Biological activities and chemical constituents of Araucaria angustifolia: An effort to recover a species threatened by extinction

Background: Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze (A. brasiliensis), known as Paraná pine, is the sole native gymnosperm of the Atlantic forest in Brazil and has great economic, cultural and social importance. Its seed, known as pinhão, has been consumed since prehistoric times. Besides the nutritional aspects, different parts of A. angustifolia are also used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, respiratory infections, fatigue, anemia, among other disorders. Timber exploration has dramatically reduced the species population, and currently, A. angustifolia is classified as vulnerable regarding the risk of extinction. Scope and Approach: This review presents the most recently uncovered details about the chemical composition of the various parts of the plant. Emphasis is given to the main isolated and identified compounds or fractions and their corresponding bioactivities. Key Findings and Conclusions:.Apart from the nutritional properties of the pinhão, particularly as a starch source, this review reveals that a number of biological activities have been found in different parts of A. angustifolia (leaves, bark and pinhão coat), such as protection against DNA UV-induced damage, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiviral and digestive enzyme inhibiting activities. Further investigations should include parts of A. angustifolia that are currently discarded, such as the bark, bracts and the pinhão coat, with potential for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Studies on A. angustifolia must combine two important elements: the need for preservation of a typical ecosystem and the implementation of the A. angustifolia forests as a true economic alternative for local residents.The authors thank the Fundação Araucária for funding this study. R.F. Oliveira, R.C.G. Correa, L. Bertonha and V.G. Correa thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES) for the financial support provided for their post-graduate studies in Universidade Estadual de Maringá. R.M. Peralta and A. Bracht are research grant recipients of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq)

Stability and biological activity of Merlot (Vitis vinifera) grape pomace phytochemicals after simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation

Grape pomace is an abundant/accessible food industry by-product that contains a wide range of phenolic compounds, which have been related to several health benefits and bioactivities. The aim of this study was to mimic the gastrointestinal digestion and the colonic fermentation of Merlot grape pomace, in order to unravel possible phytochemical contents reductions and the processes associated with them, as a tentative to relate the phenolic compound profiles of the extracts with their biological properties. LC-DAD-ESI/MS suggested that the in vitro digestion process promoted drastic qualitative and quantitative reductions in the phenolic compounds profile of the Merlot grape pomace crude extract. Such alterations could be related to the decreases of some bioactivities of the extract, which seems to be the case of antioxidant and antibacterial properties, although not in a directly proportional manner. However, the simulated colonic fermentation seems to have a positive effect over the extract's antiproliferative potential.R.C.G. Correa thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES) and Fundação Araucária for the financial support provided for her post-graduate studies in Federal University of Technology - Paraná (contract 100/2014). Authors C.G. Kato and V.G. Correa thank CAPES for the financial support provided for their post-graduate studies in the State University of Maringá. R.M. Peralta (Project number 307944/2015-8) and C.W.I. Haminiuk (project number 303238/2013-5 and 304978/2016-7) are research grant recipients of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq). The authors are also thankful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) and M.I. Dias (SFRH/BD/84485/2012) grants. To POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 (LA LSRE-LCM), funded by ERDF, through POCI-COMPETE2020 and FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Yerba mate aqueous extract improves the oxidative and inflammatory states of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis

Healthy and adjuvant-induced arthritic rats were treated for 23 days with daily doses of 400 and 800 mg kg−1 Ilex paraguariensis extract. This treatment (a) diminished the ROS levels in the liver and brain, (b) decreased oxidative protein and lipid damage in liver and brain, (c) increased the plasma antioxidant capacity, (d) increased the GSH levels and the GSH/GSSH ratio in both the liver and the brain, (e) almost restored the enzymatic activities linked to the metabolism of GSH–GSSG, and (f ) reversed the modified activities of xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. The anti-inflammatory actions (firstly) and the antioxidant actions (in the second place) of the yerba mate constituents (e.g., chlorogenic acid derivatives) are the causes of these beneficial effects. Daily ingestion of traditional yerba mate beverages may be effective in attenuating the symptoms of inflammatory diseases, especially in older adults.This work was financially supported by grants from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq-307944/2015-8), Coordenação do Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES) and Fundação Araucária. The authors are also indebted to Jailson Araújo Dantas for his technical assistance and to Dr Ciomar A. B. Amado for facilitating access to equipment of the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Department of the State University of Maringá. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) and L. Barros contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of a purified polysaccharide from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis)

This study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of a purified yerba mate polysaccharide. The yerba mate polysaccharide showed a prominent antioxidant activity as evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•)-radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 1.25 ± 0.10 mg/mL), 3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6- sulphonic acid (ABTS•+)-radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.41 ± 0.05 mg/mL), and hydroxyl scavenging activity (IC50= 3.36 ± 0.31 mg/mL). The antioxidant activity evaluated as the ferric ion reduction power (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance radical assay (ORAC), expressed as trolox equivalents,were 20.84±1.61 μMTE/- mg and 556.30± 12.83 μM TE/mg, respectively. The purified yerbamate polysaccharide presented high antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal strains; however, no cytotoxicity against all four tumor human cell lines assessed.The authors thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Proc. 3079/2015-8) for funding this study. Author V.G. Correa thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES) for the financial support provided for their post-graduate studies in Universidade Estadual de Maringá. R.C.G. Corrêa thanks CAPES Foundation,Ministry of Education, Brazil (process number 88881.120010/2016–01) for funding her postdoctoral internship in Polytechnic Institute of Bragança. A. Bracht, R.A. Peralta and R.M. Peralta are research grant recipients of CNPq.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of in vitro digestion and in vitro colonic fermentation on stability and functional properties of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil.) beverages

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a plant that grows naturally in South America. From its leaves and thin stems different kinds of beverages are prepared (chimarrão, tererê and tea mate), all of them rich in bioactive substances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation on the stability of the polyphenols and on the antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumoral activities of the yerba mate beverages. The phenolic chromatographic profile revealed that both the in vitro digestion and the colonic fermentation caused a pronounced decrease in 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid in the preparations. However, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid and salvianolic acid I were only barely affected in all preparations. Despite the decrease in the phytochemicals content, yerba mate beverages maintain their functional properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial and antitumoral activities.The authors thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Proc. 3079/2015-8) and Fundação Araucária (Proc.24/2012) for funding this study. Authors V.G. Correa and G.A. Gonçalves thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal do Ensino Superior (CAPES) for the financial support provided for their post-graduate studies in Universidade Estadual de Maringá. A. Bracht, and R.M. Peralta research grant recipients of CNPq. The authors are also thankful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) and M.I. Dias (SFRH/BD/84485/2012) grant. To POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 (LA LSRE-LCM), funded by ERDF, through POCI-COMPETE2020 and FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring the α-amylase-inhibitory properties of tannin-rich extracts of Cytinus hypocistis on starch digestion

Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L. is an edible parasitic plant that grows within the roots of its host. In addition to its use as famine food in the past, it is also tradidionally used for treating several illnesses such as intestinal problems, inflammations, tumors, and bleeding. This species is rich in hydrolysable tannins, compounds often associated with inhibiting starch digestion. Therefore, the present work investigated how effectively C. hypocistis tannin-rich extracts inhibited enzymes involved in starch digestion and if such effect also occurs in vivo. The latter premise was approached using the starch tolerance test in mice. Two optimized hydroethanolic extracts were used, a heat-assisted and an ultrasound-assisted extract, with known hydrolysable tannin content. Both extracts demonstrated potent inhibition of α-amylase. Inhibitions were of the mixed type with inhibitor constants in the 15 μg/mL range. The inhibition of the intestinal α-glucosidase was at least ten times less effective. The inhibition of the α-amylase was negatively affected by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and bovine serum albumin. In vivo, both extracts inhibited starch digestion at doses between 100 and 400 mg/mL in healthy mice. The highest doses of the ultrasound and heat extracts diminished the peak glucose levels in the starch tolerance test by 46 and 59.3%, respectively. In streptozotocin diabetic mice, this inhibition occurred only at the dose of 400 mg/mL. Under this condition, diminution of the peak glucose concentration in the starch tolerance test was equal to 36.7% and 48.8% for the ultrasound and heat extracts, respectively. Maltose digestion was not inhibited by the C. hypocistis extracts. Qualitatively and quantitatively, thus, the actions of both extracts were similar. The results allow adding a new biological property to C. hypocistis, namely, the ability to decrease the hyper-glycemic excursion after a starch-rich meal, propitiating at the same time a diminished caloric intake.This research was financed by Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq) and Fundaç˜ao Arauc´aria. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/ 0007/2020). A. R. Silva is grateful to FCT and FSE for her Doctoral Grant (SFRH/BD/145834/2019), and L. Barros for her institutional scientific employment program-contract. R. C. G. Corrêa is a research grant recipient of Cesumar Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICETI).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo da estabilidade e atividade biológica de bagaço de uva (Merlot) após simulação da digestão gastrointestinal e fermentação colónica

A produção de vinho representa hoje em dia uma das maiores atividades agroindustriais a nível mundial. Como consequência gera uma enorme quantidade de subprodutos (bagaço e borras) que representam por vezes até 30% das uvas vinificadas, sendo a maioria completamente descartados sem tratamento adequado e/ou outras finalidades [1-4]. O bagaço de uva representa, por isso, um abundante e acessível subproduto industrial que contém uma grande variedade de compostos bioativos, nomeadamente fenólicos, que têm sido relacionados com benefícios para a saúde do consumidor [l]. O objetivo deste estudo foi mimetizar a digestão gastrointestinal e a fermentação colónica de bagaço de uva de Merlot, de forma a avaliar uma possível redução do conteúdo em fitoquímicos, correlacionando o perfil de compostos fenólicos com as suas atividades biológicas. Assim, foram caracterizados três extratos de bagaço (inicial, digerido e fermentado) relativamente ao seu conteúdo em compostos fenólicos antociânicos e não antociânicos por HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS. Além disso, foi também a valiado o seu potencial antioxidante, antibacteriano e citotóxico para células tumorais e não-tumorais. Os compostos fenólicos mais abundantes identificados nas três amostras estudadas foram um dímero de (epi)catequina tipo B, (+)-catequina e (-)-epicatequina. Foram identificados vinte compostos fenólicos não antociânicos na amostra inicial (66 mg/g de extrato), tendo sido significativamente reduzidos para 11 compostos após digestão invitro. Foram identificadas cinco antocianinas, no entanto, as quantidades diminuíram imenso após digestão e fermentação. Pelos resultados obtidos podemos concluir que o processo de digestão in vitro promoveu drásticas reduções qualitativas e quantitativas no perfil de compostos fenólicos no extrato micial de bagaço de uvas Merlot. Tais alterações podem estar relacionadas com a diminuição de algumas bioatividades do extrato, como é o caso das propriedades antioxidantes e antibacterianas, embora não de forma diretamente proporcional. No entanto, a fermentação colónica teve um efeito positivo sobre o potencial citoóxico do extrato em linhas celulares tumorais humanas. Há ainda um conhecimento muito escasso sobre a estabilidade dos compostos fenólicos de Bagaço de uva e propriedades bioativas durante a digestão gastrointestinal e fermentação colónica, no entanto, os resultados obtidos poderão ser de grande utilidade para o desenvolvimento de novos suplementos nutracêuticos e produtos alimentares funcionalizados.FCT e FEDER sob o programa PT2020 pelo apoio financeiro ao CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) e contratos de L. Barros e R. Calhelha. FEDER-Interreg Espana-Portugal (0377 Iberphenol_6_E). V.G. Corrêa ao CAPES. R.M. Peralta (307944/2015-8) e A. Bracht(304090/20Ï6-6).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo dos efeitos da digestão gastrointestinal in vitro e fermentação colónica em extratos fenólicos e bioatividades de Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Rosmarinus officinalis L., alecrim, pertence à família das Lamiaceae e encontra-se amplamente disseminado em vários países da região do Mediterrâneo [1]. É usado sobretudo como condimento, mas os seus extratos aquosos ricos em compostos fenólicos, maioritariamente ácido rosmarínico, têm um grande potencial para ser usados como conservantes e/ou ingredientes funcionais [2]. É, no entanto, necessário perceber a estabilidade e biodisponibilidade destes extratos aquosos e dos seus compostos bioativos após a digestão gastrointestinal e processos de fermentação colónica, de modo a não perder a funcionalidade dos mesmos. No presente trabalho, o extrato inicial e os extratos digeridos e fermentados de alecrim foram caracterizados em termos de compostos fenólicos por HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS e, posteriormente, estudados os seus potenciais antioxidante, antibacteriano e antiproliferativo. Foram identificados 16 compostos fenólicos, entre eles 10 ácidos fenólicos e 6 flavonoides, sendo o ácido rosmarínico o composto maioritário, como era expectável. Foi também este composto que mais sofreu os efeitos da digestão e fermentação representando um total de 60%, em comparação com os 26% dos compostos fenólicos totais. No geral, a digestão gastrointestinal in vitro diminuiu a atividade antioxidante obtida pelos métodos de DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, ORAC e TBARS. Tanto o extrato inicial como o digerido não apresentaram qualquer atividade antiproliferativa, no entanto, o extrato fermentado exibiu um ótima atividade antiproliferativa na linha celular HeLa (carcinoma cervical, GI50 = 116 μg/mL). Relativamente à atividade antibacteriana, o extrato inicial e o extrato digerido revelaram-se moderadamente eficazes contra o crescimento de Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus resistente à meticilina (MRSA) e sensível à meticilina (MSSA) e também contra a Listeria monocytogenes. O extrato fermentado revelou-se também moderadamente eficaz contra o crescimento de MRSA e MSSA. Os resultados aqui obtidos revelam a importância dos extratos ricos em ácido rosmarínico como potenciais conservantes e ingredientes funcionais, no entanto, o uso de técnicas de estabilização/microencapsulação seria importante para assegurar uma adequada ação destes compostos após digestão e fermentação.FCT e FEDER sob o programa PT2020 pelo apoio financeiro ao CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) e contratos de L. Barros e R. Calhelha. FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal (0377_Iberphenol_6_E). V.G. Correa ao CAPES. R.M. Peralta (307944/2015-8) e A. Bracht (304090/2016-6).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo dos efeitos da digestão gastrointestinal in vitro e fermentação colónica em extratos fenólicos e bioatividades de Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Foram estudadas potenciais perdas de fitoquímicos que ocorrem ao longo de passos sequenciais de digestão gastrointestinal in vitro e fermentação colónica de um extrato aquoso de alecrim. Os extratos iniciais (CI), digeridos (DE) e fermentados (FE) foram caracterizados em termos das suas propriedades bioativas e composição fenólica. O ácido rosmarínico, o principal componente do CI, sofreu a degradação mais significativa, verificando-se uma diminuição de 60%.À FCT e FEDER sob o programa PT2020 pelo apoio financeiro ao CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) e contratos de L. Barros e R. Calhelha. FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal (0377_Iberphenol_6_E). Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq) pelo contrato de R.C.G. Corrêa (167378/2017-1), e apoios a R.M. Peralta (307944/2015-8) e A. Bracht (304090/2016-6).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio