1,720,986 research outputs found
Dithiosulfinates and sulfoxides with antifungal activity from bulbs of allium sativum L. var. Voghiera
No full textNMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry in metabolomics analysis of Salvia
No full textThe interest in using the ‘-omics’ approach for nutrition, agriculture, food science and human health have seen an explosive growth in the last years. Particularly, metabolomics analysis is becoming an integral part of a system biological approach for investigating organisms. In this review, the limitations and advantages of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were discussed in details using the study reported in the literature on different Salvia species (S. hispanica, S. miltiorrhiza, S. officinalis, S. runcinata and S. stenophylla). Both approaches identify and quantify several classes of compounds but not the complete metabolite profile of the plant. A combined approach of these two powerful techniques provides better results allowing to determine both primary and secondary metabolites
Artichoke: botanical, agronomical, phytochemical, and pharmacological overview
No full textArtichoke, Cynara cardunculus, is a dietary and medicinal plant species with a long tradition of use dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It comprises the globe artichoke, C. cardunculus subsp. scolymus, the cultivated cardoon, C. cardunculus subsp. altilis, and the wild cardoon, C. cardunculus subsp. sylvestris. The edible part of the plant is limited to the fleshy leaves (bracts) and receptacle of a large immature inflorescence, named capitulum or head, that has been shown to be a rich source of bioactive compounds. On the other hand, leaves, external bracts and stems discarded by the artichoke processing industry corresponding to about 80–85 % of the total biomass of the plant, represent a suitable potential source of food additives and nutraceuticals. Nutritional and pharmacological properties of artichoke heads and leaves are attributed mainly to polyphenolic compounds and inulin present at high concentration. Other classes of chemical compounds, including flavonoids, anthocyanins, sesquiterpenes, and triterpenes have been also found in the plant at lower amounts. This review, after a general historical, phytogeographical, and ethnobotanical overview, summarizes the current knowledge on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of this plant, with special emphasis on the agronomical and nutritional importance of the plant and to the methods of analysis, including the recently developed metabolomic studies
Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica L.: botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview
No full textUrtica dioica L. (Urticaceae), commonly known as stinging nettle, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the group of phytoalimurgic vegetables, including the wild edible species that were all used in the past when there was a shortage of food. The plant is well known from everybody for the dermatitis it causes when touched, due to biochemical mediators such as histamine and acetylcholine. Recently there was a rediscovery of the plant as food and medicine because of the range of biological activities exhibited such as antirheumatic, anti-infective, immuno-modulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, and allergy relief. This review, providing a botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview of the species, aims to contribute to arouse interest in the scientific community on this promising plant
Chia seeds products: an overview
No full textChia, Salvia hispanica L., is a medicinal
and dietary plant species used since ancient times by
Mayan and Aztec. Its product is a dry indehiscent fruit
which is commonly called seed. In recent times, there
was an increasing attention and diffusion of the seeds
of the plant for their health benefits and uses in
cooking. In fact, seeds are a rich source of nutrients
first of all the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that
protect from inflammation, enhance cognitive performance
and reduce the level of cholesterol. Seeds are
also rich in polyphenols derived from caffeic acid that
are antioxidant compounds protecting the body from
free radicals, aging and cancer. In addition, carbohydrate
based fibers, present at high concentration levels,
are associated with reducing inflammation, lowering
cholesterol and regulating bowel function. This review
summarizes the current knowledge on the phytochemistry
and pharmacological properties of the seeds of
this plant, with special emphasis on the nutritional, and
phytochemical analysis of the plant, including the
recently developed metabolomic studie
Bryophytes Used in Folk Medicine: An Ethnobotanical Overview
Full text linkBryophytes are considered the oldest living plants of terrestrial habitats and the closest modern relatives of the ancestors of the earliest terrestrial plants. Bryophytes are found on all continents and occupy xeric to aquatic niches, with the greatest diversity and biomass in cool temperate regions. Despite the lesser popularity of these organisms, bryophytes have ethnopharmacological importance in different cultures of the world, especially in Chinese, Indian, and Native American medicine. Different bryophyte extracts and isolated compounds have shown anti-microbial, antiviral, and cytotoxic effects. The present overview aims to highlight the use of bryophytes for the treatment of common ailments in folk medicine around the world and to collect, analyze, and summarize the available literature on the pharmacological activity of the most used mosses and liverworts. Based on the literature review, 109 wild taxa of Bryophyta being used for ethnomedical purposes have been documented. Overall, 170 uses were recorded for the 109 taxa considered. Herbal remedies for skin and hair care are by far the most commonly reported (25.0%); antipyretic uses of bryophytes account for 12.2%, while taxa used as medicinal treatments for respiratory and gastro-intestinal systems amount to 12.1% and 9.9%, respectively
Untargeted LC-HRMS Metabolomics and Chemometrics of Aloe vera Across Diverse Geographical Origins and Cultivation Practices
No full textThe chemical composition of Aloe vera leaves was investigated by using liquid chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). Five A. vera samples were collected across diverse geographical origins and cultivation practices: PO (Botanical Garden of Portici, Italy), CAN (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), CA, E, and MM (Marine Reserve of Torre Guaceto, Brindisi, Italy). Analysis of hydroalcoholic organic extracts revealed 77 organic compounds, including ubiquitous primary metabolites (i.e., sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids) and natural products (i.e., phenols and aromatics, terpenes, and anthraquinones). Principal component analysis (PCA) on the raw dataset indicated a clear separation of samples depending on their geographical origins. PO samples showed high amounts of citric acid, the anthraquinone aloe-emodin, and the alkaloids tropine and tropinone. CAN samples showed high content of malic, citramalic, citraconic, erucic, and 3-dehydroquinic acids. CAN and PO samples contained high amounts of jasmonic, quinic, and 4-methoxycinnamic acids along with aloesin, tyramine, coumarin, and saponarin. Among the Brindisi samples, MM contained high amounts of limonene and α-linolenic acid. CA, E, and MM samples presented high amounts of eritrose-4-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, and fructosyl valine along with ginsenoside, proline, and ascorbic acid. These findings indicate that geographical origins and cultivation practices affect to different extents the metabolite profile of A. vera plants
Metabolomic Fingerprinting of Romaneschi Globe Artichokes by NMR Spectroscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis.
No full textIntroduction : Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus L. Fiori) and cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis DC) are sources of nutraceuticals and bioactive compds. Objectives : To apply a NMR metabolomic fingerprinting approach to Cynara cardunculus heads to obtain simultaneous identification and quantitation of the major classes of org. compds. Methodol. : The edible part of 14 Globe artichoke populations, belonging to the Romaneschi varietal group, were extd. to obtain apolar and polar org. exts. The anal. was also extended to one species of cultivated cardoon for comparison. The 1H-NMR of the exts. allowed simultaneous identification of the bioactive metabolites whose quantitation have been obtained by spectral integration followed by principal component anal. (PCA). Results : Apolar org. exts. were mainly based on highly unsatd. long chain lipids. Polar org. exts. contained org. acids, amino acids, sugars (mainly inulin), caffeoyl derivs. (mainly cynarin), flavonoids, and terpenes. The level of nutraceuticals was found to be highest in the Italian landraces Bianco di Pertosa zia E and Natalina while cardoon showed the lowest content of all metabolites thus confirming the genetic distance between artichokes and cardoon. Conclusion : Metabolomic approach coupling NMR spectroscopy with multivariate data anal. allowed for a detailed metabolite profile of artichoke and cardoon varieties to be obtained. Relevant differences in the relative content of the metabolites were obsd. for the species analyzed. This work is the first application of 1H-NMR with multivariate statistics to provide a metabolomic fingerprinting of Cynara scolymus. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [on SciFinder(R)
Laurel, Laurus nobilis L.: a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology
No full textLaurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae), commonly known as laurel, is an evergreen and edible tree that possess biological properties positively correlated with human health. It is a very popular plant known since ancient times in traditional medicine and considered a symbol of peace and sign of victory in military and sport competitions. Laurel is used as flavoring agent in kitchen for meat, fish, broths, and
vegetables. The plant shows a rich content of metabolites including proteins, free sugars, organic acids, PUFA and tocopherols and exhibit a biological potential with a wide range of bioactivity including antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This review is aimed to contribute to the knowledge of the plant by providing a critical overview of the botanic characteristics, the traditional uses, the plant chemistry and the biological activitie
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