Biomonitoring of organic pollutants in pet dog plasma samples in North-Western Spain.

Most of organic pollutants (OPs) have the ability to interfere with biological systems causing negative effects in living beings, including humans. In the last decades, pets have been used as bioindicators of human exposure because they share the same habitat with their homeowners. We sought to determine levels of approximately 70 OPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pyrethroids (PYRs) in plasma samples from 39 pet dogs from Ourense (north-western Spain). The results revealed that PAHs were the dominant OPs (mean value 175 ± 319 ng/g lipid weight (lw)), followed by PYRs (132 ± 352 ng/g lw), PCBs (122 ± 96 ng/g lw), OCPs (33 ± 17 ng/g lw), PBDEs (19 ± 18 ng/g lw) and OPPs (2.1 ± 2.7 ng/g lw) in plasma samples. We have previously detected the target OPs in hair samples of pets, collected simultaneously and similar trend of some OPs has been observed. Moreover, pyrene and chrysene showed correlations between levels detected in both matrices.

Contribution of critical doses of iprovalicarb, mepanipyrim and tetraconazole to the generation of volatile compounds from Monastrell-based wines.

The individual effects of iprovalicarb, mepanipyrim, and tetraconazole on the volatile composition and aromatic profile of Monastrell-based wines were evaluated. To date, no studies about the effect of these fungicides on Monastrell-based wines are available, and the effect on other grape varieties is also unknown. Fungicides were added separately in the cellar to the grape must at two concentration levels (4 and 10 mg/kg for iprovalicarb and mepanipyrim and 1 and 2.5 mg/kg for tetraconazole). The aromatic composition of the final wines was analysed by gas chromatography using flame ionisation and ion trap mass selective detectors. In the presence of fungicides, the most significant variations were observed for isoamyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate (increasing between 20 and 43% compared with the control wine) and ethyl caprate and caprylate (increasing between 12 and 68%). Consequently, treated wines showed a higher global odourant intensity, with increased fresh fruit notes.

Singular Olive Oils from a Recently Discovered Spanish North-Western Cultivar: An Exhaustive 3-Year Study of Their Chemical Composition and In-Vitro Antidiabetic Potential.

In this work, the quality and physicochemical parameters, phenolic composition, and antidiabetic potential of olive oils obtained from olives belonging to centenarian olive trees of the so-called 'Mansa de Figueiredo' cultivar were evaluated during three consecutive crop seasons (2017-2019). The oils produced during the three crop years were classified as extra virgin based on the quality-related indices, sensory analysis, and the genuineness-related parameters. In addition, LC-ESI-TOF MS was used to get a comprehensive characterisation of the phenolic fraction while LC-ESI-IT MS was applied for quantitation purposes. The content of phenolic compounds (ranging from 1837 to 2434 mg/kg) was significantly affected by the harvest year due to the environmental conditions and ripening index. Furthermore, although significant differences in the inhibitory effects against the α-glucosidase enzyme for the EVOOs extracted throughout the three successive years were detected, all the studied EVOOs exhibited a stronger inhibitor effect than that found for acarbose.

Prolonged on-tree maturation vs. cold storage of Hass avocado fruit: Changes in metabolites of bioactive interest at edible ripeness.

When the recipient of the product is relatively distant from the production area, it is necessary to use cold storage and controlled humidity to transport the avocado fruits. One of the main advantages of local avocado consumption lies on the possibility of prolonging on-tree maturation; this could foreseeably modify the metabolic profile of the fruit that reaches the consumer. In this work, the effect of prolonged on tree maturation (during different time intervals) on the final composition of avocado fruit (at edible ripeness) was evaluated and compared with the impact of the same periods after prolonged cold storage. The quantitative evolution of nine bioactive metabolites (7 phenolic compounds, pantothenic and abscisic acids) over 40 days (10-days intervals) was studied by using a solid-liquid extraction protocol and a LC-MS methodology. The results were discussed both considering the quantitative evolution of each individual compound and the sum of all of them.

Unravelling the immunomodulatory role of apple phenolic rich extracts on human THP-1- derived macrophages using multiplatform metabolomics.

Apples represent a significant source of dietary phenolic compounds with evidenced anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Nevertheless, the effect of the whole apple matrix on human macrophages is unknown. In this context, our study attempts to evaluate the effect of apple-derived phenolic compounds-rich extracts (pulp, peel and leaf) on IL-1ß production in THP-1-differentiated macrophages and derived metabolic alterations through untargeted metabolomics. Our results have showed that apple pulp treatment inhibited the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß induced by LPS in THP-1 macrophages by ELISA analysis. Metabolomics demonstrate that different proportions of phenolic compounds led to differential alterations in the metabolism of THP-1 macrophages. Indeed, apple extracts promoted alterations in lipid, carbohydrate, amino acid and vitamins as well as cofactors metabolism. Specifically, leaf extracts were characterized by alteration of galactose metabolism while the extracts derived from the fruit showed predominant alterations in lipids metabolism. All extracts mimicked the response observed under normal conditions in LPS-stimulated macrophages, inhibiting LPS response. Thus, the phenolic enriched extracts from apples will be a good source of natural compounds with a beneficial effect against inflammation, and they may be applied as a food supplement and/or functional ingredient for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Applicability of an In-Vitro Digestion Model to Assess the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds from Olive-Related Products.

The Mediterranean diet includes virgin olive oil (VOO) as the main fat and olives as snacks. In addition to providing nutritional and organoleptic properties, VOO and the fruits (olives) contain an extensive number of bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic compounds, which are considered to be powerful antioxidants. Furthermore, olive byproducts, such as olive leaves, olive pomace, and olive mill wastewater, considered also as rich sources of phenolic compounds, are now valorized due to being mainly applied in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. The digestive system must physically and chemically break down these ingested olive-related products to release their phenolic compounds, which will be further metabolized to be used by the human organism. The first purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current status of in-vitro static digestion models for olive-related products. In this sense, the in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods are widely used with the following aims: (i) to study how phenolic compounds are released from their matrices and to identify structural changes of phenolic compounds after the digestion of olive fruits and oils and (ii) to support the functional value of olive leaves and byproducts generated in the olive industry by assessing their health properties before and after the gastrointestinal process. The second purpose of this review is to survey and discuss all the results available to date.

Optimization of a new selective pressurized liquid extraction methodology for determining organic pollutants in wild boar livers.

In this study, a new selective pressurised liquid extraction (SPLE) methodology was optimised for determining about 70 organic pollutants (OPs) including organochlorine (OCPs), organophosphate (OPPs) and pyrethroid (PYRs) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs), as well as, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wild boar liver samples considering the temperature, pressure and time of contact between the solvent and the matrix as influential variables. Clean-up of extracts was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using EZ-POP cartridges. Detection of OPs was carried out by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS). This new approach offers:•A new non-time consuming SPLE methodology for determining about 70 OPs in wild boar.•Recoveries achieved ranged between 74 to 119 % with RSD less than 20 %.•Detection and quantification limits in the low to mid pg/g range.

Interactions between Ginkgo biloba L. and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in multicomponent mixtures towards cholinesterase inhibition and ROS scavenging.

This study gives new insights to understand the type of interactions between Ginkgo biloba L. and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, two Chinese medicinal plants with well documented neuroprotective effects, on three targets in Alzheimer's disease (AD): acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholnesterase (BuChE) inhibition and hydrogen peroxide scavenging. Individual samples, binary mixtures with different proportions of both plant species, and also a commercial multicomponent combination containing both plants together with unroasted Coffea arabica L. and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside were used to perform this in vitro evaluation. Sample phenolic profiles were also determined by HPLC-DAD, showing the presence of several flavonoid glycosides, phenolic acids and a methylxanthine. In order to investigate the possible synergism/antagonism interaction, data obtained were analyzed by CompuSyn software. The results showed that G. biloba and S. baicalensis alone display better activities than in mixtures, most of the interactions exhibiting different degrees of antagonism. A slight synergism interaction was only observed for the commercial multicomponent mixture tested against H2O2. Further analysis was carried out to understand which compounds could be responsible for the antagonistic interaction. Seventeen single pure compounds present in all extracts were tested against AChE inhibition, most of them displaying weak or no activity. Only caffeine had a remarkable activity. Five different binary and quaternary mixture compositions were design to deepen the interaction between these compounds, revealing mainly phenolic acid-flavonoid, flavonoid-flavonoid and methylxanthine-flavonoid-phenolic acid antagonistic interactions. These results clearly show that, for the targets evaluated, there is no potentiation of the neuroprotective effect by combining S. baicalensis and G. biloba extracts.

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) as bioindicator for environmental exposure to organic pollutants.

Organic pollutants (OPs) are widely distributed around the globe, their presence has become an issue of great concern in the last years due to their potential health effects. Wildlife biomonitoring of OPs has been nowadays a common approach to assess chemical exposure in wildlife and humans. In a sample of 60 wild boars (Sus scrofa) from NW Spain, we evaluated the suitability of using liver and hair samples for the assessment of exposure and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) including dioxin and non-dioxin like PCBs (DLPCBs and NDLPCBs), organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides (OCPs and OPPs, respectively), polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs), pyrethroids (PYRs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Selective pressurized liquid extraction (SPLE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) methodologies were used to determine the target OPs in liver and hair samples. Clean-up of extracts was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using EZ-POP cartridges and detection by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS). We found a distribution pattern of ΣPAHs > ΣOCPs > ΣPYRs > ΣNDLPCBs > ΣOPPs > ΣDLPCBs > ΣPBDEs in liver and of ΣPAHs > ΣOCPs > ΣNDLPCBs > ΣPYRs > ΣOPPs > ΣDLPCBs > ΣPBDEs in hair. Significant correlations (p < 0.050) between the socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age and place) and OP concentrations of OCPs, PBDEs, PYRs, OPPs and PAHs were detected. Moderate correlation was found between HCB, PCB28, PCB157 and chlorpyrifos contents in both hair and liver samples. On the basis of these results, our data shows the correlation and complementary information given by both biological samples.

Impact of mepanipyrim and tetraconazole in Mencía wines on the biosynthesis of volatile compounds during the winemaking process.

The impact of fungicides mepanipyrim (Mep) and tetraconazole (Tetra) and their corresponding commercial formulations (Mep-Form and Tetra-Form) on the aroma composition of wines was assessed. Fungicide residues can affect the biotransformation of aroma precursors from grapes and/or the yeast metabolism. The results confirmed that both maximum residue levels (MRL and 2xMRL) of Mep promoted benzyl alcohol and 4-vinylguaiacol contents; while MRL and 2xMRL of Mep-Form promoted benzene derivatives (benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and trans-isoeugenol), 2-phenylethanol and γ-nonalactone. The addition of Tetra (2xMRL) and Tetra-Form (MRL and 2xMRL) release higher contents of cis-3-hexen-1-ol and ethyl vanillate and affected yeast metabolism related to phenylacetaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, methionol, capric acid, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl monosuccionate, diethyl succinate and γ-butyrolactone production. Fungicide residues did not display higher variations in global odour activity values with respect to control wines, although some variations on the "floral", "fruity", "spicy" and "lactic" nuances could be sensed.

Nutraceutical Potential of Phenolics from 'Brava' and 'Mansa' Extra-Virgin Olive Oils on the Inhibition of Enzymes Associated to Neurodegenerative Disorders in Comparison with Those of 'Picual' and 'Cornicabra'.

The increasing interest in the Mediterranean diet is based on the protective effects against several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Polyphenol-rich functional foods have been proposed to be unique supplementary and nutraceutical treatments for these disorders. Extra-virgin olive oils (EVOOs) obtained from 'Brava' and 'Mansa', varieties recently identified from Galicia (northwestern Spain), were selected for in vitro screening to evaluate their capacity to inhibit key enzymes involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)), major depressive disorder (MDD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) (monoamine oxidases: hMAO-A and hMAO-B respectively). 'Brava' oil exhibited the best inhibitory activity against all enzymes, when they are compared to 'Mansa' oil: BuChE (IC50 = 245 ± 5 and 591 ± 23 mg·mL-1), 5-LOX (IC50 = 45 ± 7 and 106 ± 14 mg·mL-1), hMAO-A (IC50 = 30 ± 1 and 72 ± 10 mg·mL-1) and hMAO-B (IC50 = 191 ± 8 and 208 ± 14 mg·mL-1), respectively. The inhibitory capacity of the phenolic extracts could be associated with the content of secoiridoids, lignans and phenolic acids.

Further insights on tomato plant: Cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of leaf extracts in human gastric cells.

This study focused the toxicity against human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS) and the antioxidant activity of hydromethanol (HME), acetone (AcE) and alkaloid (AE) extracts prepared from the leaves of tomato plant cultivars (Caramba, Valentine, Negro, Abuela, and Anairis). AE, HME and AcE extracts of all cultivars reduced cell viability, IC50 values ranging from 9 ± 2 to 55 ± 11, from 103 ± 25 to 171 ± 29 and from 291 ± 26 to 459 ± 14 µg mL-1, respectively. Moreover, both HME and AcE extracts scavenged •NO (IC50 values ranged from 0.87 ± 0.12 to 1.54 ± 0.23 and from 0.90 ± 0.01 to 2.23 ± 0.14 mg mL-1, respectively), but only HMEs was able to scavenge O2•- showing IC50 values from 0.12 ± ≤0.01 to 0.43 ± 0.08 mg mL-1. Our results demonstrate that tomato leaves, a by-product of tomato processing industry, are a valuable source of bioactive compounds, providing beneficial properties for human health.

State of the Art on Functional Virgin Olive Oils Enriched with Bioactive Compounds and Their Properties.

Virgin olive oil, the main fat of the Mediterranean diet, is per se considered as a functional food-as stated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)-due to its content in healthy compounds. The daily intake of endogenous bioactive phenolics from virgin olive oil is variable due to the influence of multiple agronomic and technological factors. Thus, a good strategy to ensure an optimal intake of polyphenols through habitual diet would be to produce enriched virgin olive oil with well-known bioactive polyphenols. Different sources of natural biological active substances can be potentially used to enrich virgin olive oil (e.g., raw materials derived from the same olive tree, mainly olive leaves and pomaces, and/or other compounds from plants and vegetables, mainly herbs and spices). The development of these functional olive oils may help in prevention of chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, immune frailty, ageing disorders and degenerative diseases) and improving the quality of life for many consumers reducing health care costs. In the present review, the most relevant scientific information related to the development of enriched virgin olive oil and their positive human health effects has been collected and discussed.

α-Glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitors from Myrcia spp.: a stronger alternative to acarbose?

"Pedra hume caá" is the common name of five species of Myrcia genus used as traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In this study, different extracts from Myrcia salicifolia, Myrcia sphaerocarpa, and Myrcia speciosa were investigated for the first time, to identify their phenolic compounds (being 3-O-rhamnoside derivatives of myricetin and quercetin the major ones) and in vitro inhibitory potential against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. These extracts inhibited 90-500 times more α-glucosidase (IC50=0.7 to 4.1 µg ml(-1)) than acarbose and displayed a mild inhibition against α-amylase (IC50=6.1 to 29 µg mL(-1)).

Effect of two anti-fungal treatments (metrafenone and boscalid plus kresoxim-methyl) applied to vines on the color and phenol profile of different red wines.

The effect of two anti-fungal treatments (metrafenone and boscalid + kresoxim-methyl) on the color and phenolic profile of Tempranillo and Graciano red wines has been studied. To evaluate possible modifications in color and phenolic composition of wines, control and wines elaborated with treated grapes under good agricultural practices were analyzed. Color was assessed by Glories and CIELab parameters. Color changes were observed for treated wines with boscalid + kresoxim-methyl, leading to the production of wines with less color vividness. Phenolic profile was characterized by HPLC analysis. Boscalid + kresoxim-methyl treatment promoted the greatest decrease on the phenolic content in wines.