Plant cell cultures of Nordic berry species: Phenolic and carotenoid profiling and biological assessments

Untargeted phytochemical profiling and biological activity of small yellow onion (Allium flavum L.) from different regions of Romania

This study examined the phytochemical profiles (mainly phenolics, carotenoids, and organosulfur compounds) and biological effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Allium flavum (AF), a species of the Allium genus commonly known as small yellow onion. Unsupervised and supervised statistical approaches revealed clear differences between extracts prepared with samples collected from different areas of Romania. Overall, the AFFF (AF flowers collected from Făget) extract was the best source of polyphenols, also showing the highest antioxidant capacity evaluated through both in vitro DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC anti-radical scavenging assays and cell-based OxHLIA and TBARS assays. All the tested extracts exhibited α-glucosidase inhibition potential, while only the AFFF extract exhibited anti-lipase inhibitory activity. The phenolic subclasses annotated were positively correlated with the assessed antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. Our findings suggested that A. flavum has bioactive properties worth exploring further, being a potential edible flower with health-promoting implications.

Catabolism of polyphenols released from mung bean coat and its effects on gut microbiota during in vitro simulated digestion and colonic fermentation

Mung bean coat is a good source of dietary polyphenols. In this study,in vitro simulated digestion and colonic fermentation were performed to investigate the release of polyphenols from mung bean coat and their bioactivities. Polyphenols released by colonic fermentation were much higher than those released by digestion and reached a peak at 12 h, resulting in higher antioxidant capacities (DPPH, ORAC, FRAP assays). About 49 polyphenols and metabolites including quercetin, vanillin, catechin and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were identified, and possible biotransformation pathways were postulated. Moreover, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (such as Lactococcus and Bacteroides) was improved during colonic fermentation. Altogether, gut microbiota could release polyphenols, the released polyphenols and their catabolic metabolites, alongside dietary fiber in mung bean coat selectively regulated the composition of gut microbiota and promoted the synthesis of SCFAs. These findings indicated that polyphenols in mung bean coat potentially contributed to gastrointestinal and colonic health.

Optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk (wild thyme) and their bioactive potential

An optimized ultrasound-assisted extractive method was developed to obtain a polyphenol-enriched extract from the aerial parts of Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk. Optimization process was conducted based on Design of Experiment (DoE) principles, determining the influence of three independent variables (time, ultrasound amplitude, ethanol concentration) on the total phenolic content of the extract (dependent variable). Additionally, the phenolic composition of the extract was characterized through UHPLC-HRMS, revealing beside the most abundant flavonoid-type compounds the presence of salvianolic acids C, D and L in high amounts. Phytochemical profile of the extract was correlated with its antioxidant activity (tested through five complementary assays) and enzyme-inhibitory potential, showing important antiglucosidase and anticholinesterase effects. Overall, it was concluded that the developed method is suitable for obtaining a good recovery of both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus aerial parts, and their presence in the optimized extract is responsible for its pharmacological potential.

Life cycle assessment of plant cell cultures

A novel food such as plant cell culture (PCC) is an important complementary asset for traditional agriculture to tackle global food insecurity. To evaluate environmental impacts of PCC, a life cycle assessment was applied to tobacco bright yellow-2 and cloudberry PCCs. Global warming potential (GWP), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEUP), marine eutrophication potential, terrestrial acidification potential (TAP), stratospheric ozone depletion, water consumption and land use were assessed. The results showed particularly high contributions (82-93%) of electricity consumption to GWP, FEUP and TAP. Sensitivity analysis indicated that using wind energy instead of the average Finnish electricity mix reduced the environmental impacts by 34-81%. Enhancement in the energy efficiency of bioreactor mixing processes and reduction in cultivation time also effectively improved the environmental performance (4-47% reduction of impacts). In comparison with other novel foods, the environmental impacts of the PCC products studied were mostly comparable to those of microalgae products but higher than those of microbial protein products produced by autotrophic hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Assayed fresh PCC products were similar or close to GWP of conventionally grown food products and, with technological advancements, can be highly competitive.