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AbstractIn present study, Spanish cherry pulp (SCP) was dried using refractance window (RW) dryer at varying temperatures (50 to 90 °C) to investigate the impacts on drying kinetics and physicochemical properties and compared with freeze-dried samples. An increasing RW drying temperature from 50 to 90 °C reduced drying time from 320 to 80 min. The water and oil absorption capacity showed no significant (p < 0.05) changes in RW-dried SCP samples. Noticeable changes in color values, ascorbic acid, β-carotenoid, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were observed on increasing RW drying temperature. As per results, compared to control, RW drying at 50 °C retained most of the nutrients. From nutrient retention perspective, RW drying at 80 and 90 °C may not be suitable SCP samples. From multivariance analysis, RW drying of SCP samples can be performed at 60 °C instead of 70 °C for better nutrient contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAbnormal levels of ascorbic acid in the human body can induce various diseases. We reported a nickel-doped hydroxyapatite (Ni-HAp)-based biosensor for ascorbic acid and confirmed it through various spectroscopic techniques. Ni-HAp demonstrated peroxidase-like activity that was detected through the chromogenic substrate. The analyte produces a color change from blue-green to colorless. The optimized sensor has a correlation coefficient of 0.997, a limit of detection of 0.11 µM, a limit of quantification value of 0.36 µM, and a linear range from 2 to 47 µM for ascorbic acid. The synthesized sensor was used to determine ascorbic acid in spiked physiological solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus Nees (Acanthaceae) is traditionally used in the North East Himalayan region to treat stomach issues, including gastritis. This study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective effect of 70% aqueous ethanol extract of Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus flowers (PTE), standardized by HPTLC and LC-MS/MS, and to establish its possible mechanisms. The gastroprotective effect of PTE, at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, was evaluated using both physical (pylorus ligation, PL; cold restraint stress, CRS) and chemical (ethanol, EtOH) ulcerogens-induced gastric ulcers in Wistar rats. Animals were randomly divided into control, ulcer control, positive control and PTE-treated groups, with PTE administered orally twice daily for 5 days. The protective effect of PTE was assessed through various gastric ulcer parameters, including gastric pH, gastric wall mucus, non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) content, microvascular permeability, endogenous antioxidant markers, and gastric histopathology. HPTLC and LC-MS/MS confirmed the presence of gallic acid, naringenin, β-sitosterol and ascorbic acid in PTE. The active components of PTE showed significant dose-dependent inhibition of ulcer index, with reductions of 28.59-50.03% in PL, 27.69-53.23% in EtOH and 31.14-57.53% in CRS models (P< 0.01). Additionally, PTE at 400 mg/kg significantly increased gastric pH by 23.41%, mucus content by 33.69%, and NP-SH levels by 37.24%. PTE also demonstrated significant antioxidant potential and histopathological studies confirmed its protective effect. The study suggests that the anti-ulcer effect of PTE may be attributed to its ability to preserve adhered gastric mucus, exhibit antisecretory effects, and scavenge free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quenching of excess aqueous ozone (O3) residual is needed to avoid off-gassing and oxidative damage to downstream components. Eight quenching agents (QAs), calcium thiosulfate (Ca-Thio), sodium bisulfite (Na-Bi), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sodium thiosulfate (Na-Thio), sodium metabisulfite (Na-Metabi), potassium metabisulfite (K-Metabi), sodium sulfite (Na-S), and ascorbic acid (AscAcid) were tested at varying pHs (7.5, 7.9, and 8.5) and temperatures (4°C, 15°C, and 23°C). Temperature had significant effects on initial quenching (≤30 s), with less occurring at 4°C than 23°C; but with extended contact time this trend reversed. Quenching efficiency was not substantially affected by pH. Ca-Thio and Na-Thio were inefficient but quick, had lower mass requirements, and minimal handling concerns. Na-Metabi, Na-Bi, and Na-S were quick and efficient, but K-Metabi was the only QA that quenched (26–31%) less O3 than stoichiometry at all conditions. These sulfite-based QAs had more handling concerns and greater mass requirements. H2O2 was slower than other QAs but 2–9× quicker than predicted by rate coefficients and efficient when given longer contact time (≤5 min). H2O2 had some handling concerns but the lowest mass requirements (assuming 5 min contact time) and creates desirable AOP conditions. AscAcid consistently quenched (22–113%) more O3 than the stoichiometric ratio but had higher mass requirements, except in colder temperatures. Hydrodynamics, QA-diffuser design, and supply chain were also important considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review aimed to investigate whether sodium ascorbate can recover the bond strength of resin composite restorations to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)-treated dentin. The protocol of this study, available online (), followed the Joana Briggs Institute guidelines. The PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews was used to reporting. In vitro studies evaluating the effect of sodium ascorbate on NaOCl-treated dentin and resin composite restorations, regardless of the adhesive material used, were included without time restriction. The search and study screening were conducted in Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science by two independent researchers. A descriptive analysis was performed and the PRILE 2021 guidelines were used to assess the risk bias of the included studies. The initial search yielded 941 studies, of which only 7 studies were included. The findings revealed that extracted third molars were the most used samples, and there was a significant variation in the NaOCl concentration employed. In general, sodium ascorbate effectively restored the compromised bond strength in dentin treated with different NaOCl concentrations. Furthermore, regarding the failure mode, the most prevalent observed was mixed failure. This scoping review showed that sodium ascorbate appears to effectively recover the bond strength of resin composite restorations to dentin treated with NaOCl. However, it is important to note the limited number of studies and the heterogeneity observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing the true levels of nutrients and dietary bioactives in fruit juices at the point of consumption is key to properly understand their potential health benefits. The objective was to characterise the vitamin C and flavanone content in commercial orange juices consumed in Europe, compared with fresh-squeezed juices. Commercial juices were a rich source of vitamin C (>30% of the Nutrient Reference Value). Vitamin C in fresh-squeezed juices, at the end of their shelf-life, remained 33% higher than the levels found in the commercial juices. Flavanones had similar values from both commercial and fresh juices, except for fresh samples stored for 48 h, where fresh juices had higher values (22.36 mg/100 mL). Thus, orange juices preserve their bioactive compounds during storage, with very little influence of the brand, country, industrial process or storage conditions. Main bioactive compounds in commercial juices are present at nutritionally significant levels to the freshly-squeezed ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total heavy metal concentration (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in green tea leaves and metals leached into tea infusions of pure water with the addition of ascorbic acid and lemon juice at various temperatures (70, 80, and 100 °C) and steeping times (3, 5, and 7 min), were determined. Metal concentrations were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and the flame technique (FAAS). Mean total concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn were < LOD,

Ferroptosis is recognized as a new type of regulated cell death initiated by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxidation. Recent studies have shown that the administration of ascorbic acid (AA) preferentially kills tumor cells by impairing iron metabolism and exerting pro-oxidant effects. Despite mounting evidence indicating the anticancer potential of AA, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that AA decreased cell viability and Ki67 expression, along with its accumulation in the G0/G1 phase in FaDu and SCC-154 cell lines. Furthermore, AA exposure induced morphological changes in mitochondria associated with ferroptosis. AA-induced ferroptosis is accompanied by depletion of glutathione (GSH) and increased levels of ferrous ions (Fe2+), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). However, these ferroptotic effects were ameliorated by deferoxamine and N-acetylcysteine. Network pharmacology results showed that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key target of AA against oropharyngeal cancer. AA markedly downregulates the relative mRNA expression of STAT3 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Immunoblotting indicated that the protein levels of p-STAT3, STAT3, and GPX4 in FaDu and SCC-154 cells decreased significantly in response to AA treatment. Mechanistically, a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that AA exposure reduced STAT3 expression in the GPX4 promoter region. Additionally, AA-induced inhibition of cell growth and ferroptosis was suppressed by STAT3 and GPX4 overexpression, respectively. In summary, AA inhibited oropharyngeal cancer cell growth in vitro by regulating STAT3/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis, which may provide a novel theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer with AA. Ascorbic acid acts as an anticancer agent by inducing ferroptosis, reducing the viability of SCC-154 and FaDu cells. Ascorbic acid-mediated ferroptosis acts through STAT3/GPX4 pathway. The induction of ferroptosis has a significant potential for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of refractance window (RW) drying process parameters on mass transfer and quality characteristics of dried aonla slices. RW drying of aonla slices was carried out at three levels of water temperature (75, 82 and 90 °C) and slice thickness (2, 4 and 6 mm). In terms of quality characterization, the total phenolic content, ascorbic acid content, and browning index were determined. Higher retention of ascorbic acid (64.49 ± 0.34%) and phenolic content (37.84 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g dry matter) was found at 90 and 82 °C water temperature, respectively with inconsequential variation in browning index. Mass transfer parameters such as Biot number, effective moisture diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient were estimated using Dincer and Dost model. Effective moisture diffusivity during drying varied from 4.27 × 10−10 to 1.09 × 10−09 m2s−1 and Biot number was observed to be in the range of 0.268 to 8.666 for different drying conditions. XRD pattern suggested that RW dried aonla slices had semi-crystalline structure. The changes in crystalline structure to amorphous was pronounced more at high water temperature. It was also revealed by the disintegration of cell wall/membrane and connecting surfaces, which resulted into smooth and flaky microstructures with sharp edges. The gamut of crystallite size was obtained as 49.12 ± 0.26 to 99.12 ± 1.19 nm. The presence of bound water after completion of drying was represented by FTIR peaks centered around 3577 cm−1. The infrared spectroscopy of RW dried aonla postulated that peak intensity of absorption bands negligibly changed with varying processing conditions, but minor peak shift was observed. This study elucidates the suitability of RW drying for retention of heat-sensitive compounds in food produce such as aonla with better quality retention and morphological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin C and aspirin on the growth performance of turkeys under normal conditions. For this purpose, 288 male turkeys, BUT6 strain, were used from 1-day-old to 12 weeks of age in nine treatments with four replications and eight birds per replication, as a 3 × 3 factorial experiment [three levels of vitamin C (V; 0, 250, and 500 mg/kg feed), and three levels of aspirin (A; 0, 75, and 150 mg/kg feed)] in a completely randomized design. Our results demonstrated that supplementing with vitamin C and aspirin had no effect on plasma total protein and albumin levels, but the data revealed significant effects on total cholesterol, triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in the supplemental groups. Also, the interaction of vitamin C and aspirin significantly increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and decreased plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and abdominal fat pad. The results of this study indicated the beneficial effects of vitamin C and aspirin supplements may be related to changes in plasma lipids and body fat under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orange peel and its extract are good sources of phenols and vitamin C that can be used as powerful antioxidants and antibacterial. The effects of dietary ascorbic acid (AA), orange peel powder (OPP) and orange peel extract (OPE) supplementations on growth performance, blood biochemicals, gene expression and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under hot conditions were investigated. A total of 80 weaned Giant Flander male rabbits, five weeks old (606.25 ± 10.08 g), were randomly assigned to four groups. The first group received untreated diet (control group). The other groups received diets supplemented with 0.5 g AA/kg diet, 2% OPP and 500 mg OPE/kg diet. The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded by rabbits consumed diet supplemented with AA. Supplementations of OPP and OPE reduced blood plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and very-low density lipoprotein concentrations. The tested diets reduced triglycerides, total lipids, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde levels, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli of the rabbits cecum. Supplementation of OPE improved activities of superoxide dismutase gene (6.1475) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (9.2108). Conclusively, dietary supplementation of OPE improved rabbit performance through improving antioxidant enzyme activities as well as upregulation of insulin-like growth gene. Additionally, OPP and OPE (2% and 500 mg/kg diet, respectively) had antibacterial effects for growing rabbits under hot conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid (AA) determination is of high importance in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Herein, we report a new ratiometric electrochemical sensor for ascorbic acid using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a copper nanoparticle@resin nanosphere nanocomposite (CuNPs@RNS). The ratiometric strategy was established by immobilizing an internal reference (thionine) on the modified electrode using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The performance of the modified electrodes as well as the newly established ratiometric strategy was explored. The sensing platform had good electrocatalytic ability, reproducibility, and stability. In addition, the ratiometric strategy significantly improved the performance of electrochemical sensing with a wide linear range (0.0837 to 15.5 μM) and a low detection limit of 0.0279 μM under the optimal conditions. The original ratiometric electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to monitor ascorbic acid in tablets and urine. These results showed that the sensor provides a new strategy and broad prospects for biomolecular sensing with reliability and high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The combined supplementation of vitamins C and E potentially can mitigate oxidative stress (OS) and accelerate recovery following exercise. However, there is little evidence and a lack of consensus on the effects of these vitamins for this purpose. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence on the effects of the combined supplementation of vitamins C and E in OS, inflammatory markers, muscle damage, muscle soreness, and musculoskeletal functionality following acute exercise. Methods: The search was carried out from inception until March 2021, on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and SPORT Discus. We included placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of combined supplementation of vitamins C and E in OS, inflammatory markers, muscle damage, muscle soreness, and muscle strength following a single bout of exercise. Random-effect meta-analyses were used to compare pre to post-exercise mean changes in subjects who received supplementation with vitamins C and E or placebo versus controls. Data are presented as standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Eighteen RCTs, accounting for data from 322 individuals, were included. The use of vitamins attenuated lipid peroxidation (SMD= −0.703; 95% CI= −1.035 to −0.372; p < 0.001), IL-6 (SMD= −0.576; 95%CI= −1.036 to −0.117; p = 0.014), and cortisol levels (SMD= −0.918; 95%CI= −1.475 to −0.361; p = 0.001) immediately, and creatine kinase levels 48 h following exercise (SMD= −0.991; 95%CI= −1.611 to −0.372; p = 0.002). Supplementing the combination of vitamins had no effects on protein carbonyls, reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio, catalase, interleukin-1Ra, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, muscle soreness, and muscle strength. Conclusion: Prior supplementation of the combination of vitamins C and E attenuates OS (lipid peroxidation), the inflammatory response (interleukin-6), cortisol levels, and muscle damage (creatine kinase) following a session of exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing heating performance and preservation of product quality are critical factors in the food industry. Although microwave-vacuum heating is applied in many food processes, there are many unanswered questions about its effects on sensitive foods. In this study, the tomato juice was concentrated in microwave-vacuum heating system and results compared with conventional and conventional-vacuum heating methods. The effect of pressure and microwave power was investigated on quality parameters, energy consumption, exergy performance, and processing kinetics of tomato juice concentration. The processing time in the microwave-vacuum method was 2.3 to 6.3-fold lower than conventional and conventional-vacuum methods. The exergy performance was obtained in the range of 7.16–13.29% for microwave-vacuum heating and 2.04–2.99% for conventional methods. Microwave vacuum heating could reduce energy consumption by 30–71%, compared with conventional-vacuum methods. The minimum decline in ascorbic acid and total phenol content of tomato juice concentrate was observed for microwave-vacuum evaporation. Microwave-vacuum heating was an excellent concentration technique that provided tomato paste with improved nutritional quality, increasing exergy efficiency, reducing processing time and energy consumption compared to conventional and conventional vacuum processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-emitting diodes (LED) have emerged as a non-polluting and energy-saving technology in fruit postharvest. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different LED light pulses during raspberries´ and blackberries´ postharvest under cold storage. Fruit was exposed to short LED light pulses (Green, Blue, Red, and Red+Blue) of 15 min every 2 h for 7 and 14 d of storage at 4°C. Raspberries were more susceptible to water loss. Short LED light pulses decreased internal breakdown in raspberries, and minor effects of LED treatments were observed in blackberries. After 7 d of cold storage, in raspberries, Green, Blue, and Red light treatments increased the content of quinic and malic acids, and only Green and Blue LED sources also increased ascorbic acid content. In addition, Blue, Green, and Blue+Red LED light treatments exhibited a higher level of citric acid at 14 d. In blackberries, fruit changes were mainly because of the cold storage. Overall, these results showed that short LED light pulses can extend the postharvest life of raspberries, decreasing internal breakdown and increasing the content of ascorbic acid, suggesting that different Rubus species have distinct physiological processes underlying ripening and light interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers represent rich sources of nutritional and phytochemical compounds. Violas (Viola × wittrockiana) have been confirmed to be non-toxic as food products. Based on the wide variety of flower colours, major differences may exist in antioxidant concentrations among flowers of different colours. This study examined the differences in concentrations of antioxidant components in viola flowers of eight different colours: white, red, dark red, orange, yellow, light blue, light purple, and dark purple. Flower fresh weight, petal length, petal colour (measured using a chroma metre), ascorbic acid concentration, total anthocyanin concentration, total polyphenol concentration, and DPPH radical-scavenging activity were analysed. The violas used in this study had a wide range of colours, with different lightness and chroma values. Ascorbic acid, total anthocyanin, and total polyphenol concentrations were higher in red, dark red, and dark purple flowers. In contrast, these concentrations were lower in white and light-coloured flowers. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity was also lower in white and light-coloured flowers. Therefore, red, dark red, and dark purple flowers rather than white and light-coloured flowers of violas represent rich sources of antioxidant components and their consumption may provide various health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premenstrual symptoms are a cyclically occurring combination of adverse psychological and somatic symptoms that impact the quality of life for most females of childbearing age. Growing evidence suggests that diet may attenuate premenstrual symptoms; however, the relationship between vitamin C and premenstrual symptoms remains unclear. The aim of the research was to determine the association between different measures of vitamin C status and premenstrual symptoms. Females (n = 555) aged 20 to 29 years from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study completed a General Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire, capturing 15 premenstrual symptoms. Dietary intake was measured using a 196-item Toronto-modified Harvard food frequency questionnaire. Serum ascorbic acid concentrations were measured, and participants were categorized into deficient (<11 µmol/L), suboptimal (11–28 µmol/L), and adequate (>28 µmol/L) ascorbic acid levels. DNA was genotyped for the GSTT1 (Ins/Del) polymorphism. Using logistic regression, odds of experiencing premenstrual symptoms were compared between vitamin C intake levels above and below the recommended daily allowance (75 mg/d) between ascorbic acid levels and between GSTT1 genotypes. Increased vitamin C intake was associated with premenstrual appetite changes (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.01–2.68). Compared to deficient ascorbic acid levels, suboptimal levels were associated with premenstrual appetite changes (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.02–6.58) and bloating/swelling (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.09–8.22). Adequate serum ascorbic acid levels were not associated with premenstrual appetite changes (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 0.73–3.94) or bloating/swelling (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 0.79–4.67). Those with the GSTT1 functional variant (Ins*Ins) had an increased risk of premenstrual bloating/swelling (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.10–3.48); however, the interaction between vitamin C intake and GSTT1 was not significant for any premenstrual symptoms. Our findings suggest that indicators of higher vitamin C status are associated with increased premenstrual appetite changes and bloating/swelling. The observed associations with GSTT1 genotype suggest that these observations are not likely due to reverse causation. The results of this study suggest that greater vitamin C intake may exacerbate premenstrual boating and increases of appetite in women. Our discovery that the functional GSTT1 variant linked to higher serum ascorbic acid concentrations are also linked to an increased risk of premenstrual appetite changes suggests that the dietary effects we observed are not due to reverse causation. These findings highlight the importance of personalized, evidence-based guidelines for the management of premenstrual disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to improve the quality of dried orange slices by modifying a conventional vacuum dryer in which nitrogen gas is injected into the dryer chamber. The orange slices were dried in a vacuum dryer with two different normal and controlled atmosphere (CAtm) methods. Next, the parameters of effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), total energy consumption, color indices (ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, and BI), antioxidant capacity (AC), total phenolics content (TPC), and ascorbic acid (AA) were measured for all samples during the drying process. Finally, both methods were optimized by the central composite design (CCD). The results showed that the CAtm at optimum performance increased Deff about twice, and the energy consumption of the CAtm system was almost half of the normal atmospheric method. Also, AC at optimum points in the CAtm method was about twice more than the normal atmosphere. Although the temperature effect on TPC was nonlinear under NAtm, it was moderate under CAtm. Overall, the AA was more stable when the orange slice was dried by the CAtm method. Furthermore, CAtm decreased the Δa*, and the effect of temperature on ΔL*, Δb*, and BI was nonsignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure is reported to cause cataract formation by inducing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs). Sodium-dependent Vitamin C transports-2 (SVCT2) is a ascorbic acid (AsA) transporter for that can protect cells and tissues from oxidative stress. Here, we focus on the functional characterization and mechanism analysis of SVCT2 in UVB-treated HLECs. The results showed a significant reduction of SVCT2 expression in HLECs treated with UVB. SVCT2 abated apoptosis and Bax expression and increased Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, SVCT2 decreased ROS accumulation and MDA level, but increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH-PX). NF-κB inhibitor (PDTC) alleviated ROS production and apoptosis, and promoted SVCT2 expression in UVB-treated HLECs. Additionally, ROS inhibitor (NAC) suppressed oxidative stress, apoptosis, and induced SVCT2 expression in UVB-treated HLECs, while these effects were significantly abated due to the activation of NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, SVCT2 facilitated 14C-AsA absorption in UVB-treated HLECs. Together, our findings demonstrated that UVB exposure-induced ROS generation, which further activated NF-κB signaling to down-regulate SVCT2 expression in HLECs. Then, downregulated SVCT2 promoted ROS accumulation and induced apoptosis by decreasing AsA uptake. Our data reveal a novel NF-κB/SVCT2/AsA regulatory pathway and suggest the therapeutic potential of SVCT2 in UVB-induced cataract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed to which extent seed priming with ascorbic acid (0.2 mM) may improve Medicago polymorpha L. performance under water shortage induced by irrigation with either 50 mM NaCl or 100 g/L polyethylene glycol (PEG). Parameters related to plant morphology, CO2/H2O leaf gas exchanges, osmotic adjustment, pigment content, and proline accumulation were specifically determined. Both NaCl and PEG solutions induced osmotic stress and reduced plant biomass (−30% and −40%, respectively), number of leaves and ramifications, stem length, net CO2 assimilation (−31% and 63%, respectively), and leaf water content. However, both treatments and especially PEG led to increased root/shoot ratios and leaf proline content. Interestingly, seed priming using ascorbic acid improved CO2/H2O gas exchange and plant biomass production (+66%, +100%, and +92% in control, NaCl-, and PEG-treated plants, respectively). It also improved the water relations as reflected by the decrease of leaf osmotic potential and higher leaf proline accumulation (+67% and +120% in PEG- and NaCl-treated plants, respectively) and water content (especially under PEG treatment). Besides, seed priming with ascorbic acid increased leaf carotenoid and chlorophyll contents (+65 and +45%, respectively, for chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b), thereby contributing to the better photosynthetic activity, and hence plant performance under salinity. We conclude that seed priming with ascorbic acid is an easy, cost-effective and promising approach to mitigate the impact of osmotic stresses like drought and salinity, by especially improving plant water relations and photosynthetic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and ascorbic acid using accurate, efficient, low cost, and rapid methods has great analytical importance. The antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and ascorbic acid content of apricots, arugula, banana, cranberries, spinach, and strawberries were investigated with an electrochemical approach and examined for compatibility with conventional methods. The antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS and DPPH assays. The total phenolic content was determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method and ascorbic acid was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In order to perform sensitive and simultaneous electrochemical measurements, the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified by electropolymerization with p-toluene sulfonic acid (TSA). The TSA/GCE modified sensor was used for the first time for the determination of antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. The surface of the modified sensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy. The TSA/GCE was linearly correlated with the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) for Trolox and gallic acid in 0.1 M NaNO3 and ascorbic acid in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer. Electrochemical methods offer a promising alternative for the determination of antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content due to their simplicity, rapid response, low cost, sensitivity, and reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of silver powder by liquid-phase reduction process with ascorbic acid and silver nitrate. Through single factor experiments, the influence of factors such as the reducing agent, the pH value of silver nitrate solution, the feeding method and the post-treatment method of dispersant on the morphology of silver powder was studied. The best condition for using orthogonal experiments to obtain silver nitrate is that added directly into the ascorbic acid, the pH value of silver nitrate is 10, and the post-treatment method is alcohol washing and vacuum drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of thermal and high-pressure processing on the quality indicator of orange juice and its storage stability. The pressure was applied at 400 MPa and 600 MPa for 3, 6, and 9 min to process the juice and evaluate the quality of orange juice during 60 days of storage with every 30-day interval. HPP conditions (400 MPa and 600 MPa for 3, 6, and 9 min) did not significantly change the ascorbic acid content of orange juice, in contrast to thermal processing where a crucial decrease in ascorbic content was observed. Ascorbic acid content increased non-significantly from 40.03 to 40.69 (mg/100 g) and 40.79 when applied for 3 and 6 min, respectively, while thermal processing reduced its content up to 33.45 (mg/100 g). Ascorbic acid at 600 MPa was observed at 41.19 (mg/100 g) when treated for 6 min. Carotenoid content was increased when HPP was from 8.6 to 9.14 (mg/100 ml) during 400 MPa for 9 min and 11.65 (mg/100 ml) for 6 min at 600 MPa compared to the corresponding untreated sample and thermally treated sample. The total soluble solids, pH, and acidity of the orange showed stability after HPP and during 60 days of storage. The natural microbiological load (yeast and mold, E-Coli log CFU/ml) was observed below 1 log reduction at 30 days of storage and 2 log reduction during days of storage. This study identified different pressure levels to produce nutritionally and microbiologically stable orange juice compared to thermally processed and untreated samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), also known as "Chinese date" or "jujube," belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. The current research was designed to assess the effect of storage temperatures (5°C and 15°C) on ascorbic acid content, reducing sugar content, and titratable acidity of four ber (Z. mauritiana) varieties, i.e. Karela, Aakash, Pak white, and Dil-Bahar. For this purpose, fresh ber (Z. mauritiana) varieties were acquired from the Regional Agriculture Research Institute (RARI), Bahawalpur. In the first phase, these ber (Z. mauritiana) varieties were subjected to proximate analysis of reducing sugar contents, titratable acidity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic contents. Maximum total phenolic content (144.38 ± 0.03 mgGAE/100 g) and antioxidant activity (39 ± 0.06%) were observed in Dil-Bahar variety. In the second phase, stored ber (Z. mauritiana) varieties were subjected to a storage study at 0, 7th, and 14th days for comparative evaluation based on titratable acidity, reducing sugar content, and ascorbic acid content. The results showed that the fruits stored at 5°C showed a maintained level of ascorbic acid content (31.26 ± 0.02 mg/100 g), reducing sugars (41.25 ± 0.02%), and titratable acidity (3.36 ± 0.01%) in Karela. On the contrary, Karela stored at 15°C showed a reduction in ascorbic acid content (28.12 ± 0.02 mg/100 g) and titratable acidity (1.21 ± 0.01%) and an increase in reduced sugar content (46.48 ± 0.03%). Moreover, Dil-Bahar variety showed higher ascorbic acid content (51.69 ± 0.05 mg/100 g), titratable acidity (3.51 ± 0.02%), and reducing sugar content (33.29 ± 0.01%) at 5°C. It was concluded that cultivars showed the best results at low storage temperatures of 5°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germination of seeds is a complex process linked to various molecular and biochemical changes that increase the nutritional value. This research has studied the impact of germination on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities of five domestic staple legumes from Pakistan: chickpea, mung bean, soybean, lentil, and peanut. The maximum moisture content was recorded for chickpea, i.e., 11.7 ± 0.05 g 100 g−1 followed by lentil, soybean, peanut, and mung bean as 9.65 ± 0.02, 8.07 ± 0.01, 7.6 ± 0.01, and 7.31 ± 0.01 g 100 g−1, respectively. The overall augmentation in catalase activity during germination (days 1 to 4) was maximum for lentils, i.e., 76.22%, and ascorbate peroxidase activity for peanuts, i.e., 62.09%. The soybean showed a clear difference from the 1st to 4th days of germination for peroxide activity among all selected legumes with a 37.29% increase. A maximum change in superoxide dismutase was noticed in mung bean. The mung bean also had the highest variation in total flavonoid contents, while total phenolic contents were higher in the chickpea. The radical scavenging activity varied higher in peanuts, while the ascorbic acid content was maximum for soybeans. Among all selected legumes, non-germinated chickpeas showed a lower DPPH value, i.e., 1.15 ± 0.03%, whereas the highest DPPH value was observed in lentils (69.84 ± 0.05%). Thus, the incorporation of ready-to-eat (RTE) germinated legumes with high antioxidant activity would be a contemporary addition to the everyday meal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study reports on using ascorbic acid as a possible substitute for improving fastness properties of natural dyes. In the mordanting process, microwave energy, which is a part of the sustainable and ecological production approach, was used. Renewable natural dye source Candelariella reflexa, which is a genus of lichen, was obtained from the trunk of Pinus nigra. Mohair fiber was dyed with natural dye extracted from Candelariella reflexa by using a conventional method. Before dyeing, mohair fiber was subjected to the premordanted process with iron (III) chloride (FeCl3) using microwave energy. In order to determine the effect of mordanting process parameters on dyeing properties, the mordanting process was performed with different concentrations and durations. In the dyeing process, ascorbic acid was added at different concentrations in the dyeing bath to improve the light fastness of samples. After the dyeing process, spectrophotometric features, light, and rubbing and washing fastness of samples were investigated. The color strength, washing, light, and rubbing fastness of dyed mohair fiber improve slightly with the premordanting process and by adding ascorbic acid. The spectrophotometric measurement results show that color coordinates vary from the mordanting time and amount of ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the use of microwave energy in the mordanting process leads to saving of energy and time. Besides, in this study, a machine learning-based model exploiting the artificial neural network (ANN) was developed for prediction of dyeing properties of mohair fiber dyed with natural dyes obtained from Candelariella reflexa. Experimental data obtained through various tests were first used to feed the proposed ANN, and then the trained ANN was validated and tested for the aim of prediction. The study results show that the proposed model can successfully predict most of the dyeing properties of mohair fiber. Therefore, this model can be used as an effective tool to estimate dyeing characteristics of mohair fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papaya is a highly popular tropical fruit with its unique aroma, taste, and excellent nutritional characteristics. Drying is widely applied as a preservation technique to reduce post-harvest losses and to increase the shelf life. However, traditional convective drying is a time-consuming process, and directly affects to the final quality of the dried product. Intermittent microwave convective drying (IMCD) is an advanced drying method, which has great potential to improve drying performance and energy efficiency. However, the impact of this innovative drying method the quality of dried papaya has not been adequately investigated. In this study, an extensive investigation was carried out to determine the effects of IMCD conditions on drying performance and some quality attributes of papaya samples. Ascorbic acid content, total polyphenol content, color, and water activity of IMCD dried papaya samples were determined using standard methods. For IMCD process conditions, combinations of different power loads (0.5–1.5 W g−1), intermittency ratios (4–6) and air temperatures (50–70 °C) were considered. The results indicate that drying times were significantly reduced in IMCD while the color change tended to increase with higher microwave power. The total polyphenol content was recorded to increase in some conditions while ascorbic acid remained high in most of the IMCD conditions. The water activity of all dried samples was within product storage stability and safety levels. The optimal condition for the IMCD of papaya was a microwave power load of 1.038 W g−1, intermittency ratio of 5.22 and hot air temperature of 50 °C. The optimized drying time was 235 min, color change ΔE = 12.34, water activity was 0.53, retention of ascorbic acid was 64% and total polyphenol content was 4% higher than the fresh sample. Empirical relationships for drying time, color, total polyphenol content, ascorbic acid content, and water activity in terms of IMCD process variables of papaya drying were developed for the first time. Predicted and experimental values closely matched, validating the proposed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study determined the influence of in ovo (IO) vitamin E and ascorbic acid injections on hatching performance, chick development and antioxidant content of different tissues in day-old quail chicks. The experiment compared a control group (C: non-injection group) and injection groups, which had the yolk sac injected with 3.75 mg α- tocopherol (T1), or had the amniotic sac injected with 0.9% saline solution (T2), 2.5 mg ascorbic acid containing 0.9% saline solution (T3) and 2.5 mg ascorbic acid solution (T4), respectively. 2. Mean relative asymmetry (RA) of bilateral lengths increased in the T2, T3 and T4 groups, whereas it decreased in the T1 group compared to C. The highest total carotene content in the residual yolk sac (RYS) was seen for the T1 group, which was significantly higher compared to T2, T3 and T4 groups. The highest total carotene concentration in the liver was in the T1 group. 3. The concentrations of delta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol and total vitamin E in RYS tissue were significantly higher in the T1 group than T2, T3 and T4 groups. Alpha-tocopherol and total vitamin E levels in the liver were significantly higher in the T2 and T4 groups than C. 4. In ovo injections of vitamin E and ascorbic acid to different embryonic sacs caused antioxidant-specific effects on developmental stability of bilateral traits, RYS absorption, concentrations of total carotene and derivatives of vitamin E in newly hatched quail chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated ascorbic acid (AA) effects on diurnal fluctuations in cloacal temperature (CT) in guinea-fowls. Twenty guinea-fowls were each assigned to two groups: Group I was administered with distilled water and Group II was treated daily with AA (50 mg/kg) orally. Measurements of dry-bulb temperature (DBT) and relative humidity (RH), to obtain temperature-humidity index (THI), and CT of each guinea-fowl were taken concurrently in the pen thrice a day for 3 days, 1 week apart, during the rainy, cold-dry (harmattan) and hot-dry seasons. Values of THI during the rainy (26.16 ± 0.36) and hot-dry (28.50 ± 1.11) seasons were above the thermoneutral zone for avian species (21), indicating that the guinea-fowls were exposed to heat stress in the seasons. Values of CT were higher (P < 0.05) in controls than experimental guinea-fowls (rainy, 42.17 ± 0.06 vs 42.04 ± 0.08; hot-dry, 42.78 ± 0.11 vs 42.52 ± 0.04°C) and were outside the normal range for avian species. Administration of AA modulated CT fluctuations by decreasing the values in hot-dry season. In conclusion, the hot-dry season was the most stressful for guinea-fowls, and AA modulated considerably CT fluctuations during the season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-aging is caused mainly by sun radiations, which consist mainly of the ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB). Ascorbic acid (AA) has been widely used in the cosmetic field as an anti-wrinkle, anti-pigmentary, and antioxidant agents, however, its cosmetic application is limited due to its poor penetration across the skin, rapid oxidation, and instability of the formulation. The objective of the present study was to utilize a nanoemulsion as a nanocarrier strategy to deliver AA dermally and stabilize it. A concentration of 80 mg/mL AA was loaded into oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion and characterized in terms of droplet size, zeta potential, thermodynamic stability, and morphology. Patches were then prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC), AA nanoemulsion, and plasticizers (PEG 400 in Formulation 1, F1, and isopropanol in Formulation 2, F2) and evaluated in terms of stability, in vitro release, and ex vivo permeation study. The mean droplet size of the AA nanoemulsion was 14.4 ± 1.9 nm, zeta potential was close to zero. The AA nanoemulsion was physically stable showing no phase separation or turbidity after centrifugation and heating/cooling tests. The cumulative amount per area of AA permeated across Strat-M® membrane was 602.2 ± 57.9 µg/cm2. The ex vivo permeation profile showed a controlled-release profile of AA within 24 h, achieving a maximum amount of 414 µg permeated across the stratum corneum. The release fitted the Higuchi model with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. Nanoemulsion-based patches could serve a potential system for the dermal delivery of unstable hydrophilic compound [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth promotion using beneficial bacteria is an eco-friendly approach to meet the worldwide need for raising crop yields. This research was done in a greenhouse during 2017 and 2018 seasons to investigate the effect of bacterial biofertilization using three strains, AP-28 of Pseudomonas koreensis, AP-29 of Ralstonia pickettii, and AP-51 of Bacillus cereus on kale plants. Seeds of kale plants were soaked in bacterial solutions for three hours and compared with untreated seeds. Our results exhibited that the highest significant differences in vegetative growth, including plant length (16.76 and 15 cm), leaf number (14.33 and 14.00), and leaf area (100.52 and 99.73 cm2) were obtained from AP-51 treatment compared with control (11.33 and 10.67 cm), (10 and 11.67) and (100.52 and 99.73 cm2) in both seasons, respectively. In both seasons, seed treatment with AP-51 produced the highest significant ascorbic acid (1.373 and 1.309 mg/g) compared with control (6.82 and 8.23 mg/100g, respectively). The highest phenolic contents in both seasons were produced by AP-51 (1.83 and 2.10 mg/g) compared to untreated plants (1.31 and 1.46 mg/g, respectively). AP-51 recorded the highest yield (95.81 and 94.75 g/plant) compared with control (72.92 and 82.76 g/plant) in both seasons, respectively. Macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg), as well as microelements (Fe, Cu, and Zn), were examined. The treatment with plant growth-promoting bacteria has been recognized as an environmentally sustainable approach to reduce the inputs of chemical fertilizers and to increase crop productivity, phytochemical composition, and mineral contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the combination of ascorbic acid (AscA) and hydrocortisone (Hyd) on septic organ injury and its potential mechanism. Sepsis was induced in mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharides. AscA and Hyd combined showed more effective protection of the injured liver and kidney in septic mice by decreasing alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, serum urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine and ameliorating pathological manifestations than Hyd or AscA alone. AscA showed a mild inhibitory effect on the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)). However, Hyd showed a weak regulatory effect on septic oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)). However, the combination of AscA and Hyd showed a more powerful inhibitory effect on the septic inflammatory response and oxidative stress than Hyd or AscA alone by decreasing TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and regulating MDA, SOD, and GSH. In an in vitro study, cotreatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with Hyd and AscA sharply reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and synergistically inhibited TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 secretion, which could be abolished by additional stimulation with the ROS donor 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP). As expected, cotreatment of macrophages with Hyd and AscA synergistically inhibited the activation of p38 MAPK and p-p65, and the effect could be reversed by additional stimulation with 3-NP. AscA and Hyd synergistically protect the kidney and liver from injury by inhibiting the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. The powerful inhibitory effects of AscA on oxidative stress contribute to the synergistic anti-inflammatory action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyaluronic acid (HA) as a covering agent was incorporated into the ascorbic acid (AA)-niosomes to improve the performance of AA delivery systems into the skin. The preparation method: Thin film hydration. Characterisation tests: Field emission scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-Visible, zeta potential, Franz diffusion cell, and flowcytometry. The niosomes with 10% w/w HA possessed the largest mean particle diameter of 341.0 ± 48.09 nm with PDI value of 0.29 ± 0.05, and the lowest zeta potential of −38.70 ± 0.27 mv. The drug encapsulation efficiency of this sample was 56.55 ± 0.99%, and in-vitro drug release test showed AA released in two slow and fast phases. Moreover, the highest amount of drug penetration and accumulation was related to this sample, recorded 116.55 ± 7.54 and 134.8 ± 10.04 µg/cm2, respectively. Niosomes coated with 10% w/w HA showed the greatest potential for improving the antioxidant activity of AA penetration into the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleome gynandra (Syn. Gynandropsis gynandra) is fast emerging as one of the most widely consumed leafy vegetables due to its nutrition and health-promoting properties. In addition to its high nutritional content, the plant has a rich pool of diverse antioxidant phytochemicals. The current review provides a critical appraisal on the increasing nutritional significance of Cleome gynandra due to its rich pool of natural bioactive compounds and beneficial health-promoting qualities. The rich nutritional content especially the high levels of macro- and micronutrients is an indication of its potential to mitigate malnutrition and the increasing incidence of diet-related obesity and non-communicable diseases. The presence of health-promoting natural compounds, notably polyphenols, glucosinates and terpernoids has been confirmed in Cleome gynandra using different analytical methods. Cleome gynandra possesses high levels of α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin. These nutritional compounds could be useful in food applications as supplements, colorants and extending shelf-life of food products. Cleome gynandra extracts have demonstrated promising effects in several biological assays using in vitro and in vivo systems. Clearly, diversified diets that include a regular intake of dark green leafy vegetables including Cleome gynandra, holds great promise in ensuring food and nutrition security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid, known as vitamin C, is an important antioxidant and food ingredient, and highly sensitive to environmental conditions, which makes its incorporation into food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products more difficult. The evaluation of its nano/microencapsulation enables the improvement of its stability and controlled release. There are various investigations regarding ascorbic acid encapsulation; however, a deep study related to the scale-up of encapsulation process, its application into food products and digestibility study are still needed. This review highlights the main physicochemical and health properties of vitamin C, recent advances of its encapsulation into micro/nanocarriers, and application in food products. Also, the controlled release and bioavailability of encapsulated forms within different carriers is underlined. The results of published studies clearly show that vitamin C can be successfully protected within micro/nanoencapsulation systems and it can be applied as an efficient ingredient in the formulation of various food products such as bakery goods. Different carriers used for the delivery of vitamin C; a: nanoliposomes, b: solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), c: nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), d: chitosan nanoparticles, e: cyclodextrin nanosponges [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, aqueous extracts ofAlchemilla Vulgaris (Aslan Pençesi) leaves have been used to prepare Fe3O4 nano-flakes accompanied by calcination at 400°C. The various properties of biosynthesised Fe3O4 nano-flakes were investigated using UV–Visible, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry, thermogravimetric (TG), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) respectively. The SEM study reveals the formation of flake-like structure with a diameter of 85 nm and a thickness of 9 nm respectively. The DTA curve shows two endothermic peaks corresponding to the decomposition of organic matter and the deoxidation of FeO (Wustite) to α-Fe, respectively, and their activation energy values were found to be 5.73 and 16.43 kJ/moles, respectively. The green synthesised magnetite nano-flakes is proved to be an excellent electrocatalyst for the electro-oxidation of ascorbic acid. The effect of scan rates, the concentration of the modifier, and the analyte was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperpigmentation disorders are commonly encountered in dermatology clinics. The use of prescription-grade and over-the-counter topical lightening agents has increased in popularity, leading to a substantial growth of research over the past decade. We seek to review clinical studies evaluating the use of different Rx-grade and OTC ingredients in treating hyperpigmentation. A comprehensive search on PubMed was conducted to identify patient-based evidence on the most common ingredients used as topical lightening agents: arbutin, ascorbic acid, cysteamine, hydroquinone, kojic acid, niacinamide, retinoids, and triple-combination therapy. The topicals were classified as either prescription-grade or over-the-counter. Varying levels of evidence support the use of topicals in treating hyperpigmentation. There were more clinical trials examining Rx-grade products than OTC products. Mild but tolerated side effects are noted in many of these agents. Careful monitoring and adjustment of doses will be needed to maximize skin lightening benefits and minimize side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the role of ascorbic acid (AsA) to alleviate nickel (Ni) induced adverse effects on growth and concentration of Ni, copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in hydroponically grown wheat varieties viz. Galaxy, Punjab-2011, and FSD-08. Plants were exposed to five levels of Ni viz. 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg L−1. After 1 week, AsA (1 mM) was sprayed onto the Ni-stressed plants. FSD-08 produced the maximum SDW with and without AsA compared to other varieties. FSD-08, Galaxy, and Punjab-2011 witnessed 2.61-, 2.83-, and 7.5-fold increases in SDW with AsA, respectively. Wheat plants contained the maximum Ni in shoots and roots with a Ni level of 20 mg L−1 irrespective of varieties. Nickel in shoots decreased with AsA witnessing 13, 12, and 10% decrease in FSD-08, Punjab-2011, and Galaxy, respectively. Nickel in roots of FSD-08 decreased by 18% while increased by 3.34-fold and 3.50-fold in Galaxy and Punjab-2011, respectively with AsA. Nickel decreased Cu in shoot and Mn in shoot and root while Cu in roots of all wheat varieties increased. It was concluded that AsA improved the growth of Ni-stressed and FSD-08 performed better by maintaining good growth and less Ni in shoots compared to other varieties. Exploiting plant internal mechanisms with foliar application of different organic substances have widely been investigated to decrease metal accumulation and their adverse effects on plants. However, the differential response of different varieties to metal accumulation in response to foliar application of ascorbic acid is not well documented. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of exogenous application of ascorbic acid on growth response, the concentration of Ni, Cu, and Mn in three wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to investigate the inhibitive and preventive effects of ascorbic acid as an organic inhibitor against the corrosion of reinforcements immersed in simulated concrete pore solution, and also in mortars exposed to chlorides. The study was carried out using different electrochemical methods such as the open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to determine the inhibition efficiency of ascorbic acid. The prepared mortars were tested in order to investigate the corrosion potential and polarization resistance. The obtained results indicated that the optimum concentration of ascorbic acid was determined at 0.1 g/L, with an inhibition efficiency estimated at 88.96%. It is worth noting that ascorbic acid exhibits an anodic-type inhibition; its adsorption on the steel surface occurs by chemisorption, according to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm by the formation of chelated compounds with the Fe2+ ion. In addition, its preventive effect against corrosion is guaranteed up to a concentration of 0.1 mol/L NaCl. It should be noted that adding the optimum concentration of ascorbic acid to the mixing water of mortar can delay the onset of corrosion for up to 28 days in comparison with an uninhibited mortar containing 0.5 mol/L NaCl. Furthermore, it was found that ascorbic acid allowed obtaining a mortar with lower water accessible porosity and greater compressive strength than those of the reference mortar. It should also be known that ascorbic acid does not affect the capillary absorption coefficient of mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A surface base polymeric film was fabricated onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via reversible voltammetric scanning in acidic electrolyte containing a (2,4,6-triaminopyrmidine) monomer (TP). The assembled poly(2,4,6-triaminopyrmidine) (PTP) surface material was further modified by electrochemical attachment of tris(2,2'-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) described as Ru(II)-complex. The structure and electrochemical properties of the resulting (Ru-PTP-GCE) surface network were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The apparent estimated value of electron transfer rate constant (kapp) of the prepared sensor was three times greater than the virgin PTP. The cooperative effects of the (PTP) and Ru(II)-complex composite increased the efficiency and the stability of the proposed sensor for the selective determination of dopamine (DA) in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). The detection limit (DL3σ) of DA in this environment was 0.021 μM. The fabricated sensor was successfully applied for DA detection in a blood serum sample with satisfactory recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turmeric has high commercial demand internationally, owing to its high nutrient and medical value. In this research, turmeric samples were subjected to several drying methods viz. infrared freeze drying (IRFD), freeze drying (FD), and pulse-spouted microwave-assisted freeze-drying (PSMFD). Over the range of operating conditions employed in this study, IRFD of infrared radiation was showed to shorten the drying time by 21.27% relative to FD, while the retention valves of ascorbic acid, curcumin, total phenols, and total flavonoids remains at 75.61%, 94.06%, 69.00%, and 80.09%, respectively over the range of experimental parameters. IRFD significantly (P < 0.05) reduced 25.19% of the energy consumption in comparison with FD. Furthermore, the interior of IRFD samples exhibited a honeycomb porous structure, and increased hardness, lower shrinkage, apparent density compared to PSMFD. Additionally, IRFD also performed better than PSMFD and FD under vacuum freezing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potatoes are experiencing increased popularity across many parts of the world due to their high levels of functionally beneficial compounds, including vitamin C, anthocyanins and carotenoids. However, limited work has been performed on Australian-grown sweet potatoes. This work investigated the key phytochemical composition of the root tissue of five Australian sweet potato cultivars that are grown commercially. The cultivar WSPF (White Skin, Purple Flesh) displayed the highest total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity and total anthocyanin content. However, the cultivar Bellevue contained the highest β-carotene content (48.2 mg 100 g−1 on a dry weight basis), followed by New Orleans and Beauregard (43.0 and 34.0 mg 100 g−1, respectively). White and purple-fleshed cultivars contained virtually no β-carotene (0.1–0.2 mg 100 g−1). The New Orleans cultivar had the highest ascorbic acid content on a dry weight basis (51.9 mg 100 g−1) and the WSPF cultivar the lowest (17.8 mg 100 g−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyphenols, condensed tannins, total flavonoids, total carotenoids, lycopene and ascorbic acid were determined besides verifying antioxidant capacity of peel, pulp and desserts (with and without sugar) of red guava (Psidium guajava L.) as well as the effects of lycopene on cytotoxicity, cell cycle and apoptosis on breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Guava peel contains 90% of the total ascorbic acid and heat treatment does not modify bioactive compounds content and antioxidant capacity. Sugar addition decreased guava pulp functional capacity. After heat treatment, lycopene content was stable, but sugar addition reduced its concentration by 57%. Lycopene (10 µM) extracted from guava and standard presented the same cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells. Lycopene influenced over G2-M transition check-point of the cell cycle and increased apoptotic cells percentages compared to untreated cells. The consumption of in natura guava, especially with peel can be considered an important source of bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pitaya is a perishable fruit with a high content of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of ethanol pretreatment (95% dripped on the surface of the foam at a rate of 0.05 mL.cm−2) and temperature (50 and 70 °C) on moisture content, water activity, solubility, color, ascorbic acid, antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP) e betanin and betaxanthin retention of white and red pitaya powdered pulps and to determine an optimal process condition. Pretreatment and higher temperature resulted in increased solubility and antioxidant capacity of powdered pulps. The total color difference was influenced by pretreatment and drying temperature, but in different ways according to the variety. In the pretreated red pulp powders, 70 °C resulted in higher retention of ascorbic acid and 50 °C resulted in increased retention of betanins and betaxanthins. The optimal treatment for white and red pulps was the use of pretreatment and a temperature of 70 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigates the effects of humic acid concentration, its application methods as well as nitrogen ratios on the morphological, yield and biochemical characteristics of strawberry cv. Paros, during 2014–2015 in Ardabil Province, Iran. The study has been conducted within the framework of a double split plot randomized complete block design with three replications and density of 10 plants per replications. Different nitrogen levels (50, 100 and 150 kg ha−1) were examined in the main plots while application methods of humic acid (foliar and soil) and its different concentrations (0, 2, 4 and 6 kg ha−1) were considered in the subplots and sub-sub plots, respectively. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the interaction effects of different concentrations of nitrogen, humic acid and its application methods are significant on most of the measured variables at 5% probability level. Mean comparisons showed that the highest values for the leaf area, fruit yield, chlorophyll a, carotenoids and titratable acidity are associated with the combined treatments of nitrogen and humic acid with concentrations of 100 kg ha−1 and 4 kg ha−1, respectively. In three-way interactions, the highest shoot and root biomass and total chlorophyll content were obtained from the application of 100 kg ha−1nitrogen and 4 kg ha−1 foliar humic acid, while the highest nitrogen and protein contents of leaf and root were achieved upon applying 2 kg ha−1 foliar humic acid and 150 kg ha−1 nitrogen. Moreover, the highest amounts of ascorbic acid and total soluble solids were found at a concentration level of 100 kg ha−1 nitrogen along with applying 2 and 6 kg ha−1 foliar and soil humic acids, respectively. Finally, the best results of most of the studied traits were observed at 100 kg ha−1 nitrogen and 4 kg ha−1 foliar humic acid application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) have gained great attention as multifunctional materials because of their interesting properties and general applicability. Herein, new CDs were synthesised from a facile hydrothermal treatment of cysteine and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as both carbon and nitrogen source and cross-linking agent with high quantum yield (47.2%), respectively. The as prepared CDs were used to detect Fe3+ and ascorbic acid. The fluorescence intensity of CDs was selectivity quenched by Fe3+ in the range of 0.03–15.0 µM, with a detection limit of 10.2 nM. Meanwhile, ascorbic acid was found to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+, thereby causing restoration of the fluorescence of CDs. The detection limit for ascorbic acid detection was estimated as 54.3 nM over a linear range from 0.1 to 25.0 µM. Furthermore, the designed sensing platform was successfully utilised to the detection of Fe3+ and ascorbic acid in water and fruits samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plant production that produces high-value products, biostimulants are gaining more and more importance. Research hypothesis; biostimulants can contribute to the change of vitamin C content in edible potato tubers. This hypothesis was verified in a three-year field experiment. The effect of four variants of the use of biostimulators: BrownBio Gold (auxin and cytokinin), GreenOk (humic substances), Kelpak SL (Ecklonia maxima), Titanit (titanium) in tubers of three potato cultivars on the content of vitamin C. The applied biostimulants had a significant impact on the content of vitamin C. The highest increase of this component was found in tubers harvested from the plots sprayed with BrownBio Gold. Vitamin C content under the influence of biostimulants was on average 205.0 mg·kg−1 of fresh weight. Hydrothermal conditions prevailing in the years of the research were the factor that significantly modified the content of the analysed component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scurvy is a historically significant disease whose incidence has declined significantly with advancements in nutrition and access to varied foods. It is classically characterized by gingival bleeding, corkscrew hairs, and petechiae. In cases of severe deficiency, as seen in patients with years of a restricted diet, impaired connective tissue formation can lead to symptomatic, life-threatening bleeding diathesis. Risk factors for a restrictive diet in patients with unidentified bleeding diathesis should be recognized early to prevent significant morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]