Seed oil composition of Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis (Mart.) Ducke

Comprehensive Review on Fruit Seeds: Nutritional, Phytochemical, Nanotechnology, Toxicity, Food Biochemistry, and Biotechnology Perspective

Fruit seeds are leftovers from a variety of culinary sectors. They are generally unutilized and contribute greatly to global disposals. These seeds not only possess various nutritional attributes but also have many heath-beneficial properties. One way to make use of these seeds is to extract their bioactive components and create fortified food items. Nowadays, researchers are highly interested in creating innovative functional meals and food components from these unconventional resources. The main objective of this manuscript was to determine the usefulness of seed powder from 70 highly consumed fruits, including Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Common plum, Cranberry, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, Jamun, Kiwi, Lemon, Mahua, Mango, Melon, Olive, Orange, and many more have been presented. The nutritional attributes, phytochemical composition, health advantages, nanotechnology applications, and toxicity of these fruit seeds have been fully depicted. This study also goes into in-depth detailing on creating useful food items out of these seeds, such as bakery goods, milk products, cereal-based goods, and meat products. It also identifies enzymes purified from these seeds along with their biochemical applications and any research openings in this area.

One-phase extraction coupled with photochemical reaction allows the in-depth lipid characterization of hempseeds by untargeted lipidomics

Due to their valuable nutritional content, several hemp-derived products from hempseeds have recently been placed in the market as food and food ingredients. In particular, the lipid composition of hempseeds has raised interest for their rich content in biologically active polyunsaturated fatty acids with an optimum ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 compounds. At present, however, the overall polar lipidome composition of hempseeds remains largely unknown. In the present work, an analytical platform was developed for the extraction, untargeted HRMS-based analysis, and detailed annotation of the lipid species. First, five one- and two-phase solid-liquid extraction protocols were tested and compared on a hempseed pool sample to select the method that allowed the overall highest efficiency as well as easy coupling with lipid derivatization by photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition with 6-azauracil. Underivatized lipids were annotated employing a data processing workflow on Compound Discoverer software that was specifically designed for polar lipidomics, whereas inspection of the MS/MS spectra of the derivatized lipids following the aza-Paternò-Büchi reaction allowed pinpointing the regiochemistry of carbon-carbon double bonds. A total of 184 lipids were annotated, i.e., 26 fatty acids and 158 phospholipids, including minor subclasses such as N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines. Once the platform was set up, the lipid extracts from nine hempseed samples from different hemp strains were characterized, with information on the regiochemistry of free and conjugated fatty acids. The overall analytical approach helped to fill a gap in the knowledge of the nutritional composition of hempseeds.

Unveiling the MUFA-Cancer Connection: Insights from Endogenous and Exogenous Perspectives

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) have been the subject of extensive research in the field of cancer due to their potential role in its prevention and treatment. MUFAs can be consumed through the diet or endogenously biosynthesized. Stearoyl-CoA desaturases (SCDs) are key enzymes involved in the endogenous synthesis of MUFAs, and their expression and activity have been found to be increased in various types of cancer. In addition, diets rich in MUFAs have been associated with cancer risk in epidemiological studies for certain types of carcinomas. This review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art literature on the associations between MUFA metabolism and cancer development and progression from human, animal, and cellular studies. We discuss the impact of MUFAs on cancer development, including their effects on cancer cell growth, migration, survival, and cell signaling pathways, to provide new insights on the role of MUFAs in cancer biology.

Effects of the consumption of guarana on human health: A narrative review

Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant from the Amazon region with cultural importance. Despite its early ancestral use by indigenous tribes, the first reports regarding the benefits of guarana consumption for human health were published in the 19th century. Since then, the use of guarana seed in powder and extract forms has been studied for its diverse effects on human health, such as stimulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-obesity effects. These effects are attributed to the high content of bioactive compounds found in guarana seeds, especially methylxanthines and flavonoids. In fact, the Brazilian Food Supplement Law has officially acknowledged guarana as a source of bioactive compounds. The number and diversity of studies focused on guarana and human health are increasing; thus, organizing and describing the available evidence on guarana and its applications is necessary to provide a framework for future studies. In this narrative review, we have organized the available information regarding guarana and its potential effects on human health. Guarana produces unique fruits with great potential for human health applications. However, the available evidence lacks human studies and mechanistic investigations. Future studies should be designed considering its applicability to human health, including intake levels and toxicity studies.

Characterization of Seed Oil Components from Nephelium Lappaceum L

The chemical composition of the oil extracted from the seeds of Nephelium lappaceum L., commonly known as rambutan, has been investigated. The oil from this plant, similar to other members of the Sapindaceae, typically contained triglycerides (83%) and cyanolipids (17%). The latter consisted of type III cyanolipids, 1-cyano-2-hydroxymethylprop-1-en-3-ol diesters. Structural investigation of the oil components was carried out using chemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Oleic and arachidic acids were the two dominant esterified fatty acyl chains in both triglycerides and cyanolipids. Eicosenoic acids (cis-vaccenic and paullinic acid) were present in higher amounts in the cyanolipid fraction of the oil.

Fatty-Acid Composition of Seeds and Chemotaxonomic Evaluation of Sixteen Sapindaceae Species

Circumscriptions for the Sapindaceae family and its infrafamilial relationships have been widely discussed. Certain groups are highly morphologically similar; thus, it is difficult to identify certain taxa. DNA Analyses have also indicated complex phylogenetic relationships, and it is difficult to relate such analyses to morphological data. Given the above concerns, this study aimed to investigate the fatty-acid profiles of the seed oils of 16 Sapindaceae species belonging to five tribes and to evaluate their potential chemotaxonomic significance. In total, eleven fatty acids were identified, and eicosenoic acid predominated in nine species. Multivariate analyses (principal component and cluster analyses) of the fatty-acid profiles of the seed oils allowed to separate them in two major clusters. The first cluster, characterized by oils with high eicosenoic acid levels, included all species belonging to the Paullinieae tribe (Cardiospermum, Paullinia, and Serjania species). In the second main cluster, the chemical similarity of the oils was lower, and the species belonged to different tribes. Nevertheless, the tree investigated Allophylus species (Thouinieae tribe) constituted a separate subcluster. Thus, the results showed that the fatty-acid composition of the seed oils of Sapindaceae species provide chemotaxonomic support for the separation of the Paullinieae tribe from the other tribes studied.

Analysis of cyanolipids from Sapindaceae seed oils by gas chromatography-EI-mass spectrometry

As a continuation of our investigation on unusual lipids, in the present work we describe a method based on GC-FID and GC-EI-MS to analyze the molecular composition of intact cyanolipids (CL) from selected Sapindaceae plants. We applied our method to the study of CL of type I (1-cyano-2-hydroxymethyl-prop-2-en-1-ol-diester) from Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis and Allophylus dregeanus and CL type III (1-cyano-2-hydroxymethyl-prop-1-en-3-ol-diester) from A. natalensis and Nephelium lappaceum. Our analytical approach allowed us to obtain useful mass spectra to identify individual isomeric molecular species composing the CL mixtures and resulted in the very sensitive detection and identification of minor CL. Defined CL mass spectra resulted in suitable detection of these phytochemicals in complex plant oil mixtures containing acylglycerols. To the best of our knowledge GC-EI-MS spectra of cyanolipids have never been reported before. Moreover, this study improved previous knowledge of the lipid chemistry of Sapindaceae plants.

Guarana: revisiting a highly caffeinated plant from the Amazon

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth var. sorbilis (Mart.) Ducke) has been traditionally consumed by indigenous communities of the Amazon region. It is valued mainly for its stimulant property because of its high content of caffeine, which can be up to 6% in the seeds.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to revisit this typically Brazilian plant, addressing economic considerations, the chemical makeup of the seeds and pharmacological properties so far investigated.

RESULTS

Guarana is primarily produced in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Bahia, and approximately 70% of the production is used by the industry of soft and energy drinks. The other 30% becomes guarana powder for direct consumption in capsules or dilution in water, or it serves as a raw material for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. In addition to its stimulant property, guarana has other therapeutic properties, which have aroused the interest of the scientific community.

CONCLUSION

This review shows that other guarana properties may be explored and how scarce are the studies regarding agronomic, plant pathology, physiology and breeding. So far, caffeine has been the main reason to study guarana and still will lead the researches because the demand for this alkaloid by food and pharmaceutical industry, and a strongly growing market related with beauty products. However, guarana has other components and there is great interest in studies designed to elucidate the effects of guarana's bioactive components and their potential pharmacological applications. Significant part of the guarana production in Brazil still comes from Indians tribes in the Amazon State, and any improvement in this plant, in any aspect, may propitiate a positive economic impact in their lives.

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of acetonic extract from Paullinia cupana Mart. seeds

The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the acetone extract from Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis Mart. (Sapindaceae) seeds, commonly called guarana, were assessed against selected bacterial and fungal strains. We tested the extract against both standard American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and clinically isolated (CI) bacterial strains and three fungal strains. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values for bacteria and MIC and minimum fungicidal concentration for fungi were determined. The extract showed an activity against the nine bacterial strains tested, both CI and ATCC strains (MIC comprised between 32 and 128 μm/mL and MBC between 128 and 512 μm/mL), showing a significant antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Also, the tested fungi were sensitive to the extract (MIC between 125 and 250 μm/mL). The contemporaneous presence of different bioactivities in the extract from guarana suggests this plant as a source of bioactive substances.

Cyanolipid-rich seed oils from Allophylus natalensis and A. dregeanus

As a continuation of our study on plants of the Sapindaceae, the chemical composition of the oil extracted from seeds of Allophylus natalensis (Sonder) De Winter and of A. dregeanus (Sonder) De Winter has been investigated. The oil from both species contained approximately equal amounts of TAG and type I cyanolipids (CL), 1-cyano-2-hydroxymethylprop-2-en-1-ol-diesters, with minor amounts of type III CL, 1-cyano-2-hydroxymethylprop-1-en-3-ol-diesters. Structural investigation of the oil components was accomplished by chemical, chromatographic (TLC, CC, GC, and GC-MS), and spectroscopic (IR, NMR) means. GC and GC-MS analysis showed that C20 FA were dominant in the CL components of the oil from the two species (44-80% vs. 21-26% in TAG), with cis-11-eicosenoic acid (36-46%) and cis 13-eicosenoic acid (paullinic acid, 23-37%) as the major esterified fatty acyl chains in A. natalensis and A. dregeanus, respectively. cis-Vaccenic acid was particularly abundant (11-31%) in the CL from A. dregeanus, whereas eicosanoic acid (10-22%) was also a major component of CL in both species.