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Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition

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A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 17832

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Dr. Elisabeta Irina Geana

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ICSI Analytics, National Institute for Research and Development for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies—ICSI Rm. Vâlcea, 4th Uzinei Street, 240050 Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania
Interests: valorization of agro-industrial waste of plant biomass type in bioproducts with added value in the circular bioeconomy system; extraction, identification and quantification of biologically active principles with antioxidant potential (polyphenols, organic acids, amino acids, and terpenes) and sugars from complex matrices (e.g., wine, honey, fruits, plants, natural extracts, organic products, functional foods, and agro-industrial by-products); technical skills: HPLC and hyphenated techniques (UHPLC-MS/MS, UHPLC-DAD, UHPLC-FL, HPLC-ELSD); GC-FID; UV-Vis; FT-IR; AAS; ICP-MS; electrochemistry (sensors/biosensors); extraction techniques (MAE, ASE, and Soxhlet)
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Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Tita

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Department of Agricultural Sciences and Food Engineering, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550012 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: food science and technology; food microbiology and safety; food biotechnology; ecology and environmental protection in the food industry; general food technology; industrial engineering; engineering and quality control of food; authentication of food; nutrition
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Dear Colleagues,

Plant materials, including food and medicinal plants, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms, beverages, flowers, spices and traditional medicinal herbs, represent an important source of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, vitamins, tocopherols, carotenoids, terpenic compounds, proteins, polysaccharides, dietary fibers and enzymes) with numerous properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antitumoral and prebiotic activities).

In addition, plant biomass, represented by different agro-food industry by-products (pomaces, leaves, seeds, shells, brans, oilseed cakes, molasses, etc.), represents a valuable resource with untapped potential, once viewed as a waste material but still representing an important source of natural bioactive compounds. Considering global environmental concerns and resource scarcity, the agro-food industry is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainable practices and waste reduction with the use of these resources to obtain products intended to maintain the health of the population, such as food ingredients, functional foods, food supplements, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products. These waste materials currently pose challenges that have attracted the attention of governments, corporations, academia and other organizations. Without a solution, they can place a significant environmental burden on ecosystems.

Thanks to recent advances in biotechnologies, most of these resources can now be used for the (i) development of green chemistry methods for processing, bioprocessing and bio-refining agro-food by-products in order to obtain products to meet societal needs; (ii) production of food to increase the nutritional, functional and technological properties of food products; (iii) procurement of food ingredients, functional foods, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; (iv) use of agro-food by-products to reduce costs and promote sustainability; (v) development of biofuels (bioethanol, biomethane and biohydrogen) to ensure climate neutrality and resilience.

Dr. Elisabeta Irina Geana
Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Tita
Guest Editors

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Keywords

fruits and vegetables
medicinal plants
agro-food industry
food ingredients
functional foods
nutraceuticals
food supplements
pharmaceutical products
antioxidant activity
oxidative stress
aging
anti-inflammatory activity
sustainable recovery
circular bioeconomy

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Research

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19 pages, 2827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activities of White and Red Wines from Different Varieties and Wine Regions in Romania

by Ovidiu Tița, Petronela Anca Onache, Elisabeta-Irina Geana, Corina Teodora Ciucure, Dorin Ioan Sumedrea and Alina Florea

Antioxidants 2025, 14(5), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14050564 - 8 May 2025

Viewed by 319

Abstract

The characteristics of the variety from which the wine is made, the geographical area of production, the year of production, and the technology of winemaking are the parameters with the most influence on the total content of polyphenols, the polyphenolic profile, and the antioxidant activity of wine. For this reason, a polyphenolic screen can help establish the authenticity of wines. For this study, 50 samples of white and red wine from different wine areas were collected. For these samples, a qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out on the polyphenolic profile. The polyphenolic profiles of the studied wines were determined using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS (mass spectrometry with tandem ionization with high-performance liquid chromatography). Among the non-flavonoid acids, gallic acids, p-coumarnic, and syringic acids in red wines showed higher concentrations in all samples, while resveratrol was present in concentrations from 0.605 to 12.38 mg/L in red wines, and white wines ranged from 0.07 to 0.35 mg/L. For flavonoids, -catechin (0.187 m/L–130.98 mg/L in red wines and 0.04–4.45 mg/L) and (-)-epi-catechin showed the highest concentrations, reaching up to 29.78 mg/L in red wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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22 pages, 879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolomic Profiling and Antioxidant Properties of Chilean Eucryphia cordifolia Cav.: Insights from Leaves, Flowers, and Monofloral Honey

by Rafael Viteri, Ady Giordano, Gloria Montenegro, Mario J. Simirgiotis and Flavia C. Zacconi

Antioxidants 2025, 14(3), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14030292 - 28 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 576

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the metabolomic profile of monofloral honey from Eucryphia cordifolia (ulmo) and evaluate the potential transfer of bioactive compounds from the plant parts, including the leaves and flowers, to the honey. Using UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis, various flavonoids and phenolic acids were identified and quantified in extracts from the leaves, flowers, and honey from E. cordifolia. Given their rich polyphenolic composition, E. cordifolia leaves were included in this study to assess their potential contribution to the antioxidant properties and chemical markers of ulmo honey. Additionally, the polyphenolic compounds in honey samples were quantified. Chromatographic analysis via UHPLC-MS/MS revealed that ulmo honey contains phenolic acids such as gallic, syringic, ferulic, chlorogenic, caffeic, and coumaric acid, as well as flavonoids including pinocembrin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, epicatechin, apigenin, and isorhamnetin. The results indicate that pinocembrin and gallic acid are the main chemical markers of ulmo honey, while isorhamnetin could complement its characterization as a complementary marker. UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis was also utilized to compare the compounds present in the honey with those found in the plant parts (leaves and flowers), respectively. A total of 10 shared compounds were identified, 9 of which were preliminarily identified, while 1 remains unknown. Notably, dihydroquercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, cyanidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)-glucoside, and eupatorin were detected in ulmo honey for the first time. Along with gallic acid, pinocembrin, and isorhamnetin, these compounds could contribute to a characteristic fingerprint for identifying the botanical origin of the honey. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the chemical composition of ulmo honey and its potential application as a functional product with antioxidant properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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18 pages, 3629 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation, In Vitro Antioxidant Capacity, Hypoglycemic Activity and Immunoactivity Evaluation of Polysaccharides from Coriandrum sativum L.

by Weiwei Jin, Huan Zhou, Haijun Zhao, Yue Pei, Fengxian Su, Yan Li and Tao Luo

Antioxidants 2025, 14(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14020149 - 27 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 938

Abstract

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a classical medicinal and edible herb as well as a spice, but the physicochemical and biological properties of its polysaccharides have not been fully studied. In this study, the polysaccharides were extracted using an ultrasonic-assisted method and purified from fresh coriander, and then the coriander polysaccharide (CSP) fraction was separated using an agarose gel Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column. The total sugar content, protein content and monosaccharides composition of CSPs were determined using a phenol–sulfuric acid method, Coomassie Brilliant Blue method and HPLC. The structural characterization was detected using ultraviolet spectrophotometry and FT-IR spectroscopy. DPPH and ABTS free radicals were used to explore their antioxidant activities, while the inhibitory abilities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase were used to evaluate their hypoglycemic activity. After that, the immunomodulatory and antitumor activities were investigated using macrophage RAW264.7 and HepG2 cells as the targets. The results showed that the total sugar and protein contents of CSPs were 66.90 ± 1.44% and 1.06 ± 0.32%, respectively. CSPs were mainly composed of fucose, rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid, with a molar ratio of 1.13:15.11:9.60:25.98:1.55:44.33:2.29, and may be an acidic heteropolysaccharide containing pyran rings, α- and β-glycosidic bonds and glucuronic acid. Results from in vitro experiments of biological activities showed that the IC₅₀ of CSPs for scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals were 0.759 mg/mL and 1.758 mg/mL, respectively; the IC₅₀ values for inhibiting the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase were 0.634 mg/mL and 2.178 mg/mL, respectively; the CSPs with a concentration of 25~200 μg/mL showed no obvious toxicity to macrophage RAW264.7, and when treated with 100 μg/mL of CSPs, the relative cell phagocytosis capacity and secreted nitric oxide amount of RAW264.7 were 153.75 ± 12.01% and 133.56 ± 5.37%, respectively; CSPs showed a concentration-dependent ability to inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells within the test concentration of 0.25–2.0 mg/mL. Summarizing the results, due to their excellent antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities, the coriander acid polysaccharides were expected to show good potential in comprehensive development of food and medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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18 pages, 5215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Whitening Effects and Identification of Potentially Active Compounds Based on Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis in Different Chrysanthemum Cultivar Extracts

by Fenglan Wang, Huiya Liu, Zifeng Huang, Yangyang Zhang, Yitong Lu and Yiwei Zhou

Antioxidants 2024, 13(12), 1557; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13121557 - 18 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1082

Abstract

Chrysanthemum is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Chrysanthemum extracts are rich in bioactive compounds; however, there are few reports evaluating the whitening effects of organic chrysanthemum extracts. This study assessed the antioxidant and whitening effects of organic extracts from the petals of five chrysanthemum cultivars from Guangdong, China. Significant differences were observed among the five cultivars across various parameters, including IC₅₀ values for tyrosinase inhibition activity, DPPH and ABTS values, UV absorption, and SPF values. Additionally, there were notable variations in total flavonoid, total phenolic, and chlorogenic acid contents. The BJ cultivar extract exhibited strong antioxidant capacity and superior whitening effects, containing the highest levels of total flavonoids, total phenolics, and chlorogenic acid. Correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between total flavonoid content and IC₅₀ of DPPH, and between chlorogenic acid and both IC₅₀ of ABTS and SPF. Untargeted metabolomic analysis of three representative cultivars (BJ, WYHJ, and JSHJ) identified 22 compounds potentially related to antioxidant and whitening effects. Compounds significantly correlated with multiple antioxidant or whitening indicators (p < 0.05, r > 0.8) included tangeritin, hydroquinone, eupatilin, quercetin 3-(6″-malonyl-glucoside), biochanin A, and cyanidin 3-glucoside. These compounds may play crucial roles in the antioxidant and whitening effects of chrysanthemum extracts. The results highlight the promising antioxidant and whitening properties of chrysanthemum extracts, with certain genotypes, such as BJ, showing potential as superior raw material sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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15 pages, 1948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional Qualities, Metabolite Contents, and Antioxidant Capacities of Yardlong Beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) of Different Pod and Seed Colors

by Yu-Mi Choi, Myoung-Jae Shin, Hyemyeong Yoon, Sukyeung Lee, Jungyoon Yi, Xiaohan Wang and Kebede Taye Desta

Antioxidants 2024, 13(9), 1134; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13091134 - 19 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1647

Abstract

Studying the effects of genetic and environmental factors on plant biochemical components helps in selecting the best varieties for the food industry and breeding programs. This study analyzed the nutritional qualities, secondary metabolites, and antioxidant activities of 14 field-grown yardlong beans accessions and how they are affected by differences in pod and seed colors. The analyzed parameters varied significantly among the yardlong bean accessions, with variances ranging from 1.36% in total unsaturated fatty acid content to 51.01% in DPPH^• scavenging activity. Accessions YLB4, YLB7, and YLB14 performed the best, showing antioxidant indices of 100.00, 70.10, and 67.88%, respectively. Among these, YLB14 showed a characteristic property, having the highest levels of vitamin C (2.62 mg/g) and omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (2.67). It also had the second highest dietary fiber (21.45%), stearic acid (4.44%), and linoleic acid (40.39%) contents, as well as the lowest thrombogenicity index (0.38). Although cluster and principal component analyses did not clearly separate the yardlong beans based on pod or seed color, analysis of variance revealed that these factors and their interaction had significant effects on total phenol, DPPH^• scavenging activity, ABTS^•+ scavenging activity, and reducing power. In contrast, the nutritional parameters, except for dietary fiber, were not significantly affected by pod and seed color variations. Therefore, consuming yardlong beans of different pod and seed colors may not affect the overall nutrient intake. In general, this study identified yardlong beans with green pods and black seeds as good sources of antioxidants. Accordingly, further metabolomics and genomics studies are suggested to thoroughly explore their characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 3413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenolic Screening and the Antioxidant Activity of Grape Pomace Extracts of Romanian White and Red Grape Varieties

by Cristiana Radulescu, Radu Lucian Olteanu, Claudia Lavinia Buruleanu, Mihaela Nechifor (Tudorache), Ioana Daniela Dulama, Raluca Maria Stirbescu, Ioan Alin Bucurica, Sorina Geanina Stanescu and Andreea Laura Banica

Antioxidants 2024, 13(9), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13091133 - 19 Sep 2024

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

Due to its valuable organic compounds, grape pomace represents a valuable resource in the creation of value-added food products. In this study, we investigated grape pomace hydroalcoholic extracts obtained by ultrasonication from two white and two red Romanian grape varieties. The phytochemical parameters, i.e., polyphenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, condensed tannins content, and antioxidant activity, were determined by UV-Vis spectrometry. The statistical analysis revealed that Tămâioasă Românească and Negru de Drăgășani, respectively, and Fetească Albă and Fetească Neagră are similar to each other. Significant differences among the pomaces obtained from different grape varieties were noticed in terms of their phenolic contents. The red varieties (Fetească Neagră and Negru de Drăgășani) were richest in terms of total phenolics and total anthocyanins, respectively. The antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from grape pomace showed that Negru de Drăgășani had the higher value due to its high amounts of polyphenols, followed by Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă, and Tămâioasă Românească. Higher levels of bioactive polyphenolic substances, i.e., catechin, myricetin, resveratrol, and vanillic acid, were found in the pomace of Negru de Drăgășani extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography. These results emphasize the potential of the Negru de Drăgășani variety to be further exploited for nutritional and functional applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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26 pages, 2025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activity of Different Extracts from Frozen, Freeze-Dried, and Oven-Dried Jostaberries Grown in Moldova

by Viorica Bulgaru, Angela Gurev, Alexei Baerle, Veronica Dragancea, Greta Balan, Daniela Cojocari, Rodica Sturza, Maria-Loredana Soran and Aliona Ghendov-Mosanu

Antioxidants 2024, 13(8), 890; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13080890 - 23 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1758

Abstract

In this paper, the qualitative and quantitative profile is evaluated of the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity (AA), microbiostatic properties, as well as the color parameters of jostaberry extracts, obtained from frozen (FJ), freeze-dried (FDJ), and oven-dried berries (DJ). The optimal extraction conditions by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were selected after determination of the total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total antocyanin content (TA), AA by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), and the free radical cation 2,2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonates (ABTS). Non-conventional extraction methods are less destructive to anthocyanins, while drying the berries reduced TA, regardless of the extraction method. The oven-drying process reduced the concentration of TA in DJ extracts by 99.4% and of ascorbic acid by 92.42% compared to FJ. AA was influenced by the jostaberry pretreatment methods. The DPPH and ABTS tests recorded values (mg Trolox equivalent/g dry weight) between 17.60 and 35.26 and 35.64 and 109.17 for FJ extracts, between 7.50 and 7.96 and 45.73 and 82.22 for FDJ, as well as between 6.31 and 7.40 and 34.04 and 52.20 for DJ, respectively. The jostaberry pretreatment produced significant changes in all color parameters. Mutual information analysis, applied to determine the influence of ultrasound and microwave durations on TPC, TFC, TA, AA, pH, and color parameters in jostaberry extracts, showed the greatest influence on TA (0.367 bits) and TFC (0.329 bits). The DPPH and ABTS inhibition capacity of all FJ’ extracts had higher values and varied more strongly, depending on pH, heat treatment, and storage time, compared to the AA values of FDJ’ and DJ’ extracts. A significant antimicrobial effect was observed on all bacterial strains studied for FJP. FDJP was more active on Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. DJP was more active on Salmonella Abony and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antifungal effect of DJP was stronger compared to FDJP. Jostaberry extracts obtained under different conditions can be used in food production, offering a wide spectrum of red hues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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19 pages, 4533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deciphering the Genomic Characterization of the GGP Gene Family and Expression Verification of CmGGP1 Modulating Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis in Melon Plants

by Tiantian Yang, Sikandar Amanullah, Shenglong Li, Peng Gao, Junyu Bai, Chang Li, Jie Ma, Feishi Luan and Xuezheng Wang

Antioxidants 2024, 13(4), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040397 - 26 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AsA), also known as vitamin C, is a well-known antioxidant found in living entities that plays an essential role in growth and development, as well as in defensive mechanisms. GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) is a candidate gene regulating AsA biosynthesis at the translational and transcriptional levels in plants. In the current study, we conducted genome-wide bioinformatic analysis and pinpointed a single AsA synthesis rate-limiting enzyme gene in melon (CmGGP1). The protein prediction analysis depicted that the CmGGP1 protein does not have a signaling peptide or transmembrane structure and mainly functions in the chloroplast or nucleus. The constructed phylogenetic tree analysis in multispecies showed that the CmGGP1 protein has a highly conserved motif in cucurbit crops. The structural variation analysis of the CmGGP1 gene in different domesticated melon germplasms showed a single non-synonymous type-base mutation and indicated that this gene was selected by domestication during evolution. Wild-type (WT) and landrace (LDR) germplasms of melon depicted close relationships to each other, and improved-type (IMP) varieties showed modern domestication selection. The endogenous quantification of AsA content in both the young and old leaves of nine melon varieties exhibited the major differentiations for AsA synthesis and metabolism. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of gene co-expression showed that AsA biosynthesis in leaves was greater than AsA metabolic consumption, and four putative interactive genes (MELO3C025552.2, MELO3C007440.2, MELO3C023324.2, and MELO3C018576.2) associated with the CmGGP1 gene were revealed. Meanwhile, the CmGGP1 gene expression pattern was noticed to be up-regulated to varying degrees in different acclimated melons. We believe that the obtained results would provide useful insights for an in-depth genetic understanding of the AsA biosynthesis mechanism, aimed at the development of improving crop plants for melon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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24 pages, 4001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bee Bread: A Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Properties—First Report on Some Antimicrobial Features

by Cornelia-Ioana Ilie, Angela Spoiala, Elisabeta-Irina Geana, Cristina Chircov, Anton Ficai, Lia-Mara Ditu and Eliza Oprea

Antioxidants 2024, 13(3), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13030353 - 15 Mar 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3344

Abstract

Bee bread has received attention due to its high nutritional value, especially its phenolic composition, which enhances life quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical and antimicrobial properties of bee bread (BB) samples from Romania. Initially, the bee bread alcoholic extracts (BBEs) were obtained from BB collected and prepared by Apis mellifera carpatica bees. The chemical composition of the BBE was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the total phenols and flavonoid contents were determined. Also, a UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis of phenolic compounds (PCs) and antioxidant activity were evaluated. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of BBEs was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative assessments. The BBs studied in this paper are provided from 31 families of plant species, with the total phenols content and total flavonoid content varying between 7.10 and 18.30 mg gallic acid equivalents/g BB and between 0.45 and 1.86 mg quercetin equivalents/g BB, respectively. Chromatographic analysis revealed these samples had a significant content of phenolic compounds, with flavonoids in much higher quantities than phenolic acids. All the BBEs presented antimicrobial activity against all clinical and standard pathogenic strains tested. Salmonella typhi, Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, and Candida kefyr strains were the most sensitive, while BBEs’ antifungal activity on C. krusei and C. kefyr was not investigated in any prior research. In addition, this study reports the BBEs’ inhibitory activity on microbial (bacterial and fungi) adhesion capacity to the inert substratum for the first time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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28 pages, 1939 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effects and Mechanisms of Lutein on Aging and Age-Related Diseases

by Jialu Ye, Jin Cheng, Ruogu Xiong, Haoqi Chen, Siyu Huang, Huabin Li, Jinzhu Pang, Xuguang Zhang and Huilian Zhu

Antioxidants 2024, 13(9), 1114; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13091114 - 14 Sep 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3447

Abstract

Aging and age-related diseases are serious public health issues that are receiving growing attention from researchers. Lutein has a critical function in the prevention and management of these issues. Possible mechanisms mainly include suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress, regulating cell activity, and modulating the levels of toxic substances. In this narrative review paper, we sum up the most current developments in the study of the effects of lutein on aging and five age-related diseases (age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and osteoporosis), and fundamental mechanisms are reviewed. The bioavailability of lutein and the strategies to improve its bioavailability are discussed. This piece of work can bring a clearer comprehension of the protective effects of lutein against aging and age-related diseases and can be also helpful for developing lutein as functional food and dietary supplements for these age-related diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Materials and Their Antioxidant Potential, 2nd Edition)

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