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Silver carp (H. molitrix) is one of the most popular species in fish farms around the world. In this paper, the bioactive properties of four protein hydrolysates from silver carp residues obtained with papain, flavourzyme, alcalase and combination of flavourzyme & alcalase treatment were analyzed. Physicochemical characterization showed that the alcalase extract had the highest extraction yield of 52.07%, presented 90.33% protein content and the highest degree of hydrolysis (76.23%). Gel electrophoresis pattern indicated that hydrolysate obtained with alcalase contains most peptides with a molecular weight below 15 kDa, while those present in the hydrolysate obtained with flavourzyme & alcalase had a molecular weight between 10-15 kDa. The effect of protein hydrolysates on DPPH free radicals inhibition varied between 47.37-50.14%, the highest value of antioxidant activity being recorded for hydrolysate obtained with papain. The hydrolysates presented antihypertensive potential determined as inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme, with the highest activity in the case of flavourzyme & alcalase extract. The fish protein hydrolysates were cytocompatible in a normal fibroblast culture, NCTC cell line showing cell viability over 80% for all variants. When cultivated in Hep-2 cancer cells at 10 mg/ml, the protein hydrolysates obtained by papain and flavourzyme & alcalase mixture decreased the cell viability, indication antitumoral potential. In conclusion, the fish protein hydrolysates demonstrated important bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antihypertensive and antiproliferative activity.

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Sustainable economy means reducing the carbon footprint and minimizing the amount of waste released from productive activities. This paper presents the characterization of composites obtained from by-products of the leather industry based on collagen and keratin extracts. The protein composites have specific properties for the agricultural field and industrial applications in accordance with the current recommendations for a sustainable economy. Chemical-enzymatic hydrolysis of leather and wool by-products was performed for protein extraction. The composites were obtained by addition and crosslinking of collagen and keratin extracts with tannins from vegetable byproducts. The characterization of composites was performed based on the results of analytical investigations by physico-chemical methods: volumetry, potentiometry, Texture Analysis, Dynamic Light Scattering, colorimetry, microscopy. It has been found that new collagen and keratin extracts contain small and medium components size, useful for the biostimulation of agricultural crops, but also contain large size components which give adhesive and film-forming properties, useful in industrial applications. © 2022 Toate drepturile asupra acestei ediţii sunt rezervate editorilor.

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Two chitosan extracts were prepared by chemical and enzymatic treatment of Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, as an alternative source to crustacean shells. The molecular weight of the enzymatic extract was lower than that of the chemical one and of shrimp chitosan, as determined by viscosity measurements. Characteristic signals were identified in the H-1-NMR spectra and high deacetylation degree indicated good physico-chemical properties for both mushroom chitosan extracts. The scavenging capacity of mushroom chitosan extracts was moderate against the synthetic radicals of 2,2 '-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), but higher values were observed for the enzymatic extract, compared to the chemical extract and shrimp chitosan. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated in L929 mouse fibroblast cell lines and the results of MTT assay showed good cytocompatibility in the tested range of concentrations. The growth of Gram-positive bacteria was inhibited more than Gram-negative bacteria in the presence of mushroom chitosan extracts, in particular by the chemical one, indicating their efficiency as antimicrobial agents. All these results strengthen the evidence of mushroom polysaccharide preparations availability for biomedical applications.

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The influence of spore concentration on the ability of a Trichoderma consortium to colonize the Passiflora caerulea phyllosphere was evaluated by determining the effects of foliar treatments with two spore concentrations, in two repeated treatments, on the morphological, physiological, and ultrastructural characteristics, and on the yield and quality of P. caerulea. The studied crop quality features were related to its nutraceutical use: the accumulation of polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and effects on mouse fibroblast L929 cells. The Trichoderma consortium consisted of two strains, T. asperellum T36b and T. harzianum Td50b, and the concentrations used were 10(6) colony forming units (cfu)/mL and 10(8) cfu/mL. As a reference treatment, a commercial product that was based on herbs and algal extracts was used. As compared to the negative control, the treatment with the Trichoderma consortium at 10(8) cfu/mL concentration determines the accumulation of higher level of polyphenols and flavonoids and increased antioxidant activity. This enhancement of P. caerulea quality characteristics after treatment with the higher concentration of Trichoderma consortium was associated with larger leaves, increased number and size of chloroplasts, improved plant physiology characteristics, and an increased yield. The treatment with high concentration of Trichoderma consortium spores promotes phyllosphere colonization and benefits both crop yield and quality.

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This study was focused on the phytochemical composition and biological activities of Anchusa officinalis and Melilotus officinalis polyphenolic-rich extracts obtained by nanofiltration. The high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that chlorogenic acid and rosmarinic acid were the main phenolic acids in both extracts. The main flavonoid compound from A. officinalis extracts is luteolin, whereas rutin and isoquercitrin are the main flavonoids in M. officinalis. M. officinalis polyphenolic-rich extract had the highest alpha-amylase (from hog pancreas) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 1.30 +/- 0.06 mu g/mL) and alpha-glucosidase (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) inhibitory activity (IC50 = 92.18 +/- 1.92 mu g/mL). However, both extracts presented a significant alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, the hyaluronidase inhibition of polyphenolic-rich extracts also proved to be stronger (IC50 = 11.8 +/- 0.1 mu g/mL for M. officinalis and 36.5 +/- 0.2 mu g/mL for A. officinalis), but there was moderate or low lipoxygenase inhibition. The studies on the fibroblast cell line demonstrated that both A. officinalis and M. officinalis polyphenolic-rich extracts possess the cytotoxic effect at a concentration higher than 500 mu g/mL. The experimental data suggest that both extracts are promising candidates for the development of natural antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory food supplements.

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This paper assessed the collagen glue (Col) from rabbit skin for use as a raw material in combination with different water-based dispersants of antimicrobial agents such as ZnO NPs, TiO2 NPs doped with nitrogen and Ag NPs (TiO2-N-Ag NPs), and chitosan (CS) for the production of biocompatible and antimicrobial nanofibers. The electrospun nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance in conjunction with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) analyses and antioxidant activity. The biocompatibility of electrospun nanofibers was investigated on cell lines of mouse fibroblast NCTC (clone L929) using MTT test assays. Antimicrobial activity was performed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Candida albicans pathogenic fungus. Electrospun antimicrobial nanofibers based on collagen glue achieved reduction in the number of viable microorganisms against both fungi and bacteria and exhibited multiple inhibitory actions of fungal and bacterial strains. The electrospun nanofibers showed average dimension sizes in the range of 30-160 nm. The results indicated that both Col/TiO2-N-Ag NPs and Col/CS formulations are suitable for cell proliferation and may be useful for producing of nonactive wound dressings.

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The goal of the present paper is to explore the properties of medium molecular-weight chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol blends mixed in volume ratios of 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 obtained by solution casting. Cross-linked chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanostructures were obtained by treating these blends with 5% (v/v) glutaraldehyde. The prepared chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol films were characterized by attenuated total reflectance - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering, and cytotoxicity, while the nanostructured materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction. Also, the removal of lead(II) ions from aqueous solution by adsorbents nanostructures was studied in the batch adsorption mode. The effects of adsorbent dosages, initial metal concentration, and contact time on the adsorption capacity were investigated. The FT-IR spectra indicated the interactions of polyvinyl alcohol with chitosan. DSC and TGA analyses revealed the loss of water up to 100 degrees C. The zeta potential and mobility of the prepared nanostructures were enhanced with the increasing ratio of the cationic polymer. The results showed that the 100% chitosan adsorbent provided the highest removal of Pb(II) during the first 15min (?94%). The chitosan100/polyvinyl alcohol0 and chitosan75/polyvinyl alcohol25 nanostructures fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities for Pb(II) ions reached maxima of 7.36 and 7.67mg/g, respectively. The Freundlich isotherm model best described the Pb(II) adsorption on the 50% chitosan/50% polyvinyl alcohol and 25% chitosan/75% polyvinyl alcohol adsorbents. Furthermore, (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay results demonstrated that chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol films are biocompatible with more than 90% cell viability.

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This study evaluated the biological activities of Eryngium planum and of Cnicus benedictus extracts enriched in polyphenols obtained by nanofiltration. The HPLC-MS analysis showed that E. planum contains mainly flavonoids, especially rutin, while in C. benedictus extracts show the high concentration of the phenolic acids, principally the chlorogenic acid and sinapic acid. Herein, there is the first report of ursolic acid, genistin, and isorhamnetin in E. planum and C. benedictus. C. benedictus polyphenolic-rich extract showed high scavenging activity (IC50=0.0081 mg/mL) comparable to that of standard compound (ascorbic acid) and a higher reducing power (IC50= 0.082 mg/mL), with IC50 having a significantly lower value than IC50 for ascorbic acid. Both extracts were nontoxic to NCTC cell line. Among the investigated herbs, E. planum polyphenolic-rich extract showed the highest inhibitory activities with the IC50 value of 31.3 g/mL for lipoxygenase and 24.6 g/mL for hyaluronidase. Both polyphenolic-rich extracts had a higher inhibitory effect on -amylase and -glucosidase than that of the acarbose. The synergistic effect of ursolic acid, rutin, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, genistin, and daidzein identified in polyphenolic-rich extracts could be mainly responsible for the pharmacological potentials of the studied extracts used in managing inflammation and diabetes.

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Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) coated with biopolymers are already known for their enormous benefits, as a pharmaceutical matrix, in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. Here, we report the preparation of two types of hybrid matrices, containing SBA-15-MSNs covered with mucilaginous polysaccharides extracted from Althaea officinalis folium in natural and acid pH conditions and polyphenols fraction from Betonica officinalis, respectively. The analysis of phenol composition reveals a selective polysaccharides fraction immobilized on SBA-15-MSNs and evidences higher concentration of polyphenols in Althaeae extract obtained in natural conditions. The acid pH of the extraction conditions favored immobilization of polyphenols on the surface of silica support compared to those obtained under natural conditions. The results regarding the two plant extracts cytotoxicity against the tumour cell line Hep-2 suggest that if Althaeae folium extract is able to reduce the viability of Hep-2 cancer cells likely by reducing the accessibility of the tumour cells to nutrients from the medium, Betonica officinalis extract has the capacity to reduce Hep-2 tumour cell viability by interfering with inner metabolism of the cell. Given these, new effective antiproliferative material biocomposites are expected when combining Althaeae and Betonica extracts.