Microbiological Assessment of Wheat and Buckwheat Sprouting Process

Introduction. Sprouted grain can cause food poisoning, since inappropriate conditions can promote the growth of pathogenic microorganisms on the grain surface. As a result, products of long-term storage use thermally-treated sprouted grain, the parameters of which depend on the initial bacteria content. There are different ways to reduce bacterial contamination of sprouted grain, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Natural substances with antimicrobial properties, such as medicinal herbs, can serve as decontaminators. However, no scientific research has been performed so far to determine the exact temperature of grain sprouting to minimize its microbiological contamination. The research objective was to investigate the effect of antimicrobial agents and sprouting conditions on the microflora of wheat and buckwheat grain. Study objects and methods. The study featured wheat grain and green buckwheat grain. A set of experiments was performed to define the effect of antimicrobial agents and sprouting conditions on the quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (QMAFAnM), molds, and yeasts. During sprouting at 10–30°C for 90 h, the grain was irrigated with distilled water, potassium permanganate solution (KMnO4), calendula infusion, and celandine i nfusion. QMAFAnM and the count of molds and yeasts were determined by standard methods; the qualitative analysis of the microflora was based on their morphological and cultural characteristics. Results and discussion. Microflora development during sprouting of wheat and buckwheat grains was controlled by selecting appropriate conditions and grain treatment methods. The herbal infusions for sprouting reduced the total microbial insemination of grain during sprouting by 52–68%; the calendula infusion reduced the contamination with molds by 47–51%, yeasts – by 100%. Conclusion. The research revealed the total microbial count and the count of mold and yeast colonies in dry sprouted grain. The optimal temperature of sprouting wheat and buckwheat was 20 ± 2°C in the infusion of medicinal herbs: it minimized the microflora of sprouted grain and reduced the sprouting time to 46 h. Calendula infusion could be recommended for commercial use in order reduce the microbiological contamination of sprouted grain. The initial microbial population of the product was found to affect the mode of heat treatment in long-term storage products.

Advances in Anti-Osteoporosis Polysaccharides Derived from Medicinal Herbs and Other Edible Substances

Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease, and treatment is required for the pre-vention of low bone mass, deterioration of microstructural bone tissue, and fragility fractures. Osteoporosis therapy includes calcium, vitamin D, and drugs with antiresorptive or anabolic action on the bone. Therapy for osteoporosis does not include taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), but pain associated with osteoporotic fractures can be treated by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Recently, polysaccharides extracted from medicinal herbs and edible substances (PsMHES) have attracted attention on account of their safety and promising anti-osteoporosis effects, whereas a systematic review about their potential in anti-osteoporosis is vacant to date. Herein, we reviewed the recent progress of PsMHES with anti-osteoporosis activities, looking to introduce the advances in the various pharmacological mechanisms and targets involved in the anti-osteoporosis effects, extraction methods, main mechanism involved in Wnt/β-catenin pathways and pathways and RANKL (Receptor Activator for NFκB ligand or TNFSF25) pathways, and Structure-Activity elationships (SAR) analysis of PsMHES. Typical herbs like Achyranthes bidentate and Morinda officinalis used for the treatment of osteoporosis are introduced; their traditional uses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are discussed in this paper as well. This review will help to the recognition of the value of PsMHES in anti-osteoporosis and provide guidance for the research and development of new anti-osteoporosis agents in clinic.

Recording the Fragrance of 15 Types of Medicinal Herbs and Comparing Them by Similarity Using the Electronic Nose FF-2A

Medical herbs have been recognized till now as having different constituents that act on the human body. However, the fragrance of herbs is a complex mixture of odors, which makes it difficult to qualify or quantify the scent objectively on the human sense of smell. In this study, aromas of 15 medicinal herbs were recorded using an electronic nose FF-2A, and their characteristics were compared with aroma samples of wine such as Le Nez du Vin, to determine which wine aromas are similar to each medicinal herb. Thereafter, the aromas of the 15 herbs were standardized to create a reference axis for the aroma of each herb, and the similarity of tea herbs to the reference axis was examined. Additionally, the results were compared with those obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In FF-2A, the measured scent is recorded as an absolute value. We succeeded in calculating the similarity of the scents of other herbs with the axes of the scent of each herb by standardizing their scents and creating new axis data. Conversely, although GC-MS is able to identify the components and concentrations of fragrances, an electronic nose can analyze fragrances in a way that is uncommon with GC-MS, such as comparison of similarities between fragrances.

Preliminary Chemical, Total Phenolic Content, Flavonoid Content, and Antioxidant Activity of some Plants Used in Vietnam Folk Medicine

Crinum latifolium , Eclipta prostrata , Ocimum gratissimum , Phyllanthus urinar ia and Streptocaulon juventas have been used in Vietnam traditional medicine practices for anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effects and antioxidant activities since prehistoric times. Ethanol and aqueous extracts from five medicinal herbs were evaluated for their antioxidative, free radical scavenging activities and phytochemical screening. Research results showed that these medicinal herbs all had rich chemical composition, such as alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, phenols, etc. Among ten extracts, C.latifolium ethanol extract showed the significantly highest total phenolic content (66.8 ± 4.14 mgGAE/g) and total flavonoids content (99.69 ± 9.88 mgQE/g). Both ethanol extracts from O.gratissimum and P.urinaria were showed the most elevated antioxidant potentials in DPPH and ABTS assays. These findings suggest that the rich phytochemical content and the good antioxidant activity of five herbal plants may be responsible for its popular and wide traditional use.

Medicinal Plants

Medicines of plant origin have been used for treating humans and animals without any adverse effects. New medicinal plants are searched to develop more effective and cheaper drugs in place of synthetics drugs. Plants represent a large natural source of compounds that might serve for the development of novel drugs. Currently medicinal herbs are researched for diuretic properties, and several medicinal herbs are used as diuretics. Currently various synthetic medicines are available for this purpose; however, natural resource medicines are still an important choice because of their higher efficiency and better safety. Further, some herbs are also important sources of antioxidants, which protect the body from the effects of free radicals produced in the body. Antioxidants are required by our body due to increase in the likely exposure of the body to harmful pollutants, radiation, UV lights, etc. These have the ability to delay the oxidation, and plant-derived products are of great interest due to the adverse effect of antibiotics.