Jamun (Syzygium cumini) seed and fruit extract attenuate hyperglycemia in diabetic rats

Objective: To evaluate the potential of both jamun (Syzygium cumini) seed and fruit extracts against hyperglycemia. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were used to evaluate hypoglycemic potential of jamun extracts. Purposely, jamun fruit and seed's ethanolic extracts based diets were provided to normal and high sucrose diet induced hyperglycemic/diabetic rats for sixty days. The serum glucose and insulin levels were monitored at monthly intervals to evaluate hypoglycemic effect of jamun extracts. Results: The results of instant research depicted that both seed and fruit extracts reduce the blood glucose level significantly and also regulate the insulin levels in hyperglycemic rats. It was noted that jamun fruit extract attenuated serum glucose levels to 5.35% and 12.29% in normal and hyperglycemic rats, respectively; while insulin levels were improved by 2.82% and 6.19%, correspondingly. Whereas, jamun seed extract reduced glucose to 7.04% & 14.36% and showed 3.56% & 7.24% higher insulin levels in normal & hyperglycemic rats, respectively. Conclusions: The present research revealed that both jamun fruit and seeds have potent prophylactic role against hyperglycemia. In this respect, diet based regimen may be tailored using jamun fruit/seed and their extracts to alleviate hyperglycemia

Double salt fortification with iodine and iron: An in vivo study on albino rat

Iron, iodine and vitamin A deficiencies are major clinical conditions affecting 33% of global population. Dual fortification of salt with iron and iodine could be a sustainable approach to fight against Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). The present work was designed to analyse the bioavailability of iron and iodine fortificants. For this reason, common table salt (NaCl) was subjected to various analyses like moisture, ash and minerals followed by double salt fortification with iron compounds like sodium iron ethylene diamine tetra acetate (NaFeEDTA), iron(II) sulphate (FeSO4) and potassium iodate (KIO3) at two different levels. Bioavailability of iron and iodine fortificants was analysed by feeding albino rats with fortified salt at 3.5%. Serum thyroxin (T4) level increased significantly from day 0 to 28 (26.72 +/- 0.2 to 31.41 +/- 0.4 mnol/L). Haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin levels also depicted significant increase with the passage of time. However, whole blood zinc protoporphyrin, serum transferrin and serum triiodothyronine significantly decreased. As a conclusion, the present work revealed that double fortification of salt with iron and iodine along with a suitable stabiliser could be an effective strategy to control the two major micronutrient deficiencies. (C) All Rights Reserve

Investigating the antioxidant potential of garlic (Allium sativum) extracts through different extraction modes

Background: Garlic (Allium sativum) possesses health enhancing abilities due to the presence various phytoceutics moities. The current research was deigned to explore the phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of Pakistani garlic. Abstract: Background: Garlic (Allium sativum) possesses health enhancing abilities due to the presence various phytoceutics moities. The current research was deigned to explore the phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of Pakistani garlic. Methods: Garlic extracts were obtained using methanol, hexane and ethyl acetate at different time intervals (35, 50 and 65 min) followed by their polyphenols and flavonoid content determination. Afterwards, the antioxidant potential was also determined. Results: The outcomes revealed that the methanolic extracts obtained at 50 min extraction time showed maximum total phenolics as 60.38±0.23 mg GAE/100g and flavonoids as 58.45±1.24 mg/100g. Similarly, the highest DPPH activity (61.59±1.58%) and β-carotene and linoleic acid potential (64.96±1.72%) were also observed for methanolic extract. Conclusion: Inferences were made that Pakistani garlic contains myriad of phenolics and flavonoids but the extraction of these components depends upon the solvent/time combination. In this study, methanol proved to be the ideal solvent for the maximum extraction of phytochemicals from garlic

Physicochemical behavior of zinc-fortified, sodium caseinate-based, edible-coated apricots during storage in controlled atmosphere

Edible coatings are one of the efficient tools to reduce the postharvest losses and ability to incorporate various functional additives. Purposely, current research is an attempt to add fortificants and improve shelf life of fresh apricots using zinc as edible coatings. To increase zinc density, sodium caseinate-based coatings (1 and 2%) fortified with ZnO (20 and 40ppm) were applied followed by storage in controlled climate chamber. During storage, various quality parameters were assessed to estimate fortificant retention and shelf life extension. Resultantly, coating mixture containing 2% sodium caseinate fortified with 40ppm ZnO proved to be the best among other treatments. It was deduced that the higher level of sodium caseinate in coating formulations behaved positively in preserving the quality attributes of fruit and zinc retention

Marine-Algal Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Appraisal

Bioactive compounds play a significant role in disease prevention and maintenance of normal physiological functions. Numerous studies have identified antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-angiogenic and neuroprotective activities of algal bioactive agents. This chapter discusses the health claims associated with marine algal bioactives and summarizes possible mechanisms involved in delivering health effects. Marine algae are important sources of valuable compounds capable of providing a plethora of biological activities. Algae have been traditionally used in several Asian countries viz. Korea, China and Japan for food and health purposes. Algae are considered an important source of biologically active substances due to their abundance and the advantage of environmentally friendly cultivation methods. Polysaccharides have prominent immunomodulatory and anticancer roles in pharmacological perspectives. Algal bioactive have been studied extensively for potential health benefits. Anti-viral polysaccharides from algae possess very low cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells. This attribute is of vital significance when using drugs as antiviral agents

Marine-Algal Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Appraisal

Bioactive compounds play a significant role in disease prevention and maintenance of normal physiological functions. Numerous studies have identified antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-angiogenic and neuroprotective activities of algal bioactive agents. This chapter discusses the health claims associated with marine algal bioactives and summarizes possible mechanisms involved in delivering health effects. Marine algae are important sources of valuable compounds capable of providing a plethora of biological activities. Algae have been traditionally used in several Asian countries viz. Korea, China and Japan for food and health purposes. Algae are considered an important source of biologically active substances due to their abundance and the advantage of environmentally friendly cultivation methods. Polysaccharides have prominent immunomodulatory and anticancer roles in pharmacological perspectives. Algal bioactive have been studied extensively for potential health benefits. Anti-viral polysaccharides from algae possess very low cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells. This attribute is of vital significance when using drugs as antiviral agents

Nanotechnology: A novel tool to enhance the bioavailability of micronutrients

Abstract Nanotechnology has revolutionized the field of food systems, diagnostics, therapeutics, pharmaceuticals, the agriculture sector, and nutraceuticals. Nanoparticles are playing important role in giving the solution to enhance bioavailability of oral delivery of bioactive compounds. This review revealed that nanoparticles can improve the bioavailability of micronutrients, for example, vitamin B12, vitamin A, folic acid, and iron. However, toxicity associated with nanoparticle‐based delivery systems is still a major concern after ingestion of nano‐based supplements. The mode of the mechanism of nanomaterial along with bioactive components in different physiological conditions of the human body is also a major gap in the field of nanoceuticals. In the future, more evidence‐based clinical investigations are needed to confirm the exact approach to physiological changes in the human body

Uncovering the Industrial Potentials of Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Food Preservative: A Review

The food industry is growing vastly, with an increasing number of food products and the demand of consumers to have safe and pathogen-free food with an extended shelf life for consumption. It is critical to have food safe from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and unpleasant odors or tastes so that the food may not cause any health risks to consumers. Currently, the direction of food industry has been shifting from synthetically produced preservatives to natural preservatives to lower the unnecessary chemical burden on health. Many new technologies are working on natural prevention tools against food degradation. Lemongrass is one such natural preservative that possesses significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oil of lemongrass contains a series of terpenes that are responsible for these activities. These properties make lemongrass acceptable in the food industry and may fulfill consumer demands. This article provides detailed information about the role of lemongrass and its essential oil in food preservation. The outcomes of the research on lemongrass offer room for its new technological applications in food preservation

Phytochemical and antioxidant profile of citrus peel extracts in relation to different extraction parameters

ABSTRACTThe citrus processing industry generates around 50% fruit waste, encompassing peels, pulp, seeds, and other residues. Citrus peel, among these by-products, contains significant amounts of bioactive compounds, representing a sustainable and renewable source of phenolics. In this context, the present study was conducted to probe phytochemical profile and antioxidant potency of orange peel extracts. Moreover, the quantification of hesperidin and nobiletin was carried out using HPLC. The extracts were obtained using water and 50% aqueous-methanol and aqueous-ethanol, separately alongside varying time intervals, i.e. 30, 45 and 60 min. The obtained extracts were then investigated for their phytochemical and antioxidant profile. Afterwards, three best treatments, one from each extracts (aqueous-ethanol, methanol, and water), were chosen based on their phytochemical profiling. The phytochemical analyses and in vitro antioxidant assays showed the highest total phenolics (2010 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (90 mg/100 g), and flavonols (2.2 mg/100 g) in methanolic extracts obtained at 60 min. Likewise, the highest DPPH (60.55%), antioxidant activity (51.7 %), FRAP (13.6 mg TE/g), and ABTS (7.4 µmol TE/g) were also attributed to methanolic extract of orange peel obtained at 60 min except for antioxidant activity which was obtained at 30 min. Likewise, HPLC analysis depicted maximum content of hesperidin and nobiletin (133.70 and 8.50 mg/g) in methanol extract as compared to ethanol (98.80 and 5.50 mg/g) and water (61.90 and 1.25 mg/g), correspondingly. It was concluded that aqueous-methanol could be used as solvent of choice for isolation of orange peel flavonoids with extraction duration of 60 min. Flavonoid and antioxidant levels in orange peel extracts are significantly influenced by extraction time and solvent type

Uncovering the Industrial Potentials of Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Food Preservative: A Review

The food industry is growing vastly, with an increasing number of food products and the demand of consumers to have safe and pathogen-free food with an extended shelf life for consumption. It is critical to have food safe from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and unpleasant odors or tastes so that the food may not cause any health risks to consumers. Currently, the direction of food industry has been shifting from synthetically produced preservatives to natural preservatives to lower the unnecessary chemical burden on health. Many new technologies are working on natural prevention tools against food degradation. Lemongrass is one such natural preservative that possesses significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oil of lemongrass contains a series of terpenes that are responsible for these activities. These properties make lemongrass acceptable in the food industry and may fulfill consumer demands. This article provides detailed information about the role of lemongrass and its essential oil in food preservation. The outcomes of the research on lemongrass offer room for its new technological applications in food preservation