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Nutrients
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The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health
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The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2022) | Viewed by 20598

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gertjan Van Dijk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dep Behavioral Neuroscience, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands
Interests: integrative neurobiology of energy balance; behavioral energetics; functional foods; treatment and prevention of obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

It has become clear that plants can contain biologically active, often non-nutritive compounds that provide specific health benefits—so-called nutraceuticals. While some of these have become mainstream drugs (e.g., metformin), it is believed that the potential for additional candidates is extremely large. This potential can be uncovered by studies aimed at investigating crude and refined extracts of potential medicinal plants in animal models (e.g., from fruit flies to rodent models) as well as in cell cultures, or even directly in humans. Clearly, it is important not only to deepen knowledge in this field, but also to clarify existing knowledge. Furthermore, there is a need to better understand how bioactive ingredients in food exert their effects and to determine the specific modes of action. In this Special Issue, authors are invited to submit papers/reviews in which they comment on existing plant ingredients with bioactive properties, and/or to provide perspectives on novel candidates

Prof. Dr. Gertjan Van Dijk
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bioactive plant compounds
  • antioxidant
  • nutraceutical
  • health effects
  • metabolic disease
  • chronic disease
  • plant-based diet

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1629 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Activity of Sesquiterpene Lactones and Chicory Extracts as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Assayed in Calorimetric and Docking Simulation Studies
by Andrzej Jaśkiewicz, Grażyna Budryn, Miguel Carmena-Bargueño and Horacio Pérez-Sánchez
Nutrients 2022, 14(17), 3633; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14173633 - 2 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2112
Abstract
The aim of the study was to explain the effects of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) from chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) root extracts as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at the molecular level and to determine the inhibition of AChE activity by specific SLs (lactucin [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to explain the effects of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) from chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) root extracts as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at the molecular level and to determine the inhibition of AChE activity by specific SLs (lactucin and lactucopicrin) and different chicory extracts. The obtained SLs-rich extracts were purified by the countercurrent partition chromatography (CPC) technique. AChE inhibitors were analyzed using two models: isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and docking simulation. The results of ITC analysis of the enzyme and the ligands’ complexation showed strong interactions of SLs as well as extracts from chicory with AChE. In a test of enzyme activity inhibition after introducing acetylcholine into the model system with SL, a stronger ability to inhibit the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter was observed for lactucopicrin, which is one of the dominant SLs in chicory. The inhibition of enzyme activity was more efficient in the case of extracts, containing different enzyme ligands, exhibiting complementary patterns of binding the AChE active site. The study showed the high potential of using chicory to decrease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health)
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17 pages, 655 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Antioxidant Properties of Honey from Poland, Italy, and Spain Based on the Declarations of Producers and Their Results of Melissopalinological Analysis
by Anna Puścion-Jakubik, Joanna Bielecka, Monika Grabia, Renata Markiewicz-Żukowska, Jolanta Soroczyńska, Dariusz Teper and Katarzyna Socha
Nutrients 2022, 14(13), 2694; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132694 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2337
Abstract
Natural bee honeys are commonly used by patients for nutritional, preventive, and curative purposes. Honey varieties produced in other countries, including Italy and Spain, are gaining popularity. The aim of the study was to evaluate selected antioxidant properties of honey, taking into account [...] Read more.
Natural bee honeys are commonly used by patients for nutritional, preventive, and curative purposes. Honey varieties produced in other countries, including Italy and Spain, are gaining popularity. The aim of the study was to evaluate selected antioxidant properties of honey, taking into account the declared and actual variety. The research material consisted of 105 honey samples, including honeys from Poland (n = 50), from Spain (n = 35), and from Italy (n = 20). The variety was determined by the melissopalinological method, and in the case of honeydew honeys, the electrical conductivity was measured. Total phenolic content (TPC), color intensity, color in Pfund scale, DPPH, and FRAP were assessed. Polish buckwheat honeys, with confirmed botanical origin, are characterized by the highest median of the TPC (213.05 mg GAE/100 g), the highest color intensity (1.138 mAU), and the highest value in the FRAP test (0.394 µM Fe2+/mL). In conclusion, proper labeling of bee honeys is necessary so as not to mislead consumers, and buckwheat honeys from Poland can be recommended to patients for prophylactic purposes in order to provide antioxidants in the diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health)
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11 pages, 2117 KiB  
Article
Alpha-Ketoglutarate Promotes Goblet Cell Differentiation and Alters Urea Cycle Metabolites in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice
by Alejandro Bravo Iniguez, Qiyu Tian, Min Du and Mei-Jun Zhu
Nutrients 2022, 14(6), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061148 - 9 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3581
Abstract
The metabolite, alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG), shows promise as an approach for ameliorating colitis, but much remains unknown about the full extent of its effects on the metabolome and mucosal barrier. To further elucidate this matter, C57BL/6 male mice received drinking water with or without [...] Read more.
The metabolite, alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG), shows promise as an approach for ameliorating colitis, but much remains unknown about the full extent of its effects on the metabolome and mucosal barrier. To further elucidate this matter, C57BL/6 male mice received drinking water with or without 1% aKG for three weeks, then were subjected to 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induction for 7 days followed by 7 days of recovery. Cecal content and intestinal tissue samples were analyzed for changes in metabolite profile and signaling pathways. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics revealed a separation between the metabolome of mice treated with or without aKG; putrescine and glycine were significantly increased; and ornithine and amide products, oleamide and urea were significantly decreased. Based on a pathway analysis, aKG treatment induced metabolite changes and enriched glutathione metabolism and the urea cycle. Additionally, signaling pathways committing epithelial cells to the secretory lineage were elevated in aKG-treated mice. Consistently, aKG supplementation increased goblet cells staining, mRNA expression of mucin 2, and, trefoil factor 3 and Krüppel-like factor 4, markers of goblet cell differentiation. These data suggest the ameliorating the effects of aKG against chemically induced colitis involves a reduction in harmful metabolites and the promotion of goblet cell differentiation, resulting in a more-fortified mucus layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health)
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Review

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11 pages, 453 KiB  
Review
Hesperidin: A Review on Extraction Methods, Stability and Biological Activities
by Krystyna Pyrzynska
Nutrients 2022, 14(12), 2387; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14122387 - 9 Jun 2022
Cited by 124 | Viewed by 11556
Abstract
Hesperidin is a bioflavonoid occurring in high concentrations in citrus fruits. Its use has been associated with a great number of health benefits, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. The food industry uses large quantities of citrus fruit, especially for the [...] Read more.
Hesperidin is a bioflavonoid occurring in high concentrations in citrus fruits. Its use has been associated with a great number of health benefits, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. The food industry uses large quantities of citrus fruit, especially for the production of juice. It results in the accumulation of huge amounts of by-products such as peels, seeds, cell and membrane residues, which are also a good source of hesperidin. Thus, its extraction from these by-products has attracted considerable scientific interest with aim to use as natural antioxidants. In this review, the extraction and determination methods for quantification of hesperidin in fruits and by-products are presented and discussed as well as its stability and biological activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactive Plant Compounds for Sustainable Health)
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