NFS Journal最新文献

Very uncommon within the plants, palmitoleic acid (POA) is present in high amount in the oil obtained from the pulp of the sea buckthorn (SB). Although POA was shown to exert anti-diabetic effects when used separately, more studies are needed to certify the application of POA present in SB oil. We show that the potency of SB pulp oil to augment glucose-induced insulin secretion has been associated with activation of G protein-coupled receptors present in pancreatic β-cells. The activity was shown in digested SB oils suggesting that released from triacylglycerols free fatty acid act as the active components. Among all fatty acids present in SB pulp oil POA demonstrated the highest activity. Analysis of five variants of SB oil samples prepared with different extraction methods revealed that the unsaponifiable compounds do not exert the synergic effect with the fatty acids.

Basil is an aromatic herb that plays an important role within the culinary traditions of many cultures. Despite basil's prevalence within a variety of food and medicinal products, the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of many Ocimum basilicum L. subspecies have yet to be determined. Therefore, this study analyzed twenty-two commercially available basil cultivars and classified them into unique chemotypes based on commonalities in phenolic acid profiles among varieties. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify chemotypes, and results showed that basil cultivars with the highest total phenolic content and strongest antioxidant properties were characterized as a caffeic acid rich chemotype. Additionally, cultivar had a significant effect on total phenolic content as well as CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity) and ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) antioxidant capacities. Statistical differences in phenolic acid composition also existed among basil varieties and morphotypes. For example, green Genovese-type basils had high phenolic contents and associated antioxidant capacities while lettuce-leaf basil morphotypes had the lowest.

Flaxseed oils contain significant amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and, consequently, are susceptible to oxidative process. Additionally, inadequate conditions of storage result in the intensification of unfavorable processes. This problem is becoming more and more serious due to the high intensity of illumination of shop display cases and storage rooms, as well as the exposure to sunlight. Although literature data suggests that light may be an even more important oxidizing agent than oxygen, experiments are mainly focused on the oxidation progress in oils from varied raw materials or the changes in oil characteristics under different storage conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the initial state of 30 commercial cold-pressed flaxseed oils on oxidative stability and oxidation product formation during storage under simulated store conditions (one-month at ambient temperature with light exposure). The oil quality was analyzed qualitatively (characteristic quality values, content of conjugated fatty acids, induction period, color parameters) and quantitatively (content of water and bioactive compounds, fatty acid composition). Oxidation progress in the oils was monitored by the characteristic quality values, content of conjugated fatty acids and color parameters.

It was shown that commercially available cold-pressed flaxseed oils were generally good quality with similar color parameters and fatty acid composition, but mostly varied in terms of carotenoids, chlorophylls and phenolic compounds. Storage with light exposure caused the deterioration of the oil quality, and at least a 1.0-fold increase in acid and anisidine values and at least a 24.8-fold increase in peroxide value were determined. Also, the color of all oils changed after storage, and the calculated total color differences (ΔE) were in the range of 0.2–8.7. The results highlighted that the formation of oxidation products in flaxseed oil during storage in light resulted mainly from its initial quality indices. In turn, the induction period tested by Rancimat was dependent on the fatty acid percentages and total phenolic compound content. In conclusion, the Rancimat test is a poor indicator of the oxidative stability of oils under storage at ambient temperature with light exposure.

Background

This report represents the second part (Part 2) of a two-part report on investigating a novel hepatoprotective substance in ume extract. The heated juice concentrate of Japanese apricot (Ume, Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.), popularly called ume extract, is known for its health benefits. In Part 1 of this study (presented in this issue together), we reported the identification of the active substance underlying the hepatoprotective potential of ume extract for the first time. The substance, tentatively referred to unknown 1 (UK1), was shown to have the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₁NO₉ with a molecular weight of 289. Here (in Part 2), we aimed to decipher the structure of UK1. Moreover, we show that UK1 is formed by heating the components of ume juice.

Methods

The purified UK1 (≥93.88% purity, containing 6.11% hydrate water) was subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis. The structure of UK1 was elucidated by one-dimension (1D)-NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and DEPT135) and 2D-NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) experiments. Further, the artificial synthesis of UK1 was attempted by heating aqueous solutions containing citric acid and L-asparagine (L-Asn) or L-aspartic acid (L-Asp). The synthetic experiments were performed using a series of solutions of varying concentrations (1-fold, 5-fold, 10-fold, and 15-fold) of citric acid and L-Asn (molar ratio 5: 1). The molar ratio of citric acid and L-Asn (5: 1) was specified to mimic that in ume juice.

Results

The chemical structure of UK1 was determined as 2-[3-(carboxymethyl)-3-hydroxy-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]butanedioic acid. More simply, UK1 was identified as an imide in which citric acid was bound to Asp. UK1 could be synthesized by heating (110 °C for 4 h) a solution containing citric acid and L-Asn, or citric acid and L-Asp. The yield of UK1 was dependent on the concentrations of citric acid and L-Asn.

Conclusions

The findings of this study further validate the conclusions made in Part 1 that UK1 is a novel hepatoprotective substance in ume extract. Based on the structure, UK1 is referred to as “ASP citrimide.” This study demonstrates that ASP citrimide is formed by the association of citric acid and L-Asn (or L-Asp) during the heat concentration of ume juice.

Background

The Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) is popularly known as ume in Japan, and the heated concentrate of ume juice, called ume extract, is commonly consumed as food. A neutralized, diluted ume extract (dUE) reported as MK615 solution exhibits hepatoprotective properties. However, the active substance contributing to its hepatoprotective efficacies has not been explored. We aimed to identify and characterize the active substance underlying the hepatoprotective potential of ume extract. Our results are described in two parts and whereas the objective of this part (Part 1) was to identify the active substance, in Part 2, we elucidated its chemical structure.

Methods

The components of ume extract were fractionated stepwise, and their hepatoprotective activities were evaluated using a D-galactosamine-induced liver injury rat model. The fractionated components were characterized qualitatively and quantitatively using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and were dosed to rats, equalizing the content of the main components. Finally, a purified active substance was isolated by crystallization, and its hepatoprotective activity was verified. The molecular mass and formula of the active substance were elucidated by high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Results

The dUE, but not the components from unheated ume juice concentrate, showed hepatoprotective activity. Focusing on the components peculiar to the ume extract, a fraction rich in a water-soluble substance, tentatively named unknown 1 (UK1), was found to have hepatoprotective activity. It was observed that both the UK1-rich fraction and dUE suppressed the hepatic expression of nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2). Furthermore, the purified UK1 (≥93.88% purity, containing 6.11% hydrate water) was demonstrated to have hepatoprotective activity comparable to that of dUE. UK1 has the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₁NO_9, with a molecular weight of 289, corresponding to a novel compound.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed that UK1, which is likely to be a previously unknown, bioactive component in ume extract, is the major hepatoprotective substance in dUE.

Bovine colostrum is a rich source of nutrients and biologically active molecules known to be able to modulate the human immune system, such as lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins and growth factors. This comprehensive review aimed to gather evidence from animal experimentation and clinical trials that investigated the potential effects of bovine colostrum in preventing and treating diseases that affect the human gastrointestinal tract. Considered safe for human consumption, BC or its isolate components were used against a range of different gastrointestinal disorders. Beneficial effects were observed in several conditions: gastrointestinal infections, infectious diarrhoea, drug-induced lesions, gut-barrier malfunction, and inflammatory bowel disease. Under proper processing to maintain its components' integrity, BC products are valuable supplements with high nutraceutical value, capable of promoting and restoring gastrointestinal health.

In general, modified starches provided a desirable feature so that they can be used in the food industry like food additive products. The awareness of eating healthy has become very evident. The food industry is willing to produce foods and food ingredients that not only maintain nutrition but also promote health and safety. Tartary buckwheat starch has been isolated to assess the effect of HMT on its digestibility, morphological structure, pasting, thermal and textural properties and compared with common buckwheat, sorghum, and broomcorn millet. HMT changed significantly the granular structure of native starches. The complete starch granular structure increased the size and changed into an irregular shape, with a rough surface. The modified starches exhibited higher onset and peak temperatures, while their amylose content, solubility, swelling power, gel hardness, and enthalpy of gelatinization were significantly reduced. In pasting properties, tartary buckwheat and sorghum modified starch had the highest thermal treatment stability with lower setback and breakdown viscosity. Moreover, after three hours of starch hydrolysis; Resistant (RS) starch was higher in tartary buckwheat followed by broomcorn millet and lastly sorghum. In this study, we reported that tartary buckwheat modified starch is more useful in the preparation of food with thermal stability combined with a high amount of resistant starch.

The demand for halal food is increasing with the growing Muslim population worldwide. The aim of this research was to develop a multiplex high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) for detecting contamination of halal foods with six non-halal meats (from donkey, cat, pig, rat, dog, and monkey). The primers designed for the analysis showed high specificity for target animal DNA and 100% accuracy. The melting profiles of the targeted animal DNA were unique and could be easily observed for species discrimination. The limit of detection for the target animal DNA was 0.01 ng, except for pig (0.001 ng). The accuracy of detection was 100% in a test to check the reliability of the developed technique using beef meatballs contaminated with 10% or 1% non-halal animal meats. Moreover, the technique was further verified using 260 commercial food products in Thailand. Two samples were found to be contaminated with pig DNA. This multiplex HRMA could be used as a rapid and high throughput technique for detecting non-halal animal contaminants in halal foods and as a useful tool for monitoring and assuring food quality for Muslim and general consumers.

Spirulina is a cyanobacterium rich in proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and bioactive compounds, such as C-phycocyanin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and possible lipid and glucose metabolism effects. This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of spirulina on lipid profile, glucose metabolism, and anti-inflammatory markers (CRD42018097156). After systematically searching for randomized controlled trials evaluating spirulina supplementation in adults with obesity, diabetes, or dyslipidemia on Scopus, Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases and assessing the risk of bias (Rob 2.0), a random-effects meta-analysis (Mean Difference, CI 95%) was conducted on seven selected articles (n = 338). We found that spirulina supplementation significantly reduced the triglycerides (TG) (mean difference (MD): −15.34 mg/dL; 95% CI: −29.76 to −0.91) and total cholesterol (TC) levels (MD: −11.83 mg/dL; 95% CI: −20.56 to −3.10). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD: −7.80 mg/dL; 95% CI: −16.94 to 1.33), fasting blood glucose (FBS) (MD: −3.38 mg/dL; 95% CI: −9.88 to 3.12), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (MD: −0.27%; 95% CI: −0.94 to 0.39) levels were not significantly reduced. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) (MD: 0.73 mg/dL; 95% CI: −2.49 to 3.94) was also increased but not significantly. Spirulina supplementation resulted in a decrease in TG and TC levels; it improved the lipid profile of patients with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, overweight, or obesity, showing its significant role as an adjuvant treatment.