Cornus mas, also known as the Cornelian cherry, is a plant that grows in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Its green leaves and reddish oval fruits are associated with many beneficial properties such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. These features are driven by the rich polyphenolic composition, with anthocyanins and iridoids in Cornelian cherry fruits as well as flavonoids and phenolic acids in leaves. The antioxidant behavior as well as the composition significantly depends on the cultivar of the plant and its genotype. The functional properties of Cornelian cherry have been recognized in many in vitro and toxicological studies. Cornus mas fruits and their extracts have been found to have significant antiatherogenic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The beneficial effect of C. mas fruits as a food component has been determined in numerous papers focused on functional food. However, there is no information in existing literature about C. mas leaves in functional food applications. This paper presents the results of current studies including their synthesis to answer the question whether the Cornelian cherry exhibits positive properties due to its bioactive compound content.

Common hop (Humulus lupulus L.) has significant health-promoting properties. Hop cones contain resins, essential oils, proteins, polyphenols, lipids, waxes, and cellulose. Hop extracts include bioactive compounds such as polyphenolic compounds (phenolic acids, and flavonols), and chlorophylls. The aim of this study was to compare the pro-health potential of hop cone extracts obtained from three cultivars (Magnum, Lubelski, and Marynka). The results showed that the cones of Magnum cultivar demonstrated the highest biological activity. The sum of phenolic acids and flavonols in ethanol extract was the highest for this variety and was equal 4903.5 µg/g dw. Ethanol extracts of Magnum cultivars showed the highest degree of iron ion chelation (55.43–88.76%) as well as the activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (4.75 mmol Tx/g dw). Hop cone extracts as cholinesterase inhibitors showed high potential for aqueous variants. In terms of antimicrobial activity, all investigated extracts demonstrated strong inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, with the Magnum cultivar showing the strongest inhibition. Owing to the biofunctional features of hop cone, it can be concluded that it is an attractive raw material with pro-health potential that can be used much more widely in food technology. However, it should be noted that toxicological tests and in vitro tests must be carried out before the raw material is used in food production.

Extraction conditions are an important factor in the process of obtaining bioactive compounds from plant matrix. These compounds differ structurally. Structures of phyto-compounds and their interactions with other food ingredient are not fully known, while these two aspects should play a significant role in extrahents choice and determination of extraction process conditions. Mulberry (Morus alba) is a plant growing in Asia, which fruits are rich in bioactive ingredients and high anti-oxidative potential. In our study we analyzed mulberry fruits extracts differing in the extra hent applied: acetone, methanol, ethanol and water. All tested extracts possessed rich polyphenolic composition and radical scavenging ability. The significant differences among the extracts in phenolic acids and flavonoids compositions were noticed, where the highest values were observed for acetone extract. The extrahent applied affects the antioxidative profile of tested samples, as well. The highest scavenging activity against ABTS was observed for acetone and ethanol extracts, while the poorest activity had water extract. Similar results were provided for ferrous ion reducing test and Fe chlating activity (acetone>ethanol>methanol>water). These results are helpful when selecting solvents with appropriate bioactive compounds compositions and high phytochemical profiles to be used as ingredients in supplements, as well as in functional foods.

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.), a fruit found in Central Europe, is used as a traditional ingredient in fruit preserves. In this study, we analyzed seven cultivars of Cornelian cherry growing in Poland and the differences between them in sugar content, total polyphenol content, and total chlorophyll content. Moreover, we measured the antioxidant potential of Cornelian cherry extracts was also measured. Polyphenols were found to be highest in Słowianin, Wydubieckij and Jolico cultivars. The presented research outcomes were extremely different from the results obtained for the other cultivars of Cornelian cherry. The electrochemical analysis of extracts proved that compounds contained in Cornelian cherry had the reducing against peroxyl radicals, which makes these extracts an important class of nutritional antioxidants. Our study showed that electrochemical assessment can replace the standard colorimetric tests in the evaluation of the antioxidant potential of analyzed compounds. Aplicación para el cribado electroquímico novedoso del potencial antioxidante y fitoquímicos en extractos de Cornus mas RESUMEN La cereza de cornalina (Cornus mas L.), una fruta que se encuentra en Europa Central, se usa como ingrediente tradicional para la elaboración de conservas de frutas. El presente estudio analizó siete cultivares de cerezas Cornus mas que crecen en Polonia, así como las diferencias en el contenido de azúcar, el contenido total de polifenoles y el contenido total de clorofila existentes entre ellas. Además, se midió el potencial antioxidante de los extractos de esta cereza. Se constató que los polifenoles son más abundantes en los cultivares de Słowianin, Wydubieckij y Jolico. Los resultados de esta investigación mostraron la existencia de diferencias muy importantes al compararlos con los resultados obtenidos para los otros cultivares de la cereza de Cornus mas. El análisis electroquímico de los extractos mostró que los compuestos contenidos en dicha cereza disminuyen los radicales peroxilo, lo que hace de estos extractos una clase importante de antioxidantes nutricionales. El estudio reveló que la evaluación electroquímica puede remplazar las pruebas colorimétricas estándar en la evaluación del potencial antioxidante de los compuestos analizados.

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