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Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity

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A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2022) | Viewed by 35243

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Dr. Almudena García-Ruíz

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Laboratory of Epigenetics of Lipid Metabolism, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA)-Food, CEI UAM + CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: food Science; polyphenols; antioxidant capacity; miRNAs; smORFs; lipid metabolism; gene expression; nutrigenomics

Dr. María del Mar Contreras

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Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: bioactive compounds; functional foods; valorization; agri-food waste; phenolic compounds
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Dr. Merichel Plaza

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Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km. 33.600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
Interests: bioactive compounds; food, food waste and by-products; analytical chemistry; HPLC; GC; mass spectrometry; phytochemical analysis; sample preparations; green chemistry; pressurised hot water extraction; pressurised liquid extraction; supercritical fluid extraction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Economic and cultural development has resulted in major changes in the eating habits and lifestyles of society, reflected by greater rates of obesity and increased risk of disease. With the aim of improving the health of the population, numerous studies have been carried out and show that there is a correlation between a healthy diet and a good state of health. Concerning components which confer dietary benefits, phytochemicals are of special interest. In this context, the phytochemical characterization and evaluation of the biological properties of bioactive compounds are essential in order to assess their potential health-promoting effects before an intervention study, establishing their characteristics to be exploited for the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. One of the most relevant biological activities is the antioxidant capacity related, among others, to anticancer and anti-aging properties, the improvement of immune function, and protection against cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders.

On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that numerous products considered by the food industry as waste are good sources of bioactive compounds, with high nutritional value and/or health benefits. In this respect, the phytochemical characterization, extraction, and evaluation of the biological properties (i.e., antioxidant capacities) of these agroindustrial byproducts would contribute to their potential use as new natural ingredients for the pharma and food industries and serve to reduce the waste generated by the agroindustry.

This Special Issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biology), entitled “Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity”, welcomes the submission of either original research manuscripts or reviews of the scientific literature concerning phytochemical characterization, extraction, and evaluation of the biological properties of the bioactive compounds present in foods, beverages, and the waste produced during their manufacturing. Pre-clinical findings and clinical trials in this area are also welcome, as are studies on novel foods.

Dr. Almudena García-Ruíz
Dr. María del Mar Contreras
Dr. Merichel Plaza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Agroindustrial waste and byproducts
Alkaloids
Antioxidant capacity
Bioactive compounds
Carotenoids
Phytochemical characterization
Polyphenols
Terpenes
Food ingredients
Oxidative stress
Phytochemicals
Phytochemical extraction
Sample preparation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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15 pages, 670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Black Elderberry Press Cake as a Source of Bioactive Ingredients Using Green-Based Extraction Approaches

by Zorana Mutavski, Nataša Nastić, Jelena Živković, Katarina Šavikin, Robert Veberič, Aljaž Medič, Kristian Pastor, Stela Jokić and Senka Vidović

Biology 2022, 11(10), 1465; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11101465 - 6 Oct 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

To study the efficiency of two green-based extraction techniques for the isolation of bioactive constituents from black elderberry press cake, changes in phenolic compounds and main anthocyanin contents were analyzed. Polyphenolic content was correlated with antioxidant and antidiabetic potential by radical-scavenging activity and monitoring of α-amylase inhibition. Black elderberry press-cake extracts were obtained by ultrasound-assisted (UAE) and microwave-assisted (MAE) extractions under different extraction conditions. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that cyanidin-3-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-glucoside were the principal anthocyanins in all the obtained extracts, with their content being highest in MAE obtained at 80 °C over 5 min. The same extract induced two-fold higher antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 6.89 μg/mL) and α-amylase inhibitory potential (IC₅₀ 2.18 mg/mL) in comparison to UAE extracts. The main compositional differences between extracts obtained by the same extraction technique were assigned to the extraction temperature. A principal component analysis confirmed that the antidiabetic feature is to be attributed to the rich content of anthocyanins in black elderberry press cake. Our results indicate the great potential of underutilized black elderberry press cake for the development of novel food and herbal formulations due to notable anthocyanin contents highly correlated with antidiabetic activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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22 pages, 4288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Non-Thermal Treatment on Gilaburu Vinegar (Viburnum opulus L.): Polyphenols, Amino Acid, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Properties

by Berna Erdal, Seydi Yıkmış, Nazan Tokatlı Demirok, Esra Bozgeyik and Okan Levent

Biology 2022, 11(6), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060926 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3622

Abstract

Gilaburu (Viburnum opulus L.) is an important fruit that has been studied in recent years due to its phytochemicals and health benefits. In this study, traditionally produced vinegar made from gilaburu fruit (C-GV) was evaluated. Vinegar with higher levels of bioactive components optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) was also produced using ultrasound (UT-GV). The maximum optimization result for the bioactive components was achieved at 14 min and 61.2 amplitude. The effectiveness of thermal pasteurization (P-GV) on gilaburu vinegar was evaluated. An increase was detected for every organic acid with ultrasound treatment. In the UT-GV and C-GV samples, arabinose was present, which is useful for stimulating the immune system. Gilaburu vinegar samples contained 29–31 volatile compounds. The smallest amount of volatile compounds was found in P-GV (1280.9 µg/kg), and the largest amounts of volatile compounds were found in C-GV (1566.9 µg/kg) and UT-GV (1244.10 µg/kg). In the UT-GV sample, Fe was increased, but Ca, K, Mg, and Mn were decreased. A total of 15 polyphenols were detected in C-GV, P-GV, and UT-GV samples, and gallic acid was the most common. A total of 17 free amino acids were detected in gilaburu vinegar samples. Ultrasound provided enrichment in total phenolic compounds and total free amino acids. All three vinegar samples had good antimicrobial activity against pathogens. The efficacy of C-GV, P-GV, and UT-GV samples against colon and stomach cancer was determined, but there were no significant differences between them. As a result, ultrasound treatment is notable due to its antimicrobial and anticancer activity, especially for the enrichment of phenolic compounds and amino acids in gilaburu vinegar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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15 pages, 1986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cricket Protein Concentrate (Gryllus assimilis)

by María Fernanda Quinteros, Jenny Martínez, Alejandra Barrionuevo, Marcelo Rojas and Wilman Carrillo

Biology 2022, 11(5), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11050776 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4661

Abstract

Edible insects can represent an alternative to obtain high-quality proteins with positive biological properties for human consumption. Cricket flour (Gryllus assimilis) was used to obtain cricket protein concentrate (CPC) using pHs (10.0 and 12.0) of extraction and pHs (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0) of isoelectric precipitation (pI). Protein content, water and oil absorption capacity, protein solubility, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities were determined. In addition, the protein profile was characterized by electrophoresis and the in vitro CPC digestibility was evaluated. Cricket flour presented 45.75% of protein content and CPC 12–5.0 presented a value of 71.16% protein content using the Dumas method. All samples were more soluble at pH 9.0 and 12.0. CPC 12–3.0 presented a percentage of water-binding capacity (WBC) of 41.25%. CPC 12–6.0 presented a percentage of oil-binding capacity (OBC) of 72.93%. All samples presented a high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. CPC 12–4.0 presented a value FRAP of 70,034 umol trolox equivalents (TE)/g CPC, CPC 12–6.0 presented a value ABTS of 124,300 umol TE/g CPC and CPC 10–3.0 presented a DPPH value of 68,009 umol TE/g CPC. CPC 10–6.0 and CPC 12–6.0 presented high anti-inflammatory activity, with values of 93.55% and 93.15% of protection, respectively. CPCs can be used as functional ingredients in the food industry for their excellent functional and biological properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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29 pages, 8106 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Ajwa Date Fruit Pulp and Seed in the Management of Diseases through In Vitro and In Silico Analysis

by Shehwaz Anwar, Ravindra Raut, Mohammed A. Alsahli, Ahmad Almatroudi, Hani Alfheeaid, Faisal M. Alzahrani, Amjad Ali Khan, Khaled S. Allemailem, Saleh A. Almatroodi and Arshad Husain Rahmani

Biology 2022, 11(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11010078 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7687

Abstract

This study investigated the health-promoting activities of methanolic extracts of Ajwa date seed and fruit pulp extracts through in vitro studies. These studies confirmed potential antioxidant, anti-hemolytic, anti-proteolytic, and anti-bacterial activities associated with Ajwa dates. The EC₅₀ values of fruit pulp and seed extracts in methanol were reported to be 1580.35 ± 0.37 and 1272.68 ± 0.27 µg/mL, respectively, in the DPPH test. The maximum percentage of hydrogen peroxide-reducing activity was 71.3 and 65.38% for both extracts at 600 µg/mL. Fruit pulp and seed extracts inhibited heat-induced BSA denaturation by 68.11 and 60.308%, heat-induced hemolysis by 63.84% and 58.10%, and hypersalinity-induced hemolysis by 61.71% and 57.27%, and showed the maximum anti-proteinase potential of 56.8 and 51.31% at 600 μg/mL, respectively. Seed and fruit pulp inhibited heat-induced egg albumin denaturation at the same concentration by 44.31 and 50.84%, respectively. Ajwa seed showed minimum browning intensity by 63.2%, percent aggregation index by 64.2%, and amyloid structure by 63.8% at 600 μg/mL. At 100 mg/mL, Ajwa seed extract exhibited good antibacterial activity. Molecular docking analysis showed that ten active constituents of Ajwa seeds bind with the critical antioxidant enzymes, catalase (1DGH) and superoxide dismutase (5YTU). The functional residues involved in such interactions include Arg72, Ala357, and Leu144 in 1DGH, and Gly37, Pro13, and Asp11 in 5YTU. Hence, Ajwa dates can be used to develop a suitable alternative therapy in various diseases, including diabetes and possibly COVID-19-associated complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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21 pages, 789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Essential Oils from Fruit and Vegetables, Aromatic Herbs, and Spices: Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities

by Soumi De-Montijo-Prieto, María del Carmen Razola-Díaz, Ana María Gómez-Caravaca, Eduardo Jesús Guerra-Hernandez, María Jiménez-Valera, Belén Garcia-Villanova, Alfonso Ruiz-Bravo and Vito Verardo

Biology 2021, 10(11), 1091; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10111091 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4618

Abstract

In the field of food preservation, encapsulated Essential Oils (EOs) could be the best non-toxic and eco-friendly tool for food preservative applications substituting the chemicals ones that have several disadvantages for the environment and health. Thirteen commercial EOs from plants, fruits, and vegetables were characterized by GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH and ABTS techniques. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by agar well-diffusion method and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) by agar dilution method against six bacteria, Candida albicans, and Botrytis cinerea. All the EOs tested have demonstrated antioxidant activity in the range of IC₅₀ 0.01–105.32 mg/mL. Between them, cinnamon EOs were the best, followed by oregano and thyme EOs. Fennel EO showed the lowest radical scavenging. MIC values ranged from 0.14 to 9 mg/mL. C. cassia, thyme, and oregano EOs were the most effective against the bacterial species tested, and the yeast C. albicans. On the contrary, citric fruit EOs showed low or no inhibition against most bacterial strains. The percentages of inhibition of mycelia growth of B. cinerea ranged from 3.4 to 98.5%. Thyme, oregano, mint, and fennel EOs showed the highest inhibition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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22 pages, 3648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recovery of Bioactive Compounds from Industrial Exhausted Olive Pomace through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

by Irene Gómez-Cruz, María del Mar Contreras, Florbela Carvalheiro, Luís C. Duarte, Luisa B. Roseiro, Inmaculada Romero and Eulogio Castro

Biology 2021, 10(6), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10060514 - 10 Jun 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4207

Abstract

Exhausted olive pomace (EOP) is the main agro-industrial waste of the olive pomace extracting industries. It contains phenolic compounds and mannitol, so the extraction of these bioactive compounds should be considered as a first valorization step, especially if EOP is used as biofuel. Therefore, EOP was subjected to bath-type ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and the effects of the acetone concentration (20–80%, v/v), solid load (2–15%, w/v), and extraction time (10–60 min) on the extraction of antioxidant compounds were evaluated according to a Box–Behnken experimental design. By means of the response surface methodology, the optimum conditions were obtained: 40% acetone, 8.6% solids, and 43 min. For all the extracts, the total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) were determined. With the aim of shortening the extraction time, a two-level factorial experiment design was also carried out using a probe-type UAE, keeping the solid load at 8.6% (w/v) and the acetone concentration at 40% (v/v), while the amplitude (30–70%) and the extraction time (2–12 min) were varied to maximize the aforementioned parameters. Finally, a maximum of phenolic compounds was reached (45.41 mg GAE/g EOP) at 12 min and 70% amplitude. It was comparable to that value obtained in the ultrasonic bath (42.05 mg GAE/g EOP), but, remarkably, the extraction time was shortened, which translates into lower costs at industrial scale. Moreover, the bioactive compound hydroxytyrosol was found to be the major phenolic compound in the extract, i.e., 5.16 mg/g EOP (bath-type UAE) and 4.96 mg/g EOP (probe-type UAE). Other minor phenolic compounds could be detected by capillary zone electrophoresis and liquid-chromatography–mass spectrometry. The sugar alcohol mannitol, another bioactive compound, was also found in the extract, and its content was determined. Thus, the use of this technology can support the valorization of this waste to obtain bioactive compounds, including mannitol, hydroxytyrosol, and other derivatives, before being applied for other uses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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Review

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34 pages, 841 KiB

Open AccessReview

Quercetin: A Bioactive Compound Imparting Cardiovascular and Neuroprotective Benefits: Scope for Exploring Fresh Produce, Their Wastes, and By-Products

by Irshad Ul Haq Bhat and Rajeev Bhat

Biology 2021, 10(7), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070586 - 26 Jun 2021

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 6170

Abstract

Quercetin, a bioactive secondary metabolite, holds incredible importance in terms of bioactivities, which has been proved by in vivo and in vitro studies. The treatment of cardiovascular and neurological diseases by quercetin has been extensively investigated over the past decade. Quercetin is present naturally in appreciable amounts in fresh produce (fruits and vegetables). However, today, corresponding to the growing population and global demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, a paradigm shift and focus is laid towards exploring industrial food wastes and/or byproducts as a new resource to obtain bioactive compounds such as quercetin. Based on the available research reports over the last decade, quercetin has been suggested as a reliable therapeutic candidate for either treating or alleviating health issues, mainly those of cardiovascular and neurological diseases. In the present review, we have summarized some of the critical findings and hypotheses of quercetin from the available databases foreseeing its future use as a potential therapeutic agent to treat cardiovascular and neurological diseases. It is anticipated that this review will be a potential reference material for future research activities to be undertaken on quercetin obtained from fresh produce as well as their respective processing wastes/byproducts that rely on the circular concept. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity)

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