Phenolic and triterpenoid composition and inhibition of α-amylase of pistachio kernels ( Pistacia vera L.) as affected by rootstock and irrigation treatment

Protective Effects of Medicinal Plant-Based Foods against Diabetes: A Review on Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Molecular Mechanisms

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a range of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by defects in insulin release, insulin action, or both. DM is a widespread condition that affects a substantial portion of the global population, causing high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of this major public health crisis is predicted to increase in the forthcoming years. Although several drugs are available to manage DM, these are associated with adverse side effects, which limits their use. In underdeveloped countries, where such drugs are often costly and not widely available, many people continue to rely on alternative traditional medicine, including medicinal plants. The latter serves as a source of primary healthcare and plant-based foods in many low- and middle-income countries. Interestingly, many of the phytochemicals they contain have been demonstrated to possess antidiabetic activity such as lowering blood glucose levels, stimulating insulin secretion, and alleviating diabetic complications. Therefore, such plants may provide protective effects that could be used in the management of DM. The purpose of this article was to review the medicinal plant-based foods traditionally used for the management of DM, including their therapeutic effects, pharmacologically active phytoconstituents, and antidiabetic mode of action at the molecular level. It also presents future avenues for research in this field.

Microwave-Assisted Extraction Coupled to HPLC-UV Combined with Chemometrics for the Determination of Bioactive Compounds in Pistachio Nuts and the Guarantee of Quality and Authenticity

Two novel microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) methods were developed for the isolation of phenols and tocopherols from pistachio nuts. The extracts were analyzed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a UV detector (RP-HPLC-UV). In total, eighteen pistachio samples, originating from Greece and Turkey, were analyzed and thirteen phenolic compounds, as well as α-tocopherol, (β + γ)-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol, were identified. The analytical methods were validated and presented good linearity (r² > 0.990) and a high recovery rate over the range of 82.4 to 95.3% for phenols, and 93.1 to 96.4% for tocopherols. Repeatablility was calculated over the range 1.8–5.8%RSD for intra-day experiments, and reproducibility over the range 3.2–9.4%RSD for inter-day experiments, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to analyze the differences between the concentrations of the bioactive compounds with respect to geographical origin, while agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) was used to cluster the samples based on their similarity and according to the geographical origin.

Nanoliposomal formulation of pistachio hull extract: preparation, characterization and anti-cancer evaluation through Bax/Bcl2 modulation

BACKGROUND

Pistachio is one of the main crops in Iran. Pistachio green hull, as a by-product of this fruit, is obtained in large quantities after the processing of pistachios. This novel work was designed to examine the possible anti-cancer impact of the pistachio hull extract in the liposomal form (PHEL) on HepG2 cells.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The thin-film hydration approach was used for preparing liposomes and the physicochemical features of the liposomes were subsequently characterized. Afterward, apoptosis and the expression of genes related to apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. According to the results, the size range of PHEL was between 198 and 201 nm with a negative surface charge of - 39.2 to - 42.9 mV. As revealed by the flow cytometry results, this liposomal extract exhibits good potential for the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the qPCR results demonstrated the up-regulation of p53 and Bax expressions and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression with an associated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio up-regulation.

CONCLUSION

The flow cytometry and real-time PCR results indicated the potential of this liposomal extract as an anti-cancer drug candidate for the treatment of liver cancer in the future, and the mitochondrial pathway involving the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio can mediate its impact.

Advances in Rootstock Breeding of Nut Trees: Objectives and Strategies

The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns and the nutritional value of their products. With the increasing role and importance given to nuts (i.e., walnuts, hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, almond) in a balanced and healthy diet and their benefits to human health, breeding of the nuts species has also been stepped up. Most recent fruit breeding programs have focused on scion genetic improvement. However, the use of locally adapted grafted rootstocks also enhanced the productivity and quality of tree fruit crops. Grafting is an ancient horticultural practice used in nut crops to manipulate scion phenotype and productivity and overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. There are complex rootstock breeding objectives and physiological and molecular aspects of rootstock-scion interactions in nut crops. In this review, we provide an overview of these, considering the mechanisms involved in nutrient and water uptake, regulation of phytohormones, and rootstock influences on the scion molecular processes, including long-distance gene silencing and trans-grafting. Understanding the mechanisms resulting from rootstock × scion × environmental interactions will contribute to developing new rootstocks with resilience in the face of climate change, but also of the multitude of diseases and pests.

How does water stress affect the low molecular weight phenolics of hydroSOStainable almonds?

Water scarcity is a threat for food production because, water, is more and more limited and force farmers to use new deficit irrigation (DI) strategies without affecting fruit yield and quality. No information exists on almond polyphenols and proanthocyanidins (PAs) produced under DI. The present work studied the effect of 2 regulated DI (RDI) and one sustained (SDI) on the low molecular weight phenolics together with the antioxidant activity (AA) in almonds. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified (13 flavonoids and 2 non-flavonoids) and 10 PAs. Kaempferol-3-O-galactoside was the predominant compound in almond skin and whole kernel but it was not found in deskinned kernels. The use of moderate RDI significantly increased the total phenolic content in skin (∼9.8%), PAs, and the AA. Consequently, after one season the application of DI positively affected the almond cv. Vairo phenols, however, several seasons must be evaluated in order to corroborate the present results.

Phytoprostanes and Phytofurans-Oxidative Stress and Bioactive Compounds-in Almonds are Affected by Deficit Irrigation in Almond Trees

Almonds have gained consumers' attention due to their health benefits (they are rich in bioactive compounds) and sensory properties. Nevertheless, information about phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) and phytofurans (PhytoFs) (new plant markers of oxidative stress and compounds with biological properties for human health) in almonds under deficit irrigation is scarce or does not exist. These compounds are plant oxylipins synthesized by the oxidation of α-linolenic acid (ALA). Besides, they are biomarkers of plant oxidative degradation and biologically active molecules involved in several plant defense mechanisms. hydroSOStainable or hydroSOS mean plant foods made from from plants under controlled water stress. Almonds are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty (PUFAs) acids, including a high content of ALA. This paper aimed to describe the influence of diverse irrigation treatments on in vitro anti-oxidant activity (AAc) and total phenolic content (TPC), as well as on the level of ALA, PhytoP, and PhytoF in "Vairo" almonds. The AAc and TPC were not affected by the irrigation strategy, while the in vivo oxidative stress makers, PhytoPs and PhytoFs, exhibited significant differences in response to water shortage. The total PhytoP and PhytoF contents ranged from 4551 to 8151 ng/100 g dry weight (dw) and from 33 to 56 ng/100 g dw, respectively. The PhytoP and PhytoF profiles identified in almonds showed significant differences among treatments. Individual PhytoPs and PhytoFs were present above the limit of detection only in almonds obtained from trees maintained under deficit irrigation (DI) conditions (regulated deficit irrigation, RDI, and sustained deficit irrigation, SDI) but not in control almonds obtained from fully irrigated trees. Therefore, these results confirm PhytoPs and PhytoFs as valuable biomarkers to detect whether an almond-based product is hydroSOStainable. As a final conclusion, it can be stated that almond quality and functionality can be improved and water irrigation consumption can be reduced if controlled DI strategies are applied in almond orchards.

Antidiabetic and Anticholinesterase Properties of Extracts and Pure Metabolites of Fruit Stems of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

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Five metabolites were isolated by chromatographic methods from the fruit stems of P. vera and their chemical structures were characterized as masticadienonic acid (1), tirucallol (2), masticadienolic acid (3), pistachionic acid (4) and inulobiose (5) via FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 1D-NMR and 2D-NMR. Pistachionic acid (4), a new shikimic acid derivative, was isolated from the ethanol extract for the first time. The hexane, chloroform, ethanol extracts and pure metabolites exhibited antidiabetic properties by inhibiting α- glycosidase and α-amylase enzymes at different rates. Their inhibitory effects against the α- glycosidase enzyme were also higher than that of the acarbose (IC50=10.30 mg/mL). Masticadienolic acid (3) (IC50=0.03 mg/mL), masticadienonic acid (1) (IC50=0.13 mg/mL) and hexane extract (IC50=0.09 mg/mL) with the lowest IC50 values were found to be most active substances. Nevertheless, the inhibitory effect of acarbose against the α-amylase enzyme was determined to be higher than the inhibition effects of the extracts and pure metabolites. According to the IC50 values, the best inhibitors against the α-amylase were ethanol extract (IC50=5.17 mg/mL), pistachionic acid (4) (IC50=7.35 mg/mL), tirucallol (2) (IC50=7.58 mg/mL) and masticadienolic acid (3) (IC50=8.22 mg/mL), respectively among the applications. In addition, anticholinesterase properties of the extracts and pure metabolites were investigated by testing the inhibitory properties against acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and butrylcholine esterase (BChE) enzymes activities. The results showed that the anticholinesterase properties of all extracts and pure metabolites were weaker than those of the commercial cholinesterase inhibitors, neostigmine and galantamine, and all applications reduced the activity of these enzymes at very high concentrations.

Volatile, Sensory and Functional Properties of HydroSOS Pistachios

Climate change, the increase in world population, and the intensification of urban and industrial activities, will cause a shortage of water for agriculture. This situation requires conscientious studies to manage water deficits without affecting the quality of the crops. In this study, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies and three rootstocks (P. atlantica, P. integerrima, and P. terebinthus) were applied to pistachio cultivation to study the quality of fruits obtained based on the morphological, functional, aroma, and their sensory properties. The results obtained demonstrated that RDI T1 (during phenological phase II of cultivation the stem water potential was maintained around −1.5 MPa) led to pistachios with same morphological properties, total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, volatile composition, sensory properties, better profile of fatty acids, and being the favorite ones for international consumers, as compared to pistachios obtained under full irrigation treatments. On the other hand, when P. integerrima was used, pistachios obtained had the highest weight, the lowest content of sucrose and the best functional properties.

Functional and sensory properties of pistachio nuts as affected by cultivar

BACKGROUND

Modern agriculture allows farmers to choose among different cultivars of the same fruit to fulfill their agronomic needs and consumers' demands; however, there are only a few studies that describe and compare key functional and sensory properties of different pistachio cultivars. The main objective of this study was to compare eight pistachio cultivars by analyzing key functional properties (phenolic compounds, polymeric procyanidins, antioxidant activity, and inhibition of α-amylase and β-glucosidase), aromatic compounds with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and by examining their sensory properties with a trained panel.

RESULTS

A combination of LC-PDA-MS-QTof (liquid chromatography photodiode array quadrupole time-off flight mass spectrometry) and electrospray ionization was used to determine two phenolic acids, nine flavonols, one anthocyanin, and three flavan-3-ols in pistachio cultivars, with a total concentration ranging from 500 to 6065 mg 100 g^-1 dry weight (dw). The total polymeric procyanidins concentrations oscillated between 348 and 5919 mg 100 g^-1 dw, (-)-epicatechin being the major monomer contributor. Pinene was the most abundant volatile compound (∼200 mg kg^-1 dw), and, in the sensory analysis of samples, 23 sensory attributes were found to differ significantly among the cultivars.

CONCLUSION

The cultivar 'Larnaka' stood out as having the best functional profile (high polyphenolic content, high antioxidant activity, and high values of α-amylase and β-glucosidase inhibition), and the cultivars 'Kastel' and 'Kerman' showed the most attractive sensory properties, mainly the most intense flavor. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antioxidant, Antimutagenic and Cytoprotective Properties of Hydrosos Pistachio Nuts

Pistachio nuts are included among the foods with the highest antioxidant capacity. Stressed cultivating conditions, such as the use of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), are expected to create a plant response that might increase the production of secondary metabolites. Fruits that are obtained under RDI treatments are commonly called hydroSOS products. The aim of this work was to study the influence of using different rootstocks (P. atlantica, P. integerrima, and P. terebinthus) and two RDI treatments on the antioxidant (ABTS, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH), antimutagenic (Ames test), and cytotoxicity (MTT assay in five human cell lines) activities of pistachios. P. terebinthus showed the best antioxidant activity, and the RDI treatments maintained and improved the antioxidant properties of pistachios. Neither the rootstock nor the RDI had significant impact on the antimutagenic potential of pistachios. The nut extracts had no toxic effect on non-cancerous cells and the application of RDI did not reduce their cytoprotective capacity. Furthermore, neither rootstock nor RDI treatments affected the ability of the pistachio extracts of preventing the oxidative damage by H₂O₂. The application of RDI strategies, in addition to allowing irrigation water saving, led to obtaining pistachios with the same or even better biofunctional characteristics as compared to fully irrigated pistachios.

Comprehensive Study of the Phenolic Compound Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Eight Pistachio Cultivars and Their Residual Cakes and Virgin Oils

Phenolic compounds of eight pistachio ( Pistacia vera L.) cultivars and their residual cakes and virgin oils (screw pressing) were studied using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 25 compounds were identified and quantified for pistachio nuts and residual cakes, with the presence of five flavonols, six flavanols, and one gallotannin being reported for the first time. Total phenolics in pistachio nuts showed a concentration from 1359 mg/kg (Kastel) to 4507 mg/kg (Larnaka). Flavanols were the most abundant phenolics, at about 90%, with resulting procyanidin B1 and gallocatechin being the main phenolics, depending upon the cultivar. Other phenolic groups, such as anthocyanins (from 54 to 218 mg/kg), flavonols (from 76 to 130 mg/kg), flavanones (from 12 to 71 mg/kg), and gallotannins (from 4 to 46 mg/kg), were also identified. Residual cakes presented the same phenolic profile but with a concentration almost double because of the concentration effect caused by the oil separation. Virgin pistachio oils showed a very low phenolic content, with eriodyctiol being the only compound identified.