Phenolic composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of brazilian red propolis

Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. It has a complex chemical composition, constituted by various phenolic compounds. Extracts of increasing polarity (n-hexane, chloroform, and ethanol) were obtained from a sample of red propolis from the state of Alagoas. Assays were carried out for determination of contents of phenolics, along with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The EEP, fractions and sub-fractions showed strong biological activities and were related with phenolic the content compounds contents. The sub-fractions were more bioactive than the EEP and fractions, demonstrating that the antioxidant and antibacterial activities are not a result of synergistic effect between the various chemical compounds in propolis.FAPES

Phenolic composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of brazilian red propolis

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOPropolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. It has a complex chemical composition, constituted by various phenolic compounds. Extracts of increasing polarity (n-hexane, chloroform, and ethanol) were obtained from a sample of red propolis from the state of Alagoas. Assays were carried out for determination of contents of phenolics, along with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The EEP, fractions and sub-fractions showed strong biological activities and were related with phenolic the content compounds contents. The sub-fractions were more bioactive than the EEP and fractions, demonstrating that the antioxidant and antibacterial activities are not a result of synergistic effect between the various chemical compounds in propolis.Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. It has a complex chemical composition, constituted by various phenolic compounds. Extracts of increasing polarity (n-hexane, chloroform, and ethanol) were obtained from a sample of red propolis from the state of Alagoas. Assays were carried out for determination of contents of phenolics, along with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The EEP, fractions and sub-fractions showed strong biological activities and were related with phenolic the content compounds contents. The sub-fractions were more bioactive than the EEP and fractions, demonstrating that the antioxidant and antibacterial activities are not a result of synergistic effect between the various chemical compounds in propolis32615231527FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2004/08635-6; 2006/54619-8À FAPESPpelo apoio financeiro (Processo nº 04/08635-6) e pela bolsa de mestrado concedida(Processo 06/54619-8)

Influência das técnicas de cultivo na atividade antioxidante de romã

Apesar de a romã já ser reconhecida na literatura como tendo elevado potencial antioxidante e ajudar na prevenção de patologias relacionadas ao desequilíbrio oxidativo, ainda pouco se conhece sobre as variações na composição química que os diferentes tipos de cultivo podem propiciar. A procura pelo alimento orgânico têm aumentado, porém são escassas as pesquisas científicas com vista à caracterização do alimento produzido no sistema orgânico, em relação aos obtidos no sistema convencional. Considerando este cenário, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e comparar por diferentes metodologias a capacidade de romãs (Punica granatum) oriundas de cultivos orgânico e convencional. O extrato etanólico da polpa de romã foi obtido por método sequencial. Os fenólicos totais foram determinados pelo método de Folin Ciocateau e a atividade antioxidante in vitro foi determinada através de dois métodos: espectrofotometria, através da descoloração do radical ABTS+ (2,2-azinobis- [3-etil-benzotiazolin-6-ácido sulfônico]) com persulfato de potássio, e oxigen radical absorbance capacity. No cultivo das frutas do tipo convencional foram utilizados adubos, fertilizantes, pesticidas e aceleradores de amadurecimento, já as frutas orgânicas foram cultivadas sem o uso de herbicidas e inseticidas e aditivos minerais de indução de crescimento. A romã teve sua capacidade antioxidante determinada e os tipos de cultivo foram comparados entre si. Constatou-se que as frutas do cultivo orgânico apresentaram os mais altos teores de compostos redutores e atividade antioxidante equivalente ao Trolox quando comparadas à frutas de cultivo convencional. O sistema de cultivo orgânico contribuiu para uma mais efetiva atividade antioxidante da romã. O tipo de técnica agrícola foi capaz de interferir no conteúdo de compostos antioxidantes da fruta

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester reduces the activation of the nuclear factor κB pathway by high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CAPE on the insulin signaling and inflammatory pathway in the liver of mice with high fat diet induced obesity. Swiss mice were fed with standard chow or high-fat diet for 12-week. After the eighth week, animals in the HFD group with serum glucose levels higher than 200 mg/dL were divided into two groups, HFD and HFD receiving 30 mg/kg of CAPE for 4 weeks. After 12 weeks, the blood samples could be collected and liver tissue extracted for hormonal and biochemical measurements, and insulin signaling and inflammatory pathway analyzes. The high-fat diet group exhibited more weight gain, glucose intolerance, and hepatic steatosis compared with standard diet group. The CAPE treatment showed improvement in glucose sensitivity characterized by an area under glucose curve similar to the control group in an oral glucose tolerance test Furthermore, CAPE treatment promoted amelioration in hepatic steatosis compared with the high-fat diet group. The increase in glucose sensitivity was associated with the improvement in insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-2, followed by an increase in Akt phosphorylation. In addition, it was observed that CAPE reduced the induction of the inflammatory pathway, c-jun-N- terminal kinase, the nuclear factor kappa B, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression, respectively. Overall, these findings indicate that CAPE exhibited anti-inflammatory activity that partly restores normal metabolism, reduces the molecular changes observed in obesity and insulin resistance, and therefore has a potential as a therapeutic agent in obesity611116061614FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP04/13981-0; 05/57848-

BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY DURING FOOD PROCESSING OF BEET STALKS AND LEAVES (Beta vulgaris L.)

We assessed the effect of cooking methods (baking and steaming) on the phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of beet (Beta vulgaris L.) stalks and leaves using FRAP and DPPH assays. Steaming for 45 minutes increased (p < 0.05) the concentration of phenolic compounds compared to raw beet stalks and leaves. In contrast, we observed a reduction of these compounds (p < 0.05) when beet leaves and stalks were baked. The type of solvent used to prepare the extracts also influenced the concentration of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. The ethanolic extract was more efficient in extracting phenolic compounds from the steamed samples and yielded the highest antioxidant values measured by the DPPH assay (p < 0.05).. The results suggest that beet leaves and stalks should be consumed after steaming. This vegetable can contribute to phenolic compounds in a balanced diet, contributing to the reduction of food waste

Pomegranate juice and peel extracts are able to inhibit proliferation, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cell lines and modulate the akt/mtor/s6k signaling pathway

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is known to contain polyphenols with many potential health benefits, including anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. It has been used in popular medicine for cancer treatment, which still represents the major cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Importantly, pomegranate peels are valuable by-products of the food industry that are rich in polyphenols. Here we report a comparison between juice and peel aqueous extracts in prostate cancer DU-145 and PC-3 cell lines. Both extracts were able to inhibit the proliferation, migration and colony formation of those cells, although peel extracts presented more robust effects compared to juice. Besides, the growth-related mTOR/S6K signaling pathway presented strong inhibition after pomegranate extracts treatment. This study presents evidence that both juice and isolated peel extracts from promegate fruit have important anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer cells, modulating the mTOR/S6K signaling pathway755462CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP447553/2014-3; 303568/2016-02012/13558-7;2018/14818-9; 2015/07299-7; 2016/06457-0; 2013/04304-4; 2015/003111; 2013/13002-

Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) stalk and leaf supplementation changes the glucose homeostasis and inflammatory markers in the liver of mice exposed to a high-fat diet

Although beet stalks and leaves are not consumed and are usually discarded, they are an important source of bioactive flavonoids possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of supplementation with beet stalks and leaves on metabolic parameters and glucose homeostasis in mice exposed to a high-fat diet. Six-week-old male Swiss mice were randomly divided into five experimental groups submitted to either standard diet (CT) or high-fat diet (HF), and HF-fed mice were subdivided into three treatment groups supplemented with oven-dehydrated beet stalks and leaves (SL), lyophilized beet stalks and leaves (Ly) or beet stalk and leaf extract (EX). Supplementation with SL promoted a mild improvement in the glucose homeostasis and decreased the protein levels of TNFα with no alterations in hepatic triglyceride content. It remains to be clarified if the enhancement in the glucose homeostasis observed in HFSL could be a consequence of improvement in pancreatic insulin secretion and/or glucose uptake from skeletal muscle and white adipose tissues

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora