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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 40288
Related Special Issue: Antioxidants in Natural Products

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Prof. Dr. Antony C. Calokerinos

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Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
Interests: analytical chemistry; method validation; antioxidants; natural products
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Dr. Mustafa Bener

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Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, 34126 Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: analytical method development for antioxidants and other food constituents; optical sensors; nanosensors; food chemistry; natural products chemistry; phytochemicals; antioxidants
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Prof. Dr. Charalampos Proestos

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Food Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Interests: antioxidants; bioactive compounds; essential oils; plant extracts; food chemistry; food analysis
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Prof. Dr. Petros Tarantilis

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Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: isolation, purification, and structure determination of natural products using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques; study of biological activity of natural products; instrumental methods of plants and food analysis; development of methods for quality determination, adulteration, and authenticity (botanical and geographical origin) of food
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of consuming antioxidants in food, beverages, and so on has increased enormously during the last decade. The food and beverage industry is demanding antioxidants from natural sources to replace synthetic antioxidants because of the negative health consequences and beliefs regarding some of the synthetic ones. Natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamin C, exhibit a plethora of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis, and anticancer effects. Much scientific research has been devoted to the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of natural products, such as olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, as well as to the extraction, isolation, and characterization of antioxidant compounds from medicinal plants, spices, and marine sources. Much research has also been devoted to the recovery of antioxidants from olive mill waste, winery waste, and other wastes as well as their use for the authentication (e.g., geographical origin, organic–non organic) of foods and natural products by means of chemometrics.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled “Antioxidants in Natural Products II”, is to collect all of the available scientific research on the discovery of new antioxidants from all kinds of foods, beverages, and natural products, as well as their uses for human benefit, and to critically present the available and emerging analytical methods for the measurement of the antioxidant activity and other quality parameters of natural products.

Prof. Dr. Antony C. Calokerinos
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bener
Prof. Dr. Charalampos Proestos
Prof. Dr. Petros Tarantilis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

antioxidants
natural products
medicinal plants
spices
marine sources
olive mill waste
winery waste
antioxidant activity
quality parameters
analytical methods for antioxidants
authentication

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 192 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Antioxidants in Natural Products II

by Antony C. Calokerinos, Mustafa Bener, Charalampos Proestos and Petros Tarantilis

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010614 - 2 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1338

Abstract

The importance of consuming natural antioxidant sources has increased significantly in recent years [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

Research

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13 pages, 1366 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Spiny-Cheek Crayfish (Faxonius limosus) on H₂O₂-Induced Oxidative Stress in Normal Fibroblast Cells

by Klara Zglińska, Sławomir Jaworski, Anna Rygało-Galewska, Andrzej Łozicki, Mateusz Roguski, Magdalena Matusiewicz and Tomasz Niemiec

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(17), 8546; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12178546 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1671

Abstract

Faxonius limosus (spiny-cheek) crayfish is an invasive species that is widespread in Europe. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of using extracts from this crustacean as a source of natural antioxidants. For this purpose, selected bioactive compounds (total phenols, glutathione, vitamins A, E, D, β-carotene and amino acids) were characterised and the antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed in vitro and in relation to HFFF-2 fibroblast cells, in which oxidative stress was caused by the additive hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The extract abolished the cytotoxicity of H₂O₂, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) secretion, increased cell viability and decreased the expression of caspase-3. The results suggest that F. limosus extract is a promising raw material with antioxidant properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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13 pages, 1149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Phytochemical Profile and Potential of Traditional Herbal Infusions against Aldose Reductase through In Silico Studies and LC-MS/MS Analysis

by Thalia Tsiaka, Eftichia Kritsi, Dimitra Z. Lantzouraki, Paris Christodoulou, Diamantina Tsigrimani, Irini F. Strati, Vassilia J. Sinanoglou and Panagiotis Zoumpoulakis

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 8361; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168361 - 21 Aug 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

In the current market, there is a growing interest in traditional herbal nutraceuticals. Therefore, herbal formulations have re-emerged as products with sought-after nutraceutical and disease-preventing properties. The health-promoting effects of herbal bioactives are attributed to the active phytoconstituents of these plants. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the putative nutraceutical effectiveness of the preparations of ten herbs (chamomile, purple coneflower, lemon verbena, pennyroyal, spearmint, oregano, marjoram, headed savory, sea buckthorn, and St. John’s wort) by combining in silico techniques and LC-MS/MS analysis. The binding potential of the selected phenolic compounds, according to literature and web databases, was investigated by using molecular target prediction tools. Aldose reductase (AR), an enzyme of polyol pathway which is related to hyperglycemic-induced pathologies, emerged as the most promising molecular target. The molecular docking results showed that rosmarinic acid, caftaric acid, naringenin, and quercetin presented the highest binding affinity. In a further step, the phytochemical profile of the examined infusions, obtained by LC-MS/MS analysis, revealed that the abovementioned compounds were present, mainly in the herbs of the Lamiaceae family, designating headed savory as the herbal infusion with possible significant inhibitory activity against AR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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10 pages, 4312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential of Trigona spp. Propolis as an Antioxidant Agent to Reduce Residual Peroxide after Intra-Coronal Bleaching Treatments

by Aries Chandra Trilaksana, Syamsiah Syam, Muhammad Ruslin and Yung-Kang Shen

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 6996; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12146996 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1753

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Trigona spp. propolis as an antioxidant to reduce residual peroxide after intra-coronal bleaching treatments. Thirty-five maxillary central incisors were divided into seven groups: five samples without antioxidants; sodium ascorbate 10% combined with Tween 80 0.2%; and Trigona spp. propolis 10%. The lengths of the application time were 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h. Each application time consisted of five samples. Root resection followed by artificial discoloration was performed in the samples. Then, intra-coronal bleaching using 35% hydrogen peroxide was applied. After the tooth color changed, the bleaching material was cleared, and this was followed by the applications of sodium ascorbate 10% combined with Tween 80 0.2% and Trigona spp. propolis 10%. The peroxide residue was measured by assessing dissolved oxygen using a titration analysis with either the Winkler or iodometric method. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA test and Tukey’s HSD test. The lowest peroxide residue amount was found with the application of antioxidants for 48 h after the intra-coronal bleaching treatment using 35% hydrogen peroxide. However, there was no significant difference between sodium ascorbate 10% combined with Tween 80 0.2% and Trigona spp. propolis 10% to reduce peroxide residues after the intra-coronal bleaching treatment (p > 0.05). Therefore, these findings indicate that Trigona spp. propolis 10% effectively reduces peroxide residues after intra-coronal bleaching treatments, which can interfere with the bond of the composite to the tooth surface and shorten the wait time for composite restorations after bleaching treatments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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7 pages, 709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combination of Pulsed Electric Field and Ultrasound in the Extraction of Polyphenols and Volatile Compounds from Grape Stems

by George Ntourtoglou, Fotini Drosou, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Vassilis Athanasiadis, Eleni Bozinou, Vassilis G. Dourtoglou, Abeer Elhakem, Rokayya Sami, Amal Adnan Ashour, Alaa Shafie and Stavros I. Lalas

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 6219; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126219 - 18 Jun 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2668

Abstract

Increasing the yield of extraction of bioactive compounds from plants is of high importance. Grape stems are widely discarded during the wine-making process, despite their high content in many valuable compounds. The aim of this work was to examine whether the use of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment of the stems could increase the yield of polyphenol and volatile compounds in the extracts. For this reason, a relatively low-energy consuming PEF process was employed (low-electric field strength, 1 kV/cm) for a short time (30 min) at the grape stems. In addition, the effect of different solvents during this pretreatment step was examined. With the use of Folin–Ciocalteu assay, the extracts were compared with the respective control samples (not pretreated with PEF). Moreover, extracts were prepared to assess whether changes occur to the volatile profile of the extracts. The results were conclusive that not only PEF can increase the yield of polyphenols (up to 35% increase recorded), but also that the solvent used during PEF pretreatment can affect the process. Furthermore, a 234% increase in the total content of volatile compounds was recorded, when PEF was used as a pretreatment step. Therefore, the combination of PEF and ultrasound-assisted extraction is highly promising to obtain grape stem extracts with a higher content of bioactive compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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17 pages, 2870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction of Polyphenols from Olive Leaves Employing Deep Eutectic Solvents: The Application of Chemometrics to a Quantitative Study on Antioxidant Compounds

by Hamida Akli, Spyros Grigorakis, Abdessamie Kellil, Sofia Loupassaki, Dimitris P. Makris, Antony Calokerinos, Abderrahmane Mati and Nikos Lydakis-Simantiris

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020831 - 14 Jan 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5579

Abstract

The extraction of phenolic compounds from olive leaves was optimized using three glycerol-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with lysine, proline, and arginine. A three-level Box–Behnken design was used to examine the influence of the liquid/solid ratio, concentration of DESs, and extraction temperature on the yield of the extraction process. A second-order polynomial model was used for predicting the polyphenol extraction yield. The optimal predicted conditions were used for extractions and they provided the highest total phenol yields with the glycerol–lysine exhibiting the best performance. Quantification of tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and rutin in the extracts showed high content in tyrosol in all DESs, particularly with glycerol–lysine and relatively similar contents with other studies for the other phenolic compounds. Finally, a linear relationship between tyrosol content and the total phenolic content of the extracts was observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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14 pages, 1866 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Nanoclay and Polystyrene Type Efficiency on the Development of Polystyrene/Montmorillonite/Oregano Oil Antioxidant Active Packaging Nanocomposite Films

by Aris E. Giannakas, Constantinos E. Salmas, Andreas Karydis-Messinis, Dimitrios Moschovas, Eleni Kollia, Vasiliki Tsigkou, Charalampos Proestos, Apostolos Avgeropoulos and Nikolaos E. Zafeiropoulos

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9364; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209364 - 9 Oct 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2714

Abstract

Over the years, there has been an effort to extend food shelf life so as to reduce global food waste. The use of natural biodegradable materials in production procedures is more and more adopted nowadays in order to achieve cyclic economy targets and improve environmental and human health indexes. Active packaging is the latest trend for food preservation. In this work, polystyrene was mixed with natural NaMt, OrgNaMt montmorillonite, and oregano essential oil to develop a new packaging film. Strength, oxygen and water-vapour permeation, blending and homogeneity, and antimicrobial and antioxidant activity were measured as basic parameters for food packaging films characterization. Instruments such as a tensile measurement instrument, XRD, FTIR, DMA, OPA (Oxygen Permeation Analyzer), and other handmade devices were used. Results showed that polystyrene could be modified, improved, and exhibits food odour prevention characteristics in order to be used for applications on food active packaging. The material with the code name PS5OO@OrgMt qualified between the tested samples as the most promising material for food active packaging applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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16 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Analysis of Symphytum officinale Root Culture Extract

by Violeta Le, Vyacheslav Dolganyuk, Andrey Sukhikh, Olga Babich, Svetlana Ivanova, Alexander Prosekov and Lyubov Dyshlyuk

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4478; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104478 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4674

Abstract

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) root preparations are known for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the phenolic profile of extract samples of Symphytum officinale callus root cultures (up to 70% of ethanol) was determined using various approaches. For the first time, a unique polymer of two types was isolated from samples of comfrey root cultures (the caffeic acid derivative is a new class of natural polyether with 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) glyceric acid as a repeating unit). M-methoxybenzoic acid (30.05 μg/mL extract) or rosmarinic acid (45.70 μL/mL extract) were identified as the main phenolic component. Rosmarinic, chlorogenic, and caffeic acids have anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antitumor, neuroprotective, antioxidant, and other properties, which also determine the characteristics of comfrey and preparations made from it. The studied phenolic profile and the analysis of published data showed that the extract samples of comfrey callus cultures had similar characteristics, which makes them an important source of phenolic compounds with pronounced antioxidant activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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11 pages, 492 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Nepeta × faassenii Bergmans ex Stearn Essential Oil

by Călin Jianu, Radu Moleriu, Daniela Stoin, Ileana Cocan, Gabriel Bujancă, Georgeta Pop, Alexandra Teodora Lukinich-Gruia, Delia Muntean, Laura-Cristina Rusu and Delia Ioana Horhat

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010442 - 5 Jan 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3411

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate, for the first time, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Nepeta × faassenii essential oil (NEO). Twenty-six compounds were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis, of which 4a alpha,7alpha,7a alpha-nepetalactone (34.12%), elemol (23.23%), spiro(5,6)dodecane (13.73%), and 3,4 alpha-dihydro-4a alpha, 7 alpha, 7a alpha-nepetalactone (7.93%) were the major compounds. The NEO exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial effects, and possesses potent antifungal activity on Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. NEO’s antioxidant activity was evaluated against cold-pressed sunflowers oil by peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl radical, and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching methods. The NEO showed strong scavenging (IC50: 0.032 ± 0.005 mg/mL) and relative antioxidative activity (RAA%: 92.31 ± 0.17%) in 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl radical and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assays, respectively. Moreover, during 24 days of the incubation period, the oil inhibits the primary lipid oxidation significantly better (p < 0.05) than butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). In the case of secondary lipid oxidation, the oil performed significantly better (p < 0.001) than BHA from day 8 to day 12 of the incubation period. The biological activities recorded suggest that NEO may represent an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent with applications in medicine or the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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Review

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17 pages, 770 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Critical Review on Obesity: Herbal Approach, Bioactive Compounds, and Their Mechanism

by Mukul Kumar, Deepika Kaushik, Jasjit Kaur, Charalampos Proestos, Fatih Oz, Emel Oz, Prerna Gupta, Priyanka Kundu, Anmol Kaur, Anisha Anisha and Ritika Ritika

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 8342; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168342 - 20 Aug 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 8306

Abstract

Obesity is arising as a global pandemic throughout the world. Over the past few decades, obesity has tripled worldwide, creating an alarming situation. The majority of people nowadays are suffering from obesity and overweight. It affects health of people of all age groups, ethnicity, gender, and sex, and is linked to a sedentary lifestyle of people, poor eating habits, and disturbed sleeping patterns. It causes several diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, gallstones, and colon cancer. Many synthetic anti-obesity drugs such as orlistat, lorcaserin, phentermine, bupropion, and liraglutide are already available on the market. However, these drugs have side effects, including dry mouth and sleeping disorders, dizziness, blood pressure, heart rate elevation, constipation, and headache. Humans have a long and ancient history of dependency on traditional medicinal plants and their major bioactive antioxidant components, such as quercetin, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid, for treating such diseases and disorders. This review discusses the herbal approach, bioactive compounds, and their mechanism for treating obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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Other

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13 pages, 1784 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Wine Polyphenols and Health: Quantitative Research Literature Analysis

by Massimo Lucarini, Alessandra Durazzo, Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia, Eliana B. Souto, Francesca Cecchini and Antonello Santini

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 4762; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114762 - 22 May 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3576

Abstract

The relationship between wine polyphenols and health has been receiving growing scientific attention in the last few years. To confirm this point, the proposed paper identifies the major contributors to academic journals regarding the relationships between wine polyphenols and health. The endpoints of the proposed study are to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of the literature regarding the relationships between wine polyphenol and health based on a bibliometric analysis. Bibliometric data were extracted from the Scopus online database using the search string TITLE-ABS-KEY (wine AND polyphenol* AND health OR (“french paradox” OR “cardiovascular disease*” OR atherosclerosis OR microbiota) and analyzed using the VOSviewer bibliometric software to generate bubble maps and to visualize the obtained results. This perspective paper analyzes: (i) the research themes addressing the relationships between wine polyphenols and health; (ii) the major contributors’ origin, e.g., country and/or regions; (iii) the institutions where the research is based; (iv) the authors; and (v) the type of paper. These results represent a useful tool to identify emerging research directions, collaboration networks, and suggestions for more in-depth literature searches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Natural Products II)

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