Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 26, Issue 16, 2020

Background: Non-digestible oligosaccharides are versatile sources of chemical diversity, well known for their prebiotic actions, found naturally in plants or produced by chemical or enzymatic synthesis or by hydrolysis of polysaccharides. Compared to polyphenols or even polysaccharides, the antioxidant potential of oligosaccharides is still unexplored. The aim of the present work was to provide an up-to-date, broad and critical contribution on the topic of antioxidant oligosaccharides. Methods: The search was performed by crossing the words oligosaccharides and antioxidant. Whenever possible, attempts at establishing correlations between chemical structure and antioxidant activity were undertaken. Results: The most representative in vitro and in vivo studies were compiled in two tables. Chitooligosaccharides and xylooligosaccharides and their derivatives were the most studied up to now. The antioxidant activities of oligosaccharides depend on the degree of polymerization and the method used for depolymerization. Other factors influencing the antioxidant strength are solubility, monosaccharide composition, the type of glycosidic linkages of the side chains, molecular weight, reducing sugar content, the presence of phenolic groups such as ferulic acid, and the presence of uronic acid, among others. Modification of the antioxidant capacity of oligosaccharides has been achieved by adding diverse organic groups to their structures, thus increasing also the spectrum of potentially useful molecules. Conclusion: A great amount of high-quality evidence has been accumulating during the last decade in support of a meaningful antioxidant activity of oligosaccharides and derivatives. Ingestion of antioxidant oligosaccharides can be visualized as beneficial to human and animal health.

Lactose is a reducing sugar consisting of galactose and glucose, linked by a β (1→4) glycosidic bond, considered as an antioxidant due to its α-hydroxycarbonyl group. Lactose is widely ingested through the milk and other unfermented dairy products and is considered to be one of the primary foods. On the other hand, lactose is also considered as one of the most widely used excipients for the development of pharmaceutical formulations. In this sense, lactose has been related to numerous drug-excipient or drug-food pharmacokinetic interactions. Intolerance, maldigestion and malabsorption of carbohydrates are common disorders in clinical practice, with lactose-intolerance being the most frequently diagnosed, afflicting 10% of the world’s population. Four clinical subtypes of lactose intolerance may be distinguished, namely lactase deficiency in premature infants, congenital lactase deficiency, adult-type hypolactasia and secondary lactase intolerance. An overview of the main uses of lactose in human nutrition and in the pharmaceutical industry and the problems derived from this circumstance are described in this review.

Anthocyanins are plant pigments present in flowers, leaves or fruits with polyphenolic structure belonging to the group of flavonoids. From a nutritional approach, they are the most abundant flavonoids in dietary sources responsible for the antioxidant properties of those foods. In addition, the food and pharma industries have used anthocyanins as food additives or excipients due to its colorant properties. However, beyond its antioxidant effects, anthocyanins may also act as therapeutic agents due to neuroprotective, antidiabetic and cardioprotective properties. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting the role of these compounds in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Previous in vitro and animal studies have suggested neuroprotective benefits, but we here review human interventions made with anthocyanins in relation to cognition, insomnia, anxiety or depression. Due to the link between oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders, human studies conducted on healthy volunteers evaluating oxidative stress parameters have also been included. As reviewed here, very few human studies (only ten) have been performed in the area of CNS; however, considering the obtained outcomes in those trials together with human interventions in relation with oxidative stress as well as data showing neuroprotective effects from preclinical experiments, we suggest that anthocyanins may have potential benefits for the CNS.

Background: Heavy metals are elements that are naturally found in the earth. They are used in many modern-day applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry. Heavy metal poisoning occurs when the body’s soft tissues absorb too much of a particular metal. The heavy metals of interest for this review paper were cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and lead since these are the most common metals that the human body can absorb in toxic amounts. Different plant species were investigated in recent years for their effect on oxidative stress parameters after intoxication with heavy metals. Objectives: This review paper is focused on the current update to research on heavy metals induced oxidative stress in animal models and improvement of the oxidative stress parameters upon/co-/after treatment with different plant extracts and isolated compounds. Methods: The available literature was screened for the novel data regarding the influence of plant extracts and compounds on heavy metals induced oxidative stress. For that purposes Scopus database was used, looking for the publications in the last 5-10 years with the key terms: plant extracts, oxidative stress, in vivo, cadmium, lead, mercury and arcenic. Results: Various parameters of oxidative stress were investigated, and their improvement with plant extracts/ compounds was observed in the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, uterus, testis, thymus, spleen, heart, skin and blood of experimental animals. Common parameters used to determine oxidative stress in animals were: superoxide dismutase; catalase; reduced glutathione; glutathione reductase; glutathione-S-transferase; glutathione peroxidase; lipid peroxidation; oxidized glutathione; malondialdehyde; xanthine oxidase; nonprotein-soluble thiol; thioredoxin reductase; total sulphydryl group; nitric oxide; γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase. Conclusion: The most investigated species for antioxidant effects upon intoxication with heavy metals seem to be Allium sp., Bacopa monniera, Camellia sinensis, Moringa oleifera, Vitis vinifera and Zingiber officinale. According to literature data, the most promising effect to alleviate symptoms of intoxication was achieved with proanthocyanidins obtained from Vitis vinifera.

Background: There is an increasing interest from the pharmaceutical and food industry in natural antioxidant and bioactive compounds derived from plants as substitutes for synthetic compounds. The genus Allium is one of the largest genera, with more than 900 species, including important cultivated and wild species, having beneficial health effects. Objective: The present review aims to unravel the chemical composition of wild Allium species and their healthrelated effects, focusing on the main antioxidant compounds. For this purpose, a thorough study of the literature was carried out to compile reports related to health effects and the principal bioactive compounds. Considering the vast number of species, this review is divided into subsections where the most studied species are presented, namely Allium ampeloprasum, A. flavum, A. hookeri, A. jesdianum, A. neapolitanum, A. roseum, A. stipitatum, A. tricoccum, and A. ursinum, with an additional composite section for less studied species. Methods: The information presented in this review was obtained from worldwide accepted databases such as Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar and Researchgate, using as keywords the respective names of the studied species (both common and Latin names) and the additional terms of "antioxidants" "health effects" and "bioactive properties". Conclusion: The genus Allium includes several wild species, many of which are commonly used in traditional and folklore medicine while others are lesser known or are of regional interest. These species can be used as sources of natural bioactive compounds with remarkable health benefits. Several studies have reported these effects and confirmed the mechanisms of action in several cases, although more research is needed in this field. Moreover, considering that most of the studies refer to the results obtained from species collected in the wild under uncontrolled conditions, further research is needed to elucidate the effects of growing conditions on bioactive compounds and to promote the exploitation of this invaluable genetic material.

Background: Plants from the Geranium genus, which comprises about 400 species, have been used since ancient times in the practice of traditional medicines throughout the world. Therefore, herbal preparations based on Geranium species have found wide usage for the treatment of a variety of ailments. The aim of this work is to present a review, as comprehensive as possible, of the studies concerning different biological activities of Geranium species. Methods: Relevant data were obtained through systematic computer searches from major reputed scientific databases, particularly Web of Science and Scopus. Occasionally, information issued in primary sources not covered by these databases was also included provided published as peer-reviewed literature. This review covers the literature disclosed till the end of 2018. Results: Accompanying the increasing interest in herbal medicines in general, the evaluation of the biological properties of medicinal plants from the Geranium genus has been addressed thoroughly, mostly over the last two decades. Geranium species are endowed with a number of different biological activities. Herein, we present a survey of the results of the studies concerning these different biological activities. Conclusion: Most studies found in the literature effectively contribute to scientifically validate the beneficial properties of Geranium plants claimed by traditional medicines and medical herbalism and demonstrate that many of them possess evident therapeutic properties.

Purpose: To summarize the main findings from research on food uses of Pine Bark Phenolic Extracts (PBPE), their origin, methods of extraction, composition, health effects, and incorporation into food products. Methods: A narrative review of all the relevant papers known to the authors was conducted. Results: PBPE are mainly extracted from the bark Pinus pinaster. They are generally rich in procyanidins and their effects on health in the form of nutritional supplements include effect on some forms of cancer, on diabetes, on eye and skin health. Their method of extraction influences greatly their composition and yield, and commercially suitable methods are still to be developed. Incorporation into food products raises challenges related to bioavailability and subsequent bioactivity and sensory properties of the final products. Conclusion: PBPE represent an opportunity for the development of functional foods with phenolic-rich bioactive compounds.

Pulses are a staple food cultivated since ancient times, which play an important role in the human diet. From a nutritional point of view, pulses are very interesting foods as they are rich in proteins, carbohydrates and dietary fibre. Dietary antioxidants are a complex mixture of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds usually present in foods of plant origin, including pulses. In the present study, the phytochemical composition of selected pulses (common beans, fava beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas and lupins) has been reviewed in terms of their content of antioxidant compounds. The content of hydrosoluble antioxidants (organic acids, phenolic compounds), liposoluble antioxidants (tocopherols, carotenoids) and other compounds which exert antioxidant properties, such as dietary fibre and minerals (zinc, selenium), has been studied, reporting that pulses are an interesting source of these compounds, which have important health benefits, including a preventing role in cardiovascular diseases, anticarcinogenic or neuroprotective properties. It is important to take into account that pulses are not usually consumed raw, but they must be processed before consumption in order to improve their nutritional quality and their palatability, therefore, the effect of different technological and heat treatments (germination, cooking, boiling, extrusion) on the antioxidant compounds present in pulses has been also reviewed. In this regard, it has been observed that as a consequence of processing, the content of phytochemicals with antioxidant properties is usually decreased, but processed pulses maintain relevant amounts of these compounds, preserving their beneficial health effect.

Tree nuts and peanuts are healthy foods with a proven track record of helping to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, most notably cardiovascular disease. At the point of consumption, all nuts contain low moisture and ≥ 50% lipid contents, but this is where similarities end. The levels of key nutrients and bioactives including vitamin C, vitamin E, L-arginine, minerals (such as selenium and zinc), and phenolics can differ markedly. Distinctions in the types and quantities of phenolic constituents for tree nut species, as well as the impact of digestion, will affect the nuts’ antioxidant potential in vivo. This work provides some insight into the different types of phenolics found in tree nuts and peanuts, the antioxidant potential of their phenolic extracts using in vitro chemical assays, the effect of thermal processing on the stability of the nuts’ endogenous phenolics, and the impact on biomarkers of human health arising from randomized clinical trials. Key biomarkers include measures in the reduction of LDL oxidation as well as increases in the levels of vitamin E and selected phenolic compounds in blood plasma postprandially from those of baseline.

Consumers’ demand for healthier foods with functional properties has had a clear influence on the food industry and in this sense, they have been attaching natural sources of bioactive ingredients into food products. Vaccinium myrtillus L. (bilberry) is known to be a functional food, presenting its fruits in the form of a small dark blueberry. This coloration is due to its high content in anthocyanin, being also associated with bilberries’ beneficial health effects. In the bilberry industry, there is a very high annual loss of this fruit due to the less aesthetic shape or appearance, in which they cannot be considered suitable for sale and are therefore disposed of as biological waste. Therefore, it is of great importance to valorize this fruit and this review aimed to completely characterize the fruits of V. myrtillus in order to comprehend the relationship between their consumption and the beneficial effects regarding consumer’s health. Thus, this review provides a description of the nutritional and bioactive compounds present in bilberry fruits, followed by their beneficial health effects. An overview of the natural pigments present in these fruits was also explored, focusing particularly in the anthocyanins composition, which represents the most widely studied class of bioactive compounds of V. myrtillus fruits. Finally, industrial applications of these fruits and by-products, as an efficient approach to the production of value-added products with economical and environmental impact, were also discussed. In general, V. myrtillus is a rich source of micronutrients and phytochemical compounds, such as organic acids, sugars, vitamins, fibers and phenolic compounds (anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin compounds), with nutritional and functional properties, that justify the growing interest in these berries, not only for food applications, but also in the pharmaceutical industry.

With the increase in the global population, getting new sources of food is essential. One of the solutions can be found in the oceans due to algae. Microalgae are aquatic photosynthetic organisms used mainly due to their variety of bioactive compounds. The consumption of microalgae has been carried out for centuries and is recommended by organizations, such as OMS and FAO, due to its nutritional value and its properties. Based on the existing literature, there is substantial evidence of the nutritional quality of the algae as well as their functional elements. However, much quantification is still necessary, as well as studying possible adverse effects. The present review describes the compounds of alimentary interest present in these algae as well as different extraction techniques assisted by different energetic mechanisms (such as heat, supercritical-fluid, microwave, ultrasound, enzymes, electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, among others). The most challenging and crucial issues are reducing microalgae growth cost and optimizing extraction techniques. This review aimed a better understanding of the uses of microalgae for new researches in nutrition. Since the use of microalgae is still a field in which there is much to discover, it is likely that more benefits will be found in its consumption.