Kinetics of extracted bioactive components from mushrooms in artificial digestive juices

This article presents a study on fruiting bodies of Boletus badius, Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, Lactarius deliciosus, Leccinum scabrum, Suillus bovinus, Suillus luteus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Tricholoma equestre, Armillaria mellea, Agaricus bisporus, and Auricularia polytricha. The amounts of their health-promoting bioelements and physiologically significant indole and phenolic compounds were determined. The significance of edible mushrooms in the human diet and in disease prevention were also established. The high-performance liquid chromatography was used to assess the contents of indole compounds and phenolic acids. The atomic absorption spectroscopy was applied to determine bioelements. In all samples, the content of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan was studied. The highest extraction amount of serotonin was found for P. ostreatus species. Phenolic compounds were determined in the conditions described in the present study for the first time. Additionally, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, and gallic acids were determined.     

Tire-wear particles as a source of zinc to the environment

Tire-tread material has a zinc (Zn) content of about 1 wt %. The quantity of tread material lost to road surfaces by abrasion has not been well characterized. Two approaches were used to assess the magnitude of this nonpoint source of Zn in the U.S. for the period 1936-1999. In the first approach, tread-wear rates from the automotive engineering literature were used in conjunction with vehicle distance-driven data from the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine Zn releases. A second approach calculated this source term from the volume of tread lost during lifetime tire wear. These analyses showed that the quantity of Zn released by tire wear in the mid-1990s was of the same magnitude as that released from waste incineration. For 1999, the quantity of Zn released by tire wear in the U.S. is estimated to be 10 000-11 000 metric tons. A specific case study focused on Zn sources and sinks in an urban-suburban watershed (Lake Anne) in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area for a time period of the late 1990s. The atmospheric flux of total Zn (wet deposition) to the watershed was 2 microg/cm2/yr. The flux of Zn to the watershed estimated from tire wear was 42 microg/cm2/yr. The measured accumulation rate of total Zn in age-dated sediment cores from Lake Anne was 27 microg/cm2/yr. These data suggest that tire-wear Zn inputs to urban-suburban watersheds can be significantly greater than atmospheric inputs, although the watershed appears to retain appreciable quantities of vehicular Zn inputs.     

Spent coffee as a rich source of antioxidative compounds

Antioxidant activities and major antioxidants were investigated in the methanolic extracts of roasted and spent coffee to evaluate the feasibility of spent coffee as a source of functional ingredients. Phenolic compounds, such as gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and chlorogenic acid, and nitrogenous compounds, including trigonelline and caffeine, were identified. Caffeine was the most abundant compound, followed by chlorogenic acid. Despite the significant reduction of antioxidants, 2,2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was retained in more than 95% of roasted coffee. The retentions of superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were 65–90 and 46–60%, respectively. Gallic acid had a positive correlation with SOD-like activity, whereas protocatechuic acid positively correlated with FRAP, suggesting that the major compounds contributing to each antioxidant activity are different. These results show that spent coffee can be used as an antioxidant source for functional foods and cosmetic products to improve antioxidant properties.     

In vitro bioaccessibility of iron and zinc in fortified fruit beverages

Iron and zinc bioaccessibility was estimated in the in vitro gastrointestinal digests of six different fortified fruit beverages (Fb) containing iron and/or zinc and/or skimmed milk (M). Solubility values can be used to establish trends in relative bioavailability of iron and zinc, as the first stage towards mineral bioavailability comprises solubility in the intestinal tract. FbFe, FbFeM and FbFeZnM samples showed iron bioaccessibility above 88%, differing ( P  < 0.05) from those of FbFeZn (53%). In turn, FbZn, FbFeZn and FbZnM samples presented higher zinc bioaccessibility (above 68%), differing ( P  < 0.05) from those of FbFeZnM (48%). The presence of milk-derived caseinophosphopeptides (CPPs) formed during gastrointestinal digestion in dairy samples does not increase iron or zinc bioaccessibility in FbFeM or FbZnM vs. FbFe or FbZn, but it is hypothesised that the negative interacting effect of zinc upon iron bioaccessibility when co-supplemented in these fruit beverages is overcome in the presence of CPPs, which favour iron solubility more than in the case of zinc.     

Spent espresso coffee grounds as a source of anti-proliferative and antioxidant compounds

Disposal of spent espresso coffee grounds (SCG) is costly and leads to the loss of bioactive compounds that could be fractionated, in several applications. This work aimed to investigate phenolic profile, tocopherols, and antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities of SCGs ethanolic extracts from coffee powders differing in coffee provenience and composition (arabica/robusta). Tyrosol, detected for the first time in SCGs, was the most abundant phenolic measured (121–1084 mg/kg in the extract), along with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillin (885–1813 and 340–1103 mg/kg, respectively). Extract derived from 100% robusta from Guatemala (S7-R) showed the highest α- to β-tocopherol ratio of 1.2 and the highest antioxidant potential as evidenced by RACI and GAS values of −0.43 and 0.20, respectively. Moreover, S7-R showed a promising anti-proliferative activity toward human lung carcinoma cells (A549), with IC₅₀ value of 61.2 μg/mL comparable to that given by the positive control vinblastine (IC₅₀ value of 67.3 μg/mL).     

Fate of sulphur compounds released from cellulose xanthate during its action as a soil conditioner

The distribution of the sulphur-containing compounds released from cellulose xanthate after its application to soil has been investigated by laboratory experiments using ³⁵S-labelled cellulose xanthate. It was shown that more than half of the sulphur contained in cellulose xanthate applied to soil was dispersed into the atmosphere, presumably as carbon disulphide. This release occurred rapidly during the first few hours and was virtually complete within 48 h. About 25% of the sulphur added was water soluble, and was leached through the soil by simulated rain. About 20% of the sulphur added remained attached to the soil in an insoluble form, some of it acid resistant. Ageing the cellulose xanthate for up to 14 days at 20°C before application had only minor effects on this fractionation. It is unlikely that the use of cellulose xanthate as a soil conditioner would have any appreciably harmful or unpleasant side effects, or cause damage to the environment.     

发酵果蔬的功能及应用现状

随着消费者对健康饮食的日益重视,具有保健作用的发酵果蔬汁相关产品引起了研究者的广泛关注。果蔬是微生物生长的理想基质,果蔬汁发酵后会产生丰富的营养物质和多种功能活性,因此实现了果蔬高值化利用,使得未来发酵果蔬汁系列产品有着广阔的应用市场。本文综述了果蔬汁的常见发酵方式,发酵后的生物活性成分、功能活性以及发酵对果蔬汁的品质改善作用,对发酵果蔬汁行业的发展具有一定的指导意义。     

果蔬汁品质的总抗氧化活性评价

通过对5种商品果蔬汁饮料和5种新鲜果蔬榨取的原汁的抗氧化活性、VC和总酚含量的测定和分析,结果表明,全体果蔬汁的总抗氧化活性与其所含的VC有着显著的相关性,与其所含的总酚量的关系很小。从保健功能的角度考虑,以总抗氧化活性作为果蔬汁品质的一项评价指标具有一定的参考价值和现实意义。     

Flavonoids from a grape seed extract interact with digestive secretions and intestinal cells as assessed in an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model

Although the bioactivity of flavonoids is related to their bioavailability, little is known about pre-absorption events in the gastrointestinal tract and their possible interactions with digestive constituents and intestinal cells. Using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model, we investigated the effect of digestive secretions on the stability of (+)-catechin (CAT), (−)-epicatechin (EC) and B2 and B3 dimers from a procyanidin-rich grape seed extract (GSE). The availability of phenolic compounds was not affected by salivary and gastric incubations but decreased during intestinal digestion in the absence of Caco-2 cells due to interactions with pancreatic proteins, unmasked by acetonitrile extraction. Then, in the presence of cells, about 43.9% of CAT, 85.3% of EC and all dimers disappeared at the end of 2 h of intestinal incubation. The stability of all compounds at intestinal pH was demonstrated as well as interactions with proteins, associated with a decrease of some cells enzyme activities, e.g., alkaline phosphatase (−79.8%), sucrase-isomaltase (−60.9%) and aminopeptidase N (−60.7%). Moreover, no compounds were detected in the basal compartment of transwells or in cell monolayers.     

In vitro bioaccessibility of health-related compounds as affected by the formulation of fruit juice- and milk-based beverages

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of the beverage formulation on the in vitro digestibility and bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds, vitamin C, and carotenoids, as well as antioxidant activity from milk, a blended fruit juice (BFJ) and a combination of both of them (BFJ–MB). The release of many phenolic substances was improved during gastric digestion of milk and BFJ–MB (around 5 and 75%), but not in BFJ. Vitamin C and carotenoids diminished significantly (P < 0.05) in the gastric and intestinal digesta of each beverage. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, vitamin C and hydrophilic constituents with antioxidant activity were more bioaccessible in BFJ (up to 3.4 times) than in milk and BFJ–MB. On the contrary, the bioaccessibility of carotenes, xanthophylls and those compounds with lipophilic antioxidant activity was improved when milk was added to BFJ (up to 1.9 times). Results suggest that the addition of milk improved the bioaccessibility of lipophilic constituents but not that of hydrophilics. Nevertheless, BFJ–MB combines the nutritional ingredients of milk and BFJ. As a result, BFJ–MB could supply a higher diversity of bioaccessible compounds in comparison to that of milk and BFJ alone, promoting health and protecting against several diseases.     

Syringa oblata Lindl var. alba as a source of oleuropein and related compounds

The leaf methanol extract of Syringa oblata Lindl var. alba was investigated as a source of oleuropein and related compounds. The extract had a high total phenol content and a radical scavenging activity similar to that of the respective extract from Olea europaea leaves. HPLC‐DAD characterisation of the two most abundant phenolic compounds in the extract of S. oblata indicated that both had UV spectra matching that of oleuropein. The presence of oleuropein was verified by using LC‐MS. Identification of the second compound was only feasible after isolation (preparative HPLC) and spectroscopic characterisation [LC‐MS, ¹H NMR and homonuclear two‐dimensional correlated spectroscopy (COSY)]. The compound identified was the known bioactive syringopicroside. On the basis of MS data other peaks were assigned to oleuropein aglycone, verbascoside, ligstroside and syringopicroside derivatives, as well as to a luteolin rutinoside. The findings are promising for the potential exploitation of S. oblata leaf extract as a source for oleuropein and other bioactive ingredients. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

In vitro binding of calcium,iron and zinc by non-starch polysaccharides

The in vitro binding capacity of eight non-starch polysaccharides (agar, κ-carrageenan, gum xanthan, gum arabic, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, pectin and gum guar) was measured by equilibrium dialysis in neutral and acidic (0.1M HCl) solutions in the presence of divalent cations (Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺). No significant binding was observed in acidic conditions while, in neutral solutions, the extent of binding was correlated (P<0.1) to the cation-exchange capacity of the polysaccharides. It is apparent that the interactions are essentially electrostatic in nature, due to the presence of ionised carboxyl (uronic/pyruvic acids) and sulphated groups, in polyanionic polysaccharides. By contrast, significant binding occurs with Fe³⁺ in acidic conditions, presumably due to complexation (chelation). These data provide a clear insight into how non-starch polysaccharides interact with minerals and the potential nutritional consequence in terms of bioavailability.     

Stability of Pycnogenol® as an ingredient in fruit juices subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

BACKGROUND: The enrichment of fruit juices with concentrated polyphenolic extracts is an expedient strategy to compensate possible phenolic loss through gastrointestinal processing. Pycnogenol®, a standardised procyanidin‐rich extract from pine bark, has been proposed as a potential candidate for polyphenol enrichment of foods. In this study the effects of in vitro digestion on the phenolic profile of fruit juices enriched with Pycnogenol® were investigated. RESULTS: After in vitro digestion the level of detectable total phenolic compounds (expressed as gallic acid equivalent) was higher in both pineapple and red fruit juices enriched with Pycnogenol® than in non‐enriched commercial juices. Five phenolic monomeric compounds were identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography, namely chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid and taxifolin, the last two being predominant. In vitro digestion of both Pycnogenol®‐enriched pineapple and red fruit juices led to a significant (P < 0.05) increase in detectable chlorogenic and ferulic acids, indicating that hydrolysis of more complex molecules occurs. On the other hand, in vitro digestion of non‐enriched juices was associated with a decrease in gallic and caffeic acids in pineapple juice and with a decrease in ferulic acid in red fruit juice. In no case did in vitro digestion increase the amount of detectable phenolic compounds in non‐enriched juices. CONCLUSION: The stability of Pycnogenol® after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion makes it a good choice for phenolic enrichment of fruit juices. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Olive byproducts and their bioactive compounds as a valuable source for food packaging applications

Among the most important agro-industrial activities in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil production has a high impact on the economy of many Mediterranean countries. However, olive oil extraction generates huge quantities of byproducts, including leaves, pomace residues, stones and wastewater, which have severe environmental impacts mainly because of their phytotoxicity and great organic content. Olive oil byproducts are regarded as inexpensive and abundant raw materials rich in bioactive compounds with high and varied health-related activities. Several phenolic compounds and terpenoids were recovered from olive byproducts using different conventional and advanced extraction methods due to their potential to be used in food, packaging, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Recently, the use of olive byproducts and their functional compounds to enhance the functional properties of packaging systems was investigated as a sustainable strategy for food preservation, fostering the sustainability of the olive-oil chain, and promoting circular economy. In this framework, the main goals of this review are to summarize the main bioactive compounds in olive byproducts, to review the main advancements in their extraction, purification, and characterization, and finally to discuss their applications in food packaging systems as well as safety-related aspects.     

Removal of phenolic compounds in pomegranate juices using ultrafiltration and laccase-ultrafiltration combinations

Phenolic compounds of fruit juices are responsible for haze and sediment formation as well as for color, bitterness and astringency. The influence of ultrafiltration (UF) and laccase-UF combination was investigated on phenolic contents of pomegranate juices and on filtration output. Laccase-treated and then ultrafiltered pomegranate juices have shown a rapid increase in their color, when compared to only ultrafiltered (control) samples. Kinetic parameters of laccase were also determined. During the oxidation period, the changes occurring in pomegranate juices were estimated from phenolic contents, color and anthocyanin measurements. Results have shown that laccase oxidation produced a significant decrease in phenolic content of pomegranate juices while juice color the increased. However, in recent literatures, the possibility to remove polyphenols in apple juices was reported. We decided in this study that laccase treatment can not be applied due to the loss of natural red color and unwanted dark brownish color formation in pomegranate juice.     

Wheat flour confectionery products as a source of inorganic nutrients: zinc and copper contents in hard biscuits

Cereal-based confectionery products being consumed through whole human life are considered mainly to be a source of carbohydrates, that is energy, although cereals are a rich source of minerals as well. To evaluate some hard biscuits produced in Croatia as a source of different trace elements in nutrition, in this study Zn and Cu contents were determined in classic wheat flour biscuits and in dietetic biscuits enriched with whole wheat grain flour or whole wheat grain grits, soya flour and skimmed milk. Zn was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS); Cu was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results show that the Zn content in different kinds of biscuits ranges from 5.89 up to 17.64 mg/kg and the Cu content ranges from 1.15 up to 2.79 mg/kg depending on the type of wheat milling products and mineral content of other ingredients used. Enriched dietetic biscuits produced from wheat flour type 850 and whole wheat grain flour and/or soya flour and skimmed milk were almost 200% and 150% higher in Zn and Cu, respectively, in comparison to classic white wheat flour biscuits and can be considered as good sources of Zn and Cu in nutrition.