Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Extracts on a Model of Diet-Induced Steatosis.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are widely recognised as factors that can initiate and facilitate the development of MAFLD. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of low and high doses of var. peel extract (L-OD and H-OD, respectively) and var.

Effects of var. Extracts Obtained from Prickly Pear and an Industrial By-Product on Maturing Pre-Adipocytes.

var. , a member of the Cactaceae family, produces a fruit known as prickly pear. This fruit is rich in bioactive compounds, including betalains and phenolic compounds, which play an important role in health promotion due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

A bio-guided search of anti-steatotic compounds in Opuntia stricta var. dillenii by fast centrifugal partition chromatography.

The fruit extract of Opuntia stricta var. dillenii (OSDE) has been recognized for its effects on hepatic steatosis, but the compounds responsible for this activity have yet to be precisely identified. This work aimed to evaluate the anti-steatotic effect of OSDE and its different fractions obtained by fast centrifugal-partition chromatography (FCPC) to identify the compounds potentially responsible for this biological activity.

A Healthy Brazil Nut Beverage with var. Green Extract: Beverage Stability and Changes in Bioactives and Antioxidant Activity during Cold Storage.

Plant-based beverages are one of the foods that currently arouse a lot of interest in the population due to their composition with compounds beneficial to health in addition to their being used as milk substitutes for people who suffer from food disorders. Also, their fortification with different nutrients or healthy ingredients with the aim of improving plant-based health potential is actually gaining importance in the food industry. For this reason, the aim of the present investigation was the preparation of a healthy Brazil nut beverage enriched with var.

Encapsulation of Indicaxanthin-Rich Green Extracts by Double Emulsions for Improved Stability and Bioaccessibility.

var. fruit is an important source of indicaxanthin, a betalain with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuromodulatory potential, proven in both in vitro and in vivo models. Other betalains and phenolic compounds with bioactive activities have also been identified in fruit extracts.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Different var. 's Prickly Pear Tissues and Industrial By-Product Extracts in 3T3-L1 Mature Adipocytes.

var. fruit is a source of phytochemicals, such as betalains and phenolic compounds, which may play essential roles in health promotion. The aim of this research was to study the triglyceride-lowering effect of green extracts, obtained from var.

In Vitro Screening and Lipid-Lowering Effect of Prickly Pear (Opuntia Ficus-Indica L. Mill.) Fruit Extracts in 3T3-L1 Pre-Adipocytes and Mature Adipocytes.

Opuntia ficus-indica fruits have been widely used due to their nutritional composition and beneficial effects on health, particularly against chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, among others. In recent years, prickly pear peel and pulp extracts have been characterised, and a high number of bioactive compounds have been identified. This study aimed to analyse the triglyceride-lowering effect of prickly pear peel and pulp extracts obtained from fruits of three varieties (Pelota, Sanguinos, and Colorada) in 3T3-L1 maturing and mature adipocytes.

Improvement in the Stability and Bioaccessibility of Carotenoid and Carotenoid Esters from a Papaya By-Product Using O/W Emulsions.

The aim of the present work was to improve the stability and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from green oil extracts obtained from papaya by-products using oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The effects of different concentrations of pectin (1%, 2%, and 3%), a high-molecular-size emulsifier, together with Tween 20, a low-molecular-size emulsifier, high-speed homogenization conditions (time: 2, 3, 4, and 5 min; rpm: 9500, 12,000, 14,000, and 16,000 rpm), and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) (100 MPa for five cycles) were evaluated to determine the optimal conditions for obtaining O/W stable emulsions with encapsulated carotenoids. Soybean, sunflower, and coconut oils were used to formulate these O/W emulsions.

Brazil Nut () Beverage Processed by High-Pressure Homogenization: Changes in Main Components and Antioxidant Capacity during Cold Storage.

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is an emerging technology for obtaining physical and microbial stability of plant-based milks, but there is little information on the effects of this technology on the phytochemical components of the processed plant food beverage and during its cold storage. The effect of three selected HPH treatments (180 MPa/25 °C, 150 MPa/55 °C, and 50 MPa/75 °C) and pasteurization (PAS) (63 °C, 20 min) on minor lipid constituents, total proteins, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and essential minerals of Brazil nut beverage (BNB) were studied. Additionally, the study of the possible changes in these constituents was carried out during cold storage at 5 °C for 21 days.

Beneficial Effects of spp. on Liver Health.

The genus spp. includes plants capable of growing in arid, temperate and tropical climates. The vast majority of wild species grow in Mexico, but (prickly pear or nopal) is cultivated around the world and it is one of the most studied.

Oil-Based Double Emulsion Microcarriers for Enhanced Stability and Bioaccessibility of Betalains and Phenolic Compounds from var. Green Extracts.

Opuntia cactus fruit (prickly pear flesh and agricultural residues such as peels and stalks) is an important source of bioactive compounds, including betalains and phenolic compounds. In this work, two double emulsion W/O/W formulations (A and B) were designed to encapsulate green extracts rich in betalains and phenolic compounds obtained from var. () fruits with the aim of improving their stability and protecting them during the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process.

Anti-Obesity Effects of Isorhamnetin and Isorhamnetin Conjugates.

Isorhamnetin is a plant-derived secondary metabolite which belongs to the family of flavonoids. This review summarises the main outcomes described in the literature to date, regarding the effects of isorhamnetin on obesity from in vitro and in vivo studies. The studies carried out in pre-adipocytes show that isorhamnetin is able to reduce adipogenesis at 10 μM or higher doses and that these effects are mediated by Pparγ and by Wnt signalling pathway.

Effect of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Carotenoids from Papaya ( L. cv. Sweet Mary) Using Vegetable Oils.

By-products from fruits and are of great interest for their potential use in the food industry due to their high content of bioactive compounds. Herein, we examined the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of carotenoid and carotenoid esters from papaya pulp and peel using soybean oil and sunflower oil as alternative green solvents. Response surface methodology (RSM) was established to optimize the UAE process.

Composition of Brazil Nut ( HBK), Its Beverage and By-Products: A Healthy Food and Potential Source of Ingredients.

The consumption of plant-based beverages is a growing trend and, consequently, the search for alternative plant sources, the improvement of beverage quality and the use of their by-products, acquire great interest. Thus, the purpose of this work was to characterize the composition (nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidant activity) of the Brazil nut (BN), its whole beverage (WBM), water-soluble beverage (BM-S), and its by-products of the beverage production: cake, sediment fraction (BM-D), and fat fraction (BM-F). In this study, advanced methodologies for the analysis of the components were employed to assess HPLC-ESI-QTOF (phenolic compounds), GC (fatty acids), and MALDI-TOF/TOF (proteins and peptides).

Ultrasound-Assisted "Green" Extraction (UAE) of Antioxidant Compounds (Betalains and Phenolics) from var. 's Fruits: Optimization and Biological Activities.

var. 's prickly pears are an underutilized fruit with a high content of betalains and phenolic compounds that could bring potential health benefits for humans. The aim of this study is the optimization of the "green" extraction of betalains and phenolic compounds from var.

Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Extractability and Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids and Their Esters from Papaya ( L.) and Its Impact on Tissue Microstructure.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a non-thermal technology widely used in the industry to extend food shelf-life and it has been proven to enhance the extractability of secondary metabolites, such as carotenoids, in plant foods. In this study, fresh-cut papaya pulp of varieties (Sweet Mary, Alicia and Eksotika) from the Canary Islands (Spain) were submitted to the HHP process (pressure: 100, 350 and 600 MPa; time: come-up time (CUT) and 5 min) to evaluate, for the first time, individual carotenoid and carotenoid ester extractability and to assess their bioaccessibility using an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion assay, following the standardized INFOGEST methodology. In addition, changes in papaya pulp microstructure after HHP treatments and during the different phases of the in vitro digestion were evaluated with optical light microscopy.

Greater bioavailability of xanthophylls compared to carotenes from orange juice (high-pressure processed, pulsed electric field treated, low-temperature pasteurised, and freshly squeezed) in a crossover study in healthy individuals.

This study examined the effect of the intake of orange juice provided freshly squeezed (FS) or processed using low-temperature pasteurisation (LP), high-pressure processing (HPP), or pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on the serum carotenoid concentrations of 12 healthy individuals, aged 20-32 years, enrolled in a crossover study. Participants were instructed to consume 500 ml of orange juice/day for 14 days. Carotenoid concentrations in the orange juice as well as serum samples retrieved on days 7 and 14 were analysed via HPLC.

Bioaccessibility of Antioxidants in Prickly Pear Fruits Treated with High Hydrostatic Pressure: An Application for Healthier Foods.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a commercial processing technology which can enhance the health potential of foods by improving the bioaccessibility of their bioactive compounds. Our aim was to study the bioaccessibility and digestive stability of phenolic compounds and betalains in prickly pear fruits ( L. Mill.

Extraction optimization and structural characterization of pectin from persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki Thunb. var. Rojo brillante).

In this work we have efficiently extracted and characterized pectin from different tissues of astringent (AS) and non-astringent (NAS) persimmon fruits (peel, pulp, whole fruit) for the first time. The highest pectin extraction (≥7.2%) was carried out at 80 °C, 120 min with 1.

In Vitro Antioxidant Capacity of Opuntia spp. Fruits Measured by the LOX-FL Method and its High Sensitivity Towards Betalains.

Current in vitro methodologies neglect or subestimate the contribution of betalains to antioxidant capacity in foods because they do not reflect their in vivo biological mechanisms. In this study, we assessed the sensibility of the lipoxygenase-fluorescein (LOX-FL) method towards betalains, phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid from Opuntia spp. fruits; and (ii) the antioxidant capacity of peel and pulp extracts from Opuntia ficus-indica L.

Characterization, Stability, and Bioaccessibility of Betalain and Phenolic Compounds from Fruits and Products of Their Industrialization.

The aim of the present study was the full characterization, quantification, and determination of the digestive stability and bioaccessibility of individual betalain and phenolic compounds of fresh fruits (peel, pulp, and whole fruit) and of the products of the industrialization to obtain jam (raw pressed juice (product used for jam formulation), by-product (bagasse), and frozen whole fruit (starting material for jam production)). fruits and products profile showed 60 betalain and phenolic compounds that were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS and HPLC-DAD-MS/QTOF, being 25 phenolic acids (including isomers and derivatives), 12 flavonoids (including glycosides), 3 ellagic acids (including glycosides and derivative), and 20 betanins (including degradation compounds). In vitro gastrointestinal digestion was performed by INFOGEST protocol.

Carotenoid and Carotenoid Ester Profile and Their Deposition in Plastids in Fruits of New Papaya ( L.) Varieties from the Canary Islands.

The carotenoid profile of non-saponified and saponified extracts of different tissues (pulp and peel) of fruits of three new papaya varieties, Sweet Mary, Alicia, and Eksotika, was characterized for the first time, and almost all carotenoid compounds were quantified. Carotenoids and carotenoid esters were analyzed and characterized using HPLC-photo diode array (PDA-MS with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization with positive ion mode (APCI) with a C reversed-phase column. The carotenoid deposition in collenchyma and chlorenchyma cells of papaya pulp and peel tissues was assessed by optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.

Carotenoids: Considerations for Their Use in Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Nutricosmetics, Supplements, Botanicals, and Novel Foods in the Context of Sustainability, Circular Economy, and Climate Change.

Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids that are important in food quality and health promotion. There is a need to establish recommended dietary intakes/nutritional reference values for carotenoids. Research on carotenoids in agro-food and health is being propelled by the two multidisciplinary international networks, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Foods Ingredients (IBERCAROT; ) and the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN; ).

A comprehensive review on carotenoids in foods and feeds: , applications, patents, and research needs.

Carotenoids are isoprenoids widely distributed in foods that have been always part of the diet of humans. Unlike the other so-called food bioactives, some carotenoids can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Furthermore, they are much more versatile as they are relevant in foods not only as sources of vitamin A, but also as natural pigments, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds.

In vitro gastrointestinal stability, bioaccessibility and potential biological activities of betalains and phenolic compounds in cactus berry fruits (Myrtillocactus geometrizans).

Cactus berry (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) is a scarcely studied Mexican wild fruit. These fruits could contribute to reduce the risk of degenerative chronic diseases due to their bioactive profile. The aim of this work was to study the betalains and phenolic profile in cactus berry, their in vitro biological activities and gastrointestinal digestive stability and bioaccessibility.