| | SLO | ENG | Cookies and privacy

Bigger font | Smaller font

Search the digital library catalog Help

Query: search in
search in
search in
search in
* old and bologna study programme

Options:
  Reset


1 - 10 / 15
First pagePrevious page12Next pageLast page
1.
Composition of proteins and phenolics in the leaves of differente mulberry species (Morus alba L., M. alba x rubra, M. australis Poir., M. nigra L.)
Špela Jelen, Andreja Urbanek Krajnc, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: The leaves of the mulberry (Morus sp.) have a variety of medicinal, culinary, industrial and agricultural applications. In our study, we compared the protein and phenolic contents of different mulberry species (Morus alba L., M. alba × rubra, M. australis Poir., M. nigra L.) from the mulberry germplasm collection to determine species-specific differences. The possibility of using mulberries as animal feed and for pharmacological purposes was reviewed. Total phenols of all genotypes were analysed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while total protein content was determined using the Lowry's method. The individual phenols were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV/VIS detection. The total protein content ranged from 162.03 mg BSA/g DW (M. australis) to 239.42 mg BSA/g DW (M. alba). Significantly higher contents of total proteins were determined in the leaves of M. alba. The highest mean concentrations of total phenols (21.51 mg GAE /g DW), chlorogenic acid (18.05 mg/g DW), 4-caffeoylquinic acid (4.36 mg/g DW), 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid (2.01 mg/g DW), quercetin glycoside (0.74 mg/g DW) and kaempferol acetyl hexoside (4.42 mg/g DW) were determined in M. alba × rubra and M. nigra. In contrast, white mulberry (M. alba) genotypes contained on average the most rutin (2.63 mg/g DW) and quercetin-malonyl-hexoside (1.59 mg/g DW). It can be concluded that the leaves of the white mulberry are best suited as animal feed due to their high protein content, while the black mulberry and the hybrid M. alba × rubra have pharmacological potential due to their high phenolic content.
Keywords: Morus sp., leaves, proteins, phenolic acids, flavonoids
Published in DKUM: 23.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
URL Link to file

2.
Effect of green food processing technology on the enzyme activity in spelt flour
Maja Leitgeb, Željko Knez, Gordana Hojnik Podrepšek, 2022, original scientific article

Abstract: In this research, a new approach to enzyme inactivation in flour was presented by supercritical technology, considered a sustainable technology with lower energy consumption compared to other technologies that use ultra-high temperature processing. Total protein concentration and the activity of enzymes -amylase, lipase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and protease were determined in flour pre-treated with scCO2. During the study, it was observed that the activity of enzymes such as lipase and polyphenol oxidase, was significantly reduced under certain conditions of scCO2 treatment, while the enzymes -amylase and protease show better stability. In particular, polyphenol oxidase was effectively inactivated below the 60% of preserved activity at 200 bar and 3 h, whereas -amylase under the same conditions retained its activity. Additionally, the moisture content of the scCO2-treated spelt flour was reduced by 5%, and the fat content was reduced by 58%, while the quality of scCO2-treated flour was maintained. In this regard, the sustainable scCO2 process could be a valuable tool for controlling the enzymatic activity of spelt flour since the use of scCO2 technology has a positive effect on the quality of flour, which was verified by the baking performance of spelt flour with the baked spelt bread as an indicator of quality.
Keywords: food treatment, spelt flour, proteins, supercritical carbon dioxide, enzyme inactivation, defatted flour, carbon dioxide solubility
Published in DKUM: 17.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 1
.pdf Full text (2,72 MB)
This document has many files! More...

3.
Enzyme activity and physiochemical properties of flour after supercritical carbon dioxide processing
Maja Leitgeb, Željko Knez, Gordana Hojnik Podrepšek, 2022, original scientific article

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to inactivate the enzymes α-amylase, lipase, protease, and peroxidase in flour with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), and to optimize the enzymatic treatment conditions. Enzyme inactivation is important, due to the undesirability of certain flour enzymes that cause adverse reactions during storage as unpleasant rancidity of flour, and, at the same time, reduce the shelf life of flour. Therefore, crude enzymes and flour were initially exposed to scCO2 to determine the effect on specific enzyme activity under appropriate conditions. The activity of the unwanted enzymes lipase and peroxidase decreased under optimal process conditions of scCO2 exposure, lipase by 30%, and peroxidase by 12%, respectively. It was discovered that the inactivation of enzymes in wheat flour occurred, where, at the same time, this sustainable method allows the regulation of enzyme activity in the baking process. Afterwards, the effect of scCO2 on the physicochemical properties of flour, morphological changes on starch granules, and content of total lipids was studied. In scCO2-treated white wheat flour, the fat content decreased by 46.15 ± 0.5%, the grain structure was not damaged, and the bread as the final product had a lower specific surface volume. Therefore, this could be a promising technology for flour pretreatment, potentially impacting the prolonging of its shelf-life.
Keywords: enzymes, enzyme activity, proteins, supercritical fluids, wheat flour
Published in DKUM: 10.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 1
.pdf Full text (2,16 MB)
This document has many files! More...

4.
Mango peels as an industrial by-product: a sustainable source of compounds with antioxidant, enzymatic, and antimicrobial activity
Nika Kučuk, Mateja Primožič, Petra Kotnik, Željko Knez, Maja Leitgeb, 2024, original scientific article

Abstract: Plant waste materials are important sources of bioactive compounds with remarkable health-promoting benefits. In particular, industrial by-products such as mango peels are sustainable sources of bioactive substances, with antioxidant, enzymatic, and antimicrobial activity. Appropriate processing is essential to obtain highly bioactive compounds for further use in generating value-added products for the food industry. The objective of the study was to investigate and compare the biological activity of compounds from fresh and dried mango peels obtained by different conventional methods and unconventional extraction methods using supercritical fluids (SFE). The highest total phenolic content (25.0 mg GAE/g DW) and the total content of eight phenolic compounds (829.92 µg/g DW) determined by LC-MS/MS were detected in dried mango peel extract obtained by the Soxhlet process (SE). SFE gave the highest content of proanthocyanidins (0.4 mg PAC/g DW). The ethanolic ultrasonic process (UAE) provided the highest antioxidant activity of the product (82.4%) using DPPH radical scavenging activity and total protein content (2.95 mg protein/g DW). Overall, the dried mango peels were richer in bioactive compounds (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, catechin, and hesperidin/neohesperidin), indicating successful preservation during air drying. Furthermore, outstanding polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipase activities were detected in mango peel extracts. This is the first study in which remarkable antibacterial activities against the growth of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) were evaluated by determining the microbial growth inhibition rate after 12 and 24 h incubation periods for mango peel extracts obtained by different methods. Ethanolic SE and UAE extracts from dried mango peels resulted in the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90) for all bacterial species tested. Mango peels are remarkable waste products that could contribute to the sustainable development of exceptional products with high-added value for various applications, especially as dietary supplements.
Keywords: mangifera indica, peels, bioactive substances, LC-MS/MS, proteins, enzymes, antibacterial activity
Published in DKUM: 12.08.2024; Views: 104; Downloads: 10
.pdf Full text (6,49 MB)

5.
Lipotoxicity in a vicious cycle of pancreatic beta cell exhaustion
Vladimir Grubelnik, Jan Zmazek, Matej Završnik, Marko Marhl, 2022, original scientific article

Abstract: Hyperlipidemia is a common metabolic disorder in modern society and may precede hyperglycemia and diabetes by several years. Exactly how disorders of lipid and glucose metabolism are related is still a mystery in many respects. We analyze the effects of hyperlipidemia, particularly free fatty acids, on pancreatic beta cells and insulin secretion. We have developed a computational model to quantitatively estimate the effects of specific metabolic pathways on insulin secretion and to assess the effects of short- and long-term exposure of beta cells to elevated concentrations of free fatty acids. We show that the major trigger for insulin secretion is the anaplerotic pathway via the phosphoenolpyruvate cycle, which is affected by free fatty acids via uncoupling protein 2 and proton leak and is particularly destructive in long-term chronic exposure to free fatty acids, leading to increased insulin secretion at low blood glucose and inadequate insulin secretion at high blood glucose. This results in beta cells remaining highly active in the “resting” state at low glucose and being unable to respond to anaplerotic signals at high pyruvate levels, as is the case with high blood glucose. The observed fatty-acid-induced disruption of anaplerotic pathways makes sense in the context of the physiological role of insulin as one of the major anabolic hormones.
Keywords: diabetes, insulin secretion, lipids, PEP cycle, uncoupling proteins, mitochondrial dysfunction
Published in DKUM: 20.05.2024; Views: 133; Downloads: 14
.pdf Full text (2,47 MB)
This document has many files! More...

6.
7.
Protective role of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins against age-related oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Maša Čater, Lidija Križančić Bombek, 2022, review article

Abstract: The accumulation of oxidative damage to DNA and other biomolecules plays an important role in the etiology of aging and age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is especially sensitive to oxidative stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from the accumulation of mtDNA damage impairs normal cellular function and leads to a bioenergetic crisis that accelerates aging and associated diseases. Age-related mitochondrial dysfunction decreases ATP production, which directly affects insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells and triggers the gradual development of the chronic metabolic dysfunction that characterizes T2D. At the same time, decreased glucose oxidation in skeletal muscle due to mitochondrial damage leads to prolonged postprandial blood glucose rise, which further worsens glucose homeostasis. ROS are not only highly reactive by-products of mitochondrial respiration capable of oxidizing DNA, proteins, and lipids but can also function as signaling and effector molecules in cell membranes mediating signal transduction and inflammation. Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) located in the inner mitochondrial membrane of various tissues can be activated by ROS to protect cells from mitochondrial damage. Mitochondrial UCPs facilitate the reflux of protons from the mitochondrial intermembrane space into the matrix, thereby dissipating the proton gradient required for oxidative phosphorylation. There are five known isoforms (UCP1-UCP5) of mitochondrial UCPs. UCP1 can indirectly reduce ROS formation by increasing glutathione levels, thermogenesis, and energy expenditure. In contrast, UCP2 and UCP3 regulate fatty acid metabolism and insulin secretion by beta cells and modulate insulin sensitivity. Understanding the functions of UCPs may play a critical role in developing pharmacological strategies to combat T2D. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the protective role of various UCP homologs against age-related oxidative stress in T2D.
Keywords: uncoupling proteins, reactive oxygen species, aging, age-related diseases, diabetes
Published in DKUM: 23.08.2023; Views: 467; Downloads: 46
.pdf Full text (1,14 MB)
This document has many files! More...

8.
Salivary gland adaptation to dietary inclusion of hydrolysable tannins in boars
Maša Mavri, Marjeta Čandek-Potokar, Gregor Fazarinc, Martin Škrlep, Catrin Rutland, Božidar Potočnik, Nina Batorek Lukač, Valentina Kubale, 2022, original scientific article

Abstract: The ingestion of hydrolysable tannins as a potential nutrient to reduce boar odor in entire males results in the significant enlargement of parotid glands (parotidomegaly). The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of different levels of hydrolysable tannins in the diet of fattening boars (n = 24) on salivary gland morphology and proline-rich protein (PRP) expression at the histological level. Four treatment groups of pigs (n = 6 per group) were fed either a control (T0) or experimental diet, where the T0 diet was supplemented with 1% (T1), 2% (T2), or 3% (T3) of the hydrolysable tannin-rich extract Farmatan®. After slaughter, the parotid and mandibular glands of the experimental pigs were harvested and dissected for staining using Goldner’s Trichrome method, and immunohistochemical studies with antibodies against PRPs. Morphometric analysis was performed on microtome sections of both salivary glands, to measure the acinar area, the lobular area, the area of the secretory ductal cells, and the sizes of glandular cells and their nuclei. Histological assessment revealed that significant parotidomegaly was only present in the T3 group, based on the presence of larger glandular lobules, acinar areas, and their higher nucleus to cytoplasm ratio. The immunohistochemical method, supported by color intensity measurements, indicated significant increases in basic PRPs (PRB2) in the T3 and acidic PRPs (PRH1/2) in the T1 groups. Tannin upplementation did not affect the histo-morphological properties of the mandibular gland. This study confirms that pigs can adapt to a tannin-rich diet by making structural changes in their parotid salivary gland, indicating its higher functional activity.
Keywords: pigs, dietary supplements, tannins, parotid gland, mandibular gland, immunohistochemistry, histology, proline-rich proteins (PRP), swine
Published in DKUM: 07.07.2023; Views: 506; Downloads: 166
.pdf Full text (4,43 MB)
This document has many files! More...

9.
Production of enzymes from medicinal mushrooms : master's thesis
Gonzalo Herranz Gómez, 2022, master's thesis

Abstract: The purpose of this master's thesis was to determine the ability of certain organisms of the kingdom Fungi to produce a series of enzymes in their active form by solid-state fermentation. In this study, two types of fungi were used, Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum. For this purpose, different growth media, cultivation times (8 and 10 days), extraction procedures (shaking and homogenization) and extraction medium (distilled water, sodium citrate buffer and sodium phosphate buffer) were used. First, for P. ostreatus mushroom, the optimization of the extraction procedure and time for isolation of enzymes in their active form (α-amylase, glucoamylase, cellulase, laccase, and protease) was studied. It was observed that the highest total protein concentration in mycelium extract was obtained by 8 min of homogenization (0.8607 mg/mL, and distilled water). Using the shaking procedure, the highest enzyme activities were achieved for α-amylase (24 h, 8.0413 U/mL, and sodium citrate buffer) and protease (3 h, 0.0040 U/mL, and sodium citrate buffer). With the homogenization process, the highest activities were achieved for the enzymes glucoamylase (10 min, 6.7113 U/mL, and sodium citrate buffer) and laccase (8 min, 12.2500 U/mL, and sodium citate buffer). For the mushroom G. lucidum, the growth medium and the extraction procedure were optimized, using the same extraction medium (sodium citrate buffer). In this case, α-amylase, glucoamylase, cellulase, laccase, protease, catalase, peroxidase, superoxidase dismutase (SOD), and lipase were studied. It was observed that the highest total protein concentration was obtained with 4 min of homogenization (0.0338 mg/mL). Furthermore, using the homogenization process, the highest activities were achieved for α-amylase (4 min, 16.3459 U/mL) and SOD (4 min, 9.2615 U/mL). With the shaking procedure, the highest activities were achieved for cellulase (3 h, 1.6332 U/mL), lipase (3 h, 16.924 U/mL), glucoamylase (3 h, 14.6737 U/mL), peroxidase (3 h, 0.0156 U/mL), protease (3 h, 0.0080 U/mL) and laccase (24 h, 20.7083 U/mL).
Keywords: medicinal mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma lucidum, total proteins, enzymes activities.
Published in DKUM: 06.07.2022; Views: 1836; Downloads: 45
.pdf Full text (2,56 MB)

10.
Variations in leaf total protein, phenolic and thiol contents amongst old varieties of mulberry from the Gorizia region
Tina Ugulin, Tamas Bakonyi, Rebeka Lucijana Berčič, Andreja Urbanek Krajnc, 2015, original scientific article

Abstract: Preserving the plant genetic resources of genus Morus is insuff­cient but undoubtedly vital for conservation of the world’s germplasm for our successors. This research was focused on old mulberry varieties from the Gorizia region in Slovenia which were assessed for their contents on crucial metabolites (proteins, phenolics and thiols) in leaves regarding their antioxidant and nutraceutical potentials. Total proteins were measured spectrophotometrically by following the procedure of Bradford, the total phenolic contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and thiols were established with monobromobimane fluorescent dye. The presented metabolite screening showed that some of the evaluated genotypes had higher concentrations of glutathione and were superior in contents of proteins and phenolics when compared to the results of other authors and could be propagated as highly recommendable feed for silkworms, and other animals.
Keywords: feeds, glutathione, Morus, phenols, proteins
Published in DKUM: 14.11.2017; Views: 1822; Downloads: 530
.pdf Full text (359,62 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Search done in 0.22 sec.
Back to top
Logos of partners University of Maribor University of Ljubljana University of Primorska University of Nova Gorica