Lipophilic composition of Scabiosa stellata L.: an underexploited plant from Batna (Algeria)

Comparative analysis of antioxidant and fatty acid composition in avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruits: Exploring regional and commercial varieties

On Madeira Island, Portugal, the avocado crop benefits from a Mediterranean climate, exhibiting exceptional phytochemical and biochemical properties. Aiming to evaluate the antioxidant quality and fatty acid composition with a commercial avocado, flours were obtained from five varieties (four regional and one commercial Hass) across different tissues (pulp and by-products) and cycles (years and on-tree maturation stages). Results showed that a regional variety with thin purple skin had the highest antioxidant qualities and lipid content, surpassing the other regional and commercial Hass varieties. Oleic acid prevailed in all samples, with regional avocados containing arachidonic acid which is an uncommon occurrence among higher plants. Variations in fatty acid content were influenced by the timing of harvest. These outcomes highlight the promising potential of avocados from Madeira Island.

Wild Edible Flowers of Western Himalayas: Nutritional Characterization, UHPLC-QTOF-IMS-Based Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant Properties, and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Polyphenols

Four edible flowers commonly consumed in the Western Himalayan region, namely, Bauhinia variegata (Kachnar), Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium), Matricaria chamomilla (Chamomile), and Tagetes erecta (Marigold), were characterized for their nutritional and phytochemical composition. Through the UHPLC-QTOF-IMS-based metabolomics approach, 131 compounds were tentatively identified consisting of phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, terpenoids, amino acids, and fatty acid derivatives. Kaempferol and quercetin glycosides for Kachnar, apigenin glycosides and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives for Chamomile, patulin and quercetin derivatives for Marigold, cyanidin and delphinidin glycosides for Nasturtium were the predicted marker metabolites identified through non-targeted metabolomics. Kachnar and Chamomile scored best in terms of macronutrients and essential micronutrients, respectively. Nasturtium contained high concentrations of α-linolenic acid, anthocyanins, and lutein. Kachnar contained the highest total phenolic acids (63.36 ± 0.38 mg GAE g-1), while Marigold contained the highest total flavonoids (118.90 ± 1.30 mg QUE g-1). Marigolds possessed excellent free radical scavenging and metal chelation activities. Chamomile exhibited strong α-glucosidase inhibition activity, followed by Nasturtium. The in vitro gastrointestinal digestibility of flower extracts indicated that the bioaccessibility of phenolic acids was higher than that of flavonoids. Polyphenols from Nasturtium and Chamomile showed the highest bioaccessibility. The study is an attempt to characterize traditionally consumed edible flowers and promote their wider utilization in gastronomy and nutraceuticals.

Dipsacus and Scabiosa Species-The Source of Specialized Metabolites with High Biological Relevance: A Review

The genera Dipsacus L. and Scabiosa L. of the Caprifoliaceae family are widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa. This work reviews the available literature on the phytochemical profiles, ethnomedicinal uses, and biological activities of the most popular species. These plants are rich sources of many valuable specialized metabolites with beneficial medicinal properties, such as triterpenoid derivatives, iridoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. They are also sources of essential oils. The genus Dipsacus has been used for centuries in Chinese and Korean folk medicines to treat bone (osteoporosis) and joint problems (rheumatic arthritis). The Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Chinese Pharmacopoeia include Dipsaci radix, the dried roots of D. asperoides C.Y.Cheng & T.M.Ai. In addition, S. comosa Fisch. ex Roem & Schult. and S. tschiliiensis Grunning are used in traditional Mongolian medicine to treat liver diseases. The current scientific literature data indicate that these plants and their constituents have various biological properties, including inter alia antiarthritic, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities; they have also been found to strengthen tendon and bone tissue and protect the liver, heart, and kidney. The essential oils possess antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal properties. This paper reviews the key biological values of Dipsacus and Scabiosa species, as identified by in vitro and in vivo studies, and presents their potential pharmacological applications.

Quality Evaluation Indices for Soybean Oil in Relation to Cultivar, Application of N Fertiliser and Seed Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Soybean ranks second in production and consumption of vegetable oils worldwide and these are expected to continue to increase. The suitability of soybean oil for specific uses is determined by the fatty acid composition from which a number of indices and indicators can be calculated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the indices of nutritional and health-promoting fat in seeds of soybean cultivars grown in 2016–2019 under the influence of varying doses of N and inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Omega 3 and Omega 6, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), saturated fatty acids (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), index of desirable fatty acids (DFA), sum of hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (OFA), index of atherogenicity (AI), index of thrombogenicity (TI), oleic desaturation ratio (ODR), linoleic desaturation ratio (LDR), calculated oxidizability value (COX) and the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH), saturation fat index (S/P) and ALA/LA, OL/(LA+ALA) ratios and the consumer index (CI) were included. Fat quality indices for soybean seeds were strongly determined by weather conditions. Seeds of the cv. Aldana contained higher amounts of Omega 6 and featured more favourable MUFA/PUFA and OL/(LA+ALA) ratios, while the seeds of the cv. Annushka had more favourable CI and higher ODR, COX and S/P indices. No important differences were observed regarding the effect of nitrogen dose and seed inoculation on the formation of the DFA, OFA, HH, AI, TI and CI indices. The value of the S/P index suggests that higher nitrogen rates (60 kg∙ha−1) and the lack of inoculation treatment produce seeds with a more favourable dietary fatty acid balance.

Aglaomorpha quercifolia (L.) Hovenkamp & S. Linds a Wild Fern Used in Timorese Cuisine

Aglaomorpha quercifolia (L.) Hovenkamp & S. Linds is an extensively used species in traditional medicinal systems in several areas of the world due to some important medicinal properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. In East Timor, different parts of this fern are used either as remedies or as food. The ingestion of a broth made from its rhizome improves lactation, and young fronds of this fern are boiled and eaten with rice by the locals. Nevertheless, its chemical profile is far from being established. The present work aims to establish the chemical profile of both rhizomes and leaves n-hexane extracts by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed the leaves richness in fatty acids with interesting nutritional values (ω-6/ω-3 = 0.68, AI = 0.59, TI = 0.30), being linolenic acid (253.71 ± 0.93 mg/g dry leaves) and palmitic acid (237.27 ± 0.59 mg/g dry leaves) the significant compounds in the extract. Whereas the rhizome extract is mostly rich in terpenoids, such as steroid, cycloartane, and hopanoid derivatives, being hop-16-ene (166.45 ± 0.53 mg/g dry rhizome) and β-sitosterol (50.76 ± 0.11 mg/g dry rhizome) the major compounds. Several compounds are reported for the first time in the species, and the data herein reported contributes to confirming the species nutritional value.

Hemiselmis andersenii and Chlorella stigmatophora As New Sources of High-value Compounds: A Lipidomic Approach

To unlock the potential of Chlorella stigmatophora (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) and Hemiselmis andersenii (Cryptophyceae, Cryptophyta) as natural reactors for biotechnological exploitation, their lipophilic extracts were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) before and after alkaline hydrolysis. The GC-MS analysis enabled the identification of 62 metabolites-namely fatty acids (27), aliphatic alcohols (17), monoglycerides (7), sterols (4), and other compounds (7). After alkaline hydrolysis, monounsaturated fatty acids increased by as much as 87%, suggesting that the esterified compounds were mainly neutral lipids. Hemiselmis andersenii yielded the highest Σω3/Σω6 ratio (7.26), indicating that it is a good source of ω3 fatty acids, in comparison to C. stigmatophora (Σω3/Σω6 = 1.24). Both microalgae presented significant amounts of aliphatic alcohols (6.81-10.95 mg · g dw^-1 ), which are recognized by their cholesterol-lowering properties. The multivariate analysis allowed visualization of the chemical divergence among H. andersenii lipophilic extracts before and after alkaline hydrolysis, as well as species-specific differences. Chlorella stigmatophora showed to be a valuable source of essential fatty acids for nutraceuticals, whereas H. andersenii, due to its high chemical diversity, seems to be suitable for different fields of application.

Nutritional Indices for Assessing Fatty Acids: A Mini-Review

Dietary fats are generally fatty acids that may play positive or negative roles in the prevention and treatment of diseases. In nature, fatty acids occur in the form of mixtures of saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), so their nutritional and/or medicinal values must be determined. Herein, we do not consider the classic indices, such as ∑SFA, ∑MUFA, ∑PUFA, ∑n-6 PUFA, ∑n-3 PUFA, and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA; instead, we summarize and review the definitions, implications, and applications of indices used in recent years, including the PUFA/SFA, index of atherogenicity (IA), the index of thrombogenicity (IT), the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH), the health-promoting index (HPI), the unsaturation index (UI), the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA), fish lipid quality/flesh lipid quality (FLQ), the linoleic acid/α-linolenic acid (LA/ALA) ratio, and trans fatty acid (TFA). Of these nutritional indices, IA and IT are the most commonly used to assess the composition of fatty acids as they outline significant implications and provide clear evidence. EPA + DHA is commonly used to assess the nutritional quality of marine animal products. All indices have their advantages and disadvantages; hence, a rational choice of which to use is critical.

Isoorientin: A dietary flavone with the potential to ameliorate diverse metabolic complications

Isoorientin is a natural C-glucosyl flavone that is generating a lot of interest due to its multiple pharmacological activities. Increasing experimental data have shown that the robust antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of isoorientin remain important in ameliorating a number of metabolic complications. In fact, plants rich in isoorientin have demonstrated strong ameliorative properties against complications such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. However, while such evidence is accumulating, it has not been reviewed to better inform on the therapeutic potential of this flavone in improving human health. This review examines and extrapolates available literature on the potential beneficial or detrimental effects associated with the use of isoorientin in mitigating metabolic diseases, with a specific focus on diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance, including associated complications. The discussion includes effective doses in various experimental settings and proposed molecular mechanisms by which isoorientin may exert its therapeutic effects. In addition, the protective effects of extracts of a number of isoorientin-rich plants against metabolic complications will be highlighted.

Scabiosa Genus: A Rich Source of Bioactive Metabolites

The genus Scabiosa (family Caprifoliaceae) is considered large (618 scientific plant names of species) although only 62 have accepted Latin binominal names. The majority of the Scabiosa species are widely distributed in the Mediterranean region and some Scabiosa species are used in traditional medicine systems. For instance, Scabiosa columbaria L. is used traditionally against diphtheria while S. comosa Fisch. Ex Roem. and Schult. is used in Mongolian and Tibetan traditional medical settings to treat liver diseases. The richness of Scabiosa species in secondary metabolites such as iridoids, flavonoids and pentacyclic triterpenoids may contribute to its use in folk medicine. Details on the most recent and relevant pharmacological in vivo studies on the bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from Scabiosa species will be summarized and thoroughly discussed.

Scabiosa stellata L. Phenolic Content Clarifies Its Antioxidant Activity

The phenolic profile of Scabiosa stellata L., a species used in Moroccan traditional medicine, is disclosed. To obtain that profile the species extract was analyzed by ultra-high-performance chromatography coupled to photodiode-array detection and electrospray ionization/ion trap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn). Twenty-five phenolic compounds were identified from which isoorientin and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid can be highlighted because they are the major ones. The antioxidant activity was significantly controlled by the fraction type, with the n-butanol fraction showing the highest antioxidant activity (FRS50 = 64.46 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, FRS50 = 27.87 µg/mL in the ABTS assay and EC50 = 161.11 µg/mL in the reducing power assay). A phytochemical study of the n-butanol fraction was performed, and some important flavone glycosides were isolated. Among them the tamarixetin derivatives-the less common ones-can be emphasized. This phytochemical study and polyphenolic profile can be correlated with S. stellata extracts in vitro antioxidant activity. Moreover, it can be regarded as an evidence of its medicinal use and can incentivize its consumption.