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Extraction of organic and bioactive compounds from plant materials with the traditional organic solvents aided by water or oil bath heating is not sustainable, because it consumes a lot of energy, time, water/oil, solvents, and results in lower yield. This review discusses deep eutectic solvent (DES) as a green solvent, physical field technology (PFT) as a water-saving and green technology, and how the coupling of PFT (ultrasound [US], microwave [MW], infrared [IR]) to DES will improve the yield and quality of protein, polysaccharides, polyphenols, pectin, and terpenoids extracted from plant materials. Ultrasonication increases DES extraction efficiency via cavitation dislodgement and pores creation. IR coupling to DES enhances the extraction yield of polyphenols and the antioxidant and antiradical activity. MW improves DES extraction yield, reduces energy consumption, operational cost, and compound degradation, and is inferred to be the greenest technology., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Seasonings like garlic, ginger, and scallion provide spicy and masking flavor or aroma in vegetables. However, the method or technique used for drying these spices can affect the flavor profile. Therefore, this review focuses on vegetable seasonings like ginger, garlic, and scallion, the characteristic flavor of fresh and dehydrated vegetable seasoning, and how drying methods (freeze-drying [FD], convective hot air drying [HAD], infrared drying, microwave drying [MW]), and other recent dryers (swirling fluidized bed [SFB], pulsed-vacuum dryer, relative humidity-convective dryer, etc.) affect the flavor profile of the common vegetable seasonings. HAD increases α-zingiberene, reduces gingerol, and forms β-citral and citral in fresh ginger. FD increased sesquiterpenes, retained terpenoids, sulfides, and other volatiles in fresh ginger, and did not produce new volatile compounds (VOCs) in garlic. SFB drying better preserves 6-gingerol than FD and HAD. MW increases trisulfides and cyclic sulfur compounds in garlic. In general, drying, especially thermal drying reduces the VOCs in fresh garlic, ginger, and scallion and causes the formation of new VOCs., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

So far, the use of artificial low-calorie sweeteners, like sucralose, saccharin, and so on, to replace the conventional-based sugars has not succeeded due to the long-term adverse health effects, for example, hypertension, and not well-known safety stand. In this review, we discussed the next generation SvGl (rebaudioside M [Reb M]), their biosynthetic pathway in plant, high-yield production via microbial fermentation and enzyme engineering, physicochemical properties, taste modification, kinetic metabolism, application in food and beverages, safety and toxicological evaluation, regulation and dosage recommendation, and health benefits. In stevia, the biosynthesis of stevia glycosides, especially Reb M, is derived from the bifurcation of the pathway leading to gibberellin, followed by subsequent enzymatic modification of rubusoside. Reb M is more economically produced via microbial fermentation of modified yeast Yarrowia lipolytica and enzymatic bioconversion of rebaudioside A (Reb A) or Reb E. Reb M can serve as a suitable alternative to the conventional-based sugars., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

The emergence of varying levels of resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs significantly threatens global health. This factor heightens the urgency to explore bioactive compounds from natural products with a view to discovering and developing newer antimalarial drugs with novel mode of actions. Therefore, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of sixteen phytocompounds from Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract against Plasmodium falciparum drug targets such as P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). In silico approaches including molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling and 3D-QSAR were adopted to analyze the inhibitory activity of the compounds under consideration. The molecular docking results indicated that a compound swertiajaponin from C. citratus exhibited a higher binding affinity (-7.8 kcal/mol) to PfMSP1 as against the standard artesunate-amodiaquine (-6.6 kcal/mol). Swertiajaponin also formed strong hydrogen bond interactions with LYS29, CYS30, TYR34, ASN52, GLY55 and CYS28 amino acid residues. In addition, quercetin another compound from C. citratus exhibited significant binding energies -6.8 and -8.3 kcal/mol with PfCSP and PfEMP1, respectively but slightly lower than the standard artemether-lumefantrine with binding energies of -7.4 kcal/mol against PfCSP and -8.7 kcal/mol against PfEMP1. Overall, the present study provides evidence that swertiajaponin and other phytomolecules from C. citratus have modulatory properties toward P. falciparum drug targets and thus may warrant further exploration in early drug discovery efforts against malaria. Furthermore, these findings lend credence to the folkloric use of C. citratus for malaria treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Some therapeutic and beneficial health properties of the Theobroma cacao leaf have been documented. This study evaluated the ameliorative effect of Theobroma cacao-fortified feed against potassium bromate-induced oxidative damage in male Wistar rats. Thirty rats were randomly grouped into A-E. Except for E (the negative control), the rats in the other groups were administered 0.5 ml of 10 mg/kg body weight of potassium bromate daily using oral gavage and then allowed access to feed and water ad libitum. Groups B, C, and D were fed with 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % leaf-fortified feed respectively, while the negative and positive control (A) was fed with commercial feed. The treatment was carried out consecutively for fourteen days. In the liver and kidney, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in total protein concentration, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in MDA level, and SOD activity in the fortified feed group compared to the positive control. Furthermore, in the serum, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the albumin concentration, and ALT activity, and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in urea concentration in the fortified feed groups compared to the positive control. The histopathology of the liver and kidney in the treated groups showed moderate cell degeneration compared to the positive control group. Antioxidant activity due to the presence of flavonoids and metal chelating activity of fiber in Theobroma cacao leaf could be responsible for the ameliorative effect of the fortified feed against potassium bromate-induced oxidative damage., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The low constitutive activation of Liver X receptor, an endogenous nuclear receptor with two subtypes (α and β), is a condition lying at the crossroad of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Both natural and synthetic Liver X receptor agonists have reportedly shown remarkable antiproliferative and atheroprotective effects but the repeated doses of its synthetic ones are also paradoxically associated with hyperlipidaemic effects and neurotoxicity, though attributed to the alpha subtype. This highlights the need for novel, safe, and potent LXR-beta-selective agonists. Hypocholesterolaemic effects of black theaflavins have been widely reported, but data on the exact theaflavin compound (s) responsible for these effects is currently lacking. Neither is information on the possible modulatory effects of the compound (s) on LXR-beta nor its possible implications in the context of drug development for cardiovascular diseases and cancers is explored. On this account, we investigated the potential interaction of four main theaflavin monomers (TF1, TF2A, TF2B & TF3) with human LXR-beta through robust computational modelling that entails molecular docking, free energy calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The ligands were further profiled ( in silico ) for absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicological properties. Our result revealed theaflavin TF2B as a putative LXR-beta agonist, possibly responsible for the widely observed hypocholesterolaemic effect in black tea. This finding, while encouraging, needs to be experimentally verified in wet studies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Background: Data available support that ninety percent of male infertility cases are due to low sperm counts. There is a scarcity of data on the medicinal effects of cannabis on fertility. This study evaluated testicular function and sperm quality modulation with cannabis in rats., Methodology: Twenty-five male Wistar rats were randomly grouped into five: A, B, C, and D, each group have 5 rats. A (control): 0.2 ml 2% DMSO, B (vitamin C): 90 mg/kg body weight, C, D, and E were administered: 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg body weight of ethanolic leaf extract of cannabis (ELEC) respectively. The rats were sacrificed 24 h after the last day of the 60 day oral administrations. Flavonoids were the predominant phytochemical present in the extract while quercetin, kemferol, silyman and gallic acid were identified., Results: The results showed a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in sperm quality and a significant increase in the concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, triglycerides, cholesterol, and total protein determination compared to the normal control. Similarly, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the activities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and superoxide dismutase compared to the normal control. RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1)-silymarin complexes (-8.30 kcal/mol) and androgen receptor (AR)-quercetin complexes (9.20 kcal/mol) had the highest affinity., Conclusion: The antioxidant effects of the flavonoids in the ethanolic extract of cannabis may have protected testicular and sperm cells from oxidative damage. Biochemical processes and histopathological morphology were preserved by cannabis. The docking prediction suggests that the bioactive principle of cannabis may activate the androgenic receptors. The androgenic receptor modulation may be attributed to silymarin and quercetin., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the main challenges occurring among men worldwide, and is characterised by trouble getting or keeping steady erection during sexual intercourse. Various drugs like sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE-5) are freely available in the pharmacies, though normally associated with several adverse. This study was designed to assess the molecular relations obtainable between catechin, garcinal, garcinoic acid and d-tocotrienol compounds isolated from Garcinia kola and targeted receptor linked to ED. These processes include the molecular docking of catechin, garcinal, garcinoic acid, d-tocotrienol, and sildenafil to receptor: PDE-5 via AutoDock Vina. Following the docking of catechin, garcinal, garcinoic acid and d-tocotrienol with the PDE-5-receptor protein, we observed that all are protein inhibitors with garcinoic acid showing better binding affinity -10.0 kcal/mol with PDE-5 receptor relevant to ED. Hence, the results provided insights into the development of garcinoic acid as a replacement for present ED management, with further analysis worth considering., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Alcoholism has been linked to problems with male reproductive function. The combined effects of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco were compared in this study. A total of 35 rats were assigned randomly into seven groups A-G: animals in A were administered distilled water. Animals in B-G were either administered alcohol orally (30 ml 40% alcohol) or exposed to smoke from ignited tobacco (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco for 5 min) or cannabis (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco and cannabis for 5 min): B (orally administered alcohol), C (exposed to the smoke from tobacco), D (exposed to smoke from cannabis), E (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from tobacco), F (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from cannabis), G (treated with alcohol and exposed to smokes from tobacco and cannabis). Assays were carried on the testicular homogenate after a 14-day treatment. There was a significant increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase ( P  ≤ 0.05), concentrations of cholesterol, glutathione reductase, and malondialdehyde in treated rats by the co-administration of alcohol with cannabis and tobacco compared with the control group. The combined treatment also caused degeneration and morphological distortions of testicular cells. The biochemical and histoarchitectural change was due to oxidative damage attributable to the synergistic effects. The high binding energy of tetrahydrocannabinol ligand to prostate acid phosphatase may be a prediction that the ligand can have an inhibitory effect on the function of enzymes in the prostate., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Allium cepa Linn (Onion) Organosulfuric compounds and phytonutrients have medicinal benefits. The study estimated the antioxidant effect of Allium cepa in fortified feed against oxidative damage caused by potassium bromate. Commercial feed was fortified by substituting 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % of rat's daily ration with the respective portion of pulverized Allium cepa . Potassium bromate was administered orally to the rats in all the groups except rats in the normal control. The rats in the test groups were allowed access to the fortified feed ad libitum. The animals were sacrificed; consequently, the serum, liver, and kidney were obtained for biochemical assay and histological assessment. The percentage composition of some amino acids and some proximate were higher in the fortified feed. Furthermore, Malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver, kidney, and serum decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in rats fed with fortified feed compared to administered only Potassium bromate. Similarly, the concentration of total protein increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in the liver, kidney, and serum of the animals fed with fortified feed. The hematology result was normal in rats fed with fortified feed. The liver and kidney cell architecture was normal in animals fed with fortified feed. Allium cepa may have conferred protection and amelioration to oxidative damage by potassium bromate in rats., Competing Interests: The authors report no declarations of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Soaking and incorporation of legumes for fortification are essential to a complementary food production process. Cassava, orange-fleshed potato, and cowpeas are sustainably cheap, locally available, and underutilized for food biofortification. This study investigated the effect of cowpea soaking time (3, 6, and 9 h) on different composition ratios of cassava, cowpea, and orange-fleshed sweet potato (CCP) blends (50 : 40 : 10 (EC), 50 : 30 : 20 (FC), 50 : 20 : 30 (GC), and 50 : 50 : 0 (HC)). Each blend was assayed for pH, antinutrient, antioxidant, and proximate contents. Results obtained showed that the CCP blends were significantly influenced by the length of cowpea soaking. Moisture and fiber content decreased significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) with increased steeping time (3 to 9 h) for the cassava-cowpea-OFSP blends. The blends were significantly different ( P ≤ 0.05) in terms of their protein, fiber, fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents. The moisture content of the EC blend was significantly different from only FC and HC blends, respectively. Six (6) hours of soaking showed no significant difference in the nutritional composition of the flour samples compared with 9 hours. The soaking length optimizes the health and nutrient-promoting factors in the various blend samples while also reaffirming cowpeas as a viable biofortification option for use in complementary food production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Abiola Folakemi Olaniran et al.)

The Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma spp, are etiological agents of diseases capable of causing significant morbidity, mortality and economic burden, predominantly in developing countries. Currently, there are no effective vaccines for the diseases caused by these parasites; therefore, therapy relies heavily on antiprotozoal drugs. However, the treatment options for these parasitic diseases are limited, thus underscoring the need for new anti-protozoal agents. Here, we investigated the anti-parasite action of nanoparticles. We found that the nanoparticles have strong and selective in vitro activity against T. b. brucei but moderate in vitro activity against T. congolense and T. evansi. An estimation of the in vitro anti-Trypanosoma efficacy showed that the nanoparticles had ≥200-fold selective activity against the parasite versus mammalian cells. Moreover, the nanoparticle alloys moderately suppressed the in vitro growth of T. gondii by ≥60%. In our in vivo study, the nanoparticles appeared to exhibit a trypanostatic effect, but did not totally suppress the rat parasite burden, thereby failing to appreciably extend the survival time of infected animals compared with the untreated control. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate the selective in vitro anti-Trypanosoma action of nanoparticles and thus supports the potential of nanoparticles as alternative anti-parasitic agents.