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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with venous vascular dysfunction below the level of injury, resulting in dysregulation of tissue fluid homeostasis in afflicted skin. The purpose of this study was to determine whether loss of neuronal control in chronic SCI also affects the skin lymphatic system. Morphology of lymphatics was characterized by immunohistochemistry and lymphatic gene expression profiles determined by DNA microarray analysis. In SCI, skin lymphatic function appeared to be impaired, because the ratio of functionally dilated versus collapsed lymphatic vessels was decreased 10-fold compared with control. Consequently, the average lumen area of lymphatic vessels was almost halved, possibly due to the known impaired connective tissue integrity of SCI skin. In fact, collagenases were found to be overexpressed in SCI skin, and dermal collagen structure was impaired. Molecular profiling also suggested an SCI-specific phenotype of increased connective tissue turnover and decreased lymphatic contractility. The total number of lymphatic vessels in SCI skin, however, was doubled, pointing to enhanced lymphangiogenesis. In conclusion, these data show, for the first time, that lymphatic function and development in human skin are under neuronal control. Because peripheral venous and lymphatic vascular defects are associated with disturbed fluid homeostasis, inappropriate wound healing reactions, and impaired skin immunity, they might contribute to the predisposition of afflicted individuals to pressure ulcer formation and wound healing disorders.

Matricaria aurea (Loefl.) Schultz Bip. (Asteraceae), known as golden chamomile, has been traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents of total extract and different fractions of this plant were determined. The antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities were also evaluated. Moreover, the phenolic profiles of selected fractions were determined by HPLC and LC-MS/MS analysis. Results demonstrated total phenolic contents of 37.8–57.2 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid contents of 3.0–111.2 mg QE/g. The ethyl acetate and methanol fractions (EF and MF) had the highest concentrations of phenolic, tannin, and flavonoid compounds. In both DPPH radical scavenging assay and phosphomolybdenum reduction assay, EF showed the best antioxidant activity, followed by MF. EF and MF indicated also the best antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis (MIC 1.56 and 12.5 mg ml−1) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.78 and 12.5 mg ml−1). Hexane fraction (HF) had no antibacterial effect. None of the samples had antifungal effect. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay revealed for EF and HF the highest antiproliferative activities (IC50 values ranged from 111.8 to 294.6 μg ml−1). The presence of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside in MF, and p-coumaric acid in EF was confirmed and quantified.

Rubus hyrcanus Juz. (Rosaceae), known as Caspian blackberry, is wildly distributed around the Caspian Sea. This study focused on antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activities of total extracts and different fractions from the roots and leaves of this species. The total phenolics and flavonoid contents were also evaluated. Finally, the phenolic profiles of selected fractions were determined using HPLC–DAD and LC–MS/MS. The results indicated that the total phenolics content (TPC) of root total extract (RTE) was 3.5 times that of leaves (340.4 and 102.7 mg GAE/g, respectively). The TPC of three root fractions ranged from 226.6 to 392.9 mg GAE/g, while in leaves fractions, it ranged between 68.3 and 101.8 mg GAE/g. The total extract of leaves had higher contents of total flavonoids than roots (70.5 and 8.9 mg QE/g, respectively). The methanol fractions of both parts had the highest amounts of flavonoids. The root methanol fraction (RMF) had the best antioxidant effect in both DPPH radical scavenging assay (IC50: 9.16 μg ml−1) and total antioxidant capacity test (1010.5 mg ɑTE/g). The RMF and RTE had potent antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 1.5 mg ml−1). In the MTT assay, ethyl acetate fractions of roots and leaves exhibited the best cytotoxicity (IC50 247 and 227 μg ml−1, respectively) and the highest selectivity indexes (4.73 and 5.31, respectively). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, and chlorogenic acid in leaves ethyl acetate fraction, chlorogenic acid in leaves methanol fraction, and gallic acid in the root ethyl acetate fraction.

Patients with spinal cord injury have a predisposition to develop pressure ulcers. Specific characteristics of the patients' skin potentially involved have not yet been identified. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether loss of neuronal control affects cellular and molecular homeostasis in the skin. Intact afflicted skin, wound edge of pressure ulcers, and control skin were analysed. Platelets, transforming growth factor‐β1, and activin A were identified by immunohistochemistry. Transforming growth factor‐β‐like activity was determined by bioassay, and gene expression by DNA microarray analysis or RT‐PCR. In afflicted skin, enhanced platelet extravasation was detected. Transforming growth factor‐β1 and activin A accumulated in the dermal‐epidermal junction zone. Transforming growth factor‐β‐like activity and activin A expression were increased in intact afflicted skin (compared to control skin) and were further enhanced in pressure ulcers. In vitro, activity was generated by fibroblast‐epithelial cell interactions, which also induced activin A. Thus, loss of neuronal control in spinal cord injury appears to trigger inappropriate wound healing processes in the patients' skin. Plasma leakage and increased transforming growth factor‐β‐like activity combined with shear forces potentially enhance the risk for pressure ulcer formation.

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An interlaboratory comparison was done for the analysis of carotenoids in freeze-dried mango. The study was performed from July to September 2018. Mango fruit was freeze-dried, homogenized, and packaged under vacuum conditions in portions of 6 g (test sample). Two test samples were sent to the participating laboratories for analysis. Laboratory results were rated using Z-scores in accordance with ISO 13528 and ISO 17043. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment (also called target standard deviation) was determined using a modified Horwitz function and varied between 10% and 25%, depending on the analyte. Out of 14 laboratories from 10 different countries, 9 laboratories (64%) obtained a satisfactory performance (Z ≤ 2) for the analysis of β-carotene. While for 7 laboratories that analyzed α-carotene, (9Z)-β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin, 4 laboratories (57%) obtained a satisfactory performance. However, only 2 laboratories out of 7 (29%) obtained a satisfactory performance for lutein. Based on the comparability of the analytical results, this study concludes that freeze-dried mango pulp can be used as a reference material for the analysis of α and β-carotene, (9Z)-β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin by applying different analytical procedures for their extraction and quantification., This work was performed within the frame of the TEAM EC2017TEA442A103 VLIR-UOS project “Improving Ecuadorian child nutrition by using mango by-products as potential sources of bioactive compounds”. JV-Ch wants to acknowledge the quality technical support of Samara Fernández de Souza from VITO. VM-P acknowledges Mayra Anaguano from EPN. AZM acknowledges Fabiane C. Petry for the carotenoid analysis, FAPESP (grant 2018/23752-1) and CNPq (grant 309182/2018-2).

Carotenoids are isoprenoids widely distributed in foods that have been always part of the diet of humans. Unlike the other so-called food bioactives, some carotenoids can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Furthermore, they are much more versatile as they are relevant in foods not only as sources of vitamin A, but also as natural pigments, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds. Lately, they are also attracting interest in the context of nutricosmetics, as they have been shown to provide cosmetic benefits when ingested in appropriate amounts. In this work, resulting from the collaborative work of participants of the COST Action European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health (EUROCAROTEN, www.eurocaroten.eu, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15136/#tabs|Name:overview) research on carotenoids in foods and feeds is thoroughly reviewed covering aspects such as analysis, carotenoid food sources, carotenoid databases, effect of processing and storage conditions, new trends in carotenoid extraction, daily intakes, use as human, and feed additives are addressed. Furthermore, classical and recent patents regarding the obtaining and formulation of carotenoids for several purposes are pinpointed and briefly discussed. Lastly, emerging research lines as well as research needs are highlighted., This article is based upon work from COST Action (European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health, EUROCAROTEN, CA15136, www.eurocaroten.eu, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15136/#tabs|Name:overview) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, http://www.cost.eu/).

Abstract. This study was conducted to analyse antioxidant potencies, vitamin C contents, polyphenol profiles, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potencies of citrus fruits from Indonesia. Total phenolics contents (TPC) of seven citrus fruits from northern Aceh, Indonesia, were measured using Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) and Fast Blue BB (FBBB) methods. Total flavonoid content (TFC) test showed for peel and pulp extracts of calung and jeruk takengon (local mandarin) the highest values. H-TEAC (hydrophilic trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) and H-ORAC (hydrophilic oxygen reactive absorbance capacity) antioxidant capacity were highest for peel and pulp of jeruk takengon, calung and kruet mameh. Interestingly, peel extracts showed no α-amylase inhibition activity whilst pulp showed weak inhibitory activity. Polyphenol composition was dominated by flavanones, with hesperidin and neohesperidin as main flavanones (hesperidin: 131–5433 mg/100 g DW, neohesperidin: 431–4131 mg/100 g DW). Vitamin C contents were highly correlated with antioxidant capacities in pulp (R2 = 0.95 and R2 = 0.94 at p 2 = 0.99 and R2 = 0.98 for TPC FC in pulp and R2 = 0.93 and R2 = 0.84 in peel for H-TEAC and H-ORAC, respectively; R2 = 0.88 and R2 = 0.80 in pulp, and R2 = 0.68 and R2 = 0.75 for TFC in peel for H-TEAC and H-ORAC at p

High pressure processing (HPP) represents a non-thermal preservation technique for the gentle treatment of food products. Information about the impact of HPP on lipophilic food ingredients (e.g., carotenoids, vitamin E) is still limited in more complex matrices such as kale. Both the variation of pressure levels (200–600 MPa) and different holding times (5–40 min) served as HPP parameters. Whereas a slightly decreasing solvent extractability mostly correlated with increasing pressure regimes; the extension of holding times resulted in elevated extract concentrations, particularly at high-pressures up to 600 MPa. Surprisingly, slightly increasing bioaccessibility correlated with both elevated pressures and extended holding times, indicating matrix-dependent processes during in vitro digestion, compared to results of extractability. Moreover, the verification of syringe filters for digest filtration resulted in the highest relative recoveries using cellulose acetate and polyvinylidene difluoride membranes. The α-tocopherol equivalent antioxidant capacity (αTEAC) and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) assays of treated kale samples, chopped larger in size, showed increased antioxidant capacities, regarding elevated pressures and extended holding times. Consequently, one may conclude that HPP was confirmed as a gentle treatment technique for lipophilic micronutrients in kale. Nevertheless, it was indicated that sample pre-treatments could affect HP-related processes in food matrices prior to and possibly after HPP.

Objectives More than 70% of birch pollen–allergic individuals are affected by a cross-allergy from apples. The aim of this study was to determine if an increased polyphenolic content of apples is inversely related to clinical allergic reactions in sufferers. Methods The polyphenolic content of two old and two new apple cultivars was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. The in vitro concentration of sulfidoleukotrienes and the CD63 basophil activation of 27 birch pollen sufferers with cross-reactivity to apples were determined with cellular antigen stimulation and basophil activation tests after incubation with different apple cultivars. Results The flesh of old cultivars was characterized by significantly higher total polyphenolic content (86.1 ± 5.5 µg/g) than that of new cultivars (24.7 ± 7.2 µg/g). The concentration of sulfidoleukotrienes and the CD63 basophil activation of old apple cultivars was up to 62% lower than new ones and decreased as the degree of enzymatic browning increased. Conclusion Old apples cultivars are better tolerated than new ones by birch pollen-allergic individuals. The in vitro allergenicity (activation of effector cells) of apples depends on the total polyphenolic content and the degree of enzymatic browning.

Carotenoids are isoprenoids widely distributed in foods that have been always part of the diet of humans. Unlike the other so-called food bioactives, some carotenoids can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Furthermore, they are much more versatile as they are relevant in foods not only as sources of vitamin A, but also as natural pigments, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds. Lately, they are also attracting interest in the context of nutricosmetics, as they have been shown to provide cosmetic benefits when ingested in appropriate amounts. In this work, resulting from the collaborative work of participants of the COST Action European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health (EUROCAROTEN, www.eurocaroten.eu, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15136/#tabs|Name:overview) research on carotenoids in foods and feeds is thoroughly reviewed covering aspects such as analysis, carotenoid food sources, carotenoid databases, effect of processing and storage conditions, new trends in carotenoid extraction, daily intakes, use as human, and feed additives are addressed. Furthermore, classical and recent patents regarding the obtaining and formulation of carotenoids for several purposes are pinpointed and briefly discussed. Lastly, emerging research lines as well as research needs are highlighted.

Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids that are important in food quality and health promotion. There is a need to establish recommended dietary intakes/nutritional reference values for carotenoids. Research on carotenoids in agro-food and health is being propelled by the two multidisciplinary international networks, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Foods Ingredients (IBERCAROT; http://www.cyted.org) and the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN; http://www.eurocaroten.eu). In this review, considerations for their safe and sustainable use in products mostly intended for health promotion are provided. Specifically, information about sources, intakes, and factors affecting bioavailability is summarized. Furthermore, their health-promoting actions and importance in public health in relation to the contribution of reducing the risk of diverse ailments are synthesized. Definitions and regulatory and safety information for carotenoid-containing products are provided. Lastly, recent trends in research in the context of sustainable healthy diets are summarized., This article is based on work from COST Action (EUROCAROTEN, CA15136; http://www.eurocaroten.eu, http:/www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA15136) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, http://www.cost.eu/).

In organic table egg production, saponified extracts of carotenoids are not allowed to intensify egg yolk colour. Therefore, we investigated the suitability of organically produced marigold flower meal (Tagetes erectus, TE) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea, SO) as carotenoid sources (mixture of 25% TE and 75% SO) to reach values of 9-10 'Roche Yolk Colour Fan' units (RYCF units). Feeding a completely unsupplemented control diet resulted in a yolk colour of 4.7 RYCF units, a total supply of 11.1 g/kg, 14.6 g/kg and 17.5 g/kg of TE and SO as stand-alone carotenoid sources induced a significant increase to 8.0, 8.2 and 8.9 RYCF units. Under 'winter-feeding conditions', i.e. minimal carotenoid supply in the diet, 17.5 g/kg TE and SO resulted in 9.3 ± 0.7 RYCF units. It can be concluded that supplementing TE and SO is suitable to improve the yolk colour in organically produced table eggs.

The current ecosystem of single cell RNA-seq platforms is rapidly expanding, but robust solutions for single cell and single molecule full-length RNA sequencing are virtually absent. A high-throughput solution that covers all aspects is necessary to study the complex life of mRNA on the single cell level. The Nanopore platform offers long read sequencing and can be integrated with the popular single cell sequencing method on the 10x Chromium platform. However, the high error-rate of Nanopore reads poses a challenge in downstream processing (e.g. for cell barcode assignment). We propose a solution to this particular problem by using a hybrid sequencing approach on Nanopore and Illumina platforms. Our software ScNapBar enables cell barcode assignment with high accuracy, especially if sequencing saturation is low. ScNapBar uses unique molecular identifier (UMI) or Naïve Bayes probabilistic approaches in the barcode assignment, depending on the available Illumina sequencing depth. We have benchmarked the two approaches on simulated and real Nanopore datasets. We further applied ScNapBar to pools of cells with an active or a silenced non-sense mediated RNA decay pathway. Our Nanopore read assignment distinguishes the respective cell populations and reveals characteristic nonsense-mediated mRNA decay events depending on cell status.

There is uncertainty regarding carotenoid intake recommendations, because positive and negative health effects have been found or are correlated with carotenoid intake and tissue levels (including blood, adipose tissue, and the macula), depending on the type of study (epidemiological vs intervention), the dose (physiological vs supraphysiological) and the matrix (foods vs supplements, isolated or used in combination). All these factors, combined with interindividual response variations (eg, depending on age, sex, disease state, genetic makeup), make the relationship between carotenoid intake and their blood/tissue concentrations often unclear and highly variable. Although blood total carotenoid concentrations, This research received support from the EU Cooperation in Science and Technology Action CA15136 EUROCAROTEN. Support was also received from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant PI16/01991), co-funded by ERDF/European Social Fund.

Endogenous cycles in standard growth models with capital accumulation of the Solow or the OLG type occur only when there is some degree of heterogeneity among consumers, differential savings, income diversity, or market specialization. Otherwise, without income effects or distribution effects long run steady states are mostly asymptotically stable predicting stable balanced growth for many of the commonly accepted growth models under most aggregative concave neoclassical production functions. This paper provides an attempt to exhibit a full richness of bifurcation scenarios for endogenously generated cycles using minimal extensions concerning preferences, technologies, and ownership of capital by extending the models of Kaldor, Pasinetti, and others to allow for ownership of capital among OLG consumers of workers and capitalists. It is shown that, under a sufficiently low but constant elasticity of substitution, the interaction of the nonlinear income distribution with heterogeneous logarithmic intertemporal preferences of consumers causes a variety of local bifurcation scenarios (Neimark–Sacker, fold, period doubling), multi-stability, as well as a rich variety of complex global dynamic features, such as homoclinic tangles, periodicity regions originating from Arnold tongues, closed curve attractors, and complex basins. The paper provides a detailed numerical analysis under a CES production scenario of several global bifurcations arising from heterogeneity which does not exist under the specific ownership restrictions imposed in the original Kaldor/Pasinetti models.

High pressure processing (HPP) is a novel food processing technology that uses minimal heat and preservatives. It can inactivate a variety of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria to ensure safe foods and extend shelf life by maintaining nutritional and sensory attributes. The present investigation studied the effects of HPP (200, 400, 600 MPa; 5, 10 min; room temperature) on the following parameters: contents of carotenoids and vitamin E and antioxidant capacity (AOC) in spinach and rosehip puree; chlorophyll contents in spinach and in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids in rosehip puree. Contents of carotenoids, chlorophylls and vitamin E were determined by HPLC. AOC was analysed by several assays (total phenolics, TEAC, ORAC). In spinach, HPP led to a significant increase of the content of carotenoids, chlorophylls and vitamin E, probably due to an increased extractability. Total carotenoid content in rosehip puree was almost unchanged by HPP with single carotenoids behaving differently. The in vitro digestion model showed that 42.2 ± 7.4% of the total carotenoids of the rosehip puree was released and is potentially available for absorption. HPP had no significant effect on the bioaccessibility of total carotenoids. No distinct trend for the effects of HPP on the tocopherol contents in both food samples could be deduced. Mostly, no changes were induced by pressure. In both plant foods, the AOC was retained. The results provide further scientific evidence of the benefits of HPP in retaining micronutrients and phytochemical properties of plant foods.

Duckweeds have been consumed as human food since long. Species of the duckweed genera, Spirodela , Landoltia , Lemna , Wolffiella and Wolffia were analysed for protein, fat, and starch contents as well as their amino acid and fatty acid distribution. Protein content spanned from 20% to 35%, fat from 4% to 7%, and starch from 4% to 10% per dry weight. Interestingly, the amino acid distributions are close to the WHO recommendations, having e.g. 4.8% Lys, 2.7% Met + Cys, and 7.7% Phe + Tyr. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was between 48 and 71% and the high content of n3 fatty acids resulted in a favourable n6/n3 ratio of 0.5 or less. The phytosterol content in the fastest growing angiosperm, W. microscopica, was 50 mg g −1 lipid. However, the content of trace elements can be adjusted by cultivation conditions. Accordingly, W. hyalina and W. microscopica are recommended for human nutrition.

α-Tocopherol, being the most important vitamin E compound within the human diet, is the major lipophilic antioxidant in the cell antioxidant system. Its intake is important from early infancy up to old age. Absence of a clinically overt disease due to deficient intakes of vitamin E makes it difficult to develop intake recommendations for this essential micronutrient. However, this lipid-soluble vitamin is very important during development from infancy to adolescence. This chapter presents the current situation regarding reference values for vitamin E intake. It also shows published data on vitamin E intake as well as on vitamin E status for toddlers, school kids and adolescents.

Background: ω-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFA) are essential for an optimal development of infants. An increased dietary intake of ω-3 PUFA may also be associated with a decrease in the vitamin E content in the blood of healthy infants because these fatty acids have more isolated double bonds compared to ω-6 PUFA and are therefore more susceptible to lipid peroxidation. Methods: The present analysis is part of a randomised, food-based trial examining the influence of a 4–6-month intervention with an increased content of ω-3 PUFA (sources: rapeseed oil or salmon) of complementary meals on vitamin E concentration in plasma. From the introduction of complementary feeding at the age of 4–6 months until the age of 10 months, healthy infants born at term received vegetable–potato–meat meals either with α-linolenic acid (ALA)-rich rapeseed oil (intervention group rapeseed oil, IG-R), salmon in combination with corn oil (intervention group fish, IG-F) to provide docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or with linoleic acid-rich corn oil (control group, CG). Blood plasma was obtained at the 4th month ±14 days (age of infants at baseline) and at the 10th month ±14 days (age of infants after 6 months of intervention) and analysed using HPLC (vitamin E and malondialdehyde (MDA)) and GC (fatty acids). Vitamin E (tocopherol profile) and MDA were measured in plasma samples and fatty acids were determined in plasma glycerophospholipids. Results: Complete data on vitamin E and fatty acid concentrations were available for 155 participants. Compared to CG, IG-F and IG-R had higher weekly α-tocopherol equivalents (α-TE) intake (p

Carotenoid contents of peel and pulp of local citrus fruits from Aceh were investigated using HPLC equipped with DAD detector and LC–MS. Most of the citrus samples investigated mainly contained lutein and zeaxanthin. Jeruk takengon (Citrus nobilis) had a more complex carotenoid profile and the highest carotenoid contents compared to other citrus fruits studied here, and peel contained higher carotenoid contents than pulp. (Z)-Violaxanthin and (all-E)-violaxanthin were the main carotenoids of the peel, while (all-E) β-cryptoxanthin and (Z)-violaxanthin were the main carotenoids of the pulp of jeruk takengon. Determination of the lipophilic antioxidant capacity (L-TEAC) of the carotenoid extracts of jeruk takengon showed promising antioxidant potential. The peel extract showed stronger antioxidant capacity than the pulp extract, and saponification further improved the antioxidant capacity. Investigating the inhibition of α-amylase activity resulted in a moderate α-amylase inhibition by jeruk takengon due to the carotenoid contents and the contribution of some flavonoids. Pulp extracts exhibited better inhibition activity than peel extracts, and saponification led to a reduction of the α-amylase inhibition activity. Antibacterial activity tests showed that jeruk takengon could inhibit the growth of K. pneumonia and S. aureus, and saponification enhanced the antibacterial activities. In general, the peel extracts showed biological potential due to the relatively strong in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and α-amylase inhibitory activity. In addition, these by-products of food processing may serve as potential carotenoid sources.

Antioxidant capacity as sum parameter necessarily includes interactions between antioxidants. Thus, two compounds out of α-tocopherol, lycopene, β-carotene and lutein were mixed and measured by lipophilic photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay and α-TEAC assay. In the α-TEAC assay, all mixtures showed an antagonistic effect. The highest antagonistic effect was found for all mixtures of β-carotene and lutein. In contrast, in the PCL system antagonistic, synergistic and additive effects were detected. The mixture β-carotene and lutein 2:1 had the highest synergistic effects. The presence of functional hydroxyl groups and hydrogen bonding effects may have an influence on the interactions. In both assays used, we observed a concentration-dependent effect. The influences of glucose, fructose, saccharose and starch on the antioxidant capacity were determined by PCL and α-TEAC, too. All sugars can have an effect on the lipophilic antioxidant capacity depending on the extraction solvent. The sugar samples, extracted with n-hexane, did not show any antioxidant capacity in α-TEAC assay. In the PCL, the antioxidant potentials of sugars were dependent on the extraction solvent and reflected the dissolubility of sugars in methanol. The better the solubility the higher the antioxidant capacity. Additionally, sugars did not interact with antioxidants, with exception of the methanolic fructose extract.

Scope Although about 90% of lycopene in dietary sources occurs in the linear all-trans conformation, a large proportion of the lycopene found in human tissues is of the cis-isomer type, notably (5Z)-lycopene. The biological effects of this (5Z) isomer have been under-researched. The aim of this study is to evaluate some biological functions of (5Z)-lycopene in adipocytes and to compare them with those of (all-E)-lycopene. Methods and results (all-E)- and (5Z)-Lycopene displayed strong similarities in global gene expression profile and biological pathways impacted. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling is identified as a major actor mediating the effects of lycopene isomers. Transactivation assays confirmed the ability of both isomers to transactivate PPARγ. In addition, the TNFα-induced proinflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes is reduced by both isomers via a reduction in the phosphorylation levels of p65. Finally, lycopene isomers restore the TNF-α-blunted uptake of glucose by adipocytes via a modulation of AKT phosphorylation. Conclusion These results show that lycopene isomers exert similar biological functions in adipocytes, linked to their ability to transactivate PPARγ. These findings add to our knowledge of lycopene effects in adipocyte biology and point to the possible use of lycopene in the prevention of obesity-related disorders.

Limited bioavailability of antioxidants present in food from fruits and vegetables matrices is determined by their low bioaccessibility due to the physical and chemical interactions of the antioxidants with the indigestible polysaccharides of cell walls. Therefore, this in vitro investigation aimed to assess the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and vitamin E from rosehips as well as from tomato paste and to investigate several aspects of effects of pectin contents and food processing on bioaccessibility. Following the addition of the enzyme mixture Fructozym P6-XL, the bioaccessibility of carotenoids from rosehips as well as from tomato paste significantly increased. The average relative increase in bioaccessibility from rosehips was lower for ( all-E)-β-carotene compared with ( all-E)-lycopene and ( all-E)-rubixanthin. In contrast, increases of bioaccessibility of α-tocopherol were comparable for rosehip samples and tomato paste.

Pomegranate seeds are an excellent source of compounds with biological activity. In the present study, the pomegranate seed oil (PSO) was tested for antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. PSO was extracted by super-critical fluid extraction with previous treatment of seeds by microwaves and analysed for its fatty acid profile, carotenoid and tocopherol contents. PSO demonstrated to be a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (83.5%), followed by monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) (9.5% and 7.0%, respectively). Concerning fatty acid profile, punicic (C18:3), oleic (C18:1) and linoleic (C18:2) acids were the predominant ones. Carotenoids and tocopherols were identified and quantified by HPLC. Results showed that the PSO was a good source of gamma-tocopherol as dominant among investigated compounds (128.6 mg/100 g). The extract was screened for its antioxidant activity using alpha-TEAC assay. Cytotoxic effect was determined by MTT test against malignant HeLa, LS174 and A549 cells (IC50 = 49.51-91.54 mu g/mL), and against normal MRC-5 and EA.hy926 cells (IC50 gt 200 mu g/mL). The best effect was exhibited on cervix adenocarcinoma cell line while no cytotoxicity was found for normal cells pointing out PSO safety.

Due to their health-beneficial ingredients the consumption of nuts can contribute to a healthy diet. The composition of hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios and walnuts regarding health-promoting and potentially harmful compounds was examined before and after roasting under different time and temperature conditions. Fatty acid compositions were not affected by roasting. Malondialdehyde increased with higher roasting temperatures (17-fold in walnuts). Levels of tocopherol isomers were reduced after roasting (α-T: 38%, β-T: 40%, γ-T: 70%) and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity decreased significantly in hazelnuts (1.4-fold), macadamia nuts (1.7-fold) and walnuts (3.7-fold). Increasing roasting temperatures supported the formation of significant amounts of acrylamide only in almonds (1220 μg kg(-1)). In general, nuts roasted at low/middle temperatures (120-160°C) exhibited best sensory properties. Therefore, desired sensory quality along with a favourable healthy nut composition may be achieved by roasting over a low to medium temperature range.