N-(2-ozoazepan-3-yl)-pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide, a novel Octopus vulgaris ink-derived metabolite, exhibits a pro-apoptotic effect on A549 cancer cell line and inhibits pro-inflammatory markers.

This research aimed to chemically synthesize and evaluate the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory potential of ozopromide (OPC), a novel compound recently isolated from O. vulgaris ink. After chemical synthesis, OPC structural characterization was confirmed by COSY2D, FTIR, and C-/H-NMR. OPC inhibited the growth of human breast (MDA-MB-231), prostate (22Rv1), cervix (HeLa), and lung (A549) cancerous cells, being the highest effect on the latter (IC50: 53.70 µM). As confirmed by flow cytometry, OPC induced typical apoptosis-derived morphological features on A549 cells, mostly at early and late apoptosis stages. OPC generated a dose-dependent effect inhibiting IL-6 and IL-8 on LPS-stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs). A major affinity of OPC to Akt-1 and Bcl-2 proteins in silico agreed with the observed pro-apoptotic mechanisms. Results suggested that OPC has the potential to alleviate inflammation and be further studied for anticancer activity. Marine-derived food products such as ink contains bioactive metabolites exhibiting potential health benefits.

Acrylamide and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Synthetic Sugar Cane Syrup: Mitigation by Additives.

The ability of additives to reduce the formation of acrylamide in simulated sugar cane syrups was investigated. Organic acids, B vitamins, and inorganic salts were added individually and in combination to simulated thickened cane juice, and the mixtures were heated at 120 °C for 30 min. Calcium chloride (1%), citric acid (0.1%), and vitamin B3 (0.1%) were the most effective individual additives from each chemical family. The effects of CaCl2 (0-1%), citric acid (0-0.125%), and vitamin B3 (0-0.1125%), when added in combination, on the concentrations of acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were studied using a Box-Behnken design. Combinations of all three additives lowered the acrylamide production, but only the combination of citric acid and vitamin B3 had a significant synergistic effect. However, all these additives stimulated the production of HMF, and no significant interactive effect between pairs of additives on HMF production was observed. Calcium chloride stimulated the formation of HMF most strongly. These results indicate that certain combinations of these additives effectively reduce acrylamide formation, but they also lead to an increase in the formation of HMF in sugar syrup.

Effect of Pulsed Light on Quality of Shelled Walnuts.

Shelled walnuts are considered a microbiologically low-risk food but have been linked to some outbreaks, and a treatment aiming to decrease this risk is desirable. Pulsed light (PL) may be an alternative, providing it does not seriously impair their quality. This work assessed the impact of PL on some quality attributes of walnuts. To do this, measurements of rancidity, volatiles, total phenols, antioxidant activity, and descriptive sensory analysis were carried out on untreated and PL (43 J/cm2)-treated kernels. PL had no statistically significant (p > 0.05) effects on TBARS, peroxide value, total phenols, and antioxidant activity but significantly increased the concentration of volatiles related to green/herbaceous odors and decreased compounds related to fruity and citrus odors. The descriptors nut overall, walnut odor and flavor, and aftertaste were given statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores, while descriptors woody odor and sweet received lower scores; 16 other traits such as all those related to color, texture, and rancidity were unaffected. No significant (p > 0.05) effects on total phenols and antioxidant activity in general were observed during the course of PL treatment. It can be concluded that PL technology may be used in shelled walnuts with only mild effects on their quality; a storage study must be carried out in order to determine the effect of PL treatment on its shelf-life.

Octopus vulgaris ink extracts exhibit antioxidant, antimutagenic, cytoprotective, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic effects in selected human cancer cell lines.

Cancer is a noncommunicable disease of rising worldwide concern. Marine food products such as Octopus vulgaris ink (OI) could be sources of compounds addressing these concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the antimutagenic, cytoprotective, antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and antioxidant capacity of OI extracts on human cancer cell lines (22Rv1, HeLa, A549). The ARPE-19 cell line was used as a reference human cell line to evaluate the ink's cytotoxicity. The water extract exhibited the highest antimutagenic and cytoprotective effect, but the dichloromethane extract (DM) showed the lowest half lethal concentration against 22Rv1 cells. Structural elucidation of purified DM fractions (F1, F2, F3) identified an unreported compound, N-(2-ozoazepan-3-yl)-pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide (OPC). DM-F2 showed high antiproliferative effect (LC50 = 27.6 µg/mL), reactive species modulation, early-apoptosis induction (42.9%), and nuclei disruption in 22Rv1 cells. In silico analysis predicted high OPC affinity with Cyclin D1 (-6.70 kcal/mol), suggesting its potential impact on cell cycle arrest. These results highlight the antimutagenic, cytoprotective, and antiproliferative potential health benefits derived from underutilized marine food products such as OI. Further investigations at in vitro or in vivo levels are required to elucidate mechanisms and health benefits from OI. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: O. vulgaris ink is an underutilized marine natural product that could be a source of biological compounds with potential health benefits such as antioxidant activity and cancer prevention.

Hydroxycinnamic Acids and Carotenoids of Dried Loquat Fruit cv. 'Algar' Affected by Freeze-, Convective-, Vacuum-Microwave- and Combined-Drying Methods.

The effect of different drying techniques (freeze, convective, vacuum-microwave and combined drying) on the drying kinetics, the phytochemical compounds and sensory characteristics in loquat cultivar 'Algar' was studied. The convective drying resulted in the highest amount of total hydroxycinnamic acids (5077 mg/kg wet weight (ww)), with 3-caffeoyl quinic acid and 5-caffeoyl quinic acid being the greatest carotenoids. The highest values of total carotenoids were obtained by the freeze-drying technique (2601 mg/kg ww), followed by all convective treatments and vacuum-microwave at 360 W. The highest carotenoid was ß-carotene. The ABTS+• (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) and FRAP (Ferric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Power) values ranged from 2.04 up to 3.27 mmol Trolox/100 g ww, and from 1.89 up to 2.29 mmol Trolox/100 g ww, respectively. As expected, the color difference of freeze-dried samples was the lowest (7.06), similar to combined drying conditions (9.63), whilst the highest value was found after convective drying (37.0). All treatments were sensory acceptable (no off-flavors). However, still, further research is needed to fully optimize these studied drying treatments because the freeze-dried sample still had higher carotenoid content and better instrumental color parameters. Although recently the impact of microwave drying has been studied, this is the first work comparing phytochemical composition of loquat fruit under the different drying methods mentioned above.

Physicochemical Properties of Dried Apple Slices: Impact of Osmo-Dehydration, Sonication, and Drying Methods.

Apple slices of the Elise variety were previously osmo-dehydrated in erythritol, xylitol, and sucrose for 2 h. In some parts of the experiment, 30 min of ultrasound pre-treatment (US) were applied. Afterwards, fruit samples were dried by convective (CD), microwave-vacuum (VM), and a combined method (CD/VM, mix two of them). The main aim of the research was to characterize an impact of osmotic dehydration, sonication pre-treatment, and drying method on the physicochemical properties of the dried apples. The use of sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol) in the production of dried apples did not badly affect the taste of the obtained dried products; it enabled a noticeable cooling/refreshing effect felt in the mouth when consuming a snack, and enabled the production of dried snacks with lower calorific value. Polyol residues in the product were at a level that was safe for consumers. The most popular convective drying was long lasting, whereas the VM drying method allowed for the shortest drying time, amounting to 76 min; moreover, additional application of ultrasounds reduced this time to 36 min. The combined drying method allowed the total duration of the process to be reduced 2-4.5 times. Ultrasound applied during osmotic dehydration did not significantly affect attributes of the descriptive sensory analysis for the obtained dried apples. The best hygroscopic properties, ensuring the storage stability of the dried product, showed dried apples previously osmo-dehydrated in erythritol and sucrose solutions.

Evaluation of Dosidicus gigas Skin Extract as An Antioxidant and Preservative in Tuna Pâté.

A strategy for food preservation, based on a methanol-HCl squid skin extract (Dosidicus gigas) (JSSE), was evaluated at two concentrations in yellowfin tuna fish pâtés, which were stored at 4 and 8 °C for 20 day. The JSSE was characterized by determining its antioxidant and mutagenic activities. A yellowfin tuna pâté was elaborated, with and without the addition of the JSSE. An affective sensory analysis was performed to establish consumers' preferences. During a 20-day storage period, the water activity (aw), pH, color difference (ΔE*ab), microbiological analysis, lipid oxidation and sensory quality attributes were evaluated, and the results were compared with the results of the butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and control treatments. The JSSE showed antioxidant activity against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH●+) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS●) radicals and did not induce mutation, according to the Ames' Salmonella test, nor chromosomal abnormalities, according to the onion root-tip cell assay. The consumer analysis demonstrated a higher preference for the pâté with the added JSSE in seven out of the eight evaluated attributes. During storage, the JSSE neither had an impact on aw nor pH, maintained lower ΔE*ab values, inhibited the microbial activity and lipid oxidation (unlike the control pâté), and preserved the sensory quality attributes, unlike the BHA and control treatments. This study showed that the JSSE has biologically active pigments that can act as antioxidants and antimicrobials in yellowfin tuna fish pâtés.

Antioxidant, Antimutagenic and Cytoprotective Properties of Hydrosos Pistachio Nuts.

Pistachio nuts are included among the foods with the highest antioxidant capacity. Stressed cultivating conditions, such as the use of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), are expected to create a plant response that might increase the production of secondary metabolites. Fruits that are obtained under RDI treatments are commonly called hydroSOS products. The aim of this work was to study the influence of using different rootstocks (P. atlantica, P. integerrima, and P. terebinthus) and two RDI treatments on the antioxidant (ABTS, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH), antimutagenic (Ames test), and cytotoxicity (MTT assay in five human cell lines) activities of pistachios. P. terebinthus showed the best antioxidant activity, and the RDI treatments maintained and improved the antioxidant properties of pistachios. Neither the rootstock nor the RDI had significant impact on the antimutagenic potential of pistachios. The nut extracts had no toxic effect on non-cancerous cells and the application of RDI did not reduce their cytoprotective capacity. Furthermore, neither rootstock nor RDI treatments affected the ability of the pistachio extracts of preventing the oxidative damage by H2O2. The application of RDI strategies, in addition to allowing irrigation water saving, led to obtaining pistachios with the same or even better biofunctional characteristics as compared to fully irrigated pistachios.

Polyphenol Compounds and Biological Activity of Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) Flowers Buds.

The aim of the study was to analyze potential health-promoting components of caper flower buds (Capparis spinosa L.) at six stages of development in two cultivars. Polyphenol compounds (flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols) were identified by Liquid Chromatography- quadrupole Time-of-Flight -Mass Spectrofotometer/Mass Spectrofotometer (LC-qTOF-MS/MS) and quantified by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array-Fluorescence Detector (UPLC-PDA-FL). Moreover, antioxidant properties (ABTS+•, FRAP, and ORAC), anti-diabetic potential (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and anti-aging activity (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE)) of the buds were examined. Total phenolic compounds in the investigated caper varied from 10,720 to 3256 mg/100 g dry weight (DW), and depended on a genotype and growing stage of caper flowers. Among six different growing stages, the one named 'nonpareilles' was characterized by significantly higher content of polyphenols than the remaining five stages. The flavonols in caper flowers represented a mixture of different glycosylated quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and isorhamnetin derivatives, accounting for 38%-67%, 15%-36%, 4%-7%, and 0.8%-3%, respectively, of total flavonols,. Their contents strongly depended on the growth stage. 'Nonpareilles' and 'surfines' were richer in flavonols than 'fines' and 'gruesas'. Of the six investigated growth stages, 'nonpareilles' accumulated the greatest amounts of bioactive compounds that correlated with antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties, and were more potent BuChE than AChE inhibitors.

Influence of Different Drying Techniques on Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity and Colour of Ziziphus jujube Mill. Fruits.

This study was to present the effect of different parameters of combined methods of drying such as vacuum-microwave (VMD: 480, 120 W), hot air (CDD: 70, 60, 50 °C) and combined methods as pre-drying by CD and finish drying by VMD (CD-VMD: 60 °C + 480/120W) in order to avoid a rapid increase in temperature at the critical moisture content of ca. 1 kg/kg dm (dry mass). Control samples were prepared by freeze-drying (FD). Drying kinetics, including the temperature profile of dried material, as well as on some quality factors of the finished product as phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and color were evaluated. The increase in air temperature during CD as well as the increase in material temperature during VMD deteriorated dried product quality in terms of the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and color. Dried jujube fruits have a long shelf life and therefore may be a fine alternative to fresh fruit all year round.

Volatile Composition of Smoked and Non-Smoked Iranian Rice.

In this work, the volatile profiles of smoked and non-smoked Iranian rice were identified, and their relative abundance was calculated and compared. Headspace solid-phase microextraction together with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) were used to extract and identify the volatile compounds. The main groups of volatiles in Iranian rice were aldehydes, ketones, phenol derivatives, furans, linear hydrocarbons, esters and terpenes. The chemical family aldehydes was the most abundant one in the profile of non-smoked rice, while phenol derivatives and furans predominated in smoked samples. This study is the first one reporting comparative data of volatile compounds between smoked and non-smoked Iranian rice.

Arsenic speciation in rice-based food for adults with celiac disease.

Celiac disease (CD) may affect up to 1% of the Western population. It is a disease whose diagnosis has been made mainly in childhood, but now the profile has changed, with one out of five newly diagnosed individuals being over 65 years old. The only treatment for this population is a gluten-free diet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the occurrence of arsenic (As) in gluten-free products, basically those rice-based, intended for celiac adult consumers. The current study demonstrated that these rice-based products contained important contents of total arsenic (t-As) (up to 120 µg kg(-1)) and inorganic arsenic (i-As) (up to 85.8 µg kg(-1)). It was estimated that the contents of t-As and i-As in rice used as the main ingredient of these foods were as high as 235 and 198 µg kg(-1), respectively. The estimated daily intake of i-As was 0.46 and 0.45 µg kg(-1) bw in women and men of 58 and 75 kg of body weight (bw), respectively. These values indicate that a health risk to these consumers cannot be excluded. Finally, legislation is needed to delimit the safety intake by health agencies and to improve the labelling of these special rice-based foods for celiac adult consumers. The label should include information about percentage, geographical origin and cultivar of the rice used; besides and if companies want to clearly prove the safety of their products, the exact content of i-As should also be included.

Inorganic and total arsenic contents in rice-based foods for children with celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the villi of the small intestine causing abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, or bad absorption due to gluten intolerance. The only treatment for this disease consists of a lifelong gluten free diet; this is, celiac people cannot consume products containing gluten, such as wheat, barley, and rye, but they can use rice and corn. Thus, rice flour is mainly used for the manufacturing of the basic products of this population. Unfortunately, rice can contain high contents of total (t-As) and inorganic (i-As) arsenic. The current study demonstrated that products for celiac children with a high percentage of rice contained high concentrations of arsenic (256 and 128 µg kg⁻¹). The daily intake of i-As ranged from 0.61 to 0.78 µg kg⁻¹ body weight (bw) in children up to 5 y of age; these values were below the maximum value established by the EFSA Panel (8.0 µg kg⁻¹ bw per day), but it should be considered typical of populations with a high exposure to this pollutant. Finally, legislation is needed to improve the labeling of these special rice-based foods for celiac children; label should include information about percentage, geographical origin, and cultivar of the used rice.

Source of arsenic in licorice confectionery products.

Spanish legislation sets a maximum level for total arsenic (As) in confectionery products at 0.1 microg g(-)(1). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration limitations for glycyrrhizic acid in hard and soft candies are 160 and 31 mg g(-)(1), respectively. Arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid were determined in 22 different confectionery products: 9 throat pearls, 4 hard candies, and 9 soft candies. Arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid were quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Levels of glycyrrhizic acid were always below the maximum limits established by the U.S. FDA; however, the As concentration in seven of nine throat pearls (0.55 +/- 0.15 microg g(-)(1)) were above the Spanish maximum limit. A clear empirical relationship between the arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid concentrations was observed (R (2) = 0.9357), implying that to avoid high levels of potentially toxic arsenic in licorice confections high-quality licorice extract should be used.