HPLC-FLD analysis of amino acids content in Chrysanthemum morifolium

Amino acid HPLC-FLD analysis of spirulina and its protective mechanism against the combination of obesity and colitis in wistar rats

Objective

The cafeteria diet (CD), designed as an experimental diet mimicking the obesogenic diet, may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This study delves into the influence of spirulina (SP) on obesity associated with colitis in Wistar rats.

Methods

The amino acids composition of SP was analyzed using HPLC-FLD. Animals were equally separated into eight groups, each containing seven animals and treated daily for eight weeks as follows: Control diet (SD), cafeteria diet (CD) group, CD + SP (500 mg/kg) and SD + SP. Ulcerative colitis was provoked by rectal injection of acetic acid (AA) (3 % v/v, 5 ml/kg b.w.) on the last day of treatment in the following groups: SD + AA, SD + AA + SP, CD + AA, and CD + AA + SP.

Results

Findings revealed that UC and/or CD increased the abdominal fat, weights gain, and colons. Moreover, severe colonic alteration, perturbations in the serum metabolic parameters associated with an oxidative stress state in the colonic mucosa, defined by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased levels of plasma scavenging activity (PSA). Additionally, obesity exacerbated the severity of AA-induced UC promoting inflammation marked by the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Significantly, treatment with SP provided notable protection against inflammation severity, reduced histopathological alterations, attenuated lipid peroxidation (MDA), and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, and GPX) along with non-enzymatic antioxidants (GSH and SH-G).

Conclusions

Thus, the antioxidant effects and anti-inflammatory proprieties of SP could be attributed to its richness in amino acids, which could potentially mitigate inflammation severity in obese subjects suffering from ulcerative colitis. These results imply that SP hold promise as a therapeutic agent for managing of UC, particularly in individuals with concomitant obesity. Understanding SP's mechanisms of action may lead novel treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel diseases and hyperlipidemia in medical research.

Phytochemicals, therapeutic benefits and applications of chrysanthemum flower: A review

Chrysanthemum is a flowering plant belonging to a genus of the dicotyledonous herbaceous annual flowering plant of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. It is a perpetual flowering plant, mostly cultivated for medicinal purposes; generally, used in popular drinks due to its aroma and flavor. It is primarily cultivated in China, Japan, Europe, and United States. These flowers were extensively used in various healthcare systems and for treating various diseases. Chrysanthemum flowers are rich in phenolic compounds and exhibit strong properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-allergic, anti-obesity, immune regulation, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective activities. The main aim of the present review was to investigate the nutritional profile, phytochemistry, and biological activities of flowers of different Chrysanthemum species. Also, a critical discussion of the diverse metabolites or bioactive constituents of the Chrysanthemum flowers is highlighted in the present review. Moreover, the flower extracts of Chrysanthemum have been assessed to possess a rich phytochemical profile, including compounds such as cyanidin-3-O-(6″-O-malonyl) glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-(6" -O-malonyl) glucoside-3', rutin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, rutinoside, and others. These profiles exhibit potential health benefits, leading to their utilization in the production of supplementary food products and pharmaceutical drugs within the industry. However, more comprehensive research studies/investigations are still needed to further discover the potential benefits for human and animal utilization.

Prunus lusitanica L. Fruits: A Promising Underexploited Source of Nutrients with Potential Economic Value

In recent times, less-known fruit species have increasingly attracted worldwide attention and their health benefits are at the forefront. The fruits of plants from the genus Prunus are good sources of nutrients due to their economic, agronomic, and healthy values. However, Prunus lusitanica L., commonly known as Portuguese laurel cherry is considered an endangered species. Thus, the present work aimed to monitor the nutritional components of P. lusitanica fruits grown in three locations in northern Portugal for four consecutive years (2016-2019), using AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists), spectrophotometric, and chromatographic analysis. The results evidenced the abundance of phytonutrients in P. lusitanica, such as proteins, fat, carbohydrates, soluble sugars, dietary fibre, amino acids, and minerals. It was also highlighted that the variation of nutritional components was relatively linked to the year factor, being especially relevant in the frame of the current changing climate, among others. These findings suggest that P. lusitanica L. deserves to be conserved and planted because of its food and nutraceutical applications. However, more detailed information on this rare plant species, such as phytophysiology, phytochemistry, bioactivity, pharmacology, etc., is certainly required for the design and development of appropriate uses and valorization alternatives for this species.

HPLC-DAD assay of flavonoids and evaluation of antioxidant activity of some herbal mixtures

Medicinal plants and their combinations can influence various links of the pathogenetic mechanism of diabetes mellitus type 2 and its complications, due to the wide range of biologically active substance that they accumulate. Flavonoids deserve particular attention through their antioxidant properties. Three samples of herbal mixtures (sample 1 – Inula helenium rhizome with roots, Helichrysum arenarium flowers, Zea mays columns with stigmas, Origanum vulgare herb, Rosa majalis fruits, Taraxacum officinale roots; sample 2 – Cichorium intybus roots, Elymus repens rhizome, Helichrysum arenarium flowers, Rosa smajalis fruits, Zea mays columns with stigmas; sample 3 – Urtica dioica leaf, Taraxacum officinale roots, Vaccinium myrtillus leaf, Rosa majalis fruits, Mentha x Menthapiperita herb) were tested for flavonoid content and antioxidant properties.

Using HPLC-DAD analysis the content of flavonoids was evaluated and an antioxidant activity by DPPH-radicals scavenging, ferrous ion chelating capacity and ferric reducing power were established for the herbal mixtures. Rutin prevails in sample 3, its content was 2745.66±0.21 μg/g; luteolin – in samples 1 and 2, its content was 371.31±0.07 μg/g and 313.48±0.13 μg/g, respectively.

Flavonoids attribute to the antioxidant activity of the herbal mixtures, which was confirmed by DPPH radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing power assay and ferrous ion chelating assay. The highest antioxidant capacity was found for sample 3 – IC50 of inhibition of DPPH radicals was 301.65±2.67 µg/mL compared to control – ascorbic acid (119.24±2.35 µg/mL), the ferric reducing power was 0.382 at 100 µg/mL compared to ascorbic acid (0.412 at 100 µg/mL) and IC50 of chelating capacity was 206.59±2.48 µg/mL compared to EDTA-Na2 (110.55±1.93 µg/mL).