Evaluation of the total phenolic content, antioxidative capacity, and chemical fingerprint of Annona crassiflora Mart. Bioaccessible molecules.

Annona crassiflora Mart. (araticum) is an exotic fruit native to the Brazilian Cerrado that stands out for its phytochemical profile, especially for the presence of bioactive compounds. The health-related benefits promoted by these metabolites are widely explored. It is known that the biological activity of bioactive compounds is directly dependent on the availability of the molecules, and their bioaccessibility after the digestion process is one of the main limiting factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in some parts of araticum (peel, pulp and seeds) fruits obtained from different regions through the in vitro digestion process simulating the gastrointestinal tract. The total phenolic content ranged from 480.81 to 1007.62 for pulp; 837.53 to 1926.56 for peel; and 358.28 to 1186.07 for seeds (mg GAE.100 g-1 of sample). The highest antioxidant activity was observed for the seeds by the DPPH method, the peel by the ABTS method, and most of the peel, except for the Cordisburgo sample, by the FRAP method. Through the research of the chemical profile, it was possible to list up to 35 compounds, including the nutrients, in this identification attempt. It was observed that some compounds were listed only in natura samples (epicatechin and procyanidin) and others only for the bioaccessible fraction (quercetin-3-O-dipentoside), which is justified by the different gastrointestinal tract conditions. Thus, the present study elucidates that the food matrix will directly influence the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. In addition, it highlights the potential of unconventionally used or consumed parts that can be used as sources of substances with biological activities, increasing the sustainability by reducing waste.

Evaluation of the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables by Phenylketonurics in the Metabolic Control of Phenylalanine: An Integrative Review.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by variants in the gene that encodes phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), limiting the metabolism of phenylalanine (Phe). When PAH activity is absent or hindered, Phe is not converted to tyrosine, leading to an accumulation of Phe in the blood, which can cause serious neurological complications. Once PKU is diagnosed, treatment should be started immediately, and the basis for this is dietary restriction of foods with high levels of Phe, associated with the use of protein substitutes and intake of foods with low protein content. This restriction accompanies patients throughout their lives, making their diets unpalatable and monotonous, which represents a major challenge for health professionals and patients, considering that these factors favor food transgression. In this context, the objective of this work was to carry out an integrative review based on evidence regarding the intake of fruits and vegetables, by phenylketonurics, taking into account the greater or lesser tolerance to Phe. Since, some researchers have dedicated themselves to evaluating the biochemical effect of unrestricted consumption of fruits and vegetables at PKU, unifying the information in this regard. It was observed that the intake of vegetable protein by patients with PKU has shown to be promising since the studies indicate that the intake of these proteins does not present adverse effects to the metabolic control of the Phe.

Effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the mineral content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of commercial pulps of purple and white açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.).

Mineral content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and antioxidant capacity were determined in three samples of purple-açaí (coarse-PAC, medium-PAM, and fine-PAF), and one of white-açaí (coarse-WAC) and their respective bioaccessible fractions. TPC content differed in all samples, with PAC (583.79 mgAGE/100 g) having the highest content; however, PAM showed higher bioaccessibility (32.27%). PAC presented higher antioxidant capacity in the FRAP tests (74.34 µM FeSO4/g) and ABTS (55.05 µM Trolox/g). However, no differences were found in DPPH between PAC (1986.66 EC50) and PAM (2408.88 EC50) samples. Antioxidant capacity was decreased in all samples after digestion. Potassium was in the highest proportion (7121.90 mg/100 g-PAC), followed by Ca (349.92 mg/100 g-PAM), and Mg (169.41 mg/100 g-PAM), in all the samples. However, Ca presented the highest bioaccessible fraction, followed by Mg and Mn, with the highest percentages observed in WAC samples (90.30, 74.30, and 64.52%, respectively).

In vitro and in silico studies of antioxidant activity of 2-thiazolylhydrazone derivatives.

The antioxidant potential of a series of thiazolylhydrazone derivatives was investigated using three different methods namely DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. In general, the tested compounds showed higher or comparable activity to that of curcumin, used as positive control. Chemometric analyses demonstrated that the presence of hydrazone moiety is required for the activity of this class of compounds. From these results, compound 4 was identified as the most promising molecule and was then selected for further studies. The antiproliferative effect of compound 4 was evaluated, being active in three (T47D, MDA-MB-231 and SKMEL) of the six cancer cell lines tested, with IC50 values ranging from 15.9 to 31.3 µM. Compound 4 exhibited no detectable cytotoxic effect on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) when tested at a concentration of 100 µM, demonstrating good selectivity. From these results, it is possible to infer that there is a correlation between antioxidant capacity and anticancer effects.

Assessment of anti-diabetic activity of a novel hydrazine-thiazole derivative: in vitro and in vivo method

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease resulting in oxidative stress that promotes tissue damage. The appearance of this disease is highly related to lifestyle and food of the population, being of great interest to search for a dietary supplement that can also act by reducing oxidative alterations. Based on the broad range of biological activity of thiazole derivatives, this work aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of a novel hydrazine-thiazole derivative and studies in vivo. In in vivo experiments, the liver extracts of healthy and diabetic Wistar rats were used, with analysis to determine the enzymatic activity of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR, and determination of lipid peroxidation. Finally, in the blood of these animals, biochemical parameters were evaluated. Statistical evidence of changes caused in liver enzymes and liquid peroxidation was not detected; however, these parameters were also not changed between control groups with and without diabetes. On the other hand, concerning biochemical parameters, significant differences were detected in uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, ALT, and urea, indicating a possible antioxidant protective role of such substances in the liver and kidney of diabetic animals that could be acting by means other than that commonly reported in the literature.