Evaluation of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of total extract of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. used in traditional medicine

Nowadays, because of the industrialization, a lot of contaminant were available ; the consequences of this availability are apparition of diseases including neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative diseases of the human brain comprise a variety of disorders that affect an increasing percentage of the population. This study is based on the effect of the Boswellic resin, which is from a medicinal plant and known for its antioxidant effects on nerve cell damage. The objective of this work was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of the Boswellic resin on anticholinesterase activity and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) induced by D-galactose and aluminum tetrachloride in Swiss mice. Chemical composition of the resin essential oil was identified by the CG-MS analysis. The antioxidant activity was also assessed by the DMPD and metal chelation methods. In order to understand the mechanism of memory improvement, the acetylcholinesterase, AChE, and butyrylcholinesterase, BChE, inhibitory assays were performed. In vivo part of the study was achieved on Swiss mice divided into four groups: control, AD model, treated AD, and treated control group. The identification of chemical composition by CG-MS reach the 89.67% of the total extract compounds presented some very important molecules (p-Cymene, n-Octyl acetate, α-Pinene…). The present study proves that Boswellic resin improves memory and learning in treated Alzheimer’s group, modulates the oxidative stress and be involved in the protective effect against amyloid deposition and neurodegeneration, and stimulates the immune system in mice’s brain.

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Chemical Composition, In Vitro and In Silico Antioxidant Potential of Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis Essential Oil

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10071081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1081

Author(s):

Matilda Rădulescu ◽

Călin Jianu ◽

Alexandra Teodora Lukinich-Gruia ◽

Marius Mioc ◽

Alexandra Mioc ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oil ◽

In Silico ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Melissa Officinalis ◽

Β Carotene

The investigation aimed to study the in vitro and in silico antioxidant properties of Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis essential oil (MOEO). The chemical composition of MOEO was determined using GC–MS analysis. Among 36 compounds identified in MOEO, the main were beta-cubebene (27.66%), beta-caryophyllene (27.41%), alpha-cadinene (4.72%), caryophyllene oxide (4.09%), and alpha-cadinol (4.07%), respectively. In vitro antioxidant properties of MOEO have been studied in 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging, and inhibition of β-carotene bleaching assays. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the radical scavenging abilities of ABTS and DPPH were 1.225 ± 0.011 μg/mL and 14.015 ± 0.027 μg/mL, respectively, demonstrating good antioxidant activity. Moreover, MOEO exhibited a strong inhibitory effect (94.031 ± 0.082%) in the β-carotene bleaching assay by neutralizing hydroperoxides, responsible for the oxidation of highly unsaturated β-carotene. Furthermore, molecular docking showed that the MOEO components could exert an in vitro antioxidant activity through xanthine oxidoreductase inhibition. The most active structures are minor MOEO components (approximately 6%), among which the highest affinity for the target protein belongs to carvacrol.

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Comparative Assessment of the Basic Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Dried Leaves, Grown in Poland, Paraguay and Brazil—Preliminary Results

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11083634 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 3634

Author(s):

Teresa Leszczyńska ◽

Barbara Piekło ◽

Aneta Kopeć ◽

Benno F. Zimmermann

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Dietary Fiber ◽

Radical Scavenging Activity ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Stevia Rebaudiana ◽

Steviol Glycosides ◽

Total Polyphenols ◽

Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni

This study compares the content of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, digestible carbohydrates, dietary fiber and ash), steviol glycosides, selected antioxidants (vitamin C, total polyphenols) and antioxidant activity in dried leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni cultivated in Poland, Paraguay and Brazil and available in the direct sale. The basic chemical composition was determined by standard AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) methods. Content of steviol glycosides was determined by the UHPLC-UV chromatographic method. Total polyphenols content was expressed as gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and catechins equivalent (CE). Antioxidant activity was measured as ABTS●+ free radical scavenging activity. Dried leaves of S. rebaudiana grown in Poland had significantly higher contents of dietary fiber, and lower protein and ash content, compared to those derived from Paraguay and Brazil. The former had, however, considerably higher contents of total steviol glycosides, stevioside and rebaudioside D, compared to the remaining two plants. In the Paraguay-derived dried leaves, the content of rebaudioside A, C, E and rubusoside was found to be significantly lower. Dried leaves of S. rebaudiana Bertoni, cultivated in Poland, contained substantially more vitamin C and a similar content of total polyphenols, compared to those from Brazil and Paraguay. The examined material from Brazil and Paraguay plantations showed similar antioxidant activity, while that obtained from Polish cultivation was characterized by a significantly lower value of this parameter.

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Ripening Changes of the Chemical Composition, Proteolysis, and Lipolysis of a Hair Sheep Milk Mexican Manchego-Style Cheese: Effect of Nano-Emulsified Curcumin

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10071579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1579

Author(s):

Mariam Sardiñas-Valdés ◽

Hugo Sergio García-Galindo ◽

Alfonso Juventino Chay-Canul ◽

José Rodolfo Velázquez-Martínez ◽

Josafat Alberto Hernández-Becerra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Phenolic Content ◽

Principal Component ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Hair Sheep ◽

Dairy Foods ◽

Ripening Time ◽

Sheep Milk

The influence of nano-emulsified curcumin (NEC) added to the hair sheep milk, prior to cheese-making, on the chemical composition, lipolysis, and proteolysis of manchego-style cheeses were evaluated throughout 80 days of ripening. The addition of NEC to the milk resulted in cheeses with the same moisture content (42.23%), total protein (23.16%), and water activity (0.969) (p > 0.05). However, it increased the fat and ash levels from 26.82% and 3.64% in B 10 ppm to 30.08% and 3.85% in C 10 ppm, respectively, at the end of the ripening (p < 0.05). The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of experimental cheeses increased during ripening, and the fatty acid groups showed significant changes occurred to a greater extent in the first days of ripening (p < 0.05). The lipolysis increased consistently in all cheeses until day 40 of ripening, to decrease at the end, while proteolysis increased during all ripening time in all samples (p < 0.05); the addition of NEC did not alter the primary proteolysis of manchego-style cheeses, but it modified secondary proteolysis and lipolysis (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis was useful for discriminating cheeses according to their chemical composition and classified into four groups according to their ripening time. This research highlights the potential of CNE to fortify dairy foods to enhance their functionality.

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Microwave Assisted Extraction and Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Fucus virsoides and Cystoseira barbata

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10071481 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1481

Author(s):

Ana Dobrinčić ◽

Sandra Pedisić ◽

Zoran Zorić ◽

Mladenka Jurin ◽

Marin Roje ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Liquid Extraction ◽

Pressurized Liquid Extraction ◽

Sulfate Group ◽

Sulfated Polysaccharides ◽

Microwave Assisted Extraction ◽

Microwave Assisted ◽

Assisted Extraction ◽

Cystoseira Barbata

Sulfated polysaccharide fucoidan isolated from brown algae shows a wide range of biological activities that are significantly dependent on its chemical composition, which is closely related to the applied technique and extraction parameters. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) parameters (solvent, temperature, time, and number of cycles) on the Fucus virsoides and Cystoseira barbata polysaccharide yield (%PS) and chemical composition (total sugar, fucose, and sulfate group). The optimal MAE parameters that resulted in the highest polysaccharide extraction from F. virsoides and C. barbata were 0.1 M H2SO4 for 10 min at 80 °C, while the optimal PLE parameters were 0.1 M H2SO4, for two cycles of 15 min at 140 °C. Furthermore, the %PS, chemical structure, molecular properties, and antioxidant activity of the F. virsoides and C. barbata polysaccharide extracts obtained with MAE, PLE, and conventional extraction (CE) performed under previously determinate optimal conditions were compared. PLE resulted in a significantly higher %PS from F. virsoides, while for C. barbata, a similar yield was achieved with CE and PLE, as well as CE and MAE, for both algae. Furthermore, the polysaccharides obtained using PLE had the highest polydispersity index, fucose, and sulfate group content, and the lowest uronic acid content; however their antioxidant activity was lower.

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Chemical Composition and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of a Citrus Essential Oil and Its Fractions

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26102888 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (10) ◽

pp. 2888

Author(s):

Carmen M. S. Ambrosio ◽

Gloria L. Diaz-Arenas ◽

Leidy P. A. Agudelo ◽

Elena Stashenko ◽

Carmen J. Contreras-Castillo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Biological Activities ◽

E Coli ◽

Beneficial Bacterium ◽

Minor Compounds ◽

Antibacterial And Antioxidant Activity ◽

High Relative Amount

Essential oils (EOs) from Citrus are the main by-product of Citrus-processing industries. In addition to food/beverage and cosmetic applications, citrus EOs could also potentially be used as an alternative to antibiotics in food-producing animals. A commercial citrus EO—Brazilian Orange Terpenes (BOT)—was fractionated by vacuum fractional distillation to separate BOT into various fractions: F1, F2, F3, and F4. Next, the chemical composition and biological activities of BOT and its fractions were characterized. Results showed the three first fractions had a high relative amount of limonene (≥10.86), even higher than the whole BOT. Conversely, F4 presented a larger relative amount of BOT’s minor compounds (carvone, cis-carveol, trans-carveol, cis-p-Mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol, and trans-p-Mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol) and a very low relative amount of limonene (0.08–0.13). Antibacterial activity results showed F4 was the only fraction exhibiting this activity, which was selective and higher activity on a pathogenic bacterium (E. coli) than on a beneficial bacterium (Lactobacillus sp.). However, F4 activity was lower than BOT. Similarly, F4 displayed the highest antioxidant activity among fractions (equivalent to BOT). These results indicated that probably those minor compounds that detected in F4 would be more involved in conferring the biological activities for this fraction and consequently for the whole BOT, instead of the major compound, limonene, playing this role exclusively.

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The chemical composition and antioxidant activity of mandaçaia (melipona quadrifasciata) geopropolis varies more due to region than month of collection

Natural Product Research ◽

10.1080/14786419.2021.1892101 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Mariana Budóia Gabriel ◽

Mara J. Carneiro ◽

Ricardo C. R. de Camargo ◽

Alexandra C. H. F. Sawaya

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Melipona Quadrifasciata

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Impact of Harvest Conditions and Host Tree Species on Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Viscum album L.

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26123741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 3741

Author(s):

Wioleta Pietrzak ◽

Renata Nowak

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Tree Species ◽

Plant Material ◽

Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽

Host Tree ◽

Host Tree Species ◽

High Antioxidant Activity ◽

Mistletoe Extracts

The content of plant secondary metabolites is not stable, and factors such as the region/location effect and seasonal variations have an impact on their chemical composition, especially in parasitic plants. Research in this area is an important step in the development of quality parameter standards of medicinal plants and their finished products. The effects of the time and place of harvest and the host tree species on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of mistletoe extracts were investigated. Statistical tools were used to evaluate the results of the spectrophotometric and LC-ESI-MS/MS studies of the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity. The investigations indicate that the qualitative and quantitative composition, influencing the biological activity of mistletoe extracts, largely depends on the origin of the plant. The mistletoe extracts exhibited a rich phenol profile and high antioxidant activity. The chemometric analysis indicated that mistletoe collected from conifers (Viscum abietis and Viscum austriacum) had the most advantageous chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the chemical profile and biological activity of the plant material were closely related to the climatic conditions and location of the harvested plant. Higher levels of phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity were found in extracts obtained from plant material collected in cold weather with the presence of snow and less sunshine (autumn–winter period).

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