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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 19881

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Dr. Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszańska

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Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida str. 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: fruits and vegetables; antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds: polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, sugar and organic acid, microencapsulation
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Dear Colleagues,

Antioxidant activity is a very important determinant of food quality. The content of compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, organic acids, and vitamins determines antioxidant activity and affects our development and wellbeing.

At present, consumers are more aware than ever before, and want to know what nutrients their food contains and what effects the consumed food causes. Medicinal plants with a high content of pro-health ingredients represent an important factor enriching our diet.

The articles of interest to us concern the antioxidant activity and content of bioactive compounds in foods and medicinal plants.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Comparison of the antioxidant activity of different food products (fresh and processed ).
Comparison of the antioxidant activity of vegetable raw materials and medicinal plants grown with the use of various agrotechnical factors.
Linking the content of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity.

Influence of the antioxidant activity and bioactive substances of vegetable raw materials and medicinal plants on human health.

Dr. Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszańska
Guest Editor

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Keywords

antioxidants
medicinal plants
food ingredients
bioactive compounds
herbs
agrotechnical factors

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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17 pages, 3553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Anti-Enzymatic Activities of Selected Adaptogenic Plants from South America, Asia, and Africa

by Jakub Gębalski, Milena Małkowska, Filip Graczyk, Artur Słomka, Elżbieta Piskorska, Dorota Gawenda-Kempczyńska, Aneta Kondrzycka-Dąda, Anna Bogucka-Kocka, Maciej Strzemski, Ireneusz Sowa, Magdalena Wójciak, Sebastian Grzyb, Krystian Krolik, Aneta A. Ptaszyńska and Daniel Załuski

Molecules 2023, 28(16), 6004; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28166004 - 10 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1564

Abstract

Despite the fact that there are many studies related to the adaptogenic and pro-healthy activities of plant-based compounds, there are some adaptogenic plants whose activities are not fully known, especially those coming from the wild regions of Asia, Africa, and South America. The aim of these studies was to examine the contents of non-nutritional compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids in ten adaptogenic species (Astragalus membranaceus (AM), Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), Polygonum multiflorum (PM), Angelica sinensis (AS), Andrographis paniculatea (AP), Tinospora cordifolia (TC), Uncaria tomentosa (UT), Pfaffia paniculate (PP), Sutherlandia frutescens (SF), and Rhaponticum carthamoides (RC)). Considering biological activity, their antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and ferrous-ion-chelating ability assays), anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-hyaluronidase, and anti-tyrosinase activities were evaluated. The richest in polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids was UR (327.78 mg GAE/g, 230.13 mg QE/g, and 81.03 mg CA/g, respectively). The highest inhibitions of acetylcholinesterase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase were observed for TC, UR, and PM, respectively. In the case of antioxidant properties, extract from PM appeared to most strongly reduce DPPH, extract from UR inhibited ABTS, and extract from SF showed the best chelating properties. It should be noted that a particularly interesting plant was Ulcaria rhynchophylla. The results mean that there were compounds in UR with broad biological activities, and this species should be explored in more detail. Additionally, our results justify the traditional use of these species in the nutripharmacological or ethnopharmacological care systems of different regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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15 pages, 338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iodine Biofortification of Dandelion Plants (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wiggers Coll.) with the Use of Inorganic and Organic Iodine Compounds

by Iwona Ledwożyw-Smoleń, Joanna Pitala, Sylwester Smoleń, Marta Liszka-Skoczylas and Peter Kováčik

Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5638; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155638 - 25 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1331

Abstract

Iodine is a crucial microelement necessary for the proper functioning of human and animal organisms. Plant biofortification has been proposed as a method of improving the iodine status of the population. Recent studies in that field have revealed that iodine may also act as a beneficial element for higher plants. The aim of the work was to evaluate the efficiency of the uptake and accumulation of iodine in the plants of dandelion grown in a pot experiment. During cultivation, iodine was applied through fertigation in inorganic (KI, KIO₃) and organic forms (5-iodosalicylic acid, 5-ISA; 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid, 3,5-diISA) at two concentrations (10 and 50 µM). The contents of total iodine and iodosalicylic acids, as well the plant biomass and antioxidant capacity of dandelion leaves and roots, were analyzed. The uptake of inorganic and organic forms by dandelion plants was confirmed with no negative effect on plant growth. The highest efficiency of improving iodine content in dandelion leaves and roots was noted for 50 µM KI. The applicability of iodosalicylates, especially 5-ISA, for plant biofortification purposes was confirmed, particularly as the increase in the iodine content after the application of 5-ISA was higher as compared to that with commonly used KIO₃. The chemical analyses have revealed that iodosalicylates are endogenous compounds of dandelion plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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23 pages, 3037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Polyphenols from Chenopodium botrys after Fractionation with Different Solvents and Study of Their In Vitro Biological Activity

by Dimitar Bojilov, Stanimir Manolov, Angelika Nacheva, Soleya Dagnon and Iliyan Ivanov

Molecules 2023, 28(12), 4816; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28124816 - 16 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2290

Abstract

In the present work, we have investigated the polyphenolic composition of Chenopodium botrys from Bulgaria. The polyphenols were fractionated with solvents of varying polarity (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol). The fractions were analyzed by HPLC-PDA and UHPLC-MS. The ethyl acetate fraction contained mono- and di-glycosides of quercetin, di-glycosides of kaempferol, and isorhamnetin and monoglycosides of hispidulin and jaceosidine. We found quercetin triglycosides in the butanol fraction. The ethyl acetate and butanol fractions contained 168.82 mg/g Extr and 67.21 mg/g Extr of quercetin glycosides, respectively. The main components of the polyphenolic complex in C. botrys were 6-methoxyflavones (355.47 mg/g Extr), which were found in the chloroform fraction. The flavonoids pectolinarigenin, demethylnobiletin, and isosinensetin, and the glycosides of quercetin (triglycosides, acylglycosides), kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hispidiulin, and jaceosidine, were discovered and reported in Chenopodium botrys for the first time. We used in vitro methods to assess the biological activity against oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (HPSA) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA)), nitrosative stress (nitric oxide scavenging activity (NOSA)), anti-inflammatory activity (IAD inhibition), and anti-tryptic activity (ATA). Quercetin mono- and di-glycosides exhibited greater HPSA and HRSA (IC₅₀ = 39.18, 105.03 µg/mL), while 6-methoxyflavones had a greater NOSA (IC₅₀ = 146.59 µg/mL). The same components showed the highest ATA (IC₅₀ ranging from 116.23 to 202.44 µg/mL). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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14 pages, 963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Essential Oil Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Oregano and Marjoram as Affected by Different Light-Emitting Diodes

by Danial Sarfaraz, Mehdi Rahimmalek, Mohammad R. Sabzalian, Shima Gharibi, Adam Matkowski and Antoni Szumny

Molecules 2023, 28(9), 3714; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093714 - 25 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2423

Abstract

Oregano and marjoram are important aromatic spices in the food industry, as well as medicinal plants with remarkable antioxidant properties. Despite their popularity, little is known about treatments that would influence the antioxidant capacity of essential oils. In this study, different spectra of LED light, namely blue, red, white, blue-red, and natural ambient light as a control, were applied to assess the essential oil content, composition, flavonoid, phenolic, and antioxidant capacity of oregano and marjoram. GC-MS analysis revealed thymol, terpinen-4-ol, sabinene, linalool, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene as the main compounds. In oregano, the thymol content ranged from 11.91% to 48.26%, while in marjoram it varied from 17.47% to 35.06% in different samples. In oregano and marjoram, the highest phenolic contents were in blue (61.26 mg of tannic acid E/g of DW) and in white (65.18 mg of TAE/g of DW) light, respectively, while blue-red illumination caused the highest increase in total flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of oregano and marjoram extract was evaluated using two food model systems, including DPPH and β-carotene bleaching. The highest antioxidant capacity was obtained in control light in oregano and blue-red light in marjoram. The results provide information on how to improve the desired essential oil profile and antioxidant capacity of extracts for industrial producers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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17 pages, 537 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Profile, Antioxidant, Anti-Enzymatic and Cytotoxic Activity of the Fruits and Roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim

by Filip Graczyk, Jakub Gębalski, Anna Makuch-Kocka, Dorota Gawenda-Kempczyńska, Aneta A. Ptaszyńska, Sebastian Grzyb, Anna Bogucka-Kocka and Daniel Załuski

Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5579; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175579 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2526

Abstract

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. is well-known for its adaptogenic properties in traditional Eastern medicine. It has been categorized as an endangered species due to the over-exploitation of the roots. As a result, alternatives must be found, including the usage of renewable aerial parts such as fruits. The goal of this research was to determine the phenolic compounds and the enzymatic, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of the intractum gained from the E. senticosus fruits and the mixture of chloroform-methanol roots extract with naringenin (3:7:5). The obtained results showed, that the intractum contained 1.02 mg/g ext. of polyphenols, 0.30 mg/g ext. of flavonoids, and 0.19 mg/g ext. of phenolic acids. In turn, the mixture of chloroform-methanol roots extract with naringenin (3:7:5) contained 159.27 mg/g ext. of polyphenols, 137.47 mg/g ext. of flavonoids, and 79.99 mg/g ext. of phenolic acids. Regarding the anti-enzymatic assay, the IC₅₀ values for tyrosinase and hyaluronidase were equal to 586.83 and 217.44 [μg/mL] for the intractum, and 162.56 and 44.80 [μg/mL] for the mixture, respectively. Both preparations have possessed significant antioxidant activity in the ABTS, DPPH, and ferrozine tests. No cytotoxic effect on the FaDu and HEP G2 cancer cell lines was observed. Our findings support the traditional use of fruits and roots. Moreover, the results indicate also that adaptogens are rather nontoxic for normal and cancer cells, which corresponds with some hypotheses on adaptogens activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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11 pages, 1131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Selected Varieties of Elderberry with Wild Growing Elderberry

by Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszańska, Maciej Oziembłowski, Pavla Brandova and Marta Czaplicka

Molecules 2022, 27(16), 5050; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165050 - 9 Aug 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1756

Abstract

Elderberries of wild-growing shrubs are most often used; however, various cultivated varieties of this shrub appear more and more often. The aim of this research was to compare the fruit composition of specific varieties with those grown wild in urban and ecologically clean conditions. Six varieties of elderberry grown on one experimental farm and two wild-growing samples from the city center and the landscape park were assessed. The content of vitamin C, antioxidant activity, sugar and organic acid content, triterpenes and carotenoids was marked in the tested fruits. The analyses show that there were significant differences in the content of the tested ingredients between the varieties tested, while the place of cultivation was of less importance. Apart from organic acids and triterpenes, fruits from wild-growing shrubs were more abundant in other compounds determined. The white variety of ‘Albida’ turned out to be the poorest in bioactive compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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41 pages, 2772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Extracts Exert Cytotoxicity in Two Selected Melanoma Cell Lines—A Factorial Analysis of Time-Dependent Alterations in Values Obtained with SRB and MTT Assays

by Łukasz Lewandowski, Iwona Bednarz-Misa, Alicja Z. Kucharska, Agnieszka Kubiak, Patrycja Kasprzyk, Tomasz Sozański, Dominika Przybylska, Narcyz Piórecki and Małgorzata Krzystek-Korpacka

Molecules 2022, 27(13), 4193; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27134193 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2665

Abstract

Despite the fact that phytochemicals of Cornaceae species have long been discussed as possible auxiliary agents in contemporary treatment, the insights on their properties remain relatively scarce. This study focuses on Cornus mas L. (Cornelian cherry), the extracts of which are reported to exert a pleiotropic effect shown in both in vivo and in vitro studies. This study aimed to explore the cytotoxic effect of extracts from fruits of red (Cornus mas L. ‘Podolski’) and yellow (Cornus mas L. ‘Yantarnyi’ and ‘Flava’) Cornelian cherries on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and MeWo). The extracts were characterized in the context of the concentration of bioactive compounds of antioxidative properties. Cytotoxicity was investigated with the use of the following two assays: SRB and MTT. An additional, alternative protocol for the SRB assay was used in this study so as to account for possible bias. Cytotoxicity was assessed as a difference in the whole time series of cell viability, instead of analyzing differences in raw values (often found in the literature). Both extracts from Cornus mas L. induced cytotoxicity in both A375 and MeWo cell lines, although the response of these cells was different. Moreover, based on this study, there is no evidence for claiming a different magnitude of cytotoxicity between these two extracts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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15 pages, 662 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Characteristics of Ethanol and Water Extracts of Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) Acorns and Their Antibacterial, Anti-Fungal and Antitumor Properties

by Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszańska, Ewa Zaczyńska, Anna Czarny and Joanna Kolniak-Ostek

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2804; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092804 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2471

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify polyphenolic compounds contained in ethanol and water extracts of black alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) acorns and evaluate their anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects. The significant anti-cancer potential on the human skin epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 and the human epithelial cell line A549 derived from lung carcinoma tissue was observed. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of alder acorns inhibited the growth of mainly Gram-positive microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutans) and yeast-like fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata), as well as Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains. The identification of polyphenols was carried out using an ACQUITY UPLC-PDA-MS system. The extracts were composed of 29 compounds belonging to phenolic acids, flavonols, ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives. Ellagitannins were identified as the predominant phenolics in ethanol and aqueous extract (2171.90 and 1593.13 mg/100 g DM, respectively) The results may explain the use of A. glutinosa extracts in folk medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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Review

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22 pages, 401 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanoparticle-Based Antioxidants in Stress Signaling and Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Treatment

by Yedi Herdiana, Sriwidodo Sriwidodo, Ferry Ferdiansyah Sofian, Gofarana Wilar and Ajeng Diantini

Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5305; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145305 - 10 Jul 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2042

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and oxidative stress is a hallmark of BC. Oxidative stress is characterized by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense mechanisms. ROS has been implicated in BC development and progression by inducing DNA damage, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Antioxidants have been shown to scavenge ROS and protect cells from oxidative damage, thereby regulating signaling pathways involved in cell growth, survival, and death. Plants contain antioxidants like ascorbic acid, tocopherols, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which have been found to regulate stress signaling and PCD in BC. Combining different antioxidants has shown promise in enhancing the effectiveness of BC treatment. Antioxidant nanoparticles, when loaded with antioxidants, can effectively target breast cancer cells and enhance their cellular uptake. Notably, these nanoparticles have shown promising results in inducing PCD and sensitizing breast cancer cells to chemotherapy, even in cases where resistance is observed. This review aims to explore how nanotechnology can modulate stress signaling and PCD in breast cancer. By summarizing current research, it underscores the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing antioxidant properties for the treatment of breast cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants)

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