A Comparative and Comprehensive Characterization of Polyphenols of Selected Fruits from the Rosaceae Family

Soluble sugar, organic acid and phenolic composition and flavor evaluation of plum fruits

Plums (Prunus salicina and Prunus domestica) are prevalent in southwestern China, and have attracted interest owing to their delectable taste and exceptional nutritional properties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the nutritional and flavor properties of plum to improve its nutritional utilization. Specifically, we determined the soluble sugars, organic acids, and phenolic components in 86 accessions using high-performance liquid chromatography. Notably, glucose, fructose, malic, and quinic acids were the predominant sweetness and acidity in plums, with sucrose contributing more to the sweetness of the flesh than the peel. Moreover, The peel contains 5.5 fold more phenolics than flesh, epicatechin, gallic acid, and proanthocyanidins C1 and B2 were the primary sources of astringency. Correlation and principal component analyses showed eight core factors for plum flavor rating, and a specific rating criterion was established. Conclusively, these findings provide information on the integrated flavor evaluation criteria and for enhancing optimal breeding of plums.

Application of a metabolomics method in the study of pear fruit storage

The entire transportation process of 'crown' pears from harvest to consumption is primarily refrigerated. However, the impact of refrigeration time and temperature on fruit quality remains unclear. In this study, metabolites of 'crown' pears were analyzed using UHPLC-Q-Exactive and GC-MS/MS techniques under cold storage, at room temperature, and at different cold storage durations. A total of 372 substances were identified, including sugars, amino acids, and flavonoids, among others. Among these substances, 27 were identified as significant biomarkers affecting pear quality. An accurate quantitative method for amino acids was established to systematically verify the change trend of L-aspartic amide, glycine, glutamic acid, and other amino acids. The results indicated that after 30 days of storage at 0 °C, there was a relatively small change in the quality and substance content of 'crown' pears with little effect on their nutritional value. These findings could serve as a reference for optimizing the refrigeration time and temperature for pear fruit.

Unveiling the apoptotic potential of antioxidant-rich Bangladeshi medicinal plant extractives and computational modeling to identify antitumor compounds

Nowadays, there has been a significant surge in the exploration of anticancer compounds derived from medicinal plants due to their perceived safety and efficacy. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the antioxidant and antiproliferative properties, along with the phytoconstituents, of methanol extracts from various parts of 15 selected Bangladeshi medicinal plants. Standard spectrophotometric methods and confocal microscopy were utilized to assess the antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of these extracts. Additionally, phytochemical profiling was executed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Among the extractives, Bombax ceiba bark exhibited the highest scavenging capacity against DPPH (IC50: 10.3 ± 0.7 μg/mL) and hydroxyl (IC50: 3.9 ± 0.1 μg/mL) free radicals. Furthermore, the total antioxidants, reducing power, and polyphenols of B. ceiba bark were higher than those of other extracts. B. ceiba bark also showed significant antiproliferative capacity against MCF-7 cells (86.67 %) in the MTT assay, followed by Cocos nucifera roots (83.92 %), Bixa orellana leaves (44.09 %), and Leea macrophylla roots (25 %). Moreover, B. ceiba bark, L. macrophylla roots, C. nucifera roots, and B. orellana leaves-treated Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells demonstrated growth inhibition rates of 87.27 %, 80.45 %, 42.9 %, and 37.27 %, respectively. Fluorescence microscopic analysis of EAC cells treated with these extracts revealed apoptotic features such as condensed chromatin, cell shrinkage, nucleus fragmentation, and membrane blebbing compared to untreated EAC cells. The GC-MS analysis of B. ceiba bark identified 18 compounds, including various alcohols, alkenes, and esters. Additionally, a molecular docking study revealed oxalic acid, cyclohexyl dodecyl ester as the most potent compound (-6.5) active against breast cancer. In summary, our results demonstrate that B. ceiba bark possesses robust antioxidant and antiproliferative properties, along with potent antitumor compounds, which could be utilized in the treatment of carcinoma.

Study on the Bioactive Constituent and Mineral Elements of the Tibetan Medicine E'seguo from Different Regions of Ganzi Prefecture, China

The Tibetan medicinal fruit E'seguo originates from two species, Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes and Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid, both unique to the Hengduan Mountains. These species are predominantly found in high-altitude regions of Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, particularly in the Xianshui River and Yalong River basins. Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes is far more abundant in both resource quantity and distribution compared to Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid. However, the nutritional and medicinal differences between the two remain unclear, which significantly impacts the development and utilization of E'seguo resources. This study aimed to measure the mineral content, nutritional components, and medicinal properties of E'seguo from 12 different regions of Ganzi Prefecture to explore the quality differences between these two species and across different regions. ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) was used to determine the mineral content, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and potentiometric titration to analyze nutritional indicators, and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) to measure the medicinal components L-malic acid and 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2βG). Results indicate that Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid contains higher levels of K, Ca, Zn, Mg, and Cu compared to Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes, which has higher Fe and Mn content. Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes from the Kangding and Litang regions showed the highest mineral content, with mineral elements primarily influencing polysaccharide levels, according to Mantel analysis. Nutritional and medicinal analyses revealed that Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes outperformed Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid in all metrics except for the sugar-acid ratio. Given the mineral content and taste, Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid is better suited for consumption, while Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes has superior medicinal properties, making it more appropriate for medicinal use. In the Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid regions, both Luhuo and Daofu are in the Xianshui River basin, with Daofu County producing the higher quality fruit. Among the nine Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes regions, the M10 (Tuoba Township, Ganzi County) near the Yalong River had the highest overall score, followed by M7 (Yade Township, Luhuo County) and M6 (Keke, Xiala Tuo Town, Luhuo County), both of which are near the Xianshui River. In summary, Malus transitoria (Batal.) Schneid generally has higher mineral content, but Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes has larger fruit and higher medicinal value, making the latter more suitable as a medicinal resource. At the same time, the medicinal quality of Xianshui River fruit was higher in the two watersheds of Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes.

Investigation of Pharmacologically Important Polyphenolic Secondary Metabolites in Plant-based Food Samples Using HPLC-DAD

Polyphenolic compounds are vital components of plants. However, their analysis is particularly difficult and challenging due to their similar chemical and structural properties. In this study, we developed a simple and reproducible HPLC-DAD protocol for determining nineteen pharmacologically important polyphenols in plant-based food samples, including fruits (apple, banana, grapefruit, peach, grapes, plum, and pear), vegetables (onion, cabbage, capsicum, garlic, lemon, tomato, potato, and spinach), and other edible items (corn, kidney beans, green tea, black tea, and turmeric). The reference standards were pooled into four different groups based on logP values and expected retention time to avoid compound co-elution. These developed methods will be useful for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biologically important polyphenolic compounds in various food samples and botanicals.

Chemodiversity of Arctic Plant Dryas oxyodonta: LC-MS Profile and Antioxidant Activity

Dryas oxyodonta Yuz. is a perennial evergreen shrub from the Rosaceae family. D. oxyodonta thrives in subalpine and subarctic regions, as well as in highlands spanning from Central Asia to Siberia and Mongolia. Owing to a lack of information on its chemical composition, we conducted qualitative and quantitative chromatographic analyses on extracts from the leaves and flowers of D. oxyodonta sourced from various Siberian habitats. Employing high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection and electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometric detection, we identified 40 compounds, encompassing gallotannins, hydroxycinnamates, procyanidins, catechins, flavonoids, and triterpenes. All Siberian populations of D. oxyodonta exhibited a notable abundance of phenolic compounds. Furthermore, we identified rare glycosides, such as sexangularetin and corniculatusin, as potential markers of the chemodiversity within the Dryas genus. Extracts from the flowers and leaves were effective scavengers of free radicals, including DPPH•, ABTS•+-, O2•-, and •OH radicals. Our findings unequivocally establish D. oxyodonta as a rich source of phenolic compounds with potent antioxidant activity, suggesting its potential utility in developing novel functional products.

The Physicochemical Attributes, Volatile Compounds, and Antioxidant Activities of Five Plum Cultivars in Sichuan

Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is an important stone fruit crop in Sichuan that is increasingly in demand by consumers owing to its flavor and outstanding nutraceutical properties. The physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and volatile profiles of five traditional and new plum cultivars in Sichuan were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results showed that all plums exhibited an appropriate quality profile for fresh consumption; the new cultivar 'ZH' exhibited the highest soluble solids content, sugar-acid ratio, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity. High sugar-low acid properties were observed in five plum cultivars. Sucrose was the main sugar, while quinic acid and malic acid were the main organic acids. The plums were rich in volatile compounds and had specific volatile characteristics. A total of 737 volatiles were identified in the plum fruit, and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis was employed to screen 40 differential volatiles as markers for cultivar distinction. These findings offer comprehensive information on the physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and volatile profiles of plums.

Antioxidants in Fruit Fractions of Mediterranean Ancient Pear Cultivars

BACKGROUND

The genetic diversity of Sardinian pear germplasm has received limited attention regarding its chemical composition. Understanding this composition can aid in the setting up of resilient, extensive groves that offer multiple products and ecosystem services. This research aimed at investigating the antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds of ancient pear cultivars grown extensively in Sardinia (Italy); Methods: the cultivars Buttiru, Camusina, Spadona, and Coscia (as a reference) were compared. Fruit samples were manually peeled and cut. Their flesh, peel, core, and peduncle were frozen separately, lyophilized, and milled before being analysed; Results: The content of total phenolics (TotP), total flavonoids (TotF), condensed tannins (CT), and antioxidant capacity in each fruit part varied significantly among the cultivars. The TotP content was high in the peduncle (42.2-58.8 g GAE kg^-1 DM) and low in flesh (6.4-17.7 g GAE kg^-1 DM); Conclusions: the highest values of antioxidant capacity, TotP, NTP, TotF, and CT were found in the flesh of the cultivar Buttiru and in the peel of the cultivar Camusina. Chlorogenic acid was the major individual phenolic compound in peel, flesh and core, whereas arbutin was mostly present in the peduncle. Results can contribute to revise target exploitations of underutilized ancient pear cultivars.

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.

Fusion of 2DGC-MS, HPLC-MS and Sensory Data to Assist Decision-Making in the Marketing of International Monovarietal Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Wines

Monovarietal wines produced in different wine-growing areas may have completely different sensory profiles. As a result, they may be suitable for sale in different regions, depending on local preferences. Better insight into the sensory and chemical profiles of these wines can be helpful in further optimizing commercial strategies and matching supply and demand, which is the main challenge for global wine traders. The training of dedicated sensory panels, together with the correlation of the evaluated attributes with chemical parameters, followed by validation of the obtained models, may yield an improved picture of the overall features associated with products from a specific region. Eighteen samples of international Chardonnay and eighteen samples of international Sauvignon Blanc wines were collected from nine world origins (Northern Italy, Southern Italy, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa). The overall quality judgement (OQJ) and the sensory attributes were evaluated by a panel trained with a MRATA (Modified Rate-All-That-Apply) method. Moreover, volatile compounds were analysed by HS-SPME-GC × GC-ToF/MS and the phenolic composition, including proanthocyanidins, was determined using HPLC-QqQ/MS. The processing of the data using different multivariate analysis methods, such as multiple factor analysis (MFA), was essential to gain insight into the quality of the samples. The profile of cyclic and non-cyclic oligomeric proanthocyanidins was found to be substantially dependent on the grape variety used in the wines (varietal markers), despite the country of origin of the wine influencing it to a limited extent. The results from the same samples analysed by a sensory panel from Germany and ours were qualitatively compared, highlighting the presence of potential factors inherent to the panels themselves that could influence the different judgments and quality classification of the wines. Consequently, the combination of sensory and chemical analysis, by means of the application of multivariate statistical methods presented in this study proves to be a powerful tool for a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the quality of the wines under investigation. Overall quality was described as a combination of the sensory attributes, according to the perception process. The attributes were in turn described based on the chemical profiles, which were determined independently by analytical techniques. Eventually, this approach can be very useful not only for basic research on wine quality but also as a tool to aid business-related decision-making activities of wineries and wine traders and to create models that can aid the refinement of marketing strategies.