Kinetic model for studying the effect of quercetin on cholesterol oxidation during heating

Cholesterol Oxidation Products: Potential Adverse Effect and Prevention of Their Production in Foods

Cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) are a group of substances formed during food processing. COPs in diet is a health concern because they may affect human health in association with the risk of various diseases including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, and chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory colitis. Production of COPs in foods can be affected by many factors such as temperature, pH, light, oxygen, water, carbohydrates, fatty acids, proteins, and metal cations. The key issue is preventing its generation in foods. Some COPs can also be produced in vivo by both nonenzymatic and enzymatic-catalyzed oxidation reactions. Currently, a number of natural antioxidants such as catechins, flavonoids, and other polyphenols have been proven to inhibit the generation of COPs. In addition, measures taken during food processing can also minimize the production of COPs, such as the Maillard reaction and marinating food with plant polyphenol-rich seasonings. In conclusion, a comprehensive approach encompassing the suppression on COPs generation and implementation of processing measures is imperative to safeguard human health against the production of COPs in the food chain.

Antioxidant addition improves cholesterol and astaxanthin stability in dry salted shrimp

BACKGROUND

Traditional production of dry salted shrimp enhances cholesterol oxidation and astaxanthin degradation in the product. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of addition of the antioxidants butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) to cooked shrimp on the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) and astaxanthin degradation during solar drying of shrimp.

RESULTS

The added antioxidants significantly inhibited COPs formation after the product was boiled in brine. Smaller amounts of COPs were formed in antioxidant-treated shrimps (~-23%) as compared to untreated samples. The antioxidants continued to significantly inhibit COPs formation (~-39%) during sun drying. Similarly, TBHQ and BHT reduced by 51.3% and 37.2%, respectively, the degradation rate of astaxanthin, favoring a higher retention of this carotenoid in the final product.

CONCLUSION

The use of the antioxidants BHT and TBHQ in the preparation of dry salted shrimp significantly inhibited the formation of COPs after cooking raw shrimp and during direct solar drying. They also protected astaxanthin contained in the cooked shrimp from photodegradation. These results are technologically relevant because it is possible to prepare a product with a higher content of astaxanthin and lower the presence of hazardous COPs. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thermal-Oxidation Stability of Soybean Germ Phytosterols in Different Lipid Matrixes

The stability of soybean germ phytosterols (SGPs) in different lipid matrixes, including soybean germ oil, olive oil, and lard, was studied at 120, 150, and 180 °C. Results on the loss rate demonstrated that SGPs were most stable in olive oil, followed by soybean germ oil, and lard in a decreasing order. It is most likely that unsaturated fatty acids could oxidize first, compete with consumption of oxygen, and then spare phytosterols from oxidation. The oxidation products of SGPS in non-oil and oil systems were also quantified. The results demonstrated that at relatively lower temperatures (120 and 150 °C), SGPs' oxidation products were produced the most in the non-oil system, followed by lard, soybean germ oil, and olive oil. This was consistent with the loss rate pattern of SGPs. At a relatively higher temperature of 180 °C, the formation of SGPs' oxidation products in soybean germ oil was quantitatively the same as that in lard, implying that the temperature became a dominative factor rather than the content of unsaturated fatty acids of lipid matrixes in the oxidation of SGPs.

Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Cytoprotective Properties of Ethanolic Mint Extracts from Algeria on 7-Ketocholesterol-Treated Murine RAW 264.7 Macrophages

The present study consisted in evaluating the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective properties of ethanolic extracts from three mint species (Mentha spicata L. (MS), Mentha pulegium L. (MP) and Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds (MR)) with biochemical methods on murine RAW 264.7 macrophages (a transformed macrophage cell line isolated from ascites of BALB/c mice infected by the Abelson leukemia virus). The total phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents were determined with spectrophotometric methods. The antioxidant activities were quantified with the Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL^TM), the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The MS extract showed the highest total phenolic content, and the highest antioxidant capacity, while the MR extract showed the lowest total phenolic content and the lowest antioxidant capacity. The cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts were quantified on murine RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with 7-ketocholesterol (7KC; 20 µg/mL: 50 µM) associated or not for 24 h and 48 h with ethanolic mint extracts used at different concentrations (25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/mL). Under treatment with 7KC, an important inhibition of cell growth was revealed with the crystal violet test. This side effect was strongly attenuated in a dose dependent manner with the different ethanolic mint extracts, mainly at 48 h. The most important cytoprotective effect was observed with the MS extract. In addition, the effects of ethanolic mint extracts on cytokine secretion (Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-1, Interferon (IFN)-ϒ, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α) were determined at 24 h on lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.2 µg/mL)-, 7KC (20 µg/mL)- and (7KC + LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Complex effects of mint extracts were observed on cytokine secretion. However, comparatively to LPS-treated cells, all the extracts strongly reduce IL-6 secretion and two of them (MP and MR) also decrease MCP-1 and TNF-α secretion. However, no anti-inflammatory effects were observed on 7KC- and (7KC + LPS)-treated cells. Altogether, these data bring new evidences on the potential benefits (especially antioxidant and cytoprotective properties) of Algerian mint on human health.

Genotoxicity of lipid oxidation compounds

Lipid peroxidation, the oxidative degradation of membrane lipids by reactive oxygen species generates a large variety of breakdown products such as alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, furans and others. Due to their reactivity aldehydes (alkanals, 2-alkenals, 2,4-alkadienals, 4-hydroxyalkenals) received a lot of attention, in particular because they can diffuse from the site of formation and interact with proteins and nucleic acids thus acting as second toxic messengers. The major aldehydic peroxidation product of membrane lipids is 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). Since HNE and other 4-hydroxyalkenals are strong alkylating agents they have therefore been considered to be the biologically most important peroxidation products. Although initially research focused on the toxicological potential of these compounds it is now well known that they play also a crucial role in cell signaling under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Thus, it is obvious that the biological effects will be determined by the intracellular concentrations which can trigger adaptation, DNA damage and cell death. This review will not cover all these aspects but will concentrate on the genotoxic properties of selected lipid oxidation products important in the context of pathophysiological developments together with a chapter on epigenetic modifications.

Oxysterols formation: A review of a multifactorial process

Dietary sterols are nutritionally interesting compounds which can suffer oxidation reactions. In the case of plant sterols, they are being widely used for food enrichment due to their hypocholesterolemic properties. Besides, cholesterol and plant sterols oxidation products are associated with the development of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Therefore, the evaluation of the particular factors affecting sterol degradation and oxysterols formation in foods is of major importance. The present work summarizes the main results obtained in experiments which aimed to study four aspects in this context: the effect of the heating treatment, the unsaturation degree of the surrounding lipids, the presence of antioxidants on sterols degradation, and at last, oxides formation. The use of model systems allowed the isolation of some of these effects resulting in more accurate data. Thus, these results could be applied in real conditions.

Thermal stability of plant sterols and formation of their oxidation products in vegetable oils and margarines upon controlled heating

Fat-based products like vegetable oils and margarines are commonly used for cooking, which may enhance oxidation of plant sterols (PS) present therein, leading to the formation of PS oxidation products (POP). The present study aims to assess the kinetics of POP formation in six different fat-based products. Vegetable oils and margarines without and with added PS (7.5-7.6% w/w) in esterified form were heated in a Petri-dish at temperatures of 150, 180 and 210°C for 8, 12 and 16min. PS and POP were analysed using GC-FID and GC-MS-SIM, respectively. Increasing PS content, temperature and heating time led to higher POP formation in all tested fat-based products. PS (either naturally occurring or added) in margarines were less susceptible to oxidation as compared to PS in vegetable oils. The susceptibility of sitosterol to oxidation was about 20% lower than that of campesterol under all the applied experimental conditions. During heating, the relative abundance of 7-keto-PS (expressed as% of total POP) decreased in all the fat-based products regardless of their PS contents, which was accompanied by an increase in the relative abundance of 7-OH-PS and 5,6-epoxy-PS, while PS-triols were fairly unchanged. In conclusion, heating time, temperature, initial PS content and the matrix of the fat-based products (vegetable oil vs. margarine) showed distinct effects on POP formation and composition of individual POP formed.

Monitoring the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in model systems using response surface methodology

BACKGROUND

Cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) are produced during thermal processing of animal origin foods and are considered to have negative health impacts. The model systems are helpful to understand the impact of various factors on oxidation changes in foods during cooking process.

METHODS

The study presented herein investigates the effects of pH, presence of unsaturated fatty acids, and heat on the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). Two model systems were designed to investigate the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in different lipid environments. The cholesterol oxides produced were quantified using gas chromatography.

RESULTS

The level of cholesterol oxidation products decreased significantly at higher pH (above 5.8) and shorter heating time (3 h). The presence of unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acids) significantly increased the amount of COPs under low-temperature heating conditions (100 °C and 1 h) but did not affect the production of COPs at higher temperature (150 °C). Increasing the temperature to 200 °C significantly increased the amount of COPs during the first hour of heating and this amount decreased upon further heating. The most frequently observed COPs in samples were α-epoxide, 20α-hydroxycholesterol, and 25-hydroxycholesterol.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, pH below 5.8, presence of unsaturated fatty acid, and high cooking temperature (>150 °C) leads to increased production of cholesterol oxidation products.

Stability of iron-quercetin complexes in synthetic wine under in vitro digestion conditions

Wine is a dietary source of polyphenolic compounds with reported health benefits when moderately consumed. Several of these compounds can associate with metals forming complexes. Therefore, this work was conducted to reach a better understanding of the nature and chemical stability of wine-derived Fe(3+)-quercetin complexes in a digestion model. The stability of the complexes in a synthetic (simulated) wine was studied before and after in vitro gastric and intestinal digestions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-Vis detection. Metal determination was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) to evaluate possible dissociation of complexes. During HPLC analysis all peaks eluted from the chromatographic column were collected, acidified, and analyzed by ETAAS. The results showed that complexes remain substantially stable after gastric digestion conditions, with recoveries of 84% to 90%. Although metal complexes were partially degraded during intestinal digestion, 41% to 45% of the Fe(3+)-quercetin complexes was recovered.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

This work reveals the chemical stability of Fe3+–quercetin complexes in synthetic wines after an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The knowledge of this process would be useful to understand the bioavailability of these compounds.

Recent advances in cholesterol chemistry

This review article presents advances in cholesterol chemistry since 2000. Various transformations (chemical, enzymatic, electrochemical, etc.) of cholesterol are presented. A special emphasis is given to cholesterol oxidation reactions, but also substitution of the 3β-hydroxyl group, addition to the C5-C6 double bond, C-H functionalization, and C-C bond forming reactions are discussed.

Synthesis of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol and its separation, identification, and quantification in cholesterol heated model systems

7-Hydroperoxycholesterol is considered to be an intermediate compound of the cholesterol oxidation path as the first product formed when cholesterol is oxidized by triplet oxygen. However, there is a limitation on cholesterol mechanism studies because of the lack of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol analytical standard due to its low stability. To verify the formation of hydroperoxides in cholesterol model systems heated at 140, 180, and 220 °C, 7α-hydroperoxycholesterol was synthesized by cholesterol photooxidation followed by rearrangement at room temperature in chloroform. Its structure was confirmed on the basis of 13C NMR and mass spectra obtained by APCI-LC-MS. The synthesized compound was also used as standard for the quantification of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol as the sum of 7α- and 7β-hydroperoxycholesterol. The results demonstrated that 7-hydroperoxycholesterol is the first compound formed when the temperature is lower (140 °C). However, the concentration of the 7-hydroperoxycholesterol depends on the temperature and time of exposure: the higher the time, the higher the amount of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol at lower temperatures, and the lower the time, the lower the amount of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol at higher temperatures (180 and 220 °C). By the formation of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol, the known cholesterol oxidation mechanism in three phases (initiation, propagation, and termination) could be confirmed; once at lower temperatures, the stage of cholesterol oxidation is at initiation, at which hydroperoxide formation predominates.

Integral kinetic model for studying quercetin degradation and oxidation as affected by cholesterol during heating

The degradation and oxidation of quercetin, as affected by cholesterol during heating at 150 °C, was kinetically studied using non-linear regression models. Both TLC and HPLC were used to monitor the changes of quercetin, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) during heating. The formation of COPs, including triol, 7-keto, 7α-OH and 7β-OH, was completely inhibited during the initial 30 minute heating period in the presence of 0.02% quercetin, accompanied by reduction in cholesterol peroxidation and degradation. However, the quercetin degradation or oxidation proceeded fast, with the rate constants (h⁻¹) in the presence of nitrogen, oxygen and the combination of oxygen and cholesterol being 0.253, 0.868 and 7.17, respectively. When cholesterol and quercetin were heated together, the rate constants (h⁻¹) of cholesterol peroxidation, epoxidation and degradation were 1.8 × 10⁻⁴, 0.016 and 0.19, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r²) for all the oxidative and degradation reactions ranged from 0.82–0.99. The kinetic models developed in this study may be used to predict the degradation and oxidation of quercetin as affected by cholesterol during heating.

Effect of rutin on warfarin anticoagulation and pharmacokinetics of warfarin enantiomers in rats

Objectives

The effects of the flavonoid rutin on the anticoagulant activity of oral warfarin and the protein binding and pharmacokinetics of its enantiomers were investigated in rats.

Methods

A single dose of racemic warfarin, 1.5 mg/kg, was administered orally to rats either alone or on day 5 of an 8-day oral regimen of rutin, 1 g/kg daily.

Results

Rutin reduced the anticoagulant effect of racemic warfarin, evident as a 31% reduction in the area under the prothrombin complex activty–time curve (P < 0.05).

Key findings

Rutin had no apparent effect on pre-treatment baseline blood coagulation. It enhanced the in-vitro serum protein binding of S- and R-warfarin (reflected by 40% and 26% reductions in unbound fraction, respectively), and thus restricted distribution by 33 and 21%, respectively. Treatment with rutin significantly decreased the elimination half-life of S-warfarin by 37% as a result of the 69% increase in unbound clearance of the S-enantiomer. This effect was attributed to a significant 77% increase in the unbound formation clearance of the overall oxidative and reductive metabolites, and an increase in the unbound renal clearance of the more potent S-enantiomer of warfarin.

Conclusions

Concurrent rutin administration is likely to reduce the anticoagulant effect of racemic warfarin, reflecting a significant decrease in the elimination half-life of the more potent S-enantiomer.

Antioxidant phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of biofortified carrots (Daucus carota L.) of various colors

Antioxidants and antioxidant capacity of seven colored carrots were determined. Five anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and four carotenoids were quantified by HPLC. Total phenolic content was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant capacities of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions were determined by using the 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. The relative antioxidant capacity index was determined. Anthocyanins were the major antioxidants in purple-yellow and purple-orange carrots, and chlorogenic acid was a major antioxidant in all carrots. Carotenoids did not contribute to total antioxidant capacity, but correlated with antioxidant capacity of hydrophobic extracts. Both the DPPH and ABTS assays showed that the hydrophilic extract had higher antioxidant capacity than the hydrophobic extract. Purple-yellow carrots had the highest antioxidant capacity, followed by purple-orange carrots, and the other carrots did not significantly differ. This information is useful for consumers and may help horticulturists develop carrots with higher antioxidant capacity.

Formation of cholesterol oxidation products in marinated foods during heating

The objectives of this study were to develop a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method to analyze the contents of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in marinated eggs, pork, and juice and to compare the effect of heating time and soy sauce or sugar on the formation of COPs. By using a silica cartridge for purification and GC-MS with selected ion monitoring for detection, seven COPs, including 7alpha-hydroxycholesterol, 7beta-hydroxycholesterol, 5,6alpha-epoxycholesterol, 5,6beta-epoxycholesterol, 5alpha-cholestane-3beta, 5,6beta-triol, 5-cholesten-3beta-25-diol, and 7-ketocholesterol, as well as internal standard 5alpha-cholestane, were resolved within 16 min by using a HP-5MS capillary column. During marinating, the levels of most COPs followed an increasing trend with increasing heating time. However, a higher amount of COPs was generated for ground pork as compared to eggs. The incorporation of soy sauce or sugar (1 and 10%) was effective in inhibiting COPs formation, with the latter being more pronounced than the former in both marinated eggs and pork.