Search

Background: Archaeological, ethnohistorical, and ethnographic evidence supports the ubiquitous use of fermented beverages in prehispanic Chile. Made from a variety of plant raw materials, these beverages have been of special importance regarding many nutritional, medicinal, social, ritual, and religious aspects. Purpose: The present review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the interdisciplinary information on traditional Chilean fermented beverages, as well as on the starting materials used for their elaboration. Materials and Methods: Anthropological and ethnopharmacological data were collected through literature searches based on archaeological evidence, books from chroniclers and explorers, as well as modern ethnographic testimonies. Literature data on the chemistry and bioactivity of the prehispanic fermented beverages and the raw materials used were mainly retrieved from digital databases such as SciFinder®, PubMed®, and Google Scholar®. Results and Discussion: Thirty seven plant raw materials have been used for the elaboration of traditional fermented beverages in prehispanic Chile. Phytochemical and bioactivity data regarding these beverages are rather limited, but a wide spectrum of chemical compounds, health-promoting and disease-preventative effects is reported for the starting materials. Conclusion: Despite the lack of scientific evidence on traditional prehispanic fermented beverages of Chile, the plant raw material exhibit promising phytochemical profiles and potential health-promoting and disease-preventative benefits. This review underscores the importance of integrating ethnopharmacological perspectives into modern research endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to identify the phenolic profile and composition of the aerial parts of three native species used in traditional medicine in the Andean Altiplano of northern Chile: Clinopodium gilliesii (Benth.) Kuntze [Lamiaceae] (commonly known as Muña-Muña), Mutisia acuminata Ruiz & Pav. var. hirsuta (Meyen) Cabrera [Asteraceae] (commonly known as Chinchircoma), and Tagetes multiflora (Kunth), [Asteraceae] (commonly known as Gracilis), as well as to evaluate their potential inhibitory effects against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Polyphenolic enriched-extracts (PEEs) of the species were prepared and analyzed and the main components were quantified using HPLC-DAD. In total, 30 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in all species, including simple phenolics, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols (monomers and polymers), flavanones, and flavonols. In addition, other main phenolics from the extracts were tentatively identified by ESI-MS-MS high-resolution analysis. T. multiflora extract showed the greatest anti-AChE and BChE activity in comparison with C. gilliesii and M. acuminata extracts, being the anti-AChE and BChE activity weak in all extracts in comparison to galantamine control. To comprise to better understand the interactions between cholinesterase enzymes and the main phenolics identified in T. multiflora, molecular docking analysis was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeybee pollen (HBP) chemical composition is highly variable conforming to the floral and geographical origin of the pollen grains. The beneficial effects and functional properties of the HBP are well-known and have been mainly attributed to their high content of antioxidant polyphenols. In this work, twelve HBPs samples from the Southern region of Chile (X Región de Los Lagos) were characterized for the first time according to their botanical origin, phenolic composition, and antioxidant activity. The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay was done to simulate the human upper digestive tract. Selected honeybee pollen extracts (HBPEs) were assessed as bioaccessible fractions during an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Contents of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and recovery index of quercetin, myricetin, and cinnamic acid were monitored in different steps of gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, the protective effect of in vitro digested HBP towards DNA damage induced by peroxyl radicals was evaluated. The introduced species Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), Lotus pedunculatus Cav. (Fabaceae), and Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae) predominated in all the HBPs analyzed, while the native species Buddleja globosa Hope (Scrophulariaceae), Luma apiculata (DC.) Burret (Myrtaceae), Embothrium coccineum J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Proteaceae) and Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. (Cunoniaceae) appeared less frequently. The content of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity in HBPEs achieved full bioaccessibility at the end of the intestinal digestion step. However, results obtained by a state-of-the-art technique (i.e. HPLC-DAD) demonstrated relatively low values of bioaccessible quercetin and cinnamic acid after the digestion process. In contrast, myricetin showed a high bioaccessibility in the intestinal digestion steps. The protective effect of in vitro digested HBP towards DNA damage induced by peroxyl radicals showed promising results (up to 91.2% protection). In conclusion, HBPs from the X Region de Los Lagos are rich sources of phenolic antioxidants that protect DNA from strand breakage. Therefore, the potential of HBPEs in preventing gastric and/or intestinal cancer should be further considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Atacameños is the property of Estudios Atacamenos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Consumption of psychoactive substances has been important in the lives of indigenous American people for several millennia. While numerous studies have reported the occurrence of smoking pipes at archaeological sites, only a few have addressed the question of the substances being smoked. The study of smoking pipes is of particular interest at the Early Ceramic period archaeological site La Granja in central Chile (500–1000 A.D.) given its ritual connotation. Analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry showed the presence of nicotine in a large proportion of the residues extracted from a wide variety of grinding and smoking artifacts from La Granja (total N = 116). Additionally, the likelihood of finding residual nicotine varied along pipe segments, decreasing from the bowl to the mouthpieces. This research has studied the cultural operative chain of the smoking complex of the Early Ceramic period of central Chile and described Nicotiana sp. as a plausible plant source with nicotine as the compound involved in the physiological effect, micromortars and pestles as the artifacts used in the preparation of plants for smoking and finally, the smoking pipe through which the plant compounds were incorporated into the smoker's organism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The consumption of plant-derived hallucinogenic substances through smoking and snuffing is a long-standing tradition in the south-central Andes. Chemical and archaeobotanical evidence point to the consumption of nicotine and tryptamine alkaloids in Northwestern Argentina and of tryptamine alkaloids in San Pedro de Atacama (SPA), in prehispanic times. In this paper, results are reported of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses aimed at identifying nicotine and tryptamine alkaloids in the hair of mummies from different cultural periods of SPA. Fifty-six samples were examined. While tryptamines were not found in any of the samples, nicotine was found in 35 samples, assigned to the Late Formative (1 of 1 sample from this period), Late Formative or Middle (1 of 2 samples from either of these periods), Middle (4 of 6 samples from this period) and Late Intermediate periods (8 of 12 samples from this period), or without assignment to period due to lack of contextual information (21 of 35 samples unassigned to a period). These results show a continuous consumption of nicotine from the Late Formative to the Late Intermediate periods of SPA (ca. 100 B.C.–1450 A.D.). No associations were found between presence of nicotine in the hair of mummies and presence of snuffing trays or of other snuffing paraphernalia in the corresponding tomb; furthermore, neither the diversity of the funerary context, measured in terms of the number of types of objects, nor the presence of gemstone necklaces differed between tombs with mummies with or without nicotine in their hair. Overall, these results suggest that consumption of nicotine was performed by members of the society at large, irrespective of their social and wealth status. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Avocado oil is considered a highly prized food due to its nutritional contribution. On the other hand, Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stuntz (Elaeocarpaceae), common name "maqui", is an endemic fruit in Chile, well known for its exceptional antioxidant properties. In general, maqui by-products such as leaves are considered as waste. Thus, maqui leaves extracts were used to improve the stability of vegetable oils, particularly avocado oil. Hence, avocado oil was fortified with two extracts (ethyl ether and methanol) obtained of maqui leaves and exposed to 120 °C for 386 h in an oven. The results showed a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (69.46%, mainly oleic acid), followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (16.41%, mainly linoleic acid) and finally saturated fatty acids (14.13%). The concentration of the total phenolic compounds in the pure oil, ethyl ether and methanol maqui leaves extracts were 45.8, 83.7, and 4100.9 ppm, respectively. In addition, the antioxidant activity was 5091.6 and 19,452.5 µmol Trolox eq/g for the ethyl ether and methanol extracts, respectively. The secondary degradation compounds showed significant differences between the fortified and non-fortified samples after 144 h and the TG/DTG analysis showed a significant increment of 7 °C in the degradation temperature (Tonset) of avocado oil fortified with the methanol extract when compared to the non-fortified oil and fortified oil with ethyl ether extract. After heating for 336 h, fortified oil with methanol extract reached the limit percentages of polar compounds, while pure oil reached it in a shorter time, i.e., 240 h. Based on the results, avocado oil can be protected with natural additives such as extracts obtained from maqui leaves, leading to an increase in its thermo-oxidative stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia copa Phil. (Asteraceae) (known as copa-copa) is a native species of Chile used as an infusion in traditional medicine by Atacameños people in the Altiplano, highlands of northern Chile. In this research, we have investigated for the first time the cholinesterase inhibition potential against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and the chemical profiling of the infusions prepared from the aerial parts of A. copa by high resolution spectrometry. In addition, total phenolic, total flavonoid content, antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC) and antiprozoal activity were tested. Artemisia copa showed good inhibitory activity against AChE and BChE (3.92 ± 0.08 µg/ml and 44.13 ± 0.10 µg/ml). The infusion displayed a total phenolics content of 155.6 ± 2.9 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g and total flavonoid content of 5.5 ± 0.2 mg quercetin equivalents/g. Additionally, trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi was found (LD50 of 131.8 µg/ml). Forty-seven metabolites were detected in the infusion of A. copa including several phenolic acids and flavonoids which were rapidly identified using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS) for chemical profiling. The major compounds identified in the infusions were studied by molecular docking against AChE and BChE. The UHPLC-MS fingerprints generated can be also used for the authentication of these endemic species. These findings reveal that A. copa infusions can be used as beverages with protective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Kurzamra pulchella (Lamiaceae) was determined. Twelve compounds were identified, with isomenthone (60.6%) and pulegone (37.1%) predominating. Chemotaxonomical considerations were discussed.