Search

Abstract: Araçá or strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) is an attractive tasty small fruit native to temperate zones of Brazil. In this study, functional chemical constituents and the nutraceutical and therapeutic potential of aqueous and acetone extracts of red and yellow accessions of araçá were characterised. While carotenes, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanins were present as minor constituents, araçá fruit presented high levels of phenolic compounds (up to 768mg 100g−1 fresh fruit pulp, ffp), particularly (−)-epicatechin (up to 2.7mgg−1 ffp), which were in general more efficiently extracted with acetone. Abundance of phenolic compounds was positively correlated with antioxidant activity, antimicrobial and antiproliferative effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study compared the concentration of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA, and dehydroascorbic acid, DHA) and carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene) between three fruits produced by organic and conventional farming. Vitamin C and carotenoids were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The Student t-test (α =5%) was applied to determine differences between the organic and conventional production systems. AA content was significantly higher in organic acerola (4023.39mg/100g) compared to its conventional production (2294.53mg/100g). Conversely, AA content was significantly higher in conventional strawberries (42.45mg/100g) than the organic ones (30.74mg/100g). The conventional production also showed significantly higher contents of DHA (persimmon: 7.50mg/100g vs. 0.96mg/100g) and β-carotene (acerola: 6130.24μg/100g vs. 2486.38μg/100g) than the organic fruits. Lycopene was only detected in persimmons, but no significant difference was observed between farming systems. There was no evidence of the nutritional superiority of the organically grown fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neglected and underutilized edible species (NUS) are important food sources. • Optimization resulted in extracts with promising antioxidant capacities against ROS. • O. gratissimum extracts effectively inhibited S. Choleraesuis growth. • P. oleracea presented the most promising cytostatic effect against tumor cell lines. • O. gratissimum and E. foetidum inhibited nitrosation reaction. This study investigated the vitamin C content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and the potential bioactivities (antioxidant, antiproliferative, antibacterial activities, and inhibition capacity against N -nitrosation) of seven neglected and underutilized species (NUS): culantro (Eryngium foetidum) , false roselle (Hibiscus acetosella) , roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) , tree basil (Ocimum gratissimum) , Barbados Gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata) , purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium). Phenolic-rich extracts were obtained by a sequential optimization strategy (Plackett-Burman and Central Composite Design). O. gratissimum presented the highest TPC and X. sagittifolium the greater total vitamin C content. Overall, the plant extracts presented promising bioactive capacities, as scavenging capacity against HOCl, H 2 O 2 and ROO• induced oxidation. P. oleracea demonstrated the highest cytostatic effect against ovarian and kidney tumor cells. O. gratissimum effectively inhibited S. Choleraesuis growth. Maximum inhibition on n -nitrosation was showed by O. gratissimum and E. foetidum. These results highlight the studied NUS as sources of potential health-promoting compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]