title: Antibrowning and antimicrobial activities of the water-soluble extract from pine needles of Cedrus deodara.
abstract: The antibrowning and antimicrobial activities of the water-soluble extract from pine needles of Cedrus deodara (CDE), a traditional Chinese medicine and raw materials of pine needle tea, was investigated. Total phenols of CDE were 31.4 ± 0.53 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, and total flavonoids were 23.1 ± 0.79 mg rutin equivalent/g. CDE showed a strong antioxidant activity against ABTS free radicals with IC(50) (the half-inhibitory concentration) of 25.5 ± 0.64 μg/mL. In mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory assay, IC(50) values were 2.1 ± 0.98 and 2.27 ± 0.93 mg/mL for monophenolase and diphenolase, respectively. Evaluated by detecting changes of L* (indicated the darkness of sample), a* (indicated the redness of sample), and b* (indicated the yellowness of sample) values in fresh-cut apple slices model, CDE showed a significant antibrowning effect when compared with ascorbic acid. In addition, it was discovered that CDE in combination with 0.5% ascorbic acid exhibited a synergistic antibrowning effect. Meanwhile, CDE was observed to show a potent antimicrobial effect on all of the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In conclusion, the results of the present research suggested that pine needles of C. deodara could be used as a natural resource of antibrowning and antimicrobial agents in food preservation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides a theoretical basis for the potential application of pine needles of C. deodara to be used as a natural resource of antibrowning and antimicrobial agents in food industry.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Food Science and Technology and author Feng is with College of Life Science, Sichuan Univ, Chengdu 610065, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei-Cai
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Li-Rong
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jia-Qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yi-Na
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D028203:Cedrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D005519:Food Preservation; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D015416:Maillard Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D027845:Malus / Q000378:metabolism; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012995:Solubility; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C002502:2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid; D005707:Gallic Acid; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C412191:monophenolase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid