Effects of Etlingera elatior inflorescence extract on beneficial bacteria of the healthy human gut

Background: Etlingera species is an enduring plant in the Zingiberaceae family, with more than 100 species local to many countries. It has been utilized commonly as a culinary spice or eaten crude for its therapeutic impacts. This research is intended to study the effects of E. elatior inflorescence, which is commonly known as bunga kantan in Peninsular Malaysia, upon the microbiota of healthy human gut. Material and methods: The closed bud E. elatior inflorescence was cleaned and dried in the hot air oven and grounded into fine powder. The extract from the E. elatior inflorescence was obtained using hot water extraction method. The effects of the inflorescence extract on L. rhamnosus and L. acidophilus were studied through micro-broth dilution process where different concentration of sample was incorporated into a broth medium followed by the application of a standardized volume of Lactobacillus sp. into the medium of the 96 well plate. Results: Growth was seen in both L. rhamnosus and L. acidophilus, indicating that E. elatior inflorescence acted like a prebiotic towards L. acidophilus and L. rhamnosus Conclusion: E. elatior inflorescence concentrate acts like a prebiotic towards L. acidophilus incomparable to L. rhamnosus

Organosolv Lignin from European Tree Bark: Influence of Bark Pretreatment

As lignin is becoming more and more attractive to industry and the circular economy continues to grow, the utilization of a byproduct that, to date, has been underrated by the wood industry is investigated as an abundantly available source of lignin. Bark from spruce, larch and beech tress is extracted using the organosolv process with and without prior hot water extraction. The influence of the treatment on chemical properties of the lignin was determined by spectrophotometric, chromatographic, and vibrational spectroscopy. It was found that hot water extraction prior to organosolv extraction influences the chemical composition, antioxidative properties and molecular weight distribution of the obtained extracts. While hot water extracts are rich in flavonoids, organosolv fractions can contain high amounts of organic acids depending on whether they are from a hardwood or softwood source. This investigation lays the foundation for further research into the utilization of byproducts to generate high-value resources.

Pressurized Hot Water Extraction and Bio-Hydrogels Formulation with Aristotelia chilensis [Mol.] Stuntz Leaves

Aristotelia chilensis is a plant rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. Their leaves are discarded as waste in the maqui berry industry. A new application of these wastes is intended by the recovery of bioactive compounds using pressurized hot water extraction with conventional or microwave heating. Both technologies have been selected for their green character regarding the type of solvent and the high efficiency in shorter operation times. Extractions were performed in the temperature range 140–200 °C with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:15 (w:w). The extracts’ total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and saccharides content obtained with both heating methods were measured. Additionally, the thermo-rheological properties of the gelling matrix enriched with these extracts were analyzed. Optimum conditions for lyophilized extracts were found with conventional heating, at 140 °C and 20 min extraction; 250.0 mg GAE/g dry extract and 1321.5 mg Trolox/g dry extract. Close to optimum performance was achieved with microwave heating in a fraction of the time (5 min) at 160 °C (extraction), yielding extracts with 231.9 mg GAE/g dry extract of total phenolics and antiradical capacity equivalent to 1176.3 mg Trolox/g dry extract. Slightly higher antioxidant values were identified for spray-dried extracts (between 5% for phenolic content and 2.5% for antioxidant capacity). The extracts obtained with both heating methods at 200 °C contained more than 20% oligosaccharides, primarily glucose. All the formulated gelling matrices enriched with the obtained extracts displayed intermediate gel strength properties. The tested technologies efficiently recovered highly active antioxidant extracts, rich in polyphenolics, and valuable for formulating gelling matrices with potential applicability in foods and other products.

Steam drying markedly increases the solubility of feruloylated arabinan-rich pectic polysaccharide in sugar beet pulp

Three sugar beet pulp samples, which were dried by different methods (drum-dried, steam-dried, and shelf-dried), were prepared and hot water extractions (90 °C, 6 h) were performed to compare the pectic polysaccharide yield. The steam-dried pulp yielded 34.1 g of pectic polysaccharides per 100 g of dry matter. This represented about twice the yield of the other techniques, with a recovery of about 60% of the estimated amount contained in the raw material. The pectic polysaccharide obtained from the steam-dried pulp by hot water extraction and dialysis contained larger amount of arabinose (32.4 g/ 100 g solids) as constituent sugars than that of commercial beet pectin. The weight-average molecular mass was 175 kDa, which was lower than that of commercial beet pectin (538 kDa) and most of the extracted feruloyl group were bound to this polysaccharide. These characteristics were similar to those of pectic polysaccharides obtained previously by autoclave extraction from wet beet pulp. It was presumed that the pectic polysaccharides contained in sugar beet pulp were partially hydrolyzed and solubilized under pressurized and high temperature conditions (0.25–0.3 MPa, 150–180 °C) during steam drying, making them easier to extract. Using steam-dried pulp as a raw material, feruloylated arabinan-rich pectic polysaccharides can be efficiently obtained by hot water extraction under non-pressurized conditions without acid addition.

Pemilihan Kualitas Gambir dengan Multi-Objective Optimization on The Basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA)

Gambier (gambir plantae) is an half of perdu plantation which in separated in several regions of Indonesia. It is especially live in Sumatra, Java, Maluku, and Burneo. In West Sumatra province, gambir is used to component for menyirih (betle) and also the farmer of gambir asproduction as. It is reserving from hot water. Extraction come from the leaves and twigs of gambir in depositor forms, then printed and then turned into dried forms. The gambir farmers usually sell their productions to the collectors with a certaibty prices. Gambir has many qualities based from it processing, catechin contains, colors, ash contains, water contains, and also its density. Some its barries often occurs from the gambir processing being into product, which a minusly quality suffers, that cause gambir price in decrease or not to expensive conditions in the market by using support decision by Multi-Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis (MOORA) methode is a multi objektives system from which can be optimated some atributes whom contradicting each other in simultaneously, either lost profit (cost) or getting profit (benefit), the system using these methode used to choose some gambir qualified form for determine its price. These data of sample taken form Pesisir Selatan gambir, which the research result farmed that gambier ranked can be as support as some decisions to make the best gambir as price decision as. Form theseresearch could be conclude that the best gambir have an higher catechin contains, low water contains, a slightly ash contains, with a yellowish skin, and have as highest as density. Based on the data of sample of research, the best gambier in qualified in getting from Siam and pian with the grade in 0.163 with the good one criteria condition. From gambier standardization, all of gambier which have upper grade standars, qualified into good gambier quality, gambier with high quality or good can give an expensive price that encourages some gambir farmers in motivation to process gambir product being increase gambier quality that can be improve the price selling gambir as well as the purchase of gambier products.

Pressurized Hot Water Extraction of Okra Seeds Reveals Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Vasoprotective Activities

Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench (okra) is a commonly consumed vegetable that consists of the seeds and peel component which are rich in polyphenolic compounds. The aim of this study is to utilize pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) for the extraction of bioactive phytochemicals from different parts of okra. A single step PHWE was performed at various temperatures (60 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C and 120 °C) to determine which extraction temperature exhibits the optimum phytochemical profile, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The optimum temperature for PHWE extraction was determined at 80 °C and the biological activities of the different parts of okra (Inner Skin, Outer Skin and Seeds) were characterized using antioxidant (DPPH and ABTS), α-glucosidase and vasoprotective assays. Using PHWE, the different parts of okra displayed distinct phytochemical profiles, which consist of primarily polyphenolic compounds. The okra Seeds were shown to have the most antioxidant capacity and antidiabetic effects compared to other okra parts, likely to be attributed to their higher levels of polyphenolic compounds. Similarly, okra Seeds also reduced vascular inflammation by downregulating TNFα-stimulated VCAM-1 and SELE expression. Furthermore, metabolite profiling by LC/MS also provided evidence of the cytoprotective effect of okra Seeds in endothelial cells. Therefore, the use of PHWE may be an alternative approach for the environmentally friendly extraction and evaluation of plant extracts for functional food applications.

Separation and characterization of lignin and sugars in the hydrolysate of hot water extraction of poplar wood by membrane filtration and activated carbon adsorption

Hot water extraction of poplar wood was conducted at temperatures from 190 to 200 °C for 5 to 8 min. A hemicellulose yield of 81% and a lignin yield of 38% were obtained at 200 °C for 8 min. A combined process of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and activated carbon adsorption was developed to separate lignin and sugars in the hydrolysate of hot water extraction. Lignin recovery efficiencies of 56.7%, 26.0%, and 13.2% were attained for microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and activated carbon adsorption, respectively. The characterization of lignin revealed diversity in molecular weight and functional groups, which is beneficial for high-value valorization. The obtained hemicellulose sugars from the combined process showed a good recovery rate of 43.8% and remarkable purity of 97.5%. The purified sugars were a mixture of monomers and oligomers that consisted of arabinose, galactose, xylose, glucose, and mannose. Sugar oligomers with degrees of polymerization from 2 to 6 accounted for 21.6% of all sugars.