Enzyme-assisted extraction of stabilized chlorophyll from spinach

Stabilized chlorophyll-based food colorants from spinach: Kinetics of a tailored enzymatic extraction

An organic solvent-free method based on limited dosing options (biocatalyst and zinc chloride) for the quick and mild recovery of chlorophyll (Chl) from spinach has been proposed. This tailored, custom-made protocol has been designed to produce stable green natural colorants. The kinetics of pigment extraction turned out to be a very useful tool to identify the proper conditions, in terms of biocatalyst dose (0.10-50 U/g), extraction time (1-48h), and ZnCl2 amount (50-300ppm), both for enhancing the recovery yield and preserving the green color. Considering the extraction kinetics, the recovery yield, and the colorimetric data, the suitable conditions to produce stable green and food-grade colorants are 0.10 U/g of enzyme, 3h, and 150ppm of ZnCl2 at 25°C. The extraction yield of Chl (4863µg/U) was about 51% greater than control, with a higher extraction rate constant (5.43 × 10-4 g/(µg min)). Considering the impact of ZnCl2 amount on Chl, its protective action resulted to be more noticeable toward Chl a: at 150ppm, an increased amount of about 2.5 and 1.5 times was found for Chl a and Chl b, respectively, in comparison to the reference (0ppm ZnCl2). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research demonstrates how a suitable kinetic approach helps to provide a tailored protocol, customized for the vegetable matrix, to produce stable green natural colorants from spinach. Lowering enzyme dosage and ZnCl2 amount during the extraction of chlorophyll at low temperature is crucial for its potential use as a colorant in food industry, providing high economic values through saving time and environmental protection.

Natural Pigments Recovery from Food By-Products: Health Benefits towards the Food Industry

Given the health risks associated with synthetic colorants, natural pigments have emerged as a promising alternative. These renewable choices not only provide health benefits but also offer valuable technical and sensory properties to food systems. The effective application of natural colorants, however, requires the optimization of processing conditions, exploration of new sources, and development of novel formulations to ensure stability and maintain their inherent qualities. Several natural pigment sources have been explored to achieve the broad color range desired by consumers. The purpose of this review is to explore the current advances in the obtention and utilization of natural pigments derived from by-products, which possess health-enhancing properties and are extracted through environmentally friendly methods. Moreover, this review provides new insights into the extraction processes, applications, and bioactivities of different types of pigments.

Resonant energy transfer among naturally available bio materials for white light emission

In this work we have studied the fluorescence of natural dyes and generated nearly pure white light with chromaticity intensity (CIE) coordinate (0.35,0.35). The colour rendering index (CRI) and colour temperature corresponding to the CIE coordinate are calculated and these dyes are ideal for cool white light emission. It was observed that a broadband and simultaneous emission involving anthocyanin and polyphenol ellergic acid from jamun, curcumin and chlorophyll from spinach leaves played a vital role in obtaining a CIE index close to that of pure white light. The white light emission is due to the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from curcumin to anthocyanin and ellergic acid to curcumin. Efficiency of FRET is calculated and different possibilities studied. For the polyphenol ellergic acid, curcumin FRET pair the spectral overlap integral and the efficiency are 3.29 × 10-24 m2, 99.97% and for the curcumin, anthocyanin pair, they are 4.03 × 10-24 m2, 76%, respectively.

The influence of different gums compared with surfactants as encapsulating stabilizers on the thermal, storage, and low-pH stability of chlorophyllin

Sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC), with a higher stability and water solubility than chlorophyll, has limited applications in acidic products due to precipitation. We investigated the effect of pectin (PE), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum (XG), carrageenan gum (CG), gellan gum (GG), tragacanth gum (TG), gum Arabic (GA), and polysorbate 80 (PS80) on SCC stability in acidic model solutions (pH = 3.5). These stabilizers led to a significant reduction in particle size and zeta-potential compared to control sample. GA (33.3:1), PE (8:1), CMC (4:1), XG (1.33:1), and PS80 (0.67:1) stabilized SCC in acidic systems for 28 days. The FTIR analysis showed that mainly electrostatic and hydrogen bonds between SCC and stabilizers led to a substantial decline in particle size, improving SCC distribution and stability within acidic environment. Thus, XG and CMC could be effectively used for SCC stabilization under acidic solutions where applying PS80 surfactant is a health concern.

Enzyme-Assisted Extraction for the Recovery of Food-Grade Chlorophyll-Based Green Colorant

The aim of the study was to develop a biotechnological approach for the green recovery of chlorophyll from spinach, to be used as a natural food colorant. The plant matrix was characterized in terms of cell wall polysaccharide composition, and a tailored enzymatic mix based on cellulase (40%) xylanase (41%) and polygalacturonase (19%) was formulated. The process variables (temperature (°C), time (h), enzyme mix dose (U/g), zinc concentration (ppm), and buffer/substrate ratio (B/S)) and their interactions were studied by response surface methodology. The overlay plot made it possible to identify the process conditions (T: 25 °C, Zn: 150 ppm e B/S: 17.5, t: <2 h and enzyme mix dose between 12 and 45 U/g) to maximize the amount of chlorophyll, and concurrently, the quality of the green color of the extract. Finally, the novel colorant was applied in the production of a real food.

Production and characterization of nanofibrillated cellulose gels simultaneously exhibiting thermally stable green color and oil-in-water emulsion stabilizing capability from Centella asiatica

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) gels simultaneously exhibiting Pickering stabilizing capability and thermally stable green color were developed for use as food additive in thermally processed food emulsion requiring the expression of color. Chopped Centella asiatica plant was mixed with zinc amino acid chelate solution and subject to autoclaving at 130°C for 2 h to form zinc-chlorophylls complex and to remove noncellulosic components. Autoclaved sample was high-shear homogenized at 26,000 rpm for 15 min and microfluidized at either 80, 120, or 160 MPa for 5 passes. An increase in microfluidization pressure resulted in a decrease in NFC diameters; microfluidization at 160 MPa did not nevertheless yield any further reduction in the diameters when compared with that at 120 MPa. From energy consumption point of view, microfluidization at 120 MPa for 5 passes was then noted as optimal condition for preparation of NFC coloring gel; NFC with diameters of 8-42 nm and crystallinity index of 35% was obtained. Freshly prepared gel exhibited gel-like behavior and dark green color. Heating at 121°C for 1 h did not affect diameters, viscoelasticity, and color of the gel. Addition of the gel at 0.9% or 1.2% (w/w) into soybean oil-in-water emulsion, in combination with high-shear homogenization at 18,000 rpm for 5 min, resulted in adequate emulsion stability. The emulsion exhibited stable dark green color and no phase separation after heating at 121°C for 1 h and during storage for 8 weeks. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Information presented here can serve as a guideline for further development of a multifunctional food ingredient exhibiting thermally stable green color and oil-in-water emulsion stabilizing capability. In other words, one simple ingredient can serve at the same time as both natural food colorant and emulsion stabilizer.

Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and HPLC Analysis of Nine Edible Sprouts in Cambodia

The non-nutritional health benefits of sprouts are unconfirmed. Thus, nine sprout methanolic extracts were tested for phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity. The TPC, TCC, TFC, TAC, and TALC were measured. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. HPLC detected gallic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin in the extracts. The sprout extracts contained six compounds, with caffeic acid being the most abundant. Gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and rutin were highest in soybean, black sesame, mustard, sunflower, white radish, and black sesame sprouts, respectively. Sunflower sprouts had the highest level of TCC while soybean sprouts had the highest level of TFC, Taiwanese morning glory had the highest level of TPC, mustard sprouts had the highest level of TALC, and black sesame sprouts had the highest level of TAC. Taiwanese morning glories scavenged the most DPPH and ABTS radicals. Colored and white radish sprouts had similar ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Antioxidation mechanisms varied by compound. Our findings demonstrated that sprouts have biological effects, and their short time for mass production offers an alternative food source for health benefits, and that they are useful for future research development of natural products and dietary supplements.

Is now the time for a Rubiscuit or Ruburger? Increased interest in Rubisco as a food protein

Much of the research on Rubisco aims at increasing crop yields, with the ultimate aim of increasing plant production to feed an increasing global population. However, since the identification of Rubisco as the most abundant protein in leaf material, it has also been touted as a direct source of dietary protein. The nutritional and functional properties of Rubisco are on a par with those of many animal proteins, and are superior to those of many other plant proteins. Purified Rubisco isolates are easily digestible, nutritionally complete, and have excellent foaming, gelling, and emulsifying properties. Despite this potential, challenges in efficiently extracting and separating Rubisco have limited its use as a global foodstuff. Leaves are lower in protein than seeds, requiring large amounts of biomass to be processed. This material normally needs to be processed quickly to avoid degradation of the final product. Extraction of Rubisco from the plant material requires breaking down the cell walls and rupturing the chloroplast. In order to obtain high-quality protein, Rubisco needs to be separated from chlorophyll, and then concentrated for final use. However, with increased consumer demand for plant protein, there is increased interest in the potential of leaf protein, and many commercial plants are now being established aimed at producing Rubisco as a food protein, with over US$60 million of funding invested in the past 5 years. Is now the time for increased use of Rubisco in food production as a nitrogen source, rather than just providing a carbon source?

Dual aggregation in ground state and ground-excited state induced by high concentrations contributes to chlorophyll stability

Chlorophyll (Chl) has great application potential in food colouring and nutritional supplementation. Since Chl is easily degraded, stability protection is vital to its application. Herein, a dual aggregation mechanism induced by high concentrations to improve Chl stability was proposed. As a result, the Chl retention at high concentrations increased to 323.92% of that at low concentrations. To explain aggregation, the Chl dimer was observed by atomic force microscopy, and a stable structural model of the Chl a "sandwich" dimer was established. It was proven that Chl dimer stability was dominated by van der Waals (vdW) interactions, while monomer orientation during aggregation was dominated by electrostatic interactions. Charge transfer (CT) was also shown to be a key interaction in the dimer. Excitation at 393 nm was first proposed for CT identification. This research hopes to provide new ideas for the design of food ingredients in human health promotion.

Colaconema formosanum, Sarcodia suae, and Nostoc commune as Fermentation Substrates for Bioactive Substance Production

Bioactive compounds extracted from natural renewable sources have attracted an increased interest from both industry and academia. Recently, algae have been highlighted as promising sources of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, fatty acids, proteins, and pigments, which can be used as functional ingredients in many industrial applications. Therefore, a simple green extraction and purification methodology capable of recovering biocompounds from algal biomass is of extreme importance in commercial production. In this study, we evaluated the application of three valuable algae (Colaconema formosanum, Sarcodia suae, and Nostoc commune) in combination with Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis (type strain ATCC 14393) for the production of versatile compounds. The results illustrate that after 6 h of first-stage fermentation, the production of phycobiliproteins in C. formosanum was significantly increased by 156.2%, 188.9%, and 254.17% for PE, PC, and APC, respectively. This indicates that the production of phycobiliproteins from algae can be enhanced by P. haloplanktis. Furthermore, we discovered that after S. suae and N. commune were fermented with P. haloplanktis, mannose was produced. In this study, we describe a feasible biorefinery process for the production of phycobiliproteins and mannose by fermenting marine macroalgae with cyanobacteria. We believe it is worth establishing a scale-up technique by applying this fermentation method to the production of phycobiliproteins and mannose in the future.

Novel Approaches for the Recovery of Natural Pigments with Potential Health Effects

The current increased industrial food production has led to a significant rise in the amount of food waste generated. These food wastes, especially fruit and vegetable byproducts, are good sources of natural pigments, such as anthocyanins, betalains, carotenoids, and chlorophylls, with both coloring and health-related properties. Therefore, recovery of natural pigments from food wastes is important for both economic and environmental reasons. Conventional methods that are used to extract natural pigments from food wastes are time-consuming, expensive, and unsustainable. In addition, natural pigments are sensitive to high temperatures and prolonged processing times that are applied during conventional treatments. In this sense, the present review provides an elucidation of the latest research on the extraction of pigments from the agri-food industry and how their consumption may improve human health.

Effect of Different Extraction Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of C-Phycocyanin from Dry Biomass of Arthrospira platensis

The effect of four different extraction methods on physicochemical characteristics and functionalities of chloro-phycocyanin (CP) was investigated. Swelling (S-CP), freezing and thawing (4FT-CP), ultrasonication with freezing and thawing (4FT+U-CP), and the high-pressure cell disruption (HPCD-CP) process affected CP differently, thus resulting in different levels of solubility, DPPH scavenging activity, ABTS scavenging activity, and reducing power. Among the four CPs, HPCD-CP had the highest CP content (15.3%), purity (1.66 ± 0.16), and ∆E value but the lowest ∆b value. The ζ potential of HPCD-CP (−38.8 mV) was the highest, but the average particle size of 4FT+U-CP (719.1 nm) was the highest. UV-Vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra illustrated that high-pressure cell disruption-assisted extraction had more profound impacts on the microenvironment of tetrapyrrole chromophores, the environment of aromatic amino acids, and the phycocyanobilin of CP. Furthermore, HPCD-CP and 4FT-CP showed higher solubility and antioxidant activities than S-CP, especially 4FT+U-CP. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that HPCD technology could obtain a food-grade C-phycocyanin product with higher CP concentration, purity, solubility, and antioxidant activity.

Evaluation of stability and antibacterial properties of extracted chlorophyll from alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.)

This study aims to the evaluation of stability and antibacterial properties of the extracted chlorophyll from alfalfa. For this purpose, chlorophylls a and b from alfalfa were extracted by enzymatic and ultrasound methods. The results show that the content of chlorophyll a in alfalfa is higher than chlorophyll b and also the enzymatic method demonstrates higher yield in chlorophyll extraction. In the present study, the chlorophyll stability was evaluated in different conditions including temperature (-18, 4 and 25 °C), time (15, 30 and 45 days), pH (4.5 and 5.5) and NaCl concentration (50, 100 and 150mM). Also, antibacterial effects were investigated at different concentrations of chlorophyll (20, 40, 60 and 100μM) against some bactriaes by agar disk diffusion and microdilution (MIC and MBC) methods. The results demonstrate that 50 mM of NaCl, temperature -18 °C, pH = 4.5 and time15 days are associated with the highest chlorophyll a and b contents. Furthermore, the resistance of bacterias in agar disk diffusion and microdilution methods observe Listeria < Staphylococcus < Salmonella < Escherichia < Pseudomonas and Listeria<(Staphylococcus = Escherichia = Salmonella)<Pseudomonas, respectively. Also, there are significant differences between different chlorophyll concentrations against Listeria and Staphylococcus in evaluation of inhibition effects of total extracted chlorophyll (p < 0.05).

Fruit ripening: dynamics and integrated analysis of carotenoids and anthocyanins

BACKGROUND

Fruits are vital food resources as they are loaded with bioactive compounds varying with different stages of ripening. As the fruit ripens, a dynamic color change is observed from green to yellow to red due to the biosynthesis of pigments like chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Apart from making the fruit attractive and being a visual indicator of the ripening status, pigments add value to a ripened fruit by making them a source of nutraceuticals and industrial products. As the fruit matures, it undergoes biochemical changes which alter the pigment composition of fruits.

RESULTS

The synthesis, degradation and retention pathways of fruit pigments are mediated by hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors. Manipulation of the underlying regulatory mechanisms during fruit ripening suggests ways to enhance the desired pigments in fruits by biotechnological interventions. Here we report, in-depth insight into the dynamics of a pigment change in ripening and the regulatory mechanisms in action.

CONCLUSIONS

This review emphasizes the role of pigments as an asset to a ripened fruit as they augment the nutritive value, antioxidant levels and the net carbon gain of fruits; pigments are a source for fruit biofortification have tremendous industrial value along with being a tool to predict the harvest. This report will be of great utility to the harvesters, traders, consumers, and natural product divisions to extract the leading nutraceutical and industrial potential of preferred pigments biosynthesized at different fruit ripening stages.

Differential Antioxidant Compounds and Activities in Seedlings of Two Rice Cultivars Under Chilling Treatment

Variations in antioxidant compounds were examined in seedlings of two rice cultivars (Qiutianxiaoting and 93-11) exposed to low temperature (4°C) for 0, 12, 36, and 48 h. Antioxidant activity was identified by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids, chlorophyll, and anthocyanins (ACNs) were determined by spectrophotometry. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to reveal the changes in phenolic compound concentrations in rice seedlings under chilling treatment. Results showed that antioxidant concentrations and antioxidant activity after chilling treatment were higher in 93-11 compared to Qiutianxiaoting, reaching the highest level at 36 h chilling treatment in 93-11. Phenolic compounds in Qiutianxiaoting decreased between 12 and 36 h but then increased at 48 h, whereas the corresponding levels in 93-11 increased as chilling time increased. Moreover, 10 phenolic compounds were detected and quantified by HPLC, of which gallic acid and caffeic acid tended to only exist in 93-11, whereas rutin was observed only in Qiutianxiaoting. The results of this study could be leveraged to optimize the antioxidant potential of rice in the context of healthy food choices.

Optimization of enzyme assisted extraction of protein from the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves for alternative plant protein concentrate production

This research focused on the effect of temperature (25-75 °C), extraction time (40-120 min) and solvent/solid ratio (15-45 mL/g) and the enzyme assisted extraction on protein extraction efficiency from by-product of sugar beet. 3 different methods were applied in protein isolation and the highest protein yield (34.55%) was obtained by the isoelectric-ammonium sulfate precipitation method. At the optimized condition of temperature 54.25 °C, 81.35 min, and solvent/solid ratio of 27.65 mL/g, the protein yield was found 55.15%. The protein yield has reached 79.01% with an increase of 43.27% with the aid of the enzyme assisted extraction. The physicochemical properties were determined for revealing its potential use in food industry. It is promising that the isolated protein concentrates (SPC-IAP) show high protein content (69.08% d.b) as well as high solubility (98.71% at pH 7.5). SPC-IAP's high brightness (L* = 79.55), low redness (a* = 0.33) and low yellowness (b* = 13.27) values are encouraging for food industry.

Harvest Age Effect on Phytochemical Content of White and Black Glutinous Rice Cultivars

Many studies have been conducted on the bioactive compounds of rice seeds, however, there is limited information on the bioactive compounds of rice sprouts. This study focused on the age effect on the phytochemical content of white and black glutinous rice sprouts harvested between 5 and 25 days old. We assessed yield, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, total chlorophyll content, and proximate analysis. HPLC results identified protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and rutin in the sprouts of both cultivars, ranging between 0.56–1.58, 0.65–7.69, and 0.47–1.68 mg/g extract, respectively. The amount of bioactive compounds and proximate compositions in black glutinous rice were generally higher than white glutinous rice in an age-dependent manner (p < 0.05). At 5–7 days, black glutinous rice contained the highest total anthocyanin content, while white glutinous rice contained the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoid content (p < 0.05). High total chlorophyll content was initially detected in white glutinous rice at a younger age than black glutinous rice (p < 0.05), while total chlorophyll content in both cultivars was not significantly different. Our study confirms the presence of phytoconstituents in the rice sprouts of white and black glutinous rice and their potential as functional foods and for being further development as natural health products.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW PRODUCTION METHOD OF HEALTHFUL CRYOFROZEN NANOADDITIVES OF CHLOROPHYLL-CONTAINING VEGETABLES USING CRYOMECHANICAL PROCESSES

The aim of the work is to develop the new production method of healthful cryofrozen nanoadditives of chlorophyll-containing vegetables (CCV) in the nanosize form, using liquid and gas-like nitrogen with a high degree of chlorophyll preservation, without losses at defrost and without synthetic admixtures. The new method is based on using cryogenic “shock” freezing and low-temperature comminution as an innovation. Their joint use is accompanied by cryodestruction and cryomechanochemistry processes. The offered method gives a possibility not only to preserve chlorophylls, carotenoids and other BAS of initial raw materials, but also to transform hidden forms of BAS, bound with biopolymers, in free more completely. Chlorophyll-containing vegetables were used as raw materials: spinach leaves, verdure of celery and parsley. There is offered and developed the new production method of healthful cryofrozen nanoadditives of CCV, allowing not only to preserve chlorophyll, β-carotene and other BAS of initial raw materials, but also to release their hidden, inactive forms more fully. The last ones are bound in fresh CCV in nanoassociates and nanopolymers. At getting cryofrozen additives, there takes extraction (or release) of BAS into the free nanoform, easily assimilated by the human organism. It is established, that fresh CCV contain 3.0…3.5 times more bound inactive chlorophyll, than free one. It is established, that the use of the new method of processing CCV in cryofrozen additives at cryogenic “shock” freezing to temperature within a product –35…–40 °С and fine-dispersed comminution result in the high degree of releasing hidden forms of chlorophylls and other BAS from vegetables. Their mass share is 2.5…3.5 times more than in fresh vegetables. At developing the new method of getting cryofrozen additives, the essential amount of hidden (bound) forms of chlorophylls and other BAS in CCV were discovered – hidden reserves of raw materials, unknown to the scientific community. It is established, that the storage term of obtained cryofrozen additives of CCV is 12 months, during which chlorophyll is fully preserved. At the same time it is demonstrated, that at defrost of additives with CCV, losses of chlorophyll and other BAS are not observed. There are also studied enzymatic processes at CCV cryoprocessing, especially the activity of oxidizing enzymes (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase) that influence a preservation degree of chlorophyll and other BAS. It is established, that at freezing CCV to –18 °С in a product, inactivation of oxidizing enzymes doesn’t take place. At that at further defrost of CCV, there takes place the increase of enzymatic activity in 1.4…1.5 times, comparing with fresh chlorophyll-containing vegetables. It is established, that at cryodestruction of CCV to –35…–40 °С there takes place the complete inactivation of oxidizing enzymes, which activity is not renewed at defrosting a product. The obtained cryofrozen additives with CCV in the nanosize form are a source of the unique complex of phytocomponents – chlorophyll, β-carotene, vitamin C, polyphenol compounds and other BAS and don’t have analogues in the world. Cryoadditives with CCV are five in one: BAS source, coloring agents, stiffeners, structure-formers and gel-formers. A green line of healthy products is developed, using cryoadditives of CCV: nanosorbets, nanobeverages, sponge cakes, sauces-dressings, cheese desserts and so on

Insights into interaction of chlorophylls with sodium caseinate in aqueous nanometre-scale dispersion: color stability, spectroscopic, electrostatic, and morphological properties

Chlorophylls are the major pigments present in photosynthetic plants but their application in foods is limited due to their lack of solubility in aqueous media and their susceptibility to degradation during processing and storage. These problems might be overcome by the addition of sodium caseinate (NaCas) whose hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups may result in electrostatic and steric stabilization. In the present work, 1% and 3% (w/w) chlorophylls in NaCas dispersion or in ethanol (control) were prepared and their color stability under light treatment for 5 h and light-shed storage for 10 days was studied along with their interaction mechanism, using electrostatic, spectroscopic and morphological methodologies. Chlorophylls remained 58.72% and 53.84% in NaCas dispersions compared with the control (41.29% and 45.93%) after light treatment for low- and high-dose treatment, respectively, suggesting that NaCas improved the solubility and stability of the pigments. Additionally, 1% and 3% (w/w) chlorophylls in NaCas dispersion remained stable at 60.49% and 57.62% compared with the control (44.81% and 48.17%) for the 10 day storage during which the zeta-potential of the dispersions changed from -31.7 to -52.2 mV and from -36.7 to -56.2 mV with a well-defined diameter (∼221-245 nm). The data obtained from electron microscopy, together with the results of fluorescence spectroscopy, suggests that chlorophylls were entrapped in NaCas dispersions mainly via hydrogen bonds.

Recovery of chlorophylls from spent biomass of Arthrospira platensis obtained after extraction of phycobiliproteins

Extraction of chlorophylls has received scant attention or priority over phycobiliproteins from Arthrospira platensis. In fact extraction of chlorophylls from spent biomass (left after extraction of phycobiliproteins which goes as waste or underutilized) on drying, will improve the economics of the overall downstream processing. Ethanol (yield 5.75 mg/g, db), being a food grade solvent, was preferred over acetone and dimethyl sulfoxide in spite of their slightly better yields (5.85 mg/g, db). The best conditions were 100% concentration of ethanol, 1:8 S/L ratio, pH 6, 50 °C temperature and 1 h extraction time. An increase of 125% in yield besides reduction of 83.3% in extraction time (from 6 to 1 h) could be achieved at standardized conditions. Low-Humidity drying was observed to be a possible alternative to freeze drying for drying of spent biomass. Ultrasonication as pre-treatment and ethanol as solvent were found effective for extraction of chlorophylls from dry spent biomass.

Stability of Chlorophyll as Natural Colorant: A Review for Suji (Dracaena angustifolia (Medik.) Roxb.) Leaves’ Case

Suji (Dracaena angustifolia (Medik.) Roxb.) leaves are famous chlorophyll source used as food colorant in Indonesia and other south-east Asian countries. Its chlorophyll has unique characteristics which can degrade through enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. This article summarizes traditional application of Suji leaves, the characteristics of Suji leaf chlorophyll, postharvest stability, and several ways to retain its green color. Potential development of Suji leaf extract as food colorant or food ingredients are also discussed.

Chlorophyll extraction from suji leaf (Pleomele angustifolia Roxb.) with ZnCl2 stabilizer

Suji (Pleomele angustifolia Roxb.) leaves are a prominent source of chlorophyll and well-known for their ability to produce green color for food ingredients. However, chlorophyll is suspectible to color degradation at high temperature. Color degradation occurred because porphyrin loses magnesium in its ring and it can be avoided by adding zinc. The aim of this work was to investigate the combined effect of independent variables on chlorophyll extraction process using ZnCl₂ as a stabilizer. Suji leaves were blanched with boiling water for 2 min, Zn-chlorophyll synthesis was done by varying concentration of ZnCl₂, Zn-chlorophyll extraction with ethanol, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry analysis of the final extracted solutions. A full three-level factorial design under response surface methodology was used to obtain the optimum condition of extraction process. The experimental data were analyzed by analysis of variance and fitted with second order polynomial equation. The coefficient of determination (R²) was found to be 81.99%. The optimum operating conditions were obtained at pH 7, ZnCl₂ concentration of 700 ppm and temperature of 85 °C with desirability value of 1.0000. At the optimum conditions, the total chlorophyll content (TCC) was found to be 47.2975 mg/100 g fresh weight.

Natural colorants: Pigment stability and extraction yield enhancement via utilization of appropriate pretreatment and extraction methods

Natural colorants from plant-based materials have gained increasing popularity due to health consciousness of consumers. Among the many steps involved in the production of natural colorants, pigment extraction is one of the most important. Soxhlet extraction, maceration, and hydrodistillation are conventional methods that have been widely used in industry and laboratory for such a purpose. Recently, various non-conventional methods, such as supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, pulsed-electric field extraction, and enzyme-assisted extraction have emerged as alternatives to conventional methods due to the advantages of the former in terms of smaller solvent consumption, shorter extraction time, and more environment-friendliness. Prior to the extraction step, pretreatment of plant materials to enhance the stability of natural pigments is another important step that must be carefully taken care of. In this paper, a comprehensive review of appropriate pretreatment and extraction methods for chlorophylls, carotenoids, betalains, and anthocyanins, which are major classes of plant pigments, is provided by using pigment stability and extraction yield as assessment criteria.

Stability of Organoleptic Agents in Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics

Organoleptic agents constitute an important niche in the field of pharmaceutical excipients. These agents encompass a range of additives responsible for coloring, flavoring, sweetening, and texturing formulations. All these agents have come to play a significant role in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics due to their ability to increase patient compliance by elevating a formulation's elegance and esthetics. However, it is essential to review their physical and chemical attributes before use, as organoleptic agents, similar to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), are susceptible to physical and chemical instability leading to degradation. These instabilities can be triggered by API-organoleptic agent interaction, exposure to light, air and oxygen, and changes in pH and temperature. These organoleptic agent instabilities are of serious concern as they affect API and formulation stability, leading to API degradation or the potential for manifestation of toxicity. Hence, it is extremely critical to evaluate and review the physicochemical properties of organoleptic agents before their use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. This literature review discusses commonly used organoleptic agents in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical formulations, their associated instabilities, and probable approaches to overcoming them.

Molecular structure, stability and cytotoxicity of natural green colorants produced from Centella asiatica L. leaves treated by steaming and metal complexations

Stability of extracts from Centella asiatica L. leaves treated by steaming and metal-chlorophylls complexations against combined acid-heat was compared with that from untreated leaves and synthetic colorant. Formation of metal-chlorophylls complexes was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Molecular structure changes during stability test and cytotoxicity of the extracts against Vero cells were evaluated. Utilization of the extracts as colorant was also assessed in selected beverage ingredient and food. Copper-chlorophylls extracts exhibited similar green hue to those from untreated and steamed leaves, while zinc-chlorophylls extracts exhibited yellow-green color. Metal-chlorophylls extracts possessed higher stability against combined acid-heat than those from untreated and steamed leaves. Use of metal-chlorophylls extracts in beverage ingredient led to increased hue value due to their structural rearrangement, which was confirmed by changes in Q band of VIS spectra. Cytotoxicity of zinc- and copper-chlorophylls extracts was slightly different and higher than those of extracts from untreated/steamed leaves and synthetic colorant.

Antioxidants: Characterization, natural sources, extraction and analysis

Recently many review papers regarding antioxidants from different sources and different extraction and quantification procedures have been published. However none of them has all the information regarding antioxidants (chemistry, sources, extraction and quantification). This article tries to take a different perspective on antioxidants for the new researcher involved in this field. Antioxidants from fruit, vegetables and beverages play an important role in human health, for example preventing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and lowering the incidence of different diseases. In this paper the main classes of antioxidants are presented: vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols. Recently, many analytical methodologies involving diverse instrumental techniques have been developed for the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of these compounds. Antioxidants have been quantified by different researchers using one or more of these methods: in vivo, in vitro, electrochemical, chemiluminescent, electron spin resonance, chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, nuclear magnetic resonance, near infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry methods.