Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae: Two Wild Edible Plants as a New and Valuable Source of Carotenoids, Tocols and B1 and B2 Vitamins.

The aim of this study was to determine the profile and contents of carotenoids, tocols and B1 and B2 vitamins in different parts of two wild edible plants (WEPs), Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae. Results showed interesting amounts of these bioactive compounds in the leaves, with intakes higher than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A and vitamin E after consumption of 100 g. Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae leaves evidenced high amounts of carotenoids, such as lutein (about 8 mg/100 g and 5 mg, respectively) and ß-carotene (about 8 mg/100 g and 4 mg/100 g, respectively). Even when not present at high amounts, the investigated plants can also contribute to the daily intake of thiamine and riboflavin. The rich profile and high contents of bioactive compounds in these WEPs clearly justify their potential use as food ingredients in a healthy and sustainable modern cuisine and in the development of new functional foods.

Chemical Composition and Lipid Bioactive Components of Centaurea thracica Dwelling in Bulgaria.

Centaurea thracica (Janka) Hayek is a plant common in southern Bulgaria. The inflorescences were collected during June and September 2021, while their seeds were obtained in September 2021. The chemical and lipid composition of the inflorescences during the vegetation process of the plant were established. A significant decrease in total proteins (from 8.7 to 7.4%), glyceride oils (2.0-1.7%), and ash (4.5-4.2%) content was observed, while the amount of carbohydrates (72.3-77.2%) and fibers (28.7-35.8%) increased. During the vegetation of the plant, the content of oleic and linoleic acids increased up to 2-3 times, while the level of palmitic acid decreased. The lipids from the seeds were rich in oleic (53.0%) and palmitic (36.2%) acids. The tocopherol content in the oils of the inflorescences during vegetation increased from 58 to 110 mg/kg, and the content in the oil from the seeds was 260 mg/kg. The phospholipid content decreased during vegetation, and differences were observed in the composition between the inflorescences and the seeds. The high content of oleic acid, linoleic acid, tocopherols, and phospholipids determine the nutritional and biological value of the oils isolated from Centaurea thracica, and contribute to their potential use in various directions.

Unsaponifiable Compounds and Phenols Content, Antioxidant and Antitrypsin Activities of Prunus persica Kernel Oil.

Although peach kernels are rich in oil, there is a lack of information about its chemical and biological properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the lipid profile, antioxidant capacity, and trypsin inhibitory propriety of peach oil extracted from two varieties (sweet cap and O'Henry) cultivated in Tunisia. The investigated peach kernel oil contains significant amount of unsaponifiable (2.1±0.5-2.8±0.2% of oil) and phenolic compounds (45.8±0.92-74.6±1.3 mg GAE/g of oil). Its n-alkane profile was characterized by the predominance of tetracosane n-C24 (47.24%) followed by tricosane n-C23 (34.43%). An important total tocopherol content (1192.83±3.1 mg/kg oil) has been found in sweet cap cultivar. Although rich in polyphenols and tocopherols, the tested oil did not display an inhibitory effect on trypsin. However, all peach oil samples showed effective antioxidant capacity and the highest values (86.34±1.3% and 603.50±2.6 µmol TE/g oil for DPPH test and ORAC assay, respectively) were observed for sweet cap oil. Peach oil has an excellent potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries as source of naturally-occurring bioactive substances.

Combined Effect of Protease, Hemicellulase and Pectinase on the Quality of Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa L.) Obtained by Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction as an Eco-friendly Method.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) to obtain oil from hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) grown in northern Morocco. Optimisation of AEE extraction parameters, including pH, enzyme concentration (hemicellulase, protease and pectinase), temperature and incubation time, to maximize oil yield was achieved using response surface methodology with a central composite design. For comparison, the solvent extraction (Soxhlet) (SE) method was also used. Optimized hydrolysis conditions involved incubation for 4 hours at 60°C with a pH of 6.5, using a multi-enzyme preparation comprising protease, hemicellulase and pectinase at concentrations of 55, 202.5 and 234 U/mg, respectively. Referring to the conventional Soxhlet extraction (SE), Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction (AEE) achieved a 30.65% oil recovery rate under the optimized parameters mentioned above. The use of enzymes produced an oil that was more stable against oxidation than the solvent-extracted oil, with a peroxide value (PV) of 19.54 and 47.87 meq O 2 /kg, respectively. Furthermore, HPLC-DAD analysis of tocopherol content indicated a higher total tocopherol content (547.2 mg/kg) in Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction (AEE) compared to Soxhlet Extraction (SE) (513.51 mg/kg), with γ-tocopherol being the predominant form. No significant differences in fatty acid composition were observed between the two extraction methods with linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid being the predominant constituents.

Evaluation of RPLC stationary phases for tocopherol and tocotrienol positional isomer separation: Method development and profiling.

Reversed-phase separation of tocopherols (Ts) and tocotrienols (Ts) using C18 stationary phases results in the coelution of ß and γ positional isomers, leading to identification errors. This study investigates the potential of alternative stationary phase chemistries to effectively resolve tocochromanols, specifically focusing on the critical pair of ß and γ positional isomers. Initial screening of seven different stationary phases (C18, C18-PFP, C30, PFP, 5PYE, πNAP, and RP-Amide) was conducted. Linear solvent strength (LSS) studies were performed to assess the impact of the organic modifier (methanol) and temperature on the chromatographic performance parameters. Five columns were found to be suitable for the tocochromanol separation and two different chromatographical conditions per column were proposed. Elution order of tocochromanols was unique for 5PYE, πNAP and C30 columns in comparison to RP-Amide and PFP. Method development for the quantitative analysis of four tocopherol and four tocotrienol homologues was performed. The optimised method employed the RP-Amide (150 × 4.6 mm, 2.6 µm dp) superficially porous particle column, mobile phase of methanol:water of 92:8, v/v, with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, column oven temperature of 40 °C and fluorescence detection (λex 295 nm, λem 330 nm). The analysis run time was 10.5 min with 13.6 MPa back pressure. The method was validated and the obtained LOQs were found to be 1.30-3.13 µg/mL. The method developed was successfully applied for the determination of tocochromanols in twenty samples with unique tocochromanol profiles. Principal component analysis illustrated three distinct groups based on the tocochromanol profile.

Carotenoid, Tocopherol, and Volatile Aroma Compounds in Eight Sacha Inchi Seed (Plukenetia volubilis L.) Oil Accessions.

Sacha inchi seed oil is a food matrix rich in bioactive constituents, mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this study, the characteristics of color, carotenoid content, tocopherols, and volatile aroma compounds in eight sacha inchi seed (Plukenetia volubilis L.) oil accessions were evaluated. Results showed that the oil obtained from the accessions presented a lightness and chroma of 91 to 98 units and 6 to 10 units respectively, while the hue angle ranged between 93 to 97 units. The total carotenoid content in the different accessions ranged from 0.6 to 1.5 mg/kg, while γ- and δ-tocopherol ranged from 861.6 to 1142 mg/kg and 587 to 717.1 mg/kg. In addition, the total content of tocopherols varied between 1450 and 1856 mg/kg and the δ/γ ratio ranged between 0.58 and 0.70. The oils from the accessions PER000408 (861 µg/kg) and PER000411 (896 µg/kg) were those with the higher volatile concentration, especially 1-hepten-3-ol, 2-nonanol, (E)-3-hexen- 1-ol, (E)-2-hexenal, and 1-hexanol. In this study, the variability of the oil obtained from 8 accessions were observed, from which promising accessions can be selected for continuous investigations of the new sacha inchi seed genotypes.

Chemical and Bioactive Properties of Red Rice with Potential Pharmaceutical Use.

Red rice has been proposed as a super-food. Accordingly, the nutritional properties (AOAC), as well as its chemical composition, including sugars (HPLC-RI), organic acids (UFLC-PDA), tocopherols (HPLD-FD), and phenolic compounds (LC-DAD-ESI/MSn), together with the main bioactive properties (antioxidant, cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and antibacterial activities), were evaluated to access its nutritional benefits and health improvement potential. The most abundant macronutrients found were carbohydrates (87.2 g/100 g dw), proceeded by proteins (9.1 g/100 g dw), fat (2.6 g/100 g dw), and ash (1.1 g/100 g dw). Sucrose and raffinose were the only detected sugars, with sucrose presenting the maximum concentration (0.74 g/100 g dw). MUFAs and PUFAs were the predominant fatty acids (40.7% and 31%, respectively). Among the two detected tocopherol isoforms, γ-tocopherol (0.67 mg/100 g dw) predominated over α-tocopherol. The phenolic compounds profile, majorly composed of flavan-3-ols, should be associated with the detected bioactivities, which may provide biological benefits to human health beyond the primary nutritional effect. Overall, the bioactive potential of red rice was comprehensively accessed.

Optimizing niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) oil quality: A comprehensive analysis of infrared-heat induced changes in bioactive profile, physiochemical attributes, and oxidative stability.

Infrared heating (IRH) at 140, 160, and 180°C for varying durations (5, 10, and 15 min) was employed for improving the niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seed oil (NSO) quality for diverse food applications. The study explored changes in phenolic profile, oxidative stability index (OSI), tocopherols, phytosterols, fatty acid profiles, and physicochemical attributes of NSO. Upon IRH at 180°C for 10 min, the oil yield, total phenolic, and flavonoid contents increased from 33.09% to 40.56%, 6.67 to 173.62 mg GAE/kg, and 24.76 to 120.64 mg QE/kg, respectively. The viscosity, chlorophylls, carotenoids, radical scavenging activity, OSI, caffeic, protocatechuic, vanillic, and syringic acids were highest upon IRH at 180°C for 15 min. The tocopherols and phytosterols initially augmented while decremented upon raising IRH conditions. The infrared spectra indicated no adverse impact of IRH on NSO quality. The appropriate IRH conditions can be considered for improving NSO quality and making it valuable for various edible products.

Bioactive Constituents in Cold-Pressed Plant Oils: Their Structure, Bioactivity and Chromatographic Analysis.

Cold-pressed oils are oils prepared from pressing plant materials with a screw or hydraulic press, yielding oils with little contamination of harmful chemicals and high content of nutrients and functional constituents. Cold-pressed oils have gained increasing recognition as food supplements for preventing and ameliorating body deterioration due to ageing and the progression of lifestyle diseases or non-communicable diseases. This article aimed to review their structure, bioactivity, and chromatographic analysis of the mostly found functional compounds in cold-pressed oils, including phytosterols, carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, and lignans), and squalene.

Physical and chemical characteristics of walnut (Juglans regia L.) kernels with different skin lightness.

Walnuts undergo rigorous grading before being sold to customers. There are multiple parameters used for the grading, including skin lightness. Walnuts with light skin receive superior grades while walnuts with dark skin are given poor grades or even rejected. However, information on the quality and physicochemical properties of walnuts with varying skin lightness levels is minimal. Therefore, we studied the quality of kernels of varying skin lightness from three common cultivars grown in California, USA (Chandler, Howard, and Tulare). The samples were subjected to size and weight, fat content, free fatty acid, peroxide value, oxidative stability, volatiles, tocopherols, fatty acid profile, and phenol measurements. The dark kernels had significantly lower weight and fat content, higher oxidative stability, and more volatiles than their light counterparts. The dark kernels had higher concentrations of some phenolics but low procyanidin B1 and non-existent epicatechin gallate, compared to the light kernels, indicating that these two phenolics were likely involved in an antioxidant mechanism. Oxidation and depletion of epicatechin gallate likely contributed to the darkening of walnut color.

Chemical Data and Relationships for a Scoring Algorithm of Extra Virgin Olive Oil's Nutritional Value.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a valuable product and is highly appreciated by consumers for its great nutritional value. However, to date, there has been a lack of uniform systems capable of ranking the nutritional value of EVOO based on its chemical composition in terms of macro- and micronutrients (including phenolic compounds and tocopherols). The aim of this study was to propose a scoring algorithm to rank the nutritional value of EVOO samples, considering their chemical composition in macro- and micronutrients and their sensitivity to oxidation phenomena. Data from more than 1000 EVOO samples were used to assess the variability of the data, considering the selected negative parameters (free acidity, peroxide value, spectrophotometric indices) and positive components (composition in tocopherols via HPLC-DAD, phenolic compounds via HPLC-DAD, and fatty acids via GC-MS) so as to ensure the universal validity of the scoring algorithm. The dataset included samples from the main producing countries worldwide, in addition to Australia, across several production years; data were selected to represent different production realities. A mathematical model was set up for each chemical component, resulting in six variable values. By combining these values with a dimensionless constant value, the algorithm for computing the nutritional value score (NVS) was defined. It allows the nutritional value of an oil to be ranked on a scale of 0 to 100 based on its chemical composition. The algorithm was then successfully tested using chemical data from about 300 EVOO samples obtained from laboratories from different Italian regions. The proposed NVS is a simple and objective tool for scoring the nutritional value of an EVOO, easy to understand for both producers and consumers.

Pumpkin seed oil: a comprehensive review of extraction methods, nutritional constituents, and health benefits.

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO), a rich source of nutrients, is extracted from the seeds of different pumpkin varieties for food and medicines. This article aims to provide an evidence-based review of the literature and to explore the extraction technologies, nutritional properties, and biological activity of PSO. From previous literature, PSO contains a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, with linoleic acid as the main component, and an amount of tocopherol, phytosterol, and phenolic acids. Some differences in the yield, composition, and physicochemical properties of PSO can be associated with the pumpkin's cultivars and the extraction methods. Some novel technologies involved in supercritical fluid extraction, enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction have been replacing the conventional technologies gradually as promising methods for the safe, non-polluting, and effective recovery of PSO. This healthy vegetable oil was reported by several in vitro and in vivo studies to have potential protective roles in oxidative stress, inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in garambullo fruit (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) at different ripening stages.

Garambullo (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) is endemic in México, and although popularly consumed locally, its nutritional characteristics and value have not been studied in details. The objective of this work was to investigate the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in garambullo fruit from different sites at three ripening stages. Fruit from the three ripening stages (red, purple, and dark purple) were investigated for their physicochemical characteristics, hydrophilic (phenolic compounds, betalains, and ascorbic acid), and lipophilic (carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids) bioactive compounds, using spectrophotometry, gas chromatography (GC-FID), and high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC/DAD-ESI-MS). The antioxidant capacity was measured with the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the ferric-ion-reducing antioxidant power assays. The color components of the fruit, chroma and a* values increased, whereas lightness (L*) and b* significantly decreased during ripening. Five betacyanins and four betaxanthins were tentatively identified with HPLC/DAD-ESI-MS, and betacyanins were more abundant than betaxanthins. Betalains content and antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic extracts significantly increased during ripening. Ten phenolic compounds were identified, with ferulic acid being the most abundant. Tocopherols were low (0.023-0.033 mg/100 g fw). Five fatty acids were abundant, and linoleic acid was the most important. Phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, and fatty acids decreased during fruit ripening. Garambullo fruit is rich in phytochemical compounds of importance for human nutrition and health. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The physicochemical and bioactive compounds characterization in garambullo fruit is important to establish maturation and harvesting indices, postharvest strategies to preserve fruit quality and prolong postharvest life, promote the consumption and utilization of the fruit, and the designing of proper functional foods. In addition, the knowledge on the bioactive components might be useful to include this fruit in personalized nutritional approaches for patients with risks of certain chronic diseases. The methodology used in this study could be useful for the study of other fruits, especially those from the Cactaceae family.

Evaluation of Selected Medicinal, Timber and Ornamental Legume Species' Seed Oils as Sources of Bioactive Lipophilic Compounds.

Bioactive lipophilic compounds were investigated in 14 leguminous tree species of timber, agroforestry, medicinal or ornamental use but little industrial significance to elucidate their potential in food additive and supplement production. The tree species investigated were: Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia concinna, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia odoratissima, Bauhinia racemosa, Cassia fistula, Dalbergia latifolia, Delonix regia, Entada phaseoloides, Hardwickia binata, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Senegalia catechu, Sesbania sesban and Vachellia nilotica. The hexane-extracted oils of ripe seeds were chromatographically analysed for their fatty acid composition (GC-MS), tocochromanol (RP-HPLC/FLD), squalene and sterol (GC-FID) content. A spectrophotometrical method was used to determine total carotenoid content. The results showed generally low oil yield (1.75-17.53%); the highest was from H. binata. Linoleic acid constituted the largest proportion in all samples (40.78 to 62.28% of total fatty acids), followed by oleic (14.57-34.30%) and palmitic (5.14-23.04%) acid. The total tocochromanol content ranged from 100.3 to 367.6 mg 100 g-1 oil. D. regia was the richest and the only to contain significant amount of tocotrienols while other oils contained almost exclusively tocopherols, dominated by either α-tocopherol or γ-tocopherol. The total carotenoid content was highest in A. auriculiformis (23.77 mg 100 g-1), S. sesban (23.57 mg 100 g-1) and A. odoratissima (20.37 mg 100 g-1), and ranged from 0.7 to 23.7 mg 100 g-1 oil. The total sterol content ranged from 240.84 to 2543 mg 100 g-1; A. concinna seed oil was the richest by a wide margin; however, its oil yield was very low (1.75%). Either ß-sitosterol or Δ5-stigmasterol dominated the sterol fraction. Only C. fistula oil contained a significant amount of squalene (303.1 mg 100 g-1) but was limited by the low oil yield as an industrial source of squalene. In conclusion, A. auriculiformis seeds may hold potential for the production of carotenoid-rich oil, and H. binata seed oil has relatively high yield and tocopherol content, marking it as a potential source of these compounds.

Genome-wide scan for oil quality reveals a coregulation mechanism of tocopherols and fatty acids in soybean seeds.

Tocopherols (vitamin E) play essential roles in human health because of their antioxidant activity, and plant-derived oils are the richest sources of tocopherols in the human diet. Although soybean (Glycine max) is one of the main sources of plant-derived oil and tocopherol in the world, the relationship between tocopherol and oil in soybean seeds remains unclear. Here, we focus on dissecting tocopherol metabolism with the long-term goal of increasing α-tocopherol content and soybean oil quality. We first collected tocopherol and fatty acid profiles in a soybean population (>800 soybean accessions) and found that tocopherol content increased during soybean domestication. A strong positive correlation between tocopherol and oil content was also detected. Five tocopherol pathway-related loci were identified using a metabolite genome-wide association study strategy. Genetic variations in three tocopherol pathway genes were responsible for total tocopherol content and composition in the soybean population through effects on enzyme activity, mainly caused by non-conserved amino acid substitution or changes in gene transcription level. Moreover, the fatty acid regulatory transcription factor GmZF351 directly activated tocopherol pathway gene expression, increasing both fatty acid and tocopherol contents in soybean seeds. Our study reveals the functional differentiation of tocopherol pathway genes in soybean populations and provides a framework for development of new soybean varieties with high α-tocopherol content and oil quality in seeds.

Free tocopherols and tocotrienols in 82 plant species' oil: Chemotaxonomic relation as demonstrated by PCA and HCA.

The tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) profile were investigated in the present study for four hundred and eighteen plant oil samples, including thirty-one families, eighty-two species, and five cross-species. Fifteen species were dominated by tocotrienols, while sixty-seven - by tocopherols. The mean proportion of γ-T was almost half of the total tocochromanol content (49.3%) in the investigated samples, while α-T constituted to one quarter (25.0%), and the remaining other tocochromanols were present as minor constituents. A strong relationship between the taxonomic plant origin and the presence of the characteristic tocochromanol profile in oils obtained from those plants was noted. This is the first study to demonstrate that not only monocotyledonous, but also dicotyledons families can be rich in tocotrienols. The usefulness of statistical tools - principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for plant sample discrimination based on their tocochromanol profile was also shown.

Bicarbonates and carbonates as antioxidants in vegetable oils at frying temperatures.

Antioxidant activity of bicarbonates and carbonates including NaHCO3 , Na2 CO3 , KHCO3 , and K2 CO3 was evaluated in soybean oil (SBO) at 180°C. KHCO3 and K2 CO3 had stronger activity than NaHCO3 and Na2 CO3 . KHCO3 (5.5 mEq/L, 0.060 wt.%) and K2 CO3 (5.5 mEq/L, 0.041 wt.%) were more effective than 0.02 wt.% tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in preventing oxidation of SBO. While the antioxidant activity of KHCO3 and K2 CO3 increased with increasing their concentrations up to 5.5 mEq/L, it decreased at 11 mEq/L. KHCO3 and K2 CO3 were also effective in preventing oxidation of other vegetable oils including avocado, canola, corn, high oleic soybean, and olive oils. Correlation tests conducted with the results from the six oils showed that KHCO3 and K2 CO3 had weak to moderate positive correlations with γ- and δ-tocopherols. In a separate study in stripped SBO, it was found that KHCO3 had a synergistic effect with α-tocopherol, but not with γ- and δ-tocopherols. KHCO3 had additive or synergistic effect with rosemary extract, epigallocatechin gallate, ascorbic acid, and ascorbyl palmitate. Antioxidant activity of KHCO3 was confirmed in frying of potato cubes in SBO and canola oil. Although more studies should be conducted for better understanding of the mechanisms and factors affecting the antioxidant activity of bicarbonates and carbonates, this study demonstrated that they could serve as antioxidants or co-antioxidants of other antioxidants in frying. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Inorganic salts including NaHCO3 , KHCO3 , Na2 CO3 , and K2 CO3 hadstrong antioxidant activity in vegetable oils at frying temperatures when they wereadded as powder. Antioxidant activity of 0.06 wt.% KHCO3 was higherthan that of 0.02 wt.% TBHQ in soybean oil and canola oil during frying potato. KHCO3 had additive orsynergistic effect with rosemary extract, epigallocatechin gallate, ascorbicacid, and ascorbyl palmitate indicating that these inorganic salts can be usedas co-antioxidants to enhance the antioxidant activity of existing antioxidantswhile they can be used alone as well.

Identification and quantification of fatty acids and lipid-soluble phytochemicals using GC-MS, HPLC-MS, and FTIR and their association with quality parameters during avocado ripening.

Consumer demand for the avocado fruit has increased considerably, but accelerated fruit ripening, lack of fruit ripening uniformity, and lack of proper quality characteristics and indices generate considerable problems during fruit handling and trade. Physicochemical parameters are used to determine avocado fruit ripening. These parameters together with lipid-soluble phytochemicals (LSP) and fatty acids (FAs) highlight the health and economic importance of this fruit. Analysis of LSP and FAs in avocado fruit has been reported, but combining the use of analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) to determine qualitative and quantitative changes during fruit ripening, and their association with physicochemical parameters, has not been conducted. Physicochemical parameters (fruit firmness, color, oil and dry matter contents) were determined, and the changes of FAs and LSP (carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherols) during "Hass" avocado ripening, based on dry matter (DM) content, were analyzed using FTIR, GC-MS, and HPLC-MS. The association between them was also determined using principal component analysis. Fruit with 19% and 25% DM exhibited high LSP and FAs levels. Carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherols were associated with firmness, color, and DM of 19% and 22%, while FAs were associated with fruit weight and DM of 25%. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is a major global increase in avocado cultivation and consumer demand. However, a major problem facing the handling and trade of avocado fruit is related to lack of fruit ripening uniformity and quality characteristics and indices. Therefore, a proper association between simple measures of fruit physicochemical properties and bioactive components can establish an excellent, simple, and practical index that can eventually be used for quality evaluation by the industry and the consumers.

Kinetic modeling of the reversal of antioxidant potency of α-, ß-, γ- and δ-tocopherols in methyl linoleate peroxidation.

Extended, chemically detailed kinetic models at the molecular basis are constructed to identify the reactions involved in the reversal of the antioxidant action of α-, ß-, γ- and δ-tocopherols during methyl linoleate oxidation. The reaction mechanisms were numerically simulated and subjected to analysis to quantify the significance of individual chemical steps by the value-based method. Results of the obtained kinetic models agreed well with the experimental data. The significant individual reactions contributing to the observed antioxidant and pro-oxidant behavior of the different tocopherols were identified. It is revealed that the reverse order of antioxidant potency and a complex nonlinear dependency of the antioxidant potency of tocopherols with the increase in their concentration are due to the increasing contribution of pro-oxidant relative to the antioxidant reactions. Once the approach presented here can be applied to more complex systems, engineered optimization of antioxidant protection strategies may be reached.

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on tocochromanol and carotenoid biofortification in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings.

BACKGROUND: Maize is a sought-after food crop because it is micronutrient-rich and affordable. It is an excellent source of carotenoids and tocochromanols. To investigate ways to enhance the micronutrients in maize, we grew maize seedlings with ultrasonic pretreatment to study the effect of ultrasound pretreatment on the biofortification of tocochromanols and carotenoids using high-performance liquid chromatography and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Four tocopherol isomers, three tocotrienol isomers and six carotenoid components were measured in maize seedlings. Compared with the untreated maize seedlings, carotenoid content increased and reached the highest level at 8 min ultrasonic pretreatment (19.21 ± 0.44 µg g-1 fresh weight (FW)), but tocotrienol content evidently decreased. Tocopherol dropped at first but began to rise after 8 min ultrasonic pretreatment (258.1 ± 6.4 µg g-1 FW). In particular, zeaxanthin in maize seedlings doubled after pre-sonication, while lutein was boosted to 11.81 ± 0.20 µg g-1 FW. Ultrasonic pretreatment changed the predominant component of tocochromanols in maize seedlings from γ-tocotrienol to α-tocopherol, with the latter content being 1.3 times higher than in the untreated group. Up-regulation of key genes involved in the biosynthesis of tocopherols and carotenoids in maize seedlings occurred as a result of both 2 min and 6 min sonication pretreatment. In particular, Zm HPPD, Zm ZE, Zm ZDS and Zm MPBQ-MT could partly explain the changes in these phytochemicals. CONCLUSION: Wet ultrasonic pretreatment could increase tocopherol and carotenoid accumulation in maize seedlings but decrease tocotrienol synthesis. Some up-regulating genes are related to relevant syntheses, such as Zm HPPD, Zm ZE, Zm ZDS and Zm MPBQ-MT, which could influence the accumulation of tocopherols and carotenoids after ultrasonic pretreatment. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.