Optimization of Solvent-Free Microwave-Assisted Hydrodiffusion and Gravity Extraction of Morus nigra L. Fruits Maximizing Polyphenols, Sugar Content, and Biological Activities Using Central Composite Design

Black Mulberries (Morus nigra L.) Modulate Oxidative Stress and Beta-Amyloid-Induced Toxicity, Becoming a Potential Neuroprotective Functional Food

Black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) is a common edible fruit from the Moraceae family with a wide variety of nutritional and medicinal applications, mainly due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this work was to investigate the cytoprotective and neuroprotective capacity of a hydrophilic black mulberry solvent-free extract rich in polyphenols, including the antioxidant, antiradical, and enzymatic mechanisms that would explain these effects. Its neuroprotective potential was evaluated in vitro using the Neuro-2a cell line and in vivo through the Caenorhabditis elegans organism model. Neuro-2a cells were treated at different concentrations of the extract (25-500 µg/mL) and hydrogen peroxide (300 µM) as an oxidant agent, simultaneously. From these treatments, redox status (intracellular ROS production) and cellular activity (MTT) were also quantified in Neuro-2a. Regarding the C. elegans assay, the protection of the extract against β-amyloid toxicity was measured against the CL4176 strain, which is a model of Alzheimer disease. As a complementary neuroprotective assay, its potential to inhibit the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) enzyme was measured. In addition, an Artemia salina bioassay was performed for preliminary toxicity screening. And its antioxidant properties were evaluated by means of the FRAP assay. The results confirm its neuroprotective potential and its ability to scavenge free radicals and decrease ROS production, also acting as a moderate MAO-A inhibitor. Moreover, the polyphenolic extract alleviates the toxicity induced by β-amyloid accumulation in C. elegans. Concluding, Morus nigra can be considered a functional food with bioactive compounds that may prevent the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Potential Role and Mechanism of Mulberry Extract in Immune Modulation: Focus on Chemical Compositions, Mechanistic Insights, and Extraction Techniques

Mulberry is a rapidly growing plant that thrives in diverse climatic, topographical, and soil types, spanning temperature and temperate countries. Mulberry plants are valued as functional foods for their abundant chemical composition, serving as a significant reservoir of bioactive compounds like proteins, polysaccharides, phenolics, and flavonoids. Moreover, these compounds displayed potent antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation, and restoring elevated nitric oxide production induced by LPS stimulation through the downregulation of inducible NO synthase expression. Active components like oxyresveratrol found in Morus demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting leukocyte migration through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Gallic and chlorogenic acids in mulberry leaves (ML) powder-modulated TNF, IL-6, and IRS1 proteins, improving various inflammatory conditions by immune system modulation. As we delve deeper into understanding its anti-inflammatory potential and how it works therapeutically, it is crucial to refine the extraction process to enhance the effectiveness of its bioactive elements. Recent advancements in extraction techniques, such as solid-liquid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, superficial fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, are being explored. Among the extraction methods tested, including Soxhlet extraction, maceration, and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), UAE demonstrated superior efficiency in extracting bioactive compounds from mulberry leaves. Overall, this comprehensive review sheds light on the potential of mulberry as a natural immunomodulatory agent and provides insights into its mechanisms of action for future research and therapeutic applications.

Effects and Mechanistic Role of Mulberry Leaves in Treating Diabetes and its Complications

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a surge burden worldwide owing to its high prevalence and range of associated complications such as coronary artery disease, blindness, stroke, and renal failure. Accordingly, the treatment and management of DM have become a research hotspot. Mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a long time, with the first record of its use published in Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica). Mulberry leaves (MLs) are considered highly valuable medicinal food homologs that contain polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other bioactive substances. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that MLs have multiple bioactive effects, including hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidation, and anti-inflammatory properties, with the ability to protect islet [Formula: see text]-cells, alleviate insulin resistance, and regulate intestinal flora. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of MLs in DM have not been fully elucidated. In this review, we summarize the botanical characterization, traditional use, chemical constituents, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of MLs, and highlight the mechanisms involved in treating DM and its complications. This review can provide a valuable reference for the further development and utilization of MLs in the prevention and treatment of DM.

Microwave Hydrodiffusion and Gravity Extraction of Vitamin C and Antioxidant Compounds from Rosehips (Rosa canina L.)

Rosehips, Rosa canina L. (Rosaceae family), have been used for a long time for their beneficial effects on health, and they are largely exploited in the food and nutraceutical supplement sectors. The aim of this work was to apply and optimize for the first time the microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) extraction of rosehips, as a novel application of solvent-free microwave extraction, previously conducted in a similar way only on mulberry, strawberry, and onion. The optimization was performed through a central composite design (CCD) by evaluating the effect of the experimental parameters on the yield; total polyphenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents; radical scavenging activity; and content of vitamin C in the obtained extracts. As a result, the water moistening pretreatment was clearly revealed to possess a pivotal role in the quality of the rosehip extracts. Among the evaluated responses, the yield, the anthocyanin content, and the antioxidant activity were well described by the statistical model. Notably, the optimized MHG extract was compared with the ones obtained by conventional solvent extraction showing higher amounts of vitamin C, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, while the traditional extracts performed better in terms of yield. In conclusion, MHG represents a promising alternative to standard extraction methods for obtaining rosehip extracts rich in vitamin C and antioxidant compounds. In this respect, the results of our research support the employment of MHG on an industrial level for the production of rosehip-based food supplements enriched in vitamin C.

Volatile composition, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity potential of Brassica incana leaf and flowering top extracts

CONTEXT

Brassica incana Ten. (Brassicaceae) is an edible plant with very limited available information. Previous studies have demonstrated the polyphenolic profile and the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of the leaf and flowering top hydroalcoholic extracts.

OBJECTIVE

The volatile composition and the antidiabetic and anti-obesity potential of B. incana leaf and flowering top extracts have been investigated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The volatile characterization of the extracts was attained by HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis. The antidiabetic and anti-obesity potential was investigated spectrophotometrically in vitro by the ability to modulate pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase at different concentrations using orlistat and acarbose as reference drugs. The inhibition of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) was measured with aminoguanidine as reference and the antioxidant activity with the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system and Trolox for comparative purposes.

RESULTS

Several volatiles belonging to different chemical classes were identified, being sulphur compounds the most abundant in both leaf and flowering top extracts (56.33% and 64.40% of all volatiles). Although the leaf extract showed lower IC₅₀ values in most of the assays (0.968 and 1.921 mg/mL for α-glucosidase; 0.192 and 0.262 mg/mL for AGEs; 0.022 and 0.038 mg/mL for superoxide scavenging), there were no statistically significant differences between both samples. These extracts showed a similar behaviour to Trolox in the xanthine oxidase assay (IC₅₀ values of 0.022 mg/mL for leaf extract; 0.038 mg/mL for flowering top and 0.028 for Trolox).

CONCLUSIONS

Leaves and flowering tops from B. incana can be used as sources of functional compounds that could act as antidiabetic and anti-obesogenic agents.

A New HPLC-MS/MS Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Quercetin and Its Derivatives in Green Coffee Beans

Green coffee (Coffee arabica and Coffee robusta) is one of the most commonly traded goods globally. Their beans are enriched with polyphenols and numerous health benefits are associated with their consumption. The main aim of this work was to develop a new and fast analytical HPLC-MS/MS method to simultaneously determine six flavonoid polyphenolic compounds (quercetin, rutin, isorhamnetin, quercetin-3-glucouronide, hyperoside, and quercitrin) in 22 green coffee samples from six different geographical origins (Ethiopia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, India and Colombia). In addition, by adjusting pH, temperature, solvent type, and extraction duration, several extraction methods such as acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, and extraction without hydrolysis were evaluated. The optimal extraction procedure in terms of recovery percentages (78.67–94.09%)was acidic hydrolysis at pH 2, extraction temperature of 60 °C, extraction solvent of 70% ethanol, and extraction duration of 1.5 h. Hyperoside (878–75 μg/kg) was the most abundant compound followed by quercitrin (408–38 μg/kg), quercetin (300–36 μg/kg), rutin (238–21 μg/kg), and quercetin-3-glucouronide (225–7 μg/kg), while isorhamnetin (34–3 μg/kg) showed the lowest amount. Overall, green coffee beans are rich in flavonoid polyphenolic compounds and could be used as part of a healthy diet.

A Comprehensive Phytochemical Analysis of Terpenes, Polyphenols and Cannabinoids, and Micromorphological Characterization of 9 Commercial Varieties of Cannabis sativa L

New hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) strains developed by crossbreeding selected varieties represent a novel research topic worthy of attention and investigation. This study focused on the phytochemical characterization of nine hemp commercial cultivars. Hydrodistillation was performed in order to collect the essential oils (EO), and also the residual water and deterpenated biomass. The volatile fraction was analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS, and SPME-GC-MS, revealing three main chemotypes. The polyphenolic profile was studied in the residual water and deterpenated biomass by spectrophotometric assays, and HPLC-DAD-MSn and 1H-NMR analyses. The latter were employed for quali-quantitative determination of cannabinoids in the deterpenated material in comparison with the one not subjected to hydrodistillation. In addition, the glandular and non-glandular indumentum of the nine commercial varieties was studied by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in the attempt to find a possible correlation with the phytochemical and morphological traits. The EO and residual water were found to be rich in monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and flavonol glycosides, respectively, while the deterpenated material was found to be a source of neutral cannabinoids. The micromorphological survey allowed us to partly associate the phytochemistry of these varieties with the hair morphotypes. This research sheds light on the valorization of different products from the hydrodistillation of hemp varieties, namely, essential oil, residual water, and deterpenated biomass, which proved to be worthy of exploitation in industrial and health applications.