Evaluation of nutritional value, characteristics, functional properties of Cymodocea nodosa and its benefits on health diseases.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional fact study has prime importance to make the species edible and commercially viable to the food consumers. This is the first report that indicates the chemical characterization, functional, antioxidant and antihypertensive properties of Cymodocea nodosa to evaluate its nutritional status. METHODS: Physico-chemical determination was determined by colorimetric and spectroscopic analysis. The functional and texture properties were evaluated since a desirable texture should be retained. Bioactive substances were determined by liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS2 analysis. Health benefit of this plant was highlighting by the antioxidant and antihypertensive potentials. RESULTS: Results showed that the seagrass powder was characterized by a high content of fibers (56.4%), the fatty acids profile was dominated by the oleic acid, which represents about 62.0% of the total fatty acids and the functional properties proved important values of swelling capacity (6.71 ± 0.2) and water holding capacity (12.26 ± 0.25), that were comparable to those of some foodstuffs. Finally, the physico-chemical analysis shows the wealth in phenolic compounds, that could be explained by the high antioxidant and antihypertensive ability which was concentration dependent. CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggested that this marine plant could be utilized as a healthy food item for human consumption.

In vitro biological properties and health benefits of a novel sulfated polysaccharide isolated from Cymodocea nodosa.

BACKGROUND: During the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the search for novel bioactive compounds from marine origins. METHODS: The present study is the first to determine the molecular characterization which it was deposited in the genebank database, to investigate and evaluate the biological properties of sulfated polysaccharide from Cymodocea nodosa (CNSP) seagrass. RESULTS: The results revealed that CNSP had high activity in total antioxidant assay (59.03 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g extract), reducing power (OD = 0.3), DPPH radical scavenging (IC50 = 1.22 mg/ml) and ABTS radical scavenging (IC50 = 1.14 mg/ml). It was also noted to exhibit antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms, with important inhibition zones. The results revealed that CNSP was able to inhibit the proliferation of Hela cell lines with a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results presented in this study demonstrate that CNSP has several attractive antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative properties with potential benefits towards health.

The cruciferous Diplotaxis simplex: Phytochemistry analysis and its protective effect on liver and kidney toxicities, and lipid profile disorders in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a prevalent systemic disease affecting an important proportion of the population worldwide. It has been suggested that excessive reactive oxygen species generation and therefore development of an oxidative stress status is a key factor leading to diabetic complications. Accordingly, it seems that medicinal plants can offer a wide range of new antidiabetic drugs. Diplotaxis simplex (Viv.) Spreng. (Brassicaceae) is an edible plant largely distributed in the Mediterranean region. D. simplex flowers display important in vitro antioxidant potential and inhibitory activity of the α-glucosidase, a key enzyme linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this paper, the antihyperglycemic potential of D. simplex flowers on diabetic rats were investigated. METHODS: Bioactive substances were determined by liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-HRESIMS) analysis. Animals were divided into four groups of six rats each: a normal control group, a diabetic control group, a diabetic group receiving flowers extract (200 mg/kg body mass) and a diabetic group receiving acarbose (10 mg/kg body mass) as standard drug. RESULTS: Many glycosides of rhamnetin, isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol compounds were identified in the ethanolic flowers extract. Alloxan induced hyperglycemia, manifested by a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the blood glucose level as well as in serum α-amylase activity. Furthermore, diabetic rats exhibited oxidative stress, as evidenced by a decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities and an increase in lipid peroxidation level of the pancreas, liver and kidneys. Interestingly, the oral administration of D. simplex flowers extract during 30 days restored the glycemia, α-amylase activity, serum lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, the flowers extract exhibited a renal protective role by decreasing the urea and creatinine levels in diabetic rats serum. CONCLUSIONS: D. simplex flowers contained bioactive compounds that possess important antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties and protected pancreas, liver and kidneys against hyperglycemia damage.

Sulphated polysaccharide isolated from Sargassum vulgare: Characterization and hypolipidemic effects.

A sulphated polysaccharide from brown algae Sargassum vulgare (SVSP) was extracted and examined with respect to chemical, structural characterization and hypolipidemic effects. SVSP consisted mainly of sulphate and total sugars with low levels of lipids and proteins. Its structure was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (RMN), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), infra-red spectroscopic, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis. Allowing us therefore to revealed that SVSP was composed of glucose, rhamnose, xylose, galactose, mannose and arabinose with XRD pattern that was typical for a semi-crystalline polymer and complexities of the spectra reflected its homogeneous structure. The administration of SVSP to obese rats is effective in lowering the body weight and inhibiting the lipase activity leading to notable regulation of lipid profile, increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, limiting lipid peroxidation; and protects liver-kidney functions proved by a decrease in the levels of toxicity parameters in blood, confirmed by histological study.

Anti-obesity effect and protection of liver-kidney functions by Codium fragile sulphated polysaccharide on high fat diet induced obese rats.

The present study investigates the hypolipidemic effects of sulphated polysaccharide obtained from Codium fragile (CFSP) in induced obese rats (HFD). The results showed an increase in body weight of HFD rats by 21.56% as compared to control normal rats. Moreover, serum lipase activity underwent an increase which led to an increase in the levels of total cholesterol (T-Ch), triglycerides (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Ch) in serum associeted with a decrease in the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Ch) in untreated HFD rats. This diet has disrupted the antioxidant status by decreasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX)) and subsequently an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level in liver and kidney of obese rats. All these disturbances are significantly corrected by CFSP administration with no fatty deposits in the liver and a protective effect against renal histological alteration. This confirms the important role of this polysaccharide in the fight against oxidative stress and the prevention of hyperlipidemia.

Structural characterization and functional properties of antihypertensive Cymodocea nodosa sulfated polysaccharide.

A sulfated polysaccharide was successfully isolated from Cymodocea nodosa (CNSP). This is the first report that indicates the chemical composition, structural characterization, functional and antihypertensive properties of this polysaccharide. The CNSP consisted mainly of sulfate (23.17%), total sugars (54.90%), galactose (44.89%), mannose (17.30%), arabinose (12.05%), xylose (9.18%), maltose (1.07%) and uronic acid (11.03%) with low water activity (0.49). CNSP had an XRD pattern that was typical for a semi-crystalline polymer with homogeneous structure. It also displayed an important anti-hypertensive activity (IC50=0.43mgml) with a dose-dependent manner using a synthetic substrate, N-hippuryl-His-Leu hydrate salt (HHL). Overall, the results indicate that CNSP have attractive chemical, functional and biological properties, with a preliminary structural may have a backbone of branched 6-O-sulfated (1→4) galactosidic linkages, which can be considered in the future as alternative additive in various foods, cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.