Comparison of the content of bioactive substances and the inhibitory effects against rat plasma oxidation of conventional and organic hot peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)

Antioxidant potential and factors influencing the content of antioxidant compounds of pepper: A review with current knowledge

The use of natural food items as antioxidants has gained increasing popularity and attention in recent times supported by scientific studies validating the antioxidant properties of natural food items. Peppers (Capsicum spp.) are also important sources of antioxidants and several studies published during the last few decades identified and quantified various groups of phytochemicals with antioxidant capacities as well as indicated the influence of several pre- and postharvest factors on the antioxidant capacity of pepper. Therefore, this review summarizes the research findings on the antioxidant activity of pepper published to date and discusses their potential health benefits as well as the factors influencing the antioxidant activity in pepper. The major antioxidant compounds in pepper include capsaicinoids, capsinoids, vitamins, carotenoids, phenols, and flavonoids, and these antioxidants potentially modulate oxidative stress related to aging and diseases by targeting reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, lipid peroxidation products, as well as genes for transcription factors that regulate antioxidant response elements genes. The review also provides a systematic understanding of the factors that maintain or improve the antioxidant capacity of peppers and the application of these strategies offers options to pepper growers and spices industries for maximizing the antioxidant activity of peppers and their health benefits to consumers. In addition, the efficacy of pepper antioxidants, safety aspects, and formulations of novel products with pepper antioxidants have also been covered with future perspectives on potential innovative uses of pepper antioxidants in the future.

Phytochemical‑rich herbal formula ATG‑125 protects against sucrose‑induced gastrocnemius muscle atrophy by rescuing Akt signaling and improving mitochondrial dysfunction in young adult mice

The antioxidant capability of herbal remedies has attracted widespread attention, but their molecular mechanisms in a muscle atrophy model have not been explored. The aim of the present study was to compare the bioactivity of sucrose challenged mice following treatment with ATG‑125. Here, through a combination of transcriptomic and biomedical analysis, herbal formula ATG‑125, a phytochemical‑rich formula, was identified as a protective factor against muscle atrophy in sucrose challenged mice. Gene ontology (GO) identified differentially expressed genes that were primarily enriched in the 'negative regulation of proteolysis', 'cellular amino acid metabolic process', 'lipoprotein particle' and 'cell cycle', all of which were associated with the ATG‑125‑mediated prevention of muscle atrophy, particularly with regard to mitochondrial biogenesis. In skeletal muscle, a set of mitochondrial‑related genes, including angiopoietin‑like 4, nicotinamide riboside kinase 2 (Nmrk2), pyruvate dehydrogenase lipoamide kinase isozyme 4, Asc‑type amino acid transporter 1 and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 3 (Ucp3) were markedly upregulated following ATG‑125 intervention. An increase in Nmrk2 and Ucp3 expression were noted after ATG‑125 treatment, in parallel with upregulation of the 'nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism' pathway, as determined using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis revealed the downregulation of 'complement and coagulation cascades', 'cholesterol metabolism', 'biosynthesis of amino acids' and 'PPAR signaling pathway', which were associated with the downregulation of serine (or cysteine) peptidase inhibitor clade A member (Serpina)3, Serpina1b, Serpina1d, Serpina1e, apolipoprotein (Apo)a1 and Apoa2, all of which were cardiovascular and diabetes‑associated risk factors and were regulated by ATG‑125. In addition, ATG‑125 treatment resulted in downregulated mRNA expression levels of ATPase sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ transporting 2, troponin‑I1, troponin‑C1 and troponin‑T1 in young adult gastrocnemius muscle compared with the sucrose group. Nuclear factor‑κB‑hypoxia inducible factor‑1α‑TGFβ receptor type‑II‑vascular endothelial growth factor staining indicated that ATG‑125 decreased sucrose‑induced chronic inflammation. ATG‑125 was sufficient to prevent muscle atrophy, and this protective effect may be mediated through upregulation of AKT phosphorylation, upregulating the insulin growth factor‑1R‑insulin receptor substrate‑PI3K‑AKT pathway, which in turn resulted in a forkhead box O‑dependent decrease in protein degradation pathways, including regulation of atrogin1 and E3 ubiquitin‑protein ligase TRIM63. Peroxisome‑proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) was decreased in young adult mice challenged with sucrose. ATG‑125 treatment significantly increased PGC1α and significantly increased UCP‑1,2,3 expression levels, which suggested ATG‑125 poised the mitochondria for uncoupling of respiration. This effect is consistent with the increased SIRT1 levels and may explain an increase in mitochondria biogenesis. Taken together, the present study showed that ATG‑125, as an integrator of protein synthesis and degradative pathways, prevented muscle wasting.

Dynamic of Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and Yield of Rhubarb under Chemical, Organic and Biological Fertilization

In recent years, rhubarb is being increasingly cultivated, as it provides early yields when the vegetables supply to market is deficient and shows high levels of both polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity in edible parts. In 2017, we investigated crops of the rhubarb cultivar Victoria to the fifth year of production. Comparisons were performed between three root phase fertilizations-chemical (NPK 16-16-16^®), organic (Orgevit^®), and biological (Micoseeds MB^®)-plus an unfertilized control. The determinations of polyphenols, the antioxidant capacity, and the yield indicators from the stalks (petioles) of rhubarb were made at each out of the 10 harvests carried out. The highest yield (59.16 t·ha^-1) was recorded under the chemical fertilization. The total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity varied widely from 533.86 mg GAE·g^-1 d.w. and 136.86 mmol Trolox·g^-1 d.w., respectively in the unfertilized control at the last harvest, up to 3966.56 mg GAE·g^-1 d.w. and 1953.97 mmol Trolox·g^-1 d.w. respectively under the organic fertilization at the four harvest. From the results of our investigation, it can be inferred that the chemical fertilization was the most effective in terms of yield, whereas the sustainable nutritional management based on organic fertilizer supply led to higher antioxidant compounds and activity.

The Influence of a Multimodal Health Program with Diet, Art, and Biofield Therapy on the Quality of Life of People in Japan

Objective: To investigate whether the frequency of the practice of each of diet, art, and biofield therapy influences improvement in quality of life (QOL), and to examine whether the simultaneous practice of all three components increasingly improves QOL in a real-world setting.

Design: Pre–post-test design using convenience sampling methods.

Setting: Home setting.

Subjects: A total of 4681 individuals aged 16 years or older who answered the questionnaire appropriately.

Intervention: Participants agreed to practice the three components daily and self-evaluated the frequency of their weekly practice for three consecutive months. At the beginning and end of the study, they completed the MOA quality-of-life questionnaire (10-item MOA quality-of-life questionnaire [MQL-10]).

Outcome measures: Factors associated with the increase in MQL-10 scores for each component, and the relationship between the simultaneous practice of multiple components and the changes in MQL-10 scores were analyzed.

Results: Frequent practice of the diet and/or art components was associated with an increase in the term-end MQL-10 score (p < 0.001); however, receiving biofield therapy frequently was not. Participants' age, gender, and qualification as a practitioner of biofield therapy had no relationship with changes in scores, but the reasons for participation had a significant influence on changes in scores (p < 0.001). Participants who initially did not practice any components frequently but who subsequently increased the number of components and frequency of each practice had a higher likelihood of exhibiting an increase in the term-end score (p < 0.01). Participants who initially practiced all three components frequently but later decreased the number of components practiced frequently had a lower chance of increase and a higher risk of decrease in scores (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: The data suggest that the frequent practice of the diet and art components is associated with improvement in QOL. Simultaneous practice of diet, art, and biofield therapy is more likely to improve QOL. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01927250)

Stability of Capsaicinoids and Antioxidants in Dry Hot Peppers under Different Packaging and Storage Temperatures

The maintenance of the quality and storage life of perishable fruits and vegetables is a major challenge for the food industry. In this study, the effects of different temperatures, packaging materials and storage time on the stability of capsaicinoids and antioxidants, such as total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds, were studied in three commercially cultivated hot pepper hybrids, namely Sky Red, Maha and Wonder King. For this purpose, dry whole pods were packed in jute bags and low-density polyethylene bags (LDPE), stored for five months under controlled conditions at 20, 25 or 30 ○C and analyzed on Day 0 and at 50-day intervals until Day 150. The three hot pepper hybrids differed significantly with respect to their capsaicinoids and antioxidant concentrations, but the results indicated that with the increase in storage temperature and time, a gradual and steady decrease in these levels was equally observed for all hybrids. Overall, mean concentrations after five months were significantly reduced by 22.6% for ascorbic acid, 19.0% for phenolic compounds, 17% for carotenoids and 12.7% for capsaicinoids. The trends of capsaicinoids and antioxidants evolution were decreasing gradually during storage until Day 150, this effect being more pronounced at higher temperature. Furthermore, the disappearance rates of capsaicinoids and antioxidants were higher in peppers packed in jute bags than in those wrapped with LDPE. In conclusion, despite the sensitivity of capsaicinoids and antioxidants to oxygen, light and moisture, the packaging in natural jute or synthetic LDPE plastic bags, as well as the storage at ambient temperature preserved between 77.4% and 87.3% of the initial amounts of these health- and nutrition-promoting compounds during five months' storage.

Elicitor Mixtures Significantly Increase Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and Quality Parameters in Sweet Bell Pepper

Sweet bell peppers are greatly appreciated for their taste, color, pungency, and aroma. Additionally, they are good sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, which can be improved by the use of elicitors. Elicitors act as metabolite-inducing factors (MIF) by mimic stress conditions. Since plants rarely experience a single stress condition one by one but are more likely to be exposed to simultaneous stresses, it is important to evaluate the effect of elicitors on plant secondary metabolism as mixtures. Jasmonic acid (JA), hydrogen peroxide (HP), and chitosan (CH) were applied to fruits and plants of bell pepper as mixtures. Bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and quality parameters were evaluated. The assessed elicitor cocktail leads to an increase in the variables evaluated (P≤ 0.05) when applied to mature fruits after harvest, whereas the lowest values were observed in the treatment applied to immature fruits. Therefore, the application of the elicitor cocktail to harvested mature fruits is recommended in order to improve bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of sweet bell peppers.

Quality parameters and antioxidant properties in organic and conventionally grown broccoli after pre-storage hot water treatment

BACKGROUND

Demand for broccoli has increased due to its high content of bioactive compounds. However, broccoli is a perishable commodity with a short shelf life mainly due to dehydration, yellowing and losses of bioactive compounds. Thus, efficient treatments to preserve broccoli quality are needed.

RESULTS

The effect of heat treatment on senescence and antioxidant compounds evolution during storage at 20 °C was evaluated in organic and conventionally grown broccoli. Senescence evolved quickly as manifested by floral head yellowing, which was higher in conventional than in organic broccolis, but senescence was significantly delayed by heat treatment. All organic acids, including ascorbic acid, were found at higher concentrations in organic than in conventional broccoli at harvest but decreased during storage in all broccolis. Phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity (in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions) also decreased during storage, although these decreases were higher in conventional than in organic broccolis, and no differences were found attributable to heat treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Heat treatment was effective in delaying broccoli senescence, manifested by chlorophyll retention. In addition, organic broccoli maintained higher concentrations of bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid and phenolics) and antioxidant potential during storage than conventional broccoli, with higher potential health beneficial effects.

Agriculture and bioactives: achieving both crop yield and phytochemicals

Plants are fundamental elements of the human diet, either as direct sources of nutrients or indirectly as feed for animals. During the past few years, the main goal of agriculture has been to increase yield in order to provide the food that is needed by a growing world population. As important as yield, but commonly forgotten in conventional agriculture, is to keep and, if it is possible, to increase the phytochemical content due to their health implications. Nowadays, it is necessary to go beyond this, reconciling yield and phytochemicals that, at first glance, might seem in conflict. This can be accomplished through reviewing food requirements, plant consumption with health implications, and farming methods. The aim of this work is to show how both yield and phytochemicals converge into a new vision of agricultural management in a framework of integrated agricultural practices.

Characterisation of antioxidant compounds in sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under organic and conventional growing systems

BACKGROUND

Sweet red bell pepper is one of the best sources of ascorbic acid and carotenoids as well as phenolic compounds important in the human diet. There have been some studies showing a higher level of bioactive compounds in organic bell pepper fruits compared with conventional fruits, but not all studies have been consistent in this respect. The levels of carotenoids and phenolics are very variable and may be affected by ripeness, genotype and cultivation.

RESULTS

The results obtained in this study showed that an organic growing system affected the level of bioactive compounds (carotenoids and polyphenols) in sweet bell pepper fruits cultivated in Poland. Organic bell pepper fruits contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, cis-β-carotene, total phenolic acids (as well as individual gallic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids (quercetin D-glucoside, quercetin and kaempferol) compared with conventional fruits. The bell pepper variety also affected the level of antioxidant compounds in fruits.

CONCLUSION

Organic growing increased the level of antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds and vitamin C in sweet bell pepper. The second significant factor affecting the antioxidant compound content of sweet bell pepper was variety. It would be necessary to continue this study as a long-term experiment in order to eliminate the influence of seasonality.

Apigenin-induced suicidal erythrocyte death

Apigenin, a flavone in fruits and vegetables, stimulates apoptosis and thus counteracts cancerogenesis. Erythrocytes may similarly undergo suicidal cell death or eryptosis, characterized by cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine exposure at the cell surface. Triggers of eryptosis include increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) activity ([Ca(2+)](i)), ceramide formation and ATP depletion. The present study explored the effect of apigenin on eryptosis. [Ca(2+)](i) was estimated from Fluo3-fluorescence, cell volume from forward scatter, phosphatidylserine exposure from annexin V binding, hemolysis from hemoglobin release, ceramide utilizing antibodies, and cytosolic ATP with luciferin-luciferase. A 48 h exposure to apigenin significantly increased [Ca(2+)](i) (≥ 1 μM), increased ceramide formation (15 μM), decreased ATP concentration (15 μM), decreased forward scatter (≥ 1 μM), and increased annexin V binding (≥ 5 μM) but did not significantly modify hemolysis. The effect of 15 μM apigenin on annexin V binding was blunted by Ca(2+) removal. The present observations reveal novel effects of apigenin, i.e. stimulation of Ca(2+) entry, ceramide formation and ATP depletion in erythrocytes with subsequent triggering of suicidal erythrocyte death, paralleled by cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine exposure.