Extreme halophilic Archaea: Halobacterium salinarum carotenoids characterization and antioxidant properties.

Important marine microorganisms are resources of renewable energy that may face global population growth and needs. The application of biomass metabolites, such as carotenoids and their derivatives, may solve some agro-food health problems. Herein, a new halophilic Archaea Halobacterium salinarum producing carotenoid was screened from a Tunisian solar Saltworks (Sfax). The identification of the carotenoid pigments was carried out using HPLC-MS/MS. The predominant pigments produced by this Halobacterium were bacterioruberin and its derivatives and the carotenoids production was found to be of 21.51 mg/mL. Moreover, the data revealed that the carotenoids extract exhibited a high antioxidant activity across four oxidizing assays. The present results suggested that carotenoids extracted from halophilic Archaea are interesting sources of natural antioxidants for future innovative applications in agro-food, cosmetic and health fields.

Antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of feather protein hydrolysate in high-fat diet-fed mice.

The hyperlipidemia is a serious health problem that increases the risk of many complications including cardiovascular disease. This study aims to evaluate the possible antihyperlipidemic effects of the feather protein hydrolysate (FPH) in a mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice during 5 weeks. The FPH administration improved dose-dependent lipid profile, as well as the liver and renal dysfunction indices in hyperlipidemic mice. The FPH also restored the antioxidant status in liver, kidney, and heart by lowering the lipid peroxidation and enhancing the antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase [SOD]). Moreover, the histological studies proved that FPH administration prevents hepatic steatosis, glomerular hyperfiltration risk, and cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Accordingly, the FPH is a promising novel medicinal ingredient for possible use in the hyperlipidemic treatment and related complications.

Encapsulation of carotenoids extracted from halophilic Archaea in oil-in-water (O/W) micro- and nano-emulsions.

Carotenoids extracted from halophilc Archaea have potential health benefits. Their poor water-solubility and low bioavailability is a challenge to their incorporation into foods. The aim of this work was the carotenoids encapsulation into two oil-in-water (O/W) dispersions, to increase their use as functional food applications. A nanoemulsion produced by high pressure homogenization and a spontaneously formed microemulsion were conceived. The limonene was the dispersed oil phase, and mixtures of Triton X-100/Tween-80 (3:1) as emulsifiers and of water/glycerol (2:1) as the continuous aqueous phase. The microemulsion monophasic area was determined through the pseudo-ternary phase diagram. Dynamic Light Scattering was used for the structural characterization of the nano- and micro-emulsions in the presence of the carotenoids. Moreover, the radical scavenging activity of the encapsulated carotenoids was examined by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy. The results confirmed the delivery systems design effectiveness to encapsulate and stabilize the carotenoids for food applications.