Browsing by Author "Fredes, Carolina"

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    Chilean native species as source of natural polyphenols
    (CABI, 2013) Fredes, Carolina; Montenegro, Gloria; Céspedes, Carlos L.; Sampietro, Diego A.; Sigler, David; Rai, Mahendra
    This chapter discusses the traditional uses of native medicinal plants from Chile and provides tabulated data on Chilean medicinal plants, including the parts used and their effects, in order to analyse compounds that could be responsible for these medicinal effects. It presents scientific evidence supporting biological activity associated with the presence of polyphenols in Chilean plants. The determination of polyphenols in Chilean plants and their antioxidant capacity are described. The main factors affecting polyphenol content in plants are also mentioned, i.e. genotype, environment, storage and processing, and stage of harvest.
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    Phenolic profiles of nectar and honey of Quillaja saponaria Mol. (Quillajaceae) as potential chemical markers
    (2013) Montenegro, Gloria; Rodríguez, Sharon; Fredes, Carolina; Díaz-Forestier, Javiera
    Quillaja saponaria Mol. (Quillajaceae) is one of the most important melliferous species in Chile, mainly as a source of monofloral honey. Honey made by A. mellifera presents biological activity against pathogens and antioxidant capacity associated with the presence of phenolic compounds deriving from the nectar, as a result of bee honey foraging. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds from the floral nectar of Q. saponaria and the honey made in apiaries in the central zone, and compare the composition of the chromatographic profiles of nectar and honey to known phenolic compounds. The results obtained by HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection) showed a similar profile of phenolic compounds, in which gallic acid, myricetin, rutin, quercetin and naringenin were identified. The phenolic compounds detected could be used as a reference for future studies for determining potential chemical markers of this honey, complementing the present identification of honeys by determining their botanical origin. The identification of bioindicators of the floral origins for honey of this species could provide added value to honey commercialization by certifying the botanical origin of their chemical features and biological attributes.
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    The powerful colour of the maqui (Aristotelia chilensis [Mol.] Stuntz) fruit
    (2014) Fredes, Carolina; Robert, Paz
    Over the past 10 years, the research interest on maqui has increased due to the potential health benefits of the fruit, which are largely attributed to the high anthocyanin content and high antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, maqui fruit has earned the name of ‘superfruit’, and several products based on the dehydrated fruit and maqui juice are available on the international market. Although the maqui fruit is not frequently consumed by the Chilean population from urban areas, its use is deeply rooted in rural and native cultures (Mapuche and Huilliche). This review summarises the validation of the traditional uses of maqui and new evidence highlighting the principal role of anthocyanins in the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activity of maqui fruit. The identification of a particular anthocyanin (delphinidin-3-glucoside-5-sambubioside) in maqui fruit and its anti-diabetic effect in in vivo models, in addition to its presence at higher concentrations in some maqui genotypes, encourages investigation into maqui genotypes that may have higher contents of particular anthocyanins. However, information concerning maqui domestication is still deficient.