Chemical characterization of carob seeds (Ceratonia siliqua L.) and use of different extraction techniques to promote its bioactivity

Nowadays, the use of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is reduced to its seeds. In fact, the food additive E410, locust bean gum, is obtained from its endosperm. However, the available information regarding the bioactive potential of carob seeds is limited and, often, with poorly established terminologies, not allowing the reader to know if the studied samples included seedless or seeded samples. So, the present study intended to carry out a chemical characterization of carob seeds focused on their bioactive compounds and test their bioactive properties. Carob seeds proved to be a source of tocopherols and organic acids, including phenolic compounds. Its antioxidant potential was demonstrated in vitro, as well as its antimicrobial capacity. This work proves that carob seeds have other functions in addition to those associated with E410. Thus, another potential can be given to the locust bean seed, namely the function of food preservative.The authors thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); to the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for C. Pereira, M.I. Dias and L. Barros’ contracts. Further acknowledgments are due to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042: GreenHealth and Norte-01-0247- FEDER- 024479: ValorNatural®, whom the author F.S. Reis thanks for her contract. This work was also financed by ERDF, through the Incentive System to Research and Technological Development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program, for the project POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046112: BIOMA. This work has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (451-03-68/2020- 14/200007).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biological Activities of Aqueous Extracts from Carob Plant (Ceratonia siliqua L.) by Antioxidant, Analgesic and Proapoptotic Properties Evaluation

International audienceThe present work describes the volatile compounds profile and phytochemical content of Ceratonia siliqua L. Fifty different components have been identified. Among them, three constituents are shared i.e., 2-methlybutanoic acid, methyl hexanoate and limonene by different common carob preparations: pulp decoction (PD), seeds decoction (SD) and Rob, a sweet syrup extracted from the pulp of the carob pod. Each extract exhibits different volatile aromatic emission profiles. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using three methods, DPPH, ABTS and FRAP, producing a dose-dependent response. The IC 50, when determined by FRAP, gave the lowest values (0.66 ± 0.01, 0.73 ± 0.05 and 0.55 ± 0.00 mg/mL PD, SD and Rob, respectively). The nociception essay, after intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid in mice, demonstrated that Rob, pulp and seeds decoction extracts showed an efficient inhibition of writhes over time, with persistence over 30 min. The SD decoction revealed the highest efficacy in decreasing the writhing reflex (90.3 ± 1.2%; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the proapoptotic activity of SD against three human cell line, THP-1, MCF-7 and LOVO, evaluated by flow cytometry, showed a significantly stronger proapoptotic activity on colon cancer (LOVO) than on the other cell lines, a phenomenon known as phenotypic selectivity

Dichloroacetic acid-induced testicular toxicity in male rats and the protective effect of date fruit extract

Abstract Background The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of aqueous date extract (ADE) against the dichloroacetic acid (DCA)-induced testicular injury in rats. Methods Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of eight: group I served as the control; group II was given ADE (4 ml/kg) by gavage; groups III and IV received DCA at 0.5 and 2 g/L drinking water, respectively; and groups V and VI received DCA at 0.5 and 2 g/L drinking water, respectively, before ADE administration. The experiment was performed for two months. Results Results showed that the absolute weights of testes and epididymis were decreased following the DCA administration. The testosterone, FSH and LH levels were also decreased. Severe histopathological changes in testes were observed including degeneration of seminiferous tubules and depletion of germ cells. These changes were associated with alterations of oxidative stress markers. Levels of lipid peroxidation and SOD and CAT activities were increased, while activity of GPx and GSH levels were decreased. Pretreatment with ADE has effectively alleviated the oxidative stress induced by DCA thereby restoring these parameters to normal values. Conclusions These results suggest that ADE has a protective effect over DCA-induced oxidative damage in rat testes

Nutritional properties, aromatic compounds and in vitro antioxidant activity of ten date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties grown in Tunisia

Phoenix dactylifera L. has traditionally been used as a medicine in many cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional properties, aromatic compounds, total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of ten ripe date fruit varieties grown in Tunisia. Sugar profiles were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, while fatty acid compounds were detected by gas chromatography and aromatic compounds were analyzed by GC-Electron Impact Mass Spectroscopy. Total phenolic contents were measured using colorimetric methods, whereas antioxidant capacities were evaluated in vitro using DPPH and ABTS radicals. It has been found that total sugars are the predominant component in all date varieties, followed by moisture, along with moderate amounts of proteins, ash, and fats. Multivariate tests based on the volatile compounds profile showed significant differences among varieties. Between the sixty-two volatile compounds detected, alcohols, aldehydes and unsaturated hydrocarbons constituted the main chemical classes. The date varieties exhibited strong antioxidant potential that correlated with phenolic content. In conclusion date varieties can play a major role in human nutrition and health because of their wide range of valuable nutritional components and natural antioxidants that could potentially be considered as a functional food ingredient