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The pomegranate fruit is one of the most important horticultural products due to the presence of polyphenolic, antioxidant and anti-fungal compounds. In the present study, morphological and phytochemical compounds diversity was investigated in eight Iranian commercial pomegranate cultivars. Fourteen morphological characters and 10 chemical compounds were measured. Based on PCA analysis the most variable morphological characteristics among Punica cultivars studied were the wood surface, the leaf tip, the leaf incision, growth power and rained condition. High-performance liquid chromatograms of chlorgenic acid, caffeic acid, Para Coumaric acid as well as titrable acidity, total soluble solid, total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity in juice and peel of cultivars differentiated the cultivars studied. Comparing the two UPGMA dendrograms of Punica cultivars based on morphological data and chemical contents indicated certain disagreement between them. The correlation between morphological and chemical compounds and geographical distances of Punica cultivars was not statistically significant by the Mantel test. These findings indicate that Punica cultivars studied differ in their genetic content, however, this genetic difference is not correlated with their geographical distance.

WOS: 000392591100021, PubMed ID: 28111996, Aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors have vital importance in the treatment and prevention of diabetic complications. In this study, rat kidney AR was purified 19.34-fold with a yield of 3.49% and a specific activity of 0.88 U/mg using DE-52 Cellulose anion exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography and 2'5' ADP Sepharose-4B affinity chromatography, respectively. After purification, the in vitro inhibition effects of some phenolic acids (tannic acid, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, alpha-resorcylic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and gallic acid) were investigated on purified enzyme. We determined IC50, K-i values and inhibition types of these phenolic acids. As a result, tannic and chlorogenic acid had a strong inhibition effect. On the other hand, gallic acid had a weak inhibition effect. In this study, all phenolic acids except for chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid showed non-competitive inhibition effects on rat kidney AR.

In this research, the phenolic composition, antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of the methanolic extracts obtained from Alyssum fulvescens var. fulvescens aerial parts known as Ege kuduzotu in western Turkey, were firstly investigated. The antioxidant activity of the extract was determined by DPPH, metal chelating, phosphomolybdenum, β-carotene/linoleic acid and ferric reducing power assays. Moreover, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extract were investigated. The brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) lethality test was used to investigate for the possible cytotoxic activity of the extract. Microdilution broth method was used to study antibacterial potency of extract against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The extract exhibited good biological activities. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extract were significantly correlated with antioxidant potentials. HPLC analysis showed that chlorogenic acid was the major phenolic in extract tested. The results indicated that the extract of A. fulvescens var. fulvescens may be considered as a potential source of biological agents and in vivo investigations are needed to test the biological effects of A. fulvescens var. fulvescens. © 2017 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.

In this study, oat flour (OF) was used to replace wheat flour in tarhana formulation at the levels of 10, 20, 30 and 40% (w/w). Control sample did not contain OF. The results showed that addition of OF caused increases in levels of phenolic acids within tarhana samples. The most abundant phenolic acids were vanillic and ferulic acids, and they were followed by gallic acid. Tarhana samples with OF also showed higher antioxidant activities than control sample did. Compared with the control sample, the total phenolic content level increased with the increase in the amount of OF. The results of sensory analysis showed that OF addition neither caused any undesirable taste nor an odor and panelists emphasised a sweet taste as the OF amounts were increased. Therefore, tarhana supplemented with OF can be claimed to be a good source of minerals, phenolics and antioxidants as compared to tarhana without OF. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass burning is one of the most important sources of organic matter in the atmosphere as it affects the absorption and scattering of solar radiation, creates cloud condensation nuclei and possibly influences ice and snow albedo. Here we created and validated an analytical method using HPLC/(-)-ESI-MS/MS to determine phenolic compounds (PCLCs): vanillic acid, isovanillic acid, homovanillic acid, syringic acid, syringaldehyde, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and coniferyl aldehyde at trace levels in particulate matter. We analyzed eighteen high-volume air samples from Ny Alesund (Svalbard) collected during the boreal spring and summer of 2010. Biomass burning molecules including PCLCs (

Combination therapy is the most effective treatment strategy in cancer to overcome drug toxicity and drug induced resistance. The effect of eight phenylpropanoids in combination with 5-fluorouracil against the cervical cancer cells (HeLa) is reported here. The cytotoxic activity of these phenylpropanoids against HeLa cells is in the order of eugenol > ferulic > cinnamic > caffeic > chlorogenic > p-coumaric > 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic > 2,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acids. Eugenol, ferulic and caffeic acids interacted synergistically with the drug, in bringing about a reduction in the amount of the latter. Flow cytometry results indicated that the combination of eugenol and 5-fluorouracil increased the number of cells in the S and G2/M phases when compared to treatment with the individual compounds alone. This indicates that they possess different cell cycle targets and induce apoptosis in the cancer cells. In vitro hemolytic activity of phenylpropanoids on human erythrocytes showed that the compounds possessed minimum amount of hemolytic activity, indicating that they can be used as drugs without causing adverse toxicity. 3D-quantitative structure activity relationship studies indicate the importance of electrostatic region near the substitutions present in the benzene ring and near the double bond of the compounds for anticancer and hemolytic activities, respectively. The models derived had good statistical predictive capability. � 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Response surface methodology was used to optimise experimental conditions for ultrasonic-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Artemisia absinthium. The central composite design was employed, the extracts were characterised by the determination of total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. The total phenolic contents of extracts were determined by Folin method and also total antioxidant capacities of extracts were determined by ABTS and CUPRAC methods. The phenolic compounds of A. absinthium at optimum extraction conditions were determined by HPLC-DAD. The optimum conditions were determined as HCl concentration between 0.41 and 0.44 mol/L, methanol volume between 55% and 59% (v/v), extraction temperature between 64 and 70 degrees C, extraction time between 101 and 107 min. The experimental values agreed with those predicted within a 95% confidence level, thus indicating the suitability of response surface methodology in optimising the ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from A. absinthium.

Ready-to-eat table grapes (cv. Alphonse Lavallee) were treated with distilled water, hot water and chlorine dioxide, then packaged in passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and stored at 4 +/- 1 degrees C for up to 14 days. The grapes were then examined for their physical, chemical, microbial, and morphological (epicuticular wax) deterioration and sensory evaluation. It was found that the waxy crystals weakened, fell onto the cuticle layer and formed smooth surfaces on the surface of the grape berries depending on the fourteen days storage period and applications. Hot water and chlorine dioxide treatments reduced the total number of microorganisms, fungi and bacteria populations on the surface of the berries. Chlorine dioxide was the most effective treatment in reducing the total number of microorganisms, fungi and bacteria populations on the minimally processed Alphonse Lavallee grape cultivar. In addition, gallic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ellagic acid can be detected as phenolic compounds. However, (+)-catech in hydrate and ferulic acid, quercetin hydrate, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin and rutin hydrate were not detected.

Phenylpropanoids constitute a large part of our daily diet and there is a possibility that they might interact with synthetic drugs. The present work was aimed at studying the interaction of seven phenylpropanoids (cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic and 2,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid) with five antibiotics (amikacin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and vancomycin) against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. The interaction studies were performed by chequerboard and time–kill curve assays. Both assays revealed that cinnamic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids were the most active. They combined synergistically with the majority of the antibiotics and exhibited enhanced activity against all the micro-organisms. The time–kill curve parameters were better (Pp-coumaric acid than for the individual treatments. Amikacin was the most favourable antibiotic and S. aureus was the most sensitive microbe to most of the combinations. These phenylpropanoids damaged the bacterial membrane as assessed by the LIVE/DEAD BacLight kit, and structure–activity relationship studies indicated that hydrophilic groups enhanced this activity.

Rosa canina L. fruits, known as brier rose or rose hip, grow naturally in Bursa (Turkey) and its environs. In this study, rose hips were harvested at two different maturity periods. Some of them were then dried naturally and others processed traditionally as rose hip marmalade. Phenolic acids (ellagic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid), ascorbic acid, flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, (+)-catechin) were detected with LC-ESI-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry). Mineral compounds (Na, Mg, K, Ca, P) were detected using ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optic Emission Spectroscopy) in fresh and processed rose hip samples. The lycopene level was also determined in the samples. Statistical differences were found in all parameters related to the maturity and processing methods in the observed samples. It was found that quercetin and (+)- catechin were the main phenolic acids.

Pseudomonas putida strain S12palB1 was constructed that produces p-hydroxybenzoate from renewable carbon sources via the central metabolite l-tyrosine. P. putida S12palB1 was based on the platform strain P. putida S12TPL3, which has an optimised carbon flux towards l-tyrosine. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (Pal) was introduced for the conversion of l-tyrosine into p-coumarate, which is further converted into p-hydroxybenzoate by endogenous enzymes. p-Hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PobA) was inactivated to prevent the degradation of p-hydroxybenzoate. These modifications resulted in stable accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoate at a yield of 11% (C-mol C-mol-1) on glucose or on glycerol in shake flask cultures. In a glycerol-limited fed-batch fermentation, a final p-hydroxybenzoate concentration of 12.9 mM (1.8 g l-1) was obtained, at a yield of 8.5% (C-mol C-mol-1). A 2-fold increase of the specific p-hydroxybenzoate production rate (qp) was observed when l-tyrosine was supplied to a steady-state C-limited chemostat culture of P. putida S12palB1. This implied that l-tyrosine availability was the bottleneck for p-hydroxybenzoate production under these conditions. When p-coumarate was added instead, qp increased by a factor 4.7, indicating that Pal activity is the limiting factor when sufficient l-tyrosine is available. Thus, two major leads for further improvement of the p-hydroxybenzoate production by P. putida S12palB1 were identified. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pseudomonas putida strain S12palB1 was constructed that produces p-hydroxybenzoate from renewable carbon sources via the central metabolite l-tyrosine. P. putida S12palB1 was based on the platform strain P. putida S12TPL3, which has an optimised carbon flux towards l-tyrosine. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (Pal) was introduced for the conversion of l-tyrosine into p-coumarate, which is further converted into p-hydroxybenzoate by endogenous enzymes. p-Hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PobA) was inactivated to prevent the degradation of p-hydroxybenzoate. These modifications resulted in stable accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoate at a yield of 11% (C-mol C-mol-1) on glucose or on glycerol in shake flask cultures. In a glycerol-limited fed-batch fermentation, a final p-hydroxybenzoate concentration of 12.9 mM (1.8 g l-1) was obtained, at a yield of 8.5% (C-mol C-mol-1). A 2-fold increase of the specific p-hydroxybenzoate production rate (qp) was observed when l-tyrosine was supplied to a steady-state C-limited chemostat culture of P. putida S12palB1. This implied that l-tyrosine availability was the bottleneck for p-hydroxybenzoate production under these conditions. When p-coumarate was added instead, qp increased by a factor 4.7, indicating that Pal activity is the limiting factor when sufficient l-tyrosine is available. Thus, two major leads for further improvement of the p-hydroxybenzoate production by P. putida S12palB1 were identified. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Pseudomonas putida S12 strain was constructed that is able to convert glucose to p-coumarate via the central metabolite l-tyrosine. Efficient production was hampered by product degradation, limited cellular L-tyrosine availability, and formation of the by-product cinnamate via L-phenylalanine. The production host was optimized by inactivation of fcs, the gene encoding the first enzyme in the p-coumarate degradation pathway in P. putida, followed by construction of a phenylalanine-auxotrophic mutant. These steps resulted in a P. putida S12 strain that showed dramatically enhanced production characteristics with controlled l-phenylalanine feeding. During fed-batch cultivation, 10 mM (1.7 g l-1) of p-coumarate was produced from glucose with a yield of 3.8 Cmol% and a molar ratio of p-coumarate to cinnamate of 85:1. © 2006 Springer-Verlag.

A Pseudomonas putida S12 strain was constructed that is able to convert glucose to p-coumarate via the central metabolite l-tyrosine. Efficient production was hampered by product degradation, limited cellular L-tyrosine availability, and formation of the by-product cinnamate via L-phenylalanine. The production host was optimized by inactivation of fcs, the gene encoding the first enzyme in the p-coumarate degradation pathway in P. putida, followed by construction of a phenylalanine-auxotrophic mutant. These steps resulted in a P. putida S12 strain that showed dramatically enhanced production characteristics with controlled l-phenylalanine feeding. During fed-batch cultivation, 10 mM (1.7 g l-1) of p-coumarate was produced from glucose with a yield of 3.8 Cmol% and a molar ratio of p-coumarate to cinnamate of 85:1. © 2006 Springer-Verlag.

The use of genetically engineered microorganisms such as bacteria or yeasts as live vehicles to carry out bioconversion directly in the digestive environment is an important challenge for the development of innovative biodrugs. A system that mimics the human gastrointestinal tract was combined with a computer simulation to evaluate the survival rate and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase activity of a recombinant model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the plant P450 73A1. The yeasts showed a high level of resistance to gastric and small intestinal secretions (survival rate after 4 h of digestion, 95.6% ± 10.1% [ n = 4]) but were more sensitive to the colonic conditions (survival rate after 4 h of incubation, 35.9% ± 2.7% [ n = 3]). For the first time, the ability of recombinant S. cerevisiae to carry out a bioconversion reaction has been demonstrated throughout the gastrointestinal tract. In the gastric-small intestinal system, 41.0% ± 5.8% ( n = 3) of the ingested trans -cinnamic acid was converted into p -coumaric acid after 4 h of digestion, as well as 8.9% ± 1.6% ( n = 3) in the stomach, 13.8% ± 3.3% ( n = 3) in the duodenum, 11.8% ± 3.4% ( n = 3) in the jejunum, and 6.5% ± 1.0% ( n = 3) in the ileum. In the large intestinal system, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase activity was detected but was too weak to be quantified. These results suggest that S. cerevisiae may afford a useful host for the development of biodrugs and may provide an innovative system for the prevention or treatment of diseases that escape classical drug action. In particular, yeasts may provide a suitable vector for biodetoxication in the digestive environment.

The use of genetically engineered microorganisms such as bacteria or yeasts as live vehicles to carry out bioconversion directly in the digestive environment is an important challenge for the development of innovative biodrugs. A system that mimics the human gastrointestinal tract was combined with a computer simulation to evaluate the survival rate and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase activity of a recombinant model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the plant P450 73A1. The yeasts showed a high level of resistance to gastric and small intestinal secretions (survival rate after 4 h of digestion, 95.6% ± 10.1% [n = 4]) but were more sensitive to the colonic conditions (survival rate after 4 h of incubation, 35.9% ± 2.7% [n = 3]). For the first time, the ability of recombinant S. cerevisiae to carry out a bioconversion reaction has been demonstrated throughout the gastrointestinal tract. In the gastric-small intestinal system, 41.0% ± 5.8% (n = 3) of the ingested transcinnamic acid was converted into p-coumaric acid after 4 h of digestion, as well as 8.9% ± 1.6% (n = 3) in the stomach, 13.8% ± 3.3% (n = 3) in the duodenum, 11.8% ± 3.4% (n = 3) in the jejunum, and 6.5% ± 1.0% (n = 3) in the ileum. In the large intestinal system, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase activity was detected but was too weak to be quantified. These results suggest that S. cerevisiae may afford a useful host for the development of biodrugs and may provide an innovative system for the prevention or treatment of diseases that escape classical drug action. In particular, yeasts may provide a suitable vector for biodetoxication in the digestive environment. Chemicals/CAS: cinnamate 4 monooxygenase, 9077-75-2; cinnamic acid, 4151-45-5, 538-42-1, 621-82-9; cytochrome P450, 9035-51-2; oxygenase, 9037-29-0, 9046-59-7; para coumaric acid, 7400-08-0; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System, 9035-51-2; Mixed Function Oxygenases, EC 1.-; Trans-Cinnamate 4-Monooxygenase, EC 1.14.13.11

We investigated the inhibition of advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) activity using the fluorescence characteristics of fractions and compounds from Corni Fructus. Corni Fructus extract and its iridoid glycoside components showed low inhibitory activities as well as the AGE inhibitor aminoguanidine. However, a low molecular weight polyphenol, 7-O-galloyl-D-sedoheptulose, and an antioxidant, trolox, showed high inhibitory activities compared with aminoguanidine under reactive conditions. The AGE-inhibiting activity of polyphenolic fractions of Corni Fructus ranged from a level comparable to Corni Fructus extract to the higher level of 7-O-galloyl-D-sedoheptulose. As well as the results of AGE-inhibiting activity, Corni Fructus extract and iridoid components showed low or no 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities, whereas 7-O-galloyl-D-sedoheptulose showed a level comparable to trolox. Polyphenolic fractions of Corni Fructus quenched DPPH radicals in a concentration-dependent manner. Some fractions exerted a higher DPPH radical-scavenging activity compared with trolox and 7-O-galloyl-D-sedoheptulose. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity was significantly correlated with the AGE-inhibiting activity. These results suggest that polyphenolic fractions of Corni Fructus inhibited AGE formation by antioxidant activity including free radical scavenging. The strong DPPH radical-scavenging and AGE-inhibiting fractions included ellagitannins and polymeric proanthocyanidins., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, 418953; 2012

The phytochemical compounds are used mostly in medicine as alternative medicine. Excessive cholesterol is removed mainly through conversion to bile acids in mammals, cytochromes P450 initiate all quantitatively significant pathways of cholesterol metabolism and bile acid biosynthesis. This study was aimed to investigate the possible potency of medicinal plant Epilobium hirsutum L. (EHT) extract and its ingredient ellagic acid (EAT) on rat liver cholesterol and bile acid metabolizing enzymes. In addition to molecular studies, bioactive compound of EHT extracts was identified using Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) technique. The water extracts of EHT and EAT were injected intraperitoneally as 37.5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg for 9 days, respectively. Then, in vivo effects of the EHT and EAT extract on rat liver cholesterol and bile acid metabolizing CYPs were analyzed by determining protein and mRNA expression levels using western blotting and qRT-PCR techniques, respectively. In addition, serum cholesterol level of animals was determined. EHT caused 0.6, 0.8 and 0.6 fold decrease in protein expression of CYP7A1, CYP8B1 and CYP7B1, respectively, whereas 1.3 fold increase in protein expression of CYP27A1 was observed. EHT caused 2.1, 1.4 and 4.1 fold decrease in mRNA expression of CYP7A1, CYP27A1, CYP7B1, respectively. However, mRNA expression of CYP8B1 was decreased 2.3 fold by EHT treatment. EAT led to 0.7, 0.8 and 0.8 fold decrease in protein expression of CYP27A1, CYP8B1, CYP7B1, respectively, but one fold increase of protein expression of CYP7A1. EAT caused 2.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 2.3 fold increase in mRNA expression of CYP7A1, CYP27A1, CYP8B1 and CYP7B1, respectively. EHT-treated and EAT-treated animals also showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol level compared to control animals. Based on doses used that applied in this study, EHT and EAT is quite safe and can be used for drug development without any toxicity. © 2019, SILAE (Italo-Latin American Society of Ethnomedicine). All rights reserved.