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Background Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera ) is an important medicinal plant rich in a wide range of phenolic compounds variety of high antioxidant values. To enhance the production of phenolic compounds in cell suspension cultures, this study examines the impact of activated charcoal (AC) and subculture rates on biomass accumulation and phenolic content. Results Indicate that culture medium with or without activated charcoal (AC) and subculture rates have a significant effect on the synthesis of phenolic compounds and the accumulation of biomass. The culture medium without AC showed a substantial increase in the synthesis of phenolic compounds without loss of biomass accumulation. Specifically, the intracellular phenolic content in somatic embryos increased more than threefold, while the extracellular phenolic content in the spent liquid medium rose more than fivefold. Additionally, when subcultured every three weeks, the intracellular phenolic content was fivefold higher and the extracellular phenolic content approximately sixfold higher than when subcultured once a week. The combination of subcultures with and without activated charcoal significantly enhanced the production of phenolic compounds and biomass accumulation. Subculturing every week with charcoal for three weeks, followed by two weeks without charcoal, and then three additional weeks without charcoal, resulted in increased biomass accumulation during the first four weeks and also significantly increased accumulation of intracellular phenolic content by sevenfold and extracellular phenolic content by ninefold in the last 3 weeks of the suspension cultures period. Conclusions This study establishes a reliable protocol for the large-scale production of phenolic compounds from date palm, which serve as raw materials for various pharmaceutical and food industries.

Despite the presence of many antibiotics, bacterial resistance is growing steadily and some of these antibiotics have become ineffective, which poses a major challenge to the health sector. In this context, this work has demonstrated, in vitro, the inhibitory action of the bacterial growth resulting from methanolic and ethanolic extracts of Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut., a medicinal plant species harvested from the Algerian South-west area, as well as the determination of the phenolic content of those crude extracts. The methanolic extract of Thymus algeriensis showed a significant antibacterial effect with 16.5 and 19 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Klebsiella pneumoniae was not inhibited by both tested extracts. Besides, ethanol extract has not prevented the growth of the Enterobacter cloacae. This biological activity can be explained by the appreciable rates noted for both of the plant extracts in terms of total phenolic levels, which ranged between 79.45 and 67.13 mg GAE g-1 dry weight.

Syzygium malaccense belongs to the family Myrtaceae and it is popularly recognised as ‘jambo’ in Brazil. It is poorly studied regarding the bioactive compounds of fruits and leaves. This study aimed at optimizing the extraction and characterization of bioactives compounds from S. malaccense leaves. Extraction was optimized using a 23 full factorial design to evaluate the effect of ethanol concentration, time and temperature on polyphenols and antioxidants contents. Analyses of phenolic compounds content (Folin-Ciocalteau and HPLC-DAD), in vitro antioxidant capacities (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP), antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts of ethanolic extract was carried out in optimal conditions of extraction. The optimized extraction condition was 45 min., 80°C and 40:60 (v v-1) ethanol:water. The extract showed high total phenolic content (0.074 mg GAE kg-1), DPPH (0.666 μmol TE kg-1) and ABTS (0.853 μmol TE kg-1) free radical scavenging ability and appreciable ferric reducing power (1.267 μmol Fe2+ kg-1). HPLC methodology allowed the identification of four bioactive compounds: gallic acid (0.00036 mg kg-1), catechin (0.00021 mg kg-1), rutin (0.00027 mg kg-1) and quercetin (0.00003 mg kg-1). The extract showed inhibitory activity against S. aureus (1 µg L-1); S. bongori (8 µg L-1), C. albicans and C. tropicalis (2 µg L-1). It also showed microbicidal potential against S. aureus; C. albicans and C. tropicalis.

Two papaya cultivars were used to manufacture fruit leather. The objective of this study was to formulate papaya leather from locally grown papaya using natural ingredients like pectin, honey and citric acid. The fresh fruits were pureed and mix with natural ingredients, and dried in an oven at 60[degrees]c for 12 hours. The physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity were determined. The results showed that fruit leather made from Hongkong cultivar is significantly (P<0.05) higher in sensory parameters as well as physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity. The phenolics content and antioxidant activity increased by process of drying the fruit leather compared to fresh fruits in both papaya cultivars. Therefore, the consumer requirements for healthy and safe food products were respected.

Fermented foods have made important contributions to human diets for thousands of years and continue to do so. Their health-promoting benefits are attracting increasingly attention. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of natural fermentation on antioxidant properties of traditionally fermented wheat (Triticum durum) compared to unfermented samples. Initially, the samples were submitted to traditional spontaneous fermentation. Subsequently, an aqueous extract was obtained and used to determine polyphenolic and flavonoid contents. Moreover, the antioxidant potential was also measured through the determination of the scavenging ability against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, reducing power and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. The results showed that the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were significantly increased in fermented wheat. Moreover, the antioxidant activity was more effective in fermented than in unfermented wheat. Thus, natural fermentation can enhance natural antioxidants in wheat and transform it into a healthy food or ingredient with multi-functional properties which can be used in the food industry.

Eight selected wild vegetables from Nepal (Alternanthera sessilis, Basella alba, Cassia tora, Digera muricata, Ipomoea aquatica, Leucas cephalotes, Portulaca oleracea and Solanum nigrum) were investigated for their antioxidative potential using 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ferric thiocyanate (FTC) methods. Among the selected plant extracts C. tora displayed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value 9.898 μg/mL, whereas A. sessilis had the maximum H2O2 scavenging activity with an IC50 value 16.25 μg/mL—very close to that of ascorbic acid (16.26 μg/mL). C. tora showed the highest absorbance in the FRAP assay and the lowest lipid peroxidation in the FTC assay. A methanol extract of A. sessilis resulted in the greatest phenolic content (292.65 ± 0.42 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) measured by the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method, while the smallest content was recorded for B. alba (72.66 ± 0.46 GAE/g). The greatest flavonoid content was observed with extracts of P. oleracea (39.38 ± 0.57 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g) as measured by an aluminium chloride colorimetric method, while the least was recorded for I. aquatica (6.61 ± 0.42 QE/g). There was a strong correlation between antioxidant activity with total phenolic (DPPH, R2 = 0.75; H2O2, R2 = 0.71) and total flavonoid content (DPPH, R2 = 0.84; H2O2, R2 = 0.66). This study demonstrates that these wild edible leafy plants could be a potential source of natural antioxidants.

Thirteen apple cultivars were analyzed for their total phenolic content, total flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid in methanolic extracts of both peel and cortex fractions. Three in vitro assays (FRAP, DPPH, and CUPRAC) were used to determine the antioxidant activity. Concentration of the phytochemicals studied varied greatly between the apple peel and the cortex region. Peels showed ~ 2.8 times higher total phenolic content and ~ 2.68% higher flavonoid content than the cortex. Principal component analysis could successfully explain 76.86% and 84.27% variability in the antioxidant determinants (antioxidants/assays) in the peel and cortex region of apple cultivars, respectively. Major contributor for antioxidant activity in both apple peel and cortex was total flavonoid content. Cultivars ‘Well Spur’ and ‘Oregon Spur II’ were found to be substantially rich in these two antioxidants. The antioxidant activity was best expressed by the in vitro FRAP assay in both the fractions. Non-hierarchical K-medoids clustering reflected the presence of an antioxidant/ assay protocol apart from the antioxidant/assay we considered in this study that needs further exploration to get full spectra of antioxidant profile across apple genotypes. Based on multivariate analysis and the concept of RACI, the FRAP antioxidant assay is recommended for determining antioxidant activity in apples.

Dietary plant polyphenols are natural bioactive compounds that are increasingly attracting the attention of food scientists and nutritionists because of their nutraceutical properties. In fact, many studies have shown that polyphenol-rich diets have protective effects against most chronic diseases. However, these health benefits are strongly related to both polyphenol content and bioavailability, which in turn depend on their origin, food matrix, processing, digestion, and cellular metabolism. Although most fruits and vegetables are valuable sources of polyphenols, they are not usually consumed raw. Instead, they go through some processing steps, either industrially or domestically (e.g., cooling, heating, drying, fermentation, etc.), that affect their content, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability. This review summarizes the status of knowledge on the possible (positive or negative) effects of commonly used food-processing techniques on phenolic compound content and bioavailability in fruits and vegetables. These effects depend on the plant type and applied processing parameters (type, duration, media, and intensity). This review attempts to shed light on the importance of more comprehensive dietary guidelines that consider the recommendations of processing parameters to take full advantage of phenolic compounds toward healthier foods.

Effects of slice thickness of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller), microwave incident power and air drying temperature on antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of quince were investigated during drying in microwave and air drying. Optimum conditions were found to be: i) for microwave drying, 285 W and 4.14 mm thick (maximum antioxidant activity) and 285 W and 6.85 mm thick (maximum total phenolic content), and ii) for air drying, 75 [degrees]C and 1.2 mm thick (both maximum antioxidant activity and total phenolic content). Drying conditions were optimized by using the response surface methodology. 13 experiments were carried out considering incident microwave powers from 285 to 795 W, air temperature from 46 to 74 [degrees]C and slice thickness from 1.2 to 6.8 mm. --Keywords: Microwave, air drying, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, response surface methodology

Honey is a well-known natural sweetener and is rich in natural antioxidants that prevent the occurrence of oxidative stress, which is responsible for many human diseases. Some of the biochemical compounds in honey that contribute to this property are vitamins and phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. However, the extent to which these molecules contribute towards the antioxidant capacity in vitro is inconsistently reported, especially with the different analytical methods used, as well as other extrinsic factors that influence these molecules’ availability. Therefore, by reviewing recently published works correlating the vitamin, total phenolic, and flavonoid content in honey with its antioxidant activities in vitro, this paper will establish a relationship between these parameters. Based on the literature, vitamins do not contribute to honey’s antioxidant capacity; however, the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids has an impact on honey’s antioxidant activity.