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Plant extracts of fifteen plants of ethnomedicinal use in Mexico were analyzed to provide scientific knowledge of their medicinal properties through the evaluation of different biological activities such as anti-hemolytic, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects in normal cells. Therefore, methanolic extracts were obtained from each of the plants by the Soxhlet extraction. The hemolytic activity in human erythrocytes was evaluated, as was their potential to protect the erythrocyte membrane against the 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Finally, the toxicity of the extracts in normal cell cultures of African green monkey kidney cells (Vero) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction method. Most of the extracts showed low hemolytic activity and high anti-hemolytic activity as well as high selectivity indices (SI) and antioxidant effects. Extracts of H. inuloides , J. dioica , and J. spicigera induced cell proliferation of the Vero cells. K. daigremontiana , A. adstringens , S. mexicanum , J. spicigera , L. tridentata , and M. tenuiflora extracts showed PBMC cell proliferation. In the present study, it was observed that the evaluated extracts did not present hemolytic activity, and some presented low toxicity when Vero and PBMC cell cultures were exposed. In conclusion, traditionally used plants possess beneficial health properties, and it is hoped that this study will serve as a basis for understanding the biological effects of traditionally used plants and may complement future studies.

The tepary bean ( Phaseolus acutifolius Gray) is a US-Mexico frontier native crop, produces high yields in agriculture, and needs to be reconsidered because of its nutritional and functional properties. This study aimed to determine the technological and nutritional properties of flours and protein concentrates of tepary bean, besides determining an in silico agonist effect of tepary bean lectin to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ). We evaluated the technological properties of raw samples (tepary flour and tepary protein concentrate) and cooked samples (tepary flour and tepary protein concentrate). The flours present a significant difference ( p < 0.05) concerning protein concentrates in water absorption and oil absorption capacity. The raw samples' emulsifying capacity was higher than that reported in the literature for other legumes, but not the cooked samples. The samples' foaming capacity had no significant difference in treatments ( p > 0.05), and cooked tepary bean protein concentrate presented complete gelation at a lower concentration (2%). Nutritionally, raw samples present a protein percentage of 23.46 ± 0.06 and 71.38 ± 0.44 and cooked samples present a protein percentage of 25.27 ± 0.04 and 62.69 ± 0.14; a chemical score of 72, 86, 82, and 72; in vitro protein digestibility (%) = 48.20 ± 0.31, 49.80 ± 0.80, 61.77 ± 1.70, and 63.61 ± 4.19; and C-PER = 0.86, 1.34, 1.93, and 1.81, respectively. All the samples showed methionine + cysteine as the limiting amino acid. All these nutritional data are very similar to the common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ). SDS-PAGE preserves the lectin fraction in both protein concentrates. The in silico study of tepary lectin (PDB: 6tt9) shows that there were seven peptides that presented values below -120 kcal/mol: PEW, VSVGF, PSQK, TTPW, ATSF, ITY, and TSF, with VSVGF, PSQK, and PEW having the highest affinity for active sites of the PAPRγ receptor (binding energies from -5.32 to -7.04 kcal/mol). These peptides could show antiadipogenic or antidiabetic activity based on the intermolecular bond energies and open an interesting research item., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 López-Ibarra, Ruiz-López, Bautista-Villarreal, Báez-González, Rodríguez Romero, González-Martínez, López-Cabanillas Lomelí and Vázquez-Rodríguez.)

In this study, a flour from corn cob (central core of the maize ear, stage R4) was obtained through three treatments. The three flours obtained were characterized by bromatological analysis, yield, and granulometry. Additional dressing-type oil in water (O/W) emulsions were developed, varying the formulation by incorporating distinct amounts of corn cob flour. The formulations' stability was evaluated over a period of 21 days, determining the particle size, creaming index, coalescence rate, consistency coefficient ( k ), and flow behavior indices ( n ). Results have shown significant differences in protein, fat, and carbohydrate content in the flour, depending on the cooking treatment. A good percentage of grinding yield was obtained (98%), in addition to several fractions by granulometry (60, 120, 250 MESH), showing differences in their nutritional content. Finally, the particle size of O/W emulsions developed varied among formulations. The combination of 0.6% of xanthan gum (XG) and corn cob flour showed major stability in average droplet size. No significant differences were observed in the coalescence rate values for the three formulations. Still, significant differences in the creaming index were evidenced in those formulations without XG or corn cob flour. The results regarding the consistency coefficient ( k ) and flow behavior indices ( n ) suggest a possible synergy between XG and flour of corn cob for enhancing the viscosity and pseudoplasticity of dressings in a concentration-dependent manner., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Castillo, Rodríguez, Bautista-Villarreal, García-Solano, Gallardo-Rivera, Báez-González, Sánchez-García and García-Alanis.)

Prunus serotine seed, was processed to produce a defatted flour (71.07 ± 2.10% yield) without hydrocyanic acid. The total protein was 50.94 ± 0.64%. According to sensory evaluation of cookies with P. serotine flour, the highest score in overall impression (6.31) was at 50% flour substitution. Its nutritional composition stood out for its protein and fiber contents 12.50% and 0.93%, respectively. Protein concentrate ( Ps PC) was elaborated (81.44 ± 7.74% protein) from defatted flour. Emulsifying properties of Ps PC were studied in emulsions at different mass fractions; ϕ = 0.002, 0.02, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 through physicochemical analysis and compared with whey protein concentrate (WPC). Particle size in emulsions increased, as did oil content, and results were reflected in microscope photographs. Ps PC at ϕ 0.02 showed positive results along the study, reflected in the microphotograph and emulsifying stability index (ESI) test (117.50 min). At ϕ 0.4, the lowest ESI (29.34 min), but the maximum emulsifying activity index (EAI) value (0.029 m 2 /g) was reached. WPC had an EAI value higher than Ps PC at ϕ ≥ 0.2, but its ESI were always lower in all mass fraction values. Ps PC can compete with emulsifiers as WPC and help stabilize emulsions.

Egg yolk is used as an emulsifying agent. Nevertheless, its high concentration of cholesterol is linked to chronic degenerative diseases that cause cardiovascular disease. In this study, three methods for reducing the level of cholesterol in egg yolks were studied. The first method consisted of physical separation of the granules contained in the yolk (Na G ). The second method applied was the use of anionic chelating biopolymers, such as arabic gum solution (AG) and mesquite gum solution (MG), and the third method was extraction with a solvent (S A ). For this purpose, the cholesterol present in egg yolks, the microstructure, particle size, zeta potential, and its emulsifying capacity were determined. The amount of cholesterol removed was 97.24% using 1% mesquite gum (MG 1% ), and 93.26% using 1% Arabic gum (AG 1% ). The zeta potential was determined, and the isoelectric point ( ζ = 0) of egg yolk was identified as pH 4.6. While, at this pH, the zeta potential of mesquite gum was -14.8 mV, the zeta potential for the arabic gum was -16 mV. The emulsifying capacity of MG 1% was 62.95%, while the emulsifying capacity of AG 1% was 63.57%. The complex obtained can be used in the development of functional foods reduced in cholesterol.