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Research on Polyphenolic Compounds from Fruits and Vegetables: Extraction, Chromatographic Analysis, and Biological Properties

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 12157

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: secondary metabolites; chromatographic techniques; polyphenols; antioxidant activity; wine chemistry; biological activity of plant origin food
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phenolic compounds are ubiquitous in plants which collectively synthesize several thousand different chemical structures characterized by hydroxylated aromatic ring(s). These compounds play several important functions in plants. They represent a striking example of metabolic plasticity, enabling plants to adapt to changing biotic and abiotic environments and provide to plant products color, taste, technological properties, and putative health-promoting benefits. Phenolic compounds represent the most studied phytochemicals and have been widely exploited as model systems in different areas of plant research. These components are known as secondary plant metabolites and also possess antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, along with their high antioxidant capacity. Many efforts have been made to provide a highly sensitive and selective analytical method for the determination and characterization of polyphenols. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide information on the most recent developments in the chemical investigation of polyphenols, emphasizing the extraction, separation, and analysis of these compounds via chromatographic and spectral techniques.

Dr. Ireneusz Kapusta
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • polyphenols
  • separation techniques
  • HPLC
  • LC-MS
  • antioxidant activity
  • biological activity

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 496 KiB  
Article
Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antiproliferative Activity of Juglans regia L. Male Flowers
by Natalia Żurek, Agata Pawłowska, Karolina Pycia, Dorota Grabek-Lejko and Ireneusz Tomasz Kapusta
Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2762; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092762 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
Juglans regia L., walnut, is a large, long-living tree, cultivated in temperate climates around the world. It is highly appreciated for its nutritional kernels and high-quality timber. Its barks, leaves, and husk are used as dyes and in folk medicine as herbal remedies [...] Read more.
Juglans regia L., walnut, is a large, long-living tree, cultivated in temperate climates around the world. It is highly appreciated for its nutritional kernels and high-quality timber. Its barks, leaves, and husk are used as dyes and in folk medicine as herbal remedies for several diseases. From a biological and chemical standpoint, relatively little is known about the male flowers of the tree. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the phenolic profile as well as in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activity of male Juglans regia L. flowers. Phenolic content was determined by UPLC/PDA/MS/MS analyses; antioxidant activity was assessed by five different methods; antimicrobial activity was evaluated against the six most common pathogenic strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and antiproliferative properties were assessed against six cell lines. Most of the analyses carried out in this study were performed for the first time for this raw material. J. regia flower extract was characterized by a strong ability to scavenge DPPH˙ free radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and chelating metal ions. Among the examined bacterial strains and neoplastic lines, the strongest antimicrobial activity was shown against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and B. cereus, and cytotoxic activity against breast cancer, glioblastoma, and astrocytoma cells. Male J. regia flowers have also been found to be a rich source of phenolic compounds. The content of polyphenols in the extract was 4369.73 mg/100 g d.w., and 24 compounds from the group of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and juglunosides were identified. Additionally, a strong correlation between the content of polyphenols and the antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic activity was observed. This is why the tested J. regia flowers are an excellent source of effective natural antioxidant, antibacterial, and chemopreventive compounds that have potential to be used in the pharmaceutical or food industries. Full article
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16 pages, 3851 KiB  
Article
Polyphenolics with Strong Antioxidant Activity from Acacia nilotica Ameliorate Some Biochemical Signs of Arsenic-Induced Neurotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Mice
by Tahira Foyzun, Abdullah Al Mahmud, Md. Salim Ahammed, Md. Imran Nur Manik, Md. Kamrul Hasan, KM Monirul Islam, Simin Sobnom Lopa, Md. Yusuf Al-Amin, Kushal Biswas, Mst. Rejina Afrin, AHM Khurshid Alam and Golam Sadik
Molecules 2022, 27(3), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27031037 - 03 Feb 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2701
Abstract
Neurotoxicity is a serious health problem of patients chronically exposed to arsenic. There is no specific treatment of this problem. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathological process of neurotoxicity. Polyphenolics have proven antioxidant activity, thereby offering protection against oxidative stress. In [...] Read more.
Neurotoxicity is a serious health problem of patients chronically exposed to arsenic. There is no specific treatment of this problem. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathological process of neurotoxicity. Polyphenolics have proven antioxidant activity, thereby offering protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we have isolated the polyphenolics from Acacia nilotica and investigated its effect against arsenic-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in mice. Acacia nilotica polyphenolics prepared from column chromatography of the crude methanol extract using diaion resin contained a phenolic content of 452.185 ± 7.879 mg gallic acid equivalent/gm of sample and flavonoid content of 200.075 ± 0.755 mg catechin equivalent/gm of sample. The polyphenolics exhibited potent antioxidant activity with respect to free radical scavenging ability, total antioxidant activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Administration of arsenic in mice showed a reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain which was counteracted by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Similarly, elevation of lipid peroxidation and depletion of glutathione in the brain of mice was effectively restored to normal level by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Gallic acid methyl ester, catechin and catechin-7-gallate were identified in the polyphenolics as the major active compounds. These results suggest that Acacia nilotica polyphenolics due to its strong antioxidant potential might be effective in the management of arsenic induced neurotoxicity. Full article
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12 pages, 2065 KiB  
Article
A Green Extraction Method to Achieve the Highest Yield of Limonin and Hesperidin from Lime Peel Powder (Citrus aurantifolia)
by Pakkapong Phucharoenrak, Chawanphat Muangnoi and Dunyaporn Trachootham
Molecules 2022, 27(3), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27030820 - 26 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3849
Abstract
Green extraction is aimed at reducing energy consumption by using renewable plant sources and environmentally friendly bio-solvents. Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is a rich source of flavonoids (e.g., hesperidin) and limonoids (e.g., limonin). Manufacturing of lime products (e.g., lime juice) yields a [...] Read more.
Green extraction is aimed at reducing energy consumption by using renewable plant sources and environmentally friendly bio-solvents. Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is a rich source of flavonoids (e.g., hesperidin) and limonoids (e.g., limonin). Manufacturing of lime products (e.g., lime juice) yields a considerable amount of lime peel as food waste that should be comprehensively exploited. The aim of this study was to develop a green and simple extraction method to acquire the highest yield of both limonin and hesperidin from the lime peel. The study method included ethanolic-aqueous extraction and variable factors, i.e., ethanol concentrations, pH values of solvent, and extraction temperature. The response surface methodology was used to optimize extraction conditions. The concentrations of limonin and hesperidin were determined by using UHPLC-MS/MS. Results showed that the yields of limonin and hesperidin significantly depended on ethanol concentrations and extraction temperature, while pH value had the least effect. The optimal extraction condition with the highest amounts of limonin and hesperidin was 80% ethanol at pH 7, 50 °C, which yields 2.072 and 3.353 mg/g of limonin and hesperidin, respectively. This study illustrates a green extraction process using food waste, e.g., lime peel, as an energy-saving source and ethanol as a bio-solvent to achieve the highest amount of double bioactive compounds. Full article
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12 pages, 1954 KiB  
Article
Two New Isoprenoid Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens with Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities
by Jingjing Li, Yan Lin, Lei He, Rongxiu Ou, Tao Chen, Xu Zhang, Qirui Li, Zhu Zeng and Qingde Long
Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7228; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237228 - 29 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
Sophora flavescens is a regularly used traditional Chinese medicine. In an attempt to discover adequate active agents, the isoprenoid flavonoids from S. flavescens were further investigated. In this work, two new compounds (12, kurarinol A-B) together with 26 known [...] Read more.
Sophora flavescens is a regularly used traditional Chinese medicine. In an attempt to discover adequate active agents, the isoprenoid flavonoids from S. flavescens were further investigated. In this work, two new compounds (12, kurarinol A-B) together with 26 known ones (328) were isolated and elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR, UV and MS analyses. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of all constituents was assessed through ABTS, PTIO and DPPH methodologies and also were evaluated for cytotoxic activity by three tumor cell lines (HepG2, A549 and MCF7) and one human normal cell line (LO2 cells). As a result, a multitude of components revealed significant inhibitory activity. In particular, compound 12 (kurarinol A-B), two new flavanonols derivatives, exhibited the most potent ABTS inhibitory activity with IC50 of 1.21 µg/mL and 1.81 µg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, the new compound 1 demonstrated remarkable cytotoxicity against three cancer cells lines with IC50 values ranging from 7.50–10.55 μM but showed little effect on the normal cell. The two new isoprenoid flavonoids could be promising antioxidant and anti-tumor nature agents. Full article
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