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The purpose of this study was to chemically compare samples of

Oxidative stress diseases are usually treated or prevented by using antioxidants from natural or artificial sources. However, as a sustainable source of phytochemicals, plants got a renewed interest in obtaining their active agents using green extraction technologies, i.e., sustainable extraction techniques that reduce energy consumption, use renewable sources and result in less post-extraction wastes. The high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technique was introduced into the food industry since it was invented in 1900 to homogenize milk and later to produce fruit juices with a longer shelf-life without preservatives. Recently, HPH was introduced as an eco-friendly method to nanomill plants for improved extraction efficacy without using organic solvents. In this study, sumac was used as an antioxidants-rich spice model to investigate the effects of HPH on its antioxidant capacity (AOC). Sumac was rendered into PlantCrystals by using HPH. Particle size characterization proved the presence of submicron-sized particles (about 750 nm). Thus, HPH was able to produce sumac PlantCrystals and increased the AOC of bulk sumac by more than 650% according to the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents showed higher values after HPH. Interestingly, the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay also showed a well improved AOC (similar to ascorbic acid) after HPH. In fact, in this study, the PlantCrystal-technology was demonstrated to cause an efficient cell rupture of the sumac plant cells. This caused an efficient release of antioxidants and resulted in sumac PlantCrystals with a 6.5-fold higher antioxidant capacity when compared to non-processed sumac bulk material.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is pathologically characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid (βA) peptides in senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Flavonoids have recently been used to prevent and treat a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, but little is known about bioflavonoids. In this study, we evaluate whether a biflavonoid fraction (BF) exerts neuroprotective effects on an aged triple transgenic mouse mode of AD (3xTg-AD). Then, 21-24-month-old 3xTg AD mice were i.p. injected with 25mg/kg of a BF from Garcinia madruno composed of morelloflavone (65%), volkensiflavone (12%), GB 2a (11%), fukugiside (6%) and amentoflavone (0.4%) every 48h for 3 months. The BF treatment reduced βA deposition in different regions of the brain (the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and amygdala), reduced βA1-40 and βA1-42 levels, BACE1-mediated cleavage of APP (CTFβ), tau pathology, astrogliosis and microgliosis in the brains of aged 3xTg-AD mice. Although the BF treatment weakly improved learning, animals treated with BF spent more time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze test and displayed greater risk assessment behavior than the control groups. In summary, the BF reverses histopathological hallmarks and reduces emotional disorders in the 3xTg-AD mouse model, suggesting that the biflavonoids from G. madruno represent a potential natural therapeutic option for AD if its bioavailability is improved.

Garcinia madruno is a neotropical tree characterized by its exotic fruit and its functional compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and variability of the chemical markers of G. madruno according to the part of the plant used, the origin and the ripeness stage by applying chemometric tools. A total of 167 samples were evaluated, and 27 compounds were quantified per sample. The expression of amentoflavone, morelloflavone-type biflavonoids and polyisoprenylated benzophenones (PIBs) promoted intergroup differentiation, whereas the expression of GB-2a-type biflavonoids promoted intragroup cluster generation. Epicarp was the main source of biflavonoids and the secondary source of PIBs, with values up to 25% in some individuals. The origin of the fruit significantly impacted the expression of metabolites, whereas the ripeness stage did not. The results indicate that epicarp is a good source of functional compounds and, with appropriately agronomic development, could be improved even more.

The aim of the study was to determine the qualitative and quantitative plant secondary metabolite profile of Garcinia madruno by LC-MS n and to evaluate the structure–activity relationship (SAR) with its antioxidant properties. A total of 21 biflavonoids and 3 organic acids were identified. The leaves were the most promising source of biflavonoids, and the epicarp was the richest source of morelloflavone type biflavonoids (>10%). Morelloflavone and fukugiside were the major biflavonoids found in all samples as well as the compounds responsible for antioxidant activity. The inter-flavonoid bond did not increase the antioxidant activity by single electron transfer (SET) mechanism but increased the activity by single proton-loss electron transfer (SPLET) mechanism. The results suggest that G. madruno contains potentially useful amounts of bioactive biflavonoids; in particular, the leaves and epicarp may be a potential source of functional products.

The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and reliable method to quantify cocoa methylxanthines, flavanol monomers, and its major procyanidins. To accomplish this goal, an ultrasound-assisted extraction process was optimized by response surface methodology. In addition, an improved separation of these compounds was carried out on a sub-2-μm particles column while employing a conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instrument. Our results show that the highest extraction yields are obtained by using a 66:44 (v/v) ethanol/water mixture and performing the extraction at least during 20 min. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of cocoa metabolites were achieved in less than 12 min. Moreover, the optimized analytical approach was fully validated and applied to the analysis of cocoa samples collected at five different processing stages. The results show that the approach developed herein significantly increased the extraction efficiency, reaching concentrations approximately 20 % higher than that of the official Association of Analytical Community (AOAC) method for the analysis of polyphenols in cocoa-based matrices.

The aim of this work was to develop an efficient extraction process of biflavonoids from Garcinia madruno by applying high-intensity ultrasound extraction (HIU) in continuous flow mode. The impact of the solvent, flow pump and amplitude of the ultrasonic probe on the extraction of biflavonoids (BF) were evaluated. The extraction kinetics was modeled by Peleg’s and polynomial regression models to predict and evaluate the efficiency and productivity of the HIU in comparison with other extraction techniques. As result, a mixture of ethanol/water 50:50 was selected as the most selective solvent for biflavonoids extraction, the flow rate did not influence the performance of the process (from 200 μL/min to 600 μL/min), and the experimental data of kinetics fitted well with Peleg’s model. HIU used at maximum probe’s amplitude (90.9 μpp) improved productivity and extraction yield of biflavonoids by more than 3-fold (370 mg/100 mL of Total BF) compared with conventional bath ultrasound (120 mg/100 mL of Total BF). Furthermore, the ultrasonic energy influenced the microscopic structure of the vegetal tissue, promoting detexturation and sono-fragmentation of the plant material, which are the main mechanisms performed by the HIU in this study. Our results demonstrate that applying HIU in a dynamic flow is a feasible, efficient and reproducible technique for the extraction of G. madruno biflavonoids.

Paramos are intertropical montane ecosystems belonging to the Amazonian domain. They are discontinuously located in the Neotropics and have a high rate of endemicity at the species level. Nevertheless, the chemical composition and biological properties of these plants are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of essential oils from the aerial parts of eight Asteraceae species that grow in the Paramos of Antioquia–Colombia against Enterobacter cloacae using an in vitro system (clinical isolate and ATCC 13.047 strain). The chemical compounds of these oils were examined by GC/MS. Three essential oils from known species and 23 different compounds commonly found in essential oils were also evaluated for their antibacterial activity. The chemical analysis of the Asteraceae species essential oils led to the identification of 80 components and more than 45 constituents in each essential oil. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were identified as the main components, making up 25 and 70% of the oils, respectively. The relationship between the antimicrobial activity and the chemical composition of the isolated oils was examined. The essential oils from the species growing in the Paramos showed weak antibacterial activity with MIC values greater than 5.0 μg/μL and percentage inhibition, assessed at 10 μg/μL, of 38.7–76.0 and 62.2–92.3% against a clinical isolate of E. cloacae and the E. cloacae ATCC 13.047 strain, respectively. The findings of the present study suggest that phenolic compounds, such as cinnamaldehyde, thymol and carvacrol, and other non-aromatic monoterpenes, such as citronellal, showed higher antibacterial activity compared to the essential oils. Therefore, essential oils with these compounds could be used as products with antimicrobial activity.

Oxidative stress is a major factor related to the development of inflammatory diseases, which have traditionally been treated with medicinal plants. Given this relationship, into the research of natural antioxidant sources, the antioxidant capacity profiles of 11 species used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatories were determined. The antioxidant capacity profile was investigated by using different methodologies that consider electron transfer mechanisms (ET), such as stabilization of the DPPH radical, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and hydrogen atom transfer mechanisms (HAT) such as oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation of lipoproteins through the assessment of conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Additionally, the total polyphenol content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method was determined, and the correlation between antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content was estimated. The best amounts of total phenolics and maximum values found in DPPH, FRAP, TEAC, and inhibition of lipid oxidation tests were for extracts of Tibouchina kingii , Pseudelephantopus spiralis , and Mimosa albida . Correlation between polyphenol content with ET tests was observed ( r 2 > 0.85, p

Botanical ingredients are widely used in food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, drugs, and other products. These ingredients may either be made as fresh material, dry and ground material, or as valorized sub-products obtained following more complex industrial process such as extraction, concentration, and purification. The plant sources of botanical ingredients are diverse. Roots, flowers, fruits, leaves, or seeds could be obtained from i) industrial crops (food and non-food); ii) wild plants (non-agroindustrial development); or iii) agroindustrial wastes (byproducts obtained during harvesting, post-harvesting, and industrial processing). Each of these sources is associated with specific challenges and advantages in the botanical ingredient industry. For example, industrial crops provide the most homogeneous raw material, but the degree of novelty and innovation in the development of these ingredients could be limited. Conversely, wild plants are the best source of novel ingredients; however, they require a lot of time and money to develop. These increased expenditures normally emerge from bioprospecting studies and legal procedures, given that the inclusion of a new ingredient is required. On the other hand, agroindustrial wastes are the most sustainable and environmentally friendly bioingredient sources; however their availability, homogeneity, and innocuousness are the most important challenges to solve.