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Studying the obstacles associated with continuous cropping is necessary for sustainable agricultural production. Phenolic acids play an important role in continuous cropping systems, although their mechanism of action in these systems remains unclear. Using High-performance Liquid Chromatography, we characterized the changes in phenolic acid contents in soils that had been continuously cropped with tobacco for different time periods and evaluated the interactions between soil physicochemical properties, bacterial community structure and diversity, and phenolic acids. Prolonged continuous cropping was associated with a significant increase in the content of phenolic acids and a significant decrease in soil pH and bacterial diversity. A significant negative correlation between pH and phenolic acids content was observed, suggesting that soil acidification potentially leads to the accumulation of phenolic acids. The Mantel test indicated that phenolic acids were positively associated with relative bacterial abundance ( R  = 0.480, P  < 0.01), signifying that the accumulation of phenolic acids is a potential factor leading to changes in bacterial community structure. Continuous cropping lowered the soil pH, which stimulated phenolic acid accumulation and consequently altered the bacterial community structure and diversity, ultimately impacting tobacco plant growth.

Biotechnological production of phenolic acids is attracting increased interest due to their superior antioxidant activity, as well as other antimicrobial, dietary, and health benefits. As secondary metabolites, primarily found in plants and fungi, they are effective free radical scavengers due to the phenolic group available in their structure. Therefore, phenolic acids are widely utilised by pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries. A demand for phenolic acids is mostly satisfied by utilising chemically synthesised compounds, with only a low quantity obtained from natural sources. As an alternative to chemical synthesis, environmentally friendly bio-based technologies are necessary for development in large-scale production. One of the most promising sustainable technologies is the utilisation of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of phenolic acids. In this paper, we perform a systematic comparison of the best known natural sources of phenolic acids. The advances and prospects in the development of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds are discussed in more detail. A special consideration is given to the modern production methods and analytics of phenolic acids.

Honey consumption is attributed to potentially advantageous effects on human health due to its antioxidant capacity as well as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, which are mainly related to phenolic compound content. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites of plants, and their content in honey is primarily affected by the botanical and geographical origin. In this study, a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) method was applied to determine the phenolic profile of various honey matrices and investigate authenticity markers. A fruitful sample set was collected, including honey from 10 different botanical sources (n = 51) originating from Greece and Poland. Generic liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate as the extractant was used to apply targeted and non-targeted workflows simultaneously. The method was fully validated according to the Eurachem guidelines, and it demonstrated high accuracy, precision, and sensitivity resulting in the detection of 11 target analytes in the samples. Suspect screening identified 16 bioactive compounds in at least one sample, with abscisic acid isomers being the most abundant in arbutus honey. Importantly, 10 markers related to honey geographical origin were revealed through non-targeted screening and the application of advanced chemometric tools. In conclusion, authenticity markers and discrimination patterns were emerged using targeted and non-targeted workflows, indicating the impact of this study on food authenticity and metabolomic fields.

In order to establish firm evidence for the health effects of dietary polyphenol consumption, it is essential to have quantitative information regarding their dietary intake. The usefulness of the current methods, which rely mainly on the assessment of polyphenol intake using food records and food composition tables, is limited as they fail to assess total intake accurately. This review highlights the problems associated with such methods with regard to polyphenol-intake predictions. We suggest that the development of biological biomarkers, measured in both blood and urine, are essential for making accurate estimates of polyphenol intake. However, the relationship between dietary intakes and nutritional biomarkers are often highly complex. This review identifies the criteria that must be considered in the development of such biomarkers. In addition, we provide an assessment of the limited number of potential biomarkers of polyphenol intake currently available.

The nutritional value of honey is closely related to its components, which are highly influenced by the botanic origin. C. pi. Shen (Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) var. modesta (Nannf.) L. T. Shen), a key plant in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly produced in Gansu Province of China, has attracted much attention for its medicinal value. However, there are few reports about C. pi. Shen honey. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the contents of phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities in C. pi. Shen honey by colorimetric, UPLC-MS/MS, Ferric ion Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), 2,2-bisazo-bis (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical capacity, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) scavenging ability methods. In comparison with four other high-yield unifloral honeys in China (Acacia honey, linden honey, rape honey, and jujube honey), C. pi. Shen honey demonstrated remarkable advantages. Specifically, the levels of total phenolic acids, total flavonoids, and phenolic components of C. pi. Shen honey were significantly pronounced, especially protocatechuic acid and kaempferol. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of C. pi. Shen honey was also excellent, which was attributed to its phenolic compounds, underscoring its potential biological value. This study is anticipated to serve as a reference for the identification, nutritional assessment, and functional advancement of C. pi. Shen honey.

Demand for organic foods is partially driven by consumers' perceptions that they are more nutritious. However, scientific opinion is divided on whether there are significant nutritional differences between organic and non-organic foods, and two recent reviews have concluded that there are no differences. In the present study, we carried out meta-analyses based on 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically significant and meaningful differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/crop-based foods. Most importantly, the concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were found to be substantially higher in organic crops/crop-based foods, with those of phenolic acids, flavanones, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols and anthocyanins being an estimated 19 (95 % CI 5, 33) %, 69 (95 % CI 13, 125) %, 28 (95 % CI 12, 44) %, 26 (95 % CI 3, 48) %, 50 (95 % CI 28, 72) % and 51 (95 % CI 17, 86) % higher, respectively. Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including CVD and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention and epidemiological studies. Additionally, the frequency of occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal Cd. Significant differences were also detected for some other (e.g. minerals and vitamins) compounds. There is evidence that higher antioxidant concentrations and lower Cd concentrations are linked to specific agronomic practices (e.g. non-use of mineral N and P fertilisers, respectively) prescribed in organic farming systems. In conclusion, organic crops, on average, have higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower concentrations of Cd and a lower incidence of pesticide residues than the non-organic comparators across regions and production seasons.

Vegetables comprise a significant portion of our daily diet with their high content in nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, as well as phenolic compounds. Vegetable consumption has been shown to be positively associated with the prevention of several degenerative diseases thanks to their bioactive compounds. Accordingly, five selected vegetables, namely, red chicory, red onion, eggplant, purple sweet potato, and black carrot were thoroughly assessed for their phenolic content in this study. For this purpose, the total phenolic and flavonoid content of these five vegetables and their antioxidant activities that are based on three common methods ABTS radical cation decolorization assay (ABTS), Cupric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC), and DPPH scavenging activity assay were determined. Additionally, HPLC-PDA/Electrospray ionization coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA/-ESI+-MS)-based identification and quantification of the members belonging to polyphenols present in each vegetable were determined. Statistical correlations between antioxidant activities and the specific type of phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids were further elucidated. Phenolic acids (chlorogenic and syringic acids) were found to be the most abundant compounds that are present in all samples. Among the anthocyanins, cyaniding derivatives were present in all vegetables. In terms of their antioxidant activities, the analyzed vegetables were ranked as red chicory > purple sweet potato > black carrot > eggplant > red onion, in descending order. Superior antioxidant activities exhibited by red chicory and purple sweet potato were attributed to the high content of phenolic compounds, especially flavonols (quercetin-3,4-O-diglucoside) in red chicory and anthocyanins (peonidin-3-caffeoyl p-hydroxybenzoylsophoroside-5-glucoside) in purple sweet potato.

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are of notable pharmacological relevance. For instance, galanthamine is used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, while other alkaloids (lycorine, crinine, etc.) derived from Amaryllidaceae plants are also of great interest because they exhibit antitumour, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, analgesic and cytotoxic properties. Phenolic acids comprise a group of natural bioactive substances that have commercial value in the cosmetic, food and medicinal industries due to their antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective potential. In the present study, the effect of temperature (15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) on Amaryllidaceae alkaloid and phenolic acid biosynthesis in Leucojum aestivum in vitro plant cultures was investigated. The highest diversity of alkaloids (i.e., galanthamine, crinan-3-ol, demethylmaritidine, crinine, 11-hydroxyvitattine, lycorine, epiisohaemanthamine, chlidanthine) was noted in plants cultured at 30 °C. By contrast, ismine and tazettine were only present in plants cultured at 15 °C. Temperatures of 20 °C and 30 °C were found to stimulate galanthamine accumulation. The highest lycorine content was noted in plants grown at temperatures of 15 and 30 °C, and it was negatively correlated with the expression of the gene that encodes the cytochrome P450 96T (CYP96T) enzyme which catalyses a key step in the biosynthesis of different types of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. This observation may reflect temperature-induced shifts in metabolic flux among different branches of Amaryllidaceae alkaloid biosynthesis. The observed stimulating effect of a 15 °C temperature on the chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, sinapic, ferulic and isoferulic acid content was in line with the highest expression of a gene that encodes the tyrosine decarboxylase (TYDC) enzyme, which is involved in plant stress response mechanisms. At 30 °C, however, the highest content of the caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric and isoferulic acids was noted.

In the last few years, the consumer’s concern with the relationship between health and diet has led to the search of foods with functional properties beyond the nutritional. In this framework, the consumption of pomegranate has increased due to their sensorial attributes and remarkable amounts of bioactive compounds, which generate, at the same time, huge amounts of by-products. A search in the Scopus database for the last 10 years has revealed the rising interest in pomegranate peel (PP), the main residue from this fruit. The meat industry is a food sector that has had to search for new alternatives to substitute the use of synthetic preservatives by new natural additives, to extend the self-life and keep the quality attributes of their processed products. This review sets out the main bioactivities of PP extracts, and their incorporation in meat products is elaborated. PP is a good source of bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids and hydrolyzable tannins, which have beneficial health effects. It can be concluded that the reformulation of meat products with PP extracts is a suitable strategy for enhancing their technological characteristics, in addition to conferring functional properties that make them healthier and potentially more acceptable for the consumer.

The leaves of Myrcia DC. ex Guill species are used in traditional medicine and are also exploited commercially as herbal drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The present work aimed to assess the qualitative and quantitative profiles of M. bella hydroalcoholic extract, due to these uses, since the existing legislation in Brazil determines that a standard method must be developed in order to be used for quality control of raw plant materials. The current study identified eleven known flavonoid-O-glycosides and six acylated flavonoid derivatives of myricetin and quercetin, together with two kaempferol glycosides and phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, ethil galate, gallic acid and quinic acid. In total, 24 constituents were characterized, by means of extensive preparative chromatographic analyses, along with MS and NMR techniques. An HPLC-PAD-ESI-IT-MS and FIA-ESI-IT-MS(n) method were developed for rapid identification of acylated flavonoids, flavonoid-O-glycosides derivatives of myricetin and quercetin and phenolic acids in the hydroalcoholic M. bella leaves extract. The FIA-ESI-IT-MS techinique is a powerful tool for direct and rapid identification of the constituents after isolation and NMR characterization. Thus, it could be used as an initial method for identification of authentic samples concerning quality control of Myrcia spp extracts.