Antioxidant capacity in fruit of Citrus cultivars with marked differences in pulp coloration: Contribution of carotenoids and vitamin C.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specific contribution of carotenoids and vitamin C to the lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity, respectively, of the pulp of citrus fruits using the genetic diversity in pigmentation and in the carotenoid complement. To this end, six citrus varieties were selected: two mandarins, Clemenules (Citrus clementina) and Nadorcott (C. reticulata); two grapefruits (C. paradisi), Marsh and Star Ruby; and two sweet oranges (C. sinensis), Valencia late and Valencia Ruby. Total carotenoid content and composition in the pulp of fruits were very different, in relation to their color singularities. Valencia Ruby and Nadorcott had the highest caroten…

Proteome analysis of the fungus Aspergillus carbonarius under ochratoxin A producing conditions

Aspergillus carbonarius is an important ochratoxin A producing fungus that is responsible for mycotoxin contamination of grapes and wine. In this study, the proteomes of highly (W04-40) and weakly (W04-46) OTA-producing A. carbonarius strains were compared to identify proteins that may be involved in OTA biosynthesis. Protein samples were extracted from two biological replicates and subjected to two dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis and mass spectrometry. Expression profile comparison (PDQuest software), revealed 21 differential spots that were statistically significant and showed a two-fold change in expression, or greater. Among these, nine protein spots were identified by MALDI-MS…

Understanding phenolic acids inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase and influence of reaction conditions

Phenolic acids are involved in modulating the activity of starch digestive enzymes but remains unclear if their interaction with enzymes or starch is governing the inhibition. The potential inhibition of nine phenolic acids against α-amylase and α-glucosidase was studied applying different methodologies to understand interactions between phenolic acids and either enzymes or substrates. Vanillic and syringic acids were prone to interact with α-amylase requiring low half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) to inhibit starch hydrolysis. Nevertheless, the initial interaction of phenolic acids with starch somewhat obstructed their interaction with starch, requiring 10 times higher IC50, with…

Construction of a genetically modified wine yeast strain expressing the Aspergillus aculeatus rhaA gene, encoding an -L-Rhamnosidase of enological interest

Monoterpenes such as geraniol, linalool, and -terpineol present in grapes determine the varietal flavor properties of young quality wines made from Muscat varieties (for reviews, see references 19 and 21). Geraniol and linalool are considered to be the most important of the monoterpene alcohols, as they are present in greater concentrations and have lower flavor thresholds than other major wine monoterpenes. In particular, linalool is thought to be responsible for the grapelike aroma of wines produced from the Muscat variety. A large proportion of

Evaluation of the Ability of Polyphenol Extracts of Cocoa and Red Grape to Promote the Antioxidant Response in Yeast Using a Rapid Multiwell Assay

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used as a model organism to study the capacity of cocoa and red grape extracts to trigger an antioxidant response. A methodology adapted to microtiter plates has been developed to monitor yeast growth after culture preincubation with food ingredients and exposure to oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide and menadione. This methodology proved effective in measuring the ability of cocoa and red grape extracts to promote an antioxidant response in yeast, and also the prospect of conducting dose-response studies. Additionally, the method has proven useful to perform studies with mutant strains lacking genes that may be related to the mechanism of action underly…

Pharmacological profile of phytoestrogens in cerebral vessels: in vitro study with rabbit basilar artery.

As a previous step to consider their use in the pharmacology for stroke, we investigated the effects of four phytoestrogens (i.e. genistein, daidzein, zearalanone and biochanin A) on cerebral vessels. Cerebral vascular responses were analyzed by conventional recording of isometric tension in rabbit basilar artery segments kept in organ bath under standard conditions. The four phytoestrogens elicited concentration-dependent relaxant responses of different potency in basilar artery segments previously contracted with either 5x10(-2) M KCl or 10(-4) M UTP. Neither endothelium removal, 10(-4) M N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor), 10(-5) M1 H-[1…

Acyl Transferase Domains of Putative Polyketide Synthase (PKS) Genes in Aspergillus and Penicillium Producers of Ochratoxin A and the Evaluation of PCR Primers to Amplify PKS Sequences in Black Aspergillus Species

Fungal polyketide synthases (PKS) are responsible for the biosynthesis of several mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites. PKS genes in ochratoxin producing species from Aspergillus and Penicillum genera have been identified using a degenerate primer pair developed for the acyl transferase (AT) domain of fungal PKSs. Sequences of AT domains were aligned and analyzed using phylogenetic methods. The AT domain sequences appeared to be specific for a particular type of fungal PKSs and were related to PKSs involved in different mycotoxin biosynthesis pathways, including ochratoxin A. We have also developed primers suitable for amplifying AT domain sequences in strains belonging to the A. nig…

Quantitation of Free and Glycosidically Bound Volatiles in and Effect of Glycosidase Addition on Three Tomato Varieties (Solanum lycopersicumL.)

The volatile fractions of three tomato cultivars (p73, Jorge, and Durinta) were studied in both free and glycosidically bound forms. The possibility of increasing the concentration of free volatile compounds by adding selected glycosidases was also tested. The free volatile fraction (FVF) of tomato juice was directly determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME). To analyze the glycosidically bound fraction (GBF), tomato juice samples were extracted with C18 cartridges and the resulting glycoside extracts were enzymatically hydrolyzed. The released aglycons were determined by headspace SPME. Of these compounds, six were not previously reported to belong to the tomato GBF. The c…

Aroma compounds in wine as influenced by apiculate yeasts

Aroma compounds of wines resulting from fermentation of sterile grape musts from Monastrell variety inoculated with pure and mixed cultures of apiculate and Saccharomyces yeasts, were isolated and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometry. Samples fermented with mixed cultures produced a higher concentration of selected compounds and higher total amounts of alcohols and acids, in contrast with wines produced with pure cultures of Saccharomyces spp. Apiculate yeasts are important in the chemical composition and quality of wine.

Improvement of volatile composition of wines by controlled addition of malolactic bacteria

The effect of malolactic fermentation (MLF) on the volatile composition of red wines was studied by inoculation with selected lactic acid bacteria. Four wines were inoculated with different Oenococcus oeni (syn. Leuconostoc oenos) strains, the major malolactic species found in wines, and one was inoculated with a Lactobacillus sp. strain. A non inoculated wine was also analyzed to act as a control. Malolactic fermentation and evolution of non volatile compounds were followed by HPLC and after the depletion of the malic acid present in wine the volatile compounds were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometry. Wines which had undergone the MLF s…

Neurosporaxanthin Overproduction by Fusarium fujikuroi and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Properties

17 Páginas.-- 5 Figuras

De novo production of six key grape aroma monoterpenes by a geraniol synthase-engineered S. cerevisiae wine strain

[Background] Monoterpenes are important contributors to grape and wine aroma. Moreover, certain monoterpenes have been shown to display health benefits with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer or hypotensive properties amongst others. The aim of this study was to construct self-aromatizing wine yeasts to overproduce de novo these plant metabolites in wines.

Proteomic Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Response to Oxidative Stress Mediated by Cocoa Polyphenols Extract

The present study addressed the protective effects against oxidative stress (OS) of a cocoa powder extract (CPEX) on the protein expression profile of S. cerevisiae. A proteomic analysis was performed after culture preincubation with CPEX either without stress (&minus

Questions linger over European GM food regulations

Bioactive Compounds, Nutritional Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of the Red-Fleshed Kirkwood Navel and Ruby Valencia Oranges

Kirkwood Navel and Ruby Valencia are two spontaneous bud-mutations of the ordinary Washington Navel and Valencia late oranges characterized by the red coloration of their flesh. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physiological features, internal fruit quality, contents of relevant bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in the pulps of the red-fleshed fruits compared with the ordinary oranges during late development and maturation. In general, the content of sugars, organic acids, vitamin C, tocopherols, total phenolics and flavonoids, the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity and their changes during maturation were similar in the red-fleshed oranges and in the corresponding blon…

Characterization of Gibberella fujikuroi complex isolates by fumonisin B-1 and B-2 analysis and by RAPD and restriction analysis of PCR-amplified internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA

Summary Twenty nine isolates of Fusarium spp. (twenty four of them belonging to the Gibberella fujikuroi complex) isolated from banana and corn from different geographical regions were analyzed for their ability to produce fumonisins B 1 and B 2 and for genetic relatedness using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction analysis of PCR amplification products of the 5.8s ribosomal DNA-intervening internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS I-5.8S-ITS II). For RAPD analysis, six of twenty oligonucleotide primers were selected after testing with five Fusarium spp. isolates and used to characterize 24 additional isolates. DNA fragments from the 29 isolates of Fusarium spp., which wer…

Ascorbic acid content and transcriptional profiling of genes involved in its metabolism during development of petals, leaves, and fruits of orange (Citrus sinensis cv. valencia late)

Citrus fruit is one of the most important contributors to the ascorbic acid (AsA) intake in humans. Here, we report a comparative analysis of AsA content and transcriptional changes of genes related to its metabolism during development of petals, leaves and fruits of Valencia Late oranges (Citrus sinensis). Petals of close flowers and at anthesis contained the highest concentration of AsA. In fruits, AsA content in the flavedo reached a maximum at color break, whereas the pulp accumulated lower levels and experienced minor fluctuations during development. AsA levels in leaves were similar to those in the flavedo at breaker stage. The transcriptional profiling of AsA biosynthetic, degradatio…

Quantitative Comparison of Free and Bound Volatiles of Two Commercial Tomato Cultivars (Solanum lycopersicumL.) during Ripening

The changes in the profile of both free and glycosidically bound volatiles were studied in Moneymaker and Raf tomato cultivars during fruit ripening. The concentrations of 20 of 24 and of 27 of 30 compounds detected in the free volatile fraction (FVF) and glycosidically bound fraction (GBF), respectively, differed significantly between cultivars during ripening. Most free and bound volatiles increased during ripening in both cultivars. The contribution of each free volatile compound to the overall aroma was estimated by calculating its log U value, which indicated that only 11 compounds seem to exert a strong influence. Nine volatiles were detected exclusively in the GBF, among them geranio…

Evaluation of Carotenoids Protection Against Oxidative Stress in the Animal Model Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a versatile and powerful model organism for animal experimental research and, despite being an invertebrate, displays remarkably similar molecular bases and conserved cellular pathways to those of humans. Oxidative stress is an etiological factor that influences numerous diseases, degenerative processes and aging. C. elegans has revealed as an opportune and feasible organism to investigate the antioxidant effects of different bioactives or complex food matrices, and a number of protocols have been developed by using different oxidative stressors. Carotenoids are recognized as quenchers and scavengers of reactive oxygen species, and many of their relate…