One
of the risk factors for human health is oxidation reactions
in the body due to the production of free radicals that cause
cell death or death. Lowering levels of antioxidants in the
body leads to premature aging, damaged or mutated cells, damaged
tissue and tissue, activation of defective genes in DNA, and
increased pressure on the immune system. Antioxidants can
reduce oxidative stress in cells. One of the side effects
of synthetic antioxidants includes carcinogenicity and mutagenicity.
Therefore, it is necessary to use natural antioxidants such
as tocopherols, flavonoids, chlorophylls and pigments of plants.
Nowadays,
the use of herbal extracts for adjuvant treatment of microbial
infections has attracted much attention from researchers.
Many secondary metabolites and plant extracts have different
biological activities including antimicrobial properties.
Most chemical drugs are manufactured in pharmacy laboratories
by simulation herbal and synthetic drugs and it is estimated
that at least one-third of the products are plant-based. With
the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, efforts
are underway to replace new therapies around the world. In
this case, promising is the use of medicinal plants that are
highly compatible with the human body.
Scientific
findings show that fruits and vegetables contain various types
of nutrients and non-nutrients such as pigments called phytochemicals.
These compounds have beneficial effects on human health and
prevent some chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular
disease, and diabetes. The most important functions of these
compounds are antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Pigments
are chemical compounds that are capable of absorbing light
over the visible wavelength range. One of the most important
benefits of natural pigments, along with their health benefits,
is their variety and color gamut. Different parts of a plant
are used as pigments that have different properties. There
are four main groups of pigments in the plants, including
chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins that
have antioxidant effects.
Chlorophylls
are located in specific cellular units called chloroplasts
that act as photosynthetic agents. Chlorophylls, which are
the most important light-absorbing pigments in the process
of photosynthesis, play a key role in absorbing light energy
and converting it into chemical energy and they are often
visible in bluish-green or yellowish-green. As a food pigment,
the chlorophyll is the transporter of stable green color to
the leaves of spinach, lettuce and so on. Among the types
of chlorophyll, two types of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll
b are used in food. These chlorophylls are mainly in the ratio
of 3: 1 in the texture of green plants, also depending on
the light intensity. The two types of chlorophyll have a similar
structure and their differences are in the R group. If R is
a group (CH3), chlorophyll is a, and if factor (CHO) is chlorophyll
b.
Alfalfa
is one of the plants to extract chlorophyll. Alfalfa (Medicago
sativa L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae
family. It contains various chemicals such as alkaloids, amino
acids, and essential enzymes, phytosterols, phytoestrogens,
flavonoids, flavonoids, minerals, saponins, vitamins. Due
to its rich in vitamins and phytoestrogens, this plant is
used as a food additive in some developed countries.
Alfalfa
is the most common crop grown in Iran. Different components
of this plant have been investigated in various aspects including
its ability to withstand environmental stresses such as salinity
and drought and the effects on the treatment of some diseases
caused by oxidative stress. According to the wide range of
effective chemical compounds in alfalfa, its easy and low-cost
cultivation and its growth in a wide geographical area, it
is essential to identify the maximum potential of this plant
and use it to develop new agents that have good biological
activity.
Achieving
different properties of plants in diverse industries requires
extraction and therefore the evaluation of different extraction
methods is essential to find the most efficient method. Since
the quality and quantity of the extract depends on the choice
of the appropriate method of extraction, in addition to its
dependence on the plant organs.
In
recent years, the use of enzymes in the extraction industries
of bioactive compounds due to their biological benefits has
received more attention; because the enzymatic extraction
process is also an environmentally friendly method. Enzymatic
extraction has emerged as an effective and novel way of releasing
bond compounds and during the extraction process, by adding
specific enzymes such as cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinase
and by breaking cell wall and hydrolysis of polysaccharide
can enhance overall function. In this study, chlorophyll extraction
was performed using enzymatic and ultrasonic methods from
alfalfa and then its stability and antibacterial properties
were investigated.
