Flavonoids: Important Biocompounds in Food

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites in plants that show some desirable characteristics. These compounds can be grouped in different classes on the basis of their basic structure. It has been reported that flavonoids are important for human health because of their antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti‐inflammatory activities and because they act as free radical scavengers as they are potential reducing agents that protect from oxidative damage, which are conferred by the content of hydroxyl groups. In recent years, flavonoids have been investigated based on their ability to reduce the incidence of many diseases, to inhibit cell damage, to repair DNA process and to reduce oxidative stress. Besides, flavonoids have been demonstrated to have cardioprotective effects, have potential to improve coronary vasodilatation and prevent LDLs from oxidizing and also showed potential neuroprotective effects. Moreover, flavonoids have been used in the food industry due to their ability to preserve foods, to provide colour and flavour and to make dietary supplements, among other important industrial applications

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of byproduct extracts of mango fruit

Byproducts of fruit processing could have higher content of phenolic compounds that can act as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. In this context, the main objective of this study was to obtain extracts from peel, seed, and unused flesh of Haden, Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins mango varieties, in order to measure their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The extraction was performed using different methods, such as methanolic-polar, methanolic-non-polar, ethanolic-polar, ethanolic-non-polar and water infusion. The total phenolic content of the ethanolic-non-polar extract from seed of mango Haden showed 875.06 mg/g, DPPH EC50: 0.04 mg/mL, cau-sing a 100 % inhibition of bacteria pathogens applying 25 mg/mL and inhibition of 89.78 % against Alternaria applying 6.25 mg/mL. The flesh always showed the lowest content and bioactivity of the tested parameters. These results demonstrate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential uses of fruit byproducts as sources of bioactive compounds

Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Changes in Antioxidant Properties of Leaf and Stem Extracts from Vitex mollis

Vitex mollis is used in traditional Mexican medicine for the treatment of some ailments. However, there are no studies on what happens to the anti-inflammatory activity or antioxidant properties and total phenolic content of leaves and stem extracts of Vitex mollis during the digestion process; hence, this is the aim of this work. Methanolic, acetonic, and hexanic extracts were obtained from both parts of the plant. Extract yields and anti-inflammatory activity (elastase inhibition) were measured. Additionally, changes in antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) and total phenols content of plant extracts before and after in vitro digestion were determined. The highest elastase inhibition to prevent inflammation was presented by hexanic extracts (leaf = 94.63% and stem = 98.30%). On the other hand, the major extract yield (16.14%), antioxidant properties (ABTS = 98.51% and DPPH = 94.47% of inhibition), and total phenols (33.70 mg GAE/g of dried sample) were showed by leaf methanolic extract. Finally, leaf and stem methanolic extracts presented an antioxidant activity increase of 35.25% and 27.22%, respectively, in comparison to their initial values after in vitro digestion process. All samples showed a decrease in total phenols at the end of the digestion. These results could be the basis to search for new therapeutic agents from Vitex mollis

EFECTO DE RECUBRIMIENTOS COMESTIBLES DE QUITOSANO EN LA REDUCCIÓN MICROBIANA Y CONSERVACIÓN DE LA CALIDAD DE FRESAS

Se evaluó el efecto de recubrimientos comestibles (RC) de quitosano (Q) (1 y 2 %) con o sin la adición de aceite esencial de canela (AC) (0,03, 0,07 y 0,1 %) sobre los cambios en aceptabilidad, fenoles totales, capacidad antioxidante y población microbiana en fresas. Fresas sin recubrimiento se utilizaron como control. Frutos tratados fueron almacenados por 15 días a 5°C y se evaluaron cambios en la calidad a intervalos de 3 días. Fresas tratadas y control no mostraron diferencias en el contenido de fenoles totales y capacidad antioxidante. Todos los tratamientos redujeron significativamente la población microbiana con respecto al control. RC con Q 2 % + AC 0,1 % redujo en mayor magnitud el crecimiento microbiano (2 Log ufc/g) sin afectar la calidad después de 14 días a 5°C, seguido del RC de Q 1 % + AC 0,1 % con 1,5 Log ufc/g de reducción y vida de anaquel de 15 días. El control presentó 8 días de vida de anaquel; todos los recubrimientos presentaron la mayor aceptabilidad en comparación con el control. Estos resultados indican que los RC de quitosano con aceite de canela pueden prolongar la vida de anaquel de fresas por 15 días a 5ºC

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection are often non-specific, and there is no definitive test for the accurate diagnosis of infection. The 'omics' approaches to identifying biomarkers from the host-response to bacterial infection are promising. In this study, lipidomic analysis was carried out with plasma samples obtained from febrile children with confirmed bacterial infection (n = 20) and confirmed viral infection (n = 20). We show for the first time that bacterial and viral infection produces distinct profile in the host lipidome. Some species of glycerophosphoinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol sulfate were higher in the confirmed virus infected group, while some species of fatty acids, glycerophosphocholine, glycerophosphoserine, lactosylceramide and bilirubin were lower in the confirmed virus infected group when compared with confirmed bacterial infected group. A combination of three lipids achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.911 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.98). This pilot study demonstrates the potential of metabolic biomarkers to assist clinicians in distinguishing bacterial from viral infection in febrile children, to facilitate effective clinical management and to the limit inappropriate use of antibiotics

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years