Optimizing the extraction of phenolic antioxidants from date palm fruit by simplex-centroid solvent mixture design

Date seeds powder alleviate the aflatoxin B1 provoked heart toxicity in male offspring rat

Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds (PDL) have recently evoked significant attention for their therapeutic potential against numerous diseases. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an inevitable environmental hazard that pollutes foods and may harm the heart. This study investigated the beneficial effect of PDL against cardiac toxicity induced by AFB1 in male offspring. Female albino rats received PDL (200 mg/kg) orally for 14 days before mating till weaning and AFB1 (50 μg/kg) intramuscularly throughout gestation and lactation. At postnatal day 60, male offspring hearts were collected. Compared to AFB1 intoxicated group, PDL-treated offspring displayed improved cardiac biomarkers, an increase in their antioxidant defense, and a decrease in the cardiac proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, a reduction in the expression levels of Bcl2 and Nrf2 was observed, with genes linked to increased cardiac caspase-3, Bax, ACE1, P53, and cytochrome C levels. In conclusion, PDL acts as a potential adjuvant agent for ameliorating cardiac toxicity and apoptosis resulting from exposure to AFB1. This is attributed to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as its capacity to sequester free radicals within cardiac tissue.

Agave angustifolia Haw. Leaves as a Potential Source of Bioactive Compounds: Extraction Optimization and Extract Characterization

The leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw. are the main agro-waste generated by the mezcal industry and are becoming an important source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, that could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, the extraction and identification of these phytochemicals would revalorize these leaf by-products. Herein, maceration and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extractions were optimized to maximize the phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant capacity of vegetal extracts of A. angustifolia Haw. In the maceration process, the optimal extraction condition was a water-ethanol mixture (63:37% v/v), which yielded a total phenolic and flavonoid content of 27.92 ± 0.90 mg EAG/g DL and 12.85 ± 0.53 µg QE/g DL, respectively, and an antioxidant capacity of 32.67 ± 0.91 (ABTS assay), 17.30 ± 0.36 (DPPH assay), and 13.92 ± 0.78 (FRAP assay) µM TE/g DL. Using supercritical extraction, the optimal conditions for polyphenol recovery were 60 °C, 320 bar, and 10% v/v. It was also observed that lower proportions of cosolvent decreased the polyphenol extraction more than pressure and temperature. In both optimized extracts, a total of 29 glycosylated flavonoid derivatives were identified using LC-ESI-QTof/MS. In addition, another eight novel compounds were identified in the supercritical extracts, showing the efficiency of the cosolvent for recovering new flavonoid derivatives.

Effects of Ajwa date seeds on the oxidative stability of butter

Butter is a widely used food product. However, owing to its rich fatty acid content (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids), it is prone to lipid oxidation, which may affect the quality of butter-containing products. Because of the possible toxic properties of synthetic antioxidants, recent research has focused on the use of natural antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ajwa date seeds as natural antioxidants to retard lipid oxidation in butter. Date seeds as either a powder or extract were added to butter at concentrations of 0.5 % and 1 %; 100 % butter was used as the control. The samples were stored at 60 °C for 21 d. Radical scavenging activity, peroxide value, acid value, and thiobarbituric acid value (TBA) were analysed every 7 d. This study revealed a strong relationship between storage period and oxidative stability parameters. After 21 d, butter containing date seed powder exhibited higher radical scavenging activity than date seed extract. A reduction in peroxide, acid, and TBA values was also observed in butter samples containing date seed powder. In conclusion, date seed powder increased the oxidative stability of butter. Therefore, adding date seed powder to butter-rich food products can increase their shelf-life and stability.

D-optimal Design Optimization of Solvent Mixture for Flavonoid Extraction from Phalaenopsis Leaves with Antioxidant Activity

Aims

This study aimed to optimize the extraction of flavonoids and antioxidants from Phalaenopsis leaves by using solvent mixtures.

Method

The total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity were evaluated using the colorimetric method and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), respectively. Maceration extracts from fresh leaves were used for the analysis. The study used the Design Expert 13.0 program to optimize the solvents (water, acetone, and methanol) and their combined ratio.

Result

The results showed that 100% acetone was the best solvent for both responses, with a desirability value of 0.884, TFC of 0.434 mg QE/g fresh weight (FW) and FRAP of 713.53 μmol TE/g FW. Screening of the most potent Phalaenopsis genotypes for obtaining the most active leaf extract showed that P. amboinensis and P. pantherina were the best genotypes for TFC (0.786-0.797 mg QE/g FW) and FRAP activity (862.25-891.48 μmol TE/g FW).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates an easy and useful way to obtain flavonoids and antioxidants from Phalaenopsis materials that can be used in the flower-based industry to make new functional ingredients.

Optimization Conditions of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity from Rubus alceifolius Poir Leaves

Rubus alceifolius Poir (R.A. Poir) leaves are rich in phenolic compounds, offering many health benefits due to their incredible antioxidant potential. In this study, conditions for the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity from R.A. Poir leaves were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). This methodology assessed the effects of ultrasound power (X1: 100-500 W), extraction temperature (X2: 30-60°C), and extraction time (X3: 5-55 min). The optimized UAE conditions were then compared with conventional extraction methods (Soxhlet extraction: SE and maceration extraction: ME) for extracting total phenolics. A phenolic profile using GC-MS and antioxidant activity (ABTS) was also compared. According to the RSM, the best conditions for UAE to extract the highest total polyphenol content and ABTS radical scavenging activity were 320 W ultrasound power, 40°C extraction temperature, and 35.5 min sonication duration. Under these optimal conditions, the TPC and antioxidant activity reached 16.68 mg GAE/g dm and 21.9 mg TE/g, respectively, closely aligning with the predicted values. The UAE extraction technique proved to be more efficient in extracting phenolics and antioxidant capacity (ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) radical scavenging activity, and enzyme inhibition) compared to the conventional extraction methods (SE and ME). A GC-MS analysis identified 12 components, including 5 phenolics and 3 flavonoids, which likely contribute to the antioxidant activity. Consequently, the UAE method improved extraction efficiency within a shorter time frame, suggesting that UAE is a promising, efficient, and ecofriendly technology for extracting bioactive compounds from R.A. Poir leaves.