Guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. Red Suprema) Crude Extract Protect Human Dermal Fibroblasts against Cytotoxic Damage Mediated by Oxidative Stress

Silk nanoparticles for the protection and delivery of guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) extract for cosmetic industry, a new approach for an old herb

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a well-known plant containing high levels of natural antioxidants, the phenolic compounds, which have been employed in numerous cosmetic products. However, these molecules are unstable to oxidants, light, temperature, pH, water, and enzymatic activities. Therefore, to enhance their stability and preserve their antioxidant activity, this study investigated the silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) ability to encapsulate, deliver, and heat-protect the phenolic compounds of the guava leaves ethanolic extract. Firstly, the guava ethanolic extract was produced by maceration, which possessed a total phenolic content of 312.6 mg GAE/g DPW and a high antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 5.397 ± 0.618 µg/mL). Then, the extract loaded SFNs were manufactured by desolvation method, and the particles demonstrated appropriate sizes of 200-700 nm with narrow size distribution, spherical shape, silk-II crystalline structure, high drug entrapment efficiency of > 70% (dependent on the fibroin content), and a two-phase sustained drug release for at least 210 min. Using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the antioxidant activity of the guava extract was well-preserved in the extract loaded SFNs. Finally, after being treated with high temperature of 70 °C for 24 h, the guava extract almost loses all of its antioxidant property (5 times decrement), whereas the extract loaded SFNs could retain the extract activity. Conclusively, the SFNs proved much potential to deliver and heat-protect the guava extract phenolic compounds, and preserve their antioxidant activity. Confirmed by this case, SFNs could be further explored in protecting other natural compounds from environmental factors.

Spontaneous fermentation improves the physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C.) and guava (Psidium guajava L.) fruit processing by-products

This study aimed to investigate the effects of spontaneous fermentation on physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of acerola and guava fruit industrial by-products. Viable cell counts of lactic acid bacterial (LAB) in acerola and guava by-products were ≥ 5.0 log CFU/mL from 24 h up to 120 h of fermentation. Fermented acerola and guava by-products had increased luminosity and decreased contrast. Contents of total soluble solids and pH decreased, and titrable acidity increased in acerola and guava by-products during fermentation. Ascorbic acid contents decreased in acerola by-product and increased in guava by-product during fermentation. Different phenolic compounds were found in acerola and guava by-products during fermentation. Fermented acerola and guava by-products had increased contents of total flavonoids, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity. The contents of total flavonoids and total phenolics positively correlated with antioxidant activity in fermented acerola and guava by-products. These results indicate that spontaneous fermentation could be a strategy to improve the contents of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of acerola and guava by-products, adding value and functionalities to these agro-industrial residues.

Drought Stress Mitigating Morphological, Physiological, Biochemical, and Molecular Responses of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Cultivars

Guava (Psidium guajava L.), a major fruit crop of the sub-tropical region, is facing a production decline due to drought stress. Morphophysiological responses to drought stress and underlying transcriptional regulations in guava are, largely, unknown. This study evaluated the drought stress tolerance of two guava cultivars, viz. "Gola" and "Surahi," at morphological and physiological levels regulated differentially by ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags). The treatments comprises three moisture regimes, viz. T_o = 100% (control), T₁ = 75%, and T₂ = 50% of field capacity. There was an overall decrease in both morphological and physiological attributes of studied guava cultivars in response to drought stress. Nonetheless, the water use efficiency of the "Surahi" cultivar increased (41.86%) speculating its higher drought tolerance based on enhanced peroxidase (402%) and catalase (170.21%) activities under 50% field capacity (T₂). Moreover, higher proline and flavonoid contents reinforced drought stress retaliation of the "Surahi" cultivar. The differential expression of a significant number of ESTs in "Surahi" (234) as compared to "Gola" (117) cultivar, somehow, regulated its cellular, biological, and molecular functions to strengthen morphophysiological attributes against drought stress as indicated by the upregulation of ESTs related to peroxidase, sucrose synthase (SUS), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and ubiquitin at morphological, biochemical, and physiological levels. In conclusion, the drought stress acclimation of pear-shaped guava cultivar "Surahi" is due to the increased activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) complimented by the upregulation of related ESTs.

Pharmacological potentials and Nutritional values of Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits of India: Emphasis on their anticancer bioactive components

BACKGROUND

Fruits are an important dietary component, which supply vitamins, minerals, as well as dietary fiber. In addition, they are rich sources of various biological and pharmacologically active compounds. Among these, temperate fruits are well studied for their pharmacological potentials, whereas tropical/subtropical fruits are less explored for their health impacts. In India, most of the consumed fruits are either tropical or subtropical.

OBJECTIVES

The present review aims to provide a health impact of major tropical and sub-tropical fruits of India, emphasizing their anticancer efficacy. In addition, the identified bioactive components from these fruits exhibiting anticancer efficacy are also discussed along with the patent literature published.

METHODS

The literature was collected from various repositories, including NCBI, ScienceDirect, Eurekaselect, and Web of Science; literature from predatory journals was omitted during the process. Patent literature was collected from google patents and similar patent databases.

RESULTS

Tropical fruits are rich sources of various nutrients and bioactive components including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanin, etc. By virtue of these biomolecules, tropical fruits have been shown to interfere with various steps in carcinogenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Their mode of action is either by activation of apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle, inhibition of cell survival and proliferation pathways, increased lipid trafficking or inhibiting inflammatory pathways. Several molecules and combinations have been patented for their anticancer and chemoprotective properties.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the present concludes that Indian tropical/ subtropical fruits are nutritionally and pharmacologically active and may serve as a source of novel anticancer agents in the future.

Cross-Species Comparison of Metabolomics to Decipher the Metabolic Diversity in Ten Fruits

Fruits provide humans with multiple kinds of nutrients and protect humans against worldwide nutritional deficiency. Therefore, it is essential to understand the nutrient composition of various fruits in depth. In this study, we performed LC-MS-based non-targeted metabolomic analyses with ten kinds of fruit, including passion fruit, mango, starfruit, mangosteen, guava, mandarin orange, grape, apple, blueberry, and strawberry. In total, we detected over 2500 compounds and identified more than 300 nutrients. Although the ten fruits shared 909 common-detected compounds, each species accumulated a variety of species-specific metabolites. Additionally, metabolic profiling analyses revealed a constant variation in each metabolite’s content across the ten fruits. Moreover, we constructed a neighbor-joining tree using metabolomic data, which resembles the single-copy protein-based phylogenetic tree. This indicates that metabolome data could reflect the genetic relationship between different species. In conclusion, our work enriches knowledge on the metabolomics of fruits, and provides metabolic evidence for the genetic relationships among these fruits.

Radiation mitigating activities of Psidium guajava L. against whole-body X-ray-induced damages in albino Wistar rat model

In the present study, we investigated radiation mitigating activities of Psidium guajava L. (P. guajava) against whole-body X- ray induced damages in albino Wistar rat model. The animals were orally administered with 200 mg/kg bodyweight of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of P. guajava for five consecutive days and on the fifth day, after the last dose of extract administration, animals were exposed to 4 Gy of X-rays. Rats were sacrificed 24 h post X-ray irradiation. The radiomitigating activity of the herb extract was assessed by micronucleus assay, histopathology of the small intestine and hematological parameters. Hepatic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin -10 (IL-10) levels were assayed to validate the anti-inflammatory property. Biochemical estimations were also performed in RBC lysates to corroborate antioxidant properties in the leaf extract. HPLC analysis of crude extract confirmed the presence of standard flavonoid quercetin. Our results indicated that radiation elevated COX-2, IL-6 and decreased IL-10 levels and also induced micronucleus formation in polychromatic erythrocytes, simultaneously impairing hematological parameters along with erythrocyte antioxidants. The animals pre-treated with P. guajava exhibited a significant decrease in the COX-2 (P ≤ 0.01), IL-6 levels (P ≤ 0.05) and also displayed significant increase in the hepatic IL-10 levels (P ≤ 0.01). Pre-treatment with plant extract improved antioxidant enzyme activities, hematological parameters and reduced the intestinal damage by recovering the architecture of the small intestine. Moreover, extract also rendered protection against radiation induced DNA damage, as evidenced by the significant (P ≤ 0.01) decrease in the percentage of radiation-induced micronucleus in polychromatic erythrocytes. Furthermore, the herb extract treatment increased radiation LD_50/30 from 6.6 Gy to 9.0 Gy, offering a dose reduction factor (DRF) of 1.36. Our findings for the first time propose the beneficial use of P. guajava as a radioprotector against X-ray induced damage.

Phytochemicals in Leaves and Roots of Selected Kenyan Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) Varieties

This study reports the inherent phytochemical contents in leaves and roots of nine sweet potato varieties from Kenya. Results indicated that vitamin C content varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the sweet potato varieties regardless of the plant part, leaves having significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels than in the roots. Total flavonoids and phenolic compounds differed significantly (P < 0.05) among varieties, higher values were found in leaves than in roots. Flavonoid contents in roots ranged from below detectable limits (Whitesp) to 25.8 mg CE/100 g (SPK031), while in leaves it ranged from 4097 to 7316 mg CE/100 g in SPK4 and Kenspot 5, respectively. Phenolic content was below detectable limits in the roots of whitesp but it was in substantial amounts in orange fleshed varieties. The β-carotene content was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in leaves (16.43-34.47 mg/100 g dry weight) than in roots (not detected-11.1 mg/100 g dry weight). Total and phytic phosphorus were directly correlated with phytate contents in leaves and the roots. Tannins and soluble oxalates varied significantly (P < 0.05) with variety and plant part being higher in leaves. The current information is important for ration formulations and dietary recommendations utilizing sweet potato leaves and roots. Future studies on effects of processing methods on these phytochemicals are recommended.

Pechiche (Vitex Cymosa Berteo ex Speng), a Nontraditional Fruit from Ecuador, is a Dietary Source of Phenolic Acids and Nutrient Minerals, in Addition to Efficiently Counteracting the Oxidative-Induced Damage in Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Pechiche fruits (Vitex cymosa Berteo ex Speng) from Ecuador were studied to determine their phenolic acid profile, nutrient minerals and capacity to protect primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) against oxidative-induced damage. Up to five phenolic acids were identified, with homovanillic acid as the main one. Vitamin C, β-carotene and lutein were also determined. Phosphorus and potassium were the main macrominerals, while iron was the principal micromineral. HDFa were preincubated with a crude pechiche extract (PCext) and then subjected to oxidative stress. The activity of five antioxidant enzymes, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ATP levels and lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation were used as markers of oxidative damage. Preincubation with PCext for 24 h allowed for the significant reduction of intracellular ROS levels, improved the intracellular ATP levels and protected lipids and proteins against oxidative damage (p < 0.05). Additionally, preincubation with PCext was also able to significantly (p < 0.05) improve the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase, compared to the stressed group without pretreatment. The results obtained in this study suggest the potential of pechiche as a source of bioactive compounds, as well as its beneficial effect against oxidative stress.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of the Main Fruits Consumed in the Western Coastal Region of Ecuador as a Source of Health-Promoting Compounds

We studied 19 different tropical fruits traditionally consumed in the coastal lowlands of Ecuador to determine their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) had the highest total phenolic, flavonoid, and total antioxidant capacity values, whereas guava fruits (Psidium guajava L.) had the highest vitamin C values. The main organic acids identified were lactic, citric, and acetic acids, and the highest amount of lactic acid was found in soursop fruits (Annona muricata L.), whereas Ecuadorian ivory palm (Phytelephas aequatorialis Spruce) and guava fruits had the highest acetic acid content. Guava also had the highest citric acid content; the highest concentration of oxalic acid was found in carambola. In terms of sugar content, giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis L.) had the highest values of glucose, and red mombin (Spondias mombin L.) had the largest values for fructose and guava for sucrose. Chili pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq) proved to be the main source of carotenoids, lutein, and β-carotene, anthocyanins, and vitamin C. The results here increase our knowledge regarding the composition of the main fruits consumed on the west coast of Ecuador to facilitate recommendations as potential sources of health-promoting compounds.

Physicochemical and Storage Characteristics of Hanwoo Tteokgalbi Treated with Onion Skin Powder and Blackcurrant Powder

We evaluated the physicochemical and storage characteristics of Hanwoo Tteokgalbi treated with onion skin powder (OSP) and blackcurrant fruit powder (BFP). The experimental design included seven treatments: a control (ascorbic acid 0.1%), T1: OSP 0.3%, T2: OSP 0.6%, T3: BFP 0.3%, T4: BFP 0.6%, T5: OSP 0.15%+BFP 0.15%, and T6: OSP 0.3%+BFP 0.3%. The OSP was higher in both polyphenol and flavonoid contents compared to BFP (p<0.05). The moisture and ash contents of all Tteokgalbi samples with a large amount of added natural antioxidant powder (0.6%) were higher than those with small amounts of added antioxidant (0.3%). The cooking loss and water holding capacity were outstanding in the T2 treatment compared to the others (p<0.05). The lightness, redness, and yellowness values were reduced on the addition of 0.6% antioxidant powder (p<0.05). The springiness and cohesiveness values of the Tteokgalbi samples were higher for the 0.3% addition than the control and 0.6% addition (p<0.05). The Tteokgalbi samples with natural antioxidants showed similar sensory attribute scores compared to the control. The pH values reduced as the BFP increased (p<0.05), and the total microbial count increased after OSP addition. The 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values of the samples treated with OSP were significantly lower than the control after day 10 (p<0.05). As a result, the addition of OSP or BFP did not have a significant negative influence on the quality characteristics of Hanwoo Tteokgalbi. In particular, the addition of 0.6% OSP was effective in increasing water retentivity and inhibiting lipid oxidation.