Sesame cake is a by-product of sesame oil industry. In this study, the effect of extraction methods (maceration and sonication) and solvents (ethanol, methanol, ethanol/water (50:50), methanol/water (50:50), and water) on the antioxidant properties of sesame cake extracts are evaluated to determine the most suitable extraction method for optimal use of this product. Total phenolic content is me...

Natural antioxidants found in marine macroalgae are bioactive compounds known to play an important role in the prevention of diseases associated with aging cells protecting them against the oxidative damage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of ethanolic extracts of two species of red seaweeds, Amansia multifida and Meristiella echinocarpa. In vitr...

Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates of the phylum of Echinodermata that have been used in Asian traditional medicine since ancient times. This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of aqueous and organic extracts from two sea cucumber species, Holothuria edulis Lesson (Holothuriidae) and Stichopus horrens Selenka (Stichopodidae). Antioxidant activities o...

β-carotene is one of the major carotenoids in the human diet which shows pro-vitamin A activity, and is associated with prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and immune system enhancer. However, the poor water-solubility, high melting point, and chemical instability of carotenoids is currently a challenge to their application in the food sector. In this research, the characteristics of...

In the present study, the antioxidant potential of the crude methanol and its fractionated extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and water) of the rhizomes of Alpinia mutica was investigated, employing four different assays. The antioxidant assays used were 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the reducing power assays while th...

Vegetables are widely consumed in Brazil and exported to several countries. This study was performed to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of vegetables commonly consumed in Brazil using five different methods, namely DPPH and ABTS free radical, β-carotene bleaching, reduction of Fe(3+) (FRAP), oxidative stability in Rancimat, and the chemical composition using gas chromatog...

BACKGROUND β-carotene is a carotenoid compound that has been widely used not only in the industrial production of pharmaceuticals but also as nutraceuticals, animal feed additives, functional cosmetics, and food colorants. Currently, more than 90% of commercial β-carotene is produced by chemical synthesis. Due to the growing public concern over food safety, the use of chemically synthesized β-c...

BACKGROUND Whereas conventional white cassava roots are devoid of provitamin A, biofortified yellow varieties are naturally rich in β-carotene, the primary provitamin A carotenoid. OBJECTIVE We assessed the effect of consuming yellow cassava on serum retinol concentration in Kenyan schoolchildren with marginal vitamin A status. DESIGN We randomly allocated 342 children aged 5-13 y to receiv...

Background: In food industry, carotenoids are used as food colorants conferring yellow to red color. This research was designed to study on lipid and β-carotene production by Rhodosporidium diobovatum cultured with different Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratios. Methods: R. diobovatum was cultured in a medium containing 40 g/l glucose (as the carbon source) and different C/N ratios (20, 50, and 80)...

The extraction of lutein and β-carotene from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves is important to the dietary supplement industry. A Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to investigate the effect of process variables on the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of lutein and β-carotene from spinach. Three independent variables, extraction temperature (°C), extract...