Coffee is a rich source of dietary antioxidants, and this property links with the fact that coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Moreover, it is a source of macro- and microelements, including fluoride. The aim of this work was to determine antioxidant activity of coffee beverages and fluoride content depending on different coffee species and conditions of brewing. Three species of coffee, arabica, robusta and green coffee beans obtained from retail stores in Szczecin (Poland) were analyzed. Five different techniques of preparing drink were used: simple infusion, french press, espresso maker, overflow espresso and Turkish coffee. Antioxidant potential of coffee beverages was investigated spectrophotometrically by DPPH method. Fluoride concentrations were measured by potentiometric method with a fluoride ion-selective electrode. Statistical analysis was performed using Stat Soft Statistica 12.5. Antioxidant activity of infusions was high (71.97–83.21% inhibition of DPPH) depending on coffee species and beverage preparing method. It has been shown that the method of brewing arabica coffee and green coffee significantly affects the antioxidant potential of infusions. The fluoride concentration in the coffee infusions changed depending, both, on the species and conditions of brewing, too (0.013–0.502 mg/L). Methods of brewing didn’t make a difference to the antioxidant potential of robusta coffee, which had also the lowest level of fluoride among studied species. Except overflow espresso, the fluoride content was the highest in beverages from green coffee. The highest fluoride content was found in Turkish coffee from green coffee beans.
This growing interest in the cultivation of Japanese quince Chaenomeles japonica L. results from the potentially beneficial properties of its fruit. Fresh fruits are very firm and too acidic to eat raw, but their bioactive components, distinctive aroma, and high amount of dietary fiber make the fruits well suited for industrial processing. However, not all the properties of the fruit have been investigated. For example, there are no comprehensive reports about the mineral content or potentially harmful effects on liver metabolism. Hence, the purpose of our study was to examine fresh Japanese quince fruit in terms of (1) ascorbic acid, oxalate, fiber, macro- and micronutrients, dry matter, extract, total acidity, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compound levels; and (2) the effect of its extract on in vitro hepatocyte metabolism, measured by the concentration of lipid peroxides (LPO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the severity of apoptosis and necrosis. The fruit of C. japonica had high levels of macro- and microelements, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, fiber, and low oxalate levels. Our analysis of macro- and microelements showed that the average content of Fe was 0.516 mg/g, Cu 0.146 mg/g, Zn 0.546 mg/g, Mg 16.729 mg/g, and Ca 22.920 mg/g of fresh fruit. A characteristic feature of the fresh fruit of C. japonica is a high level of polyphenols, which—combined with a high content of vitamin C—affect their high antioxidant potential. In the tested hepatocyte cultures incubated with extract of the Japanese quince, we observed a significant decrease in the concentration of lipid peroxides compared to the control. There were also no signs of increased formation of ROS in the mitochondria of hepatocytes incubated with the extract of quince. Malondialdehyde was strongly negatively correlated with the concentration of Japanese quince extract, which indicates the hepatoprotective properties of Japanese quince. In addition, our analysis of confocal microscopy images showed that the hepatocytes incubated with the extract of Japanese quince at any concentration did not show any signs of apoptosis or necrosis. The aqueous extract of quince fruit has antioxidative and antiapoptotic hepatocytes, thus exerting a hepatoprotective effect.
STRESZCZENIEW pracy przedstawiono budowę witaminy C, jej właściwości fizyczne i chemiczne oraz występowanie. Wskazano na rolę biologiczną kwasu askorbinowego, zapotrzebowanie organizmu człowieka na tę witaminę i objawy jej niedoboru.
Pokrzywa zwyczajna (Urtica dioica L.) należy do rodziny pokrzywowatych (Urticaceae). Rośnie w formie dzikiej w Azji, Europie, Ameryce Północnej i Afryce Północnej. Jako roślina ruderalna powszechnie znajduje się również w Polsce. Pokrzywa zwyczajna dzięki składowi bogatemu w związki biologicznie czynne uważana jest za jedną z najcenniejszych roślin stosowanych w fitoterapii. W modelach in vitro i in vivo wykazano jej właściwości antyoksydacyjne, przeciwzapalne, antyagregacyjne, hipoglikemiczne oraz hipocholesterolemiczne. Badania prowadzone w ostatnich latach wskazują na możliwość wykorzystania pokrzywy zwyczajnej w chemoprewencji, leczeniu cukrzycy, łagodnego rozrostu gruczołu krokowego oraz schorzeń urologicznych.
Immunosuppressive drugs are widely used to avoid graft rejection, but they are also known to be strongly hepatotoxic. The goal of the current study was to determine: (i) the immunoexpression of SOD1, CAT, GPX1; (ii) the concentration of MDA, GSH; (iii) the activity of SOD, CAT, GPX, in the native liver of a pregnant female rats undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. The study was based on archival material obtained from Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine of the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 2 at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. The study was carried out on 32 female rats exposed to oral administration of immunosuppressants two weeks before and during pregnancy. The percentage of SOD1 immunopositive hepatocytes in rats treated with cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil, everolimus, and glucocorticosteroid was significantly elevated above that of the control rats. The concentration of MDA in the liver of animals exposed to cyclosporine A, everolimus, and glucocorticosteroid was significantly higher than in other groups. Among the groups of dams treated with immunosuppressive drugs, the highest significant concentration of GSH was found in the livers of rats treated with cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil and glucocorticosteroid. Immunosuppressive therapy during pregnancy affects the oxidoreductive balance in the livers of rats, depending on the regimen used.
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