Sascha Rohn

Interactions of different phenolic acids and flavonoids with soy proteins

Soy glycinin (SG) and soy trypsin inhibitor (STI) were derivatized by chlorogenic- and caffeic acid (cinnamic acids, C(6)-C(3) structure), and by gallic acid representing hydroxybenzoic acids (C(6)-C(1) structure). Further, the flavonoids, flavone, apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin (C(6)-C(3)-C(6) structure) were also caused to react with soy proteins to estimate the influence of the number and the position of hydroxy substituents. The derivatization caused a reduction of lysine, cysteine and tryptophan residues in the soy proteins. The isoelectric points of the derivatives were shifted to lower pH values and formation of high molecular fractions was documented. The derivatives were characterized in terms of their solubility at different pH-values to document the influence on the functional properties. The structural changes induced were studied using circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), intrinsic fluorescence, and binding of anilinonaphthalenesulfonic acid. The influence of derivatization on the in-vitro digestibility with trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin and pancreatin was also assessed. The effect on the trypsin inhibitor activity of all the resulting STI derivatives was studied, the latter being reduced.

Structural changes induced in bovine serum albumin by covalent attachment of chlorogenic acid

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was modified by covalent attachment of chlorogenic acid using different concentrations at pH 9. The derivatization was accompanied by a reduction of lysine, cysteine and tryptophan residues. The isoelectric points were shifted to lower pH values and formation of high molecular weight fractions was noted. The structural changes were studied using circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), intrinsic fluorescence, and binding of anilinonaphthalenesulfonic acid. The results showed that the content of α-helix decreased with a parallel increase in unordered structures with higher degrees of derivatization. DSC revealed a decrease in both denaturation temperature and enthalpy. Surface hydrophobicity declined, indicating that hydrophilic regions were exposed on the molecular surface. Proteolytic digestion showed that, at a lower degree of derivatization, the tryptic degradation was most adversely effected, whereas the peptic digestion declined with increasing modification. A trypsin inhibitory effect of the breakdown products released from derivatized BSA was also observed.

Reactivity and stability of glucosinolates and their breakdown products in foods.

The chemistry of glucosinolates and their behavior during food processing is very complex. Their instability leads to the formation of a bunch of breakdown and reaction products that are very often reactive themselves. Although excessive consumption of cabbage varieties has been thought for long time to have adverse, especially goitrogenic effects, nowadays, epidemiologic studies provide data that there might be beneficial health effects as well. Especially Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, radish, or cabbage, are rich in these interesting plant metabolites. However, information on the bioactivity of glucosinolates is only valuable when one knows which compounds are formed during processing and subsequent consumption. This review provides a comprehensive, in-depth overview on the chemical reactivity of different glucosinolates and breakdown products thereof during food preparation.

Reactions of phenolic substances with lysozyme — physicochemical characterisation and proteolytic digestion of the derivatives

Abstract Lysozyme was modified by covalent attachment of selected phenolic compounds ( m -, o -, p -dihydroxybenzenes, ferulic and gallic acid) at pH 9. The derivatives formed were characterized in terms of their physicochemical and digestion properties. The derivatization was accompanied by a reduction of lysine and tryptophan residues. Moreover, the solubility of the derivatives decreased over a broad pH range and the derivatization increased the hydrophobicity. The isoelectric points were shifted to lower pH values and formation of high molecular weight fractions occurred. In vitro experiments showed that, the peptic digestion of the derivatized lysozyme was adversely affected, whereas the tryptic, chymotryptic and pancreatic hydrolysis seemed to be favoured. The lytic activity of all the resulting lysozyme derivatives was reduced.

Identification of complex, naturally occurring flavonoid glycosides in kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) by high‐performance liquid chromatography diode‐array detection/electrospray ionization multi‐stage mass spectrometry

Kale is a member of the Brassicaceae family and has a complex profile of flavonoid glycosides. Therefore, kale is a suitable matrix to discuss in a comprehensive study the different fragmentation patterns of flavonoid glycosides. The wide variety of glycosylation and acylation patterns determines the health-promoting effects of these glycosides. The aim of this study is to investigate the naturally occurring flavonoids in kale. A total of 71 flavonoid glycosides of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin were identified using a high-performance liquid chromatography diode-array detection/electrospray ionization multi-stage mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS(n)) method. Of these 71 flavonol glycosides, 27 were non-acylated, 30 were monoacylated and 14 were diacylated. Non-acylated flavonol glycosides were present as mono-, di-, tri- and tetraglycosides. This is the first time that the occurrence of four different fragmentation patterns of non-acylated flavonol triglycosides has been reported in one matrix simultaneously. In addition, 44 flavonol glycosides were acylated with p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, hydroxyferulic or sinapic acid. While monoacylated glycosides existed as di-, tri- and tetraglycosides, diacylated glycosides occurred as tetra- and pentaglycosides. To the best of our knowledge, 28 compounds in kale are reported here for the first time. These include three acylated isorhamnetin glycosides (isorhamnetin-3-O-sinapoyl-sophoroside-7-O-D-glucoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-feruloyl-sophoroside-7-O-diglucoside and isorhamnetin-3-O-disinapoyl-triglucoside-7-O-diglucoside) and seven non-acylated isorhamnetin glycosides.

Influence of dietary carotenoids on radical scavenging capacity of the skin and skin lipids

Nutrition rich in carotenoids is well known to prevent cell damage, premature skin aging, and skin cancer. Cutaneous carotenoids can be enriched in the skin by nutrition and topically applied antioxidants have shown an increase in radical protection after VIS/NIR irradiation. In this paper, it was investigated whether orally administered carotenoids increase the radical scavenging activity and the radical protection of the skin using in vivo electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and the skin lipid profile was investigated applying HPTLC on skin lipid extracts. Furthermore, in vivo Raman resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the cutaneous carotenoid concentration. A double blind placebo controlled clinical study was performed with 24 healthy volunteers, who have shown a slow but significant and effective increase in cutaneous carotenoids in the verum group. The enhancement in carotenoids increases the radical scavenging activity of the skin and provides a significant protection against stress induced radical formation. Furthermore, the skin lipids in the verum group increased compared to the placebo group but only significantly for ceramide [NS]. These results indicate that a supplementation with dietary products containing carotenoids in physiological concentrations can protect the skin against reactive oxygen species and could avoid premature skin aging and other radical associated skin diseases.

Genotypic and climatic influence on the antioxidant activity of flavonoids in kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica).

The influence of genotype and climatic factors, e.g. mean temperature and mean global radiation level, on the antioxidant activity of kale was investigated. Therefore, eight kale cultivars, hybrid and traditional, old cultivars, were grown in a field experiment and harvested at four different times. In addition to the investigation of the total phenolic content, the overall antioxidant activity was determined by TEAC assay and electron spin resonance spectrometry. A special aim was to characterize the contribution of single flavonoids to the overall antioxidant activity using an HPLC-online TEAC approach. The antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content were influenced by the genotype and the eco-physiological factors. The HPLC-online TEAC results showed that not all flavonol glycosides contribute to the overall antioxidant activity in the same manner. Taking the results of the structural analysis obtained by HPLC-ESI-MS(n) into account, distinct structure-antioxidant relationships have been observed.

Intestinal microbiota in metabolic diseases: from bacterial community structure and functions to species of pathophysiological relevance.

The trillions of bacterial cells that colonize the mammalian digestive tract influence both host physiology and the fate of dietary compounds. Gnotobionts and fecal transplantation have been instrumental in revealing the causal role of intestinal bacteria in energy homeostasis and metabolic dysfunctions such as type-2 diabetes. However, the exact contribution of gut bacterial metabolism to host energy balance is still unclear and knowledge about underlying molecular mechanisms is scant. We have previously characterized cecal bacterial community functions and host responses in diet-induced obese mice using omics approaches. Based on these studies, we here discuss issues on the relevance of mouse models, give evidence that the metabolism of cholesterol-derived compounds by gut bacteria is of particular importance in the context of metabolic disorders and that dominant species of the family Coriobacteriaceae are good models to study these functions.

Nature of hydroxycinnamate-protein interactions.

In the context of this review the type and nature of possible interactions between hydroxycinnamates and proteins are discussed. These interactions can be classified in two sub-groups: non-covalent and covalent interactions. A short introduction is given on different sites of possible interactions. The first part of the article then focuses mainly on such reactions of phenolic substances with proteins and enzymes that lead to covalent bonds and thus to their derivatization respectively consequent cross-linking reactions. The corresponding postulated reaction mechanisms in the literature are also described. Effects on physicochemical, structural and techno-functional properties of the modified proteins are discussed, with consequent impact on their digestibility and subsequently on their nutritional quality. The second part incorporates the chemistry behind the (non-covalent) binding potential of the hydroxycinnamates to proteins. The different aspects of the nutritional-physiological consequences of such interactions with focus on their significance to food science and technology are presented. This review finally summarizes the development of potential new research strategies in this field.

Influence of a sugar moiety (rhamnosylglucoside) at 3-O position on the reactivity of quercetin with whey proteins

The reaction of whey proteins (WP) with quercetin and rutin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnosylglucoside) is influenced by the glycosidic bound sugar moiety. The protein derivatives formed showed a blocking of tryptophan (max. 49%), free amino (max. 32%) and thiol groups (max. 24%). The amount of quercetin and rutin bound covalently (up to 94 and 31nmol mg(-1), respectively) was estimated by their characteristic absorbance between 300 and 340 nm. At least one molecule of the phenolic reactant was covalently bound to a beta-lactoglobulin molecule (beta-Lg). High molecular protein fractions were detected by SDS-PAGE (cross-linking with quercetin). All results confirm that quercetin is more reactive than rutin. The pH-dependent solubility of the derivatives decreased, although their hydrophilic character increased. The structural changes (circular dichroism (CD)) showed that especially rutin causes perturbation of the secondary (decrease of alpha-helix elements accompanied by an increase in random coil) and tertiary structure. The in vitro proteolytic digestibility, especially of the rutin derivatives was elevated, due to an increase in denaturation of the derivatives.