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Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 12997

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Prof. Dr. Urszula Gawlik

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Guest Editor

Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
Interests: functional foods; interactions, phenolic compounds; antioxidants
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emergence and prominence many diseases and ailments result very often from an unhealthy diet. Grains, vegetables, fruits and herbs are a source of an enormous amount of biologically active compounds which have a positive influence on human health. They not only provide nutrition, but also often show strong anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. Their role in cardiovascular diseases prevention and anti-microbic and anti-viral activity is also significant. However, in the food matrix and during food processing they enhance or lost their activity. Interactions between bioactive components play a crucial role in creating the final activity of their mixture. Knowledge of these interactions is very important for the production of healthy, safe and functional food.

This Special Issue “Bioactive Compounds from Grains and Food: Sources, Properties and Applications” aims to the (i) analytical methods for evaluation and characterization of the bioactive compounds in various unprocessed and processed food, (ii) study the interactions between bioactive compounds in a food matrix, (iii) improving the health-promoting potential value and antioxidant quality of a different kind of food by the addition of functional ingredients from grain, fruits, vegetables and herbs.

We invite you to submit manuscripts that focus on these aspects. Both experimental and review papers are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Urszula Gawlik
Guest Editor

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Keywords

food bioactive compounds
antioxidant activity
extraction and separation
interactions
health-promoting effects
functional food, food quality

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of New Lavandula angustifolia Ecotypes

by Izabela Betlej, Bogusław Andres, Tomasz Cebulak, Ireneusz Kapusta, Maciej Balawejder, Natalia Żurek, Sławomir Jaworski, Agata Lange, Marta Kutwin, Elżbieta Pisulewska, Agnieszka Kidacka, Barbara Krochmal-Marczak, Piotr Boruszewski and Piotr Borysiuk

Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081740 - 11 Apr 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2057

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize ethanol extracts from leaves and flowers of two ecotypes (PL—intended for industrial plantations and KC—intended for cut flowers) of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. The plant was cultivated in 2019 in southern Poland as part of a long-term research plan to develop new varieties resistant to difficult environmental conditions. The collected leaves and flowers were used to prepare ethanol extracts, which were then analyzed in terms of phytochemical composition and antioxidant, bactericidal, and fungicidal properties. Using UPLC techniques, 22 compounds belonging to phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified. UPLC test results indicated that ethanol extracts from leaves and flowers differ in phytochemical composition. Lower amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified in leaf extracts than in flower extracts. The predominant substances in the flower extracts were rosmarinic acid (829.68–1229.33 µg/g), ferulic acid glucoside III (810.97–980.55 µg/g), and ferulic acid glucoside II (789.30–885.06 µg/g). Ferulic acid glucoside II (3981.95–6561.19 µg/g), ferulic acid glucoside I (2349.46–5503.81 µg/g), and ferulic acid glucoside III (1303.84–2774.17 µg/g) contained the highest amounts in the ethanol extracts of the leaves. The following substances were present in the extracts in trace amounts or at low levels: apigenin, kaempferol, and caftaric acid. Leaf extracts of the PL ecotype quantitatively (µg/g) contained more phytochemicals than leaf extracts of the KC ecotype. The results obtained in this study indicate that antioxidant activity depends on the ecotype. Extracts from the PL ecotype have a better ability to eliminate free radicals than extracts from the KC ecotype. At the same time, it was found that the antioxidant activity (total phenolic content, ABTS^•+, DPPH^•, and FRAP) of PL ecotype leaf extracts was higher (24.49, 177.75, 164.88, and 89.10 μmol (TE)/g) than that determined in flower extracts (15.84, 125.05, 82.35, and 54.64 μmol (TE)/g). The test results confirmed that leaf and flower extracts, even at low concentrations (0.313–0.63%), significantly inhibit the growth of selected Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and Candida yeasts. Inhibition of mold growth was observed at a dose extract of at least 1 mL/100 mL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications)

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14 pages, 1332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Ecotype and Starch Isolation Methods on the Physicochemical, Functional, and Structural Properties of Ethiopian Potato (Plectranthus edulis) Starch

by Misikir Milkias, Shimelis Admassu Emire, Workineh Abebe and Felicidad Ronda

Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7260; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217260 - 25 Oct 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2249

Abstract

The Ethiopian potato (Plectranthus edulis) is an annual tuber crop indigenous to Ethiopia. The crop is underutilized and not much studied despite its high yield of starch, which has a good potential to contribute to the effort in meeting the quickly growing demand for starch. In this study, the effects of the ecotype and isolation methods on the physicochemical, functional, structural, and crystalline properties of starches were evaluated. Starches were isolated from two Ethiopian potato ecotypes (Loffo and Chanqua) using distilled water (DW), 0.01% sodium metabisulphite (SMS), and 1M sodium chloride (NaCl) in the isolation media. The results showed that the lowest starch yield was obtained from Chanqua using DW (97.4%), while the maximum was from Loffo using SMS (99.3%). The L* (lightness) and whiteness values of the starches obtained from Loffo were higher than those of Chanqua starches, with NaCl and SMS extractants yielding the highest values. The bulk density, water activity (a_w), pH, proximate composition (moisture content, protein, ash, fat, crude fiber, and carbohydrate contents), and techno-functional properties were established. The majority of these parameters varied depending on both the isolation method and the ecotype. The crystallinity pattern of all starches showed B-type diffraction, with differences in diffraction peak intensities between all starches. FTIR tests showed structural changes as a function of the ecotype and isolation procedure used. The Loffo ecotype exhibited considerably better results, and the SMS isolation method was found to be the most effective way to acquire the highest starch quality in most of the characteristics evaluated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications)

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14 pages, 2177 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Germination on the Avenanthramide Content of Oats and Their in Vitro Antisensitivity Activities

by Yuchao Feng, Decheng Suo, Xin Guan, Shi Wang, Zhiming Xiao, Yang Li, Xiaolu Liu and Xia Fan

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6167; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196167 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2040

Abstract

In this study, a method, based on an ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with high-field quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-HF-HRMS) platform, was established for the trace determination of three major avenanthramides (AVNs). The MS conditions for determining the AVNs were optimized, and the cracking methods of avenanthramides were analyzed. The linear range of the results and the correlation coefficient were 1–2000 μg/L and >0.996, respectively. Further, the established method was employed for the determination of the AVN contents of oats at different germination times, and the results indicated that the AVN contents of Zaohua and Bayou oats increased 19.26 and 6.09 times, respectively, after germination. The total AVN content of both oat varieties reached a maximum on the fifth day of germination (153.51 ± 4.08 and 126.30 ± 3.33 μg/g for the Zaohua and Bayou oats, respectively). Furthermore, this study investigated the antiallergic and antioxidant activities of the germinated oats via hyaluronidase inhibition and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-scavenging assays. The antiallergic and DPPH-scavenging abilities of the ungerminated forms of both oat varieties were weaker. However, on the fifth day of germination, the inhibition rate of anthranilamide hyaluronidase reached 72.7% and 67.3% for the Zaohua and Bayou oat varieties, respectively. The antiallergic abilities of the oats increased significantly on the fifth day of germination in terms of their antiallergic capacities and DPPH clearance (82.67% and 77.64% for the Zaohua and Bayou oats, respectively), and the two indicators exhibited similar trends. These findings demonstrated that AVNs exhibit good antisensitivity and antioxidation properties, and the antisensitivity effect correlated positively with the AVN content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications)

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12 pages, 764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pasta Enriched with Dried and Powdered Leek: Physicochemical Properties and Changes during Cooking

by Beata Biernacka, Dariusz Dziki and Urszula Gawlik-Dziki

Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4495; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27144495 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

Food enrichment is commonly applied to increase the pro-health and dietary value of final products. This study aimed to evaluate how green leek powder (GL) added to semolina influenced the physicochemical, sensory, and cooking characteristics of the pasta. The pasta was prepared by partially substituting semolina with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 g/100 g of GL. Then, the pasta samples were assessed for color, cooking properties, sensory features, mechanical properties, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA). The results indicated that GL significantly decreased the lightness and increased the yellowness of cooked pasta. The total color difference between the control pasta and enriched pasta samples ranged from 2.54 to 6.89 and 5.60 to 11.06 (for uncooked and cooked pasta, respectively). The addition of GL also caused an increase in the optimal cooking time and cooking loss. Moreover, a significant increase in stretching force was observed in cooked pasta. Sensory evaluation revealed that substitution of semolina with up to 2 g/100 g GL did not affect the smell, taste, and color of pasta. Most importantly, GL-enriched pasta was characterized by higher TPC and higher AA compared to the control samples. In summary, our results recommend partial replacement of semolina by GL (up to 3 g/100 g) in pasta production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications)

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12 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fiber Preparation from Micronized Oat By-Products: Antioxidant Properties and Interactions between Bioactive Compounds

by Dariusz Dziki, Urszula Gawlik-Dziki, Wojciech Tarasiuk and Renata Różyło

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2621; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092621 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2907

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of utilizing oat by-products for fiber preparation. Oat husk (OH) and oat bran (OB) were micronized and used to prepare a novel product rich in fiber and with enhanced antioxidant properties. The basic chemical composition and phenolic acid profile were determined in OH and OB. The antioxidant properties of OH and OB were also analyzed. The type and strength of interactions between the biologically active compounds from their mixtures were characterized by an isobolographic analysis. The analyses showed that the sum of phenolic acids was higher in OH than in OB. Ferulic acid was dominant in both OH and OB; however, its content in OH was over sixfold higher than that in OB. The results also suggested that both OH and OB can be used for preparing fiber with enhanced antioxidant properties. The optimal composition of the preparation, with 60–70% of OH and 30–40% of OB, allows for obtaining a product with 60–70% fiber and enhanced antioxidant activity due to bioactive substances and their synergistic effect. The resulting product can be a valuable additive to various food and dietary supplements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Sources, Properties and Applications)

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