Mass spectrometric detection of new betalains in Mammillaria flowers

Betacyanins are natural, red-violet betalain pigments which can be found in plenty of plants of the Cactaceae family. The Mammillaria is the widest genus of the Cactaceae family of which fruit was examined for betacyanins contents. As a result of the investigation, a new pigment structure, mammillarinin, was identified. Heretofore, no betacyanins of Mammillaria coronata flowers has been extensively studied. In this report, the results of betacyanin analysis by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS in the flower extract are presented

Reduction of selected betacyanins

Betacyanins are conjugates of betalamic acid and glycosylated cyclo-DOPA which bring about the creation of a specific chromophoric system, the 1,7-diazaheptamethin chain. Betanin, a betacyanin pigment from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.), as well as its decarboxylated derivatives were subjected to reduction with the use of NaBH4. The pigment structures contain a vinyl linker which is postulated to be protonated during reaction with NaBH4. In this study, 17-decarboxybetanin and 2,17-bidecarboxy-betanin were obtained from betanin, which had been previously isolated from red beet root (Beta vulgaris L.). Purified pigments were tested in the presence of the reduction reagent while looking for the products of the reaction identified by LC-MS

Fluorescence Quenching-Based Mechanism for Determination of Hypochlorite by Coumarin-Derived Sensors

A fluorescence quenching-based mechanism for the determination of hypochlorite was proposed based on spectroscopic and chromatographic studies on the hypochlorite-sensing potency of three structurally similar and highly fluorescent coumarins. The mode of action was found to rely upon a chlorination of the coumarin-based probes resulting from their reaction with sodium hypochlorite. Importantly, the formation of chlorinated derivatives was accompanied by a linear decrease in the fluorescence intensities of the probes tested. The results obtained suggest the applicability of a coumarin-dependent hypochlorite recognition mechanism for the detection of, as well as for quantitative determination of, hypochlorite species in vitro

Influence of Betalain-Rich Extract on Reduction of Discomfort Associated with Osteoarthritis

Summary Introduction. Osteoarthritis (OA) subjects typically experience progressive discomfort related to pain, joint stiffness, and general tiredness. The most common treatment of these conditions includes use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). However, efficacy of NSAID treatment is generally not completely satisfactory. Therefore, further improvements in management of OA-associated discomfort are needed. Aim. The aim was to verify whether a betalain-rich red beet extract at dose range of 35-100 mg twice per day could reduce discomfort associated with osteoarthritis (OA) conditions. Materials and methods. Study participants experiencing OA symptoms were treated with red beet extract (RBE) twice per day for exactly ten days. McGill and Energy Score data were evaluated at days 1, 5 and 10. The serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were measured using a commercial kit (Cell Biolabs, Inc., #STA318). Sera from volunteers treated with RBE were subjected to a cytokines and chemokines array as offered by Qynsys Inc. Results. Collected data showed that ingestion of RBE for 10 days reduced McGill scores in a time-and dose-dependent manner with maximum 33% reduction as compared to the first day of the treatment. Interestingly, due to the treatment, serum levels of TNF-alpha were reduced in subjects whose serum TNF-alpha was greater than 1 pg/mL prior to initiation of the treatment. It was also found that serum levels of AOPP (proteins oxidized by hypochlorous acid/hypochlorites) were reduced by up to 48% after 10 days of the treatment. Conclusions. This study showed that ingestion of RBE, at dosages greater than 35 mg, had a beneficial effect on pain associated with OA conditions. RBE may act by inhibiting protein oxidation typically induced by hypochlorous acid released from active neutrophils