Extraction and Characterization of Montmorency Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Pit Oil

Characteristic of Essential Oils Extracted from the Industrial-Scale Processing By-Products of Agro-foods

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Nowadays, more interest has been focused on the efficient use of agricultural and food processing post-products. The remaining wastes accumulate in large quantities, resulting in a burden on the environment. However, they possess potentially valuable compounds, making them suitable to recover essential oil from solid waste. This review evaluates the production of essential oils from apple, citrus fruits, sour cherry, corn, rice, wheat, and barley processing wastes, highlighting high levels of bioactive compounds such as tocopherols, phytosterols, and unsaturated fatty acids, which contribute to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

RECENT FINDINGS

Agro-food processing wastes are composed of biologically active compounds including essential oil with different functional characteristics such as antibacterial and anti-angiogenic properties. This could be due to the presence of bioactive compounds including phytosterols, tocochromanols, tocopherol, and carotenoids, as well as the natural antioxidants and the higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Agro-food processing by-products are a valuable source of essential oil, which is rich in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids as well as bioactive compounds. Findings provide a reference for the development of healthy products and open a new horizon for innovative and profitable utilization of the wastes generated from the industrial-scale processing of agro-foods.

Tart Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Pit Extracts Protect Human Skin Cells against Oxidative Stress: Unlocking Sustainable Uses for Food Industry Byproducts

Industrial processing of tart cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) produces bioproducts like cherry pits (CP), which contribute to adverse environmental effects. To identify sustainable strategies to minimize the environmental impact of cherry processing, we investigated their potential value as antioxidants for prospective utilization within cosmeceutical applications. Untargeted metabolomic analyses of water and water: ethanol CP extracts using an eco-friendly technique revealed significant enrichment in coumaroyl derivatives and flavonoids with congruent metabolite representation regardless of the extraction solvent. The antioxidant activity of tart CP extracts was evaluated on human skin cells exposed to H2O2 or LPS, modeling environmentally induced oxidants. Notably, both CP extracts provide antioxidant activity by reducing H2O2 or LPS-induced ROS in human skin keratinocytes without affecting cell viability. The CP extracts increased the expression of CAT and SOD1 genes encoding antioxidant regulatory enzymes while decreasing the expression of NOS2, a pro-oxidant regulator. These findings reveal the antioxidant properties of tart CP, offering new opportunities to produce natural-based skin care products and adding economic value while providing sustainable options to reduce the environmental impact of food byproducts.

Action Mechanism of Extracts from Cerasus serrulata Flower for Hair-Blacking in C57BL/6 Mice

Background

Hair color retention and rejuvenation have recently emerged as a new research hot spot, with many studies focused on developing treatments to prevent premature greying.

Aim

This study is aimed to explore the hair-blacking effects and possible mechanisms of Cerasus serrulata flower extracts (CSE) using a C57BL/6 premature greying mouse model.

Materials and Methods

The variations in hair follicle number, hair follicle depth and cortical thickness were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The quantity changes of melanocytes were also evaluated using Masson-Fontana Melanin staining. The relative abundance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), β-catenin and tyrosinase transcripts following transformed growth were further quantified using RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence. The changes in protein level expression of β-catenin, VEGF and tyrosinase were also evaluated by western blot.

Results

The β-catenin and VEGF expression were significantly up-regulated in skin tissues treated with C. serrulata extracts, promoting hair growth and blackening.

Conclusion

CSE can promote the efficient hair-blacking likely via the VEGF pathway, making it a potential therapeutic candidate for treating premature greying.

Fruit Juice Industry Wastes as a Source of Bioactives

Food processing sustainability, as well as waste minimization, are key concerns for the modern food industry. A significant amount of waste is generated by the fruit juice industry each year. In addition to the economic losses caused by the removal of these wastes, its impact on the environment is undeniable. Therefore, researchers have focused on recovering the bioactive components from fruit juice processing, in which a great number of phytochemicals still exist in the agro-industrial wastes, to help minimize the waste burden as well as provide new sources of bioactive compounds, which are believed to be protective agents against certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Although these wastes contain non-negligible amounts of bioactive compounds, information on the utilization of these byproducts in functional ingredient/food production and their impact on the sensory quality of food products is still scarce. In this regard, this review summarizes the most recent literature on bioactive compounds present in the wastes of apple, citrus fruits, berries, stoned fruits, melons, and tropical fruit juices, together with their extraction techniques and valorization approaches. Besides, on the one hand, examples of different current food applications with the use of these wastes are provided. On the other hand, the challenges with respect to economic, sensory, and safety issues are also discussed.

Comparative Assessment of Phytochemical Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Kernel Oil from Eight Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Cultivars

New plant oils as a potential natural source of nutraceutical compounds are still being sought. The main components of eight cultivars (‘Koral’, ‘Lucyna’, ‘Montmorency’, ‘Naumburger’, ‘Wanda’, ‘Wigor’, ‘Wołyńska’, and ‘Wróble’) of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) grown in Poland, including crude fat, protein, and oil content, were evaluated. The extracted oils were analysed for chemical and biological activity. The oils had an average peroxide value of 1.49 mEq O₂/kg, acid value of 1.20 mg KOH/g, a saponification value of 184 mg of KOH/g, and iodine value of 120 g I₂/100 g of oil. The sour cherry oil contained linoleic (39.1–46.2%) and oleic (25.4–41.0%) acids as the major components with smaller concentrations of α-eleostearic acid (8.00–15.62%), palmitic acid (5.45–7.41%), and stearic acid (2.49–3.17%). The content of sterols and squalene varied significantly in all the studied cultivars and ranged between 336–973 mg/100 g and 66–102 mg/100 g of oil. The contents of total tocochromanols, polyphenols, and carotenoids were 119–164, 19.6–29.5, and 0.56–1.61 mg/100 g oil, respectively. The cultivar providing the highest amounts of oil and characterised by the highest content of PUFA (including linoleic acid), plant sterols, α-and β-tocopherol, as well as the highest total polyphenol and total carotenoids content was been found to be ‘Naumburger’. The antioxidant capacity of sour cherry kernel oils, measured using the DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ methods, ranged from 57.7 to 63.5 and from 38.2 to 43.2 mg trolox/100 g oil, respectively. The results of the present study provide important information about potential possibilities of application of Prunus cerasus kernel oils in cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals offering health benefits.

Physicochemical Characterization of Cherry Pits-Derived Biochar

Although the suitability of some biochars for contaminants' sorption separation has been established, not all potential feedstocks have been explored and characterized. Here, we physicochemically characterized cherry pit biochar (CPB) pyrolyzed from cherry pit biomass (CP) at 500 °C, and we assessed their As and Hg sorption efficiencies in aqueous solutions in comparison to activated carbon (AC). The basic physicochemical and material characterization of the studied adsorbents was carried out using pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), concentration of surface functional groups (Boehm titration), and surface area (SA) analysis; elemental C, H, N analysis; and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). AsO₄^3- anions and Hg²⁺ cations were selected as model contaminants used to test the sorption properties of the sorption materials. Characterization analyses confirmed a ninefold increase in SA in the case of CPB. The total C concentration increased by 26%, while decreases in the total H and N concentrations were observed. The values of carbonate and ash contents decreased by about half due to pyrolysis processes. The concentrations of surface functional groups of the analyzed biochar obtained by Boehm titration confirmed a decrease in carboxyl and lactone groups, while an increase in phenolic functional groups was observed. Changes in the morphology and surface functionality of the pyrolyzed material were confirmed by SEM-EDX and FTIR analyses. In sorption experiments, we found that the CPB showed better results in the sorption separation of Hg²⁺ than in the sorption separation of AsO₄^3-. The sorption efficiency for the model cation increased in the order CP < CPB < AC and, for the model anion, it increased in the order CPB < CP < AC.

Sour Cherry (Cerasus vulgaris Miller) Kernel Oil as the Novel Functional Edible Oil: Sensory Evaluation and Antioxidant and Physicochemical Properties

This study aims to extract oil from fresh sour cherry kernel (Cerasus vulgaris Miller) using the cold press method. The oil content and moisture were obtained as 31.89% and 4%, respectively. The organoleptic assessment of the oil was acceptable and the free fatty acid value was obtained as 1.36 (mg KOH/g oil). In addition, peroxide value and anisidine index of sour cherry kernel oil were obtained as 0.99 meqO2/kg oil and 0.15, respectively. The predominant fatty acids were linoleic acid (42.34%), oleic acid (35.45%), α-eleostearic acid (9.34%), and palmitic acid (6.54%), respectively. The kernel oil contained nine major triacylglycerols consisting of OLL (20.44%), OOL (16.99%), LLL (8.20%), LLEl (7.28%), PLO (7.24%), OElO (5.03%), OOO (4.70%), ElLO (4.54%), PLL (4.35%), and POO (3%), respectively. The most abundant sterol compounds were β-sitosterol (83.55%), ∆5-avenasterol (6.8%), sitostanol (4.8%), campesterol (3.5%), and stigmasterol (0.53%), respectively. Also, antioxidant activity, total phenol content (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total tannin content (TTC), and total tocopherol content were obtained as 73.22%, 33.44 mg GA/g dry matter, 177.84 mg/L, 46.37 mg/g dry matter, and 1.21 mg GA/g dry matter, 832.5 mg/kg oil, respectively. The amount of amygdalin in the oil sample was not detectable.

Valorization of cherry pits: Great Lakes agro-industrial waste to mediate Great Lakes water quality

To meet human food and fiber needs in an environmentally and economically sustainable way, we must improve the efficiency of waste, water, and nutrient use by converting vast quantities of agricultural and food waste to renewable bioproducts. This work converts waste cherry pits, an abundant food waste in the Great Lakes region, to biochars and activated biochars via slow pyrolysis. Biochars produced have surface areas between 206 and 274 m²/g and increased bioavailability of Fe, K, Mg, Mn, and P. The biochars can be implemented as soil amendments to reduce nutrient run-off and serve as a valuable carbon sink (biochars contain 74-79% carbon), potentially mitigating harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. CO₂-activated biochars have surface areas of up to 629 m²/g and exhibit selective metal adsorption for the removal of metals from simulated contaminated drinking water, an environmental problem plaguing this region. Through sustainable waste-to-byproduct valorization we convert this waste food biomass into biochar for use as a soil amendment and into activated biochars to remove metals from drinking water, thus alleviating economic issues associated with cherry pit waste handling and reducing the environmental impact of the cherry processing industry.

Producing the sour cherry pit oil nanoemulsion and evaluation of its anti-cancer effects on both breast cancer murine model and MCF-7 cell line

Aims: The sour cherry pit oil (SCPO) displays the potent anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In the present study, we have produced the SCPO nanoemulsion (SCPO-NE) to evaluate their anticancer impacts on breast cancer comparing with its un-processed oil. Methods: We employed an ultrasonication method to formulate the stable SCPO-NE. Their size, stability, and morphology were measured. Then, their cytotoxic impacts and apoptotic activity were checked on MCF7 breast cancer cells and compared with the normal Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF). Finally, their anti-tumour effect was studied on murine breast cancer model (inoculated with TUBO cancer cells). Results: The results indicated the 36.5 nm stable SCPO-NE significantly decreased the MCF7 cells viability comparing with normal HFF cells, and reduced the tumour size in the murine model. Conclusion: We suggest that SCPO-NEs are able to efficiently inhibit breast cancer progression in both MCF7 cells and murine breast cancer model through apoptotic death induction.

Effect of pH on protein extraction from sour cherry kernels and functional properties of resulting protein concentrate

The aims of this research were to examine the effect of pH on extraction of proteins from sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) kernels, and to investigate the functional properties of the resulting protein concentrate. The optimum pH values for the protein extraction and isoelectric precipitation were determined as 10.0 and 4.5, respectively. The protein concentrate contained 4.03 ± 0.16% moisture, 3.31 ± 0.17% ash, 2.94 ± 0.36% carbohydrate, 1.93 ± 0.16% lipid, and 80.48 ± 2.38% protein. Water holding capacity, oil holding capacity and the least gelling concentration of the protein concentrate were 2.42 ± 0.09 g water/g, 1.73 ± 0.17 g oil/g and 8%, respectively. Results showed that emulsifying activity and stability indices, foaming capacity and stability of protein concentrate were 38.91 ± 2.50 m²/g, 37.49 ± 2.41 min, 35.00 ± 3.54% and 71.80 ± 7.25% (after 30 min), respectively. The functional and chemical properties of the protein concentrate indicate that it may find application as functional ingredient for various food products.

Sour Cherry By-products: Compositions, Functional Properties and Recovery Potentials - A Review

Sour (tart) cherry is an industrial fruit where a considerable amount of by-products remain after processing. Sour cherry by-products consist of pomace (skin and flesh) and seeds (pit, stone) which remain after the fruit juice and IQF processes. Sour cherry pomace is characterized with a high content of phenolic compounds and the seed constitutes a high oil yield with beneficial effects on human health because of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. There has been a great interest in sour cherry by-products due to the increasing production rate of sour cherry worldwide and the increasing efforts on seeking bioactive compounds from natural sources as functional food. Thus, there have been a number of studies regarding the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed, especially in the last five years. The present review summarizes the chemical, biological, functional, and technological properties of the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed with their current and potential applications.

Effect of Extraction Method on the Oxidative Stability of Camelina Seed Oil Studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Camelina seed is a new alternative omega-3 source attracting growing interest. However, it is susceptible to oxidation due to its high omega-3 content. The objective of this study was to improve the oxidative stability of the camelina seed oil at the extraction stage in order to eliminate or minimize the use of additive antioxidants. Camelina seed oil extracts were enriched in terms of natural antioxidants using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂ ) extraction. Oxidative stability of the camelina seed oils extracted by ethanol modified SC-CO₂ was studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and compared with cold press, hexane, and SC-CO₂ methods. Nonisothermal oxidation kinetics of the oils obtained by different extraction methods were studied by DSC at varying heating rates (2.5, 5, 10, and 15 °C/min). Increasing ethanol level in the ethanol-modified SC-CO₂ increased the oxidative stability. Based on oxidation onset temperatures (T_on ), SC-CO₂ containing 10% ethanol yielded the most stable oil. Oxidative stability depended on the type and content of the polar fractions, namely, phenolic compounds and phospholipids. Phenolic compounds acted as natural antioxidants, whereas increased phospholipid contents decreased the stability. Study has shown that the oxidative stability of the oils can be improved at the extraction stage and this may eliminate the need for additive antioxidants.