Effects of In Vitro Digestion on Anti-α-Amylase and Cytotoxic Potentials of Sargassum spp

In vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods of carbohydrate-rich foods

The trend toward healthier food products has led to an increase in the research of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods. Among the most used models, static models are the simplest. Most static models have three stages: oral, gastric, and intestinal, simulating the enzymatic, electrolyte, pH, temperature, and bile salt conditions. The studies that have taken the most notice are those related to antioxidant activity, followed by those dealing with proteins and carbohydrates using most of them static in vitro digestion models. The number of these studies has increased over the years, passing from 45 to 415 in a 10-year period (2012-2023) and showing an interest in knowing the impact of food on human health. Nevertheless, published papers report different methodologies and analytical approaches. This review discusses the similarities and differences between the published static in vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods, with a focus on carbohydrates, finding that the most used protocol is Infogest, but with differences, mainly in the type of enzymes and their activity. Regarding in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of carbohydrates, many of the published studies are related to food and biomacromolecules, being the oral phase the most omitted, while the intestinal phase in the most diverse. Other methodologies to study the intestinal phase have been recommended, but the number of in vitro digestion studies using these methodologies (RSIE and BBMV) is still scarce but could represent a good alternative to analyze carbohydrates foods when combining with Infogest. More studies are required in this area.

Salinity Treatments Promote the Accumulations of Momilactones and Phenolic Compounds in Germinated Brown Rice

This is the first investigation, conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD), to determine the effects of different salinity levels (75 and 150 mM) and germination periods (3, 4, and 5 days) on momilactone and phenolic accumulations in germinated brown rice (GBR) var. Koshihikari. Particularly, the identification of bioactive compounds was confirmed using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (¹H and ¹³C). Momilactone A (MA) and momilactone B (MB) amounts were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS), whereas other compounds were quantified by spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Accordingly, GBR under B2 treatment (75 mM salinity for 4 days) showed the greatest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (14.50 mg gallic acid and 11.06 mg rutin equivalents, respectively, per g dry weight). GBR treated with B2 also accumulated the highest quantities of MA, MB, ρ-coumaric, ferulic, cinnamic, salicylic acids, and tricin (18.94, 41.00, 93.77, 139.03, 46.05, 596.26, and 107.63 µg/g DW, respectively), which were consistent with the strongest antiradical activities in DPPH and ABTS assays (IC₅₀ = 1.58 and 1.78 mg/mL, respectively). These findings have implications for promoting the value of GBR consumption and rice-based products that benefit human health.

Development of thiazole-appended novel hydrazones as a new class of α-amylase inhibitors with anticancer assets: an in silico and in vitro approach

Hyperamylasemia is reported to be associated with numerous chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Considering this fact, we developed a series of thiazole-clubbed hydrazones. The derivatives were explored for their in vitro α-amylase inhibitory activity, which was further corroborated with their anticancer assets using a panel of cancer cells, including colon cancer (HCT-116), lung cancer (A549), and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231). To better understand pharmacokinetics, the synthetic derivatives were subjected to in silico ADMET prediction. The in vitro based biological investigation revealed that compared to the reference drug acarbose (IC50 = 0.21 ± 0.008 μM), all the synthesized compounds (5a-5aa) exhibited in vitro α-amylase inhibitory response in the range of IC50 values from 0.23 ± 0.003 to 0.5 ± 0.0 μM. Along with this, the proliferations of the HCT-116, A549 and MDA-MB-231 cells were inhibited when treated with the synthesized compounds. Notable cancer cell growth inhibition was observed for compounds 5e, 5f and 5y, which correlated with their α-amylase inhibition. Additionally, the kinetics investigation revealed that 5b, 5e, 5f and 5y exhibit uncompetitive inhibition. 5b was found to be the least cytotoxic and most potent α-amylase inhibitor and was further validated by absorption and fluorescence quenching technique.