Search

NAFLD is a chronic liver disease that affects a high proportion of the world's population which causes metabolic and hepatic damages. Rosa damascena Mill is traditionally used as a dietary supplement for liver disorders. This study was carried out to determine the beneficial effect of standardized extract of R. damascena on animal model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD was induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in Wistar rats. HFD rats showed an increase (p < 0.05) in the plasma lipid levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and reduced the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. R. damascena significantly reduced the elevation of final body weight, liver fat accumulation, TG, TC, LDL-C concentrations and hepatic enzymes (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination of hepatic tissue confirmed the therapeutic effect of R. damascena. Improvement of total antioxidant power activity, total thiol content, MPO enzyme activity, and also lipid peroxidation were also considered in treated animals (p < 0.05). HPLC analysis showed that phenolic compounds including gallic acid, quercetin and syringic acid are the main bioactive compounds of R. damascena hydroalcoholic extract. In conclusion, R. damascena dietary supplementation has a therapeutic effect in NAFLD. Improvement of oxidative stress associated damage in liver tissue is among the main pharmacological mechanisms involved in therapeutic activity of the plant.

Organic acids are the organic compounds with the acidic properties, classified based on the number of carboxylic functions. In general, organic acids are weak acids. However, organic acids with phenol, enol, alcohol, and thiol groups are weaker than carboxylic acids. Organic acids vary in the number of hydroxy or carboxyl functional groups and carbon-carbon double bonds in their structures. The organic acids are categorized based on four characterizations: (1) the nature of carbon chain (aromatic, aliphatic, alicyclic, and heterocyclic); (2) saturation or unsaturation properties; (3) substituted or nonsubstituted features; and (4) the number of functional groups (mono, di- or tri-carboxylic). In the biological processes, organic acids are involved in numerous important pathways of metabolism and catabolism in animals and plants as the intermediate or final products, and play a main role in the tricarboxylic acid cycle or citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), a vital pathway in eukaryotes and primary source of electrons donating to the mitochondrial respiratory membrane. Although these compounds are found in all organisms, plants have the unique ability to collect organic acids in cellular reactions. Organic acids affect fruits and vegetables' organoleptic properties such as color, flavor, and aroma. The current chapter will briefly introduce the organic acids in structures, physical, and chemical properties and discuss their Ethnopharmacology importance. Furthermore, the extraction techniques such as solid-liquid, ultrasound, microwave, accelerated liquid, supercritical fluid, and enzyme-assisted extraction will be reviewed. The purification techniques such as membrane separation, preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, counter-current chromatography, and thin layer chromatography are compared as well. As far as the identification and quantification techniques one would see gas chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Finally, the levels of organic acids found in foods/plants and the effects of food processing on the phytochemicals are discussed.

Phytonutrients refer to nutrients in plants, or phytochemicals, that have potentially positive health benefits that are useful for maintaining well-being and the normal functions of the body, and increasing life expectancy. They have also been proven to contribute to the prevention or treatment of diseases. Different unexplored plant species can provide further sources of nutrients, as well as bioactive phytochemicals with various health benefits. Bringing these edible plants into local food systems might help to reduce malnutrition, especially in indigenous communities with underprivileged population groups. Many underutilized and unexplored plants provide the potential to variegate the human diet; so introducing these neglected herbs would increase the consumption of nutrient-rich food plants. In addition, application of multidisciplinary research and modern techniques would provide nutritional or anti-nutritional information about these underutilized plant resources, and could stand as a platform for future use of unique botanicals/phytochemicals for the next generation of functional foods, foods with fewer anti-nutrients or toxicological factors, nutraceuticals, and biofortified foods. The collaboration of relevant international/national organizations and associations, with academic groups and industrial organizations, could accelerate the addition of underutilized plant species into consumers’ diets.