Response of Plant Growth and Development, and Accumulation of Hydroxyl-cinnamoyl Acid Derivatives to Selected Shade Nets and Seasonality of Field-grown Bush Tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.)

Horticultural practices and quality of bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) are critical for herbal tea industrialization. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of selected shade nets and seasonal variation on plant growth and development, and hydroxycinnamic acid content of field-grown bush tea. The trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design consisting of three shade nets (black, green, and white) and control or full sunlight with three different light intensities (40%, 50%, and 80%) replicated three times. Proportion of intercepted radiation by the canopy, chlorophyll content, plant height, and fresh and dry mass were measured, and hydroxycinnamic acid accumulation was determined. In addition, hydroxycinnamic acid composition was determined using liquid chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The application of shade nets resulted in plant growth and yield reduction as compared with the plants exposed to full sunlight during summer followed by white shade net. The accumulation of hydroxycinnamic acid was higher in 80% white shade net plots compared with unshaded plants (control) and the other shade nets. Therefore, lack of shading provides a conducive environment to enhance plant growth and development of bush tea. The white shade net (80%) was an effective microclimate tool to enhance accumulation of caffeoylquinic acid (m/z 353), p-coumaric acids (m/z 337), dicaffeoylquinic acid (m/z 515), and tricaffeoylquinic acids of bush tea. This study is the first to demonstrate light as a determining factor for production of chlorogenates in bush tea plants. Future studies will be conducted to determine the effect of light on extracts of the bush tea using different solvents.

Effectiveness of Yoga, Fast of Dawood, Green Tea and Apple Juice as Suppressors of PPAR-γ, C/EBP-α, and SREBP-c for Management of Obesity on Adolescents

Obesity is a condition that can increase the risk of some diseases such as reduced brain capacity, dyspnea, skin irritation, hypertension, and diabetes. Proper treatment is needed to overcome the problems of obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Yoga, fast of Dawood, Green Tea, and Apple juice to suppressor PPAR-γ gene activity, C / EBPα, and SREBP-c to manage obesity in adolescents. The method used in this study was a literature review from journal publications through the database ScienceDirect, PUBMED, and google scholar, and the criteria were Indonesian and English with a range of publication years 2014-2019. Nine main articles were used as references in this study. These articles proved that yoga therapy could maintain the balance and health of the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, and Fast of Dawood can limit the amount of calorie intake at a particular time. Moreover, by consuming green tea as a source of polyphenol derivatives and apples with high of flavanol, anthocyanidin, dihydrochalcones, and hydroxycinnamic acid could decrease adolescents' body weight. Yoga and Fast of Dawood exercise can reduce adipogenesis and induce reverse cholesterol transport, cellular cholesterol released, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines dan decreased the incidence of obesity.

Function of hydroxycinnamoyl spermidines in seedling growth of Arabidopsis

Hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs) are involved in various developmental processes as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Among them, the presence of spermidine derivatives, such as N1,N8-di(coumaroyl)-spermidine and N1,N8-di(sinapoyl)-spermidine, and their biosynthetic genes have been reported in Arabidopsis, but their functions in plants are still unknown. We chemically synthesized the above mentioned spermidine derivatives to assess their physiological functions in Arabidopsis. We evaluated the growth and development of chemically treated Arabidopsis and demonstrated that these compounds inhibited seed germination, hypocotyl elongation, and primary root growth, which could be due to modulation of plant hormone homeostasis and signaling. The results suggest that these compounds are regulatory metabolites that modulate plant growth and development.

Effect of Spring Frost Damage on Apple Fruit (Malus domestica Borkh.) Inner Quality at Harvest

In the last few years, spring frosts have become more of a rule than an exception. There are several prevention measures available for growers and numerous are being tested; however, fruitlets are often affected to some extent. One of the more common phenomena is the development of frost rings. The aim of our study was to evaluate how the occurrence of frost rings affects sugar, organic acid, and phenol content in the flesh and phenol content in the peel of cv. ‘Gala’ apples. The results show that the frost damage from spring frost affects compounds in the peel, as well as in the flesh of ripe apples. The flesh of fruits with frost rings contained higher content of fructose and in the flesh directly under the rings there was higher sorbitol and malic acid content. Additionally, the hydroxycinnamic acid and dihydrochalcone content in apple flesh was also altered by frost. The frost-affected peel had a completely different ratio of phenolic compounds content in comparison to healthy apples. While there was a significantly higher content of hydroxycinnamic acids and dihydrochalcones in the corky peel in comparison to the unaffected peel, the flavonol and anthocyanin content was considerably lower.

Phenolic Compounds in Organic and Conventional Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Wholemeal

Winter wheat wholemeal is an important component of the human diet and may be a significant source of antioxidants. The objective of this study was to determine individual phenolic compounds in five winter wheat varieties: ‘Fredis’, ‘Edvins’, ‘94-5-N’, ‘Skagen’, and ‘SW Magnific’ wholemeal, grown according to organic and conventional agricultural practices. Ten phenolic compounds (vanilin, rutin, catechin hydrate, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, 3.4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, trans (3)-hydroxycinnamic acid, and gallic acid) were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (Schimadzu Prominence HPLC). Catechin hydrate and quercetin were the main phenolic compounds in the grain of all tested winter wheat varieties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) among the analysed winter wheat cultivars in the concentration of individual phenolic compounds were observed. Concentrations of vanillin in organic and conventional winter wheat wholemeal were significantly lower (0.28 ± 0.02 to 0.65 ± 0.04 µg·g−1 DW), although the differences in the levels of phenolic were not large. The obtained results showed a statistically significant trend (p < 0.05) towards higher levels of phenolic compounds in organic wheat wholemeal samples.

Recent Advances in Biological Activity, New Formulations and Prodrugs of Ferulic Acid

Trans-ferulic acid (FA) is a derivative of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, which is found in many food products, fruits and beverages. It has scientifically proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. However, its low ability to permeate through biological barriers (e.g., the blood–brain barrier, BBB), its low bioavailability and its fast elimination from the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration limit its clinical use, e.g., for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, new nanotechnological approaches are developed in order to regulate intracellular transport of ferulic acid. The objective of this review is to summarize the last decade’s research on biological properties of ferulic acid and innovative ways of its delivery, supporting pharmacological therapy.