Full inhibition of enzymatic browning in the presence of thiol-functionalised silica nanomaterial

Inhibitory Effects, Fluorescence Studies, and Molecular Docking Analysis of Some Novel Pyridine-Based Compounds on Mushroom Tyrosinase

Melanin biosynthesis in different organisms is performed by a tyrosinase action. Excessive enzyme activity and pigment accumulation result in different diseases and disorders including skin cancers, blemishes, and darkening. In fruits and vegetables, it causes unwanted browning of these products and reduces their appearance quality and economic value. Inhibiting enzyme activity and finding novel powerful and safe inhibitors are highly important in agriculture, food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. In this regard, in the present study, some novel synthetic pyridine-based compounds including 2,6-bis (tosyloxymethyl) pyridine (compound 3), 2,6-bis (butylthiomethyl) pyridine (compound 4), and 2,6-bis (phenylthiomethyl) pyridine (compound 5) were synthesized for the first time, and their inhibitory potencies were assessed on mushroom tyrosinase diphenolase activity. The results showed that while all tested compounds significantly decreased the enzyme activity, compounds 4 and 5 had the highest inhibitory effects (respectively, 80 and 89% inhibition with the IC50 values of 17.0 and 9.0 μmol L-1), and the inhibition mechanism was mixed-type for both compounds. Ligand-binding studies were carried out by fluorescence quenching and molecular docking methods to investigate the enzyme-compound interactions. Fluorescence quenching results revealed that the compounds can form nonfluorescent complexes with the enzyme and result in quenching of its intrinsic emission by the static process. Molecular docking analyses predicted the binding positions and the amino acid residues involved in the interactions. These compounds appear to be suitable candidates for more studies on tyrosinase inhibition.

Engineered Nanomaterials Suppress the Soft Rot Disease (Rhizopus stolonifer) and Slow Down the Loss of Nutrient in Sweet Potato

About 45% of the world’s fruit and vegetables are wasted, resulting in postharvest losses and contributing to economic losses ranging from $10 billion to $100 billion worldwide. Soft rot disease caused by Rhizopus stolonifer leads to postharvest storage losses of sweet potatoes. Nanoscience stands as a new tool in our arsenal against these mounting challenges that will restrict efforts to achieve and maintain global food security. In this study, three nanomaterials (NMs) namely C₆₀, CuO, and TiO₂ were evaluated for their potential application in the restriction of Rhizopus soft rot disease in two cultivars of sweet potato (Y25, J26). CuO NM exhibited a better antifungal effect than C₆₀ and TiO₂ NMs. The contents of three important hormones, indolepropionic acid (IPA), gibberellic acid 3 (GA-3), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the infected J26 sweet potato treated with 50 mg/L CuO NM were significantly higher than those of the control by 14.5%, 10.8%, and 24.1%. CuO and C₆₀ NMs promoted antioxidants in both cultivars of sweet potato. Overall, CuO NM at 50 mg/L exhibited the best antifungal properties, followed by TiO₂ NM and C₆₀ NM, and these results were further confirmed through scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The use of CuO NMs as an antifungal agent in the prevention of Rhizopus stolonifer infections in sweet potatoes could greatly reduce postharvest storage and delivery losses.

Retarding Oxidative and Enzymatic Degradation of Phenolic Compounds Using Large-Ring Cycloamylose

The phenolic compounds (PCs) abundant in fruits and vegetables are easily browned by oxygen and browning enzymes, with subsequent destruction of nutrients during food processing and storage. Therefore, natural anti-browning additives are required to control these reactions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of cycloamylose (CA) complexation as a way to improve stability of PCs against oxidation and browning enzymes. The complex was prepared by reacting enzymatically produced CA with a degree of polymerization of 23-45 with PCs in aqueous solution. No significant differences were observed between the PCs and their CA complexes in 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging experiments. However, the reduction rate of their antioxidant activity was clearly reduced in the presence of CA for as long as 4 weeks. At the studied concentrations, the activity of polyphenol oxidase on all of the tested PC species was inhibited in the presence of CA, although this effect was less evident as the substrate concentration increased. The higher the CA concentration added to apple juice, the lower the variation in the total color difference (ΔE*) during storage, confirming that CA could be used as an effective natural anti-browning agent. Our study is the first to study the potential of CA as a natural material for browning control. The results obtained will provide useful information for active food applications requiring oxidative stability in fruit products.

Use of Silica Based Materials as Modulators of the Lipase Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Fats under Simulated Duodenal Conditions

The effect of silica materials and their functionalization in the lipase catalyzed fat hydrolysis has been scarcely studied. Fifteen silica materials were prepared and their effect on the fat hydrolysis was measured, under simulated duodenal conditions, using the pH-stat method. The materials are composed of the combination of three supports (Stöber massive silica nanoparticles, Stöber mesoporous nanoparticles and UVM-7) and four surface functionalizations (methyl, trimethyl, propyl and octyl). In addition, the non-functionalized materials were tested. The functional groups were selected to offer a hydrophobic character to the material improving the interaction with the fat globules and the lipase. The materials are able to modulate the lipase activity and their effect depending on the support topology and the organic covering, being able to increase or reduce the fat hydrolysis. Depending of the material, relative fat hydrolysis rates of 75 to 140% in comparison with absence of the material were obtained. The results were analyzed by Partial Least Square Regression and suggest that the alkyl modified mesopores are able to improve the fat hydrolysis, by contrast the non-porous nanoparticles and the textural pores tend to induce inhibition. The effects are more pronounced for materials containing long alkyl chains and/or in absence of taurodeoxycholate.

Kinetic, spectroscopic, and molecular docking studies on the inhibition of membrane-bound polyphenol oxidase from Granny Smith apples (Malus domestica Borkh.)

We investigated the inhibitory effect and binding mechanism of four selected compounds (ascorbic acid, l-cysteine, glutathione, and citric acid) on membrane-bound polyphenol oxidases (mPPO) using spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that these inhibitors reversibly inhibited the mPPO activity. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of mPPO was quenched by inhibitors with a single class of the inhibition site on mPPO. Amino acid residues His 180, His 201, His 366, Cys 184, Glu 328, and Asn 333 were the important binding sites in the active center. These sites were identified using molecular docking techniques. Our findings suggested that the inhibitors were allosterically bound to the active center of mPPO through hydrogen bonds and ion contacts. This study provides new insights into the active site residues responsible for catalyzing mPPO and provides applicable information about the design of mPPO inhibitors.

Inhibitory Effect of Azamacrocyclic Ligands on Polyphenol Oxidase in Model and Food Systems

Enzymatic browning is one of the main problems faced by the food industry due to the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) provoking an undesirable color change in the presence of oxygen. Here, we report the evaluation of 10 different azamacrocyclic compounds with diverse morphologies as potential inhibitors against the activity of PPO, both in model and real systems. An initial screening of 10 ligands shows that all azamacrocyclic compounds inhibit to some extent the enzymatic browning, but the molecular structure plays a crucial role on the power of inhibition. Kinetic studies of the most active ligand (L2) reveal a S-parabolic I-parabolic noncompetitive inhibition mechanism and a remarkable inhibition at micromolar concentration (IC₅₀ = 10 μM). Furthermore, L2 action has been proven on apple juice to significantly reduce the enzymatic browning.

Isolation, identification, and inhibitory enzyme activity of phenolic substances present in Spirulina

Spirulina species are edible with high nutritional as well as potential therapeutic values. In this work, we show that phenolic extracts from Spirulina (p-Coumaric acid) possessed inhibitory potential on α-glucosidase (IC₅₀  = 1.67 ± 0.02 mM) and tyrosinase (IC₅₀  = 52.71 ± 3.01 mM). Moreover, p-Coumaric acid inhibited α-glucosidase and tyrosinase in a reversible mixed-type manner. Interestingly, molecular docking demonstrated that p-Coumaric acid penetrated in depth of the active-site of tyrosinase and α-glucosidase by the noncovalent force or interaction. Among them, making polar interactions with Cu²⁺ ions and the amino acid residue capable of forming cation-π significantly contribute to the strong binding of p-Coumaric acid on tyrosinase. p-Coumaric acid was isolated and identified from Spirulina for the first time, which can be used as a lead compound for the design of functional food additives and skin-lightening active ingredient in cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals against type 2 diabetes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: A natural, food-derived compound possessing the potential for the development of an anti-hyperglycaemic and skin-lightening supplement is very promising in cosmetics, functional food, and pharmaceuticals against type 2 diabetes. Herein, the present study is the first to present high levels of p-Coumaric acid from Spirulina, which simultaneously possessed inhibition potential on α-glucosidase and tyrosinase. Importantly, we gained initial information about the polypeptide-inhibitor interactions and underlying mechanisms for Spirulina's therapeutic effects, which will provide the bases for developing new drugs for preventing or treating type 2 diabetes and enzyme inhibitors. Moreover, this work also demonstrates the potential of the extraction of high-value chemicals from Spirulina waste.

In vitro and in vivo inhibition of Hass avocado polyphenol oxidase enzymatic browning by paeonol, β-cyclodextrin, and paeonol:β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from Hass avocados and its physicochemical properties were analyzed. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were pH 7.5 and 20°C. This PPO showed a high thermal stability, since 26% of the initial activity was retained by the enzyme after heating at 60°C for 40 min. Inhibition studies were performed using different chemical reagents, and the order in the inhibition efficiency was paeonol > 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde > β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The first two inhibitors presented a non-competitive mechanism while the inhibition by β-CD results from a mixed type mechanism. Since the aqueous solubility of paeonol (a natural compound) is very low, the inclusion complex between this drug and β-CD was obtained in solution and solid state. The stoichiometry of the paeonol:β-CD complex was 1:1 and its ΔG° of formation was -26 kJ/mol. The complexation of paeonol by β-CD not only enhances the aqueous solubility and thermal stability of the drug, but also improves the in vitro inhibition efficiency against PPO. Colorimetric analysis on avocados pulp (in vivo) showed that the inclusion complex does not increase the inhibitory effect of paeonol, remaining practically unchanged. However, the formulation of paeonol:β-CD inclusion complex allows employing this compound as PPO inhibitor in aqueous solutions.

Polyaniline Coated Core-Shell Typed Stimuli-Responsive Microspheres and Their Electrorheology

Functional core-shell-structured particles have attracted considerable attention recently. This paper reviews the synthetic methods and morphologies of various electro-stimuli responsive polyaniline (PANI)-coated core-shell-type microspheres, including PANI-coated Fe₃O₄, SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(glycidyl methacrylate), and polystyrene along with their electrorheological (ER) characteristics when prepared by dispersing these particles in an insulating medium. In addition to the various rheological characteristics and their analysis, such as shear stress and yield stress of their ER fluids, this paper summarizes some of the mechanisms proposed for ER fluids to further understand the responses of ER fluids to an externally applied electric field.