Application of raw and differently dried Pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) pulp on Rasgulla (sweetened Casein Ball) to enhance its phenolic profile, shelf life, and in‐vitro digestibility characteristics

Casting Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Fagonia Blend Microbial Arrest

Physical and chemical methods for production of nanoparticles (NPs) are not only harmful for environment but also toxic for living organism. The present study attempts to synthesize ZnO NPs using the natural plant extract of Fagonia cretica. The phytochemical screening of F. cretica water extract was performed to check the presence of biologically active compounds like alkaloids, tannins, carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, saponins, flavonoids, and steroids. Well-prepared ZnO NPs given sharp absorption peak at 362 were confirmed by UV-visible. XRD analysis showed the ZnO NPs having wurtzite hexagonal structure with crystalline form. TEM analysis endorses flower-shaped ZnO nanoparticles ~ 100-1000 nm. FTIR spectrum suggested the involvement of phenolic groups and amino acids and amide linkages in protein performs as the stabilizing agent in the synthesis of ZnO NPs. The ZnO NPs showed strong antibacterial behavior against two bacterial strains Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. In addition, ZnO NPs exhibited strong antioxidant activity of 79%:85.6%:89.9% at 5 μg/mL:10 μg/mL:5 μg/mL concentration of ZnO NPs respectively. This work indicates that Fagonia is considered to be appropriate and promising candidate for extending the innovative applications in the field of medicine and industry and also helpful and useful to the scientific communities.

Promising bioactive properties of quercetin for potential food applications and health benefits: A review

Naturally occurring phytochemicals with promising biological properties are quercetin and its derivatives. Quercetin has been thoroughly studied for its antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, cardiovascular, and wound-healing properties. Anticancer activity of quercetin against cancer cell lines has also recently been revealed. The majority of the Western diet contains quercetin and its derivatives, therefore consuming them as part of a meal or as a food supplement may be sufficient for people to take advantage of their preventive effects. Bioavailability-based drug-delivery systems of quercetin have been heavily studied. Fruits, seeds, vegetables, bracken fern, coffee, tea, and other plants all contain quercetin, as do natural colors. One naturally occurring antioxidant is quercetin, whose anticancer effects have been discussed in detail. It has several properties that could make it an effective anti-cancer agent. Numerous researches have shown that quercetin plays a substantial part in the suppression of cancer cells in the breast, colon, prostate, ovary, endometrial, and lung tumors. The current study includes a concise explanation of quercetin's action mechanism and potential health applications.

Nature's palette: An emerging frontier for coloring dairy products

Consumers all across the world are looking for the most delectable and appealing foods, while also demanding products that are safer, more nutritious, and healthier. Substitution of synthetic colorants with natural colorants has piqued consumer and market interest in recent years. Due to increasing demand, extensive research has been conducted to find natural and safe food additives, such as natural pigments, that may have health benefits. Natural colorants are made up of a variety of pigments, many of which have significant biological potential. Because of the promising health advantages, natural colorants are gaining immense interest in the dairy industry. This review goes over the use of various natural colorants in dairy products which can provide desirable color as well as positive health impacts. The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth look into the field of food (natural or synthetic) colorants applied in dairy products as well as their potential health benefits, safety, general trends, and future prospects  in food science and technology. In this paper, we listed a plethora of applications of natural colorants in various milk-based products.

Phytochemical Characterization, Functional Nutrition, and Anti-Diabetic Potentials of Leptadenia hastata (pers) Decne Leaves: In Silico and In Vitro Studies

The geometrical increase in diabetes mellitus (DM) and the undesirable side effects of synthetic drugs have intensified efforts to search for an effective and safe anti-diabetic therapy. This study aimed to identify the antioxidant and anti-diabetic agents in the ethanol extract of Leptadenia hastata (EELH). The phytochemicals, antioxidant vitamins, and minerals present in EELH were determined using standard procedures to achieve this aim. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy and flame ionization detector (GC-MS/GC-FID) was employed to identify bioactive compounds. An e-pharmacophore model was generated from the extra precision, and energy-minimized docked position of standard inhibitor, acarbose onto human pancreatic amylase (HPA, PDB-6OCN). It was used to screen the GC-MS/GC-FID library of compounds. The top-scoring compounds were subjected to glide XP-docking and prime MM-GBSA calculation with the Schrodinger suite-v12.4. The Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) prediction of the best-fit compounds was made using SwissADME and PROTOX-II webservers. Further validation of the docking results was performed with the in vitro analysis of the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. EELH contains appreciable amounts of antioxidant and anti-diabetic phytoconstituents. The top-4 scoring compounds (rutin, epicatechin, kaempferol, and naringenin) from the EELH phytochemical library interacted with amino acid residues within and around the HPA active site. The ADMET prediction shows that epicatechin, kaempferol, and naringenin had favorable drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic properties, and a good safety profile. EELH demonstrated good inhibitory actions against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with 1C50 values of 14.14 and 4.22 µg/mL, respectively. Thus, L hastata phytoconstituents are promising novel candidates for developing an anti-diabetic drug.

Practical Qualitative Evaluation and Screening of Potential Biomarkers for Different Parts of Wolfiporia cocos Using Machine Learning and Network Pharmacology

Wolfiporia cocos is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and dietary supplement. Artificial intelligence algorithms use different types of data based on the different strategies to complete multiple tasks such as search and discrimination, which has become a trend to be suitable for solving massive data analysis problems faced in network pharmacology research. In this study, we attempted to screen the potential biomarkers in different parts of W. cocos from the perspective of measurability and effectiveness based on fingerprint, machine learning, and network pharmacology. Based on the conclusions drawn from the results, we noted the following: (1) exploratory analysis results showed that differences between different parts were greater than those between different regions, and the partial least squares discriminant analysis and residual network models were excellent to identify Poria and Poriae cutis based on Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy spectra; (2) from the perspective of effectiveness, the results of network pharmacology showed that 11 components such as dehydropachymic acid and 16α-hydroxydehydrotrametenolic acid, and so on had high connectivity in the “component-target-pathway” network and were the main active components. (3) From a measurability perspective, through orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and the variable importance projection > 1, it was confirmed that three components, namely, dehydrotrametenolic acid, poricoic acid A, and pachymic acid, were the main potential biomarkers based on high-performance liquid chromatography. (4) The content of the three components in Poria was significantly higher than that in Poriae cutis. (5) The integrated analysis showed that dehydrotrametenolic acid, poricoic acid A, and pachymic acid were the potential biomarkers for Poria and Poriae cutis. Overall, this approach provided a novel strategy to explore potential biomarkers with an explanation for the clinical application and reasonable development and utilization in Poria and Poriae cutis.

Promising Endophytic Alternaria alternata from Leaves of Ziziphus spina-christi: Phytochemical Analyses, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities

Fungal endophytes are considered one of the most important reservoirs of bioactive compounds which defeat resistant microbes. In our study, endophytic Alternaria alternata was isolated from Ziziphus spina-christi and identified morphologically and genetically with accession number OM 331,682. Preliminary phytochemical screening of ethyl acetate (EA) crude extract of A. alternata revealed that this extract contains alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, and terpenoids. Moreover, the extract was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) which verified the presence of numerous bioactive compounds. Antimicrobial results illustrated that EA crude extract exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 11229, Proteus vulgaris RCMB 004, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Klebsiella pneumonia RCMB 003), Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis RCMB 015, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 14990), and unicellular fungi (Candida albicans ATCC 90028). Ultrastructure study of treated K. pneumonia showed remarkably elucidated destruction of the cell wall and cell membrane and leakage of cytoplasmic materials. Furthermore, the extract has potential antioxidant activity where IC₅₀ was 409 µg/mL. Moreover, this extract did not show any toxicity on Vero normal cell line. These findings confirmed that the endophytic A. alternata from Z. spina-christi is a promising source of bioactive compounds which can be used in different biological applications.

Isolation and Phytochemical Screening of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Medicinal Plant Mappia foetida and Evaluation of Its In Vitro Cytotoxicity in Cancer

Isolated endophyte fungi from Mappia foetida have been explored as a potential source for the mass production of anticancer drug lead compounds in the current study. Since medical plants are not feasible economically for mass production of bioactive pharmaceutical important molecules using plant tissue culture due to factors like media design and fungal contamination, endophyte fungal mass culture have been an alternative for the relatively easy and inexpensive production. Two endophytic fungi isolated, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium species were mass cultured and their prepared alcoholic extract subjected to standard procedures to identify the phytochemical screening by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV visible spectrophotometry (UV-VIS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of three major compounds in the extracts. The phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of an anticancer compound (camptothecin) in their extract. Moreover, the dose-dependent anticancer activity of ethanol extract was demonstrated against cervical carcinoma (HeLa), breast carcinoma (MCF-7), non-small cell lung carcinoma (H1975), and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Hep G2) by MTT assay where doxorubicin was used as the positive control. Furthermore, the microscopic examination also confirmed the cytotoxic effect of extract of endophytic fungi Alternaria alternata and Fusarium species against tested cancer cells. Hence, endophytic fungi Alternaria alternata and Fusarium species might be exploited for mass production of phytochemicals having anticancer activity.

Chemical profiles and pharmacological insights of Anisomeles indica Kuntze: An experimental chemico-biological interaction

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze is an ethnomedicinally important plant that has long been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including dyspepsia, abdominal pain, colic, allergies, inflammation, and rheumatic arthritis. However, the scientific framework underlying these medicinal properties is not well known. This study aimed to investigate the antidepressive, antidiarrheal, thrombolytic, and anti-inflammatory potential of a methanol extract of A. indica (MeOH-AI). The potential bioactive compounds in the MeOH-AI were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and antidepressant activities were evaluated using the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Antidiarrheal effects were also assayed in castor oil-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal motility studies. The anti-inflammatory activities were explored by examining the effects on protein inhibition and denaturation in heat- and hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis assays. The thrombolytic activity was evaluated using the clot lysis test in human blood. BIOVIA and Schrödinger Maestro (v11.1) were applied for docking analysis to determine binding interactions, and the absorption, distribution, metabolisms, excretion/toxicity (ADME/T) properties of bioactive compounds were explored using a web-based method. The GC-MS analysis of MeOH-AI revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds. MeOH-AI administration resulted in significant (p < 0.01) reductions in the immobility times for both the FST and TST compared with those in the control group. MeOH-AI also induced significant (p < 0.01) reductions in castor oil-induced diarrhea severity and gastrointestinal motility in a mouse model. In addition, the in vitro anti-inflammatory and thrombolytic activity studies produced remarkable responses. The binding assay showed that 4-dehydroxy-N-(4,5-methylenedioxy-2-nitrobenzylidene) tyramine interacts favorably with monoamine oxidase and serotonin and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, displaying good pharmacokinetic properties, which may mediate the effects of MeOH-AI on depression and diarrhea. Overall, the research findings indicated that MeOH-AI has significant antidepressant, antidiarrheal, and anti-inflammatory effects and may represent an alternative source of novel therapeutic factors.

Engineered Biofilm: Innovative Nextgen Strategy for Quality Enhancement of Fermented Foods

Microbial communities within fermented food (beers, wines, distillates, meats, fishes, cheeses, breads) products remain within biofilm and are embedded in a complex extracellular polymeric matrix that provides favorable growth conditions to the indwelling species. Biofilm acts as the best ecological niche for the residing microbes by providing food ingredients that interact with the fermenting microorganisms' metabolites to boost their growth. This leads to the alterations in the biochemical and nutritional quality of the fermented food ingredients compared to the initial ingredients in terms of antioxidants, peptides, organoleptic and probiotic properties, and antimicrobial activity. Microbes within the biofilm have altered genetic expression that may lead to novel biochemical pathways influencing their chemical and organoleptic properties related to consumer acceptability. Although microbial biofilms have always been linked to pathogenicity owing to its enhanced antimicrobial resistance, biofilm could be favorable for the production of amino acids like l-proline and L-threonine by engineered bacteria. The unique characteristics of many traditional fermented foods are attributed by the biofilm formed by lactic acid bacteria and yeast and often, multispecies biofilm can be successfully used for repeated-batch fermentation. The present review will shed light on current research related to the role of biofilm in the fermentation process with special reference to the recent applications of NGS/WGS/omics for the improved biofilm forming ability of the genetically engineered and biotechnologically modified microorganisms to bring about the amelioration of the quality of fermented food.

Seafood Discards: A Potent Source of Enzymes and Biomacromolecules With Nutritional and Nutraceutical Significance

In recent times, the seafood industry is found to produce large volumes of waste products comprising shrimp shells, fish bones, fins, skins, intestines, and carcasses, along with the voluminous quantity of wastewater effluents. These seafood industry effluents contain large quantities of lipids, amino acids, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and carotenoids mixed with the garbage. This debris not only causes a huge wastage of various nutrients but also roots in severe environmental contamination. Hence, the problem of such seafood industry run-offs needs to be immediately managed with a commercial outlook. Microbiological treatment may lead to the valorization of seafood wastes, the trove of several useful compounds into value-added materials like enzymes, such as lipase, protease, chitinase, hyaluronidase, phosphatase, etc., and organic compounds like bioactive peptides, collagen, gelatin, chitosan, and mineral-based nutraceuticals. Such bioconversion in combination with a bio-refinery strategy possesses the potential for environment-friendly and inexpensive management of discards generated from seafood, which can sustainably maintain the production of seafood. The compounds that are being produced may act as nutritional sources or as nutraceuticals, foods with medicinal value. Determining utilization of seafood discard not only reduces the obnoxious deposition of waste but adds economy in the production of food with nutritional and medicinal importance, and, thereby meets up the long-lasting global demand of making nutrients and nutraceuticals available at a nominal cost.

Antifungal Activity of Endophytic Aspergillus terreus Extract Against Some Fungi Causing Mucormycosis: Ultrastructural Study

Endophytes fungi are applied as favorable safe antifungal agents as well as natural bioactive compounds reservoir. In the current study, the inhibitory effect of endophytic fungus was explained by direct antifungal activity against fungi causing mucormycosis, ultrastructural, and determination of active compounds in fungal extract. Endophytic Aspergillus terreus was isolated from healthy Moringa oleifera leaves and identified morphologically and genetically, and was recorded in gene bank with accession number MW444551.1. Phytochemical analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) of ethyl acetate crude extract (EACE) of A. terreus were performed. GC–MS results of EACE of A. terreus revealed that fungal extract contains 16 major bioactive compounds with extensive pharmaceutical activities. Furthermore, EACE of A. terreus revealed a promising antifungal activity against fungi causing mucormycosis as Rhizopus oryzae, Mucor racemosus, and Syncephalastrum racemosum, where inhibition zones of EACE (10 mg/ml) were 20, 37, and 18 mm, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EACE was 0.3125 toward M. racemosus, while 1.25 and 2.5 mg/ml against R. oryzae and S. racemosum, respectively. In the same context, treated R. oryzae, M. racemosus, and S. racemosum with EACE of A. terreus revealed elevation of membrane lipid peroxidation which approves membrane leakage. Furthermore, ultrastructure changes were observed which established alteration in both sporangium and hyphal structures; cell membrane and cytoplasm leakage. In conclusion, endophytic A. terreus has an outstanding antifungal activity against fungi causing mucormycosis.

Survival of Microencapsulated Lactococcus lactis Subsp. lactis R7 Applied in Different Food Matrices

Survival of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis R7, microencapsulated with whey and inulin, was analyzed when added to blueberry juice, milk, and cream. For 28 days, cell viability was evaluated for storage (4 °C), simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and thermal resistance. All matrices demonstrated high cell concentration when submitted to GIT (11.74 and 12 log CFU mL^-1), except for the blueberry juice. The thermal resistance analysis proved the need for microencapsulation, regardless of the food matrix. The results indicate that L. lactis R7 microcapsules have potential for application in different matrices and development of new probiotic products by thermal processing.

Phytocompound Mediated Blockage of Quorum Sensing Cascade in ESKAPE Pathogens

Increased resistance of Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter sp. (ESKAPE) pathogens against various drugs has enhanced the urge for the development of alternate therapeutics. Quorum sensing (QS) is a density dependent cell-to-cell communication mechanism responsible for controlling pathogenicity with the regulation of gene expression. Thus, QS is considered a potential target for the development of newer anti-biofilm agents that do not depend on the utilization of antibiotics. Compounds with anti-QS effects are known as QS inhibitors (QSIs), and they can inhibit the QS mechanism that forms the major form in the development of bacterial pathogenesis. A diverse array of natural compounds provides a plethora of anti-QS effects. Over recent years, these natural compounds have gained importance as new strategies for combating the ESKAPE pathogens and inhibiting the genes involved in QS. Different pharmacognostical and pharmacological studies have been carried out so far for identification of novel drugs or for the discovery of their unique structures that may help in developing more effective anti-biofilm therapies. The main objective of this review is to discuss the various natural compounds, so far identified and their employed mechanisms in hindering the genes responsible for QS leading to bacterial pathogenesis.

Acute Oral Toxicity Assessment and Anti-hyperuricemic Activity of Alocasia longiloba Extracts on Sprague-Dawley Rats

Hyperuricemia is defined as a metabolic abnormality that occurs when serum uric acid (UA) level is abnormally high in the body. We previously reported that A. longiloba possesses various important phytochemicals and in vitro xanthine oxidase activity. Despite A. longiloba ethnomedicinal benefits, its toxicity and anti-hyperuricemic effects have not been reported. The present study was carried out to ensure the safety and investigate the anti-hyperuricemic effects of A. longiloba fruit and petiole ethanolic extracts on rats. In the acute toxicity study, extracts were orally administered at a dose of 2000 mg/kg bodyweight and closely monitored for 2-week for any toxicity effects. The rats were then sacrificed and samples were collected and analyzed for hematological, biochemical, and histopathological parameters. The anti-hyperuricemic effect of A. longiloba fruit or petiole extract was investigated through determination of UA levels on potassium oxonate (PO)-induced hyperuricemic rats. Extracts or standard drug treatments were orally administrated 1-h after PO administration for 14-day. Animals were euthanized and samples were collected for further experiments. The toxicity results show, no significant changes were observed in behavioral, bodyweight changes in experimental groups compared to the control. Moreover, there were no significant changes in hematological, biochemical, and histological parameters between extracts treated and control group. In the anti-hyperuricemia study, the fruit and petiole extracts treatments significantly reduced the level of UA in serum compared to the hyperuricemic model group. This study demonstrated that the extracts of A. longiloba have anti-hyperuricemic activity and was found to be non-toxic to rats in acute toxicity test.