Search

Fruit pomaces are agro-industrial by-products obtained in large quantities by the juice production industry, hence their reutilization is a suitable way to minimize environmental impact by transforming them into different value-added products. Considering the wide abundance and bioactive potential of berries pomaces, raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, and chokeberry pomace were chosen to examine and compare polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and skin prebiotic capacity of their extracts. Extracts of 5.28 to 13.39 mg GAE ⋅ g−1 DM total polyphenol content were obtained, with significant differences in polyphenol abundance between classes. Relative antioxidant capacity index and global antioxidant score revealed that the blackcurrant pomace extract exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity. Staphylococcus epidermidis growth was promoted by lower extract concentrations, while higher concentrations showed inhibitory effects. On the other hand, Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited more strongly and no stimulation was detected in the tested concentration range (.025–.1 mg GAE ⋅ mL−1). In co-cultured experiments, a S. aureus/S. epidermidis rebalancing effect was proven for all tested extracts, whereas the best prebiotic capacity of 2.84 was achieved at.05 mg GAE⋅ mL−1 of raspberry pomace extract. In conclusion, berry pomace extracts could be valorized by extraction of their phytochemicals which are potent antioxidants and emerging prebiotics for topical application.

Blackcurrant is anthocyanin-rich berry with proven antioxidant and photoprotective activity and emerging prebiotic potential, widely applied in cosmetic products. Although beneficial effects of its extract are well known, release from skin care products and (trans)dermal permeation were not previously investigated. In this study, enzyme-assisted extraction of polyphenols from lyophilized blackcurrant was performed and obtained extract was incorporated into an Aristoflex® AVC based hydrogel. Furthermore, Franz diffusion cell experiments were conducted in order to examine the release of these molecules from the prepared formulation using cellulose acetate membrane and transdermal and dermal delivery using human skin mimicking membrane (Strat® M). Obtained results revealed that all four dominant anthocyanins readily permeated from hydrogel since 17.5%, 32.8%, 33.8% and 39.2% of delphinidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3- rutinoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside, respectively, were detected in receptor fluid after 24 h. Experimental values were successfully fitted with the Peppas and Sahlin diffusion model. On the other hand, after 72 h long experiment with transdermal skin diffusion model (Strat® M membrane), no detectable amounts of anthocyanins were present in receptor fluid and only 0.5% of the initial quantity from donor compartment was extracted from the membrane itself, indicating weak dermal delivery. Present study revealed that hydrogel is suitable carrier system for the topical delivery of bioactive anthocyanins from blackcurrant, while dermal and transdermal delivery of these molecules is very limited. This implies applicability of blackcurrant extract for treatments targeting skin surface (i.e. antioxidant, prebiotic, photoprotective).

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are linear bioactive molecules consisting of one terminal glucose and other fructose units and belong to the group of prebiotics with scientifically proven benefits for human health. Physiological active compounds like trisaccharides (FOS3), tetrasaccharides (FOS4) and pentasaccharides (FOS5) can be produced from sucrose using enzyme-fructosyltransferase. The reaction mixture obtained in this way contains, in addition to the desired prebiotics, glucose, fructose and an unreacted amount of sucrose. Direct incorporation in products of food and pharmaceutical origin is limited due to the presence of unwanted carbohydrates (mono- and disaccharide), and to increase the functional value of the mixture, the attention was focused on their removal. In this regard, membrane separation techniques present a very suitable solution for obtaining a product with a higher FOS proportion. This study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for purification process of produced FOS mixture using nanofiltration membrane modules. Therefore, the influence of membranes with different MWCO (300-500Da and 600-800Da), temperature (20-45°C) and carbohydrate concentration in feed solution (1-5%) at a constant flow rate of 22 mL/min was investigated. From the initial mixture containing 60.2% FOS, 29.7% monosaccharides and 10.1% sucrose, after purification process under determined optimal conditions (membrane 300-500Da, temperature 35°C and carbohydrate concentration 3%), the product with 88.8% FOS, 10.0% sucrose and 1.2% monosaccharides in total carbohydrates was obtained. Purification yield was greater than 95% and the rejection coefficients for glucose, fructose, sucrose, FOS3, FOS4 and FOS5 were 0.17, 0.20, 0.95, 0.99, 1.00 and 1.00, respectively. Based on the calculated purification factor, it can be concluded that the initial mixture is refined 1.47 times. This result suggests a significant increase in the purity of the final mixture, which can be used as a su

Flavonoids are a big class of plants’ secondary metabolites which possess antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, etc. activities. However, their wider application is limited due to their poor solubility and stability in different environments. In order to overcome this problem and improve their biological and physicochemical characteristics, enzymatic oligomerization of flavonoids can be performed by using laccases as biocatalyst. In this study, laccase from Trametes versicolor was successfully immobilized onto two nanocarriers and used as a catalyst for the oligomerization of two flavonoids, esculin and phloridzin. For immobilization, nanocelulose prepared by ultrasonic treatment of commercial microcellulose and nanosilica from rice were used. Both carriers were modified in order to introduce amino groups on their surface: nanocelulose with poly(ethyleneimine) (NC-PEI) and nanosilica with organosylane (NS-OS). Most active preparation for NC-PEIlaccase and NS-OS-laccase showed activities of 10.05 IU/g of support and 9.08 IU/g of support, respectively. The oligomerization of flavonoids was performed using immobilized laccase and obtained results were compared with those obtained with free laccase (same amount of activity units) as biocatalyst. Immobilized preparations showed promising activities in reaction of esculin oligomerization, since after 24h of reaction the conversions of 73.3% and 61.6% with NC-PEI-laccase and NS-OS-laccase, respectively was achieved, while the soluble enzyme gave the conversion of 92.4%. On the other hand, some lower activity of NC-PEI-laccase was observed in reaction of phloridzin oligomerization, since the achieved conversion was 43.3% compared to 80.7% of phloridzin conversion obtained with soluble laccase. The lower activity could be explained by different reaction medium, since, compared to the esculin oligomerization, the phloridzin oligomerization was performed in 30% methanol, due to its low water solubility. However, obt

Phloridzin is flavonoid known for its antioxidant and UV-protective effects on the skin. However, it has limited solubility in both hydrophilic and lipophilic media, therefore it should be derivatized prior to incorporation in final products. Hereby, we applied lipase-catalyzed acylation to produce different phloridzin ester mixtures using coconut and linseed oil as acyl donors and examined their transdermal delivery. The new derivatives were incorporated in oil in water emulsion to examine their diffusion through artificial skin-mimicking Strat-M® membrane using Franz diffusion cell. The transport of esters was successfully modelled by modified Kosrmeyer-Pepas equation. Lag phase, lasting 90-170 min, was detected for all esters. For coconut oil-derived esters process was entirely controlled by diffusion, while for linseed oil-based esters polymer relaxation was observed, as well. Effective diffusion coefficients of medium-chain esters obtained using coconut oil were one order of magnitude higher compared to long-chain ones. Zeta potential of both formulations was constant during six month storage period, indicating their high stability. Obtained results underscore suitability of natural triglycerides application in the production of phloridzin esters for topical products.

Dihydrochalcones are a class of flavonoids found in apple trees (Malus sp) generally present in high levels in young leaves and immature fruits. Phloridzin is a member of the dihydrochalcones which possess good antioxidant activity, as well as a protective role against UV radiation, hence it is a constituent of various commercial cosmetic preparations. These natural low-molecular weight phenolic compounds with diverse physicochemical characteristics are substrates for laccases, copper-containing polyphenol oxidases whose activity can yield compounds that vary in structure and biological activities. The positive effect of laccase-catalyzed polymerization of flavonoids on the functionality of produced oligomers or polymers has been already shown on some flavonoids’ representatives. In this work, fungal laccase from Trametes versicolor was applied as a biocatalyst in the reaction of phloridzin oligomerization. Synthesized phloridzin oligomers were separated from the reaction mixture and lyophilized in order to test their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Different antioxidant assays, such as ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis(3- ethylbenzenothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) showed that in comparison with the monomer, synthesized oligomers had the weaker ability to scavenge the free ABTS•+ and DPPH• radicals, since for both assays, examined IC50 values of phloridzin oligomers (0.46 mg/ml and 1.52 mg/ml, respectively) was higher than the values for parent molecule (0.13 mg/ml and 1.07 mg/ml, respectively). This could be ascribed to the fact that some of the functional groups responsible for the antioxidant activity probably participate in the formation of linkage between phloridzin units in the structure of oligomers. On the other hand, synthesized phloridzin oligomers demonstrated a significantly higher antimicrobial effect on the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus compared to the parent molecule phloridzin. Moreove

Berries are known to be one of the richest sources of polyphenols which can offer various health benefits. Dietary supplementation with berries has a positive influence on the gut microbiota, which directly affects overall health, including skin health. However, topical application of berry polyphenols has been used mainly for its antioxidant activity to prevent premature aging and improve the skin's appearance. Therefore, this study examined the content of different polyphenol classes of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpa), chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) extracts, investigating their antioxidant properties and potential impact on skin as topical prebiotics. The prebiotic capacity of these extracts in applied concentrations range of 0.015-0.05 mg GAE/mL, was determined against two cutaneous bacteria - beneficial Staphylococcus epidermidis and opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, since the disrupted balance between them may contribute worsening of atopic dermatitis. The obtained results showed that the total polyphenol content was highest in chokeberry extract (9.88 mg GAE/g DM), followed by cranberry extract (8.78 mg GAE/g DM), and the lowest in blueberry extract (6.48 mg GAE/g DM). Chokeberry extract was also richest in flavonoids, flavonols, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Notably, cranberry extract had the highest concentration of tannins, almost three times higher compared to blueberry extract. According to DPPH and ABTS methods, the antioxidant activity was significantly high in chokeberry extract, while FRAP method revealed that cranberry extract is the most potent antioxidant. Regarding prebiotic capacity, positive values (0.10-0.48) were observed at all concentrations of cranberry extract, with a trend indicating a decrease in prebiotic capacity as polyphenol concentration increases. Prebiotic capacities of blueberry and chokeberry extracts had either negative values or values equal to zero, indicating that the

In this work, immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor using different immobilization techniques was investigated and obtained results regarding immobilized enzyme activity were compared. The enzyme was successfully immobilized onto different nanoparticles such as magnetic (MNPs) as well as cellulose (CNP) and silica nanoparticles (SNP). Functionalized MNPs were prepared by co-precipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions, which were initially coated with a layer of citric acid to prevent particle agglomeration. Further, they were coated with sodium silicate and functionalized with aminosilane. MNPs were activated with the crosslinking reagent glutaraldehyde and laccase was immobilized onto functionalized MNPs. On the other hand, CNPs were prepared by ultrasonic treatment of microcellulose while the SNPs were obtained from rice. Functionalization of these nanoparticles was performed by introducing amino groups onto their surface, by modification of CNPs with poly(ethyleneimine) and with organosilane in case of SNPs. Additionally, the immobilized laccase in the form of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (Lac-CLEAs) was prepared by simple immobilization method involving precipitation of the enzyme from aqueous buffer using ethanol as precipitation solvent followed by cross-linking of aggregates of enzyme molecules by glutaraldehyde. When the magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates from laccase (Lac-mCLEAs) were synthesized, magnetic nanoparticles were added to the synthesis process. The immobilization yield of laccase immobilized onto nanoparticles was 95%, 83% and 84% for MNPs, CNPs and SNPs, respectively, followed by activity yield of 77%, 73% and 66%, respectively. Some lower immobilization yield was achieved for the Lac-CLEAs and Lac-mCLEAs, 74% and 75%, respectively. Lac-mCLEAs showed the highest activity yield (85%) while activity yield of 76% was achieved for Lac-CLEAs when BSA, as proteic feeder was used. Obtained results suggest that laccase could be successfully

One of the fundamental requirements for overall human well-being is a stable and balanced microbiome. Aside from the microorganisms that reside within the body, a large number of microorganisms, especially bacteria, swarming the human skin are in homeostasis with the host and represent a skin microbiota. Even though the immune system of the skin is capable of distinguishing between commensal and potentially harmful transient bacteria, the cutaneous microbial balance can be disrupted under certain circumstances. In that case, reduction in the skin microbiota diversity, as well as changes in metabolic activity, result in dermal infections and inflammation. Probiotics and prebiotics have the potential to play a significant role in the treatment of these skin disorders. The most common resident bacteria found on the skin, Staphylococcus epidermidis, can act as a potential skin probiotic, contributing to the protection of healthy skin from pathogen colonization, such as Staphylococcus aureus, which is related to atopic dermatitis exacerbation. However, as it is difficult to meet regulations in cosmetic products, another therapy approach could be topical prebiotic supplementation of the skin microbiota. In recent research, polyphenols are attracting scientists' interest as biomolecules with possible prebiotic effects on the skin microbiota. This research aimed to determine how herbal extracts rich in different polyphenolic compounds (lemon balm, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, pine needle and yarrow) affected the growth of S. epidermidis and S. aureus. The first part of the study involved screening of plants to determine if they could be regarded as probable candidates to be skin prebiotics. The effect of each plant on bacterial growth was examined by supplementing the nutrient medium with their extracts and comparing it with control samples (without extract). The results obtained after 24 h of incubation showed that all tested extracts influenced the growth of the examined b

In recent decades, the scientific community has recognized the growing importance of prebiotics, and therefore, numerous studies are focused on their economical production due to their low presence in natural resources. It has been confirmed that prebiotics are a source of energy for probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and enable their proliferation, consequently leading to the normal functioning of the intestinal microbiota. Also, products of their fermentation are short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which play a key role in maintaining and improving the health not only of the GIT but also of the whole organism. Among several confirmed prebiotics, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are considered interesting candidates for use in a wide range of products in the food industry. They are characterized as low-calorie and non-cariogenic substances that represent an adequate sugar substitute and can be considered suitable for use in products intended for diabetics. The subject of this research will be the production of FOS by transforming sucrose using a fructosyltransferase (FTase) present in commercial preparation Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, with special emphasis on the development of adequate FTase immobilization method that would enable selective isolation of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of FOS from the complex enzymatic mixture. This would lead to considerable enzyme purification and allow its direct incorporation into different sucrosebased products, without the fear that action of the other hydrolytic enzymes may adversely affect the products functional characteristics. Accordingly, the possibility of selective immobilization of the enzyme using support with primary amino groups, Purolite® A109, which was previously activated and modified using glutaraldehyde (GA), was investigated. In the initial phase of the research, the effects of individual immobilization parameters such as pH, enzyme concentration and immobilization time were investigated to optimize

According to experts, berries are a major source of phytochemicals, disease-fighting components, which can help to boost the immune system and lower the risk of many agingrelated conditions. The simplest way to isolate these compounds is through solvent extraction. However, this method is not entirely successful since, in addition to free phytochemicals, there are also significant amounts of bound components that are trapped in the cell wall. For these reasons, the addition of enzymes such as cellulases and pectinases provides the hydrolysis of the cell wall, facilitate the release of molecules and increase the extraction yield of phytochemical. Therefore, in this work, enzyme-assisted extraction of lyophilized blackcurrant (LCR), a fruit that is increasingly used for pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes, was examined. Extraction was performed in acetate buffer pH 4.5, at 50 ̊ C using four enzymes: Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, Viscozyme® L, Cellic® CTec3, Rohapect® MC. In the first step of the experiment, the extraction was optimized by different-time varying, from 10 to 120 min, and after choosing the optimal time, the influence of the solid-liquid ratio (1:4, 1:10, 1:40) on the extraction efficiency was examined. The progress of extraction was monitored spectrophotometrically, through antioxidant properties, the total content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids from all blackcurrant extracts and compared to the control (extract without enzyme). Regarding the total content of polyphenols, it was revealed that 60 min was the optimal extraction time. On the other hand, it was found that for a solid-liquid ratio of 1:4, all results were about 1.5 times higher than the control values. In terms of enzymes, Viscozyme® and Pectinex® Ultra SP-L enabled the recovery of the highest total phenolic content (~28 mg GAE/g LCR) and phenolic acids (~3 mg CA/g LCR), while, on the other hand, Rohapect® MC enhanced the extraction of antioxidants (FRAP 380 µmol Fe2+/g LCR), as wel

It is well known that maple syrup, a product obtained by processing maple tree sap, is widely used in many households due to its sweetness and beneficial ingredients. It is most often used as a topping for pancakes, waffles, donuts, and other desserts, but also as a sweetener for numerous beverages such as coffee, tea, lemonade, and many others. This natural syrup, in which, in addition to numerous minerals, antioxidants, carbohydrates and other components, sucrose predominates, presents an excellent substrate for the synthesis of bioactive molecules, i.e. fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). These indigestible oligosaccharides which belong to a group of established prebiotics are very suitable from the standpoint of human health because they enable the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, have a positive effect on the immune system as well as many other benefits for the human organism. With the approach which include the conversion of sucrose into FOS, it is possible to obtain a product with improved characteristics, i.e. higher functional and lower caloric values. Accordingly, in this study, a detailed optimization of the enzymatic synthesis of FOS was performed using maple syrup as a source of sucrose and commercial enzyme mixture Pectinex® Ultra SP-L as a source of fructosyltransferase. Namely, by individual varying of enzymatic synthesis key factors such as temperature (30-80 °C), enzyme concentration (1, 3 and 5%) and reaction time (0-25 h), optimal conditions were selected. It was determined that by performing the synthesis reaction at a temperature of 60 °C with an enzyme concentration of 3% for 12h, a remarkable sucrose hydrolysis degree of 82% and a FOS yield of approximately 55% were achieved. In this case, the estimated caloric value of the obtained product is about 2.2 kcal/mL, which is around 1.6-fold lower compared to the initial value of 3.6 kcal/mL. The product obtained in this manner could represent a low-calorie sweetener with high fiber co