While use of synthetic antioxidants (such as butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole) to maintain the quality of ready-to-eat food products has become commonplace, consumer concern regarding their safety has motivated the food industry to seek natural alternatives. Phenolic antioxidants can inhibit free radical formation and/or interrupt propagation of autoxidation. Fat-soluble vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and water-soluble vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) are both effective in the appropriate matrix. Plant extracts, generally used for their flavoring characteristics, often have strong H-donating activity thus making them extremely effective antioxidants. This antioxidant activity is most often due to phenolic acids (gallic, protocatechuic, caffeic, and rosmarinic acids), phenolic diterpenes (carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmanol, and rosmadial), flavonoids (quercetin, catechin, naringenin, and kaempferol), and volatile oils (eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, and menthol). Some plant pigments (anthocyanin and anthocyanidin) can chelate metals and donate H to oxygen radicals thus slowing oxidation via 2 mechanisms. Tea and extracts of grape seeds and skins contain catechins, epicatechins, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, and resveratrol, all of which contribute to their antioxidative activity. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of natural antioxidants, their mechanisms of action, and potential applications.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2011.00156.x

Natural antioxidants: sources, compounds, mechanisms of action, and potential applications

The antiviral effector IFITM3 disrupts intracellular cholesterol homeostasis to block viral entry

Natural antioxidant products are increasingly being used to treat various pathological liver conditions considering the role of oxidative stress in their pathogenesis Rosemary essential oil has already being used as a preservative in food industry due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, but it was shown to possess additional health benefits The aim of our study was to evaluate the protective effect of rosemary essential oil on carbon tetrachloride - induced liver injury in rats and to explore whether its mechanism of action is associated with modulation of hepatic oxidative status Chemical composition of isolated rosemary essential oil was determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry Antioxidant activity was determined in vitro using DPPH assay Activities of enzyme markers of hepatocellular damage in serum and antioxidant enzymes in the liver homogenates were measured using the kinetic spectrophotometric methods In this research, we identified 29 chemical compounds of the studied rosemary essential oil, and the main constituents were 1,8-cineole (4377%), camphor (1253%), and α-pinene (1151%) Investigated essential oil was found to exert hepatoprotective effects in the doses of 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg by diminishing AST and ALT activities up to 2-fold in serum of rats with carbon tetrachloride - induced acute liver damage Rosemary essential oil prevented carbon tetrachloride - induced increase of lipid peroxidation in liver homogenates Furthermore, pre-treatment with studied essential oil during 7 days significantly reversed the activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in liver homogenates, especially in the dose of 10 mg/kg Our results demonstrate that rosemary essential oil, beside exhibiting free radical scavenging activity determined by DPPH assay, mediates its hepatoprotective effects also through activation of physiological defense mechanisms

/pdf/antioxidant-activity-of-rosemary-rosmarinus-officinalis-l-563pe567ze.pdf

Antioxidant activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil and its hepatoprotective potential

α- and β-pinene are well-known representatives of the monoterpenes group, and are found in many plants’ essential oils. A wide range of pharmacological activities have been reported, including antibiotic resistance modulation, anticoagulant, antitumor, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-Leishmania, and analgesic effects. This article aims to summarize the most prominent effects of α- and β-pinene, namely their cytogenetic, gastroprotective, anxiolytic, cytoprotective, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective effects, as well as their effects against H2O2-stimulated oxidative stress, pancreatitis, stress-stimulated hyperthermia, and pulpal pain. Finally, we will also discuss the bioavailability, administration, as well as their biological activity and clinical applications.

https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/9/11/738/pdf

Therapeutic Potential of α- and β-Pinene: A Miracle Gift of Nature.

New insights into antibacterial and antioxidant activities of rosemary essential oils and their main components

Antioxidative activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil compared to its main components.

Aims
The aim was to isolate, identify and characterize endophytes from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.), as novel producer of cajanol and its in vitro cytotoxicity assay.

Methods and Results
Isolation, identification and characterization of novel endophytes producing cajanol from the roots of pigeon pea were investigated. The endophytes were identified as Hypocrea lixii by morphological and molecular methods. Cajanol produced by endophytes were quantified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). R-18 produced the highest levels of cajanol (322·4 ± 10·6 μg l−1 or 102·8 ± 6·9 μg g−1 dry weight of mycelium) after incubation for 7 days. The cytotoxicity towards human lung carcinoma cells (A549) of fungal cajanol was investigated in vitro.

Conclusions
First, a novel endophyte Hypocrea lixii, producing anticancer agent cajanol, was isolated from the host pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.). Fungal cajanol possessed stronger cytotoxicity activity towards A549 cells in time- and dose-dependent manners.

Significance and Impact of the Study
This endophyte is a potential handle for scientific and commercial exploitation, and it could provide a promising alterative approach for large-scale production of cajanol to satisfy new anticancer drug development.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jam.12195

Hypocrea lixii, novel endophytic fungi producing anticancer agent cajanol, isolated from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.).

Lipid rafts are involved in the life cycle of many viruses. In this study, we investigated the role of lipids in the life cycle of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Cholesterol depletion by pretreatment of BHK cells or VSV particles with methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), a cholesterol-sequestering drug, inhibited the production of VSV dramatically. This effect was reversible, and virus production was restored by the addition of cholesterol, indicating that the reduction was caused by the loss of cholesterol in the cell membrane and virus, respectively. Cholesterol depletion at the adsorption stage also reduced the production of VSV significantly, but in contrast, only had a limited effect on virus production at the post-entry stage. Inhibition of sphingomyelin by myriocin treatment only showed a minor effect on VSV production. However, reduction of cholesterol and sphingomyelin at the same time dramatically reduced VSV production, showed a significant synergistic effect. These results suggest that lipid rafts play an important role in the life cycle of VSV.

Lipid rafts play an important role in the vesicular stomatitis virus life cycle.

Five fungal endophytes (K4, K5, K6, K9, K14) producing Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid) were isolated from the roots of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. CSA is responsible for the prominent pharmacological activities in pigeon pea. The amount of CSA in culture solution varied among the five fungal endophytes. K4 produced the highest levels of CSA (1037.13 µg/L) among the endophytes tested after incubation for five days. Both morphological characteristics and molecular methods were used for species identification of fungal endophytes. The five endophytic isolates were characterized by analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA and β-tubulin genes. The K4, K5, K9 and K14 strains isolated from pigeon pea roots were found to be closely related to the species Fusarium oxysporum. K6 was identified as Neonectria macrodidym. The present study is the first report on the isolation and identification of fungal endophytes producing CSA in pigeon pea. The study also provides a scientific base for large scale production of CSA.

/pdf/characterization-of-five-fungal-endophytes-producing-3i9m4jfrhy.pdf

Characterization of five fungal endophytes producing Cajaninstilbene acid isolated from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp].

Seed oil from G lycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. was extracted by supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction. The oil was analysed by GC-MS after methylation. Compounds were identified according to their mass spectra (EI, 70 eV) by comparison with authentic reference substances and literature data. Five fatty acids were identified, with linoleic acid (24.3%) and α-linolenic acid (25.51%) being the main constituents. The effects of extraction time, pressure, temperature and CO2 flow rate on seed oil yield were investigated. Results showed that, under dynamic extraction time of 1.5 h, pressure 30MPa, temperature 50 °C and CO2 flux of 10 kg h –1 , the oil yield was 2.09% (m/m). The method was efficient for the extraction of this oil. Antibacterial activity of the oil was checked against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains, evaluated by investigation of MIC and MBC. The seed oil of Glycyrrhiza uralensis did not exhibit an antibacterial effect against the tested strains in our test system. KEYWORDS : Fatty acid, methylation, GC-MS, SCFE-CO2, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., antibacterial activity.

/pdf/supercritical-fluid-extraction-of-seed-oil-from-chinese-1m2g96ey6x.pdf

Yuan Gang Zu

Papers

Antioxidative activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil compared to its main components.

Hypocrea lixii, novel endophytic fungi producing anticancer agent cajanol, isolated from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.).

Lipid rafts play an important role in the vesicular stomatitis virus life cycle.

Characterization of five fungal endophytes producing Cajaninstilbene acid isolated from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp].

Supercritical fluid extraction of seed oil from Chinese licorice Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) : chemical composition and antibacterial activity