Immunomodulatory and anticancer activities of phenolics from Garcinia mangostana fruit pericarp

The methanolic extract of Garciniamangostana fruit pericarp was partitioned into butanol and water fractions in this work. Three major phenolics were purified and identified as P₁ [1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) xanthone], P₂ [1,3,6-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) xanthone] and P₃ (epicatechin). Strong antioxidant activities were detected for P₁–P₃. In vitro cell proliferation trials indicated that P₁ and P₃ exhibited good immunomodulatory activities when 7.5 μg/ml was used. Furthermore, P₁ and P₃ showed good cytotoxicities against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human colon cancer cells (LOVO). P₁ exhibited the maximal cytotoxicity of 73.06% against MCF-7 cells and of 46.27% against LOVO cells when 62.5 μg/ml was used. The cytotoxicities of P₁, P₂, P₃ and paclitaxel against normal embryonic lung fibroblast cells (HELF) were in a decreasing order: paclitaxel > P₃ > P₁ > P_2. These results suggested that P₁ and P₃ could be used as a potential anticancer agent.     

Phenolics from hull of Garcinia mangostana fruit and their antioxidant activities

The air-dried fruit hulls of Garcinia mangostana Linn. were extracted with 70% MeOH, and then partitioned into the n-BuOH fractions. Furthermore, three major phenolic components related to their antioxidant activities were purified by silica gel column chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 and then identified as P₁ (1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)), P₂ [1,3,6-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) xanthone] and P₃ (epicatechin) using UV–visible spectrophotometry, IR spectrophotometry and NMR spectroscopy, respectively. The antioxidant activities of three major phenolics were evaluated using different tests, including the free radical scavenging capability and total antioxidant activity in a linoleic acid peroxidation. These three phenolic compounds exhibited different antioxidant activities in these antioxidant tests. The hydroxyl radical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capabilities and the activity against linoleic acid peroxidation of P₁ were greater than those of P₂ and P₃, while the superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of P₃ was greater than that of P₁, but was close to that of P₂ or α-tocopherol. An activity-guided isolation and purification process was used to identify the components showing the strong DPPH radical scavenging activity from G. mangostana Linn.     

Phenolic acid profiles of mangosteen fruits (Garcinia mangostana)

The composition of phenolic acids in various parts of mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana) was determined by GC and MS. The total content of phenolic acids, identified by GC-FID ranged from 265.7 ± 12.7 (aril) to 5027.7 ± 188.0 (peel) mg per kg of dry matter of sample. Ten phenolic acids were identified in mangosteen fruit. Of these, protocatechuic acid was the major phenolic acid in the peel and rind, while p-hydroxybenzoic acid was the predominant phenolic acid in the aril. m-Hydroxybenzoic acid was detected only in the peel, while 3,4-dihydroxymandelic was present only in the rind. The phenolic acids liberated from esters and glycosidic bonds were the major fractions of phenolic acids in mangosteen fruit.     

Antibacterial activity of the extracts from the fruit rinds of Garcinia cowa and Garcinia pedunculata against food borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria

The crude hexane and chloroform extracts from the fruit rinds of Garcinia cowa and Garcinia pedunculata were studied for their antibacterial activity against some foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extracts determined by the agar dilution method were ranging from 15 to 500 μg/ml and 300 to 1250 μg/ml for G. cowa and G. pedunculata, respectively. However, the hexane and chloroform extracts from the fruit rinds of G. cowa exhibited marked inhibitory effect against all the test organisms and were more effective than that of G. pedunculata extracts. The antibacterial activity of all the extracts was more pronounced against the tested Gram-positive bacteria than the tested Gram-negative bacterium. Furthermore, this study is the first report on the in vitro antibacterial activity of extracts from the fruit rinds of G. cowa and G. pedunculata.     

Short-term toxicological evaluation of Terminalia catappa, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Calophyllum inophyllum seed oils in rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of feeding the oils of Calophyllum inophyllum, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Terminalia catappa to rats. The effects on physical appearance, feed intake, weight gain, plasma and tissue cholesterol and triacyglycerol levels in rats with 5% of the oils in normal rat feed were determined. Weekly monitoring of the rats showed good physical appearance and steady weight gain, with no mortality recorded for the period of the study. Haematological analysis of the rats indicated that they were not anaemic. Histopathotogical examination of the sections of the heart, liver, kidney and spleen revealed moderate (T. catappa oil) to severe fatty change and necrosis in the liver. Glomerulonephrotic changes in the kidneys of rats fed with T. catappa oil were moderate, while it was severe in the group fed with P. macrophylla oil. Severe myocardiac necrosis as well as atherosclerotic clefts in vasa vasori was observed in the vasa vasori of the hearts of rats fed with P. macrophylla oil. This change was moderate in the heart of rats fed with C. inophyllum, while no such observation was made in the group fed with T. catappa oil. There was a significant difference in the plasma cholesterol levels of the rats fed with C. inophyllum and T. catappa oils when compared with the control rats, while those fed with P. macrophylla oil had no significant difference. The oil of T. catappa appears more suitable for consumption than the oils from C. inophyllum and P. macrophylla. Fatty acid analysis of the oils showed that they have high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids with linoleic and oleic acids as the major ones.     

Characterisation of anthocyanins from Garcinia indica Choisy

The present study deals with isolation and characterisation of anthocyanins present in Garcinia indica Choisy (popularly known as kokum), which is a potential source of a natural food colourant. The kokum was found to contain a very high concentration of anthocyanins (2.4 g/100 g of kokum fruit), compared to other natural sources. Acid hydrolysis ascertained that this anthocyanin consisted of a single aglycone, i.e., cyanidin. A comparison of saponified and unsaponified fraction indicated that the pigment was not acylated. HPLC, mass and NMR spectroscopy analyses confirmed that the pigment essentially contains two anthocyanins, which were identified as cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-sambubioside.     

Evaluation and characterisation of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad seed oil: Comparison with Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil

The physicochemical properties, fatty acid, tocopherol, thermal properties, ¹H NMR, FTIR and profiles of non-conventional oil extracted from Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad seeds were evaluated and compared with conventional sunflower seed oil. In addition, the antioxidant properties of C. colocynthis seed oil were also evaluated. The oil content of the C. colocynthis seeds was 23.16%. The main fatty acids in the oil were linoleic acid (66.73%) followed by oleic acid (14.78%), palmitic acid (9.74%), and stearic acid (7.37%). The tocopherol content was 121.85 mg/100 g with γ-tocopherol as the major one (95.49%). The thermogravimetric analysis showed that the oil was thermally stable up to 286.57 °C, and then began to decompose in four stages namely at 377.4 °C, 408.4 °C, 434.9 °C and 559.2 °C. The present study showed that this non-conventional C. colocynthis seed oil can be used for food and non-food applications to supplement or replace some of the conventional oils.     

Chemical composition and DSC thermal properties of two species of Hylocereus cacti seed oil: Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus polyrhizus

Two types of pitaya (Hylocereus cacti) seeds (Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus polyrhizus) were investigated in this study. The fatty acid, phenolic, tocopherol, and sterol contents of the extracted seed oil were analysed. The results showed that the pitaya seeds contained a high amount of oil (18.33–28.37%). The three major fatty acids in the H. undatus seed oil (WFSO) and H. polyrhizus seed oil (RFSO) were linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids. The total tocopherol contents in the WFSO and RFSO were 36.70 and 43.50 mg/100 g, respectively. The phytosterol compounds identified in the WFSO and RFSO were cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol. Seven phenolic acid compounds were identified in the WFSO and RFSO, namely, gallic, vanillic, syringic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric, and caffeic acids. WFSO and RFSO can be differentiated by their T_off and T_on values in the DSC thermal curves. This study reveals that pitaya seed oil has a high level of functional lipids and can be used as a new source of essential oil.     

Fatty acid composition of seed oil of different Sorghum bicolor varieties

In order to find out new sources of premium quality edible oil in the country, seeds of ten varieties of Sorghum bicolor were initially analyzed for their total oil contents. The seed oil was later fractionated into eight fatty acids including two new saturated fatty acids. The oil contents were determined by Soxhlet method and compared with the results obtained by NMR analysis. The total oil contents in the seeds of sorghum ranged from 5.0 to 8.2 % (w/w), indicating non significant difference obtained by two different techniques. The results revealed that oleic acid (31.12–48.99%), Palmitoleic acid (0.43–0.56%), linoleic acids (27.59–50.73%), linolenic acid (1.71–3.89%), stearic acid (1.09–2.59%) and palmitic acid (11.73–20.18%) was present in the seed oil of different sorghum varieties when analyzed by GC–MS. It was observed that in most of the varieties polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were higher than monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The two atypical SFAs, octanedioic (C8:0) and azelaic acid (C9:0) were found in some varieties. These results suggest that these S. bicolor varieties could be additional sources of edible oil due to presence of clinically important saturated and high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids. A large scale production of the seed oil after refining process can contribute towards alleviation of edible oil shortage in the country with increased use of premium quality oil.     

Chemical,amino acid and fatty acid composition of Sterculia urens L. seed

The chemical, amino acid and fatty acid compositions of Sterculia urens seeds are reported. The cotyledons were found to be rich in protein (30.88%) and lipids (39.2%). The major amino acids in defatted Sterculia urens cotyledon flour (DSCF) were determined as glutamic acid, arginine and aspartic acid. Cysteine, methionine, tyrosine and histidine were observed in minor quantities. The ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids was observed to be 0.45. Among the essential amino acids, isoleucine was found to be higher than the reported FAO/WHO requirements. The GC-FID and GC–MS analysis revealed that the major fatty acids of the total lipid were stearic acid (31.72%), linoleic acid (28.83%) and palmitic acid (26.79%). Eicosadienoic acid (4.98%) and eicosatrienoic acid (2.96%) were also found in the total lipid.     

Characteristics and composition of Washingtonia filifera (Linden ex André) H. Wendl. seed and seed oil

Characteristics of seeds and oil extracted from Washingtonia filifera seeds are evaluated. The percentage composition of the W. filifera seeds is: ash 1.37%, oil 16.30%, protein content 3.46%, total carbohydrate 77.19% and moisture 3.22%. The major nutrients (mg/100 g of seeds) found in the seeds are: potassium (67.33), magnesium (34.35), calcium (187.85) and phosphorus (23.26). Physicochemical properties of the oil include: iodine value 67.33 g/100 g of oil; saponification value, 191.63 mg KOH/g of oil; refractive index (25 °C), 1.469; unsaponifiable matter, 0.83%; acidity, 0.41%; p-anisidine value, 0.87; peroxide value, 7.60 mEq O₂/kg of oil; carotenoid content 14.8 mg/100 g and the chlorophyll content = 0.13 mg/100 g. W. filifera seed oil shows some absorbance in the UV-B and UV-C ranges with potential use as a broad spectrum UV protectant. The oil contains high levels of oleic acid (40.60%) followed by lauric acid (17.87%), linoleic acid (16.26%), myristic acid (11.43%) and palmitic acid (9.23%). The triacylglycerols (TAGs) with equivalent carbon number ECN 44 (20.47%) are dominant, followed by TAGs ECN 46 (16.71%), TAGs ECN 42 (15.43%) and TAGs ECN 48 (15.41%). The DSC melting curves reveal that: melting point = 2.25 °C and melting enthalpy = 82.34 J/g. γ-Tocotrienol is the major tocol (72%) with the rest being δ-tocotrienol and α-tocotrienol. The results of the present analytical study show that W. filifera seed oil could be used in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food products.     

The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed oil

The antioxidant capacity of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed oil was investigated with a number of established in vitro assays and in an in vivo study of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced oxidative stress in mice. The results showed that DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating activity, reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity all increased with increasing concentrations of seabuckthorn seed oil. Moreover, the EC₅₀ values of seabuckthorn seed oil from the hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays were 2.63, 2.16 and 0.77 mg/ml, respectively. In the in vivo study, seabuckthorn seed oil inhibited the toxicity of CCl₄, as seen from the significantly increased activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. The GSH content in the liver was also increased, whereas hepatic malondialdehyde was reduced. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that seabuckthorn seed oil has significant potential as a natural antioxidant agent.     

Essential oil composition of Coriandrumsativum seed cultivated in Algeria as food grains protectant

A laboratory study was conducted to determine the efficiency of Coriandrum sativum seed essential oil for Sitophilus granarius control. The bioactivity of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from the seed of C. sativum was assessed under laboratory conditions for it’s biological activity against S. granarius in chickpea grains. The components of the essential oil were identified through GC, and GC–MS. The identity of 17 constituent compounds of the essential oil was confirmed and their relative proportion was determined. Linalool has the highest percentage composition in the C. sativum seed essential oil (73.11%). All essential oil dosages showed a significant level of toxicity to the insect after 5 days.     

Characteristics of Prunus serotina seed oil

Oils from Prunus serotina raw and toasted seeds extracted with hexane and supercritical CO₂ were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics. Supercritical CO₂ extracted the least oil (21.3%), with high absorbing carotenoid pigments. P. serotina oil had characteristically high refractive index and density with three typical absorbance peaks in the UVC (100–290 nm) range centred at 260, 270 and 280 nm. The oil was highly polyunsaturated and abundant in oleic (35%), α-elostearic (27%), linoleic (27%), palmitic (4%), stearic (4%) and β-elostearic (1%) acids. P. serotina seed oil exhibited at least three distinct thermal structural transitions between −35 and −13 °C with two reversing transitions between −19 and −12 °C. Thermal oxidation by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed a three step oxidation of P. serotina seed oil with the mean onset and oxidation temperatures at 121 and 130–273 °C, respectively, depending on processing. Supercritical CO₂ extraction and toasting significantly affected the thermal and oxidation characteristics, fluorescence, and fatty acids of oils.     

Chemical composition, mineral content and antioxidant activity of Verbena officinalis L.

Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from Verbena officinalis L. were obtained and characterised. The analysis by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS allowed the detection and identification of three iridoids, fifteen flavonoids and four phenolic acid derivatives. Four flavonoids, scutellarein 7-diglucuronide (9), scutellarein 7-glucuronide (13), pedalitin 6-galactoside (15) and scutellarein 7-glucoside (19) are reported for the first time from this plant. In addition, three new flavonoids have been isolated: scutellarein 7-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (5), pedalitin 6-O-diglucuronide (6) and pedalitin 6-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (13). To our knowledge, these flavonoids have not been reported as natural products. Both extracts showed significant antioxidant activity using three in vitro model systems and the results have been correlated with total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The results have allowed establishing an important relation structure-activity and significant correlations have also been found between the mineral content and the flavonoids present in both extracts.     

Chemical investigation of Erythrina variegata Linn. seed proteins

Proteins were extracted from deoiled seeds of Erythrina variegata Linn., a potential source of non-conventional seed, in aqueous solutions of various pHs or by different concentrations of NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂ and MgSO₄ at pH 7.0. Nitrogen contents of the seeds and deoiled seeds showed good protein content. Fractionation of protein was done to separate albumin, globulin, prolamine and glutelin. Amino acid analysis of the total protein isolates (TPI) and the fractions isolated (except prolamine) identified 17 amino acids, most of which were essential. The molecular weights of TPI and the fractions were determined by SDS–PAGE electrophoresis. The results showed that TPI was composed of twelve bands, eight for globulin, nine for prolamine and six for glutelin. Studies on surface structure of the proteins and seed flour by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are also included.     

Chemical and biological characteristics of Cuminum cyminum and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils

Essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from Cuminum cyminum and Rosmarinus officinalis were characterized by means of GC and GC–MS. C. cyminum and R. officinalis contained α-pinene (29.1%, 14.9%), 1,8-cineole (17.9%, 7.43%) and linalool (10.4%, 14.9%), respectively, as the major compounds. C. cyminum oil exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity than did R. officinalis oil against E. coli, S. aureus and L. monocytogenes. Complete death time on exposure to Cuminum cyminum L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. oils were 20 and 25 min 180 and 240 min and 90 and 120 min for E. coli, S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, respectively. Radical-scavenging and antioxidant properties were tested by means of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and the β-carotene bleaching test. These properties were compared to those of Thymus x-porlock essential oil, used as a reference ingredient. The radical scavenging performance of the rosemary oil was better than that of C. cyminum. Results from the antioxidant test were better than those provided by the radical-scavenging activity. C. cyminum and R. officinalis essential oils may be considered as potent agents in food preservation.     

Muscle lipids and fatty acid profiles of three edible fish from the Mauritanian coast: Epinephelus aeneus, Cephalopholis taeniops and Serranus scriba

Muscle lipids and fatty acids (FA) of three largely consumed seawater species of Serranidae (Epinephelus aeneus, Cephalopholis taeniops, and Serranus scriba) from the Mauritanian coast, were determined through 1 year. The lipid contents were relatively poor, ranging from 0.8% to 2.3% showing a significant seasonal dependency. Amongst the 35 FA identified, 35–51% were saturated FA (SFA), 21–33% monounsaturated FA (MUFA), and 18–34% polyunsaturated FA (PUFA). Palmitic acid was found to be the main SFA, and was seasonal dependent, with a mean value of 30.5% for E. aeneus, 27.9% for C. taeniops, and 20.9% for S. scriba. Amongst MUFA, oleic acid, with 11–16%, was the main acid in all three species. The n6 PUFA level was low, in particular for C. taeniops (1.3–1.6%), and a little higher for S. scriba (3.6–4.2%). The three species were characterised by high amounts of n3 PUFA. Amongst them, docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3) was the highest with 5–9% for C. taeniops, 13–17% for S. scriba, and 10–16% for E. aeneus. Eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n3), was the second highest n3 PUFA, with 4–13%.