Publications by authors named "Celestino Santos-Buelga"

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the progressive accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, leading to cognitive decline. Despite the existing treatments, their limited efficacy highlights the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. The present study investigates the neuroprotective effects of a grape seed polyphenol extract (GSPE) on transgenic models specifically expressing human Aβ proteins.

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  • The Andean blackberry, or "Mora de Castilla," is a high-altitude fruit known for its rich antioxidant phytochemicals, particularly anthocyanins, although the impact of altitude on its chemical properties remains uncertain.
  • This research involved collecting blackberry fruits from various altitudes and developmental stages in Ecuador, utilizing methods like hydroalcoholic extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography to analyze phytochemical content and antioxidant activity.
  • Results showed that unripe blackberries mainly contain flavonols like quercetin, while ripe blackberries have higher levels of anthocyanins, indicating a shift in dominant compounds as the fruit ripens, with polyphenols initially driving antioxidant capacity and anthocyanins increasing in prominence later on
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This research investigated the effects of hydroponic cultivation with enriched concentrations of magnesium (+Mg), manganese (+Mn), a combination of +Mg and +Mn, or decreased concentrations of these minerals (control) on the nutritional, chemical, and bioactive attributes of purple and green basil. While Mn significantly increased the growth of purple basil and affected the composition of essential oil and mineral accumulation, plants treated with Mg showed alterations in nutrient absorption. Protein values were lower, indicating suboptimal protein synthesis, but significant increases were observed in fat, ash, and carbohydrates, suggesting a more nutrient-rich composition due to hydroponic cultivation.

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Blue maize is used in the production of various traditional foods, and its phytochemical composition has been claimed to possess health benefits. In this study, two blue maize hybrids with pigmented germ grown in five environments were studied under the hypothesis that the germ could have a different anthocyanin profile from that of anthocyanins synthesized in the aleurone layer, and that those in the germ could increase the total anthocyanin content in the whole grain. The percentage of pigmented germ, total anthocyanin content (TA) and total soluble phenols in the germ, whole grain and tortilla were evaluated to determine how tortilla color is modified.

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L. (cardoon) is a wild species of the Mediterranean basin and is highly appreciated due to its rich nutritional value and versatile industrial applications. It is widely known that environmental conditions, such as air temperature, humidity, and solar radiation, among others, play a crucial role in plant phenological variations and the chemical composition and bioactive properties of different plant tissues of cardoon.

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Since the early twentieth century, research on vitamins has revealed their therapeutic potential beyond their role as essential micronutrients. Riboflavin, known as vitamin B2, stands out for its unique characteristics. Despite numerous studies, riboflavin remains vital, with implications for human health.

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This study investigated the potential of incorporating cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) blades as bioactive and dietary fiber ingredients in vegetable/fruit-based smoothies, within a zero-waste approach. The smoothie formulations were pasteurized by high-pressure (550 MPa for 3 min, HPP) and thermal (90 °C for 30 s, TP) treatments and stored at 4 °C for 50 days.

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Olive pomace is an agro-industrial waste product generated from the olive oil industry and constituted by bioactive compounds with potential applications in several industrial sectors. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of electron beam (e-beam) radiation on olive pomace, specifically on phenolic compounds (by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) and the bioactive properties (antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities) of crude olive pomace (COP) and extracted olive pomace (EOP) extracts. The amount of total flavonoid content and the reducing power of COP extracts were higher than those obtained for EOP extracts.

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Medical therapies to avoid the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are limited to date. Certain diets have been associated with a lower incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the regular intake of foods rich in polyphenols, such as epicatechin (EC), could help prevent or mitigate AD progression.

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  • - Pansy and viola edible flowers were grown hydroponically with varying levels of magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn), and their nutritional composition was analyzed for components like free sugars, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds using advanced testing methods.
  • - Results demonstrated that while increased Mg negatively impacted plant growth and mineral levels, it enhanced photosynthesis and the flowers were found to be rich in protein, low in fat, and contained sugars like glucose and fructose, with distinct fatty acids and phenolic compounds based on treatment.
  • - The flowers showed promising antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties, contributing to insights on Mg and Mn interactions, and highlighting potential for improving sustainable agriculture and health-conscious food options.
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The capitulum constituents (stigma, corolla, bracts, pappus, and receptacle) of seven cardoon cultivars were studied for their polyphenolic composition and bioactive properties. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified, secoiridoid, secoxyloganin, and apigenin-O-hexuronoside in higher concentrations. The bracts had the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, and the corolla had the greatest variety.

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  • - The study evaluated the natural microbiota of refrigerated, fresh-cut apples using two types of packaging films (biodegradable PLA and conventional OPP) and two antioxidants (olive pomace extract and ascorbic acid).
  • - Results indicated that apples with olive pomace extract and PLA film had fewer bacteria after 5 and 12 days compared to those treated with ascorbic acid and packaged in OPP film, suggesting the olive extract helps inhibit bacterial growth.
  • - While the microbial diversity increased during storage, ascorbic acid appeared to negatively impact bacterial inhibition, whereas olive pomace extract showed promise as an effective antimicrobial for fresh-cut apples.
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The present study aims to determine the combined effect of cropping system and irrigation regime on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of lemon balm aerial parts. For this purpose, lemon balm plants were grown under two farming systems (conventional farming vs organic farming) and two irrigation levels (full irrigation vs deficit irrigation) and harvested twice throughout the growing period. The collected aerial parts were subjected to three different methods of extractions, namely infusion, maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction and the obtained extracts were evaluated in terms of chemical profile and bioactivities.

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The efficiency of natural olive pomace extracts for enhancing the quality of fresh-cut apples was compared with commercial ascorbic acid and two different packaging films (biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and oriented polypropylene (OPP)) were tested. The composition of atmosphere inside the packages, the physicochemical parameters (firmness, weight loss and color), the microbial load, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fresh-cut apples were evaluated throughout 12 days of storage at 4 °C. After 12 days of refrigerated storage, a significant decrease in O was promoted in PLA films, and the weight loss of the whole packaging was higher in PLA films (5.

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Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to recover hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol from olive pomace, a residue generated by the olive oil industry. The extraction process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), with processing time, ethanol concentration and ultrasonic power as the combined independent variables. The highest amounts of hydroxytyrosol (36 ± 2 mg g of extract) and tyrosol (14 ± 1 mg g of extract) were obtained after 28 min of sonication at 490 W using 7.

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  • Gut microbiota significantly influences human health, including immune and metabolic functions, and diet components like polyphenols can modify gut microbiota for health benefits.
  • A study assessed how flavonoids (quercetin or epicatechin) and specific probiotic strains affected worms' resistance to oxidative stress, finding that only the combination of both enhanced stress resistance.
  • Results suggest that while bacteria and polyphenols interact to improve oxidative stress resistance, additional mechanisms beyond just bacterial metabolism of polyphenols are also involved.
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Polyphenols have been shown to be effective against many chronic diseases. These compounds could have a beneficial effect at the cognitive level. The exact mechanism by which they provide positive effects at the cognitive level is not well known, but it is believed that they could counteract neuroinflammation.

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In the present study petioles were collected from cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var altilis) plants in central Greece at sixteen harvest dates (samples P1-P16) and nine growth stages (principal growth stages (PGS) 1-9). The main objective of this study was to study the influence of petioles' growth cycle on their chemical composition.

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Cardoon ( var. ) blades were collected at sixteen sampling dates (B1-B16) to study the influence of the phenological growth stage on the phenolic composition and biological properties. Twenty phenolic compounds were identified, among which trans 3,4--dicaffeoylquinic acid, 5--caffeoylquinic acid, and luteolin--hexoside (39.

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Quercetin, a flavonoid with promising therapeutic potential, has been shown to protect from cisplatin nephrotoxicity in rats following intraperitoneal injection, but its low bioavailability curtails its prospective clinical utility in oral therapy. We recently developed a micellar formulation (P-quercetin) with enhanced solubility and bioavailability, and identical nephroprotective properties. As a first aim, we herein evaluated the oral treatment with P-quercetin in rats, which displayed no nephroprotection.

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In this study, an autochthonous variety of sweet cherry ( L.), namely "Moretta di Vignola", was processed to prepare extracts rich in polyphenols, which were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation coupled to UV/DAD and ESI-MS analysis. Then, a sweet cherry anthocyanin-rich extract (ACE) was prepared, fully characterized and tested for its activity against Parkinson's disease (PD) in cellular (BV2 microglia and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma) and in rotenone (ROT)-induced model.

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Hydroethanolic extracts of cardoon petioles collected at sixteen growth stages (P1-P16) were characterized in terms of their phenolic composition and bioactive potential (antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities). Fifteen phenolic compounds were tentatively identified (i.e.

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The wastes generated during the olive oil extraction process, even if presenting a negative impact for the environment, contain several bioactive compounds that have considerable health benefits. After suitable extraction and purification, these compounds can be used as food antioxidants or as active ingredients in nutraceutical and cosmetic products due to their interesting technological and pharmaceutical properties. The aim of this review, after presenting general applications of the different types of wastes generated from this industry, is to focus on the olive pomace produced by the two-phase system and to explore the challenging applications of the main individual compounds present in this waste.

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