosan. Furthermore, simultaneous application of chitosan and AMF were more effective than their separate application to induce phenolic compounds accumulation, PAL activity and reduce oxidative compounds. The cluster and principal component analysis based on the measured variables indicated that the treatments could be classified into three clusters. It seems that different treatments in different tissues have different effects. However, in an overview, it can be concluded that 400 mg L-1 chitosan and F. mosseae × R. intraradices showed better results in single and simultaneous applications. The results of this research can be considered in the optimization of this medicinal plant under normal conditions and experiments related to abiotic stresses in the future.

Upregulated synthesis and production of bioactive compounds in Lotus arabicus L. by in vitro feeding with dried powder of date palm seeds.

BACKGROUND: Plants are considered the primary source of many principal bioactive compounds that have been utilized in a wide range of applications including the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. Therefore, there is an imperative need to modulate the production of natural bioactive components. The present study aimed to determine the importance of dried and pulverized date palm seeds (DPS) as a natural elicitor for the synthesis of secondary metabolites in Lotus arabicus L. RESULTS: The presence of various antioxidant compounds, simple sugars, amino acids, fatty acids and reasonable mineral contents was distinct in the phytochemical characterization of DPS. The major components detected in DPS analysis were the 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural and 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyranone. The induced callus of L. arabicus (seven weeks old) was supplemented with DPS at different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 8 and 10 g/l) in culture media. Treatment with 8 g/l DPS induced the highest antioxidant capacity, ascorbic acid content and secondary metabolites (total phenolics and flavonoids) in the produced callus. Stress biomarkers (hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde) were found in the control ranges except at 10 g/l DPS. The expression patterns of key genes involoved in secondary metabolism modulation, such as phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), flavonol synthase (FLS) and deoxyxylulose phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), were triggered after DPS treatments. Moreover, the quantitative profiling of phenolic and flavonoid compounds showed that supplementation with DPS, especially at 8 g/l, led to pronounced increases in most of the measured compounds. CONCLUSION: The marked upregulation of eliciting-responsive genes and overproduction of secondary metabolites provide molecular-based evidence for intensifying the principal pathways of phenylpropanoid, flavonoid and terpenoid biosynthesis. Overall, the present in vitro study highlights the stimulating capacity of DPS utilization to improve the bioactive components of L. arabicus at the physiological and molecular levels, enhancing its potential as a medicinal herb.

Cyanobacterial elicitor enhances the biomass of Mentha piperita L. and improves the production of high-value rosmarinic acid under in vitro culture of apical meristem.

BACKGROUND: Rosmarinic acid (RA), like other phenolic compounds, is sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in medicinal plants. In vitro culture of plants can improve the medicinal plants' metabolite profile and phenolic compound quantity. To date, various methods have been proposed to increase this medicinal metabolite in plants, among which the use of bioelicitors can be mentioned. In the present study, a native isolate of heterocystous cyanobacteria, Nostoc spongiaeforme var. tenue ISB65, was used to stimulate the production of biomass and content of RA in Mentha piperita L. (peppermint) grown in vitro from apical meristem. Mentha piperita L. explants were inoculated in half strength Murashige and Skoog (1/2 MS) medium containing cyanobacterial lysate (CL). After 50 days of culturing, the growth indices, the content of photosynthetic pigments, and RA in control and treated plants were measured. RESULTS: CL inoculation resulted in a significant enhancement in the vegetative growth indices of peppermint, including root and shoot length, plant biomass and leaf number. The content of photosynthetic pigments also increased in cyanobacteria-treated plants. Inoculation with CL increased the RA content by 2.3-fold, meaning that the plants treated with CL had the highest RA content (7.68 mg. g- 1 dry weight) compared to the control (3.42 mg. g- 1 dry weight). Additionally, HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several auxins in CL. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of auxins and the chemical content of CL such as K+ and Ca2+, as regulators of metabolic pathways and molecular activities of cells, may be responsible for the enhanced growth and phenolic compounds of plants under tissue culture conditions. An improvement in RA content in the tissue culture of medicinal plants treated with CL was reported for the first time in this investigation.

Therapeutic potential of salidroside in preserving rat cochlea organ of corti from gentamicin-induced injury through modulation of NRF2 signaling and GSK3ß/NF-κB pathway.

Salidroside (SAL) is a phenol glycoside compound found in plants of the Rhodiola genus which has natural antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. SAL are able to protect against manganese-induced ototoxicity. However, the molecular mechanism by which SAL reduces levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is unclear. Here, we established an in vitro gentamicin (GM) ototoxicity model to observe the protective effect of SAL on GM-induced hair cells (HC) damage. Cochlear explants of postnatal day 4 rats were obtained and randomly divided into six groups: two model groups (treatment with 0.2 mM or 0.4 mM GM for 24 h); two 400 µmol/L SAL-pretreated groups pretreatment with SAL for 3 h followed by GM treatment (0.2 mM or 0.4 mM) for 24 h; 400 µmol/L SAL group (treatment with SAL for 24 h); control group (normal cultured cochlear explants). The protective effects of SAL on GM-induced HC damage, and on mRNA and protein levels of antioxidant enzymes were observed. HC loss occurred after 24 h of GM treatment. Pretreatment with SAL significantly reduced GM-induced OHC loss. In cochlear tissues, mRNA and protein levels of NRF2 and HO-1 were enhanced in the GM alone group compared with the SAL pretreatment GM treatment group. SAL may protect against GM-induced ototoxicity by regulating the antioxidant defense system of cochlear tissues; SAL can activate NRF2/HO-1 signaling, inhibit NF-κB activation, activate AKT, and increase inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3ß to decrease GSK3 activity, all of which exert antioxidant effects.

Exogenous chlorogenic acid inhibits quality deterioration in fresh-cut potato slices.

Fresh-cut potatoes are prone to surface browning and physiological degradation. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a natural phenolic antioxidant, has demonstrated preservative properties in various postharvest products. However, the underlying mechanisms of its application on maintaining quality remain unclear. Therefore, the effect of exogenous CGA treatment on quality deterioration of potato slices and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Results revealed CGA treatment retarded the browning coloration, suppressed microbial growth and inhibited the declines in starch, and ascorbic acid contents in potato slices. Meanwhile, the treatment activated the phenylpropanoid pathway but decreased the activities of phenolic decomposition-related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and tyrosinase and downregulated StPPO expression. Moreover, the treated slices exhibited reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, they displayed enhanced 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals scavenging capacity and higher ATP levels. Therefore, these findings indicated that CGA treatment was effective for quality maintenance and antioxidant capacity enhancement in fresh-cut potatoes, thereby providing potential strategies for the preservation and processing of fresh-cut produce.

Antioxidant Activities of Different Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Market Types by Spectrophotometric Techniques Combined with Chemometrics.

Peanut is rich in oil and protein and has a large content of bioactive constituents consisting of tocopherols, phytosterols, and so on. Generally, Virginia, Spanish, Valencia and Runner market types are grown of peanut. In this study, it is aimed to determine the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of peanuts from four different market types, for the first time, and group them with principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). For PCA, PC1 and PC2 explained 87.655 % of the total variation and, according to the HCA of peanut samples, two main groups were determined. The total phenolic content changed 1.556 to 2.899 mg GAE/g. The lowest value have seen at Spanish merket type to determine the antioxidant activities of peanut samples were maked FRAP and DPPH assay, the lowest FRAP value (8.136 µmol FeSO47H2O/g sample) was seen at Valencia market type, the highest (14.004 µmol FeSO47H2O/g sample) was seen at Virginia market type. It was determined that the total flavonoid, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities of the Virginia, Valencia, Spanish, and Runner market types included in the study were different from each other, and the Virginia market type showed superior characteristics compared to the others. The results obtained suggest that Virginia market type may be preferred more especially in peanut cultivation for food uses. It is thought that this study can be a source for future studies by eliminating a deficiency in the literature.

Variation of antibacterial and antioxidant secondary metabolites and volatiles in leaf and callus extracts of Phulai (Acacia Modesta Wall.).

BACKGROUND: Acacia species are economically significant as medicinal plants that have been utilized since ancient times. Acacia modesta has been reported to possess potent antibacterial and antioxidant properties, but its growth rate is slow. In this study, we hypothesized that inducing callus in vitro from A. modesta could enhance the production of antibacterial and antioxidant secondary metabolites, thereby circumventing the issues of slow growth and excessive harvesting of the plant. RESULTS: The callus was induced from axillary buds on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L of 2,4-D and 1 mg/L of BAP. The secondary metabolites, volatile compounds, antibacterial activity, and antioxidant activity of the callus and parent plant leaf extracts were evaluated. The results revealed that the content of phenolics and flavonoids, the number of volatile compounds, and the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the callus extract were significantly enhanced (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the leaf extract. The antibacterial and antioxidant effects were strongly correlated with the total phenolic and flavonoid content in the extracts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that in vitro callus culture increases the production of phenolics, flavonoids, and volatile compounds. This subsequently enhances the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of A. modesta.

Characterization and stability assessment of polyphenols bound to Lycium barbarum polysaccharide: Insights from gastrointestinal digestion and colon fermentation.

Polysaccharides and polyphenols are biologically active components that coexist in Lycium barbarum fruit, and there may be interactions between them that affect the release of each other. In this study, polyphenols bound to L. barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) were characterized, and the stability of bound phenolics (BP) was assessed by gastrointestinal digestion and colon fermentation. The results showed that a total of 65 phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and coumarins were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. Quantitative analysis revealed that the major phenolic constituents were rutin, p-coumaric acid, catechin, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, and gallic acid, and their contents were 58.72, 24.03, 14.24, 13.28, 10.39, and 6.7 mg GAE/100 g DW, respectively. The release of BP by gastric digestion and gastrointestinal digestion was 9.67 % and 19.39 %, respectively. Most polyphenols were greatly affected by gastric digestion, while rutin was released in small intestine. The BP were fully released (49.77 %) and metabolized by gut microorganisms, and a considerable number of intermediates and end-products were detected, such as phloroglucinol, phenylacetic acid, and phenyllactic acid. Microbiomics data emphasized the positive impact of LBP on gut bacteria of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Clostridioides. These findings could deepen our understanding of the bioavailability and biological fate of BP and also provide reference data for nutrient release and utilization of L. barbarum as a whole.

Highly Efficient Verbascoside Production from Olive (Olea europea L. var. Cellina di Nardò) In Vitro Cell Cultures.

Olive (Olea europea L.) is one of the oldest and most important fruit tree species cultivated in the Mediterranean region. Various plant tissues, drupes, and olive oil contain several phenolics (including verbascoside, although it is present in the plant at a low level) that are well-known for their highly beneficial effects on human health. An in vitro olive cell suspension culture (cultivar Cellina di Nardò, "CdN") was established, characterized for its growth and morphological features. Furthermore, a vital and relatively uniform population of protoplasts was generated from the olive suspension culture to investigate their cellular characteristics during growth. The polyphenolic extract of the in vitro "CdN" olive cells contained almost exclusively verbascoside, as revealed by the UPLC-ESI-MS analysis. The content of verbascoside reached up to 100 mg/g DW, with an average production rate of approximately 50 mg/g DW over one year of culture. This level of production has not been previously reported in a limited number of previous studies. This remarkable production of verbascoside was associated with an exceptionally high antioxidant capacity. The high level of verbascoside production and purity of the extract make this system a promising tool for secondary metabolite production.

Variations in chemical composition of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) as a result of different environmental conditions.

BACKGROUND: Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a pseudo cereal that is gaining interest in the world. The chemical profile of common buckwheat determines its high nutritional and health-promoting value. The accumulation of these valuable ingredients depends on many factors, such as: variety, location of cultivation and related weather and agrotechnical conditions. Due to the growing interest in common buckwheat as a natural plant material for food production, it is important to know the factors affecting the quantitative and qualitative composition of its grains. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of the genotype (G), environment (E) and G × E interaction on the content of nutrients (protein, starch, ash, lipids) and bioactive components [dietary fiber (DF), total phenolic content (TPC)] in the common buckwheat grains. The study covered four cultivars grown in three locations for three consecutive vegetation seasons (2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019). RESULTS: Based on the obtained results, a significant influence of the environment and G × E interaction on the content of the studied parameters was found. The greatest impact on the diversity of the content of nutrients had environmental conditions, which in the case of protein and ash determined these features in more than 80%, and in the case of starch, 70%. With regard to bioactive compounds, the greatest influence of the environment was observed for the amount of TPC (78%), lignin (51%) and the DF complex (56%). CONCLUSION: The obtained results are useful for breeders working on expanding the pool of common buckwheat genotypes, stable in changing environmental conditions. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolomic analysis and bioactivities of Arbutus unedo leaves harvested across the seasons in different natural habitats of Sardinia (Italy).

BACKGROUND: Arbutus unedo L. is a wild tree of Mediterranean regions used as food and in traditional medicine and important for afforestation programs. There is no detailed information available on the variation of A. unedo leaves metabolome across the seasons. The leaves were analyzed by Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H NMR)-based metabolomics, comparing samples harvested across the seasons and in ten different natural habitats of Sardinia (Italy). RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed the impact of seasonal variation on the metabolome: glucose and quinic acid increased in summer, while in spring sucrose was accumulated. ß-Arbutin, the main known active principle of A. unedo, generally reached the highest concentration in autumn. In winter, O-ß-methylglucose, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonols (quercetin-3-O-α-rhamnoside, myricetin-3-O-α-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-α-rhamnoside), catechin, and gallocatechin increased. Characteristic metabolomic features were found also for samples collected in different locations. For instance, trees growing at the highest altitude and exposed to lower temperatures produced less flavonols and catechins. The only sample collected on trees growing on limestones, dolomites, and dolomitic limestones type of soil showed generally the highest content of arbutin. The highest phenolics content was found during spring, while samples collected on flowering branches in winter were the ones with the highest flavonoid content. The antioxidant activity was also variated, ranging from 1.3 to 10.1 mg of Trolox equivalents (TE)/mL of extract, and it was positively correlated to both total phenolics and flavonoid content. Winter samples showed the lowest antibacterial activity, while summer and autumn ones exhibited the highest activity (IC50 values ranging from 17.3 to 42.3 µg/mL against Staphylococcal species). CONCLUSION: This work provides 1 H-NMR fingerprinting of A. unedo leaves, elucidating the main metabolites and their variations during seasons. On the basis of arbutin content, autumn could be considered the balsamic period of this taxon. Samples collected in this season were also the most active ones as antibacterial. Moreover, an interesting metabolomic profile enriched in catechins and flavonols was observed in leaves collected in winter on flowering branches which were endowed with high antioxidant potential.

Effect of (poly)phenol-rich 'Daux Belan' apple supplementation on diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance in C57BL/6NCrl mice.

Obesity is a state of metabolic dysfunction that can lead to dyslipidemia and impaired glucose homeostasis. Apple polyphenols have been shown to ameliorate dyslipidemia/metabolic dysfunction in humans. The influence of apple (poly)phenols on energy metabolism in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obese mice remains controversial. This study examined the effect of dietary supplementation of (poly)phenol-rich 'Daux Belan' apple (DB; 6.2 mg gallic acid equivalence (GAE)/mouse/day; 0.15% (poly)phenol) in the form of freeze-dried powder on glucose and lipid metabolism in male HF-fed C57BL/6NCrl mice, in comparison to low-(poly)phenol-containing 'Zestar' apple (Z; 0.4 mg GAE/mouse/day). Obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertriglyceridemia, and hepatic lipid vacuolation were induced by HF feeding while circulating cholesterol levels remained unchanged. DB apple supplementation did not protect against HF-induced body weight gain, hyperglycemia, hepatic triglyceride level elevation, and hepatic lipid vacuolation at the tested dosage. Future studies should be conducted with increased DB dosage and employ apple (poly)phenols supplemented in the form of extracts or sugar-free powder.

Supplementation with antioxidants and phenolic compounds in ruminant feeding and its effect on dairy products: a systematic review.

Milk and dairy products have great importance in human nutrition related to the presence of different nutrients, including protein, fatty acid profile and bioactive compounds. Dietary supplementation with foods containing these types of compounds may influence the chemical composition of milk and dairy products and hence, potentially, the consumer. Our objective was to summarize the evidence of the effect of supplementation with antioxidants and phenolic compounds in the diets of dairy animals and their effects on milk and dairy products. We conducted a systematic search in the MEDLINE/PubMed database for studies published up until July 2022 that reported on supplementation with antioxidants and phenolic compounds in diets that included plants, herbs, seeds, grains and isolated bioactive compounds of dairy animals such as cows, sheep and goats and their effects on milk and dairy products. Of the 94 studies identified in the search, only 15 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The review revealed that supplementation with false flax cake, sweet grass, Acacia farnesiana, mushroom myceliated grains and sweet grass promoted an effect on the milk lipid profile, whereas supplementation with dried grape pomace and tannin extract promoted an effect on the milk and cheese lipid profiles. In six studies, the addition of Acacia farnesiana, hesperidin or naringin, durum wheat bran, mushroom myceliated grains, dried grape pomace and olive leaves increased the antioxidant activity of milk. In conclusion, supplementation with bioactive compounds had a positive impact which ranged from an increase in antioxidant capacity to a decrease in oxidative biomarkers such as malondialdehyde.

The Action Mechanisms, Anti-Cancer and Antibiotic-Modulation Potential of Vaccinium myrtillus L. Extract.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicinal products containing Vaccinium myrtillus L. (bilberry) fruits and fruit extracts are widely available in the market. Although bilberry leaves and stems are considered as bio-waste, they contain much higher levels of phenolic compounds than fruits. The study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and anticancer potential of aerial part extracts from Vaccinium myrtillus L. (V. myrtillus, VM) plants harvested at high altitudes in Armenian landscape and characterize the bioactive phytochemicals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For evaluation of antioxidant properties, chemical-based tests (total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antiradical activity in 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) tests) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay were applied. Genotoxicity and anticancer properties of the extract alone and in combination with fluorouracil were explored in human cancer and normal cell lines. Antibacterial properties of V. myrtillus extract alone and in combination with antibiotics, as well as their effect on proton-flux rate through cell membrane were explored on bacterial strains. The characterization of active phytochemicals was done using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). RESULTS: The V. myrtillus aerial part extract demonstrated promising antioxidant properties in all tests. The selective cytotoxic activity was documented against various cancer cell lines (human colon adenocarcinoma (HT29), human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human cervical carcinoma (HeLa)), while it did not inhibit the growth of tested human normal primary renal mixed epithelial cells (HREC) even at 10-fold higher concentrations. The extract did not have genotoxic properties in comet assay making it a potential source for the development of anticancer preparations. The investigated extract did not directly inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) strains at up to 1 mg/mL concentration. However, V. myrtillus extract enhanced the kanamycin intake and increased its efficiency against E. coli strain. The phytochemical characterization of the extract showed the presence of different groups of phenolics. CONCLUSIONS: Based on obtained data, we suggest the aerial parts of the V. myrtillus plant as an alternative source of bioactive natural products for food supplements, nutraceuticals, functional foods and medicine.

Effects of Cultivation Methods on the Nutritional Content, Active Component Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Fruiting Bodies of Sanghuangporus baumii (Agaricomycetes).

To provide a scientific reference for improving the sawdust cultivation of Sanghuangporus baumii, comparative studies were conducted on the contents of nutritional components and active components and the antioxidant activity of the fruiting bodies of S. baumii cultivated with sawdust and cut logs. The results indicate that, first, cultivation methods had little effect on the contents of crude fat and the measured 16 kinds of amino acids [including total essential amino acids (EAA), total nonessential amino acids (NEAA), EAA/NEAA, and EAA/total amino acid (TAA)], but had a great influence on the contents of crude protein, crude fiber and TAA. These results suggest that the nutritional content under sawdust cultivation was significantly higher than that under cut-log cultivation. Second, the cultivation methods had little effect on the content of triterpenoids but had a great effect on the contents of polysaccharides, total flavonoids and total phenols, which showed that cut-log cultivation was significantly higher than sawdust cultivation. Third, the cultivation methods had a great effect on the antioxidant activities (ABTS and FRAP), which showed that cut-log cultivation was significantly higher than sawdust cultivation. The contents of polysaccharides, total flavonoids, and total phenols and the ABTS and FRAP activities using sawdust cultivation were lower than those using cut-log cultivation, which may be related to the mushroom strains, cultivation medium formula and cultivation technology. The results provide a solid basis for the improvement and promotion of new cultivation technologies for S. baumii.

In Vitro/In Vivo Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of Defatted Extract and a Phenolic Fraction Obtained from Phlomis Tuberosa.

An in vitro/in vivo hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotection evaluation of a defatted extract and a phenolic fraction from Phlomis tuberosa, administered alone and in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced metabolic bioactivation model, was performed. The extract and the phenolic fraction were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the total flavonoid content, to identify flavonoids and to quantify verbascoside. In addition, total polyphenolics in the samples were expressed as gallic acid equivalents. Applied alone, the extract and the fraction (5, 10 and 50 µg/mL) did not show a statistically significant hepatotoxic effect on isolated rat hepatocytes in vitro. In a CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity model, the samples exhibited a concentration-dependent, statistically significant hepatoprotective effect, which was most pronounced at 50 µg/mL for both. The phenolic fraction exhibited a more pronounced hepatoprotective effect compared to the extract. Data from the in vitro study on the effects of the extract were also confirmed in the in vivo experiment conducted in a CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity model in rats. A histopathological study showed that the animals treated with CCl4 and the extract had an unaltered histoarchitecture of the liver. The effects of the extract were the same as those of silymarin.

Protective Role of Phenolic Compounds from Whole Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) against LPS-Induced Inflammation in Colon and Macrophage Cells.

The chemical profiling of phenolic and terpenoid compounds in whole cardamom, skin, and seeds (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) showed 11 phenolics and 16 terpenoids, many of which are reported for the first time. Herein, we report the anti-inflammatory properties of a methanolic extract of whole cardamom in colon and macrophage cells stimulated with an inflammatory bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results show that cardamom extracts lowered the expression of pro-inflammatory genes NFkß, TNFα, IL-6, and COX2 in colon cells by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) while not affecting LXRα. In macrophages, cardamom extracts lowered the expression of pro-inflammatory genes NFkß, TNFα, IL-6, and COX2 and decreased NO levels through a reduction in ROS and enhanced gene expression of nuclear receptors LXRα and PPARγ. The cardamom extracts in a range of 200-800 µg/mL did not show toxicity effects in colon or macrophage cells. The whole-cardamom methanolic extracts contained high levels of phenolics compounds (e.g., protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, among others) and are likely responsible for the anti-inflammatory and multifunctional effects observed in this study. The generated information suggests that cardamom may play a protective role against low-grade inflammation that can be the basis of future in vivo studies using mice models of inflammation and associated chronic diseases.

Biochemical and phytochemical responses of Ammi visnaga L. (Apiaceae) callus culture elicited by SiO2 and graphene Oxide-SiO2 nanoparticles.

Ammi visnaga L. is an enriched medicinal plant with medicinally important compounds. Two types of nanoparticles (NPs) including silica (SiO2) and graphene oxide bound with SiO2 (GO-SiO2) NPs at different concentrations (0, 15, 25 mg L-1) were used as elicitors to investigate their effects on callus morphology, H2O2 content, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), and few antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in the callus cultures of A. visnaga. The effects of elicitation of both NPs on calli were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The 15 mg L-1 concentration of GO-SiO2 NPs produced the highest TPC (193.3 mg GAE g-1 FW), CAT (13.1 U mg-1 Protein), GPX (0.0089 U mg-1 Protein), and APX (0.079 U mg-1 Protein). Whereas, the maximum content of H2O2 (0.68 µmol g-1 FW), FRAP (0.0092 µmol mg-1), and TFC (62.27 mg QE g-1 FW) was observed at 25 mg L-1 and 15 mg L-1 of SiO2 NPs, respectively. Conclusively, in the callus culture of A. visnaga, the 15 mg L-1 concentration of GO-SiO2 NPs was the most suitable dosage for enhancing the enzymatic antioxidant activities (CAT, GPX, APX) and TPC, rather than SiO2 NPs.