Variation in Population and Solvents as Factors Determining the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Leaf Extracts

The bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. has a long history of ethnopharmacological use. This species has been used in folk medicine for centuries as a rich source of raw material abundant in secondary metabolites and is important for medicinal and pharmacological purposes. The plant is a source of herbal material—Uvae ursi folium, which is highly valued and sought by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The studied bearberry leaves can be classified as a suitable herbal material for use in pharmacy; therefore, the investigated populations can be a potentially valuable source of plant material for cultivation and can be used in in vitro cultures and in biotechnological processes. The objective of this study was to characterize the variability of the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of water and ethanol bearberry extracts from raw material collected from different natural populations. In each of the twelve A. uva-ursi sites, three leaf samples were collected and analyzed. The water extracts from bearberry leaves were characterized by similar concentration of arbutin (77.64–105.56 mg g⁻¹) and a significantly higher concentration of hydroquinone (6.96–13.08 mg g⁻¹) and corilagin (0.83–2.12 mg g⁻¹) in comparison with the ethanol extracts −77.21–103.38 mg g⁻¹, 10.55–16.72 mg g⁻¹, 0.20–1.54 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The concentration of other metabolites in the water extracts was significantly lower in comparison with the ethanol extracts. In the case of the water extracts, a significant effect of not only total phenolic compounds, but also hydroquinone on the antioxidant parameters, was observed, which indicates the solvent-related activity of these metabolites. Therefore, it is suggested that special attention should be paid to the concentration of not only arbutin, but also hydroquinone in Uvae ursi folium. The latter metabolite serving a very important function as an active bearberry ingredient should be controlled not only in alcoholic extracts but also in water extracts, since bearberry leaves are applied as infusions and decoctions. The results presented in this paper can contribute to appropriate selection of plant material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, with special emphasis on the antioxidant activity of different types of extracts.     

Phenolic Composition and Biological Properties of Wild and Commercial Dog Rose Fruits and Leaves

Rosa canina L. (dog rose) is a rich source of phenolic compounds that offer great hope for the prevention of chronic human diseases. Herein, wild and commercial samples of dog rose were chemically characterized with respect to their phenolic composition by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI/MS). Furthermore, in vitro antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity of dog rose fruits and leaves hydromethanolic extracts and infusions were also evaluated. The results revealed that wild and commercial fruits of dog rose are similar in terms of l(+)-ascorbic acid, total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and total phenolic acids (TPAC) content, individual phenolic constituents and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the fruits had lower levels of phenolic compounds and also revealed lower biological activity than the leaves. On the other hands, the highest content of TPC, TFC, TPAC, individual phenolic constituents, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) were found in the leaf’s infusions. They were also the only ones to show antibacterial activity. Overall, these finding confirmed usefulness of R. canina L. leaves and fruits as a rich source of bioactive phenolic compounds with potential use in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.     

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Evaluation and Chemical Investigation of Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca Leaf Extracts

Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Rosaceae family that plays an important role as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of specific types of cancer, microbial infections, and diabetes mellitus. This work presents the first report on the evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential along with the phytochemical analysis of Rosa gallica var. aegyptiaca leaves. Five leaf extracts of hexane, chloroform, methanol, hydromethanol 80%, and water were prepared. Assessment of antioxidant activity was carried out via DPPH radical scavenging assay. Antimicrobial activity against five foodborne pathogenic bacteria—including Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enteritidis—and the fungus Candida albicans, was examined using the disc diffusion method. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. Isolation, identification, and quantification of phenolic compounds were performed using HPLC-DAD analysis. Amongst the five leaf extracts that were investigated, hydromethanol 80% extract possessed the highest extraction yield, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and antimicrobial activity against all tested microbial strains. Moreover, this extract furnished six active phenolic compounds: gallic acid (1), (+) catechin (2), chlorogenic acid (3), (–) epicatechin (4), quercetin-3-O-α-d-(glucopyranoside) (5), and quercetin (6). This study provides an alternative utilization of R. gallica var. aegyptiaca leaves as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials in the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Antiviral and Antibacterial Effect of Honey Enriched with Rubus spp. as a Functional Food with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol profiles, as well as antioxidant activity. The antiviral potential was analyzed against bacteriophage phi 6—a coronavirus surrogate—whereas antimicrobial was tested against S. aureus and E. coli. Blackberry extracts were more abundant in antioxidants than raspberry extracts, with better properties found for leaves than fruits and for cultivated rather than commercial plants. The addition of both Rubus plant additives significantly increased the antioxidant potential of honey by four-fold (for 4% fruits additive) to five-fold (for 1% of leaves). Honey with the addition of fruits possessed higher antiviral potential compared with raw rape honey (the highest for 4% of raspberry fruit and 1% of blackberry leaf additive). Honey enriched with Rubus materials showed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus than rape honey and effectively inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation. To summarize, honey enriched with Rubus fruit or leaves are characterized by increased pro-health value and can be recommended as a novel functional food.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Borago officinalis L. leaf extract growing in Algeria

The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of borage (Borago officinalis) leaves from Annaba region (Algeria) were preliminary analyzed for their phenolic profile (total phenolics, total flavonoids, total flavonols, total tannins and total anthocyanins). These extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant properties by different methods such as DPPH radical scavenging, test NBT and total antioxidant activity. The two extracts have exhibited a high antiradical capacity. Indeed, the ethanolic extract showed the lower IC50 values and the highest amount of phenolics (94.09 ± 1.72 mg gallic acid/g dry extract). Using LC-MS/MS analysis, it was possible to identify phenolic acids, flavonoids, sterol and for the first time oleuropein was identified in the aqueous extract of the plant. The obtained results have demonstrated that phenolic compounds are the major contributor to the antioxidant activity of plants.     

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant,Antibacterial, and Antiproliferative Activity of Juglans regia L. Male Flowers

Juglans regia L., walnut, is a large, long-living tree, cultivated in temperate climates around the world. It is highly appreciated for its nutritional kernels and high-quality timber. Its barks, leaves, and husk are used as dyes and in folk medicine as herbal remedies for several diseases. From a biological and chemical standpoint, relatively little is known about the male flowers of the tree. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the phenolic profile as well as in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activity of male Juglans regia L. flowers. Phenolic content was determined by UPLC/PDA/MS/MS analyses; antioxidant activity was assessed by five different methods; antimicrobial activity was evaluated against the six most common pathogenic strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and antiproliferative properties were assessed against six cell lines. Most of the analyses carried out in this study were performed for the first time for this raw material. J. regia flower extract was characterized by a strong ability to scavenge DPPH˙ free radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and chelating metal ions. Among the examined bacterial strains and neoplastic lines, the strongest antimicrobial activity was shown against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and B. cereus, and cytotoxic activity against breast cancer, glioblastoma, and astrocytoma cells. Male J. regia flowers have also been found to be a rich source of phenolic compounds. The content of polyphenols in the extract was 4369.73 mg/100 g d.w., and 24 compounds from the group of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and juglunosides were identified. Additionally, a strong correlation between the content of polyphenols and the antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic activity was observed. This is why the tested J. regia flowers are an excellent source of effective natural antioxidant, antibacterial, and chemopreventive compounds that have potential to be used in the pharmaceutical or food industries.     

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Bulb Extracts of Six <em>Lilium</em> Species Native to China

Lily (Lilium) is used as an important edible and medical plant species with a vague taxonomic classification and a long history in China. Bulbs of six Lilium species (L. regale, L. concolor, L. pumilum, L. leucanthum, L. davidii var. unicolor and L. lancifolium) native to China were investigated with a view to their exploitation as a potential source of natural antioxidants due to their phenolic composition and dietary antioxidant potential. The results showed that all bulb extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activities, which generally correlated positively with the total phenolic contents (r = 0.68 to 0.94), total flavonoid contents (r = 0.51 to 0.89) and total flavanol contents (r = 0.54 to 0.95). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that rutin and kaempferol were the major phenolic components in the extracts. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that L. regale belonged to the group with high phenolic content and strong antioxidant power. L. concolor and L. pumilum were arranged in one group characterized by moderate phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, while L. leucanthum, L. davidii var. unicolor and L. lancifolium were clustered in the third group with low phenolic content and weak antioxidant activity. These strongly suggest that lily bulbs may serve as a potential source of natural antioxidant for food and pharmaceutical applications.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Nigella sativa L. and Allium ursinum Extracts in a Cellular Model of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Natural products black cumin—Nigella sativa (N. sativa) and wild garlic—Allium ursinum (AU) are known for their potential role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, including antracycline chemotherapy. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of N. sativa and AU water and methanolic extracts in a cellular model of doxorubicin (doxo)-induced cardiotoxicity. The extracts were characterized using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Antioxidant activity was evaluated on H9c2 cells. Cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) release was evaluated using 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin-diacetate (DHCF-DA) and mitochondria-targeted superoxide indicator (MitoSOX red), respectively. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was evaluated by flow cytometry. LC-MS analysis identified 12 and 10 phenolic compounds in NSS and AU extracts, respectively, with flavonols as predominant compounds. FT-IR analysis identified the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids in both plants. GC-MS identified the sulfur compounds in the AU water extract. N. sativa seeds (NSS) methanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity reducing both intracellular and mitochondrial ROS release. All extracts (excepting AU methanolic extract) preserved H9c2 cells viability. None of the investigated plants affected the mitochondrial membrane depolarization. N. sativa and AU are important sources of bioactive compounds with increased antioxidant activities, requiring different extraction solvents to obtain the pharmacological effects.     

Determination of Phenolic Compounds and the Antioxidant Capacity of Ximenia parviflora Benth. var. parviflora (Olacaceae) Fruit by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection

The total phenolic and flavonoid content, phenolic composition, and in vitro antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extracts of Ximenia parviflora Benth. var. parviflora fruits collected at Zinaparo, Michoacan (in central Mexico) were determined. Fruit extracts present a high scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] radicals (71.49?±?0.11% and 85.00?±?1.29% inhibition, respectively). The four phenolic compounds identified in fruit extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection were gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and quercetin. X. parviflora fruits may be used as a starting material for the extraction of high value antioxidant phenolic compounds with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries.     

Rancimat and PDSC accelerated techniques for evaluation of oxidative stability of soybean oil with plant extracts

Taking into account the importance of natural antioxidants in the preservation of oils and fats, the present study evaluated the antioxidant action of five plant extracts in the control of soybean oil stability, by means of the accelerated techniques Rancimat and PDSC. These plants are rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl). The plant extracts and also the synthetic antioxidant BHT were added to the samples of crude soybean oil at the concentration of 1,000 mg kg^?1. The values of total phenolic contents ranged from 8.7 ± 0.4 to 63.0 ± 2.3 mg GAE g^?1 extract and a strong positive correlation was observed between the total phenolic contents and the overall antioxidant activity of the plant extracts. Such high values indicate a good protection of the analyzed soybean oil, moreover for the Rosemary extract that was superior to the remaining extracts. In the Rancimat technique the rosemary extract was more effective than the synthetic BHT antioxidant. The OIT values of Rosemary extract and the BHT antioxidant were equivalent, and the former, showed the highest phenolic contents among the extracts, for all the performed tests, confirming that it is a powerful natural source of antioxidants.     

Evaluation of the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of various solvents extracts of Annona squamosa L. leaves

The present work was conducted aiming to evaluate the effect of different solvent extracts on the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Annona squamosa L. leaves. Four solvents were chosen for the study namely; methanol 80%, acetone 50%, ethanol 50% and boiling water. Acetone and boiling water gave the highest extraction yields as compared to methanol and ethanol. Total phenolic contents of the four extracts were significantly different with acetone being the most efficient solvent and water being the least efficient one. Correlation coefficient between the total antioxidant and total phenolic content was found to be R² = 0.89 suggesting the contribution of phenolic compounds of the extract by 89% to its total antioxidant activity. The extracts were capable of scavenging H₂O₂ in a range of 43–54%. Reducing power of the extracts increased by increasing their concentration. The extracts were found to exert low to moderate antibacterial activity compared to a standard antibacterial agent. The bacterial inhibition of the extracts was found to positively correlate with their phenolic contents.     

LC-ESI-MS/MS Polyphenolic Profile and In Vitro Study of Cosmetic Potential of Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. Herb Extracts

The aim of the present study was to investigate the phenolic composition and the biological properties of different Aerva lanata (L). Juss. herb extracts obtained with the use of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), i.e., a green, ecological method, for cosmetic purposes. All samples exhibited high DPPH^• (9.17–119.85 mg TE/g) and ABTS^•+ (9.90–107.58 mg TE/g) scavenging activity. The extracts exhibited considerable anti-lipoxygenase (EC₅₀ between 1.14 mg/mL and 3.73 mg/mL) and anti-xanthine oxidase (EC₅₀ between 1.28 mg/mL and 3.72 mg/mL) activities, moderate chelating activity (EC₅₀ between 1.58 mg/mL and 5.30 mg/mL), and high antioxidant potential in the ORAC assay (0.36–3.84 mM TE/g). Changes in the polyphenol profile of the analysed samples depending on the solvent and temperature used for the extraction were determined with the liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method. Twenty-one phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, were detected and quantified. It was shown that tiliroside was one of the main phenolic metabolites in the A. lanata (L.) Juss. herb., which may suggest that this compound may be largely responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts. In addition, the studied extracts exhibited promising skin-related (anti-tyrosinase, anti-elastase, anti-collagenase, and anti-hyaluronidase) activity. This study showed that Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. contains high amounts of phenolic compounds, including tiliroside, and has good skin-related activities. Therefore, the plant may be interesting as a novel source of bioactive agents for cosmetic industries.     

Optimization of Bioactive Phenolics Extraction and Cosmeceutical Activity of Eco-Friendly Polypropylene-Glycol–Lactic-Acid-Based Extracts of Olive Leaf

Olive leaf is a rich source of phenolic compounds with numerous activities related to skin health and appearance. In this study, a green extraction method was developed using eco-friendly solvents: polypropylene glycol (PPG), lactic acid (LA), and water. The optimal extraction conditions were established, including solvent, extraction time, technique (magnetic stirrer vs. ultrasound-assisted extraction), and herbal material/solvent ratio. The composition of the solvent mixture was optimized using a mixture design. The content of phenolic compounds, including oleuropein and verbascoside, was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometric methods. Using different extraction conditions, three extracts were prepared and their phytochemical compositions and antioxidant and skin-related bioactivities were investigated. The extracts were excellent inhibitors of elastase, collagenase, tyrosinase, and lipoxygenase. The best activity was shown by the extract richest in phenolics and prepared using magnetic-stirrer-assisted extraction for 20 min, with 0.8 g of herbal material extracted in 10 mL of PPG/LA/water mixture (28.6/63.6/7.8, w/w/w), closely followed by the extract prepared using the same extraction conditions but with 0.42 g of herbal material. The investigated PPG/LA/water mixtures contributed to the overall enzyme-inhibitory activity of the extracts. The prepared extracts were appropriate for direct use in cosmetic products, thus saving the time and energy consumption necessary for the evaporation of conventional solvents.     

Characterization and Valorization of the Agricultural Waste Obtained from Lavandula Steam Distillation for Its Reuse in the Food and Pharmaceutical Fields

The main focus of the current research was the characterization of the by-products from the steam distillation of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA) and Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel (LI) aerial parts, as they are important sources of bioactive compounds suitable for several applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The oil-exhausted biomasses were extracted and the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were, respectively, 19.22 ± 4.16 and 1.56 ± 0.21 mg/g for LA extract and 17.06 ± 3.31 and 1.41 ± 0.10 mg/g for LI extract. The qualitative analysis by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) revealed that both the extracts were rich in phenolic acids and glycosylated flavonoids. The extracts exhibited radical scavenging, chelating, reducing activities, and inhibitory capacities on acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase. The IC50 values against acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase were, respectively, 5.35 ± 0.47 and 5.26 ± 0.02 mg/mL for LA, and 6.67 ± 0.12 and 6.56 ± 0.16 mg/mL for LI extracts. In conclusion, the oil-exhausted biomasses demonstrated to represent important sources of bioactive compounds, suitable for several applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.     

Production of Verbascoside,Isoverbascoside and Phenolic Acids in Callus,Suspension, and Bioreactor Cultures of Verbena officinalis and Biological Properties of Biomass Extracts

Callus, suspension and bioreactor cultures of Verbena officinalis were established, and optimized for biomass growth and production of phenylpropanoid glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids and iridoids. All types of cultures were maintained on/in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with 1 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L NAA. The inoculum sizes were optimized in callus and suspension cultures. Moreover, the growth of the culture in two different types of bioreactors—a balloon bioreactor (BB) and a stirred-tank bioreactor (STB) was tested. In methanolic extracts from biomass of all types of in vitro cultures the presence of the same metabolites—verbascoside, isoverbascoside, and six phenolic acids: protocatechuic, chlorogenic, vanillic, caffeic, ferulic and rosmarinic acids was confirmed and quantified by the HPLC-DAD method. In the extracts from lyophilized culture media, no metabolites were found. The main metabolites in biomass extracts were verbascoside and isoverbascoside. Their maximum amounts in g/100 g DW (dry weight) in the tested types of cultures were as follow: 7.25 and 0.61 (callus), 7.06 and 0.48 (suspension), 7.69 and 0.31 (BB), 9.18 and 0.34 (STB). The amounts of phenolic acids were many times lower, max. total content reached of 26.90, 50.72, 19.88, and 36.78 mg/100 g DW, respectively. The highest content of verbascoside and also a high content of isoverbascoside obtained in STB (stirred-tank bioreactor) were 5.3 and 7.8 times higher than in extracts from overground parts of the parent plant. In the extracts from parent plant two iridoids—verbenalin and hastatoside, were also abundant. All investigated biomass extracts and the extracts from parent plant showed the antiproliferative, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The strongest activities were documented for the cultures maintained in STB. We propose extracts from in vitro cultured biomass of vervain, especially from STB, as a rich source of bioactive metabolites with antiproliferative, antioxidant and antibacterial properties.     

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant capacity of BM-21, a bioactive extract rich in polyphenolic metabolites from the sea Grass Thalassia testudinum

The aqueous ethanol extract of Thalassia testudinum leaves (BM-21) is now being developed in Cuba as an herbal medicine due to its promising pharmacological properties. Although some interesting biological activities of BM-21 have already been reported, its chemical composition remains mostly unknown. Thus, we now describe the qualitative and quantitative analyzes of BM-21 using standard phytochemical screening techniques, including colorimetric quantification, TLC and HPLC analyses. Phytochemical investigation of BM-21 resulted in the isolation and identification of a new phenolic sulfate ester (1), along with ten previously described phenolic derivatives (2-11), seven of which have never been previously reported from the genus Thalassia. The structures of these compounds were established by analysis of their spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) and spectrometric (HRMS) data, as well as by comparison of these with those reported in the literature. Furthermore, BM-21 was found to exhibit strong antioxidant activity in four different free radical scavenging assays (HO*, RO2*, O2-* and DPPH*). Consequently, this is the first study which highlights the phytochemical composition of BM-21 and demonstrates that this product is a rich source of natural antioxidants with potential applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.     

The variation in essential oils composition,phenolic acids and flavonoids is correlated with changes in antioxidant activity during Cinnamomum loureirii bark growth

Cinnamomum loureirii is one of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants. It is used by the food, perfumery, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil (EOs) and ethanol extracts from 10 samples of the bark from C. loureirii trees (6–15 years old). Obtained results showed that C. loureirii bark EO content at 12–15 years old had high oil yields (4.52–5.48%). The major components in the EOs were trans-cinnamaldehyde (50.2–92.9%) and α-copaene (0.5–21.3%). The highest content of trans-cinnamaldehyde in bark EOs was obtained from 10 to 12-year-old trees, while the highest content of α-copaene was obtained at 13–15 years. The highest total phenolic (429.85 and 474.45 mg TAE /g DW) and total flavonoid contents (85.54 and 102.80 mg RE /g e DW) were obtained from the 13- to 14-year-old trees. Our results indicated that the EO and ethanol extract of 13- to 14-year-old bark showed the strongest antioxidant properties. Moreover, GC–MS, PCA and correlation analysis indicated that the changes in α-copaene, beta-caryophyllene, τ-muurolene, γ-muurolene, δ-cadinene and τ-muurolol were positively correlated with the changes in antioxidant activity in oils. Meanwhile, procyanidin B2 and hyperoside were the main contributors to the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract from C. loureirii bark. This study is the first one that report the antioxidant potential and phenolic profile of C. loureirii plant. These results provide reference information for the rational utilization of C. loureirii resources and the harvest of C. loureirii bark as medicinal materials during the optimal period.     

Phenolic Contents,Organic Acids,and the Antioxidant and Bio Activity of Wild Medicinal Berberis Plants- as Sustainable Sources of Functional Food

Wild fruits have increasingly been investigated as part of recent searches for food products with a high antioxidant activity. In this study, wild edible berberis Berberis vulgaris collected from three different provinces (Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning) were investigated for their phenolic contents, organic acid contents, mineral contents, antioxidant activity as well as their antimicrobial potential against a range of common food borne pathogens. In addition, a physiochemical and mineral analysis of the fruits was also performed. The methanol extracts of berberis fruit collected from Jilin province were highly active against all the studied food borne bacterial pathogens, i.e., S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, E. coli, P. fluorescens, V. parahaemolyticus, and A. caviae while the berberis extracts from Heilongjiang and Liaoning showed activity only against Gram-negative bacteria. The phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined by the HPLC separation method and β-carotene bleaching methods, respectively. Four organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, and succinic acid were identified while a variety of phenolic compounds were detected among which catechin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid were found to be the predominant phenolic compounds in all three of berberis fruit samples. The berberis fruit from Jilin was found to be superior to the Heilongjiang and Liaoning fruit regarding desired physiochemical analysis; however, there were no significant differences in the mineral contents among the three samples. Overall, the berberis fruit from Jilin was ranked as the best in term of the nutritional, physiochemical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. This study confirms the various useful characteristics and features of berberis at a molecular level that can be used as a sustainable source for their potential nutritional applications for making functional foods in different food industries.     

Evaluation of antioxidant activities of the edible and medicinal Acacia albida organs related to phenolic compounds

This study compared phenolic contents and antioxidant activity in different organs of Acacia albida (leaves and bark) and focuses on identification of phenolic compounds of leaves by HPLC-DAD. The analysed organs exhibited differences in total polyphenol contents (100 and 59.5 mg GAE g^? 1 DW). Phenolic contents of leaves were two times higher than those in bark. Ethanolic extracts exhibited good antioxidant activities with IC₅₀ = 26 μg mL^? 1 for DPPH and EC₅₀ = 50 μg mL^? 1 for FRAP. Identification by HPLC-DAD revealed the presence of nine phenolic compounds known for their high antioxidant activity. The results suggested that this species can be used as source of natural antioxidants.     

Optimisation and characterisation of various extraction conditions of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in olive seeds

This study was conducted to optimise the extraction conditions of phenolic compounds to evaluate antioxidant extraction parameters and to identify the major free and bound phenolic compounds in olive seeds. The results obtained using methanol as an extraction solvent for olive seeds indicated that the optimised total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were obtained at an extraction time of 12 h, an extraction temperature of 70°C and an extraction cycle of three stages. The correlation coefficient between total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities was positive (R2 = 0.83). The major finding is that the predominant phenolic compounds in olive seeds were present in free form. However, a small percentage of the bound phenolic compounds was found in olive seeds compared to that of the free phenolic compounds. This study recommends that olive seeds with optimised extraction conditions (i.e. optimised correlation between phenolic compound contents and antioxidant activities) can be used as potential food additive candidates in functional, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.