scholarly journals Pigments Content (Chlorophylls, Fucoxanthin and Phycobiliproteins) of Different Commercial Dried Algae

Separations ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Osório ◽  
Susana Machado ◽  
Juliana Peixoto ◽  
Sílvia Bessada ◽  
Filipa B. Pimentel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brown Algae ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Total Carotenoids ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Pigment Extraction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Green Microalga ◽  
Himanthalia Elongata ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Laminaria Ochroleuca

Algae are a complex, polyphyletic group of organisms, affordable and naturally rich in nutrients, but also valuable sources of structurally diverse bioactive substances such as natural pigments. The aim of this work was to evaluate the polar and non-polar pigment contents of different commercial dried algae (brown: Himanthalia elongata, Undaria pinnatifida, Laminaria ochroleuca; red: Porphyra spp.; and a blue-green microalga: Spirulina spp.). The pigment extraction was carried out using different solvents (100% methanol, 100% methanol acid free, 100% ethanol, 90% acetone, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide-water (4:1, v/v) and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer), selected according to their affinity for each class of pigments. Acetone proved to be an efficient solvent to extract chlorophylls from brown and red algae, but not from Spirulina spp. Porphyra spp. presented considerably higher levels of all pigments compared to brown algae, although Spirulina spp. presented significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobiliproteins, compared to all macroalgae. The content of fucoxanthin extracted from the three brown algae was highly correlated to the carotenoid content. Within this group, Himanthalia elongata presented the highest fucoxanthin/total carotenoids ratio. Although the yield of extraction depended on the solvent used, the algae studied herein are an interesting source of pigments of great value for a wide range of applications.

scholarly journals Screening Carotenoid Content in Seeded and Seedless Watermelon Fruit

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 830A-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope Perkins-Veazie* ◽  
J.K. Collins ◽  
Warren Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Total Carotenoids ◽  
Carotene Content ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Oxidative Protection ◽  
Seedless Watermelon ◽  
Lycopene Content ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
Very High

Watermelons contain the carotenoids b-carotene, phytofluene, lycopene, and lutein. These carotenoids play an important role in plant oxidative protection and may serve to protect humans against oxidative assaults. Of the carotenoids, lycopene is the predominant pigment in red-fleshed melons (30-130 μg·g-1), b-carotene is present in small amounts (1-14 μg·g-1), and other carotenoids are present in minute amounts (1-3 μg·g-1). Seventy varieties were screened for lycopene content using scanning colorimetry, spectrophotometry, and HPLC techniques, and grouped as low, medium, high, or very high in lycopene. Pink-fleshed heirloom varieties such as Sweet Princess and Black Diamond contained low amounts of lycopene (<40 μg·g-1). A number of seeded and seedless varieties had medium amounts of lycopene (40-60 μg·g-1). Varieties in the high category (60-80 μg·g-1) were primarily seedless types, although `Dixie Lee', an open-pollinated, seeded variety had 69 μg·g-1, indicating that high lycopene content is not restricted to hybrid or seedless melon germplasm. Six selections were found to be very high in lycopene (>80 μg·g-1), including the minimelon Hazera 6008 (Extazy). Total carotenoids and carotenoid profiles were determined by HPLC for 23 varieties in 2003. Both seeded and seedless type melons had varieties high in bcarotene, lycopene, and total carotenoids. These results indicate that commercial watermelon varieties have a wide range in lycopene and b-carotene content, and that most commercially important varieties are high in lycopene and total carotenoids, providing important sources of phytonutrients to the human diet.

scholarly journals Antioxidant Activity in Bee Products: A Review

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Marianna Martinello ◽  
Franco Mutinelli
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Antioxidant Activities ◽  
Natural Antioxidants ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Current State ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Antioxidant Characteristics

Bee products have been used since ancient times both for their nutritional value and for a broad spectrum of therapeutic purposes. They are deemed to be a potential source of natural antioxidants that can counteract the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases. In view of the growing interest in using bioactive substances from natural sources to promote health and reduce the risk of developing certain illnesses, this review aims to update the current state of knowledge on the antioxidant capacity of bee products such as honey, pollen, propolis, beeswax, royal jelly and bee venom, and on the analytical methods used. The complex, variable composition of these products and the multitude of analytical methods used to study their antioxidant activities are responsible for the wide range of results reported by a plethora of available studies. This suggests the need to establish standardized methods to more efficiently evaluate the intrinsic antioxidant characteristics of these products and make the data obtained more comparable.

scholarly journals Low Dose of Fluoride in the Culture Medium of Cordyceps militaris Promotes Its Growth and Enhances Bioactives with Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Xiaoshuai Li ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Huayue Zhang ◽  
Long Xiao ◽  
Zhongfang Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Dose ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Potassium Fluoride ◽  
Cordyceps Militaris ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Human Osteosarcoma Cells ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bioactive Ingredients

Cordyceps militaris possesses several compounds with medicinal properties, and is commonly used in traditional Chinese functional food and medicine for a variety of health benefits. Because of its rare occurrence in nature, the market demand for artificial C. militaris is on the rise. Furthermore, efforts to increase its bioactive ingredients have also been considered in research. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of fluoride on the growth and enrichment of bioactive compounds in C. militaris. A wide range of potassium fluoride concentrations (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mM) were added to the culture media as a source of fluoride during the cultivation of C. militaris fruiting bodies. The contents of fluorine and bioactive substances of the fruiting bodies in normal (NM) and fluorine-supplemented (FM) media were measured and compared. C. militaris raised in the growth medium supplemented with 0.01 mM potassium fluoride led to a 44.86% (1.55 ± 0.14 g/bottle) increase in biomass and a 23.43% (3161.38 ± 35.71 µg/g) increase in total carotenoid content in the fruiting bodies. Furthermore, a remarkable increase in superoxide dismutase-like activity (84.75 U/mg) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 2.59 mg/mL) was recorded. In human cancer cell-based assays, C. militaris raised in FM caused stronger cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in human osteosarcoma cells. These results demonstrated that a low dose of fluoride could stimulate the growth of C. militaris fruiting bodies and enhance the production of bioactive ingredients that possess useful antioxidant and anticancer activities.

A Comparison of Urban with Rural Support Networks: Liverpool and North Wales

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Clare Wenger
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Support Networks ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Social Variables ◽  
North Wales ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
High Level ◽  
The City

AbstractThis paper compares findings on the distribution of support networks in the City of Liverpool and in rural communities in North Wales. It demonstrates that while support network type is highly correlated with a wide range of demographic and social variables in both urban and rural samples, the nature of the relationships are not always comparable. The paper shows how cultural, migration and socio-economic factors interact to affect the formation of different types of support networks. As a result of a more stable elderly population, more old people in Liverpool have network types able to provide a high level of informal care and support.

scholarly journals Biodiversity of Secondary Metabolites Compounds Isolated from Phylum Actinobacteria and Its Therapeutic Applications

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4504
Author(s):  
Muhanna Al-shaibani ◽  
Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed ◽  
Nik Sidik ◽  
Hesham Enshasy ◽  
Adel Al-Gheethi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Applications

The current review aims to summarise the biodiversity and biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites compounds, of the phylum Actinobacteria and the diverse range of secondary metabolites produced that vary depending on its ecological environments they inhabit. Actinobacteria creates a wide range of bioactive substances that can be of great value to public health and the pharmaceutical industry. The literature analysis process for this review was conducted using the VOSviewer software tool to visualise the bibliometric networks of the most relevant databases from the Scopus database in the period between 2010 and 22 March 2021. Screening and exploring the available literature relating to the extreme environments and ecosystems that Actinobacteria inhabit aims to identify new strains of this major microorganism class, producing unique novel bioactive compounds. The knowledge gained from these studies is intended to encourage scientists in the natural product discovery field to identify and characterise novel strains containing various bioactive gene clusters with potential clinical applications. It is evident that Actinobacteria adapted to survive in extreme environments represent an important source of a wide range of bioactive compounds. Actinobacteria have a large number of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. They can synthesise thousands of subordinate metabolites with different biological actions such as anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-virus, anti-cancer and growth-promoting compounds. These are highly significant economically due to their potential applications in the food, nutrition and health industries and thus support our communities’ well-being.

scholarly journals PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF PUNICA GRANATUM L. LEAF EXTRACT

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Sreedevi ◽  
K. Vijayalakshmi ◽  
R. Venkateswari
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Punica Granatum ◽  
Leaf Extracts ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Pharmaceutical Ingredients ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Leaf Powder ◽  
Potent Drug ◽  
Punica Granatum L

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the phytochemical constituents in Punica granatum L. Leaf extracts (PGLE) using standard methods.Methods: The leaf powder was extracted using solvents namely aqueous, hydroalcohol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Qualitative and Quantitative phytochemical screenings of PGLE were assessed by standard methods.Results: All the leaf extracts were positive for a wide range of bio-active compounds except n-hexane. The result has showed that the maximum amount of total phenols (394.16 mg/g DW of extract), total tannins (210.5 mg/g DW of extract), flavanoids (147.4 mg/g DW of extract) and total triterpenoids (112 mg/g DW of extract) were noted in ethanolic extract of P. granatum leaf (EPGL). The biological assay revealed that relevant amount of carbohydrate, protein, lipid and alkaloid in EPGL.Conclusion: The findings of this study concluded that the EPGL had potential bioactive substances that may be used as pharmaceutical ingredients for formulation of new or prospective potent drug to cure wide range of metabolic diseases.

Peak calf blood flow estimates are higher with Dohn than with Whitney plethysmograph

1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 1418-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. N. Proctor ◽  
J. R. Halliwill ◽  
P. H. Shen ◽  
N. E. Vlahakis ◽  
M. J. Joyner
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Reactive Hyperemia ◽  
Arterial Occlusion ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Calf Blood Flow ◽  
Absolute Flow ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Highly Correlated

Estimates of calf blood flow with venous occlusion plethysmography vary widely between studies, perhaps due to the use of different plethysmographs. Consequently, we compared calf blood flow estimates at rest and during reactive hyperemia in eight healthy subjects (four men and four women) with two commonly used plethysmographs: the mercury-in-silastic (Whitney) strain gauge and Dohn air-filled cuff. To minimize technical variability, flow estimates were compared with a Whitney gauge and a Dohn cuff on opposite calves before and after 10 min of bilateral femoral arterial occlusion. To account for any differences between limbs, a second trial was conducted in which the plethysmographs were switched. Resting flows did not differ between the plethysmographs (P = 0.096), but a trend toward lower values with the Whitney was apparent. Peak flows averaged 37% lower with the Whitney (27.8 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (44.4 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1; P < 0.05). Peak flow expressed as a multiple above baseline was also lower with the Whitney (10-fold) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (14.5-fold; P = 0.02). Across all flows at rest and during reactive hyperemia, estimates were highly correlated between the plethysmographs in all subjects (r2 = 0.96-0.99). However, the mean slope for the Whitney-Dohn relationship was only 60 +/- 2%, indicating that over a wide range of flows the Whitney gauge estimate was 40% lower than that for the Dohn cuff. These results demonstrate that the same qualitative results can be obtained with either plethysmograph but that absolute flow values will generally be lower with Whitney gauges.

scholarly journals Effect of Daidzein on the Proliferation of Lung Cancer Cells Involved in the Apoptotic Signaling Pathway

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Liu ◽  
Xiaobo Wang ◽  
Ouyang Jin ◽  
Denggang Fu ◽  
You Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Tp53 Gene ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Human Embryonic Lung ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Proliferation And Apoptosis

Abstract Background: Daidzein is one of the key bioactive substances of soybean isoflavones that has a wide range of health benefits includes antineoplastic. Epidemiological evidence suggests that soy glycogen is associated with the incidence and prognosis of lung cancer. we purposed to assess the effect and molecular mechanism of daidzein on lung cancer, and to maximize therapy outcome for individualized treatment. Methods: In this report, H1299 were cultured in a medium with 10 μM daidzein for 6 hours , we detected the expression level of apoptosis-related genes in H1299 by cDNA microarray analysis. The selected genes were further validated by using RT-PCR analysis and Western blot. Finally, We usedflow cytometry to detect cell cycle alterations, and apoptosis the proliferation and apoptosis in HELF and H1299 cells were detected by Cell counting kit-8 assays. Results: These results indicate that low concentrations of isoflavone crude extract and daidzein could significantly affect the proliferation of H1299 (Human lung adenocarcinoma) and HELF (Human embryonic lung fibroblast) cells. The results of microarray in our study suggest that apoptosis-related genes are up-regulated induced by daidzein in H1299 cells and verified by RT-qPCR, particularly TP53 and caspase9. Western blotting shows the effect of daidzein on P53 and caspase9 in HELF cells be more obvious than it in H1299 cells. While the expression of TP53 was suppressed by pifithrin-α (PFTα) in HELF and H1299 cells, the mRNA and protein expression of TP53 still increase induced by daidzein, also, the effect of apoptosis induced by daidzein is involved in the P53 apoptosis pathway through inhibition of TP53 gene expression by PFTα. Conclusions: In conclusion, daidzein affected proliferation and apoptosis in HELF and H1299 cells, and the mechanism of apoptosis involved in the P53 signaling pathway.

scholarly journals Computer-aided prediction of inhibitors against STAT3 for managing COVID-19 associate cytokine storm

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Dhall ◽  
Sumeet Patiyal ◽  
Neelam Sharma ◽  
Naorem Leimarembi Devi ◽  
Gajendra P. S. Raghava
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Models ◽  
Validation Dataset ◽  
Cytokine Storm ◽  
Hybrid Features ◽  
Stat3 Signaling ◽  
Stat3 Signaling Pathway ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Proinflammatory Responses ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Approved Drugs

Abstract It has been shown in the past that levels of cytokines, including interleukin 6 (IL6), is highly correlated with the disease severity of COVID-19 patients. IL6 mediated activation of STAT3 is responsible to proliferate proinflammatory responses that leads to promotion of cytokine storm. Thus, STAT3 inhibitors may play a crucial role in managing pathogenesis of COVID-19. This paper describes a method developed for predicting inhibitors against the IL6-mediated STAT3 signaling pathway. The dataset used for training, testing, and evaluation of models contains small-molecule based 1564 STAT3 inhibitors and 1671 non-inhibitors. Analysis of data indicates that rings and aromatic groups are significantly abundant in STAT3 inhibitors compared to non-inhibitors. In order to build models, we generate a wide range of descriptors for each chemical compound. Firstly, we developed models using 2-D and 3-D descriptors and achieved maximum AUC 0.84 and 0.73, respectively. Secondly, fingerprints (FP) are used to build prediction models and achieved 0.86 AUC and accuracy of 78.70% on validation dataset. Finally, models were developed using hybrid features or descriptors, achieve a maximum of 0.87 AUC on the validation dataset. We used our best model to identify STAT3 inhibitors in FDA-approved drugs and found few drugs (e.g., Tamoxifen, and Perindopril) that can be used to manage COVID-19 associated cytokine storm. A webserver “STAT3In” (https://webs.iiitd.edu.in/raghava/stat3in/ ) has been developed to predict and design STAT3 inhibitors.

scholarly journals Assortative Mating, Income Inequality, and Place

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Avril Macfarlane
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Household Income ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Educational Assortative Mating ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Relationship

<p>There is a growing concern internationally about levels of income inequality, and the negative effect this has on the functioning of societies both in terms of productivity and social harmony. An unexpected contributor to inequality is assortative mating - the phenomenon of “like marrying like”. Educational attainment is highly correlated with income; when two highly educated people partner and form a household they are more likely to appear at the top of the household income distribution, while couples with only primary or incomplete secondary education appear at the bottom. Therefore the greater the propensity to mate assortatively the more unequal the distribution of household income becomes.   I ask two questions of the relationship between educational assortative mating and household income inequality. Firstly, how do countries (in Europe) differ in their degree of educational assortative mating? Secondly, what is the evidence that such differences are reflected in indicators of household income inequality?   My study differs from the prevailing approaches to this question by taking a geographical approach. Instead of comparing a single country over time and monitoring the correspondence between assortative mating and income inequality, I compare a wide range of countries, using a uniform instrument, at one point in time. In order to do so I draw on the unit records of 29 countries from the European Social Survey administered in 2012.   From these unit record data I have been able to identify two important patterns. Firstly, there is a clear presence of educational assortative mating in each country. However, the degree differs and it does so primarily as a reflection of the overall level of education in the country. Rising levels of education lower the returns for education, in turn making assortative mating comparatively less attractive. As a result, the level of assortative mating, compared to what would be expected under random conditions, is lower in highly educated nations. The lowered level of assortative mating in highly educated nations reduces the barriers to social mobility through marriage for those without university educations. Consequently, household income inequality is seen to be intrinsically related to assortative mating, although the outcomes can be mitigated by redistribution policies.</p>

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