Antioxidant vitamins in barley green biomass

Variability of Properties Modulating the Biosynthesis of Biologically Active Compounds in Young Barley Treated with Ozonated Water

This paper presents the effects of irrigating barley plants with different type of water solutions saturated with gaseous ozone generated from atmospheric air. The study investigated the effects of the applied types of water on the modulation of the biosynthesis of selected bioactive compounds (content of total polyphenols, small molecule antioxidants, vitamin C) in the produced plant material. A number of transformations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen compounds have also been postulated; these are observed during the saturation of water with gaseous O₃ and 30 min after the end of the process. It was shown that after the process of water saturation with gaseous O₃, the gas later is converted to compounds with high oxidative potential and good stability; these, in turn, lead to the oxidation of oxidates generated from atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates, which exhibit fertilising properties. Thirty minutes after the process of H₂O saturation with gaseous O₃ was completed, the tests showed the highest concentrations of nitrates and the relatively high oxidative potential of the solution originating from H₂O₂ with a low concentration of the dissolved O₃. This solution exhibited the highest activity modulating the biosynthesis of polyphenols, small molecule antioxidants and vitamin C in young barley plants. The resulting differences were significant, and they were reflected by 15% higher total polyphenol content, 35% higher antioxidative potential and 57% greater content of vitamin C compared to the control specimens (plants treated with fresh H₂O).

Barley Grass Juice Attenuates Hydrodynamic Transfection-Induced HCC Initiation in Mice

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grass has been recognized as a functional food with a wide spectrum of health-promoting properties. Supplementation with barley grass has the potential to prevent chronic diseases, such as cancer. Here, we investigated whether barley grass could protect against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our data showed that administration of barley grass juice attenuates tumor development in a hydrodynamic gene delivery-induced model of HCC. The expression levels of the immune cell markers Ptprc and Adgre1 were upregulated in the barley grass juice-treated and normal groups, compared to those in the vehicle group in the HCC model. Immune cells (CD45+, F4/80+, and CLEC4F + iNOS + cells) infiltration in the liver increased following barley grass juice administration. Our results indicate that barley grass could be beneficial for HCC alleviation, partly by regulating immune cell infiltration. The ingredients of barley grass affect immune cell infiltration in HCC, and the detailed mechanism requires further study.

Induction of Biosynthesis Antioxidant Molecules in Young Barley Plants by Trioxygen

Young barley plants are a good source of bioactive compounds. This paper presents the effects of gaseous O3 (trioxygen or ozone) on the biosynthesis of compounds, determining the antioxidant potential of young barley plants. The total content of polyphenols was determined along with their profile, as well as total antioxidant potential and vitamin C content. The highest contents of these compounds were identified in young barley plants exposed to gaseous O3. The main bioactive compound, representing polyphenols, determined in the examined raw materials was saponarin (isovitexin 7-O-glucoside). The induction of increased biosynthesis of these molecules was directly linked to the modification of the activity of selected enzymes. The increased polyphenol content resulted from the modified activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). On the other hand, the oxidative effect of ozone on barley plants was reduced, owing to the modified activities of catalases (CAT), glutathione peroxidases (SOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX). Analysis of the results showed that by applying gaseous O3 at a dose of 50 ppm for 10 min, the contents of bioactive compounds can be maximised in a residue-free way by activating oxidative stress defence mechanisms.

Chemical Composition and Protective Effect of Young Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Dietary Supplements Extracts on UV-Treated Human Skin Fibroblasts in In Vitro Studies

Young barley seems to be a promising material for use as nutricosmetic due to the presence of many biologically active compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Hordeum vulgare L. extracts on human skin fibroblasts exposed to ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) radiation. Analysis of the chemical composition showed a predominance of 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid. The quality assessment showed that young barley preparations have high total polyphenolic content (TPC) and favourable total antioxidant status (TAS). They also contain antioxidant elements such as zinc, copper, and selenium. Furthermore, the analyzed products were found to be safe in terms of toxic elements (lead, cadmium and mercury) and lack of cytotoxic effect of young barley extracts on cells. In vitro bioactivity assays showed that young barley extract increased the survival rate and accelerated the migration of fibroblasts in research models with UVB radiation. The application of both extracts caused an increase in DNA biosynthesis, and in the number of cells arrested in S phase. Moreover, an inhibitory effect of the tested extracts on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) was observed. The results indicate that young barley extracts, due to protective as well as restorative effect, could potentially be used in the production of nutricosmetics and skin care products.

Variability of Hordeum vulgare L. Cultivars in Yield, Antioxidant Potential, and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an annual plant cultivated in spring or autumn. Currently, over 70% of the cultivated barley grains are utilized for preparing fodder, while the rest is used for the production of malt and cereals in the food industry. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, and cholinesterase inhibitory effect of the aqueous extracts of juvenile barley leaves. It was found that the barley cultivars differed in their content of the determined phytochemicals as well as their antioxidant potential and cholinesterase-inhibitory activity. The water extracts of young barley leaves contained phenolic acids as well as quercetin, rutin, and kaempferitrin. The extracts showed a higher inhibitory effect on 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) than on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Based on the aqueous extracts analyzed, we found that winter cultivars were characterized by the highest iron-chelating activity. Furthermore, barley extracts showed a stronger inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase compared to butyrylcholinesterase. The results of the present work indicated that barley cultivars differed in their germination process. Among the tested samples, the highest cholinesterase inhibitory activity was shown by the Basic variety.

Green barley mitigates cytotoxicity in human lymphocytes undergoing aggressive oxidative stress, via activation of both the Lyn/PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK pathways

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in numerous diseases. Therefore, the pursuit of compounds with antioxidant activity remains critical. Green barley young leaves aqueous extract (GB) was tested for its capacity to ameliorate cellular oxidative stress, and its potential cytoprotective mechanism was partially elucidated. Through Folin-Ciocalteau and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) colorimetric assays, GB total phenolic content and free radical scavenging activity were found to be 59.91 ± 2.17 mg/L and 110.75 µg/ml (IC₅₀), respectively. Using a live cell-based propidium iodide dye exclusion assay and flow cytometry, GB was found to display significant cytoprotection activity on three human lymphocytic cell lines exposed to an aggressive H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. The molecular mechanism for GB cytoprotection activity was assessed via bead-based xMAP technology on the Luminex platform and western blot analysis. GB treatment resulted in activation of Lyn, Akt, and ERK1/2, suggesting that GB is able to mitigate the H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress via activation of both the Lyn/PI3K/Akt and ERK/MAPK pathways. Our findings support the notion that GB extract has the potential to be a valuable therapeutic agent and may serve to establish a strategy to discover potential compound(s) or biological extracts/mixtures to be incorporated as a treatment to prevent oxidative stress-related diseases.

Preventive and Therapeutic Role of Functional Ingredients of Barley Grass for Chronic Diseases in Human Beings

Barley grass powder is the best functional food that provides nutrition and eliminates toxins from cells in human beings; however, its functional ingredients have played an important role as health benefit. In order to better cognize the preventive and therapeutic role of barley grass for chronic diseases, we carried out the systematic strategies for functional ingredients of barley grass, based on the comprehensive databases, especially the PubMed, Baidu, ISI Web of Science, and CNKI, between 2008 and 2017. Barley grass is rich in functional ingredients, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonoids, saponarin, lutonarin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), K, Ca, Se, tryptophan, chlorophyll, vitamins (A, B1, C, and E), dietary fiber, polysaccharide, alkaloid, metallothioneins, and polyphenols. Barley grass promotes sleep; has antidiabetic effect; regulates blood pressure; enhances immunity; protects liver; has anti-acne/detoxifying and antidepressant effects; improves gastrointestinal function; has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and antigout effects; reduces hyperuricemia; prevents hypoxia, cardiovascular diseases, fatigue, and constipation; alleviates atopic dermatitis; is a calcium supplement; improves cognition; and so on. These results support that barley grass may be one of the best functional foods for preventive chronic diseases and the best raw material of modern diet structure in promoting the development of large health industry and further reveal that GABA, flavonoids, SOD, K-Ca, vitamins, and tryptophan mechanism of barley grass have preventive and therapeutic role for chronic diseases. This paper can be used as a scientific evidence for developing functional foods and novel drugs for barley grass for preventive chronic diseases.

Therapeutic Potential of Young Green Barley Leaves in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: An Overview

Medicinal plants have played a major role as a functional food and pharmacological source of active substances. Barley grass (BG) is young green barley leaves. It is the young grass of the common barley plant Hordeum vulgare L. of the family Poeaceae (Graminae). It is a type of green grasses, and the only vegetation on the earth that can supply sole nutritional support from birth to old age. It contains a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as eight essential amino acids that we must get from our diets. BG possesses several pharmacological activities as anticancer activity, anti-oxidant activity and anti-inflammatory activity. It has been argued that BG helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body. The major pharmacologic interest of BG is its use in the treatment of chronic diseases. The beneficial effects observed in chronic disease may be related to bioactive compounds contained in BG such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and bioflavonoids (lutonarin and saponarin). Thus, this paper is focused on the various studies that emphasize the therapeutic potential of BG in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Searching in mother nature for anti-cancer activity: anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect elicited by green barley on leukemia/lymphoma cells

Green barley extract (GB) was investigated for possible anti-cancer activity by examining its anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic properties on human leukemia/lymphoma cell lines. Our results indicate that GB exhibits selective anti-proliferative activity on a panel of leukemia/lymphoma cells in comparison to non-cancerous cells. Specifically, GB disrupted the cell-cycle progression within BJAB cells, as manifested by G2/M phase arrest and DNA fragmentation, and induced apoptosis, as evidenced by phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation to the outer cytoplasmic membrane in two B-lineage leukemia/lymphoma cell lines. The pro-apoptotic effect of GB was found to be independent of mitochondrial depolarization, thus implicating extrinsic cell death pathways to exert its cytotoxicity. Indeed, GB elicited an increase of TNF-α production, caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation, and PARP-1 cleavage within pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia Nalm-6 cells. Moreover, caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation and PARP-1 cleavage were strongly inhibited/blocked by the addition of the specific caspase inhibitors Z-VAD-FMK and Ac-DEVD-CHO. Furthermore, intracellular signaling analyses determined that GB treatment enhanced constitutive activation of Lck and Src tyrosine kinases in Nalm-6 cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that GB induced preferential anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic signals within B-lineage leukemia/lymphoma cells, as determined by the following biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis: PS externalization, enhanced release of TNF-α, caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation, PARP-1 cleavage and DNA fragmentation Our observations reveal that GB has potential as an anti-leukemia/lymphoma agent alone or in combination with standard cancer therapies and thus warrants further evaluation in vivo to support these findings.

Antioxidant and anticholinesterase effects of frequently consumed cereal grains using in vitro test models

The ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts obtained from eight varieties (Faikbey, Y-1779, CI-8357, Cheokota, Seydişehir, Y-330, Sivas and YVD-18) of oat (Avena sativa L.), one variety (Larende) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), one variety (Tatlicak 97) of triticale (Triticale sp.) and one rye variety (Aslim 95) (Secale cereale L.) were investigated for their antioxidant effects in seven test systems. Anticholinesterase activity of the extracts was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microplate reader. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were calculated using Folin Ciocalteau and AlCl₃ reagents, respectively. All of the extracts were ineffective in cholinesterase inhibition assays and had weak-to-moderate activity in antioxidant assays. The extracts exerted better activity in iron-chelation capacity ranging between 43.17 ± 2.04 and 62.97 ± 1.29%. Triticale extracts showed higher activity in reducing power experiments. A notable difference in the results of the antioxidant activity assays was observed among the oat varieties.