Effects of cultivation year and growing location on the phenolic profile of differently coloured carrot cultivars

Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are economically and nutritionally important crops that, apart from carotenoids, contain numerous phenolic compounds which are assumed to exert health beneficial effects. The total phenolic contents of fruits and vegetables are known to depend on cultivar and growing conditions; however, studies examining the variability of a collection of carrots comprising differently coloured cultivars are rare. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the phenolic compounds of ten differently coloured carrot cultivars considering the effects of three cultivation years at two growing locations. Although total phenolic contents varied in a wide range, both purple cultivars ‘Anthonina’ and ‘Deep Purple’ significantly exceeded those of yellow, orange, red, and uncoloured cultivars (P ≤ 0.05) with amounts from 4,113 to 11,737 mg [kg dry matter (DM)]-1. In contrast to the purple roots, the other generally were characterised by far lower polyphenol contents ranging from 33 to 1,369 mg (kg DM)-1. Interestingly, the values did not considerably vary within these cultivars. In the present study, contrary to cultivar specific effects, the infl uence of growing location was found to be rather weak, supposedly due to similar climatic conditions at both locations. Similarly, variation of phenolic contents from year-to-year was less pronounced. In conclusion, the selection of breeding material was found to be of utmost importance regarding the expression of polyphenols in differently coloured carrots

Stabilität von Herzglykosiden in wässrigen bzw. wässrig fermentierten Extrakten aus der Meerzwiebel (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn)

In der vorliegenden Studie wurden ein rein wässriger Extrakt und ein wässrig fermentierter Extrakt, hergestellt nach dem Homöopathischem Arzneibuch (HAB), aus der Meerzwiebel (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn) bei unterschiedlichen Temperatur- und Lichtbedingungen gelagert. In regelmäßigen Abständen wurde die Stabilität der Herzglykoside in diesen Extrakten mittels HPLC-DAD-MSn bewertet. Die geringsten Abbauraten der Einzelkomponenten wurden bei einer Lagerung im Dunkeln bei 5 °C ermittelt. Schon eine Temperaturerhöhung auf 20 °C beschleunigte den Abbau bzw. die Metabolisierung der Bufadienolide. Die geringste Stabilität wurde unter Belichtung bei 20 °C ermittelt. Außerdem war ein deutlicher Unterschied zwischen den auf unterschiedliche Weisen gewonnenen Extrakten beobachtbar. So wiesen die Herzglykoside im Extrakt, der nach HAB hergestellt wurde, eine deutliche höhere Stabilität unter allen Lagerbedingungen auf. Stichwörter: Meerzwiebel, Herzglykoside, Stabilität, Belichtung, Pflanzenextrakt, Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn Stability of cardiac glycosides in aqueous and fermented aqueous extracts from sea squill (Drimia maritima L. Stearn)In the present study an aqueous and a fermented aqueous extract, obtained according to the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP), from sea squill (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn) were stored under different light and temperature conditions. Stability of cardiac glycosides in these extracts was evaluated periodically by HPLC-DAD-MS. Lowest degradation rates of individual compounds were observed upon storage at 5 °C in the dark. Increasing the temperature at 20 °C accelerated compound degradation and the formation of bufadienolide metabolites. Poorest stability was found upon storage at 20 °C with light exposure. Furthermore, clear-cut differences were observed between the extracts obtained according to different protocols. Stability of cardiac glycosides in the extract obtained according to the GHP was generally improved, irrespective of the storage conditions. Keywords: sea squill, cardiac glycosides, stability, light exposure, plant extract, Drimia maritima (L.) Stear

Processing and storage of innovative pasty parsley (Petroselinum crispum (MILL.) NYM EX A. W. HILL) and celeriac (Apium graveolens L. var. rapaceum (MILL.) DC.) products

A process for the production of innovative pasty parsley and celeriac products was developed. Freshly harvested plant material was blanched, processed into a paste, and subsequently heated for 3 min at 90 and 95 °C, respectively. Chlorophyll stability was not affected by the thermal process due to the addition of 0.05% (m/v) MgCl2 to the blanching water. In all products, the contents of the main phenolic compound apiin decreased, while those of the minor compound malonylapiin B increased. In parsley pastes, peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were fully inactivated by the heat treatment. In contrast, only complete PPO inactivation was achieved in celeriac pastes. However, since POD inactivation was incomplete, its partial reactivation during storage of celeriac pastes was observed. After 4 weeks of cold storage, the green color of the parsley pastes turned into an olive hue due to chlorophyll degradation. Nevertheless, the products may be stored at -20 °C for several months. In contrast, storage of celeriac pastes at 4 and -20 °C is possible for several months without darkening. Compared to conventional dried herbs and spices the products obtained by the innovative process are characterized by bright colors. Pasty products are easier to handle, because lumping and dusting are avoided, thus facilitating their safe application in the food processing industry

Essential Oils as Multicomponent Mixtures and Their Potential for Human Health and Well-Being

Essential oils (EOs) and their individual volatile organic constituents have been an inherent part of our civilization for thousands of years. They are widely used as fragrances in perfumes and cosmetics and contribute to a healthy diet, but also act as active ingredients of pharmaceutical products. Their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties have qualified EOs early on for both, the causal and symptomatic therapy of a number of diseases, but also for prevention. Obtained from natural, mostly plant materials, EOs constitute a typical example of a multicomponent mixture (more than one constituent substances, MOCS) with up to several hundreds of individual compounds, which in a sophisticated composition make up the property of a particular complete EO. The integrative use of EOs as MOCS will play a major role in human and veterinary medicine now and in the future and is already widely used in some cases, e.g., in aromatherapy for the treatment of psychosomatic complaints, for inhalation in the treatment of respiratory diseases, or topically administered to manage adverse skin diseases. The diversity of molecules with different functionalities exhibits a broad range of multiple physical and chemical properties, which are the base of their multi-target activity as opposed to single isolated compounds. Whether and how such a broad-spectrum effect is reflected in natural mixtures and which kind of pharmacological potential they provide will be considered in the context of ONE Health in more detail in this review

Characterization of two novel antioxidant tetrahydroxyxanthones from Hypericum seeds and scanning electronmicroscopic investigations of their testa

Hypericum-Samen wurden kürzlich als natürliche Quelle für eine Reihe von Xanthon-Derivaten beschrieben. In Methanol-Extrakten von H. perforatum und H. tetrapterum konnten per HPLC(DAD)-MSn zwei Hauptkomponenten, die Tetrahydroxyxanthone THX-1 und -2, identifiziert werden, deren genaue Konfiguration bislang unbekannt war. Beide Substanzen wurden deshalb über chromatographische Auftrennung an Polyamid und Kieselgel aus dem Samenextrakt angereichert und mit Hilfe von 1D- und 2DNMR- Techniken eine Strukturanalyse vorgenommen. Durch Synthese von THX-1 und -2 und Vergleich ihrer chromatographischen sowie spektroskopischen/spektrometrischen Eigenschaften mit den natürlichen THX in H. perforatum wurde die exakte Konfiguration als 1,4,6,7-THX (THX-1) und 1,2,6,7-THX (THX-2) bestimmt. Die beiden neuartigen Verbindungen zeigten eine dreifach stärkere Radikalfängerwirkung im DPPH-Test als das wasserlösliche Vitamin E-Derivat Trolox® und sind somit starke Antioxidantien. Ferner konnte durch rasterelektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen (SEM) die zweilagige Struktur der Hypericum-Samenschale (Testa) gezeigt werden, wobei die Xanthone wahrscheinlich in der sehr dickwandigen, lignifizierten Skerenchymschicht eingelagert sind.Hypericum seeds have recently been identified as a natural source of different xanthone derivatives. Two main constituents, the tetrahydroxyxanthones THX-1 and -2, were identified in methanolic extracts of H. perforatum and H. tetrapterum by means of HPLC(DAD)-MSn methods. However, the exact configuration of both THX was unknown so far. For this reason, the two compounds were enriched by chromatography on polyamide and silica, and the corresponding fraction was investigated by 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. Based on a tentative structural assignment a total synthesis of THX-1 and -2 was performed. Comparing the chromatographic and spectroscopic/spectrometric features of synthetic THX-1 and -2 with their natural counterparts their exact configuration was determined as 1,4,6,7-THX (THX-1) and 1,2,6,7-THX (THX-2), respectively. The novel compounds exhibited a threefold higher radical scavenging activity in the DPPH assay than the vitamin E derivative Trolox®. Hence, they are strong antioxidants. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided insights into the two-layer structure of the testa (seed coat), with the thick lignified sclerenchyma layer presumably being the depository of the xanthones

Essential Oils as Multicomponent Mixtures and Their Potential for Human Health and Well-Being

Essential oils (EOs) and their individual volatile organic constituents have been an inherent part of our civilization for thousands of years. They are widely used as fragrances in perfumes and cosmetics and contribute to a healthy diet, but also act as active ingredients of pharmaceutical products. Their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties have qualified EOs early on for both, the causal and symptomatic therapy of a number of diseases, but also for prevention. Obtained from natural, mostly plant materials, EOs constitute a typical example of a multicomponent mixture (more than one constituent substances, MOCS) with up to several hundreds of individual compounds, which in a sophisticated composition make up the property of a particular complete EO. The integrative use of EOs as MOCS will play a major role in human and veterinary medicine now and in the future and is already widely used in some cases, e.g. , in aromatherapy for the treatment of psychosomatic complaints, for inhalation in the treatment of respiratory diseases, or topically administered to manage adverse skin diseases. The diversity of molecules with different functionalities exhibits a broad range of multiple physical and chemical properties, which are the base of their multi-target activity as opposed to single isolated compounds. Whether and how such a broad-spectrum effect is reflected in natural mixtures and which kind of pharmacological potential they provide will be considered in the context of ONE Health in more detail in this review

Adsorptive recovery of phenolic compounds from apple juice

The recovery of phenolic compounds from apple juice was studied on a laboratory scale using a food grade polymethylmethacrylate adsorption resin. The work was carried out to understand how the processing parameters of the adsorption process can be manipulated to optimise production of apple phenolics as functional food ingredients. Adsorption was determined by mixing weighed amounts of the polymer with a diluted apple juice concentrate at 20-80 °C and at pH values ranging from 2.0 to 3.9. At regular intervals samples were withdrawn from the aqueous phase. Total phenolics, absorbance values at 280 and 420 nm, and the amounts of individual phenolics remaining in the liquid phase were determined. The analytical data were fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In contrast to previous findings, the pH value significantly affected the adsorption onto the resin. HPLC analyses revealed different affinities of individual compounds, which enabled selective enrichment of certain phenolics in the liquid phase or on the sorbent surface. Desorption studies were performed using a resin with known amounts of adsorbed phenolic compounds. Elution was carried out by an automated pressurised liquid extraction system, studying the effects of temperature (40-180 °C) and solvents (water, ethanol, methanol). Here again, individual compounds showed different behaviours depending on their hydrophobicity. Therefore, a systematic change of parameters for the sorption and desorption process can be helpful for the recovery of purified plant extracts enriched in certain target compounds

Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO₂ of <i>Curcuma longa</i> L. in Comparison to Conventional Solvent Extraction

Curcuma longa L. is a traditional medicinal and spice plant containing a variety of lipophilic active substances with promising therapeutic properties. In this work, the solvent properties of supercritical carbon dioxide in a pressure and temperature range of 75–425 bar and 35–75 °C were investigated when Curcuma longa rhizomes were extracted. The three main curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, together with the three main constituents of the essential oil, i.e., ar-turmerone, α-turmerone, and β-turmerone, were analyzed in the resulting extracts. For statistical evaluation, experiments were performed employing a full factorial design, in which flow rate, extraction time, and drug load were kept constant. Within the given conditions, the experimental design revealed an optimum yield of all aforementioned substances, when supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was performed at 425 bar and 75 °C. For comparison, solvent extracts using methanol and n-hexane were prepared and their main components were characterized using LC-MS. The stability of the extracts was monitored upon storage for 6 months at 22 and 40 °C under protection from light. The decomposition of individual compounds was mainly observed in the presence of residual water in the extracts