Eremurus chinensis Fedtch. (ECF) with nutritious roots, belonging to the genus of Eremurus, is a special species grown in China. However, the functional properties of ECF roots have not been intensely investigated. The antioxidant and anticancer effects of ethanol extracts from E. chinensis Fedtch. roots (ECFE) were evaluated in the present study. ECFE exhibited high radical-scavenging activities on DPPH and ABTS radicals, strong reducing power and Fe2+-chelating activity. ECFE also effectively protected biological macromolecules including proteins, lipids and DNA against oxidative damage induced by Cu2+/H2O2 and AAPH systems. Moreover, the MTT assay revealed that ECFE inhibited proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Western blot analysis demonstrated that treatment with ECFE led to cell apoptosis hallmarked by PARP cleavage. Additionally, caspase-3 activation, cytochrome C (Cyt-C) release and increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio suggested that mitochondria-mediated signaling pathway might be involved in ECFE-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. These results demonstrate the remarkable potentiality of ECFE as a valuable source of antioxidants which possess original anticancer abilities.
This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of synergistic inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the combined use of plasma-activated water (PAW) and mild heat (40 to 50°C). A reduction of 4.40 log CFU/mL in S. cerevisiae was observed after the synergistic combination of PAW and mild heat at 50°C for 6 min, whereas the individual treatments of PAW at 25°C and mild heat at 50°C for 6 min resulted in a reduction of 0.27 and 1.92 log CFU/mL, respectively. The simultaneous application of PAW and mild heat caused significant increases in membrane permeability, resulting in the leakage of intracellular components (such as nucleic acids and proteins) and increased uptake of propidium iodide. The combined treatment of PAW and mild heat also resulted in significant increases in the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential in S. cerevisiae cells. In summary, this study illustrates the potential of PAW treatment combined with mild heat to rapidly inactivate microorganisms in food products.
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