Phytochemical Characterization and Utilization of Dried Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Peel Extract in Maintaining the Quality of Nile Tilapia Fish Fillet

Exploring beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) for diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease dual therapy: in vitro and computational studies

This study explored the flavonoid-rich extract of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dual therapy by using in vitro and molecular simulation studies. Flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit were evaluated for their antidiabetic and anti-alzheimic activities. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation were performed to identify potential bioactive flavonoids with dual therapeutic effects on T2D and AD. Flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit (IC50 = 73.062 ± 0.480 μg mL-1) had moderate activity against α-amylase compared to the standard acarbose (IC50 = 27.104 ± 0.270 μg mL-1). Compared with acarbose, flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit had appreciable activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 = 17.389 ± 0.436 μg mL-1) (IC50 = 37.564 ± 0.620 μg mL-1). For AChE inhibition, flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit exhibited (p < 0.0001) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 723.260 ± 5.466 μg mL-1), albeit weaker than that of the standard control, galantamine (IC50 = 27.950 ± 0.122 μg mL-1). Similarly, flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit showed considerable (p < 0.0001) inhibitory effects on BChE (IC50 = 649.112 ± 0.683 μg mL-1). In contrast, galantamine (IC50 = 23.126 ± 0.683 μg mL-1) is more potent than the extracts of B. vulgaris fruit. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity increased in FeSO4-induced brain damage. In contrast, flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris fruit protected against Fe2+-mediated brain damage by suppressing MAO activity in a concentration-dependent manner. HPLC-DAD profiling of the extracts identified quercetrin, apigenin, rutin, myricetin, iso-quercetrin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid. Molecular docking studies revealed quercetrin, apigenin, rutin, iso-queretrin, and myricetin were the top docked bioactive flavonoids against the five top target proteins (α-amylase, α-glucosidase AchE, BchE, and MAO). Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that the complexes formed remained stable over the course of the simulation. Collectively, the findings support the prospect of flavonoid-rich extracts of B. vulgaris root functioning as a dual therapy for T2D and AD.

Enhancement of the bioavailability of phenolic compounds from fruit and vegetable waste by liposomal nanocarriers

Fruits and vegetables are one of the most consumed and processed commodities globally and comprise abundant phenolic compounds, one of the main nutraceuticals in the food industry. Comparably elevated rates of these compounds are found in waste (peel, seeds, leaf, stem, etc.) in the food processing industry. They are being investigated for their potential use in functional foods. However, phenolic compounds' low bioavailability limits their application, which can be approached by loading the phenolic compounds into an encapsulation system such as liposomal carriers. This review aims to elucidate the recent trend in extracting phenolic compounds from the waste stream and the means to load them in stable liposomes. Furthermore, the application of these liposomes with only natural extracts in food matrices is also presented. Many studies have indicated that liposomes can be a proper candidate for encapsulating and delivering phenolic compounds and as a means to increase their bioavailability.

Mycorrhizae set the stage for plants to produce a higher production of biomolecules and stress-related metabolites: a sustainable alternative of agrochemicals to enhance the quality and yield of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.)

Population explosions, environmental deprivation, and industrial expansion led to an imbalanced agricultural system. Non-judicial uses of agrochemicals have decreased agrodiversity, degraded agroecosystems, and increased the cost of farming. In this scenario, a sustainable agriculture system could play a crucial role; however, it needs rigorous study to understand the biological interfaces within agroecosystems. Among the various biological components with respect to agriculture, mycorrhizae could be a potential candidate. Most agricultural crops are symbiotic with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In this study, beetroot has been chose to study the effect of different AMFs on various parameters such as morphological traits, biochemical attributes, and gene expression analysis (ALDH7B4 and ALDH3I1). The AMF Gm-Funneliformis mosseae (Glomus mosseae), Acaulospora laevis, and GG-Gigaspora gigantean were taken as treatments to study the effect on the above-mentioned parameters in beetroot. We observed that among all the possible combinations of mycorrhizae, Gm+Al+GG performed best, and the Al-alone treatment was found to be a poor performer with respect to all the studied parameters. This study concluded that the more the combinations of mycorrhizae, the better the results will be. However, the phenomenon depends on the receptivity, infectivity, and past nutrient profile of the soil.

A Review on the Potential Bioactive Components in Fruits and Vegetable Wastes as Value-Added Products in the Food Industry

The food production industry is a significant contributor to the generation of millions of tonnes of waste every day. With the increasing public concern about waste production, utilizing the waste generated from popular fruits and vegetables, which are rich in high-added-value compounds, has become a focal point. By efficiently utilizing food waste, such as waste from the fruit and vegetable industries, we can adopt a sustainable consumption and production pattern that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper provides an overview of the high-added-value compounds derived from fruit and vegetable waste and their sources. The inclusion of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibrowning properties can enhance the quality of materials due to the high phenolic content present in them. Waste materials such as peels, seeds, kernels, and pomace are also actively employed as adsorbents, natural colorants, indicators, and enzymes in the food industry. Therefore, this article compiles all consumer-applicable uses of fruit and vegetable waste into a single document.

The ‘Edge Effect’ Phenomenon in Plants: Morphological, Biochemical and Mineral Characteristics of Border Tissues

The ‘edge’ effect is considered one of the fundamental ecological phenomena essential for maintaining ecosystem integrity. The properties of plant outer tissues (root, tuber, bulb and fruit peel, tree and shrub bark, leaf and stem trichomes) mimic to a great extent the ‘edge’ effect properties of different ecosystems, which suggests the possibility of the ‘edge’ effect being applicable to individual plant organisms. The most important characteristics of plant border tissues are intensive oxidant stress, high variability and biodiversity of protection mechanisms and high adsorption capacity. Wide variations in morphological, biochemical and mineral components of border tissues play an important role in the characteristics of plant adaptability values, storage duration of roots, fruit, tubers and bulbs, and the diversity of outer tissue practical application. The significance of outer tissue antioxidant status and the accumulation of polyphenols, essential oil, lipids and minerals, and the artificial improvement of such accumulation is described in connection with plant tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions. Methods of plant ‘edge’ effect utilization in agricultural crop breeding, production of specific preparations with powerful antioxidant value and green nanoparticle synthesis of different elements have been developed. Extending the ‘edge’ effect phenomenon from ecosystems to individual organisms is of fundamental importance in agriculture, pharmacology, food industry and wastewater treatment processes.

Valorization of whey proteins and beetroot peels to develop a functional beverage high in proteins and antioxidants

Introduction

Adequate protein and antioxidant intake are crucial for everyone, particularly athletes, to promote muscle performance and prevent muscle damage. Whey proteins are high-quality proteins with high digestibility and bioavailability; beetroot peels are an abundant antioxidant source.

Methods

The present study was designated to develop a functional beverage based on mixing whey protein isolate (5%) with different concentrations of beetroot peel water extract (1, 2.5, and 5%) and flavored with strawberries puree (5%). In addition, we examined the stability of the physicochemical parameters and the bioactive components of the beverages during cold storage (4°C) for 14 days.

Results and discussion

Whey protein isolates enriched the juices with stable protein content during the storage (4.65-4.69%). Besides, the extract revealed a concentration-dependent effect on the bioactive components, the antioxidant activity, and the microbial load of the juices; it distinguished the fresh juices by high betalains and nitrate content, 87.31-106.44 mg/L and 94.29-112.59 mg/L, respectively. Beverages with 2.5% peel extract (T2) had the preferable sensory attributes compared to control and other treatments. On day 0, phenolics and flavonoids increased in T2 by 44 and 31% compared to the control, which elevated the scavenging activity of the juice (T2) (P < 0.05). At the end of the storage period (14 days), phenolics and flavonoids of T2 recorded their lowest values, 26.23 and 21.75 mg/mL, respectively. However, they stood higher than phenolics (22.21 mg/mL) (p < 0.05) and flavonoids (18.36 mg/mL) (p > 0.05) of control. Similarly, betalains degraded by 45% to reach 47.46 mg/L in T2, which reduced the redness (a^*) and increased the yellowness (b^*) values.

Conclusion

Consequently, whey/strawberry/beetroot peel (5: 5: 2.5 w/v/w) in d.H₂O is a functional beverage that provides the body with a high-quality protein and a considerable amount of antioxidants.

Biological Activities of Grape Seed By-Products and Their Potential Use as Natural Sources of Food Additives in the Production of Balady Bread

The biological function of bioactive compounds found in plant by-products has triggered expanded interest in recent years. This study aims to produce balady bread enriched with dietary fiber, mineral, and phenolic compounds by the addition of grape seeds powder (GSP) at different levels (5%, 10%, and 15% as a partial substitute for wheat flour). The results show that balady bread (Bb) and grape seed powder have ash contents of about 1.97% and 3.04%, lipid contents of 3.22% and 17.15%, protein contents of 11.16% and 12.10%, fiber contents of 1.06% and 44.90%, and carbohydrates contents of 56.52% and 29%, respectively. Moreover, grape seed powder contains a higher level of iron and zinc about 30.02 and 9.43 mg/kg than the Bb control sample which contains about 8.19 and 7.25 mg/kg respectively. The findings revealed that balady bread fortified with grape seed powder contains a high amount of total polyphenols content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TF), and antioxidant capacity. The farinograph test results showed that increasing the GSP concentration in the flour above 10% reduced dough development, stability, and farinograph quality number. The addition of GSP to wheat flour accelerated the dough’s water absorption and mixing tolerance. Grape seed incorporation levels up to 10% (w/w) had no negative effect on dough rheological performance. The sensory evaluation of bread showed that samples that were enriched with grape seeds powder at up to 10% had good quality. Based on these findings, it is recommended to replace up to 10% GSP in the manufacturing of fortified balady bread with satisfactory physical and sensory characteristics and high TPC and antioxidant activity.

Physical Characteristics, Mineral Content, and Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Punica granatum or Citrus sinensis Peel Extracts and Their Applications to Improve Cake Quality

One-third of all food produced for human use is discarded as waste, resulting in environmental pollution and impaired food security. Fruit peels have bioactive compounds that may be used as antimicrobials and antioxidants, and the use of fruit peels is considered an alternative way to reduce environmental problems and agro-industrial waste. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical, mineral, extraction yield, total phenolic, total flavonoids, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity of several peel fruits, including Citrus sinensis (orange) and Punica granatum (pomegranate). The results revealed that pomegranate peel powder contains the highest amounts of ash, fiber, total carbohydrates, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Cu, while orange peel contains the highest amounts of moisture, protein, crude fat, P, and K. Furthermore, the aqueous and methanolic pomegranate peel extracts yielded higher total phenolic and total flavonoids than the orange peel extract. The identification and quantification of polyphenol compounds belonging to different classes, such as tannins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids in pomegranate peel and flavonoid compounds in orange peel were performed using UPLC-MS/MS. In addition, GC-MS analysis of orange peel essential oil discovered that the predominant compound is D-Limonene (95.7%). The aqueous and methanolic extracts of pomegranate peel were proven to be efficient against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria linked to human infections. Sponge cake substituting wheat flour with 3% pomegranate peel and 10% orange peel powder had the highest total phenolic, flavonoid compounds, and antioxidant activity as compared to the control cake. Our results concluded that pomegranate and orange peel flour can be used in cake preparation and natural food preservers.

Exogenous Postharvest Application of Calcium Chloride and Salicylic Acid to Maintain the Quality of Broccoli Florets

The importance of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) consumption has increased in recent years due to its significant amount of anticarcinogenic and antioxidant compounds, as well as its many vitamins. However, broccoli florets are a highly perishable product which rapidly senesce and turn yellow after harvest, resulting in losses in nutritional and bioactive compounds. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effect of postharvest exogenous of salicylic acid (SA) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and their combination on the quality of broccoli florets stored at 5 °C for 28 days to minimize the rapid senescence of broccoli florets. Samples treated with 2 mM SA alone or in combination with 2% CaCl₂ showed lower weight loss and lower losses of chlorophyll content, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, flavonoids, and glucosinolates compared with the control samples. Additionally, antioxidant activity was maintained by either SA or SA + CaCl₂ treatments while peroxidase activity was decreased. For higher quality and lower losses in antioxidant compounds of broccoli florets during refrigerated storage at 5 °C, SA + CaCl₂ treatment could be helpful for up to 21 days.

Phytochemical and Potential Properties of Seaweeds and Their Recent Applications: A Review

Since ancient times, seaweeds have been employed as source of highly bioactive secondary metabolites that could act as key medicinal components. Furthermore, research into the biological activity of certain seaweed compounds has progressed significantly, with an emphasis on their composition and application for human and animal nutrition. Seaweeds have many uses: they are consumed as fodder, and have been used in medicines, cosmetics, energy, fertilizers, and industrial agar and alginate biosynthesis. The beneficial effects of seaweed are mostly due to the presence of minerals, vitamins, phenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as several other bioactive compounds. These compounds seem to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic activities. Recent advances and limitations for seaweed bioactive as a nutraceutical in terms of bioavailability are explored in order to better comprehend their therapeutic development. To further understand the mechanism of action of seaweed chemicals, more research is needed as is an investigation into their potential usage in pharmaceutical companies and other applications, with the ultimate objective of developing sustainable and healthier products. The objective of this review is to collect information about the role of seaweeds on nutritional, pharmacological, industrial, and biochemical applications, as well as their impact on human health.