Bioactive Moringa oleifera and Nigella sativa oils microcapsules alleviate high-fat-diet induced hepatic oxidative damage and inflammation in rats

Harnessing the benefits of seed oils: a comprehensive study on their role in functional foods

There has been a growing interest in functional foods in recent years to improve health and boost immunity, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects their significant role in promoting health and preventing various diseases, especially metabolic disorders. This study investigated the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and prebiotic activities of six different oils: Calotropis procera oil (CPO), Chia seed oil (CSO), Moringa oil (MO), Neem oil (NO), Black seed oil (BSO), and Wheat germ oil (WGO) and their potential applications in health and nutrition. The DPPH and ABTS assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of these oils. A good diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) method were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi of human interest. Also, the prebiotic activities of oils were tested on three probiotic strains of Lactobacillus to evaluate their role in promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria against the pathogenic E. coli. Furthermore, the haematological effect of these oils was investigated in vitro through measuring their anticoagulant, and Fibrinolytic activity. The results demonstrated that DPPH assay revealed that CPO and WGO exhibited the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 15.2 µg/mL and 18.7 µg/mL, respectively, while BSO showed the least activity with an IC50 of 45.3 µg/mL. Antimicrobial activity, assessed using inhibition zone diameters, showed that CPO had the strongest effect against Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of 22 mm, followed by CSO at 19 mm. In terms of anticoagulant activity, CSO demonstrated the most potent fibrinolytic effect with a clot lysis percentage of 78%, while MO exhibited weaker activity at 35%. Prebiotic testing revealed that individual oils had limited effects on Lactobacillus growth, but a synergistic blend enhanced growth by 25% compared to controls. Overall, this study highlights the diverse health benefits of these oils and their potential as functional food ingredients that could contribute to improved health.

Production of secondary metabolites in callus cultures of Scutellaria baicalensis L. and assessment of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy in ulcerative colitis rats

Baikal skullcap or Chinese (Scutellaria baicalensis L.) is an interesting plant with promising medicinal properties; however, traditional cultivation methods are time-consuming, and yield variations can be significant; callus culture is considered one of the solutions to overcome these limitations because the callus culture provides an effective, alternative for the consistent production of secondary metabolites. For callus production of S. baicalensis L., the in vitro germinating seedlings were cultured on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BAP) and 1.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Three culture lines were established, and the best growth index represented in fresh and dry weight was obtained from line No. 1. S. baicalensis L. callus extract was performed on the best callus line in the stationary phase for in vitro assays. The chemical analysis, antioxidant tests, proline, flavonoids, phenolics, and macronutrient content were assessed. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of secondary metabolites in S. baicalensis L. callus and to study its biological effect on recurrent ulcerative colitis (UC). Conventional treatment of UC has focused on suppressing immunological responses instead of addressing which are (UC) underlying causes. Recurrent UC is caused by oxidative stress and inflammation that lead to chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the colon and rectum. According to the findings, secondary metabolites in S. baicalensis L. callus cultures increased antioxidant activity. This improvement in oxidative activity was positively correlated with the potential to reduce UC in vivo.