Use of 4-D proteomics to differentiate between bovine and camel lactoferrin.

Lactoferrin is a multifunctional protein that has various biological activities and applications. However, different sources of lactoferrin may have different properties and characteristics. In this study, we hypothesized that ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (UPLC-QTOF-IMS) coupled with UNIFI software can differentiate bovine lactoferrin from camel lactoferrin based on the unique peptides produced by trypsin digestion. We enzymatically digested the proteins using trypsin and analyzed the resulting peptides using Uniport software and in silico digestion. We identified 14 marker peptides that were unique to bovine lactoferrin and could be used to distinguish it from camel lactoferrin. We also demonstrated the advantages of 4D proteomics over 3D proteomics in separating and identifying peptides based on their mass, retention time, intensity, and ion mobility. This method can be applied to other lactoferrin sources and improve the quality control and authentication of lactoferrin products.

Polyphenol-Rich Date Palm Fruit Seed (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Extract Inhibits Labile Iron, Enzyme, and Cancer Cell Activities, and DNA and Protein Damage.

Date palm fruit seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) extract (DSE), an under-utilized resource, is a rich source of polyphenols with high potency for disease prevention and antioxidative activities. For the first time, the present study demonstrated that DSE inhibits labile iron activity and DNA and BSA damage and inhibits acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase activities. Moreover, DSE reduces the proliferation of hepatic, colorectal, and breast cancer cells dose-dependently through apoptotic mechanisms. Furthermore, DSE significantly suppressed the expression of both BCl-2 and P21 genes and increased the P53 expression level when compared with the untreated cells and the 5-FU treated cells. These findings suggest a strong potential for DSE in protecting against the iron-catalyzed ferroptosis that results in programmed cell death. The results also confirm the efficacy of DSE against cancer cells. Therefore, DSE constitutes a valuable candidate for developing functional foods and for natural compound-based chemotherapy for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Physicochemical and biochemical properties of honeys from arid regions.

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of 11 honeys from arid regions for first time, and compare it with 5 different honeys from non-arid regions. Mean values obtained for physicochemical parameters were: pH 4.76 ± 0.55; 17.32 ± 1.8% moisture; 80.95 ± 1.60 °Brix sugar; 69.05 ± 4.41% total sugar; 413.81 ± 178.48 µS cm(-1) electrical conductivity; 17.58 ± 7.68 meq/kg free acidity; 11.05 ± 3.18 meq/kg lactonic acidity; 28.63 ± 9.6 meq/kg total acidity; 12.66 ± 20.39 mg/kg HMF; 0.58 ± 0.03 water activity; and 0.98 ± 0.62 colour intensity. Potassium was the major mineral (1760.54 ± 685.24 mg/kg). All the samples showed considerable significant variations with reference to their physicochemical and biochemical properties, moreover, the total free amino acids and total carotenoids were 61.13 ± 63.16 mg/100g and 4.07 ± 10.05 µg/100g respectively. Acrylamide was detected only in one sample at 2.39 ± 0.22 µg/kg.

Bioactive components, antioxidant and DNA damage inhibitory activities of honeys from arid regions.

Honey serves as a good source of natural antioxidants, which are effective in reducing the risk of occurrence of several diseases. This study was undertaken to address the limited knowledge regarding the polyphenolic content, antioxidant and DNA damage inhibitory activities of honeys produced in arid regions and compare them with well-recognized honeys from non-arid regions. Different types of honey were assessed for their contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and certain types of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity of honey was evaluated by ferric-reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP), free radical-scavenging activity (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) radical-scavenging assay, total antioxidant activity, and DNA damage. Results clearly showed significant differences among honeys with all the evaluated parameters. Results also showed that one or more types of honey from arid regions contained higher levels of phenolic compounds, free radical-scavenging activities, or DNA damage inhibitory activities compared with the evaluated honeys from non-arid regions.