Publications by authors named "Michael Bowyer"

Article Synopsis
  • The Illawarra plum (IP), a native Australian bush food, is being studied for its potential to enhance the properties of Greek-style yoghurt with its phytochemicals and natural pigments.
  • The research involved preparing dried IP powders through vacuum drying and freeze drying, using these to fortify yoghurt, and measuring factors like color, acidity, and soluble solids over a 28-day storage period.
  • Findings show that freeze-dried IP powder and extracts improved the yogurt’s color and consistency without affecting acidity or syneresis, and it is recommended for cost-effective fortification; future studies should explore different concentrations and consumer acceptance.
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The effectiveness of lemon myrtle (LM) () essential oil (EO) was investigated to combat by agar diffusion and vapour assay and in artificially infected oranges. The main constituent of LM EO was revealed as citral when analysed in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pure citral was also included in the experiment for comparison.

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Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for benzylpiperazine (BZP, ), an illicit designer drug, were developed by using both self-assembly and semi-covalent approaches. From an array of potential functional monomers (FMs) and using a combination of pre-synthetic interaction studies (by molecular modelling and NMR analysis) and binding assays, the highest performing self-assembly -MIPs were confirmed to result from methacrylic acid () as FM, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) as crosslinkers and chloroform as the porogen and rebinding solvent at template (T): FM ratios of 1:1 and 1:2, giving imprinting factors (IF) 3 to 7. The semi-covalent -MIPs were designed using benzylpiperazine (4-vinylphenyl) carbamate () as the template-monomer adduct in combination with either EDGMA or TRIM.

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This study aimed to determine the phytochemical, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the crude extract and its fractions of . The results showed that total phenolic content (TPC), their secondary metabolites (flavonoids-TFC; proanthocyanidins-TPro), and antioxidant activity were significantly different between the crude extract and its fractions. The butanol fraction (F3) had the highest levels of TPC, TFC, and TPro, followed by the crude extract, aqueous fraction (F4), dichloromethyl fraction (F2), and hexane fraction (F1).

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The inhibition of the α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity facilitates the maintenance of circulating glucose levels by decreasing the rate of blood sugar absorption. Existing enzyme inhibitors such as acarbose, miglitol, and voglibose are used for inhibiting the activity of these enzymes, however, alternative solutions are required to avoid the side-effects of using these drugs. The current study aims to review recent evidence regarding the in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities of extracts derived from selected fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms.

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Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in Western societies. The absence of specific symptoms, late diagnosis and the resistance towards chemotherapy result in significant treatment difficulties. As such, it is important to find more effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of PC.

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UV-C (180-280 nm) has been shown to extend the postharvest shelf-life of many horticulture crops. In this study, Tahitian limes () were exposed to 0, 3.4, 7.

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Starch is the most popular plant polysaccharides, which has been widely used for the development of edible coating films because of its abundance, cost-effectiveness, and excellent film-forming abilities. Starch-based films have good optical, organoleptic and gas barrier properties, however, they have poor mechanical properties. Many attempts have been made to overcome these limitations, such as the addition of co-biopolymers or other secondary additives to improve the mechanical and tensile properties of the films.

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Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a complex, heterogeneous disease with a dismal prognosis. Current therapies have failed to improve survival outcomes, urging the need for discovery of novel targeted treatments. Bispidinone derivatives have yet to be investigated as cytotoxic agents against PC cells.

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Calyx browning and internal quality loss are major physiological causes for the loss of quality in citrus fruit during storage. While the symptoms of calyx senescence are only superficial, it can affect the appearance and consumer acceptability of citrus fruit. In this study, continuous ethylene exposure at different storage temperatures was investigated to assess their effect on calyx senescence and internal qualities in 'Afourer' mandarin and Navel orange fruit during storage.

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This data article indicates the cytotoxicity of kaempferol and gallic acid across different cancer cell lines including A2780 (ovarian), H460 (lung), A431 (skin), MIA PaCa-2 (pancreas), Du145 (prostate), HT29 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), BE2-C (neuroblastoma), SJ-G2, U87 and SMA (glioblastoma). The dataset showed that the inhibitory activity of kaempferol was comparatively stronger than gallic acid. Thereby, kaempferol is offered as a potent anticancer agent for further investigation and beneficial as a dietary supplement.

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Helicteres hirsuta Lour. (H. hirsuta) has been considered as a herbal medicine for the treatment of malaria and diabetes but limited studies have been conducted on its anticancer and antibacterial properties.

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The effect of different combinations of maltodextrin (MD) coating agents (MD, MD + soybean protein, and MD + ι-carrageenan) on the encapsulation of lemon by-product aqueous extracts using freeze-drying and spray-drying were investigated. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the microparticles were evaluated. Freeze-drying with the mixture of MD + soybean protein resulted in the highest retention of TPC, TFC, and FRAP (1.

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Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most devastating human cancers, and despite the significant advances in the current therapeutic options, the overall survival rate for PC has remained static for the past 50 years. Plant-derived bioactive compounds play a vital role in cancer therapeutics by providing new lead compounds for future drug development. Therefore, the isolation, characterization, and identification of new bioactive compounds for the prevention and treatment of cancer continue to be an important aspect of natural product research.

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New therapeutic strategies such as the development of novel drugs and combinatorial therapies with existing chemotherapeutic agents are urgently needed to improve the clinical prognosis of pancreatic cancer. We have previously reported the antiproliferative properties of aqueous crude Eucalyptus microcorys extract against pancreatic cancer cell lines. In this study, bioassay-guided fractionation of the aqueous crude E.

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The aim of this study was to develop an optimal formulation for preparation of edible films from chitosan, pea starch and glycerol using response surface methodology. Three independent variables were assigned comprising chitosan (1-2%), pea starch (0.5-1.

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In spite of the recent advancements in oncology, the overall survival rate for pancreatic cancer has not improved over the last five decades. Eucalypts have been linked with cytotoxic and anticancer properties in various studies; however, there is very little scientific evidence that supports the direct role of eucalypts in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This study assessed the anticancer properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of four Eucalyptus species using an MTT assay.

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Several studies have shown that UV-C (ultraviolet C) irradiation promotes the bioactive compounds and antioxidants of fresh fruits and vegetables. The aim of this study was to apply UV irradiation in dried lemon pomace powder for enhancing its phenolic content and antioxidant properties, thus more bioactive compounds should be available for extraction and utilization. Lemon pomace dried powder was placed under a UV lamp and treated with dosages of 4, 19, 80 and 185 kJ·m, while untreated powder was used as a control.

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While the pharmacological and toxicological properties of eucalypts are well known in indigenous Australian medicinal practice, investigations of the bioactivity of eucalypt extracts against high mortality diseases such as pancreatic cancer in Western medicine have to date been limited, particularly amongst the genera Corymbia and Angophora. Four Angophora and Corymbia species were evaluated for their phytochemical profile and efficacy against both primary and secondary pancreatic cancer cell lines. The aqueous leaf extract of Angophora hispida exhibited statistically higher total phenolic content (107.

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The main aim of this study was to develop rice starch (RS), ι-carrageenan (ι-car) based film. Different formulations of RS (1-4%, w/w), ι-car (0.5-2%, w/w) was blended with stearic acid (SA; 0.

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The effects of different solvents on the recovery of (i) extractable solids (ES), (ii) total phenolic compounds (TPC), (iii) total flavonoid content (TFC), (iv) vitamin C, and (v) antioxidant activity from lemon pomace waste were investigated. The results revealed that solvents significantly affected the recovery of ES, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant properties. Absolute methanol and 50% acetone resulted in the highest extraction yields of TPC, whereas absolute methanol resulted in the highest extraction of TFC, and water had the highest recovery of vitamin C.

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Euphorbia tirucalli is a succulent shrub or small tree that is native to the African continent, however, it is widely cultivated across the globe due to its use in traditional medicines to treat ailments, ranging from scorpion stings to HIV. Recent studies have identified compounds present in the latex of the plant, including a range of bi- and triterpenoids that exhibit bioactivity, including anticancer activity. This study aimed to optimize water extraction conditions for high-yield total phenolic content recovery, to prepare methanol and aqueous extracts from the aerial sections of the plant, and to test the phytochemical, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties of these extracts.

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The genus Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) is mainly native to Australia; however, some species are now distributed globally. Eucalyptus has been used in indigenous Australian medicines for the treatment of a range of aliments including colds, flu, fever, muscular aches, sores, internal pains, and inflammation. Eucalyptus oils containing volatile compounds have been widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries for a multitude of purposes.

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