Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and confocal imaging have been used to demonstrate that the neutral rhenium(i) tricarbonyl 1,10-phenanthroline complex bound to 4-cyanophenyltetrazolate as the ancillary ligand is able to localise in regions with high concentrations of polar lipids such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), sphingomyelin, sphingosphine and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in mammalian adipocytes.

Black rice is considered to be functional food containing anthocyanins as bioactive compounds. This study examined the genomic and proteomic patterns in local black rice from Java Island, Indonesia, with attention to the mechanism of anthocyanin synthesis. Three kinds of black rice from Java Island, including black rice from East Java (BREJ), black rice from Central Java (BRCJ), and black rice from West Java (BRWJ), were studied in comparison to white rice (WREJ) and red rice (RREJ). Genomic profiling was done by simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis, and sequencing of red coleoptile (Rc) and glycosyltransferase (GT) genes, followed by in silico analysis. Total anthocyanin was investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography- diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD). The proteomic profiles were determined by liquid-chromatography and mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides. The SSR profiles showed a specific band in each black rice variant. The Rc gene exon-2 sequences were similar in the three black rice cultivars. The GT gene sequence was identified as a new variant that correlates with the purple stem, leaf, bran, and whole grain morphology seen exclusively in the BRWJ cultivar. The anthocyanin composition in Java black rice is diverse. The highest cyanidin level was seen in BRWJ and the highest level of peonidin-3-O-glucoside in BREJ. Proteomic profiling of the black rice cultivars demonstrated that the expression of proteins that might be related to the levels of anthocyanin synthesis varied. These studies conclude that the genomic, proteomic and anthocyanins composition of Java black rice cultivars may be used the improvement of their functional nutrition values.

The existence of phytochemicals in Cosmos caudatus Kunth, predominantly phenolic compounds, offers several health benefits. Nevertheless, the bioactive compounds are usually susceptible to degradation, and therefore may reduce their biological activity. This work aims to carry out microencapsulation of C. caudatus K. extracts by spray drying technique. The in vitro alpha-amylase inhibitory activity of the microencapsulated product is also investigated. The effect of manufacturing conditions, including pH, the concentration of wall materials, and stirring time, was evaluated. The optimal conditions for microcapsules formation were selected based on the activity of microcapsules as inhibitors for the alpha-amylase enzyme, pointing out by the lowest number of IC50. Results showed that microcapsules prepared in pH 4, 0.05% of chitosan, and 90 min stirring time had optimum efficiency, with the IC50 value of 92.85 ± 1.21 μg/mL. The FTIR (Fourier-Transform infrared) analysis showed that the –C–N stretching amine functional group appeared at wavenumber 1285 cm–1, and the –P=O phosphate bending appeared at 1206 cm–1. Characterization with PSA (particle size analyzer) and SEM (scanning electron microscope) indicated that microcapsules had predominantly spherical forms with a mean diameter of 38.92 μm. This work confirms the important role of microencapsulation in developing plant extracts with retained biological functionalities.

The current study aims to perform microencapsulation of R. tuberosa L. extracts using chitosan crosslinked to sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) as wall materials by spray drying and to analyze their in vitro biological activities. The influence of manufacturing conditions, like pH, chitosan concentration, and stirrer time, was assessed. Results showed that microcapsules prepared in pH 4 with a concentration of 0.1 (w/v) chitosan, and 90min stirring time had 51.80 encapsulation efficiency and high in vitro biological activity. These were shown by high in vitro alpha amylase inhibition and antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 50.65μg/mL and 123.97μg/mL, respectively. Releases of the bioactive compounds in microcapsules of R. tuberosa L. were carried out on phosphate buffer medium pH 2.2 and pH 7.4 with times release of 30, 60, 90, and 120min. The bioactive compounds were released in pH 2.2 in 120min at 2.48. At pH 7.4, the active ingredients were more easily released, by 79.90 in 120min. The microcapsules morphology showed a rough surface with spherical forms and the average sizes were 53.41μm. This study supports the essential role of microencapsulation in improving plant extracts with reserved biological activities.

Ruellia tuberosa L. is a therapeutic plant that is generally consumed in Indonesian traditional medicine to prevent or cure various illnesses, i.e., diabetes. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of hydroethanolic root extracts of Ruellia tuberosa L. on the kidney of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. In this study, male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: healthy rats (group 1), diabetic rats (group 2), and treated rats which received extract at dosages of 250 (group 3), 375 (group 4), and 500 (group 5) mg/kg body weight for 21 days. Diabetes mellitus was experimentally induced by the administration of five doses of streptozotocin 20 mg/kg body weight within five consecutive days. Significant increases in the value of TNF alpha expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were observed in streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. Furthermore, severe histological alterations of kidney tissues occurred in the diabetic rats group. After treatment was applied, the value of TNF alpha expression and MDA levels on the kidney decreased considerably in groups 3, 4, and 5. The optimum dosage was obtained at a dose of 250 mg/kg body weight (group 3), which had 42.24% and 52.70% decrease in TNF alpha expression and MDA levels, respectively. The histopathological profiles of the kidney also showed significant improvements in treated groups. The most prominent recoveries were also shown in group 3. The treatments induced repairment in the glomerular and renal tubular damages in the kidney tissues. To conclude, these results emphasize potentially health valuable properties of hydroethanolic root extracts of R. tuberosa L. in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The flavonoid compounds in C. caudatus K., known for their various benefits, are prone to quick degradation, leading to reduced biological activity. This research aimed to evaluate the types of coatings: gum Arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), and a combination of both (MDGA) in C. caudatus K. extract microcapsules. The extract of C. caudatus K. was encapsulated by different coating materials, GA, MD, and MDGA, and then dried using a freeze‐drying technique. The evaluation was carried out by comparing the encapsulation efficiency values, biological activity, and release tests of each type of microcapsule coating. The research results indicate that coating agents have impacts significantly at p < 0.05 on efficiency encapsulation. Flavonoids were retained up to 79.67% by the MDGA coating, compared with 72.8% and 47.66%^a retained by single GA and MD coatings, respectively. The results of the encapsulation efficiency are supported by the results of characterization using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), where MDGA has rounder shapes with smoother surfaces compared with a single coating alone, like GA or MD. In addition, by particle size analysis using a particle size analyzer (PSA), the average sizes of MDGA, GA, and MD microcapsules were shown at 154.13 µm, 152 µm, and 166.81 µm, respectively. The three microcapsules showed an order of activities as MDGA > GA > MD coatings in alpha‐amylase inhibition assay. Similar results were also shown in the antioxidant assay, which demonstrated that the three microcapsules had moderate antioxidant activities, again in the order of MDGA > GA > MD. The three different coating types showed greater release at pH 7.4 compared to those at pH 2.2 in the controlled release test, which ran from 30 to 120 min. In summary, freeze‐drying microencapsulation using biodegradable polymers was identified as a viable method for harnessing the health benefits of C. caudatus K. extracts. This process produced a convenient powder form that could be used in drug delivery systems. The use of MDGA mixed coating resulted in better impact based on %EE value and biological activity, as well as improved characteristics of microcapsules compared with single coating.