Prirodni antioksidativni sastojci odabranog aromatičnog bilja i njihovo djelovanje protiv pojedinih patogenih mikroorganizama

Aromatic plants contain natural antioxidant constituents such as phenolic compounds, which have attracted a great deal of public and scientific interest because of their health-promoting effects as antioxidants. Five plants, Filipendula ulmaria (meadow sweet), Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn), Polygonum aviculare (polygonum), Potentilla anserina (silverweed),and Pelargonium purpureum (little robin), have been examined in order to determine their phenolic composition. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was employed for the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds ofthe aforementioned plants. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (GC-MS) was also used for identification of phenolic compounds after silylation. Analysis of the non-volatile and thermolabile phenolic compounds by GC-MS presupposes their conversion intovolatile and thermotolerant derivatives. The derivatization process was optimized againstreagents, temperature and reaction time. The antioxidant capacity was determined in driedplants and in their methanol extracts with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Both pulverized plants and extracts showed antioxidant capacity. Total phenoliccontent in the extracts was determined spectrometrically applying the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and it ranged from 7.2 to 28.2 gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/(mg/mL). Antimicrobial activity of the extracts against selected microorganisms was performed using the disk diffusion method. Gram-(+) bacteria were more sensitive to the plant extracts than Gram-(–) bacteria.Aromatično bilje sadrži prirodne antioksidanse poput fenolnih spojeva koji su zbog pozitivnog utjecaja na zdravlje privukli pozornost javnosti i znanstvenika. Istražen je fenolni sastav pet vrsta biljaka: končare (Filipendula ulmaria), bijeloga gloga (Crataegus monogyna), troskota (Polygonum aviculare), petoprsta (Potentilla anserina) i purpurne iglice (Pelargonium purpureum). Za određivanje koncentracije i sastava fenolnih spojeva upotrijebljena je visokodjelotvorna tekućinska kromatografija obrnutih faza, a za određivanje sastava fenolnih spojeva, nakon supstitucije vodikova atoma sa -SiMe3 skupinom, primijenjena je plinska kromatografija u kombinaciji s masenom spektrometrijom, kojom je utvrđeno da je došlo do konverzije iz nehlapljivih derivata u hlapljive derivate i iz termolabilnih derivata u termotolerantne derivate. Da bi se dobili derivati željenih svojstava, optimirani su koncentracija reagensa, temperatura i vrijeme reakcije. Primjenom Rancimat metode (kao supstrat je upotrijebljeno suncokretovo ulje) dokazana su antioksidativna svojstva sušenog bilja i ekstrakta dobivenog s metanolom. Primjenom Folin-Ciocalteau metode spektrofotometrijski je određen ukupni udjel fenola u ekstraktima, koji je iznosio 7,2-28,2 mg/mL (izraženo kao galna kiselina). Antimikrobna aktivnost ekstrakata dokazana je disk-difuzijskom metodom, pri čemu je ustanovljeno da su ekstrakti više utjecali na rast Gram-(+) bakterija nego na rast Gram-(-) bakterija

Prirodni antioksidativni sastojci odabranog aromatičnog bilja i njihovo djelovanje protiv pojedinih patogenih mikroorganizama

Aromatic plants contain natural antioxidant constituents such as phenolic compounds, which have attracted a great deal of public and scientific interest because of their health-promoting effects as antioxidants. Five plants, Filipendula ulmaria (meadow sweet), Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn), Polygonum aviculare (polygonum), Potentilla anserina (silverweed),and Pelargonium purpureum (little robin), have been examined in order to determine their phenolic composition. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was employed for the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds ofthe aforementioned plants. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (GC-MS) was also used for identification of phenolic compounds after silylation. Analysis of the non-volatile and thermolabile phenolic compounds by GC-MS presupposes their conversion intovolatile and thermotolerant derivatives. The derivatization process was optimized againstreagents, temperature and reaction time. The antioxidant capacity was determined in driedplants and in their methanol extracts with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Both pulverized plants and extracts showed antioxidant capacity. Total phenoliccontent in the extracts was determined spectrometrically applying the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and it ranged from 7.2 to 28.2 gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/(mg/mL). Antimicrobial activity of the extracts against selected microorganisms was performed using the disk diffusion method. Gram-(+) bacteria were more sensitive to the plant extracts than Gram-(–) bacteria.Aromatično bilje sadrži prirodne antioksidanse poput fenolnih spojeva koji su zbog pozitivnog utjecaja na zdravlje privukli pozornost javnosti i znanstvenika. Istražen je fenolni sastav pet vrsta biljaka: končare (Filipendula ulmaria), bijeloga gloga (Crataegus monogyna), troskota (Polygonum aviculare), petoprsta (Potentilla anserina) i purpurne iglice (Pelargonium purpureum). Za određivanje koncentracije i sastava fenolnih spojeva upotrijebljena je visokodjelotvorna tekućinska kromatografija obrnutih faza, a za određivanje sastava fenolnih spojeva, nakon supstitucije vodikova atoma sa -SiMe3 skupinom, primijenjena je plinska kromatografija u kombinaciji s masenom spektrometrijom, kojom je utvrđeno da je došlo do konverzije iz nehlapljivih derivata u hlapljive derivate i iz termolabilnih derivata u termotolerantne derivate. Da bi se dobili derivati željenih svojstava, optimirani su koncentracija reagensa, temperatura i vrijeme reakcije. Primjenom Rancimat metode (kao supstrat je upotrijebljeno suncokretovo ulje) dokazana su antioksidativna svojstva sušenog bilja i ekstrakta dobivenog s metanolom. Primjenom Folin-Ciocalteau metode spektrofotometrijski je određen ukupni udjel fenola u ekstraktima, koji je iznosio 7,2-28,2 mg/mL (izraženo kao galna kiselina). Antimikrobna aktivnost ekstrakata dokazana je disk-difuzijskom metodom, pri čemu je ustanovljeno da su ekstrakti više utjecali na rast Gram-(+) bakterija nego na rast Gram-(-) bakterija

Food composition at present: new challenges

Food composition data is important for stakeholders and users active in the areas of food, nutrition and health. Newchallenges related to the quality of food composition data reflect the dynamic changes in these areas while the emerging technologies create new opportunities. These challenges and the impact on food composition data for the Mediterranean region were reviewed during the NUTRIMAD 2018 congress of the Spanish Society for Community Nutrition. Data harmonization and standardization, data compilation and use, thesauri, food classification and description, and data exchange are some of the areas that require new approaches. Consistency in documentation, linking of information between datasets, food matching and capturing portion size information suggest the need for new automated tools. Research Infrastructures bring together key data and services. The delivery of sustainable networks and Research Infrastructures in food, nutrition and health will help to increase access to and effective use of food composition data. EuroFIR AISBL coordinates experts and national compilers and contributes to worldwide efforts aiming to produce and maintain high quality data and tools. A Mediterranean Network that shares high quality food composition data is vital for the development of ambitious common research and policy initiatives in support of the Mediterranean Diet.The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the many members of EuroFIR and RICHFIELDS project (funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding programme under grant agreement no. 654280) partners who contributed to the developments referred to in this articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimikrobni učinak ekstrakta biljke Filipendula ulmaria na patogene bakterije i uzročnike kvarenja na laboratorijskoj podlozi, te u ribljem mesu i ikri

Water-methanol extract from Filipendula ulmaria contains a variety of phenolic compounds, such as caffeic, p-coumaric and vanillic acid, myricetin, etc, which demonstrate antibacterial activity. Monitoring this activity in the broth using absorbance measurements showed that species of the Enterobacteriaceae family were more resistant than other Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested. Acidic environment enhanced the antibacterial activity of Filipendula ulmaria extract when it was tested against Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A. The efficacy of Filipendula ulmaria extract against selected foodborne psychrotrophic bacteria was also tested using solid laboratory media and low incubation temperatures for better simulation of food preservation conditions. Higher concentrations of the extract, compared to minimum inhibitory concentration determined in the broth, were needed for satisfactory inhibition of spoilage bacteria. Potential use of Filipendula ulmaria extract as natural food preservative was also examined against natural spoilage flora and inoculated pathogenic bacteria on fish flesh and fish roe product (tarama salad). No significant differences of viable populations of spoilage or pathogenic bacteria were found between the treated samples and controls. Further trials of Filipendula ulmaria extract should be carried out in acidic foods with low fat and protein content, supplemented with additional adjuncts, in order to explore its potential as effective natural food antimicrobial agent.Ekstrakt biljke Filipendula ulmaria sadržava različite fenolne spojeve, npr. kafeinska, p-kumarinska i vanilinska kiselina, miricetin i drugo, koji imaju antibakterijski učinak. Mjerenjem apsorbancije praćena je aktivnost tih spojeva u bujonu, te je utvrđeno da su bakterije iz porodice Enterobacteriaceae puno otpornije od ostalih Gram-negativnih i Gram-pozitivnih bakterija. Kisela je sredina pojačala antibakterijski učinak ekstrakta biljke Filipendula ulmaria na bakterije Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 i Listeria monocytogenes Scott A. Ispitan je učinak ekstrakta na odabrane psihrotrofne mikroorganizme na čvrstoj laboratorijskoj podlozi pri niskim temperaturama. Za uspješnu inhibiciju uzročnika kvarenja bila je potrebna veća koncentracija ekstrakta od minimalne inhibicijske koncentracije. Pri prirodnom konzerviranju hrane ispitana je mogućnost primjene ekstrakta na uzročnicima kvarenja i inokuliranim patogenim bakterijama u ribljem mesu i ikri (tarama salata). Nije utvrđena značajna razlika u broju živih stanica uzročnika kvarenja ili patogenih bakterija između obrađenih i kontrolnih uzoraka. Da bi se istražila mogućnost prirodnog konzerviranja hrane dodatkom ekstrakta biljke Filipendula ulmaria, potrebno je provesti daljna istraživanja u tzv. kiseloj hrani, s malim udjelom proteina i masti

Food Composition at Present: New Challenges

Food composition data is important for stakeholders and users active in the areas of food, nutrition and health. Newchallenges related to the quality of food composition data reflect the dynamic changes in these areas while the emerging technologies create new opportunities. These challenges and the impact on food composition data for the Mediterranean region were reviewed during the NUTRIMAD 2018 congress of the Spanish Society for Community Nutrition. Data harmonization and standardization, data compilation and use, thesauri, food classification and description, and data exchange are some of the areas that require new approaches. Consistency in documentation, linking of information between datasets, food matching and capturing portion size information suggest the need for new automated tools. Research Infrastructures bring together key data and services. The delivery of sustainable networks and Research Infrastructures in food, nutrition and health will help to increase access to and effective use of food composition data. EuroFIR AISBL coordinates experts and national compilers and contributes to worldwide efforts aiming to produce and maintain high quality data and tools. A Mediterranean Network that shares high quality food composition data is vital for the development of ambitious common research and policy initiatives in support of the Mediterranean Diet

Food Composition Data and Tools Online and Their Use in Research and Policy: EuroFIR AISBL Contribution in 2022

Food, nutrition, and health are linked, and detailed knowledge of nutrient compositions and bioactive characteristics is needed to understand these relationships. Additionally, increasingly these data are required by database systems and applications. This communication aims to describe the contribution to databases and nutrition fields as well as the activities of EuroFIR AISBL; this member-based, non-profit association was founded to ensure sustained advocacy for food information in Europe and facilitate improved data quality, storage, and access as well as encouraging wider exploitation of food composition data for both research and commercial purposes. In addition to the description of its role and main objectives, a snapshot of EuroFIR AISBL’s activities over the years is also given using a quantitative research literature analysis approach. The focus of this communication is to provide descriptions and updates of EuroFIR’s online tools, i.e., FoodEXplorer, eBASIS, and PlantLIBRA, by highlighting the main uses and applications. Integrating food-related infrastructures and databases, following standardized and harmonized approaches, and considering interoperability and metrological principles are significant challenges. Ongoing activities and future plans of EuroFIR AISBL are highlighted, including, for instance, work within the Food Nutrition Security Cloud (FNS-Cloud) to make food, nutrition, and (food) security data more findable, accessible, interoperable, and ultimately reusable

A theoretical and empirical investigation of nutritional label use

Due in part to increasing diet-related health problems caused, among others, by obesity, nutritional labelling has been considered important, mainly because it can provide consumers with information that can be used to make informed and healthier food choices. Several studies have focused on the empirical perspective of nutritional label use. None of these studies, however, have focused on developing a theoretical economic model that would adequately describe nutritional label use based on a utility theoretic framework. We attempt to fill this void by developing a simple theoretical model of nutritional label use, incorporating the time a consumer spends reading labels as part of the food choice process. The demand equations of the model are then empirically tested. Results suggest the significant role of several variables that flow directly from the model which, to our knowledge, have not been used in any previous empirical work

Conclusions of the II International and IV Spanish Hydration Congress. Toledo, Spain, 2nd-4th December, 2015

Water is the major component of our organism representing about 60% of total body weight in adults and has to be obtained through the consumption of different foods and beverages as part of our diet. Water is an essential nutrient performing important functions, including transport of other nutrients, elimination of waste products, temperature regulation, lubrication and structural support. In this context, hydration through water has an essential role in health and wellness, which has been highly acknowledged in recent years among the health community experts such as nutritionists, dietitians, general practitioners, pharmacists, educators, as well as by physical activity and sport sciences experts and the general population

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data