Food Chemistry 

About: Food Chemistry is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Chemistry & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 0308-8146. Over the lifetime, 35808 publications have been published receiving 1785209 citations.

The determination of flavonoid contents in mulberry and their scavenging effects on superoxide radicals

Abstract: Flavonoid content of mulberry leaves of 19 varieties of species, determined spectrophotometrically in terms of rutin equivalent, varied from 11.7 to 26.6 mg g −1 in spring leaves and 9.84 to 29.6 mg g −1 in autumn leaves. Fresh leaves gave more extract than air-dried or oven-dried ones. HPLC showed that mulberry leaves contain at least four flavonoids, two of which are rutin and quercetin. The percentage superoxide ion scavenged by extracts of mulberry leaves, mulberry tender leaves, mulberry branches and mulberry bark were 46.5, 55.5, 67.5 and 85·5%, respectively, at a concentration of 5 μg ml −1 . The scavenging effects of most mulberry extracts were greater than those of rutin (52.0%).

Phenolic compounds in plants and agri-industrial by-products: Antioxidant activity, occurrence, and potential uses

Abstract: Phenolic compounds, ubiquitous in plants are an essential part of the human diet, and are of considerable interest due to their antioxidant properties. These compounds posses an aromatic ring bearing one or more hydroxyl groups and their structures may range from that of a simple phenolic molecule to that of a complex high-molecular weight polymer. Flavonoids, which bear the C6–C3–C6 structure, account for more than half of the over eight thousand different phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds depends on the structure, in particular the number and positions of the hydroxyl groups and the nature of substitutions on the aromatic rings. Fruits, vegetables and beverages are the major sources of phenolic compounds in the human diet. The food and agricultural products processing industries generate substantial quantities of phenolics-rich by-products, which could be valuable natural sources of antioxidants. Some of these by-products have been the subject of investigations and have proven to be effective sources of phenolic antioxidants. When tested in edible oils, and in fish, meat and poultry products, phenolic-rich extracts have shown antioxidant activities comparable to that of synthetic antioxidants. Practical aspects of extraction and production of sufficient amounts of natural antioxidants from most of these sources remain to be elucidated.

Chemical studies of anthocyanins: A review

Abstract: Anthocyanins are natural colorants which have raised a growing interest due to their extensive range of colours, innocuous and beneficial health effects. Despite the great potential of application that anthocyanins represent for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, their use has been limited because of their relative instability and low extraction percentages. Currently, most investigations on anthocyanins are focused on solving these problems, as well as their purification and identification. In this paper, the most recent advances in the chemical investigation of the anthocyanins are summarised, emphasising the effects of pH, co-pigmentation, metal ion complexation and antioxidant activity on their stability.

Determination of the total phenolic, flavonoid and proline contents in Burkina Fasan honey, as well as their radical scavenging activity.

Abstract: Several honey samples (27) from Burkina Faso were analyzed to determine their total phenolic, flavonoid and proline contents as well as their radical scavenging activity. These samples consisted of 18 multifloral, 2 honeydew and 7 unifloral honeys, derived in the latter cases from flowers of Combretaceae, Vitellaria, Acacia and Lannea plant species. The total phenolic contents varied considerably with the highest values obtained for honeydew honey. Similarly, much variation was seen in total flavonoid and proline content, with Vitellaria honey having the highest proline content. Vitellaria honey was also found to have the highest antioxidant activity and content. The correlation between radical scavenging activity and proline content was higher than that for total phenolic compounds. This suggests that the amino acid content of honey should be considered more frequently when determining its antioxidant activity.

Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds in 32 selected herbs

Abstract: Total equivalent antioxidant capacities (TEAC) and phenolic contents of 32 spices extracts from 21 botanical families grown in Poland were investigated. The total antioxidant capacity was estimated by the following methods: ABTS + (2,2 0 azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) expressed as TEAC. The total phenolics were measured using a Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of major phenolics by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) were also used. Major phenolic acids identified in analyzed species were caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic and neochlorogenic, while predominant flavonoids were quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. Myricetin was detected only in Epilobium hirsutum. Many investigated spices had high levels of phenolics and exhibited high antioxidant capacity. The TEAC values of the spices ranged from 1.76 to 346 lM trolox/100 g dw, from 7.34 to 2021 lM trolox/100 g dw, and 13.8 to 2133 lM trolox/100 g dw for ABTS + , DPPH and FRAP, respectively. The total phenolic content, measured using a Folin–Ciocalteu assay, ranged from 0.07 to 15.2 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dw. The herbs with the highest TEAC values were Syzygium aromaticum, E. hirsutum and the species belonging to the Labiatae and Compositae family. A positive relationship between TEAC (ABTS + and FRAP) values and total phenolic content, measured by HPLC, was found only in family groups with many