The carotenoid profiles of biomass from five eukaryotic microalgae, Porphyridium cruentum, Isochrysis galbana, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Tetraselmis suecica and Nannochloropsis gaditana, produced at ...an industrial plant in outdoor photobioreactors, were investigated. Pigments were solvent-extracted after an ultrasonic pre-treatment and separated by HPLC-photodiode-array using a reversed-phase C18 column. Microalgae showed species-specific carotenoid profiles. Carotenoids were mostly in their free form, with a prevalence of xanthophylls over carotenes. Beta-carotene was the only carotenoid common to all species. The Rhodophyta P. cruentum exhibited the lowest total carotenoid content (167.2 mg 100 g−1 dw) and the simplest profile, with (all-E)-zeaxanthin (94.2 mg 100 g−1 dw, 56% of total carotenoids) and (all-E)-β– carotene (53.4 mg 100 g−1 dw, 32% of total carotenoids) as the major carotenoids. The Haptophyta Isochrysis galbana and the Bacillariophyta Phaeodactylum tricornutum were the species with the highest total carotenoid content (1760 mg and 1022 mg 100 g−1 dw, respectively). These species were characterized by similar carotenoid profiles, with (all-E)-fucoxanthin as the chief compound (1346 mg and 776.8 mg 100 g−1 dw for I. galbana and P. tricornutum, respectively), accounting for about 76% of total carotenoids. The Chlorophyta Tetraselmis suecica was the species showing the greatest variety of carotenoids, with both α- carotene and β- carotene and their derivatives present. (All-E)-lutein (85.4 mg 100 g−1 dw) and (all-E)-violaxanthin (81.8 mg 100 g−1 dw) were the major pigments in this species. In the Ochrophyta Nannochloropsis gaditana, (all-E)-violaxanthin was the prevalent carotenoid (336.7 mg 100 g−1 dw), followed by (all-E)-β-carotene (100.1 mg 100 g−1 algal dw).
The carotenoid content of the microalgal biomass studied compared favourably to that of major vegetable sources. Due to their characteristics, these microalgae, most of them currently finding their main application in aquaculture, may be also regarded as valuable sources of carotenoids to be used in the formulation of functional food and nutraceuticals.
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•Microalgae showed species-specific carotenoid profiles.•Carotenoids were mostly in their free form, with a prevalence of xanthophylls over carotenes.•β-carotene was the only carotenoid common to all species.•Carotenoid levels compared favourably to those of high food sources.
Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are particles within the size range from 1 to 1000 nm and can be loaded with active compounds entrapped within or surface-adsorbed onto the polymeric core. The term ..."nanoparticle" stands for both nanocapsules and nanospheres, which are distinguished by the morphological structure. Polymeric NPs have shown great potential for targeted delivery of drugs for the treatment of several diseases. In this review, we discuss the most commonly used methods for the production and characterization of polymeric NPs, the association efficiency of the active compound to the polymeric core, and the in vitro release mechanisms. As the safety of nanoparticles is a high priority, we also discuss the toxicology and ecotoxicology of nanoparticles to humans and to the environment.
The Therapeutic Potential of Apigenin Salehi, Bahare; Venditti, Alessandro; Sharifi-Rad, Mehdi ...
International journal of molecular sciences,
03/2019, Letnik:
20, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Several plant bioactive compounds have exhibited functional activities that suggest they could play a remarkable role in preventing a wide range of chronic diseases. The largest group of ...naturally-occurring polyphenols are the flavonoids, including apigenin. The present work is an updated overview of apigenin, focusing on its health-promoting effects/therapeutic functions and, in particular, results of in vivo research. In addition to an introduction to its chemistry, nutraceutical features have also been described. The main key findings from in vivo research, including animal models and human studies, are summarized. The beneficial indications are reported and discussed in detail, including effects in diabetes, amnesia and Alzheimer's disease, depression and insomnia, cancer, etc. Finally, data on flavonoids from the main public databases are gathered to highlight the apigenin's key role in dietary assessment and in the evaluation of a formulated diet, to determine exposure and to investigate its health effects in vivo.
Milk provides a wide range of biologically active compounds that protect humans against diseases and pathogens. The purpose of this work is to describe the main aspects and research lines concerning ...bioactive peptides: from their chemistry, bioavailability, and biochemical properties to their applications in the healthcare sector. In this context, the uses of bioactive peptides in nutraceutical and functional foods have been highlighted, also taking into account the perspective of innovative applications in the field of circular bioeconomy.
Nutraceuticals in Human Health Durazzo, Alessandra; Lucarini, Massimo; Santini, Antonello
Foods,
03/2020, Letnik:
9, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The combined and concerted action of nutrient and biologically active compounds is flagged as an indicator of a "possible beneficial role" for health. The use and applications of bioactive components ...cover a wide range of fields, in particular the nutraceuticals. In this context, the Special Issue entitled "Nutraceuticals in Human Health" is focused on the all aspects around the nutraceuticals, ranging from analytical aspects to clinical trials, from efficacy studies to beneficial effects on health status.
Food and agricultural waste represents a growing problem with negative effects on the economy, environment, and human health. Winemaking produces byproducts with high added value, which can be used ...for new productions in several application fields. From the perspective of biorefinery and circular economy, grape seeds could be exploited by extracting bioactive compounds with high added value before using biomass for energy purposes. The markets concerned are, in addition to the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals sectors, which use bioactive compounds, the sector of biopolymeric materials and of energy for the production of biohydrogen and biomethane. Generally, bioactive components should be investigated through an integrated and multidisciplinary study approach based on emerging analytical techniques; in this context, attention is addressed towards green and sustainable procedures; an update of extraction techniques, innovative technologies, and chemometrics are described. Nowadays, processes so far tested on a pilot scale for grape waste are developed to enhance the extraction yields. Here, a picture of the Italian experience applied to the byproducts of the wine industry is given.
To better understand nutrition, food chemistry, and medicine, it is important to investigate biologically active constituents, which requires a detailed knowledge and coverage of the composition of ...compounds of nutritional and nutraceutical character ....
Fresh and processed food products are rich in bioactive molecules, including polysaccharides, vitamins, carotenoids, peptides, antioxidants, phenolics, phytosterols, and novel lipids. Bioactive ...molecules in food could prevent several diseases (i.e., metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc.). Thus, consumer awareness is growing about the health-promoting impact of food bioactive molecules. Health claims are essential added-value features, wherein health-enhancing potential of bioactives depend on their chemical structure. On the other hand, the investigation of the structure-function relationship of food bioactive molecules is of importance. In this regard, Molecules is delighted to highlight the importance of food bioactive molecules and their effect on health. In this Special Issue of Molecules, researchers are invited to contribute original research and up-to-date reviews.
Diabetes mellitus, an incurable metabolic disease, is characterized by changes in the homeostasis of blood sugar levels, being the subcutaneous injection of insulin the first line treatment. This ...administration route is however associated with limited patient's compliance, due to the risk of pain, discomfort and local infection. Nanoparticles have been proposed as insulin carriers to make possible the administration of the peptide via friendlier pathways without the need of injection, i.e., via oral or nasal routes. Nanoparticles stand for particles in the nanometer range that can be obtained from different materials (e.g., polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, lipid) and are commonly used with the aim to improve the physicochemical stability of the loaded drug and thereby its bioavailability. This review discusses the use of different types of nanoparticles (e.g., polymeric and lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, niosomes, micelles, nanoemulsions and also drug nanosuspensions) for improved delivery of different oral hypoglycemic agents in comparison to conventional therapies.