Aromatic halophytes represent an exceptional source of natural bioactive compounds for the food industry. Crithmum maritimum L., also known as sea fennel, is a halophyte plant colonizing cliffs and coastal dunes along Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. It is well known to produce essential oils and polyphenols endowed with antioxidant and biological effects. The present work reports the phytochemical profile, as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial and antimutagenic properties of C. maritimum leaf hydro-alcoholic extract. From LC-ESI-MS analysis, eighteen phenolic compounds were depicted in sea fennel extract and the amount of total phenolic content exceeds 3% DW. Accordingly, C. maritimum extract showed strong antioxidant activities, as evidenced by in vitro (DPPH, ORAC, FRAP) and ex vivo (CAA-RBC and hemolysis) assays. An important antimicrobial activity against pathogenic strains was found as well as a strong capacity to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 35556) biofilm formation. Sea fennel extracts showed a significant decrease of mutagenesis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and menadione (ME) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 strain. In conclusion, our results show that C. maritimum is an exceptional source of bioactive components and exert beneficial effects against oxidative or mutagenic mechanisms, and pathogenic bacteria, making it a potential functional food.

The increasing salinization of agricultural soils urges us to find alternative and sustainable farming systems in order to allow the exploitation of areas that are otherwise becoming less suitable for conventional crops. Thanks to their adaptation to extreme saline conditions, halophytes are promising plants for resilient farming systems, such as intercropping with glycophytes, to ameliorate their productivity in saline soils. This research aimed to evaluate whether the nutritional profile and the content of some health-promoting compounds of the edible portion of Salicornia europaea were influenced by its cultivation in consociation with tomato plants. Moreover, the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties of S. europaea were studied to characterize its bioactivity. The farming system did not influence the concentration of nutrients and bioactive compounds, except for flavonoids. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of Salicornia extract suggested the importance of this halophyte for animal and human health.

Halophyte species represent valuable reservoirs of natural antioxidants, and, among these, Salicornia europaea stands out as a promising edible plant. In this study, young and old S. europaea leaves were compared for the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity to assess changes in different growth phases; then, the potential protective effects against low-dose CCl₄-induced toxicant-associated fatty liver disease (TAFLD) were investigated by administering an aqueous suspension of young leaves to rats daily for two weeks. Quantification of total and individual phenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant activity assays (DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC) showed the highest values in young leaves compared to mature ones. Salicornia treatment mitigated CCl₄-induced hepatic oxidative stress, reducing lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl levels, and preserving the decrease in glutathione levels. Electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy confirmed these results in the liver and evidenced free radicals increase prevention in the brain. Salicornia treatment also attenuated enzymatic disruptions in the liver’s drug metabolizing system and Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, histopathological examination revealed reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. Overall, this study highlights Salicornia’s potential as a source of bioactive compounds with effective hepatoprotective properties capable to prevent TAFLD.

Whole wheat is an exceptional source of phenolic compounds representing a promising phytochemical class to prevent diet-related chronic diseases thanks to its antioxidant activities. The present work reports the phenolic profile, the antioxidant capacity, the antimicrobial activity and the effect on Lactobacillus brevis growth of eight whole flours obtained from four ancient and modern wheat genotypes of Italian Triticum genus. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were quantified, and antioxidant activities were assessed using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro tests. HPLC-DAD/FLD was used to detect the presence of phenolic compounds. Moreover, antimicrobial activity of whole flour extracts against some potentially pathogenic Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria and the effect of extracts on Lactobacillus brevis growth were assessed. Results showed quantitative differences (p < 0.05) in antioxidant activities, total phenolic content and concentrations of five phenolic acids (resorcinol, tyrosol, caffeic acid, syringic acid and ferulic acid) among the wheat genotypes. Pathogenic bacteria were significantly negatively affected by wheat extracts while the growth of L. brevis was stimulated. The principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that the phenolic profile and the antioxidant activities were influenced by the genotypic characteristics of studied varieties, suggesting that the ancient Saragolla stand out for the most interesting phenolic profile. Overall, this research emphasizes how ancient and modern Italian Triticum spp. grains must be investigated to select the grains richer in bioactive compounds. Graphical abstract

The implication of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative systems in response to Ni was evaluated in the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum in comparison with the metal tolerant glycophyte species Brassica juncea. Seedlings of both species were hydroponically subjected during 21 days to 0, 25, 50, and 100 µM NiCl₂. Growth parameters showed that the halophyte M. crystallinum was more tolerant to Ni than B. juncea. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased to a higher extent in B. juncea than in M. crystallinum. Antioxidant enzymesactivities were differently affected by Ni in both species. Nickel increased shoot superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in B. juncea, whereas these activities were reduced in M. crystallinum when exposed to metal stress. The root SOD, APX and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activities increased upon Ni treatments for both species. The content of non-enzymatic antioxidative molecules such as glutathione, non-protein thiols and proline increased in Ni-treated plants, except for GSH content in the shoot of B. juncea. Based on the oxidative balance, our findings confirm the higher tolerance of the halophyte M. crystallinum to Ni-induced oxidative stress comparatively to B. juncea. We suggest that M. crystallinum is able to overcome the produced ROS using the non-enzymatic system, while Ni-induced oxidative stress was more acute in B. juncea, leading this species to mainly use the enzymatic system to protect against reactive oxygen species.

Beer and its components show potential for reducing hepatic steatosis in rodent models through multiple mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate beer’s anti-steatotic effects in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mouse model of Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Liver Disease (MASLD) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. In the HFD group, steatosis was confirmed by altered blood parameters, weight gain, elevated liver lipid content, and histological changes. These markers were normalized in the HFD+beer group, reaching levels similar to the control (CTR) group. Protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation levels were consistent across all groups, suggesting that the model represents an early stage of MASLD without oxidative stress. Transcriptomic and CpG methylation analyses revealed clear distinctions between the CTR and HFD groups. RNA sequencing identified 162 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CTR and HFD groups, primarily related to inflammation and lipid regulation. Beer consumption modified the health of the HFD mice, affecting inflammation but not lipid homeostasis (CTR vs. HFD+beer, DEGs = 43). The CpG methylation analysis indicated that beer lowered methylation, impacting genes linked to lipid accumulation and inflammation. A cecal metabolite analysis suggested that beer improved short-chain fatty acid metabolism (SCFA). In summary, a moderate beer intake may mitigate MASLD by modulating lipid metabolism and SCFA pathways, likely through polyphenol activity.