Yuge Niu

Fabrication, characterization and antimicrobial activities of thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles stabilized by sodium caseinate-chitosan hydrochloride double layers.

Thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles stabilized with sodium caseinate (SC) and chitosan hydrochloride (CHC) were prepared and characterized. The SC stabilized nanoparticles had well-defined size range and negatively charged surface. Due to the presence of SC, the stabilized zein nanoparticles showed a shift of isoelectric point from 6.18 to 5.05, and had a desirable redispersibility in water at neutral pH after lyophilization. Coating with CHC onto the SC stabilized zein nanoparticles resulted in increased particle size, reversal of zeta potential value from negative to positive, and improved encapsulation efficiency. Both thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles and SC stabilized zein nanoparticles had a spherical shape and smooth surface, while the surfaces of CHC-SC stabilized zein nanoparticles seemed rough and had some clumps. Encapsulated thymol was more effective in suppressing gram-positive bacterium than un-encapsulated thymol for a longer time period.

Phenolic composition and nutraceutical properties of organic and conventional cinnamon and peppermint

Conventional and organic cinnamon and peppermint were investigated for their phenolic profile, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Accelerated solvent extraction with 75% acetone was used to extract samples. Caffeic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in peppermint. Catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, syringic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, and p-coumaric acid were also detected in both spices. There was no significant difference between conventional and organic spices in the composition of most individual phenolics. All conventional and organic peppermint and cinnamon extracts exhibited strong anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon was more efficient in inhibiting IL-1β and COX-2 expression, while peppermint showed better inhibitory effect on IL-6 and MCP-1. This study indicates that cinnamon and peppermint may potentially be used as dietary sources of bioactive phytochemicals for improving health.

Phytochemical compositions, and antioxidant properties, and antiproliferative activities of wheat flour

Ten soft wheat varieties grown in Maryland were compared for their phytochemical compositions, antioxidant properties and antiproliferative activities. Free radical scavenging capacities were examined against DPPH(·), oxygen, hydroxyl and ABTS(·+) radicals. Significant radical scavenging capacities were detected in all wheat flour extracts. Total phenolic content ranged from 1.66 to 2.01 mg of GAE/g wheat flour. The wheat flours contained 172.91-297.55 μg/g insoluble bound ferulic acid, contributing 89.74-94.29% of total ferulic acid on a per weight basis. The concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin were 0.27-0.46 and 0.08-0.13 μg/g, respectively. In addition, the wheat flours had 0.30-0.59 and 0.07-0.29 μg/g α- and δ-tocopherols, respectively. Four wheat flour extracts were further examined for their antiproliferative activities. The Jamestown wheat flour showed significant antiproliferative activity against both HT-29 and Caco-2 colon cancer cells at the initial treatment concentration of 50 mg flour equivalents/ml, while USG3555 flour showed inhibitive effect only in HT-29 cancer cells, suggesting the different and possible selective antiproliferative property of the wheat flours. These results may be used to direct the breeding effects to produce soft winter wheat varieties with improved health properties.

Characterization of a Novel Polysaccharide from Tetraploid Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino

A novel heteropolysaccharide (GPP-TL) was isolated from tetraploid Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Makino) leaf by hot water extraction and anion-exchange and gel permeation chromatography approaches. GPP-TL had a molecular weight of 9.3 × 10(3) Da and was primarily composed of glucose, galactose, and arabinose, with a molar ratio of 43:5:1, respectively. The chemical structure of GPP-TL was characterized using chemical and instrumental analyses. The results indicated the presence of (1→4)-α-d-glucopyranosyl, (1→4)-β-d-galactopyranosyl, (1→4,6)-linked-α-d-glucopyranosyl, and terminal 1→)-α-d-glucopyranosyl moieties in a molar ratio of 5.7:1:1.5:1, respectively. The results indicated that GPP-TL had glucose and galactose residues in the main chain with (1→6)-linked branches at glucose residues. In addition, GPP-TL exhibited scavenging capacities against hydroxyl, peroxyl, and DPPH radicals in vitro and had a stronger bile acid-binding ability than psyllium on a same-weight basis.

Identification and Quantification of Phytochemical Composition and Anti-inflammatory, Cellular Antioxidant, and Radical Scavenging Activities of 12 Plantago Species

Twenty-eight seed samples of 12 Plantago species were investigated for their chemical compositions and anti-inflammatory, cellular antioxidant, and radical scavenging properties. A new UPLC-UV procedure was developed and applied to quantify acteoside and geniposidic acid, the characteristic constituents of the genus Plantago. The amounts of acteoside and geniposidic acid ranged from 0.07 to 15.96 mg/g and from 0.05 to 10.04 mg/g in the tested samples, respectively. Furthermore, 26 compounds were tentatively identified by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis. The Plantago samples significantly differed in their phytochemical compositions. The extracts of Plantago seeds also showed inhibitory effects on LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6, and COX-2 mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Additionally, significant variations were observed among different samples on cellular antioxidant activities in HepG2 cells, as well as DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacities. The results from this study may be used to promote the use of the genus Plantago in improving human health.

Effect of genotype, environment, and their interaction on phytochemical compositions and antioxidant properties of soft winter wheat flour

The effect of genotype (G), growing environment (E), and their interaction (G×E) on the antioxidant properties and chemical compositions were investigated using the flour samples of 10 wheat varieties grown in four different locations in Maryland. Lutein content of wheat flour ranged from 0.10 to 0.69 μg/g, and α-tocopherol ranged from 0.12 to 0.83 μg/g. Total carotenoids were primarily affected by E (45.7%), while G×E interaction had a larger effect on the level of total tocopherols (71.6%). E had the largest effect on antioxidant activity against oxygen, hydroxyl, and ABTS(·+) radicals. G had the least influence on the measured phytochemicals and antioxidant activity assays. Total carotenoids had a significant correlation with average low air temperature (r=0.359, p<0.01) as well as precipitation level (r=0.214, p<0.01). ABTS(·+) radical scavenging capacity had a positive correlation with average air temperature (r=0.705, p<0.01), while hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity had a negative correlation with temperature (r=-0.269. p<0.01). These results show that environment, genotype, and their interaction could influence the levels of lipophilic antioxidants and antioxidant activities of wheat flour.

A Novel Alkali Extractable Polysaccharide from Plantago asiatic L. Seeds and Its Radical-Scavenging and Bile Acid-Binding Activities.

A new acidic polysaccharide (PLP) was isolated and characterized from Plantago asiatic L. seeds by hot alkali extraction and chromatographic purification using DEAE cellulose and Sephacryl S-400 columns. PLP has a molecular weight of 1.15 × 10(6) Da, and a monosaccharide composition of xylose (Xyl), arabinose (Ara), glucuronic acid (GlcA), and galactose (Gal) in a molar ratio of 18.8:7.2:6.1:1. The results of methylation analysis, FT-IR, and 1D and 2D NMR indicated that PLP was a highly branched heteroxylan of β-1,4-linked Xylp backbone with three α-GlcAp-(1→3)-Araf attached to the O-3 position and one α-T-linked-GlcAp and one α-Araf-(1→5)-Araf attached to the O-2 position every eight monosaccharide residues. PLP exhibited scavenging abilities against hydroxyl, peroxyl anion, and DPPH radicals in vitro and showed significant binding capacities against cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids, suggesting its possible cholesterol-lowering activity. The results demonstrated the potential use of PLP in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Characterization of a novel alkali-soluble heteropolysaccharide from tetraploid Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino and its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

A novel polysaccharide (GPP-S), with a molecular mass of 1.2 × 10(6) Da, was isolated from the tetraploid Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino by alkali extraction followed by purifications using DEAE and Sephacryl S-400 column chromatographies. The monosaccharide composition of GPP-S was determined as rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a molar ratio of 1.00:3.72:19.49:7.82. The structural analysis suggested that the backbone of GPP-S is (1→4)-linked-glucose and (1→6)-linked-galactose with a (1→4,6)-linked-glucose branch every six monosaccharide residues. The terminals were 1-)-α-arabinose, glucuronic acid, and other monosaccharides. GPP-S exhibited scavenging capacities against hydroxyl, peroxyl, and DPPH(•) radicals in vitro. GPP-S also had inhibitory activities on IL-1β, IL-6, and COX-2 gene expressions in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. These results suggested that GPP-S could be developed as a bioactive ingredient for functional foods and dietary supplements.

Partial Least-Squares-Discriminant Analysis Differentiating Chinese Wolfberries by UPLC–MS and Flow Injection Mass Spectrometric (FIMS) Fingerprints

Lycium barbarum L. fruits (Chinese wolfberries) were differentiated for their cultivation locations and the cultivars by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and flow injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting techniques combined with chemometrics analyses. The partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to the data projection and supervised learning with validation. The samples formed clusters in the projected data. The prediction accuracies by PLS-DA with bootstrapped Latin partition validation were greater than 90% for all models. The chemical profiles of Chinese wolfberries were also obtained. The differentiation techniques might be utilized for Chinese wolfberry authentication.

Cationic β-lactoglobulin nanoparticles as a bioavailability enhancer: Comparison between ethylenediamine and polyethyleneimine as cationizers

Cationic β-lactoglobulin (CBLG) was synthesized by two strategies: extensive conjugation of ethylenediamine (EDA) and limited cationization with polyethyleneimine (PEI). Both methods provided CBLG with satisfactory water solubility and resistance to peptic digestion. Compared with EDA-derived CBLG (C-EDA), PEI-derived CBLG (C-PEI) exhibited a higher zeta potential (54.2 compared to 32.4mV for C-EDA), which resulted in significantly elevated mucoadhesion (439% and 118% higher than BLG and C-EDA, respectively) in a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) study. In addition, PEI caused reduced conformational disruption on BLG compared to EDA as evidenced by FTIR measurement. This character, together with the steric hindrance provided by PEI, caused a phenomenal reduction in tryptic digestibility by at least 75% compared to C-EDA. In the presence of aqueous acetone, C-PEI aggregated spontaneously into nanoparticles with average size of 140 nm and narrow size distribution. These merits made C-PEI a useful material that provides desirable solubility and protection for orally administrated nutraceuticals or drugs.