Biofortified Beverage with Chlorogenic Acid from Stressed Carrots: Anti-Obesogenic, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

Using wounding stress to increase the bioactive phenolic content in fruits and vegetables offers a promising strategy to enhance their health benefits. When wounded, such phenolics accumulate in plants and can provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesogenic properties. This study investigates the potential of using wounding stress-treated carrots biofortified with phenolic compounds as a raw material to extract carrot juice with increased nutraceutical properties. Fresh carrots were subjected to wounding stress via slicing and then stored at 15 °C for 48 h to allow phenolic accumulation. These phenolic-enriched slices were blanched, juiced, and blended with orange juice (75:25 ratio) and 15% (w/v) broccoli sprouts before pasteurization. The pasteurized juice was characterized by its physicochemical attributes and bioactive compound content over 28 days of storage at 4 °C. Additionally, its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesogenic potentials were assessed using in vitro assays, both pre- and post-storage. The results reveal that juice derived from stressed carrots (SJ) possessed 49%, 83%, and 168% elevated levels of total phenolics, chlorogenic acid, and glucosinolates, respectively, compared to the control juice (CJ) (p < 0.05). Both juices reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells and nitric oxide production in Raw 264.7 cells, without significant differences between them. SJ further displayed a 26.4% increase in cellular antioxidant activity. The juice's bioactive characteristics remained stable throughout storage time. In conclusion, the utilization of juice obtained from stressed carrots in a blend with orange juice and broccoli sprouts offers a promising method to produce a beverage enriched in bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential.

Kinetic Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction as a Sustainable Approach for the Recovery of Phenolics Accumulated through UVA Treatment in Strawberry By-Products.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is an efficient and sustainable method for extracting bioactive compounds from agro-industrial by-products. Moreover, it has been reported that ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation can induce the biosynthesis and accumulation of bioactive phenolic compounds. This study optimized the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for recovering ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced phenolic compounds in strawberry by-products (RF-N). The impact of three factors (solid-liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, and ultrasound power) on total phenolic compound (TPC) kinetics using Peleg's model was investigated. The developed model showed a suitable fit for both RF-N and strawberry by-products treated with UVA (RF-E). The optimal UAE conditions obtained were of a 1:30 ratio, 46% ethanol, and 100% ultrasound power, resulting in an average yield of 13 g total phenolics kg-1. The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds during in-vitro digestion was 36.5%, with agrimoniin being the predominant compound. UAE combined with UVA treatment increased the bioactivity of RF extracts, displaying significant anti-proliferative effects on HT29 and Caco-2 cancer cell lines, as well as anti-inflammatory potential and cellular antioxidant activity. The ultrasound proved to be a sustainable and effective technique for extracting phenolic compounds from RF, contributing to the valorization of strawberry agro-industrial by-products, and maximizing their nutraceutical potential.

Sanitizing after fresh-cutting carrots reduces the wound-induced accumulation of phenolic antioxidants compared to sanitizing before fresh-cutting.

BACKGROUND: During the production of fresh-cut products, crops are exposed to wounding stress, and as a stress response, phenolic antioxidants are synthesized. This stress response is elicited by extracellular adenosine triphosphate, released from wounded cells and recognized by receptors of unwounded cells. The phenolic antioxidants produced as a stress response are beneficial for human health. However, a common practice in the fresh-cut industry is the application of washing/sanitizing procedures after cutting. These procedures could be highly detrimental, since they partially remove the wound signal that elicits the biosynthesis of phenolics in plants. In this study, the impact of different washing/sanitizing treatments post-shredding on the wound-induced accumulation of chlorogenic acid (CHA) in carrot was evaluated. Peeled carrots were shredded and dipped in aqueous solutions containing chlorine (100 ppm, 2 min), hydrogen peroxide (1.5%, 2 min) or water (2 min). The content of CHA in treated carrots was evaluated before and after 48 h of storage (19 ± 2 °C). RESULTS: The control carrots sanitized only before peeling and shredding showed 4000% higher content of CHA as compared with time 0 h samples. However, carrots treated with washing/sanitizing procedures post-shredding including water, chlorine and hydrogen peroxide showed a decrease in the accumulation of CHA by 46.9%, 53.6% and 89.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that washing/sanitizing procedures applied after fresh-cutting are potentially detrimental to the wound-induced accumulation of health-promoting compounds during storage of fresh produce. Thus, the fresh-cut industry could consider avoiding washing procedures after cutting and implement alternative sanitizing procedures that avoid the partial removal of the wound signal, such as sanitizing only before cutting. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.