Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Lentil Wastes: Antioxidant Activity Evaluation and Metabolomic Characterization

Extraction of Nucleotides from Dietary Supplements by Newly Synthesized Adsorbents

The aim of the study was the synthesis and application of novel adsorbents for the extraction of nucleotides from dietary supplements. Three different adsorbents modified with a silane containing two amine groups and various dicarboxylic acids were synthesized and characterized using various instrumental techniques. Next, different solvents were tested for their adsorption and desorption of five nucleotides. The results showed that the efficiency of both processes depends on the conditions used and the type of dicarboxylic acid bound to the surface of the adsorbent. The best results were obtained for succinic acid. The most effective adsorption occurred for water acidified with acetic acid to pH 4.5, while the highest recoveries (85-102%) with high reproducibility were obtained for 10 mM ammonium acetate at pH 9. The nucleotide extraction was performed simply by changing the charge at the adsorbent surface, providing the possibility of electrostatic attraction and repulsion between the adsorbent and nucleotides. Moreover, the sorption capacity of the obtained materials was also determined, which was essential for their use in extracting nucleotides from real samples by dispersive extrusion to the solid phase. The new adsorbents and the developed extraction method were successfully applied to isolate nucleotides from two different dietary supplements with different compositions (one of them with yeast strains). The method is simple and reproducible; no organic solvents or high-concentration inorganic salts are used (it is environmentally friendly). The entire process is performed in one centrifuge tube and is cheaper compared with methods used so far.

Curcumin: Overview of Extraction Methods, Health Benefits, and Encapsulation and Delivery Using Microemulsions and Nanoemulsions

Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid found in the rhizomes of turmeric. Due to its therapeutic action against cancer, depression, diabetes, some bacteria, and oxidative stress, it has been used widely in medicine since ancient times. Due to its low solubility, the human organism cannot completely absorb it. Advanced extraction technologies, followed by encapsulation in microemulsion and nanoemulsion systems, are currently being used to improve bioavailability. This review discusses the different methods available for curcumin extraction from plant material, methods for the identification of curcumin in the resulting extracts, its beneficial effects on human health, and the encapsulation techniques into small colloidal systems that have been used over the past decade to deliver this compound.

Biostimulant Formulations and Moringa oleifera Extracts to Improve Yield, Quality, and Storability of Hydroponic Lettuce

The urgent need to increase the sustainability of crop production has pushed the agricultural sector towards the use of biostimulants based on natural products. The current work aimed to determine whether the preharvest application of two commercial formulations, based on a Fabaceae enzymatic hydrolysate or a blend of nitrogen sources including fulvic acids, and two lab-made aqueous extracts from Moringa oleifera leaves (MLEs), could improve yield, quality, and storability of lettuce grown in a hydroponic system, as compared to an untreated control. Lettuce plants treated with the MLEs showed significantly improved quality parameters (leaf number, area, and color), total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and resistance against the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, comparable to that obtained with commercial formulates, particularly those based on the protein hydrolysate. A difference between the M. oleifera extracts was observed, probably due to the different compositions. Although further large-scale trials are needed, the tested MLEs seem a promising safe and effective preharvest means to improve lettuce agronomic and quality parameters and decrease susceptibility to rots.