By-products derived from food processing are attractive source for their valuable bioactive components and color pigments. These by-products are useful for development as functional foods, nutraceuticals, food ingredients, additives, and also as cosmetic products. Lycopene is a bioactive red colored pigment naturally occurring in plants. Industrial by-products obtained from the plants are the good sources of lycopene. Interest in lycopene is increasing due to increasing evidence proving its preventive properties toward numerous diseases. In vitro, in vivo and ex vivo studies have demonstrated that lycopene-rich foods are inversely associated to diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and others. This paper also reviews the properties, absorption, transportation, and distribution of lycopene and its by-products in human body. The mechanism of action and interaction of lycopene with other bioactive compounds are also discussed, because these are the crucial features for beneficial role of lycopene. However, information on the effect of food processing on lycopene stability and availability was discussed for better understanding of its characteristics.
Microalgae are the major photosynthesizers on earth and produce important pigments that include chlorophyll a, b and c, β-carotene, astaxanthin, xanthophylls, and phycobiliproteins. Presently, synthetic colorants are used in food, cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, due to problems associated with the harmful effects of synthetic colorants, exploitation of microalgal pigments as a source of natural colors becomes an attractive option. There are various factors such as nutrient availability, salinity, pH, temperature, light wavelength, and light intensity that affect pigment production in microalgae. This paper reviews the availability and characteristics of microalgal pigments, factors affecting pigment production, and the application of pigments produced from microalgae. The potential of microalgal pigments as a source of natural colors is enormous as an alternative to synthetic coloring agents, which has limited applications due to regulatory practice for health reasons.
Microbial pigments are gaining intensive attention due to increasing awareness of the toxicity of synthetic colours. In this study, a novel polymer-producing bacterium designated as Cupriavidus sp. USMAHM13 was also found to produce yellow pigment when cultivated in nutrient broth. Various parameters such as temperature, pH and ratio of culture volume to flask volume were found to influence the yellow pigment production. UV-Visible, Fourier transform infrared and (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that the crude yellow pigment might probably represent new bioactive compound in the carotenoid family. The crude yellow pigment also exhibited a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with their inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentrations ranged from 25 to 38 mm and from 0.63 to 2.5 mg/ml, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification and characterization of yellow pigment produced by bacterium belonging to the genus Cupriavidus.
The colour pigments of five chili powders of different origins were separated and quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The similarities and dissimilarities of pigment composition of chili powders were elucidated by principal component analysis (PCA). RP-HPLC separated 50-100 pigment fractions depending on the detection wavelength and on the origin of chili powder. It was found that the pigment composition of chili powders from Malaysia and China and from India and Pakistan show marked similarities while the composition of colour pigments of chili powder from Thailand was different. It was further established that the chromatograms are similar in the first 5-35 min of development, they are highly different between 35 and 75 min and moderately different at the end of the chromatograms. It was concluded that RP-HPLC followed by PCA can be successfully used for the identification of chili powders according to the composition of their colour pigments.
The eucheumatoids Kappaphycus and Eucheuma are cultivated in tropical or subtropical regions for the production of carrageenan, a hydrocolloid widely used in the food and cosmetic industries. Kappaphycus alvarezii is a highly valued economic crop in the Coral Triangle, with the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia ranked among the largest producers. In the absence of measures to mitigate climate change, extreme events including heatwaves, typhoons, severe El Niño and La Niña, are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude. This inadvertently brings adverse effects to the seaweed cultivation industry, especially in the tropics. Temperatures are rapidly reaching the upper limit of biologically tolerable levels and an increase in reports of ice-ice and pest outbreaks is attributable to these shifts of environmental parameters. Nevertheless, few reports on the response of eucheumatoids to a changing environment, in particular global warming, are available. Understanding the responses and possible mechanisms for acclimation to warming is crucial for a sustainable seaweed cultivation industry. Here, the physiological and biochemical responses of K. alvarezii to acute warming indicated that the strain used in the current study is unlikely to survive sudden increases in temperature above 36°C. As temperature increased, the growth rates, photosynthetic performance, phycocolloid quality (carrageenan yield, gel strength and gel viscosity) and pigment content (chlorophyll-a, carotenoid and phycobiliproteins) were reduced while the production of reactive oxygen species increased indicating the occurrence of stress in the seaweeds. This study provides a basis for future work on long term acclimation to elevated temperature and mesocosm-based multivariate studies to identify heat-tolerant strains for sustainable cultivation.
The present work highlighted the production of violacein by the locally isolated Chromobacterium violaceum (GenBank accession no. HM132057) in various agricultural waste materials (sugarcane bagasse, solid pineapple waste, molasses, brown sugar), as an alternative to the conventional rich medium. The highest yield for pigment production (0.82 g L⁻¹) was obtained using free cells when grown in 3 g of sugarcane bagasse supplemented with 10% (v/v) of L-tryptophan. A much lower yield (0.15 g L⁻¹) was obtained when the cells were grown either in rich medium (nutrient broth) or immobilized onto sugarcane bagasse. Violacein showed similar chemical properties as other natural pigments based on the UV-Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry analysis. The pigment is highly soluble in acetone and methanol, insoluble in water or non-polar organic solvents, and showed good stability between pH 5-9, 25-100 °C, in the presence of light metal ions and oxidant such as H₂O₂. However, violacein would be slowly degraded upon exposure to light. This is the first report on the use of cheap and easily available agricultural wastes as growth medium for violacein-producing C. violaceum.
The aim of this study was to evaluate colour stability upon exposure to spices of a nano-filled and a micro-hybrid resin composite finished either with Sof-Lex™ discs (SLD) or against plastic strips (PS).
Nine solvents, namely, n-hexane, ethanol, acetonitrile, chloroform, ethyl-ether, ethyl-acetate, petroleum ether, n-butyl alcohol, and methanol were used to extract natural dyes from Cordyline fruticosa, Pandannus amaryllifolius and Hylocereus polyrhizus. To improve the adsorption of dyes onto the TiO2 particles, betalain and chlorophyll dyes were mixed with methanol or ethanol and water at various ratios. The adsorption of the dyes mixed with titanium dioxide (TiO2) was also observed. The highest adsorption of the C.fruticosa dye mixed with TiO2 was achieved at ratio 3:1 of methanol: water. The highest adsorption of P.amaryllifolius dye mixed with TiO2 was observed at 2:1 of ethanol: water. H.polyrhizus dye extracted by water and mixed with TiO2 demonstrated the highest adsorption among the solvents. All extracted dye was adsorbed onto the surface of TiO2 based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The inhibition of crystallinity of TiO2 was likewise investigated by X-ray analysis. The morphological properties and composition of dyes were analyzed via SEM and EDX.
The current research is focused on studying the biological efficacy of flexirubin, a pigment extracted from Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497.Different methods such as DPPH, H2O2, NO•, O2•-, •OH, lipid peroxidation inhibition by FTC and TBA, ferric reducing and ferrous chelating activity were carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of flexirubin. Molecular docking was also carried out, seeking the molecular interactions of flexirubin and a standard antioxidant compound with SOD enzyme to figure out the possible flexirubin activity mechanism. The new findings revealed that the highest level of flexirubin exhibited similar antioxidant activity as that of the standard compound according to the H2O2, •OH, O2•-, FTC and TBA methods. On the other hand, flexirubin at the highest level has shown lower antioxidant activity than the positive control according to the DPPH and NO• and even much lower when measured by the FRAP method. Molecular docking showed that the interaction of flexirubin was in the binding cavity of the SOD enzyme and did not affect its metal-binding site. These results revealed that flexirubin has antioxidant properties and can be a useful therapeutic compound in preventing or treating free radical-related diseases.
This project studied the effect of vermicompost application on the composition of bioactive anthocyanin and phenolic compounds, and the antioxidant activity of Clinacanthus nutans. The correlation between the bioactive constituents and antioxidant capacity was also evaluated. In this project, a field study was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatment groups, including control plants (CC), plants supplied with chemical fertilizer (CF), plants supplied with vermicompost (VC), and plants supplied with mixed fertilizer (MF). The leaves of C. nutans from all treatment groups were harvested, subjected to solvent extraction, and used for quantification of total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC). The initial antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, as well as after two and four weeks of storage at -20 °C and 4 °C. Data analysis showed that CC plants contained the highest TAC (2180.14 ± 338.43 µg/g dry weight) and TFC (276.25 ± 3.09 mg QE/g dry weight). On the other hand, CF plants showed the highest TPC (181.53 ± 35.58 mg GAE/g dry weight). Moreover, we found that CC plants had the highest antioxidant potential against DPPH radicals whereas MF plants showed the lowest antioxidant potential. After four weeks of extract storage at -20 °C and 4 °C, the TPC, TFC, TAC, and antioxidant potential of the extracts decreased. Extracts from VC showed the lowest percentage of total phenolic and total flavonoid loss after extract storage at -20 °C and 4 °C compared with other plant extracts. At this juncture, it could be deduced that the application of vermicompost had little effect on the expression of phenolics, flavonoids, or anthocyanin in C. nutans. However, the extract from plants treated with vermicompost (VC and MF) showed better stability compared with CC and CF after extract storage at different temperatures.
Carotenoids are biologically active pigments that are well-known to enhance the defense and immunity of the vertebrate system. However, in invertebrates, the role of carotenoids in immunity is not clear. Therefore, this study aims to review the scientific evidence for the role of carotenoids in invertebrate immunization. From the analysis of published literatures and recent studies from our laboratory, it is obvious that carotenoids are involved in invertebrate immunity in two ways. On the one hand, carotenoids can act as antioxidant enzymes to remove singlet oxygen, superoxide anion radicals, and hydroxyl radicals, thereby reducing SOD activity and reducing the cost of immunity. In some organisms, carotenoids have been shown to promote SOD activity by up-regulating the expression of the ZnCuSOD gene. Carotenoids, on the other hand, play a role in the expression and regulation of many genes involved in invertebrate immunity, including thioredoxins (TRX), peptidoglycan recognition receptor proteins (PGRPs), ferritins, prophenoloxidase (ProPO), vitellogenin (Vg), toll-like receptor (TLRs), heat shock proteins (HSPs), and CuZnSOD gene. The information in this review is very useful for updating our understanding of the progress of carotenoid research in invertebrate immunology and to help identify topics for future topics.
Prodigiosin, a red linear tripyrrole pigment and a member of the prodiginine family, is normally secreted by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens as a secondary metabolite. Studies on prodigiosin have received renewed attention as a result of reported immunosuppressive, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. High-level synthesis of prodigiosin and the bioengineering of strains to synthesise useful prodiginine derivatives have also been a subject of investigation. To exploit the potential use of prodigiosin as a clinical drug targeting bacteria or as a dye for textiles, high-level synthesis of prodigiosin is a prerequisite. This review presents an overview on the biosynthesis of prodigiosin from its natural host Serratia marcescens and through recombinant approaches as well as highlighting the beneficial properties of prodigiosin. We also discuss the prospect of adopting a synthetic biology approach for safe and cost-effective production of prodigiosin in a more industrially compliant surrogate host.
Current study employs mixture of chlorophyll-anthocyanin dye extracted from leaves of Cordyline fruticosa as new sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSCs), as well as betalains dye obtained from fruit of Hylocereus polyrhizus. Among ten pigments solvents, the ethanol and methanol extracts revealed higher absorption spectra of pigments extracted from C. fruticosa and H. polyrhizus respectively. A major effect of temperature increase was studied to increase the extraction yield. The results indicated that extraction temperature between 70 and 80°C exhibited a high dye concentration of each plant than other temperatures. The optimal temperature was around 80°C and there was a sharp decrease of dye concentration at temperatures higher than this temperature. According to experimental results, the conversion efficiency of DSSC fabricated by mixture of chlorophyll and anthocyanin dyes from C. fruticosa leaves is 0.5% with short-circuit current (Isc) of 1.3mA/cm-2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.62V and fill factor (FF) of 60.16%. The higher photoelectric conversion efficiency of the DSSC prepared from the extract of H. polyrhizus was 0.16%, with Voc of 0.5V, Isc of 0.4mA/cm-2 and FF of 79.16%. The DSSC based betalain dye extracted from fruit of H. polyrhizus shows higher maximum IPCE of 44% than that of the DSSCs sensitized with mixed chlorophyll-anthocyanin dye from C. fruticosa (42%).
Gentiana lutea root is a medicinal herb that contains many active compounds which contribute to physiological effects, and it has recently attracted much attention as a natural source of antioxidants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on the colour, pH, microbial activities, sensory quality and resistance to lipid oxidation (through the thiobarbituric acid method) during storage of beef patties containing different concentrations of G. lutea. Fresh beef patties were formulated with 0-5 g kg(-1) of G. lutea and 0 or 0.5 g kg(-1) of ascorbic acid and packed in two different atmospheres, Modified Atmosphere 1 (MAP1) and Modified Atmosphere 2 (MAP2), and stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 10 days. MAP1 contained 20:80 (v/v) O2:CO2 and MAP2 contained 80:20 (v/v) O2:CO2.
The present study examined the contents of tocopherols and tocotrienols and their distribution in 58 different varieties of whole rice cultivated in Malaysia. The analytical method used was saponification of samples followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
Mango is a highly perishable seasonal fruit and large quantities are wasted during the peak season as a result of poor postharvest handling procedures. Processing surplus mango fruits into flour to be used as a functional ingredient appears to be a good preservation method to ensure its extended consumption.