The aim of this study was to screen various solvent extracts of whole plant of Torilis leptophylla to display potent antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in order to find possible sources for future novel antioxidants in food and pharmaceutical formulations. A detailed study was performed on the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of whole plant of Torilis leptophylla (TLM) and its derived fractions {n-hexane (TLH), chloroform (TLC) ethyl acetate (TLE) n-butanol (TLB) and residual aqueous fraction (TLA)} by in vitro chemical analyses and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic injuries (lipid peroxidation and glutathione contents) in male Sprague-Dawley rat. The total yield, total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of all the fractions were also determined. TLM was also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening test for various constituents. The total phenolic contents (TPC) (121.9±3.1 mg GAE/g extract) of TLM while total flavonoid contents (TFC) of TLE (60.9 ±2.2 mg RTE/g extract) were found significantly higher as compared to other solvent fractions. Phytochemical screening of TLM revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, phlobatannins, tannins and terpenoids. The EC50 values based on the DPPH (41.0±1 μg/ml), ABTS (10.0±0.9 μg/ml) and phosphomolybdate (10.7±2 μg/ml) for TLB, hydroxyl radicals (8.0±1 μg/ml) for TLC, superoxide radicals (57.0±0.3 μg/ml) for TLM and hydrogen peroxide radicals (68.0±2 μg/ml) for TLE were generally lower showing potential antioxidant properties. A significant but marginal positive correlation was found between TPC and EC50 values for DPPH, hydroxyl, phosphomolybdate and ABTS, whereas another weak and positive correlation was determined between TFC and EC50 values for superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Results of in vivo experiment revealed that administration of CCl4 caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation (TBARS) while decrease in GSH contents of liver. In contrast, TLM (200 mg/kg bw) and silymarin (50 mg/kg bw) co-treatment effectively prevented these alterations and maintained the antioxidant status. Data from present results revealed that Torilis leptophylla act as an antioxidant agent due to its free radical scavenging and cytoprotective activity.

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Antioxidant activity, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of whole plant extracts Torilis leptophylla L

Essential oils are complex mixtures isolated from aromatic plants which may possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of interest in thye food and cosmetic industries as well as in the human health field. In this work, a review was done on the most recent publications concerning their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. At the same time a survey of the methods generally used for the evaluation of antioxidant activity and some of the mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils are also reported.

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Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils: a short review.

Background Essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants have been the focus of numerous researches due to their potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries and aromatherapy. Scope and approach The effectiveness of EO may be observed in antimicrobial and antioxidant tests. Volatile compounds are present in EOs and are responsible by their biological activities, namely antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity. Several manuscripts and patents have emerged with applications of EOs and their constituents, and their incorporation into food packaging. These packages with EOs have shown efficiency against microorganisms and oxidants in vitro, in tests with food and/or food simulants evaluation tests. In line with this, chromatographic techniques can be used to identify the main volatile compounds present in EOs or to determine the compounds that migrated from packaging to food or food simulants. This review provides a concise and critical insight in the use of EOs with emphasis in food applications. The innovative food packaging applications are highlighted and future trends are discussed. Key findings and conclusions In general, EOs extend food stability during storage, inhibiting the growth of spoilage or pathogenic microorganisms and protecting against oxidation. Moreover, in spite of the potential of EOs, more studies should evaluate their safety and possible side effects before considering their use for food purposes.

Use of essential oils in active food packaging: Recent advances and future trends

Innovations in food packaging systems will help meet the evolving needs of the market, such as consumer preference for "healthy" and high-quality food products and reduction of the negative environmental impacts of food packaging. Emerging concepts of active and intelligent packaging technologies provide numerous innovative solutions for prolonging shelf-life and improving the quality and safety of food products. There are also new approaches to improving the passive characteristics of food packaging, such as mechanical strength, barrier performance, and thermal stability. The development of sustainable or green packaging has the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of food packaging through the use of edible or biodegradable materials, plant extracts, and nanomaterials. Active, intelligent, and green packaging technologies can work synergistically to yield a multipurpose food-packaging system with no negative interactions between components, and this aim can be seen as the ultimate future goal for food packaging technology. This article reviews the principles of food packaging and recent developments in different types of food packaging technologies. Global patents and future research trends are also discussed.

Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review and Future Trends

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of polyphenols from Myrtus communis L. leaves.

Antioxidant activities of the essential oils and methanol extracts from myrtle (Myrtus communis var. italica L.) leaf, stem and flower

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the edible medicinal halophyte Tamarix gallica L. and related polyphenolic constituents

Variations in essential oil and fatty acid composition during Myrtus communis var. italica fruit maturation

Most antioxidant phytochemicals isolated from higher plants are polyphenols exhibiting different biological activities. Previous studies have shown that plant phenolic contents and antioxidant activities depend on several factors, mainly environmental conditions, and post-harvesting procedures. The present study aims to assess the influence of these interfering factors on phenolic composition and antioxidant activities (DPPH test, reducing power) of Crithmum
 maritimum L., a promising food halophyte which attracts an increasing interest in recent years. Results showed that the summer plants (reproductive stage) were richer on phenolic compounds than spring ones (vegetative stage), and consequently exhibited higher antioxidant activities. The comparison of two extraction methods showed that maceration extracts contained greatest amounts of phenolic compounds, while soxhlet ones exhibited higher antiradical and reducing power capacities. Besides, the analysis of variance disclosed that the effect of extraction method (E) was the predominant contributor to these antioxidant properties than the physiological development stage (D) and their interaction (E × D). Chromatographic characterization of C. maritimum phenolic composition using the RP-HPLC revealed the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids with epigallocatechin as major component. Almost all of the identified compounds were described in the literature as interesting bioactive natural substances that may be used in several fields, such as nutraceuticals, cosmetics and agro-food industry.

Changes in phenolic composition and antioxidant activities of the edible halophyte Crithmum maritimum L. with physiological stage and extraction method

Baya Mhamdi

Papers

Antioxidant activities of the essential oils and methanol extracts from myrtle (Myrtus communis var. italica L.) leaf, stem and flower

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the edible medicinal halophyte Tamarix gallica L. and related polyphenolic constituents

Variations in essential oil and fatty acid composition during Myrtus communis var. italica fruit maturation

Changes in phenolic composition and antioxidant activities of the edible halophyte Crithmum maritimum L. with physiological stage and extraction method

Effect of harvesting time on phenolic compounds and antiradical scavenging activity of Borago officinalis seed extracts