Variation in the Composition and Quality of Nigella sativa L. Seed Oils-The Underestimated Impact on Possible Health-Promoting Properties.

Nigella sativa L. (black cumin) is one of the most investigated medicinal plants in recent years. Volatile compounds like thymoquinone and unsaponifiable lipid compounds are crucial functional components of this oil. Unfortunately, the composition of oils and their quality indicators are ambiguous both in terms of identified compounds and value ranges. Thirteen oils were extracted with hexane from black cumin seeds grown in India, Syria, Egypt, and Poland and analyzed for their fatty acid composition, unsaponifiable compound content and volatile compounds. Oils were also subjected to quality tests according to standard methods. The fatty acid composition and sterol content/composition were relatively stable among the tested oils. Tocol content varied in the range of 140-631 mg/kg, and among them, ß-tocotrienol and γ-tocopherol prevailed. Oils' volatile compounds were dominated by seven terpenes (p-cymene, α-thujene, α-pinene, ß-pinene, thymoquinone, γ-terpinene, and sabinene). The highest contents of these volatiles were determined in samples from Poland and in two of six samples from India. High acid and peroxide values were typical features of N. sativa L. oils. To sum up, future research on the medicinal properties of black cumin oil should always be combined with the analysis of its chemical composition.

Bioaccessibility of Tocols in Commercial Maize Hybrids Determined by an In Vitro Digestion Model for Poultry.

Despite the high proportion of maize grain in animal diets, the contribution made by maize phytochemicals is neglected. Tocols and their contribution to the vitamin E content of animal diets are one example, exacerbated by sparse information on the tocol bioaccessibility of commercial hybrids. In this study, the contents of individual and total tocols and their bioaccessibility were determined in the grain samples of 103 commercial hybrids using a standardized INFOGEST digestion procedure. In the studied hybrids, total tocol content ranged from 19.24 to 54.44 µg/g of dry matter. The contents of micellar α-, γ-, δ-tocopherols, γ-tocotrienol, and total tocols correlated positively with the corresponding contents in the grain samples of the studied hybrids. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between the bioaccessibility of γ- tocopherol, α- and γ-tocotrienol, and total tocols, along with the corresponding contents in the grain of studied hybrids. The highest bioaccessibility was exhibited by γ-tocotrienol (532.77 g/kg), followed by δ-tocopherol (529.88 g/kg), γ-tocopherol (461.76 g/kg), α-tocopherol (406.49 g/kg), and α-tocotrienol (359.07 g/kg). Overall, there are significant differences in the content and bioaccessibility of total and individual tocols among commercial maize hybrids, allowing the selection of hybrids for animal production based not only on crude chemical composition but also on the content of phytochemicals.

Free and Esterified Tocopherols, Tocotrienols and Other Extractable and Non-Extractable Tocochromanol-Related Molecules: Compendium of Knowledge, Future Perspectives and Recommendations for Chromatographic Techniques, Tools, and Approaches Used for Tocochromanol Determination.

Free and esterified (bound) tocopherols, tocotrienols and other tocochromanol-related compounds, often referred to "tocols", are lipophilic antioxidants of great importance for health. For instance, α-tocopherol is the only tocochromanol with vitamin E activity, while tocotrienols have a positive impact on health and are proposed in the prevention and therapy of so-called modern diseases. Tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 are the most well-known tocochromanols; in turn, knowledge about tocodienols, tocomonoenols, and other rare tocochromanol-related compounds is limited due to several challenges in analytical chemistry and/or low concentration in plant material. The presence of free, esterified, and non-extractable tocochromanols in plant material as well as their biological function, which may be of great scientific, agricultural and medicinal importance, is also poorly studied. Due to the lack of modern protocols as well as equipment and tools, for instance, techniques suitable for the efficient and simultaneous chromatographical separation of major and minor tocochromanols, the topic requires attention and new solutions, and/or standardization, and proper terminology. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different chromatographic techniques, tools and approaches used for the separation and detection of different tocochromanols in plant material and foodstuffs. Sources of tocochromanols and procedures for obtaining different tocochromanol analytical standards are also described. Finally, future challenges are discussed and perspective green techniques for tocochromanol determination are proposed along with best practice recommendations. The present manuscript aims to present key aspects and protocols related to tocochromanol determination, correct identification, and the interpretation of obtained results.

Antioxidant Properties of Gluten-Free Pasta Enriched with Vegetable By-Products.

The only therapy for coeliac disease patients is to completely avoid foods containing gluten, a protein complex common in several small-grain cereals. However, many alternative gluten-free foods available on the market present nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the composition and the antioxidant properties of gluten-free pasta enriched with 10% or 15% of tomato waste or linseed meal, two food industry by-products. The traits analysed were protein, lipid, ash and fibre content, heat damage, tocols, carotenoids and phenolics composition (by HPLC), antioxidant capacity, and pasta fracturability. The enriched pastas contained more fibre and lipids than the control, while the protein and ash values were similar. The addition of tomato and linseed waste improved tocols concentration but had no effect on carotenoids content. The free soluble polyphenols increase was similar for both by-products and proportional to the enrichment percentage, while the bound insoluble polyphenols were higher in linseed-enriched pastas. The samples with linseed meal showed the greatest antioxidant capacity and, at 10% addition, the highest fracturability value. In conclusion, the addition of tomato and linseed by-products significantly increases the presence of bioactive compounds (particularly polyphenols), improving the nutritional value of gluten-free pasta.

Antioxidants of Amaranth, Quinoa and Buckwheat Wholemeals and Heat-Damage Development in Pseudocereal-Enriched Einkorn Water Biscuits.

A viable approach to improve the nutritional quality of cereal-based foods is their enrichment with pseudocereals. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat, and the heat damage of water biscuits (WB) produced from either wholemeal or refined flour of einkorn and enriched with 50% buckwheat, amaranth or quinoa wholemeal. Buckwheat had the highest tocols content (86.2 mg/kg), and einkorn the most carotenoids (5.6 mg/kg). Conjugated phenolics concentration was highest in buckwheat (230.2 mg/kg) and quinoa (218.6 mg/kg), while bound phenolics content was greatest in einkorn (712.5 mg/kg) and bread wheat (675.7 mg/kg). The all-wholemeal WB had greater heat damage than those containing refined flour (furosine: 251.5 vs. 235.8 mg/100 g protein; glucosylisomaltol: 1.0 vs. 0.6 mg/kg DM; hydroxymethylfurfural: 4.3 vs. 2.8 mg/kg DM; furfural: 8.6 vs. 4.8 mg/kg DM). The 100% bread wheat and einkorn wholemeal WB showed greater heat damage than the WB with pseudocereals (furfural, 9.2 vs. 5.1 mg/kg; glucosylisomaltol 1.1 vs. 0.7 mg/kg). Despite a superior lysine loss, the amino-acid profile of the pseudocereals-enriched WB remained more balanced compared to that of the wheats WB.

Towards an alcohol-free process for the production of palm phytonutrients via enzymatic hydrolysis of crude palm oil using liquid lipases.

BACKGROUND: Crude palm oil (CPO) is rich with phytonutrients such as carotenoids and tocols which possesses many health benefits. The aim of this research was to develop a methanol-free process to produce palm phytonutrients via enzymatic hydrolysis. In this work, triacylglycerol was hydrolyzed into free fatty acids (FFAs) using three different types of liquid lipases derived from Aspergillus oryzae (ET 2.0), Aspergillus niger (Habio) and Candida antartica (CALB). RESULTS: ET 2.0 was found to be the best enzyme for hydrolysis. Under the optimum condition, the FFA content achievable was 790 g kg-1 after 24 h of reaction with 1:1 water-to-oil mass ratio at 50 °C and stirring speed of 9 × g. Furthermore, with the addition of 2 g kg-1 ascorbic acid, it was found that 98% of carotenoids and 96% of tocols could be retained after hydrolysis. CONCLUSION: This work shows that enzymatic hydrolysis, which is inherently safer, cleaner and sustainable is feasible to replace the conventional methanolysis for the production of palm phytonutrients. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Suitability of stationary phase for LC analysis of biomolecules.

Biologically active compounds such as carotenoids/isoprenoids, vitamins, steroids, saponins, sugars, long chain fatty acids, and amino acids play a very important role in coordinating functions in living organisms. Determination of those substances is indispensable in advanced biological sciences. Engineered stationary phase in LC for the analysis of biomolecules has become easier with the development of chromatographic science. In general, C18 column is being used for routine analysis but specific columns are being used for specific molecule. Monolithic columns are found to have higher efficiency than normal column. Among recent introduction, triacontyl stationary phases, designed for the separation of carotenoid isomers, are widely used for the estimation of carotenoids. In comparison to conventional C18 phases, C30 phases exhibited superior shape selectivity for the separation of isomers of carotenoids. It is also found useful for better elution and analysis of tocopherols, vitamin K, sterols, and fatty acids. Vitamin K, E, and their isomers are also successfully resoluted and analyzed by using C30 column. Amino bonded phase column is specifically used for better elution of sugars, whereas phenyl columns are suitable for the separation and analysis of curcuminoids and taxol. Like triacontyl stationary phase, pentafluorophenyl columns are also used for the separation and analysis of carotenoids. Similarly, HILIC column are best suited for sugar analysis. All the stationary phases are made possible to resolute and analyze the target biomolecules better, which are the future of liquid chromatography. The present article focuses on the differential interaction between stationary phase and target biomolecules. The applicability of these stationary phases are reported in different matrices.

Assessment of Soybean Oil Oxidative Stability from Rapid Analysis of its Minor Component Profile.

The minor components of vegetable oils are important for their oxidative stability. In order to know to what extent they can influence oil behaviour under oxidative conditions, two commercial soybean oils, one virgin and the other refined, both with very similar compositions in acyl groups but differing in their minor component profiles, were subjected to accelerated storage conditions. They were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and direct immersion solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (DI-SPME-GC/MS), while oil oxidation was monitored by 1H-NMR. The lower levels of tocols and sterols in the virgin oil, together with its higher free fatty acid content when compared to the refined one, result in a lower oxidative stability. This is deduced from faster degradation of acyl groups and earlier generation of hydroperoxides, epoxides, and aldehydes in the virgin oil. These findings reveal that commercial virgin soybean oil quality is not necessarily higher than that of the refined type, and that a simple and rapid analysis of oil minor components by DI-SPME-GC/MS would enable one to establish quality levels within oils originating from the same plant species and similar unsaturation level regarding composition in potentially bioactive compounds and oxidative stability.

Bioactive Compounds in Wild Asteraceae Edible Plants Consumed in the Mediterranean Diet.

Three wild edible plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family, Crepis vesicaria L. (s.l.), Sonchus asper (L.) Hill s.l., and Sonchus oleraceus L., usually consumed in the Mediterranean diet, were tested for their nutritional composition and content of carotenoids, tocols, thiamine and riboflavin. Low amounts of thiamine and riboflavin were found. All species were sources of xanthophylls (violaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin) and carotenes (α-carotene, ß-carotene, 9-cis-ß-carotene and 13-cis-ß-carotene). Lutein accounted for the highest content (about 4 mg/100 g). They had good tocol amounts, in particular α-tocopherol (about 2-3 mg/100 g). Taking into account the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) established by the EU Regulation, the analyzed plants can be declared as a source of fiber, vitamin A and E. These data could be useful for database on the nutritional and bioactive compound profile of studied plants and can contribute in promoting their use in functional foods.

Comparison and analysis characteristics of flax, perilla and basil seed oils cultivated in Iran.

The oil yield, fatty acid (FA) composition, physicochemical, quality characteristics and thermal properties were studied in flax, perilla, and basil seed oils cultivated in Iran. Also the similarities and differences among these seed oils were investigated using principal component analysis (PCA). The results indicated that perilla seed oil contained the highest lipid content followed by flax and basil seed oils. The n-6/n-3 FA ratios of these oils had a range of 0.190-0.320, which was notably lower than those of most vegetable oils. Trilinolenin as the predominant triacylglycerol in the studied flax, perilla, and basil seed oils was found at 21.3, 32.0, and 27.5%, respectively. The bioactive compounds, namely tocols, phytosterols, and total phenolics, present in basil and perilla oils were higher than those of flax seed oil. The results of differential scanning calorimeter indicated that the thermal properties of these seed oils were varied, with lower melting and crystallization peak temperature for perilla and basil seed oils. The results of PCA showed that these seed oils could be distinguished using some components however, C14:0, C16:0, C18:3, UFA and ECN 42 could not be used to discriminate among these seed oils. The results were suggestive of the proper nutritional qualities of the studied oils and their possibly being the potential sources of FAs for enriching the diets with α-linolenic acid and other functional compounds.

Subgenome-specific assembly of vitamin E biosynthesis genes and expression patterns during seed development provide insight into the evolution of oat genome.

Vitamin E is essential for humans and thus must be a component of a healthy diet. Among the cereal grains, hexaploid oats (Avena sativa L.) have high vitamin E content. To date, no gene sequences in the vitamin E biosynthesis pathway have been reported for oats. Using deep sequencing and orthology-guided assembly, coding sequences of genes for each step in vitamin E synthesis in oats were reconstructed, including resolution of the sequences of homeologs. Three homeologs, presumably representing each of the three oat subgenomes, were identified for the main steps of the pathway. Partial sequences, likely representing pseudogenes, were recovered in some instances as well. Pairwise comparisons among homeologs revealed that two of the three putative subgenome-specific homeologs are almost identical for each gene. Synonymous substitution rates indicate the time of divergence of the two more similar subgenomes from the distinct one at 7.9-8.7 MYA, and a divergence between the similar subgenomes from a common ancestor 1.1 MYA. A new proposed evolutionary model for hexaploid oat formation is discussed. Homeolog-specific gene expression was quantified during oat seed development and compared with vitamin E accumulation. Homeolog expression largely appears to be similar for most of genes; however, for some genes, homoeolog-specific transcriptional bias was observed. The expression of HPPD, as well as certain homoeologs of VTE2 and VTE4, is highly correlated with seed vitamin E accumulation. Our findings expand our understanding of oat genome evolution and will assist efforts to modify vitamin E content and composition in oats.

Tocopherols and Tocotrienols in Common and Emerging Dietary Sources: Occurrence, Applications, and Health Benefits.

Edible oils are the major natural dietary sources of tocopherols and tocotrienols, collectively known as tocols. Plant foods with low lipid content usually have negligible quantities of tocols. However, seeds and other plant food processing by-products may serve as alternative sources of edible oils with considerable contents of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocopherols are among the most important lipid-soluble antioxidants in food as well as in human and animal tissues. Tocopherols are found in lipid-rich regions of cells (e.g., mitochondrial membranes), fat depots, and lipoproteins such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Their health benefits may also be explained by regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, and modulation of cell functions. Potential health benefits of tocols include prevention of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic ailments. Although deficiencies of tocopherol are uncommon, a continuous intake from common and novel dietary sources of tocopherols and tocotrienols is advantageous. Thus, this contribution will focus on the relevant literature on common and emerging edible oils as a source of tocols. Potential application and health effects as well as the impact of new cultivars as sources of edible oils and their processing discards are presented. Future trends and drawbacks are also briefly covered.

Characterization of French Coriander Oil as Source of Petroselinic Acid.

Coriander vegetable oil was extracted from fruits of French origin in a 23% yield. The oil was of good quality, with a low amount of free fatty acids (1.8%) and a concurrently high amount of triacylglycerols (98%). It is a rich source of petroselinic acid (C18:1n-12), an important renewable building block, making up 73% of all fatty acids, with also significant amounts of linoleic acid (14%), oleic acid (6%), and palmitic acid (3%). The oil was characterized by a high unsaponifiable fraction, comprising a substantial amount of phytosterols (6.70 g/kg). The main sterol markers were ß-sitosterol (35% of total sterols), stigmasterol (24%), and Δ7-stigmastenol (18%). Squalene was detected at an amount of 0.2 g/kg. A considerable amount of tocols were identified (500 mg/kg) and consisted mainly of tocotrienols, with γ-tocotrienol as the major compound. The phospholipid content was low at 0.3%, of which the main phospholipid classes were phosphatidic acid (33%), phosphatidylcholine (25%), phosphatidylinositol (17%), and phosphatidylethanolamine (17%). About 50% of all phospholipids were non-hydratable. The ß-carotene content was low at 10 mg/kg, while a significant amount of chlorophyll was detected at about 11 mg/kg. An iron content of 1.4 mg/kg was determined through element analysis of the vegetable oil. The influence of fruit origin on the vegetable oil composition was shown to be very important, particularly in terms of the phospholipids, sterols, and tocols composition.

Hepatoprotective effect of cold-pressed Syzygium aromaticum oil against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

UNLABELLED: Contexts: Exposure to environmental pollutants such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) causes liver injuries. There are claims that extracts from Syzygium aromaticum (Linn.) Merrill & L.M.Perry, (Myrtaceae) protects from such injuries. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the protective effects of cold-pressed S. aromaticum oil (CO) against CCl4-induced liver toxicity in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CO was orally administered to rats in two doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) along with CCl4 (1 mL/kg in olive oil) for 8 weeks. Indices of liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, and peroxidation were evaluated in rats' serum and tissues. Fatty acids and bioactive lipids of CO were analyzed. RESULTS: High levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (39.7%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (42.1%) were detected in CO. The oil contained high amounts of tocols and phenolics. The LD50 value at 24 h was approximately 5950 mg/kg. Treatment with 200 mg/kg CO resulted in a decrease of creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels to 0.86, 32.6, and 2.99 mg/dL, respectively. Levels of TL, TC, TAG, LDL-C, and VLDL-C were decreased to 167, 195.3, 584.5, 74.6, and 39.0 mg/L, respectively, after 8 weeks of treatment. Hepatic malondialdehyde levels were reduced and glutathione levels were elevated in CO-treated rats. CO reduced the activities of AST, ALT, and ALP as well as kidney function markers, protein, and lipid profiles, respectively. Histopathological examination of liver indicated that CO treatment reduced fatty degenerations, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and necrosis. CONCLUSION: CO possessed a protective effect against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, mediated possibly by the antioxidant properties of the oil.

Phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of whole wheat products.

Whole wheat contains an array of phytochemicals. We quantified alkylresorcinols (AR), phenolic acids, phytosterols, and tocols in six whole wheat products and characterized their antioxidant capacity and ability to induce quinone reductase activity (QR). Total AR content ranged from 136.8 to 233.9 µg/g and was correlated with whole wheat content (r = 0.9248; p = 0.0083). Ferulic acid (FerA) was the dominant phenolic at 99.9-316.0 µg/g and mostly bound tightly to the wheat matrix. AR-C21 and total FerA predicted the whole wheat content in each product (R(2 )= 0.9933). Total phytosterol content ranged from 562.6 to 1035.5 µg/g. Total tocol content ranged from 19.3 to 292.7 µg/g. Phytosterol and tocol contents were independent of whole wheat content. Whole wheat biscuits and pasta were the most potent products to induce QR in Hepa1c1c7 cells. This study provides a platform to characterize the relationship between the phytochemical composition of whole wheat and products formulated with this whole grain.

Studies on the nutraceuticals composition of wheat derived oils wheat bran oil and wheat germ oil.

Fat-soluble nutraceuticals of cereals are known for number of disease preventive activities. Hence wheat bran oil (WBO) and wheat germ oil (WGO) were extracted from wheat bran and germ which yielded 3.35 % and 7.35 % of oil, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (64 %, 61.2 %) respectively. Both oils contained tocopherols and carotenoids, which were higher in wheat germ oil (273 mg/100 g, 12.23 mg/100 g) than wheat bran oil (190 mg/100 g, 2.21 mg/100 g). Steryl ferulates were also present in both the oils, but their content was eight-fold higher in WBO than in WGO. Three major steryl ferulates identified by HPLC were campesteryl ferulate and sitostenyl ferulate, campestanyl ferulate and ß-sitosteryl ferulate as in γ-oryzanol and another ferulate, viz., sitostanyl ferulate. A strong IC50 value of 7.5 mg/mL and 21.6 mg/mL DPPH free radicals scavenging for wheat germ oil for wheat bran oil was observed. NMR ((13)C and (1)H) profile explored the evidence of distribution of antioxidant molecules in the unsaponifiable matter of wheat derived oil. Since oils rich in PUFA and minor components are required for the normal physiological activities, blending such oils with other edible oils of the diet in wheat growing countries like India may be useful to provide health benefits.

Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae: Two Wild Edible Plants as a New and Valuable Source of Carotenoids, Tocols and B1 and B2 Vitamins.

The aim of this study was to determine the profile and contents of carotenoids, tocols and B1 and B2 vitamins in different parts of two wild edible plants (WEPs), Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae. Results showed interesting amounts of these bioactive compounds in the leaves, with intakes higher than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A and vitamin E after consumption of 100 g. Diplotaxis erucoides and Oxalis pes-caprae leaves evidenced high amounts of carotenoids, such as lutein (about 8 mg/100 g and 5 mg, respectively) and ß-carotene (about 8 mg/100 g and 4 mg/100 g, respectively). Even when not present at high amounts, the investigated plants can also contribute to the daily intake of thiamine and riboflavin. The rich profile and high contents of bioactive compounds in these WEPs clearly justify their potential use as food ingredients in a healthy and sustainable modern cuisine and in the development of new functional foods.

Lipid and volatile profiles of Finnish oat batches of pure cultivars: Effect of storage on the volatile formation.

Recent data showing the compositional variation and storage behavior among different oat batches for the purpose of food remains limited. Lipids of twenty oat flour samples of pure cultivars grown in Finland during 2019 were extracted and fractionated into neutral and polar-rich lipids. Flour was stored for nine months, and profiles of volatiles and tocols were analyzed to reveal oxidative stability. The lipid content was 5.9-8.9 g per 100 g of flour [DW] and consisted of 78.7 ± 2.5 % neutral and 21.3 ± 2.5 % polar lipids. Palmitic (16 %), oleic (36 %), and linoleic (39 %) acids were the most abundant fatty acids. Neutral lipids had more oleic and less linoleic and palmitic acids than polar lipids. The fresh samples correlated with tocols, pentanal, 2-pentylfuran, 2-heptanone, nonanal, 2-butanone, and heptanal, while stored samples were associated with 3-octen-2-one, 2-octenal, hexanal, and octanal. Lipid composition and oxidative stability are essential factors for selecting oat batches for food applications.

Exploring the Bioactive Properties and Therapeutic Benefits of Pear Pomace.

The fruit juice industry generates a significant amount of waste, with a strong impact on the environment and the economy. Therefore, researchers have been focusing on the characterization of resources considered as food waste. This work provides information about the lipophilic and polar metabolites of pear pomace flours (PPFs) as a tool that can shed more light on the bioactive potential of this residue. Using UPLC-PDA, UPLC-FLR, and GC-MS, the study identified and quantified PPF's polar and non-polar metabolites. Essential, conditional, and non-essential amino acids were found, with asparagine being the most abundant. Isoprenoids, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and carotene isomers, ranged from 10.8 to 22.9 mg/100 g dw. Total flavonoids and phenolic compounds were 520.5-636.4 mg/100 g dw and 536.9-660.1 mg/100 g dw, respectively. Tocotrienols and tocopherols were identified, with concentrations of 173.1-347.0 mg/100 g dw and 468.7-913.4 mg/100 g dw. Fatty acids were the major non-polar compounds. All fractions significantly reduced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. Although PPF had lower antioxidant potential (3-6 mmol Trolox/100 g dw), it inhibited AChE and BuChE by 23-30% compared to physostigmine salicylate. These findings suggest that pear pomace waste can be repurposed into functional products with valuable bioactive properties by re-introducing it in the food chain.

Evaluation of the Content of Minerals, B-Group Vitamins, Tocols, and Carotenoids in Raw and In-House Cooked Wild Edible Plants.

Notwithstanding the increased interest in wild edible plants, little is known on how some domestic thermal processes can affect their content. The aim of this study was to investigate the amounts of minerals, B1 and B2 vitamins, tocols, and carotenoids in raw, boiled, and steamed wild edible plants, namely, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill s.l., Sonchus oleraceus L., Cichorium intybus L., and Beta vulgaris L. var cicla. All vegetables were confirmed as high sources of lutein (from 6 to 9 mg/100 g) and ß-carotene (from 2 to 5 mg/100 g). Quite high amounts of violaxanthin and neoxanthin were found. Alfa-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol were the main tocols, with same contents in raw and processed vegetables (about 2.5 mg/100 g). The most abundant macro element and trace element were, respectively, potassium and iron. B1 and B2 vitamins were found in low amounts in almost all plants, with the exception of thiamine in Beta vulgaris (about 1.6 mg/100 g). Boiling led to a significant loss of minerals (up to 60%) and B-group vitamins (up to 100%), while, among carotenoids, it only affected violaxanthin levels (up to 90%). Steamed vegetables showed only a slight reduction, about 20%, in ß-carotene and lutein, with a marked decrease in violaxanthin and neoxanthin. One hundred grams of all fresh and cooked plants can be claimed as a source of vitamin A and E.