This study showed that freeze drying was a better method for the preparation of the shoots of B. racemosa as oppose to air drying, as the former method could reduce the degradation of polyphenols. Using UHPLC analyses, we reported gallic acid and ellagic acid as the main polyphenols in the leaves.
This study also provides in vitro evidence on the ability of the aqueous extracts of B. racemosa to provide protection against oxidation of biological components, including serum, LDL and Hb. The presence of polyphenols in the shoots could play a major role in the observed protective find more effect against oxidative damage. There is a great potential for B. racemosa leaves to be developed as protective agents against oxidative stress-related diseases. This research project was funded by the following research grants: RG340/11HTM, RG458/12HTM, H-20001-00-E000009 and PV061/2012A from University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “
“Fermentation processes have been studied for many decades. Solid state fermentation (SSF) is
a simple technique for the production of bioactive compounds. It is economically viable due to the use of agro-industrial residues, and also helps reduce the environmental impact of their disposal (Oliveira et al., 2010 and Schmidt check details and Furlong, 2012). One of the most produced and consumed grains in the world, rice (Oryza sativa) is a rich source of bioactive compounds,
including many phenolic antioxidants ( Mira et al., 2008 and Zhang et al., 2010). These have the potential to reduce the risk of disease and can be applied in the food industry, as well as in the cosmetics and health markets ( Butsat and Siriamornpun, 2010 and Pourali et al., 2010). Phenols are an important class of chemical compounds which can be divided into two subgroups according to their structure, p-hydroxybenzoic Bay 11-7085 acid derivatives such as gallic, protocatechuic and syringic acids and hydroxycinnamic derivatives such as caffeic, ferulic, p-coumaric and chlorogenic acids ( Martins et al., 2011). One of the main byproducts of rice processing is bran. Rice bran has 11–13% protein, approximately 11% fiber and 20% of its weight in oil, as well as containing functional compounds and antioxidants (Oliveira et al., 2011). Traditionally, most rice bran production was used in the production of fertilizers, animal feed and the cosmetic industry, but several studies have been conducted to better assess its potential for human consumption (Silveira & Furlong, 2007). A number of processes have been developed in order to increase the synthesis of biologically active microbial metabolites (Membrillo, Sánchez, Meneses, Favela, & Loera, 2011). SSF is a way of providing a higher content of phenolic compounds from agro-industrial residues (Martins et al., 2011).