Optimization of Free Phytoprostane and Phytofuran Production by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Pea Extracts Using Esterases.

Given the growing interest in phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) and phytofurans (PhytoFs) in the fields of plant physiology, biotechnology, and biological function, the present study aims to optimize a method of enzymatic hydrolysis that utilizes bacterial and yeast esterases that allow the appropriate quantification of PhytoPs and PhytoFs. To obtain the highest concentration of PhytoPs and PhytoFs, a response surface methodology/Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the hydrolysis conditions. Based on the information available in the literature on the most critical parameters that influence the activity of esterases, the three variables selected for the study were temperature (°C), time (min), and enzyme concentration (%). The optimal hydrolysis conditions retrieved differed between PhytoPs (21.5 °C, 5.7 min, and 0.61 µg of enzyme per reaction) and PhytoFs (20.0 °C, 5.0 min, and 2.17 µg of enzyme per reaction) and provided up to 25.1- and 1.7-fold higher contents relative to nonhydrolyzed extracts. The models were validated by comparing theoretical and experimental values for PhytoP and PhytoF yields (1.01 and 1.06 theoretical/experimental rates, respectively). The optimal conditions were evaluated for their relative influence on the yield of individual nonesterified PhytoPs and PhytoFs to define the limitations of the models for obtaining the highest concentration of most considered compounds. In conclusion, the models developed provided valuable alternatives to the currently applied methods using unspecific alkaline hydrolysis to obtain free nonesterified PhytoPs and PhytoFs, which give rise to more specific hydrolysis of PhytoP and PhytoF esters, reducing the degradation of free compounds by classical chemical procedures.

Update on oxidative stress and inflammation in pregnant women, unborn children (nasciturus), and newborns - Nutritional and dietary effects.

The scientific background of perinatal pathology, regarding both mother and offspring, from the lipidomic perspective, has highlighted the possibility of identifying new, promising clinical markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, closely related to the normal development of unborn and newborn children, together with their application. In this regard, in recent years, significant advances have been achieved, assisted by both newly developed analytical tools and basic knowledge on the biological implications of oxylipins. Hence, in the light of this recent progress, this review aims to provide an update on the relevance of human oxylipins during pregnancy and in the unborn and newborn child, covering two fundamental aspects. Firstly, the evidence from human clinical studies and dietary intervention trials will be used to shed light on the extent to which dietary supplementation can modulate the lipidomic markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the perinatal state, emphasizing the role of the placenta and metabolic disturbances in the mother and fetus. The second part of this article comprises a review of existing data on specific pathophysiological aspects of human reproduction, in relation to lipidomic markers in pregnant women, unborn children, and newborn children. The information reviewed here evidences the current opportunity to correct reproductive disturbances, in the framework of lipidomics, by fine-tuning dietary interventions.

Comparative Study of the Phytoprostane and Phytofuran Content of indica and japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Flours.

Phytoprostanes and phytofurans (PhytoPs and PhytoFs, respectively) are nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation products derived from α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3), considered biomarkers of oxidative degradation in plant foods. The present work profiled these compounds in white and brown grain flours and rice bran from 14 rice cultivars of the subspecies indica and japonica by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. For PhytoPs, the average concentrations were higher in rice bran (0.01-9.35 ng g-1) than in white and brown grain flours (0.01-1.17 ng g-1). In addition, the evaluation of rice flours for the occurrence PhytoFs evidenced average values 1.77, 4.22, and 10.30 ng g-1 dw in rice bran, brown grain flour, and white grain flour, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between total and individual compounds. The concentrations retrieved suggest rice bran as a valuable source of PhytoPs and PhytoFs that should be considered in further studies on bioavailability and bioactivity of such compounds.

Assessment of (poly)phenols in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems by using food/pharma industry compatible solvents and Response Surface Methodology.

A Box-Behnken design of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was conducted to analyse the effect of time (10-30 min), temperature (25-95°C), and solvents concentration (5-90%) on the extraction of total phenolics, flavonoids, ortho-diphenols, and anthocyanins as well as to assess the ABTS(+) scavenging capacity, which were considered as response variables. Values coefficients of determination (R(2)), ranging from 0.903 to 0.996, fitted for describing efficient extraction of bioactive (poly)phenols and antioxidant activity. The recorded data allowed to establish the optimal extraction conditions at 23.0 min, 95.0°C, and 57.9% of food-quality ethanol/water for Vitis vinifera L. var. 'Viosinho' (white variety), and 23.4 min, 84.2°C, and 63.8% for var. 'Touriga Nacional' (red variety). The achievement of optimal extraction conditions of phenolics from grape stems using solvents compatible with further uses in food/pharma industries demonstrated that RSM constitutes a powerful tool for deriving optimal conditions for extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds from grape stems.

Physical activity increases the bioavailability of flavanones after dietary aronia-citrus juice intake in triathletes.

Control and triathlete volunteers (n=8 and n=15, respectively) were given 400 mL and 200 mL of aronia-citrus juice (AC-juice), respectively. The 24h urine samples were hydrolysed to determine the flavanones concentration by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The flavanones metabolites in both groups of volunteers were glucuronides, sulfates, and sulfo-glucuronides, and the total excretion of flavanones increased fivefold in the triathletes compared with the control volunteers. The increase of ninefold in the homoeriodictyol of triathletes compared to control volunteers may suggest the overactivation of the microbiota metabolism caused by physical exercise. No differences concerning the bioavailability were detected between men and women in controlboth groups. The AC-juice could provide synergistic effects on health due to the increase in the bioavailability of flavanones, avoiding the deleterious effects caused by the overdosage of nutritional supplements.