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Phytochemicals in Plant Foods: Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases
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Phytochemicals in Plant Foods: Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 7692

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dipayan Sarkar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
Interests: antioxidants; bioactivity; secondary metabolites; antioxidant activity; free radical scavengers
Prof. Dr. Jeehye Sung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Andong National University, Andong, Korea
Interests: phytochemicals; obesity; inflammation; antioxidants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals of plant foods and their human health protective functional qualities have received considerable attention due to their various therapeutic properties without harmful side effects. Functional phytochemicals in plant foods (i.e., polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids) have been reported to be inversely associated with indices of various human diseases, specifically non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, etc. The potential mechanisms of theses phytochemicals are implicated in suppression of the molecular biomarkers in human diseases or through beneficial metabolic regulation. Such beneficial functional roles of plant phytochemicals may be considered to provide further insight into the protective mechanisms against pathogenesis of human diseases and help to elucidate molecular targets for the development of preventive or treatment strategies for specific diseases. The purpose of this Special Issue is to explore the preventive roles of phytochemicals on human chronic diseases using an interdisciplinary approach.

Dr. Dipayan Sarkar
Prof. Dr. Jeehye Sung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phytochemicals 
  • antioxidants 
  • inflammation 
  • obesity 
  • type 2 diabetes 
  • metabolic disorders 
  • chronic disease

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 337 KiB  
Article
Immune-Boosting Potentiating Properties of Brassica nigra Hydroalcoholic Extract in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Rats
by Hassan Barakat, Raghad I. Alkhurayji and Thamer Aljutaily
Foods 2023, 12(19), 3652; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193652 - 3 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1615
Abstract
The antioxidative and immune-boosting properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of Brassica nigra sprouts in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in rats were investigated in this study. B. nigra sprouts were prepared in the lab to monitor the bio-changes in bioactive compounds during the sprouting period up [...] Read more.
The antioxidative and immune-boosting properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of Brassica nigra sprouts in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in rats were investigated in this study. B. nigra sprouts were prepared in the lab to monitor the bio-changes in bioactive compounds during the sprouting period up to 7 days at 17 ± 1 °C and 90% relative humidity. The total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AOA), total flavonoids (TFs), total flavonols (TFLs), and total carotenoids (TCs) were evaluated. Consequently, the identification and quantification of phenolic acids, their derivatives, and flavonoids were carried out using HPLC. Subsequently, the selected BN sprout (6-day-old sprout) was biologically examined, and oxidative stress biomarkers, hematological parameters, immunoglobulins (Igs), and pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were investigated. An increase in TPC, AOA, TFs, TFLs, and TCs was observed by increasing the sprouting time. The HPLC analysis indicated that the B. nigra seeds contained 10 phenolic acids and 4 flavonoids, predominantly syringic acid and quercetin, respectively. After 3 days, the number of phenolic acids increased to 16, predominantly syringic acid, and the number of flavonoids increased to 7, predominantly quercetin. On the 6th day, 13 phenolic acids were estimated, with the highest being benzoic acid, and 6 flavonoids were estimated, with the highest being quercetin. The greatest rise in phenols was seen on the sixth day of sprouting. These included caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acid, benzoic acid, and rosmarinic acid. Flavonoids such as kaempferol and myricetin increased. The sprouts on day 6 were recorded as having the highest bioactive compounds and AOA content. The selected B. nigra sprouts were examined for antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties in a rat model. Dosing 250 and 500 mg kg−1, the rats exhibited significant improvements in terms of antioxidative stress and the number of white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, and neutrophils in the blood, indicating stimulation of the immune response in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the production of immune proteins, such as IgG, IgM, and IgA, was enhanced in the blood. Moreover, the 500 mg kg−1 concentration of BN extract stimulated cytokine production in a stronger manner than the 250 mg kg−1 concentration, indicating that the extract significantly increased immune activity. In conclusion, the results indicate that mustard seed extracts have immunosuppressive properties against cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in rats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plant Foods: Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases)
16 pages, 2085 KiB  
Article
Ficus carica (Linn.) Leaf and Bud Extracts and Their Combination Attenuates Type-1 Diabetes and Its Complications via the Inhibition of Oxidative Stress
by Asmae El Ghouizi, Driss Ousaaid, Hassan Laaroussi, Meryem Bakour, Abderrazak Aboulghazi, Rose Strutch Soutien, Christophe Hano and Badiaa Lyoussi
Foods 2023, 12(4), 759; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040759 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3388
Abstract
The current work was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antidiabetic effect of Ficus carica L. extracts. For that, the leaves and buds of Ficus carica L. were analyzed to determine their polyphenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. Diabetes was induced [...] Read more.
The current work was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antidiabetic effect of Ficus carica L. extracts. For that, the leaves and buds of Ficus carica L. were analyzed to determine their polyphenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of alloxan monohydrate (65 mg/kg body weight), then diabetic rats were treated with a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight of the methanolic extracts of Ficus carica leaves or buds or their combination for 30 days. Throughout the experiment, blood sugar and body weight were measured every 5 and 7 days respectively. At the end of the experiment, serum and urine were collected for analysis of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, uric acid, urea, proteins, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Pancreas, liver, and kidney were removed to estimate catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione activities; lipid peroxidation products were also determined. The results obtained revealed that alloxan has induced hyperglycemia, increased liver and renal biomarkers levels, reduced antioxidative enzymes, and induced lipid peroxidation. However, the treatment with Ficus carica leaf and bud extracts, especially their combination, has attenuated all pharmacological perturbations induced by alloxan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plant Foods: Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases)
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18 pages, 3663 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Extraction Process of Polysaccharides MAP-2 from Opuntia Milpa Alta by Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of Its Potential as α-Glucosidase Inhibitor
by Yan Yang, Maohui Yang, Xin Zhou and Huaguo Chen
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3530; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213530 - 6 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1986
Abstract
The α-glucosidase inhibitors play an important role in blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. At present, the development of new α-glucosidase inhibitors is an urgent clinical need. Our previous studies have found that the polysaccharide MAP-2 in the cactus Opuntia [...] Read more.
The α-glucosidase inhibitors play an important role in blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. At present, the development of new α-glucosidase inhibitors is an urgent clinical need. Our previous studies have found that the polysaccharide MAP-2 in the cactus Opuntia Milpa Alta has significantly better activity than acarbose (one of the most widely used first-line α-glucosidase inhibitors in clinical practice), but its optimal extraction process parameters and inhibition kinetic characteristics are not clear, and whether it has the potential to become a new α-glucosidase inhibitors is also unclear. In this study, based on previous research, we used the combination of single factor experiments and the response surface method (RSM) to identify the optimal extraction conditions for MAP-2 as follows: solid-liquid ratio 1:4, extraction temperature 90 °C, extraction time 1 h. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of MAP-2 was 3.47 ± 0.062%. When the concentration of MAP-2 was 16 mg/mL, the inhibition rate of α-glucosidase was 91.13 ± 0.62%. In addition, the results of inhibition kinetics showed that the inhibition rate of MAP-2 on α-glucosidase was the highest at pH 7.4 for 30 min, and showed a good dose-effect relationship, which was a reversible competitive inhibition. Meanwhile, we also compared the activities of MAP-2 and acarbose on the side effects of acarbose related enzymes. Compared with acarbose, MAP-2 not only had a better activation effect on lactase, but also inhibited the activity of hyaluronidase, and the activation and inhibition rate were positively correlated with the concentration. However, under the same conditions, the effect of acarbose on hyaluronidase was opposite to that of MAP-2. At low concentration, acarbose had a certain activation effect on lactase, but gradually attained an inhibitory effect with the increase in concentration. In contrast, MAP-2 not only activates lactase activity, improves diarrhea, abdominal distension, and abdominal pain, but also inhibits hyaluronidase activity, to solve the side effects of allergic reactions, suggesting that MAP-2 has the potential to become a novel and effective inhibitor of α-glucosidase with fewer side effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plant Foods: Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases)
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