1,721,157 research outputs found
Greener solutions for biodeterioration of organic-media cultural heritage: where are we?
No full textEco-friendly decontamination treatments on works of art made from organic materials are of growing interest. The high risks to human health and the environment associated with traditional biocides (e.g. ecotoxicity, development of biotic resistance) have made it necessary to search for safer alternatives, also looking at the past but innovating it. The current state of the art is explored here, delving into the literature on the topic from 2000 to today, and outlining trends in terms of the most tested artistic supports and types of published research (in vitro/in vivo). An overview of the characteristics and mechanisms of biodegradation processes on different types of organic products and on the microorganisms mainly involved is thus provided. The main chemical-physical action techniques tested are illustrated and their practical-applicative aspects are discussed on the basis of evidence from case studies. Taking stock of the actual situation, literature consultation highlights that if on the one hand research is advancing rapidly towards the discovery of new ecological and safe solutions, on the other hand these are often biocidal treatments whose protocols have yet to be explored and validated
Optimizing polyphenol bioaccessibility: the impact of freeze-drying on chlorogenic acid stability in vitelotte potatoes
No full textChlorogenic acids (CGAs) are widely recognized for their antioxidant and metabolic-modulating properties; however, their stability during digestion largely depends on the food matrix and processing conditions. In this study, a freeze-dried matrix of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Vitelotte was utilized to assess the impact of lyophilization on CGA retention and controlled release. A standardized in vitro digestion model was combined with multi-analytical techniques (HPLC-UV-DAD, UHPLC-HRMS, UV-Vis spectroscopy) to evaluate the fate of CGAs during gastrointestinal transit. The results demonstrate that lyophilization significantly enhances CGA stability by minimizing oxidative degradation and modulating their bioaccessibility through interactions with potato starch. Compared to fresh matrices, freeze-drying preserved the structural integrity of three major caffeoylquinic acid isomers, which remained chemically stable up to the intestinal phase. The protective effect of starch–polyphenol interactions likely contributed to a more controlled bioaccessibility, preventing abrupt losses in phenolic content. Unlike CGAs, anthocyanins exhibited lower bioaccessibility, confirming their pH-dependent instability. These findings underscore the importance of sample preparation methods in polyphenol bioaccessibility studies and highlight the potential of lyophilization as a strategy to optimize the nutritional value of CGA-rich functional foods
Harnessing plant extracts for green nanoparticle synthesis: Toward a sustainable future
No full textNanotechnology is revolutionizing diverse scientific fields, yet conventional nanoparticle (NP) synthesis remains energy-intensive and environmentally hazardous. This has fuelled a shift toward sustainable, biogenic approaches, with plant-mediated NP synthesis emerging as a promising alternative. Leveraging the rich diversity of plant-derived phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and alkaloids, this method offers a sustainable, cost-effective and eco-friendly route to nanoparticle production. However, despite its potential, key challenges remain: the incomplete characterization of plant extracts hampers reproducibility, control over NP morphology, and large-scale implementation. While many studies report successful NP synthesis, a precise understanding of the specialized metabolites involved is still lacking. Bridging this knowledge gap is crucial for optimizing NP properties and expanding their biomedical, catalytic, and industrial applications. This review critically examines the role of specialized plant metabolites in NP synthesis, detailing analytical techniques, such as LC-MS, FTIR, and NMR, for their characterization. Scalability remains a key challenge in plant-mediated nanoparticle synthesis, with reproducibility often limited by non-standardized extraction methods. Strategies such as protocol harmonization, the integration of advanced analytical tools, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance consistency and predictability. Recent publication trends show growing interest in green synthesis, particularly in applications across healthcare, food nanotechnology, and smart packaging. Addressing current limitations and deepening the understanding of plant-derived metabolites could shift the field from empirical trials to a standardized, scalable, and industrially viable green technology, supporting the development of sustainable materials
Synthesis of Bioactive Chlorogenic Acid-Silica Hybrid Materials via the Sol-Gel Route and Evaluation of Their Biocompatibility
No full textNatural phenol compounds are gaining a great deal of attention because of their potential use as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in many diseases, as well as in applied science for their preventing role in oxidation deterioration. With the aim to synthetize new phenol-based materials, the sol-gel method was used to embed different content of the phenolic antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA) within silica matrices to obtain organic-inorganic hybrid materials. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements were used to characterize the prepared materials. The new materials were screened for their bioactivity and antioxidant potential. To this latter purpose, direct DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2 '-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) methods were applied: radical scavenging capability appeared strongly dependent on the phenol amount in investigated hybrids, and became pronounced, mainly toward the ABTS radical cation, when materials with CGA content equal to 15 wt% and 20 wt% were analyzed. The in vitro biocompatibility of the synthetized materials was estimated by using the MTT assay towards fibroblast NIH 3T3 cells, human keratinocyte HaCaT cells, and the neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. As cell viability and morphology of tested cell lines seemed to be unaffected by new materials, the attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR method was applied to deeply measure the effects of the hybrids in the three different cell lines
Plant-Derived Polyphenols: A Chemopreventive and Chemoprotectant Worth-Exploring Resource in Toxicology
No full textCancer is a devastating disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Scientific research validly counteracts the onset of cancer and its resistances with a multiplicity of treatments. Healthy lifestyles and avoidance of exposure to potential carcinogens are highly recommended cancer preventive measures. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant-derived polyphenols, peculiarly rich in plant dietary products, are thoroughly investigated as capable of hindering carcinogenesis in its various stages. Furthermore, a growing toxicological research, mostly based on cell and animal models, is identifying polyphenols or their formulations, properly obtained from plant sources, as promising anticancer agents with chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive effectiveness. Thus, polyphenols could also be employed as protectant agents, useful in overcoming the failures of the most common anticancer treatments. This chapter provides an update of the current scientific knowledge of plant polyphenols and all their anticancer-linked properties that make them a resource in toxicology worth exploring
Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of SiO2/PCL hybrid materials containing quercetin as new materials for antioxidant implants
No full textThe development of biomaterials with intrinsic antioxidant properties could represent a valuable strategy for preventing pen-implant disease onset. In this context quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has been entrapped, at different weight percentages in a silica/poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-based hybrid material by a sol-gel route. FT-IR and UV spectroscopic techniques were employed in order to characterize the hybrids. FT-IR analysis indicated changes in stretching frequencies of the quercetin dienonic moiety, suggesting that a flavonol oxidized derivative was formed during the sol-gel process. The establishment of hydrogen-bonded interactions between quercetin and silica and polymer matrices, was strongly affected by the amount of polymer. Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) did not interact with quercetin when it was loaded at high doses (50 wt.%). The morphology of the synthesized materials was observed by using SEM. The obtained images proved that the materials are hybrid nanocomposites. Their bioactivity was shown by the formation of a hydroxyapatite layer on samples' surface soaked in a fluid simulating the composition of the human plasma. The antiradical properties of the investigated systems were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS methods and their cytotoxicity by the MU assay. Data obtained revealed that the synthesized materials are biocompatible and that the hybrid system, with 6 wt.% of PCL and 15 wt.% of quercetin, produced the strongest antiradical efficacy. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V
Entrapping quercetin in silica/polyethylene glycol hybrid materials: Chemical characterization and biocompatibility
No full textSol-gel synthesis was exploited to entrap quercetin, a natural occurring antioxidant polyphenol, in silica-based hybrid materials, which differed in their polyethylene glycol (PEG) content (6, 12, 24 and 50 wt%). The materials obtained, whose nano-composite nature was ascertained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), were chemically characterized by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) and UV-Vis spectroscopies. The results prove that a reaction between the polymer and the drug occurred. Bioactivity tests showed their ability to induce hydroxyapatite nucleation on the sample surfaces. The direct contact method was applied to screen the cytotoxicity of the synthetized materials towards fibroblast NIH 3T3 cells, commonly used for in vitro biocompatibility studies, and three nervous system cell lines (neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y, glioma U251, and pheochromocytoma PC12 cell lines), adopted as models in oxidative stress related studies. Using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay NIH 3T3 proliferation was assessed and the morphology was not compromised by direct exposure to the materials. Analogously, PC-12, and U-251 cell lines were not affected by new materials. SH-SY5Y appeared to be the most sensitive cell line with cytotoxic effects of 20-35%
Antioxidant iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium chamaedrys (L.)
No full textWall Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) is a Mediterranean species used as medicinal herb. A previous screening turned to the radical scavenging efficacy determination was carried out on crude extracts from T. chamaedrys ipogeal and epigeal components undergoing each one to DPPH radical antioxidative HAT assay. Leaf and root methanolic extracts are responsive of a peculiar DPPH radical scavenging efficacy.
The methanolic crude extracts were object of extractive and chromatographic analyses to yield twelve compounds: seven iridoid and five phenylethanoid glycosides, four of them isolated and characterized for the first time on the basis of their spectroscopic features.
The DPPH radical scavenging and antioxidant capabilities of the purified metabolites were assessed. The antioxidant capability in cell-free systems of the isolated metabolites was carried out by measuring their capabilities to inhibit the synthesis of thiobarbituric acid reactive in assay media using as oxydable substrates a vegetable fat and the pentose sugar 2-deoxyribose. The inhibiting capacity of isolated metabolites the protein oxidation, defined as the covalent modification of a protein induced either directly by reactive oxygen species or indirectly by reaction with secondary by-products of oxidative stress, was also measured. Compounds from T. chamaedrys were tested in increasing concentration (5.0μM, 10.0μM and 20.0μM) in triplicate analysis. The detected activities were compared to those exercised from Trolox®.
When DPPH radical scavenging was tested, phenylethanoid glycosides highly reduced the oxidant probe employing an activity strongly dose-dependent. Iridoid glycosides prevent massively the 2-deoxyribose and BSA oxidations in assay media. The results show that oxidation and radical processes are highly complex and involve various mechanisms and targets. In particular the ability to scavenge free radical does not necessarily confer antioxidant properties
Annurcoic acid: A new antioxidant ursane triterpene from fruits of cv. Annurca apple
No full text'Annurca' is a variety of apple produced in the south of Italy. The phytochemical study of the ethereal extract of the reddened fruits led to the isolation of a new ursane triterpen, as well as five known compounds, which were identified by spectroscopic techniques.
The new compound was identified as the acid, 1a,19a-dihydroxyursan-28-oic, and named annurcoic acid. Antioxidant activities of all the isolated compounds were assessed by measuring their ability to scavenge 2,20-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)radicals and to inhibit the autoxidation of methyl linoleate (MeLo) in vitro.'Annurca' is a variety of apple produced in the south of Italy. The phytochemical study of the ethereal extract of the reddened fruits led to the isolation of a new ursane triterpen, as well as five known compounds, which were identified by spectroscopic techniques. The new compound was identified as the acid, 1α,19α-dihydroxyursan-28-oic, and named annurcoic acid. Antioxidant activities of all the isolated compounds were assessed by measuring their ability to scavenge 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and to inhibit the autoxidation of methyl linoleate (MeLo) in vitro. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Wild aromatic plants bioactivity: a function of their (poly)phenol seasonality? A case study from Mediterranean area
No full textWild medicinal and aromatic plants are in the market as herbal raw or processed and packaged materials, playing, even today, a strategic role in the production of plant-based products. Indeed, their content in active ingredients, mainly specialized secondary metabolites, is not constant; it undergoes significant seasonal variations, as abiotic stress heavily affects secondary metabolism network. The present review deals with the seasonality influence on the polyphenolic composition on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of medicinal and aromatic plants. To this aim, firstly the factors influencing the content of active ingredients in a plant drug will be discussed, and, in particular, the increased occurrence of phenols as a response to abiotic stress. In the last part of the review a brief reference will be made to four meaningful case studies, which involve wild medicinal aromatic herbs, native to the Mediterranean area: Calamintha nepeta L. Savi, Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Ruta graveolens L. and Thymus longicaulis C. Presl. These species, grown in the same geographical area and collected at the same harvesting time, showed a great variability in phenol constituents throughout the year. The comparison among data acquired clearly evidences that the seasonal variation in polyphenols’ occurrence and amount leads to a more/less pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the hydroalcoholic extract therefrom. It is worth of note that the presence of the same metabolite, but in different phytochemical complexes, could result in different biological activities
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