Alessandro Pugliese

Chilli peppers have been recognized as an excellent source of antioxidants as they are rich in bioactive phytochemicals such as carotenoids which are known to exert various beneficial effects in vivo. Absorption is an important factor in the determination of the potential biological effects of carotenoids. The bioaccessibility of a food constituent such as a carotenoid represents its potential to be absorbed in humans. There is very limited information in the literature regarding the content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from dried peppers. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were: first, to determine the carotenoid content of 20 varieties of red, orange or yellow coloured sun-dried chilli peppers belonging to either of four Capsicum species (annuum, baccatum, chinense and chacoense); and second, to quantify the carotenoid micellarization (bioaccessibility) following an in vitro digestion procedure. Red peppers had a higher carotenoid content and bioaccessibility than either the orange peppers or yellow pepper. Xanthophylls showed greater bioaccessibility than carotenes. Our findings confirm that dried chilli peppers are a good source of carotenoids.

The content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from different chili peppers were analysed and the effects of typical domestic processing were investigated. Peppers were analysed before and after cooking by conventional boiling (10 min in 100 °C water) and also following a freezing period of four months in a domestic freezer (-20 °C). The content and bioaccessibility of the eight carotenoids quantified varied, depending on cultivar, species, colour and processing. Provitamin A carotenoids (β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin) and capsanthin were present at highest concentrations in the samples before and after processing. In general, yellow and orange peppers were the best sources of lutein, zeaxanthin and neoxanthin. Xanthophyll carotenoids were more efficiently transferred to the micelles and, therefore, were also more bioavailable. Processing decreased the carotenoid content in certain samples; however, the micellar content was generally not lower for processed peppers; therefore the bioaccessibility of carotenoids from processed peppers is enhanced relative to unprocessed peppers.

Cardiospermum halicacabum is widely used in traditional medicine. Previous studies have focused on the aerial parts, while the seeds have been poorly investigated. This work aimed to analyse the chemical composition of extracts from aerial parts and seeds obtained using Naviglio and Soxhlet (PN, PS, and SN, SS, respectively), the inhibitory properties against tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and the antioxidant effects. PN total extract showed significant anti-tyrosinase activity (IC50 value of 10.8 µg/mL). After partitioning with n-hexane, an HPLC method for analysing chemical constituents was established. Apigenin, luteolin, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside are the predominant constituents. SN n-hexane fraction was the most active inhibitor of BChE (IC50 of 57.9 µg/mL). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed fatty acids, including eicosanoic acid, methyl 11-eicosenoate and oleic acid, as the major constituents. These findings suggest the potentiality of both seeds and aerial parts of C. halicacabum in the treatment of neurological disorders.

The aim of this study is to evaluate, for the first time, the chemical profile, antioxidant properties and cholinesterase inhibitory activity of dried fruits and honey of Ficus carica (fig) cultivars Dottato, Citrullara, and San Francesco. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of fig extracts identified terpenes, sterols and fatty acids as major constituents. The aroma profile of honey obtained from a mixture of the three cultivars was investigated by solid-phase micro-extraction/GC-MS. 5-(Hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one and 1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone were the main compounds. Total phenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin content are also reported. The San Francesco cultivar is characterised by the highest phenol and flavonoid content, while Dottato showed the major anthocyanin content. The Dottato cultivar exhibited the best radical scavenging activity against both 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (IC50 values of 5.4 and 22.6 µg mL(-1) , respectively). This cultivar also showed the highest inhibitory activity against both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, with IC50 values of 26.9 and 31.8 µg mL(-1) , respectively. Dried figs are a convenient source of bioactive compounds that demonstrated potential neuroprotection and antioxidant effects. Therefore, the addition of figs to the human diet should be recommended by dieticians and nutritionists.