Search Results (15)

Although known as a cool-season vegetable, leeks (Allium ampeloprasum L. var. porrum) are particularly susceptible to sudden temperature drops during the seedling stage. While melatonin’s mitigating effect on abiotic stresses has been observed in many plants, very few studies have investigated its effects on leek seedlings under cold stress. In this study, leek seedlings grown under ideal conditions were sprayed with melatonin at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 µM on the 45th and 60th days. Morphological data were recorded on the 74th day, and the following day, cold stress was applied at 0 °C for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h. On the 76th day, the first biochemical analyses (antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and total soluble protein content) were performed. After a three-week growth period under ideal conditions, morphological measurements and biochemical analyses were repeated. According to the findings, treatments with 4 and 8 μM melatonin prevented cold-induced changes in the plants’ morphological data. It was determined that concentrations of 1 and 2 µM melatonin were more effective on biochemical contents. According to the study’s findings, melatonin treatment mitigated the harmful effects of cold stress on leeks. The results obtained indicate that melatonin is a promising tool for increasing plants’ resistance to cold stress. Full article

Black Chiloe’s giant garlic is a functional food produced by a mild Maillard reaction that contains relevant bioactive molecules like organosulfur compounds (OSCs) and (poly)phenols (PPs). Compared with raw garlic, black garlic has a higher content of PPs and S-allyl cysteine (SAC), a key OSC due to its bioactivities. The objective of the present work was to optimize by chemometric tools a green microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of SAC and PPs present in black Chiloe’s giant garlic to detect and identify novel bioactive molecules with antioxidant and/or inhibitory activities over cyclooxygenase, α-glucosidase, and acetylcholinesterase enzymes. The MAE factors were optimized using a central composite design, establishing optimal PP and SAC yields at 67 °C, 0% ethanol, 12 min and 30 °C, 40% ethanol, 3 min, respectively. PP and SAC values were 9.19 ± 0.18 mg GAE/g DW and 2.55 ± 0.10 mg SAC/g DW. Applying effect-directed analysis using high-performance thin layer chromatography-bioassay and mass spectrometry, the bioactive molecules present in the MAE extract with antioxidant and inhibitory activities over cyclooxygenase, α-glucosidase, and acetylcholinesterase enzymes were identified as N-fructosyl-glutamyl-S-(1-propenyl)cysteine, N-fructosyl-glutamylphenylalanine, and Harmane. Full article

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is the second most significant species within the Allium genus worldwide, widely used in cooking and both traditional and modern medicine due to its beneficial biological and therapeutic properties. In Italy, diverse pedo-climatic conditions and historical–cultural fragmentation have led to the development of various garlic landraces, prized for their unique organoleptic qualities and cultural importance. This study aimed to assess the intra-varietal diversity and uniqueness of two red garlic landraces from the Lazio region in central Italy, “Aglio Rosso di Castelliri” and “Aglio Rosso di Proceno”, using SSR and ISSR molecular markers, along with evaluations of bulb morphological traits, total phenolic content, and antioxidant properties. The molecular analysis included 11 accessions of “Aglio Rosso di Castelliri”, nine of “Aglio Rosso di Proceno”, and 15 control accessions, comprising eight Italian red-type garlic landraces, four Spanish red garlic commercial varieties, two white garlic accessions, and an accession of A. ampeloprasum var. holmense used as an outgroup. SSR and ISSR markers revealed moderate genetic diversity within the collection, with mean PIC values of 0.41 and 0.17, respectively. The molecular data identified four distinct genetic clusters, with the two Lazio landraces forming separate groups, indicating their genetic distinctiveness. The results from the STRUCTURE analysis support the hypothesis that these landraces may have originated from the widely cultivated “Aglio Rosso di Sulmona” or a common ancestral population once prevalent in central Italy. The study also revealed significant intra-population genetic diversity within the two garlic landraces, underscoring the need for in situ conservation and clonal selection. Phenotypic evaluations confirmed the distinctiveness of the two landraces, with “Aglio Rosso di Castelliri” characterized by smaller bulbs and cloves with higher dry matter content and distinct color profiles. Additionally, significant variation in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity was observed by analyzing 13 selected accessions from the two landraces (six from “Aglio Rosso di Proceno” and seven from “Aglio Rosso di Castelliri”) and five red garlic control accessions, with the two Lazio landraces exhibiting higher levels than the control group. This study highlights the importance of integrating molecular, phenotypic, and chemical analyses to understand garlic landrace diversity, with significant implications for their conservation and protection of local agro-food products. Full article

Many of the flowers of ornamental and wild plants are edible. Flowers provide colors, flavors and textures to foods and serve as a potential source of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids and pigments, which exert a very high antioxidant activity. The cultivation of edible flowers is a production alternative that is on the rise. The main objective of this work has been to study the nutritional and aromatic value of garden garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) and wild leek (Allium ampeloprasum). The crops were carried out in the region of L’Horta Nord (Valencia, Spain), using organic production techniques. The proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, metal content and volatile fraction of the flowers were determined. The flowers of ornamental garlic and wild leek have been shown to be a source of fiber and even protein, with very low lipid content. There is no accumulation of heavy metals in these flowers. Organosulfur compounds are the chemical family of volatile components that predominate in these flowers, representing 98% of the volatile fraction of garden garlic flowers and 68.5% in wild leek flowers. The powerful antioxidant activity of the flowers studied and their relationship with a very significant aromatic fraction of sulfur components is well suited to the current trend of searching for natural and healthy foods with nutraceutical properties. It is recommended to continue studying the bioavailability of floral components and understand their effect on health, as well as organosulfur compounds for physiological functions. Full article

Background/Objectives: In the genus Allium, it has been shown that some organosulfate compounds of common garlic and onion have an antiplatelet effect. Still, little is known about the anticoagulant activity of the species, Allium ampeloprasum L., specifically Snow mountain garlic; due to its growth site at 6000 m above sea level at temperatures of −10 °C, it could contain different organosulfate compounds. Methods: This study evaluated the anticoagulant effect of a lyophilized aqueous extract of S. mountain garlic in vivo, toxicity in male Wistar rats for 90 days, and the organosulfate compounds present. Results: There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the area under the curve for bleeding time at doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg/d of lyophilized aqueous extract of Snow mountain garlic and 100 mg/kg/d of acetylsalicylic acid. The ED₅₀ was 366 ± 2.43 mg/kg. For chronic toxicity in vivo, no histopathological alterations were found at doses below 500 mg/kg. On the other hand, organosulfate compounds were found in the lyophilized aqueous extract of S. mountain garlic that had not been documented to have an anticoagulant effect. Conclusions: We conclude that S. mountain garlic contains anticoagulant compounds which may be candidates for the treatment of thrombosis. Full article

Snow mountain garlic is traditionally eaten by Himalayan locals for its medicinal properties. Although different species of the genus Allium are known to have other biological effects, such as antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities, little is known about the anticoagulant effect of Snow mountain garlic, a member of the genus Allium. Therefore, the present study examined the in vitro anticoagulant effect of the aqueous extract, the lyophilized aqueous extract, and the isoflavone extract from the lyophilized aqueous extract of Snow mountain garlic in samples from 50 human blood donors. Compared to the control, concentrations of 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/100 µL lengthened the clotting times of prothrombin, and concentrations of 25 and 12.5 mg/100 µL lengthened the activated partial thromboplastin time (p ˂ 0.05). The isoflavone extract from the lyophilized aqueous extract containing isoflavones, organosulfur compounds, a polyphenol, and a steroid glycoside showed a significant effect (p ˂ 0.05) on the prothrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time at a dose of 20 µL (volume) compared to the control. The results regarding the use of Snow mountain garlic as a preventive measure and aid in treating thromboembolic disease are promising. Full article

The primary objectives of this study were to assess the inhibitory effects of Allium ampeloprasum L. extract (AAE) and its derived organosulfur and polyphenolic compounds on the enzymatic activities of cGMP-specific PDE V (PDE5) and aminopeptidase N (APN). Additionally, the study aimed to investigate their potential as inhibitors against these two target enzymes through kinetic analyses and molecular docking studies. The in vitro enzyme assays demonstrated that both AAE and its derived compounds significantly decreased the activity of PDE5 and APN. Further analyses involving kinetics and molecular docking provided insights into the specific inhibitor types of AAE and its derived compounds along with the proposed molecular docking models illustrating the interactions between the ligands (the compounds) and the enzymes (PDE5 and APN). In particular, AAE-derived polyphenolic compounds showed relatively stable binding affinity (−7.2 to −8.3 kcal/mol) on PDE5 and APN. Our findings proved the potential as an inhibitor against PDE5 and APN of AAE and AAE-derived organosulfur and polyphenolic compounds as well as a functional material for erectile dysfunction improvement. Full article

The application of nano drug delivery systems, particularly those utilizing natural bioactive compounds with anticancer properties, has gained significant attention. In this study, a novel nano-phytosome-loaded phenolic rich fraction (PRF) derived from Allium ampeloprasum L. was developed. The antitumor activity of the formulation was evaluated in BALB/c mice with TUBO colon carcinoma. The PRF-loaded nano-phytosome (PRF-NPs) exhibited a sphere-shaped structure (226 nm) and contained a diverse range of phenolic compounds. Animal trials conducted on TUBO tumor-bearing mice demonstrated that treatment with PRF-NPs at a dosage of 50 mg TPC/Kg/BW resulted in significant improvements in body weight and food intake, while reducing liver enzymes and lipid peroxidation. The expression of apoptosis-related genes, such as Bax and caspase-3, was upregulated, whereas Bcl2 was significantly downregulated (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of GPx and SOD genes in the liver was notably increased compared to the control group. The findings suggest that the phytosomal encapsulation of the phenolic rich fraction derived from Allium ampeloprasum L. can enhance the bioavailability of natural phytochemicals and improve their antitumor properties. The development of PRF-NPs as a nano drug delivery system holds promise for effective breast cancer treatment. Full article

This study investigated the effects of the aging period on the black elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) manufacturing process. Black elephant garlic is a processed elephant garlic product prepared by high-temperature and high-humidity treatment for 40 days. The proximate composition (moisture, crude lipid, crude protein, carbohydrate, and ash), minerals, color values, reducing sugars, pH, total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of elephant garlic and black elephant garlic were evaluated. The browning intensity of elephant garlic increased with the aging period, but the browning reaction terminated after aging for 30 days, exhibiting the same browning level. Reducing sugars increased over the aging period until 20 days, and then decreased with the aging period, in contrast to the pH, which decreased from 6.47 to 3.68 over the aging period. Antioxidant components, including the total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents of black elephant garlic, increased significantly until day 30 of aging. From the metabolite profiles determined through GC/MS analysis, it was confirmed that primary metabolites related to antioxidant components, such as lactic acid and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid, were generated during the aging process of elephant garlic. Full article

In this work, we aimed to study the chemical composition of the essential oils from bulbs and leaves of two cultivars of Allium sativum L. and two of A. ampeloprasum L. var. holmense. Moreover, we investigated their activity against four common bacterial strains responsible for food contamination (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus) by formation of biofilms. The susceptibility of bacterial biofilms was evaluated by crystal violet assay, whereas the metabolic changes occurring in the bacterial cells were ascertained through the MTT test. The essential oils were characterized by the presence of most characteristic components, although with different composition between the species and the cultivars. The essential oils inhibited the capacity of the pathogenic bacteria to form biofilms (up to 79.85 against L. monocytogenes) and/or acted on their cell metabolism (with inhibition of 68.57% and 68.89% against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus, respectively). The capacity of the essential oils to act against these foodborne bacteria could suggests further ideas for industrial applications and confirms the versatility of these essential oils as food preservatives. Full article

In the Valdichiana area (Tuscany, Italy) an ancient native landrace of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), locally known as “Aglione della Valdichiana”, has long been cultivated. The aim of this study was to check whether there are differences in the mineral and nutraceutical profiles of the Aglione della Valdichiana cultivated conventionally and organically. Based on the analysis by ICP-MS of a wide array of major, minor, essential, and non-essential trace elements as well as rare earth elements, and the evaluation of the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, soluble proteins, soluble sugars, and starch, as well as the weight and water content, it was concluded that differences in the mineral and nutraceutical profiles of organically and conventionally grown bulbs were very limited. Only a statistically (p < 0.05) higher concentration of Cd (+2620%), Co (+113%), Mn (+55%), Rb (+180%), and Sb (+180%), as well as glucose (+37%) in conventionally cultivated bulbs emerged. Cadmium was the only element slightly higher than in the “reference plant,” but with a negligible risk (three orders of magnitude lower) for human health based on consumption. It is concluded that we failed to find evidence of healthier food or a higher nutraceutical quality for organically cultivated elephant garlic. Full article

Vegetable transplanting is an important and advantageous practice in vegetables production systems. In recent years, the development of vegetable transplanting tools has increased, as well as the interest for automatic and robotic transplanters. However, at present, the feeding of transplanting machines is often still performed by hand. This paper presents the design, development and testing of a needle gripper and a two-finger gripper for vegetable transplanting. Both grippers were self-designed and tested for picking, lifting and transplanting plug seedlings. Tests have been conducted on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.), leek (Allium ampeloprasum L.) chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings to determine the impact that gripper typology might have on the further growth of plants after transplanting. The average success rate of the two-finger gripper in the transplanting experiment was 95% and of the needle gripper 81.75%, respectively. Although neither gripper typology affected the growth of the seedlings after transplanting, several design implications were identified in order to improve the performance of both grippers. Furthermore, the two-finger gripper is more reliable for lettuce and chicory, while the needle gripper requires root plugs with higher firmness and cohesion to prevent shattering. Full article

The aim of this study was to provide, for the first time, data on the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils and bulbs of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) cultivated in Valdichiana, a traditional agricultural area of Tuscany, Italy. Bulbs of elephant garlic and soil samples were collected in four cultivation fields and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, U, V, Zn. The concentrations of these PTEs in bulbs and cultivation soils were used to calculate geochemical, ecological and health risk indices. The results of this study suggest that, although bulbs of elephant garlic from the Valdichiana area may present slightly high concentrations of Cd, Ni and Pb, the associated health risk based on the daily intake is absolutely negligible. Cultivation soils had somewhat high Cu concentrations probably due to the diffuse use of Cu-based products in agriculture, but showed overall a very low ecological risk. Full article

“Aglione della Valdichiana” is listed among the Traditional Agronomic and Edible Products of Italy, as it is a typical product of the Chiana Valley (Tuscany, Italy). It is also known as “elephant garlic”, due to the dimension of its cloves, and, other than in the Italian Mediterranean area, its presence is also reported in North Africa and Southwest Asia. The current botanical classification identifies it as a leek variety (Allium ampeloprasum L.), although its appearance, except for its larger dimensions, resembles that of garlic. In the present study, the spontaneous volatile emission of whole and cut cloves of “Aglione della Valdichiana” (elephant garlic), garlic, and leek has been profiled by headspace solid phase micro-extraction. The results have been subjected to statistical analyses (analysis of variance, hierarchical cluster, and principal component analysis) to assess whether the chemical profile confirmed the botanical proximity of elephant garlic and leek, rather than garlic. The phytochemical volatiles evaluation indicated a higher proximity of elephant garlic to garlic, rather than leek, at least for the Chiana Valley specimen analyzed in this study. Full article

Hypertension is highly prevalent among the Lebanese adult population and is indeed the major cause of mortality in Lebanon. Traditional use of antihypertensive medicinal plants has long been practiced. The aim of this study is to document this traditional knowledge and clinically test the antihypertensive capacity of three of the most commonly used wild plant species Mentha longifolia, Viola odorata and Urtica dioica. Ethno-pharmacological data was collected by personal interviews with herbalists and traditional healers using a semi structured survey questionnaire and assessing relative frequency of citation (RFC). The clinical study was conducted by a randomized, blind, placebo-controlled trial in 29 subjects with mild hypertension distributed in four groups, three plant extract treatments and one placebo. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) as well as mean arterial blood pressures (MAP) were monitored at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 during the treatment with 300 mL/day of plant extract. Results showed that M. longifolia, U. dioica and V. odorata exhibited the highest values of RCF (0.95) followed by Allium ampeloprasum (0.94), Apium graveolens (0.92) and Crataegus azarolus (0.90). The clinical trial revealed dose- and duration-dependent significant reductions in SBP, DBP and MAP of subjects treated with M. longifolia, U. dioica or V. odorata. Our findings indicate that extracts of these plants present an effective, safe and promising potential as a phyto-therapuetical approach for the treatment of mild hypertension. More research on the phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanisms is necessary. Full article