Quantification of flavonoids, minerals, and pigments present in "Nanicão" bananas during the ripening process.

Banana is one of the most consumed and popular fruits in all regions of the world, being cultivated mainly in tropical countries. It is not only a rich source of vitamins A, C, and B, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and other vitamins and nutrients, but it also contains several types of antioxidants with high nutritional value. In this context, the current study aimed to quantify the content of ascorbic acid, flavonoids, pigments, and minerals present in "Nanicão" bananas during the ripening process. As demonstrated, the level of flavonoids was higher in ripe and overripe fruits, whereas the mineral composition was high only at ripening stage 4 (more yellow than green) a stage that should be prioritized when recommending fruit consumption to the population deficient in these minerals. Regarding pigments, there was a reduction in chlorophylls a and b and an increase in carotenoids and anthocyanins in peels and pulps. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Flavonoids are phenolic, bioactive compounds with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and products of the plant's secondary metabolism. The degradation of chlorophylls and synthesis of carotenoids and anthocyanins, and as a consequence of the latter pigment, the increase in flavonoids in the pulp was evident during the monitoring of ripening, mainly in the fruit peels in relation to pigments. Minerals are essential elements, the main ones provided in balanced diets and important for dietary and nutritional health.

Antioxidants from different citrus peels provide protection against cancer / Antioxidantes de diferentes cascas de frutas cítricas como agentes preventivos contra o câncer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. Despite significant advancements in the discovery of medications for the treatment of cancer, these drugs are hindered by applicability and efficacy issues and frequently exhibit major side effects that can further impair patients 'quality of life. Therefore, the development of therapeutically sound anti-cancer medicines derived from natural products has gained prominence in the field of functional foods. Some of these compounds have shown efficacy in the prevention and treatment of cancer as well as low toxicity. Additionally, many recent studies have explored the recycling of agro-industrial waste to create bioactive chemicals. Citrus peels are produced in vast quantities in the food processing sector; due to their abundance of flavonoids, they may be inexpensive sources of protection against several cancers. Citrus is a common type of fruit that contains a variety of nutrients. In particular, the antioxidant chemicals found in citrus peel have been identified as potential cancer-fighting agents. Antioxidant substances such as flavonoids prevent the development of cancer by inhibiting the metastatic cascade, decreasing the mobility of cancer cells in the circulatory system, promoting apoptosis, and suppressing angiogenesis. To explore the most effective uses of citrus peel-derived antioxidants, this review presents background information, an overview of the role of citrus antioxidants in cancer therapy, and a discussion of the key underlying molecular mechanisms.

O câncer é uma das principais causas de morte. Apesar dos avanços significativos na descoberta de medicamentos para o tratamento do câncer, esses medicamentos são prejudiciais por questões de aplicabilidade e eficácia e frequentemente apresentam efeitos colaterais importantes que podem afetar ainda mais a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Portanto, o desenvolvimento de medicamentos anticancerígenos, terapeuticamente adequados derivados de produtos naturais, ganhou destaque no campo dos alimentos funcionais. Alguns desses compostos demonstraram eficácia na prevenção e tratamento do câncer, bem como baixa toxicidade. Além disso, muitos estudos recentes exploraram a reciclagem de resíduos agroindustriais para criar produtos químicos bioativos. As cascas de frutas cítricas são produzidas abundantemente no setor de processamento de alimentos; devido à abundância de flavonoides, e são fontes baratas de proteção contra várias categorias de câncer. Citrus é um tipo comum de fruta que contém uma variedade de nutrientes. Em particular, os produtos químicos antioxidantes encontrados na casca de frutas cítricas foram identificados como potenciais agentes de combate ao câncer. Substâncias antioxidantes, como os flavonoides, previnem o desenvolvimento do câncer, inibindo a cascata metastática, diminuindo a mobilidade das células cancerígenas no sistema circulatório, promovendo a apoptose e suprimindo a angiogênese. Para explorar os usos mais eficazes dos antioxidantes derivados da casca de frutas cítricas, esta revisão apresenta informações básicas, uma visão geral do papel dos antioxidantes cítricos na terapia do câncer e uma discussão dos principais mecanismos moleculares subjacentes.

Selenium nanoparticles based on Amphipterygium glaucum extract with antibacterial, antioxidant, and plant biostimulant properties.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, crop production has expanded due to the variety of commercially available species. This increase in production has led to global competition and the search for biostimulant products that improve crop quality and yield. At the same time, agricultural products that protect against diseases caused by phytopathogenic microorganisms are needed. Thus, the green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) is a proposal for achieving these needs. In this research, SeNPs were synthesized from methanolic extract of Amphipterygium glaucum leaves, and chemically and biologically characterized. RESULTS: The characterization of SeNPs was conducted by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microscopy transmission (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) techniques. SeNPs with an average size of 40-60 nm and spherical and needle-shaped morphologies were obtained. The antibacterial activity of SeNPs against Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, and Alcaligenes faecalis was evaluated. The results indicate that the methanolic extracts of A. glaucum and SeNPs presented a high antioxidant activity. The biostimulant effect of SeNPs (10, 20, 50, and 100 µM) was evaluated in vinca (Catharanthus roseus), and calendula (Calendula officinalis) plants under greenhouse conditions, and they improved growth parameters such as the height, the fresh and dry weight of roots, stems, and leaves; and the number of flowers of vinca and calendula. CONCLUSIONS: The antibacterial, antioxidant, and biostimulant properties of SeNPs synthesized from A. glaucum extract demonstrated in this study support their use as a promising tool in crop production.

Amazonian Melastomataceae blueberries: Determination of phenolic content, nutritional composition, and antioxidant and anti-glycation activities.

Berries come from hundreds of different species of plants spread around the world. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, for instance, are popular berries that have attracted attention for providing several benefits to human health. Wild berries from the Melastomataceae family are commonly encountered in the Amazon, although these small blue fruits are poorly consumed. Although domesticated fruits give better monetary profits, the consumption of wild fruits is a desirable option to afford income and/or food to communities at the same time as keep the Amazon region preserved. Aiming the divulgation of the nutritional potential of these plants, this paper describes the study of six species of Amazonian blueberries, five of them from the Clidemia genus and one from the Tococa genus, in regard to their nutritional and chemical composition and antioxidant activity (AA). The levels of moisture, ash, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and the total caloric values obtained for the Amazonian blueberries were comparable to other common edible berries. Although the six species are similar in terms of nutritional composition, their anthocyanin profiles and contents are quite peculiar. Two non-methylated anthocyanins, cyanidin and delphinidin, which bound to a variable number of sugars, characterized the berries of the genera Clidemia and Tococa. Clidemia japurensis, Clidemia hirta and Tococa bullifera were rich in tri-glycosylated anthocyanins, although differences are notable between them. Clidemia pustulata and Clidemia capitellata were characterized by the prevalence of mono-glycosylated anthocyanins, and Clidemia rubra showed a unique profile with mono- and di-glycosylated homologous as the main anthocyanins. In addition to their different chemical profiles, the concentrations of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds varied a lot among the six species studied. The species C. rubra had the highest total concentration of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Therefore, this study showed that the blueberries analyzed have potential to be better explored, which we suggest doing in a sustainable way, aiming at the preservation of the Amazon's biodiversity.

Blueberry by-product as a novel food ingredient: physicochemical characterization and study of its application in a bakery product.

BACKGROUND: Industrial blueberry juice processing results in a significant amount of by-product, the so called pomace, which could represent a nutritionally valuable source of fibre and bioactive compounds to enhance either technological or nutritional characteristics of foods. The aim of this study was to obtain novel ingredients based on blueberry by-product, applying different drying methods: convective (CD), freeze drying (FD) and vacuum drying (VD). The powders were physicochemically, functionally and nutritionally characterized. Finally, its application to formulate muffins in replacing 10-20-30% of wheat flour was studied to evaluate the effect on textural, colour and sensorial characteristics. RESULTS: CD reduced the hydration and functional properties when compared to FD and VD. The powders were characterized by a high content of dietary fibre (273 ± 5 g kg-1 ) and good retention and bioaccessibility of antioxidant compounds (39-85% range). The powder addition to formulate muffin decreased lightness and chromaticity, without differences due to the drying process. The texture parameters were reduced with 10% of ingredient addition; meanwhile, 20-30% showed similar values to the muffin control. Sensorial evaluation presented good overall acceptability (>6 ± 2 on a 9-point hedonic scale) and some specific attributes showed a significant drop in overall acceptability, recommending its optimization according to penalty analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that functional ingredients rich in fibre and bioactive compounds may be obtained from an industrial by-product, giving added value and avoiding or reducing their loss; this could also be a promising vehicle to incorporate dietary fibre and bioactive compounds into bakery goods. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chia expeller: A promising source of antioxidant, antihypertensive and antithrombotic peptides produced by enzymatic hydrolysis with Alcalase and Flavourzyme.

Chia expeller is a promising source of bioactive compounds suitable for the development of nutraceutical ingredients due to its functional, biological, and nutritional properties. In this work, chia expeller was hydrolysed with Alcalase-Flavourzyme sequential system and compared to the individual enzymes. A higher degree of hydrolysis (57.63 ± 6.08%) was obtained after 90 min-Alcalase and 90 min-Flavourzyme (H-A90-F90), with the development of low molecular weight peptides as observed by SDS-PAGE. H-A90-F90 exhibited antiradical activity with ABTS (TE = 4.87 ± 0.13 mmol L-1 mg-1), DPPH (TE = 1.55 ± 0.02 mmol L-1 mg-1), antihypertensive activity (45% ACE-I inhibition), and antithrombotic activity against both intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways. These results represent the first report of antithrombotic peptides from Salvia hispanica, highlighting the relevant use of chia seed by-products to obtain potentially antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anticoagulant peptides by enzymatic hydrolysis with Alcalase and Flavourzyme, enhancing this agro-industrial by-product.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in Cucurbita ficifolia fruits, an underrated fruit.

The fruits and seeds of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché are sources of minerals, vitamins, and functional compounds with nutraceutical and preventive potential against cardiovascular diseases and diseases derived from eating disorders. C. ficifolia is native from Mesoamerica and is currently cultivated in temperate zones from Mexico to South America and Asia. This study evaluated the fruit mesocarps of C. ficifolia for physicochemical parameters, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compound contents in a collection of farmers' landraces. Germplasm is cultivated by traditional farmers in the temperate zones of two municipalities from Oaxaca, Mexico. The results show that the content of soluble solid contents (SSC), pH, total sugars (TS), and flavonoids are influenced by the fruit geographical origin (municipalities) and implicitly by their agroecological cultivation conditions (Huamelúlpam: SSC = 6.22 °Brix, pH = 5.44, TS = 0.52 mg G g-1, flavonoids = 1.24 mg CE g-1; Yanhuitlán: SSC = 6.69, pH = 5.33, TS = 0.55, flavonoids = 1.30). Among populations preserved by traditional farmers, significant differences, and wide variability were found for all parameters evaluated (Huamelúlpam: SSC = 4.9-7.3, pH = 5.5-5.8, TS = 0.4-0.7, protein = 5.8-11.4, polyphenols = 1.9-4.8, flavonoids = 1.0-1.5, DPPH = 4.3-10.6, and FRAP = 4.8-11.8; Yanhuitlán: SSC = 4.3-8.9, pH = 4.8-5.6, TS = 0.4-0.7, protein = 5.0-15.3, polyphenols = 1.9-4.9, flavonoids = 0.8-1.9, DPPH = 5.3-10.5, and FRAP = 4.5-12.6). Eight compounds were identified by UPLC-MS: L-phenylalanine, an amino acid that is regularly associated with proteins; vanillin, a phenolic aldehyde with its functional groups including aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether; and six phenolic acids: 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and salicylic acid, all with potential health effects. The C. ficifolia fruit mesocarp has bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity with the potential to both improve diet and to obtain other benefits against nontransmissible diseases derived from food and its associated risk factors.

In vitro Bioaccessibility of Proteins, Phenolics, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity of Amaranthus viridis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, mineral content and report the effect of gastrointestinal digestion on the proteins, phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of morphological parts of Amaranthus viridis (AV). The macronutrients found in the greatest quantity were proteins (leave, inflorescence and seeds) and fiber (roots and stem). The main minerals were calcium, potassium, iron and zinc. All the plant parts showed total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) compounds that were correlated with antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP); the leaves and inflorescence presented the greatest potential. The antioxidant compounds from the leaves, inflorescence and roots decreased after static in vitro digestion, while the TPC and TFC of the digested seeds increased by more than 55%. Approximately 90% of the protein content was bioaccessible. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the bioaccessibility of proteins, phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of the leave, inflorescence, seeds, roots and stem from AV were reported. Taking into consideration the excellent nutritional properties, the morphological parts of the plant can be potentially explored as a source of protein, fiber, minerals and antioxidant compounds.

Carbon Nanotubes Decrease the Negative Impact of Alternaria solani in Tomato Crop.

The diseases that attack the tomato crop are a limiting factor for its production and are difficult to control or eradicate. Stem and fruit rot and leaf blight caused by Alternaria solani causes severe damage and substantial yield losses. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could be an alternative for the control of pathogens since they have strong antimicrobial activity, in addition to inducing the activation of the antioxidant defense system in plants. In the present study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were evaluated on the incidence and severity of A. solani. Moreover, to the impact they have on the antioxidant defense system and the photosynthetic capacity of the tomato crop. The results show that the application of CNTs had multiple positive effects on tomato crop. CNTs decreased the incidence and severity of A. solani. Furthermore, CNTs increased the fruit yield of tomato crop and dry shoot biomass. The antioxidant system was improved, since the content of ascorbic acid, flavonoids, and the activity of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme were increased. The net photosynthesis and water use efficiency were also increased by the application of CNTs. CNTs can be an option to control A. solani in tomato crop, and diminish the negative impact of this pathogen.

Domestic cooking practices influence the carotenoid and tocopherol content in colored cauliflower.

Cauliflowers are generally associated with healthy diets due to their positive impact on health. This research aims to evaluate the effects of cooking processes (boiling, steaming and microwaving) and different preparation times, on the content of carotenoids and provitamin A and tocopherols, in cauliflowers and to verify the effect of the cooking process on maintaining the coloring. The results revealed that the thermal processinfluencedthe antioxidant compounds releaseindependent of genotype. The highest content of zeaxanthin and lutein was found in 'Verde di Macerata' after boiling for 20 min. 'Cheddar' presented the highest content of all carotenoids and when steamed for 20 min, the highest levels ofprovitamin Awere observed.Microwaved and bolied 'Grafitti' for longer times showed the highest retention of tocopherol. The cooking did not negatively affect the visual aspect. 'Verde di Macerata' and 'Cheddar' may be good sources of carotenoids and tocopherols.

Impact of Carbon Nanomaterials on the Antioxidant System of Tomato Seedlings.

Tomato is one of the most economically important vegetables worldwide and is constantly threatened by various biotic and abiotic stress factors reducing the quality and quantity in the production of this crop. As an alternative to mitigate stress in plants, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been used in agricultural areas. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant responses of tomato seedlings to the application via foliar and drench of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene (GP). Different doses (10, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg L-1) and a control were evaluated. The results showed that the fresh and dry root weight increased with the application of CNMs. Regarding the antioxidant responses of tomato seedlings, the application of CNMs increased the content of phenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, glutathione, photosynthetic pigments, activity of the enzyme's ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase as well as the content of proteins. Therefore, the use of carbon-based nanomaterials could be a good alternative to induce tolerance to different stress in tomato crop.

Grape seed pomace as a valuable source of antioxidant fibers.

BACKGROUND: Grape seed pomace is a valuable by-product from winery/oil extraction industries and a potential source of bioactive compounds. Hot water extraction is the most widely used technology for polysaccharide recovery from plant and seed sources. To obtain an antioxidant fiber-rich extract (AFE) from defatted grape seed pomace, seed:water ratio (1:10-1:20) and extraction temperature (70-90 °C) effects on extraction yield, total sugars, total phenolic compounds and condensed tannins were investigated. RESULTS: The best extraction results were achieved at the highest seed:water ratio and temperature. At these conditions, the extraction yield and total sugar content of the freeze-dried AFE were 100.1 g kg-1 and 725.3 g kg-1 , respectively. The AFE presented high total phenolic content (16.2 g GAE kg-1 ), condensed tannins (515.1 mg CAT kg-1 ), soluble (219.1 g kg-1 ) and insoluble fibers (132.4 g kg-1 ), besides protein (171.1 g kg-1 ) and ash (152.6 g kg-1 ). The antioxidant capacity of the AFE was 382.7, 823.7 and 1439.4 µmol Trolox g-1 for DPPH, ABTS and ORAC methods. CONCLUSION: The AFE was shown to be not only an interesting source of fiber with antioxidant capacity, which could become a potential foodstuff, but also an ecofriendly and sustainable alternative to use grape seed pomace. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Phenolic compounds from Virola venosa (Myristicaceae) and evaluation of their antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential / Compostos fenólicos de Virola venosa (Myristicaceae) e avaliação de seu potencial antioxidante e de inibição enzimática

Virola venosa, popularly known in Brazil as ucuuba-da-mata, occurs naturally in the Amazon region and has potential to provide useful natural compounds, as already known for other Virola species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of bark and leaf extracts of V. venosa, and to test the antioxidant capacity and alfa-glucosidase inhibition potential of their compounds. Polar extracts showed to be more active in both assays, therefore a bioactivity-guided fractionation was performed to identify the compounds that were responsible for the recorded activities. Using a combination of LC-MS/MS analysis and isolation with NMR identification, eight phenolic compounds were identified. Assays with pure compounds of the active fraction revealed that ferulic acid was the main contributor compound to the observed bioactivity in the crude extracts.(AU)

Virola venosa, popularmente conhecida como ucuuba-da-mata, ocorre naturalmente na região amazônica e tem potencial para fornecer compostos naturais úteis, como já foi mostrado para outras espécies de Virola. Por isso, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a composição química dos extratos do tronco e das folhas de V. venosa e os possíveis potenciais antioxidantes e de inibição contra alfa-glucosidase de seus compostos. Os extratos polares mostraram-se mais ativos em ambos os testes, portanto, um fracionamento guiado por bioatividade foi realizado para designar os compostos responsáveis pelas atividades registradas. Através da combinação de análise CL-EM/EM e isolamento com identificação por RMN, foram identificados oito compostos fenólicos. Testes com os compostos puros principais das frações mais ativas indicaram o ácido ferúlico como o principal contribuinte das atividades biológicas observadas para os extratos brutos, e, consequentemente, o princípio ativo principal de V. venosa.(AU)

Phenolic compounds from Virola venosa (Myristicaceae) and evaluation of their antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential / Compostos fenólicos de Virola venosa (Myristicaceae) e avaliação de seu potencial antioxidante e de inibição enzimática

Virola venosa, popularly known in Brazil as ucuuba-da-mata, occurs naturally in the Amazon region and has potential to provide useful natural compounds, as already known for other Virola species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of bark and leaf extracts of V. venosa, and to test the antioxidant capacity and α-glucosidase inhibition potential of their compounds. Polar extracts showed to be more active in both assays, therefore a bioactivity-guided fractionation was performed to identify the compounds that were responsible for the recorded activities. Using a combination of LC-MS/MS analysis and isolation with NMR identification, eight phenolic compounds were identified. Assays with pure compounds of the active fraction revealed that ferulic acid was the main contributor compound to the observed bioactivity in the crude extracts. (AU)

Virola venosa, popularmente conhecida como ucuuba-da-mata, ocorre naturalmente na região amazônica e tem potencial para fornecer compostos naturais úteis, como já foi mostrado para outras espécies de Virola. Por isso, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a composição química dos extratos do tronco e das folhas de V. venosa e os possíveis potenciais antioxidantes e de inibição contra α-glucosidase de seus compostos. Os extratos polares mostraram-se mais ativos em ambos os testes, portanto, um fracionamento guiado por bioatividade foi realizado para designar os compostos responsáveis pelas atividades registradas. Através da combinação de análise CL-EM/EM e isolamento com identificação por RMN, foram identificados oito compostos fenólicos. Testes com os compostos puros principais das frações mais ativas indicaram o ácido ferúlico como o principal contribuinte das atividades biológicas observadas para os extratos brutos, e, consequentemente, o princípio ativo principal de V. venosa.(AU)

Comparing the Effects of Chlorogenic Acid and Ilex paraguariensis Extracts on Different Markers of Brain Alterations in Rats Subjected to Chronic Restraint Stress.

Positive influence of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) on human health issues has been attributed to its frequent consumption in South American countries and is assumed to be due to its high content of antioxidant compounds, including chlorogenic acid (CGA); however, hard evidence about its positive effects under chronic stress conditions is still required. In this study, the effects of yerba mate extracts (IpE), and its main compound chlorogenic acid (CGA), on behavioral and morphological endpoints of brain damage induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS) to rats were evaluated and compared. CRS sessions were performed during 21 days. IpE (200 mg/mL, p.o.) or CGA (2 mg/mL, p.o.) were administered daily 30 min before stress. Behavioral tests comprised motor skills and anxiety-like activity. Histological (H&E) and histochemical changes were explored in three brain regions: cortex (Cx), hippocampus (Hp), and striatum (S). Rats subjected to CRS exhibited hypoactive patterns of locomotor activity. Rats receiving IpE before CRS preserved the basal locomotor activity. Stressed animals also augmented the anxiety-like activity, whereas IpE normalized exploratory behavior. Stressed animals presented cell damage in all regions. Morphological damage was more effectively prevented by IpE than CGA. Stressed animals also augmented the expression/localization pattern of the tumor necrosis factor alpha in the striatum and the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus (stratum moleculare) and cortex, whereas IpE and CGA reduced the expression of these molecules. In turn, CGA exhibited only moderate protective effects on all markers analyzed. Our findings support a protective role of IpE against CRS, which may be related to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of its compounds. Since CGA was unable to prevent all the alterations induced by CRS, it is concluded that the protective properties of the whole extract of Ilex paraguariensis are the result of the combined effects of all its natural antioxidant compounds, and not only of the properties of CGA.

Effects of Chitosan-PVA and Cu Nanoparticles on the Growth and Antioxidant Capacity of Tomato under Saline Stress.

Chitosan is a natural polymer, which has been used in agriculture to stimulate crop growth. Furthermore, it has been used for the encapsulation of nanoparticles in order to obtain controlled release. In this work, the effect of chitosan-PVA and Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPs) absorbed on chitosan-PVA on growth, antioxidant capacity, mineral content, and saline stress in tomato plants was evaluated. The results show that treatments with chitosan-PVA increased tomato growth. Furthermore, chitosan-PVA increased the content of chlorophylls a and b, total chlorophylls, carotenoids, and superoxide dismutase. When chitosan-PVA was mixed with Cu NPs, the mechanism of enzymatic defense of tomato plants was activated. The chitosan-PVA and chitosan-PVA + Cu NPs increased the content of vitamin C and lycopene, respectively. The application of chitosan-PVA and Cu NPs might induce mechanisms of tolerance to salinity.

Effect of Thermoultrasound on the Antioxidant Compounds and Fatty Acid Profile of Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus spp.) Juice.

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus spp.) fruit has high antioxidant activity due to its significant content of anthocyanins and antioxidant compounds. Among emerging technologies for food preservation, thermoultrasound is a technique that reduces microbial loads and releases compounds with antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant content and fatty acid profile of blackberry juice subjected to thermoultrasound treatment in comparison to pasteurized juice. Blackberry juice and n-hexane extracts from a control (untreated juice), pasteurized, and thermoultrasonicated samples were evaluated for antioxidant activity, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant content. The juice treated with thermoultrasound exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of total phenols (1011 mg GAE/L), anthocyanins (118 mg Cy-3-GlE/L); antioxidant activity by ABTS (44 mg VCEAC/L) and DPPH (2665 µmol TE/L) in comparison to the control and pasteurized samples. Oil extract from thermoultrasound juice also had the highest antioxidant activity (177.5 mg VCEAC/L and 1802.6 µmol TE/L). The fatty acid profile of the n-hexane extracts showed the presence of myristic, linolenic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids and was not affected by the treatments except for stearic acid, whose amount was particularly higher in the control. Our results demonstrated that thermoultrasound can be an alternative technology to pasteurization that maintains and releases antioxidant compounds and preserves the fatty acids of fruit juice.

Antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activity and phenolic content in peel from three tropical fruits from Yucatan, Mexico.

The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activity and content of individual phenolic compounds of freeze-dried peel from three tropical fruits grown in Yucatan, México: purple star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.), yellow cashew and red cashew (Anacardium occidentale). The freeze-dried peels were good source of antioxidant compounds. ABTS and DPPH values in the peel from each fruit were 3050.95-3322.31 µM Trolox/100g dry weight (DW) or 890.19-970.01 mg of vitamin C/100 g DW, and 1579.04-1680.90 µM Trolox/100 g DW or 340.18-362.18 mg of vitamin C/100 g DW, respectively. Six phenolic compounds were identified in the peel from the tropical fruits studied: ferulic, caffeic, sinapic, gallic, ellagic and myricetin. This study demonstrated that freeze-dried peels from purple star apple, yellow cashew and red cashew, could serve as potential sources of antioxidants for use in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Synthesis and DPPH scavenging assay of reserpine analogues, computational studies and in silico docking studies in AChE and BChE responsible for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fast growing neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system and anti-oxidants can be used to help suppress the oxidative stress caused by the free radicals that are responsible for AD. A series of selected synthetic indole derivatives were biologically evaluated to identify potent new antioxidants. Most of the evaluated compounds showed significant to modest antioxidant properties (IC50 value 399.07 140.0±50 µM). Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies were carried out on the compounds and their corresponding free radicals. Differences in the energy of the parent compounds and their corresponding free radicals provided a good justification for the trend found in their IC50 values. In silico, docking of compounds into the proteins acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which are well known for contributing in AD disease, was also performed to predict anti-AD potential.

A doença de Alzheimer (DA) é uma doença neurodegenerativado sistema nervoso central, em rápido crescimento, e antioxidantes ajudam a suprimir o estresse oxidativo causado por radicais livres, responsávies pela DA. Avaliou-se, biologicamente, série de derivados sintéticos de indol selecionados para identificar novos antioxidantes. A maioria dos compostos avaliados apresentou de significativa a boa propriedade antioxidante (valor de IC50 399,07140.0 ± 50 µM). Eftuaram-se estudos de Teoria do Funcional de Densidade (DFT) com os compostos e os seus correspondentes radicais livres. As diferenças de energia entre os compostos protótipos e os radicais livres correspondentes proporcionaram boa justificativa para a tendência encontrada nos seus valores de IC50. O ancoramento in silico dos compostos com a acetilcolinesterase (AChE) e com a butirilcolinesterase (BChE), que contribuem para a DA, foi, também, realizado para prever o seu potencial anti-DA.

Understanding the function of bacterial and eukaryotic thiolases II by integrating evolutionary and functional approaches.

Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9), commonly named thiolase II, condenses two molecules of acetyl-CoA to give acetoacetyl-CoA and CoA. This enzyme acts in anabolic processes as the first step in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids and polyhydroxybutyrate in eukaryotes and bacteria, respectively. We have recently reported the evolutionary and functional equivalence of these enzymes, suggesting that thiolase II could be the rate limiting enzyme in these pathways and presented evidence indicating that this enzyme modulates the availability of reducing equivalents during abiotic stress adaptation in bacteria and plants. However, these results are not sufficient to clarify why thiolase II was evolutionary selected as a critical enzyme in the production of antioxidant compounds. Regarding this intriguing topic, we propose that thiolase II could sense changes in the acetyl-CoA/CoA ratio induced by the inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid cycle under abiotic stress. Thus, the high level of evolutionary and functional constraint of thiolase II may be due to the connection of this enzyme with an ancient and conserved metabolic route.