Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) powder is widely used as a spice and seasoning in Asian countries. This study investigated the effect of turmeric extracts on the anticancer activity of Huh7 and HCT 116 cells. The curcumin bioactive compounds were extracted using various methods such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and traditional extraction (TDE). The yield of dried extracts from MAE was found to be the highest at 17.89%, followed by UAE and TDE, with 11.34% and 5.54%, respectively. Antioxidant activities such as TPC, DPPH and FRAP from MAE were higher than those of UAE and TDE. The total curcuminoid contents from the novel extractions were higher than those from traditional extraction methods. For instance, curcuminoid contents from MAE, UAE and TDE were 326.79, 241.17 and 215.83 mg/g, respectively. Due to having the highest bioactive compounds and extraction yield, turmeric extract from MAE was used to investigate the potential anticancer properties. The extract showed significant cytotoxic potential against the human liver (Huh7) and human colon (HCT116) cell lines, in concentrations ranging from 31.25 to 1000.00 µg/mL. Turmeric extracts using MAE have potential anticancer effects on Huh7 and HCT116 cells. This study serves as scientific data for the chemotherapeutic properties of turmeric extracts and their use as functional ingredients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the catechin levels and antioxidant activities as manipulated by roasting temperature and roasting time of green tea. Roasting temperature and time varied between 100–300 °C and 60–240 s in green tea production. The main interactions measured were effects on the antioxidant activities, total phenolic content, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and catechin content (catechin (C), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epicatechin (EC)). Optimum roasting conditions were determined as 270 °C for 240 s, since this enabled high catechin contents, antioxidant activities and production yield. The extraction methods for green tea including traditional extraction (TDE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) using 60% ethanol as solvent were investigated to evaluate the highest bioactive compound and yield of extraction. MAE was found to be more efficient in green tea extraction compared to UAE and TDE. The extracts showed significant cytotoxic potential against the Huh-7 cell line, in concentrations ranging from 31.25 to 1000 µg/mL. The results are useful in understanding the relationship between thermal treatment and extraction conditions on the chemical and nutritional properties of tea catechins, making it possible to select the production and extraction conditions that maximize the levels of beneficial tea ingredients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of shell (coating) formulations comprised of alginate and glucono delta lactone (GDL) to encapsulate a mixture of green tea and turmeric extracts. Three concentrations (0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, w/v) of alginate and GDL were used, and their solid ratio was varied using a factorial design. A response surface model was applied to optimize the retention of catechin and curcuminoid contents, encapsulation efficiency, and minimize undesirable flavor and taste. Increasing the concentration of alginate and GDL significantly increased the retention of catechin and curcuminoid contents, encapsulation efficiency, and consumer acceptance (p < 0.05). The encapsulating solution containing 1% of each alginate and GDL performed the best against each criterion. The thermal treatment carried out at boiling point of water for 15 min had a significant impact on retention of catechin and curcuminoid content which in thermally treated beads was 5.15 and 3.85 times higher than unencapsulated, respectively. The consumer acceptance of the encapsulated beads after thermal treatment was higher than unencapsulated formulations as they exhibited lesser pungent flavor and bitterness. Thus, the optimized encapsulating formulations can be used to produce thermally stable microcapsules containing polyphenol-rich mixed plant extracts and used as functional ingredients.