Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Natural Antioxidants from Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa L.) Peel Using Response Surface Methodology.

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) is a popular tropical fruit and its peel is a municipal waste. An ultrasound-assisted extraction method was developed for the recovery of natural antioxidants from sugar apple peel. Central composite design was used to optimize solvent concentration (13.2%-46.8%), ultrasonic time (33.2-66.8 min), and temperature (43.2-76.8 °C) for the recovery of natural antioxidants from sugar apple peel. The second-order polynomial models demonstrated a good fit of the quadratic models with the experimental results in respect to total phenolic content (TPC, R²=0.9524, p<0.0001), FRAP (R²=0.9743, p<0.0001), and TEAC (R²=0.9610, p<0.0001) values. The optimal extraction conditions were 20:1 (mL/g) of solvent-to-solid ratio, 32.68% acetone, and 67.23 °C for 42.54 min under ultrasonic irradiation. Under these conditions, the maximal yield of total phenolic content was 26.81 (mg GA/g FW). The experimental results obtained under optimal conditions agreed well with the predicted results. The application of ultrasound markedly decreased extraction time and improved the extraction efficiency, compared with the conventional methods.

Antiproliferative activities of tea and herbal infusions.

The consumption of tea and herbal infusions has increased rapidly in recent years. More and more people consume these infusions as daily beverages as well as for health purposes. The aim of this study was to supply new information on the antiproliferative function of these infusions for nutritionists and the general public. The in vitro antiproliferative activities of 60 different tea and herbal infusions on four cancer cell lines were evaluated by MTT assay. The results showed that some infusions strongly inhibited the proliferation of A549 (human lung cancer cells), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cells), HepG2 (human hepatoma cells) and HT-29 (human colon cancer cells), and decreased the viability of these cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, some bioactive components in the infusions were also separated and determined by HPLC. The results suggested that some tea and herbal infusions may be potential dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Phenolic compounds and bioactivities of pigmented rice.

The pigmented rice has been consumed in China, Japan, and Korea for a long time. It has been used for strengthening kidney function, treating anemia, promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, treating diabetes, and ameliorating sight in traditional Chinese medicine. The extracts from pigmented rice are used as natural food colorants in bread, ice cream, and liquor as well as functional food. The pigmented rice is mainly black, red, and dark purple rice, and contains a variety of flavones, tannin, phenolics, sterols, tocols, γ-oryzanols, amino acids, and essential oils. Anthocyanins are thought as major functional components of pigmented rice. Several anthocyanins have been isolated and identified from the pigmented rice, including cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-galactoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, malvidin 3-galactoside, peonidin 3-glucoside, and pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside. This review provides up-to-date coverage of pigmented rice in regard to bioactive constituents, extraction and analytical methods, and bioactivities. Special attention is paid to the bioactivities including antioxidant and free radical scavenging, antitumor, antiatherosclerosis, hypoglycemic, and antiallergic activities.

Nitrate and nitrite content in bottled beverages by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography.

Nitrate and nitrite levels in six types of beverages--total of 292 individual samples from 73 brands (four bottles each)--from Guangzhou city in China were evaluated by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography. All samples contained nitrate. Nitrate and nitrite ranges were 0.43-46.08 and <0.005-0.501 mg/L, respectively. The highest nitrate levels were detected in tea drinks (46.08 mg/L). For nitrite, the highest levels were found in fruit juice drinks (0.501 mg/L). Three brands of fruit juice drinks exceeded the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives provisional guideline value of 0.2 mg/L for nitrite and were considered to be hazardous for public health. This study supplies useful information on safety of Chinese bottled beverages.

Evaluation of acrylamide in food from China by a LC/MS/MS method.

Acrylamide is potential carcinogenic compound that possesses neurotoxicity activity. In this study, the levels of acrylamide in 123 selected food samples from China was evaluated using a LC/MS/MS method. One hundred and fifteen (115) out of 123 samples showed positive levels of acrylamide in the range of 0.41 to 4,126.26 µg/kg. Generally, the highest acrylamide levels were found in fried products, such as potato, prawn strips and rice crust, with average values of 604.27, 341.40, and 201.51 µg/kg, respectively. Heated protein-rich food also showed some acrylamide content (ranging from 2.31 to 78.57 µg/kg). The results revealed that a potential acrylamide public health risk occurred in processed snacks, as well as the food consumed daily. This study supplied new information on acrylamide content of a variety of heat-treated foods from China.

Evaluation of benzo[a]pyrene in food from China by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection.

The occurrence and levels of benzo[a]pyrene in various heat-treated foods from China were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection. In a total of 119 samples, 105 were found to contain benzo[a]pyrene at levels of 0.03 to 19.75 µg/kg. The benzo[a]pyrene contents in 12 animal source foods were higher than the Chinese maximum permissible level in food (5 µg/kg) and the highest level was 19.75 µg/kg, nearly four times the maximum permissible level. The results revealed a widespread carinogenic public health risk from benzo[a]pyrene in heat-treated foods. The highest benzo[a]pyrene levels were found in animal source samples such as charcoal-grilled and smoked meats, especially pork, beef and sausage, while trace levels of benzo[a]pyrene were present in grain food. Charcoal-grilled vegetables were found to also contain certain levels of benzo[a]pyrene. This study provided new information on benzo[a]pyrene content of a variety of heat-treated foods from China.

Potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds.

Fruit wastes are one of the main sources of municipal waste. In order to explore the potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant potency and total phenolic contents (TPC) of lipophilic and hydrophilic components in wastes (peel and seed) of 50 fruits were systematically evaluated. The results showed that different fruit residues had diverse antioxidant potency and the variation was very large. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified, and catechin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, epicatechin, galangin, gallic acid, homogentisic acid, kaempferol, and chlorogenic acid were widely found in these residues. Especially, the values of ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and TPC in the residues were higher than in pulps. The results showed that fruit residues could be inexpensive and readily available resources of bioactive compounds for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Antioxidant capacities, phenolic compounds and polysaccharide contents of 49 edible macro-fungi.

Edible macro-fungi are widely consumed as food sources for their flavors and culinary features. In order to explore the potential of macro-fungi as a natural resource of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant properties and polysaccharide contents of 49 edible macro-fungi from China were evaluated systematically. A positive correlation between antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content indicated that phenolic compounds could be main contributors of antioxidant capacities of these macro-fungi. Furthermore, many bioactive compounds such as gallic, homogentisic, protocatechuic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were identified and quantified. The macro-fungi species Thelephora ganbajun Zang, Boletus edulis Bull., Volvariella volvacea Sing, Boletus regius Krombh, and Suillus bovinus Kuntze displayed the highest antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents, indicating their potential as important dietary sources of natural antioxidants.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum Ait.

Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are the main bioactive compounds in fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait, which possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiprotozoal, antimutagenic and anticancer properties. In this study, the ultrasound-assisted extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from L. lucidum Ait was investigated with HPLC-photodiode array detection. Effects of several experimental parameters, such as type and concentration of extraction solvent, ratio of liquid to material, extraction temperature and extraction time, on extraction efficiencies of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from L. lucidum were evaluated. The influence of experimental parameters on extraction efficiency of ursolic acid was more significant than that of oleanolic acid. The optimal extraction conditions were 95% ethanol, the ratio of material to liquid at 1:20, and extraction for 10 min at 40°C under ultrasonic irradiation. Under the optimal conditions, the yields of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were 6.3 ± 0.25 and 9.8 ± 0.30 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the ultrasound-assisted extraction is a very useful method for the extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from L. lucidum.

Aluminium content of some processed foods, raw materials and food additives in China by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

The level of aluminium in 178 processed food samples from Shenzhen city in China was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Some processed foods contained a concentration of up to 1226 mg/kg, which is about 12 times the Chinese food standard. To establish the main source in these foods, Al levels in the raw materials were determined. However, aluminium concentrations in raw materials were low (0.10-451.5 mg/kg). Therefore, aluminium levels in food additives used in these foods was determined and it was found that some food additives contained a high concentration of aluminium (0.005-57.4 g/kg). The results suggested that, in the interest of public health, food additives containing high concentrations of aluminium should be replaced by those containing less. This study has provided new information on aluminium levels in Chinese processed foods, raw materials and a selection of food additives.

Biological activities of polyphenols from grapes.

The dietary consumption of grape and its products is associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers. Most recent interest has focused on the bioactive phenolic compounds in grape. Anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and resveratrol are the most important grape polyphenols because they possess many biological activities, such as antioxidant, cardioprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antiaging and antimicrobial properties. This review summarizes current knowledge on the bioactivities of grape phenolics. The extraction, isolation and identification methods of polyphenols from grape as well as their bioavailability and potential toxicity also are included.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on disorders of myometrial gland].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on disorders of myometrial gland and the mechanism. METHODS: Sixty-six cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 33 cases in each group. The acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Zhongji (CV 3), Shuidao (ST 28), Tainshu (ST 25), Qugu (CV 2), Zigong (EX-CA 1) as main; the medication group were treated with oral administration of Danazol. Changes of estradiol (E2) level, hemoglobin (Hb) and blood platelet counter (BPC) were observed in the acupuncture group, and the therapeutic effects of the two group were compared. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 97.0% in the acupuncture group and 72.7% in the medication group, the former being better than the latter (P<0.05). After treatment, E2 level decreased and Hb and BPC increased in the acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has obvious therapeutic effect, which is better than that of simple western medicine. Acupuncture can decrease E2 level.