New insights into the effects of formulation type and compositional mixtures on the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of dietary supplements based-on hepatoprotective plants

Artichoke (A), borututu (B) and milk thistle (M) are included in several supplements to provide beneficial effects. Different formulations (infusions, pills and syrups), with different proportions of A, B and M (1 : 1 : 1, 2 : 1 : 1, 1 : 2: 1, 1 : 1 : 2) within each formulation, were assayed to optimize the desired benefits. The antioxidant activity, anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity, hepatotoxicity and bioactive compound contents were evaluated. Syrups tended to be the formulation with highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content; otherwise, pills were the worst formulation. In what concerns A : B : M ratios, the results did not reveal so pronounced differences. None of the assayed mixtures resulted to be toxic (up to the maximum assayed dose) for liver primary cells (PLP2), but some samples, especially infusions, showed toxicity for the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). With no exception, the mixtures for all formulations showed synergistic effects on antioxidant activity, when compared to the activity of single plants.The authors are grateful to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). J. C. M. Barreira and R. C. Calhelha thank FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for their grants (SFRH/BPD/68344/2010 and SFRH/BPD/72802/2010, respectively). L. Barros thanks "Compromisso para a Ciencia 2008" for her contract

A new age for Quercus spp. fruits: review on nutritional and phytochemical composition and related biological activities of acorns

The current global food system must adapt to the expected growth of world population (about 9 billion individuals by 2050). This adaptation will probably include an increased consumption of edible wild foods, due to their richness in micronutrients and bioactive compounds, besides providing a cost-effective and sustainable way of improving caloric food security. A striking example of such natural matrices is the Quercus genus, which has the additional advantage of being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In a traditional sense, Quercus fruits (acorns) were mainly used in animal feeding, despite their potentially important role on the rural economy. But this preconception is changing. In fact, their nutritional value, high contents in phytochemical compounds, biological activity (such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective properties) and use in the treatment of specific diseases (such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease) have raised the interest in integrating acorns into the human diet. Accordingly, this comprehensive overview was designed to provide an evidence-based review of the literature, with the objective to achieve useful conclusions regarding the nutritional properties, methodologies of extraction, identification, and characterization of a wide variety of bioactive compounds and scientifically validated bioactivities in Quercus species worldwide. The industrial by-products from acorn oil extraction or flour production are also included. Data regarding the analytical techniques, individual compounds, and their bioactivities, are organized in tables. The reported data are discussed and directions for further investigations are suggested, highlighting the use of acorns in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Two-dimensional PCA highlights the differentiated antitumor and antimicrobial activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Laurus nobilis L. from different origins

"Article ID 520464"Natural matrices are important sources of new antitumor and antimicrobial compounds. Species such as Laurus nobilis L. (laurel) might be used for this purpose, considering its medicinal properties. Herein, in vitro activity against human tumor cell lines, bacteria, and fungi was evaluated in enriched phenolic extracts. Specifically, methanol and aqueous extracts of wild and cultivated samples of L. nobilis were compared considering different phenolic groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to understand how each extract acts differentially against specific bacteria, fungi, and selected human tumor cell lines. In general, the extract type induced the highest differences in bioactivity of laurel samples. However, from the PCA biplot, it became clear that wild laurel samples were higher inhibitors of tumor cell lines (HeLa, MCF7, NCI-H460, and HCT15). HepG2 had the same response to laurel from wild and cultivated origin. It was also observed that methanolic extracts tended to have higher antimicrobial activity, except against A. niger, A. fumigatus, and P. verrucosum. The differences in bioactivity might be related to the higher phenolic contents in methanolic extracts. These results allow selecting the extract type and/or origin with highest antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activity.The authors are grateful to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and REQUIMTE (PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011). M. I. Dias, R. Calhelha, and J. C. M. Barreira also thank FCT, POPHQREN, and FSE for their Grants (SFRH/BD/84485/2012, SFRH/BPD/ 68344/2010, and BPD/72802/2010). The authors also thank to Serbian Ministry of Education and Science for financial support (grant number 173032)

Suitability of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) extract rich in rosmarinic acid as a potential enhancer of functional properties in cupcakes

Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) and its extracts have been frequently reported as possessing bioactive properties, offering the potential for use in development/enrichment of food products with additional functional capabilities, providing health benefits to consumers. The antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity of lemon balm extract, as well as its potential hepatotoxicity were thoroughly evaluated. The extracts were then incorporated into cupcakes and their preserving effect, chemical composition, colour parameters and antioxidant activity were compared with those provided by potassium sorbate. In general, the variables with the largest differences among different storage times were energy level, sucrose, glucose, palmitic acid (C6:0) and oleic acid (C18:1n9). On the other hand, L ∗ (top), a ∗ (top), b ∗ (top), pH, capric acid (C10:0) and lauric acid (C12:0) showed the greatest variation according to cupcake formulation. The results observed indicate that the lemon balm extract rich in rosmarinic acid can provide advantageous functional properties to bakery products.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is honey able to potentiate the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of medicinal plants consumed as infusions for hepatoprotective effects?

Due to the enormous variety of phytochemicals present in plants, their extracts have been used for centuries in the treatment of innumerous diseases, being perceived as an invaluable source of medicines for humans. Furthermore, the combination of different plants was reported as inducing an improved effect (synergism) in comparison to the additive activity of the plants present in those mixtures. Nevertheless, information regarding the effects of plant infusions added with honey is still rather scarce. Accordingly, the aim of this study was evaluating the interaction between chestnut honey, a natural product with well-reported beneficial properties, and three medicinal plants (either as single plant or as combinations of two and three plants), with regard to their antioxidant activity and hepatotoxicity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by comparing the results from four different assays; the hepatotoxicity was assessed in two different cell lines. Results were compared by analysis of variance and linear discriminant analysis. The addition of honey to the infusions had a beneficial result in both cases, producing a synergistic effect in all samples, except beta-carotene bleaching inhibition for artichoke+milk thistle+honey preparation and also preparations with lower hepatotoxicity, except in the case of artichoke+honey. Moreover, from discriminant linear analysis output, it became obvious that the effect of honey addition overcame that resulting from using single plant or mixed plants based infusions. Also, the enhanced antioxidant activity of infusions containing honey was convoyed by a lower hepatotoxicity.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to the research centre CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and L. Barros researcher contract under “Programa Compromisso com Ciência – 2008”

Camellia japonica flowers as a source of nutritional and bioactive compounds

In recent decades, plants have strengthened their relevance as sources of molecules potentially beneficial for health. This underpinning effect also arises from the extensive research that has been conducted on plants that are typically undervalued, besides being scarcely used. This is the case with Camellia japonica in Galicia (NW Spain), where, despite its abundance, it is exclusively used for ornamental purposes and has been studied only for its proximate composition. Thus, the present study was conducted on several additional parameters in the flowers of eight C. japonica varieties. Our results show that camellia has a high nutritional value, with carbohydrates as the most abundant macronutrients followed by a moderate protein content (4.4–6.3 g/100 g dry weight) and high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially ω-3 fatty acids, which represent 12.9–22.7% of the total fatty acids), raising its potential for use for nutritional purposes. According to the thermochemical characterization and elemental composition of camellia, the raw material has poor mineralization and low nitrogen content, but high percentages of volatile matter and high carbon-fixation rates, making it a promising alternative for biofuel production. Furthermore, preliminary analysis reveals a high concentration of different bioactive compounds. As a result of these findings, camellias can be used as food or functional ingredients to improve the nutritional quality of food formulations.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RYC-2017-22891Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. CEECIND/04479/2017Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B-2021/152Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2019/022

Atherosclerosis and Bone Loss in Humans–Results From Deceased Donors and From Patients Submitted to Carotid Endarterectomy

Funding: We wish to thank all the collaborators (administrative staff, nurses, etc.) of the surgery block, as well as the doctors of the vascular surgery and transplantation departments of the Hospital of Santa Maria for the availability and assistance in the collection of the samples. We also thank Sociedade Portuguesa de Reumatologia for funding with two fellowships: Fundo de Apoio à Investigação 2014 and SPR/MSD 2015. DC-F received funding from a PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/80940/2011).Background and Aims: Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis share common risk factors, as well as inflammatory mechanisms. Our aim was to understand how atherosclerotic lesions are related with disturbances in bone. Methods: Gene expression of pro-inflammatory and bone metabolism related proteins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, TNF, RANKL, OPG, COL1, CTSK, OCL, TRAP, CBFA1, DKK1, SOST, ADIPOQ, and ADIPOR1) were analyzed in arteries and bones from 45 deceased donors and adipose tissue was used as control. Additionally, in 139 patients with advanced atherosclerosis submitted to carotid endarterectomy we compared calcium content (Alizarin red) and plaque inflammatory scores (CD3+, CD68+, and adiponectin) of patients with normal bone mineral density (BMD) with those with low BMD and explored the associations between gene expression in atherosclerotic plaques and BMD. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory and bone related proteins were measured both in donors and patients. Associations were investigated by the Pearson or Spearman correlation tests, and multivariate regression analyzes were performed when justified. Results: Gene expression of bone remodeling and pro-inflammatory proteins correlated positively in bone and aorta, independently of age and sex of donors, but not in adipose tissue. The expression of bone formation genes was significantly higher in atheroma plaques from endarterectomized patients with normal vs. low BMD as well as inflammatory CD68+ scores, regardless of patients' age and sex, but not of body mass index. No relationship was observed between serum levels and gene expression levels of pro-inflammatory or bone remodeling proteins. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the relationship between bones and vessels in the context of atherosclerotic disease and osteoporosis may rely on the intrinsic connection between the tissues involved, independently of disease stage. Serum measurements of pro-inflammatory and bone-remodeling proteins do not accurately translate tissue pathologic processes.publishersversionpublishe