Carob Pods (Ceratonia siliqua L.) as a Source of Polyphenolic Antioxidants

The possibility of utilising chopped and deseeded carob pods (kibbles) as a source of polyphenolic antioxidants was examined by performing extractions with various solvent systems, in order to evaluate and optimize the conditions for the recovery of polyphenols. Maximum quantities of polyphenolic components were found in 80 % acetone extracts, as evaluated by measuring total polyphenol and total flavanol content. By contrast, ethyl acetate was inefficient in extracting polyphenols. The assessment of the antioxidant potency of carob pod extracts employing two characteristic in vitro models showed that carobs contain polyphenols with appreciable antiradical and reducing properties. The values obtained were compared to the data on red wines and pure polyphenolic antioxidants

Resistant Hypertension Workup and Approach to Treatment

Resistant hypertension is defined as blood pressure above the patient's goal despite the use of 3 or more antihypertensive agents from different classes at optimal doses, one of which should ideally be a diuretic. Evaluation of patients with resistive hypertension should first confirm that they have true resistant hypertension by ruling out or correcting factors associated with pseudoresistance such as white coat hypertension, suboptimal blood pressure measurement technique, poor adherence to prescribed medication, suboptimal dosing of antihypertensive agents or inappropriate combinations, the white coat effect, and clinical inertia. Management includes lifestyle and dietary modification, elimination of medications contributing to resistance, and evaluation of potential secondary causes of hypertension. Pharmacological treatment should be tailored to the patient's profile and focus on the causative pathway of resistance. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension despite receiving an optimal therapy are candidates for newer interventional therapies such as carotid baroreceptor stimulation and renal denervation

Polyphenolic burden and in vitro antioxidant properties of Moringa oleifera root extracts

ntroduction: Moringa oleifera is a small tree with very significant nutritional but alsopharmacological properties and various preparations from almost all parts of the plant (leaves,fruit, stems, bark, roots) are used in folk medicine for treating several ailments. This study aimedto investigating the polyphenolic burden and in vitro antioxidant properties of M. oleifera rootextracts, obtained with solvents covering a range of polarities.Methods: Lyophilised Moringa oleifera roots were extracted with solvents of increasing polarity,including ethyl acetate, butanol, methanol and water. The generated extracts were screened forpolyphenolic load and antioxidant activities, by determining the total polyphenol, total f lavonoid,total f lavanol, antiradical activity and reducing power. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometrywas also employed to obtain some evidence regarding the nature of the main constituents.Results: The results indicated that both aqueous and methanolic extracts were the richestin total polyphenols, but the aqueous extract also exhibited high reducing power. The liquidchromatography-diode array-mass spectrometry analysis also revealed that the major substancesoccurring in the aqueous extract were relatively polar molecules, but the mass spectral data wereambiguous to assign tentative structures.Conclusion: Polar solvents, such as water, may be effectively used to recover high amounts of M.oleifera root phenolics, which possess important antioxidant properties.&nbsp

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Beverage Industry By-Products as Bio-Resources of Functional Compounds

To produce sufficient food for the expanding global population, natural resources are constantly being overused, and at the same time, wastes are being produced at an ever-increasing rate [...

Polyphenolic Antioxidants from Agri-Food Waste Biomass

As the world’s population is rapidly expanding, environmental aggravation and bioresource depletion are becoming challenges of paramount importance [...

Kinetics of Ultrasound-Assisted Flavonoid Extraction from Agri-Food Solid Wastes Using Water/Glycerol Mixtures

Red grape pomace (RGP) and onion solid wastes (OSW) were used as raw material to produce flavonoid-enriched extracts, using ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid extraction. The extraction medium used was composed of water and glycerol and under the conditions used the extraction of flavonoids from both materials was shown to obey first-order kinetics. Maximum diffusivities (De) values were 4.01 × 10−11 and 2.35 × 10−11 m2·s−1, for RGP and OSW extraction, respectively, while the corresponding activation energies (Ea) were 14.00 and 15.23 kJ·mol−1

Editorial “High-Performance Green Extraction of Natural Products”

There has been, to-date, a large number of studies pertaining to the exploitation of plant resources (herbs, botanicals, processing by-products) for the production of extracts enriched with bioactive substances [...