Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils,and Their Combinations,Obtained from Flavedo By-Product of Seven Cultivars of Sicilian Citrus aurantium L.

In this work, seven Citrus aurantium essential oils (EOs) derived from flavedo of cultivars ‘Canaliculata’, ‘Consolei’, ‘Crispifolia’, ‘Fasciata’, ‘Foetifera’, ‘Listata’, and ‘Bizzaria’ were investigated. EOs were also combined in 1:1 (v/v) ratio to identify possible synergism or antagonism of actions. GC-MS analysis was done to investigate Eos’ phytochemical profiles. The antioxidant activity was studied by using a multi-target approach based on FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, and β-carotene bleaching tests. A great difference was observed in EOs’ phytochemical profiles. d-limonene (33.35–89.17%) was the main monoterpene hydrocarbon, and α-Pinene, β-myrcene, and β-linalool were identified in almost all samples. Among EOs, only C3 showed high quantitative and qualitative variability in its chemical composition. The chemical diversity of EOs was also demonstrated by PCA and HCA statistical analysis. Samples C2, C4, C5, C6, and C7 were statistically similar to each other, while C1 and C3 were characterized as having a different amount of other compounds and oxygenated monoterpenes, respectively, with respect to the other EOs mentioned. The global antioxidant score (GAS) revealed that among the tested EOs, C. aurantium ‘Fasciata’ EO had the highest antioxidant potential, with a GAS value of −0.47, whereas among combinations, the EO obtained by mixing ‘Canaliculata’ + ‘Bizzaria’ was the most active. Comparison by theoretical and real data on inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) and FRAP values did not reveal any significant effect of synergism or antagonism of actions to be valid in all biological applied tests. These findings, considered together, represent an important starting point to understand which compounds are responsible for the activities and their future possible industrial application.     

Reuse of Food Waste: The Chemical Composition and Health Properties of Pomelo (Citrus maxima) Cultivar Essential Oils

The aim of the present study is to investigate the chemical profile, antioxidant activity, carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzyme inhibition, and hypolipidemic effect of essential oils (EOs) extracted from Sicilian Citrus maxima (pomelo) flavedo. Using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) we analysed the Eos of five cultivars of C. maxima, namely, ‘Chadock’, ‘Maxima’, ‘Pyriformis’, ‘Terracciani’, and ‘Todarii’, and their blends. The antioxidant activity was performed by using a multi-target approach using 2,2′-Azino-Bis-3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing ability power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests. The α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase-inhibitory activities were also assessed. GC-MS analyses revealed D-limonene as the main monoterpene hydrocarbon in all cultivars, albeit with different percentages in the range of 21.72–71.13%. A good content of oxygenated monoterpenes was detected for all cultivars, especially for ‘Todarii’. The analysis of the principal components (PCA), and related clusters (HCA), was performed to find chemo-diversity among the analysed samples. EOs from ‘Chadock’ and ‘Maxima’ were statistically similar to each other, and they differed from P3 in the smaller amount of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, while the oils from ‘Terracciani’ and ‘Todarii’ were found to be chemically and statistically different. ‘Chadock’ EO was the most active to scavenge radicals (IC₅₀ values of 22.24 and 27.23 µg/mL in ABTS and DPPH tests, respectively). ‘Terracciani’ EO was the most active against both lipase and α-amylase, whereas the blends obtained by the combination (1:1 v/v) of C. maxima ‘Maxima’ + ‘Todarii’ were the most active against α-glucosidase. Generally, the blends did not exert a unique behaviour in potentiating or reducing the bioactivity of the pomelo EOs.     

Crop Yield and Essential Oil Composition of Two Thymus vulgaris Chemotypes along Three Years of Organic Cultivation in a Hilly Area of Central Italy

Thymus vulgaris L. is one of the most commonly used medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), owing to a range of therapeutic properties of its essential oil. Plant growth, biomass yield, essential oil content and composition are influenced by chemotype, environmental conditions, cultivation techniques and vegetative development. Since in MAPs cultivation special attention is paid on high quality of raw material, the adoption of sustainable agriculture methods is of pivotal importance. Therefore, we evaluated the agronomic and qualitative performances of two Thymus vulgaris L. chemotypes, organically cultivated under the Mediterranean climate of hilly lands of central Italy for three consecutive years (2017–2019). Along the trial, total above-ground dry biomass significantly increased from the 1st to 3rd year after planting and large variations in the main biological, biometric and productive traits were observed between the two chemotypes. The ‘thymol’ chemotype EO obviously showed thymol as the major constituent (51.26–49.87%) followed by γ-terpinene and p-cymene. The ‘linalool’ chemotype EO showed high percentages of oxygenated monoterpenes (about 90%) with linalool (75%), linalyl acetate (8.15%) and b-caryophyllene (3.2%) as main constituents. This study highlighted that T. vulgaris can be successfully organically grown in the hilly lands of Tuscany, with interesting biomass and essential oil yields, even though the plants were in the initial years of crop establishment (start in 2017). The introduction of this species into organic cultivation systems could contribute to obtain high-quality raw material, as well as to enhance crop rotation diversification, which is of pivotal importance in the management of organic farms.     

Ziziphus nummularia: A Comprehensive Review of Its Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties

Ziziphus nummularia, a small bush of the Rhamnaceae family, has been widely used in traditional folk medicine, is rich in bioactive molecules, and has many reported pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Objective: To gather the current knowledge related to the medicinal characteristics of Z. nummularia. Specifically, its phytochemical contents and pharmacological activities in the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, are discussed. Methods: Major scientific literature databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Chemical Abstracts, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts, Henriette’s Herbal Homepage, Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, were searched to retrieve articles related to the review subject. General web searches using Google and Google scholar were also utilized. The search period covered articles published between 1980 and the end of October 2021.The search used the keywords ‘Ziziphus nummularia’, AND (‘phytochemical content’, ‘pharmacological properties, or activities, or effects, or roles’, ‘anti-inflammatory’, ‘anti-drought’, ‘anti-thermal’, ‘anthelmintic’, ‘antidiabetic’,’ anticancer’, ‘anticholinesterase’, ‘antimicrobial’, ‘sedative’, ‘antipyretic’, ‘analgesic’, or ‘gastrointestinal’). Results: This plant is rich in characteristic alkaloids, especially cyclopeptide alkaloids such as nummularine-M. Other phytochemicals, including flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, tannins, and phenolic compounds, are also present. These phytochemicals are responsible for the reported pharmacological properties of Z. nummularia, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antidiabetic, anticancer, analgesic, and gastrointestinal activities. In addition, Z. nummularia has anti-drought and anti-thermal characteristics. Conclusion: Research into the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Z. nummularia has demonstrated that this plant is a rich source of novel bioactive compounds. So far, Z. nummularia has shown a varied pharmacological profile (antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective), warranting further research to uncover the therapeutic potential of the bioactives of this plant. Taken together, Z. nummularia may represent a new potential target for the discovery of new drug leads.     

A novel chemical biology and computational approach to expedite the discovery of new-generation polymyxins against life-threatening Acinetobacter baumannii

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria represent a major medical challenge worldwide. New antibiotics are desperately required with ‘old’ polymyxins often being the only available therapeutic option. Here, we systematically investigated the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of polymyxins using a quantitative lipidomics-informed outer membrane (OM) model of Acinetobacter baumannii and a series of chemically synthesized polymyxin analogs. By integrating chemical biology and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we deciphered how each residue of the polymyxin molecule modulated its conformational folding and specific interactions with the bacterial OM. Importantly, a novel designed polymyxin analog FADDI-287 with predicted stronger OM penetration showed improved in vitro antibacterial activity. Collectively, our study provides a novel chemical biology and computational strategy to expedite the discovery of new-generation polymyxins against life-threatening Gram-negative ‘superbugs’.

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have been an urgent threat to global public health. Novel antibiotics are desperately needed to combat these ''superbugs''.     

Volatiles and Antifungal-Antibacterial-Antiviral Activity of South African Salvia spp. Essential Oils Cultivated in Uniform Conditions

Spontaneous emissions of S. dentata Aiton and S. scabra Thunb., as well as the essential oil (EO) composition of the cited species, together with S. aurea L., were investigated. The chemical profile of the first two species is reported here for the first time. Moreover, in vitro tests were performed to evaluate the antifungal activity of these EOs on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium solani. Secondly, the EO antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus pseudointermedius was examined, and their antiviral efficacy against the H1N1 influenza virus was assessed. Leaf volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as the EOs obtained from the arial part of Salvia scabra, were characterized by a high percentage of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (97.8% and 76.6%, respectively), mostly represented by an equal amount of germacrene D (32.8% and 32.7%, respectively). Both leaf and flower spontaneous emissions of S. dentata, as well as the EO composition, showed a prevalence of monoterpenes divided into a more or less equal amount of hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds. Interestingly, its EO had a non-negligible percentage of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (29.5%). S. aurea EO, on the contrary, was rich in sesquiterpenes, both hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds (41.5% and 33.5%, respectively). S. dentata EO showed good efficacy (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC): 0.5%) against M. canis. The tested EOs were not active against E. coli and S. aureus, whereas a low inhibition of S. dentata EO was observed on S. pseudointermedius (MIC = 10%). Once again, S. dentata EO showed a very good H1N1 inhibition; contrariwise, S. aurea EO was completely inactive against this virus. The low quantity of S. scabra EO made it impossible to test its biological activity. S. dentata EO exhibited interesting new perspectives for medicinal and industrial uses.     

Content of Phenolic Compounds and Organic Acids in the Flowers of Selected Tulipa gesneriana Cultivars

The study focused on the determination of phenolic acids, flavonoids and organic acids in five tulip cultivars ‘Barcelona’, ‘Columbus’, ‘Strong Gold’, ‘Super Parrot’ and ‘Tropicana’. The cultivars grown in field and in a greenhouse were exposed after cutting to different times of storage (0, 3 and 6 days). The phenolic profile contained 4-hydroxybenzoic, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic, gallic, vanillic, syringic, salicylic, protocatechuic, trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, chlorogenic and sinapic acids, as well as quercetin, rutin, luteonin, catechin and vitexin. The mean phenolic acid content was in the following order: ‘Columbus’ and ‘Tropicana’ > ’Barcelona’ > ’Strong Gold’ > ’Super Parrot’, while the levels of flavonoids were as follows: ‘Strong Gold’ > ’Barcelona’ > ’Tropicana’ > ’Columbus’ > ’Super Parrot’. The highest content of phenolic acids was confirmed for Columbus and Tropicana, while the lowest was for Super Parrot. However total phenolic content was very similar, observed between the place of cultivation, time of storage and cultivars. Malonic, succinic, acetic and citric acids were the major organic acid components in tulip petals. More organic acids (except malonic) were accumulated in tulip petals from fields than those from the greenhouse, while changes during storage were strictly correlated with cultivars.     

Chemical Analysis and In Vitro Bioactivity of Essential Oil of Laurelia sempervirens and Safrole Derivatives against Oomycete Fish Pathogens

In this study, the essential oil (EO) from Laurelia sempervirens was analyzed by GC/MS and safrole (1) was identified as the major metabolite 1, was subjected to direct reactions on the oxygenated groups in the aromatic ring and in the side chain, and eight compounds (4 to 12) were obtained by the process. EO and compounds 4–12 were subjected to biological assays on 24 strains of the genus Saprolegnia, specifically of the species 12 S. parasitica and 12 S. australis. EO showed a significant effect against Saprolegnia strains. Compound 6 presents the highest activity against two resistant strains, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum oomyceticidal concentration (MOC) values of 25 to 100 and 75 to 125 µg/mL, respectively. The results show that compound 6 exhibited superior activities compared to the commercial controls bronopol and azoxystrobin used to combat these pathogens.     

Rapid Discrimination of Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ by Electrospray Ionization–Ion Mobility–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A common idea is that some dishonest businessmen often disguise Citrus reticulata Blanco varieties as Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’, which places consumers at risk of economic losses. In this work, we combined high-resolution ion mobility (U-shaped mobility analyzer) with high-resolution mass spectrometry to rapidly distinguish Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ from other Citrus species. The samples were analyzed directly through simple extraction and the analytes were separated in one second. It only took about 1 min to perform a cycle of sample analysis and data acquisition. The results showed that polymethoxylated flavones and their isomers were separated easily by the ion mobility analyzer and preliminarily identified according to the accurate mass. Moreover, the collision cross-section values of all analytes, which could be used as auxiliary parameters to characterize and identify the compounds in the samples, were measured. Twenty-four samples were grouped as two clusters by multivariate analysis, which meant that Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ could be effectively differentiated. It was confirmed that the developed method had the potential to rapidly separate polymethoxylated flavones and distinguish between Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ and other Citrus reticulata Blanco varieties.     

Profiling of Volatile Compounds and Associated Gene Expression in Two Anthurium Cultivars and Their F1 Hybrid Progenies

Anthurium is an important ornamental crop in the world market and its floral scent can enhance its ornamental value. To date, studies of the components and formation mechanism of the floral scent of Anthurium are relatively few. In this study, the scent profiles of two Anthurium varieties were measured by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). There were 32 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified in Anthurium ‘Mystral’, and the most abundant compound was eucalyptol (57.5%). Extremely small amounts of VOCs were detected in Anthurium ‘Alabama’. Compared with A. ‘Alabama’, most genes related to floral scent synthesis exhibited a higher expression in A. ‘Mystral’, including AaDXS, AaDXR, AaMDS, AaHDS, AaTPS, AaDAHPS, AaADT2, AaPAL1, and AaPAL2. In order to produce new varieties of Anthurium with fragrance, 454 progenies of two crossbred combinations of A. ‘Mystral’ and A. ‘Alabama’ were obtained. Four F1 generation plants with different floral scent intensities were selected for further study. The major components of floral scent in the progenies were similar to that of the parental A. ‘Mystral’ plant. The expression patterns of genes related to floral scent synthesis were consistent with the relative contents of different types of VOCs. This study revealed the profiles of volatile compounds and associated gene expression in two Anthurium cultivars and their F1 hybrids, which provided a basis for the floral scent inheritance of Anthurium andraeanum.     

HS–SPME–GC–MS and Electronic Nose Reveal Differences in the Volatile Profiles of Hedychium Flowers

Floral fragrance is one of the most important characteristics of ornamental plants and plays a pivotal role in plant lifespan such as pollinator attraction, pest repelling, and protection against abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the precise determination of floral fragrance is limited. In the present study, the floral volatile compounds of six Hedychium accessions exhibiting from faint to highly fragrant were comparatively analyzed via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Electronic nose (E-nose). A total of 42 volatile compounds were identified through GC–MS analysis, including monoterpenoids (18 compounds), sesquiterpenoids (12), benzenoids/phenylpropanoids (8), fatty acid derivatives (2), and others (2). In Hedychium coronarium ‘ZS’, H. forrestii ‘Gaoling’, H. ‘Jin’, H. ‘Caixia’, and H. ‘Zhaoxia’, monoterpenoids were abundant, while sesquiterpenoids were found in large quantities in H. coccineum ‘KMH’. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) divided the 42 volatile compounds into four different groups (I, II, III, IV), and Spearman correlation analysis showed these compounds to have different degrees of correlation. The E-nose was able to group the different accessions in the principal component analysis (PCA) corresponding to scent intensity. Furthermore, the pattern-recognition findings confirmed that the E-nose data validated the GC–MS results. The partial least squares (PLS) analysis between floral volatile compounds and sensors suggested that specific sensors were highly sensitive to terpenoids. In short, the E-nose is proficient in discriminating Hedychium accessions of different volatile profiles in both quantitative and qualitative aspects, offering an accurate and rapid reference technique for future applications.     

Antioxidant,Antimicrobial, and Metabolomic Characterization of Blanched Pomegranate Peel Extracts: Effect of Cultivar

Hot water blanching at 80 °C for 3 min can be used as a novel pre-treatment step in pomegranate peel to preserve the integrity of the phytochemical content within the peel extracts by lowering or inactivating enzymes such as polyphenol (PPO) oxidase and peroxidase (POD) that are responsible for the break-down of phytochemicals within the peel. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hot water blanching pre-treatment on yield, bioactive compounds, antioxidants, enzyme inactivation, and antibacterial activity of ‘Wonderful’, ‘Acco’, and ‘Herskawitz’ pomegranate peel extracts. We used a variety of spectrophotometric-based assays and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based approach to characterize and quantify metabolites within the peel extracts. Blanching significantly (p < 0.05) reduced PPO activity in all peel extracts, with the highest PPO reduction in ‘Herskawitz’ peel extracts at 0.25 U/mL. Furthermore, higher antioxidant activity in ‘Herskawitz’ blanched peel extracts using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity at 567.78 ± 9.47 µmol Trolox/g DM, 800.05 ± 1.60 µmol Trolox/g DM, and 915.27 ± 0.61 µmol Trolox/g DM, respectively, was noted. ‘Herskawitz’ blanched peel extracts were recorded with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 80 µg/mL for Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria strains. A total of 30 metabolites were present in ‘Acco’ and ‘Herskawitz’ peel extracts and were tentatively identified after LC-MS profiling. This study demonstrates that blanched peel extracts from ‘Herskawitz’ cultivar have great potential for commercial use in value-added products in the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmacological industries.     

A Comparison between Different Agro-wastes and Carbon Nanotubes for Removal of Sarafloxacin from Wastewater: Kinetics and Equilibrium Studies

In the current study, eco-structured and efficient removal of the veterinary fluoroquinolone antibiotic sarafloxacin (SARA) from wastewater has been explored. The adsorptive power of four agro-wastes (AWs) derived from pistachio nutshells (PNS) and Aloe vera leaves (AV) as well as the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been assessed. Adsorbent derived from raw pistachio nutshells (RPNS) was the most efficient among the four tested AWs (%removal ‘%R’ = 82.39%), while MWCNTs showed the best adsorptive power amongst the five adsorbents (%R = 96.20%). Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was used to optimize the adsorption process. Two responses (‘%R’ and adsorption capacity ‘q_e’) were optimized as a function of four variables (pH, adsorbent dose ‘AD’ (dose of RPNS and MWCNTs), adsorbate concentration [SARA] and contact time ‘CT’). The effect of pH was similar for both RPNS and MWCNTs. Morphological and textural characterization of the tested adsorbents was carried out using FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM and BET analyses. Conversion of waste-derived materials into carbonaceous material was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Equilibrium studies showed that Freundlich isotherm is the most suitable isotherm to describe the adsorption of SARA onto RPNS. Kinetics’ investigation shows that the adsorption of SARA onto RPNS follows a pseudo-second order (PSO) model.     

High Throughput Screening of the NatureBank ‘Marine Collection’ in a Haemonchus Bioassay Identifies Anthelmintic Activity in Extracts from a Range of Sponges from Australian Waters

Widespread resistance in parasitic nematodes to most classes of anthelmintic drugs demands the discovery and development of novel compounds with distinct mechanisms of action to complement strategic or integrated parasite control programs. Products from nature—which assume a diverse ‘chemical space’—have significant potential as a source of anthelmintic compounds. In the present study, we screened a collection of extracts (n = 7616) derived from marine invertebrates sampled from Australian waters in a high throughput bioassay for in vitro anti-parasitic activity against the barber’s pole worm (Haemonchus contortus)—an economically important parasitic nematode of livestock animals. In this high throughput screen (HTS), we identified 58 active extracts that reduced larval motility by ≥70% (at 90 h), equating to an overall ‘hit rate’ of ~0.8%. Of these 58 extracts, 16 also inhibited larval development by ≥80% (at 168 h) and/or induced ‘non-wild-type’ (abnormal) larval phenotypes with reference to ‘wild-type’ (normal) larvae not exposed to extract (negative controls). Most active extracts (54 of 58) originated from sponges, three from chordates (tunicates) and one from a coral; these extracts represented 37 distinct species/taxa of 23 families. An analysis of samples by ¹H NMR fingerprinting was utilised to dereplicate hits and to prioritise a set of 29 sponge samples for future chemical investigation. Overall, these results indicate that a range of sponge species from Australian waters represents a rich source of natural compounds with nematocidal or nematostatic properties. Our plan now is to focus on in-depth chemical investigations of the sample set prioritised herein.     

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Extracts Exert Cytotoxicity in Two Selected Melanoma Cell Lines—A Factorial Analysis of Time-Dependent Alterations in Values Obtained with SRB and MTT Assays

Despite the fact that phytochemicals of Cornaceae species have long been discussed as possible auxiliary agents in contemporary treatment, the insights on their properties remain relatively scarce. This study focuses on Cornus mas L. (Cornelian cherry), the extracts of which are reported to exert a pleiotropic effect shown in both in vivo and in vitro studies. This study aimed to explore the cytotoxic effect of extracts from fruits of red (Cornus mas L. ‘Podolski’) and yellow (Cornus mas L. ‘Yantarnyi’ and ‘Flava’) Cornelian cherries on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and MeWo). The extracts were characterized in the context of the concentration of bioactive compounds of antioxidative properties. Cytotoxicity was investigated with the use of the following two assays: SRB and MTT. An additional, alternative protocol for the SRB assay was used in this study so as to account for possible bias. Cytotoxicity was assessed as a difference in the whole time series of cell viability, instead of analyzing differences in raw values (often found in the literature). Both extracts from Cornus mas L. induced cytotoxicity in both A375 and MeWo cell lines, although the response of these cells was different. Moreover, based on this study, there is no evidence for claiming a different magnitude of cytotoxicity between these two extracts.     

Sensory Quality Evaluation of Korla Pear from Different Orchards and Analysis of Their Primary and Volatile Metabolites

Metabolites play vital roles in shaping the quality of fresh fruit. In this study, Korla pear fruit harvested from twelve orchards in South Xinjiang, China, were ranked in sensory quality by fuzzy logic sensory evaluation for two consecutive seasons. Then, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to determine the primary metabolites and volatile compounds. Sensory evaluation results showed that the panelists were more concerned about ‘mouth feel’ and ‘aroma’ than about ‘fruit size’, ‘fruit shape’ and ‘peel color’. In total, 20 primary metabolites and 100 volatiles were detected in the pear fruit. Hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, nonanal, d-limonene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate and hexyl acetate were identified as the major volatile compounds. Correlation analysis revealed that l-(+)-tartaric acid, hexanoic acid, trans-limonene oxide and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate were negatively correlated with sensory scores. Furthermore, OPLS-DA results indicated that the fruit from three orchards with lower ranks in quality could be distinguished from other samples based on the contents of l-(+)-tartaric acid and other eight metabolites, which were all associated with ‘mouth feel’ and ‘aroma’. This study reveals the metabolites that might be closely associated with the sensory quality attributes of Korla pear, which may provide some clues for promoting the fruit quality in actual production.     

Betacyanins and Betaxanthins in Cultivated Varieties of Beta vulgaris L. Compared to Weed Beets

There are 11 different varieties of Beta vulgaris L. that are used in the food industry, including sugar beets, beetroots, Swiss chard, and fodder beets. The typical red coloration of their tissues is caused by the indole-derived glycosides known as betalains that were analyzed in hypocotyl extracts by UV/Vis spectrophotometry to determine the content of betacyanins (betanin) and of betaxanthins (vulgaxanthin I) as constituents of the total betalain content. Fields of beet crops use to be also infested by wild beets, hybrids related to B. vulgaris subsp. maritima or B. macrocarpa Guss., which significantly decrease the quality and quantity of sugar beet yield; additionally, these plants produce betalains at an early stage. All tested B. vulgaris varieties could be distinguished from weed beets according to betacyanins, betaxanthins or total betalain content. The highest values of betacyanins were found in beetroots ‘Monorubra’ (9.69 mg/100 mL) and ‘Libero’ (8.42 mg/100 mL). Other beet varieties contained less betacyanins: Sugar beet ‘Labonita’ 0.11 mg/100 mL; Swiss chard ‘Lucullus,’ 0.09 mg/100 mL; fodder beet ‘Monro’ 0.15 mg/100 mL. In contrast with weed beets and beetroots, these varieties have a ratio of betacyanins to betaxanthins under 1.0, but the betaxanthin content was higher in beetcrops than in wild beet and can be used as an alternative to non-red varieties. Stability tests of selected varieties showed that storage at 22 °C for 6 h, or at 7 °C for 24 h, did not significantly reduce the betalain content in the samples.     

Comparative Assessment of Phytochemical Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Kernel Oil from Eight Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Cultivars

New plant oils as a potential natural source of nutraceutical compounds are still being sought. The main components of eight cultivars (‘Koral’, ‘Lucyna’, ‘Montmorency’, ‘Naumburger’, ‘Wanda’, ‘Wigor’, ‘Wołyńska’, and ‘Wróble’) of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) grown in Poland, including crude fat, protein, and oil content, were evaluated. The extracted oils were analysed for chemical and biological activity. The oils had an average peroxide value of 1.49 mEq O₂/kg, acid value of 1.20 mg KOH/g, a saponification value of 184 mg of KOH/g, and iodine value of 120 g I₂/100 g of oil. The sour cherry oil contained linoleic (39.1–46.2%) and oleic (25.4–41.0%) acids as the major components with smaller concentrations of α-eleostearic acid (8.00–15.62%), palmitic acid (5.45–7.41%), and stearic acid (2.49–3.17%). The content of sterols and squalene varied significantly in all the studied cultivars and ranged between 336–973 mg/100 g and 66–102 mg/100 g of oil. The contents of total tocochromanols, polyphenols, and carotenoids were 119–164, 19.6–29.5, and 0.56–1.61 mg/100 g oil, respectively. The cultivar providing the highest amounts of oil and characterised by the highest content of PUFA (including linoleic acid), plant sterols, α-and β-tocopherol, as well as the highest total polyphenol and total carotenoids content was been found to be ‘Naumburger’. The antioxidant capacity of sour cherry kernel oils, measured using the DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ methods, ranged from 57.7 to 63.5 and from 38.2 to 43.2 mg trolox/100 g oil, respectively. The results of the present study provide important information about potential possibilities of application of Prunus cerasus kernel oils in cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals offering health benefits.     

Ethnobotanical Uses,Phytochemistry, Toxicology,and Pharmacological Properties of Euphorbia neriifolia Linn. against Infectious Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Medicinal plants have considerable potential as antimicrobial agents due to the presence of secondary metabolites. This comprehensive overview aims to summarize the classification, morphology, and ethnobotanical uses of Euphorbia neriifolia L. and its derived phytochemicals with the recent updates on the pharmacological properties against emerging infectious diseases, mainly focusing on bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. The data were collected from electronic databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink by utilizing several keywords like ‘Euphorbia neriifolia’, ‘phytoconstituents’, ‘traditional uses’, ‘ethnopharmacological uses’, ‘infectious diseases’, ‘molecular mechanisms’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘bacterial infection’, ‘viral infection’, etc. The results related to the antimicrobial actions of these plant extracts and their derived phytochemicals were carefully reviewed and summarized. Euphol, monohydroxy triterpene, nerifoliol, taraxerol, β-amyrin, glut-5-(10)-en-1-one, neriifolione, and cycloartenol are the leading secondary metabolites reported in phytochemical investigations. These chemicals have been shown to possess a wide spectrum of biological functions. Different extracts of E. neriifolia exerted antimicrobial activities against various pathogens to different extents. Moreover, major phytoconstituents present in this plant, such as quercetin, rutin, friedelin, taraxerol, epitaraxerol, taraxeryl acetate, 3β-friedelanol, 3β-acetoxy friedelane, 3β-simiarenol, afzelin, 24-methylene cycloarenol, ingenol triacetate, and β-amyrin, showed significant antimicrobial activities against various pathogens that are responsible for emerging infectious diseases. This plant and the phytoconstituents, such as flavonoids, monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, and alkaloids, have been found to have significant antimicrobial properties. The current evidence suggests that they might be used as leads in the development of more effective drugs to treat emerging infectious diseases, including the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).     

Quality of Oil Pressed from Hemp Seed Varieties: ‘Earlina 8FC’, ‘Secuieni Jubileu’ and ‘Finola’

In the last decade, the demand for edible niche oils has increased. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the seeds hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) varieties: ‘Finola’ (FIN-314)’, ‘Earlina 8FC’, and ‘Secuieni Jubileu’, and cold and hot pressed oils were prepared from each seed. The seeds were examined for moisture content, granulometric distribution, bulk density, and fat content. Seeds were pressed without and with preconditioning (60 °C), and oil yield and pressing time were recorded. The oil was filtered through cellulose membranes. Oil–water content, oil color, fatty acid profile, and sterol content were studied. From the study conducted, there are significant differences in the parameters of oil recovery and its quality compared to ‘Finola’ seed oil, which is widely reported in the literature. ‘Finola’ oil yield was the lowest, with an average of 79% compared to ‘Earlina’ (82%) and ‘S. Jubileu’ (84%). All oil samples contained a comparable amount of sterols, with campesterol (0.32 mg/g), β-sitosterol (1.3 mg/g) and Δ5-avenasterol (0.15 mg/g) predominating. From the organoleptic evaluation, it was evident that both varieties hemp oils and marc (‘Earlina’ and ‘S. Jubileu’) were not bitter like the “Finola” oil and marc. More detailed studies in this direction have to be undertaken.