Chemical characterization and antioxidant activity of Amazonian (Ecuador) Caryodendron orinocense Karst. and Bactris gasipaes Kunth seed oils

Novel Organogels from Mauritia flexuosa L.f and Caryodendron orinocense Karst.: A Topical Alternative

Organogels have importance for topical applications because they can be used to deliver drugs in a controlled and prolonged fashion. These are materials consisting of a three-dimensional network of organic molecules dispersed in a solvent. Recent studies have demonstrated that the solvent could be replaced by oils from non-conventional biologic sources. There is a diversity of not-explored species in the Amazon that are promising sources of vegetable oils with a promising composition. This study developed an organogel with buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.f) and cacay (Caryodendron orinocense Karst.) oils, using cetostearyl alcohol as an organogelator due to its compatibility, stability, security, affordability, and it is readily available. The oils were characterized, and the organogels were synthesized by studying their crystal evolution and oil-binding capacity. The microstructure was evaluated with polarized light microscopy, fractal dimension, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and thermal and rheological analyses. It was found that the critical gelation concentration was higher for cacay oil as it possessed a higher amount of polyunsaturated triacylglycerols. The crystals of the buriti organogel had a smaller lamellar shape, a greater surface area, and physical and thermal stability; although, it presented a slower crystal evolution due to the low number of minor compounds and a greater number of saturated triacylglycerols. The polar fraction of the organogelators as well as triacylglycerol and minor polar compounds are important in forming crystallization nuclei. The study showed that Amazonian oils in crystallization processes form microstructures with differentiating physicochemical properties.

Health from Brazilian Amazon food wastes: Bioactive compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobials, and potentials against cancer and oral diseases

Brazilian Amazon contains over 30,000 plant species and foods rich in bioactive compounds such as terpenes, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, of potential health benefits (antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anticancer, gastroprotection, prebiotic effects, among others). The existence of residues from non-edible parts of plants (leaves, roots, stems, branches, barks) or fruit wastes (peel, bagasse, seeds) in the agri-food industry and its supply chain is an important challenge in food loss and waste management. In this critical review several Amazon species, focusing on extracts/essential oils from nonedible parts or wastes, were analyzed in terms of phytochemicals, biological activity, and underlying mechanisms. We hope this review emphasizes the importance of Amazon's sustainability initiatives on population health due to the potential shown against cancer, infectious diseases, and prevention of oral diseases. It is urgent to think about the conversion of amazon food wastes and co-products into high-added-value raw materials to develop novel drugs, food packaging systems, or nutraceutical foods.

Understanding the Technical-Scientific Gaps of Underutilized Tropical Species: The Case of Bactris gasipaes Kunth

The extraction and commercialization of palm hearts is the most profitable activity involving the peach palm (Bactris gasipaes), while consumption of its fruits is limited to Amazonian communities. The excessive attention paid to the implementation of germplasm banks contributed to the lack of development of high-performance varieties, limiting the production and consumption of peach palm fruits and by-products. In addition, with the fragmentation of the Amazonian rainforest, wild populations are in danger of extinction. The species domestication, initiated by Native Amazonians, generated a large variety of peach palm populations, as evidenced by the diversity in fruit sizes and quality. Some advances in agronomic traits also took place. However, more research needs to be conducted to understand the implications of climatic changes on plant physiological performance. Indeed, the key point is that the exploitation of the full potential of B. gasipaes has not been completely exploited. Therefore, understanding the state-of-the-art research on the peach palm with a focus on its underutilized resources is essential for expanding plantations and, consequently, promoting the market expansion of the peach palm as a fruit crop.

Emerging Lipids from Arecaceae Palm Fruits in Brazil

Arecaceae palm tree fruits (APTFs) with pulp or kernel rich in oil are widely distributed in six Brazilian biomes. APTFs represent a great potential for the sustainable exploitation of products with high added value, but few literature studies have reported their properties and industrial applications. The lack of information leads to underutilization, low consumption, commercialization, and processing of these fruit species. This review presents and discusses the occurrence of 13 APTFs and the composition, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and potential applications of their 25 oils and fats. The reported studies showed that the species present different lipid profiles. Multivariate analysis based on principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated a correlation between the composition of pulp and kernel oils. Myristic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acids are the main saturated fatty acids, while oleic acid is the main unsaturated. Carotenoids and phenolic compounds are the main bioactive compounds in APTFs, contributing to their high oxidative stability. The APTFs oils have a potential for use as foods and ingredients in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. However, more studies are still necessary to better understand and exploit these species.

A Review of Potential Use of Amazonian Oils in the Synthesis of Organogels for Cosmetic Application

New strategies for the delivery of bioactives in the deeper layers of the skin have been studied in recent years, using mainly natural ingredients. Among the strategies are organogels as a promising tool to load bioactives with different physicochemical characteristics, using vegetable oils. Studies have shown satisfactory skin permeation, good physicochemical stability mainly due to its three-dimensional structure, and controlled release using vegetable oils and low-molecular-weight organogelators. Within the universe of natural ingredients, vegetable oils, especially those from the Amazon, have a series of benefits and characteristics that make them unique compared to conventional oils. Several studies have shown that the use of Amazonian oils brings a series of benefits to the skin, among which are an emollient, moisturizing, and nourishing effect. This work shows a compilation of the main Amazonian oils and their nutraceutical and physicochemical characteristics together with the minority polar components, related to health benefits, and their possible effects on the synthesis of organogels for cosmetic purposes.

Supplementation of carotenoids from peach palm waste (Bactris gasipaes) obtained with an ionic liquid mediated process displays kidney anti-inflammatory and antioxidant outcomes

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Carotenoid’s supplementation can control weight gain even in the HFD model.

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Carotenoids extracted with ionic liquids displayed antioxidant activity on the kidney.

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Carotenoids extracted with ionic liquids display an anti-inflammatory effect.

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Carotenoids extracted with acetone increase pro-inflammatory cytokines on the kidney.

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Carotenoids extracted with acetone display oxidative stress on the kidney.

Sustainable extraction processes based on alternative solvents to recover bioactive compounds of different raw materials have been highlighted as excellent alternatives to supply the needs of society towards a bioeconomy strategy. Little is known about the safety and biological effect of compounds extracted by these processes. In this work, carotenoids from Bactris gasipaes wastes obtained by an IL-based process were investigated in terms of safety, anti-inflammatory and, antioxidant activity in a high-fat-diet animal model on the kidney. Wistar rats were supplemented or not by carotenoids extracted with IL or VOS. The animals supplemented with carotenoids had lower weight than control and high-fat diets. In the animals supplemented with carotenoids, the group IL improved anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity compared with carotenoids obtained by VOS. Also, the group HFD-VOS showed moderate-severe injuries on the kidney. Then, ILs could represent a novel tool for natural pigments safely applied to food industry.

Bioaccessibility and Cellular Uptake of Carotenoids Extracted from Bactris gasipaes Fruit: Differences between Conventional and Ionic Liquid-Mediated Extraction

Currently, on an industrial scale, synthetic colorants are used in many fields, as well as those extracted with conventional organic solvents (COSs), leading to several environmental issues. Therefore, we developed a sustainable extraction and purification method mediated by ionic liquids (IL), which is considered an alternative high-performance replacement for COSs. Carotenoids are natural pigments with low bioaccessibility (BCT) and bioavailability (BV) but with huge importance to health. To investigate if the BCT and cellular uptake of the carotenoids are modified by the extraction method, we conducted a comparison assay between both extraction procedures (IL vs. COS). For this, we used the Amazonian fruit Bactris gasipaes, a rich source of pro-vitamin A carotenoids, to obtain the extract, which was emulsified and subjected to an in vitro digestion model followed by the Caco-2 cell absorption assay. The bioaccessibility of carotenoids using IL was better than those using COS (33.25%, and 26.84%, respectively). The cellular uptake of the carotenoids extracted with IL was 1.4-fold higher than those extracted using COS. Thus, IL may be a feasible alternative as extraction solvent in the food industry, replacing COS, since, in this study, no IL was present in the final extract.

Physicochemical characterization, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity and antibacterial potential of cacay oil, coconut oil and cacay butter

The Amazon region is rich in genetic resources such as oilseeds which have potentially important local commercial exploitation. Despite its high concentration of bioactive compounds, cacay (Caryodendron orinocense Karst.) oil is poorly investigated and explored. Thus, this study focuses on the physicochemical characterization (moisture, density, and saponification, iodine, and acidity values), fatty acid composition as determined by gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GC/MS), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assay) of cacay oil, coconut oil and a coconut/cacay oil blend, also known as cacay butter. The antibacterial activity of cacay oil was additionally evaluated. Our study demonstrated that cacay oil presents a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (58.3%) with an emphasis on linoleic acid and a lower acidity value (2.67 ± 0.01 cg I₂/g) than butter and coconut oil, indicating a low concentration of free fatty acids. In contrast, cacay butter and coconut oil presented higher saturated fatty acid percentages (69.1% and 78.4%, respectively) and higher saponification values (242.78 and 252.22 mg KOH/g, respectively). The samples showed low moisture and relative density between 912 and 916 kg/m³. The hydrophilic fraction of cacay oil was highlighted in the quantification of TPC (326.27 ± 6.79 mg GAE/kg) and antioxidant capacity in vitro by DPPH radical scavenging assay (156.57 ± 2.25 μmol TE/g). Cacay oil inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus (44.99 ± 7.68%), Enterococcus faecalis (27.76 ± 0.00%), and Staphylococcus aureus (11.81 ± 3.75%). At long last, this is the first study reporting the physicochemical characterization and bioactive properties of cacay butter. Coconut oil and cacay butter showed great oxidative stability potential due to higher contents of saturated fatty acids. Moreover, cacay oil presents as an alternative source of raw materials for cosmetic and biotechnology industries due to its high concentration of PUFA and for being a rich source of phenolic compounds.

Turning cacay butter and wheat bran into substrate for lipase production by Aspergillus terreus NRRL-255

Cacay oil and butter were evaluated as enzymatic inducers for lipase production from Aspergillus terreus NRRL-255 by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Initially, physicochemical characteristics of agro-industrial wastes were evaluated in order to identify a potential solid substrate for lipase production. Higher water absorption index (3.65 g H₂O/g substrate), adequate mineral content, great carbon source, and nitrogen concentration were factors that influenced the choice of wheat bran as a solid substrate. Cacay butter presented the highest lipolytic activity (308.14 U g^-1) in the screening of lipid inducer. Then, the effects of lipid inducer concentration (cacay butter), temperature, pH, moisture, and fermentation time were evaluated on process performance using multivariate statistical methodology. Under optimal conditions, the highest lipase activity observed was 2,867.18 U g^-1. Regarding the lipase characterization, maximum relative activity was obtained at pH 7.0 and at 35 °C. An inhibitory effect was observed for Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Cu²⁺ ions. Lipase activity was increased with the reduction of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration and the increase of Triton X-100. Therefore, the use of wheat bran as a solid substrate combined with cacay butter demonstrated a substantial lipase production, indicating its biotechnological industrial potential.

Different Strategies to Obtain Corn (Zea mays L.) Germ Extracts with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties

Maize ( Zea mays L.) germs are by-products from the milling industry. The objective of this work was to compare the phenolic and lipophilic antioxidant fractions of yellow and white corn varieties, provided by Corn Valley S.r.l. (Piumbega, Mantova, Italy) and among the raw materials most processed by the company. The phenolic fraction, extracted with ultrasound-assisted extraction, alone and in combination with chemical and enzymatic hydrolyses, was analyzed with high-performance thin-layer chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. Among the various extraction techniques used, the combination of sonication and alkaline hydrolysis proved to be an effective method for the extraction of phenolic compounds from yellow and white germs, with the highest ferulic acid concentrations (636.54 ± 3.71 and 569.23 ± 1.69 mg FA/g dried extract, respectively), total phenolic contents (844.5 ± 64.6 and 742.8 ± 15.44 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dried extract, respectively), and the best antioxidant activity (14.33 ± 0.48 and 11.41 ± 1.1 µg/mL, respectively). The lipophilic fraction, extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The unsaponifiable fractions were found to be 2.41% ± 0.24% in yellow corn and 1.85% ± 0.08% in white corn; β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were identified as the main phytosterols characterizing both lipophilic extracts which showed the most effective antioxidant activity (1.29 ± 0.26 mg/mL and 1.33 ± 0.21 mg/mL, respectively) compared with the control. Finally, the phenolic and lipophilic extracts obtained from maize by-products may be reintroduced into the health-oriented market as extracts enriched of high-added value biomolecules with antioxidant activity both as active molecules and as additives of natural origin.

Bioactive compounds and health benefits of some palm species traditionally used in Africa and the Americas - A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

According to previous ethno-medicinal reviews, Cocos nucifera, Elaeis guineensis and Phoenix dactylifera are among the main palms which are often used on the American and African continents to treat infections, infestations and disorders in the digestive, respiratory, genito-urinary, dermal, endocrine, cardiovascular, muscular-skeletal, mental and neural systems, as well as neoplasms, dental issues and metabolic and nutritional disorders. In addition, one or more species of the wild genera Acrocomia, Areca, Astrocaryum, Attalea, Bactris, Borassus, Calamus, Chamaedorea, Chamaerops, Euterpe, Hyphaene, Mauritia, Oenocarpus and Syagrus have a high number of records of these ethno-medicinal uses. The most used parts of the palm tree are the fruits, followed by roots, seeds, leaves and flower sap.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review discusses the phytochemical composition and the pharmacological properties of these important ethno-medicinal palms, aiming to provide a contribution to future research prospects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Significant information was compiled from an electronic search in widely used international scientific databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Wiley on line Library, Scielo, ACS Publications), and additional information was obtained from dissertations, theses, books and other relevant websites.

RESULTS

Palms, in general, are rich in oils, terpenoids and phenolic compounds. Fruits of many species are notable for their high content of healthy oils and fat-soluble bioactive compounds, mainly terpenoids, such as pigment carotenoids (and provitamin A), phytosterols, triterpene pentacyclics and tocols (and vitamin E), while other species stood out for their phenolic compounds derived from benzoic and cinnamic acids, along with flavan-3-ol, flavone, flavonol, and stilbene compounds or anthocyanin pigments. In addition to fruits, other parts of the plant such as seeds, leaves, palm heart, flowers and roots are also sources of many bioactive compounds. These compounds are linked to the ethno-medicinal use of many palms that improve human health against infections, infestations and disorders of human systems.

CONCLUSIONS

Palms have provided bioactive samples that validate their effectiveness in traditional medicine. However, the intensive study of all palm species related to ethno-medicinal use is needed, along with selection of the most appropriate palm accessions, ripe stage of the fruit and /or part of the plant. Furthermore, the complete profiles of all phytochemicals, their effects on animal models and human subjects, and toxicological and clinical trials are suggested, which, added to the incorporation of improved technological processes, should represent a significant advance for the implementation of new opportunities with wide benefits for human health.

Current Insights into the Biological Action of Squalene

Squalene is a triterpenic compound found in a large number of plants and other sources with a long tradition of research since it was first reported in 1926. Herein a systematic review of studies concerning squalene published in the last 8 years is presented. These studies have provided further support for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerotic properties in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, an antineoplastic effect in nutrigenetic-type treatments, which depends on the failing metabolic pathway of tumors, has also been reported. The bioavailability of squalene in cell cultures, animal models, and in humans has been well established, and further progress has been made in regard to the intracellular transport of this lipophilic molecule. Squalene accumulates in the liver and decreases hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides, with these actions being exerted via a complex network of changes in gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Its presence in different biological fluids has also been studied. The combination of squalene with other bioactive compounds has been shown to enhance its pleiotropic properties and might lead to the formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals to control oxidative stress and, therefore, numerous age-related diseases in human and veterinary medicine.

Chemometric profile, antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Camel's foot creeper leaves (Bauhinia vahlii)

The present study is the first effort to a comprehensive evaluation of antityrosinase activity and chemometric analysis of Bauhinia vahlii. The experimental results revealed that the methanol extract of Bauhinia vahlii (BVM) possesses higher polyphenolic compounds and total antioxidant activity than those reported elsewhere for other more conventionally and geographically different varieties. The BVM contain saturated fatty acids such as hexadecanoic acid (10.15%), octadecanoic acid (1.97%), oleic acid (0.61%) and cis-vaccenic acid (2.43%) along with vitamin E (12.71%), α-amyrin (9.84%), methyl salicylate (2.39%) and β-sitosterol (17.35%), which were mainly responsible for antioxidant as well as tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity of this extract was comparable to that of Kojic acid. These findings suggested that the B. vahlii leaves could be exploited as potential source of natural antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory agent, as well.