Journal of Food Biochemistry

Citrus fruits, regarded as a prominent fruit crop, are cultivated extensively around the globe and orange (Citrus sinensis L.) is a widely cultivated popular member of the citrus family. Dried oranges have gained recognition as a healthy snack option among consumers and worldwide markets due to the absence of additional ingredients such as sugar and chemicals, whilst yet containing significant natural beneficial components. The drying method is very intriguing due to its ability to facilitate the efficient production, packaging, storage, and transportation of dried oranges at a cost-effective price. In this study, the effects of microwave pretreatment (Mpt) (90 W, 30 min) on hot air drying (HTAD-MW) (60, 70, and 80°C) were investigated, along with the effects on the drying kinetics, rehydration capacity, and quality properties of the orange snack including phenolic compounds (vanillic acid, gallic acid, epicatechin, hesperidin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, and o-coumaric acid), antioxidant capacities (with DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC methods), and ascorbic acid contents. For modeling the kinetics of orange snack drying in all tests, logarithmic, Wang and Singh’s, diffusion approach, two term, and Wang and Sing’s models performed best. Hot air drying (HTAD) at 70°C applied orange snacks showed the lowest △E ∗ ab value, and the color values were close to those of fresh orange slices. The levels of total and individual phenolics, antioxidant capacity (AC), and ascorbic acid (AA) in dried orange snacks were found to be significantly lower ( p < 0.05) than in the fresh orange slices. Results also showed that HTAD-MW-applied orange snacks contained more total phenolic (TP) content, individual phenolic content, and AC but lower AA than HTAD-applied samples. The highest amount of phenolic compound was hesperidin for fresh and dried orange snacks. The method that best preserves the TP content and AC of dried orange snacks was found at the drying condition of HTAD-MW at 60°C. As a conclusion, it was suggested that the use of microwave and hot air combination is a promising method to introduce a new functional healthy snack to the dried product market with high quality.

Pestil is a traditional and functional snack produced by removing moisture from fruit pulp using different methods. Although solar drying is common in traditional pestil drying, modern drying methods are preferred in industrial production. As one of these methods, heat pump drying (HPD) is considered to be the most favorable technique owing to its notable efficiency in the drying process and low energy consumption. Additionally, it has the capability to accurately regulate drying conditions, thereby enhancing the overall quality of the dried foods. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HPD conditions on drying kinetics and quality profile (total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) content, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC), and carotenoid content) and their in vitro bioaccessibility of the cornelian cherry-capia pepper pestil. Also, it was aimed to produce high-quality pestil having bioactive properties by optimizing HPD conditions. Drying temperature (40–50°C) and cornelian cherry concentration (30–40%) were selected as independent variables for the response surface methodology (RSM). After in vitro digestion, pestil samples have higher bioaccessible β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and AC (especially for the DPPH method), whereas the drying process reduced the bioaccessibility of TPC in pestil samples. Using a RSM, we found that the way the responses (TMA, TPC, AC, and carotenoids) were related to the independent variables can be best explained by quadratic (Qc), reduced quadratic (RQc), and reduced cubic (RCc) models. These models had high R2 values, which mean they can accurately predict the outcomes. The optimal condition of responses with composite desirability of 0.852 was drying temperature at 46.68°C and 44.94% cornelian cherry concentration.

In the present study, the methanolic extract of Calotropis procera root bark was subjected to solvent-solvent partitioning using n-hexane fraction (HF), dichloromethane fraction (DMF), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), and methanol fraction (MF). The resultant fractions were tested for antioxidant activity using in vitro radical scavenging assay. Preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of varying proportions of secondary metabolites in solvent fractions such as glycosides, flavonoids, triterpenoids, sterols, and polyphenolic compounds. The total phenolic content of EAF was 25.7 ± 3.12 mg TAE/g followed by 19.05 ± 3.29 mg TAE/g in DMF. The total flavonoid content was 13.69 ± 1.74 mg QUE/g in DMF and 11.4 ± 1.88 mg QUE/g in EAF. The EAF showed significant radical-scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, IC50 = 369.87 μg/mL), nitric oxide (IC50 = 317.46 μg/mL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 , IC50 = 396.85 μg/mL), and hydroxyl radicals (IC50 = 195.39 μg/mL). DMF was most effective in scavenging superoxide radicals (IC50 = 679.60 μg/mL), while greater metal chelating activity was exhibited by MF (IC50 = 614.73 μg/mL). Moreover, the total antioxidant activity for EAF was found to be 94.14 ± 9.114 mg AAE followed by DMF (68.10 ± 8.78 mg AAE). EAF also significantly reduced the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in a dose-dependent manner in CuSO4. The observed antioxidant effect might be attributed to the presence of secondary metabolites. Subsequent GC-MS analysis of EAF confirmed the presence of lupeol, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, and ursolic acid. The current investigation reveals that the high polyphenolic and antioxidant pentacyclic triterpenes in EAF of C. procera root bark methanol extract correlates with its good antioxidant activity and can provide protection against free radicals-induced damage in a variety of chronic health conditions.

Peroxidation during organism growth and development might have catastrophic implications. It is critical to further investigate the antioxidant potential of plant anthocyanins. In this study, anthocyanins from Eleutherococcus brachypus fruits (EBF) were extracted by an ultrasonic-assisted method. The anthocyanins were then tested for stability under various storage conditions. Based on single-factor combination with response surface optimization, the best ethanol concentration for anthocyanin extraction was 75%, the ideal ultrasonic irradiation power was 160 W, the liquid-to-solid ratio was 10.18 mL/g, and the maximum anthocyanin yield was 1.86 mg/g. Anthocyanins are readily degraded by bright light and remain stable under acidic storage conditions (pH 3.0) and at temperatures below 60°C. The inhibition rates of anthocyanins against ABTS and DPPH radicals were 54.59% and 48.70%, respectively, using vitamin C (Vc) as a positive control. The data cited above make it clear that anthocyanins may act as natural antioxidants. In addition, this research provides a sound theoretical foundation for the creation of natural green antioxidants.

The utilization of natural preservatives presents a promising avenue for mitigating the spoilage of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables induced by microorganisms, enzymatic browning, and water loss. We have developed an innovative method for preserving fresh-cut green peppers using the combined effects of ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and p-Coumaric acid (p-CA). Through concentration screening experiments, we determined that the optimal concentrations of ε-PL and p-CA were 25 mg/L and 10 mg/L, respectively (ε-p-CA). Treatment with ε-p-CA significantly improved the quality of fresh-cut green peppers. It effectively reduced hardness and weight loss, preserving the texture and appearance of the peppers. Furthermore, ε-p-CA treatment delayed the increase in respiratory rate, electrolyte leakage, and ethylene production, thereby maintaining the structural integrity. Meanwhile, ε-p-CA treatment effectively inhibited the malondialdehyde (MDA) content increase and maintained DPPH radical scavenging activity. The microbial analysis demonstrated the ε-p-CA-treated peppers also showed lower total bacterial, mold, and yeast counts, which prolonged the freshness of fresh-cut peppers. In addition, ε-p-CA treatment improved the retention of phenolics and vitamin C without significantly affecting the color and soluble sugar content of green peppers. Overall, the ε-p-CA treatment showed promise as a natural preservative for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut green peppers.

Fucoxanthin, a natural carotenoid, contains special ene bonds and 5, 6-mono-epoxide compounds in its molecule, which has physiological activities such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and antidiabetic. However, the anticancer actions and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin on oral cancer remain to be assessed. In this study, we used tongue carcinoma (CAL-27) cells to examine the effects and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin derived from Hizikia fusiforme on CAL-27 proliferation. MTT assays were used to estimate fucoxanthin’s effect on the proliferative capacity of CAL-27 cells. Flow cytometry was used to examine how fucoxanthin affects apoptosis initiation and alters cell cycle progression in CAL-27 cells. Spectrophotometry was used to assess the impact of fucoxanthin on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation, glucose uptake, lactate production, and the enzymatic activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase in CAL-27 cells. Western blotting was used to investigate fucoxanthin’s impact on the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and glycolysis-related protein expression levels in CAL-27 cells. Fucoxanthin significantly inhibited CAL-27 cell viability time- and dose-dependently p < 0.01 . Administration of fucoxanthin induced CAL-27 cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase p < 0.05 . Furthermore, fucoxanthin significantly decreased glucose uptake, lactate production, and ATP production in CAL-27 cells p < 0.01 and significantly inhibited glycolysis-related enzyme activities and protein expression levels p < 0.05 . Fucoxanthin also substantially decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6, phosphorylated AKT, and phosphorylated mTOR p < 0.05 . In conclusion, fucoxanthin inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation, and this mechanism may be associated with the AKT/mTOR-mediated glycolysis pathway.

Background. Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major threat to men’s health worldwide, and there is an urgent need to find a supportive strategy to improve traditional PD-1/PD-L1 targeted immunotherapy. Our previous research identified astragaloside IV and polypeptide extract from scorpion venom (PESV) as the main active components of the astragalus-scorpion drug pair for treating PCa. In this study, we wanted to continue exploring the modulatory effect of astragaloside IV-PESV on the immune microenvironment of tumors further to investigate the antitumor efficacy mechanism of astragaloside IV-PESV. Methods. First, molecular docking was performed to verify whether astragaloside IV and PESV could bind to STAT3 and PD-L1. Next, we performed mouse tumorigenesis experiments to explore the role of astragaloside IV-PESV. Additionally, we further validated the effects of astragaloside IV-PESV on the STAT3/PD-L1 pathway and immunity by in vitro cellular experiments. Furthermore, we overexpressed STAT3 and validated the effects of overexpression of STAT3 on cellular function, T cell activation, and immune escape in vitro and in vivo. Results. Molecular docking revealed astragaloside IV and PESV bound to STAT3 and PD-L1. Astragaloside IV-PESV led to notable tumor tissue volume and weight repression and inhibited tumor immunity and STAT3/PD-L1 pathway-related protein expressions. In vitro, astragaloside IV-PESV suppressed PD-L1 expression by inhibiting STAT3 signaling to modulate immunity. In contrast, overexpression of STAT3 restored PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion inhibition by astragaloside IV-PESV. In addition, overexpression of STAT3 restored the promoting effect of astragaloside IV-PESV on T cell activation. Finally, in vivo experiments further illuminated that overexpression of STAT3 restored the immune escape effect of astragaloside IV-PESV on the tumor. Conclusion. Astragaloside IV-PESV improved T cell immune escape by inhibiting PD-L1 expression in PCa through the STAT3 pathway.

Licorice flavonoids are a kind of flavonoids extracted from the root of licorice, which have good antioxidant activity and are widely used in the food industry. In the early research of the research group, it has been found that the antioxidant activity of licorice flavonoids can be altered by solvent mediation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the antioxidant properties of licorice flavonoids is still not fully understood. Therefore, this study aims to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the antioxidant activity of licorice flavonoids based on the principles of pharmacophore theory and quantum computing. Firstly, network pharmacology will be employed to study the antioxidant properties of licorice flavonoids. The major active components and key structural features responsible for the antioxidant activity in licorice flavonoids will be screened using pharmacophore theory and further validated through molecular docking. Lastly, quantum computing will be utilized to uncover the potential mechanism underlying their antioxidant activity. Pharmacophore studies have shown that licochalcone B, retrochalcone, isoliquiritin, and isoliquiritigenin exhibit low predicted IC50 values, indicating that these compounds are key components of licorice flavonoids in the antioxidant process. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and frontier molecular orbital studies have shown that licochalcone B, retrochalcone, isoliquiritin, and isoliquiritigenin all exhibit certain chemical reactivity. Quantum computing studies have found that the para-phenol hydroxyl group on the core structure of licochalcone B, isoliquiritigenin, retrochalcone, and isoliquiritin is a crucial functional group for the antioxidant activity of flavonoid compounds. In general, this study successfully elucidated the mode of action of licorice flavonoids in the antioxidant process, providing some guidance for the synthesis of new antioxidant compounds.

Recent studies suggest that oxidative stress could be one of the mechanisms contributing to fatigue. The purpose of the present study was to determine the antifatigue potential of loquat leaf (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl., EJ) and its component, chlorogenic acid (CA) in C2C12 myotubes and treadmill stress test (TST), and forced swimming test (FST) in animal models. EJ and CA reduced levels of metabolic factors associated with fatigue and enhanced catalytic properties of superoxide dismutase and catalase in C2C12 myotubes. In the FST and TST, EJ and CA decreased immobility time and prolonged exhaustion time. The administration of EJ and CA reduced the levels of the metabolic factors associated with fatigue and augmented the levels of the substances which relieve fatigue. These results prove that EJ alleviates fatigue by increasing antioxidative activity. Therefore, we suggest that EJ may be a potential candidate for management of fatigue as a health functional food.

This study evaluated the antioxidant, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities of germinated shoots (cotyledon and true leaves) of wild plants and measured their total phenol, flavonoid, quercetin, and vitamin C contents. The ethanol extract of Geum aleppicum (GA) showed high DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. GA treatment also significantly increased cell viability against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells, indicating that GA had antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. In AGS gastric cancer cells, the cotyledon of Pinus densiflora (PD1) and the true leaves of Chamaecyparis obtusa (CHA2) significantly inhibited cell proliferation, showing that PD1 and CHA2 elicited anticancer effect. The total phenol content was the highest in the shoots of GA, and the total flavonoid content was the highest in the shoots of true leaves of P. densiflora. The quercetin and vitamin C contents were the highest in the CHA2 and the cotyledon of GA, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggested the antioxidant, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities of the germinated shoots of wild plants and their high total phenol, flavonoid, quercetin, and vitamin C contents. These findings were noteworthy in the case of the germinated shoot of GA and provided a basis for studying functional forestry income resources. Practical Applications. Our results demonstrated that GA exerts strong DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. It also plays a neuroprotective role in oxidative stress-induced cell damage. These effects can be linked to their polyphenol and flavonoid contents in the extract. Moreover, PD1 treatment has inhibitory effect on gastric tumor cells growth and exhibited an effective ∙OH radical scavenging property. These findings indicated that germinated shoot extracts have potential for development of functional food with therapeutic applications.

Based on the antioxidant properties of Phellinus igniarius (DC. Ex Fr.) Quel (P. igniarius), this study aims to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of total flavonoids of Phellinus igniarius (TFPI) on the oxidative damage of HK-2 cells induced by monosodium urate (MSU). The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses predicted the potential targets and pathways of TFPI in the treatment of hyperuricaemia (HUA). We used MSU to stimulate HK-2 cells to establish a HUA model. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay were performed. Cell nuclear morphology was detected with DAPI and Annexin V-FITC. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) was analyzed. The expression of Keap 1, Nrf2, HO-1, Bip, PERK, ATF4, CHOP, BAX, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase 3 was performed with western blot. The results of network pharmacology showed that the potential targets and pathways were mainly associated with stimulus response, regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic processes, response to oxidative stress, and regulation of the response to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. The cell experiment proved that the survival rate of HK-2 cells was dramatically increased after treatment with TFPI. TFPI increased the activity of SOD and decreased the content of MDA and LDH, while scavenging ROS. TFPI increased the transfer of Nrf2 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and decreased the expression level of Bip, PERK, ATF4, CHOP, BAX, and cleaved caspase 3 to attenuate apoptotic cells induced by MSU. TFPI has a good protective effect on MSU-induced oxidative damage in HK-2 cells and can reduce cell apoptosis by regulating ROS-mediated ER stress.

The present research is carried out to study the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng extract on type 2 diabetic mice. D. huoshanense extract was prepared using the condensation reflux method. The chemical components were separated by UPLC Triple-TOF MS/MS to further identify the components that mainly exerted hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Type 2 diabetic C57BL/6 mice were induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) followed by intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) and were daily gavaged with different doses of D. huoshanense extract for 5 weeks. Various methods such as HE staining, ELISA, and Western blot were used to evaluate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of D. huoshanense extract on mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus model. The experimental results revealed that the main compounds of D. huoshanense extract were polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, and many other chemical components. Oral administration of 200 mg/kg of the extract of D. huoshanense significantly reduced blood glucose and insulin levels of high-dose group mice and lowered total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, but increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and liver glycogen content. In addition, the protein expression levels of insulin receptor (Ins R), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and p-protein kinase B (Akt) were upregulated. These results imply that the D. huoshanense aqueous extract can improve insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic mice, and it may regulate the function through the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of global death, increasing over time. Despite current novel improvements, it is still a major medical challenge. Quercetin (QU) is a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, antihypertensive, antiarrhythmogenic, and antiapoptotic effects. It can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol oxidation and prevent endothelial dysfunction in CVD. Also, it can protect myocardial cells against oxidative stress and inflammation caused by free radicals. An updated review of the literature on the cardiovascular effects of quercetin was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Science Direct databases. The aim of this review is to summarize the various effects of quercetin on the cardiovascular system.

Zinc is crucial for physiological processes; however, defciency persists globally. Binding zinc to plant proteins enhances absorption , minimizing toxicity risks and ofering a potential solution for defciency. Mineral binding efciency of the unmodifed protein is limited; hence, dual modifcation (succinylation and ultrasonication) is potentially used to achieve higher binding efciency. Enhancing zinc uptake is crucial for cellular health due to its vital roles in various biological processes including enzymatic activity, DNA repair, immune function, antioxidant defense, hormone regulation, brain function, signaling, growth, gene expression, and reproduction. Terefore, this research aimed to develop a chickpea protein-zinc complex and to evaluate the infuence of dual modifcation on their physiochemical, bioavailability, and cellular mineral uptake attributes. Succinylation exhibited signifcant improvements in the water-holding capacity by 28.73%, oil-holding capacity by 34.09%, and solubility by 5.46% of the chickpea protein-zinc complex as compared to the native complex. Mineral bioavailability increased by 8.32%, and there were notable increases in cellular uptake of zinc by 2.10%, retention by 5.80%, and transport by 3.96%, respectively. Furthermore, the dual modifcation approach resulted in a notable decrease in the particle size of the chickpea protein-zinc complex, with a substantial reduction of 73.25% and an increased zeta potential value of −21 mV compared to the succinylated complex. As well, dual modifcation concurrently led to a substantial decline of 48.04% in the sulfhydryl (SH) content, coupled with a marked increase of 21.92% in the surface hydrophobicity. In addition, zinc bioavailability, cellular uptake, retention, and transport were further enhanced by 1.89, 3.34, and 4.8% through dual modifcation. Our fndings highlight that the dual modifcation of the chickpea protein-zinc complex shows a promising strategy for enhancing the techno-functional characteristics , bioavailability, and cellular uptake of zinc, which could be a better platform for developing vegan foods.

The biological effects of fatty acids differ by their structure. Saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids are recognized as promoters of coronary artery disease (CAD), while monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids may have salutary effects. Since cellular stress is recognized as a fundamental driver of CAD, the effect of these fatty acids on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) was measured using the ER stress-responsive alkaline phosphatase (ES-TRAP) assay. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-EE) suppressed ER stress induced with pharmacologic (tunicamycin) and physiologic (high-dextrose concentration) ER stress inducers. In tunicamycin-treated cells, DHA reduced the expression of unfolded protein response (UPR) markers such as phosphorylation of inositol requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and increased activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) expression. Similarly, treatment with both oleic acid and arachidonic acid, but not elaidic acid (a trans-fatty acid), suppressed both tunicamycin and high-dextrose-induced ER stress while treatment with saturated fatty acids (C14 : 0, C16 : 0, and C18 : 0) enhanced both tunicamycin and high-dextrose-induced ER stress. The latter fatty acids at higher concentrations caused cytotoxicity. These results indicate that omega-3 fatty acids as well as select unsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid suppress ER stress in HCAEC.

Obesity and overweight are among the most significant global health challenges that affect both developed and developing countries, leading to various chronic diseases. Previous studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the effects of purslane supplementation on obesity indices. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis on the effects of supplementation with purslane on obesity indices among adults. Comprehensive systematic searches were performed throughout Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases up to May 30, 2023. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the impact of purslane supplementation on obesity indices were included into the analysis. The I2 and Cochran’s Q tests were used to assess heterogeneity between studies. The effect sizes were reported as the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random effects model. The initial search yielded 789 studies, of which seven RCTs were included in analysis. Following purslane supplementation, body weight (BW) (WMD: −0.94 kg, 95% CI: −1.57–−0.31, and P = 0.002) and body mass index (BMI) (WMD: −0.53 kg/m2, 95% CI: −0.88–−0.18, and P : 0.001) decreased significantly. However, this meta-analysis could not show any beneficial effect of purslane supplementation on waist circumference (WC) (WMD: −0.28 cm, 95% CI: −1.47–0.91, and P = 0.23). In addition, there was no linear association between the duration of treatment and sample size with BW, BMI, and WC. In conclusion, this meta-analysis showed a significant effect of purslane supplementation on BMI and BW but not on WC in adults, suggesting that it has the potential to be used therapeutically. Moreover, the combined results of previous RCTs indicate that purslane is a safe and effective intervention for reducing obesity indices in subjects with metabolic syndrome or obesity. As such, the consumption of purslane may have indirectly contributed to the amelioration of clinical symptoms in diseases with metabolic disorders, owing to its impact on some obesity indices. However, given the limitations and the low number of included studies in the present meta-analysis, more large-scale RCTs are needed to shed light on this issue.

Aggregation and non-enzymatic glycation of amyloidogenic peptides, amyloid-beta (Aβ), and insulin are key features of neuropathology. In this study, we evaluate the anti-glycation effect of Cassia seed-derived secondary metabolites on human insulin and bovine serum albumin, as well as their anti-Aβ aggregation and antioxidant effects using in vitro spectrofluorometric method, thioflavin T fluorescence, and peroxynitrite (ONOO‒) scavenging assay. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation was performed to investigate the binding characteristics of test compounds and Aβ42 peptide. Among 38 compounds, anthraquinones 9–12 and 14–18; naphthopyrones 24, 25, 27, and 33–36; and 38 from the naphthalenes and naphthalenic lactone groups showed moderate-to-good inhibition of AGE formation with IC50 values ranging from 7.52 ± 1.19 to 155.86 ± 0.79 µM. Likewise, compounds 5, 24, 15, 16, 27, and 20 showed good inhibition of D-ribose-mediated glycation of human insulin, with an IC50 value range of 46.37 ± 4.06 to 97.69 ± 7.88 µM. In the thioflavin-T assay, compounds 8 and 12 showed promising inhibition of Aβ aggregation, comparable to that of the reference compound morin. Molecular docking simulations confirmed that these active compounds have strong potential to interact with Aβ42 peptides and interrupt their self-assembly and conformational transformation, thereby inhibiting Aβ42 aggregation. In addition, compounds 5, 8, 10, 14, and 35 scavenged ONOO− at low concentrations. Overall, Cassia compounds’ anti-glycation, anti-Aβ aggregation, and antioxidant effects warrant further in vivo studies to evaluate their potential neuroprotective effects against comorbid AD and diabetes.

Lung injury after chemoradiotherapy is a common adverse reaction that is caused by radiation and chemotherapy drugs. Beishashen is a traditional marine Chinese medicine with multiple pharmacological properties. The previous research reported that it has a potential prevention effect on injuries caused by radiation and chemotherapy drugs, but the specific mechanism is unknown. Consequently, this study is based on bioinformatics and other methods, focusing on exploring the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of Beishashen in preventing lung injury after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This study used network pharmacology methods to identify the bioactive compounds of Beishashen in order to better understand its therapeutic radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) and chemotherapy-induced lung injury (CILI) molecular mechanisms. We found that the role of Beishashen in preventing RILI and CILI involved several main pathways, especially the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. PTGS2, PIK3CG, and RXRA were considered as key targets. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics showed good binding between the active ingredients and key targets, especially between alloisoimperatorin and RXRA. This study revealed the role of Beishashen in some potential regulating signal pathways in the treatment and prevention of RILI and CILI. Quercetin and alloisoimperatorin were the main active ingredients with low toxicity and can effectively bind with key targets. These findings provided important insights into the potential use of Beishashen for RILI and CILI.

Bile reflux (BR) was considered to be an independent risk factor for the development of precancerous gastric lesions and GC. Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides (DOP) show a novel potential in preventing the progress of gastric cancer. However, the specific mechanism of DOP that causes such activities remains a mystery. This study aimed to investigate the effects of DOP on chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA)-induced gastric intestinal metaplasia and explore the underlying mechanisms. Different concentrations of DOP had no significant damage to normal GSE-1 cells and gastric intestinal metaplasia model cells by CCK-8 assay. After DOP treatment, the mRNA and protein expression of CDX2 ( p < 0.01) and HNF4α ( p < 0.01) were decreased, and HO-1 ( p < 0.05) and TFF2 ( p < 0.01) were increased. The NRF2 protein expression was slightly upregulated ( p < 0.05), and H-DOP further promoted NRF2 protein expression in the nucleus ( p < 0.05). Hence, our findings reveal that DOP could be used as a potential anti-inflammation supplement by activating NRF2/HO-1 and modulating the HNF4α/CDX2 signaling pathway to inhibit the progress of CDCA-induced gastric intestinal metaplasia.

Peony seed dreg protein (PSDP) was hydrolyzed by proteases secreted by Pseudoalteromonas sp. CSN423. This hydrolysate exhibited excellent antioxidant capability after passing through a 3 kDa ultrafiltration membrane. The antioxidant peptides further purified by size-exclusion chromatography scavenged 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH∙) (73.0 ± 1.46%) and hydroxyl radicals (∙OH) (81.17 ± 3.69%), protected DNA from oxidative injury, and displayed an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of 4.04 ± 1.11 μmol TE/mg. Furthermore, the antioxidant peptide inhibited apoptosis by inhibiting the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in H2O2-induced RAW264.7 cells. We identified four major peptides such as YFPF, ECCASLAPL, YVSLK, and YFEM by using mass spectrometry. YFPF showed a potent ∙OH scavenging capability of 75.30 ± 1.08%. ECCASLAPL exhibited higher DPPH∙ scavenging capability (87.20 ± 1.03%) than glutathione (GSH) (49.50 ± 1.50%). Moreover, the peptide YVSLK exhibited the highest ORAC of 2.52 ± 1.20 μmol TE/mg of the identified peptides. This work highlights that the peptides from PSDP might have potential uses in cosmetics, functional foods, and drug development.

Background. Hyperandrogenism is a common disorder in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that can cause changes in body fat distribution and the amount of visceral adipose tissue. Visceral adiposity impairs insulin action, leading to insulin resistance (IR), cardiovascular disease, and renal disorders due to obesity and insulin resistance. Dietary thylakoids reduce visceral fat mass by suppressing appetite and regulating body weight. The present trial aimed to evaluate the fat distribution and renal function after thylakoid membranes of spinach supplementation along with a hypo-caloric diet. Methods. Forty-four obese women with PCOS participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for 12 weeks and were allocated to receive 5 gr of thylakoid membranes of spinach extract combined with hypo-caloric diet or 5 gr placebo along with a hypo-caloric diet. Novel atherogenic and anthropometric indices including the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli risk index I (CRI-I), Castelli risk index II (CRI-II), TyG-BMI (TyG-BMI), metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), abdominal volume index (AVI), body adiposity index (BAI), a body shape index (ABSI), and serum urea, creatinine, and total protein were assessed at the baseline and end of the intervention period. Results. Thylakoid membranes of spinach supplementation along with a calorie restriction diet showed a significant decrease in the AIP, CRI-I, II, TyG-BMI, and METS-IR ( P < 0.05). AVI, BAI, and ABSI were found to reduce in the thylakoid and placebo groups ( P < 0.05). However, the changes in serum urea, creatinine, and total protein did not show significant differences between the intervention and placebo groups. Conclusion. After 12-week supplementation with thylakoid membranes extracted from spinach, improvements in the value of atherogenic indices and insulin resistance surrogate markers were observed, while this intervention did not make a significant difference in the serum levels of renal function factors. This trial is registered with IRCT20140907019082N9.

Extracts of fermented barley with Lactiplantibacillus plantarumdy-1 (LFBE) have been reported to exert antiobesity activity in vivo and in vitro. However, whether it worked in clinical trials remained uncovered. In the current study, we conducted a single-blind experiment by enrolling on some obese adult humans with hyperlipemia to test the effects of products containing LFBE (No. ChiCTR1800019614 by the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). Results indicated that LFBE intervention could ameliorate the symptoms of the obese, characterized by the decrease of body fat percentage, visceral fat area, and serum lipid levels. More interestingly, products containing the β-glucan ingredients had similar antiobesity effects. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that LFBE modulated the community structure of the gut microbiota of the obese adults as shown by the diversity analysis. For gut microbiota composition, LFBE significantly increased the Bacteroides genus while decreasing Streptococcus and Haemophilus genus. At the species level, beneficial microorganisms such as Bifidobacterium_longum_subsp_longum, Alistipes_sp_AL-1, Bacteroides_plebeius, and Bacteroides_vulgatus were enriched by LFBE, which was different from the effects of β-glucan. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that LFBE particularly regulated the steroid biosynthesis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pathways. Furthermore, correlation analysis suggested that body fat percentage and visceral fat area were significantly positively correlated with Desulfovibrio and Sutterella, the basal metabolic rate was negatively correlated with Haemophilus, and fasting blood glucose was positively correlated with Dialister. In all, this clinical study demonstrated the antiobesity function of LFBE in humans, probably via its interactions with the gut microbiota, and LFBE could be developed as a prebiotic ingredient with antiobesity effects for a healthy diet. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1800019614.

In this paper, the influence of bottle storage time on different blueberry wines has been studied. Four blueberry wines with different fruit weight/sugar solution volume ratios and different fermentation times were stored. The storage was conducted for 12 months in darkness and at a constant temperature of 4°C. All the wines showed a similar behavior during the 12-month study period. The concentration of anthocyanins decreased significantly after the storage period. Wines obtained through partial fermentation showed a low concentration of anthocyanin monomers, and in the case of wines from total fermentation, no anthocyanin monomers could be identified. However, the wines at 12 months of storage exhibited a significant contribution to red color. The color intensity experienced a sharp decrease from 0 to 4 months, remaining unchanged until 12 months. Moreover, antioxidant activity increased during the storage process from 0 to 4 months and then remained relatively stable up to 12 months.

The traditional treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often limited by its poor efficacy and high costs. Malnutrition has been closely linked to the occurrence of IBD. Clinical data have revealed that medicinal food ingredients may be more effective and safer, and thus, they can be used as an important part of functional foods. As a high-quality drug-food homologous ingredient, Jiegeng (JG) provides a wide range of pharmacological effects in addition to basic nutrition. In the present study, a functional food (FF) was developed based on the fermentation broth of JG, combined with four nutritional ingredients: Yimi (YM), Chixiaodou (CXD), Baibiandou (BBD), and Shanyao (SY). Subsequently, a 3% Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt (DSS) water-induced mouse ulcerative colitis (UC) model was established, and the functional validation of the FF was carried out by gavaging the mice with low and high doses of functional foods (250 mg LFF and 500 mg HFF). The results showed that FF restored the body weight of UC model mice by 4.250 ± 0.250 g, reduced the DAI score by 0.255 ± 0.025, restored the colon length by 1.064 ± 0.087 cm, and reduced the spleen index by 0.102 ± 0.019. Furthermore, FF decreased the serum concentrations of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1βh, and IL-6, while increasing the concentration of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 and alleviating the inflammatory response in mice. Pathological analysis of the colonic tissue showed that FF restored the structure of the mouse intestine and reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells. FF has good stability and is favoured by most people.

Low-pressure plasma (LPP) treatment was implemented as a nonthermal technology to preserve the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of lyophilized lemon slices. Effects of LPP treatment on the basic quality and flavor characteristics of lyophilized lemon slices stored for 7 d were evaluated. Fresh lyophilized lemon slices were prepared as a reference. The total titratable acids and sugars were in the range of 1.00∼1.11 mg/mL and 190.21∼197.37 mg/mL. The total phenolic content and Vc gradually decreased during storage from 1.74 to 1.33 mg/mL and 0.53 to 0.31 mg/mL. LPP had minor effects on total sugars and total titrate acids but prevented the storage losses of vitamin C (Vc) and phenols. A total of 35 volatile organic compounds were identified with C10 monoterpenoids being the major compounds. C6-C9 aldehydes corresponding to a green grassy aroma gradually decreased with increasing storage time. The gallery plot confirmed the different compositions of volatile organic compounds in LPP-treated samples. LPP-treated lemon slices had a higher content of preferred aromatic substances (terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, α-terpinene, and limonene) with a citrus-like flavor. These results demonstrated the positive effect of LPP treatment on retaining the flavor characteristics of lemon slices.