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Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications

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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 (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 30788

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Prof. Dr. Luigi Menghini

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Department of Pharmacy, University “G.d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: botanical and phytochemical characterization of medicinal plants and agricultural by-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Claudio Ferrante

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Department of Pharmacy, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, Italy
Interests: pharma-toxicological and phytochemical evaluation of medicinal plant and herbal extract activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit original articles to this Special Issue entitled “Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications”.

This Special Issue (SI) aims to highlight all aspects related to preparation, extraction, phytochemical, and pharmacotoxicological investigations of plant material derived from high quality waste byproducts of medicinal and food plants. The aim of the present SI is focused on the new worldwide research interest in the valorization of productive chains that are improvable in terms of circular economy and sustainability. The SI will consider studies that are related to this aspect from multiple points of view, namely, extract optimization, with particular regard to biocompatible solvents and processes, comparative studies of extraction techniques, and their pharmacotoxicological impact on biological systems and human and animal health.

Manuscripts describing at least one of the following items are welcome:

Description of crude extracts, although fingerprint analysis of secondary metabolites is an essential requirement;
Pharmacotoxicological investigations performed at multiple levels (in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies): animal and clinical trials are welcome, although authorization for experimental procedures and/or the blank informed consent should be provided during submission;
Studies about isolated compounds from plant material in comparison to the crude extract.

As a final remark, investigative and applicative potentials should not be limited to the sole chemical characterization of plant-derived extracts, and manuscripts suggesting new applicative fields of previously characterized extracts are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Luigi Menghini
Prof. Dr. Claudio Ferrante
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

Botanical characterization
Pharmacological activity
Ecotoxicological fingerprint
Phytochemistry
Analytical methods

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Phenolic Compounds Extraction from Saffron (C. sativus) Floral By-Products Using Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction, and Subcritical Water Extraction

by Valentina Masala, Stela Jokić, Krunoslav Aladić, Maja Molnar and Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso

Molecules 2024, 29(11), 2600; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112600 - 1 Jun 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1227

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus) floral by-products are a source of phenolic compounds that can be recovered and used in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic industries. This study aimed to evaluate the phenolic compounds’ extraction using green extraction techniques (GETs) in saffron floral by-products and to explore the influence of selected extraction techniques on the phytochemical composition of the extracts. Specifically, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), subcritical water extraction (SWE), and deep eutectic solvents extraction (DESE) were used. Phenolic compounds were identified with (HR) LC-ESI-QTOF MS/MS analysis, and the quantitative analysis was performed with HPLC-PDA. Concerning the extraction techniques, UAE showed the highest amount for both anthocyanins and flavonoids with 50:50% v/v ethanol/water as solvent (93.43 ± 4.67 mg/g of dry plant, dp). Among SWE, extraction with 96% ethanol and t = 125 °C gave the best quantitative results. The 16 different solvent mixtures used for the DESE showed the highest amount of flavonoids (110.95 ± 5.55–73.25 ± 3.66 mg/g dp), while anthocyanins were better extracted with choline chloride:butane-1,4-diol (16.0 ± 0.80 mg/g dp). Consequently, GETs can be employed to extract the bioactive compounds from saffron floral by-products, implementing recycling and reduction of waste and fitting into the broader circular economy discussion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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19 pages, 4510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Composite Enzymatic Extraction, Structural Characterization and Biological Activity of Soluble Dietary Fiber from Akebia trifoliata Peel

by Ya Song, Guoshun Sun, Dian Wang, Jin Chen, Jun Lv, Sixia Jiang, Guoqiang Zhang, Shirui Yu and Huayan Zheng

Molecules 2024, 29(9), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092085 - 1 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1100

Abstract

In order to reduce the waste of Akebia trifoliata peel and maximize its utilization, in this study, on the basis of a single-factor experiment and the response surface method, the optimum technological conditions for the extraction of soluble dietary fiber from Akebia trifoliata peel with the compound enzyme method were obtained. The chemical composition, physical and chemical properties, structural characterization and biological activity of the purified soluble dietary fiber (AP-SDF) from the Akebia trifoliata peel were analyzed. We discovered that that the optimum yield was 20.87% under the conditions of cellulase addition 600 U/g, enzymolysis time 100 min, solid–liquid ratio 1:24 g/mL and enzymolysis temperature 51 °C. At the same time, AP-SDF was a porous network structure cellulose type I acidic polysaccharose mainly composed of arabinoxylan (36.03%), galacturonic acid (27.40%) and glucose (19.00%), which possessed the structural characteristic peaks of the infrared spectra of polysaccharides and the average molecular weight (Mw) was 95.52 kDa with good uniformity. In addition, the AP-SDF exhibited high oil-holding capacity (15.11 g/g), good water-holding capacity and swelling capacity, a certain antioxidant capacity in vitro, hypoglycemic activity in vitro for α-glucosidase inhibition and hypolipidemic activity in vitro for the binding ability of bile acids and cholesterol. These results will provide a theoretical basis for the development of functional products with antioxidant, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects, which have certain application value in related industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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23 pages, 4106 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Definitive Screening Design and Artificial Neural Network for Modeling a Rapid Biodegradation of Date Palm Fronds by a New Trichoderma sp. PWN6 into Citric Acid

by Maha S. Elsayed, Noha M. Eldadamony, Salma S. T. Alrdahe and WesamEldin I. A. Saber

Molecules 2021, 26(16), 5048; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26165048 - 20 Aug 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2478

Abstract

Generally, the bioconversion of lignocellulolytics into a new biomolecule is carried out through two or more steps. The current study used one-step bioprocessing of date palm fronds (DPF) into citric acid as a natural product, using a pioneer strain of Trichodermaharzianum (PWN6) that has been selected from six tested isolates based on the highest organic acid (OA) productivity (195.41 µmol/g), with the lowest amount of the released glucose. Trichoderma sp. PWN6 was morphologically and molecularly identified, and the GenBank accession number was MW78912.1. Both definitive screening design (DSD) and artificial neural network (ANN) were applied, for the first time, for modeling the bioconversion process of DPF. Although both models are capable of making accurate predictions, the ANN model outperforms the DSD model in terms of OA production, as ANN is characterized by a higher value of R² (0.963) and validation R² (0.967), and lower values of the RMSE (13.44), MDA (11.06), and SSE (9749.5). Citric acid was the only identified OA as was confirmed by GC-MS and UPLC, with a total of 1.5%. In conclusion, DPF together with T. harzianum PWN6 is considered an excellent new combination for citric acid biosynthesis, after modeling with artificial intelligence procedure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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16 pages, 2510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Blanching Pomegranate Seeds on Physicochemical Attributes, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Extracted Oil

by Tafadzwa Kaseke, Umezuruike Linus Opara and Olaniyi Amos Fawole

Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2554; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112554 - 31 May 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 3888

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of blanching pomegranate seeds (PS) on oil yield, refractive index (RI), yellowness index (YI), conjugated dienes (K232), conjugated trienes (K270), total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic compounds (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging of the extracted oil. Furthermore, phytosterol and fatty acid compositions of the oil extracted under optimum blanching conditions were compared with those from the oil extracted from unblanched PS. Three different blanching temperature levels (80, 90, and 100 °C) were studied at a constant blanching time of 3 min. The blanching time was then increased to 5 min at the established optimum blanching temperature (90 °C). Blanching PS increased oil yield, K232, K270, stigmasterol, punicic acid, TPC and DPPH radical scavenging, whereas YI, β-sitosterol, palmitic acid and linoleic acid were decreased. The RI, TCC, brassicasterol, stearic acid, oleic acid and arachidic acid of the extracted oil were not significantly (p > 0.05) affected by blanching. Blanching PS at 90 °C for 3 to 5 min was associated with oil yield, TPC and DPPH. Blanching PS at 90 °C for 3 to 5 min will not only increase oil yield but could also improve functional properties such as antioxidant activity, which are desirable in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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19 pages, 2280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Analysis, Network Pharmacology and in Silico Investigations on Anacamptis pyramidalis Tuber Extracts

by Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally, Marie Carene Nancy Picot-Allain, Gokhan Zengin, Eulogio J. Llorent-Martínez, Hassan H. Abdullah, Gunes Ak, Ismail Senkardes, Annalisa Chiavaroli, Luigi Menghini, Lucia Recinella, Luigi Brunetti, Sheila Leone, Giustino Orlando and Claudio Ferrante

Molecules 2020, 25(10), 2422; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25102422 - 22 May 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5097

Abstract

Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. forms part of the Orchidaceae family that is highly valued for its horticultural as well as therapeutic benefits. The present study set out to investigate the inhibitory activity of A. pyramidalis tubers against key biological targets for the management of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer disease, and skin hyperpigmentation. In addition, the antioxidant potential of the extracts was also assessed using multiple methods. The detailed phytochemical profiles of the extracts were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on qualitative phytochemical fingerprint, a network pharmacology analysis was conducted as well. Parishin was identified from the water extract only, whereas gastrodin and caffeic acid derivatives were present in the methanol extract. The methanol extract exhibited high inhibitory activity against tyrosinase (69.69 mg kojic acid equivalent/g extract), α-amylase (15.76 mg acarbose equivalent/g extract), and α-glucosidase (20.07 mg acarbose equivalent/g extract). Similarly, the methanol extract showed highest antioxidant potential (22.12, 44.23, 45.56, and 29.38 mg Trolox equivalent/g extract, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays, respectively). Finally, the results of network pharmacology analysis, besides corroborating traditional uses of plant extracts in the management of cold and flu, confirmed a direct involvement of identified phytochemicals in the observed enzyme inhibitory effects, especially against tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. Furthermore, based on the results of both colorimetric assays and network pharmacology analysis related to the activity of A. pyramidalis extracts and identified phytocompounds on enzymes involved in type 2 diabetes, a docking study was conducted in order to investigate the putative interactions of oxo-dihydroxy octadecenoic acid trihydroxy octadecenoic acid against aldose reductase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α, dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-IV, and α-glucosidase. Docking analysis suggested the inhibitory activity of these compounds against the aforementioned enzymes, with a better inhibitory profile shown by oxo-dihydroxy octadecenoic acid. Overall, the present findings supported the rationale for the use of A. pyramidalis as source of bioactive metabolites and highlight, today more than ever, for the strong necessity of linkage strategy between wild resource valorization and conservation policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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19 pages, 1168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Qualitative Phytochemical Fingerprint and Network Pharmacology Investigation of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Extracts

by Kouadio Ibrahime Sinan, Gokhan Zengin, Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova, Ouattara Katinan Etienne, Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally, Abdelhakim Bouyahya, Devina Lobine, Annalisa Chiavaroli, Claudio Ferrante, Luigi Menghini, Lucia Recinella, Luigi Brunetti, Sheila Leone and Giustino Orlando

Molecules 2020, 25(8), 1973; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25081973 - 23 Apr 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6259

Abstract

Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as the Prickly Chaff flower, is used as herbal medicine in the Ivorian’s culture, Africa. Nonetheless, there is currently a paucity of scientific information on A. aspera from the Ivory Coast. Herein, the antioxidant activity of A. aspera extracts (methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and infusion) as well as the enzymatic inhibitory potentials towards key enzymes in human diseases, namely Alzheimer’s disease, (cholinesterases: AchE and BChE), type 2 diabetes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase) and hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase) were assessed. The total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content was determined using colorimetric methods and the individual compounds were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Furthermore, a network pharmacology analysis was conducted to predict putative targets of identified phenolic compounds. The highest TPC was observed in the infused extract (28.86 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g), while the dichloromethane extract (38.48 ± 1.48 mg RE/g) showed the highest level of TFC. UHPLC-HRMS analysis has revealed an abundance of fatty acids, flavonoids, phenols and acylquinic acids. Among tested extracts, the infused extract displayed the highest free radical quenching, reducing and metal-chelating ability. The extracts (except infusion) were effective as enzyme inhibitors against AChE, while only methanolic and infused extracts showed noteworthy anti-BChE effects. The methanolic extract showed a remarkable antityrosinase effect (56.24 ± 5.05 mg KAE/g), as well. Modest to moderate inhibitory activity was observed against α-amylase (all extracts) and α-glucosidase (only dichloromethane extract). Finally, the network pharmacology analysis suggested the carbonic anhydrase II enzyme as a putative target for explaining, at least in part, the traditional use of A. aspera preparations as diuretic and blood clotting agent. Data amassed herein tend to validate the use of A. aspera in traditional medicine, as well as act as a stepping stone for further studies in the quest for novel phytopharmaceuticals. In this context, it is desirable that this study will contribute to the validation of the traditional uses of this plant in the African herbal medicine, and to the valorization of the whole chain production of A. aspera, as a local and sustainable botanical resource. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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15 pages, 1191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vine-Canes Valorisation: Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction from Lab to Pilot Scale

by Olena Dorosh, Manuela M. Moreira, Francisca Rodrigues, Andreia F. Peixoto, Cristina Freire, Simone Morais and Cristina Delerue-Matos

Molecules 2020, 25(7), 1739; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071739 - 10 Apr 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3399

Abstract

Wine production generates large amounts of vine-canes, a devalued by-product that could be used for the recovery of bioactive compounds. In this work, two vine-canes varieties, namely Touriga Nacional (TN) and Tinta Roriz (TR), were submitted to different ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions. The highest phenolic and flavonoid content was observed for TR extract obtained at lab-scale without an ice bath and pilot-scale after 60 min of extraction (32.6 ± 2.1 and 26.0 ± 1.5 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (dw) and 9.5 ± 0.6 and 8.3 ± 0.8 mg epicatechin equivalents/g dw, respectively). Further, all extracts demonstrated a high antioxidant activity to scavenge DPPH free radicals with the best value reached by TR at the lab-scale without an ice bath after 30 min and pilot-scale extraction after 60 min (34.2 ± 2.4 and 33.4 ± 2.1 mg trolox equivalents/g dw, respectively). Extracts phenolic composition were also evaluated by HPLC, demonstrating that resveratrol, myricetin and catechin were the main compounds. According to our knowledge, this is the first time that a pilot scale of UAE of phenolic compounds from vine-canes was performed. This paper represents an important step to the use of UAE as an industrial process to recover bioactive compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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Review

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22 pages, 2358 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Lignocellulosic-Derived Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications: Lignin Nanoparticles, Xylan Nanoparticles, and Cellulose Nanocrystals

by Christian J. Wijaya, Suryadi Ismadji and Setiyo Gunawan

Molecules 2021, 26(3), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030676 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 66 | Viewed by 6165

Abstract

Due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity, lignocellulosic-derived nanoparticles are very potential materials for drug carriers in drug delivery applications. There are three main lignocellulosic-derived nanoparticles discussed in this review. First, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are an amphiphilic nanoparticle which has versatile interactions toward hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs. The synthesis methods of LNPs play an important role in this amphiphilic characteristic. Second, xylan nanoparticles (XNPs) are a hemicellulose-derived nanoparticle, where additional pretreatment is needed to obtain a high purity xylan before the synthesis of XNPs. This process is quite long and challenging, but XNPs have a lot of potential as a drug carrier due to their stronger interactions with various drugs. Third, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a widely exploited nanoparticle, especially in drug delivery applications. CNCs have low cytotoxicity, therefore they are suitable for use as a drug carrier. The research possibilities for these three nanoparticles are still wide and there is potential in drug delivery applications, especially for enhancing their characteristics with further surface modifications adjusted to the drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste and By-Products from Agricultural Production for Innovative Health Applications)

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