Impact of different pre-treatment strategies on the quality of fatty acid composition, tocols content and metabolic syndrome related activities of Perilla frutescens seed oil

Perilla frutescens: A Rich Source of Pharmacological Active Compounds

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, an important pharmaceutical and nutraceutical crop, is widely cultivated in East Asian countries. In this review, we present the latest research findings on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of P. frutescens. Different databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, Agricola, Scifinder, Embase, ScienceDirect, DOAJ, and Web of Science, were searched to present the best review. In this review, we clearly represent the active constituents responsible for each and every pharmacological activity, plausible mechanism of action, and maximum inhibitory concentrations, as well as IC₅₀ values. Approximately 400 different bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, terpenoids, quinines, phenylpropanoids, polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, coumarins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, neolignans, fatty acids, polycosanols, tocopherols, and sitosterols, have been reported in the leaves, seeds, roots, and aerial parts of P. frutescens. The bioactive constituents of P. frutescens exhibited different enzyme-inhibition properties, including antihyaluronidase effects and aldose reductase inhibitory, α-glucosidase inhibitory, xanthine oxidase inhibitory, and tyrosinase inhibitory properties. P. frutescens showed strong anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anti-spasmodic, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. Hence, the active constituents of P. frutescens used in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy), prevention of hyperuricemia in gout patients, hyper pigmentation, allergic conditions, skin inflammation, skin allergy, atopic dermatitis, periodontosis, androgenic alopecia, gastric inflammation, oesophagitis, carcinogenesis, cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cerebral ischemic disorders. Furthermore, we revealed the most active constituents and possible mechanisms of the pharmacological properties of P. frutescens.

Response Surface Methodological Approach for Optimizing Theobroma cacao L. Oil Extraction

Theobroma cacao L. (Cocoa) is an agricultural product that is economically valuable worldwide; it is rich in bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids. These compounds are known for their anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, antiulcer, and immune-modulating properties. Cocoa powder and cocoa butter are the major cocoa seed products, and cocoa seed oil (CSO) is the least-studied cocoa seed product. CSO is used in several industries; therefore, optimizing the extraction of high-quality CSO is essential. We used response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the restriction dies, temperature, and sieve size to achieve a high yield and quality of CSO. The quality of the CSO was assessed according to total phenolic content (TPC), acid, and peroxide values, fatty acid content, and nitric oxide free radical scavenging activity. The highest yield (actual value: 46.10%; predicted value: 45.82%) was observed with the following restriction parameters: die size: 0.8 cm, temperature: 40 °C, and sieve size > 1.4 mm. The 2FI model for CSO extraction, the pressing time, the reduced quadratic model for acid value, the reduced cubic model for peroxide value, and the TPC showed that the model was significant. Our study primarily reported the impact of sieve size, restriction die, and temperature on CSO yield, acid, peroxide values, TPC of the CSO, and the influence of pressing time on the quantity and quality of the CSO. The high yield of CSO was of relatively lower quality. The temperature affected the yield, acid, peroxide values, TPC, and the nitric oxide free radical scavenging activity. In comparison, the fatty acid composition of the CSO was not affected by the processing temperature or sieve size. The results indicated that the extraction conditions must be chosen based on the application of the extracted oil. Further studies are warranted to confirm the results and further analyze other influential parameters during CSO extraction.

Collagenase and Melanogenesis Inhibitory Effects of Perilla Frutescens Pomace Extract and Its Efficacy in Topical Cosmetic Formulations

In previous studies, Perilla frutescens pomace was shown to contain bioactive phenolic compounds and good anti-oxidative activity. However, reports about collagenase activity and melanogenesis inhibitory effects of P. frutescens pomace are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the bioactivity of P. frutescens pomace extract and incorporate the extract into a cosmetic formulation for evaluating its effects on collagenase and melanogenesis inhibition on human skin. The P. frutescens seeds after an oil pressing process were extracted with ethanol (70% v/v) in order to examine the remaining phytochemical compounds, the bioactivity in pomace perilla, and its efficacy as a skincare product. In this study, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of P. frutescens seed extract (PFSE) were determined using spectrophotometry. The free radical scavenging activity was determined with 2, 2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) ABTS radicals. Additionally, the effects on collagenase activity, melanin content, and alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on the viability of cultured B16F10 melanoma cells were investigated. Skin irritation and efficacy of PFSE cream for skin elasticity and skin color were also clinically evaluated. The total phenolic content with gallic acid equivalents (GAE) value and total flavonoids content with catechin equivalents (CE) value were, respectively, 92.79 ± 1.19 and 56.02 ± 2.83 mg/g. Furthermore, PFSE significantly inhibited the collagenase activity (p < 0.001) at the concentration of 400 µg/mL (82 ± 3.23%). These results clearly demonstrated the anti-melanogenic effects on B16F10 cells without causing any cytotoxicity or death. Although there was a slight improvement in skin elasticity in the 4th week compared to the previous week, the 4th week melanin content of the skin significantly decreased from the beginning (p < 0.05) without any irritations. In conclusion, PFSE could be cosmetically considered as a key ingredient that effectively lessens the effects of skin aging and skin hyperpigmentation disorders.

Tissue distribution and enhanced in vivo anti-hyperlipidemic-antioxidant effects of perillaldehyde-loaded liposomal nanoformulation against Poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemia

An optimized perillaldehyde-loaded liposomal nanoformulation (PAH-LNF) was successfully applied to improve the pharmacological effect of perillaldehyde (PAH) in poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemia. Oral administration of PAH-LNF (240mg/kg per body weight) in rats significantly enhanced solubility and relative bioavailability (270.7%) compared to the free PAH with about 2.7-, 1.5-, 1.3-, 1.3- and 1.5-fold increase in AUC, T_1/2, MRT, C_max and T_max, respectively. Tissue distribution study also revealed the accumulation of PAH in the liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, brain and heart in order of decreasing affinity. Moreover, a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with simultaneous increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was observed in the chemically-induced hyperlipidemic mice which further confirmed PAH's anti-hyperlipidemic properties. Additionally, PAH-LNF also significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) with a concurrent decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) to affirm the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of PAH. Thus, liposomal nanoformulation promises to be a useful drug delivery system for the development of PAH.