Effect of lycopene on biomarkers of oxidative stress in rats supplemented with ω−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Furan-induced hepatotoxic and hematologic changes in diabetic rats: the protective role of lycopene

Furan forms as a result of thermal treatment of food and induces harmful effects on organisms. In our work, lycopene, furan, and a combination of the two were given to diabetic male rats for 28 days. Hematological changes, total protein and cholesterol, triglyceride, and albumin levels, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase activities of the serum, malondialdehyde levels, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase activities, DNA damage in liver tissues and hepatic histopathological alterations were compared to a control group. There were significant changes in the liver function tests, DNA damage, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde levels between diabetic control and non-diabetic control groups, between diabetic control and diabetic lycopene groups, and also between diabetic furan and diabetic control groups. In diabetic lycopene and diabetic furan + lycopene treated groups we designated the preventive effects of lycopene against diabetes and furan, however, on the analysed parameters only. In spite of some pathological alterations designated in diabetic furan treated group’s liver, fewer pathological alterations were observed in furan+lycopene treated groups at the end of week 4. Consequently, lycopene significantly reduced furan- and diabetes-induced toxicity in rat liver.

Potential assessment of Rumex vesicarius L. as a source of natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds

The present work is designed to evaluate the antioxidant activities of hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) and its fractions (viz., hexane (HF), chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (AF), n-butanol (BF) and water (WF)) obtained from aerial part of Rumex vesicarius L. by using different in vitro antioxidant assays. The content in pigments (carotenoids and chlorophylls), total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Qualitative analyses of major phenolics by TLC analysis were also evaluated. Experimental results obtained show that R. vesicarius is a rich source of β-carotene (116.83 ± 1.60 μg/g DW), lycopene (156.40 ± 1.59 μg/g DW) and chlorophyll a (271.45 ± 3.46 μg/g DW). The greatest antioxidant activity was found in AF (IC50.DPPH = 0.07 ± 0.00 mg/ml) followed by BF and CF (0.15 ± 0.00 and 0.16 ± 0.00 mg/ml, respectively). These fractions were also better in their effect on reducing the oxidation of β-carotene. Reducing power of crude methanol extract/fractions increased with increasing concentration of the extract. The amount of total phenolics varied from 0.37 ± 0.01 to 43.28 ± 0.28 mg GAE/g of dry weight, HAE had the higher content (43.28 ± 0.28 mg GAE/g of DW). A negative correlation was found between phenolic compounds and the antioxidant efficiencies of the crude extract/fractions, suggesting that phenolic compounds are not the only contributors to the antioxidant activities of Rumex vesicarius. The present findings suggest that Rumex vesicarius L. can be used as natural antioxidant source to prevent damage associated with free radicals.

Accumulation of health promoting phytochemicals in wild relatives of tomato and their contribution to in vitro antioxidant activity

Harnessing natural variation is an important aspect of modern marker assisted breeding. Traditionally breeding programmes have focused on increased yield and resistance to biotic and abiotic pressures. However, consumer demands for improved quality have lead to increased effort into the breeding of nutritional quality traits in crop plants. In the present study, health-related phytochemicals (carotenoids, tocopherols and phenolics) present in green, yellow and red wild relatives of tomato have been analyzed during fruit development and ripening. This study shows that the differences in the final colour of the fruits were due to a distinct accumulation of carotenoids mainly related to the expression of the phytoene synthase-1 gene (Psy-1). In ripe red-fruited tomatoes, the different deposition of pigments gave rise in some cases to colour differences visually discernible by the consumer. Important quantitative differences between and across taxa were noticed for the in vitro antioxidant activity (AA) of the samples.