Luis S. Gomez-Perez

The Cauchao berry (Amomyrtus luma), native to southern Chile and Argentina, has been traditionally used in folk medicine, yet scientific evidence supporting its bioactive potential remains limited. This study aimed to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds and assess their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Fresh and freeze-dried samples were compared in terms of proximate composition, dietary fiber, reducing sugars, and fatty acid profiles. Proximate and fiber contents were determined using AOAC methods, while fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography, and α-tocopherol levels were measured via HPLC. Extraction optimization was conducted using a Box–Behnken design within a response surface methodology framework, employing freeze-dried samples. Total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and anthocyanin (TAC) contents were quantified spectrophotometrically. Antioxidant potential was assessed by DPPH and ORAC assays, while α-glucosidase inhibition determined antidiabetic activity. Phenolic profiles were characterized by HPLC. Optimal extraction conditions (58% ethanol, 60% ultrasound power, 30 min) enhanced antioxidant response. Results showed high fiber content (~39%), linoleic acid as the predominant fatty acid, and an α-tocopherol concentration of ~95 µg/g. TPC, TFC, and TAC values reached 25.43 ± 0.85, 46.51 ± 1.38, and 5.91 ± 0.40 mg/g d.m., respectively. Antioxidant capacity was 289.54 ± 9.05 μmol TE/g (DPPH) and 451.09 ± 6.04 μmol TE/g (ORAC). The IC₅₀ for α-glucosidase inhibition was 0.558 ± 0.015 mg/mL. Phenolic compounds were identified. These findings position the Cauchao berry as a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits.

The Cauchao berry (Amomyrtus luma), native to southern Chile and Argentina, has been traditionally used in folk medicine, yet scientific evidence supporting its bioactive potential remains limited. This study aimed to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds and assess their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Proximate composition and dietary fiber content were determined following AOAC methods. Fatty acid profiles were established by gas chromatography, and α-tocopherol levels measured via HPLC. Extraction optimization was conducted using response surface methodology. Total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and anthocyanin (TAC) contents were quantified spectrophotometrically. Antioxidant potential was assessed by DPPH and ORAC assays, while α-glucosidase inhibition determined antidiabetic activity. Phenolic profiles were characterized by HPLC. Optimal extraction conditions (58% ethanol, 60% ultrasound power, 30 minutes) enhanced antioxidant response. Results showed high fiber content (~39%), linoleic acid as the predominant fatty acid, and α-tocopherol concentration of ~95 µg/g. TPC, TFC, and TAC values reached 25.43 ± 0.85, 46.51 ± 1.38, and 5.91 ± 0.40 mg/g d.m., respectively. Antioxidant capacity was 289.54 ± 9.05 μmol TE/g (DPPH) and 451.09 ± 6.04 μmol TE/g (ORAC). The IC50 for α-glucosidase inhibition was 0.558 ± 0.015 mg/mL. Phenolic compounds were identified. These findings position the Cauchao berry as a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential health-benefits.

The global dried blueberry market is steadily growing, driven by the creation of innovative blueberry-based products. This trend presents an opportunity to explore a previously untapped segment of the blueberry market in Chile. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of four drying techniques (hot-air drying [HAD], vacuum drying [VD], infrared drying [IRD], and freeze-drying [FD]) was conducted to determine best operating conditions and preserve the health-promoting properties of blueberries. Drying kinetics, proximate composition, color, anthocyanin content, individual phenols, and antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antidiabetic potential of blueberries were evaluated. VD showed the highest drying rates, reaching equilibrium moisture more rapidly (D_eff value of 3.44 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s). Drying caused an increase in lipid content but a decrease in protein content. The color parameter L* increased in all dried samples, and C^* reflected color intensification. FD best retained anthocyanin content, which decreased significantly in the other drying processes. Chlorogenic acid and rutin predominated in HAD, IRD, and FD samples. The antioxidant potential in ORAC assays increased for all drying methods but decreased in DPPH assays. Blueberry extracts from FD and HAD exhibited the greatest antiproliferative effect against A549 and H1299 cell lines, respectively. HAD showed the best inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase, with an IC50 value of 0.276 mg/mL, similar to acarbose (IC50 = 0.253 mg/mL). Given the significant retention of health-promoting properties and bioactive compounds in HAD-dried samples, this method is advisable as a sustainable option for drying blueberries in Chile.

The aim of this work is to describe the effect of convective drying (CD), vacuum drying (VD), infrared drying (IRD), low-temperature vacuum drying (LTVD) and freeze drying (FD) on bio-compound retention of red cabbage and its beneficial health properties. The total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), anthocyanin (TAC) and glucosinolates (TGC) were determined by spectrophotometry. The profiles of phenolic acids, amino acids and fatty acids were determined by HPLC-UV-DAD, LC-DAD and GC-FID, respectively. Antioxidant potential was verified by DPPH and ORAC assays. The antiproliferative activity was measured in the human gastric cell line (AGS). Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and arachidonic acid models. VD showed high values of TPC = 11.89 ± 0.28 mg GAE/g d.m.; TFC = 11.30 ± 0.9 mg QE/g d.m.; TAC = 0.265 ± 0.01 mg Cya3glu/g d.m.; and TGC = 51.15 ± 3.31 µmol SE/g d.m. Caffeic acid, ferulic acid and sinapic acid were identified. The predominant amino acid and fatty acid were glutamic acid and γ–linolenic acid, respectively. The antioxidant potential was dependent on drying methods for both DPPH and ORAC assays. Dried red cabbage extracts showed clear anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activity. The dehydration process is an alternative for the retention of bio-compounds and health-promoting properties of red cabbage.

This study examined the convective drying of red cabbage at temperatures ranging from 50 to 90 °C. Mathematical modeling was used to describe isotherms, drying kinetics and rehydration process. The effects of drying conditions on energy consumption and microstructure were also evaluated. The Halsey model had the best fit to the isotherm data and the equilibrium moisture was determined to be 0.0672, 0.0490, 0 0.0379, 0.0324 and 0.0279 g water/g d.m. at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C, respectively. Drying kinetics were described most accurately by the Midilli and Kuçuk model. Also, the diffusion coefficient values increased with drying temperature. Lower energy consumption was found for drying at 90 °C and the rehydration process was best described by the Weibull model. Samples dehydrated at 90 °C showed high water holding capacity and better maintenance of microstructure. These results could be used to foster a sustainable drying process for red cabbage.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and no efficient therapy able to cure or slow down PD is available. In this study, dehydrated red cabbage was evaluated as a novel source of bio-compounds with neuroprotective capacity. Convective drying was carried out at different temperatures. Total phenolics (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), anthocyanins (TAC), and glucosinolates (TGC) were determined using spectrophotometry, amino acid profile by LC-DAD and fatty acid profile by GC-FID. Phenolic characterization was determined by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity and neuroprotection assays were evaluated in SH-SY5Y human cells, observing the effect on preformed fibrils of α-synuclein. Drying kinetic confirmed a shorter processing time with temperature increase. A high concentration of bio-compounds was observed, especially at 90 °C, with TPC = 1544.04 ± 11.4 mg GAE/100 g, TFC = 690.87 ± 4.0 mg QE/100 g and TGC = 5244.9 ± 260.2 µmol SngE/100 g. TAC degraded with temperature. Glutamic acid and arginine were predominant. Fatty acid profiles were relatively stable and were found to be mostly C18:3n3. The neochlorogenic acid was predominant. The extracts had no cytotoxicity and showed a neuroprotective effect at 24 h testing, which can extend in some cases to 48 h. The present findings underpin the use of red cabbage as a functional food ingredient.

In this study, vacuum drying (VD) was employed as an approach to protect the bioactive components of and produce dried broccoli powders with a high biological activity. To achieve these goals, the effects of temperature (at the five levels of 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C) and constant vacuum pressure (10 kPa) were evaluated. The results show that, with the increasing temperature, the drying time decreased. Based on the statistical tests, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) model was found to fit well to sorption isotherms, whereas the Midilli and Kucuk model fit well to the drying kinetics. VD has a significant impact on several proximate composition values. As compared with the fresh sample, VD significantly reduced the total phenol, flavonoid and glucosinolate contents. However, it was shown that VD at higher temperatures (80 and 90 °C) contributed to a better antioxidant potential of broccoli powder. In contrast, 50 °C led to a better antimicrobial and neuroprotective effects, presumably due to the formation of isothiocyanate (ITC). Overall, this study demonstrates that VD is a promising technique for the development of extracts from broccoli powders that could be used as natural preservatives or as a neuroprotective agent.