Antidiabetic Effect of Fig Seed Oil in Rats with Diabetes Induced by Streptozotocin.

The anti-diabetic effect of Ficus carica (Fig) seed oil was investigated. 4 groups with 6 rats in each group were used in the experiment as control, diabetes (45 mg/kg streptozotocin), fig seed oil (FSO) (6 mL/ kg/day/rat by gavage) and diabetes+FSO groups. Glucose, urea, creatinine, ALT, AST, GSH, AOPP and MDA analyses were done. Pancreatic tissues were examined histopathologically. When fig seed oil was given to the diabetic group, the blood glucose level decreased. In the diabetes+FSO group, serum urea, creatinine, AOPP, MDA levels and ALT and AST activities decreased statistically significantly compared to the diabetes group, while GSH levels increased significantly, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescent improvements were observed. It has been shown for the first time that FSO has positive effects on blood glucose level and pancreatic health. It can be said that the protective effect of fig seed oil on tissues may be due to its antioxidant activity.

Anticancer activity of Zingiber ottensii essential oil and its nanoformulations.

Zingiber ottensii, is widely used in Asian traditional remedies for the treatment of many diseases. The present study explores anticancer activity of Z. ottensii essential oil (ZOEO) and its nanoformulations. ZOEO obtained from hydrodistillation of Z. ottensii fresh rhizomes was analysis using gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Zerumbone (25.21%) was the major compound of ZOEO followed by sabinene (23.35%) and terpene-4-ol (15.97%). Four types of ZOEO loaded nanoformulations; nanoemulsion, microemulsion, nanoemulgels, and microemulgel, were developed. The average droplet size of the nanoemulsion and microemulsion was significantly smaller than that of the nanoemulgel and microemulgel. Comparison with other essential oils of plants of the same family on anticancer activity against A549, MCF-7, HeLa, and K562, ZOEO showed the highest cytotoxicity with IC50 of 43.37±6.69, 9.77±1.61, 23.25±7.73, and 60.49±9.41 µg/mL, respectively. Investigation using flow cytometry showed that ZOEO significantly increased the sub-G1 populations (cell death) in cell cycle analysis and induced cell apoptosis by apoptotic analysis. The developed nanoformulations significantly enhanced cytotoxicity of ZOEO, particularly against MCF-7 with the IC50 of 3.08±2.58, 0.74±0.45, 2.31±0.91, and 6.45±5.84 µg/mL, respectively. Among the four nanoformulations developed in the present study, nanoemulsion and microemulsion were superior to nanoemulgel and microemulgel in delivering ZOEO into cancer cells.

Essential oil from Lavandula angustifolia elicits expression of three SbWRKY transcription factors and defense-related genes against sorghum damping-off.

Sorghum damping-off, caused by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc., is a serious disease which causes economic loss in sorghum production. In this study, antagonistic activity of lavender essential oil (EO) at 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, and 1.6% against F. solani was studied in vitro. Their effects on regulation of three SbWRKY transcription factors, the response factor JERF3 and eight defense-related genes, which mediate different signaling pathways, in sorghum were investigated. Effects of application under greenhouse conditions were also evaluated. The results showed that lavender EO possesses potent antifungal activity against F. solani. A complete inhibition in the fungal growth was recorded for lavender EO at 1.6%. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis revealed that EO antifungal activity is most likely attributed to linalyl anthranilate, α-terpineol, eucalyptol, α-Pinene, and limonene. Observations using transmission electron microscopy revealed many abnormalities in the ultrastructures of the fungal mycelium as a response to treating with lavender EO, indicating that multi-mechanisms contributed to their antagonistic behavior. Results obtained from Real-time PCR investigations demonstrated that the genes studied were overexpressed, to varying extents in response to lavender EO. However, SbWRKY1 was the highest differentially expressed gene followed by JERF3, which suggest they play primary role(s) in synchronously organizing the transcription-regulatory-networks enhancing the plant resistance. Under greenhouse conditions, treating of sorghum grains with lavender EO at 1.5% prior to infection significantly reduced disease severity. Moreover, the growth parameters evaluated, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents were all enhanced. In contrast, lipid peroxidation was highly reduced. Results obtained from this study support the possibility of using lavender EO for control of sorghum damping-off. However, field evaluation is highly needed prior to any usage recommendation.

Baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) Oil Extraction by Supercritical-CO2: Improved Composition by Using Water as Cosolvent.

Baru (Dipteryx alata) almond is an emerging nut from the Brazilian savannah, that presents unique flavor and an interesting specialty oil. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effects of pressure, temperature, type (alcohol and/or water), and concentration of polar cosolvent on the extraction yield and tocopherol contents of baru oil obtained by supercritical-CO2 extraction (SC-CO2); and to investigate the effect of temperature and pressure on phytosterol, phenolic, and volatile compounds' profile in the oil when H2O was the cosolvent. Baru oil extracted with SC-CO2 using alcohol as a cosolvent showed a higher extraction yield (20.5-31.1%) than when using H2O (4.16-22.7%). However, when 0.3% H2O was used as cosolvent, baru oils presented the highest γ-tocopherol (107 and 43.7 mg/100 g) and total tocopherol (212 and 48.7 mg/100 g) contents, depending on the temperature and pressure used (50°C and 10 MPa or 70°C and 30 MPa, respectively). Consequently, the lowest pressure (10 MPa) and temperature (50°C) values resulted in baru oils with better γ/α-ratio, and the highest contents of ß-sitosterol (107 mg/100 g) and phenolic compounds (166 mg/100 g). However, the highest pressure (30 MPa) and temperature (70°C) values improved the volatile profile of oils. Therefore, although alcohol as a cosolvent improved oil yield, small amounts of H2O provided a value-added baru oil with either high content of bioactive compounds or with a distinctive volatile profile by tuning temperature and pressure used during SC-CO2 extraction.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of oil from hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.): Part 1.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-assisted extraction of the intermediate product from the mechanical expression of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed oil was investigated to improve the overall expression yield without compromising oil quality. Complementary ultrasound technology was used as an out-of-line treatment carried out at 20 kHz frequency and optimized with respect to amplitude (80 and 152 µm), sonication time (2, 10, 20 min) and to the hemp paste properties, in particular its particle size and hydration, which drive the compressibility of the press cake. RESULTS: Under the conditions evaluated, the optimal ultrasound treatment was found to be the one applied on the hydrated press cake for 2 min at 152 µm, which resulted in an oil yield of 13.4%, with an increase in extraction efficiency equal to 73% with respect to the control (untreated press cake). Sonication had a positive effect on the press cake texture and on the extracted oil antioxidant activity. Soaked samples treated for 2 min at 152 µm yielded the lowest hardness. Oil recovered from soaked samples treated at 80 µm and 152 µm ultrasound for 2 min had the highest antioxidant capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The technological results gathered in the present investigation are preliminary to the design and engineering of scaled-up equipment that combines the mechanical screw expression and the in-line ultrasound unit. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Adaptogenic activity of Cinnamomum camphora, Eucalyptus globulus, Lavandula stœchas and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil used in North-African folk medicine.

Depressive anxiety is one of the most emotional disorders in our industrial societies. Many treatments of phobias exist and are based on plant extracts therapies, which play an important role in the amelioration of the behavior. Our study aimed to evaluate the adaptogenic activity of different essential oils provided from local plants: Cinnamomum camphora (Camphora), Eucalyptus globulus (Blue gum), Lavandula stœchas (Topped lavender) and Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) on Wistar rats. The adaptogenic activity was evaluated on the elevated plus-maze. The efficacy of the extract (200 mL/kg) was compared with the standard anxiolytic drug Diazepam® 1 mg. Animals administered by the essential oil of Lavandula stœchas, Cinnamomum camphora, Rosmarinus officinalis and Eucalyptus globulus showed a behavior similar to those treated with Diazepam®. For groups treated with the following essential oils: Rosmarinus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas and Cinnamomum camphora at a dose of 200 mL/kg, we notice an increase in the time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and a decrease in time spent on the closed arms of the elevated plus-maze, especially for Rosmarinus officinalis, which explains the anxiolytic effect of these plants. We also notice a decrease in the number of entries in closed arms, open arms and the number of passing to the central square. The increase in the number of entries to open arms with Eucalyptus globulus essential oil shows a reduction in anxiety behavior in rodents and this shows that these plants have an inhibitory effect.

Volatile Compounds and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Selected Citrus Essential Oils Originated from Nepal.

Citrus species of plants are among the most commercially cultivated crops, mainly for their fruit. Besides, the generally consumed flesh inside the fruit, the peel is quite important too. Essential oils extracted from the peel have a history of being used by humankind for centuries. These essential oils are rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. Comparative investigation of volatile constituents, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were undertaken. The essential oils were evaluated through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and enantiomeric composition by chiral GC-MS. Similarly, the antioxidant properties were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay, and antimicrobial activities were assayed using the disk diffusion method. The highest extraction yield of 1.83% was observed in Citrus sinensis Osbeck. GC-MS analysis showed limonene (63.76-89.15%), γ-terpinene (0.24-6.43%), ß-pinene (0.15-6.09%), linalool (0.35-3.5%), sabinene (0.77-2.17%), myrcene (0.74-1.75%), α-terpineol (0.28-1.15%), and α-pinene (0.2-0.58%) as the major constituents of the essential oil of the Citrus species studied. For the first time, through our study, chiral terpenoids have been observed from Citrus grandis Osbeck essential oil. The order of antioxidant activity is as follows: Citrus grandis Osbeck red flesh > Citrus reticulata Blanco > Citrus sinensis Osbeck > Citrus grandis Osbeck white flesh. Except for Citrus grandis Osbeck white flesh (52.34 µL/mL), all samples demonstrated stronger antioxidant activities than those of the positive control, quercetin (5.60 µL/mL). Therefore, these essential oils can be used as a safe natural antioxidant to prevent product oxidation. Likewise, citrus peel essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against tested bacterial strains, albeit marginal.

Volatile Components of the Kuromoji Essential Oil (Lindera umbellata Thunb.) and the Utilization for Touch Care Treatment.

The volatile components of kuromoji oil (Lindera umbellata Thunb.) obtained in Shizuoka Pref. were analyzed by GC/MS. Linalool, α-pinene, limonene, camphene, cis- and trans-dihydrocarvone, 1,8-cineol, 4-terpinenol, α-terpineol, piperitone, geranyl acetate, geraniol, and trans-nerolidol were identified as major components. Using enantio-MDGC-MS, the enantiomeric ratio ((R)-(-) vs (S)-(+)) of linalool in this oil was determined to be 67.8/32.2. Touch care treatment while sniffing this oil was done on cancer patients. We found that the relaxation effect persisted longer after the treatment compared to treatment without aroma.

Chemical Characterization of Chinese Perilla Seed Oil.

Physicochemical properties and chemical composition of Chinese perilla seed oil has been characterized in this study. The result showed that both the cold press oil and the solvent extracted oil possessed low acid value and peroxide value. The fatty acid composition result showed that the oil has high content of linolenic acid (C18:3) up to 66.4 g/100 g, followed by linoleic acid (C18:2) of 15.3 g/100 g. The total triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles results showed that the oil contained 20 TAGs including 17 regioisomers, including LnLnLn (35.8 g/100 g), LLnLn (20.2 g/100 g), LLLn (17.7 g/100 g) and PLnLn (14.9 g/100 g) (Ln, linolenic acid; L, linoleic acid; P, palmitic acid). With content of only 0.57 g/100 g oil, the unsaponifiable matters were mainly composed of phytosterols, squalene, tocopherol, alcohols and hydrocarbons. The total phytosterols content was 0.39 g/100 g oil, in which ß-sitosterol has high content of 0.31 g/100 g oil.

Changes in Fatty Acid, Tocopherol and Sterol Contents of Oils Extracted from Several Vegetable Seeds.

Oil contents of seeds changed between 15.89 g/100 g (purslane) and 38.97 g/100 g (black radish). Palmitic acid contents of oil samples were found between 2.2 g/100 g (turnip) and 15.0 g/100 g (purslane). While oleic acid contents of oil samples change between 12.1% (turnip) and 69.8% (purple carrot), linoleic acid contents of oils were determined between 8.9% (black radish) and 57.0% (onion). The highest linolenic acid was found in purslane oil (26.7%). While α-tocopherol contents of oil samples range from 2.01 mg/kg (purple carrot) to 903.01 mg/kg (onion), γ-tocopherol contents of vegetable seed oils changed between 1.14 mg/kg (curly lettuce) and 557.22 mg/kg (purslane). While campesterin contents of seed oils change between 203.2 mg/kg (purple carrot) and 2808.5 mg/kg (cabbage Yalova), stosterin contents of oil samples varied from 981.5 (curly lettuce) to 4843.3 mg/kg (purslane). The highest brassicasterin and δ5-avenasterin were found in red cabbage oil (894.5 mg/kg) and purslane seed oils (971.3 mg/kg), respectively. Total sterol contents of seed oils changed between 2960.4 mg/kg (purple carrot) and 9185.1 mg/kg (purslane). According to the results, vegetable seeds have different bioactive compound such as fatty acid, tocopherol and phytosterol.

SIRT 3 was involved in Lycium barbarum seed oil protection testis from oxidative stress: in vitro and in vivo analyses.

CONTEXT: Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae) seed oil (LBSO) exerts LBSO exerts protective effects in the testis in vivo and in vitro via upregulating SIRT3. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effects and mechanism of LBSO in the d-galactose (d-gal)-induced ageing testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (n = 30, 8-week-old) were randomly divided into three groups: LBSO group (n = 10) where rats received subcutaneous injection of d-gal at 125 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks and intragastric administration of LBSO at 1000 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, ageing model group (n = 10) received 8-week-sunbcutaneous injection of d-gal, and control group (n = 10) with same administration of normal saline. Lentivirus had established TM4 cells with SIRT3 overexpression or silencing before LBSO intervened in vitro. RESULTS: Treatment with LBSO, the levels of INHB and testosterone both increased, compared to ageing model. In vitro, we found the ED50 of LBSO was 86.72 ± 1.49 and when the concentration of LBSO at 100 µg/mL to intervene TM4 cells, the number of cells increased from 8120 ± 676.2 to 15251 ± 1119, and the expression of SIRT3, HO-1, and SOD upregulated. However, HO-1 and SOD were dysregulated by silencing SIRT3. On the other hand, the expression of AMPK and PGC-1α upregulated as an effect of SIRT3 overexpression by lentivirus, meanwhile the same increasing trend of that being found in cells treated with LBSO, compared to control group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: LBSO alleviated oxidative stress in d-gal-induced sub-acutely ageing testis and TM4 cells by suppressing the oxidative stress to mitochondria via SIRT3/AMPK/PGC-1α.

Protective Effect of Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. Seed Oil on Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: A Biochemical and Histological Analysis.

Opuntia dillenii is a medicinal plant with frequent usage in folk medicine to treat many illnesses. The present study aims to investigate the protective effect of Opuntia dillenii seed oil against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The animals (rats) were randomly divided into three groups (i) the normal control group treated only with distilled water (10 mL/kg), (ii) the gentamicin group treated with distilled water (10 mL/kg) and received an intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin (80 mg/kg), and (iii) the group treated with the Opuntia dillenii seed oil (2 mL/kg) and also received an intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin (80 mg/kg). The rats received their following treatments for 14 consecutive days orally. Serum urea, creatinine, gamma-glutamyl transferase, albumin, and electrolyte levels were quantified as the markers of acute renal and liver failure. Besides, the kidney and liver relative weight, kidney malondialdehydes, and kidney histological analysis were determined. The results have shown that daily pretreatment with Opuntia dillenii seed oil (2 mL/kg) prevented severe alterations of biochemical parameters and disruptions of kidney tissue structures. In addition, the results of the present study showed for the first time that Opuntia dillenii seed oil reduced renal toxicity in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Therefore, Opuntia dillenii seed oil may represent a new therapeutic avenue to preserve and protect renal function in gentamicin-treated patients.

Recent progress in micro and nano-encapsulation of bioactive derivatives of the Brazilian genus Pterodon.

In the last few decades, utilization of medicinal plants by the pharmaceutical industry has led to the identification of many new bioactive compounds. The genus Pterodon, native of the Brazilian Flora, is known for the therapeutic properties attributed to its species, which are widely used in popular medicine for their anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, tonic, and depurative properties. The intrinsic low water solubility of the plant derivatives from the genus, including diterpenes with vouacapane skeletons that are partially associated with the pharmacological activities, impairs the bioavailability of these bioactive compounds. Recent studies have aimed to encapsulate Pterodon products to improve their water solubility, achieve stability, increase their efficacy, and allow clinical applications. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research on the use of nanotechnology for the development of new products from plant derivatives of the Pterodon genus in different types of micro- and nanocarriers. Therapeutic properties of their different products are also presented. Finally, an update about the current and future applications of encapsulated formulations is provided.

Chemical Composition, Acetylcholine Esterase and Anti-bacterial Activities of Essential Oils of Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Desf.) Maire from Algeria.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, the Algerian medicinal plant Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Desf.) Maire has been used for many diseases. The present research work aims to explore the chemical and biological characterization of its essential oil. METHODS: The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of different Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Apiaceae) aerial parts samples collected from two different regions (Mahouane and Megres) from Setif, Eastern Algeria. The chemical characterization of the obtained essential oils is reported here for the first time. Besides, they were evaluated for their in vitro Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity involved in Alzheimer's disease using Ellman's spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: Additionally, their in vitro antimicrobial activity was assessed by the disc diffusion method. Both activities were performed at various oil concentrations. The GC/MS analysis of the essential oils from aerial parts (leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds) of E. thapsioides identified 47 constituents. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the main components, ranging from 72.78 to 99.13%. Oxygenated monoterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes ranged between 1.37 and 17.25% and 0.12 and 3.53% in essential oils from leaves and stems. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were present in small to large quantities in the essential oils of both populations, ranging from 0.69 to 13.44%. The presence of m-Methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate was recorded in stems essential oils from Mahouane and leaves essential oils from Merges, which was 9.73% and 3.72%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The stems essential oils obtained from plants collected in Mahouane showed the highest AChE inhibitory activity. The highest anti-bacterial activity was shown by the essential oil obtained from Megres leaves against Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778. The oils exhibited a moderate inhibitory activity in both tests.

Chemical Composition and in vitro Anti-inflammatory Activity of Wheat Germ Oil Depending on the Extraction Procedure.

This study aimed to examine the chemical composition of wheat germ oil extracted by three different methods, and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the cyclooxygenase and proteinase activities. The results showed that the contents of policosanols, tocopherols and phytosterols were affected by the extraction procedure. However, the fatty acid composition of the different oil extracts was nearly the same. Among the tested oils samples, cold pressed oil exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against proteinase (93.4%, IC50 =195.7 µg/mL) and cyclooxygenase 1 (80.5%, IC50 =58.6 µg/mL). Furthermore, the cold pressed oil had the highest content of octacosanol, ß-sitosterol and α-linolenic acid, suggesting that those bioactive compounds could be essential for the potent ani-cyclooxygenase activity. The present data revealed that wheat germ oil contained cyclooxygenase and trypsin inhibitors, which are the promising therapeutic target for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. Thus, wheat germ oil might be used to develop functional foods and pharmaceutic products for the human health.

Clove Buds Essential Oil: The Impact of Grinding on the Chemical Composition and Its Biological Activities Involved in Consumer's Health Security.

This study is aimed at identifying the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from the Syzygium aromaticum seeds, as well as investigating its biological activities, insecticide effect, and allelopathic properties. The extraction yield was about 14.3 and 7.14% for grounded and ungrounded seeds, respectively. The GC-MS analysis allowed the identification of 17 heterogeneous compounds, including eugenol (68.7-87.4%), as major compound, cyperene (20.5-7.2%), phenethyl isovalerate (6.4-3.6%), and cis-thujopsene (1.9-0.8%), respectively, for grounded and ungrounded seeds. Concerning the antibacterial activity, the diameter of the inhibition zone reached 35 mm when the essential oil extracted from grounded seeds was applied against Escherichia coli. Regarding the antioxidant activity via the DPPH radical scavenging test, the IC50 varied from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 2.8 ± 0.5 µg/mL. With respect to reducing power, the efficient concentration EC50 ranged from 32 to 50 µg/mL. The essential oil exhibited also an allelopathic effect against seeds of Hyoscyamus niger, as well as an insecticide effect against Sitophilus oryzae with a DL50 value of 252.4 µL/L air. These findings enhance the use of this spice as a natural food preservative and encourage its use in several fields, including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agriculture, and therapy, that could be a strategic way to guarantee the consumer's health.

Effects of Enzymatic Pretreatment of Seeds on the Physicochemical Properties, Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Activity of Pomegranate Seed Oil.

Enzymatic pretreatment of seeds is a novel approach that enhances the health benefits of the extracted oil. The study investigated the influence of the enzymatic pretreatment of seeds on the quality of oil from different pomegranate cultivars. The quality of the ultrasound-assisted (and ethanol-extracted) oil was studied, with respect to the refractive index (RI), yellowness index (YI), conjugated dienes (K232), peroxide value (PV) ρ-anisidine value (AV), total oxidation value (TOTOX), total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic compounds (TPC), fatty acid composition, phytosterol composition, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity. The seeds of three different pomegranate cultivars ('Wonderful', 'Herskawitz', and 'Acco') were digested with an equal mixture of Pectinex Ultra SPL, Flavourzyme 100 L, and cellulase crude enzymes, at a concentration, pH, temperature, and time of 1.7%, 4.5, 40 °C, and 5 h, respectively. Enzymatic pretreatment of PS increased oil yield, PV, TPC, TCC, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity, but decreased the YI. The levels of K232, AV and TOTOX, fatty acids, phytosterols, RI, and FRAP, were not significantly affected by enzymatic pretreatment of PS. Principal component analysis (PCA) established that oil extracted from the 'Acco' seed after enzymatic pretreatment had higher yield, TPC, TCC, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Therefore, enzyme-pretreated 'Acco' pomegranate fruit seed is a source of quality seed oil with excellent antioxidant properties.

Protective Effect of Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena Fixed Oils Against Aflatoxin Induced Mutagenicity in the Classical and Modified Ames Test.

The antioxidant and mutagenic/antimutagenic activities of the fixed oils from Nigella sativa (NSO) and Nigella damascena (NDO) seeds, obtained by cold press-extraction from the cultivar samples, were comparatively investigated for the first time. The antimutagenicity test was carried out using classical and modified Ames tests. The fatty acid composition of the fixed oils was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the quantification of thymoquinone in the fixed oils was determined by UPC2 . The main components of the NSO and NDO were found to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The results of the Ames test confirmed the safety of NSO and NDO from the viewpoint of mutagenicity. The results of the three antioxidant test methods were correlated with each other, indicating NDO as having a superior antioxidant activity, when compared to the NSO. Both NSO and NDO exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. When microsomal metabolism was terminated after metabolic activation of the mycotoxin, a significant increase in antimutagenic activity was observed, suggesting that the degradation of aflatoxin B1 epoxides by these oils may be a possible antimutagenic mechanism. It is worthy to note that this is the first study to assess the mutagenicity of NSO and NDO according to the OECD 471 guideline and to investigate antimutagenicity of NDO in comparison to NSO against aflatoxin.

The Chemical Compositions, and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Four Types of Citrus Essential Oils.

Nanfeng mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Kinokuni), Xunwu mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco), Yangshuo kumquats (Citrus japonica Thunb) and physiologically dropped navel oranges (Citrus sinensis Osbeck cv. Newhall) were used as materials to extract peel essential oils (EOs) via hydrodistillation. The chemical composition, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the EOs were investigated. GC-MS analysis showed that monoterpene hydrocarbons were the major components and limonene was the predominate compound for all citrus EOs. The antibacterial testing of EOs against five different bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium) was carried out using the filter paper method and the broth microdilution method. Kumquat EO had the best inhibitory effect on B. subtilis, E. coli and S. typhimurium with MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values of 1.56, 1.56 and 6.25 µL/mL, respectively. All citrus EOs showed the antioxidant activity of scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals in a dose-dependent manner. Nanfeng mandarin EO presented the best antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 15.20 mg/mL for the DPPH assay and 0.80 mg/mL for the ABTS assay. The results also showed that the antibacterial activities of EOs might not be related to their antioxidant activities.

Enzyme-assisted Solvent Extraction of High-yield Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. Seed Oil and Fatty Acid Composition and Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Activity.

Enzyme-assisted solvent extraction (EASE) of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. seed oil (PSO) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The fatty acid composition and anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) activity of PSO were analyzed. An enzyme mixture composed of cellulase and hemicellulase (1:1, w/w) was most effective in determining the extraction yield of PSO. The ideal extraction conditions were a pH value of 5.1, an enzymolysis time of 68 min, and a temperature of 50℃. The average extraction yield of PSO was 38.2 mL/100 g, 37.4% higher than that of untreated peony seed (27.8 mL/100 g). The fatty acid composition of PSO under optimal conditions for EASE was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The predominant unsaturated fatty acids of PSO were determined to be more than 90.00%, including n-3 α-linolenic acid (43.33%), n-6 linoleic acid (23.40%) and oleic acid (23.59%). In this experiment, the anti-AD effect of PSO was also analyzed by performing learning and memory ability tests with Drosophila. PSO retarded the decrease in climbing ability in AD Drosophila. The 1% and 5% PSO groups were significantly different from the model group (b p < 0.05). The smell short-term memory ability test revealed the number of Drosophila in barrier and barrier-free centrifuge tubes in each group. PSO feeding improved learning and memory in AD Drosophila, with the highest number entering the barrierfree centrifuge tube. The performance index (PI) measured by the Pavlov olfactory avoidance conditioning test also demonstrated the effect of PSO on the learning and memory abilities of Drosophila. The PI of the PSO group was significantly increased compared to that of the model group. HE-stained brain tissue sections of AD Drosophila showed higher neurodegenerative changes, while PSO significantly reduced neurodegenerative damage. These results indicated that PSO can significantly improve the cognitive function of AD Drosophila and may help to prevent AD.