Nutraceutical Potential of Leaf Hydro-Ethanolic Extract of the Edible Halophyte Crithmum maritimum L.

Aromatic halophytes represent an exceptional source of natural bioactive compounds for the food industry. Crithmum maritimum L., also known as sea fennel, is a halophyte plant colonizing cliffs and coastal dunes along Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. It is well known to produce essential oils and polyphenols endowed with antioxidant and biological effects. The present work reports the phytochemical profile, as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial and antimutagenic properties of C. maritimum leaf hydro-alcoholic extract. From LC-ESI-MS analysis, eighteen phenolic compounds were depicted in sea fennel extract and the amount of total phenolic content exceeds 3% DW. Accordingly, C. maritimum extract showed strong antioxidant activities, as evidenced by in vitro (DPPH, ORAC, FRAP) and ex vivo (CAA-RBC and hemolysis) assays. An important antimicrobial activity against pathogenic strains was found as well as a strong capacity to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 35556) biofilm formation. Sea fennel extracts showed a significant decrease of mutagenesis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and menadione (ME) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 strain. In conclusion, our results show that C. maritimum is an exceptional source of bioactive components and exert beneficial effects against oxidative or mutagenic mechanisms, and pathogenic bacteria, making it a potential functional food.

Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity against Staphylococcus aureus of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Cladode Polyphenolic Extracts.

Plant extracts are a rich source of natural compounds with antimicrobial properties, which are able to prevent, at some extent, the growth of foodborne pathogens. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of polyphenolic extracts from cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. to inhibit the growth of some enterobacteria and the biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus. Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes at two stages of development were analysed for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) (in vitro assays) and by cellular antioxidant activity in red blood cells (CAA-RBC) (ex vivo assay). The Liquid Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS-TOF) analysis of the polyphenolic extracts revealed high levels of piscidic acid, eucomic acid, isorhamnetin derivatives and rutin, particularly in the immature cladode extracts. Opuntia cladodes extracts showed a remarkable antioxidant activity (in vitro and ex vivo), a selective inhibition of the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, and an inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. Our results suggest and confirm that Opuntia ficus-indica cladode extracts could be employed as functional food, due to the high polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity, and used as natural additive for food process control and food safety.

Nutraceutical potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds and sprouts.

In this study the antioxidant effect of Cannabis sativa L. seeds and sprouts (3 and 5 days of germination) was evaluated. Total polyphenols, flavonoids and flavonols content, when expressed on dry weight basis, were highest in sprouts; ORAC and DPPH (in vitro assays), CAA-RBC (cellular antioxidant activity in red blood cells) and hemolysis test (ex vivo assays) evidenced a good antioxidant activity higher in sprouts than in seeds. Untargeted analysis by high resolution mass spectrometry in negative ion mode allowed the identification of main polyphenols (caffeoyltyramine, cannabisin A, B, C) in seeds and of ω-6 (linoleic acid) in sprouts. Antimutagenic effect of seeds and sprouts extracts evidenced a significant decrease of mutagenesis induced by hydrogen peroxide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 strain. In conclusion our results show that C. sativa seeds and sprouts exert beneficial effects on yeast and human cells and should be further investigated as a potential functional food.

Antimutagenic and antioxidant activity of Lisosan G in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the present study the antimutagenic and antioxidant effects of a powder of grain (Lisosan G) in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were studied. Results showed that Lisosan G treatment decreased significantly the intracellular ROS concentration and mutagenesis induced by hydrogen peroxide in S. cerevisiae D7 strain. The effect of Lisosan G was then evaluated by using superoxide dismutase (SOD) proficient and deficient strains of S. cerevisiae. Lisosan G showed protective activity in sod1Δ and sod2Δ mutant strains, indicating an in vivo antioxidant effect. A high radical scavenging activity of Lisosan G was also demonstrated in vitro using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The obtained results showed a protective effect of Lisosan G in yeast cells, indicating that its antioxidant capacity contributes to its antimutagenic action.

Nonylphenol polyethoxylate degradation in aqueous waste by the use of batch and continuous biofilm bioreactors.

An aerobic bacterial consortium (Consortium A) was recently obtained from textile wastewater and was capable of degrading 4-nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs). In the perspective of developing a biotechnological process for the treatment of effluents from activated sludge plants fed with NPnEO contaminated wastewater, the capability of Consortium A of biodegrading an industrial mixture of NPnEOs in the physiological condition of immobilized cells was investigated. Two identically configured packed bed reactors were developed by immobilizing the consortium on silica beads or granular activated carbon. Both reactors were tested in batch and continuous mode by feeding them with water supplemented with NPnEOs. The two reactors were monitored through chemical, microbiological and molecular integrated methodology. Active biofilms were generated on both immobilization supports. Both reactors displayed comparable NPnEO mineralization under batch and continuous conditions. FISH analyses evidenced that the biofilms evolved with time by changing the reactor operation mode and the organic load. Taken together, the data collected in this study provide a preliminary strong indication on the feasibility of Consortium A-based biofilm technology for the decontamination of NPnEO containing effluents.

The role of zinc in life: a review.

Zinc is a common element in human and natural environments and plays an important part in many biological processes. Zinc, which is defined as an essential trace element, or a micronutrient, is essential for the normal growth and the reproduction of all higher plants and animals, and of humans. In addition, it plays a key role during physiological growth and fulfills an immune function. It is vital for the functionality of more than 300 enzymes, for the stabilization of DNA, and for gene expression. This review summarizes the role and manifestations of zinc in the environment and its importance for human health and metabolism, as well as its physiological role. Toxicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, and immunological functions of zinc are outlined with particular reference to the properties of zinc as an antioxidant, and its role in cancer prevention.