Pre-treatment and extraction techniques for recovery of added value compounds from wastes throughout the agri-food chain

The enormous quantity of food wastes discarded annually force to look for alternatives for this interesting feedstock. Thus, food bio-waste valorisation is one of the imperatives of the nowadays society. This review is the most comprehensive overview of currently existing technologies and processes in this field. It tackles classical and innovative physical, physico-chemical and chemical methods of food waste pre-treatment and extraction for recovery of added value compounds and detection by modern technologies and are an outcome of the COST Action EUBIS, TD1203 Food Waste Valorisation for Sustainable Chemicals, Materials and Fuels

Characterization of Antiviral Activities in Echinacea Root Preparations

Abstract The roots of three commonly used taxa of Echinacea-E. purpurea, E. pallida var. pallida, and E. pallida var. angustifolia-were extracted and fractionated by means of accelerated solvent extraction to reflect the most commonly used methods for commercial preparations. These fractions were analyzed by HPLC for their content of caffeic acid derivatives and alkamides and for antiviral activities against three viruses often implicated in colds and influenza. Aqueous extracts of E. purpurea root contained a relatively potent activity against herpes simplex virus (HSV) and influenza virus (FV) but not against rhinovirus (RV). These fractions had low amounts of caffeic acids and alkamides. The ethyl acetate fraction contained significant but weak activity against both HSV and FV and contained significant levels of cichoric acid. In contrast, E. pallida var. angustifolia gave no water-soluble antiviral activity, but the ethanolic and ethyl acetate fractions contained significant activity against all three viruses, and this activity correlated with the presence of alkamides. E. pallida var. pallida, however, gave no antiviral activity in any of the fractions, and this observation accorded well with the near absence of the marker compounds. Thus, we have detected a relatively potent water-soluble antiviral activity in E. purpurea root, together with the weaker antiviral cichoric acid; an antiviral alkamide fraction in E. pallida var. angustifolia; but no antiviral activity in E. pallida var. pallida. Therefore, different types of Echinacea root preparations, such as tinctures, tablets, and teas, based on different species and extraction methods, would be expected to offer quite different antiviral profiles

Disruption of fungal cell wall by antifungal Echinacea extracts

In addition to widespread use in reducing the symptoms of colds and flu, Echinacea is traditionally employed to treat fungal and bacterial infections. However, to date the mechanism of antimicrobial activity of Echinacea extracts remains unclear. We utilized a set of ∼4,600 viable gene deletion mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify mutations that increase sensitivity to Echinacea. Thus, a set of chemical-genetic profiles for 16 different Echinacea treatments was generated, from which a consensus set of 23 Echinacea-sensitive mutants was identified. Of the 23 mutants, only 16 have a reported function. Ten of these 16 are involved in cell wall integrity/struct

Phytochemistry and antifungal properties of the newly discovered tree Pleodendron costaricense

Gas chromatography analysis of the essential oils of leaves and bark collected from the newly discovered tree Pleodendron costaricense identified α-pinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, β-thujene, and β-caryophyllene as their major constituents. Phytochemical analysis of P. costaricense parts led to the isolation and identification of δ-tocotrienol, β-sitosterol, four known drimane-type sesquiterpenes, cinnamodial (1), cinnamosmolide (2), polygodial (3), and mukaadial (4), and two new compounds, a drimane-type sesquiterpene, parritadial (5), and an eremophilane-type sesquiterpene, pleodendione (6). Antifungal assays with the two major compounds, 1 and 2, were carried out, and results showed a high activity of 1 against Alternaria alternata (MIC = 3.9 μg/mL), Candida albicans azole-resistant strain D10, and Wangiella dermatitides (MICs = 15.6 μg/mL). Compound 2 showed less potent antifungal activities than 1 but was more effective against Candida albicans azole-resistant strain CN1A (MIC = 23.4 μg/mL) and Pseudallescheria boydii (MIC = 78.1 μg/mL). A combination of the dialdehyde sesquiterpenes with dillapiol showed a synergistic antifungal effect with 1 and an additive effect with 4 and 5

Sustaining Rainforest Plants, People and Global Health: A Model for Learning from Traditions in Holistic Health Promotion and Community Based Conservation as Implemented by Q’eqchi’ Maya Healers, Maya Mountains, Belize

The present work showcases a model for holistic, sustainable healthcare in indigenous communities worldwide through the implementation of traditional healing practices. The implementation of this model promotes public health and community wellness while addressing crucially important themes such as in situ and ex situ conservation of medicinal plant resources and associated biodiversity, generational transmission of knowledge, and the preservation of biological and cultural diversity for future generations. Being envisaged and implemented by Q’eqchi’ Maya traditional healers of the southern Maya Mountains, Belize, this model can be replicated in other communities worldwide. A ethnobotany study in collaboration with these healers led to collection of 102 medicinal species from Itzama, their traditional healing cultural center and medicinal garden. Of these 102 species, 40 of prior reported 106 consensus study plants were present in the garden. There were 62 plants not previously reported growing in the garden as well. A general comparison of these plants was also made in relation to species reported in TRAMIL network, Caribbean Herbal Pharmacopoeia (CHP), the largest regional medicinal pharmacopoeia. A relative few species reported here were found in the CHP. However, the majority of the CHP plants are common in Belize and many are used by the nearby Mopan and Yucatec Maya. Since these 102 species are relied upon heavily in local primary healthcare, this Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal garden represents possibilities toward novel sustainable, culturally relative holistic health promotion and community based conservation practices

Antifungal and antioxidant activities of the phytomedicine pipsissewa, Chimaphila umbellata

Bioassay-guided fractionation of Chimaphila umbellata (L.) W. Bart (Pyrolaceae) ethanol extracts led to the identification of 2,7-dimethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (chimaphilin) as the principal antifungal component. The structure of chimaphilin was confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The antifungal activity of chimaphilin was evaluated using the microdilution method with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.05 mg/mL) and the dandruff-associated fungi Malassezia globosa (0.39 mg/mL) and Malassezia restricta (0.55 mg/mL). Pronounced antioxidant activity of C. umbellata crude extract was also identified using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay, suggesting this phytomedicine has an antioxidant function in wound healing. A chemical-genetic profile was completed with chimaphilin using ∼4700 S. cerevisiae gene deletion mutants. Cellular roles of deleted genes in the most susceptible mutants and secondary assays indicate that the targets for chimaphilin include pathways involved in cell wall biogenesis and transcription