Search Results (6)

Sweet potato is a valuable root due to its nutritional benefits, health-promoting properties, and technological applications. The peel, often discarded during food processing, can be employed in the food industry, supporting a circular economy. Purple sweet potato peel (PSPP) is rich in anthocyanins, which can be used as natural colourants and antioxidants. Optimising their extraction can enhance yield and reduce costs. The current work aimed to optimize anthocyanin and antioxidant recovery from PSPP using a Box-Behnken design and sonotrode ultrasound-assisted extraction (sonotrode-UAE). Three independent variables were analysed: extraction time (2–6 min), ethanol concentration (35–85%), and liquid-to-solid ratio (10–30 mL/g). The dependent variables included total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMAC), individual anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity. TMAC in 15 extracts ranged from 0.16 to 2.66 mg/g PSPP. Peonidin-3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside was the predominant anthocyanin. Among four antioxidant assays, Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) showed the highest value. Ethanol concentration significantly influenced anthocyanin and antioxidant recovery (p < 0.05). The model demonstrated adequacy based on the coefficient of determination and variation. Optimal extraction conditions were 6 min with 60% ethanol at a 30 mL/g ratio. Predicted values were validated experimentally (coefficient of variation <10%). In conclusion, PSPP is a promising matrix for obtaining anthocyanin-rich extracts with antioxidant activity, offering potential applications in the food industry. Full article

The historical use of plants as sources of natural compounds has persisted over time. Increasing the intake of bioactive substances shows significant potential for promoting overall well-being and health. This study delves into the pigments, phenolic composition, and profile, along with antioxidant properties, of leaf extracts rich in bioactives from plants in the Azores region, contributing to sustainable primary food production. Analyses encompassed chlorophylls, carotenoids, total phenols, ortho-diphenols, and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant capacity assessment, polyphenolic profiling, and quantification. Psidium guajava L. and Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp.) H.Rob. exhibited elevated chlorophyll content, while Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott displayed the highest carotenoid levels. Annona cherimola Mill., Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl, and Psidium guajava L. demonstrated pronounced total phenols, ortho-diphenols, and flavonoids. These findings align with heightened antioxidant capacity. HPLC–DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection) characterization unveiled elevated hydroxycinnamic acids in E. japonica and Ipomea batatas (L.) Lam. compared to A. cherimola Mill., while C. esculenta exhibited increased flavone content. Among the quantified compounds, flavonols were the ones that predominantly demonstrated contribution to the antioxidant capacity of these leaves. This research highlights Azorean leaf plants’ antioxidant potential, fostering natural product development for better health. Full article

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of phenols is inversely associated with cardiovascular disease, and the use of nutraceuticals and functional foods can provide protective, preventive, and possibly curative effects in CVD. A novel mixture of different natural substances named Recapsoma^® (bergamot, liposomal berberine, Ipomoea batatas, oleuropein, polycosanols, and vitamin E) has been produced, and its anti-dyslipidaemic efficacy has been tested, specifically studying the in vitro effects on the mechanisms of action underlying cholesterol synthesis, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol oxidation. The work has demonstrated the ability of this herbal extract mixture to inhibit the action of PCSK, ACAT, PAP, and HMGR and to increase the LDL receptor (LDLR), underlying the synergistic effect of the mixture over the single components. Such results suggest that the Recapsoma^® mixture could be used as a tool for controlling hypercholesterolemia, and an alternative to statins, especially for those patients with metabolic syndrome. Full article

Various analytical approaches for determining β-carotene in vegetable crops and commercial dosage forms have been documented. However, neither the qualitative nor quantitative environmental safety and greener aspects of the literature analytical methodologies of β-carotene analysis have been assessed. As a result, the goal of this research is to develop and validate a reversed-phase “high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)” approach for determining β-carotene in traditional (TE) and ultrasound-assisted (UBE) extracts of different fractions of Daucus carota (L.), Ipomea batatas (L.), and commercial formulation. The greener mobile phase for β-carotene analysis was a ternary mixture of ethanol, cyclohexane, and ammonia (95:2.5:2.5, v v v⁻¹). The detection of β-carotene was done at a wavelength of 459 nm. In the 25–1000 ng band⁻¹ range, the greener reversed-phase HPTLC approach was linear. Other validation factors for β-carotene analysis, including as accuracy, precision, robustness, and sensitivity, were likewise dependable. The contents of β-carotene were found to be maximum in hexane: acetone (50:50%) fractions of TE and UBE of D. carota and I. batatas compared to their acetone and hexane fractions. The amount of β-carotene in hexane: acetone (50:50%) portions of TE of D. carota, I. batatas and commercial formulation A was estimated to be 10.32, 3.73, and 6.73 percent w w⁻¹, respectively. However, the amount of β-carotene in hexane: acetone (50:50%) portions of UBE of D. carota, I. batatas and commercial formulation A was estimated to be 11.03, 4.43, and 6.89 percent w w⁻¹, respectively. The greenness scale for the proposed HPTLC strategy was calculated as 0.81 using the “analytical GREEnness (AGREE)” method, indicating that the proposed HPTLC methodology has good greenness. The UBE approach for extracting β-carotene outperformed the TE procedure. These results indicated that the greener reversed-phase HPTLC approach can be utilized for the determination of β-carotene in different vegetable crops, plant-based phytopharmaceuticals, and commercial products. In addition, this approach is also safe and sustainable due to the utilization of a greener mobile phase compared to the toxic mobile phases utilized in literature analytical approaches of β-carotene estimation. Full article

The main aim of the study was to prepare the edible films based on carrageenan/chitosan and incorporate them into the following matrices: the natural extracts of Clitoria ternatea, Brassica oleracea, and Ipomea batatas. The films were characterized by TPC (total polyphenols content), antioxidant activity, and textural properties. Experimentally produced films were added in the packaging of freshly cut apple pieces, and the apple pieces were dipped into the films produced from carrageenan and chitosan. The appearance of the samples was monitored, as were antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content. The intelligent properties of films were evaluated too. The polymer type used for the preparation had the highest impact on the prepared films, and CH_LCZ (red cabbage extract—Brassica oleracea) featured the best antioxidant activity. The intelligent properties were slightly confirmed in samples with the addition of red cabbage. The main finding was that the coating of fresh-cut apples emphasized the possibility to use a carrageenan matrix with the addition of extracts. The samples immersed in this coating type showed higher antioxidant activity as well as a superior color when compared to that of chitosan coated apple samples. Full article

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the functional components of sweet potato because of its nutritional and medicinal value. The aim of this study is to analyse how much sweet potato phenolic compounds composition (derived from caffeoylquinic acids) varies as a result of cooking. Traditional techniques such as: boiling, oven roasting and more recent processing techniques such as microwave cooking were tested. Three sweet potato varieties were cooked for different periods of time and under different conditions. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract the compounds of interest and then, a chemometric tool such as Box-Behnken design (BBD) was successfully used to evaluate and optimise the most influential factors in the extraction, i.e., temperature, solvent composition and sample-to-solvent ratio. The optimal settings for UAE were: solvent 100% methanol, a temperature of 39.4 °C and a mass/volume ratio of 0.5 g per 10 mL solvent. Oven roasting of sweet potatoes resulted in increased levels of caffeoylquinic acids, whereas prolonged cooking times in water resulted in decreasing levels of the same. Full article