Food-grade delivery systems of Brazilian propolis from Apis mellifera: From chemical composition to bioactivities in vivo

Brazilian propolis from Apis mellifera is widely studied worldwide due to its unique chemical composition and biological properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. However, although many countries produce honey, another bee product, the consumption of propolis as a functional ingredient is linked to hydroethanolic extract. Hence, other food uses of propolis still have to be incorporated into food systems. Assuming that propolis is a rich source of flavonoids and is regarded as a food-grade ingredient for food and pharmaceutical applications, this review provides a theoretical and practical basis for optimising the bioactive properties of Brazilian propolis, encompassing the extraction processes and incorporating its bioactive compounds in the delivery systems for food applications. Overall, pharmacotechnical resources can optimise the extraction and enhance the chemical stability of phenolic compounds to ensure the bioactivity of food formulations.

Changes in phenolic profile and anti-inflammatory activity of Baccharis beebread during gastrointestinal digestion/intestinal permeability in vitro

Knowledge about the fate of beebread bioactive compounds throughout the human gastrointestinal tract are scarce. The present study aimed at assessing the effects of gastrointestinal digestion followed by intestinal permeability in vitro on phenolic profile and anti-inflammatory activity of Baccharis beebread. Palynological analysis confirmed the beebread is predominantly composed by pollen grains from Baccharis species, which are endemic in south and southeast Brazil. Flavonols and phenylamides were found in beebread hydroalcoholic extract by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis. Moreover, simulated digestion lead to compounds' breakage, releasing both aglycones from glycosylated flavonols and p-coumaric acid, but not caffeic acid from phenylamides. Only spermidines crossed the Caco-2 cell monolayer, possibly due to spermine oxidation. Free p-coumaric acid was released after digestion, and epithelial transport. Concomitantly, NF-κΒ activation and TNF-α level was decreased by beebread even after Caco-2 transport, which indicates spermidines conjugated with p-coumaric acid may be bioavailable compounds with anti-inflammatory activity.

Effect of ultimate pH on quality of aged Longissimus dorsi muscle of Zebu Nellore (Bos indicus) during long-term frozen storage

Despite the relatively high occurrence of bovine meat with intermediate to high ultimate pH (pHu), there is a lack of studies focused on the effects of long-term conventional air-blasting freezing storage on quality parameters of commercial beefs of Zebu Nellore (Bos indicus) with varying pHu ranges. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of pHu ranges [normal (≤5.79), intermediate (5.80 to 6.19), and high (≥6.20)] and long-term frozen storage on quality parameters of aged Longissimus dorsi beefs of Zebu Nellore (Bos indicus). The aging conditions were set at 2 °C for 14 days, while the freezing conditions were set at - 20 °C, and samples were collected after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of storage. The results indicated that the pHu influenced meat quality parameters, as well as the chemical forms of myoglobin, which changed throughout the frozen storage, leading to a brighter red color, especially for the normal pHu beef samples, likely due to increased oxymyoglobin content. Frozen storage improved tenderness, with high pHu beef samples being the more tender after 12 months, potentially due to lower protein oxidation, as measured by the carbonyl content. Increased drip loss was observed over freezing time, with a concomitant decrease in protein solubility, especially for myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins, which differed among the pHu ranges. These findings are valuable for determining freezing time as a preservation strategy to maintain beef quality within different pHu ranges.

Effects of simulated gastrointestinal digestion/epithelial transport on phenolics and bioactivities of particles of brewer's spent yeasts loaded with Brazilian red propolis

Red propolis from northeast Brazil contains mainly isoflavonoids as bioactive compounds, and its consumption may counteract unregulated and exacerbated formation of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. Moreover, the production of particles using sustainable carriers have been studied to increase the use of propolis as a functional food ingredient. Hence, the objective of this work was to investigate the effects of simulated gastrointestinal digestion followed by a cell-based epithelial transport on phenolic profile, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of particles of brewer's spent yeasts (BSY) loaded with ethanolic extract of Brazilian red propolis (EEP). As a result, the EEP phenolic diversity decreased throughout the simulated gastrointestinal system, and was modulated by the particle production, as detected by high-performance liquid chromatography - electrospray ionization - quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). Concomitantly, the antioxidant activity, as assessed by the ability to scavenge peroxyl and superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and hypochlorous acid, generally decreased at a higher extent for the particles of EEP with BSY (EEP-BSY) throughout the experiments. Nonetheless, after epithelial transport through the Caco-2 cell monolayer, the basolateral fraction of both EEP-BSY and EEP decreased the activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB by 83% and 65%, respectively, as well as the release of TNF-α (up to 51% and 38%, respectively), and CXCL2/MIP-2 (up to 33% and 25%, respectively). Therefore, BSY may be an interesting carrier for EEP bioencapsulation, since it preserves its anti-inflammatory activity. Further studies should be encouraged to investigate the feasibility of adding it in formulations of functional foods, considering its effect on sensory attributes.

Cocoa powder and fermented jackfruit seed flour: A comparative cell-based study on their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities after simulated gastrointestinal digestion

BACKGROUND

Jackfruit seed flour can be used as a cocoa aroma replacer with similar technological properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo toxicity and in vitro antioxidant activity of fermented jackfruit seed flour (Fjs) and non-alkaline cocoa powder (Nac).

RESULTS

Fjs and Nac extracts (Fjs-E and Nac-E) were produced and submitted to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion producing digested fractions named Fjs-D and Nac-D, respectively. Nac-E showed over two-fold higher oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) than Fjs-E. However, after simulated gastrointestinal digestion (in vitro), there were no significant differences between Nac-D and Fjs-D (P < 0.01). Similarly, the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) of Nac-D and Fjs-D was not significantly different (P < 0.01). The anti-inflammatory assay in transgenic RAW 264.7 murine macrophages showed that Fjs-E did not affect cell viability up to 300 μg mL^-1 (P > 0.05) and reduced by 15% the release of TNF-α (P < 0.05). Fjs-D did not affect cell viability up to 300 μg mL^-1 (P > 0.05) and showed 58% reduction of NF-κB activation (P < 0.05), with no effects on TNF-α levels. Treatment with Nac-E up to 300 μg mL^-1 did not decrease cell viability (P > 0.05) and reduced the release of TNF-α levels by 34% and 66% at 100 and 300 μg mL^-1 , respectively (P < 0.05). Nac-D did not reduce the NF-κB activation or TNF-α levels at any tested concentration.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, these findings indicate that Fjs is a safe and promising functional ingredient with biological activities even after gastrointestinal digestion. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Plant genetic diversity by DNA barcoding to investigate propolis origin

Identify the botanical origins of a certain type of propolis may be challenging and time demanding, since it involves bee's behavior observation, plant resins collection and chemical analysis. Thus, this study aimed to determine the plant genetic materials in propolis from southern Brazil using the DNA barcoding to investigate their botanical origins, as well as to compare it with the phytochemical composition determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and with the pollinic profile. As principal results, non-native Populus carolinensis Moench (Salicaceae) was almost the only DNA source in some propolis samples, which coincided with the presence of flavonoids typical from poplar exudates. Conversely, other propolis samples had DNA material coming mainly from native plant species, most of them characterized to the species level, although no specific chemical markers from those plants could be identified by UHPLC-HRMS. However, pollen from several plants identified by the DNA barcoding were extracted from some propolis samples. Despite the identification of typical diterpenes, DNA material from Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze (Araucariaceae), which have been indicated as a major resin source for propolis from preservation areas in southern Brazil, was found in very small abundancies, likely because bees do not drag tissue material containing DNA when collecting resin from this native species. In conclusion, DNA barcoding analysis successfully provided information about the provenance of propolis, although, depending on the plant resin sources, this information is likely to come from pollen.

Isolation of diterpenes from Araucaria sp Brazilian brown propolis and development of a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method for its analysis

Propolis comprises a complex resinous product composed of plant's parts or exudates, pollen, bee wax, and enzymes. Brazilian brown propolis from Araucaria sp displays several biological activities. Considering the lack of validated analytical methods for its analysis, we are reporting the development of a validated high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector method to analyze Araucaria brown propolis. The crude propolis were extracted and chromatographed, furnishing six main diterpenes. The isolated standards were used to draw the analytical curves, allowing the studies of selectivity, precision, accuracy, recovery, robustness, the determination of limits of detection and limits of quantification. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% acetic acid in water and acetonitrile, using an octadecylsilane column, 1 mL/min flow rate and detection at 200 or 241 nm. Relative standard deviation values obtained for intra-day and inter-day precision were lower than 4% for all diterpenes. From the five parameters for robustness, wavelength detection and flow rate were the critical ones. Limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.808 to 10.359 μg/mL and from 2.448 to 31.392 μg/mL, respectively. The recoveries were between 105.03 and 108.13%, with relative standard deviation values around 5.0%. The developed method is precise, sensitive, and reliable for analyzing Araucaria brown propolis.

Lignans as new chemical markers of a certified Brazilian organic propolis

Commercially certified organic propolis produced in areas of environmental conservation and reforestation forests of Southern Brazil are generally poor in flavonoids, although one of its variants - Brazilian certified organic propolis 1 (OP1) - has shown strong antioxidant activity. The objective was to identify active compounds from OP1 related to its strong antioxidant activity. OP1 ethanolic extracts were subjected to liquid-liquid fractionation, and the fractions presenting the strongest antioxidant activity were combined and purified into subfractions. Compounds isolated from the most active subfractions had their structure elucidated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). As a result, five lignans and two lignan-precursors were isolated, and four of them are herein reported for the very first time in propolis. Hence, these compounds may be used as chemical markers for product standardization and authentication purposes, since OP1 is only produced by honeybees in native forests and its botanical origins remain unknown.

Selected nutrients and antinutrients in peanut cultivars harvested in Brazil

BACKGROUND

There are more than 30 peanut cultivars registered in Brazil. However, there are no published data about the content of nutrients and antinutrients even in the most commercially important ones. Therefore, our objective was to characterize commercial peanut cultivars harvested in Brazil by determining proximate and fatty acid composition and content of selected minerals and phytates, saponins and condensed tannins.

RESULTS

Significant variations were found among the cultivars for almost all studied nutrients, except Mg. Granoleico and IAC 505 were identified as high oleic. Results were compared with data from the Brazilian Food Composition Table (TACO) and, for this, percentage differences (D%) were calculated. Appreciable D% were found for proteins, lipids, ash, dietary fiber, almost all fatty acids (except 20:0) and almost all studied minerals (except zinc). Moreover, remarkable variations in content of antinutrients were observed. IAC Red Tatu had the highest content of saponins; IAC OL3 and IAC 886 had the highest amounts of phytates; and IAC 886 had the highest amounts of condensed tannins.

CONCLUSION

Results confirm the relevance of differentiating cultivars in the market and in national food composition tables and databases. Furthermore, some of these cultivars may be indicated for new use trends. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.