The Content of Phenolic Compounds and Organic Acids in Two Tagetes patula Cultivars Flowers and Its Dependence on Light Colour and Substrate

The main focus of the study was to determine the content of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and organic acids in the flowers of Tagetes patula ‘Petite Gold’ and ‘Petite Orange’. The growth of the plants was assessed depending on the cultivation conditions. The above plants were illuminated with white light, whereas the ‘Petite Gold’ ones with white light enhanced with blue or red light. Both cultivars grew in a two-level-mineral compounds organic substrate. The research showed that the French marigold flowers were rich in phenolic compounds and organic acids. The ‘Petite Gold’ flowers had more bioactive compounds compared with the ‘Petite Orange’ flowers. Three flavonoids, 10 phenolic acids and seven organic acids were found in the ‘Petite Gold’ flowers. The artificial lighting used during the cultivation of the plants showed diversified influence on the content of organic compounds in their flowers. The measurements of the plants’ morphological traits and the number of inflorescences showed that illumination with red light resulted in a better effect. Large plants with numerous inflorescences grew in the substrate with a lower content of nutrients.

Concentration of Pro-Health Compound of Sorghum Grain-Based Foods

More than 35% of the world sorghum seed production is a human food source. The main ingredient of fully ripe sorghum grains is starch. Sorghum does not contain gluten, and it is also a rich source of antioxidant compounds other than vitamins or macro- and microelements, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and sterols. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity and the content of selected bioactive compounds, i.e., total phenolic acids, total flavonoids, and total phytosterols, as well as determination of the qualitative and quantitative profile of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phytosterols in various food products, the basic ingredient of which was sorghum grain. It was found that antioxidant activity is related to the total phenolic compounds content. The ABTS•+ ranged from 319 to 885 µmol TROLOX/kg. However, white sorghum grain flour contained almost two times more polyphenols than red sorghum grain flour. The FPA ranged from 224 in raw pasta to 689 mgGAE/100 g in white sorghum grain. During this study, the quantitative profile of selected polyphenols in grain flour, wafers, pasta, and cookies containing sorghum grain was also investigated, as well as the content of 11 selected phenolic acids. Total content of the latter ranged from 445 to 2850 mg/kg. Phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were found in all the analyzed products. Based on this research, it was investigated that the products containing sorghum grains can be classified as functional food.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant for chrysanthemum stem and leaf in zebrafish inflammatory bowel disease model and identification of the bioactive compositions by UPLC-TQ/MS

Background Modern studies have shown that chrysanthemum has anti-inflammatory, regulating intestinal function and other effects, chrysanthemum stem and leaf as a nonmedicinal part of chrysanthemum, has similar chemical components with chrysanthemum, so it is speculated that chrysanthemum stem and leaf also has the effect of regulating intestinal inflammation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiinflammatory and antioxidant effect of chrysanthemum stem and leaf extract through zebrafish inflammatory bowel disease model, and to detect flavonoids, phenolic acids and polysaccharides in chrysanthemum stem and leaf extract. Methods DSS induced inflammatory bowel disease model of zebrafish was used. Aliciin blue staining was used to observe the secretion of intestinal acid mucin, and H&E staining was used to detect the inflammatory cell infiltration. Superoxide dismutase activity was determined by kit, and the expression levels of key inflammatory cytokines IL-1 β , IL8 and MMP9 were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, UPLC-TQ /MS method was used to detect the contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids in chrysanthemum stem and leaf extracts. Neutral and acidic polysaccharides were determined by the phenol-sulfuric acid method and the carbazol-sulfuric acid method. Results H&E staining showed that extracts from chrysanthemum stem and leaf inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration to varying degrees. The expressions of inflammatory cytokines IL-1 β , IL8 and MMP9 were significantly increased in DSS induced zebrafish. The extracts inhibited the expression of IL-1 β , IL8 and MMP9 in DSS induced zebrafish. The water extract 0.2mg/ mL and alcohol extract 0.04mg/ mL had the most significant inhibition. Superoxide dismutase activity in extract treatment group was also up-regulated compared with model group. The results showed that the contents of total flavonoids and phenolic acids in the alcohol extract of chrysanthemum stem and leaf were significantly higher than those in the water extract of chrysanthemum stem and leaf, but the water-soluble polysaccharides were significantly more in the water extract of chrysanthemum stem and leaf. Conclusions In conclusion, this study suggests that chrysanthemum stem and leaf extract can improve inflammatory bowel disease of zebrafish through antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities.

The Evaluation of Phenolic Acids and Flavonoids Content and Antiprotozoal Activity of Eryngium Species Biomass Produced by Biotechnological Methods

Three species from the Eryngium L. genus—E. campestre, E. maritimum, and E. planum, plants with a rich chemical composition, were selected for phytochemical and biological studies. The applied biotechnological methods allowed to obtain the biomass of these rare or protected species in the form of multiplied shoots (stationary system) and roots cultured in a liquid medium (agitated system). In the extracts from the raw material obtained under in vitro conditions, the content of selected phenolic acids and flavonoids (HPLC-DAD method) as well as the total of polyphenols (Folin–Ciocalteu assay) were quantified. The highest amount of all phenolic compounds was found in extracts from E. planum roots (950.90 ± 33.52 mg/100 g d.w.), and the lowest from E. campestre roots (285.00 ± 10.07 mg/100 g d.w.). The quantitatively dominant compound proved to be rosmarinic acid. The highest amounts were confirmed for E. planum root extract (694.58 mg/100 g d.w.), followed by E. planum (388.95 mg/100 g d.w.) and E. campestre (325.85 mg/100 g d.w.) shoot extracts. The total content of polyphenols was always increased in the biomass from in vitro cultures in comparison to the analogous organs of intact plants of each species. The obtained extracts were assessed for antiprotozoal activity against Acanthamoeba sp. The strength of biological activity of the extracts correlated with the content of phenolic compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the amoebicidal activity of E. campestre, E. maritimum, and E. planum extracts from biomass produced by biotechnological methods.

Phytochemical Composition of Different Botanical Parts of Morus Species, Health Benefits and Application in Food Industry

In recent years, mulberry has acquired a special importance due to its phytochemical composition and its beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory effects. Botanical parts of Morus sp. (fruits, leaves, twigs, roots) are considered a rich source of secondary metabolites. The aim of our study was to highlight the phytochemical profile of each of the botanical parts of Morus tree, their health benefits and applications in food industry with an updated review of literature. Black and white mulberries are characterized in terms of predominant phenolic compounds in correlation with their medical applications. In addition to anthocyanins (mainly cyanidin-3-O-glucoside), black mulberry fruits also contain flavonols and phenolic acids. The leaves are a rich source of flavonols, including quercetin and kaempferol in the glycosylated forms and chlorogenic acid as predominant phenolic acids. Mulberry bark roots and twigs are a source of prenylated flavonoids, predominantly morusin. In this context, the exploitation of mulberry in food industry is reviewed in this paper, in terms of developing novel, functional food with multiple health-promoting effects.

Bioactivity and Mycochemical Profile of Extracts from Mycelial Cultures of Ganoderma spp.

Fungal mycelium cultures are an alternative to natural sources in order to obtain valuable research materials. They also enable constant control and adaptation of the process, thereby leading to increased biomass growth and accumulation of bioactive metabolites. The present study aims to assess the biosynthetic potential of mycelial cultures of six Ganoderma species: G. adspersum, G. applanatum, G. carnosum, G. lucidum, G. pfeifferi, and G. resinaceum. The presence of phenolic acids, amino acids, indole compounds, sterols, and kojic acid in biomass extracts was determined by HPLC. The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the extracts and their effects on the inhibition of selected enzymes (tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase) were also evaluated. The total content of phenolic acids in the extracts ranged from 5.8 (G. carnosum) to 114.07 mg/100 g dry weight (d.w.) (G. pfeifferi). The total content of indole compounds in the extracts ranged from 3.03 (G. carnosum) to 11.56 mg/100 g d.w. (G. lucidum) and that of ergosterol ranged from 28.15 (G. applanatum) to 74.78 mg/100 g d.w. (G. adspersum). Kojic acid was found in the extracts of G. applanatum and G. lucidum. The tested extracts showed significant antioxidant activity. The results suggest that the analyzed mycelial cultures are promising candidates for the development of new dietary supplements or pharmaceutical preparations.