Explore the vast range of titles available.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of two marine algae, Nannochloropsis oculata and Gracilaria gracilis. The extracts were assayed for total phenol and flavonoid content, DPPH free radical scavenging capacity, nitric oxide activity, iron chelation activity, and reducing power activity. Total phenol and flavonoid content were found to be high in both algae. Ethyl acetate extracts of both algae were found to exhibit significant antioxidant activity. Ethyl acetate extract of N. oculata exhibited a good capacity for iron chelation, nitrate oxide, and scavenging DPPH free radicals (72.95±2.30, 73.73±1.76, and 39.03±0.97% inhibition at 400 µg mL-1 respectively).

In this study, responses of rice under drought stress correlating with changes in chemical compositions were examined. Among 20 studied rice cultivars, Q8 was the most tolerant, whereas Q2 was the most susceptible to drought. Total phenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activities, and their accumulation in water deficit conditions were proportional to drought resistance levels of rice. In detail, total phenols and total flavonoids in Q8 (65.3 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and 37.8 mg rutin equivalent (RE) were significantly higher than Q2 (33.9 mg GAE/g and 27.4 mg RE/g, respectively) in both control and drought stress groups. Similarly, the antioxidant activities including DPPH radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching, and lipid peroxidation inhibition in Q8 were also higher than in Q2, and markedly increased in drought stress. In general, contents of individual phenolic acids in Q8 were higher than Q2, and they were significantly increased in drought stress to much greater extents than in Q2. However, p-hydroxybenzoic acid was found uniquely in Q8 cultivars. In addition, only vanillic acid was found in water deficit stress in both drought resistant and susceptible rice, suggesting that this phenolic acid, together with p-hydroxybenzoic acid, may play a key role in drought-tolerance mechanisms of rice. The use of vanillic acid and p-hyroxybenzoic acid, and their derivatives, may be useful to protect rice production against water shortage stress.

Natural fruits antioxidants play a significant role in inhibiting reactive oxygen species and scavenging free radicals, thus avoiding chronic, degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, aging, cholesterol rates and cancer. The study covered six categories of each three tastes of different pomegranate fruits obtained or purchased in Erbil/Kurdistan-Iraq, a total of 54 samples (6x3x3) were analyzed. Each type was tested for ferric reduction of antioxidant power assay, reduced power method, ascorbic acid content, total phenol and total flavonoid. Our results have shown that the Sour Smilan cultivar has the highest antioxidant properties, ferric antioxidant power reduction (536.89±14.65), ferric power reduction (0.965), ascorbic acid content (0.252±0.012), total phenol (139.66±3.49), total flavonoid (23.08±2.23), and short comparative studies have been conducted to analyze the amount of iron (11) in pomegranate in order to analyze their interferences to the antioxidant activity reported in the ferric reduction of antioxidant power assay.

The potential of Leersia hexandra grass in phytoremediation and natural attenuation of three groups of bacteria in soil contaminated with crude oil was evaluated for 180 days. The quantities of new shoots, root and aerial biomass were evaluated; changes in antioxidant concentrations in leaf and root caused by abiotic stress; population densities of Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas; and microbial respiration. The experimental data showed oil-induced increases of 315% and 196% in new shoots and root phytomass, respectively, and a 44% decrease in leaf + stem phytomass. The enzymatic defence in the grass leaf was manifested by higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, phenylalanine ammonium lyase and total flavonoids; the increases fluctuated from 35% to 52%. The response in the root was positive in catalase (16%), and in ammonium phenylalanine lyase, it increased 275% due to the effect of crude oil. The group of indigenous Azotobacter bacteria were tolerant to crude oil exposure, both in the phytoremediation process and in natural attenuation; the population densities varied from 212 to 438 × 103 colony-forming units (CFUs); they are greater than 49% to 106% compared to densities in control soil. Azospirillum spp. and Pseudomonasspp. recorded population abiotic stress. The grass activates enzymatic and plant defence, complementing microbial respiration in response to adaptation to crude oil.

Rice husk is a by-product produced abundantly in rice production but it has low commercial value and causes environmental pollution. This study was conducted to examine different extracting solvents and conditions to optimize the efficacy of antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials, and chemical components in rice husk. By the use of distilled water at 100 °C, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract was potent in both total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH scavenging activity. The treatment of either ethyl acetate (100 °C, 1 h), combined with MeOH 100%, showed the highest percent of lipid peroxidation inhibition (LPI) (86%), meaning that the strongest antioxidant activity was by the β-carotene bleaching method. The treatment of distilled water at room temperature possessed the strongest antioxidant activity in the assay of the reducing power. The use of dried samples at 100 °C for 2 h, combined with methanol (MeOH) 10%, provided the most potent antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus mirabilis. The results suggested that the EtOAc extract from rice husk could be a potential source of natural antioxidants. In general, the use of temperature 100 °C for 2 h, combined with either EtOAc or 10% MeOH, can optimize chemical components and antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities in rice husk. Principal constituents putatively identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed the presence of momilactones A and B (MA and MB, respectively), phenols, phenolic acids, and long-chain fatty acids, although yields of these compounds varied among extracts. The bioactive MA and MB were found in most of the extracts, except distilled water and MeOH ≤ 50%, at any temperature. Findings of this study provided optimal conditions for future production at an industrial scale for rice husk to exploit its potent biological properties. It thus helps to increase the economic value and reduce the disposal burden and environmental troubles caused by rice husk.

Leptadenia pyrotechnica Forssk is a traditional medicinal herb used for treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this research, the aqueous ethanolic crude extract of Leptadenia pyrotechnica aerial parts, along with its ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water partitioning fractions were evaluated for their antioxidant capacity, polyphenolic content, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The total antioxidant capacity was estimated by the FRAP, DPPH, ABTS and β-carotene bleaching assays.The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest polyphenolic content (252.27 mg gallic acid/g) and the best antioxidant activity (1.2, 0.57, 0.45 mmol ascorbic acid equivalent/g in the FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively). Furthermore, the same extract showed appreciable anti-inflammatory via lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 1.41 µg/mL). Moreover, the ethyl acetate fraction also showed the strongest cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 43.16 µg/mL) against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. These results suggest that this plant may be considered an interesting source of compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties for therapeutic, nutraceutical and functional food applications.

Antioxidant activity is an essential aspect of oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging, cosmetics, and biomedicine. Technical lignin has not yet been applied as a natural antioxidant, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. This report presents antioxidant capacity studies completed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The influence of purification on lignin structure and activity was investigated. The purification procedure showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient (confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and X-ray diffraction), resulting in fractions of very narrow polydispersity (3.2–1.6), up to four distinct absorption bands in UV/Vis spectroscopy. Due to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the glass transition temperature increased from 123 to 185 °C for the purest fraction. Antioxidant capacity is discussed regarding the biomass source, pulping process, and degree of purification. Lignin obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples: antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62–68%, whereas beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignin showed values of 42% and 64%, respectively. Total phenol content (TPC) of the isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26 and 35%, whereas beech and spruce/pine lignin were 33% and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values but increased the DPPH inhibition.

Solanum anguivi Lam. is an ethnomedicinal plant. Local traditional practitioners believe that it reduces the risk of diabetes and atherosclerosis diseases. The present study was intended to conduct qualitative phytochemical analysis, determine the total flavonoid and phenolic contents, estimate the antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activities of the extracts of the fruits of this plant. The antioxidant activity was determined by analyzing the radical scavenging activity (RSA) using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antibacterial activities were determined by the agar well diffusion method. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the crude extracts obtained from the fruits of the plant indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, saponins and tannins. The highest total phenolic and total flavonoid content were obtained in the ethanol extract of the fruits, followed by dichloromethane and n-hexane extract. The total phenolic content (in gallic acid equivalents, GAE) ranged from 113.3 to 202.72 mg GAE/g. The total flavonoid content (in catechin equivalent, CE) varied from 61.72 to 142.64 mg (CE)/g. All fruit extracts of S. anguivi exhibited antioxidant activity as revealed by DPPH and FRAP assays. The DPPH RSA (% inhibition) of the fruit extract varied from 35.11 to 80.13. The total phenolic and Flavonoid contents showed alinear correlation with RSA. Furthermore, all fruit extracts showed antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria varying from 12.5 to 16.75 mm. The result showed that the extracts of the plant exerted stronger bactericidal effect on gram-positive bacteria than on gram-negative bacteria. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1993087 .

Heavy metal stress can lead to many adverse effects that inhibit cellular processes at various levels of metabolism, causing a decrease in plant productivity. In response to environmental stressors, phenolic compounds fulfill significant molecular and biochemical functions in plants. Increasing the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds in plants subjected to heavy metal stress helps protect plants from oxidative stress. A pot experiment was carried out to determine the effect of the accumulation of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) salts at concentrations of 200, 500, and 1000 ppm on seed germination, the activity of enzymes in the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase pathway (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), along with the total phenol and flavonoid contents in seedlings of hybrid Triticum aestivum L. (winter wheat) cultivars. The accumulation of heavy metals, especially Cu, had a negative impact on the seed germination process. The cultivar “Hyacinth” reacted most strongly to heavy metal stress, which was confirmed by obtaining the lowest values of the germination parameters. Heavy metal stress caused an increase in the activity of PAL and TAL enzymes and an increase in the accumulation of phenolic compounds. Under the influence of Cu, the highest activity was shown in cv. “Hyvento” (especially at 200 ppm) and, due to the accumulation of Pb, in cv. “Hyacinth” (1000 ppm) and cv. “Hyking” (200 ppm). The cultivar “Hyking” had the highest content of phenolic compounds, which did not increase with the application of higher concentrations of metals. In other cultivars, the highest content of total phenols and flavonoids was usually observed at the lowest concentration (200 ppm) of the tested heavy metals, Cu and Pb.

From this context we have been interested in biochemical and phytochemical parameters of local and foreign varieties of wheat bran whose purpose is to search to see if there are intraspecific and interspecific varietal differences. The study concerned five varieties of soft wheat bran selected at CCLS Sidi Bel Abbés and consumed in many regions of Algeria. The biochemical compounds of grains (proteins, cellulose, ash content and phytochemical (total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity) were determined in all varieties. The wheat bran, the subject and material of this study, was obtained from whole wheat grains collected from three varieties of soft wheat and used in our case to produce and extract the maximum of soft wheat bran. The varieties used were ‘HD’ (SWBHD) and ‘Anzar’ (SWBA) local variety and one imported, ‘Habbour’ variety (SWBHB). Two samples of marketed soft wheat bran, imported, were provided in this work to compare their nutritional components. Different techniques and methods were used in this experimental study (infra-red approach spectrophotometer, flame spectrophotometer). The results obtained show that ‘Eriad’ soft wheat bran (SWBE) is rich in protein with a variation of 15.78% at 18.07%; and is slightly elevated compared to other samples. Regarding the results obtained for cellulose, a high value was recorded for (SWBTAZ) variety 11.3%, and a lower one for (SWBHB) marketed at a value of 3.6%. The maximum concentration of potassium and sodium was obtained in the SWBAZ variety with a level of 3.16 mg/l and 30.36 mg/l respectively. The evaluation of phytochemicals has shown the presence of considerable amounts of polyphenols and flavonoids qualitatively and quantitatively. SWBAZ variety was very rich in total polyphenols, flavonoids and DPPH respectively with values of (1.101±0.01 mg EAG/g) and (0.174±0.001 EC/g) (1.39±0.01 EAG/g) compared to the different varieties studied. In conclusion, the SWBAZ variety could thus be considered, in our case, as an important source of phytonutrients.