Publications by authors named "Liga Lauberte"

Several preclinical studies suggest the potential of edible plants in controlling blood sugar levels and stabilizing diet. The goals of the study were to examine, analyze, and describe whether there are chemical compounds in dandelion and burdock roots that could have antidiabetic properties. The 70% ethyl alcohol and lyophilizate extracts (AE and LE, respectively), were used, and analyses were carried out on their total polysaccharide (TP), total phenolic content (TPC), tannin, and inulin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with plastic behaviour and calcium phosphate anhydrous (CaHPO) with brittle behaviour under compaction is very popular in the pharmaceutical industry for achieving desirable structural-mechanical properties of tablet formulations. Thus, mixtures of specific grades of MCC and CaHPO were tested in volume proportions of 100-0, 75-25, 50-50, 25-75, and 0-100 at a constant weight-by-weight concentration of sodium stearyl fumarate lubricant, utilizing a state-of-the-art benchtop compaction simulator (STYL'One Nano). Tablet formulations were prepared at 100, 150, 250, 350, 450, and 500 MPa, and characterized by tabletability profile, ejection force profile, proportion-tensile strength relationship, proportion-porosity relationship, pressure-displacement, and elastic recovery profiles, as well as by in-/out-of-die Heckel plots and yield pressures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Flavonoids are hydroxylated polyphenols that are widely distributed in plants with diverse health benefits. Despite their popularity, the bioavailability of flavonoids is often overlooked, impacting their efficacy and the comparison of products. The study discusses the bioavailability-related physicochemical properties of flavonoids, with a focus on the poorly soluble compounds commonly found in dietary supplements and herbal products.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The L. (Tansy) has several ethnobotanical uses, mostly related to the essential oil and sesquiterpene lactones, whereas information regarding other compounds is scarce. This research is designed to characterize the phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins) to analyze the thujone (which is toxic in high concentrations) content and to detect the antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) of extracts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The twigs of sea buckthorn, blackcurrant, gooseberries, quince, and grapes were evaluated as a promising source of biologically active compounds-proanthocyanidins (PACs). Sea buckthorn twigs had the highest content of PACs (9.2% on dry biomass).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

It has now been proven that many pathogens that cause infections and inflammation gradually mutate and become resistant to antibiotics. Chemically synthesized drugs treating inflammation most often only affect symptoms, but side effects could lead to the failure of human organs' functionality. On the other hand, plant-derived natural compounds have a long-term healing effect.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The barks of aspen () and pine ( are byproducts of wood processing, characterized by their low economic value. In the present study, microwave-assisted one-cycle water extraction was explored as a tool for the valorization of this biomass as a source of biologically active compounds. The microwave extractor of the original construction equipped with a pressurized extraction chamber and a condenser section was used.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An experimentally proven novel analytical approach for chromatographic analysis of diarylheptanoids in grey alder (Alnus incana) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa) bark matrices was established. A method for qualitative and quantitative determination of oregonin (dominant diarylheptanoid) and semiquantitative analysis of related diarylheptanoids from alder bark using a photodiode array (PDA) detector coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS) was developed. A comparison of different liquid chromatography detectors (UV, MS and ELS) showed that only a combination of them is applicable for comprehensive analysis of multicomponent extracts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

For sustainable sea buckthorn berry production, the task at hand is to find an application for the large amount of biomass waste arising at harvesting. Sea buckthorn (SBT) vegetation is currently poorly studied. The purpose of this research was to assess the composition and potential of SBT twigs as a source of valuable biologically active substances.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The maintenance of high vitality and motility of ram's spermatozoa during storage at low temperatures has a crucial role for successful fertilization. This study evaluates the effect of the natural antioxidant oregonin on ram semen quality, stored at 5 °C for 48 h. Еighteen ejaculates (three repetitions for 6 ejaculates) from three local breed rams, collecting by artificial vagina, with volume > 1 ml, concentration > 1 × 10/ml and mass motility >3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The valorization of lignins as renewable aromatic feedstock is of utmost importance in terms of the use of sustainable resources. This study provides a deductive approach towards market-oriented lignin-derived antioxidants by ascertaining the direct effect of different structural features of lignin on the reactivity of its phenolic OH groups in the radical scavenging reactions. The antioxidant activity of a series of compounds, modeling lignin structural units, was experimentally characterized and rationalized, using thermodynamic descriptors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The use of zero-waste processes to integrate food-waste valorisation into the circular economy equation is currently one of the hottest topics in sustainability research. This goal is still far from being fully achieved despite the release of a number of patents and papers that deal with the topic. The present work aims to valorise cocoa shells, one of the main by-product of the roasting process, in order to enhance the effective extraction of high added value compounds by means of green protocols.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Full analytical data of Ecuadorian cocoa wastes (raw shells) and beans (as benchmark), are herein reported. A detailed characterization of production residues may pave the road to a zero-waste strategy for the cocoa industry. Multiple analytical techniques have been exploited to define the composition of the matrices, among them: elemental analyses, FTIR, Py-GC/MS/FID and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oregonin is an open-chain diarylheptanoid isolated from Alnus incana bark that possesses remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, inhibits adipogenesis, and can be used in the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of oregonin on the epigenetic regulation in cells as well as its ability to modulate DNA methylating enzymes expression and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies. Our results show that oregonin altered the expression of DNA methyltransferases and mtDNA copy numbers in dependency on concentration and specificity of cells genotype.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF