0000000000039830
AUTHOR
Graziella Serio
Melatonin and phytomelatonin: Chemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism, distribution and bioactivity in plants and animals—an overview
Melatonin is a ubiquitous indolamine, largely investigated for its key role in the regulation of several physiological processes in both animals and plants. In the last century, it was reported that this molecule may be produced in high concentrations by several species belonging to the plant kingdom and stored in specialized tissues. In this review, the main information related to the chemistry of melatonin and its metabolism has been summarized. Furthermore, the biosynthetic pathway characteristics of animal and plant cells have been compared, and the main differences between the two systems highlighted. Additionally, in order to investigate the distribution of this indolamine in the plan…
Changes in the Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Prunus persica Fruits after the Application of a Commercial Biostimulant Based on Seaweed and Yeast Extract
Plant biostimulants are formulations that are experiencing great success from the perspective of sustainable agriculture. In this work, we evaluated the effect derived from the application of a biostimulant based on algae and yeast extracts (Expando®) on the agronomic yield and nutraceutical profile of two different cultivars (“Sugar Time” and “West Rose”) of Prunus persica (peach). Although, at the agronomic level, significant effects on production yields were not recorded, the biostimulant was able to reduce the ripening time, increase the fruit size, and make the number of harvestable fruits homogeneous. From a nutraceutical point of view, our determinations v…
Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, and Antimicrobial Properties of Rubus idaeus Seed Powder
In the context of the contemporary research on sustainable development and circular economy, the quest for effective strategies aimed at revaluation of waste and by-products generated in industrial and agricultural production becomes important. In this work, an ethanolic extract from red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) seed waste (WRSP) was evaluated for its phytochemical composition and functional properties in term of antioxidative, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities. Chemical composition of the extract was determined by both HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and spectrophotometric methods. Phytochemical analysis revealed that flavan-3-ols and flavonols were the major phenolic compounds contained in W…
Proanthocyanidins and Where to Find Them: A Meta-Analytic Approach to Investigate Their Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Distribution, and Effect on Human Health.
Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are a class of polyphenolic compounds that are attracting considerable interest in the nutraceutical field due to their potential health benefits. However, knowledge about the chemistry, biosynthesis, and distribution of PACs is limited. This review summarizes the main chemical characteristics and biosynthetic pathways and the main analytical methods aimed at their identification and quantification in raw plant matrices. Furthermore, meta-analytic approaches were used to identify the main plant sources in which PACs were contained and to investigate their potential effect on human health. In particular, a cluster analysis identified PACs in 35 different plant famili…
Anthocyanins: Biosynthesis, Distribution, Ecological Role, and Use of Biostimulants to Increase Their Content in Plant Foods—A Review
In the past century, plant biostimulants have been increasingly used in agriculture as innovative and sustainable practice. Plant biostimulants have been mainly investigated as potential agents able to mitigate abiotic stress. However, few information is available about their ability to influence fruit quality or change fruit phytochemical composition. In particular, very little is known about their effects on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation. Due to the increasing demand of consumers for healthier foods with high nutraceutical values, this review tries to fill the gap between anthocyanin content and biostimulant application. Here, we elucidate the chemical structure, biosynthetic pat…
Bioactive triterpenes of protium heptaphyllum gum resin extract display cholesterol-lowering potential
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, the risk of which is further increased if other forms of dyslipidemia occur. Current therapeutic strategies include changes in lifestyle coupled with drug administration. Statins represent the most common therapeutic approach, but they may be insufficient due to the onset of resistance mechanisms and side effects. Consequently, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia prefer the use of food supplements since these are perceived to be safer. Here, we investigate the phytochemical profile and cholesterol-lowering potential of Protium heptaphyllum gum resin extract (PHE). Chemical characterization via HPLC-APCI-HRMS2 and…
Salphen metal complexes as potential anticancer agents: interaction profile and selectivity studies toward the three G-quadruplex units in the KIT promoter
DNA G-rich sequences can organize in four-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). These motifs are enriched in significant sites within the human genomes, including telomeres and promoters of cancer related genes. For instance, KIT proto-oncogene promoter, associated with diverse cancers, contains three adjacent G4 units, namely Kit2, SP, and Kitt. Aiming at finding new and selective G-quadruplex binders, we have synthesized and characterized five non-charged metal complexes of Pt(II), Pd(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) of a chlorine substituted Salphen ligand. The crystal structure of the Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes was determined by XRPD. FRET measurements indicated that Pt(II) an…
Phytochemical profile and antioxidant properties of the edible and non-edible portions of black sapote (Diospyros digyna Jacq.)
This study evaluated the phytochemical profile and antioxidative properties of the edible and non-edible portions of black sapote. The phytochemical analysis highlighted the presence of several bioactive compounds, differently distributed among peel, pulp and seeds. In particular, the peel resulted rich of flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins, whereas seeds contained high amount of organic acids, including ferulic, citric and sinapic acids. Concerning functional properties, both edible and non-edible portions showed a significant prevention of lipid peroxidation in a cell-based model. Moreover, the results suggested that the antioxidant protection involved both redox active properties and gen…
Pomological, Sensorial, Nutritional and Nutraceutical Profile of Seven Cultivars of Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill)
In this work, the food quality of four international (Campas, Chaffey, Fino de Jete and White) and three local (Daniela, Torre1 and Torre2) cultivars of Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill) was investigated. With this aim, pomological traits, sensorial attributes, physiochemical parameters (pH, total soluble content and total acidity), nutritional composition (macro- and micro-nutrients) and nutraceutical values (bioactive compounds, radical scavenging and antioxidant properties) were evaluated. Among the seven observed cultivars, Fino de Jete was identified as the best, not only for its commercial attributes such as pomological traits and physiochemical values, but also for its nutritional co…
Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Properties with Involved Mechanisms of Eugenia involucrata DC Fruits
In this study, the phytochemical profile and the antioxidative properties of Eugenia involucrata fruits were evaluated. Spectrophotometric assays indicated that these berries are a rich source of polyphenols with very high radical-scavenging and metal-reducing activities. High-performance liquid chromatography–Orbitrap analysis was able to carry out the annotation of 36 different compounds, mainly belonging to the flavonol, flavan-3-ol, and anthocyanin families. Antioxidant activity of the fruit extract was evaluated in a cell-based lipid peroxidation model. Obtained data showed that the extract, at very low concentration, was able to prevent oxidative damage in HepG2 cells exposed to oxida…