Bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity of native fruits from Brazil.

The purpose of this study was to extract, identify, and quantify the phenolic compounds in grumixama (Eugenia brasilienses Lam.) and guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens), native fruits from southern region of Brazil, and to explore their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The phenolic compounds were extracted with acidified water and acidified methanol and evaluated for their bioactive constituents, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory properties. Spectrophotometric quantification shows tannins to be the most prevalent at 2.3 to 5.8 g/100g fresh fruit with acidified methanol containing higher concentrations of different phenolics than acidified water. HPLC analysis indicates that gallic acid, catechin, vanillic acid, and ellagic acid are the most prevalent phenolics in the two fruits extracts. Scavenging of DPPH and NO radicals showed inhibition by as much as 95% and 80%, respectively, at 2.5 gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/mL of the extract. At 50 μg GAE/mL, the release of pro-inflammatory molecules NO and IL-6 was significantly reduced with acidified methanol extract having higher inhibitory activity. Our results revealed that these native fruits, grown in the south of Brazil, are rich sources of phenolic compounds and have great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity

A Comparative Study on Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity and Anti-Inflammatory Capacity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Sorghum in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages

Sorghum is an important cereal with diverse phenolic compounds that have potential health promoting benefits. The current study comparatively characterized the phenolic contents of two novel black-seeded sorghum lines (SC84 and PI570481) using different extraction systems (water, ethanol and their acidified counterparts) and evaluated their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Phenolic compositions were determined by spectrophotometric assays and HPLC analysis. Antioxidant activities were assessed by radical scavenging effects on nitric oxide (NO) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Anti-inflammatory capacity was estimated by measuring levels of pro-inflammatory markers produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Results showed that effects of solvent types and HCl on extraction efficiency differed among phenolic compounds and sorghum samples. Tannins were the most dominant polyphenols in the studied extracts (11.11–136.11 mg epicatechin equivalent/g sorghum). Sorghum extracts exerted more potent scavenging activity on DPPH than NO radicals. In LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells, sorghum extracts dose-dependently inhibited the production of NO, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), with ethanolic extracts showing greater anti-inflammatory activity. Positive correlations were noted between tannin content and DPPH radical scavenging activity, and anti-inflammatory capacity. These results suggest the potential role of tannin-rich sorghum extracts against inflammation and associated diseases