Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a gluten-free cereal increasingly promoted as a functional food, yet the bioactive profile and mechanistic evidence of some varieties remain limited. This study characterized an ethanolic extract of white teff flour and evaluated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in vitro and in a rat model of acute inflammation. White teff flour was extracted by cold repercolation (1 g/mL; 70% ethanol). Total polyphenols and flavonoids were quantified spectrophotometrically, and phenolics were profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, FRAP, H₂O₂ scavenging, and NO scavenging assays. In vivo, acute inflammation was induced with intramuscular turpentine in Wistar rats, testing teff extract therapeutically (post-induction) and prophylactically (10-day pretreatment), with diclofenac and Trolox as comparators. Serum oxidative stress biomarkers (TOS, TAC, OSI, AOPP, MDA, NOx, 3-NT, thiols) and inflammatory mediators (NFκB-p65, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1, IL-10) were measured. The extract showed low total polyphenols (0.044 ± 0.002 mg GAE/g d.w.) and higher flavonoids (11.83 ± 1.10 mg QE/100 g d.w.). Eighteen phenolics were identified (total 398.30 ± 1.48 μg/mL), dominated by flavone derivatives (notably apigenin- and luteolin-glycosides), while phenolic acids accounted for ~33.21%. In vitro antioxidant capacity was robust (DPPH 286.17 ± 11.52 μg TE/g d.w.; FRAP 263.17 ± 20.09 μg TE/g d.w.; H₂O₂ 214.12 ± 18.22 mg TE/g d.w.; NO 300.77 ± 28.71 mg QE/g d.w.). In vivo, turpentine provoked marked oxidative stress and inflammatory activation; teff, particularly at the highest concentration and in prophylaxis, reduced nitro-oxidative damage markers (AOPP, MDA, NOx, 3-NT) and lowered NFκB-p65, IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1, while IL-10 was not significantly altered. White teff flour ethanolic extract contains a flavone-rich phenolic profile and exerts measurable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in an acute inflammation model, supporting its potential development as a nutraceutical candidate.

Whole-grain rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a rich source of polyphenols. The in vivo mechanisms linking its phytochemical profile to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects remain incompletely defined. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of a whole-grain rice flour 70% ethanol extract (OSEE) and correlated these effects with its phenolic composition. OSEE showed high total phenolic content 0.121 ± 0.002 mg GAE/g d.w.), a lower total flavonoid content (61.83 ± 4.03 µg QE/g d.w.), and a phenolic profile dominated by phenolic acids (~87%), with ferulic and protocatechuic acids among the most abundant constituents. OSEE displayed significant in vitro antioxidant activity in DPPH, FRAP, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide scavenging assays. In vivo activity was evaluated in male Wistar rats with turpentine oil-induced acute inflammation using both therapeutic (post-induction) and prophylactic (pre-induction) protocols, testing three oral doses of lyophilized extract (1.0, 0.50, and 0.25 g/kg/day). In vivo, OSEE attenuated systemic oxidative stress (TOS, TAC, OSI, AOPP, MDA, NOx, 3-nitrotyrosine, total thiols) and the expression of pro-inflammatory markers (NF-κB p65, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1) in a dose-dependent manner with both protocols, with the highest dose producing the most consistent reductions, while the expression level of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 remained unchanged. PCA supported a shift in biomarker networks toward a non-inflamed profile. These findings indicate that OSEE exerts coordinated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo that are strongly associated with its phenolic composition.

Gluten-free foods may help address oxidative stress and inflammation linked to gluten-related disorders. This study characterized the phytochemical profile of a 70% ethanolic extract from commercial white quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) flour (Peru) and evaluated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo in a rat model of acute inflammation. Total polyphenols and flavonoids were quantified spectrophotometrically, while individual phenolics were profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. Antioxidant capacity was assessed in vitro using DPPH, FRAP, H₂O₂, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assays. For in vivo testing, male Wistar rats received for 10 days quinoa extract (100%—1 g/mL, 50–0.5 g/mL, or 25–0.25 g/mL) either therapeutically (after turpentine-induced inflammation) or prophylactically (before induction), with diclofenac and Trolox as reference controls; systemic oxidative stress (TOS, TAC, OSI, AOPP, MDA, NO, 3-NT, total thiols) and inflammatory mediators (NF-κB p65, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1, IL-10) were measured by spectrophotometry/ELISA and explored multivariately by PCA. Quinoa extract contained measurable phenolic and flavonoid levels (TPC 1.25 mg GAE/g d.w.; TFC 68.5 mg QE/100 g d.w.) and was dominated by flavonoid glycosides and hydroxybenzoic acids. It showed strong radical-scavenging/reducing activity in vitro. In vivo, the extract dose-dependently attenuated turpentine-induced nitro-oxidative stress and reduced key pro-inflammatory markers (notably NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1), in several endpoints matching or exceeding diclofenac/Trolox effects, while IL-10 was largely unchanged. These findings support white quinoa flour extract as a phytochemical-rich, gluten-free ingredient with promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, warranting further translational investigation.