Please click on PDF to view the abstract

Antioxidants due to the extensive biological properties and their role in preventing of various diseases, are considered as components of health. Grape pomacevitisviniferacv. rish baba contains high amounts of antioxidant compounds. Fermentation of grape pomace by Aspergillusoryzae increases the extraction of these compounds. Ultrasound – assisted extraction is the most important methods for the extraction of valuable compounds from plant sources and accelerates the rate of extraction. The aim of this study was to evaluate of various factors effect on the extraction of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant properties of grape pomace fermented by Aspergillusoryzae and using response surface methodology. The variables were temperature (55-67°c), time (24-32 min), solvent concentration (37-49%) and whey powder content (10-50gr). The highest rate of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were obtained at 64°c for 30 min and the solvent concentration of 46%. The highest level of DPPH and FRAP were obtained at 58°c for 30 min and the solvent concentration of 46%. With increasing extraction time phenolic compounds, flavonoids, DPPH and FRAP were ascending. Obtained results proved that fermentation by Aspergillusoryzae and using ultrasound – assisted extraction was a suitable method for the extraction of biological material from grape pomace with benefites such as high extraction rate, reducing the amount of solvent, temperature and time required.

Introduction: Antidesma puncticulatum Miq., commonly known as Mao-Luang in Thailand, is a medicinal plant widely renowned for its abundance of bioactive compounds with diverse pharmacological properties. This study investigated the phytochemical components, antioxidant potentials, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of ethanolic leaf extracts from 37 cultivars of A. puncticulatum. Methods: The leaves of 37 different varieties of A. puncticulatum were dried, finely ground, and then extracted using ethanol. The phytochemical screening, TOTAL amounts of PHENOLICS, flavonoids, and tannins of the extracts were assessed. To evaluate their antioxidant potential, the extracts were subjected to the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2’-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) Assays. In addition, standard in vitro methods were used to determine the α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity of the extracts. Results: Five phytochemical classes were detected in high concentrations in all of the extracts. TOTAL PHENOLICS, flavonoids, and tannins contents were in the range of 9. 86-26. 75 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract, 8. 10-16. 18 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g dry extract, and 14. 83-33. 67 mg CE/g dry extract, respectively. According to DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assay results, the antioxidant activities of the extracts were 5. 10-9. 07, 0. 73-2. 12, and 2. 06-4. 01 mg ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidative capacity (AEAC)/g crude extract, respectively. Interestingly, the crude extracts from A. puncticulatum were more effective as α-glucosidase inhibitors than acarbose, with IC50 values ranging from 1. 26 to 25. 07 µg/mL. Conclusion: The ethanolic leaf extracts of A. puncticulatum were potent sources of phytochemicals with antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Therefore, more research is needed to substantiate their potential applications as therapeutic remedies for diabetes.

The use of natural antioxidants is one of the easiest ways to reduce cell destructive reactions. Plants are considered as rich sources of natural antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, etc. The present study was aimed to evaluate oil content, TOTAL PHENOLICS and antioxidant activity of some (Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen) and Thymus daenesis populations cultivated in a same envirenmental condition. according to the results, there was considerable variation among IC50 (20.98 to 48.7 mg . ml) and TOTAL PHENOLICS (42.6 to 67.64 mg GAE.g) of Thymus kotschyanus populations. the highest antioxidant activity and TOTAL phenolic was observed in the population of Qazvin. The lowest IC50 (19.3 mg / ml) and highest of phenolic compounds (107.16 mg GAE.g) in a Khorramabad population of Thymus daenensis subsp. lancifolius observed. The highest oil content for population of Mazandaran1 (2.5%) and Khorramabad 1 (3.5%) were existed. The Thymus daenensis subsp. lancifolius had The highest antioxidant activity and oil content among studied populations.

Context: People all over the world are suffering from cancer. Liver cancer is considered the second most common malignancy among Egyptian men and the sixth most common malignancy among Egyptian women. Plant-derived antioxidants are believed to prevent or delay the occurrence of many chronic diseases such as cancer. Ailanthus altissima has been used in many traditional prescriptions. Aims: The current study aimed at investigating the phytochemical profile of A.   altissima leaves’ extract and its derived fractions, determining their content of PHENOLICS and flavonoids as well as assessing their antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. Materials and Methods: The phytochemical screening was carried out using standard methods. The TOTAL phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol contents were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, and aluminum chloride/ sodium acetate assays, respectively. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using different in vitro methods: DPPH • , TOTAL antioxidant capacity, hydroxyl ( • OH), nitric oxide (NO • ) radical scavenging activities, and permanganate-reducing antioxidant capacity (PRAC). The antiproliferative potential against HepG2 cells was evaluated using sulforhodamine-B assay (SRB). Results: The results showed that the ethyl acetate fraction had the highest content of PHENOLICS, flavonoids, and flavonols (551. 72  ± 1. 81 mg GAE/g ext., 371. 24  ± 4. 36 mg RE/g ext., and 100. 47  ± 1. 30 mg QE/g ext., respectively). It also had the most potent reducing power (DPPH • SC50   =  7. 19  ± 0. 05  µ g/mL, TAC= 369. 88  ± 1. 51 mg AAE/g ext., • OH SA  =  95. 46  ± 0. 14%, NO • SA  =  40. 65  ± 0. 91%, and PRAC  =  77. 19  ± 0. 27%). The n-butanol fraction exhibited the most potent cytotoxic potential against HepG2 cells (IC50   =  16. 70  µ g/mL). Conclusion: A.   altissima leaves could be considered potent antioxidant and cytotoxic alternatives.

Thyme plants are considered to be one of the most widely consumed herbs well-known for their essential oils and secondary metabolites. In order to evaluate the effects of temperature on antioxidant activity, TOTAL PHENOLICS, agronomic traits and essential oil of two thyme species (i.e.Thymus vulgaris and Thymus caramanicus), a greenhouse experiment was conducted in 2015 with split plot in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results of this experiment showed significant differences between the two species and different temperatures in terms of the traits measured. The essential oil percentage, antioxidant activity, TOTAL PHENOLICS and plant height of Thymus caramanicus proved to be more than those in Thymus vulgaris. The comparison of mean interaction effect for essential oil percentage showed that the value of this trait in Thymus caramanicus specimens treated with a temperature of 30°C was more than other treatments. The IC50 rates of Thymus vulgaris and Thymus caramanicus ranged from 24.37 to 54.43 μg/ml in different conditions and TOTAL PHENOLICS ranged from 36.63 to 89.37 mg GAEg-1. In addition, the highest antioxidant activity, essential oil percentage and phenolic compounds were observed at a temperature of 30°C for both species.