Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Cynara cardunculus extracts

The whole, fresh involucral bracts of cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L. (Compositae), were extracted with EtOH and an aqueous suspension of the obtained EtOH extract was partitioned successively with CHCl3, EtOAc and n-BuOH, leaving a residual water extract. All obtained extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using following in vitro methods: FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) assay, and scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Antimicrobial activity was estimated using a microdilution technique against food-borne, mycotoxin producers and human pathogenic bacteria and micromycetes. The following bacteria were tested: Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as micromycetes: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium ochrochloron, Penicillium funiculosum, Trichoderma viride, Fusarium tricinctum and Alternaria alternata. Results showed that all extracts possessed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. In biological assays, C. cardunculus extracts showed antimicrobial activity comparable with standard antibiotics.This is peer-reviewed version of the folowing article: Kukić, J.; Popović, V.; Petrović, S.; Mucaji, P.; Ćirić, A.; Stojković, D.; Soković, M. Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Cynara Cardunculus Extracts. Food Chem. 2008, 107 (2), 861–868. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.09.005

Potential use of deodorised water extracts: polyphenol-rich extract of Thymus pannonicus All. as a chemopreventive agent

Deodorised water extracts of aromatic plants are obtained as by-products of essential oil isolation and usually discarded as waste. However, phytochemical composition of these extracts encourages their further utilization as food additives or functional food ingredients. In this study we investigated phytochemical composition, antioxidant and in vivo antiproliferative activity of deodorised water extract of Thymus pannonicus All. (DWE). HPLC analysis revealed rosmarinic acid (RA) (71.11 +/- 1.54 mg/g) as the most abundant constituent of the extract, followed by salvianolic acid H (14.83 +/- 0.79 mg/g, calculated as RA). DWE exhibited pronounced antioxidant activity in vitro, in FRAP and DPPH tests (FRAP value: 7.41 mmol Fe/g and SC50: 3.80 mu g/g, respectively). Using the model of Ehrlich carcinoma cells in mice that were treated with DWE prior, at the time, and after tumour cells implantation, the tumour growth suppression and redox status of malignant cells (i.e., activities of antioxidant enzymes, level of glutathione and intensity of lipid peroxidation) were followed. DWE applied as pretreatment caused disturbance of antioxidant equilibrium as well as apoptosis/necrosis of up to 90% EAC cells. Results obtained in the present study revealed chemopreventive potential and possibility of T. pannonicus DWE usage. High content of RA and other phenolic compounds explains, at least in part, the observed effects

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

Abstract The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset – with data collected between 2020 and 2022 – to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

SFE as a superior technique for isolation of extracts with strong antibacterial activities from lichen Usnea barbata L.

The number of cases of fatal infections in humans and animals caused by multiresistant and panresistant bacterial strains has been dramatically increased over the past 10 years on almost every continent. Therefore, implementation of newer technologies in order to develop processes for isolation of substances with strong antibacterial activities from natural sources is of increasing interest. In this study, advantage of high pressure processing and supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide in isolation of active principles from lichen Usnea barbata L was presented. Supercritical extraction showed extremely higher selectivity toward usnic acid compared to the conventional techniques tested. In order to simulate the process and estimate mass transfer coefficients, the new mathematical model of Sovova (2011) was applied. Supercritical extract obtained at 40 C and 30 MPa showed stronger antibacterial activity against the most of tested strains compared to pure usnic acid and extracts obtained using ethanol as a solvent. Further, supercritical extract with lower usnic acid content expressed stronger antibacterial activity against the majority of tested strains including MRSA strains compared to the pure usnic acid and the supercritical extract with the higher usnic acid content. The same extract was far more effective than ampicillin against Streptococcus uberis, all tested Enterococcus faecalis, MRSA and MRSA ATCC 33591. Against few tested strains, the supercritical extract was superior to erythromycin and penicillin as well. These findings justified possible benefits of inclusion of supercritical extracts into pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. Applied mathematical model described the SFE process with high accuracy