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Conventional (CB) and apple-pomace-reformulated (RB) biscuits were administered to healthy rats. Although the areas under curve (AUC) of glucose concentration were comparable between samples, differences in the glycaemic profile of CB and RB were observed. RB caused an initial steeper increase in glycaemia but a shift in the glycaemic peak from 45 to 60 min, as compared to CB. When CB or RB was ingested with apple juice (AJ) no differences were observed as compared to their ingestion with a soft drink (SD) simulating AJ sugar content, indicating that reformulation, more than the presence of AJ, was crucial in affecting the glycaemic response. Consumer acceptability towards reformulation was assessed through conjoint analysis, by simulating labels reporting information on reformulation. Consumers preferred information generally referring to the health-promoting effect (i.e. "low sugar" and "high fibre" contents), despite directly relating to a specific disease (i.e. "suitable for diabetics" and "low glycaemic index"). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern of the [M+Na]+ ion of PEs was studied. • Fragment ions useful to detect known and new PEs in J. curcas seed oil were found. • Method is useful to detect PEs contamination of derivatives for food use. • Use of MeOH/H 2 O (85:15) in HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis enhanced the [M+Na]+ ion signal. Jatropha curcas L. is an inedible plant whose seed oil is an interesting source for biodiesel production. Seed cake, the main byproduct remaining (about 70% w/w) after the oil extraction process, has a high nutritional value but the presence in Jatropha curcas seed of phorbol esters (PEs), a family of toxic compounds with a tigliane skeleton, prevents application of seed cake and other byproducts (e.g. glycerin) in animal feed without an efficient detoxification. Considering the high toxicity of PEs, it is important to have a sensitive analytical method to evaluate the presence of these compounds in Jatropha curcas derivatives. In this paper we present the study of the ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern of the [M+Na]+ ion at m / z 733.5 of the six known PEs, namely Jatropha factors (JFs) C 1 -C 6 , which allowed to tentatively identify a series of characteristic and specific fragment ions useful to reveal the presence of JFs in Jatropha curcas seed oil, distinguish them from each other, and identify new PEs (J1-J4). Moreover, the substitution of the usual acetonitrile/water as mobile phase with a mixture of methanol/water (85:15, v/v) allowed to increase the signal of the sodium adduct of about 50-fold during the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Purification of sterols and triperpene dialcohols in olive oils. • Use of a polymeric reversed phase and a silica gel direct phase SPE. • Silica gel SPE column with 10–12 µm particle size. • The improved method is simple, time-saving and reduce the amount of solvents used. • Use of 2,2-dimethoxypropane to maintain constant the activity of the silica gel. Abstract The sterols and triterpene dialcohols composition is an important parameter to assess the authenticity of the high value and prone to adulteration extra virgin olive oil. The official methods used to carry out this analysis are time-consuming, labor-intensive and require a high amount of solvents. In this work a simple and time-saving method, based on two solid phase extraction (SPE) steps was developed. After oil saponification, the unsaponifiable matter was purified by polymeric SPE and then the sterols and triterpene dialcohols were isolated by an in-house packed small particle silica gel SPE and analyzed by GC-FID. Results obtained analyzing a sample of extra virgin olive oil, olive oil and refined olive pomace oil with the proposed method showed a good agreement with those obtained with the International Olive Council (IOC) official method. Thus, the use of the proposed method allows a rapid screening for extra virgin olive oils authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this work was the study of the best conditions for obtaining a callus culture from the pulp of Acca sellowiana , and to perform a quali-quantitative analysis of the secondary metabolites yielded by the in vitro callus culture. To this end, callus was induced on both Murashige and Skoog and Gamborg B5 media containing various combinations of growth regulators. Three previously undescribed ursane-type triterpenoids, 2α,3β,6α,23-tetrahydroxy-18α,19α-urs-20-en-28-oic acid, 2α,3β,23-trihydroxy-18α,19α-urs-20-en-28-oic acid and 2α,3β,6β,23-tetrahydroxy-18α,19α-urs-20-en-28-oic acid were isolated from the methanolic extract of A. sellowiana culture and characterized by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Moreover, the quali-quantitative analysis (ESI-MSn and GC–MS) also showed the presence of β-sitosterol, phloridzin, oleanolic, ursolic, 3β-hydroxy-18α,19α-urs-20-en-28-oic, maslinic, corosolic, 2α,3β-dihydroxy-18α,19α-urs-20-en-28-oic, and tormentic acid. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Optimal conditions to obtain callus cultures from A. sellowiana pulp were studied. • High content of triterpenic acids was found in A. sellowiana fruit pulp culture. • Three undescribed triterpenoids were characterized by 1D and 2D NMR spectra. • The in vitro production of triterpenic acids was higher than in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of raw, mildly (F 71.7 5 = 0.4 min, 5 Log reductions of Cryptosporidium parvum) and intensively ( F 90 12 =14.8 min, 2 Log reductions of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris) pasteurized apple juice was studied. Raw apple juice (23 mg dw /mL) caused 90% α-glucosidase inhibition. Analogous results were obtained for the mildly treated sample. The most intense treatment reduced by 35% the α-glucosidase inhibition. However, such a decrease was associated with an increase in the phenolic content, suggesting that α-glucosidase inhibition might not rely on these compounds, but depend on more complex mechanisms. Apple juice was combined with acarbose to investigate their interaction towards α-glucosidase inhibition. A synergistic behavior was observed for concentrations <2 mg/mL. Increasing the concentration of the combined system (up to 9 mg/mL) produced an antagonistic effect, while a further increase (<9 mg/mL) allowed approaching an addictive behavior. Highlights • Apple juice inhibited α -glucosidase in a concentration-dependent way. • Conventional pasteurization did not affect the α -glucosidase inhibitory capacity of apple juice. • Severe pasteurization reduced by 35% the apple juice inhibitory capacity. • Apple juice-acarbose system played a synergistic effect up to 40% α -glucosidase inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and sensitive HPLC-APCI-MS/MS method for the determination of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in milk powder based foods is reported. The method consists in the direct saponification of the sample and purification of oxysterols by reversed phase C18-SPE followed by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. By this procedure, the extraction and enrichment of oxysterols are combined in a unique step, reducing sample manipulation and the possible formation of artifacts. LOD and LOQ were in the concentration ranges of 2–8 ng g −1 and 8–30 ng g −1 , respectively. The precision (CV%) was in the range 10–36% in fresh samples with a total COPs amount from 212 to 645 ng g −1 and 6–14% for an oxidized sample with a higher amount (3651 ng g −1 ). The recovery ranged from 74 ± 8% for 7-ketocholesterol to 101 ± 12% for 7α-hydroxycholesterol at 200 ng g −1 and from 82 ± 2% for 7-ketocholesterol to 117 ± 10% for 5α,6α-epoxycholesterol at 500 ng g −1 spiked levels, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, efficient two-step synthesis of N-protected N′-formyl- gem-diaminoalkyl derivatives is reported. The procedure involves the unprecedented reduction of the carbamoyl azide of α- N-Boc/Fmoc/Z-protected amino acids and dipeptides (Boc = tert-butoxycarbonyl, Fmoc = 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, Z = benzyloxycarbonyl) by treatment with NaBH4 at room temperature. The reaction proceeds rapidly (45 min) without detectable epimerization (by HPLC-ESI-MS analysis) and is not influenced by the nature of the starting carbamoyl azide. The 1H and 13C NMR analyses of the synthesized N-protected N′-formamides were carried out in [D6]DMSO. The spectra exhibited the presence of two rotameric forms in solution as a result of the restricted rotation around the N-CO formyl bond. The integration of the N-CH-N protons of the two isomers showed that the cis isomer (rotamer B) was the more abundant conformer by 60 to 78 %. The reported synthesis represents the potential value of carbamoyl azides as versatile chiral starting materials for many synthetic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Boc/Fmoc/Z- N′-formyl- gem-diaminoalkyl derivatives, intermediates particularly useful in the synthesis of partially modified retro-inverso peptides, have been characterized by both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) ion-trap multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSn). The MS2 collision induced dissociation (CID) spectra of the sodium adduct of the formamides derived from the corresponding N-Fmoc/Z-amino acids, dipeptide and tripeptide acids show the [M + Na-NH2CHO]+ ion, arising from the loss of formamide, as the base peak. Differently, the MS2 CID spectra of [M + Na]+ ion of all the N-Boc derivatives yield the abundant [M + Na-C4H8]+ and [M + Na-Boc + H]+ ions because of the loss of isobutylene and CO2 from the Boc protecting function. Useful information on the type of amino acids and their sequence in the N-protected dipeptidyl and tripeptidyl- N′-formamides is provided by MS2 and subsequent MSn experiments on the respective precursor ions. The negative ion ESI mass spectra of these oligomers show, in addition to [M-H]−, [M + HCOO]− and [M + Cl]− ions, the presence of in-source CID fragment ions deriving from the involvement of the N-protecting group. Furthermore, MSn spectra of [M + Cl]− ion of N-protected dipeptide and tripeptide derivatives show characteristic fragmentations that are useful for determining the nature of the C-terminal gem-diamino residue. The present paper represents an initial attempt to study the ESI-MS behavior of these important intermediates and lays the groundwork for structural-based studies on more complex partially modified retro-inverso peptides. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[image omitted] A simple and mild one-pot synthesis of potentially bioactive α-N-protected dipeptidyl ureas is reported. The procedure involves the reaction between the carbamoyl azide of an α-N-protected amino acid and an α-amino acid methyl ester. The reaction is fast (3 h at 45 °C), regardless of the nature of both the reagents, and racemization free. The reported protocol represents a valid alternative to existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the products of the reactions between isoeugenol and eugenol with the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and their role in the radical scavenging mechanism. The reaction of isoeugenol and eugenol with the DPPH radical produced, as evidenced by GC–MS and HPLC–MS, a complex mixture of dimeric species in which dehydrodiisoeugenol and its adducts with methanol (reaction solvent) and dehydrodieugenol were the main reaction products, respectively. The antioxidant activity of dehydrodiisoeugenol, determined by the DPPH method, resulted lower than that of isoeugenol considering both the parameters Effective Concentration (EC50) and Antiradical Efficiency (AE). In particular, due to its very slow kinetic behaviour (), the possible contribution of dehydrodiisoeugenol to the DPPH radical scavenging activity of isoeugenol () was practically negligible. On the contrary, dehydrodieugenol had an antioxidant activity higher than that of eugenol and its lower (85min with respect to 126min) made it possible to contribute to the DPPH radical scavenging activity of eugenol. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we describe the unprecedented reaction between α-diazo esters 1 and iodine. The reaction, carried out in the presence of aqueous NaHCO3, afforded the Z-isomer of the corresponding unsaturated-2-iodo ester 8. The configuration of compounds 8 was determined using the 3JC&bond;H coupling between carbonyl carbon atom and alkene proton. Mechanistic considerations accounting for the observed phenomena and including quantum chemical calculations are proposed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of formaldehyde with enantiomerically pure α-N-protected amino acid hydrazides is described. The system has been investigated in different solvents, including both aqueous formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde, with the aim of simplifying the final reaction mixture. Aqueous formaldehyde in refluxing THF proved to be the best combination, affording mainly the corresponding monomeric N-methylene and 1,3,5-trisubstituted-1,3,5-hexahydrotriazine derivatives. The monomeric form was the only one present at high temperature, as evidenced by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and efficient method for the synthesis of N-carbamoyl-L-amino acids is reported. The procedure, involving the reaction between urea and α-amino acids sodium salts, was performed under microwave conditions using an unmodified domestic microwave oven. A careful study of the operative conditions indicated proline (1d) as the less reactive substrate and phenylglycine (1e) as the more reactive one among all the α-amino acids tested. Substitution of urea with potassium cyanate produced a low conversion into the corresponding N-carbamoyl derivative, and a possible explanation of this result is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of the surface waxes of three apple ( Malus domestica L.) cultivars ("Florina", "Golden B" and "Ozark Gold") has been studied by means of spectroscopic and GC–MS analysis of the class-fractionated mixture of components. Odd n -alkanes, mainly C27 and C29 molecules, are prevalent in the saturated fraction. Small concentrations of alkenes were also found; the C28:1 component is strongly (72%) in excess over the other 1-alkenes. Straight-chain esters (mainly of palmitic acid) of saturated primary alcohols (C18–C30) were also detected; whereas the acyl moiety is made up essentially of an even number of carbons, the alcohol counterpart does not exhibit this characteristic. Aldehydes are present (C20–C30) with the homologue patterns C26–C30 most strongly represented. Straight-chain free secondary alcohols characterize the waxes of "Florina" and "Ozark Gold"; the hydroxy function is located far from the extremity of the carbon framework. Outstanding is the presence of three alcohols with 29 carbon centres. These alcohols are accompanied by free straight-chain primary alcohols, mainly with even-numbered carbon chains in the range C26–C30. Free fatty acids are present; all of have a framework of even-numbered carbon chains mainly in the range C16–C20. C18:1 (oleic acid) is well represented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

alpha-Amino acids and alpha-amino methyl esters are easily converted to their N-monoalkyl derivatives by a reductive condensation reaction using several carbonyl compounds in the presence of sodium borohydride. This reducing agent has shown a wide versatility with minor but essential procedural variations. The reaction allows the alpha-monodeuterium labeling of the new N-substituent by use of sodium borodeuteride.Key words: alpha-amino acid, alpha-amino methyl esters, sodium borohydride, reductive N-monoalkylation, carbonyl compounds.Les acides alpha-aminés et leurs esters peuvent facilement être transformés en leurs dérivés N-monoalkylés par le biais d'une réaction de condensation réductrice faisant appel à divers composés carbonylés, en présence de borohydrure de sodium. Il a été démontré que ce réactif présente une grande versatilité par rapport aux variations mineures, mais essentielles, dans les procédures. L'utilisation de borodeutérure de sodium permet d'obtenir les dérivés portant un atome de deutérium en position alpha de l'azote portant le nouveau substituant.Mots clés : acide alpha-aminé, esters méthyliques d'acide alpha-aminé, borohydrure de sodium, N-monoalkylation réductrice, composés carbonylés.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study aimed at understanding the response of dietary fibres and phenolic compounds to apple matrix disintegration and thermal treatment. Apple was processed by mimicking industrial operations of blanching, destructuring by high‐speed homogenisation (HSH) or high‐pressure homogenisation (HPH), and pasteurisation. A viscous puree (0.73 Pa × s), made of juice embedding intact cells and large cell clusters, was obtained by HSH. Conversely, HPH completely disrupted apple tissue leading to a fluid homogenate (0.27 Pa × s) in which the fibrous matrix was suspended. Despite these differences, apple puree and homogenate presented similar content of total and soluble dietary fibre, with no significant differences in the chemical structure of apple pectin, as demonstrated by FT‐IR and NMR analyses. Apple puree and homogenate retained more than 80% of the phenolic content originally present in apple pulp (about 2125 mg/gdw) without detriment to radical scavenging activity. This minor phenolic depletion, regardless of the different extent of mechanical disintegration, was mainly due to the decrease of thermolabile flavanols upon application of analogous heat treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction products are prepared in a three step sequence and achieved as a mixture of two rotamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear RNA surveillance mechanism is essential for cancer cell survival and is ensured by the RNA nuclear exosome including some co‐factors, such as the RNA helicase MTR4. Recent studies suggest an involvement of DNA repair proteins such as apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1), a major endodeoxyribonuclease of Base Excision Repair (BER), in RNA metabolism and RNA decay of oxidized and abasic RNA. Cisplatin (CDDP) and 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) are commonly used for the treatment of solid tumours. Whether APE1 is involved in the elimination of CDDP‐ or 5‐FU‐damaged RNA is unknown, as is its possible interaction with the nuclear exosome complex. Here, by using different human cancer cell models, we demonstrated that: (a) APE1 is involved in the elimination of damaged‐RNA, upon CDDP‐ and 5‐FU‐treatments, in a MTR4‐independent manner; (b) the interaction between APE1 and MTR4 is stimulated by CDDP‐ and 5‐FU‐treatments through lysine residues in the APE1 N‐terminal region and is, in part, mediated by nucleic acids and (c) APE1‐ and MTR4‐depletion lead to the generation of R‐loop formation causing the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway through the ATM‐p53‐p21 axis. Our data demonstrate a role of MTR4 in DDR underpinning the function of APE1 in controlling the RNA quality upon genotoxic treatments with possible implications in chemoresistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The effects of conventional and vacuum roasting of coffee were compared. [•] The effect of vacuum roasting on acrylamide levels of coffee was investigated. [•] Vacuum roasting afforded medium-roasted coffee with lower acrylamide content. [•] Vacuum roasting did not affect the sensory properties of the medium-roasted coffee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 150 MPa high-pressure homogenization produced nano-sized quercetin-loaded liposomes. • Liposomes were oblong in shape (ca. 30 nm) and had a 42% encapsulation efficiency. • Advanced analytical techniques are required to characterize nano-sized liposomes. • Loaded liposomes exhibited higher antitumor action compared to free quercetin. Quercetin-loaded nano-liposomes were prepared by high-pressure homogenization (HPH) at different pressures (up to 150 MPa) and number of passes (up to 3) to define the best processing conditions allowing the lowest particle size and the highest encapsulation efficiency (EE). The process at 150 MPa for 1 pass was the best, producing quercetin-loaded liposomes with the lowest particle size and 42% EE. Advanced techniques (multi-detector asymmetrical-flow field flow fractionation and analytical ultracentrifugation combined with transmission electron microscopy) were further used for the characterization of the liposomes which were oblong in shape (ca. 30 nm). Results highlight the need for several techniques to study nano-sized, polydisperse samples. The potential of quercetin-loaded liposomes against colon cancer cells was demonstrated. Results prove that HPH is an efficient and sustainable method for liposome preparation and highlight the remarkable role of process optimisation as well as the powerfulness of advanced methodologies for the characterisation of nano-structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biostimulants improve yield, quality, and stress acclimation in crops. In this work, we tested the possibility of using phenolics-rich extracts from spelt (Triticum dicoccum L.) husks to attenuate the effects of salt stress (100–200 mM NaCl) in maize. Two methanolic extracts were prepared from the soluble-conjugated (SC), and the insoluble-bound (IB) phenolic acid fractions of the spelt husk, and their effects were investigated on several stress-associated biochemical parameters, such as proline, lipid peroxidation, H 2 O 2 , GSH levels, and ion content. Results show that SC and IB fractions of husk extracts behaved very differently, no doubt due to their greatly divergent chemical composition, as revealed by both GC-MS and HPLC analyses. The efficacy of treatments in mitigating salt stress was also dose- and timing-dependent. IB, even at the lower concentration tested, was able to recover the performance of stressed plants in terms of growth, photosynthetic pigments content, and levels of salt stress markers. Recovery of shoot growth to control levels and reduction of stress-induced proline accumulation occurred regardless of whether plants were pre-treated or post-treated with IB, whereas only pre-treatment with the higher dose of IB was effective in mitigating oxidative stress. Although in some cases SC and even methanol alone exerted some positive effects, they could also be deleterious whereas IB never was. Overall, results indicate that a polyphenol-containing extract obtained from spelt by-products can behave as biostimulant in maize plants and can mitigate their response to salt stress, by acting on different biochemical targets. Image 1 • Two polyphenol-enriched extracts were prepared from spelt by-products. • Chemical composition of the two extracts was assessed by HPLC-DAD and GC-MS analysis. • Maize plants subjected to salt stress were treated with polyphenol-enriched extracts. • The efficacy of spelt husk extracts as biostimulant on maize plants was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the economic sustainability of the Jatropha-biofuel chain, seed cake detoxification and utilization of 'non toxic' Jatropa curcas accessions are the main activities pursued with the aim of using J. curcas seed cake in animal feed. Given this growing interest, a robust and reliable method for phorbol esters (PEs) determination is necessary. HPLC-UV is a well-established method to detect and quantify the PEs content in Jatropha seeds and related products, but it seems to be unsuitable for more complex matrices like Jatropha leaves and animal tissues, due to the presence of interfering compounds. The objective of this work was to develop and optimize a LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of PEs in seeds and leaves of J. curcas L. plants from Ghana and Mexico and in liver (as an organ with the function of accumulation) from goats fed with PEs in their diet. The HPLC-UV analysis evidenced five chromatographic peaks in the toxic seed kernels corresponding to the factors C1, C2, C3, C6 and C4-C5, respectively, with a PEs concentration of about 5100μg/g (as TPA equivalent). No PEs related peaks were detected in Mexican kernel seeds while in the case of leaves and liver the analysis was hampered by the presence of interfering compounds. The toxic kernel seed extract was used as a standard solution for the PEs quantitation in leaves and liver samples by LC-MS/MS, with the standard addition method. The most intense MRM transitions used to quantify and qualify the PEs were: 675→311, 693→311, and 293→265 m/z. The LC-MS/MS method with a LOD and a LOQ of 0.07 and 0.21μg/g, respectively, resulted in more sensitivity and selectivity than the HPLC-UV method. All three MRM transitions were present in Ghanaian toxic kernel seed, while no peaks were present in the supposed non-toxic Mexican kernel seed. PEs concentration in the leaves of toxic Ghanaian accession resulted in about 1/10 of that in the kernel, while no PEs peaks were found in the J. curcas leaves from Mexico and in liver samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, a rapid and reliable purification method based on a single mixed solid phase extraction (SPE) column, for the determination of acrylamide in roasted coffee by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, was developed. Deuterium labelled d 3-acrylamide was used as internal standard. Acrylamide was extracted by 10mL of water and the extract purified by a single SPE column consisting of 0.5g of an in-house prepared mixture of C18, strong cation (SCX) and anion exchange (SAX) sorbents in the ratio 2/1.5/1.5 (w/w/w). The amount of the three sorbents was optimised in order to eliminate the main interfering compounds present in coffee extracts, such as melanoidins, trigonelline, chlorogenic acids and caffeine. The SPE procedure was very simple and consisted of pushing 1mL of an aqueous coffee extract through the SPE column followed by 1mL of water which was collected for the analysis. The method was tested on six samples of roasted coffee of different composition and roasting level. The repeatability of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation (n =6), was lower than 5%. The recovery of acrylamide at three spiked levels ranged from 92% to 95%. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 5 and 16μgkg−1, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cannabis sativa L. has been used for a long time to obtain food, fiber, and as a medicinal and psychoactive plant. Today, the nutraceutical potential of C.sativa is being increasingly reappraised; however, C. sativa roots remain poorly studied, despite citations in the scientific literature. In this direction, we identified and quantified the presence of valuable bioactives (namely, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, friedelin, and epi-friedelanol) in the root extracts of C. sativa, a finding which might pave the way to the exploitation of the therapeutic potential of all parts of the C. sativa plant. To facilitate root harvesting and processing, aeroponic (AP) and aeroponic-elicited cultures (AEP) were established and compared to soil-cultivated plants (SP). Interestingly, considerably increased plant growth—particularly of the roots—and a significant increase (up to 20-fold in the case of β-sitosterol) in the total content of the aforementioned roots' bioactive molecules were observed in AP and AEP. In conclusion, aeroponics, an easy, standardized, contaminant-free cultivation technique, facilitates the harvesting/processing of roots along with a greater production of their secondary bioactive metabolites, which could be utilized in the formulation of health-promoting and health-care products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction between primary amines (RNH2) and diaryl diazomethanes (Ar2CN2) in the presence of catalytic amounts of the complex [RuCl(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)2] (1), in chloroform at 60 °C, generally affords mixtures of imines Ar2C&z.dbnd6;NR as main product and amines Ar2CHNHR. Whereas Ar2CHNHR are formed by the expected carbene insertion into the N&z.sbnd;H bond of the substrate, the generation of Ar2C&z.dbnd6;NR is unprecedented. The carbene intermediate [RuCl(&z.dbnd6;CAr2)(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)] seems to be the key-species involved in the formation of both products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Prunus spinosa fruits (PSF) contain different phenolic compounds showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Innovative drug delivery systems such as biomimetic nanoparticles could improve the activity of PSF extract by promoting (i) the protection of payload into the lipidic bilayer, (ii) increased accumulation to the diseased tissue due to specific targeting properties, (iii) improved biocompatibility, (iv) low toxicity and increased bioavailability. Using membrane proteins extracted from human monocyte cell line THP-1 cells and a mixture of phospholipids, we formulated two types of PSF-extract-loaded biomimetic vesicles differing from each other for the presence of either 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) or 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1′-rac-glycerol) (DOPG). The biological activity of free extract (PSF), compared to both types of extract-loaded vesicles (PSF-DOPCs and PSF-DOPGs) and empty vesicles (DOPCs and DOPGs), was evaluated in vitro on HUVEC cells. PSF-DOPCs showed preferential incorporation of the extract. When enriched into the nanovesicles, the extract showed a significantly increased anti-inflammatory activity, and a pronounced wound-healing effect (with PSF-DOPCs more efficient than PSF-DOPGs) compared to free PSF. This innovative drug delivery system, combining nutraceutical active ingredients into a biomimetic formulation, represents a possible adjuvant therapy for the treatment of wound healing. This nanoplatform could be useful for the encapsulation/enrichment of other nutraceutical products with short stability and low bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]