Red Carrot Cells Cultured in vitro Are Effective, Stable, and Safe Ingredients for Skin Care, Nutraceutical, and Food Applications

Vegetable as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Photoprotective Properties: Implication in the Aging Process

The skin, as an external organ, protects the entire body against harmful external factors. One of these factors is ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which in excessive amounts can lead to premature skin aging, DNA damage, and even skin cancer. Therefore, it is worth supporting skin protection not only with commercially available preparations, but also with a proper diet. Consuming certain vegetables and applying them topically may reduce the effects of UV radiation. The aim of the review was to collect information on the effects of vegetables and their compounds on the skin when used externally or included in the diet. This review summarizes studies on vegetables, such as broccoli, cucumber, kale, tomato, and carrot, which have shown significant activity in skin photoprotection. Additionally, it outlines the bioactive substances present in these vegetables and their effects.

Undifferentiated In Vitro Cultured Actinidia deliciosa as Cell Factory for the Production of Quercetin Glycosides

Land plants produce a vast arsenal of specialized metabolites and many of them display interesting bioactivities in humans. Recently, flavonol quercetin gained great attention in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic because, in addition to the anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-cancer activity already described, it emerged as possible inhibitor of 3CLpro, the major protease of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Plant cell and tissue culture (PCTC) is an attractive platform for the biotechnological production of plant metabolites. This technology allows a large amount of water and agricultural land to be saved and, being free of contaminants in the process, it is suitable for scaling up the production in bioreactors. In a project aimed to generate and screen in vitro plant cells for the production of valuable specialized metabolites for commercial production, we generated various cell lines from Actinidia deliciosa (kiwi fruit tree) and Actinidia chinensis (gold kiwi fruit tree), that were able to produce relevant amounts of quercetin derivatives, mainly quercetin glycosides. Three cell lines from A. deliciosa were characterized by targeted and untargeted metabolomics. In standard growing conditions, they produce and accumulate up to 13.26 mg/100 g fresh weight (419.76 mg/100 g dry weight) of quercetin derivatives. To address future industrial applications, these cell lines should be entered into an acceleration program to further increase the amount of these metabolites by optimizing the culture conditions and elicitation.

Food ingredients and food made with plant cell and tissue cultures: State-of-the art and future trends

Climate change and an increasing world population means traditional farming methods may not be able to meet the anticipated growth in food demands. Therefore, alternative agricultural strategies should be considered. Here, plant cell and tissue cultures (PCTCs) may present a possible solution, as they allow for controlled, closed and sustainable manufacturing of extracts which have been or are still being used as colorants or health food ingredients today. In this review we would like to highlight developments and the latest trends concerning commercial PCTC extracts and their use as food ingredients or even as food. The commercialization of PCTC-derived products, however, requires not only regulatory approval, but also outstanding product properties or/and a high product titer. If these challenges can be met, PCTCs will become increasingly important for the food sector in coming years.