Ribes taxa: A promising source of γ-linolenic acid-rich functional oils

Cytotoxicity and Chemotaxonomic Significance of Saponins from Wild and Cultured Asparagus Shoots

The shoots of Asparagus L. are consumed worldwide, although most species belonging to this genus have a restricted range, and several taxa remain unstudied. In this work, a total of four taxa from different locations were scrutinized and compared with cultivated A. officinalis. All shoots were screened for saponins via LC-MS, and in vitro antiproliferative activities against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line were assessed via the MTT assay. The total saponins (TS) contained in the crude extracts ranged from 710.0 (A. officinalis) to 1258.6 mg/100 g dw (A. acutifolius). The richness of the compounds detected in this work stands out; a total of 47 saponins have been detected and quantified in the edible parts (shoots) of five taxa of Asparagus. The structure of all the saponins found present skeletons of the furostane and spirostane type. In turn, the structures with a furostane skeleton are divided into unsaturated and dioxygenated types, both in the 20-22 position. The sum of dioscin and derivatives varied largely among the studied taxa, reaching the following percentages of TS: 27.11 (A. officinalis), 18.96 (A. aphyllus), 5.37 (A. acutifolius), and 0.59 (A. albus); while in A. horridus, this compound remains undetected. Aspachiosde A, D, and M varied largely among samples, while a total of seven aspaspirostanosides were characterized in the analyzed species. The hierarchical cluster analysis of the saponin profiles clearly separated the various taxa and demonstrated that the taxonomic position is more important than the place from which the samples were acquired. Thus, saponin profiles have chemotaxonomic significance in Asparagus taxa. The MTT assay showed dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects of all saponins extracts on HT-29 cancer cells, and the strongest cell growth inhibition was exercised by A. albus and A. acutifolius (GI50 of 125 and 175 µg/mL). This work constitutes a whole approach to evaluating the saponins from the shoots of different Asparagus taxa and provides arguments for using them as functional foods.

Screening of Lesser-Known Salted-Dried Fish Species for Fatty Acids, Tocols, and Squalene

The fillets and roes of 29 species of dry-salted fishes consumed in Eurasian countries were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs), tocols, and squalene, looking for derived health benefits. FAs were analyzed by GC-FID, and tocols and squalene were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. With some exceptions, docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-3), and arachidonic (ARA, 20:4n-6) acids were the prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The fillets of Scardinius erythrophthalmus reached the highest amounts of total FAs, ARA, and DHA (23.1, 1.82, and 2.49 mg/100 g). The fillets of Seriola quinqueradiata showed the highest percentages of DHA (34.4% of total FAs). Nutritional quality indices for fish lipids were favorable in all samples, especially the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, which was below 1 in most cases. α-Tocopherol was found in all fillets and roes, especially in Cyprinidae and Pleuronectidae species, and the highest value was found in the roes of Abramis brama (5.43 mg/100 g). Most samples contained tocotrienols at trace levels. The fillets of Clupeonella cultriventris contained the highest amounts of squalene (1.83 mg/100 g). Overall, dry-salted fish stand out due to their high concentrations of ARA, EPA, and DHA, as well as for α-tocopherol concentrations in roes.

A Novel Strategy for the Separation of Functional Oils from Chamomile Seeds

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the oils from chamomile seeds as a new source of bioactive compounds suitable for human consumption. A green extraction technique with supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) at pressures up to 450 bar and temperatures up to 60 °C was employed for the production of a high amount of biologically active oil. Additionally, exhausted waste material was re-extracted using sc-CO2 with the addition of ethanol. By optimization in operating pressure, temperature, production cost, fraction of milled seeds, and co-solvent addition, the amount of separated chamomile oil increased from 2.4 to 18.6% and the content of unsaturated fatty acids up to 88.7%. Oils contained α-bisabolol oxide A and B in amounts up to 1.4%. Linoleic acid was detected in an amount up to 711.1 mg/g and α-linolenic acid up to 27.5 mg/g. The total phenolic content in separated oil reached 80.4 mg GAE/g while the total flavonoid content reached 11.6 mg QE/g. The obtained chamomile oils showed antioxidant activity with an IC50 of up to 3.9 mg/mL. Among the 23 tested microorganisms, the antimicrobial activity of oils was the most pronounced against Gram-positive bacteria. The cytotoxic activity of oils was tested on normal and cancer-derived cell lines. Results indicated a significant potential for oil from chamomile seeds, produced in an eco-friendly manner, as a functional food.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11947-023-03038-9.

A Phylogenetic and Morphological Evolution Study of Ribes L. in China Using RAD-Seq

Ribes L. belongs to the Grossulariaceae family and has important edible, medicinal, ornamental, and landscaping values. Taxonomic classification within this genus is difficult due to its large variety of species, wide distribution, large morphological variations, and presence of two complex taxonomic groups with bisexual or unisexual flowers. Our study aims to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of Ribes L. taxa in China, and further, to provide a reference for a revised global classification of it. The phylogenetic analysis of 52 Ribes L. samples from 30 species was constructed based on restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Afterward, two important taxonomic characters were selected for ancestral state reconstruction over the molecular phylogeny. The results showed that the 52 samples could be divided into six branches, i.e., six subgenera, which caused some controversy regarding the morphological classification of Ribes L. in China. The molecular phylogeny supported the separation of subg. Coreosma from subg. Ribesia and subg. Hemibotrya from subg. Berisia and validated the rationale for recognizing subg. Grossularia as an independent subgenus, the rationality of which was further verified by the reconstruction of ancestor traits. Gene flow among Ribes L. was identified and further confirmed our results.

Fatty acid profiling in the genus Pinus in relation to its chemotaxonomy and nutritional or pharmaceutical properties

To develop and utilize the oil of Pinus seeds and explore natural resources rich in pinolenic acid (PNLA), twenty-one Pinus taxa were evaluated in a search of Δ5-unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids (Δ5-UPIFA)-rich oils. While the fatty acid (FA) composition was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS, NMR of crude oils proved to be a fast method for establishing the ratio between Δ5-UPIFA and total FA. For all analyzed taxa, both the geographical origin and the concentration of total FA in the seeds are provided. PNLA and sciadonic acids occurred in all samples, while taxoleic and bishomopinolenic acids were present in most taxa. PNLA reached a maximum of 28.3% of total FA in P. mugo, and P. koraiensis showed the highest total FA amount (66.8 g/100 g seeds). The previously unanalyzed taxon P. ponderosa var. scopulorum can be considered a new PNLA source (17.1%). Principal Component Analysis showed that the similarities in FA profiles allow the grouping of the various taxa within Pinus subsections and confirmed the differential metabolic activities of Δ5 and Δ9 desaturase enzymes. This study showed that several underutilized Pinus taxa could be developed into renewable woody oil species, and their seeds could be used as raw materials for Δ5-UPIFA-rich oils extraction.

Arecaceae Seeds Constitute a Healthy Source of Fatty Acids and Phenolic Compounds

Seeds of most Arecaceae species are an underutilized raw material that can constitute a source of nutritionally relevant compounds. In this work, seeds of 24 Arecaceae taxa were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs) by GC-FID, for phenolics by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and for their antitumor activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line by the MTT assay. Lauric, oleic, and linoleic acids were the prominent FAs. Cocoseae species contained total FAs at 28.0-68.3 g/100 g seeds, and in other species total FAs were from 1.2 (Livistona saribus) to 9.9 g/100 g (Washingtonia robusta). Sabal domingensis, Chamaerops humilis, and Phoenix dactylifera var. Medjool had unsaturated/saturated FA ratios of 1.65, 1.33-1.78, and 1.31, respectively, and contained 7.4, 5.5-6.3, and 6.4 g FAs/100 g seeds, respectively. Thus, they could be used as raw materials for healthy oilseed production. Phenolics ranged between 39 (Livistona fulva) and 246 mg/100 g (Sabal palmetto), and of these, caffeic acid, catechin, dactylifric acid, and rutin had the highest values. (-)-Epicatechin was identified in most seed extracts by LC-MS. Hydroalcoholic extracts from five species showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HT-20 cells growth at 72 h (GI₅₀ at 1533-1968 µg/mL). Overall, Arecaceae seeds could be considered as a cheap source of health-promoting compounds.

Borage oil intake by overweight young adults: no effect on metabolic rate; beneficial effects on plasma triglyceride and HDL cholesterol readings

Some research has raised the possibility that gamma linolenic acid (GLA) can increase resting metabolic rate (RMR), which can help with weight control. However, in overweight young adults with a family history of obesity, no effect on RMR was seen after a 6 weeks treatment with borage oil (880 mg GLA per day) or evening primrose oil (540 mg GLA per day). On the other hand, borage oil did lower plasma triglyceride readings and raise HDL cholesterol readings (mean starting values in normal range for triglycerides, borderline low for HDL). No effect was seen for body mass index, plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or glucose. Thus, in the type of subjects studied here, borage oil, a source of GLA, did not show promise as a weight control aid, but could help prevent undesirable readings for two blood lipid measures.

Gamma-linolenic Acid from Fifty-seven Ribes Species and Cultivars

γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) is a bioactive fatty acid (FA) that exerts several healthy actions; however, its occurrence is restricted to a few oils. The goal of this study was to detect GLA-rich Ribes species and cultivars (cv), and to achieve this the seeds of 7 Ribes taxa and 50 Ribes cv were surveyed for FA profiles. The highest GLA percentages were found in R. nigrum cv 'Plotnokistnaya', 'Volshebnica', 'Atlant' and 'Nara' (22.6, 22.1, 20.9, and 20.0% of total FA, respectively) and also in R. komarovii (19.6%) and R. nigrum var. sibiricum (18.3%). Stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) had the highest values in both R. rubrum 'Konstantinovskaya' and R. niveum 'Smolyaninovskaya' (4.8%). GLA content ranged from 0.4 in some R. rubrum cv and R. niveum 'Smolyaninovskaya' to 3.5 g/100 g seeds in R. nigrum 'Plotnokistnaya'. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using PUFA profiles, which allowed grouping Ribes sections as well as black currant cv derived from different pedigree within the section Coreosma. All taxa and cv checked here are valuable by-product sources, given the high GLA percentages contained in their seed oils. Such cv could be used for healthy oils production, as well as for breeding to obtain new cv with improved GLA concentrations.

Ribes himalense as potential source of natural bioactive compounds: Nutritional, phytochemical, and antioxidant properties

Ribes himalense Royle ex Decne. (family Saxifraaceae, subfamily Grossulariaceae, genus Ribes) is a wild berry fruit with illustrated health-promoting features, which widely distributed in Northwest China are deficiently exploited. This study aimed to assess the potential of a Ribes himalense as a source of natural bioactive compounds through characterizing its nutraceutical characteristics, phytochemicals properties, and antioxidant ability. Fresh berries were quantitatively analyzed for proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidin, and polysaccharides contents through China National Food Safety Standard; the characterization and identification of extracts of wild berries obtained with ethanol 30%, ethanol 50%, and ethanol 95% were firstly performed by UPLC-Triple-TOF-MS2. Furthermore, antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract was evaluated via different assay methods such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. The results indicated that the most important bioactive composition was procyanidin (0.72%), polyphenols (0.49%), total flavonoids (0.38%), vitamin C (64.6 mg/100g FW), and K (218.44 mg/100 g FW), and a total of 95 compounds were detected with polyphenols, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins as the dominant, and also ethanol extract possessed stronger antioxidant activity. These results suggested that Ribes himalense fruit has great potential in protecting human health, with the focus on the development of functional products.

Mertensia (Boraginaceae) seeds are new sources of γ-linolenic acid and minor functional compounds

In this work, seeds from selected Mertensia species were analyzed for γ-linolenic acid-rich oils and minor functional compounds. Fatty acids (FA) were analyzed by GC-FID; tocopherols, sterols, squalene, and phenolics compounds by HPLC-DAD, and the structures of the latter were confirmed by LC-MS. M. maritima spp. asiatica and M. sibirica showed the highest amounts of γ-linolenic acid (22.8 and 18.7%, respectively) and total FA (15.9 and 10.9 g/100 g seeds, respectively). M. sibirica had the greatest levels of sterols, phenolics and tocopherols (244.8, 243.9 and 66.3 mg/100 g, respectively), in which stigmasterol, rosmarinic acid and α-tocopherol (237.7, 180.1 and 53.6 mg/100 g, respectively) were the most abundant components. M. maritima spp. asiatica and M. arizonica showed the highest amounts of squalene (2.5 and 1.1 mg /100 g seeds). Mertensia species constitute a new source of GLA-rich oils, suitable to be marketed by the pharmaceutical and food industries.