Chemical composition analysis and antioxidant activity of black rice pigment

Biomarkers of the main nutritional components in purple rice during five successive grain filling stages

Differences in main nutritional components in relation to biomarkers of metabolites in purple rice grains at different fillings stages have not been determined previously. This study measured the contents of amino acids, several nutritional indicators, and mineral elements in purple rice grains at five stages following the filling stage. The results revealed that the amino acid, ascorbic acid, total sugar, carotenoid, vitamin B9, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, peonidin 3-glucoside and seven minerals were highest in the final stage of grain filling. Citric acid, L-isoleucine, trigonelline, and L-glutamate are key metabolites in the metabolic pathway and exhibit strong correlations with various nutritional indicators. Hence, this research preliminarily suggested that trigonelline, L-isoleucine, L-glutamate, and citric acid could be potential biomarkers of nutritional components in purple rice grains during various postfilling stages.

Dual tobramycin and docosahexaenoic acid loaded nanoemulsions combating Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pulmonary infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) typically forms biofilms in vivo, which exhibit high resistance and complicate eradication efforts. Additionally, persistent inflammation and excessive oxidative stress can lead to severe lung dysfunction, facilitating bacterial colonization and infection. Herein, we prepared oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions (TD-αT NEs) by using PEG5k-block-PCL5k and α-tocopherol to encapsulate tobramycin (TOB). To enhance TOB's drug load, a hydrophobic ion pair (TDIP) composed of TOB and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was pre-prepared. TD-αT NEs was not only easily prepared and aerosolized, but stable in both physics and chemistry. The negatively charged TD-αT NEs facilitated penetration through mucus, reaching infection sites. Subsequently, TD-αT NEs permeated biofilms due to their small size and released drugs via lipase-triggered carrier dissociation, aiding in eradicating internal bacteria within biofilms (with a 16-fold reduction in CFU vs. free TOB group). TD-αT NEs simultaneously exerted superior anti-inflammatory effects, reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (NO, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) while increasing the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). It was achieved through the upregulation of PPAR-γ and downregulation of NF-κB signaling, thus mitigating the lung damage. In addition, TD-αT NEs demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, alleviating the oxidative stress induced by P. aeruginosa. Notably, when administered via inhalation, TD-αT NEs significantly reduced the lung bacterial burden, lung inflammation, and oxidative stress in vivo compared to TOB solution. TD-αT NEs could prove beneficial in treating chronic pulmonary infections induced by P. aeruginosa through a comprehensive strategy, specifically enhancing biofilm eradication, reducing inflammation, and alleviating oxidative stress.

Shenqi formula delayed Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms by skn-1 pathway in Caernorhabditis elegans

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Shenqi formula is composed of Codonopsis pilosula (Cp) and Lycium barbarum (Lb), and it is traditionally used for promoting qi and nourishing the spleen, liver and kidney. Cp and Lb have been reported to improve cognitive performance in APP/PS1 mice, prevent the accumulation of Aβ, and reduce the neurotoxicity of Aβ to achieve the anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effect.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Shenqi formula was explored the therapeutic effect on Caenorhabditis elegans AD pathological model and the underlying mechanism of action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Paralysis assay and serotonin sensitivity assay was used to detect whether Shenqi formula can alleviate AD paralysis phenotype, and then DPPH, ABTS, NBT and Fenton methods were applied to investigate the scavenging capacity to free radical, ROS, ·O₂^- and ·OH of Shenqi formula in vitro. H₂DCF-DA and MitoSOX™ Red were employed to measure ROS and ^.O₂^- accumulation, respectively. RNAi was used to knock down the expression of skn-1 and daf-16 related to oxidative stress resistance signalling pathway. Fluorescence microscopy was used to record the expression of SOD-3:GFP, GST-4:GFP, SOD-1:YFP, and the nuclear translocation of SKN-1 and DAF-16. Western blot assay was carried out to test Aβ monomers and oligomers.

RESULTS

Shenqi formula delayed the AD-like pathological characteristics in C. elegans, and the complete Shenqi formula was more effective than Cp or Lb alone. The effect of Shenqi formula on delaying worm paralysis was partially eliminated by skn-1 RNAi, but not daf-16 RNAi. Shenqi formula significantly inhibited the abnormal deposition of Aβ protein, decreased Aβ protein monomers and oligomers. It increased the expressions of gst-4, sod-1, and sod-3 similar to paraquat, companied by rise then fall of ROS and ^.O₂^- in AD worms.

CONCLUSIONS

Shenqi formula at least partially depended on SKN-1 signalling pathway to exert its anti-AD effect, and it is potential to be used as a kind of health food to prevent the progress of AD.

Effect of storage on the nutritional and antioxidant properties of brown Basmati rice

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of storage time and temperature on the nutritional and antioxidant values of different varieties of brown rice. PARB approved indigenous Basmati varieties (Basmati 86, Basmati 515, Basmati super, Basmati super fine and Basmati kainat) were procured and initially tested for physicochemical parameters, including moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers from the brown rice powder. Similarly, antioxidant capacity of these brown rice samples was assessed in terms of total phenolic content and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging potential. Samples of brown rice were stored for 3 and 6 months at 25 and 5°C. On increasing the storage time and temperature, antioxidant activity of rice decreases up to 50%. Nutritional parameters, such as minerals, carbohydrates, and fatty acids were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometer, ICP-OES, GC-MS, and HPLC, revealing significant changes in the chemical composition of brown rice. Observation indicates that storage at high temperatures leads to a rapid decrease in carbohydrate and moisture content than at lower temperatures. The protein and ash content remains controlled and integrate with the mineral composition found. Decrease in the glucose and fructose amount was observed in brown rice varieties except for Basmati super fine and Basmati kainat at 5°C. Regarding fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids were prominent in oils extracted from the different brown rice varieties, and their content was reduced during the storage due to conversion to behenic, and erucic acids, respectively. From the present study, it can be concluded that low storage temperatures reduce the loss of nutrients, offering better nutritional quality for the consumer.

Phytochemical composition, antioxidant activities and immunomodulatory effects of pigment extracts from Wugong Mountain purple red rice bran

The study was to investigate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activities and the immunomodulatory effects on cyclophosphamide-induced (cy-induced) immunosuppressed mice of purple red rice bran pigment extracts (PRBP). The phytochemical composition of total anthocyanins, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were evaluated. Moreover, UV-Vis, FT-IR and UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS spectra analysis identified for the first time the presence of seventeen anthocyanins in PRBP, including five anthocyanin aglycones and twelve acetylated anthocyanins, suggesting that PRBP were a highly acylated anthocyanin profile. The DPPH, ABTS⁺, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and FRAP assays showed that PRBP had excellent antioxidant activities. Further, the results of animal experiments showed that PRBP alleviated immune organ damage and recovered damaged immune function, such as preventing the reduction of body weight, spleen and thymus organ indexes, and significantly increasing the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in spleen which indicated that PRBP alleviated immunosuppression in Cy-induced mice. The immunomodulatory activity of PRBP was reflected by the upregulation of MAPK signaling pathways after gavage. Taken together, these results suggest that PRBP possessed a certain antioxidant and immunomodulatory abilities. These findings will lead to a better understanding of the biological properties of PRBP and broaden its utilization in food processing.

Total Anthocyanin Content, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Various Blueberry Cultivars Grown in Togane, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

More than fifty cultivated varieties of blueberries are grown under the same processing conditions on the farm at Chiba Prefectural Agricultural College in Japan. The fruits from 51 blueberry cultivars, including 16 rabbiteye (RE) cultivars (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and 35 highbush (HB) cultivars (Vaccinium corybosum L.), were evaluated for total anthocyanin contents, phenolic contents, and their contribution to antioxidant activity among cultivars. Total anthocyanin contents varied from 0.74±0.21 ("Barkley") to 4.27±0.18 ("Suwannee") mg as cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cy-3-GC) equivalent/g fresh-weight (fw), with phenolic contents in the range of 0.77±0.14 ("Floridablue") to 3.69±0.89 ("Suwannee") mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g fw, which strongly correlated with antioxidant activities assessed using the DPPH and ORAC methods, respectively. Total anthocyanin and phenolic contents were both significantly higher (p<0.05) in RE blueberries than in HB blueberries. Furthermore, the total phenolic values were significantly higher for the RE family than for the HB family (p<0.01). In comparisons of two species, the major anthocyanidin identified were malvidin in RE blueberries and delphinidin in HB blueberries. This result suggests that some RE blueberries, especially "Suwannee," "Homebell" and "Climax," are suitable supply sources with high in vitro antioxidant capacity. This study would be helpful to the quality-oriented cultivation of blueberry.