Ronghua Liu

Characterisation of phenolics, betanins and antioxidant activities in seeds of three Chenopodium quinoa Willd. genotypes

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is known for its exceptional nutritional value and potential health benefits. The present study identified the composition of different forms of extractable phenolics and betacyanins of quinoa cultivars in white, red and black, and how they contribute to antioxidant activities. Results showed that at least 23 phenolic compounds were found in either free or conjugated forms (liberated by alkaline and/or acid hydrolysis); the majority of which were phenolic acids, mainly vanillic acid, ferulic acid and their derivatives as well as main flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol and their glycosides. Betacyanins, mainly betanin and isobetanin, were confirmed for the first time to be the pigments of the red and black quinoa seeds, instead of anthocyanins. Darker quinoa seeds had higher phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity. Findings of these phenolics, along with betacyanins in this study add new knowledge to the functional components of quinoa seeds of different cultivar background.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatographic separation of geometric isomers of carotenoids and antioxidant activities of 20 tomato cultivars and breeding lines.

All-trans-lutein, lycopene, β-carotene and their 22 cis-isomers in 20 tomato breeding were separated and identified by a rapid and sensitive UPLC method using a 1.7μm C18 column and a new gradient mobile phase based on methanol-MTBE-water in 15 min. All-trans-carotenoids were predominant, but 9-cis, 13-cis-lutein, 5-cis, 9-cis, 13-cis, 15-cis, di-cis-lycopene, 9-cis, 13-cis, 15-cis and di-cis-β-carotene were also found. The cis-isomers were identified using absorption around 330nm and the Q-ratio. The total antioxidant activities as evaluated by PCL and DPPH assays were found to correlate well with the total carotenoid content, but not with the individual carotenoid or its different isomers. This paper provides an efficient analytical method for obtaining a complete picture of carotenoids in tomatoes. It can be a valuable tool for plant breeders, food processors and researchers in developing designer tomatoes and tomato-products with unique carotenoid compositions, and functional properties.

Characterization of phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of a purple tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

A newly developed nongenetically modified purple tomato V118 was investigated for its phytochemical compositions and antioxidant activities. A highly efficient and sensitive UPLC method was developed for both the phenolics and carotenoids, which showed that in addition to the phytochemicals commonly known for tomatoes, V118 had a unique composition of anthocyanins. The total carotenoid content of V118 was 234.78 μg/g dry weight (DW), and the total phenolic content was 659.11 mg GAE/100 g DW. The antioxidant activities of the lipophilic extract as measured by the PCL and ORAC-L assays were 30.11 μmol TE/g DW and 11.97 μmol TE/g DW, respectively, while the hydrophilic extracts as determined by the ORAC-H and FRAP assays were 323.23 μmol TE/g DW and 54.95 μmol AAE/g DW, respectively. The LC-MS study showed three major anthocyanins, which were mainly acylglycosides of petunidin and malvidin. This study showed that purple tomatoes such as V118 possess additional phytochemicals like anthocyanins, which can potentially have added health benefits.

Fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol compositions of 20 Canadian lentil cultivars and synergistic contribution to antioxidant activities

Understanding the profile of lipophilic phytochemicals in lentils is necessary to better understand the health benefits of lentils. The fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol compositions and antioxidant activities of the lipophilic extracts of 20 lentil cultivars (10 red and 10 green) were therefore examined. Lentils contained 1.52-2.95% lipids, of which 77.5-81.7% were unsaturated essential fatty acids. Total tocopherols ranged from 37 to 64μg/g DW, predominantly γ-tocopherol (96-98% of the tocopherol content), followed by δ- and α-tocopherol. trans-Lutein was the primary and major carotenoid (64-78%) followed by trans-zeaxanthin (5-13%). Carotenoids and tocopherols showed weak correlation with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity (r=0.4893 and 0.3259, respectively), but good correlation when combined (r=0.6688), suggesting they may act synergistically. Carotenoids were found to contribute the most to the strong antioxidant activity measured by photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay. Results from this study contribute to the development of lentil cultivars and related functional foods with increased health benefits.

Carotenoid compositions of coloured tomato cultivars and contribution to antioxidant activities and protection against H2O2-induced cell death in H9c2

The carotenoid compositions, antioxidant activities and the potential cardio-protective role of 13 tomato cultivars with distinct colour were studied. Colour coordinates were evaluated by colorimeter and the carotenoid compositions were analysed by UPLC. Red tomatoes had the highest total carotenoid contents (TCC) and antioxidant activities, followed by purple, orange, pink and yellow ones. The TCC were 120.5-278.0 μg/gDW, and the antioxidant activities were 21.32-40.07 μmolTE/gDW (PCL), 64.42-89.98% (DPPH) and 10.47-13.76 μmolTE/g DW (ORAC), respectively. The lipophilic extracts were also found to prevent cell death in a cell-based model system using cardiac H9c2 cells and H(2)O(2), via attenuation of the caspase-3 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 activities. The extracts of different tomatoes showed strong but different antioxidant activities. Roles of total and individual carotenoids in the antioxidant activities were studied and lycopene showed the highest correlation. Results of this study can be used to guide the development of new tomato cultivars and functional foods, and benefit the consumers.

Characterisation of fatty acid, carotenoid, tocopherol/tocotrienol compositions and antioxidant activities in seeds of three Chenopodium quinoa Willd. genotypes

Composition of fatty acids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and carotenoids, and their contribution to antioxidant activities were investigated in seeds of three coloured quinoa cultivars (white, red and black). The major components and individual compounds were significantly different, and their concentrations were higher in darker seeds (p < 0.05). The oil yield was 6.58-7.17% which contained predominantly unsaturated fatty acids (89.42%). The ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid was ca. 6/1. The total tocopherol content ranged from 37.49 to 59.82 μg/g and mainly consisted of γ-tocopherol. Trace amount of α- and β-tocotrienols was also found. Black quinoa had the highest vitamin E followed by red and white quinoas. Carotenoids, mainly trans-lutein (84.7-85.6%) and zeaxanthin were confirmed for the first time in quinoa seeds, and the concentration was also the highest in black seeds. The antioxidant activities of lipophilic extracts were positively correlated with polyunsaturated fatty acids, total carotenoids and total tocopherols.

Bioaccessibility, in vitro antioxidant activities and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of a purple tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

The bioaccessibility, antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory activities of phytochemicals in a purple tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) V118 was studied using a simulated gastrointestinal digestion model, chemical and cell based antioxidant assays. The total phenolic and carotenoid contents and the antioxidant activities were significantly lowered (37-72%) and degradation seemed to have occurred during the in vitro digestion. Results indicated that these phytochemicals were bioavailable to the cells as demonstrated by the cell based antioxidant assay. Extracts from the purple tomato showed significant and dose dependent anti-inflammatory effect in the in vivo carrageenan-induced paw oedema rat study (oedematous inhibition: 7.48% and 13.8%), suggesting that anthocyanins may play a role in the anti-inflammatory effect. Direct antioxidant actions as indicated by reduced MDA and NO production and indirect actions as shown in increased GPx and SOD activities in oedematous tissue support the conclusion that tomatoes containing anthocyanins can potentially provide better protection against oxidative stress related chronic diseases of humans.

Evaluation of antioxidant activities and chemical characterisation of staghorn sumac fruit (Rhus hirta L.)

Staghorn sumac (Rhus hirta L.) is a native tree in Eastern Canada whose fruit has been used by aboriginal peoples to treat various illnesses, and has recently been found to be a good source of antioxidants. However, the phytochemical composition of R. hirta is not known. In this study, we used Four highly accepted assays and confirmed its FRAP, ORAC, β-CLAMS and PCL values to be 79.95 μmol AAE/g DW, 1544 μmol TE/g DW, RAA 129% and 4513 μmol TE/g DW, respectively. The antioxidant activities correlated positively to the total polyphenols content, which was higher in the ethanolic extract (81.6 mg GAE/ g DW) compared to the water extract (46.3mg GAE/g DW), suggesting polyphenols play an important role. Quantitative data from UHPLC and qualitative studies using HPLC-DAD-MS showed that in addition to commonly found phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins, R. hirta fruit contained a novel group of unique anthocyanins with aglycones (anthocyanidins) at 449, 419 and 433 Da. Further studies on the identification and their health beneficial effects are being conducted.