Kafirin microparticle encapsulated sorghum condensed tannins exhibit potential as an anti-hyperglycaemic agent in a small animal model

Condensed tannins from Pinus radiata bark: Extraction and their nanoparticles preparation in water by green method

This work reports for the first time the production of condensed tannin nanoparticles stable in water via modification with glycine betaine. Pine bark, as a byproduct from the paper industry, was used as a source of condensed tannins of high molecular weight. Different glycine betaine concentrations were tested to produce condensed tannin nanoparticles, and the obtained nanoparticles were subjected to several characterization techniques (Dynamic Light Scattering, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-Attenuated total reflectance, thermogravimetric analysis). The results showed that the highest stability possessed nanoparticles with 40 wt% glycine betaine. The average particle size distribution evaluated by scanning microscopy was 124 nm. Besides, the glycine betaine-modified condensed tannin nanoparticles demonstrated higher thermal stability with the starting degradation temperature at 238 °C. Finally, obtained nanoparticles showed an antioxidant capacity of 34,209 ± 2194 μmol ET/100 g and low cytotoxicity towards healthy human cells, representing the high potential to be used as a carrier of active compounds in agriculture, food, drug and medical sector.

Sorghum phytonutrients and their health benefits: A systematic review from cell to clinical trials

Sorghum is key for global food security due to its genetic variability, resilience, and rich phytonutrient content, which are linked to numerous health benefits. A systematic review assessed the health effects of sorghum by analyzing cell (n = 22), animal (n = 20), and human (n = 7) studies across antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular, and diabetes outcomes. This review, involving 42 papers and 177 researchers from 12 countries, collected data from sorghum accessions (acc) and significant effects. Studies used 68 identified and 8 unidentified sorghums, 57% red (n = 20), brown (n = 5), and black (n = 17) pericarp colors, and evaluated whole (n = 31), brans (n = 11), and decorticated grains (n = 2). Colored sorghum, richer in phenolic compounds, especially 3-deoxyanthocyanins and tannins, inhibited cancer cell activities, including proliferation, tumor growth, and ROS activity, and promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Sorghum elevated HO1 and eNOS expression for cardiovascular, health-reduced platelet aggregation, and modulated platelet microparticles. They also suppressed inflammation markers and decreased lipid accumulation. Animal studies indicated sorghum's potential across antioxidant capacity, cancer and inflammation mitigation, and lipid and glucose metabolism. Translating these findings to human scenarios requires caution, especially considering cell studies do not fully represent polyphenol metabolism. Human studies provided mixed results, indicating antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory benefits and nuanced effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. The main risks of bias highlighted challenges in quantifying phytonutrients, identifying sorghum acc features, and lack of assessors blinding. Nonetheless, sorghum emerges as a promising functional food for countering chronic diseases in Western diets.

Natural carriers: Recent advances in their use to improve the stability and bioaccessibility of food active compounds

In the last decades, the incorporation of bioactive compounds in food supplements aroused the attention of scientists. However, these ingredients often exhibit both low solubility and stability and their poor bioaccessibility within the gastrointestinal tract limits their effectiveness. To overcome these drawbacks, many carriers have been investigated for encapsulating nutraceuticals and enhancing their bioavailability. It is note that several different vegetable wall materials have been applied to build delivery systems. Considering their encapsulation mechanism, lipid and protein-based carriers display specific interaction patterns with bioactives, whereas polysaccharidic-based carriers can entrap them by creating porous highly stable networks. To maximize the encapsulation efficiency, mixed systems are very promising. Following the current goal of using natural and sustainable ingredients, only a limited number of studies about the isolation of new ingredients from agro-food waste are available. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the state of art in the development of innovative natural lipid-, protein- and polysaccharide-based plant carriers is presented, focusing on their application as food active compounds. Different aspects to be considered in the design of delivery systems are discussed, including the carrier structure and chemical features, the interaction between the encapsulating and the core material, and the parameters affecting bioactives entrapment.

The Fabrication and Characterization of Pickering Emulsion Gels Stabilized by Sorghum Flour

Pickering emulsion gels have potential application as solid fat substitutes and nutraceutical carriers in foods, but a safe and easily available food-derived particle emulsifier is the bottleneck that limits their practical application. In this study, the function of sorghum flour as a particle emulsifier to stabilize the oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion gels with medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in the oil phase was introduced. Sorghum flour had suitable size distribution (median diameter, 21.47 μm) and wettability (contact angle, 38°) and could reduce the interfacial tension between MCT and water. The oil phase volume fraction (φ) and the addition amount of sorghum flour (c) had significant effects on the formation of Pickering emulsion gels. When c ≥ 5%, Pickering emulsion gels with φ = 70% could be obtained. Microstructure analysis indicated that sorghum flour not only played an emulsifying role at the O/W interface but also prevented oil droplets from coalescing through its viscous effect in the aqueous phase. With increases in c, the droplet size of the emulsion gel decreased, its mechanical properties gradually strengthened, and its protective effect on β-carotene against UV irradiation also improved.

Moderate heat enhances gliadin-proanthocyanidin interactions

Understanding wheat gliadin-proanthocyanidin (PA) interactions would be useful to systematically control foams and gels, create novel textures, and reduce inflammatory reactions. This work aimed to determine the effects of heat (50-90 °C) on gliadin-proanthocyanidin (PA) interactions. Gliadin-PA mixtures were heated for 30 min in aqueous ethanol, and resulting morphology, fluorescence, and MW distribution were analyzed. Atomic force microscopy showed that PA greatly increased gliadin particle size, especially with heat. PA significantly quenched gliadin's tryptophan fluorescence. Further fluorescence data analysis indicated that PA interacted with gliadins through static quenching, primarily via hydrophobic interactions, and that 75 °C treatment yielded the greatest gliadin-PA interactions, likely because the proteins unraveled and exposed residues for interaction. PA appeared to interact mostly with ω-gliadins, based on their absence in the SDS-PAGE gel. Though it has been overshadowed in previous studies by non-covalent interactions, staining of quinoproteins indicated that PA covalently cross-linked gliadins at pH ∼ 6.

Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Sorghum Grains

Sorghum is the fifth most commonly used cereal worldwide and is a rich source of many bioactive compounds. We summarized phenolic compounds and carotenoids, vitamin E, amines, and phytosterols in sorghum grains. Recently, with the development of detection technology, new bioactive compounds such as formononetin, glycitein, and ononin have been detected. In addition, multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that sorghum grains have extensive bio-logical activities, such as antioxidative, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Finally, with the establishment of sorghum phenolic compounds database, the bound phenolics and their biological activities and the mechanisms of biological activities of sorghum bioactive compounds using clinical trials may be researched.

Large-Scale Non-Targeted Metabolomics Reveals Antioxidant, Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Potentials of Sorghum

Sorghum is one of the most important food and feed cereal crops and has been gaining industrial importance in recent years for its biofuel, nutraceutical and antioxidant values. A genetic profile variation study was undertaken for the accumulation of phytochemicals in 61 diverse sorghum accessions differing in their growth habitat and grain color through non-targeted Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis. Mass Spectrometry–Data Independent AnaLysis (MS-DIAL) and MetaboAnalyst identified 221 metabolites belonging to 27 different phytochemicals. Tropical and temperate sorghums were distinct in their metabolic profiles with minimum overlaps, and 51 different metabolites were crucial in differentiating the two groups. Temperate sorghums had the ability to accumulate more of phenolic acids, phytosterols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and tropical sorghums for stress-related amino acids, sugars and fatty acids. Grain-color-based Partial Least Square–Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) analysis identified 94 Variable Importance in Projections (VIP) metabolites containing majority of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and phytosterols. This study identified two sorghum lines (IS 7748 and IS 14861) with rich amounts of antioxidants (catechins and epicatechins) belonging to the group of condensed tannins that otherwise do not accumulate commonly in sorghum. Out of 13 metabolic pathways identified, flavonoid biosynthesis showed the highest expression. This study provided new opportunities for developing biofortified sorghum with enhanced nutraceutical and therapeutics through molecular breeding and metabolic engineering.

Current Prospects of Nutraceuticals: A Review

Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements, utilized to ameliorate health, delay senescence, prevent diseases, and support the proper functioning of the human body. Currently, nutraceuticals are gaining substantial attention due to nutrition and therapeutic potentials. Based on their sources, they are categorized as dietary supplements and herbal bioactive compounds. The global market for nutraceutical is huge i.e. approximately USD 117 billion. Herbal nutraceutical helps in maintaining health and promoting optimal health, longevity, and quality of life. Studies have shown promising results of nutraceuticals to treat several diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. In the present review, an overview of various bioactive ingredients that act as nutraceuticals (carbohydrates, lipids, edible flowers, alkaloids, medicinal plants, etc.) and their role in health benefits, has been discussed. Further application of nutraceuticals in the prevention of various diseases has also been discussed.

Resveratrol-loaded hollow kafirin nanoparticles via gallic acid crosslinking: An evaluation compared with their solid and non-crosslinked counterparts

The possibility of combining the health benefits of kafirin and polyphenols and improving the bioavailability of resveratrol using hollow kafirin nanoparticles via gallic acid crosslinking was investigated. The size, morphology, charge state, loading efficiency, physicochemical stability, and redispersity after lyophilization of hollow resveratrol-loaded kafirin nanoparticles formed via gallic acid crosslinking were characterized and compared with their solid counterparts and those without crosslinking. The nanoparticles formed were anionic spheres with an average diameter of <100 nm when loading amounts of resveratrol were less than 20%. The hollow nanoparticles were homogenous and still achieved stable colloidal dispersion after lyophilization. The hollow nanoparticles crosslinked with gallic acid displayed stability against pancreatin and delayed release in stimulated digestion. The results suggested that hollow kafirin nanoparticles could be a favorable colloidal delivery system for incorporating resveratrol.

Natural Tannin Wood Extracts as a Potential Food Ingredient in the Food Industry

Wood extracts are one of the most important natural sources of industrially obtained tannins. Their use in the food industry could be one of the biggest (most important) recent innovations in food science as a result of their multiple (many) possible applications. The use of tannin wood extracts (TWEs) as additives directly added in foods or in their packaging meets an ever-increasing consumer demand for innovative approaches to sustainability. The latest research is focusing on new ways to include them directly in food, to take advantage of their specific actions to prevent individual pathological conditions. The present review begins with the biology of TWEs and then explores their chemistry, specific sensorial properties, and current application in food production. Moreover, this review is intended to cover recent studies dealing with the potential use of TWEs as a starting point for novel food ingredients.

Food Protein-Based Nanodelivery Systems for Hydrophobic and Poorly Soluble Compounds

The hydrophobicity of bioactive molecules poses a considerable problem in the pharmaceutical and the food industry. Using food-based protein nanocarriers is one promising way to deliver hydrophobic molecules. These types of protein possess many functional properties such as surface activity, water-binding capacity, emulsification, foaming, gelation, and antioxidant activity, as well as their incorporation in the food industry as ingredients. Besides, they express low toxicity, are less expensive compared to synthetic polymers, and are biodegradable. This review aims to give a brief overview of the recent studies done using food proteins as colloidal delivery systems for hydrophobic and poorly soluble compounds.

Sorghum Grain: From Genotype, Nutrition, and Phenolic Profile to Its Health Benefits and Food Applications

Globally, sorghum is one of the most important but least utilized staple crops. Sorghum grain is a rich source of nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds. The phenolic profile of sorghum is exceptionally unique and more abundant and diverse than other common cereal grains. The phenolic compounds in sorghum are mainly composed of phenolic acids, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins. Studies have shown that sorghum phenolic compounds have potent antioxidant activity in vitro, and consumption of sorghum whole grain may improve gut health and reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Recently, sorghum grain has been used to develop functional foods and beverages, and as an ingredient incorporated into other foods. Moreover, the phenolic compounds, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins can be isolated and used as promising natural multifunctional additives in broad food applications. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of nutrition and phenolic compounds derived from sorghum and their related health effects, and demonstrate the potential for incorporation of sorghum in food systems as a functional component and food additive to improve food quality, safety, and health functions.

Mentha pulegium Aqueous Extract Exhibits Antidiabetic and Hepatoprotective Effects in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Objective:

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity of aerial parts aqueous extract (A.P.A.E) of Mentha pulegium (M. pulegium) on blood glucose levels in normal and streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rat. The glucose tolerance was evaluated in normal rats. Moreover, the histological sections and morphometric analysis at the liver and pancreas have been carried out in this investigation both in normal and STZ-diabetic rats.

Methods:

The effect of A.P.A.E of M. pulegium (20 mg/kg) on blood glucose levels was investigated in normal and diabetic rats (n=6). Histopathological changes in liver and pancreas were examined under phase contrast microscope and a preliminary screening for various bioactive constituents was realized according to standard methods.

Key Findings:

Both single and repeated oral administration of A.P.A.E (20 mg/kg) caused a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in STZ-diabetic rats (p<0.0001). The morphometric analysis and histological sections realized in pancreas and liver have showed the beneficial effect of the A.P.A.E in cellular population. According to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the aqueous extract has revealed an improvement of glucose tolerance in normal rat. Furthermore, the preliminary phytochemical screening of A.P.A.E of M. pulegium has demonstrated the presence of various metabolite compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids tannins, cyanidins, sesquiterpenes, and glycosides.

Conclusion:

We conclude that the A.P.A.E of M. pulegium (20 mg/kg) exhibits a potent antihyperglycemic activity in STZ diabetic rats.

Interaction mechanisms of condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) with wheat gluten proteins

Proanthocyanidins (PA) crosslink wheat gluten, increasing its polymer size and strength. However, mechanisms behind these interactions are unknown. This study used PA of different MW profiles (mean degree of polymerization 8.3 and 19.5) to investigate how PA polymerize gluten. The higher MW PA had greater binding affinity for both glutenins and gliadins than lower MW PA, whereas both PA precipitated glutenins more efficiently than gliadins. The PA preferentially bound the largest of the protein fractions available: high MW glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) over low MW-GS, and ω-gliadins over α- and γ-gliadins. Furthermore, within the HMW-GS, PA bound more of the larger x-type than the smaller y-type. Proanthocyanidins reduced gluten solubility in urea and decreased surface hydrophobicity of glutenins, but not gliadins. The PA appear to preferentially crosslink HMW-GS via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, whereas their interaction with gliadins is dominated by hydrogen bonding and is relatively weaker.

Effect of Condensed Tannin Profile on Wheat Flour Dough Rheology

Proanthocyanidins (PA) cross-link proteins and could expand wheat gluten functionality; however, how the PA MW or gluten profile affect these interactions is unknown. Effect of PA MW profile (sorghum versus grape seed PA) on dough rheology of high versus low insoluble polymeric protein (IPP) wheat flour was evaluated using mixograph, large (TA.XT2i) and small (HAAKE Rheostress 6000) deformation rheometry. Sorghum PA (93% polymeric) more effectively (p < 0.05) strengthened both glutens than grape seed PA (45% polymeric), without reducing gluten extensibility. These effects were higher in low IPP (weak gluten) flour, e.g., sorghum PA doubled IPP, increased mix time by 75%, dough elasticity by 82%, and peak angle by 17° versus control. Grape seed PA increased IPP by 75% and elasticity by 36%, but reduced peak angle by 15°, indicating reduced mixing tolerance. Sorghum PA, but not grape seed PA, increased (p < 0.05) all above parameters in high IPP dough. Polymeric PA more effectively strengthened gluten than oligomeric PA, likely via more efficient protein cross-linking to overcome strong antioxidant effect of PA. High MW PA may be useful natural gluten strengtheners for diverse applications.