Our findings suggest that the colored grains of maize landraces studied may hold promise for the development of grain-based functional foods or natural colorants regarding their carotenoid and anthocyanin contents and as genetic resource in breeding programs.

The structural and rheological properties of the Aloe extract (AE) and the polysaccharidic fraction (PF) obtained from the leaves pulp of Aloe barbadensis Miller were investigated. Structural analyses carried out by composition, methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy showed that PF is mainly constituted by a partially acetylated 4-linked β-d-glucomannan. The acetyl groups are located at C-2, C-2 and C-3, C-3 and/or C-6. The acetylation pattern of this type of polysaccharide was for the first time established using bidimensional NMR analyses. AE and PF aqueous solutions at 25°C showed a non-Newtonian behavior (with pseudoplastic characteristics), however PF showed higher apparent viscosity than AE. Dynamic oscillatory analyses showed that both samples, at the same concentration, behaved as a concentrated solution. PF presented higher values of G' compared with those of AE and this behavior could be consequence of its higher content in partially acetylated glucomannan.

XanthophyllsLutein Zeaxanthin Angiogenic inhibitor CAM assay A B S T R A C T Several human disorders are associated with neovascularization. The current in vivo study examines the effect in the blood vessel formation of a xanthophyll-rich seed extract of maize. The angiostatic effects of treatment with maize seed carotenoid extract (0.1-10 lM of zeaxanthin equivalent/implant) were evaluated in the chick yolk sac membrane (YSM) (12-50% inhibition, P < 0.05) as well as in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay (23-52% inhibition, P < 0.05) as compared to control group. A similar inhibitory action was found by treatments with the retinoic acid (10 lM/embryo, 49% and 57% inhibition) and commercial lutein (10 lM/embryo, 65% and 55% inhibition) (positive controls) performed in the YSM and CAM, respectively. Results point to maize seeds as interesting sources of xanthophylls which effectively inhibited the process of vessel formation, suggesting a potential role of such compounds in the prevention of diseases associated with vascular dysfunction.

Carotenoid-rich fractions (CRF) from pulp and peel of a new variety of purple tomato were investigated in comparison to a Red Cherry variety regarding carotenoids characterization, antioxidant capacity, and inhibition of proliferation of four tumor cell lines. CRF from peel of Purple tomato contains lutein, lycopene, and β-carotene up to 6, 1.5, and 2.5 times more than that of Red Cherry and it exhibited the highest antioxidant activity at 400 μg/mL, reaching 82% and 97% in DPPH and ABTS•+ assays, respectively. Besides that, the Purple peel showed the highest scavenging lipoperoxides capacity as well as displayed the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power compared to the other CRF. In turn, the Red Cherry pulp CRF showed the highest antiproliferative activity against four tumor cell lines (MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2) at non-toxic concentrations. High concentration of neurosporene, and lycopene in Red Cherry pulp CRF show to be related to the good antiproliferative activity found on it. Therefore, this new variety of nutrient-rich purple tomato could be explored as well as the commercial variety Red Cherry, since both are good sources of dietary carotenoids with health-promoting properties.

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Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic extract of avocado leaves (Persea americana (PA)) were determined by α,α-diphenyl-βpicrylhydrazyl, • NO, O 2 •-, and • OH radical capture and reducing power test. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry/electron spray ionization was used to identify 19 types of polyphenols, as flavan-3-ols and flavonol glycosides, in PA. Stability assays were performed to optimize conditions for preserving antioxidant activity and polyphenols during drying, thermal incubation, and storage of the extract. Extracts, obtained from leaves dried at 70°C or higher, showed lower values for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Compared with the values of leaves dried at 60°C or lower, these differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). Incubating PA in solution, at 40°C-100°C for up to 8 h, did not produce significant changes in total phenolic content or antioxidant activity. No statistically significant changes in the total phenolic content or antioxidant activity (p ≤ 0.05) occurred after storage at 4°C and 25°C for up to 10 months. PA was shown to possess diverse polyphenolic compounds with robust antioxidant activity. Precise control of drying temperature was an important parameter for maintaining high levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of PA.

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