Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Fatty Acids, Phytosterols, and Volatiles from Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Fruit.

BACKGROUND: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a coastal Mediterranean aromatic medicinal plant rich in essential oil components, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Studies highlight the potential health benefits of myrtle bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. Since limited research exists on myrtle fruit's lipid fraction, the aim of this study was to apply supercritical CO2 extraction to obtain bioactive compounds from myrtle berries focusing on the fatty acids, sterols, and essential oils. METHODS: The optimization of the supercritical CO2 extraction of myrtle fruit using CO2 as solvent was carried out using the response surface methodology with Box-Behnken experimental design. The following conditions were tested: temperature (40, 50, and 60 °C), pressure (200, 300, and 400 bar), and flow rate (20, 30, and 40 g min-1) on the yield of lipid extract as well as on the yield of fatty acids, phytosterols, and volatiles present in the extract and constituting its bioactive potential. RESULTS: In the extracts examined, 36 fatty acids, 7 phytosterols, and 13 volatiles were identified. The average yield of the extract was 5.20%, the most abundant identified fatty acid was essential cis-linolenic acid (76.83%), almost 90% of the total phytosterols were ß-sitosterol (12,465 mg kg-1), while myrtenyl acetate (4297 mg kg-1) was the most represented volatile compound. The optimal process conditions obtained allow the formulation of extracts with specific compositions.

Optimisation of Almond-Based Dairy-Free Milk Alternative Formulation Fortified with Myrtle, Bay Leaf and Fennel Extracts§.

Research background: Herbs and spices used in traditional medicine are nowadays increasingly used in combinations to create functional food formulations aimed at treating specific symptoms and disorders. Among herbs originating from the Mediterranean region, extracts of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), bay leaf (Laurel nobilis L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) are traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders. When considering how to incorporate these extracts into products, dairy-free milk alternatives provide an excellent base with almond-based drinks being among the most popular within this group. Experimental approach: The aim of this study is therefore to optimise the formulation of an almond drink fortified with a 25 % (on dry mass basis) aqueous herbal extract containing myrtle, bay leaf (25 % each) and fennel seed (50 %) extracts. A central composite design with 20 formulations varied the content of φ(aqueous herbal extract)=2-6 %, lecithin as emulsifier 0.15-0.45 and xylitol as sweetener 2-5 % (m/V), while antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and sensory properties were determined as dependent variables. Results and conclusions: The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the prepared almond drink formulations increased with the amount of added concentrated aqueous herbal extracts, as did the colour, herbal odour and flavour, bitterness and aftertaste. The addition of lecithin resulted in a darker colour and the sweetness was increased by the xylitol content. All formulations had good overall attractiveness, which increased with higher xylitol content. Novelty and scientific contribution: The current work offers new insights into the optimisation of fortified dairy-free alternatives. The addition of myrtle, bay leaf and fennel seed extracts to almond drink-based formulations resulted in a 12-fold increase in antioxidant activity. Xylitol masks the potential bitterness of the phenolic compounds so that higher amounts of extracts can be added.

Predictors of Problematic Video Gaming in Elementary School Boys with ADHD.

The aim of the study was to expand the current knowledge base on problematic video gaming and ADHD with four questions: (1) Are there differences in the length of video gaming between boys with ADHD and typically developing boys? (2) Are there differences in problematic video gaming between boys with ADHD and typically developing boys? (3) What are the predictors of problematic video gaming? (4) Does problematic video gaming affect academic performance while controlling for the effect of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms? Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity scale (SNAP IV), the Problematic Video Game Scale, and the Video Game Patterns Questionnaire were administered to 127 parents of elementary school boys in Croatia, 57 of whom were parents of boys with a clinical ADHD diagnosis and 70 of whom were parents of typically developing boys. The results show that there are no differences in length of play and problematic video gaming between ADHD and typically developing boys. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that age, inattention symptoms, and length of play are predictors of problematic video gaming. Inattention symptoms and age are significant predictors of academic achievement whereas it seems that hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms are not predictors of problematic video gaming and academic achievement in boys.

Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Pigments of Mediterranean Herbs and Spices as Affected by Different Extraction Methods.

This study examined the composition and properties of chlorophyll and carotenoid extracted from the leaves of several Mediterranean evergreen shrubs and subshrubs (Myrtus communis L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Thymus vulgaris L., Salvia officinalis L. and Laurus nobilis L.) commonly used as herbs and spices. In order to fully assess their composition over a wide polarity range, pigments were extracted by successive solvent extraction with hexane, 80% acetone and 96% ethanol. Agitation-assisted extraction (AAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were employed and compared regarding their effect on the pigments' yield and composition. Individual chlorophylls and carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, while the content of total pigments and the extracts' antioxidant capacity were determined spectrophotometrically. Throughout the experiments, pheophytin a, b and b' were dominant chlorophyll molecules, while lutein and ß-carotene were dominant carotenoids. Overall, the extracted pigments were determined as being in the range of 73.84-127.60 mg 100 g-1 and were the lowest in T. vulgaris, with no significant differences between other species. M. communis and P. lentiscus had the highest antioxidant capacities, showing a moderate positive correlation with carotenoid and chlorophyll levels. Significant differences were found in the levels of individual pigments with most of them showing a medium level of polarity due to the dissolution in acetone as a medium polar solvent. AAE and PLE demonstrated similar efficacy in the extraction of both carotenoids and chlorophylls; however, preference can be given to PLE, being a novel method with numerous advantages, e.g., shorter extraction time and lower solvent consumption. The examined plant species certainly expressed great diversity and showed the potential for application in the production of various functional products.