Rosa rugosa Low Caloric Fiber Protein Preparations Rich in Antioxidant Flavanols and Ellagitannins.

Defatted seed residues after the extraction of rose oil have their potential not fully described in the existing literature. The aim of this study was to determine and characterize the components important for the human body that are found in Rosa rugosa defatted seeds, including dietary fibers, proteins, selected minerals, polyphenols and antioxidant activity. Rosa rugosa seeds defatted with CO2 in supercritical conditions are a rich source of dietary fibers (approx. 65%) and proteins (15%); their macronutrients include the following: Ca (175.9), Mg (83.9), K (199.2) and Na (3.5 mg/100 g). They also contain polyphenols, including flavanols (0.9%) and total ellagic acid (0.5%), and they exhibit antioxidant activity (143.8 µM TAEC/g). Tellimagrandin I and II and rugosin A were found in the extracts, and ellagitannins with a yet-indeterminate structure were also present. The seeds also contained ellagitannin derivatives-galloyl-HHDP-glucose and bis-HHDP-glucose-at the same time, and they are characterized by a low-fat content-0.4%. The energy value of defatted rose seeds is about half the energy value of popular seeds used in the food industry. The findings of the present study suggest that defatted rosehip seeds, the by-product of rosehip processing, could be an important source of bioactive components like dietary fibers, flavanols, ellagitannins and mineral compounds. Therefore, defatted rose seeds are very promising and require further research, because they can potentially be used as a natural source of chemopreventive agents.

Nutritional and Polyphenolic Composition of Agrimonia procera Wallr. from Experimental Cultivation with Different Levels of Nitrogen Fertilization.

Plants of the genus Agrimonia, including fragrant agrimony Agrimonia procera Wallr., mainly used as pharmaceutical raw material, perfectly fit into the current trends in nutrition and food technology that are searching for organic raw materials with high contents of bioactive compounds, such as dietary polyphenols and fiber. The aim of the research was to determine the nutritional and polyphenolic composition of fragrant agrimony Agrimonia procera Wallr. from experimental cultivation with varying levels of nitrogen fertilization in the nitrate, ammonium, or amide forms. In the experimental cultivation of fragrant agrimony in a seeding medium with a moderately high level of mineral content, the aerial parts, especially the leaves, were characterized by contents protein, dietary fiber, fat, and polyphenols at levels of 11.5, 58.0, 3.0, and 10.5% of dry matter, respectively, and an energy value of about 260 kcal/100 g of dry matter. The effect of additional nitrogen fertilization, in the form of ammonium nitrate and urea, on the content and yield of nutrients and polyphenol in fragrant agrimony depends both on the dose and the form of nitrogen, as well as the morphological part, of the plant.

The Aerial Parts of Agrimonia procera Wallr. and Agrimonia eupatoria L. as a Source of Polyphenols, and Especially Agrimoniin and Flavonoids.

Plants of the genus Agrimonia L. perfectly fit the current trends in nutrition and food technology, namely, the need for raw materials with a high content of bioactive natural compounds, including polyphenols, which could be added to food. The composition of polyphenolics, including agrimoniin and flavonoids, in the aerial parts of Agrimonia procera Wallr. (A. procera) and Agrimonia eupatoria L. (A. eupatoria) (Rosaceae) was determined using HPLC-DAD-MS. The polyphenolic content of A. procera was found to be 3.9%, 3.2%, 2.9%, 1.8% and 1.1%, and that of A. eupatoria was determined to be 1.3%, 0.3%, 0.9%, 0.6% and 0.5% in the dry matter of leaves, stems, fruits, seeds and hypanthia, respectively. Except for A. procera hypanthia, agrimoniin was the main polyphenolic compound in the aerial parts of the studied Agrimonia species. Both plants are also a valuable source of flavonoid glycosides, especially apigenin, luteolin and quercetin. The obtained data indicate that both A. procera and A. eupatoria are potentially good sources of polyphenols (albeit significantly different in terms of their qualitative and quantitative composition), and may not only be a medicinal raw material, but also a valuable material for food use such as nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients.

Effects of Feeding Dried Fruit Pomaces as Additional Fibre-Phenolic Compound on Meat Quality, Blood Chemistry and Redox Status of Broilers.

The present study investigated the effects of apple (A), blackcurrant (B) and strawberry (S) dried pomaces on meat quality, blood chemistry and redox status of broiler chickens. A total of 480 Ross-308 male broilers were divided into 8 dietary treatments containing 3% and 6% of cellulose preparation (C), A, B or S. Six birds/group were slaughtered at 35 days of age and blood samples were collected. Carcass traits and meat quality were determined on the Pectoralis major muscles, recording nonsignificant differences. Antioxidant activity was evaluated in serum, liver and breast muscle. In serum, fruit pomaces lowered triglycerides, creatinine and atherogenic index (p < 0.05). Regarding redox status, in serum, ACW (antioxidant capacity of water-soluble substances) and ACL (antioxidant capacity of lipid-soluble substances) were greater in A (p < 0.001). In breast, ACW and ACL were higher in B and S compared to C (p < 0.05). In liver, ACL was greater in B and S compared to C (p < 0.001) and in higher dosage compared to low (p = 0.036). GSSG (oxidized glutathione) concentration was lower in A, whereas A, B and S presented a higher GSH (reduced glutathione)/GSSG ratio. The results showed that fruit pomaces could represent promising feed ingredients for broilers, improving serum, meat and tissue antioxidant parameters.

Transformation of Oligomeric Ellagitannins, Typical for Rubus and Fragaria Genus, during Strong Acid Hydrolysis.

The strong acid hydrolysis analysis of galloyl-O-digalloyl-type ellagitannins (ETs), lambertianin C (LC) and sanguiin H-6, and dehydrodigalloyl-type ET, agrimoniin (AM), was performed. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the degradation products of individual ETs was conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detecto-electrospray ionization interface-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS). The data indicate that ETs undergo multidirectional changes in a strongly acidic environment, where the process of successive hydrolysis of ester bonds to form ellagic acid (EA) is the dominant phenomenon in the initial phase of the reaction, followed by the depolymerization process and the formation of low-molecular ETs. Characteristic products of ET hydrolysis were distinguished: for LC: dimeric ET plus one galloyl moiety without one EA moiety (M = 1736 Da), for all analyzed ETs: sanguisorbic acid dilactone (M = 470 Da), and for AM: dehydrodigallic acid (M = 338 Da). The research carried out has allowed to create a database of possible products and routes of transformation of individual ETs, which should facilitate future research on the transformation of ETs, including potential prohealth properties of its breakdown products, under conditions occurring during food processing or digestion.

Structural elucidation of the ellagitannin with a molecular weight of 2038 isolated from strawberry fruit (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) and named fragariin A.

The structure of the ellagitannin (ET) with a molecular weight (MW) of 2038 isolated from strawberry fruit was elucidated on the basis of mass spectrometry data and nuclear magnetic resonance studies, with the newly determined compound being named fragariin A. Similarly to the main strawberry ET, agrimoniin (MW 1870), fragariin A was shown to contain a bis-HHDP-glucose moiety (MW 784). It exhibited the same three fragmentation ions with m/z 1567, 1265 and 633, arising from the detachment of consecutive hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP) units from the structure with MW 1870. Based on spectroscopic studies, it was found that, in the tested ET (MW 2038), a free gallic acid is connected by a DOG-type bond to the 4,6-HHDP unit of the second glucose moiety of agrimoniin.

Ellagitannins from Strawberries with Different Degrees of Polymerization Showed Different Metabolism through Gastrointestinal Tract of Rats.

The present paper describes a comparative study of the metabolism of (1) ellagic acid, (2) monomeric ellagitannins (a mixture of α- and ß-bis-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-d-glucose), and (3) dimeric ellagitannins (mainly agrimoniin with both glucose residues being esterified with hexahydroxydiphenoyl) in rats fed polyphenol-rich diets. Their metabolites were identified and quantified in selected parts of the gastrointestinal tract, i.e., the stomach, small intestine, and cecum, on the second, fourth, and seventh days of the experiment, as well as in the rats' feces, blood serum, and urine. Significant differences between the metabolites of strawberry ellagitannins and ellagic acid were observed in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Urolithin A was the predominant polyphenolic metabolite of rats fed a diet supplemented with ellagic acid. On the other hand, in rats fed low degree of polymerization (DP) ellagitannins, the main metabolite was nasutin followed by urolithin A, while ellagitannins with a higher DP led to nasutin only.

Chemical Composition of Blackberry Press Cake, Polyphenolic Extract, and Defatted Seeds, and Their Effects on Cecal Fermentation, Bacterial Metabolites, and Blood Lipid Profile in Rats.

Blackberry fiber (BF), extracted blackberry fiber (EBF), defatted blackberry seeds (DBS), and blackberry polyphenols (BP) were added to the diets of rats. A control diet, fiber diets (BF, EBF, DBS) with 6% addition instead of cellulose, and a polyphenol diet (BP) with 1% addition were administered for 4 weeks. BF and DBS contained polyphenols (3.6%); EBF did not. DBS was free of fat. Ellagitannins were the main phenolics, mostly dimers (sanguiin H-6 with isomers) and monomers (pedunculagin, casuarictin isomer, and sanguiin H-2 isomer). Trimers (lambertianin C with isomers) and tetramers (lambertianin D) were in the minority. EBF increased the production of propionate and butyrate in the cecum and improved the blood lipid profile. Polyphenols beneficially decreased the activity of cecal ß-glucuronidase, but they may have also increased cholesterol levels in blood. Bacterial metabolism of ellagitannins in the colon gave rise to nasutin A and urolithin A.

Chemical composition of defatted strawberry and raspberry seeds and the effect of these dietary ingredients on polyphenol metabolites, intestinal function, and selected serum parameters in rats.

Strawberry and raspberry seeds were chemically analyzed and added as dietary ingredients to investigate the physiological response of rats. In both cases the main component was dietary fiber and the main polyphenols were ellagitannins (ET). The strawberry ET were mainly constituted by monomers and a dimer, agrimoniin, whereas raspberry ET were mainly constituted by a dimer, sanguiin-H-6, and a trimer, lambertianin-C. The lower content and the less polymerized structure of strawberry ET resulted in a higher cecal metabolites concentration (mainly nasutin and urolithin-A) in comparison to rats fed diet containing raspberry seeds. Dietary raspberry seeds, a source of dietary fiber, despite being richer in polyphenol compounds, were better utilized in fermentation processes, resulting in enhanced production of short-chain fatty acids. As opposed to strawberry seeds, the treatment with raspberry seeds beneficially improved the atherogenic index of a diet, mainly due to reduced triacylglycerol concentration in the serum.

Strawberry ellagitannins thwarted the positive effects of dietary fructooligosaccharides in rat cecum.

Forty-eight male Wistar rats were fed diets containing low (0.051% of diet) or high (0.153% of diet) levels of an ellagitannin-rich (ET) strawberry extract with dietary fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or cellulose (CEL) for 4 weeks. The in vivo study demonstrated that some positive changes in the cecal metabolism resulting from the ingestion of a diet enriched only with FOS were completely or slightly suppressed by the dietary ET. In particular, the pH value (7.21 vs 7.36), short-chain fatty acid production (41.2 vs 30.0 µmol/100g BW), and ß-glucuronidase activity (20.2 vs 15.7 µmol/h/g) in the cecum of rats fed with FOS were affected upon the addition of the ET extract. Dietary FOS caused higher metabolism of the tested ET strawberry extract in the gastrointestinal tract of rats. Moreover, the systemic effect of the supplements when consumed together showed undesired serum HDL-cholesterol decrease (0.78 vs 1.02 mmol/L in the treatment with FOS only).

The effects of strawberry, black currant, and chokeberry extracts in a grain dietary fiber matrix on intestinal fermentation in rats.

The objective of this work was to study the composition, hydration properties and oil holding capacity, antioxidant properties and the physiological effects on the digestive system of dietary preparations containing wheat or oat fiber enriched with polyphenol extracts from strawberry, chokeberry, and black currant pomace. By the addition of black currant, strawberry and chokeberry polyphenol extracts to grain fibers preparations with corresponding polyphenol content of 0.7%-0.8%, 1.1%-1.2%, and 2.5%-2.9% were obtained. The preparations were used as part (8%) of a modified AIN-93 diet given to growing Wistar rats (8 animals per group) over a period of 4weeks. The highest antioxidant potential had grain-chokeberry preparations with the greatest polyphenol content, while grain-black currant preparations exhibited the lowest antioxidant potential with the smallest polyphenol content. The addition of strawberry and chokeberry extracts caused a decrease in the activity of bacterial ß-glucosidase and α-galactosidase, while black currant extract led to increased activity of ß-galactosidase and ß-glucuronidase. The production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the caecum of rats fed the grain-strawberry preparation, rich in ellagitannins, was considerably higher than the grain-black currant preparation, rich in proanthocyanidins and anthocyans, or the grain-chokeberry preparation with the highest polyphenol content (78.3 vs. 64.7 vs. 56.3µmol/100g body weight, p=0.012). In comparison to preparations without polyphenols only chokeberry extract significantly decreased SCFA concentration. The grain-strawberry preparations were characterized by a higher antioxidant potential per unit of polyphenol content and exhibited a more beneficial influence on the fermentation processes in the caecum of rats than the grain-black currant and grain-chokeberry preparations.