Biological Properties, Health Benefits and Enzymatic Modifications of Dietary Methoxylated Derivatives of Cinnamic Acid

LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Identification and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds from Leaves of Australian Myrtles and Their Antioxidant Activities

Phenolic compounds, present in plants, provide substantial health advantages, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which enhance cardiovascular and cognitive well-being. Australia is enriched with a wide range of plants with phytopharmacological potential, which needs to be fully elucidated. In this context, we analyzed leaves of aniseed myrtle (Syzygium anisatum), lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), and cinnamon myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) for their complex phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS was applied for screening and characterizing these Australian myrtles' phenolic compounds and the structure-function relation of phenolic compounds. This study identified 145 and quantified/semi-quantified 27 phenolic compounds in these Australian myrtles. Furthermore, phenolic contents (total phenolic content (TPC), total condensed tannins (TCT), and total flavonoids (TFC)) and antioxidant potential of phenolic extracts from the leaves of Australian myrtles were quantified. Aniseed myrtle was quantified with the highest TPC (52.49 ± 3.55 mg GAE/g) and total antioxidant potential than other selected myrtles. Catechin, epicatechin, isovitexin, cinnamic acid, and quercetin were quantified as Australian myrtles' most abundant phenolic compounds. Moreover, chemometric analysis further validated the results. This study provides a new insight into the novel potent bioactive phenolic compounds from Australian myrtles that could be potentially useful for functional, nutraceutical, and therapeutic applications.

Screening and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds from Selected Unripe Fruits and Their Antioxidant Potential

The food sector's interest in sustainability and the demand for novel bioactive compounds are increasing. Many fruits are wasted every year before ripening due to various climatic conditions and harsh weather. Unripe mangoes, grapes, and black lemons could be rich sources of phenolic compounds that need to be fully elucidated. Using fruit waste as a source of bioactive chemicals has grown increasingly appealing as it may have significant economic benefits. Polyphenols are beneficial for human health to inhibit or minimize oxidative stress and can be used to develop functional and nutraceutical food products. In this context, this study aimed to characterize and screen unripe mangoes, grapes, and black lemons for phenolic compounds using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and their antioxidant activities. Unripe mangoes were quantified with higher total phenolic content (TPC, 58.01 ± 6.37 mg GAE/g) compared to black lemon (23.08 ± 2.28 mg GAE/g) and unripe grapes (19.42 ± 1.16 mg GAE/g). Furthermore, unripe mangoes were also measured with higher antioxidant potential than unripe grapes and black lemons. A total of 85 phenolic compounds (70 in black lemons, 49 in unripe grapes, and 68 in unripe mango) were identified, and 23 phenolic compounds were quantified using LC-MS/MS. Procyanidin B2, gallic acid, epicatechin, caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid were measured with higher concentration in these selected unripe fruits. A positive correlation was found between phenolic contents and the antioxidant activities of unripe fruits. Furthermore, chemometric analysis was conducted to validate the results. This study will explore the utilization of these unripe fruits to develop functional and therapeutic foods.

Therapeutic Study of Cinnamic Acid Derivative for Oxidative Stress Ablation: The Computational and Experimental Answers

This study aimed to examine the therapeutic activity of the cinnamic acid derivative KAD-7 (N'-(2,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylohydrazide) on Fe2+-induced oxidative hepatic injury via experimental and computational models. In addition, the role of ATPase and ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (ENTPDase) in the coordination of cellular signals is speculated upon to proffer suitable therapeutics for metabolic stress disorder upon their inhibition. While we know little about therapeutics with flexible dual inhibitors for these protein targets, this study was designed to screen KAD-7's (N'-(2,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylohydrazide) inhibitory potential for both protein targets. We induced oxidative hepatic damage via the incubation of hepatic tissue supernatant with 0.1 mM FeSO4 for 30 min at 37 °C. We achieved the treatment by incubating the hepatic tissues with KAD-7 under the same conditions. The catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), ATPase, and ENTPDase activity were all measured in the tissues. We predicted how the drug candidate would work against ATPase and ENTPDase targets using molecular methods. When hepatic injury was induced, there was a significant decrease in the levels of the GSH, CAT, and ENTPDase (p < 0.05) activities. In contrast, we found a noticeable rise in the MDA levels and ATPase activity. KAD-7 therapy resulted in lower levels of these activities overall (p < 0.05), as compared to the control levels. We found the compound to have a strong affinity for ATPase (-7.1 kcal/mol) and ENTPDase (-7.4 kcal/mol), and a better chemical reactivity than quercetin. It also met all drug-likeness parameters. Our study shows that KAD-7 can protect the liver from damage caused by FeSO4 by reducing oxidative stress and purinergic actions. Our studies indicate that KAD-7 could be developed as a therapeutic option since it can flexibly inhibit both ATPase and ENTPDase.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) hot water extract improves inflammation and tight junctions in the intestine in vitro and in vivo

The natural byproduct Cinnamomum cassia was widely used in ancient Asia to cure disease because of its various pharmacological effects. Despite its ethnomedicinal benefits, few studies on the intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of C. cassia have been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of C. cassia on the intestine in vitro and in vivo. Herein, the effects of cinnamon hot water extract (CWE) on tight junction (TJ) barrier function, transepithelial electrical resistance, and mRNA expression were confirmed in Caco-2 cells. The CWE treatment groups showed significantly enhanced cell permeability, proinflammatory cytokine mRNA expression, and TJ expression. CWE-treated mice showed an improved histological index and decreased cytokine concentrations compared with those of colitis model mice. These results suggest that CWE alleviated inflammatory damage and improved the TJ barrier, indicating that CWE may be used as a functional food to improve intestinal health.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01292-3.

Antioxidant and Hypolipidemic Activities of Cinnamic Acid Derivatives

Oxidative stress and hyperlipidemia are important factors for the initiation and progression of various cell degenerative pathological conditions, including cardiovascular and neurological diseases. A series of cinnamic acid-derived acids, such as ferulic acid, sinapic acid, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, and (E)-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid, were esterified or amidated with various moieties, bearing different biological activities, and evaluated. The antioxidant and radical scavenging abilities of the compounds via inhibition of rat hepatic microsomal membrane lipid peroxidation, as well as their interaction with the stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), were assessed. Further, their hypolipidemic activity in vivo was tested. The majority of the obtained compounds demonstrated considerable radical scavenging and antioxidant action, with a parallel decrease in Triton-induced hyperlipidemia in rats. The (E)-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid derivative with morpholine and 4-methylpiperidine (compounds 4 and 13, respectively) significantly decreased triglycerides and total cholesterol in the plasma of hyperlipidemic rats, with an antioxidant capacity similar to that of the antioxidant Trolox. The compounds were designed to exhibit antioxidant and hypolipidemic pharmacological actions, and this succeeded for the majority of them. Thus, such agents may be of interest in conditions and diseases implicating oxidative stress and dyslipidemia.

Insight into structure-activity relationships of hydroxycinnamic acids modified porous starch: The effect of phenolic hydroxy groups

Antioxidant capacity of hydroxycinnamic acids-modified starch mainly depends on their chemical structure. Herein, cinnamic acid as well as meta-substituted and para-substituted cinnamic acid were selected for esterification with porous starch (labelled as CA@PS, m-CA@PS and p-CA@PS), with the successful formation of porous starch (labelled as PS) esters then confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C solid-state NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. Three PS esters with almost same degrees of substitution (DS) were obtained, and antioxidant assays, including DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests, were subsequently used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the esterified PS. Overall, CA@PS showed weak antioxidant activity because of the absence of phenolic hydroxy, while p-CA@PS displayed better antioxidant capacity. Because its conjugated structure offered the stronger electron-donating effect, that could enhance antioxidant capacity. Therefore, antioxidant capacity depended significantly on overall chemical structure, including numbers and substitution positions of phenolic hydroxy groups.

Ferulic acid-loaded polymeric nanoparticles prepared from nano-emulsion templates facilitate internalisation across the blood-brain barrier in model membranes

A hydroxycinnamic acid derivative, namely ferulic acid (FA) has been successfully encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). FA-loaded polymeric NPs were prepared from O/W nano-emulsion templates using the phase inversion composition (PIC) low-energy emulsification method. The obtained PLGA NPs exhibited high colloidal stability, good drug-loading capacity, and particle hydrodynamic diameters in the range of 74 to 117 nm, depending on the FA concentration used. In vitro drug release studies confirmed a diffusion-controlled mechanism through which the amount of released FA reached a plateau at 60% after 6 hours-incubation. Five kinetic models were used to fit the FA release data as a function of time. The Weibull distribution and Korsmeyer-Peppas equation models provided the best fit to our experimental data and suggested quasi-Fickian diffusion behaviour. Moderate dose-response antioxidant and radical scavenging activities of FA-loaded PLGA NPs were demonstrated using the DPPH˙ assay achieving inhibition activities close to 60 and 40%, respectively. Cell culture studies confirmed that FA-loaded NPs were not toxic according to the MTT colorimetric assay, were able to internalise efficiently SH-SY5Y neuronal cells and supressed the intracellular ROS-level induced by H₂O₂ leading to 52% and 24.7% of cellular viability at 0.082 and 0.041 mg mL^-1, respectively. The permeability of the NPs through the blood brain barrier was tested with an in vitro organ-on-a-chip model to evaluate the ability of the FA-loaded PLGA and non-loaded PLGA NPs to penetrate to the brain. NPs were able to penetrate the barrier, but permeability decreased when FA was loaded. These results are promising for the use of loaded PLGA NPs for the management of neurological diseases.

Phenolic Biotransformations in Wheatgrass Juice after Primary and Secondary Fermentation

Fermented wheatgrass juice was prepared using a two-stage fermentation process by employing Saccharomyces cerevisiae and recombinant Pediococcus acidilactici BD16 (alaD⁺). During fermentation, a reddish-brown hue appeared in wheatgrass juice due to production of different types of red pigments. The fermented wheatgrass juice has considerably higher content of anthocyanins, total phenols and beta-carotenes as compared to unfermented wheatgrass juice. It has low ethanol content, which might be ascribed to the presence of certain phytolignans in wheatgrass juice. Several yeast-mediated phenolic transformations (such as bioconversion of coumaric acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid and quinic acid into respective derivatives; glycosylation and prenylation of flavonoids; glycosylation of lignans; sulphonation of phenols; synthesis of carotenoids, diarylnonanoids, flavanones, stilbenes, steroids, quinolones, di- and tri-terpenoids and tannin) were identified in fermented wheatgrass juice using an untargeted liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS)-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-time-of-flight (TOF)/time-of-flight (TOF) technique. The recombinant P. acidilactici BD16 (alaD⁺) also supported flavonoid and lignin glycosylation; benzoic acid, hydroxycoumaric acid and quinic acid derivatization; and synthesis of anthraquinones, sterols and triterpenes with therapeutic benefits. The information presented in this manuscript may be utilized to elucidate the importance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and P. acidilactici BD16 (alaD⁺) mediated phenolic biotransformations in developing functional food supplements such as fermented wheatgrass juice.

Cinnamic acid derivatives as potential matrix metalloproteinase-9 inhibitors: molecular docking and dynamics simulations

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a zinc and calcium-dependent proteolytic enzyme involved in extracellular matrix degradation. Overexpression of MMP-9 has been confirmed in several disorders, including cancers, Alzheimer′s disease, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. Therefore, MMP-9 inhibition is recommended as a therapeutic strategy for combating various diseases. Cinnamic acid derivatives have shown therapeutic effects in different cancers, Alzheimer′s disease, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. A computational drug discovery approach was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of selected cinnamic acid derivatives to the MMP-9 active site. The stability of docked poses for top-ranked compounds was also examined. Twelve herbal cinnamic acid derivatives were tested for possible MMP-9 inhibition using the AutoDock 4.0 tool. The stability of the docked poses for the most potent MMP-9 inhibitors was assessed by molecular dynamics (MD) in 10 nanosecond simulations. Interactions between the best MMP-9 inhibitors in this study and residues incorporated in the MMP-9 active site were studied before and after MD simulations. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid revealed a considerable binding affinity to the MMP-9 catalytic domain (ΔGbinding < -10 kcal/mol). The inhibition constant value for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were calculated at the picomolar scale and assigned as the most potent MMP-9 inhibitor from the cinnamic acid derivatives. The root-mean-square deviations for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were below 2 Å in the 10 ns simulation. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid might be considered drug candidates for MMP-9 inhibition.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis): Processing, nutritional quality, and food applications

Breadfruit is an underutilized but highly nutritive crop containing complex carbohydrates while being low in fat. It is also a good source of essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine). With a better understanding of breadfruit’s morphology, its potential as a global solution to food security has been gaining popularity. Breadfruit has been forecasted to have a larger amount of suitable cultivable land area compared to major crops such as rice and wheat, making its cultivation more desirable. Due to its highly perishable nature, good post-harvesting and post-processing practices are essential to extend the shelf life of breadfruit for global transportation and consumption. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review on various processing methods of flour and starch, nutritional significance and new food applications of this novel food staple. In this review, the effects of the different processing and post-processing methods of breadfruit flour and starch have been described, and the nutritional composition and application of breadfruit flour as an ingredient replacer in various food applications have been discussed. It is vital to understand the processing and post-processing methods of breadfruit flour to enhance its shelf-life, physicochemical and functional properties. Furthermore, a compilation of novel food applications has been done to promote its use in the food industry. In conclusion, breadfruit flour and starch are highly versatile for use in numerous food products with added health benefits.

Naturally Occurring Functional Ingredient from Filamentous Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KC45: Phytochemical Characterizations and Their Multiple Bioactivities

Cyanobacteria are rich in phytochemicals, which have beneficial impacts on the prevention of many diseases. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize phytochemicals and evaluate multifunctional bioactivities in the ethanolic extract of the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KC45. Results found that the extract mainly contained chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenolics, and flavonoids. Through LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, 38 phenolic compounds with promising bioactivities were discovered, and a higher diversity of flavonoids was found among the phenolic compounds identified. The extract effectively absorbed the harmful UV rays and showed high antioxidant activity on DPPH, ABTS, and PFRAP. The extract yielded high-efficiency inhibitory effects on enzymes (tyrosinase, collagenase, ACE, and α-glucosidase) related to diseases. Interestingly, the extract showed a strong cytotoxic effect on cancer cells (skin A375, lung A549, and colon Caco-2), but had a much smaller effect on normal cells, indicating a satisfactory level of safety for the extract. More importantly, the combination of the DNA ladder assay and the TUNEL assay proved the appearance of DNA fragmentation in cancer cells after a 48 h treatment with the extract, confirming the apoptosis mechanisms. Our findings suggest that cyanobacterium extract could be potentially used as a functional ingredient for various industrial applications in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of aqua(3-methoxycinnamato-κO)bis(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)cobalt(II) nitrate

The title compound, [Co(C10H9O3)(C12H8N2)2(H2O)]NO3 (I), crystallizes in the triclinic space group P\overline{1} with a monomeric [Co(3-meo-cin)(phen)2(H2O)]+ cation and a nitrate anion (3-meo-cin = 3-methoxy cinnamic acid) in the asymmetric unit. The CoII ion is coordinated by four N atoms from two 1,10-phenanthroline ligands and two O atoms, the first from a methoxy cinnamate ligand and the second from a coordinated water molecule, forming a distorted octahedral geometry. Discrete entities of the cation and nitrate anion are formed by water–nitrate O—H...O and phen–nitrate C—H...O hydrogen bonds. The components are further assembled into chains along the c-axis direction. Layers are than formed by slipped π–π stacking interactions parallel to the bc plane. The intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure were quantified and analysed using Hirshfeld surface analysis.

Ultrasound Plus Vacuum-System-Assisted Biocatalytic Synthesis of Octyl Cinnamate and Response Surface Methodology Optimization

Cinnamic acid is one of the phenolic compounds that is isolated from cinnamon, or other natural plants, and has a wide range of physiological activities. However, the application of cinnamic acid is limited due to its poor solubility and low oral bioavailability. In this study, the feasibility of producing octyl cinnamate by ultrasonic assistance, combined with a rotary evaporation under vacuum, was studied using methyl cinnamate and octanol as the starting materials. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to evaluate the effects of the operation parameters, including reaction temperature (55–75 °C), reaction time (4–12 h), and ultrasonic power (90–150 W) on the production of octyl cinnamate. Meanwhile, the synthesis process was further optimized by the modeling response surface methodology (RSM). The data indicated that octyl cinnamate was efficiently synthesized from methyl cinnamate and octanol using the ultrasound plus vacuum system; further, this system was superior to the conventional method. According to the RSM model for the actual experiments, a reaction temperature of 74.6 °C, a reaction time of 11.1 h, and an ultrasound power of 150 W were determined to be the best conditions for the maximum molar conversion of octyl cinnamate (93.8%). In conclusion, the highly efficient synthesis of octyl cinnamate by a rotary evaporator with an ultrasound plus vacuum system was achieved via RSM optimization.

Comprehensive Phytochemical Profiling, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies of Pleurospermum candollei: An Insight into Potential for Natural Products Development

The purpose of this study was to find the biological propensities of the vegetable plant Pleurospermum candollei by investigating its phytochemical profile and biological activities. Phytochemical analysis was done by spectroscopic methods to investigate the amount of total polyphenols, and biological evaluation was done by the different antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory (tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase), thrombolytic, and antibacterial activities. The highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents was observed in methanolic extract (240.69 ± 2.94 mg GAE/g and 167.59 ± 3.47 mg QE/g); the fractions showed comparatively less quantity (57.02 ± 1.31 to 144.02 ± 2.11 mg GAE/g, and 48.21 ± 0.75 to 96.58 ± 2.30 mg QE/g). The effect of these bioactive contents was also related to biological activities. GCMS analysis led to the identification of bioactive compounds with different biological effects from methanolic extract (antioxidant; 55.07%, antimicrobial; 56.41%), while the identified compounds from the n-hexane fraction with antioxidant properties constituted 67.86%, and those with antimicrobial effects constituted 82.95%; however, the synergetic effect of polyphenols may also have contributed to the highest value of biological activities of methanolic extract. Molecular docking was also performed to understand the relationship of identified secondary metabolites with enzyme-inhibitory activities. The thrombolytic activity was also significant (40.18 ± 1.80 to 57.15 ± 1.10 % clot lysis) in comparison with streptokinase (78.5 ± 1.53 to 82.34 ± 1.25% clot lysis). Methanolic extract also showed good activity against Gram-positive strains of bacteria, and the highest activity was observed against Bacillus subtilis. The findings of this study will improve our knowledge of phytochemistry, and biological activities of P. candollei, which seems to be a ray of hope to design formulations of natural products for the improvement of health and prevention of chronic diseases; however, further research may address the development of novel drugs for use in pharmaceuticals.

Effects of Extraction Methods on Phenolic Content in the Young Bamboo Culm Extracts of Bambusa beecheyana Munro

Nowadays, many studies focus on the potential of bamboo as a source of bioactive compounds and natural antioxidants for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food sources. This study is a pioneering effort to determine the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and free radical scavenging activity, as well as the phenolic identification and quantification of Bambusa beecheyana. The study was conducted by using ethanol, methanol, and water for solvent extraction by applying cold maceration, Soxhlet, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction techniques. The results showed that Soxhlet and ultrasonic-assisted Bambusa beecheyana culm extracts had an increase in the extract’s dry yield (1.13–8.81%) but a constant p-coumaric acid (4) content (0.00035 mg/g) as compared to the extracts from the cold maceration. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction method required only a small amount (250 mL) of solvent to extract the bamboo culms. A significant amount of total phenolics (107.65 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (43.89 ± 0.05 mg QE/g) were found in the Soxhlet methanol culm extract. The extract also possessed the most potent antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 40.43 µg/mL as compared to the positive control, ascorbic acid. The UHPLC–ESI–MS/MS analysis was carried out on the Soxhlet methanol extract, ultrasonic-assisted extract at 40 min, and cold methanol extract. The analysis resulted in the putative identification of a total of five phenolics containing cinnamic acid derivatives. The two cinnamic acid derivatives, p-coumaric acid (4) and 4-methoxycinnamic acid (5), were then used as markers to quantify the concentration of both compounds in all the extracts. Both compounds were not found in the water extracts. These results revealed that the extract from Soxhlet methanol of Bambusa beecheyana could be a potential botanical source of natural antioxidants. This study provides an important chemical composition database for further preclinical research on Bambusa beecheyana.

Recent Developments in Therapeutic and Nutraceutical Applications of p-Methoxycinnamic Acid from Plant Origin

The p-methoxycinnamic acid (p-MCA) is one of the most studied phenylpropanoids with high importance not only in the wide spectrum of therapeutic activities but also its potential application for the food industry. This natural compound derived from plants exhibits a wide range of biologically useful properties; therefore, during the last two decades it has been extensively tested for therapeutic and nutraceutical applications. This article presents the natural sources of p-MCA, its metabolism, pharmacokinetic properties, and safety of its application. The possibilities of using this dietary bioactive compound as a nutraceutical agent that may be used as functional food ingredient playing a vital role in the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases is also discussed. We present the antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, hepato-, and neuroprotective activities of p-MCA and methods of its lipophilization that have been developed so far to increase its industrial application and bioavailability in the biological systems.