Antonio Segura Carretero

• Full Professor
• Professor at University of Granada

Hypertension remains a prevalent global health issue, with numerous strategies aimed at mitigating its widespread impact. Recently, there has been growing interest in developing nutraceuticals derived from natural bioactive compounds with cardio-protective properties. Brassica microgreens—young, edible seedlings—are rich sources of phytochemicals,...

In the last hundred years, industrial expansion has led to environmental damage caused by pollution. Nitrogen oxides (NO x) are among the most toxic gaseous pollutants. In addition, it was found that the NO 2 concentration rises immediately in case of fire independent of the materials which are burning. Therefore NO 2 in the gas phase is an early i...

Lippia citriodora and Olea europaea are known for their shared common bioactivities. Although both matrices are rich in similar families of bioactive compounds, their specific phytochemical compounds are mostly different. Since these compounds can be metabolized in the organism, this study hypothesized that common bioavailable metabolites may contr...

Simple Summary Oleanolic acid is an organic natural compound, abundant in olive leaves, with various beneficial health effects in humans and animals. However, its in vivo efficacy is questioned given its low solubility, which hinders its bioavailability, that is, the capacity of a molecule to reach circulation. We investigated the digestibility and...

This study addresses a comparative comprehensive metabolic profiling of two Egyptian cultivars of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds ‘Giza 2’ and ‘Giza 30’ via RP-HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS and MS/MS. Briefly, 126 metabolites were detected in the samples under investigation, being classified into hydroxybenzoic acids (8), hydroxycinnamic acids (7...

Advances in the understanding of bioavailability and metabolism of bioactive compounds have been achieved primarily through targeted or semi-targeted metabolomics approaches using the hypothesis of potential metabolized compounds. The recent...

The Hibiscus sabdariffa (H. sabdariffa) belongs to the Malvaceae family, and originates from Africa. It is characterized by a high polyphenols content (e.g., quercetin and anthocyanins), and has recognized bioactivity, that makes this plant an interesting resource for possible addition of its extracts to dairy beverages and obtain functional bevera...

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) and cocoa bean shell (CBS) are by-products obtained during pre-processing and processing of cocoa beans. Several bioactive compounds have been identified in these by-products that can be used for commercial applications as a way to promote the circular economy. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to recover bioactive com...

In this study, flower and leaf extracts of Colvillea racemosa were considered a source of bioactive compounds. In this context, the objective of the study focused on investigating the anticancer potential as well as the phytochemical composition of both extracts. The extracts were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, and the bioactivity was tested using i...

Cherry stems, prized in traditional medicine for their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, derive their efficacy from abundant polyphenols and anthocyanins. This makes them an ideal option for addressing skin aging and diseases. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of cherry stem extract for pote...

Plant extracts rich in phenolic compounds have been reported to exert different bioactive properties. Despite the fact that there are plant extracts with completely different phenolic compositions, many of them have been reported to have similar beneficial properties. Thus, the structure–bioactivity relationship mechanisms are not yet known in deta...

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the chemical profiles and biological activities of different extracts (ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, ethanol, and water) of Pelargonium endlicherianum parts (aerial parts and roots). Free radical scavenging, reducing power, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating were assayed for antioxidant properties...

La metabolómica, como herramienta analítica, ofrece una visión holística de gran cantidad de datos biológicos. Así puede utilizarse este tipo de estudios para analizar los cambios producidos en el organismo luego del consumo de alimentos, y a su vez determinar marcadores químicos que nos den un indicio del camino recorrido por los compuestos bioact...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal inflammation with unpredictable symptom fluctuations. While there is no effective cure for IBD, various treatments aim to manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for affected individuals. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the potential benefits of certain natur...

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and subsequently oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis that contribute to neuronal cytotoxicity and degeneration. Huntington’s (HD), Alzheimer’s (AD), and Parkinson’s (PD) diseases are three of the major neurodegenerative diseases. To date, researchers have found var...

Objective: More effective procedures for controlling excessive attraction towards highly palatable foods are needed to prevent the development of disordered eating behaviour. By assessing the effect of specific sensory satiety combined with the application of sweet taste inhibitors, this study represents a first step to addressing this issue. Meth...

Bioactive compounds are found in foods in small quantities and represent extra nutritional constituents known to exert beneficial effects on health beyond their nutritional value [...]

The constant growth of the cosmetic industry, together with the scientific evidence of the beneficial properties of phytochemicals, has generated great interest in the incorporation of bioactive extracts in cosmetic formulations. This study aims to evaluate the bioactive potential of a mango peel extract for its incorporation into cosmetic formulat...

This article, the second in a two-part series, continues the discussion on the nature of the relationship between the level of sweet taste suppression and eating behaviour, but in animal rather human subjects. In particular, the aim was to review the scientific literature on the impact that bioactive compounds that decrease oral sweet sensations ha...

Excessive consumption of added sugars is linked to chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia orcardiovascula r disease; and public health is searching for new strategies to reduce it. Although plant-derivedbioactive compounds with inhibitory properties of sweet taste like Gymnema sylvestre show the potential to reduce sugar intake...

The taste of food plays a crucial role in determining what and how much we eat. Thus, interventions that temporarily block sweet taste receptors offer a promising approach to addressing unhealthy behaviours associated with sugary foods. However, the relationship between reduced sweet taste response and food consumption remains unclear, with contrad...

The objective of this study was to optimize different vacuum drying conditions for cocoa pod husk and cocoa bean shell in order to enhance these by-products for commercial applications. To carry out the optimization, the response surface methodology was applied using a Box–Behnken experimental design with 15 experiments for which different conditio...

Bioactive compounds in wheat have received a great interest in the last few years due to their nutritional and health benefits. Various analytical procedures were used to identify these compounds in wheat kernels. An ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI‐QTOF...

Actinidia arguta fruit (also known as kiwiberry) has a remarkable phytochemical profile, being reported as a promising preventive agent/treatment for chronic diseases and a desirable source of bioactive molecules for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Despite these promising indications, investigating the full potential of A. arguta fruit rema...

Obesity is a worldwide public health problem whose prevalence rate has increased steadily over the last few years. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the management of obesity and its comorbidities, and plant-based treatments are receiving increasing attention worldwide. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate a well-characterized ex...

Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves have demonstrated their in vitro and in vivo effect against diabetes mellitus (DM). However, there is a lack of literature concerning the effect of the individual phenolic compounds present in the leaves in DM disease. The aim of the present work was to identify the individual compounds in Spanish guava leaves and...

Paliurus spina-christi Mill., a member of the Rhamnaceae family, is a traditionally used medicinal plant in the management of a panoply of human ailments. The current research focused on its phytochemical profile and biological properties evaluated by its antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. The methanol extract was found to be the most ef...

Neurodegenerative diseases are known for their wide range of harmful conditions related to progressive cell damage, nervous system connections and neuronal death. These pathologies promote the loss of essential motor and cognitive functions, such as mobility, learning and sensation. Neurodegeneration affects millions of people worldwide, and no int...

Background: Prior evidence suggests that capsinoids ingestion may increase resting energy expenditure (EE) and fat oxidation (FATox), yet whether they can modulate those parameters during exercise conditions remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that dihydrocapsiate (DHC) ingestion would increase EE and specifically FATox during an acute bout...

This study aims to validate a new cosmetic ingredient from Salicornia ramosissima S J. Woods through in vitro and ex vivo assays. The halophyte extracts were obtained by subcritical water extraction (SWE) at different temperatures (110, 120, 140, 160 and 180 °C). The antioxidant/radical scavenging activities and the phenolic profile were screened f...

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may drive the escape of ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors from ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We investigated whether first-generation ALK–TKI therapy-induced EMT promotes cross-resistance to new-generation ALK–TKIs and whether this could be circumvented by the flavonolignan...

Strokes are the second most common cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of disability. Regular consumption of polyphenols has been shown to reduce the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event. For this reason, we have investigated the protective effect of Salicornia ramosissima, a seasonal halophyte that synthetizes high amounts of bioactiv...

Over the last decade, Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves have demonstrated their in vitro and in vivo effect against Diabetes mellitus (DM). However, there is a lack of literature concerning the effect of the individual phenolic compounds present in the leaves in DM disease. For this reason, the aim of the present work was the in silico evaluation o...

Recent years have seen a rise in the popularity of the consumption of sports-related supplements. However, the hypothesis is raised that it is necessary to analyze the quality aspects of these supplements in relation to the information provided on the label, to avoid associated risks and obtain the greatest possible benefit from their consumption....

The aim of the present study is to investigate the phytochemical composition of tiger nut (TN) (Cyperus esculentus L.) and its neuroprotective potential in scopolamine (Scop)-induced cognitive impairment in rats. The UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis enabled the putative annotation of 88 metabolites, such as saccharides, amino acids, organic acids, fatty...

Asparagus officinalis L. is a common vegetable widely consumed due to its high consumer acceptance. In addition to its flavor, green asparagus contains a high amount of bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects. In this sense, the growing concern of the public health system to promote a diet with a higher consumption of vegetables makes res...

Custard apple (Annona cherimola Mill.) is a tropical fruit source of bioactive compounds whose main producer worldwide is Andalusia, Spain. Because of its processing, the food industry generates large amounts of by-products, such as peels and seeds. These by-products are rich in phenolic compounds with high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-a...

The avocado is one of the most produced and consumed tropical fruits worldwide, so more than 1.5 million tons of waste are generated per year, especially due to its main by-products: the seed and peel. In order to demonstrate whether these extracts are able to exert health benefits related to oxidative stress, a series of in vitro tests were conduc...

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an economically important crop worldwide for its oil and fiber (linen) content. Particularly, after the oil extraction, the cake is generated as a by-product. Since linseeds possess a unique nutritional profile, they have been incorporated for fortification of many food products. In addition, there is a growing i...

In the present study, the extracts of Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L using both traditional solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, ethanol, ethanol/water, and water) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) were investigated in terms of their total polyphenolic contents and antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitive properties. The extracts were fo...

Annona cherimola fruit, known as cherimoya or custard apple, is an exotic fruit from South America but is strongly produced in Andalusia, Spain. Its by-products (seeds and peel) are recognised as important sources of antioxidants, including phenolic acids, flavonoids and procyanidins. Therefore, the aim of this study was to carry out the characteri...

In recent years, green and advanced extraction technologies have gained great interest to revalue several food by-products. This by-product revaluation is currently allowing the development of high value-added products, such as functional foods, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. Among the high valued-added products, cosmeceuticals are innovative c...

Guava leaves (Psidium guajava) are popularly known due to their effects antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, and functional properties. Processes for the concentration of these extracts are necessary since their pharmacological effects are dose-dependent. In this work, guava leaves aqueous extract (GE) concentration was...

Grapevine-derived products have been widely studied for their reported benefits, especially those related to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. However, in recent years, the interest in the study of grapes and their non-fermented derivatives (grape juices) has gained prominence over the well-known interest in red wine, since grapes and grap...

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are potential sources of natural bioactive phytochemical compounds of an incredible worth for the food industry, such as polyphenols. Lamiaceae medicinal and aromatic plants from Granada’s high plateau, concretely Origanum bastetanum, Thymus zygis gracilis, Thymus longiflorus, Thymus membranaceus and Ziziphora h...

The aim of the current study was to assess the potential cardiopreventive effect of the methanolic extract of S. molle L. (MESM) on isoproterenol-induced infarction in rats. The biomolecules content was evaluated using HPLC–DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. On the 29th and 30th days, two successive injections of isoproterenol (ISO) were given to Wistar...

Tradescantia is a genus of herbaceous and perennial plants belonging to the Commelinaceae family and organized into three infrageneric classifications and 12 sections. More than 80 species within the genus have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. Phytochem-ical compounds (from various species of the genus) such as coumarins, alkaloids,...

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an economically important crop worldwide. After the oil extraction, the cake is generated as a by-product. This study addresses a comprehensive metabolites profiling of the cakes of four Egyptian cultivars of linseed via RP-HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS and MS/MS with chemometrics. Totally, 162 metabolites were detected in th...

The study of plant phenolic compounds has increased during the last decades due to their bioactive properties as well as their structural variability. This advance has been possible thanks to the development of advanced analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry, chromatographic techniques, and nuclear magnetic resonance. In addition, the deve...

Avocado seed and peel are the main by-products from avocado industrialisation, and account for nearly 30% of fruit weight. Although they are usually discarded, their high phenolic content has been deeply associated with several nutritional and functional benefits. Thus, for a comprehensive analytical evaluation of both semi-industrial extracts, var...

Addition of an affiliation to an author.

Olive leaves, one of the most abundant olive production by-products, have shown incredible potential for their characteristic bioactive compound composition, with unique compounds such as the polyphenol oleuropein. In order to evaluate the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds present in an olive leaf extract, samples were submitted to an in vitr...

The study of the bioavailability of bioactive compounds is a fundamental step for the development of applications based on them, such as nutraceuticals, functional foods or cosmeceuticals. It is well-known that these compounds can undergo metabolic reactions before reaching therapeutic targets, which may also affect their bioactivity and possible a...

A gain-of-function mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR3) results in achondroplasia (ACH), the most frequent form of dwarfism. Constitutive activation of FGFR3 impairs bone formation and elongation and many signal transduction pathways. Identification of new and relevant compounds targeting the FGFR3 signaling pathway is o...

The increasing production of tropical fruits followed by their processing results in tons of waste, such as skins or seeds. However, these by-products have been reported to be rich in bioactive compounds (BACs) with excellent properties of interest in the cosmeceutical industry: antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and photopro...

Ephedra (Ephedraceae) is used in medicine for various purposes as having, antioxidant, anticarcinogen, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory hepatoprotective, anti-obesity, antiviral and diuretic activities. In this study the aim was to investigate chemical constituents of Ephedra alata and understand the possible effects of those constituents in antiox...

An investigation was conducted to study the beneficial effects of Ephedra alata monjauzeana crude extract (EamCE). The chemical profile was determined using RP-HPLC–ESI-QTOF-MS analysis, revealing the presence of twenty-one flavonoids and phenolic acids. A series of antioxidant assays was carried out using ten different methods. The EamCE has demon...

Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals with multiple associated beneficial effects, especially focused on alleviating damage from oxidative stress and associated inflammatory processes. Furthermore, in recent years there has been growing research on the synergy, already reported, between polyphenols and the microbiota. However, the bioavailabili...

A healthy lifestyle is a trendy goal nowadays; for this reason, the consumption of natural food-based on botanical sources has increased. These sources have been reported to possess bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, which have demonstrated biological properties for promoting human health. These compounds are secondary metabolites with...

Bioactive ingredients, whether derived from various botanical or animal sources, have acquired important relevance during the last few decades due to a large number of potential applications, which could be useful in food products. An important part of this potential resides in the composition and the concentration of the bioactive constituents. Th...

The agro-industrial production process generates large volumes of agro-food by-products, which have acquired great importance due to their bioactive compounds. Indeed, during the processing, the loss of specific compounds is related to their partitioning between food and by-products. Among these compounds, phenolics have drawn scientific interest d...

Chia seeds are rich sources of different macro and micronutrients associated with health benefits; thus, they may be considered as a functional food. However, the composition depends on the variety, origin, climate and soil. Here, we show a comprehensive characterization of extractable and non-extractable phenolic compounds of dark chia seed Salvia...

The effects of gravitational (GC) and microwave‐assisted (MWC) cryoconcentration were studied on the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of aqueous guava leaves extract. An increase in the TPC was observed for all the concentrated fractions by both methods. The concentration efficiency for the GC and MWC processes was 80 and 73% a...

Guacamole sauce is getting blossoming popularity worldwide, which is commercialized in multiple formats with different preserving methods. Volatile composition and sensorial properties of commercial guacamoles preserved by high pressure processing (HPP) and by thermal process were analysed with quality discrimination purposes. Commercial HPP-guacam...

In this paper, the methanol and water extracts of Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir. leaves and stem bark parts were considered as source of bioactive constituents; thus, chemical analysis and bioactivity assays...

The present study is aimed at valorizing grape pomace, one of the most abundant winery-making by-products of the Mediterranean area, through the extraction of the main bioactive compounds from the skin of grape pomace and using them to manufacture innovative nanoformulations capable of both avoiding skin damages and promoting skincare. The phytoche...

Background Obesity is considered as a global epidemic worldwide. This disorder is associated to several health effects such as metabolic disturbances that need both prevention and treatment actions. In this sense, bioactive secondary metabolites can be obtained from cheap sources such as agro-industrial waste providing a sustainable alternative aga...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Metabolic syndrome is currently recognized as the major cause of morbidity, with dramatic complications on life expectancy and health status. Myrianthus arboreus is a medicinal plant traditionally used in local communities as a safe remedy in treating diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Aim of the study This study...