Selenium Differentially Regulates Flavonoid Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacities in Sprouts of Twenty Diverse Mungbean(Vigna radiata(L.)Wilczek)Genotypes

Seed germination with selenium(Se)is promising for producing Se-biofortified foods.Mungbean(Vigna radiata(L.)Wilczek)sprout is freshly eaten as a salad dressed with sauce,making it superior for Se biofortification.Since the Se safety range for the human body is extremely narrow,it is imperative to evaluate the genotypic responses of mungbean sprouts to Se.This study evaluated the Se enrichment capacity and interaction withflavonoids and antioxidant systems in sprouts of 20 mungbean germplasms.Selenium treatment was done by immersing mung-bean seeds in 20μM sodium selenite solution for 8 h.Afterward,the biomass,Se amounts,flavonoid(particularly vitexin and isovitexin)contents,antioxidant capacity,and key biosynthetic gene expressions were measured.Sprout Se content was 2.0-7.0μg g^(-1) DW among the 20 mungbean germplasms.Selenium treatment differentially affected the biomass,totalflavonoid,vitexin,isovitexin,antioxidant enzyme activities,and antioxidant capacities of the mungbean germplasms.Eight germplasms showed increased biomass(p<0.05),the highest increasing by 127%,but 13 did not phenotypically respond to Se treatment.Seven and six germplasms showed varied levels of vitexin and isovitexin increment after Se treatment,the highest measuring 2.67-and 2.87-folds for vitexin and isovitexin,respectively.Two mungbeanflavonoid biosynthesis genes,chalcone synthase(VrCHS)and chalcone isomerase(VrCHI)were significantly up-regulated in the germplasms with increased vitexin and isovitexin levels(p<0.05).Moreover,Se enrichment capacity was significantly correlated with the vitexin,isovitexin,and antiox-idant capacities.In conclusion,mungbean sprouts could be a useful Se-biofortified food,but the Se enrichment capacity and nutritional response must be determined for each germplasm before commercialization.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on chemical compounds,antioxidant capacities and hypoglycemic properties of pumpkin juice

The purpose of this research was to screen strains to ferment pumpkin juice with excellent flavor and biological activities by the comparison of 5 species of lactic acid bacteria(LAB)strains,namely Lacticaseibacillus casei(Lc),Lactiplantibacillus plantarum(Lp),Lactobacillus acidophilus(La),Lactobacillus helveticus(Lh)and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei(Lpc).The pumpkin juice inoculated with LAB was fermented at 37°C for 48 h.Viable cell counts were all above 7.92 log CFU/mL,implicating that pumpkin juice was a favorable matrix for LAB.The contents of reducing sugars and total sugars contents obviously declined at the end of fermentation.LAB strains utilized mainly fructose,surcose and glucose for fermentation.Lpc fermented pumpkin juice showed the most abundant organic acid.Furthermore,the strongest DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacities were observed in Lp,La and Lh,which were positively associated with vanillic acid and sinapic acid contents.There were 30 new volatile compounds that appeared after fermentation,including 8 of ketones and alcohols,5 esters and so on.The highest sensory scores could be found in La and Lh primarily due to their rich volatile compounds.LAB fermentation was beneficial to inhibitingα-glucosidase andα-amylase activities.In conclusion,La and Lh were more suitable to develop into a functional beverage with pleasant flavor.

Volatile components,total phenolic compounds,and antioxidant capacities of worm-infected Gomphidius rutilus

This study evaluated the effects of worm infection on the volatile components,total phenolic compounds,and antioxidant capacities of Gomphidius rutilus.G.rutilus without worms(GW),G.rutilus infected by a small amount of worms(GS;infected area<50%),and G.rutilus infected by a large amount of worms(GL;infected area>50%)were investigated.The volatile components of G.rutilus were analyzed by simultaneous distillation–extraction(SDE)and headspace solid-phase microextraction(HS-SPME)using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS).A total of 17 and 19 types of volatile compounds were detected,including ketones,alcohols,benzene,alkenes,aldehydes,esters,acids,and alkanes.Alcohols comprised the most abundant compound in GL,GS,and GW.The relative content of 1-octen-3-ol was the highest in all mushrooms.The concentration of eight-carbon(C8)compounds relative to the total volatile compounds varied widely,ranging from 40%(GW)to 64.34%(GS)and 84.42%(GS)and to 91.59%(GL),respectively,among the three samples.The antioxidant capability and the total phenolic contents of G.rutilus were evaluated in this study.The highest total phenolic content(TPC)of 192.23 mg GAE/g was found in GL,which differed significantly(P<0.05)from the latter two samples,whereas the lowest value of 156.11 mg GAE/g was found in GW.ABTS radical cation scavenging activity,FRAP ferric reducing antioxidant capacity(FRAP)radical scavenging activity,and oxygen radical absorbance capacity(ORAC)were investigated to screen the antioxidant properties of extracts.The contents of total phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacities in vitro showed significant correlations(P<0.01).Among the three types of samples,the phenolic compounds of GL exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity,showing the values of 0.089 mM TE/g for ABTS,0.949 mM Fe^2+E/g for FRAP,and 1.952 M TE/g for ORAC.However,regarding the total antioxidant capacity,GS exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity,showing the values of 0.002648 mM TE/g for ABTS,0.004437 mM Fe^2+E/g for FRAP,and 0.256μM TE/g for ORAC.In conclusion,HS-SPME was more suitable for the extraction of volatile aroma components from G.rutilus.GL had the most abundant aroma components.GL had the highest TPC and antioxidant capacity compared with those of GS and GW,whereas GS showed the opposite results.Interestingly,GS was found to have the highest total antioxidant capacity in vitro.Based on these measured indicators,worm infection had no negative effect on the quality of G.rutilus.Therefore,worm-infected G.rutilus can also be consumed by humans.

The fate of phenolic acids,flavonoids,vitamin C,antioxidant capacities of Cili(Rosa roxburghii)fruits upon processing and sensory properties of the processed products

As a new source of functional food materials,the fruits(Cili)of the wild plant Rosa roxburghii Tratt have been drawn much attention recent years in China.However,due to the acidic and astringent sensory property,cili gained little popularity in commercialization.This study aims to develop novel cili food product by different thermal processing methods and evaluated the changes in nutrient values and sensory properties so as to gain solid information to support the development of cili products.Canned cili,cili wine,and cili juice with or without pericarp were prepared.Although the food processing resulted in significant changes in bioactive substances of phenolics,flavonoids,and vitamin C,the processed products still showed high nutritional values.Among the various products,cili juice best prevented the loss of phenolics and flavonoids,and the retention of pericarp helped improve the prevention.Canned cili retained vitamin C most,and even the can solution had a higher vitamin C content as compared to other forms of products.For the antioxidant bioactivity,cili juice and can solution exhibited the most potent 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)scavenging activity.According to the sensory results,the canned cili and cili wine were acceptable by customers and had potential commercial values.

Preliminary Comparative Study on Antioxidant Capacities of Yak

The aim of the present experiment was to determine if there was an adaptation on plasma antioxidant capacities of yak under the malnutrition （fasting treatment）. Three castrated male yaks and equal numbers of indigenous male cattle and of castrated male cattleyak with mean body weight of 146 ± 5.0, 116 ±3.0 and 149 ± 5.0 kg, respectively, were used. The fasting period lasted for 6 d. Results showed that： plasma total antoxidative capacity （T-AOC） was no differences between the genotypes on the fasting 1 st, 3rd, and 6th （P 〉 0.05）, but the values were linear greater with fasting days for yak, however, it was inverse for indigenous cattle or cattle-yak; plasma xanthine oxidase （XOD） activities of indigenous cattle were less than yak＇s and cattleyak＇s on the fasting 1st and 3rd day （P 〈 0.05）, but the value of indigenous cattle was greater than yak＇s and cattleyak＇s on the fasting 6th day （P 〈 0.05）. In a conclusion, plasma antioxidant capacities indicated that yaks have evolved an ability to survive in a starvation than indigenous cattle, and their crossbred-cattleyak also has inherited some of the adaptive characteristics.

Effect of three cooking methods on nutrient components and antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoot(Phyllostachys praecox C.D. Chu et C.S. Chao)

Three cooking methods,namely boiling,steaming,and stir-frying for 5 to 10 min,were used to evaluate the effect on nutrient components,free amino acids,L-ascorbic acid,total phenolic contents,and antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoots(Phyllostachys praecox).Results showed that boiling and stir-frying had a great effect on the nutrient components and they decreased the contents of protein,soluble sugar,and ash,and caused a great loss in the total free amino acids(decreased by 38.35% and 34.86%,respectively).Significant differences(P<0.05) in free amino acids were observed in the samples cooked by different methods.Stir-fried bamboo shoots had a high fat content which increased by 528.57% because of the addition of edible oil.After boiling,the L-ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents were significantly reduced,while steaming increased total phenolic content by 3.98% and stir-frying well-preserved L-ascorbic acid(78.87% of its previous content).Results of the antioxidative property study showed that stir-frying could increase antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoots.It is concluded that stir-frying is more suitable for bamboo shoots because it could obtain the maximum retention of antioxidant capacities.

Enhanced Antioxidant Capacities in vivo Caused by the Change in Key Constituent of Terminalia chebula Retz. Treated with Tibet Traditional Process

In order to investigate the chemical-biological relationship caused by the special processing technology,the constituent＇s content and antioxidant capacity in vivo of Euphorbia fischeriana Steud processing Terminalia chebula Retz. have been tested. Taking T. chebula Retz. as control,the content of gallic acid is analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） method. The results show that the increase of gallic acid concentration from 4.54% to 7.46% leads to enhancement of the antioxidant capacities in vivo of the E. fischeriana Steud processing T. chebula Retz. The significant antioxidant capacity in vivo（p〈0.05） of the processed product possesses is better than the unprocessed herb. Its superoxide dismutase（SOD）and malondia-ldehyde（MDA） contents in serum,the MDA content in liver can match the effects of vitamine E when administered at high dosage.

Fermentation of mung bean milk by Lactococcus lactis:Focus on the physicochemical properties,antioxidant capacities and sensory evaluation

Mung bean,a kind of leguminous crop loved by people,contains high nutritional values as well as medicinal properties.Mung bean fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is a meaningful attempt for development of novel functional foods.In this study,the effects of Lactococcus lactis RQ1066(L.lactis RQ1066)fermentation on physicochemical properties,anti-nutritional factors,antioxidant capacities,amino acids composition,and sensory evaluation of mung bean milk(MBM)were investigated.We found that L.lactis RQ1066 had the potential of utilizing MBM as the fermentation substrate,which can change amino acids composition and sensory characteristics of MBM.The protein hydrolysis degree,solubility and antioxidant capacities increased after fermentation,while the anti-nutritional factor contents were decreased.Moreover,the aroma,taste,and state of organization were higher than those of unfermented MBM.Our results illustrated that L.lactis RQ1066 fermentation can enhance physicochemical and functional properties of MBM,which provided a promising approach for the deep processing of mung bean products and the increase of the added value of mung bean.

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacities of Chinese Local Pummelo Cultivars' Peel

China is one of the main production areas of pummelo [Citrus grandis(L.) Osbeck.] in the world and has lots of distinctive local cultivars.Systematic research on the detection of phenolics and antioxidant capacity of peels of mature local cultivars pummelo fruits is rare.In the current study,phenolic composition and content in peels(flavedo and albedo) of ten Chinese local pummelo cultivars were determined using Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC),and their antioxidant capacities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radicals,ferric reducing antioxidant power(FRAP),and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6)-sulfonic acid(ABTS)methods in the current study.The research not only provides data that support making full use of the resources of Chinese local pummelo cultivars,but also lays the theoretical basis for research of pummelo fruit nutrition and health values.The results showed that the total phenolic(TP)content in albedo was significantly higher than that in flavedo;on the contrary,the total flavonoid(TF) content was lower in the albedo than in the flavedo.C.grandis ‘Hongxinyou' flavedo contained the highest TP contents,C.grandis ‘Liangpingyou 78-8' flavedo contained the highest TF contents,and C.grandis ‘Guanxi Miyou' albedo contained the highest TP and TF contents.Naringenin,hesperetin,diosmin,and gallic acid were the predominant phenolics in the flavedo,whereas hesperetin,diosmin,rutin,chlorogenic acid,and gallic acid were the primary phenolics in the albedo.The flavedo of C.grandis ‘Yubei Shatianyou' and the albedo of C.grandis ‘Dianjiang Baiyou' had the highest antioxidant potency composite(APC) indexes.Overall,the ‘Yubei Shatianyou' flavedo and the ‘Dianjiang Baiyou' albedo are excellent sources of antioxidants and have the greatest potential value for exploitation and utilization.

Physicochemical characteristics,GABA content,antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities of yogurt from Murrah buffalo milk with different fat contents

This study aimed to prepare yogurt from Murrah buffalo milk with high GABA content and low fat content while keeping the physicochemical characteristics,antimicrobial effects,and antioxidant capacity within acceptable levels.Yogurt samples were prepared using buffalo milk by adjusting the fat content to 0.2%,3.5%,and 6.5%.The results showed that the fat content had no significant effects on the pH,titratable acidity,water activity,and cell viability.However,the fat content significantly affected the viscosity,particle size,and texture profile analysis of the yogurt.The GABA content was significantly higher in the 0.2%fat yogurt(61.57±3.22 mmol L^(-1))compared to the 3.5%fat yogurt(43.64±1.99 mmol L^(-1))and 6.5%fat yogurt(27.84±2.64 mmol L^(-1)).Glutamic acid and proline were the most abundant amino acids in the yogurt.In contrast,saturated fatty acids(butyric,lauric,myristic,palmitic,stearic,and oleic)and linoleic acid were abundant.Yogurt with 3.5%fat showed significantly high antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial effects on E.coli O157 and Salmonella sp.Based on the results,fat content significantly affects the rheological properties,GABA content,and antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities of yogurt.In the future,3.5%fat should be chosen as the optimized formula for large-scale yogurt production from Murrah buffalo milk.

Alkaline sphingomyelinase deficiency impairs intestinal mucosal barrier integrity and reduces antioxidant capacity in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis

BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon with an unknown etiology.Alkaline sphingomyelinase(alk-SMase)is specifically expressed by intestinal epithelial cells,and has been reported to play an anti-inflammatory role.However,the underlying mechanism is still unclear.AIM To explore the mechanism of alk-SMase anti-inflammatory effects on intestinal barrier function and oxidative stress in dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced colitis.METHODS Mice were administered 3%DSS drinking water,and disease activity index was determined to evaluate the status of colitis.Intestinal permeability was evaluated by gavage administration of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran,and bacterial translocation was evaluated by measuring serum lipopolysaccharide.Intestinal epithelial cell ultrastructure was observed by electron microscopy.Western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of intestinal barrier proteins and mRNA,respectively.Serum oxidant and antioxidant marker levels were analyzed using commercial kits to assess oxidative stress levels.RESULTS Compared to wild-type(WT)mice,inflammation and intestinal permeability in alk-SMase knockout(KO)mice were more severe beginning 4 d after DSS induction.The mRNA and protein levels of intestinal barrier proteins,including zonula occludens-1,occludin,claudin-3,claudin-5,claudin-8,mucin 2,and secretory immunoglobulin A,were significantly reduced on 4 d after DSS treatment.Ultrastructural observations revealed progressive damage to the tight junctions of intestinal epithelial cells.Furthermore,by day 4,mitochondria appeared swollen and degenerated.Additionally,compared to WT mice,serum malondialdehyde levels in KO mice were higher,and the antioxidant capacity was significantly lower.The expression of the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)in the colonic mucosal tissue of KO mice was significantly decreased after DSS treatment.mRNA levels of Nrf2-regulated downstream antioxidant enzymes were also decreased.Finally,colitis in KO mice could be effectively relieved by the injection of tertiary butylhydroquinone,which is an Nrf2 activator.CONCLUSION Alk-SMase regulates the stability of the intestinal mucosal barrier and enhances antioxidant activity through the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Improving Antioxidant Properties of Chitosan Films by Incorporating Extracted Fractions of Propolis

Chitosan films with propolis aqueous extract were obtained in order to improve the antioxidant capacity of the materials.Likewise,oleic acid(OA)was also incorporated to enhance the film hydrophobicity,with and without previous infusion with propolis,to extract other potentially active compounds.The propolis extracts and the chitosan film-forming dispersions were characterised as to their particle size distribution,zeta potential and rheological behaviour.Chitosan-based films with aqueous extract and with oleic acid,containing or not propolis compounds,were obtained and characterised as to their microstructure,mechanical,barrier and optical properties and antioxidant capacity in order to evaluate their ability to extend the food shelf life.The propolis compounds from the aqueous extract notably modified the chitosan conformation and charge density of chitosan molecules,giving rise to more folded chains with a milder viscous effect.These changes in the polymer gave rise to a coarser film microstructure,which exhibited greater stiffness,and less stretchability and resistance to break,but a greater barrier capacity to water vapour and oxygen.These films had a ten-fold greater antioxidant capacity,thus having great potential to preserve food from oxidative spoilage.The incorporation of OA,containing or not propolis compounds,into these films reduced the film stiffness and resistance to break,and led to a highly enhanced oxygen permeability without there being any notable changes in either the water vapour barrier capacity or antioxidant power.

Effect of Chromium on Oxidative Damage and Antioxidant Capacity of Ctenopharyngodon idellus

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effect of chromium on ox- idative damage and antioxidant capacity of Ctenopharyngodon idellus （grass carp）. [Method] The grass carps were treated with hexavalent chromium （Cr^6＋） solution at concentrations of 0, 7.23, 14.47, 28.94 mg/L, and then the content of malondialde- hyde （MDA）, the level of total antioxidative capacity （T-AOC） and the activity of gtu- tathione-S-transferase （GST） in the hepatopancreas of grass carp were determined after 96 hours in different treatment groups. [Result] The content of MDA presented increasing trend with the increase of exposure Cr^6＋ concentrations. The activity of T-AOC increased firstly, then decreased with the increasing Cr^6＋ exposure concentra- tions, showing that the level of T-AOC was induced in tow and medium concentrat ions （7.23 and 14.47 mg/L）, but inhibited in high concentrations （28.94 mg/L）. Among the exposure groups, the level of T-AOC in medium concentration group （14.47 mg/L） was significantly higher than the control （P〈0.05）. Except the low concentration groups （7.23 mg/L） of which the GST activity was slightly induced, the GST activities of the other groups all showed downward trend with increasing Cr^6＋ levels, and the activity of GST in 28.94 mg/L group was significantly lower than the control group （P〈0.05）. [Conclusion] Cr^6＋ could cause large oxidative damage in the hepatopancreas of grass carp, thus poisoning it, and Cr^6＋ may further damage the organizational structure and physiological function of grass carp.

Effects of Loading Methods on the Color,Phenolic and Antioxidant Properties of Cured Tobacco Leaves

[Objective] To investigate the effects of different loading methods on tobacco leaf quality.[Method] With tobacco comb,tobacco clamp,and tobacco basket,color,phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacity of flue-cured tobacco leaves were studied.[Result] The results showed that L＊,a＊ and b＊ values of tobacco leaves packaged by tobacco clamp and comb were higher than those of tobacco basket and no significant differences were found beween values of a＊ and b＊,however,between L＊ and h values,remarkable differences existed among three loading methods.Total phenolic content and chlorogenic acid content of tobacco leaves loaded by tobacco comb kept the highest,followed by smoke clamp and tobacco basket （P＜0.05）.On the other hand,rutin content showed little differences among treatments.The order of the antioxidant properties,such as DPPH free radical scavenging activity and reducing powder,of tobacco leaves by different loading methods was tobacco comb ＞ tobacco clamp ＞ loose basket and a positive relationship was found of antioxiang property with total phenolic content and chlorogenic acid content.[Conclusion] In view of tobacco leaves quality and antioxidant property,loading method with tobacco comb proved to be a better choice.

Integrated metabolomics and proteomics analyses reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the yellow leaf phenotype of Camellia sinensis

The tea plant cultivar‘Zhonghuang 2'(ZH2)possesses albino-induced yellow leaves that contain low levels of catechins but high contents of amino acids.However,the molecular mechanism underlying the yellow leaf phenotype of ZH2 has not been elucidated clearly.In the current research,the yellow shoots(ZH2-Y)and naturally converted green shoots(ZH2-G)of ZH2 were studied using metabolic and proteomic profiling for a better understanding of the mechanism underlying phenotype formation.In total,107 differentially changed metabolites(DCMs)were identified from the GC-MS-based metabolomics,and 189 differentially accumulated proteins(DAPs)were identified from the tandem mass tag(TMT)-based quantitative proteomics.Subsequently,integrated analysis revealed that‘porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism',‘carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms',and‘phenylpropanoid biosynthesis'pathways were commonly enriched for DAPs and DCMs.We further found that the inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis,the deficiency of photosynthetic proteins and the imbalance of the ROS-scavenging system were the crucial reasons responsible for the chlorosis,chloroplast abnormality and photooxidative damage of ZH2 leaves.Altogether,our research combines metabolomics and proteomics approaches to uncover the molecular mechanism leading to the yellow leaf phenotype of tea plants.

Phenolic and flavonoid contents of mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) fruit tissues and their antioxidant capacity as evaluated by DPPH and ABTS methods

The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the fruit tissues （peels, pulp residues, seeds, and juices） of 19 citrus genotypes belonged to Citrus reticulata Blanco were evaluated and their antioxidant capacity was tested by 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydra- zyl radicals （DPPH） method and 2,2＇-azino-bis（3-ethylbenzthiozoline-6）-sulphonic acid （ABTS） method. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and their antioxidant capacity varied in different citrus fruit tissues. Generally, the peel had both the highest average of total phenolics （27.18 mg gallic acid equivalent （GAE） g^-1 DW） and total flavonoids （38.97 mg rutin equivalent （RE） g^-1 DW）. The highest antioxidant capacity was also the average of DPPH value （21.92 mg vitamin C equiv- alent antioxidant capacity （VCEAC） g^-1 DW） and average of ABTS value （78.70 mg VCEAC g-1 DW） in peel. The correlation coefficient between the total phenolics and their antioxidant capacity of different citrus fruits tissues ranged from 0.079 to 0.792, and from -0.150 to 0.664 for the total flavonoids. The antioxidant capacity of fruit tissues were correlated with the total phenoilc content and flavonoid content except in case of the peel. In addition, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity varied in different citrus genotypes. Manju and Karamandarin were better genotypes with higher antioxidation and the phenolic content, however Shagan was the poorest genotype with lower antioxidation and the phenolic content.

Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have increased serum total antioxidant capacity measured with the crocin bleaching assay

AIM： The balance between oxidants and antioxidants can play an important role in the initiation and development of liver diseases. Recently, we have described a new automated method for the determination of total antioxidant capacity （TAC） in human serum and plasma.METHODS： We measured TAC and corrected TAC （CTACabstraction of interactions due to endogenous uric acid,bilirubin and albumin） in 52 patients with chronic liver diseases （41 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis （PBC）,10 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 13 patients with viral HCV cirrhosis） as well as in 10 healthy controls. In 23 PBC patients measurement were also done 6 mo after treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid （UDCA）. The TAC assay was based on a modification of the crocin bleaching assay. The results were correlated with routine laboratory measurements and the histological stage of PBC.RESULTS： There were no significant differences in TAC between the various groups. However, CTAC was considerably increased in the PBC group compared to controls and cirrhotics. Analysis of these patients according to disease stages showed that this increase was an early phenomenon observed only in stages I and II compared to controls, cirrhotics and patients with chronic hepatitis C）.After 6 mo of treatment with UDCA, levels of CTAC decreased to those similar to that of controls.CONCLUSION： Patients in the early stages of PBC present with high levels of corrected total antioxidant capacity and this maybe related to the pathophysiology of the disease. UDCA treatment restores the levels of CTAC to control levels.

Tannins from Canarium album with potent antioxidant activity

The contents of total phenolics and extractable condensed tannins in the leaves, twigs and stem bark of Canarium album were determined. The structural heterogeneity of condensed tannins from stem bark was characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF MS） and nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） analyses The results show the predominance of signals representative of procyanidins and prodelphinidins. In addition, epicatechin and epigallocatechin polymers with galloylated procyanidin or prodelphinidin were also observed. The tannins were screened for their potential antioxidant activities using l,l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） and ferric reducing/antioxidant power （FRAP） model systems. Tannins extracted from leaves, twigs and stem bark all showed a very good DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power.

Antioxidant power of phytochemicals from Psidium guajava leaf

Dried ground leaves of Psidium guajava L. (guava) were extracted by water and aqueous ethyl alcohol 50% (1:10) ratio, and the total phenolic content in the extracts was determined spectrophotometrically according to Folin- Ciocalteu’s phenol method and calculated as gallic acid equivalent (GAE). Remarkably high total phenolic content 575.3 ±15.5 and 511.6±6.2 mg of GAE/g of dried weight material (for ethanol guava leaf extracts and water guava leaf extracts, respectively) were obtained. The antioxidant activity of lyophilized extracts was determined at ambient temperature by means of a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydryzyl (DPPH˙) colorimetry with detection scheme at 515 nm. The activity was evalu- ated by the decrease in absorbance as the result of DPPH˙ color change from purple to yellow. The higher the sample concentration used, the stronger was the free radical-scavenging effect. The results obtained showed that ascorbic acid was a substantially more powerful antioxidant than the extracts from guava leaf. On the other hand, the commercial guava leaf extracts and ethanol guava leaf extracts showed almost the same antioxidant power whereas water guava leaf extracts showed lower antioxidant activity. The parameter EC50 and the time needed to reach the steady state to EC50 concentration ( TEC50 ) affected the antiradical capacity of the sample. The antioxidant efficiency (AE) has been shown to be a more ade- quate parameter for selecting antioxidants than the widely used EC50. This study revealed that guava leaf extracts comprise effective potential source of natural antioxidants.

Effects of dietary supplementation with algal astaxanthin on growth,pigmentation,and antioxidant capacity of the blood parrot (Cichlasoma citrinellum × Cichlasoma synspilum )

An algal astaxanthin feeding trial was carried out to investigate the ef fects of natural astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis as feed additives on growth, pigmenting efficacy and antioxidant capacity in blood parrot(C ichlasoma citrinellum × C ichlasoma. synspilum). Tissue total antioxidant capacity(TAC), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT) and maleic dialdehyde(MDA) were chosen as measures of its antioxidant capacity. All fish which received an astaxanthin(from micro-algal H. pluvialis) supplemented diet with 400 mg/kg of astaxanthin, after 50 days of feeding, the astaxanthin-fed fish displayed a pinkcolored skin and the control-fed fish displayed a grayish skin. For the growth, the weight gains of controlfed fish and astaxanthin-fed fish were 200% and 300%, respectively. Samples of skin and scales were used for analysis of total carotenoids and astaxanthin content, and fish feeding astaxanthin showed significantly( P <0.05) higher concentrations than the control group, indicating that the pigmentation of this fish had been significantly improved by dietary astaxanthin. Compared with the control fish, pigmented fish had lower SOD, CAT and MDA and higher TAC. It can be concluded that supplementation with dietary astaxanthin could eff ectively enhance growth, skin coloration and the antioxidant capacity of this fish. This study will provide a reference for application of natural astaxanthin from H. pluvialis as feed additives in blood parrot artificial breeding. Our data is also useful in ornamental fish farming, especially when the retentivity of astaxanthin in the skin and scales are involved. It is leading to the possibility of increasing the pigmentation of farmed-fish by adding the powdered form of H. pluvialis to the diet as an ef fective pigment.