Honeybee pollen loads result from
the agglutination of pollen grains
and salivary secretions of bees. The potential use of honeybee pollen
as a food supplement greatly depends on its chemical composition,
which varies depending on the botanical and geographical origin of
the pollen grains. This study aimed to characterize the botanical
origin, chemical composition, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities
of honeybee pollen from the V Region of Chile. The introduced species Brassica rapa and Eschscholzia californica predominated in the bee pollen analyzed. The honeybee pollen extracts
showed antioxidant and antibacterial properties, specifically against
the pathogenic microorganism Streptococcus pyogenes. Quercetin and myricetin were found in all samples in large concentrations.
The separation of pollen loads from a multifloral sample demonstrated
that E. californica pollen loads are responsible
for antibacterial activity. This sample also showed a high concentration
of quercetin (304.8 mg/100 g of bee pollen). Based on the present
results, honeybee pollen from the V Region of Chile has been found
to exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore,
it is proposed to use quercetin as a quality indicator for honeybee
pollen from this region of Chile. These results should help establish
better quality control criteria for Chilean honeybee pollen and its
potential use as a functional ingredient.
Quercetin oxidation is generally believed to ultimately result in the loss of its antioxidant properties. To test this assertion, quercetin oxidation was induced, and after each of its major metabolites was identified and isolated by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, the antioxidant (dichlorodihydrofluorescein oxidation-inhibiting) and cytoprotective (LDH leakage-preventing) properties were evaluated in Hs68 and Caco2 cells exposed to indomethacin. Compared to quercetin, the whole mixture of metabolites (Q) displayed a 20-fold greater potency. After resolution of Q into 12 major peaks, only one (peak 8), identified as 2,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxy-3,4-flavandione or its 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone tautomer, could account for the antioxidant and cytoprotective effects afforded Q. Peak 8 exerted such effects at a 50 nM concentration, revealing a potency 200-fold higher than that of quercetin. The effects of peak 8 were seen regardless of whether it was added to the cells 40 min before or simultaneously with the oxygen-reactive species-generating agent, suggesting an intracellular ability to trigger early antioxidant responses. Thus, the present study is the first to reveal that in regard to the intracellular actions of quercetin, attention should be extended toward some of its oxidation products.
Propolis has been proposed as a polyphenolic-rich natural product potentially able to be used for human consumption or even for medicinal proposes. To guarantee a minimum phenolic and flavonoid content and as consequence of their related-biological activities, international requirements of propolis quality are commonly applied. In this work we assessed phenolic and flavonoid contents of propolis; the antioxidant capacity (toward peroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid); the ability to generate nitric oxide (NO); and, finally the antimicrobial activity of 6 propolis samples from the VI region of Chile. Our results show that the total phenolic and flavonoid content of propolis samples are not always in agreement with their polyphenolic-associated in vitro activities. For example, P03 and P06 samples showed the lowest (25 ± 4 GAE/g propolis) and the highest (105 ± 3 GAE/g propolis) total phenolic content, respectively. This was in agreement with flavonoid content and their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) activity. However, this dependence was not observed toward HOCl, NO release and antimicrobial activity. Based on our results, we consider that, in order to guarantee the antioxidant or antimicrobial in vitro effects, the international regulations of propolis quality should contemplate the convenience of incorporating other simple analytical test such as ORAC or antimicrobial tests.
Artículo de publicación ISIPreservation, storage, and safe transport of samples
are key factors affecting brown algal phlorotannin (phenolics)
quantification, their extraction yield, and antioxidant activity.
This is especially relevant when field sampling is carried out
in remote areas. The objective of the present study was to
evaluate and compare five preservation (frozen control,
freeze-dried, silica-dried, oven-dried, and air-dried) and two
extraction methods (Brapid^ and Btraditional^ extraction) of
phlorotannins in the kelp Lessonia spicata (former Lessonia
nigrescens). The antioxidant power of the samples treated
with the different drying methods was compared through three
different in vitro antioxidant assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-
picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity
(ORAC) methods, employing fluorescein (ORAC-FL) and
pyrogallol red (ORAC-PGR) as target molecules. The results
of the testing methods indicated that freeze-drying afforded
the best extraction yields of phlorotannins (18–30 % higher
than control using frozen material) whereas concentrations
from samples dried in silica and oven averaged between 17
and 20 % lower than control. The antioxidant activity of
phlorotannins measured using the DPPH test decreased significantly
in samples kept dried compared to that in control,
with activities varying from 65 (freeze-dried) to 21 % (airdried).
Accordingly, with ORAC-PGR and ORAC-FL indexes,
sample preservation employing silica-drying or air-drying
caused a high decrease of the antioxidant activity of polyphenols.
No differences in both total phlorotannin concentration
and antioxidant activity between the two extraction methods
were found.FONDECY
The
potential of 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone (BZF), a quercetin oxidation metabolite,
and that of a BZF-rich onion peel aqueous extract (OAE) to protect
Caco-2 monolayers against the oxidative stress (OS) and an increased
permeability (IP) induced by five nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) (indomethacin, diclofenac, piroxicam, ibuprofen, and metamizole)
were investigated. Under identical OS conditions, the NSAIDs substantially
differed in their ability to induce an IP and/or NF-kB activation.
The OAE (100 nM BZF) protected in identical magnitude (84–86%)
against OS but in a highly dissimilar manner against the IP (18–73%).
While all NSAIDs activated NF-kB, the OAE prevented only that induced
by indomethacin. Results reveal that the IP has no direct relationship
with the OS and that with the exception of indomethacin, the prevention
of NSAIDs-induced OS and/or NF-kB activation plays no fundamental
role in the IP-protecting effect of OAE. These results warrant the in vivo evaluation of OAE against indomethacin-induced loss
of intestinal barrier function.
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