Ethnobotanical, Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Mexican Drylands Cactaceae Fruits: Recent Findings and Research Opportunities
Publication date: Available online 24 December 2019Source: Food ChemistryAuthor(s): Yadira Ramírez-Rodríguez, Miriam Martínez-Huélamo, José Pedraza-Chaverri, Victoria Ramírez, Natalia Martínez-Tagüeña, Joyce TrujilloAbstractThe Mexican drylands possess enormous biotic and cultural wealth, representing 65% of the national territory. Approximately 50% of Mexican dryland flora is endemic and accompanied by ample local and traditional knowledge. There are certain types of cactus fruits that are being technologically produced. However, there are other cactus fruit that are underutilized and understudied that could be p...
Source: Food Chemistry - December 26, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Release mechanisms of bioactive compounds in fruits submitted to high hydrostatic pressure: A dynamic microstructural analysis based on prickly pear cells
This study is the first to fathom the dynamic morphological changes and release mechanisms of bioactive compounds in vegetable cells subjected to HHP.Graphical abstract (Source: Food Research International)
Source: Food Research International - December 20, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Polysaccharides of mushroom Pleurotus spp.: New extraction techniques, biological activities and development of new technologies
Publication date: 1 February 2020Source: Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 229Author(s): Jhonatas Rodrigues Barbosa, Maurício Madson dos Santos Freitas, Luiza Helena da Silva Martins, Raul Nunes de CarvalhoAbstractThe biodiversity of mushrooms Pleurotus spp. is impressive due to its complexity and diversity related to the composition of chemical structures such as polysaccharides, glycoproteins and secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids and betalains. Recent studies of polysaccharides and their structural elucidation have helped to direct research and development of technologies related to pharmacological action,...
Source: Carbohydrate Polymers - December 9, 2019 Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research
Development of several hybrid drying methods used to obtain red beetroot powder
In conclusion, even if the MW preheating has certain disadvantages, in some cases it provides increased bioavailability generated by the vegetal cell disruption and the release of the bioactive compounds. (Source: Food Chemistry)
Source: Food Chemistry - November 24, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Metabolic profile of pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus (F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose) by UPLC-QTOF-MSE and assessment of its toxicity and anxiolytic-like effect in adult zebrafish
Publication date: January 2020Source: Food Research International, Volume 127Author(s): Sandra Machado Lira, Ana Paula Dionísio, Marcelo Oliveira Holanda, Chayane Gomes Marques, Gisele Silvestre da Silva, Lia Coêlho Correa, Glauber Batista Moreira Santos, Fernando Antonio Pinto de Abreu, Francisco Ernani Alves Magalhães, Emanuela de Lima Rebouças, Jhonyson Arruda Carvalho Guedes, Danielle Ferreira de Oliveira, Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes, Guilherme Julião ZocoloAbstractPitaya is a Cactacea with potential for economic exploitation, due to its high commercial value and its functional components – such betalains, olig...
Source: Food Research International - November 13, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Polysaccharides of mushroom Pleurotus spp: New extraction techniques, biological activities and development of new technologies
Publication date: Available online 6 November 2019Source: Carbohydrate PolymersAuthor(s): Jhonatas Rodrigues Barbosa, Maurício Madson dos Santos Freitas, Luiza Helena da Silva Martins, Raul Nunes de CarvalhoABSTRACTThe biodiversity of mushrooms Pleurotus spp is impressive due to its complexity and diversity related to the composition of chemical structures such as polysaccharides, glycoproteins and secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids and betalains. Recent studies of polysaccharides and their structural elucidation have helped to direct research and development of technologies related to pharmacological act...
Source: Carbohydrate Polymers - November 7, 2019 Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research
Multiple extraction conditions to produce phytochemical- and antioxidant-rich Alternanthera sessilis (red) extracts that attenuate lipid accumulation in steatotic HepG2 cells
This study aimed to produce phytochemical- and antioxidant-rich A. sessilis (red) whole plant extracts using multiple extraction conditions. The lipid-lowering effects of the extracts against steatosis in HepG2 cells were assessed. Ethanolic extracts (100%, 50 °C, 24 h) showed the highest total phenolic content (83.5 mg GAE/g extract) while water extracts (50 °C, 24 h) had the highest extraction yield (20.5%). Ethyl acetate extracts (50 °C, 24 h) showed the highest flavonoids (641 mg RE/g), triterpenoids (46.1 mg UAE/g) and betalains (amaranthin: 72.7 mg/g; betaxanthin: 74.5 mg/g; betanin: 73.1 m...
Source: Food Bioscience - November 6, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Metabolic profile of pitaya [Hylocereus polyrhizus (F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose] by UPLC-QTOF-MSE and assessment of its toxicity and anxiolytic-like effect in adult zebrafish
Publication date: Available online 31 October 2019Source: Food Research InternationalAuthor(s): Sandra Machado Lira, Ana Paula Dionísio, Marcelo Oliveira Holanda, Chayane Gomes Marques, Gisele Silvestre da Silva, Lia Coêlho Correa, Glauber Batista Moreira Santos, Fernando Antonio Pinto de Abreu, Francisco Ernani Alves Magalhães, Emanuela de Lima Rebouças, Jhonyson Arruda Carvalho Guedes, Danielle Ferreira de Oliveira, Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes, Guilherme Julião ZocoloAbstractPitaya is a Cactacea with potential for economic exploitation, due to its high commercial value and its functional components – such betalai...
Source: Food Research International - November 1, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Betalains, the nature-inspired pigments, in health and diseases
(Source: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition)
Source: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition - October 23, 2019 Category: Nutrition Authors: Rahimi, Parisa Abedimanesh, Saeed Mesbah-Namin, Seyed Alireza Ostadrahimi, Alireza Source Type: research
Molecules, Vol. 24, Pages 3618: Ultrasound and Microwave Assisted Extraction of Opuntia Fruit Peels Biocompounds: Optimization and Comparison Using RSM-CCD
a-Castello
Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of bioactive compounds, peels from Opuntia engelmannii cultivar (cv.) Valencia were optimized by response surface methodology. Randomized extraction runs were performed for each of the technologies employed in order to build effective models with maximum (bioactive molecules content and yield) and minimum (antioxidant activity) responses. A 5-level, 4-factor central composite design was used to obtain target responses as a function of extraction time (t), solid to liquid ratio (S/L), methanol concentration (metOH), and temperature (...
Source: Molecules - October 7, 2019 Category: Chemistry Authors: Bruno Melgar Maria In ês Dias Lillian Barros Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira Antonio D. Rodriguez-Lopez Esperanza M. Garcia-Castello Tags: Article Source Type: research
Development of active and intelligent packaging by incorporating betalains from red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel into starch/polyvinyl alcohol films
This study aims to develop active and intelligent packaging films based on starch/polyvinyl alcohol incorporated with betalains-rich red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel extract. The microstructure, physical and functional properties of the films with different contents of the extract (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 wt% on starch basis) were measured. Results showed betacyanins were the main components in the extract, which presented significant color changes under alkaline conditions. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed the compactness of the films was improved by the extract addition. Fourier transform infrared spe...
Source: Food Hydrocolloids - October 1, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Genome-Wide Analysis of Alternative Splicing Provides Insights Into Stress Response of the Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vanname
Alternative splicing (AS) can enhance transcript diversity dramatically and play an important role in stress adaptation. Limited researches of AS have been reported in the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), which is an important aquaculture species in the world. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of AS events in L. vannamei based on eight transcriptomes. We identified 38,781 AS events in the shrimp genome, and some of them were validated by polymerase chain reaction experiments. These AS events correspond to 9,209 genes, accounting for 36% of protein-coding genes in the shrimp genome. The number of A...
Source: Frontiers in Genetics - September 11, 2019 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Organic versus conventional beetroot. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties
The objective of the present study is therefore to ascertain whether beetroots labelled as either organic or conventional differ in terms of their nutritional quality (bioactive compounds content and antioxidant properties). Although our analysis showed that both organic and conventional growing systems had similar average levels of the flavonoids kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and luteolin in the final products, the organic beetroot showed significantly higher contents of total betalains and total polyphenols, as well as higher total antioxidant capacities, when compared to the conventionally grown samples. However, the effect ...
Source: LWT Food Science and Technology - September 6, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research
Molecules, Vol. 24, Pages 3078: Research Progress of Betalain in Response to Adverse Stresses and Evolutionary Relationship Compared with Anthocyanin
gyun Li
Betalains are applicable to many aspects of life, and their properties, characteristics, extraction and biosynthesis process have been thoroughly studied. Although betalains are functionally similar to anthocyanins and can substitute for them to provide pigments for plant color, it is rare to study the roles of betalains in plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. Owing to their antioxidant capability to remove excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants and humans, betalains have attracted much attention due to their bioactivity. In addition, betalains can also act as osmotic substances to regul...
Source: Molecules - August 23, 2019 Category: Chemistry Authors: Ge Li Xiaoqing Meng Mingku Zhu Zongyun Li Tags: Review Source Type: research
Indicaxanthin, a multi-target natural compound from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit: From its poly-pharmacological effects to biochemical mechanisms and molecular modelling studies.
Abstract
Over the latest years phytochemical consumption has been associated to a decreased risk of both the onset and the development of a number of pathological conditions. In this context indicaxanthin, a betalain pigment from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit, has been the object of sound research. Explored, at first, for its mere antioxidant potential, Indicaxanthin is now regarded as a redox-active compound able to exert significant poly-pharmacological effects against several targets in a number of experimental conditions both in vivo and in vitro. This paper aims to provide an overview on the therapeuti...
Source: European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry - July 2, 2019 Category: Chemistry Authors: Allegra M, Tutone M, Tesoriere L, Almerico AM, Culletta G, Livrea MA, Attanzio A Tags: Eur J Med Chem Source Type: research
