Chlorophylls in foods

Effects of chlorophyll-related compounds on hydrogen peroxide induced DNA damage within human lymphocytes

Chlorophylls (Chl's) are the most abundant natural plant pigments. Four chlorophyll-related compounds (CRCs), including chlorophyllide a and b (Chlide a and b) and pheophorbide a and b (Pho a and b), were investigated for their antioxidative capacities to protect human lymphocyte DNA from hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induced strand breaks and oxidative damage ex vivo. Lymphocytes exposed to H(2)O(2) at concentrations of 10 and 50 microM revealed an increased frequency of DNA single-strand breaks (ssb's; as measured by the comet assay) and also an increased level of oxidized nucleoside (as measured by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG). All Chl's reduced the level of DNA ssb's and 8-OHdG within human lymphocytes following exposure to 10 microM H(2)O(2). Only Pho a and b were able to decrease DNA ssb's and 8-OHdG following treatment of lymphocytes with 50 microM H(2)O(2), in a concentration-dependent fashion. It was demonstrated herein that Pho a and b were more antioxidative than others. We applied DPPH free-radical scavenge assays in vitro, and got similar results. Pho a and b had higher ability in scavenging capacities than others. We conclude that water-extract Chl's are able to enhance the ability of human lymphocytes to resist H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage, especially for Pho a and b.

Determination of chlorophyll in plant samples by liquid chromatography using zinc-phthalocyanine as an internal standard

Chlorophyll analysis at high precision and accuracy is limited by the lack of suitable, commercially available internal standards for HPLC analysis. Here, the commercially available dye zinc-phthalocyanine is presented as a new internal standard to quantify chlorophylls in vegetable foods and to detect chlorophyll degradation products. The technique was applied to chlorophyll analysis of a selection of vegetable foods. Pigments were extracted with N,N-dimethylformamide from the vegetables and purified by solid phase extraction. Chlorophyll a, a', b, b', corresponding pheophytins, and zinc-phthalocyanine were separated by HPLC using a C18 reverse-phase column and fluorescence detection.

Identification of chlorophylls and carotenoids in major teas by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection

The separation and identification of pigments, chlorophylls, and carotenoids of seven teas and fresh leaf of tea (Camellia sinensis) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are described. HPLC was carried out using a Symmetry C(8) column with a photodiode array detector. Pigments were eluted with a binary gradient of aqueous pyridine solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at 25 degrees C. HPLC analyses achieved the separation of more than 100 pigment peaks, and 79 pigment species, 41 chlorophylls, and 38 carotenoids were detected. The presence of degraded chlorophylls was a common feature, and the number and the variety of pigments differed with tea species. Generally, the numbers of chlorophyll species tended to increase with processing steps, while carotenoid species were decreased, especially by heating. Particularly in green teas, a change of carotenoid structure, conversion of violaxanthin to auroxanthin, occurred. In hot water extracts of teas, both chlorophylls and carotenoids were also detected, but the concentration of chlorophylls was less than 2% as compared with acetone extracts. The pigment compositions were compared between tea species, and they are discussed in terms of the differences in their manufacturing processes.

Dietary aflatoxin exposure and chemoprevention of cancer: a clinical review

Exposure to dietary aflatoxins is considered to be an important risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in certain regions of the world. Significant advances have recently been made in understanding the clinical toxicology of aflatoxins. These include the development and validation of biomarkers of exposure and genotoxic effect. These biomarkers are currently being utilized to explore the potential that pharmaceutical interventions may have in modifying the toxicokinetics of dietary aflatoxin exposure. Preliminary results of clinical trials with the drug oltipraz suggest that it may modify the genotoxic effects of aflatoxin B1 by inhibiting bioactivation pathways and stimulating detoxification pathways. More recent results of a clinical trial with chlorophyllin suggest that this drug may have a role in preventing dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 by reducing its oral bioavailability. The preliminary results of these chemoprevention studies may ultimately have implications for cancer prevention in high-risk populations in the future.

Sodium copper chlorophyllin: in vitro digestive stability and accumulation by Caco-2 human intestinal cells

Sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC), a mixture of water-soluble chlorophyll derivatives, is used as both a food colorant and a common dietary supplement. Although the potential antimutagenic and antioxidant properties of this commercial preparation have been demonstrated, limited information is available on its digestion and absorption by humans. Stability of SCC was examined during simulated gastric and small intestinal digestion. Three preparations were subjected to in vitro digestion: SCC in water, SCC in water + 10% corn oil, and SCC in applesauce. SCC components from raw material preparations and in digested samples were analyzed by C(18) HPLC with photodiode array detection. Cu(II)chlorin e(4), the major chlorin component of SCC, was relatively stable during simulated digestion. In contrast, greater than 90% of Cu(II)chlorin e(6) was degraded to undetermined products during digestion. Recovery of Cu(II)chlorin e(6) after digestion was increased by incorporation of SCC into applesauce, suggesting a protective role of the inclusion matrix for stabilization of labile SCC components. Accumulation of SCC derivatives was investigated by using differentiated cultures of the TC7 clone of the Caco-2 human intestinal cell line. Cellular accumulation from media containing 0.5 to 60 ppm SCC was linear with intracellular content ranging between 0.2 and 29.6 microg of total SCC per mg of cellular protein. Uptake of SCC by Caco-2 cells was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in cultures incubated at 4 degrees C than in those incubated at 37 degrees C. Although intracellular SCC was transported into both apical and basolateral compartments when Caco-2 cells were grown on inserts, apical efflux was significantly greater (p < 0.01) than basolateral efflux. Stability of Cu(II)chlorin e(4) during in vitro digestion and effective uptake by Caco-2 enterocyte-like cells support the likelihood that a portion of this SCC component or its metabolites is absorbed from the human intestine.

Stability of virgin olive oil. 2. Photo-oxidation studies

Virgin olive oil samples with similar oxidative stabilities and fatty acid compositions were exposed to 12100 lx (25 +/- 1 degrees C) in closed bottles until bleached. The observed low changes in the substrate and polar phenols were related to oxygen availability. HPLC monitoring showed that pheophytin agradual degradation (> 90%) was accompanied by a considerable alpha-tocopherol loss (22-35%) due to the reaction of the latter with singlet oxygen. No changes were recorded for carotenoids, which acted as physical quenchers and light filters. Squalene loss was confined (4-12%). Complementary experiments on the activity of pheophytin a, using olive oil models, indicated a concentration dependence, enhanced by oxygen availability. In closed bottles, the degradation rate constant was higher at low amounts of pheophytin a. Squalene was preferentially consumed to protect alpha-tocopherol. An urgent change in the practice of packaging is needed to preserve the precious characteristics of the product during commercialization.

Effect of dietary chlorophyll derivatives on mutagenesis and tumor cell growth

Much attention in recent years has been given to the antigenotoxicity of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, however, is known to be converted into pheophytin, pyropheophytin, and pheophorbide in processed vegetable food and following ingestion by humans. Studies were conducted on the antimutagenic and tumoricidal potencies of these compounds. All the chlorophyll derivatives tested exhibit identical antimutagenic effect towards 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), suggesting that the porphyrin nucleus may complex directly with the mutagen. It does not exclude, however, another mechanism of activity involving inactivation the enzymatic transformation of 3-MC. In contrast, the action of N'-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) depends upon structural differences between the chlorophyll derivatives. It is significantly lower when the phytol-containing pheophytin and pyropheophytin are tested as to that of the phytol-lacking pheophorbide. The higher concentrations of the chlorophyll derivatives were required to reduce the mutagenicity of MNNG than needed for 3-MC. The cytotoxicity of chlorophyll derivatives against tumor cells also was evaluated. The cellular uptake and inhibition of myeloma cell multiplicity were found to be greater for pheophorbide than for pheophytin. Calculated on the amount of cell associated chlorophyll derivative, however, pheophytin was more cytostatic/cytotoxic than pheophorbide. The results presented in this report indicate that food sources that yield chlorophyll derivatives may play a significant role in cancer prevention. Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. 19:313-322, 1999.

Kinetics of chlorophyll degradation and color loss in heated broccoli juice

Degradation of chlorophyll in broccoli juice occurred at temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C. Chemical analysis revealed that degradation of chlorophyll a and b to pheophytin a and b, respectively, followed first-order kinetics and that chlorophyll a was more heat sensitive than chlorophyll b. Temperature dependencies of chlorophyll a and b degradation rate constants could be described by Arrhenius equations with activation energies (E(a)) of 71.04 +/- 4.89 and 67.11 +/- 6.82 kJ/mol, respectively. Objective greenness measurements, using the -a value as the physical property, together with a fractional conversion kinetic analysis, indicated that green color degradation followed a two-step process. Kinetic parameters for the first degradation step were in accordance with the kinetic parameters for pheophytinization of the total chlorophyll content, as determined by chemical analysis (E(a) approximately 69 kJ/mol). The second degradation step, that is, the subsequent decomposition of pheophytins, was characterized by an activation energy of 105.49 +/- 4.74 kJ/mol.