Abstract This study aimed to evaluate whether dihydroferulic acid (dFA) promoted the viability of H2O2-treated PC12 cells and functional recovery from ischemic injury. The animals were divided into four groups for the study: (1) the vehicle treated (saline, 1 mL/kg), (2) dFA 5 mg/kg treated, (3) dFA10 mg/kg treated, and (4) dFA 20 mg/kg treated groups. Neurological deficit was evaluated using the modified neurological severity score. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed with the protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with the Iba-1 and MFG-E8 genes. dFA treatment improved the reduced viability of PC12 cells induced by H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner. Only 50 μM of dFA significantly enhanced the transcription levels of antioxidant genes and neurotrophic factors compared to the vehicle group. In vivo dFA administration exerted a neuroprotective effect by reducing the infarct volume and enhancing behavioral function following cerebral ischemia. dFA treatment protected neuronal cells from ischemic injury and increased the transcription levels of anti-oxidant genes (PDI and Nrf2) and neurotrophic factors (BDNF and NGF). dFA treatment decreased the expression of Iba-1 and MFG-E8 genes, which signal neural cell death.

Abstract Antioxidant activities, total phenolic content (TPC), and total catechin content were analyzed in the ethanol extracts of 10 sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) cultivar peels grown in Thailand. Antioxidant activity assays carried out in the this study were the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity, and oxygen radical absorbance activity (ORAC). ‘Nhur Thong’, ‘Nung Keaw’, and ‘Fai Keaw’ showed high percentage fruit peel (over 38.0%). ‘Nhur Thong’, ‘Nung Keaw’, and ‘Fai Keaw’ ethanol extracts possessed high antioxidant capacities in the majority of methods used, and thus could be potential candidate of natural antioxidants. ‘Fai Keaw’ showed the best activity in the ABTS (1.57 mmol of trolox/g dry sample), FRAP (0.43 mmol of trolox/g dry sample), and ORAC assays (2.84 mmol of trolox/g dry sample), as well as the highest content of TPC (140.4 mg) per gram dry sugar apple peel among the 10 cultivars. TPC showed a positive correlation compared with all antioxidant activity assays. In conclusion, ‘Fai Keaw’ could be utilized as an excellent phenolic compound source for functional food products.

Antioxidant activities and total phenolic content (TPC) were analyzed in ethanol extracts of 11 marigold cultivars grown in Thailand. Antioxidant activity assays performed in this study were the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, oxygen radical absorbance activity (ORAC), and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity (SRSA) assays. ‘Optiva Orange’ showed the best activity in the ORAC assay and in % SRSA, as well as the highest content of lutein (20.59 mg), gallic acid (25.77 mg), and quercetin (12.61 mg) per gram dry marigold petal among the 11 cultivars. Furthermore, ‘Optiva Orange’ showed the highest lutein yield per plant, as compared to other cultivars. In contrast, ‘Rodeo Gold’ showed the highest activity by ABTS testing (0.92 mmol of trolox/g dry sample), as well as an 89.90% inhibition of DPPH. Lutein content showed a positive correlation with TPC and all antioxidant activity assays. In conclusion, ‘Optiva Orange’ and ‘Rodeo Gold’ could be utilized as a good lutein source for functional food products and cosmetics.