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Context: There is some evidence that physiological stages such as breeding, pregnancy, parturition and lactation may trigger oxidative stress. It has also been observed in several species, including sheep, that age affects their vulnerability to oxidative stress. Aims: This study investigated the effects of supplemental β-carotene and age on the oxidative status of grazing ewes around breeding, pregnancy, parturition and early lactation as well as on their production and reproduction performance. Methods: Hundred and four ewes were divided into two broad age groups (young = 1–3 years, and old = 4–6 years). Within age groups, ewes of similar age were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (A1, A2, A3, C) by using a completely randomised block design. The young (n = 13) and old (n = 13) sheep in Groups A1, A2 and A3 were daily drenched with 100 mg, 75 mg and 50 mg β-carotene respectively. Group C was unsupplemented (Control). Supplementation lasted 28 days before oestrus synchronisation; 14 days during oestrus synchronisation (CIDR) and hand-mating; 18 days post-hand-mating; 30 days before lambing; and 15 days after lambing. All animals were grazed on Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum). Six ewes from each group (total = 24) were sampled for blood to measure oxidative and hormonal status during the experiment. Key results: Supplemental β-carotene at ≥75 mg/day may act as a pro-oxidant in ruminants under oxidatively stressed conditions such as parturition. Age did not affect the ewes' oxidative status. The supplemental β-carotene did not affect bodyweight, oestrus parameters, corpus luteum size, conception rate and litter size. Except for a tendency of lambs from supplemented ewes to have heavier weight at 15 days old (P = 0.080), age group and supplemental β-carotene did not affect the lamb mortality rate or weight at birth or 15 days old. Older ewes showed earlier and longer duration of oestrus than did younger ewes. Conclusions: Supplementation of grazing ewes with β-carotene should not be ≥75 mg/day, especially at parturition period, because it may work as a pro-oxidant. The older ewes seem to have earlier oestrus with a longer duration than do the younger ones. Implications: Caution is urged when administering high doses of β-carotene to ewes during the peri-parturient period. Normal physiological stages such as breeding, pregnancy, parturition, and lactation can cause oxidative stress, which may impair female reproductive performance. We examined the effects of β-carotene supplementation and age on the oxidative status and reproduction performance of grazing ewes during these stages. The study concluded that supplemental β-carotene at ≥75 mg/day may act as a pro-oxidant during parturition. However, this effect does not appear to manifest in lower survival or additional stress for the ewe and lamb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderma lucidum is also known as Lingzhi or Reishi, have long been used in China, Japan, and other Asian nations to promote longevity and good health. Reishi is uncommon among farmed mushrooms in that its medicinal rather than nutritional value is critical. Commercial Reishi products come in a number of forms, including powders, nutritional supplements, and tea. These preparations are produced from different parts of the fungus, including the fruit body, spores, and mycelıa. Specific applications and health advantages of Reıshı include blood sugar regulation, hepatoprotection, immune system modulation, bacteriostasis, and more. A variety of Reishi products made from various portions of the fungus are currently available on the market. The most basic version is comprised of entire cork bodies reduced to powder and then processed into capsules or tablets. In this study, the comparison and examination of antioxidant activity in Reishi tablets and powdered teas of different brands sold in Türkiye was carried out using DPPH, DMPD, and Folin Ciocalteu methods. According to the results we obtained in our study, from aqueous mushroom extracts; It was observed that N5, N1, and N2 (259.8696 µgGAE/mL, 220.1594 µgGAE/mL, 185.6667 µgGAE/mL) samples had high phenolic content, while N3 and N4 (80.01449µgGAE/mL, 119.2899 µgGAE/mL) samples had low phenolic content. Antioxidant scavenging capacities were found in parallel with the phenolic contents of the samples and the percentage scavenging capacities of DMPD/EtOH, DMPD/water, and DPPH/EtOH. IC50 values for DMPD aqueous extracts are 0.155 mg/ml (N1), 1.704 mg/ml (N2), 7.453 mg/ml (N3), 6.570 mg/ml (N4), 2.223 mg/ml (N5); For ethanolic extracts, it is 0.138 mg/ml (N1), 1.496 mg/ml (N2), 2.796 mg/ml (N3), 4.780 mg/ml (N4), 2.162 mg/ml (N5). IC50 values could not be calculated due to high DPPH results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivery Man Problem with Drone (DMPD) is a variant of Delivery Man Problem (DMP). The objective of DMP is to minimize the sum of customers' waiting times. In DMP, there is only a truck to deliver materials to customers while the delivery is completed by collaboration between truck and drone in DMPD. Using a drone is useful when a truck cannot reach some customers in particular circumstances such as narrow roads or natural disasters. For NP-hard problems, metaheuristic is a natural approach to solve medium to large-sized instances. In this paper, a metaheuristic algorithm is proposed. Initially, a solution without drone is created. Then, it is an input of split procedure to convert DMP-solution into DMPD-solution. After that, it is improved by the combination of Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) and Tabu Search (TS). To explore a new solution space, diversification is applied. The proposed algorithm balances diversification and intensification to prevent the search from local optima. The experimental simulations show that the proposed algorithm reaches good solutions fast, even for large instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium compounds are promising anti-diabetic agents. However, reducing the metal toxicity while keeping/improving the hypoglycemic effect is still a big challenge towards the success of anti-diabetic vanadium drugs. To improve the therapeutic potency using the anti-oxidative strategy, we synthesized new N , N -dimethylphenylenediamine (DMPD)-derivatized nitrilotriacetic acid vanadyl complexes ([VO(dmada)]). The in vitro biological evaluations revealed that the DMPD-derivatized complexes showed improved antioxidant capacity and lowered cytotoxicity on HK-2 cells than bis(maltolato)oxidovanadium (IV) (BMOV). In type II diabetic mice, [VO(p-dmada)] (0.15 mmol kg − 1 /day) exhibited better hypoglycemic effects than BMOV especially on improving glucose tolerance and alleviating the hyperglycemia-induced liver damage. These insulin enhancement effects were associated with increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and γ (PPARα/γ) in fat, activation of Akt (v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene)/PKB (protein kinase-B) in fat and liver, and inactivation of c-Jun NH 2 -terminal protein kinases (JNK) in liver. Moreover, [VO(p-dmada)] showed no tissue toxicity at the therapeutic dose in diabetic mice and the oral acute toxicity (LD50) was determined to be 1640 mg kg − 1 . Overall, the experimental results indicated that [VO(p-dmada)] can be a potent insulin enhancement agent with improved efficacy-over- toxicity index for further drug development. In addition, the results on brain Tau phosphorylation suggested necessary investigation on the effects of vanadyl complexes on the pathology of the Alzheimer's disease in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of olive oil can be affected by both storage time of the olives before milling, and also the manner in which the oil is stored. The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological profile of olives stored for different periods (7, 15 and 30 days) and to examine the olive oils obtained by measuring changes in physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics, including polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacity, after 3 and 6 months storage. In all olive samples, and also in all the corresponding oils, the main micro-organisms found were mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Enterobacteriaceae were not detected. It was noted that storage produced a significant increase in acidity, peroxide contents and ultraviolet absorbance, as well caused a significant reduction in polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DMPD assay was used for evaluating scavenging effect of several botanical products on free radical DMPD. + The results indicated that 11 kinds of monomeric compounds and sea-buckthorn seed oil exhibited different antioxidant activities in this system. In flavonoids group, quercetin displayed the strongest scavenging capacity, apigenin showed the weakest, ruin and puerarin were medium, at 100 µmol/L, the clearance rate was 55.76 %, 16.64%, 2.25% and nonscavenging, respectively. As phenoiic compounds, ferulic acid showed the strongest action, the clearance rate reached 96.78% at 100 µmol/L. Triterpenoids ursolic acid exhibited more effective than oleanolic acid, at 1 µmol/L they exhibited the highest scavenging rate, 23.05% and 3.05%, respetively. Sea-buckthorn seed oil had the definite effect, the half clear concentration is 12.84 mg/mL. The results provided date to the further use and reasonable concentration in application of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of our screening of antioxidant extracts from spices and food plants, the antioxidant activity of the EtHO extract of the flowers of aerial parts of Sedum praealtum was tested. Since the extract showed significant activity, a bioassay-directed fractionation of it was carried out. This investigation resulted in the isolation of kaempferol and quercetin as the principle responsible for the antioxidant activity. The antioxidant ability was quantified using the Fogliano method, which is known as DMPD. Flavonols which were characterized by NMR. This similar antioxidant effect has been obtained on some fruits studied by different authors using this same method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the food industry, in the process of creating new agricultural plant products, and in the testing of anti-cancer drugs there is often a need to assay multiple samples of low molecular weight antioxidants, plant samples and foods rich in antioxidants, with minimal additional costs and low degrees of uncertainty. With these demands in mind, we decided to study the fully automated assay of antioxidants using not only automated sample measurements but also automated processing of samples and application of reagents. The automated pipetting system epMotion 5075 and the automated spectrophotometer BS 400 were chosen for the assay purposes. Five methods were introduced for the automation: 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) based test, N,N-dimethyl-1,4-diaminobenzene (DMPD) based test and the free radicals method. Samples containing one of the four antioxidants (standard rutin, quercitrin, ferulic and gallic acid) in a range 1-1000 µg/ml were used throughout. All of the tested methods were found suitable for implementation in an automated assay. However, some of them, such as the ABTS test failed to assay all tested antioxidants. The coefficients of determination were also unequal. From the analytical point of view, FRAP methods provided the most reliable results in the automated assay; because of the capacity of the method, approximately 240 samples per hour (one sample per 15 seconds) can be assayed using the automated protocol. We were encouraged by the data received and we expect further interest in the practical performance of such automation. As a mean of testing the robustness of our method, in the next step of our study, oxidative status was assessed in model cell lines derived from prostate cancer (PC-3, PNT1A and 22RV1) that were cultured on ellipticine (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 µmol/l) supplemented agar. Antioxidant activity was assessed (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, DMPD, FR) and calculated on the phenolic antioxidant level (rutin, quercitrin, ferulic and gallic acid), and thus an estimation was formulated of the oxidative stress as a result of the impact of anti-cancer drugs. It can be demonstrated that the new method has wide applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new popular way of making tea, especially in Taiwan, is to steep leaves in cold water. Here we investigate whether antioxidant activity of teas may be affected by hot or cold water steeping and if this correlates with their polyphenol content and metal-chelating activity. A set of five loose tea samples, consisting of unblended and blended teas, was analysed following their infusion in either hot water (90°C, 7min) or cold water (room temperature, 2h). Antioxidant activity, measured as hydrogen-donating ability, using the ABTS· and DMPD assays, showed no significant differences among hot or cold teas, except in the case of white tea, where significantly higher values were obtained after cold water steeping, a recurrent finding in this study. The antioxidant activity of the teas correlates well with their total phenolic content and metal-chelating activity. Cold teas were, however, generally better inhibitors of in vitro LDL conjugated diene formation and of loss in tryptophan fluorescence. The results of this study contribute to gaining further knowledge on how the potential health benefits of this popular beverage may be maximised by the different methods of preparation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, six common tests for measuring antioxidant activity were evaluated by comparing four antioxidants and applying them to beverages (tea and juices): Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay (TEAC I-III assay), Total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter assay (TRAP assay), 2,2-diphenyl- l -picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH assay), N , N -dimethyl- p -phenylendiamine assay (DMPD assay), Photochemiluminescence assay (PCL assay) and Ferric reducing ability of plasma assay (FRAP assay). The antioxidants included gallic acid representing the group of polyphenols, uric acid as the main antioxidant in human plasma, ascorbic acid as a vitamin widely spread in fruits and Trolox ® as water soluble vitamin E analogue. The six methods presented can be divided into two groups depending on the oxidising reagent. Five methods use organic radical producers (TEAC I-III, TRAP, DPPH, DMPD, PCL) and one method works with metal ions for oxidation (FRAP). Another difference between these tests is the reaction procedure. Three assays use the delay in oxidation and determine the lag phase as parameter for the antioxidant activity (TEAC I, TRAP, PCL). They determine the delay of radical generation as well as the ability to scavenge the radical. In contrast, the assays TEAC II and III, DPPH, DMPD and FRAP analyse the ability to reduce the radical cation (TEAC II and III, DPPH, DMPD) or the ferric ion (FRAP). The three tests acting by radical reduction use preformed radicals and determine the decrease in absorbance while the FRAP assay measures the formed ferrous ions by increased absorbance. Gallic acid was the strongest antioxidant in all tests with exception of the DMPD assay. In contrast, uric acid and ascorbic acid showed low activity in some assays. Most of the assays determine the antioxidant activity in the micromolar range needing minutes to hours. Only one assay (PCL) is able to analyse the antioxidant activity in the nanomolar range. Black currant juice showed highest antioxidant activity in all tests compared to tea, apple juice and tomato juice. Despite these differences, results of these in vitro assays give an idea of the protective efficacy of secondary plant products. It is strongly recommended to use at least two methods due to the differences between the test systems investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N,N-Dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (DMPD) is a compound that is normally used to measure the antioxidant potential. In the presence of Fe3+, it gets converted to DMPD+ radical, which is scavenged by antioxidant molecules present in test samples. In plasma, due to the presence of iron, this method cannot be applied for the measurement of antioxidant potential. The modified DMPD method proposed by us measures with great accuracy the oxidant potential of plasma using the oxidizing effect of plasma to oxidize DMPD into producing a stable pink color. The method is fast and reproducible. We show that plasma oxidative capacity increases significantly during human aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of (hetero)arylethenesulfonyl fluorides (1 – 58) were synthesized and evaluated. • EWGs (Cl, Br, F and NO 2) on the aromatic ring increase the anti-inflammatory activity. • EDGs (OH and OMe) on the aromatic ring increase antioxidant activity. • The presence of sulfonyl fluoride moiety is critical. A series of (hetero)arylethenesulfonyl fluorides (1 – 58) were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS and DMPD methods) and anti-inflammatory activities. The results revealed that compounds 4 , 15 , 16 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 38 , 39 , 40 , and 54 exhibited excellent antioxidant activity using all the three performed antioxidant methods, which were superior to the standard antioxidants ascorbic acid and gallic acid. Compounds 6 – 9 , 11 , 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 30 , 39 , 40 , 44 , 45 , 48 – 50 , 54 , 55 and 57 displayed promising anti-inflammatory activity, which were better than the reference drug indomethacin. Preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) revealed that compounds containing electron donating (OH and OCH 3) groups on the phenyl ring possessed excellent antioxidant properties while compounds containing electron-withdrawing (Cl, NO 2 , F and Br) groups on the phenyl ring were found to be most potent anti-inflammatory agents. The presence of SO 2 F group played a crucial role in increases both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Rutin is a common dietary flavonoid that is widely consumed from plant-derived beverages and foods as traditional and folkloric medicine worldwide. Rutin is believed to exhibit significant pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-diabetic, anti-adipogenic, neuroprotective and hormone therapy. Till date, over 130 registered therapeutic medicinal preparations are containing rutin in their formulations. This article aims to critically review the extraction methods for plant-based rutin and its pharmacological activities. This review provides comprehensive data on the performance of rutin extraction methods and the extent of its pharmacological activities using various in vitro and in vivo experimental models., Materials and Methods: Literatures including journals, patents, books and leaflets reporting on rutin from natural resources are systematically reviewed, particularly in the aspect of its extraction methods and biological activities. Factors affecting the efficiency of rutin extraction such as extraction temperature, duration and solvent to sample ratio are presented based on the findings of previous studies. The observed biological activities followed by clear explanation are also provided accordingly., Results: The biological activities of rutin varied largely dependent on the geographical and plant origins. The complexity of natural rutin has impeded the development of rutin derived drugs. The detail mechanism of rutin in human body after consumption is still unclear. Therefore, studies are intensively carried out both in vitro and in vivo for the better understanding of the underlying mechanism. The studies are not limited to the pharmacological properties, but also on the extraction methods of rutin. Many studies have focused on the optimization of extraction method to increase the extraction yield of rutin. Currently, the performances of modern extraction approaches have also been compared to the conventional heat reflux method as a benchmark., Conclusion: There are various extraction methods for plant-based rutin ranging from conventional method up to the use of modern techniques such as ultrasound, mechanochemical, microwave, infrared and pressurized assisted methods. However, proper comparison between the methods is very difficult because of the variance in plant origin and extraction conditions. It is important to optimize the extraction method in order to produce high yield and acceptable purity of rutin with a reasonable cost. Even though rutin has been proven to be effective in numerous pharmacological activities, the dosage and toxicity of rutin for such activities are still unknown. Future research should relate the dosage and toxicity of rutin for the ethnobotanical claims based on the underlying mechanisms., (© 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)