Nutraceutical Potential of Phenolics from 'Brava' and 'Mansa' Extra-Virgin Olive Oils on the Inhibition of Enzymes Associated to Neurodegenerative Disorders in Comparison with Those of 'Picual' and 'Cornicabra'

Effect of olive leaf phytochemicals on the anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-cyclooxygenase-2 and ferric reducing antioxidant capacity

In this study, the phytochemical profile of fifty olive leaves (OL) extracts from Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Morocco was characterized and their anti-cholinergic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities were evaluated. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside, isoharmnentin, and apigenin were involved in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity, while oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol showed noteworthy potential. Secoiridoids contributed to the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity and antioxidant capacity. Compounds such as oleuropein, ligstroside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside, may exert an important role in the ferric reducing antioxidant capacity. It should be also highlighted the role of hydroxytyrosol, hydroxycoumarins, and verbascoside concerning the antioxidant activity. This research provides valuable insights and confirms that specific compounds within OL extracts contribute to distinct anti-cholinergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects.

Characterization of Phenolic Compounds in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Granada (Spain) and Evaluation of Its Neuroprotective Action

The olive oil sector is a fundamental food in the Mediterranean diet. It has been demonstrated that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a high content of phenolic compounds is beneficial in the prevention and/or treatment of many diseases. The main objective of this work was to study the relationship between the content of phenolic compounds and the in vitro neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of EVOOs from two PDOs in the province of Granada. To this purpose, the amounts of phenolic compounds were determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and the inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes by spectrophotometric and fluorimetric assays. The main families identified were phenolic alcohols, secoiridoids, lignans, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The EVOO samples with the highest total concentration of compounds and the highest inhibitory activity belonged to the Picual and Manzanillo varieties. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation between identified compounds and AChE and COX-2 inhibitory activity, except for lignans. These results confirm EVOO's compounds possess neuroprotective potential.

Potential therapeutic benefits of unconventional oils: assessment of the potential in vitro biological properties of some Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Brassicaceae seed oils

Introduction

Seed oils are versatile in the food sector and for pharmaceutical purposes. In recent years, their biological properties aroused the interest of the scientific world.

Materials and methods

We studied the composition of fatty acids (FAs) and some in vitro potential therapeutic benefits of five cold-pressed commercial oils obtained from broccoli, coffee, green coffee, pumpkin, and watermelon seeds. In particular, we assayed the antioxidant activity (using diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays). In addition, through the fatty acid composition, we calculated the atherogenicity index (AI) and thrombogenicity index (TI) to evaluate the potential impact of such oils on cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, we assessed the in vitro anti-inflammatory capacity of the oils (evaluated through their effectiveness in preventing protein degradation, using bovine serum albumin as protein standard) and the ability of the oils to inhibit in vitro activity of three among the essential enzymes, cholinesterases and tyrosinase, involved in the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we evaluated the capacity of the oils to inhibit the biofilm of some pathogenic bacteria.

Results

The unsaturated fatty acids greatly predominated in broccoli seed oil (84.3%), with erucic acid as the main constituent (33.1%). Other unsaturated fatty acids were linolenic (20.6%) and linoleic (16.1%) acids. The saturated fatty acids fraction comprised the palmitic (6.8%) and stearic acids (0.2%). Broccoli seed oil showed the best AI (0.080) and TI (0.16) indexes. The oils expressed a good antioxidant ability. Except for the watermelon seed oil, the oils exhibited a generally good in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, with IC₅₀ values not exceeding 8.73 micrograms. Broccoli seed oil and green coffee seed oil showed the best acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity; coffee seed oil and broccoli seed oil were the most effective in inhibiting butyrylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 15.7 μg and 20.7 μg, respectively). Pumpkin and green coffee seed oil showed the best inhibitory activity against tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 2 μg and 2.77 μg, respectively). In several cases, the seed oils inhibited the biofilm formation and the mature biofilm of some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus resulting in the most sensitive strain. Such activity seemed related only in some cases to the capacity of the oils to act on the sessile bacterial cells' metabolism, as indicated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric method.

Alternative method for microenzymatic inhibition activities monitoring from Baccharis trimera extracts by CZE-UV

INTRODUCTION

Capillary zone electrophoresis with direct UV detection (CZE-UV) was used to investigate the hypothesis about the extract of Baccharis trimera enzymatic activities as an analytical approach to monitoring the phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work was to investigate enzymatic bioactivities of the hydroalcoholic and infusion extracts of B. trimera through screening evaluation of the inhibition of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glycosidase (α-GLY).

METHOD

An alternative approach using CZE-UV to hydroalcoholic and infusion extracts of B. trimera monitoring was applied to evaluate the inhibition ability of the enzymes AChE and α-GLY. The result of the reaction of acetylthiocholine (AThCh) with AChE was thiocholine (TCh) and acetic acid, and from the amount of TCh generated, the AChE inhibition was calculated. For the inhibition study of the two enzymes, the reactions of the extracts were optimised to be performed in situ, inside the capillary column, and the introduction of the solutions was performed through ordered sequential plug injections.

RESULTS

Samples extracted with 70% ethanol presented 7.80% inhibition for AChE and 0.51% for α-GLY, while samples extracted with 96% ethanol resulted in 6.89% inhibition for AChE and no inhibition activity for α-GLY.

CONCLUSION

In the present work, the potentialities of CZE-UV for the study of hydroalcoholic and infusion extracts of B. trimera were demonstrated. The experimental results were useful for the calculation of the percentage of the inhibition activities of the AChE and α-GLY enzymes.

Evaluation of simple sequence repeats (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based methods in olive varieties from the Northwest of Spain and potential for miniaturization

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SSR- and SNP-based methods were evaluated for the identification of olive varieties.

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SNP identification was performed for the first time for two autochthonous varieties.

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The potential for future miniaturization of the genotyping methods was evaluated.

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Allele-specific PCR provided the best results for the tested olive varieties.

Miniaturization of DNA-based techniques can bring interesting advantages for food analysis, such as portability of complex analytical procedures. In the olive oil industry, miniaturization can be particularly interesting for authenticity and traceability applications, through in situ control of raw materials before production and/or the final products. However, variety identification is challenging, and implementation on miniaturized settings must be carefully evaluated, starting from the selected analytical approach. In this work, SSR- and SNP-based genotyping strategies were investigated for the identification and differentiation of two olive varieties from the Northwest of Spain. For the selected SNPs two genotyping methods were tested: real-time allele-specific PCR and high resolution melting analysis. These methods were compared and evaluated regarding their potential for integration in a microfluidic device. Both SNP-based methods proved to be successful for identification of the selected varieties, however real-time allele-specific PCR was the one that achieved the best results when analyzing mixtures, allowing the identification of both monovarietal samples and mixtures of the varieties tested with up to 25%.

Application of the INFOGEST Standardized Method to Assess the Digestive Stability and Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds from Galician Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

The INFOGEST standardized method was applied to assess the potential bioaccessibility and bioaccessibility of the phenolic compounds from a Galician extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). The in vitro digestion model involves three steps and generates two fractions after each one: an aqueous fraction (namely, water phase (Wp)) and an oily fraction (namely, oily phase (Op)). The results showed that secoiridoids were the most abundant family in the Galician EVOO polar fraction, representing 98% of the total phenolic compounds. After oral digestion, phenolic acids and simple phenols were mainly detected in Wp, while lignans and flavonoids were mostly found in Op. After gastric digestion, extensive hydrolysis of secoiridoids was observed to generate free tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol acetate. The instability of secoiridoids after intestinal digestion was again responsible for the release of simple phenols, which were mainly recovered in Wp together with flavonoids. In contrast, lignans were stable to duodenal conditions and remained in Op.

Effect of extrusion technology on hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) oil cake: Polyphenol profile and biological activities

Effects of extrusion with varying barrel temperature, moisture content, and screw speed on hempseed oil cake were studied for the first time. Extrusion at lower moisture (30%) and higher screw speed (300 rpm) significantly increased the proportion of free polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenylpropionamide content, and α -glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. Full factorial design confirmed the three-way interactions among all extrusion parameters for all chemical assays with the bound phenolic fraction, total flavonoid content, and DPPH inhibition activity of the free phenolic fraction. HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis tentatively identified 26 phenylpropionamides, and the contents of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (66.26 µg/g) and total phenylpropionamides (85.77 µg/g) were significantly increased after extrusion at the lower moisture and higher screw speed extrusion conditions. The higher α -glucosidase inhibition activity at higher screw speed could be due to the N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), while the AChE inhibition activity appeared to be influenced more by the cannabisins A-C, M (r > 0.8, p < 0.01). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Hempseed oil cake is a byproduct of oil extraction, with high protein and high fiber contents. The results of this research could be used directly in food industry to improve the nutritional and commercial value of hempseed oil cake by extrusion technology.

Determination of theoretical calculations by DFT method and investigation of antioxidant, antimicrobial properties of olive leaf extracts from different regions

In this study, we studied samples of mature olive leaves from the districts of Incirli Ova within the province of Aydın and the district of Fethiye in Mugla/Turkey. Several processes were carried out on the olive leaves to use them in this study, including drying under different conditions, determination of moisture, extract output, overall determination of phenols, antioxidant activity determination and anti-microbial assays. The chemicals that were used in the study were Folin's reagent and gallic acid for total phenolic assays, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and Trolox for antioxidant activity assays and nutrient broth and nutrient agar for antimicrobial testing. In the theoretical part of the study, the structures of oleuropein and Trolox molecules were examined, and their oxidation properties were aimed to be determined and compared to experimental results. According to the results of total phenolic assays, the phenol contents in the olive leaves from Aydın and Mugla were observed to be very close to each other. In the anti-microbial assay, it was observed that the samples of olive leaves from Mugla were more antioxidant than those from Aydın.

Pomegranate as a source of bioactive constituents: a review on their characterization, properties and applications

Increasing awareness about the use of compounds obtained from natural sources exerting health-beneficial properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, led to increased number of research papers focusing on the study of functional properties of target compounds to be used as functional foods or in preventive medicine. Pomegranate has shown positive health properties due to the presence of bioactive constituents such as polyphenols, tannins, and anthocyanins. Punicalagin is the major antioxidant, abundantly found in pomegranate's peel. Research has shown that pomegranate polyphenols not only have a strong antioxidant capacity but they also inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria like V. cholera, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, and S. virulence factor, and inhibits fungi such as A. Ochraceus, and P. citrinum. Compounds of natural origin inhibit the growth of various pathogens by extending the shelf life of foodstuffs and assuring their safety. Therefore, the need to find compounds to be used in combination with antibiotics or as new antimicrobial sources, such as plant extracts. On the basis of the above discussion, this review focuses on the health benefits of pomegranate, by summarizing the current body of research focusing on pomegranate bioactive constituents and their therapeutic potential against some pathogenic microbes.

One-Pot Efficient Catalytic Oxidation for Bio-Vanillin Preparation and Carbon Isotope Analysis

Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is one of the most widely used food spices. Aimed at bio-vanillin green production, the natural materials were directly catalytically oxidized efficiently in one pot under low O₂ pressure (0.035 MPa) in the presence of a non-noble metal oxidation combined catalyst (NiCo₂O₄/SiO₂ nanoparticles), which showed remarkable advantages of a short synthetic route and less industrial waste. The catalytic system showed good universality to many natural substrates with nearly 100% conversion and 86.3% bio-vanillin yield. More importantly, carbon isotope ratio investigations were employed to verify the origin of the organic matter. One hundred percent ¹⁴C content of the obtained vanillin was detected, which indicated that it was an efficient method to distinguish the vanillin from biomass or fossil materials. Furthermore, the ¹³C isotope examination showed effective distinguishing ability for the vanillin from a particular biomass source. The C isotope detection provides an effective method for commercial vanillin identification.

Reveals of New Candidate Active Components in Hemerocallis Radix and Its Anti-Depression Action of Mechanism Based on Network Pharmacology Approach

The global depression population is showing a significant increase. Hemerocallis fulva L. is a common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Its flower buds are known to have ability to clear away heat and dampness, detoxify, and relieve depression. Ancient TCM literature shows that its roots have a beneficial effect in calming the spirit and even the temper in order to reduce the feeling of melancholy. Therefore, it is inferred that the root of Hemerocallis fulva L. can be used as a therapeutic medicine for depression. This study aims to uncover the pharmacological mechanism of the antidepressant effect of Hemerocallis Radix (HR) through network pharmacology method. During the analysis, 11 active components were obtained and screened using ADME—absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion— method. Furthermore, 267 HR targets and 740 depressive disorder (DD) targets were gathered from various databases. Then protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of HR and DD targets were constructed and cluster analysis was applied to further explore the connection between the targets. In addition, gene ontology (GO) enrichment and pathway analysis was applied to further verify that the biological process related to the target protein is associated with the occurrence of depression disorder. In conclusion, the most important bioactive components—anthraquinone, kaempferol, and vanillic acid—can alleviate depression symptoms by regulating MAOA, MAOB, and ESR1. The proposed network pharmacology strategy provides an integrating method to explore the therapeutic mechanism of multi-component drugs on a systematic level.

Determination of acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibition by electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis and phenolic profile by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS of fruit juices from Brazilian Myrtaceae Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel and Eugenia uniflora L

Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus are contemporary diseases of great concern. Phenolic compounds are linked to several health benefits and could lead to novel strategies to combat these ailments. The objective of this study was to evaluate by electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis the potential inhibitory activity of the fruit juices from Plinia cauliflora ("jaboticaba") and Eugenia uniflora ("pitanga") toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase, target enzymes in strategies for the treatment of these diseases. The phenolic profiles of the samples were also investigated. Jaboticaba and pitanga juices inhibited 85.90 ± 1.73 and 52.67 ± 1.24% of AChE activity at 5 mg mL^-1, and 57.91 ± 2.60 and 69.47 ± 2.89% of α-glucosidase activity at 1 mg mL^-1, respectively. Total phenolic content of the juices were 303.54 ± 28.28 and 367.00 ± 11.42 mgGA L^-1, respectively. The observed inhibitory activity can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of the phenolic compounds.

The Pharmacological Potential of Oil Palm Phenolics (OPP) Individual Components

The oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) from the family Arecaceae is a high oil-producing agricultural crop. A significant amount of vegetation liquor is discarded during the palm oil milling process amounting to 90 million tons per year around the world. This water-soluble extract is rich in phenolic compounds known as Oil Palm Phenolics (OPP). Several phenolic acids including the three isomers of caffeoylshikimic acid (CFA), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), protocatechuic acid (PCA) and hydroxytyrosol are among the primary active ingredients in the OPP. Previous investigations have reported several positive pharmacological potentials by OPP such as neuroprotective and atheroprotective effects, anti-tumor and reduction in Aβ deposition in Alzheimer's disease model. In the current review, the pharmacological potential for CFA, PHBA, PCA and hydroxytyrosol is carefully reviewed and evaluated.

Olive pomace as a valuable source of bioactive compounds: A study regarding its lipid- and water-soluble components

Olive pomace is a major output of olive oil processing. This by-product is a valuable source of bioactive compounds with well-recognized benefits for human health and well-being. In this work, the proximate composition and the profiles of vitamin E (HPLC-DAD-FLD), fatty acids (GC-FID) and phenolics (HPLC-DAD-FL/MSⁿ) were determined. Additionally, a sustainable process for antioxidants extraction - Multi-frequency Multimode Modulated (MMM) ultrasonic technique - was compared to a conventional solid-liquid extraction. The total phenolics content and antioxidant activity (ferric reducing antioxidant power and DPPH scavenging ability) of the extracts were analysed to assess the efficacy of both extraction methodologies. The vitamin E profile of the olive pomace comprised the vitamers α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol and γ-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol was the major form (2.63 mg/100 g), while the other vitamers were present in amounts lower than 0.1 mg/100 g. The lipid fraction was especially rich in oleic acid (75%), followed by palmitic (10%), linoleic (9%), and stearic (3%) acids. Hydroxytyrosol and comsegoloside represented ≈79% of the total phenolics present in olive pomace. Hydroxytyrosol content was 83.6 mg/100 g, while tyrosol was present in lower amounts (3.4 mg/100 g). Concerning the antioxidants extraction, the MMM technique allowed a faster and higher recovery (p < 0.05) of the compounds, compared to the conventional solid-liquid extraction. By this way, it seems to be a very promising eco-friendly and effective methodology to extract antioxidants from this and other matrices.

Japanese, Mediterranean and Argentinean diets and their potential roles in neurodegenerative diseases

Environmental factors are responsible of cellular senescence and processes found in the development of cognitive disorders. The aim of this paper is to compare benefits of the Japanese, Mediterranean, and Argentinian Diet on the onset or prevention of senile dementia (SD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Special focus was on the effects of specific compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), antioxidants, and saturated and trans fatty acids. A high adherence to diets rich in PUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and antioxidants may decrease the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases; while the predominance of saturated and trans fatty acids possibly rises it.

Pharma-Nutritional Properties of Olive Oil Phenols. Transfer of New Findings to Human Nutrition

The Mediterranean diet has been long associated with improved cardiovascular prognosis, chemoprevention, and lower incidence of neurodegeneration. Of the multiple components of this diet, olive oil stands out because its use has historically been limited to the Mediterranean basin. The health benefits of olive oil and some of its components are being rapidly decoded. In this paper we review the most recent pharma-nutritional investigations on olive oil biophenols and their health effects, chiefly focusing on recent findings that elucidate their molecular mechanisms of action.