Browsing by Author "Tanase, Corneliu"
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- Association of enzymatic and optimized ultrasound-assisted aqueous extraction of flavonoid glycosides from dried Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Sea Buckthorn) berriesPublication . Nicolescu, Alexandru; Babotă, Mihai; Aranda Cañada, Eduardo; Dias, Maria Inês; Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Cornea-Cipcigan, Mihaiela; Tanase, Corneliu; Radu Sisea, Cristian; Mocan, Andrei; Barros, Lillian; Crişan, GianinaThe main purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of associating an optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) protocol with enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) in aqueous media, using the dried berries of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) as plant material. A specialized software was used for the determination of potential optimal extraction parameters, leading to the development of four optimized extracts with different characteristics (UAE ± EAE). For these extracts, buffered or non-buffered solutions have been used, with the aim to determine the influence of adjustable pH on extractability. As enzymatic solution, a pectinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase mix (2:1:1) has been applied, acting as pre-treatment for the optimized protocol. The highest extractive yields have been identified for non-buffered extracts, and the E-UAE combination obtained extracts with the highest overall in vitro antioxidant activity. The HPLC-MSn analysis demonstrated a rich composition in different types of isorhamnetin-O-glycosides, as well as some quercetin-O-glycosides, showing a high recovery of specific flavonol-type polyphenolic species. Moreover, we have tentatively identified two flavanols (i.e., catechin and epigallocatechin) and one flavone derivative (i.e., luteolin).
- Bioaccessibility and bioactive potential of different phytochemical classes from nutraceuticals and functional foodsPublication . Nicolescu, Alexandru; Babotă, Mihai; Barros, Lillian; Lucini, Luigi; Tanase, Corneliu; Mocan, Andrei; Bunea, Claudiu I.; Crisan, GianinaNutraceuticals and functional foods are composed of especially complex matrices, with polyphenols, carotenoids, minerals, and vitamins, among others, being the main classes of phytochemicals involved in their bioactivities. Despite their wide use, further investigations are needed to certify the proper release of these phytochemicals into the gastrointestinal medium, where the bioaccessibility assay is one of the most frequently used method. The aim of this review was to gather and describe different methods that can be used to assess the bioaccessibility of nutraceuticals and functional foods, along with the most important factors that can impact this process. The link between simulated digestion testing of phytochemicals and their in vitro bioactivity is also discussed, with a special focus on the potential of developing nutraceuticals and functional foods from simple plant materials. The bioactive potential of certain classes of phytochemicals from nutraceuticals and functional foods is susceptible to different variations during the bioaccessibility assessment, with different factors contributing to this variability, namely the chemical composition and the nature of the matrix. Regardless of the high number of studies, the current methodology fails to assume correlations between bioaccessibility and bioactivity, and the findings of this review indicate a necessity for updated and standardized protocols.
- Development of an optimized drying process for the recovery of bioactive compounds from the Autumn Fruits of Berberis vulgaris L. and Crataegus monogyna JacqPublication . Moldovan, Cadmiel; Frumuzachi, Oleg; Babotă, Mihai; Menghini, Luigi; Cesa, Stefania; Gavan, Alexandru; Sisea, Cristian R.; Tanase, Corneliu; Dias, Maria Inês; Pereira, Carla; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Crişan, Gianina; Mocan, Andrei; Barros, LillianHot air drying has proven to be an efficient method to preserve specific edible plant materials with medicinal properties. This is a process involving chemical, physical, and biological changes in plant matrices. Understanding these processes will lead to an improvement in the yields of bioactive compounds. This study aims to optimize the drying process of two species’ fruits used in folk medicine, Berberis vulgaris and Crataegus monogyna. The optimized extracts’ antioxidant capacity was assessed using various assays, with the barberry extract showing very good activity (50.85, 30.98, and 302.45 mg TE/g dw for DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Both species exerted good fungal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.34 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively) but no activity on mammalian α-glucosidase. Additionally, this study identified and quantified the main bioactive compounds. The results presented herein are a breakthrough in industrializing this drying process. Additional studies are necessary to mechanistically understand the drying process involved in these plant materials.
- Optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk (wild thyme) and their bioactive potentialPublication . Babotă, Mihai; Frumuzachi, Oleg; Gâvan, Alexandru; Iacoviță, Cristian; Pinela, José; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Zhang, Leilei; Lucini, Luigi; Rocchetti, Gabriele; Tanase, Corneliu; Crişan, Gianina; Mocan, AndreiAn optimized ultrasound-assisted extractive method was developed to obtain a polyphenol-enriched extract from the aerial parts of Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk. Optimization process was conducted based on Design of Experiment (DoE) principles, determining the influence of three independent variables (time, ultrasound amplitude, ethanol concentration) on the total phenolic content of the extract (dependent variable). Additionally, the phenolic composition of the extract was characterized through UHPLC-HRMS, revealing beside the most abundant flavonoid-type compounds the presence of salvianolic acids C, D and L in high amounts. Phytochemical profile of the extract was correlated with its antioxidant activity (tested through five complementary assays) and enzyme-inhibitory potential, showing important antiglucosidase and anticholinesterase effects. Overall, it was concluded that the developed method is suitable for obtaining a good recovery of both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus aerial parts, and their presence in the optimized extract is responsible for its pharmacological potential.