Protective Effect of Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum) Extract against UV- and AGEs-Induced Skin Aging via Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Collagen Degradation

Skin aging is a complex process involving photoaging and glycation stress, which share some fundamental pathways and have common mediators. They can cause skin damage and collagen degradation by inducing oxidative stress and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Chenopodium formosanum (CF), also known as Djulis, is a traditional cereal in Taiwan. This study investigated the protection mechanisms of CF extract against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced stress. The results indicated that CF extract had strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects. It could reduce UV-induced intracellular ROS generation and initiate the antioxidant defense system by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway in human skin fibroblasts. CF extract modulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and transformed growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways to alleviate oxidative stress-induced skin aging. Moreover, the results revealed that CF extract not only promoted collagen synthesis but also improved aging-induced collagen degradation. CF extract attenuated AGEs-induced ROS production and the upregulation of receptor for AGEs (RAGE). The overall results suggest that CF extract provides an effective anti-aging strategy by preventing skin damage from oxidative stress and collagen loss with potent antioxidant, anti-photoaging, and antiglycation activities.

Red Quinoa Bran Extract Prevented Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Increasing Antioxidative System and Repressing Fatty Acid Synthesis Factors in Mice Fed Alcohol Liquid Diet

Alcohol is metabolized in liver. Chronic alcohol abuse results in alcohol-induced fatty liver and liver injury. Red quinoa (Chenopodium formosanum) was a traditional staple food for Taiwanese aborigines. Red quinoa bran (RQB) included strong anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory polyphenolic compounds, but it was usually regarded as the agricultural waste. Therefore, this study is to investigate the effect of water and ethanol extraction products of RQB on the prevention of liquid alcoholic diet-induced acute liver injury in mice. The mice were given whole grain powder of red quinoa (RQ-P), RQB ethanol extract (RQB-E), RQB water extract (RQB-W), and rutin orally for 6 weeks, respectively. The results indicated that RQB-E, RQB-W, and rutin decreased alcoholic diet-induced activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and the levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and hepatic triglyceride. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of liver tissues showed that RQB-E and RQB-W reduced lipid droplet accumulation and liver injury. However, ethanol extraction process can gain high rutin and antioxidative agents contents from red quinoa, that showed strong effects in preventing alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver injury via increasing superoxide dismutase/catalase antioxidative system and repressing the expressions of fatty acid synthesis enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Development and Optimization of Djulis Sourdough Bread Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria for Antioxidant Capacity

This study developed a nutritionally valuable product with bioactive activity that improves the quality of bread. Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum), a native plant of Taiwan, was fermented using 23 different lactic acid bacteria strains. Lactobacillus casei BCRC10697 was identified as the ideal strain for fermentation, as it lowered the pH value of samples to 4.6 and demonstrated proteolysis ability 1.88 times higher than controls after 24 h of fermentation. Response surface methodology was adopted to optimize the djulis fermentation conditions for trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). The optimal conditions were a temperature of 33.5 °C, fructose content of 7.7%, and dough yield of 332.8, which yielded a TEAC at 6.82 mmol/kg. A 63% increase in TEAC and 20% increase in DPPH were observed when compared with unfermented djulis. Subsequently, the fermented djulis was used in different proportions as a substitute for wheat flour to make bread. The total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were 4.23 mg GAE/g and 3.46 mg QE/g, marking respective increases of 18% and 40% when the djulis was added. Texture analysis revealed that adding djulis increased the hardness and chewiness of sourdough breads. It also extended their shelf life by approximately 2 days. Thus, adding djulis to sourdough can enhance the functionality of breads and may provide a potential basis for developing djulis-based functional food.

Effects of Different Chenopodium formosanum Parts on Antioxidant Capacity and Optimal Extraction Analysis by Taguchi Method

Chenopodium formosanum (CF), rich in nutrients and antioxidants, is a native plant in Taiwan. During the harvest, the seeds are collected, while the roots, stems, and leaves remain on the field as agricultural waste. In this study, di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) radical scavenging ability and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging ability experiments of seeds, leaves, stems, and roots were designed using the Taguchi method (TM) under three conditions: Ethanol concentration (0-100%), temperature (25-65 °C), and extraction time (30-150 min). The result demonstrates that seeds and leaves have higher radical scavenging ability than stems and roots. Many studies focused on CF seeds. Therefore, this study selected CF leaves and optimized DPPH, ABTS, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and reducing power (RP) through TM, showing that the predicted value of the leaf is close to the actual value. The optimized results of CF leaves were DPPH 85.22%, ABTS 46.51%, TPC 116.54 µg GAE/mL, TFC 143.46 µg QE/mL, and RP 23.29 µg VCE (vitamin C equivalent)/mL. The DPPH and ABTS of CF leaves were second only to the results of CF seeds. It can be seen that CF leaves have the potential as a source of antioxidants and help in waste reduction.

Green biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using Chenopodium formosanum shell extract and analysis of the particles' antibacterial properties

BACKGROUND

Various physical and chemical methods for synthesis of metal nanoparticles have had some drawbacks. Therefore, green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has became one of the most crucial emerging areas of nanobiotechnology. In the present study, plant-mediated synthesis of Au NPs was performed using Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum) shell extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent.

RESULTS

Reaction parameters were manipulated to optimize the Au NPs using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Optimized Au NPs with a surface plasmon resonance band at 533 nm were prepared using a 744 µg mL^-1 extract and a solution of pH 2.62 chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄ ·3H₂ O) at 40 °C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results indicated that most of the resultant Au NPs were spherical in shape and exhibited a mean size of 8 ± 6 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the elemental gold and crystalline nature of the resultant NPs. FTIR spectrum analysis indicated the critical role of phenolic groups in the reduction of Au³⁺ ions and stabilization of the formed Au NPs. Moreover, the synthesized Au NPs possessed antibacterial activity for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

CONCLUSION

In this study, Au NPs were synthesized with high efficiency and stability using Djulis shell extract, and related antibacterial applications were demonstrated. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation of the Antioxidant Capacity, Insecticidal Ability and Oxidation Stability of Chenopodium formosanum Seed Extract

To maximize the extraction of antioxidants from Chenopodium formosanum seeds, the process factors, such as the ethanol concentration (0⁻100%), extraction time (30⁻180 min) and temperature (30⁻70 °C), for the extraction of the bioactive contents as well as the antioxidant capacity are evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental results fit well with quadratic models. The extract was identified by GC/MS, and it was found that some active compounds had antioxidant, repellency and insecticidal activities. Various concentrations of the extract were prepared for the evaluation of the insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum, and the toxicity test results indicated that the extract was toxic to Tribolium castaneum, with an LC50 value of 354.61 ppm. The oxidative stability of the olive oil determined according to the radical scavenging activity and p-anisidine test demonstrates that the extract obtained from the Chenopodium formosanum seeds can retard lipid oxidation.