This work aimed to establish an integrated approach to investigate the total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of dried skim camel and cow milk and their fractions. The milk fractions were obtained by acid or enzymatic coagulation followed by spray drying (inlet temperature/outlet temperature: 125 ± 2 °C/90 ± 2 °C) or freeze drying (−50 °C, 0.05 mbar) coupled or not to gamma irradiation (at 5, 11, 22 kGy). The results showed that the total phenolic content (measured in gallic acid equivalent, GAE) varied depending on the drying technique. The freeze-drying process corresponded to the highest values of total phenolic compounds, with 247.23 ± 2.08 mg GAE/100 g powder for the β-casein fraction of camel milk (βC CaM) and 621.13 ± 4.16 mg GAE/100 g powder for the β-casein fraction of cow milk (βC CoM). Compared to spray-dried fractions, freeze-dried fractions showed generally higher ferric reducing antioxidant power for both camel milk and cow milk. The highest values of free radical scavenging activity were seen in the spray-dried β-casein fractions of camel milk (βC CaM) and cow milk (βC CoM) and in the freeze-dried acid whey of cow and camel milk (AW CaM and AW CaM). Freeze-dried acid whey (AW CaM and AW CoM) appeared to be less sensitive to gamma irradiation at 5 and 11 kGy.

Salicornia is a halophyte plant that has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of scurvy, goiter, and hypertension. It is commercialized in Europe and Asia as fresh salads, pickled vegetables, green salt, or tea powder. This work is the first to assess the potential anti-obesity and anti-dyslipidemic effects of Salicornia arabica decocted extract (SADE). SADE was characterized by its significant in vitro radical scavenging activity (using DPPH and ABTS assays). The effect of SADE on food intake, weight loss, serum biochemical parameters, liver and kidney weights, adiposity index and on liver histology was investigated in the Tunisian gerbil Psammomys obesus (P. obesus), which is recognized as a relevant animal model of human obesity and diabetes. P. obesus animals were firstly randomly divided into two groups: the first received a natural low-calorie chow diet (LCD), and the second group received a high-calorie diet (HCD) over 12 weeks. On day 90, animals were divided into four groups receiving or not receiving SADE (LCD, LCD + SADE, HCD, and HCD + SADE). If compared to the HCD group, SADE oral administration (300 mg/kg per day during 4 weeks) in HCD + SADE group showed on day 120 a significant decrease in body weight (−34%), blood glucose (−47.85%), serum levels of total cholesterol (−54.92%), LDL cholesterol (−60%), triglycerides (−48.03%), and of the levels of hepatic enzymes: ASAT (−66.28%) and ALAT (−31.87%). Oral administration of SADE restored the relative liver weight and adiposity index and significantly limited HCD-induced hepatic injury in P. obesus. SADE seems to have promising in vivo anti-obesity and anti-dyslipidemic effects.

The orange byproduct is a widely accessible and valuable source of functional phenolic compounds, particularly hesperidin. Hesperidin extraction remains a challenging phase in its valorization chain due to its low solubility and limited extractability in solvents. This work aims to examine the effect of conventional solvent extraction (CSE) compared to emerging and innovative extraction methods: accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) when applied with or without a pretreatment process of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) to intensify extraction, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. The total phenols, flavonoids, hesperidin contents, radical scavenging activities, iron chelating activity, and in vitro α-amylase inhibition of the extracts were determined for CSE (80%, 70 °C), UAE (ethanol 80%, 70 °C, 200 W), and ASE (ethanol 60%, 100 °C, 100 bars) with or without DIC pretreatment (pressure = 0.4 MPa, total thermal time = 30 s). The hesperidin amounts obtained were 0.771 ± 0.008 g/100 g DM, 0.823 ± 0.054 g/100 g DM, and 1.368 ± 0.058 g/100 g DM, for CSE, UAE, and ASE, respectively. DIC pretreatment of orange byproducts increased hesperidin recovery by 67%, 25.6%, and 141% for DIC-CSE, DIC-UAE, and DIC-ASE, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging and iron chelating activities of extracts were also significantly enhanced, and the in vitro antidiabetic activity of extracts was preserved.