Biological activity of apricot byproducts polyphenols using solid-liquid and infrared-assisted technology

Evaluation of the Phenolic Composition and Biological Activities of Six Aqueous Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seed Extracts Originating from Different Countries: A Comparative Analysis

Date seeds, which are the main by-products of date fruit consumption, were shown to possess promising biological activities and health benefits with minimal human use. The present investigation analyzed and compared the phenolic content of six date seed varieties from four different origins (Khudari, Sakai, and Safawi from Saudi Arabia, Majdool from Jordan, Zahdi from Iraq, and Kabkab from Iran). The aqueous extracts were examined for possible antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-tumor potential. Date seed oil was extracted, and fatty acid profiles were compared. The results revealed that date seeds are a rich source of polyphenols, which have been linked to biological activities. Furthermore, the phenolic content seemed highly dependent on the variety, where Kabkab had the highest TPC value (271.2 mg GAE/g DM) while Majdool had the lowest value (63.2 mg GAE/g DM). Antioxidant activities of all varieties were highly correlated with the total phenolic content. The antibacterial investigation demonstrated that the Sakai variety possessed the dominant activity, whereas Majdool showed no activity. The results further indicated the sensitivity of both Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, with a stronger effect against B. cereus, while no effect was observed against Gram-negative strains (Salmonella Typhi and Escherichia coli). All varieties were able to decrease colon and lung cancer cell viability, especially Khudari and Sakai, with stronger effects against colon cancer cells. Analysis of date seed oil showed high oleic acid content, especially in Sakai. The findings suggest that date seeds are promising candidates for future pharmaceutical applications as nutraceuticals to help combat certain illnesses, as well as functional foods and natural additives that boost the nutritional value of food products, increase their shelf lives, and improve the overall health of consumers.

Novel dual-function GC/MS aided ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation for the valorization of Citrus sinensis by-products: phytochemical analysis and anti-bacterial activities

A huge-amount of citrus by-products is being wasted every-year. There is a high-need to utilize these by-products with high-efficiency. This study focuses on the essential oil (EO) isolation from the zest of Citrus sinensis (CS) by-products, using a novel dual-function gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry optimized ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation-prototype (DF-GC/MS-HUS). The CS-EO was GC-analyzed by MS-detector (GC/MS) and optimized by flame-ionization detector (GC/FID). Ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation (HUS) had a dual-function in CS-EO isolation by utilizing an adequate-energy to break-open the oil-containing glands, and by functioning-as a dispersing-agent to emulsify the organic-phase. The most effective DF-GC/MS-HUS optimized-conditions were isolation under 38 °C and 10 min of 28.9 Hz sonication. The main-components of CS-EO were limonene, β-myrcene, and α-pinene (81.32%, 7.55%, and 4.20%) in prototype, compared to (60.23%, 5.33%, and 2.10%) in the conventional-method, respectively. The prototype CS-EO showed natural antibacterial-potentials, and inhibited the bio-film formation by Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli more-potent than the conventional-method. Compared to conventional-method, the prototype-method decreased the isolation-time by 83.3%, lowered energy-consumption, without carbon-dioxide production, by reducing isolation-temperatures by more-than half, which protected the thermolabile-components, and increased the quantity by 2514-folds, and improved the quality of CE-EO composition and its antibacterial-potentials. Therefore, the DF-GC/MS-HUS prototype method is considered a novel green-technique that minimized the energy-utilization with higher-efficiency.

Sustainability and Gender Perspective in Food Innovation: Foods and Food Processing Coproducts as Source of Macro- and Micro-Nutrients for Woman-Fortified Foods

Micro- and macro-nutrient deficiencies among women are considered a global issue that the food industry has not adequately considered until recently. The industry must provide and guarantee a diversity of food products worldwide that allow women to get a correct and balanced diet according their life stage. The food industry must focus on this challenge within a framework of sustainable production, minimizing the use of natural resources and avoiding the emission of waste and pollutants throughout the life cycle of food. Food coproducts are presented as potential bioactive functional compounds which can be useful for technological purposes, due to the fact that they can serve as non-chemical, natural and health-improving food ingredients. In this review, we focus on the potential use of food processing coproducts which must be part of a strategy to promote and improve women's health and well-being. This knowledge will make it possible to select potential ingredients from coproducts to be used in the fortification of foods intended for consumption by females and to introduce sustainability and gender perspectives into food innovation. The attainment of fortifications for foods for women has to be linked to the use of sustainable sources from food coproducts in order to be economically viable and competitive.

Intensification of Polyphenol Extraction from Olive Leaves Using Ired-Irrad®, an Environmentally-Friendly Innovative Technology

Optimization of infrared-assisted extraction was conducted using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in order to intensify polyphenol recovery from olive leaves. The extraction efficiency using Ired-Irrad^®, a newly-patented infrared apparatus (IR), was compared to water bath (WB) conventional extraction. Under optimal conditions, as suggested by the model and confirmed experimentally, the total phenolic content yield was enhanced by more than 30% using IR as contrasted to WB, which even required 27% more ethanol consumption. High Performance Liquid Chromatography analyses quantified the two major phenolic compounds of the leaves: Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which were both intensified by 18% and 21%, respectively. IR extracts increased the antiradical activity by 25% and the antioxidant capacity by 51% compared to WB extracts. On the other hand, extracts of olive leaves obtained by both techniques exhibited equal effects regarding the inhibition of 20 strains of Staphylococcusaureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) varying between 3.125 and 12.5 mg/mL. Similarly, both extracts inhibited Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) secretion by Aspergillus flavus, with no growth inhibition of the fungus. Finally, optimization using RSM allowed us to suggest other IR operating conditions aiming at significantly reducing the consumption of energy and solvent, while maintaining similar quantity and quality of phenolic compounds as what is optimally obtained using WB.

The effect of organic and conventional farm management on the allergenic potency and bioactive compounds status of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.)

The present study shows a relationship between the use of organic or conventional practices and the allergenic properties and the bioactive compound content of apricots. The presented results indicate that organic apricots contain significantly more biologically active compounds from polyphenols group 53.75 mg/100 g FW and 31.52 mg/100 g FW and carotenoids 10.90 mg/100 g FW and 8.42 mg/100 g FW in than conventional apricots from polyphenols 16.83 mg/100 g FW and 27.27 mg/100 g FW and carotenoids 4.01 mg/100 g FW and 3.85 mg/100 g FW. Organic fruits are characterized by a higher allergenic potential. The authors of the current research have found a strong relationship between the content of polyphenolic compounds and the content of allergenic proteins for organic apricots R² = 0.9044 and for conventional apricots R² = 0.8169. The main conclusion is that some organic apricots, despite their better quality, would not be recommended for consumption by allergy sufferers.