1,721,031 research outputs found
PROCEDIMENTO PER LA PURIFICAZIONE DI MANNA IMPURA ED OTTENIMENTO DI MANNA ARRICCHITA E SUO IMPIEGO
No full textThe invention consists in an original procedure to purify dirty manna, an under-utilized waste matter from the lymph poured from fraxinus plants, to obtain a product comparable with the pure edible “manna”, and enriched in bioactive components with respect to pure manna. Methods to treat the so obtained purified manna are also part of the invention
Fruit and Vegetable Derived Waste as a Sustainable Alternative Source of Nutraceutical Compounds
Full text linkDietary phytochemicals are widely investigated in the eld of chemistry, biology, nutrition, and medicine for their potential health-promoting eects. Indeed, many in vitro and in vivo studies provide evidence that a number of these compounds are involved in the prevention and/or control of chronic disorders such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
e exponential growth of plant waste production from the agrofood industry is a critical global issue, considering its storage, disposal, environmental impact, and potential health risks. However, the exploitation of plant wastes/by-products for the recovery of added-value compounds oers new avenue for industrial growth and waste management. Indeed, the research and development of new
functional foods and health products from low-cost raw materials is of great importance in nutraceutical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and agribusiness sectors. Besides, optimizing the processing methods of waste products in order to reduce biomass utilization and environmental risks, as well as to improve recovery of added-value compounds, represents an urgent and necessary technological innovation for the bene t of mankind. In an industrial point of view, moreover, the utilization of food waste for recovering nutraceuticals is economical not only in production line but also in their disposal e purpose of this special issue is to feature the scienti cknowledge on the nutraceuticals associated with plant waste products derived from fruits and vegetables and their in vivo
and in vitro bioactivities. e information disseminated through this issue is hoped to serve as an interdisciplinary link between biochemistry of nutrition, functional foods, and food technologies. Knowledge of not only quantity and quality of nutrients and nonnutrients present in such functional foods but also their bioactivity may provide broader and valuable information on the food quality eld of research. is special issue about “Fruit and vegetable derived waste as a sustainable alternative source of nutraceutical compounds” covers research articles from dierent perspectives.
Overall, most of the papers have been related to (i) extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds from plant by-products as sources of health-related bene- cial compounds; (ii) process ptimization; (iii) development of new products and functional foods; and (iv) in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of nutraceutical components present or extracted from plant food wastes.
Among the submitted manuscripts, ve papers have been selected to be part of this special issue. e paper authored by V. Lele et al. deals with the development of chewing candy (CC)—utraceutical formulations from juices and by-products of juices of the fruits sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) and quince (Cydonia oblonga L.) with antimicrobial properties against a panel of pathogenic
bacteria strains. Two texture-forming agents (agar and gelatin) were tested for CC formulation. e results obtained in this study indicated that all samples (juices and juice byproducts) displayed antimicrobial activity against all the Hindawi Journal of Food Quality Volume 2018, Article ID 8136190, 2 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8136190
pathogens tested, and the largest inhibition zones against
Bacillus and Proteus mirabilis were observed for sea buckthorn
juice and quince juice, respectively. Moreover, the
addition of all samples (sea buckthorn and quince juices and
juice by-products) increased the antioxidant activity and
total phenolic content of CC. e study
by Zafra-Rojas et al. analyses chemicals, minerals, organic
acids, antioxidants, and dietary fiber of Mexican blackberry
(Rubus fruticosus cv Tupy) residues and compares it with
a prune-based commercial product. e Bigarade is a bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L. cv
Bigarade) whose unpleasant taste mainly restricts its utilization
to industrial extraction of essential oils. e results show that the debittering process,
including treatment with salt (NaCl), heat, and water decreases
acidity, sugars, proteins, bioactive compounds, and
reducing power, whereas increases the ash rate. Nevertheless,
this jam still remains an interesting source of bioactive
compounds with antioxidant potential, to be considered for
dietary purposes. e paper authored by Al-Widyan
et al. faces the interesting problem of treatment and exploitation
of olive oil industry by-products and wastes, in
particular the solid waste, a lingocellulosic organic material
called olive cake. Considering that the processing at the olive
mills, usually performed during the cold season, needs large
amounts of hot water and then expensive diesel fuel, the
authors propose building a system combining a ground well
component (receiving water from tankers that bring the
water from nearby springs) and a heat recovery component
exploiting the aerobic biological fermentation of the olive
waste. A number of analyses are performed to assure that the
olive cake can be used for extended periods as a source of
fermentation. e
authors have also shown that the flour and the cookies
formulations are rich in essential minerals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn,
Ca, and Mg) and polyphenols (200 to 658 mg GAE/100 g).
Overall, the research highlights that the custard apple bagasse
pulp flour can be incorporated in food formulations to
improve nutritional and functional properties
Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of whole extract and isolated indicaxanthin from Opuntia ficus-indica associated with re-activation of the onco-suppressor p16INK4a gene in human colorectal carcinoma (Caco-2) cells
No full textPhytochemicals may exert chemo-preventive effects on cells of the gastro-intestinal tract by modulating epigenome-regulated gene expression. The effect of the aqueous extract from the edible fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI extract), and of its betalain pigment indicaxanthin (Ind), on proliferation of human colon cancer Caco-2 cells has been investigated. Whole extract and Ind caused a dose-dependent apoptosis of proliferating cells at nutritionally relevant amounts, with IC50 400 ± 25 mg fresh pulp equivalents/mL, and 115 ± 15 μM (n = 9), respectively, without toxicity for post-confluent differentiated cells. Ind accounted for ∼80% of the effect of the whole extract. Ind did not cause oxidative stress in proliferating Caco-2 cells. Epigenomic activity of Ind was evident as de-methylation of the tumor suppressor p16INK4a gene promoter, reactivation of the silenced mRNA expression and accumulation of p16 INK4a, a major controller of cell cycle. As a consequence, decrease of hyper-phosphorylated, in favor of the hypo-phosphorylated retinoblastoma was observed, with unaltered level of the cycline-dependent kinase CDK4. Cell cycle showed arrest in the G2/M-phase. Dietary cactus pear fruit and Ind may have chemo-preventive potential in intestinal cells. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Apoptotic effect of a phytosterol-ingredient and its main phytosterol (β-sitosterol) in human cancer cell lines
No full textDietary interventions may effectively control cancer development, with phytosterols (PS) being a class of cancer chemopreventive dietary phytochemicals. The present study, for the first time, evaluates the antiproliferative effects of a PS-ingredient used for the enrichment of several foods and its main PS, β-sitosterol, at physiological serum levels, in the most prevalent cancer cells in women (breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT116) and cervical (HeLa)). In all three cell lines, these compounds induced significant cell viability reduction without a clear time- and dose-dependent response. Moreover, all treatments produced apoptotic cell death with the induction of DNA fragmentation through the appearance of a sub-G1 cell population. Thus, the use of PS as functional ingredients in the development of PS-enriched foods could exert a potential preventive effect against human breast, colon and cervical cancer, although further in vivo studies are required to confirm our preclinical findings
Indicaxanthin from Opuntia ficus indica (L. Mill) Inhibits Oxidized LDL-Mediated Human Endothelial Cell Dysfunction through Inhibition of NF- κB Activation
Full text linkOxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) play a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis through the activation of inflammatory signaling events eventually leading to endothelial dysfunction and senescence. In the present work, we investigated the effects of indicaxanthin, a bioavailable, redox-modulating phytochemical from Opuntia ficus indica fruits, with anti-inflammatory activity, against oxLDL-induced endothelial dysfunction. Human umbilical vein cord cells (HUVEC) were stimulated with human oxLDL, and the effects of indicaxanthin were evaluated in a range between 5 and 20 μM, consistent with its plasma level after a fruit meal (7 μM). Pretreatment with indicaxanthin significantly and concentration-dependently inhibited oxLDL-induced cytotoxicity; ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and ELAM-1 increase; and ABC-A1 decrease of both protein and mRNA levels. From a mechanistic perspective, we also provided evidence that the protective effects of indicaxanthin were redox-dependent and related to the pigment efficacy to inhibit NF-κB transcriptional activity. In conclusion, here we demonstrate indicaxanthin as a novel, dietary phytochemical, able to exert significant protective vascular effects in vitro, at nutritionally relevant concentrations
Indicaxanthin, a multi-target natural compound from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit: From its poly-pharmacological effects to biochemical mechanisms and molecular modelling studies
Full text linkOver the latest years phytochemical consumption has been associated to a decreased risk of both theonset and the development of a number of pathological conditions. In this context indicaxanthin, abetalain pigment fromOpuntiaficus-indicafruit, has been the object of sound research. Explored, atfirst,for its mere antioxidant potential, Indicaxanthin is now regarded as a redox-active compound able toexert significant poly-pharmacological effects against several targets in a number of experimental con-ditions bothin vivoandin vitro. This paper aims to provide an overview on the therapeutical effects ofindicaxanthin, ranging from the anti-inflammatory to the neuro-modulatory and anti-tumoral ones andfavored by its high bioavailability. Moreover, biochemical and molecular modelling investigations areaimed to identify the pharmacological targets the compound is able to interact with and to address thechallenging development in the future researc
New Therapeutic Approaches against Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration
Full text linkCellular Senescence in Age-Related Diseases: Molecular Bases and Therapeutic Interventions
Full text linkDue to the increase in life expectancy, the aging population around the globe has been growing significantly and is estimated to triple by 2050 [...
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
- …
