Phenolic composition and antioxidant activities of saskatoon berry fruit and pomace

Resveratrol and nitric oxide synergistically enhance resistance against B. cinerea in tomato fruit by regulating phytohormones

Resveratrol (RVT), a plant antitoxin, plays an important role in plant resistance against pathogens. While nitric oxide (NO) as an essential signaling factor in disease resistance enhancement is well documented, the potential molecular interplay RVT and NO in postharvest tomato fruit defense against Botrytis cinerea (B.cinerea) still needs exploration. In this study, exogenous RVT reduced gray mold caused by B.cinerea in tomato fruit, with 20 μM being the most effective. Tomato fruit were treated with 20 μM RVT enhanced resistance against B.cinerea, as indicated by reduced symptoms of disease and improved activity of disease resistance related enzymes (PAL, PPO and CHI). In addition, RVT treatment improved the expression of SlPR1, SlLoxd and SlMYC2, and promoted the accumulation of plant hormone IAA and ABA, but reduced the expression of SlNPR1 and the level of GA3. More importantly, the combined treatment of NO donor (SNP) and RVT notably enhanced disease resistance compared to RVT or SNP single treatment. However, the combination of NO inhibitor (L-NNA) and RVT treatment even reduced the positive effect of RVT. Meanwhile, the expression of SlPR1, SlLoxd and SlMYC2 and the accumulation of IAA and ABA in RVT + SNP treated fruit were higher than those in the RVT or SNP single treatment. Thus, our data demonstrate that RVT and NO synergistically enhance resistance against B. cinerea in tomato fruit by regulating phytohormones.

Decoding the enhanced antioxidant activities of the combined small berry pomaces by widely targeted metabolomics analysis

Small berry pomaces (SBPs) are poorly utilized as an inexpensive source of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the impact of compounding treatment on nutritional and antioxidant characteristics of combined SBPs, in comparison with single SBP. The results showed that the amounts of protein, minerals, dietary fiber (DF) and anthocyanidins were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in combined SBPs than in combined fruits. Moreover, the combined SBPs were characterized by an elevated abundance of minerals and anthocyanidins (6 kinds, and 5 kinds, respectively), substantiating the effectiveness of compounding treatment on SBP nutrition. A total of 776 secondary phytochemicals were detected in combined SBPs by a widely targeted metabolomics approach. Each SBP contained approximately 100 kinds of unique natural antioxidants. Furthermore, the combined SBPs group had the highest antioxidant activity compared with single SBP. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activities determined in combined SBPs were higher than arithmetic mean value of single SBP. The synergism and interaction of active components in different sources of SBPs play vital role in the high antioxidant capacity of combined SBPs. All the results provide reference for the comprehensive development and utilization of fruit residues. The SBPs should be highly prized for their substantial amount of nutritional and bioactive constituents, including protein, DF, essential minerals and secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites are positively associated with antioxidant benefits. The present study summarizes the knowledge about bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of combined SBPs group and discusses the relevant mechanisms. A conclusion can be educed that combined process is an effective way to improve properties of the pomaces.

Effects of topping on rhizome, and analysis of chemical composition, antioxidant activity and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition of the aerial parts in Polygonatum cyrtonema

Polygonatum cyrtonema is a perennial plant, and it has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for food and medicine. The medicinal part of P.cyrtonema is the rhizome; however, the aerial part has not been studied. To understand the effect of the topping of aerial parts on the yield and chemical components of rhizomes, as well as the chemical constituents, antioxidant, and in vitro hypoglycemic activities of the aerial stem, leave, and flower parts of P.cyrtonema, the present study was conducted. The results showed that compared to the control (CK) treatment, the topping of the aerial part increased rhizome weight gain coefficient (3.43) and the total saponin content (37.60 mg/g) significantly (P<0.01) than the CK treatment. The contents of total phenols and total flavonoids in PCL and PCF were significantly (P<0.01) higher than those in rhizomes; however, the polysaccharide content (10.47%) in PCR (whole rhizome) was higher than that in PCS (3.65%), PCL (5.99%), and PCF (4.76%) content. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. PCS, PCL, and PCF showed strong antioxidant activity (DPPH, ·OH, ABTS, and FRAP), which were better than traditional medicinal parts (the rhizome).In vitro hypoglycemic results showed that PCS, PCL, and PCF had certain inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase (66.25% and 52.81%), which were close to the hypoglycemic activity of rhizomes (67.96% and 52.22%). The leaf extracts also showed better inhibitory activity. To sum up, the topping measures can improve yield and total saponin content of the rhizomes from P.cyrtonema, which can be applied to improve production. The stems, leaves, and flowers had a much stronger antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities and higher the total polyphenols, flavonoids, proteins, and amino acid content. Therefore, stems, leaves, and flowers of Polygonatum can be fully developed according to different needs. they are typically used in animal feed, food storage and cosmetics.

Effects of Ozone Application on Microbiological Stability and Content of Sugars and Bioactive Compounds in the Fruit of the Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.)

Saskatoon berry fruits are a valuable source of micro- and macronutrients, sugars, and compounds with health-promoting properties, the properties of which change during storage. This study presents the effects of applied gaseous ozone at 10 ppm for 15 and 30 min on microbiological stability, sugar content, and bioactive compounds for three cultivars and three clones of Saskatoon berry fruit. The ozonation process had a positive effect on reducing the microbial load of the fruit, which was observed on day 7 of storage for the two variants of ozonation time of 15 and 30 min compared to the control and also on the sugar profile of the “Thiessen” fruit, as well as clones no 5/6 and type H compared to the control sample, which was non-ozonated fruit. In the Saskatoon berry fruits analyzed, 21 polyphenolic compounds were identified, of which four belonged to the anthocyanin group whose main representative was the 3-O-glucoside cyanidin. The ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity (determined by DPPH· and ABTS⁺· methods) varied according to the cultivar and clone of the Saskatoon berry fruits analyzed and the ozone exposure time.

Effects of Post-Harvest Ozone Treatment on Some Molecular Stability Markers of Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. Fruit during Cold Storage

Fruits of Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. ex M. Roem. (Nutt.) are a good source of bioactive compounds and vitamins. Due to the fact that the berries are a soft fruit, they require special procedures to increase their molecular and mechanical stability during cold storage. The study investigated the effects of ozone treatment applied cyclically (every 24 h) on selected chemical and mechanical parameters of saskatoon berries kept in storage. For this purpose, measurements were performed to assess changes in some molecular markers such as antioxidant potential, content of vitamin C, and total polyphenols, as well as microbial stress and maximum destructive force under uniaxial compression of samples. The effectiveness of the storage process was also assessed in relation to the conditions used by determining the proportion of fruit affected by diseases occurring in storage. The findings show that ozone treatment led to increased content of bioactive compounds at the initial stages of storage and resulted in decreased loss of water and bioactive compounds at the later stages. Ultimately, irrespective of the conditions applied during ozone treatment, it was observed that the growth of micro-organisms on the fruit surface was inhibited, and as a result, storage losses during the relevant period were significantly reduced.

Effect of Ozone-Treated or Untreated Saskatoon Fruits (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) Applied as an Additive on the Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Fruit Beers

Fruit of Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) are a good source of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, including anthocyanins, as well as vitamins, macro- and microelements and fibre. By treating Saskatoon fruits with gaseous ozone, and adding the material as an enhancer to barley beers, it is possible to impact the contents of bioactive compounds in the produced fruit beers. Sensory tests showed that beers made from barley with addition of Saskatoon fruit of the ‘Smoky’ cultivar were characterised by the most balanced taste and aroma. Physicochemical analyses of fruit beers, produced with Saskatoon fruit pulp added on the seventh day of fermentation, showed that the beers enhanced with ozone-treated and untreated ‘Smoky’ Saskatoon fruits had the highest contents of alcohol, 5.51% v/v and 5.66% v/v, respectively, as well as total polyphenol contents of 395 mg GAE/L and 401 mg GAE/L, respectively, and higher antioxidant activity (assessed using DPPH^•, FRAP and ABTS^+• assays). It was demonstrated that the ozonation process led to a decrease in the contents of neochlorogenic acid, on average by 91.00%, and of caffeic acid by 20.62%, relative to the beers enhanced with ‘Smoky’ Saskatoon fruits not subjected to ozone treatment. The present study shows that Saskatoon fruits can be used in the production of beer, and the Canadian cultivar ‘Smoky’ is recommended for this purpose.

Optimization of Extraction Process and the Antioxidant Activity Spectrum-effect Relationship of Angelica dahurica

Despite the large number of studies indicating that Angelica dahurica has strong antioxidant capacity, there are no clear details on the specific antioxidant components involved. In this study, the chromatograms and antioxidant activity of A. dahurica were obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The factors affecting free radical scavenging were investigated under different extraction conditions, on the basis of the single factor experiment. The results showed that the optimum conditions for the DPPH method were ultrasonic extraction, using 80 % methanol as extract the extraction solvent, 20:1 (mL/g) ratio of liquid to material, and the extraction time was 30 min. Furthermore, the spectrum-effect relationship between the GC-MS chromatograms and the antioxidant effect of A. dahurica was established, to evaluate the antioxidant components of A. dahurica using multiple data analysis methods. Isoimperatorin and byakangelicol made the greatest contribution to scavenging DPPH free radicals and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. This result may provide the basis for developing new and effective products based on the antioxidant ingredients of A. dahurica.

Haskap Berry Phenolic Subclasses Differentially Impact Cellular Stress Sensing in Primary and Immortalized Dermal Fibroblasts

It is generally accepted that dietary phenolics from fruits are of significant importance to human health. Unfortunately, there is minimal published data on how differences in phenolic structure(s) impact biological pathways at cellular and molecular levels. We observed that haskap berry extracts isolated with ethanol:formic acid:water or phenolic subclass fractions separated using different concentrations of ethanol (40% and 100%) impacted cell growth in a positive manner. All fractions and extracts significantly increased population doubling times. All extracts and fractions reduced intracellular free radicals; however, there were differences in these effects, indicating different abilities to scavenge free radicals. The extracts and fractions also exhibited differing impacts on transcripts encoding the antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD1, GPX1, GSS and HMOX1) and the phosphorylation state of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). We further observed that extracts and fractions containing different phenolic structures had divergent impacts on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). siRNA-mediated knockdown of SIRT1 transcripts demonstrated that this enzyme is key to eliciting haskap phenolic(s) impact on cells. We postulate that phenolic synergism is of significant importance when evaluating their dietary impact.

Phenolic compounds in Nordic berry species and their application as potential natural food preservatives

An increasing demand for natural food preservatives is raised by consumers. For Nordic berry species, abundance of phenolic compounds and potent activities of anti-oxidation and anti-bacteria enables a great potential as food preservatives. This review provides a systematic examination of current literature on phenolic profiles, anti-oxidative and anti-bacterial activities of various extracts of Nordic berry species, as well as the impact of various structure features of phenolics on the bioactivities. Special attention is placed on exploitation of leaves of berry species and pomaces after juice-pressing as side-streams of berry production and processing. The current progress and challenges in application of Nordic berry species as food preservatives are discussed. To fully explore the potential application of Nordic berry species in food industry and especially to valorize the side-streams of berry cultivation (leaves) and juice-pressing industry (pomaces), it is crucial to obtain extracts and fractions with targeted phenolic composition, which have high food preserving efficacy and minimal impact on sensory qualities of food products.

Impact of Cyanidin-3-Glucoside on Gut Microbiota and Relationship with Metabolism and Inflammation in High Fat-High Sucrose Diet-Induced Insulin Resistant Mice

The present study assessed the effects of freeze-dried cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), an anthocyanin enriched in dark-red berries, compared to Saskatoon berry powder (SBp) on metabolism, inflammatory markers and gut microbiota in high fat-high sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced insulin-resistant mice. Male C57 BL/6J mice received control, HFHS, HFHS + SBp (8.0 g/kg/day) or HFHS + C3G (7.2 mg/kg/day, equivalent C3G in SBp) diet for 11 weeks. The HFHS diet significantly increased plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers. The HFHS + SBp diet increased the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes (B/F) ratio and relative abundance of Muriculaceae family bacteria in mouse feces detected using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The HFHS + SBp or HFHS + C3G diet attenuated glucose, lipids, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers, and increased the B/F ratio and Muriculaceae relative abundance compared to the HFHS diet alone. The relative abundances of Muriculaceae negatively correlated with body weight, glucose, lipids, insulin resistance and inflammatory mediators. Functional predication analysis suggested that the HFHS diet upregulated gut bacteria genes involved in inflammation, and downregulated bacteria involved in metabolism. C3G and SBp partially neutralized HFHS diet-induced alterations of gut bacteria. The results suggest that C3G is a potential prebiotic, mitigating HFHS diet-induced disorders in metabolism, inflammation and gut dysbiosis, and that C3G contributes to the metabolic beneficial effects of SBp.

The Impact of Maltodextrin and Inulin on the Protection of Natural Antioxidants in Powders Made of Saskatoon Berry Fruit, Juice, and Pomace as Functional Food Ingredients

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of inulin and maltodextrin applied during vacuum drying of Saskatoon berry fruit, juice, and pomace on the retention of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity (radical scavenging capacity (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP)) of powders obtained. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS) was used to identify major groups of polyphenolic compounds, such as: flavan-3-ols (35% of all polyphenols for fruit powder, 33% for juice powder, and 39% for pomace powders of all polyphenols), anthocyanins (26% for fruit powder, 5% for juice powder, and 34% for pomace), phenolic acids (33% for fruit powder, 55% for juice powder, and 20% for pomace powder), and flavanols (6% for fruit powder, 6% for juice powder, and 7% for pomace powder). In general, the content of polyphenols was more dependent on the content than on the type of carrier used for drying, regardless of the matrix tested. The average sum of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity (for ABTS and FRAP assay) of the powders with 30% of carrier addition were 5054.2 mg/100 g dry matter (d.m.) as well as 5.3 and 3.6 mmol Trolox/100 g d.m. in the ABTS and FRAP tests, respectively. The increase in carrier concentration by 20% caused a decrease of 1.5-fold in the content of polyphenols and a 1.6-fold and 1.5-fold in the antioxidant potential, regardless of the matrix tested. The principal component analysis (PCA) analysis indicated that the freeze-drying process led to the lowest degradation of the identified compounds, regardless of the matrix tested, with the exception of juice and pomace powders dried by vacuum drying at 60 °C. In this case, the release of (−)-epicatechin was observed, causing an increase in the flavanol contents. Thus, this work demonstrated the effect of processing and matrix composition on the preservation of antioxidant bioactives in Saskatoon berry powders. Properly designed high-quality Saskatoon berry powders with the mentioned carriers may be used as nutraceutical additives to fortify food products and to improve their functional properties.

Optimizing High Pressure Processing Parameters to Produce Milkshakes Using Chokeberry Pomace

High hydrostatic pressure is a non-thermal treatment of great interest because of its importance for producing food with additional or enhanced benefits above their nutritional value. In the present study, the effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing parameters (200–500 MPa; 1–10 min) is investigated through response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the treatment conditions, maximizing the phenol content and antioxidant capacity while minimizing microbiological survival, in milkshakes prepared with chokeberry pomace (2.5–10%). The measurement of fluorescence intensity of the samples was used as an indicator of total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the intensity of the treatments had different effects on the milkshakes. The RSM described that the greatest retention of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity with minimum microbiological survival were found at 500 MPa for 10 min and 10% (w/v) chokeberry pomace. Therefore, this study offers the opportunity to develop microbiologically safe novel dairy products of high nutritional quality.

Saskatoon Berry Amelanchier alnifolia Regulates Glucose Metabolism and Improves Cardiovascular and Liver Signs of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a potential functional food containing anthocyanins and flavonols, as well as ellagitannins and phenolic acids. We have determined the potential therapeutic effects of Saskatoon berry in diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Nine- to ten-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups. Two groups were fed on control diets, either corn starch (C) or high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (H) respectively, for 16 weeks. Two further groups were fed on C or H diet for 16 weeks with Saskatoon berry powder added to the diet for the final 8 weeks (CSSK, HSSK). After 16 weeks, H rats showed symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including increased body weight, visceral adiposity, systolic blood pressure, cardiac fibrosis, plasma concentrations of triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids, and plasma activities of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase. Saskatoon berry intervention normalised body weight and adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, decreased systolic blood pressure, improved heart and liver structure and function with decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells, and decreased plasma total cholesterol. Further, Saskatoon berry normalised liver expression of hexokinase 1 and glycogen phosphorylase and increased glucose 6-phosphatase relative to H rats. These results suggest that Saskatoon berry regulates glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis to improve metabolic syndrome.

Characterization of Flavonoid Compounds in Common Swedish Berry Species

Berries are considered an ideal source of polyphenols, especially from the flavonoid group. In this study, we examined the flavonoid content in 16 varieties of Swedish lingonberry, raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry. Nineteen flavonoids were simultaneously quantified using external standards. An additional 29 flavonoids were tentatively identified using MS as no standards were available. Quantification was done using HPLC-UV after optimization of chromatographic and extraction procedures. The method showed high linearity within the range of 2-100 μg/mL (correlation co-efficient >0.999), intra- and inter-day precision of 1.7-7.3% and average recovery above 84% for all compounds. Blueberries and lingonberries were found to contain higher contents of flavonoids (1100 mg/100 g dry weight) than raspberries and strawberries (500 mg/100 g dry weight). Anthocyanins were the dominant flavonoids in all berries. The tentatively characterized compounds contribute 18%, 29%, 61%, and 67% of the total flavonoid content in strawberries, lingonberries, raspberries, and blueberries, respectively. Overall, Swedish berries were shown to be good sources of polyphenols.

Analysis of β-lactoglobulin–epigallocatechin gallate interactions: the antioxidant capacity and effects of polyphenols under different heating conditions in polyphenolic–protein interactions

A β-Lg-EGCG covalent conjugate is formed by linking the amino group of a lysine residue and EGCG; the antioxidant capacity of EGCG induced by β-Lg–EGCG covalent conjugates causes a significant decrease.

Anti-Microbiological, Anti-Hyperglycemic and Anti-Obesity Potency of Natural Antioxidants in Fruit Fractions of Saskatoon Berry

The aim of the present work was to evaluate for content of phytochemicals (monophosphate nucleotides, free amino acids, polyphenols), and for anti-microbiological, anti-diabetic (ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase), and antioxidant activities in seven selected fruit and fruit fractions of Amelanchier alnifolia. Most of the fruit and fruit fractions analyzed in this study have not been examined in this respect until now. The content of monophosphate nucleotides and free amino acids were tested by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS). The distribution of the examined compounds and biological activity differed significantly depending on the tested fruit and parts of the fruit. Cultivars “Smoky” and “Thiessen” had a high content of essential free amino acids, monophosphate nucleotides, and the highest antioxidant activity. They were also accountable for the high ability to inhibit Enterococcus hirae (anti-bacterial activity), of activity toward α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase. Moreover, the fruit peel was abundant in polyphenolic compounds and showed the highest antioxidative activity, which were strongly correlated with each other. In addition, the peel was characterized by a high concentration of monophosphate nucleotides, free amino acids, and were responsible above all for the strong ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase enzymes contributing to the development of obesity. The seeds were rich in uridine 5’-monophosphate, and total essential and non-essential free amino acids, whose contents correlated with the inhibitory activity toward α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The fruit flesh showed a high content of total free amino acids (hydroxy-L-proline, O-phosphoethanolamine, L-citruline). There was a positive correlation between antioxidant capacity and the content of polyphenolic compounds, nucleotide, and ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, and between anti-hyperglycemic and free amino acids in fruits and fruit fractions. Therefore, the tested fruit of A. alnifolia and their fractions could be essential ingredients of new functional products and/or probiotic food.