Health promoting potential of herbal teas and tinctures from Artemisia campestris subsp maritima: from traditional remedies to prospective products

This work explored the biotechnological potential of the medicinal halophyte Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (dune wormwood) as a source of health promoting commodities. For that purpose, infusions, decoctions and tinctures were prepared from roots and aerial-organs and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic and tyrosinase-inhibitory potential, and also for polyphenolic and mineral contents and toxicity. The dune wormwood extracts had high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). The main compounds were quinic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, coumarin sulfates and dicaffeoylquinic acids; several of the identified phytoconstituents are here firstly reported in this A. campestris subspecies. Results obtained with this plant's extracts point to nutritional applications as mineral supplementary source, safe for human consumption, as suggested by the moderate to low toxicity of the extracts towards mammalian cell lines. The dune wormwood extracts had in general high antioxidant activity and also the capacity to inhibit a-glucosidase and tyrosinase. In summary, dune wormwood extracts are a significant source of polyphenolic and mineral constituents, antioxidants and a-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitors, and thus, relevant for different commercial segments like the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and/or food industries.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BD/94407/2013]; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Presence of Caffeic Acid in Flaxseed Lignan Macromolecule

Phenolic compounds were extracted from defatted flaxseeds using ethanol-dioxane (1:1, v/v). The crude extract obtained was purified using Amberlite XAD-16 column chromatography with water and methanol as mobile phases. RP-HPLC and SE-HPLC showed a lignan macromolecule (LM) as a dominant phenolic compound in the purified extract. After the alkaline hydrolysis of LM caffeic acid glucoside (CaAG) was isolated using a semi-preparative HPLC and its structure was confirmed by LC-ESI-MS. In LM of the investigated flaxseed, one molecule of caffeic acid corresponded with five molecules of p-coumaric acid and two molecules of ferulic acid. The presence of caffeic acid in the lignan molecule might be very beneficial due to its high antioxidant activity

Analytical methods for estimating protein hydrolysates quality. A review

The article reviews information on analytical methods applied for estimating protein hydrolysates quality and focuses mainly on physico-chemical methods of determining degree of hydrolysis and distribution of molecular masses of the obtained hydrolysates as well as on immuno-chemical methods determining antigenicity and immunogenicity. A separate group of studies is made by clinical tests for determining hydrolysates allergenicity. The article also outlines available information on the hydrolysates currently used as formulas for infants with dietary allergies

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of PerseaAmericana mill. peel and seed extracts

Trabajo presentado al European Food Chemistry XVI, celebrada en Gdańsk (Polonia) del 6 al 8 de julio de 2011.Peer reviewe

Antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds identified in sunflower seeds

The antioxidant activity and phenolic compound profiles of six fractions (I-VI) obtained from sunflower seed extract were studied. HPLC-MS(ESI) analysis was applied for quantitative and qualitative determination of phenolic compounds of the fractions. The antioxidant activity of the fractions was studied in terms of their ability to scavenge DPPH · and ABTS ·+ and to reduce Fe 3+/ferricyanide complex to the ferrous form and was expressed as EC 50, TEAC and reducing power values, respectively. The results of all antioxidant activity tests showed good correlations among each other and with the phenolic contents for the individual fractions. The fractions IV-VI were characterized by high antioxidant activity. 5-O-Caffeoylquinic acid was a predominant compound of fractions IV and V, while dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers and caffeoyl-dimethoxycinnamoylquinic acid isomers accounted for 76.6 % of phenolic compounds of fraction VI. Ferulic acid, p-coumaroylquinic acid isomers, ferulic acid dehydrotrimer isomers and some quercetin derivatives were also identified. The highest content of those compounds was noted in fraction III. © 2012 The Author(s).Peer Reviewe