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Benedetti G, Flori L, Spezzini J, Miragliotta V, Lazzarini G, Pirone A, Meneguzzo C, Tagliavento L, Martelli A, Antonelli M, Donelli D, Faraloni C, Calderone V, Meneguzzo F, Testai L. Improved Cardiovascular Effects of a Novel Pomegranate Byproduct Extract Obtained through Hydrodynamic Cavitation. Nutrients 2024; 16:506. [PMID: 38398831 PMCID: PMC10893178 DOI: 10.3390/nu16040506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The healthy properties of pomegranate fruit, a highly consumed food, have been known for a long time. However, the pomegranate supply chain is still rather inefficient, with the non-edible fraction, whose weight is roughly half the total and is endowed with plenty of valuable bioactive compounds, either disposed of or underutilized. A novel extract obtained from non-edible byproducts (called PPE), using hydrodynamic cavitation, a green, efficient, and scalable technique, was investigated for its cardiovascular effects in vivo. PPE showed efficacy in an acute phenylephrine (PE)-induced hypertensive rat model, similar to the extract of whole fruit (PFE) obtained using the same extractive technique, along with good intestinal bioaccessibility after oral administration. Finally, when chronically administered for 6 weeks to spontaneously hypertensive rats, PPE was shown to significantly contain the increase in systolic blood pressure, comparable to the reference drug Captopril, and at a dose remarkably lower than the reported effective dose of ellagic acid. The extract from the non-edible fraction of the pomegranate fruit also showed good anti-inflammation and anti-fibrotic effects. The findings of this study, along with the extraction technique, could contribute to enhancing the value of the pomegranate supply chain, relieve the related environmental burden, and potentially improve public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Benedetti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
| | - Lorenzo Flori
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
| | - Jacopo Spezzini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Miragliotta
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.M.); (G.L.); (A.P.)
- Interdepartmental Research Centre of Ageing Biology and Pathology, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Centro per l’Integrazione della Strumentazione Scientifica dell’Università di Pisa (CISUP), Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Lazzarini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.M.); (G.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Andrea Pirone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.M.); (G.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Cosimo Meneguzzo
- HyRes Srl, Via Salvator Rosa 18, 82100 Benevento, Italy; (C.M.); (L.T.)
| | - Luca Tagliavento
- HyRes Srl, Via Salvator Rosa 18, 82100 Benevento, Italy; (C.M.); (L.T.)
| | - Alma Martelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
- Interdepartmental Research Centre of Ageing Biology and Pathology, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michele Antonelli
- Department of Public Health, AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy;
| | - Davide Donelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy;
- Division of Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Cecilia Faraloni
- Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council of Italy, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Florence, Italy; (C.F.); (F.M.)
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
- Interdepartmental Research Centre of Ageing Biology and Pathology, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Meneguzzo
- Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council of Italy, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Florence, Italy; (C.F.); (F.M.)
| | - Lara Testai
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.B.); (L.F.); (J.S.); (A.M.); (V.C.)
- Interdepartmental Research Centre of Ageing Biology and Pathology, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Centro per l’Integrazione della Strumentazione Scientifica dell’Università di Pisa (CISUP), Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy
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Benedetti G, Zabini F, Tagliavento L, Meneguzzo F, Calderone V, Testai L. An Overview of the Health Benefits, Extraction Methods and Improving the Properties of Pomegranate. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1351. [PMID: 37507891 PMCID: PMC10376364 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a polyphenol-rich edible food and medicinal plant of ancient origin, containing flavonols, anthocyanins, and tannins, with ellagitannins as the most abundant polyphenols. In the last decades, its consumption and scientific interest increased, due to its multiple beneficial effects. Pomegranate is a balausta fruit, a large berry surrounded by a thick colored peel composed of exocarp and mesocarp with edible arils inside, from which the pomegranate juice can be produced by pressing. Seeds are used to obtain the seed oil, rich in fatty acids. The non-edible part of the fruit, the peel, although generally disposed as a waste or transformed into compost or biogas, is also used to extract bioactive products. This review summarizes some recent preclinical and clinical studies on pomegranate, which highlight promising beneficial effects in several fields. Although further insight is needed on key aspects, including the limited oral bioavailability and the role of possible active metabolites, the ongoing development of suitable encapsulation and green extraction techniques enabling the valorization of waste pomegranate products point to the great potential of pomegranate and its bioactive constituents as dietary supplements or adjuvants in therapies of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Benedetti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56120 Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Zabini
- Istituto per la Bioeconomia, CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Meneguzzo
- Istituto per la Bioeconomia, CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Interdeparmental Center of Nutrafood, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 56120 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lara Testai
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56120 Pisa, Italy
- Interdeparmental Center of Nutrafood, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 56120 Pisa, Italy
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Adiba A, Razouk R, Haddioui A, Ouaabou R, Hamdani A, Kouighat M, Hssaini L. FTIR spectroscopy-based lipochemical fingerprints involved in pomegranate response to water stress. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16687. [PMID: 37292337 PMCID: PMC10245267 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pomegranate trees are known for their ability to withstand drought conditions, but there is still much to learn about how water stress affects the lipobiochemical behavior of their seeds. This study aimed to investigate how sustained deficit irrigation (SDI-50), equivalent to 50% of crop evapotranspiration, influences pomegranate seed oil attributes such as phenols, flavonoids, and tannins content, and the seeds' lipochemical fingerprints compared to fully irrigated trees. At the full ripening stage, pomegranate seeds were analyzed for their oil content, biochemical traits, and vibrational fingerprints using infrared radiation. The results indicated that there was a significant genotypic effect coupled with applied water stress on all the investigated traits. Interestingly, an increasing trend in seed oil yield was observed under water stress conditions compared to the control, with the highest oil yield increase observed in the 'Zheri Precoce' fruit seeds. Only two cultivars did not show the same pattern, with the oil yield increase ranging from 8% to 100%. Furthermore, SDI-50 induced a substantial increase in total phenolic content, coupled with a significant genotypic effect, and resulted in an average increase of 7.5%. This increase in total phenolics also correlated with an increase in antioxidant activity across all investigated cultivars. ATR-FTIR fingerprinting revealed eleven spectral fingerprints corresponding to functional groups present in pomegranate seeds oil, with a particular pattern of significant effects of both genotypic and SDI-50 factors. These results suggest that exploiting water scarcity conditions could be a viable approach to improve the quantitative and qualitative attributes of pomegranate seed oil. While there are still several aspects to be investigated further, this study provides a basis for pomegranate processing under water shortage conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atman Adiba
- National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, 10090, Rabat, Morocco
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Plant Genetic Resources, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, BP 523, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Rachid Razouk
- National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, 10090, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Abdelmajid Haddioui
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Plant Genetic Resources, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, BP 523, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Rachida Ouaabou
- Environmental Technologies, Biotechnology and Valorization of Bio-Resources Team, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco
| | - Anas Hamdani
- National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, 10090, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Mohammed Kouighat
- National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, 10090, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Lahcen Hssaini
- National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, 10090, Rabat, Morocco
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Kryzhko AV, Smagliy NN. Effect of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> strains on growth and metabolic processes in <i>Pisum sativum</i> L. sprouts. PROCEEDINGS OF UNIVERSITIES. APPLIED CHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.21285/2227-2925-2022-12-4-557-565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Although the entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner are well-known bio-agents for regulating the population of leaf-eating pests of agricultural and ornamental crops, other agricultural properties of this microorganism are promising. In this work, the growth-stimulating effect of entomopathogenic strains of B. thuringiensis on Deviz pea plants was studied. The entomopathogenic strains B. thuringiensis 685, 926 and 109-C obtained from the Crimean Collection of Microorganisms of the Crimean Agricultural Research Institute, registered online (http://www.ckp-rf.ru) with number 507484, were used as research material. The morphometric parameters of pea sprouts were evaluated following standard methods. Biochemical parameters of pea sprouts were determined for 10-day-old sprouts. The amylase activity of pea sprouts was determined by photocalorimetry; total acidity was measured by titration using 0.1 n NaOH solution; total water-soluble phenolic compounds were determined by Leventhal titrimetric method. It was found that liquid spore culture of strains B. thuringiensis 685, 926 and 109-C had a stimulating effect on the length of root and stem and the weight of 10-day-old sprouts of Deviz pea variety. Treatment with a spore suspension of all tested strains B. thuringiensis led to an increase in the content of organic acids in the sprouts by an average of 12.4% compared with that of the control. Maximum stimulating effect on amylolytic activity and synthesis of phenolic compounds in Deviz pea sprouts was achieved by treating with a spore suspension of the strain B. thuringiensis 926. The amylase activity increased on average by 41.5% when compared to that of the control, while the total content of phenolic compounds in this experiment was 2.3 times higher than that of the control. Therefore, in light of the entomopathogenic properties and the obtained data on the growth-stimulating activity of the strains of B. thuringiensis, it can be concluded that these bacteria have additional potential for their use in agriculture as a bio-agent for plant protection having a complex action.
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