Effect of Roasting on Whole Grain Barnyard Millet to the Proximate Composition, Amino Acid Profile, Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity

@#Introduction: Barnyard millet, an ancient grain that serves as a staple food and a key component of many diets, requires processing before consumption. Roasting is a common processing method that can enhance millet palatability. However, it is important to ensure that the nutritional properties are well preserved. Hence, this study investigated the influence of roasting on the proximate composition, amino acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the whole grain barnyard millet sample. Method: The roasted sample of whole grain barnyard millet was roasted in the oven at 110℃ for 10 minutes and used for proximate analysis and amino acid composition. Meanwhile, TPC and DPPH were performed using the ethanol extract of a roasted whole-grain barnyard millet sample. Results: This study found a significant (p<0.05) of 14.22% reduction in moisture content in roasted millet compared to non-roasted millet. The roasted millet sample showed a higher fat content (p<0.05) compared to the non-roasted millet sample, with values of 5.08±0.24% and 4.38±0.24%, respectively. The total amino acid content of the non-roasted sample was 116.76±11.31ng, while the roasted sample had a value of 123.51±0.23.22ng. In addition, the TPC and antioxidant activity were found significantly higher (p<0.05) in the roasted sample than in the non-roasted sample of whole grain barnyard millet. Conclusion: The roasting method should be considered in processing of the whole grain barnyard millet to enhance the nutrient composition and boost its functionality.

Phytochemicals Screening and Anti-proliferative Activities of Anacardium occidentale Shoot Extract in Breast Cancer Cells

@#Introduction: Anacardium occidentale or cashew are popular traditional food and have raised research interest for complementary cancer treatment. Cancer has become leading cause of death and treatment involved severe side effects. In present study, we aim to study the anti-proliferative effects of cashew shoots in breast cancer (MDAMB-231), colorectal cancer (HT-29) and liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines. Methods: Cell lines were treated with 70% ethanolic cashew extract for cytotoxicity test with MTT assay. AO/PI dual fluorescent assay and RNase/PI staining were used to determine apoptosis induction effects. Phytochemicals screening was carried out by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Results: The cytotoxicity assay of cashew shoot extract demonstrated IC50 of 81.1 ± 0.11 μg/ml for MDA-MB-231, 307.5 ± 2.31 μg/ml for HT-29 and 272.6 ± 1.91 μg/ml for HepG2 cell lines. The apoptotic bodies include chromatin condensation, cell blebbing and nuclear fragmentation and apoptosis induction were shown by AO/PI staining. There was significant increase of cell count in sub-G0 phase in MDA-MB-231 cell lines treated with cashew shoot extract. It was demonstrated that cashew shoot extract contained 38 compounds from GCMS such as sitosterol, tannin, pyrogallol, phenol and 20 compounds from LCMS such as citric acid, gallic acid, myricetin and hinokiflavone that may give rise to its anti-cancer effect. Conclusion: Cashew shoot extract demonstrated potential anti-cancer properties thus further study is required to investigate its mechanism as anti-cancer agent.

Capsaicin: Current Understanding in Therapeutic Effects, Drug Interaction, and Bioavailability

@#Capsaicin (N-vanillyl-8-methyl-6-(E)-none amide) is a unique and significant compound from group component of capsaicinoids. This component can only be found in the plants from the Capsicum genus. It is the primary source of pungency or spiciness of chilli pepper. Traditionally, capsaicin has been used to alleviate pain. Recently, some studies showed significant therapeutic effects of capsaicin in many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and obesity. Determination of the most effective dosage used and underlying working mechanism of capsaicin are still in progress. Currently, capsaicin research, especially in drug interaction and encapsulation technologies, has not been reviewed. We aim to report current experimental evidence of capsaicin research focusing on its pharmacological properties, interaction with drugs and ways to improve the bioavailability of capsaicin. It is essential to provide a general orientation for further investigation that can discover more potency of capsaicin usage as a medicinal supplement to treat various diseases.

Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen: Potential Source of Natural Antioxidants

@#Introduction: Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen or sapodilla is a fruit-bearing tree that has been cultivated mainly in tropical areas including Mexico and South East Asia. The fruits and the other parts of M. zapota plant have been used since ages ago for various medicinal purposes. However, the data on the antioxidant properties of various parts of M. zapota is limited. Therefore, we aimed to measure the content and capacity of antioxidants in various M. zapota plant parts and also to screen the phytoconstituents present in the part with the highest antioxidant content and capacity. Methods: The in vitro antioxidant evaluation including the content of total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC) as well as β-carotene bleaching and 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability of the leaves, seeds, flesh, and peels of M. zapota extracted by aqueous and ethanol were determined. The plant part that exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity was selected for phytoconstituents identification using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: M. zapota leaves aqueous extract exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacities and therefore selected for phytoconstituents identification. Our study provide additional data in which a total of 39 phytoconstituents have been identified in the M. zapota leaves including m-coumaric acid, quinic acid, robinetinidol-4alpha-ol, isoorientin 6’’-O-caffeate, apocynin A, and C16 Sphinganine. Conclusion: Thus, our study revealed that M. zapota leaves aqueous extract has potential as a promising naturally-occurring antioxidant candidate which could be useful for medicinal and nutritional functions.