Erum Akbar Hussain

N-Benzyl-N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-[4-(tri­fluoro­meth­yl)phen­oxy]propanamine (N-benzylflouoxetine)

In the title compound, C24H24F3NO, the N-benzyl derivative of fluoxetine {N-methyl-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]benzenepropanamine}, the three aromatic rings A, B and C are inclined to one another by 76.77 (12)° for A/B, 17.05 (14)° for A/C and 89.66 (14)° for B/C. In the crystal structure, molecules are linked via C—H⋯π interactions to form one-dimensional chains propagating in the [010] direction.

Role of Betalain in Human Health

Various bioavailable compounds from plants have recently attracted much attention as they are vital protecting factors in human health. Pharmacological activities of betalain such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antilipidemic, and antimicrobial make them able to play a central role in human health. When betalains become part of regular diet in humans, they offer fortification against stress-related syndromes due to their ability to obstruct lipid peroxidation and oxidation other than its color-imparting features. Several pathological syndromes are well treated and cured by health-promoting agents like beetroot. Beetroot supplementation containing betalain is recounted to attenuate inflammation, decrease blood pressure, avoid oxidative burden, restore cerebrovascular hemodynamics, and block endothelial function in humans [1].

Processing of Betalains

The existing lifestyle derived the human needs to the enhanced consumption of processed food. The concept of food preservation is very traditional. Since ancient times, drying and preservation by salting are the most popular methods which prevent food from biodegradation caused by bacteria, thus resulting in increased shelf life. The food processing generally extends the storage period of food by applying various preservation techniques. This avoids the biochemical as well as microbiological changes in food. In contemporary practice, processing of food enhances the nutritional value and variety of food incorporating organoleptic effect and nutritional quality. Food obtained from plants is generally processed through thermal methods to increase shelf life, flavor and enhances the scrumptiousness. The overall purpose is to make the food safe and available around the year for human consumption.

Bioavailability of Betalains

Primitively the term bioavailability was used in materia medica in order to describe the rate and extent of action of a drug. Many definitions of bioavailability were recommended, but the more accepted one is the fractional part of any ingested compound that enters the systemic circulation and the particular sites where this compound maintains its biological action. Alternatively in simple words, it is quantitative measure of ingested betalains which exerts its advantageous biological activities in specific tissues [1].

Chemistry of Betalains

Ecology gradually affects the biochemical composition of plant which is progressively influenced by conservationism. This observation is extensively supported when Caryophyllales is examined for its phytochemical characterization. So, anthocyanins are replaced by betalain in various vegetative parts mainly in flowers and fruits. Due to physiological features, betalain and anthocyanins are homologous, and this exploration is broadly reinforced by analysis and phytochemical identification. It was inferred that betalain has replaced anthocyanins in several parts of plants especially somatic organs chiefly in flowers and fruits.

Betalains as Colorants and Pigments

Colors are the unique identification of any object. A colorant can act as either a pigment or a dye. Pigments are the chemicals that absorb light of specific wavelength and prevent certain wavelengths of light from being transmitted or reflected. They are also regarded as subtractive colors. The colors of pigments interpret in the brain by producing neural impulse when eye seizures the diverted or reflected non-engrossed energy.

Bioactivities of Betalains

Betalains, the group of chemicals responsible for color in red beet, are found to exhibit powerful antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging properties with potential health benefits in humans, such as boosting immune system and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer [1].

Sources of Betalains

Betalains occur only in few plant families of order Caryophyllales where they found vital constituents in edible parts of plants usually in leaves, flowers, and stems. They also occur in some fungi of higher order like in the fly agaric (A. muscaria) and some genera of Basidiomycetes. Red beetroots (B. vulgaris), cacti fruits belonging to the genus Opuntia (mainly Opuntia ficus-indica), the dragon fruits of Hylocereus cacti (mainly Hylocereus polyrhizus), and the Swiss chard (B. vulgaris) are the known edible sources of betacyanins and betaxanthin. The less common edible sources are Ulluco tubers (Ullucus tuberosus), fruits and berries of Eulychnia cacti, and Rivina humilis. It is a class of yellow and red indole-derived pigments which replace anthocyanin pigments in plants and are mainly responsible for coloration, but their role in fungi is unknown. Betalain accumulation occurs in cell vacuoles synthesized mainly in epidermal and subepidermal plant tissues due to their hydrophilicity.

Analysis of Betalains

Betalains are frequently present in composite mixtures. They quickly decompose in the separation stages and refining that makes separation of higher amounts of pigments difficult. Identification and structural elucidation of betalain molecules comprise of comparison of electrophoretic, chromatographic, and spectroscopic properties and involve direct comparison of these properties with reliable criterions before and after well-organized hydrolysis. The sensitivity of betalains to acid hydrolysis makes them different from anthocyanins, and their color changes with pH changes. In electrophoretic and chromatographic characteristics, both can be distinguished by simple color tests. Since both types of pigments occur exclusively, color tests are usually performed by using crude plant extracts. HPLC is the top-benched method in both quantifiable and semi-preparative works on betalains. The current chapter highlights the history of analyses and the most suitable contemporary methods and techniques employed for characterization (extraction, isolation, and structure elucidation) as well as quantification of these greatly polar nitrogen-containing molecules.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Tetrahydrocarbazole Linked 1,2-Diazoles in Aqueous-Brønsted Acid Catalytic System

A new series of tetrahydrocarbazole coupled 1,2-diazoles 4/5/6(a–o) in moderate to excellent yield was synthesized successfully via multicomponent reaction approach by adopting Michael type-addition of hydrazines on in situ generated α,β-unsaturated ketones via aldol type strategy under synthetic microwave radiations and conventional heating. Structural confirmations of all the prepared compounds were achieved by spectroscopic techniques. The best results were achieved when equal amounts of water-acetic acid were used in microwave conditions in 4 minutes.