scholarly journals Antioxidant Activity of Water Soaked in Saligrama Stone – A Preliminary Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
M. R. Suchitra ◽  
S. Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Preliminary Report ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Antioxidant Property ◽  
The Other ◽  
Plain Water ◽  
Dpph Assay ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Rare Elements

<em>Saligrama</em> otherwise called <em>Shaligram</em> or <em>Salagrama</em> is a fossilized shell stone usually recovered from the banks of the Gandaki river in Nepal. It is supposed to be a sacred symbol of Hindus. Soaking the stone in water for twenty to thirty minutes and partaking the water was considered to give good health. Hence, we mobilized two stones which were authorized as original by experts. The first one was worshipped for more than 5 years and the other one for two years. The water soaked was around 25 ml which was analysed for antioxidant activity by DPPH assay with plain water without soakage as control. The antioxidant property was significantly found in both the stones with more activity in the stone worshipped for more than 5 years. We did not standardize the volume and the duration of soakage to exact values while it was approximated to around 20 – 30 minutes. We suggest more refined studies with estimation of rare elements needs to be performed to establish the beneficial effects of this sacred <em>saligrama</em> stone.

Phenolic Imidazole Derivatives with Dual Antioxidant/Antifungal Activity: Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana P. Bettencourt ◽  
Marián Castro ◽  
João P. Silva ◽  
Francisco Fernandes ◽  
Olga P. Coutinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Inhibitory Concentration ◽  
Yeast Species ◽  
Dpph Radical ◽  
Dpph Assay ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Deoxyribose Degradation

Background: Previous publications show that the addition of a phenolic antioxidant to an antifungal agent, considerably enhances the antifungal activity. Objective: Synthesis of novel compounds combining phenolic units with linear or cyclic nitrogencontaining organic molecules with antioxidant/antifungal activity using methodologies previously developed in the group. Methods: Several N- [1,2-dicyano-2- (arylidenamino) vinyl]-O-alkylformamidoximes 3 were synthesized and cyclized to 4,5-dicyano-N- (N´-alcoxyformimidoyl)-2-arylimidazoles 4 upon reflux in DMF, in the presence of manganese dioxide or to 6-cyano-8-arylpurines 5 when the reagent was refluxed in acetonitrile with an excess of triethylamine. These compounds were tested for their antioxidant activity by cyclic voltammetry, DPPH radical (DPPH•) assay and deoxyribose degradation assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of all compounds was evaluated against two yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans, and against bacteria Bacillus subtilis (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram negative). Their cytotoxicity was evaluated in fibroblasts. Results: Among the synthetised compounds, five presented higher antioxidant activity than reference antioxidant Trolox and from these compounds, four presented antifungal activity without toxic effects in fibroblasts and bacteria. Conclusion: Four novel compounds presented dual antioxidant/antifungal activity at concentrations that are not toxic to bacteria and fibroblasts. The active molecules can be used as an inspiration for further studies in this area.

scholarly journals Psycho-Electrophysiological Benefits of Forest Therapies Focused on Qigong and Walking with Elderly Individuals

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3004
Author(s):  
Jiyune Yi ◽  
Seul Gee Kim ◽  
Taegyu Khil ◽  
Minja Shin ◽  
Jin-Hee You ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Nervous Activity ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
The Other ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Beneficial Effects

We developed two distinct forest therapy programs (FTPs) and compared their effects on dementia prevention and related health problems for older adults. One was focused on Qigong practice in the forest (QP) and the other involved active walking in the forest (WP). Both FTPs consisted of twelve 2-h sessions over six weeks and were conducted in an urban forest. We obtained data from 25, 18, and 26 participants aged 65 years or above for the QP, WP, and control groups, respectively. Neuropsychological scores via cognition (MoCA), geriatric depression (GDS) and quality of life (EQ-5D), and electrophysiological variables (electroencephalography, bioimpedance, and heart rate variability) were measured. We analyzed the intervention effects with a generalized linear model. Compared to the control group, the WP group showed benefits in terms of neurocognition (increases in the MoCA score, and alpha and beta band power values in the electroencephalogram), sympathetic nervous activity, and bioimpedance in the lower body. On the other hand, the QP group showed alleviated depression and an increased bioimpedance phase angle in the upper body. In conclusion, both active walking and Qigong in the forest were shown to have distinctive neuropsychological and electrophysiological benefits, and both had beneficial effects in terms of preventing dementia and relieving related health problems for elderly individuals.

scholarly journals Nanostructure, Self-Assembly, Mechanical Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of a Lupin-Derived Peptide Hydrogel

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Raffaele Pugliese ◽  
Anna Arnoldi ◽  
Carmen Lammi
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Antioxidant Activities ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Cd Spectroscopy ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
New Research ◽  
Peptide Hydrogel

Naturally occurring food peptides are frequently used in the life sciences due to their beneficial effects through their impact on specific biochemical pathways. Furthermore, they are often leveraged for applications in areas as diverse as bioengineering, medicine, agriculture, and even fashion. However, progress toward understanding their self-assembling properties as functional materials are often hindered by their long aromatic and charged residue-enriched sequences encrypted in the parent protein sequence. In this study, we elucidate the nanostructure and the hierarchical self-assembly propensity of a lupin-derived peptide which belongs to the α-conglutin (11S globulin, legumin-like protein), with a straightforward N-terminal biotinylated oligoglycine tag-based methodology for controlling the nanostructures, biomechanics, and biological features. Extensive characterization was performed via Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), rheological measurements, and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses. By using the biotin tag, we obtained a thixotropic lupin-derived peptide hydrogel (named BT13) with tunable mechanical properties (from 2 to 11 kPa), without impairing its spontaneous formation of β-sheet secondary structures. Lastly, we demonstrated that this hydrogel has antioxidant activity. Altogether, our findings address multiple challenges associated with the development of naturally occurring food peptide-based hydrogels, offering a new tool to both fine tune the mechanical properties and tailor the antioxidant activities, providing new research directions across food chemistry, biochemistry, and bioengineering.

scholarly journals Effect of Thermal Processing on Color, Phenolic Compounds, and Antioxidant Activity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Leaves and Seeds

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1207
Author(s):  
Shu-Cheng Duan ◽  
Soon-Jae Kwon ◽  
Seok-Hyun Eom
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Cooking Methods ◽  
Thermal Treatments ◽  
Nutritional Values ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Young Leaves ◽  
Dry Heating ◽  
Positive Correlations

The leaves and seeds of the faba bean are good sources of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanin (L-dopa), and are usually eaten with thermal cooking methods. However, little information is available on the effect of thermal treatments on their nutritional value. We compared the changes in color, contents of L-dopa, vitamin C (Vc), total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF) and antioxidant activity after dry heating or steaming faba bean leaves and seeds. The young leaves provided higher values of all the estimate factors, regardless of the thermal treatment. Steaming significantly degraded nutritional values of the leaves, but less changed in seeds, whereas dry heat maintained these attributes. The contents of L-dopa, Vc, TP and TF were shown to have strongly positive correlations with antioxidant activity in the leaves, whereas only L-dopa content was positively correlated with antioxidant activity of the seeds. Faba leaves contained relatively high L-dopa which possessed strong antioxidant activity compared to the Vc. As L-dopa is an important contributor to the antioxidant activity of faba leaves and seeds, consuming L-dopa from leaves may provide beneficial effects not only regarding Parkinson’s Disease.

scholarly journals A Novel Stoichio-Kinetic Model for the DPPH• Assay: The Importance of the Side Reaction and Application to Complex Mixtures

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1019
Author(s):  
Lucrezia Angeli ◽  
Sebastian Imperiale ◽  
Yubin Ding ◽  
Matteo Scampicchio ◽  
Ksenia Morozova
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Kinetic Model ◽  
Rate Constant ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Sinapic Acid ◽  
Side Reaction ◽  
Main Reaction ◽  
Dpph Assay ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
The Common

The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) assay is widely used to determine the antioxidant activity of food products and extracts. However, the common DPPH• protocol uses a two-point measurement and does not give information about the kinetics of the reaction. A novel stoichio-kinetic model applied in this study monitors the consumption of DPPH• by common antioxidants following the second order reaction. The fitting of such decay yields the rate constant k1, which describes the main reaction between antioxidants and DPPH•, and the rate constant k2, which is attributed to a slower side reaction considering the products generated between the transient radicals (AO•) and another molecule of DPPH•. The model was first applied to antioxidant standards. Sinapic acid, Trolox and ascorbic and chlorogenic acids did not show any side reaction. Instead gallic, ferulic and caffeic acids achieved the best fitting with k2. The products of the side reaction for these compounds were confirmed and identified with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Finally, the kinetic model was applied to evaluate the antioxidant activity of eight herbal extracts. This study suggests a new kinetic approach to standardize the common DPPH• assay for the determination of antioxidant activity.

scholarly journals Formulation Effects in the Antioxidant Activity of Extract from the Leaves of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4518
Author(s):  
Raquel Sousa ◽  
Artur Figueirinha ◽  
Maria Teresa Batista ◽  
Maria Eugénia Pina
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Dosage Forms ◽  
Oral Dosage ◽  
Dpph Assay ◽  
Cymbopogon Citratus ◽  
The World ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Oral Dosage Forms

Cymbopogon citratus DC (Stapf.) is a perennial grass and it is distributed around the world. It is used as a condiment for food and beverage flavouring in the form of infusions and decoctions of its dried leaves. Our previous studies have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities for the infusion and its phenolic fractions. The aim of the present work was to develop oral dosage forms from a Cymbopogon citratus extract to be used as a functional food with antioxidant properties. Initially, an essential oil-free infusion was prepared, lyophilized and characterized by HPLC-PDA. Total phenols were quantified with the Folin–Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH assay. Gelatine capsules containing the extract with different excipients, selected after DSC and IR trials, were prepared. A formulation exhibiting better antioxidant behaviour in a gastric environment was attained. These results suggest that the proposed formulation for this extract could be a valuable antioxidant product and, consequently, make an important contribution to “preventing” and minimizing diseases related to oxidative stress conditions.

scholarly journals Assessment of In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Polyphenols from Annurca, Limoncella, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious Apples Using a Sequential Enzymatic Digestion Model

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 541
Author(s):  
Giulia Graziani ◽  
Anna Gaspari ◽  
Claudio Di Vaio ◽  
Aurora Cirillo ◽  
Carolina Liana Ronca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Antioxidant Activities ◽  
In Vitro Digestion ◽  
Enzymatic Digestion ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Golden Delicious ◽  
In Vitro Bioaccessibility ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Great Relevance

Four different varieties of apples have been considered (Limoncella, Annurca, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious) to estimate the extent of colon polyphenolics release after in vitro sequential enzyme digestion. Since several studies report a positive effect of apple polyphenols in colonic damage, we found of interest to investigate the colon release of polyphenols in different varieties of apples in order to assess their prevention of colonic damage. UHPLC-HRMS analysis and antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays) were carried out on the apple extracts (peel, flesh, and whole fruit) obtained from not digested samples and on bioaccessible fractions (duodenal and colon bioaccessible fractions) after in vitro digestion. Polyphenolic content and antioxidant activities were found to vary significantly among the tested cultivars with Limoncella showing the highest polyphenol content accompanied by an excellent antioxidant activity in both flesh and whole fruit. The overall trend of soluble antioxidant capacity from the soluble duodenal phase (SDP) and soluble colonic phase (SCP) followed the concentrations of flavanols, procyandinis, and hydroxycinnamic acids under the same digestive steps. Our results highlighted that on average 64.2% of the total soluble antioxidant activity was released in the SCP with Limoncella exhibiting the highest values (82.31, 70.05, and 65.5%, respectively for whole fruit, flesh, and peel). This result suggested that enzymatic treatment with pronase E and viscozyme L, to reproduce biochemical conditions occurring in the colon, is effective for breaking the dietary fiber-polyphenols interactions and for the release of polyphenols which can exercise their beneficial effects in the colon. The beneficial effects related to the Limoncella consumption could thus be of potential great relevance to counteract the adverse effects of pro-oxidant and inflammatory processes on intestinal cells.

Skills and Unemployment

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Beneficial Effects

This article attempts to spell out the links which are assumed to exist between skills and unemployment. It is argued that the claims made for the beneficial effects of raising the skill levels of the workforce have been exaggerated. The author then goes on to indicate some of the other factors which influence unemployment levels, and sketches the relevance of this to local economic initiatives

scholarly journals Implications for Degenerative Disorders: Antioxidative Activity, Total Phenols, Flavonoids, Ascorbic Acid, β-Carotene and β-Tocopherol inAloe vera

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurten Ozsoy ◽  
Eda Candoken ◽  
Nuriye Akev
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Ascorbic Acid ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Aloe Vera ◽  
Total Phenols ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Degenerative Disorders ◽  
Phosphatidylcholine Liposome ◽  
Aqueous Leaf Extract ◽  
Β Carotene

In order to demonstrate whether the known biological effects ofAloe vera(L.) Burm. fil. could correlate with the antioxidant activity of the plant, the antioxidant activity of the aqueous leaf extract was investigated. The present study demonstrated that the aqueous extract fromA. veraleaves contained naturally occuring antioxidant components, including total phenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, β-carotene and α-tocopherol. The extract exhibited inhibitory capacity against Fe3+/ascorbic acid induced phosphatidylcholine liposome oxidation, scavenged stable DPPH•, ABTS•+and superoxide anion radicals, and acted as reductant. In contrast, the leaf inner gel did not show any antioxidant activity. It was concluded that the known beneficial effects ofAloe veracould be attributed to its antioxidant activity and could be related to the presence of phenolic compounds and antioxidant vitamins.

scholarly journals The Usefulness of Impedance Cardiography for Predicting Beneficial Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Heart Failure

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Gielerak ◽  
Paweł Krzesiński ◽  
Ewa Piotrowicz ◽  
Ryszard Piotrowicz
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽  
Exercise Tolerance ◽  
Impedance Cardiography ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pronounced Increase ◽  
Fluid Content ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Patients With Heart Failure ◽  
Before And After

Aim. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an important part of heart failure (HF) treatment. The aim of this paper was to evaluate if thoracic fluid content (TFC) measured by impedance cardiography (ICG) is a useful parameter for predicting the outcome of CR.Methods. Fifty HF patients underwent clinical and noninvasive haemodynamic (TFC) assessments before and after 8-week CR.Results. As a result of CR, the patients’ exercise tolerance improved, especially in terms of peak VO2(18.7 versus 20.8 mL × kg−1× min−1;P=0.025). TFC was found to identify patients with significantly improved peak VO2after CR. “High TFC” patients (TFC > 27.0 kOhm−1), compared to those of “low TFC” (TFC < 27.0 kOhm−1), were found to have more pronounced increase in peak VO2(1.3 versus 3.1 mL × kg−1× min−1;P=0.011) and decrease in TFC (4.0 versus 0.7 kOhm−1;P<0.00001). On the other hand, the patients with improved peak VO2(n=32) differed from those with no peak VO2improvement in terms of higher baseline TFC values (28.4 versus 25.3 kOhm−1;P=0.039) and its significant decrease after CR (2.7 versus 0.2 kOhm−1;P=0.012).Conclusions. TFC can be a useful parameter for predicting beneficial effects of CR worth including in the process of patients’ qualification for CR.

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