Arbutus unedo L. and Ocinum basilicum L. as sources of natural ingredients for bread functionalization

The overwhelming growth of the world population is causing direct consequences on food demands, which has forced the food industry to apply synthetic additives in order to meet the needs of the consumer and ensuring the global quality of the food products including aspect, texture and flavor. However, due to the publication of some studies describing adverse effects associated with these synthetic additives, the natural ones have been gaining increasing interest. Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree) fruits and Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) leaves, are important sources of bioactive natural molecules, especially phenolic compounds, including flavan-3- ols and phenolic acids, respectively . The aim of this work was to demonstrate the antioxidant potential (free radical scavenging effect, reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation) and the absence of toxicity (porcine liver primary cells) of ethanol extracts, obtained from the previously mentioned plants by using optimal conditions. Subsequently, the extracts were incorporated as natural ingredients in loaf bread samples, with two objectives: to functionalize loaf bread, introducing bioactive properties; and as natural ingredients with preservation capacity. Five groups of loaf bread samples were prepared: i) control (without natural or synthetic additives); ii) loaf bread incorporated with strawberry tree extract; iii) loaf bread incorporated with basil extract; iv) loaf bread incorporated with ascorbic acid- E300 (natural additive); and v) loaf bread incorporated with potassium sorbate- E202 (synthetic additive). Both extracts (strawberry tree fruits and basil leaves) presented antioxidant activity (EC50 values lower the 595 and 351 μg/mL, respectively), without toxicity up to the maximal tested dose, and the main compounds present were (+)-catechin and rosmarinic acid, respectively. The introduction of both natural and synthetic additives in loaf bread when compared to the control sample, did not cause significant changes, neither in pH values, nor in color or any of the evaluated nutritional parameters. The obtained results demonstrate that these extracts could be used in the development of new loaf bread replacing the synthetic preservatives, without interfering with the physical and nutritional characteristics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical and antioxidant parameters of dried forms of ginger rhizomes

There are various products that can be obtained from ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizomes, such as dried products, being difficult to choose the best option for antioxidant purposes. In this study, three different dried forms of ginger rhizomes (freshly dried, dried and powder dried) were characterized in terms of chemical composition including individual profiles in sugars, organic acids, fatty acids, tocopherols, and antioxidants (phenolics and flavonoids). The in vitro antioxidant properties (free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) of their methanolic extracts were also evaluated. The results of this study indicate that the ginger form has significant influence in chemical and antioxidant parameters of the plant; dried ginger (DG) proved to be the best choice. Overall, this study could help the consumer in the selection of the most suitable option regarding antioxidant purposes.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2014), A. Fernandes grant (SFRH/BD/76019/2011) and L. Barros researcher contract under “Programa Compromisso com Ciência-2008”. A. Jelled thanks M. Khaled Ben Abdessalem for his uncountable support

Arbutus unedo L. and Ocimum basilicum L. as sources of natural preservatives for food industry: A case study using loaf bread

The aim of this work was to demonstrate the antioxidant potential, antimicrobial and the absence of toxicity of the ethanol extracts obtained from strawberry tree fruits and basil leaves, using optimal conditions. Subsequently, the extracts rich in catechin, from strawberry tree fruits, and rosmarinic acid from basil leaves, were incorporated as natural ingredients in loaf bread samples, with two objectives: to functionalize bread, introducing bioactive properties; and as natural ingredients with preservation capacity. Three more groups: control (without addition of any additive), bread incorporated with ascorbic acid - E300 and bread incorporated with potassium sorbate - E202 and for each group were 3 different times were analyzed: immediately after incorporation and after 3 and 7 days. Both natural extracts presented antioxidant activity, without toxicity up to the maximal tested dose (400 µg/mL), and the main compounds present were catechin and rosmarinic acid, respectively. The breads incorporated with the natural extracts, especial b asil, presented a higher antioxidant capacity than the loaf breads incorporated with ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate that these extracts could be used in the development of new bread replacing the synthetic preservatives, without interfering with nutritional characteristics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioactivity and chemical characterization of Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm. seed oil: potential food and pharmaceutical applications

In the food industry, there is a continuous search for ingredients that might provide advantageous properties to food products, either considering their nutritional value or bioactivity, as well as flavouring and technological aspects. Crude oils are good examples of this type of ingredient, especially if obtained from nonconventional sources. Accordingly, the Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm. seed oil (OMSO) was chemically characterized and evaluated for different in vitro and in vivo bioactivities. OMSO presented physicochemical characteristics appropriate to be considered as an edible oil, namely low acidity value, stability to oxidation (high peroxide value and low K 232 and K 270 values), and high contents of unsaturated fatty acids (as shown by the iodine value) and saponifiable matter. Furthermore, this natural oil, owing to its rich phytochemical profile, showed relevant antioxidant activity (especially in lipid peroxidation inhibition assays), a-glucosidase inhibitory activity, cytotoxicity against human tumour cell lines, antibacterial (mainly against Gram positive species) and antifungal properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Furthermore, OMSO did not show any sign of acute toxicity on animals, highlighting its possible use in different applications, considering that this natural product is not expected to induce the adverse effects typically associated with synthetic bioactive agents (e.g., ampicillin, amphotericin B, or lysine acetylsalicilate).The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and J.C.M. Barreira and Ricardo C. Calhelha contracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Talbina as a functional food and a source of health-beneficial ingredients: a narrative review

During the past two decades, several researchers have claimed that traditional foods are healthier products and better sources of micronutrients. Talbina is a well-known traditional food in North Africa, Middle East and South East Asia. Talbina is made by adding 1-2 tablespoons of barley (100% wholegrain barley) to cup of water. Cook on low heat for15 minutes in a water bath. After that a cup of Laban (fermented milk) or milk is added. It can be sweetened with honey. This broth can be used as a stock for soups or stews or as a thickener. Talbina is a healthy food helps in depression and stress relief. It has high antioxidant activity as well as anti-inflammatory. Its consumption regularly proves to be an effective and safe strategy for treating different chronic diseases. It is a rich source of different essential nutrients and antimicrobials, both of which have been linked to a reduction in chronic disease. However, Talbina has not been well studied or defined by the scientific community. This review defines Talbina and discusses the various bioactive compounds in this food and their health benefits

Contribution of the phenolic composition to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor potential of Equisetum giganteum L. and Tilia platyphyllos Scop.

Naturally-occurring phytochemicals have received pivotal attention in the last few years, due to the increasing evidence of biological activities. Thus, in the present study, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor potentials of hydroethanolic extracts rich in phenolic compounds obtained from Equisetum giganteum L. and Tilia platyphyllos Scop. were assessed and directly correlated with their content of phenolic compounds, by using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis. T. platyphyllos showed the higher bioactive potential, evaluated in terms of antioxidant (radical scavenging effects-105 µg mL -1 , reducing power-123 µg mL -1 , ß-carotene bleaching inhibition-167 µg mL -1 , and lipid peroxidation inhibition-56 µg mL -1 ), anti-inflammatory (225 µg mL -1 inhibited 50% of nitric oxide production) and antitumor (breast-224 µg mL -1 ; lung-247 µg mL -1 ; cervical-195 µg mL -1 and hepatocellular-173 µg mL -1 carcinoma cells) activity, without having cytotoxic effects ( > 400 µg mL -1 ). These biological properties were positively correlated with its content and composition of phenolic compounds. Flavonoid contents were markedly higher than the content of phenolic acids, in both samples, being respectively 50.4 mg g -1 and 11.65 mg g -1 for T. platyphyllos, and 21.7 mg g -1 and 4.98 mg g -1 for E. giganteum. Moreover, while in E. giganteum extract, kaempferol-O-glucoside-O-rutinoside was the most abundant flavonoid, in T. platyphyllos extract protocatechuic acid and (-)-epicatechin were the most abundant phenolic acid and flavonoid, respectively. In relation to their content of phenolic acids, protocatechuic and caffeic acids existed in higher abundance in T. platyphyllos and E. giganteum hydroethanolic extracts, respectively. However, it would be interesting to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of both plant extracts to unveil the involved modes of action and to establish effective therapeutic doses.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (Pest-OE/AGR/UI0690/2015) and to POCI-01-0145-FEDER- 006984 (LA LSRE-LCM) funded by ERDF through POCICOMPETE2020 and FCT. L. Barros and N. Martins thank FCT for their grants (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015 and SFRH/BD/87658/ 2012, respectively). The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Government through the project AGL2015-64522- C2-2-R.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioactivity, proximate, mineral and volatile profiles along the flowering stages of Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.): defining potential applications

Opuntia spp. flowers have been traditionally used for medical purposes, mostly because of their diversity in bioactive molecules with health promoting properties. The proximate, mineral and volatile compound profiles, together with the cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties were characterized in O. microdasys flowers at different maturity stages, revealing several statistically significant differences. O. microdasys stood out mainly for its high contents of dietary fiber, potassium and camphor, and its high activities against HCT15 cells, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus versicolor and Penicillium funiculosum. The vegetative stage showed the highest cytotoxic and antifungal activities, whilst the full flowering stage was particularly active against bacterial species. The complete dataset has been classified by principal component analysis, achieving clearly identifiable groups for each flowering stage, elucidating also the most distinctive features, and comprehensively profiling each of the assayed stages. The results might be useful to define the best flowering stage considering practical application purposes.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and ALIMNOVA research group (UCM-GR35/10A). J.C.M. Barreira and R.C. Calhelha thank FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for their grants (SFRH/BPD/72802/2010 and SFRH/BPD/68344/2010, respectively). The Serbian Ministry of Education is also acknowledged for the Science and Technological Development Grant No. 173032

Bioactive properties and functional constituents of Hypericum androsaemum L.: A focus on the phenolic profile

Hypericum androsaemum L. ethanol:water extract acted as a lipid peroxidation inhibitor and free radical scavenger. A marked inhibition of the growth of breast, lung, cervical and hepatocellular human carcinoma cell lines was also observed, whereas no toxicity was shown against non-tumor porcine liver cells (> 400 ?g/mL). The extract was also effective in inhibiting nitric oxide production, as an indicator of the anti-inflammatory potential. The anti-Candida effects varied among different strains of the same species, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis being the most sensible species with an effect directly related with the extract concentrations tested. A significant anti-biofilm formation potential was also observed, namely for C. glabrata and C. tropicalis (biofilm reduction > 90%). 5-O-Caffeoylquinic and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acids were the most abundant phenolic compounds identified in the extract, and might be related with the observed bioactive effects. Nevertheless, future studies should be carried out to obtain dose-response curves of the isolated active compounds, in order to perform further pre-clinically testing to quantify the presence of the most active compounds in the extract.The authors thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), LSRE (Project UID/EQU/50020/2013), N. Martins (SFRH/BD/87658/2012), S. Silva (SFRH/BPD/109053/2015) and L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) grants. The authors would also like to thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Cnpq), and Fundação Araucária for the financial support received. Flávia Tobaldini-Valerio, acknowledge the financial support of CAPES – Proc. 9469/14-1. The authors also thank FCT for the Strategic Project of the UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, FCT and European Union funds (FEDER/COMPETE) for the project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP- 01-0124-FEDER-027462)

A new approximate solution of the fractional trigonometric functions of commensurate order to a regular linear system

This paper introduces a novel approach to the approximate solution of linear differential equations associated with principal fractional trigonometry and the R function. This method proposes a solution that is expressed by adding appropriate fractional linear fundamental functions. Laplace transforms of these functions are irrational. Therefore, we rounded these functions to obtain rational functions in the form of damped cosine, damped sine, cosine, sine and exponential functions. This transformation was achieved by utilizing the concept of fractional commensurate order and, as a result, has direct practical relevance to real-world physics. The precision and effectiveness of the approach are demonstrated through illustrative examples of solving fractional linear systems

Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of the cladodes of Opuntia macrorhiza (Engelm.) and Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.)

The genus Opuntia (Cactaceae) includes different plants well adapted to arid and semi-arid zones. These species are cultivated under restricted growth conditions, not suitable for the growth of other fruits/vegetables. The cactus pear is a well-known example inside Opuntia genus. Its young cladodes, also known as nopalitos, are frequently consumed and used in folk medicine due to their beneficial effects and phytochemical composition. Herein, hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts from cladodes of Opuntia microdasys and Opuntia macrorhiza were characterized. Furthermore, their antioxidant properties were compared to the corresponding phytochemical profile. Despite the phylogenetic proximity and similar geographical origin O. microdasys and O. macrorhiza showed significant differences in sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids and tocopherols profiles. In particular, O. microdasys distinguished for having high contents in fructose, glucose, C6:0, C8:0, C12:0, C14:0, C14:1, C16:0, C18:3, C20:0, C22:0, C23:0, C24:0, SFA and tocopherols, and also for its higher DPPH EC50 values. O. microdasys by its side proved to have significantly higher amounts of trehalose, organic acids, C13:0, C16:1, C17:0, C18:0, C18:1, C20:1, C20:2 and MUFA. The obtained phytochemical profiles might be considered as useful information to select the best Opuntia species regarding a determined application of its natural extracts/isolated compounds.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). J.C.M. Barreira thanks FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for his grant (SFRH/BPD/72802/2010). L. Barros thanks “Compromisso para a Ciência 2008” for her contract. The GIP-USAL is financially supporte