Browsing by Author "Fuentes, Jocelyn"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Amplification of the antioxidant properties of myricetin, fisetin, and morin following their oxidation
    (2024) Arias-Sante, M. Fernanda; Fuentes, Jocelyn; Ojeda, Camila; Aranda, Mario; Pastene, Edgar; Speisky, Hernan
    Quercetin oxidation leads to the formation of a metabolite, 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)benzofuranone, whose antioxidant potency was recently reported to be a 1000-fold higher than that of its precursor. The formation of similar metabolites (BZF) is limited to certain flavonols (FL), among which are myricetin, fisetin, and morin. Here we addressed the consequences of inducing the auto-oxidation of these flavonols in terms of their antioxidant properties (assessed in ROS-exposed Caco-2 cells). The mixtures that result from their oxidation (FLox) exhibited antioxidant activities 10-to-50-fold higher than those of their precursors. Such amplification was fully attributable to the presence of BZF in each FLox (established by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and chemical subtraction techniques). An identical amplification was also found when the antioxidant activities of BZF, isolated from each FLox, and FL were compared. These findings warrant the search of these BZF in edible plants and their subsequent evaluation as a new type of functional food ingredients.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    First Web-Based Database on Total Phenolics and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Fruits Produced and Consumed within the South Andes Region of South America
    (2012) Speisky, Hernán; López Alarcón, Camilo Ignacio; Gomez, Maritza; Fuentes, Jocelyn; Sandoval-Acuna, Cristian
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Impact of pomegranate peel extract on gut microbiota composition and metabolic health parameters in high-fat diet-fed mice
    (2024) Duarte, Lissette; Bustamante, Andrés; Orellana, Juan Francisco; Valenzuela, Rodrigo; Magne, Fabien; Fuentes, Jocelyn; Speisky, Hernán; Echeverria Gonzalez, Francisca Cecilia
    Background: Gut microbiota (GM) plays a crucial role in obesity pathophysiology and is heavily influenced by dietary factors. Polyphenols have shown a positive effect in preventing and treating obesity, which is blunted in the absence of GM. Pomegranate peel, known for its high content of polyphenols (ellagitannins), has been found to exhibit favorable metabolic effects in obesity. Interestingly, ellagitannins are metabolized by the action of GM. However, the specific impact of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on GM and metabolism remains unclear.Objective: to evaluate the effect of a PPE (microencapsulated or not) on the composition of GM in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and analyze its association with metabolic parameters.Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 40) were randomly distributed into five groups: control diet (CD), HFD, HFD + inulin (IN), HFD + PPE (50 mg/kg/d of total polyphenols; TP), and HFD + MPPE (50 mg/kg/d TP), for 14 weeks. Liver and serum antioxidant status were assessed. GM composition, further relative abundances, and biodiversity were calculated from cecal content samples. The bacterial community clustering was analyzed using a canonical-correlation analysis (CCA). GM parameters and metabolic outcomes were evaluated for correlation (Spearman’s correlation), p < 0.05.Results: PPE and MPPE showed increased energy expenditure, reduced liver arachidonic acid content, elevated antioxidant capacity, and higher GM alpha diversity compared to HFD alone.Conclusion: PPE, regardless of encapsulation, ameliorated metabolic alterations induced by HFD, potentially through modulation of GM. These findings provide data on the therapeutic potential of PPE in managing obesityrelated metabolic dysfunction.