Fruits of Wild-Grown Shrubs for Health Nutrition.

Cultivated fruits and berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, black currants, cherries, blueberries, are generally recognized sources of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other substances beneficial to human health and well-being. However, there are also wild berries and fruits that are of undoubted interest as food products having valuable medicinal properties due to the presence of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and vitamins. These fruits have a great potential to be used in functional food making. The present review is dedicated to fruits of wild-grown shrubs Bird cherry (Prunus padus L.), Rowan berry (Sorbus aucuparia L.), Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus L.), Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.), and Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) The chemical compositions of these wild berries are described as well as their effects on the improvement of human health proved by clinical trials and epidemiological studies. The possibilities of using the fruits of wild-grown shrubs in the preparation of functional foods and examples of their implementation for the manufacturing of dairy, bakery and meat products are considered.

New Advances in Short Peptides: Looking Forward.

It is beyond doubt that short peptides hold significant promise in bio-medicine, as the most versatile molecules, both structurally and functionally [...].

Seeds from ancient food crops with the potential for antiobesity promotion.

Populations like to have a healthy diet without changing their fundamental dietary pattern. The importance of dietetic foods with health potential has increased the interest of consumers on crops with nutraceutical messages. Several plant food products from selected ancient crops like flax, chia, black cumin, sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds contain substances with high health benefits. These crops are usually rich sources in fatty acids, sterols, phenolic compounds and dietary fiber which have mainly shown the ability to increase satiety and obesity control, among chronic degenerative diseases and others. These plant seeds offer outstanding features for the food and nutraceutical industries, due to their functional components. This review focuses on scientific evidence of the different potential benefits of these crops on human antiobesity promotion.

Capsicum annuum (hot pepper): An ancient Latin-American crop with outstanding bioactive compounds and nutraceutical potential. A review.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) fruits, usually termed as chili, have been used since ancient times as food vegetables, flavoring ingredients, natural colorants, and in traditional medicines. Nowadays, a wide variation of sweet and pungent peppers are consumed worldwide in a large variety of forms. Interestingly, the most important hot pepper at the global level in commercial terms is C. annuum with a high number of varieties. This review compares C. annuum to other Capsicum species for plant agronomic traits, biochemical composition, the content of capsaicin and capsaicinoids and their nutraceutical and medical potentialities, and the effects of processing on quality and key components of the fruit, among other aspects. Chili contains important levels of pigments (i.e., chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and lutein) with potential health benefits; it also contains additional outstanding health-promoting chemical compounds, such as vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, carotenoids, and capsaicinoids, in general. And capsaicin, the major active compound responsible for the pungent taste of these species has been proven to have a positive role in health. We report here on how dietary chili and capsaicinoids consumption, especially capsaicin, are involved in body weight reduction and their potential antiobesity effects, in urinary disorders, as well as antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, and analgesic capacity. Selected characteristics of processing for the fruit preservation on its quality and content of these compounds are described as well. However, additional clinical research on the mechanism of action and efficacy of frequent capsaicinoid consumption on human health is needed.

Nopal (Opuntia spp.) and its Effects on Metabolic Syndrome: New Insights for the Use of a Millenary Plant.

BACKGROUND: Nopal (Opuntia spp.) is by excellence the most utilized cactus in human and animal nutrition. It is also a very noble plant; its main physicochemical, nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics allow the use of nopal in diverse food applications. Special focus has been given over the past decades in the use of Opuntia for the treatment of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is predominantly related to Diabetes Mellitus. In this sense, the prevalence of MetS is increasing at a worldwide level. This in turn has led to a notorious demand for natural and nutraceutical food sources. METHODS: The objective of this work was to summarize the main contributions in the field of Opuntia spp. research highlighting the potential use of nopal fruits or cladodes in MetS treatment, providing the reader with historical and novel information in this field. Nevertheless, the present work is not a meta-analysis. We included mainly information from recognized scientific databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. No homeopathic based studies were included since they lack scientific validation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review that fairly categorizes the majority of the information in this field into subsections, which can be of interest for the reader, such as the effect of nopal against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity among others. CONCLUSION: Nopal constitutes one of the most studied members of the Cactaceae family; its potential effects on human health have been described since ancient times, mostly through traditional medicine. The present work highlights the importance of this plant in the treatment of MetS related maladies and points out the importance of elucidating new compounds and their validation for the interactions of nutraceutical compounds which could be related to MetS.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of cultivated and wild seeds of Salvia hispanica (chia).

Salvia hispanica (chia) constituted an important crop for pre-Columbian civilizations and is considered a superfood for its rich content of essential fatty acids and proteins. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive comparative transcriptome analysis between seeds from cultivated varieties and from accessions collected from native wild populations in Mexico. From the 69,873 annotated transcripts assembled de novo, enriched functional categories and pathways revealed that the lipid metabolism was one of the most activated processes. Expression changes were detected among wild and cultivated groups and among growth conditions in transcripts responsible for triacylglycerol and fatty acid synthesis and degradation. We also quantified storage protein fractions that revealed variation concerning nutraceutical proteins such as albumin and glutelin. Genetic diversity estimated with 23,641 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed that most of the variation remains in the wild populations, and that a wild-type cultivated variety is genetically related to wild accessions. Additionally, we reported 202 simple sequence repeat (SSRs) markers useful for population genetic studies. Overall, we provided transcript variation that can be used for breeding programs to further develop chia varieties with enhanced nutraceutical traits and tools to explore the genetic diversity and history of this rediscovered plant.

Factors affecting genetic transformation by particle bombardment of the prickly pear cactus (O. ficus-indica).

In the present study, a novel transformation protocol for Opuntia ficus-indica was generated by means of particle bombardment. The best conditions obtained were: 900 psi rupture disk pressure, 8 cm microprojectile travel distance, and 4 h of exposition to 0.2 M mannitol. For all experiments, gold particles coated with 1.0 µg/µL of pBI426 plasmid DNA were used. With all these conditions, a 23% of transformation efficiency in terms of regeneration in selection media (100 mg/L kanamycin) was obtained. Interestingly, the presence of both transgenes: nptII and uidA, by means of PCR and RT-PCR assays was detected. The regeneration percentage achieved in terms of stable integration for both genes was 10%. In addition, we also detected adequate amounts of ß-glucuronidase activity by means of the GUS fluorometric assay. The procedure described in the present investigation reveals the feasibility of using nopal for the introduction, expression, and possible production of heterologous proteins.

Bioactive peptides from selected latin american food crops - A nutraceutical and molecular approach.

This review reported an updated survey on the molecular functional properties of bioactive peptides derived from different Latin American ancient grains such as Maize, common Bean, Amaranth, Quinoa and Chia seeds. Seed storage proteins ecrypt in their sequences diverse peptides associated with a wide range of beneficial effects on the human health and the most studied are antihypertensive, anti-cholesterolemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. Additionally, in the last decades molecular properties have been also used for their characterization to understand their activities and it makes them highly attractive to be incorporated into food formulations and to complement or replace some conventional cereal grains. Due to the nutraceutical effects, today, these seeds are one of the main gastronomic trends of consumption worldwide due to their nutritional benefits and are part of the shopping lists of many people, among them vegetarians, vegans, celiacs or lovers of raw food. These seeds are a legacy of pre-Columbian civilizations reason why in our time they are considered as "Superfoods of the Gods", "The pre-hispanic superfoods of the future" and "The new golden seeds of the XXI century".

Somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Tagetes erecta L.

Tagetes erecta is an asteraceous plant of industrial, ornamental and medicinal importance; its inflorescences have been used as a pigment source for food coloring, mainly for poultry skin and eggs. Nevertheless, there are few reports on plant regeneration or micropropagation, because unsuccesfull results in the plant's reaction to the growth regulators, developing embryogenesis on Tagetes erecta. In this study, somatic embryogenesis was induced and plantlets of Tagetes erecta were regenerated. For induction of globular structures MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D (4.5 µM) and BAP (8.8 µM) was used; globular structures were transferred to MS medium with 45 g l-1 sucrose until the embryos maturation. Transmission electron microscopy showed characteristic subcellular structures of embryogenic callus. Somatic embryos were transferred to MS medium without plant growth regulators and whole plantlets were obtained. In vitro plants were successfully transplanted into a mixture of peat moss and vermiculite (1 : 1 v/v) under greenhouse conditions. In this study, somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration system from foliar explants were established, an important requirement for performing genetic transformation events on Tagetes erecta.

Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Potential of Protein Fractions from Flour and Milk Substitutes from Canary Seeds (Phalaris canariensis L.).

Canary seed (Phalaris canariensis) is used to feed birds but it has been recently considered a promising cereal with nutraceutical potential for humans. The aim of this work was to analyze the protein fractions from canary seed flour and from milk substitutes (prepared by soaking the seeds in water 12 and 24 h), and to evaluate antioxidant and antihypertensive capacity of peptides obtained after in vitro digestion. Prolamins were the major protein fraction, followed by glutelins. After digestion, albumins and prolamins fractions from milks presented higher levels of peptides than flour, globulins showed more peptides in flour and glutelins were found in similar concentrations in all samples; 24 h milk prolamins had the highest concentration of peptides. Purification by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), sequencing of peptides, in vitro antioxidant ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis, 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assays, and antihypertensive capacity (angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) assay), indicated that peptides from canary seed prolamins were the most efficient compounds with antioxidant and antihypertensive activity. Canary seeds may be considered an accessible and cheap source to prepare milk substitutes with high contents of bioactive peptides with remarkable functional properties to promote better human health and healthy ageing.

Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Lipid Profile of Huitlacoche Mushroom (Ustilago maydis) Produced in Several Maize Genotypes at Different Stages of Development.

Huitlacoche mushroom (composed by the fruiting bodies growing on the maize ears from the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis) is a culinary delicacy with a great economic and nutraceutical value. In this work, phenolic content, antioxidant activity, ergosterol and fatty acids profile from huitlacoche produced in 15 creole and in one hybrid maize genotypes, and harvested at different stages of development were determined. The hybrid crop was studied in raw and cooked samples. Total phenolic content ranged from 415.6 to 921.8.0 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of flour. Samples exhibited attractive antioxidant activities: 75 % of antiradical activity on average by DPPH methodology, and ORAC values up to 7661.3 µmol Trolox equivalents /100  g. Important quantities of ferulic acid, quercetin, ergosterol, linoleic and oleic acids were observed. Stage of development and cooking process had an effect on evaluated compounds, sometimes negative and sometimes positive. Results suggest that huitlacoche is an attractive food source of phenolics with excellent antioxidant potential and interesting lipidic compounds.

Expression, purification and thermal stability evaluation of an engineered amaranth protein expressed in Escherichia coli

Background: The acidic subunit of amarantin (AAC)-the predominant amaranth seed storage protein-has functional potential and its third variable region (VR) has been modified with antihypertensive peptides to improve this potential. Here, we modified the C-terminal in the fourth VR of AAC by inserting four VY antihypertensive peptides. This modified protein (AACM.4) was expressed in Escherichia coli. In addition, we also recombinantly expressed other derivatives of the amarantin protein. These include: unmodified amarantin acidic subunit (AAC); amarantin acidic subunit modified at the third VR with four VY peptides (AACM.3); and amarantin acidic subunit doubly modified, in the third VR with four VY peptides and in the fourth VR with the RIPP peptide (AACM.3.4). Results: E. coli BL21-CodonPlus (DE3)-RIL was the most favorable strain for the expression of proteins. After 6 h of induction, it showed the best recombinant protein titer. The AAC and AACM.4 were obtained at higher titers (0.56 g/L) while proteins modified in the third VR showed lower titers: 0.44 g/L and 0.33 g/L for AACM.3 and AACM.3.4, respectively. As these AAC variants were mostly expressed in an insoluble form, we applied a refolding protocol. This made it possible to obtain all proteins in soluble form. Modification of the VR 4 improves the thermal stability of amarantin acidic subunit; AAC manifested melting temperature (Tm) at 34°C and AACM.4 at 37.2°C. The AACM.3 and AACM.3.4 did not show transition curves. Conclusions: Modifications to the third VR affect the thermal stability of amarantin acidic subunit.

Healthy Ready-to-Eat Expanded Snack with High Nutritional and Antioxidant Value Produced from Whole Amarantin Transgenic Maize and Black Common Bean.

The snack foods market is currently demanding healthier products. A ready-to-eat expanded snack with high nutritional and antioxidant value was developed from a mixture (70:30) of whole amarantin transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) and black common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by optimizing the extrusion process. Extruder operation conditions were: feed moisture content (FMC, 15-25 %, wet basis), barrel temperature (BT, 120-170 °C), and screw speed (SS, 50-240). The desirability numeric method of the response surface methodology (RSM) was applied as the optimization technique over four response variables [expansion ratio (ER), bulk density (BD), hardness (H), antioxidant activity (AoxA)] to obtain maximum ER and AoxA, and minimum BD, and H values. The best combination of extrusion process variables for producing an optimized expanded snack (OES, healthy snack) were: FMC = 15 %/BT = 157 °C/SS = 238 rpm. The OES had ER = 2.86, BD = 0.119 g/cm (3) , H = 1.818 N, and AoxA = 13,681 µmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/100 g, dry weight. The extrusion conditions used to produce the OES increased the AoxA (ORAC: +18 %, ABTS:+20 %) respect to the unprocessed whole grains mixture. A 50 g portion of OES had higher protein content (7.23 vs 2.32 g), total dietary fiber (7.50 vs 1.97 g), total phenolic content (122 vs 47 mg GAE), and AoxA (6626 vs 763 µmol TE), and lower energy (169 vs 264 kcal) than an expanded commercial snack (ECS = Cheetos™). Because of its high content of quality protein, dietary fiber and phenolics, as well as high AoxA and low energy density, the OES could be used for health promotion and chronic disease prevention and as an alternative to the widely available commercial snacks with high caloric content and low nutritional/nutraceutical value.

Comparative Study of Phenolic Profile, Antioxidant Capacity, and Color-composition Relation of Roselle Cultivars with Contrasting Pigmentation.

Roselle is a plant that accumulates anthocyanins significantly, hence its importance as food coloring and as a source of antioxidant compounds for human health. This study was aimed to determine phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of methanolic extracts, and beverages obtained from native roselle cultivars in Mexico (Negra, Sudan, Rosa and Blanca) with different degrees of pigmentation, and to establish the color-composition relationship. Chromatographic methods were used to determine phenolic compounds: flavanols, flavonols, benzoic, hibiscus and phenolic acids as well as two main anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-sambubioside and delphinidin 3-sambubioside). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by ABTS and FRAP assays. Tristimulus colorimetry showed to be a useful technique to determine the color-composition relationship, leading to equations that allowed to predict anthocyanin content of roselle (R > 0.84). Also, a stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) was developed in order to classify roselle cultivars. The obtained mathematical model could be an important tool to be used in colorimetric characterization of functional compounds used in food processing.

Characterization of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities from Mamuyo (Styrax ramirezii Greenm.) Fruit.

Extracts of Styrax ramirezii Greenm., a fruit traditionally valued for health and wellness in Mexico, were analyzed phytochemically and evaluated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Six norneolignans were identified by HPLC-TOF-MS, and the two major compounds were isolated for further evaluation. The effects of the isolated norneolignans, egonol and homoegonol, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and biomarkers of inflammation were evaluated. Of the tested compounds, egonol potently inhibited the production of NO and also significantly reduced the release of ROS. Consistent with these observations, the mRNA expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (0.668 ± 0.108), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (0.553 ± 0.007), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) (0.093 ± 0.005), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (0.298 ± 0.076) were reduced by egonol. The activity for both egonol and homoegonol increased in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest the potential of S. ramirezii Greenm. fruit to contribute to a healthy diet, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Edible mushrooms: improving human health and promoting quality life.

Mushrooms have been consumed since earliest history; ancient Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle, and the Romans perceived them as the "Food of the Gods." For centuries, the Chinese culture has treasured mushrooms as a health food, an "elixir of life." They have been part of the human culture for thousands of years and have considerable interest in the most important civilizations in history because of their sensory characteristics; they have been recognized for their attractive culinary attributes. Nowadays, mushrooms are popular valuable foods because they are low in calories, carbohydrates, fat, and sodium: also, they are cholesterol-free. Besides, mushrooms provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, proteins, and fiber. All together with a long history as food source, mushrooms are important for their healing capacities and properties in traditional medicine. It has reported beneficial effects for health and treatment of some diseases. Many nutraceutical properties are described in mushrooms, such as prevention or treatment of Parkinson, Alzheimer, hypertension, and high risk of stroke. They are also utilized to reduce the likelihood of cancer invasion and metastasis due to antitumoral attributes. Mushrooms act as antibacterial, immune system enhancer and cholesterol lowering agents; additionally, they are important sources of bioactive compounds. As a result of these properties, some mushroom extracts are used to promote human health and are found as dietary supplements.

Extracellular endoglucanase activity from Paenibacillus polymyxa BEb-40: production, optimization and enzymatic characterization.

Endoglucanase activity produced by Paenibacillus polymyxa BEb-40 was studied. In submerged culture with minimal medium supplemented with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), this microorganism produced up to 0.37 U/mL endoglucanase activity with high specific activity (14.3 U/mgtotal protein). Detection of endoglucanase activity through zymography revealed at least 14 isoenzymes with molecular weights between 38 and 220 kDa. This high variety of secreted endoglucanases has not been described previously in Paenibacillus genus. The optimum conditions, determined by response surface methodology, were 48 °C and pH 3.4, which allowed an increase of 33.7 % in the relative endoglucanase activity obtained with respect to the standard conditions. Nevertheless, high levels of hydrolysis of at least 70 % of the maximum activity could be obtained at wide ranges of pH (2-9) and temperature (40-60 °C). Under optimal conditions, high levels of CMC hydrolysis were reached, of about 40 %, after only 12 h of reaction with substrate/total protein ratios between 19 and 76. Kinetic analysis revealed that endoglucanase activity followed a mixed inhibition model (K m = 8.4 mM, K ic = 0.03 mM, K iu = 0.35 mM, V max = 33.3 U/mgtotal protein). These results allow to consider P. polymyxa BEb-40 as a promising microorganism for the production of endoglucanases, with possibilities of application in the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass. The high specific activity at wide ranges of pH and temperature can allow its use in a wide variety of processes, under both acidic and alkaline conditions, as well as in mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures, further reducing the amount of enzymes used.

Phytochemical profile and nutraceutical potential of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by ultra high performance liquid chromatography.

Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) were analyzed for total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and quantification of phenolic acids and isoflavones by ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), in order to obtain a phenolic phytochemical profile. The total phenolic concentration was 1.8-fold higher than previous reports and the antioxidant activity using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical assay showed 68.83% inhibition, which was higher than the values reported previously for chia and different plant foods. Additionally, a simple, reproducible and rapid UHPLC method was proposed for the analysis of phenolic acids and isoflavones in chia. The method demonstrated to perform well with regard to linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. The detection limits ranged from 0.05 to 0.4ng/mL and the recovery percentage from 23.62 to 162.48%. With this method the major compounds identified and quantified were: rosmarinic acid 0.92, protocatechuic ethyl ester 0.74, caffeic acid 0.02, gallic acid 0.01, and daidzin 0.006mg/g seed. In brief, this study demonstrates that chia could be considered a seed with high antioxidant capacity and novel isoflavone source that can be incorporated in human diet.

Callus culture development of two varieties of Tagetes erecta and carotenoid production

Background The properties of natural pigments, such as antioxidants, functional, medical, and nutraceutical, have demonstrated the advantages of these natural compounds over synthetic ones. Some products are accepted only when they are pigmented with natural, food-quality colorants: for example poultry products (manly marigold flower extracts). Carotenoids such as β-carotene, β-criptoxanthin and lutein are very attractive as natural food colorants due to their antioxidant and pro-vitamin activities which provide additional value to the target products. Marigold (Tagetes erecta) is an Asteraceous ornamental plant native to Mexico, and it is also important as a carotenoid source for industrial and medicinal purposes but nowadays its production is destined mainly for ornamental purposes. Results Friable callus of T. erecta yellow flower (YF) and white flower (WF) varieties was induced from leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 9.0 µM 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 8.8 µM benzyladenine (BA). Calluses developed from both varieties were different in pigmentation. Extract characterization from callus cultures was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This analytical process detected several carotenoids; the main pigments in extracts from YF callus were lutein and zeaxanthin, whereas in the extracts of the WF callus the main pigments were lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. Callus cultures of T. erecta accumulated pigments even after several rounds of subculture. Conclusions WF callus appeared to be a suitable candidate as a source of different carotenoids, and tested varieties could represent an alternative for further studies about in vitro pigment production.

Functional and hypoglycemic properties of nopal cladodes (O. ficus-indica) at different maturity stages using in vitro and in vivo tests.

Nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes are recommended for their therapeutic properties; their maturity stage may affect their biological properties. Cladodes of three maturity stages, from the same crop and location, were dehydrated and evaluated for some of their physicochemical and nutritional characteristics and antidiabetic properties. The flours of small and medium cladodes (SCF and MCF, respectively) had higher contents of dietary fiber, water absorption, swelling, and viscosity compared to those of the large cladode flour (LCF). Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, treated with MCF and SCF (doses of 50 mg/kg body weight), showed reduction of postprandial blood glucose on 46.0 and 23.6%, respectively (p < 0.05), in relation to the control; and LCF had no significant effect. In vitro, glucose diffusion tests showed similar ranking by the two former samples, whereas the latter was close to the control. Cladode maturity stages showed different fiber content and produced suspensions with differences in viscosity, which may affect in vitro and in vivo glucose responses.