Simulated gastro-intestinal digestion is widely employed in many fields of food and nutritional sciences, as conducting human trials are often costly, resource intensive, and ethically disputable. As a consequence, in vitro alternatives that determine endpoints such as the bioaccessibility of nutrients and non-nutrients or the digestibility of macronutrients (e.g. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) are used for screening and building new hypotheses. Various digestion models have been proposed, often impeding the possibility to compare results across research teams. For example, a large variety of enzymes from different sources such as of porcine, rabbit or human origin have been used, differing in their activity and characterization. Differences in pH, mineral type, ionic strength and digestion time, which alter enzyme activity and other phenomena, may also considerably alter results. Other parameters such as the presence of phospholipids, individual enzymes such as gastric lipase and digestive emulsifiers vs. their mixtures (e.g. pancreatin and bile salts), and the ratio of food bolus to digestive fluids, have also been discussed at length. In the present consensus paper, within the COST Infogest network, we propose a general standardised and practical static digestion method based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints, which may be amended to accommodate further specific requirements. A frameset of parameters including the oral, gastric and small intestinal digestion are outlined and their relevance discussed in relation to available in vivo data and enzymes. This consensus paper will give a detailed protocol and a line-by-line, guidance, recommendations and justifications but also limitation of the proposed model. This harmonised static, in vitro digestion method for food should aid the production of more comparable data in the future.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01209876/document

A standardised static in vitro digestion method suitable for food – an international consensus

Lipids in health and disease.

Contents Summary 32 I. The importance of plant carbon metabolism for climate change 32 II. Rising atmospheric CO2 and carbon metabolism 33 III. Rising temperatures and carbon metabolism 37 IV. Thermal acclimation responses of carbon metabolic processes can be best understood when studied together 38 V. Will elevated CO2 offset warming-induced changes in carbon metabolism? 40 VI. No plant is an island: water and nutrient limitations define plant responses to climate drivers 41 VII. Conclusions 42 Acknowledgements 42 References 42 Appendix A1 48 SUMMARY: Plant carbon metabolism is impacted by rising CO2 concentrations and temperatures, but also feeds back onto the climate system to help determine the trajectory of future climate change. Here we review how photosynthesis, photorespiration and respiration are affected by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate warming, both separately and in combination. We also compile data from the literature on plants grown at multiple temperatures, focusing on net CO2 assimilation rates and leaf dark respiration rates measured at the growth temperature (Agrowth and Rgrowth , respectively). Our analyses show that the ratio of Agrowth to Rgrowth is generally homeostatic across a wide range of species and growth temperatures, and that species that have reduced Agrowth at higher growth temperatures also tend to have reduced Rgrowth , while species that show stimulations in Agrowth under warming tend to have higher Rgrowth in the hotter environment. These results highlight the need to study these physiological processes together to better predict how vegetation carbon metabolism will respond to climate change.

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.15283

Plant carbon metabolism and climate change: elevated CO2 and temperature impacts on photosynthesis, photorespiration and respiration.

An ideal extraction method should be swift, yield quantitative recovery without degradation, and the extracts should be easily separated from the solvent. The development and application of alternative green technology to replace conventional extraction methods with improved extraction efficiency and low environmental impact for the determination of natural bioactive compounds is therefore, highly important. Supercritical fluid technology offers features that overcome many limitations of conventional extraction methods. This review presents an analytical overview regarding the application of supercritical fluids in the extraction of bioactive compounds and their operative extraction conditions, along with the investigation of further improvements on the extraction efficiency and the applied techniques for the structural characterization and identification of such bioactive compounds.

/pdf/supercritical-fluid-extraction-of-bioactive-compounds-2uk3tw6ujh.pdf

Supercritical fluid extraction of bioactive compounds

Introduction. Ecologically Meaningful Germination Studies. Types of Seed Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Nondeep Physiological Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Morphophysiological Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Physical Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds in the Persistent Seed Bank. Causes of Within-Species Variations in Seed Dormancy and Germination Characteristics. A Geographical Perspective on Germination Ecology: Tropical and Subtropical Zones. A Geographical Perspective on Germination Ecology: Temperate and Arctic Zones. Germination Ecology of Plants with Specialized Life Cycles and/or Habitats. Biogeographical and Evolutionary Aspects of Seed Dormancy. Subject Index.

A Definitive Book on Seed Ecology@@@Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination

The phenolic content and antioxidant activity of infusions from Mediterranean medicinal plants

The medicinal potential of plants from the genus Plantago (Plantaginaceae)

In vitro culture of lavenders (Lavandula spp.) and the production of secondary metabolites.

The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanolic extracts from four aromatic plants used in traditional medicine and food [Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi subsp. nepeta, Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii Franco, Mentha spicata L. and Origanum vulgare subsp. virens (Hoffmanns. & Link) Bonnier & Layens] were evaluated. The extract from O. vulgare exhibited the strongest DPPH (IC50 of 4.65 ± 0.12 µg/ml) and ABTS (1479.56 ± 12.29 µmolTE/gextract) scavenging capacities, as well as the largest ferric reducing ability (1746.76 ± 45.11 µmolAAE/gextract). This extract also showed the highest total phenolic content (1597.20 ± 24.10 µmolGAE/gextract) and although HPLC–DAD analysis revealed rosmarinic acid as the main compound of the extract, other compounds seem to be involved in the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the extract from H. italicum, which was found to be rich in caffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids and in pinocembrin, showed the highest inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and α-glucosidase. Overall, the results obtained validate the usefulness of the studied plants as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health.

Phenolic profile, antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory activities of extracts from aromatic plants used in Mediterranean diet

Endemic plant species are usually more vulnerable to anthropogenic threats and natural changes and, therefore, hold a higher extinction risk. The preservation of these species is a major concern on a worldwide context and in situ protection alone will not guarantee their conservation. Ex situ conservation measures must be undertaken to support the conservation of these species, and seed banking is the more efficient and cost-effective method. However, when seed banking is not an option, alternative approaches should be considered. Biotechnological tools provide new and complementary options for plant conservation including short-, medium-, and long-term strategies, and their application for plant species conservation has increased considerably in the last years. This review provides information about the status of the use biotechnology-based techniques for the conservation of endemic plant species. Particular attention is given to cryopreservation, since is the only long-term ex situ conservation strategy that can complement and support the other conservation measures. The cryopreservation of plant genetic resources is, however, more focused on crop or economically important species and few studies are available for endemic plant species. The plant material used, the cryopreservation methods employed, and the assessment of cryogenic effects are reviewed. The reasons to explain the difficulties in cryopreserving these species are discussed and new strategies are proposed to facilitate and increase the interest on this matter. We expect that further studies on the conservation of endemic plant species will increase in a near future, thus contributing to maintain these valuable genetic resources.

https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/3/345/pdf

Sandra Gonçalves

Papers

The phenolic content and antioxidant activity of infusions from Mediterranean medicinal plants

The medicinal potential of plants from the genus Plantago (Plantaginaceae)

In vitro culture of lavenders (Lavandula spp.) and the production of secondary metabolites.

Phenolic profile, antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory activities of extracts from aromatic plants used in Mediterranean diet

Endemic Plant Species Conservation: Biotechnological Approaches.