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In the current study, probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei KC39 was immobilized on wheat bran as a carrier. The immobilized synbiotic biocatalyst was freeze-dried and used as an adjunct during the production of functional soft white cheese. Free freeze-dried Lc. paracasei cells as an adjunct and a control cheese with a commercial starter were used for comparison. In addition to a fiber content of 1.12%, the functional cheese made using the synbiotic biocatalyst showed higher cell viabilities in the gastric and intestinal phases as well as an enhanced microstructure and favorable sensory characteristics. The presented immobilization method could be applied to the production of soft cheese and other functional food products for the stabilized delivery of both probiotics and dietary fibers.

Sea buckthorn is a temperate bush plant native to Asian and European countries, explored across the world in traditional medicine to treat various diseases due to the presence of an exceptionally high content of phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidants. In addition to the evaluation of nutrients and active compounds, the focus of the present work was to assess the optimal levels for L. plantarum RM1 growth by applying response surface methodology (RSM), and to determine the impact of juice fermentation on antioxidant, anti-hypertension and anticancer activity, as well as on organoleptic properties. Sea buckthorn berries were shown to contain good fiber content (6.55%, 25 DV%), high quality of protein (3.12%, 6.24 DV%) containing: histidine, valine, threonine, leucine and lysine (with AAS 24.32, 23.66, 23.09, 23.05 and 21.71%, respectively), and 4.45% sugar that provides only 79 calories. Potassium was shown to be the abundant mineral content (793.43%, 22.66 DV), followed by copper and phosphorus (21.81 and 11.07 DV%, respectively). Sea buckthorn juice exhibited a rich phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content (283.58, 118.42 and 6.5 mg/g, respectively), in addition to a high content of vitamin C (322.33 mg/g). The HPLC profile indicated that benzoic acid is the dominant phenolic compound in sea buckthorn berries (3825.90 mg/kg). Antioxidant potentials (DPPH and ABTS) of sea buckthorn showed higher inhibition than ascorbic acid. Antimicrobial potentials were most pronounced against Escherichia coli BA12296 (17.46 mm). The probiotic growth was 8.5 log cfu/mL, with juice concentration, inoculum size and temperature as the main contributors to probiotic growth with a 95% confidence level. Fermentation of sea buckthorn juice with L. plantarum RM1 enhanced the functional phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The fermentation with L. plantarum RM1 enhanced the anti-hypertension and anticancer properties of the sea buckthorn juice and gained consumers’ sensorial overall acceptance.

Recently, biopolymer-based structured oil has emerged to substitute saturated and trans-fats. Herein, the porous biopolymeric networks with the cellular structure were developed with cross-linked dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) and gelatin to prepare oleogels. The determination of aldehyde content in the DAC molecular chain revealed a high degree of oxidation of cellulose. The FTIR data showed the covalent cross-linking bond between the DAC and gelatin. The covalent cross-linking between DAC and gelatin promoted the composite aerogel (DG) to form a porous three-dimensional network structure with enhanced thermal stability, mechanical properties, and water stability. The DAC/gelatin composite aerogel with 5 wt% DAC (DG-5) exhibited the highest porosity (91.27 %) and lowest pore diameter (10.52 μm) with greater capillary force, resulting in a high oil absorption capacity of 11.24 g/g and oil holding capacity of 55.57 %. The DG oleogels containing 6 % thymol in the oil phase showed good antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus for 24 h. This work provides a facile and promising strategy for developing oleogels by DAC/gelatin cross-linked conjugates as aerogel templates for oil structuring.

The aim of this study was to enhance the nutritional value and the functional characteristics of muffins by enriching with chickpea protein isolate, while keeping their rheological characteristics. Chickpea Protein isolate (CPI) was prepared by alkaline solubilization (pH 11), followed by isoelectric precipitation at pH 4.5. SDS-PAGE revealed three subunits with molecular weights of 47, 30 and 85 kDa; representing the globulin fractions, legumin-like and vicilin-like proteins. Maximum protein solubility (83.32%) was obtained at pH 11. CPI exhibited an emulsifying activity index of 25.17 m2 g-1, emulsion stability index of 14.09 min. The foaming capacity and stability were 62% and 94.49%, respectively. Water and oil absorption were 3.65 and 2.30 mL g-1, respectively. CPI was added to muffin batter at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%. CPI fortifieded muffins showed reduction in moisture content, which influenced texture profile analysis through increasing hardness, gumminess and chewiness values. Additionally, both protein content and protein digestibility of muffins increased to 22.2 and 94.08%, respectively. CPI-enriched muffins were darker (lower L) with yellowish crumbs (higher b). Finally, preliminary sensory evaluation showed high consumer acceptance for CPI-enriched muffins.

With growing consumer awareness, exploitation of renewable resources is cost-effective and environment friendly. This work examines the potential of citrus peels as natural antioxidants and antimicrobials for food preservation. Extraction yield, total soluble phenols and flavonoids of various citrus peels (sweet orange, lemon, tangerine and grapefruit) were optimized by varying the solvent type. While the highest extract yield (~16 ​g/100g) was obtained from the sweet orange peels in methanol, extraction with ethanol maximized the concentration of total phenols and flavonoids (~80 ​mg catechol equivalents/100 ​g dry weight). In addition, sweet orange peel extract showed the highest DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radical scavenging values. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of sweet orange peels revealed more than 40 polyphenolic compounds including phenolic acids and flavonoids, some of which have not been previously reported. The predominant polyphenols were narirutin, naringin, hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside naringenin, quinic acid, hesperetin, datiscetin-3-O-rutinoside and sakuranetin. The incorporation of sweet orange peel extract into two vegetable oils enhanced their oxidative stability. In addition, all citrus peel extracts possessed high antimicrobial activity against several food-borne pathogens, and the activity was highest for the sweet orange peel extract. Overall results suggested the great potential of sweet orange peels as natural antioxidant and antimicrobials, which can be efficiently extracted using a simple and low-cost method, for enhancing the storage stability and safety of vegetable oils., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Citrus peels extracts exhibited high contents of polyphenols and flavonoids with high antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. • Sweet orange peel extracts in ethanol and water showed high yield of polyphenols and flavonoids. • The polyphenolic compounds (~40) in sweet orange peel extracts were identified and quantified by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. • Supplementing orange peel extract into edible oils prevented rancidity.

Olive tree is one of the most important fruit trees because of its content of many potentially bioactive compounds and represent waste products from olive harvest and pruning of olive trees. However, the content of these compounds can differ between cultivars. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of three olive leaves cultivars (Picual, Shemlali and Tofahy) commonly cultivated in Egypt. Furthermore, determine their cytotoxicity for safety use in food applications. Three olive leaves cultivars were extracted with water and yield of extract was determined in each cultivar, the antioxidant activities, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of 7 pathogenic bacteria, 1 yeast and 2 fungi species were determined. Of all the extracts tested, Picual had the highest content of each of phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (114.79±4.19 µg GAE/mg,118.69±2.07 µg CE/g extract, respectively) and exhibited strong antioxidant potential in scavenging DPPH. Antibacterial potential method was against Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Escherichia coli BA12296,Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC12296, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcusaureus EMCC1351, Streptococcus mutans EMCC1815, Bacilluscereus EMCC1006, ClostridiumperfringensEMCC1574. Antifungal activities of: Aspergillusniger EMCC72, AspergillusparasiticusEMCC886T and Candidaalbicans EMCC15, were evaluated and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of all cultivars values for bacteria and yeast ranged from 12.5 to 100 mg/ml. The extracts from Picual, Tofahy and Shemlali of 5µg/ml had the highest anti-inflammatory effect. Cytotoxicity results indicated high safety use of the three olive leaves cultivars. Theresults confirmed convenient and safe use of extracts of three olive leaves cultivars as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant.

Propolis is a resinous beehive product containing functional compounds and differs based on geographical region. Physicochemical properties of each propolis effectuate their uses within modern applications. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity of propolis ethanol extracts (PEE) sourced from six geographical regions. Antioxidant potency was determined using four assays: DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and malondialdehyde inhibition (MDA). The phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) was calculated as gallic acid and catechol equivalents, respectively. Antimicrobial properties of propolis against pathogens and toxigenic fungi were determined using agar well diffusion assay. The cytotoxicity effect was estimated against the human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line using MTT assay. The results manifested propolis variations of samples, specifically for the chemical composition (p

The current study was intended to evaluate the chemical composition, functional properties, and physical properties of some cucurbits seed. Chemical composition, functional properties of sweet melon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus), sweet melon (Cucumis melo var. aegyptiacus) watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. Colocynthoides). Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), and summer squash (Cucurbita pepo), were studied as well as the characteristics of their seed oils. The seeds are rich in protein, crude fat, and crude fiber. The seeds contained high amounts of K, Mg, Na, Fe, and Mn. Water and fat absorption capacities, emulsification properties, and foam stability were fairly good in all seeds. Data obtained for the oils’ characteristics agree well with those of other edible vegetable oils. The obtained results revealed that the seeds presented an alternative source of vegetable oil. Seeds could be added to food systems such as bakery products.

Pasta is healthy, cheap, versatile, and convenient as a carrier of bioactive components. The present work focused on increasing the nutritional quality of pasta via chickpea flour and protein isolate in addition to monitoring the influences of this fortification on the physicochemical, texture and sensory attributes of functional pasta. Eight fortified pasta products were prepared of durum semolina wheat with partial replacements of 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% of chickpea flour (CF)/or chickpea protein isolate (PI). Cooking quality, moisture content, swelling index, starch content, in-vitro protein digestibility, texture and sensory properties were evaluated. CF and PI fortifications decreased optimum cooking time (Min. 5 min) and starch content (Min. 62%) with overall increases in cooking losses (Max. 5.79%), swelling index (SI) (Max. 31.69%), hardness (Max. 22.13 g), cohesiveness (Max. 1.13), springiness (Max. 1.11 cm), gumminess (Max. 21.34 N) and doubled the chewiness (Max. 21.36 g cm−1). The impact of pasta enrichment on its in-vitro protein digestibility against control (91.89%) was varied where CF substitution resulted increased protein digestibility (Max. 95.57%), while counter results have been announced by PI that significantly decreased pasta protein digestibility to (48.55%). Absorbed water was increased along with CF or PI substitutions resulting in higher moisture cooked pasta (Max. 68.83%). Panelists’ opinion summed the upraised differences positively affecting chickpea fortified pasta sensory attributes to gain high acceptance scores. Enrichment the nutritional quality of pasta by fortification with chickpea flour and protein isolate can be recommended supported by enhancements in rheological and sensorial properties.

The antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of clove, Sage and kiwifruit peel extracts as well as their mixture, were evaluated as natural preservatives for fish fingers. The treated samples with the mix (1:1:1) of aqueous extracts showed results superior to that of the synthetic antioxidants. Values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) recorded with the mix at 0.10%, 0.25% and 0.50% were 0.97, 0.62 and 0.53 mg MDA/kg respectively, compared to negative control and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) as a positive control which recorded 2.12 and 1.52 mg MDA/kg at the 30th day of storage. The microbial analysis emphasized a superior preservation power of the plant extract mixture. The total microbial count in treated samples with plant extracts mix at 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5% were 3.7 × 103, 5.7 × 102 and 3.3 × 102 cfu/g compared to the negative and positive control (BHT) which showed the total microbial count 1.8 × 104 and 5.5 × 103 cfu/g respectively, at the 30th day of storage. These findings emphasized the powerful effect of the mixture of plant extracts at the level of 0.5% to extend the shelf life of fish fingers during storage period up to 30 days under cold storage conditions (4 ± 1 °C). These findings suggest that the extract mix may serve as an alternative choice to use as a food additive extending the shelf life of food products.

One of the successful strategies for the improvement of the sustainable food chain is to achieve economic success while improving environmental performance. For this point of view, water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP) were extracted from some agricultural by-products (potato peel (PoP), pea peel (PeP) and taro peel (TP) as Egyptian agro-waste products). Furthermore; Physicochemical parameters, structural, antioxidant and functional properties of the extracted polysaccharides were investigated via High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) as well as DPPH radical and ABTS radical assays. The most predominant sugar(s) content in PoP were glucose and stachyose (50.12 and 20.68 g/100 g), in PeP was sucrose (34.34 g/100 g) and in TP were stachyose and glucose (47.4, 35.73 g/100 g). FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of different polysaccharides functional groups (OH, CH, CH2 and CH3). On the other hand, the extracted (water-soluble) polysaccharides exhibited high thermal stability (up to 220 °C) that makes them applicable in high-temperature food processing. PoP and PeP showed good water holding capacities (4 g water/g sample each) and PeP showed higher emulsifying capacity and stability (41.88%, 37.23%). Furthermore, PoP, PeP and TP polysaccharides exhibited noticeable antioxidant potentials as indicated by IC50 values (1.91, 3.96 and 8.41 mg/mL). Overall, the findings in the present study indicated that PoP, PeP and TP from waste products might be considered as promising sources for natural functional additives for different types of foods.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder without a cure. Hence, developing an effective treatment or protective agent is crucial for public health. The present study aims to characterize orange peel extract (OPE) through in vitro and in silico studies. Furthermore, it examines the protective effect of OPE against experimentally-induced Alzheimer’s disease in rats. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of OPE was 255.86 ± 1.77 and 52.06 ± 1.74 (mg/100 g), respectively. Gallic acid, the common polyphenol in OPE detected by HPLC was 3388.60 μg/100 g. OPE antioxidant IC50 was 67.90 ± 1.05, 60.48 ± 0.91, and 63.70 ± 0.30 by DPPH, ABTS and Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity methods, respectively. In vitro anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) IC50 was 0.87 ± 0.025 mg/mL for OPE and 2.45 ± 0.001 mg/mL for gallic acid. Molecular docking analysis for human AChE (4EY7) with donepezil, gallic acid, and acetylcholine showed binding energy ΔG values of −9.47, −3.72, and −5.69 Kcal/mol, respectively. Aluminum chloride injection (70 mg/Kg/day for 6 weeks) induced Alzheimer’s-like disease in male rats. OPE (100 and 200 mg/kg/d) and gallic acid (50 mg/kg/d) were administered orally to experimental animals for 6 weeks in addition to aluminum chloride injection (as protective). OPE was found to protect against aluminum chloride-induced neuronal damage by decreasing both gene expression and activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and a decrease in amyloid beta (Aβ42) protein level, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and nitric oxide (NO), and increased reduced glutathione (GSH) level and activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the brain tissues. Additionally, gene expressions for amyloid precursor protein (APP) and beta secretase enzyme (BACE1) were downregulated, whereas those for presinilin-2 (PSEN2) and beta cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) were upregulated. Furthermore, the reverse of mitochondrial alternation and restored brain ultrastructure might underlie neuronal dysfunction in AD. In conclusion, our exploration of the neuroprotective effect of OPE in vivo reveals that OPE may be helpful in ameliorating brain oxidative stress, hence protecting from Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Plant by-products are safe, sustainable, and abundant natural antioxidant sources. Here we investigated the antioxidant activity of a mixture of lyophilized pomegranate, guava, and grape (PGG) leaves water extract (1:1:1) and examined its ability to retard the rancidity of soybean oil during accelerated storage at 65 °C for 30 days. To achieve this, we evaluated the oxidative stability of soybean oil enriched with PGG extract at 200, 400, and 800 ppm. We also compared the effect of PGG extract with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (400/100 ppm) with that of only BHT (200 ppm). We observed that 8.19 and 1.78 µg/mL of the extract could scavenge 50% of DPPH• and ABTS•, respectively, indicating its enhanced antioxidant activity. Enriching soyabean oil with the extract at 800 ppm improved its oxidative stability by reducing the acid value to 1.71 mg/g and the total oxidation to 99.87 compared to 2.27 mg/g and 150.32 in the raw oil, respectively. Moreover, PGG-800 ppm inhibited oxidation by 46.07%. Similarly, PGG-400 ppm reinforced BHT (100 ppm) to provide oxidative stability as BHT (p > 0.05), with TOTOX values of 87.93 and 79.23, respectively. PGG-800 ppm and PGG/BHT mix potently inhibited the transformation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones. Therefore, the PGG extract might be an efficient substitute for BHT (partially or totally) during industrial processes.

Fungal growth and mycotoxin production on foods and feeds cause poisoning and serious human diseases that may lead to death. Chemical preservatives and fungicides have negative impacts on both health and environment. In contrast, bio preservatives such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are effective, safe, biodegradable and have additional health benefits. Among 23 rod-shaped LAB strains that were isolated from Egyptian traditional fermented milk (Rayeb), strain RM1 showed the highest antifungal potency. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete 16S rRNA gene and unique phenotypic characteristics differentiated strain RM1 from the closely related Lactobacillus species suggesting it represents a novel species, for which the name Lactobacillus sp. RM1 is proposed. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus sp. RM1exhibited strong and broad antimicrobial activity against both toxigenic fungi and harmful bacteria. The chemical composition of CFS determined by GC–MS showed a wide variety of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. A complete inhibition of both aflatoxins B1 and ochratoxin A production was obtained at a CFS concentration of 15 mg/mL. When the CFS was used to treat wheat grains, the growth mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus were completely inhibited after 2 weeks of incubation compared with untreated grains, which were covered with a mat of the fungus. The antifungal activity of Lactobacillus sp. RM1 against common toxigenic fungi, and its ability extend the shelf life of wheat grains prove its potential application as a natural preservative for food products. Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus sp. RM1, Mycotoxins, Antifungal, Fungal growth, Cell-free supernatant, HPLC, GC–MS

In plants, Fruits and their wastes are the main sources of bioactive compounds. Currently, Annona fruits have attracted the attention of people interested in health-promoting foods due to their phytochemical content that their activities were not studied before. This study aimed to explore the potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and in vitro anticancer activity of two cultivars Annona squamosa (Annona b. and Annona h.) seed, peel, and pulp. We also meausred phenolic, flavonoid, sulfated polysaccharide, tannins, and triterpenoids. Polyphenol identification was determined using RP-HPLC. Results of the antioxidant activity revealed that the highest activity was observed for Annona h. seed extract using DPPH and ABTS assays with IC50 6.07 ± 0.50 and 9.58 ± 0.53 µg/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic strains revealed that the peel extracts of both Annona b. and Annona h. exhibited the best antimicrobial activity. We also assessed the IC50 values for anticancer activity in all six Annona b. and Annona h samples against four cancer cell lines colon (Caco-2), prostate (PC3), liver (HepG-2), and breast (MCF-7) using MTT assay. Annona b. and Annona h seed extracts had the lowest IC50 values for four cancer cell lines with 7.31 ± 0.03 and 15.99 ± 1.25 for PC-3 and MCF-7, respectively. Both seed extracts, Annona b. and Annona h., showed significantly down-regulated mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated p53 in all treated cell lines. Apoptosis was evaluated using nuclear staining, flow cytometric analysis, and immunohistochemistry of the proliferation marker (Ki-67). Additional studies are required to characterize the bioactive compounds responsible for the observed activities of Annona seed and determine its mechanism as an anticancer drug.

Currently, no approved treatment for COVID-19 exists However, phenolic compounds exhibit antiviral activity This study aimed to evaluate the activities of polyphenolic compounds (gallic acid, quercetin, caffeine, resveratrol, naringenin, benzoic acid, oleuropein, and ellagic acid) as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (PDB ID 6M71) inhibitors Molecular docking simulations of these polyphenols were performed using Autodock 4 0 and Chimera 1 8 1 Drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties were calculated using the SWISSADME prediction website Remdesivir and ribavirin were used for comparison The docking analysis results, ranked by the binding energy value (ΔG) of the tested ligands toward SARS-CoV-2 polymerase, were remdesivir > gallic acid > quercetin > caffeine > ribavirin > resveratrol > naringenin > benzoic acid > oleuropein > ellagic acid, with binding energies of −8 51, −7 55, −7 17, −6 10, −6 01, −5 79, −5 69, −5 54, −4 94, and −4 59 kcal/mol, respectively All tested polyphenols were predicted to form hydrogen bonds with one or two of the nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) entry channels at ARG 553, ARG 555, or LYS 545, except caffeine and oleuropein, which may influence the entry of substrate and divalent cations into the central active site cavity, thereby inhibiting enzyme activity It appears promising that gallic acid and quercetin exhibited higher binding affinity than ribavirin toward the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase and expressed good drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties Additionally, resveratrol, naringenin, and benzoic and ellagic acids exhibited some efficacy as potential polymerase inhibitors Further research is required to investigate the potential uses of these polyphenols in the treatment of COVID-19 © 2021 National Information and Documentation Center (NIDOC)

Currently, antiviral drugs and/or vaccines are not yet available to treat or prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this review, we narrated the available data, from credible publishers, regarding the possible role of polyphenols and natural extracts-containing polyphenols in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and their immune-boosting properties. It was revealed that polyphenols could be considered as promising biologically active substances for the prevention of COVID-19. The underlying potential mechanism behind this action is mostly due to the antiviral activities and the immune-regulation functions of polyphenols against COVID-19-infections. Antivirus polyphenolic-based medications can mitigate SARS-CoV-2-enzymes, which are vital for virus duplication and infection. It was also found that triterpenoid, anthraquinone, flavonoids, and tannins are possible keys to scheming antiviral therapies for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2-proteases. The identified pharmacophore structures of polyphenols could be utilized in the explanation of novel anti-COVID-19 designs. The advantage of using mixtures containing polyphenols is related to the high-safety profile without having major side-effects, but further randomized controlled trials are required in the upcoming studies., Highlights • Polyphenols possess many potential health benefits, including antiviral effects. • Polyphenols consider promising bioactive substances for COVID-19 prevention. • Polyphenol-rich foods will be helpful during the COVID-19's treatment. • Polyphenols assist as blocking agent for protease's enzymatic activity of COVID-19.

Citrus peels are nonedible by-products that are often discarded. This work explores the bioactive compounds extracted from the peels of 4 local citrus fruits, their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and applicability as natural antioxidants for vegetable oils. Total soluble phenols and total flavonoids were extracted from orange, lemon, tangerine and grapefruit peels using various solvents. Orange peel methanol extract produced the highest yield (~16 g/100g), however using ethanol maximized the concentration of total phenols (~345 mg Gallic acid equivalents/100g dry weight) as well as total flavonoids (~80 mg catechol equivalents/100g). In general, extracts with high total phenolic contents exhibited high antioxidant capacities. The orange peel ethanol extract showed the highest DPPH and ABTS values while its methanol extract exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging value. In addition, all citrus peel extracts possessed high antimicrobial activity against several food-borne Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The composition of polyphenolic compounds in orange peel extracts analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) revealed the presence of 22 and 32 compounds in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. The predominant compounds were narirutin, naringin, hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside naringenin, quinic acid, hesperetin, datiscetin-3-O-rutinoside and sakuranetin. Importantly, incorporation of orange peel extract into vegetable oils greatly enhanced their oxidative stability compared to a synthetic antioxidant (BHT). Overall results support the potential of citrus peels as natural antioxidants and antimicrobials for enhancing the shelf life, storage stability and safety of food oils.

Till now there is no approved treatment for COVID-19. Phenolic compounds are known to have antiviral activity against many viruses such as HCV and HIV, through their phenol rings interaction with viral proteins and/or RNA, or via its regulating MAP kinase signaling in host cell defense. The present study aimed to assess polyphenolic compounds (gallic acid, quercetin, caffeine, resveratrol, naringenin, benzoic acid, oleuropein and ellagic acid) as COVID-19 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (PDB ID 6M71) inhibitors, using a molecular docking. Molecular docking of these polyphenols were performed using Autodock 4.0 and Chimera 1.8.1 programs. Drug likeness and polyphenols pharmacokinetic properties were calculated using SWISSADME prediction website (http://www.swissadme.ch/). Remdesivir and ribavirin were used as standard antiviral drugs for comparison. Docking analysis results, ranked by binding energy value (ΔG) of several tested ligands toward COVID-19 polymerase were; remdesivir > gallic acid > quercetin > caffeine > ribavirin > resveratrol > naringenin > benzoic acid > oleuropein > ellagic acid. The binding energies were -8.51, - 7.55, - 7.17, -6.10, - 6.01, - 5.79, - 5.69, - 5.54, - 4.94 and -4.59 kcal/mol, respectively. All tested polyphenols performed hydrogen bonds with one or two of the nucleotide triphosphate entry channel (NTP) amino acids in COVID-19 polymerase (ARG 555, ARG 555, LYS 545), except caffeine and oleuropein. Binding of polyphenols to NTP of COVID-19 polymerase may influence in the entry of the substrate and divalent cations into the central active site cavity, inhibiting the enzyme activity. It appears promising that, gallic acid and quercetin exhibited high binding affinity than ribavirin toward COVID-19 polymerase and expressed good drug likeness and pharmacokinetic properties. Therefore, gallic acid and quercetin may represent a potential treatment option for COVID-19. Further researches are urgently required to investigate the potential uses of these polyphenols in COVID-19 treatment. Additionally, resveratrol, naringenin, benzoic and ellagic acid seem to have the best potential to act as COVID-19 polymerase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Egypt produced 236,314 t of artichoke in 2016, which produce a huge amount of useless by-product, which can be used as cheaper source for many active compounds can be applied for some medical application. The objective of this study was to assess the toxicity of the artichoke by-product extract through its effect on rats' kidney, brain and liver biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemical composition of artichoke by-product (crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat and minerals) was determined. Conventional extraction (CE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) extraction methods were used for artichoke by-product and comparison between them were performed according to antioxidant activity using DPPH and the phenolic profile identity using HPLC technique. Chronic oral gavage of thirty adult male albino rats for 4 weeks in the concentrations of (0.1, 0.5, 1 and 5 g kg-1) artichoke by-product extract was used for evaluation of its toxicity. RESULTS MAE with ethanol more suitable for extraction of the polyphenols (193.63±4.9 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg-1) and showed IC50 = 159.7 mg mL-1. Three major active phenolic compounds were identified benzoic acid, ellagic acid and caffeine. Rats administrated 5 g kg-1 artichoke extract have no changes in brain, liver and kidney parameters (p

Modern diet lifestyle demands of healthy natural foods represent a challenge for food manufacturers to lead towards the healthy new trends. This work aimed to study the microstructure of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) and its mucilage, provide chemical and functional properties of mucilage before supplementation in low-fat yoghurts and evaluate its impact on products’ composition, texture, and acceptance. The micro morphology of chia seed and its mucilage were described via scanning electron microscope (SEM). For physical functional properties evaluation; functional groups were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy; the thermal behavior was analyzed using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), and Water/ Oil Holding capacities (WHC/ OHC) were assessed. The gross chemical composition of mucilage was studied before supplementation with various concentrations (1, 1.5 and 2%) at different ratios of fat content (1, 2 and 3%) yoghurts, monitoring mucilage effect on chemical, rheological (using Texture Analyzer) and organoleptic properties of yoghurts. Chia mucilage micrographs showed fine fibrous network structure supported by high fiber, protein, ash and fat values (12.4, 10.68, 9.64, and 3.10% respectively). The FTIR analysis indicated the presence of uronic acids, mannose, carboxylic acid, pyranose, glucopyranose, xylopyranose groups in mucilage polysaccharides, which influenced its thermal stability. Mucilage showed comparable high WHC/OHC values (5.25g water, 5.85 g oil/ g sample) that nominate it to perform as a stabilizer and emulsifier. Along with increased chia mucilage concentrations in fortified yoghurt, fiber content elevation subsequently reflected on higher values of springiness, and descendant hardness values that produced “soft” yoghurts as described in sensory evaluation.

The present study focused on the biochemical evaluation of artichoke extract, furthermore, in vitro and in silico evaluation its potential for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. The total phenolic, flavonoids, triterpenoids, tannins, and sulfide polysaccharides content were 193.63, 0.038, 71.43, 13.49, and 115.612 μg/g. (B 2) content was 60.95 μg/g, (B 9) was 6.85 μg/g, retinol (A) was 0.248422 μg/g, and (B 12) was 6.07 μg/g. Benzoic acid, ellagic acid, and caffeine were 589.91, 573.07, and 382.03 μg/100g. IC 50 values of ellagic acid, benzoic acid, caffeine, extract, and donepezil had of 16.97, 26.0, 27.28, 31.04, and 133 μg/mL. In In vitro assay; caffeine exhibited a significant noncompetitive inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC 50 of 1.013 mg/mL. ellagic acid and extract exhibited competitive inhibition with IC50 of 1.927 and 5.705 mg/mL. Donepezil exhibited mixed modes of inhibition with IC50 of 0.0034 mg/mL, but benzoic acid did not exhibit any anti-AChE. In silico molecular docking of human AChE (4EY7) with donepezil, caffeine, ellagic acid, and acetylcholine showed binding energy ΔG values of −9.47, −6.07, −9.39, and −5.69 Kcal/mol, respectively. Accordingly, the current study emphasized significant of antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase potential of artichoke extract and related phenolic compounds which might take the attention of scientists to explore a neuroprotective effect of artichoke extract and its promising effect towards Alzheimer disease.

Objectives: Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum which are assumed to contain the active components and which are renewable source in fighting infections of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity, the antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties of Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum and their mix. Methods and Materials: Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all of the tested bacteria and yeasts except for Asperigillus spp. that showed high resistance. Results and Discussion: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for bacteria and yeast ranged from 3.1 to 6.2 mg/ mL. The antioxidant activity of the Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum was evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging assay. In addition, the amount of total phenolic content (TPC) of Cassia fistula, Ocimum basilicum and their mix was 64.71, 96.42 and 113.07 mg/g, while total flavonoids content was 16.33, 32.66 and 79 mg/g respectively. Vanillin, quercetin and cinnamic acid marked the phenolic profile of the mix. Cytotoxicity results indicated high safety use of the two plants. Conclusion: Our data confirmed convenient and safe use of C. fistula, O. basilicum and their mix as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant. The mix of both extracts can be recommended as natural preservative to be used in food processing to control and prevent food contamination.

Background: Aflatoxins (AFs) are a group of toxic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites. Heat- and acid-treated yeasts, probiotic bacteria and their combination were used to remove AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 from human and animal food.; Results: The in vitro study revealed that the highest removal percentage of AFs in phosphate-buffered saline was recorded after 72 h with the yeast-probiotic coctile, reaching 95.59%. Therefore, this coctile was added to Cerelac contaminated with AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2, and the removal percentages were 8.17%, 36.12%, 44.75%, 64.72% and 93.21% after 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment, respectively. Cerelac yeast-probiotic coctile was administered to female rats and the results showed that all AFs (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) were detected in the serum of mother rats for both AF groups III and IV. On the other hand, AFM1 and AFM2 metabolites were not observed in mothers' sera but were detected in all infants of groups III and IV. Meanwhile, AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 were not observed in infants' sera.; Conclusion: A mixture of yeast-probiotic coctile was successful in reducing the level of AF in rat sera and diminished the deleterious effect of AFs on animal health. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The present study incorporated beetroot pomace powder in biscuit preparation at concentrations of 5–20%. Biscuits' chemical composition, and sensory were evaluated. A feeding experiment was conducted using three groups (n = 3); control and anemic (An+) groups fed a standard diet, and anemic group fed 90% standard-diet and 10% biscuit containing 15% pomace (AnB). Anemia induced by injecting rats with phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg) for two consecutive days. Hematological and biochemical blood parameters were determined at days 3, 14, and 28. An enhancement in protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, and iron was observed in the biscuit by increasing the pomace. Consuming biscuits containing 15% pomace increased hemoglobin, RBCs, and antioxidant enzymes in (AnB) rats after 28 days. The minor kidney and liver dysfunction in the anemic groups were recovered in (AnB) after 28 days. Consequently, incorporation beet pomace in biscuit revealed a promising role in anemia treatment and oxidative stress managing.

The current research was focused on the isolation and identification of aflatoxigenic fungi associated with meat, poultry meat and their products and organs as well as their control using some plant extracts as Flower of Anise (Pimpinella anisum), Seeds of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and Leaves of Oregano (Origanum vulgare). Randomly 327 samples from 15 meat, poultry samples and meat and poultry products (25 for each except poultry samples 13 for each) were collected from different governorates and companies and were subjected to mycological examination. Data indicated that, Basterma samples had the highest mean fungal count with mean values of (9.2x108 and 9.8x108 (cfu/g) on PDA and SDA media), respectively, within the examined 25 basterma samples. Results indicated that seven fungal species were identified and recorded in the examined meat products with all the seven genera in Beef burger samples. These are Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium spp., Aspergillus carbonarius, and Aspergillus ochraceus. Results also cleared that, all tested aqueous plant extracts were found to significantly possess antifungal effect against aflatoxigenic fungi at all different concentrations along with their elevated antioxidant and antimicrobial effect. The most effective plant extract against tested fungi was Anise (Pimpinella anisum) extract.

Milk preservation is closely related with its microbiological quality. The spoilage may occur at any stages from production till consumption and during milk processing. Many potent antimicrobials discovered recently but, it is important to test their efficacy against undesirable bacteria inside the food materials that help to improve food safety and validity. Our research was focused on comparative antibacterial activities between chitosan, lysozyme and their different mixtures against different undesirable bacterial strains by agar well diffusion assay. Then apply the selected antibacterial substances in raw cow milk contaminated with food borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria with monitoring the bacterial growth or inhibition. Our preliminary investigation showed that, chitosan at concentration 0.5% exhibited the largest inhibition zones diameter followed by LZHC complex against Salmonella enteritidis and Bacillus subtilus in-vitro by agar well diffusion method. During application in raw cow milk, LZHC complex exhibited powerful bactericidal effect followed by chitosan especially against Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes after 24h from cooling storage of raw cow milk. We found that, the bactericidal activity of LZ and LZH were greatly enhanced upon combination with chitosan. But, the bactericidal activity of LZHC complex exhibited great killing power than the conjugation between native LZ and chitosan (LZC) complex at same concentrations. This may be attributed to the chitosan oligomers and lysozyme peptides acting in a synergistic manner in penetrating and killing undesirable bacteria. Although chitosan was effective in inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms but, It is induce changes in raw milk pH. Accordingly, we suggest LZHC complex will be a promising antibacterial additive to produce highly safe raw milk without heat treatment and recommended further future studies to explore its antibacterial mechanism. Also we recommend chitosan to be applied in fermented dairy products to produce safe and good quality product.

Bacteriocins are natural metabolites produced by many strains of Lactic acid bacteria that used in foodpreservation. They have potential healthy role in suppressing the growth of some spoilage andpathogenic bacteria. The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the stability of the bacteriocinextracted from Lactobacillus acidophilus at different pH values, heat treatments and proteinase Kenzyme. The obtained results revealed that the inhibitory effectiveness of bacteriocins was higher onGram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. Further, the largest inhibition zone was obtainedby L. acidophilus bacteriocin against Bacillus subtilis while the smallest one was against E.coli. Theextracted bacteriocin exhibited broad spectrum of inhibition at concentration 6400AU/ml against Staph.aureus, Bacillus subtilis and E.coli. The antimicrobial activity of crude supernatant fluid was stableafter heating at 100°C for 30 min and declined thereafter. Stability of antimicrobial activity was observedat pH ranged from 2.0 to 8.0. Its active principle was proteinaceous in nature since the bacteriocin wasinactivated by proteinase K enzyme

In recent years, the demand for natural antioxidants has been increased mainly because of the adverse effects of synthetic antioxidants, which have been confirmed for their toxicological and carcinogenic effects. Thus, most of the recent investigations have been directed towards the identification of natural antioxidants from various plant sources, which will offer increased consumer acceptability, decreased potential health risks, and can often achieve the same degree of oxidation prevention as Synthetic antioxidants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial effect of three plants aqueous extract mix (clove, sage and kiwifruit peel) to be used as natural preservative in meat product (burger patties), So the aqueous extract mix was applied as natural preservative in beef burger patties at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5%) and compared with negative control and positive control (BHT) and the TBARS, DNPH, pH value, WHC and microbial load was evaluated through a storage period of 30 days and at 4 °C, during storage the treatment with aqueous extract mix showed a results superior to that of the synthetic antioxidant with a lower TBARS value, carbonyl content and microbial load at 30 days of storage with a mean values of (0.84, 0.73, 0.73, 0.67 and 0.55 Mg MDA Kg), (14.05, 13.46, 13.25, 11.21 and 9.92 Nmol carbonyl content/mg protein) and (5.2x106, 2.9x105, 3.1x105, 2x105and 2.8x104 Cfu/g) respectively for ( negative control, positive control (BHT), mix 0.1%, mix 0.25% and 0.5%). These findings show that this plant extract mix at the level of 0.5% is very effective against lipid and protein oxidation, and a powerful antimicrobial in beef burger patties and is a promising natural antioxidant and antimicrobial replacing the synthetic preservatives in meat processing

There is a growing interest concerning alternative antioxidant active compounds, including plant extracts and essential oils that possess multifunctional properties that facilitate their classical role as natural food additives with antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the water extract of three plants Ginger, Thyme and Marjoram for their phenols, flavonoid contents, antioxidant ability and antimicrobial potentials. The obtained results revealed that total phenolics and total flavonoids content of herbal infusions of ginger, thyme and marjoram was 67±2.86, 126.87± 0.93 and 139.76±2.60 mg galic acid equivalents (GAE) /g respectively, while mixture extract (ME) of them gave 256.46±2.91. Also, ME gained the highest content of total flavonoid (190.83± 4.27) mg catechol/g, while ginger, thyme and marjoram gave 37±1.39, 106.14±0.47 and 100.27±3.23 mg/g, respectively. Results of antioxidant activity represented in IC50 (inhibition concentration) showed that the best extract was (ME) with value of 4.25 μg/ml compared with ascorbic acid in value 4.08 μg/ml follow them marjoram, thyme and ginger by 10.1, 18.3 and 231.38, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of (ME) exhibited the maximum inhibitory zone diameter (IZD) against most food poisoning bacteria as Staph .aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and E.coli at different concentrations. Depending on up mentioned results; ME was selected for application in beef burger as natural preservative. pH values of beef burger samples after 21 days of cold storage were 6.14±0.76, 5.97±0.96, 6.11±0.85, 5.98±0.64, 5.95±0.65, 5.92±0.34 for Control, BHT, (ME) 0.02%, (ME) 0.1%. (ME) 0.2% and (ME) 0.5%, respectively. Besides, all tested groups showed significant decrease in water holding capacity (WHC %) from day 0 to day 21 of storage at which the lowest value was for control group (92.38±0.12) and the highest was for (ME) 0.5% (95.38±0.75). From the upraised results, It could be concluded that there was a strong synergistic effect between the extracted based on ME was able to retard lipid, protein oxidation and inhibit the microbial growth during cold storage of beef burger.

Artichoke can be eaten as a fresh, canned or frozen vegetable for its health benefits due to the high content of polyphenols. The aim of this study is to elucidate the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L) and baby anzio artichoke (Cyrnara scolymus). The results of this investigation revealed that, the globe artichoke showed a moisture, protein and carbohydrate content higher than baby anzio. On the other hand the baby anzio showed a lipid content higher than globe artichoke. Baby anzio extract showed a higher phenolic compounds than glob artichoke extract. The baby anzio methanol extract showed the antioxidant activity higher than globe artichoke (IC50 of baby anzio extract lower that IC50 of globe artichoke extract). At the same time the baby anizio extract exhibited more toxicity and inhibition zone diameter against 5 pathogenic bacterial strains than globe artichoke extract. This study confirmed that the two varieties of artichoke exhibited moderate functional properties like antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Subsequently, baby anzio artichoke is more effective and powerful in antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.