Applied Sciences in Functional Foods

Brewer’s spent grain is the residue left after the separation of wort during the beer-brewing process. Although this by-product has been reported to have a high protein content, it is normally treated as waste. This work aims to isolate bioactive hydrolysates from BSG, and then explore their bioactivities. Two groups (A and B) of BSG were subjected to protein extraction using the alkaline extraction method at pH 12, where group A was pre-treated with cellulase, while group B was not pre-treated and was directly extracted. The final isolate yielded 50.18 ± 1.22% recovery of the BSGP from group A and 66.41 ± 0.37% recovery from group B. RP-HPLC profiles showed that the extracted BSGPs are mainly hydrophilic proteins. The proteins extracted by the two methods were hydrolyzed enzymatically using Alcalase and α-chymotrypsin. The hydrolysates obtained displayed blood pressure regulation activity and antioxidant properties, when assayed with angiotensin-converting enzyme assay, 2,2-diphenyl-picryl-hydrazyl assay, and ferric antioxidant power assay. It can be concluded that it is possible to extract good quality proteins from BSG and this by-product presents potential as a source for the extraction of a variety of proteins that might be of interest to the food industries. Full article

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease remains a global burden with rapidly increasing incidence and prevalence in both industrialized countries and developing countries. In this study, we prepared pea albumin from pea seeds and determined its beneficial effects being anti-inflammatory and on gut microbiota modulation in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-challenged mice. Method: Six-week-old C57BL/6N male mice received an equivalent volume (200 μL) of sterile phosphate balanced solution, 0.375, 0.75, or 1.50 g/kg body weight (BW) of pea albumin that was subjected to 2.0% DSS for 7 days to induce colitis. On day 17 of the experiment, all mice were sacrificed after blood sample collection, and colon tissue and colon contents were collected. BW change curve, colon length, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, mucus staining, immunofluorescence staining of T cells and macrophages, cytokines, pro-inflammatory genes expression, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer, and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways as well as 16S DNA sequence were measured. Results: Our results show that pea albumin alleviates DSS-induced BW loss, colon length shortening, enhanced MPO activity, cytokines secretion, mucus deficiency, and inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as enhanced pro-inflammatory genes expression. In addition, the overactivation of NF-κB and STAT3 following DSS exposure is attenuated by pea albumin administration. Of particular interest, pea albumin oral administration restored gut microbiota dysbiosis as evidenced by enhanced α-diversity, restored β-diversity, and promoted relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. Conclusion: Taken together, the data provided herein demonstrated that pea albumin plays a protective role in DSS-induced colitis by reducing inflammatory cell infiltration, pro-inflammatory genes expression and pro-inflammatory cytokines release, inactivation of NF-κB signal, and gut microbiota modulation. Full article

The current study aimed to produce synbiotic cheese, adding inulin and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis as prebiotics and probiotics, respectively. The physicochemical analysis, minerals and organic acids content, sensory evaluation, and probiotic count of the cheese were performed during the ripening. The significant effect of inulin (p ≤ 0.01) was found during the ripening period, and changes in physiochemical composition, minerals, and organic acid contents were also observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the cheese revealed that inulin could improve the cheese structure. Meanwhile, inulin increased the likeliness of the cheese, and its probiotic viability remained above 10⁷ colony forming unit (CFU) per gram during ripening. Full article

Introduction: Safranal, which endows saffron its unique aroma, causes vasodilatation and has a hypotensive effect in animal studies, but the mechanisms of these effects are unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of safranal vasodilation. Methods: Isolated rat endothelium-intact or -denuded aortic rings were precontracted with phenylephrine and then relaxed with safranal. To further assess the involvement of nitric oxide, prostaglandins, guanylate cyclase, and phospholipase A₂ in safranal-induced vasodilation, aortic rings were preincubated with L-NAME, indomethacin, methylene blue, or quinacrine, respectively, then precontracted with phenylephrine, and safranal concentration–response curves were established. To explore the effects of safranal on Ca²⁺ influx, phenylephrine and CaCl₂ concentration–response curves were established in the presence of safranal. Furthermore, the effect of safranal on aortic rings in the presence of ouabain, a Na⁺-K⁺ ATPase inhibitor, was studied to explore the contribution of Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger to this vasodilation. Results: Safranal caused vasodilation in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings. The vasodilation was not eliminated by pretreatment with L-NAME, indomethacin, methylene blue, or quinacrine, indicating the lack of a role for NO/cGMP. Safranal significantly inhibited the maximum contractions induced by phenylephrine, or by CaCl₂ in Ca²⁺-free depolarizing buffer. Safranal also relaxed contractions induced by ouabain, but pretreatment with safranal totally abolished the development of ouabain contractions. Discussion/Conclusion: Inhibition of Na⁺-K⁺ ATPase by ouabain leads to the accumulation of Na⁺ intracellularly, forcing the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger to work in reverse mode, thus causing a contraction. Inhibition of the development of this contraction by preincubation with safranal indicates that safranal inhibited the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger. We conclude that safranal vasodilation is mediated by the inhibition of calcium influx from extracellular space through L-type Ca²⁺ channels and by the inhibition of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger. Full article

Background: Anaemia is a condition characterised by a decrease in the concentration of haemoglobin (Hb) in the blood. Anaemia suffers under five years children about 47.4% and 67.6% worldwide and developing countries including Ethiopia, respectively. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate and the associated socio-economic, geographic and demographic factors of anaemia status of under five years children in Ethiopia. Methods: The data for this study were obtained from the 2011 Ethiopia National Malaria Indicator Survey (EMIS 2011). A sample of 4356 under five years age children was obtained from three regional states of Ethiopia. Based on haemoglobin level, child anaemia status was ordered and takes an ordinal value as no anaemia, mild anaemia, moderate anaemia and severe anaemia, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression model, specifically the proportional odds model was used by considering with and without survey design features. Results: Of the 4356 complete cases, 2190 (50.28%) were male and 1966 (49.72%) were female children under five years old. The children overall mean (SD) age was 2.68 (1.21) years. It was observed that both the mean ages and their variabilities in the regions are approximately equal to the overall mean and variability. It was also observed that in Amhara, Oromiya and SNNP regions 72.28%, 67.99% and 73.63% of the children, respectively had no anaemia; 15.93%, 13.47% and 13.56% of the children, respectively had mild anaemia; 10.99%, 15.61% and 11.33% of the children, respectively had moderate anaemia; and only 0.81%, 2.93% and 1.49% had severe anaemia, respectively. The prevalence of severe child anaemia status was higher in Oromiya region compared to Amhara and SNNP regions, respectively. Our result indicates that age, use of mosquito net, malaria RDT outcome, type of toilet facility, household wealth index, region and median altitude were significantly related to child anaemia status. However, it was observed that some covariates were model dependent, for example household wealth index and type of toilet facility were not significant when considering survey features. Conclusions: Anaemia burden remains high particularly in developing countries. Controlling the burden of anaemia necessitates the formulation of integrated interventions which prioritise the highest risk groups including children under five years. The statistical model used in this paper identified individual, household and cluster level risk factors of child anaemia. The identified risk factors for example not having improved toilet facility in the dwelling where a child lived as well as poorest household wealth index suggest the policymakers should target to focus more on children from poor community. Further, the strong association between malaria infection and anaemia suggests that malaria preventative methods such as vector control methods namely, long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying of households with insecticides and including case diagnostic testing and treatment may be the most effective ways to reduce infections associated with anaemia. Such collective assessment approach may lead to more effective public health strategies and could have important policy implications for health promotion and for the reduction of health disparities. Full article

Seaweeds have a long history of use as both food and medicine, especially in Asian cultures. Moreover, there is growing interest in the use of seaweed ingredients and bioactive compounds in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. One ailment that seaweed bioactive compounds may impact is hypertension caused by the enzyme Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 1 (ACE-1; EC 3.4.15.1), found within the Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS), which causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels, including veins and arteries. The aim of this paper is to generate bioactive peptide containing protein hydrolysates from the brown seaweed Laminaria digitata (Hudson) JV Lamouroux 1813. Proteins were extracted from this seaweed by disrupting the seaweed cell wall using a combination of carbohydrases and proteolytic enzymes. Bioactive peptide containing permeates were generated from L. digitata protein hydrolysates, and both hydrolysates and permeates were screened for their ability to inhibit the enzyme ACE-1. The protein content of the permeate fractions was found to be 23.87% compared to the untreated seaweed, which contained 15.08% protein using LECO analysis. Hydrolysis and filtration resulted in a “white” protein powder, and the protein content of this powder increased by 9% compared to the whole seaweed. The total amino acid (TAA) content of the L. digitata protein permeate was 53.65 g/100 g of the sample, and contains over 32% essential amino acids (EAA). Furthermore, the L. digitata permeate was found to inhibit the ACE-1 enzyme by 75% when compared to the commercial drug Captopril© when assayed at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. The inhibition of ACE-1 (the IC₅₀ value) of 590 µg/mL for the L. digitata permeate compares well with Captopril©, which had 100% inhibition of ACE-1, with an IC₅₀ value of 500 µg/mL. This study indicates that there is potential to develop protein powders with ACE-1 inhibitory bioactivities from the brown seaweed L. digitata using enzymatic hydrolysis as a cell disruption and protein extraction/hydrolysate generation procedure. Full article

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of acridone alkaloids on cancer cell lines and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The ten acridone alkaloids from Atalantia monophyla were screened for cytotoxicity against LNCaP cell lines by a WST-8 assay. Then, the most potential acridone, buxifoliadine E, was evaluated on four types of cancer cells, namely prostate cancer (LNCaP), neuroblastoma (SH SY5Y), hepatoblastoma (HepG2), and colorectal cancer (HT29). The results showed that buxifoliadine E was able to significantly inhibit the proliferation of all four types of cancer cells, having the most potent cytotoxicity against the HepG2 cell line. Western blotting analysis was performed to assess the expression of signaling proteins in the cancer cells. In HepG2 cells, buxifoliadine E induced changes in the levels of Bid as well as cleaved caspase-3 and Bax through MAPKs, including Erk and p38. Moreover, the binding interaction between buxifoliadine E and Erk was investigated by using the Autodock 4.2.6 and Discovery Studio programs. The result showed that buxifoliadine E bound at the ATP-binding site, located at the interface between the N- and C-terminal lobes of Erk2. The results of this study indicate that buxifoliadine E suppressed cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting the Erk pathway. Full article

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of a specific oral nutritional supplement among patients recovered from COVID-19 but suffering symptoms of fatigue. Methods: This is an observational case–control study involving a sample of 66 COVID-19 survivors divided in two groups, 33 subjects in the intervention group who received the nutritional supplement and 33 subjects in the control group. The nutritional supplement received by subjects in the active group was based on amino acids; vitamin B6 and B1; and malic, succinic and citric acids. After an 8-week follow-up, the main outcomes considered were skeletal muscle index (measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis), physical performance measures (handgrip strength, one-minute chair–stand test, six-minute walking test), and quality of life (using EuroQol visual analogue scale). Results: All the considered areas increased significantly in the subjects receiving the active treatment with oral nutritional supplement in comparison with the baseline values. After adjusting for age, gender, and baseline values, skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength test, the one-minute chair–stand test, and six-minute walking test values were higher among participants in the treatment group compared with subjects in control group. The oral nutritional supplement significantly improved the handgrip strength; similarly, participants in the active group showed a higher improvement in skeletal muscle index, the one-minute chair–stand test, the six-minute walking test, and in quality of life. Conclusion: The nutritional supplement containing nine essential amino acids plus cysteine; vitamin B6 and B1; and malic, succinic and citric acids had a positive effect on nutritional status, functional recovery, and quality of life in COVID-19 survivors still suffering from fatigue. Additional controlled clinical trials are required to corroborate these results. Full article

Berry consumption has beneficial effects on blood pressure. Intestinal microbiota transform berry phytochemicals into more bioactive forms. Thus, we performed a systematic review of randomized clinical trials to determine whether berry polyphenols in foods, extracts or supplements have effects on both the profile of gut microbiota and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in humans. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts (EBSCOhost) were searched for randomized clinical trials in humans published from 1 January 2011 to 29 October 2021. Search results were imported into Covidence for screening and data extraction by two blinded reviewers, who also performed bias assessment independently. The literature search identified 216 publications; after duplicates were removed, 168 publications were screened with 12 full-text publications assessed for eligibility. Ultimately three randomized clinical trials in humans met the eligibility criteria. One randomized clinical trial showed a low risk of bias while the other two randomized clinical trials included low, high or unclear risk of bias. Together the randomized clinical trials showed that berry consumption (Aronia berry, strawberries, raspberries, cloudberries and bilberries) for 8–12 weeks had no significant effect on both blood pressure and the gut microbiota. More randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the effects of berry consumption on the profile of gut microbiota and blood pressure in humans. Full article

Sleep is one of the most essential factors required to maintain good health. However, the global prevalence of insomnia is increasing, and caffeine intake is a major trigger. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of black pepper, Piper nigrum extract (PE), on caffeine-induced sleep disruption and excitation in mice. Caffeine significantly decreased sleep duration in the pentobarbital-induced sleep test. It also resulted in a significant increase in sleep onset and a decrease in non-rapid eye movement sleep. Moreover, in an open-field test, caffeine-treated mice exhibited a significantly increased time in the center zone and total distance traveled. However, the co-administration of caffeine and PE did not result in similar arousal activities. Thus, our results suggest that PE can be used as a potential therapeutic agent to treat sleep problems and excitatory status associated with caffeine intake. Full article

Different alcoholic beverages and drinking patterns might exert divergent impacts on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) progression. Whether the abundant non-alcoholic components (NAC) in fermented wine could alleviate ethanol (EtOH)-induced adverse influences on the liver remains unknown. Hence, the chronic ALD mouse model was established to compare the effects of Huangjiu (a typical fermented wine) and EtOH feeding on the liver, intestinal barrier, gut microbiota, and intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content. Although Huangjiu intake led to slight hepatic steatosis, it mitigated oxidative stress, inflammation, and intestinal damage relative to EtOH intake. In comparison with EtOH feeding, Huangjiu significantly improved the intestinal barrier integrity and reduced hepatic lipopolysaccharide levels by up-regulating the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and occludin) and antimicrobial activity peptides (Reg3β and Reg3γ). The administration of Huangjiu NAC partially restored alcohol-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis via recovering the abundance of Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum, and Akkermansia. Moreover, mice receiving Huangjiu showed higher SCFAs levels (such as acetic acid and butyric acid) than those receiving EtOH. Huangjiu consumption resulted in lower hepatotoxicity than pure EtOH, at the same alcohol dose. The NAC in Huangjiu might attenuate the progression of ALD by regulating intestinal barrier function and microbiota-meditated gut ecology. Full article

There are limited studies on neuroprotection from repeated subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) following docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation in contact sports athletes. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group design trial to determine the impact of 26 weeks of DHA+EPA supplementation (n = 12) vs. placebo (high-oleic safflower oil) (n = 17) on serum concentrations of neurofilament light (NfL), a biomarker of axonal injury, and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a)) in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I American football athletes. DHA+EPA supplementation increased (p < 0.01) plasma DHA and EPA concentrations throughout the treatment period. NfL concentrations increased from baseline to week 26 in both groups (treatment (<0.001); placebo (p < 0.05)), with starting players (vs. non-starters) showing significant higher circulating concentrations at week 26 (p < 0.01). Fish oil (DHA+EPA) supplementation did not mitigate the adverse effects of RSHI, as measured by NfL levels; however, participants with the highest plasma DHA+EPA concentrations tended to have lower NfL levels. DHA+EPA supplementation had no effects on inflammatory cytokine levels at any of the timepoints tested. These findings emphasize the need for effective strategies to protect American football participants from the effects of RSHI. Full article

Oral cannabidiol (CBD) consumption is widespread in North America and Europe, as it has analgesic, neuroprotective and antitumor effects. Although oral CBD consumption in humans affords beneficial effects in epileptic and inflammatory states, its pharmacokinetics and subsequent uptake into tissue are largely unknown. This study investigated plasma pharmacokinetics and accumulation of CBD in gastrocnemius muscle, liver and adipose tissue in adult rats following oral gavage. CBD was fed relative to body mass at 0 (control), 30, 115, or 230 mg/Kg/day for 28 days; with 6 males and 6 females per dosing group. Pharmacokinetics were assessed on day 1 and day 28 in the group receiving CBD at 115 mg/Kg/day. The rise in tissue CBD was closely related to specific pharmacokinetic parameters, and adipose tissue levels were ~10 to ~100 fold greater than liver or muscle. Tissue CBD levels were moderately correlated between adipose and muscle, and adipose and liver, but were highly correlated for liver and muscle. CBD feeding resulted in several gender-specific effects, including changes in pharmacokinetics, relationships between pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue CBD and differences in tissue CBD levels. CBD accumulation in mammalian tissues has the potential to influence receptor binding and metabolism; therefore, the present findings may have relevance for developing oral dosing regimens. Full article

The effects of cooked lean pork batters with three ionic types of polysaccharides (anionic xanthan-gum/sodium-alginate, neutral curdlan-gum/konjac-gum and cationic chitosan) on the intestinal health of mice were investigated in this study. The results showed that the zeta potential in the sodium-alginate group (−31.35 mV) was higher (p < 0.05) than that in the chitosan group (−26.00 mV), thus promoting the protein hydrolysis in the anionic group because of electrostatic repulsion. The content of total free amino acids in the small intestine in the xanthan-gum and sodium-alginate groups (2754.68 μg and 2733.72 μg, respectively) were higher (p < 0.05) than that in the chitosan group (1949.78 μg), which could decrease the amount of undigested protein entering the colon. The two anionic groups could also increase the abundance of Lactobacillus and the balance of Faecalibaculum and Alistipes in the colon. The content of proinflammatory factor IL−6 of colon tissues in the sodium-alginate group (1.02 ng/mL) was lower (p < 0.05) than that in chitosan, curdlan-gum and konjac-gum groups (1.29, 1.31 and 1.31 ng/mL, respectively). The result of haematoxylin-eosin staining of the colon also revealed that sodium alginate was beneficial for colonic health. The two neutral groups increased the content of faecal short-chain fatty acids in mice. These results demonstrated that anionic polysaccharides have potential for developing functional low-fat meat products. Full article

Psoriasis is reported to be a common chronic immune-mediated skin disease characterized by abnormal keratinocytes and cell proliferation. Perilla leaves are rich in essential oils, fatty acids, and flavonoids, which are recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the alleviating effect of essential oil (PO) extracted from Perilla frutescens stems and leaves on imiquimod (IMQ) -induced psoriasis-like lesions in BALB/c mice were investigated. Results showed that PO ameliorated psoriasis-like lesions in vivo, reduced the expression of lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D (Ly-6G), which is a marker of neutrophil activation, and inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). In addition, PO significantly decreased the expression of cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1, interleukin 23 (IL-23), interleukin 17 (IL-17), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). Furthermore, the down-regulation of mRNA levels of psoriasis-related pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-17, interleukin 22 (IL-22), IL-23, interferon-α (IFN-α), and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was observed with the treatment of PO. All results show a concentration dependence of PO, with low concentrations showing the best results. These results suggest that PO effectively alleviated psoriasis-like skin lesions and down-regulated inflammatory responses, which indicates that PO could potentially be used for further studies on inflammation-related skin diseases such as psoriasis and for the treatment of psoriasis such as psoriasis natural plant essential oil resources. Full article

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) is a natural colorant with anti-diabetic properties, while its underlying mechanisms remain far from clear. Here, we investigated the protective role of C3G on palmitic acid (PA)-induced pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and further decipher its possible molecular mechanisms. Both primary isolated mouse islets and the INS-1E cell were used, and treated with a mixture of PA (0.5 mM) and C3G (12.5 µM, 25 µM, 50 µM) for different durations (12, 24, 48 h). We found that C3G could dose-dependently ameliorate beta cell secretory function and further alleviate cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the primary role of the PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway was detected by RNA sequencing, and the PERK-pathway-related protein expression, especially the pro-apoptotic marker C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) expression, was significantly downregulated by C3G treatment. The critical role of CHOP in mediating the protective effect of C3G was further validated by small interfering RNA. Conclusively, C3G could ameliorate PA-induced pancreatic beta cell dysfunction targeting the CHOP-related ER stress pathway, which might be used as a nutritional intervention for the preservation of beta cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Full article

Microalgae are a known source of proteins, prebiotics, lipids, small molecules, anti-oxidants and bioactives with health benefits that can be harnessed for the development of functional foods, feeds, cosmeceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This review collates information on the supply, processing costs, target markets and value of microalgae, as well as microalgal proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. It discusses the potential impact that microalgae could have on global food and feed supply and highlights gaps that exist with regards to the use of microalgal proteins and ingredients as foods and supplements. Full article

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) have been proven to possess a wide range of biological activities, but complex structures limit their study of structure–function relationships. Therefore, an efficient and general method using hydrophilic interaction high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-QTOF-MS) was established to analyze PACs from different plant materials. This method was successfully applied to characterize PACs from Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) leaves (BLPs), sorghum testa (STPs) and grape seeds (GSPs). BLPs with the degree of polymerization (DP) from 1 to 8 were separated. BLPs are mainly B-type prodelphinidins and A-type BLPs were first found in this study. STPs and GSPs belonging to procyanidins showed DP from 3 to 11 and 2 to 12, respectively. A-type linkages were found for every DP of STPs and GSPs, which were first found. These results showed that HILIC-QTOF-MS can be successfully applied for analyzing PACs from different plant materials, which is necessary for the prediction of their potential health benefits. Full article

Horchata is a natural drink obtained from tiger nut tubers (Cyperus esculentus L.). It has a pleasant milky aspect and nutty flavor; some health benefits have been traditionally attributed to it. This study evaluated the effects of an unprocessed horchata drink on the gut microbiota of healthy adult volunteers (n = 31) who consumed 300 mL of natural, unprocessed horchata with no added sugar daily for 3 days. Although there were no apparent microbial profile changes induced by horchata consumption in the studied population, differences could be determined when volunteers were segmented by microbial clusters. Three distinctive enterogroups were identified previous to consuming horchata, respectively characterized by the relative abundances of Blautia and Lachnospira (B1), Bacteroides (B2) and Ruminococcus and Bifidobacterium (B3). After consuming horchata, samples of all volunteers were grouped into two clusters, one enriched in Akkermansia, Christenellaceae and Clostridiales (A1) and the other with a remarkable presence of Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium and Lachnospira (A2). Interestingly, the impact of horchata was dependent on the previous microbiome of each individual, and its effect yielded microbial profiles associated with butyrate production, which are typical of a Mediterranean or vegetable/fiber-rich diet and could be related to the presence of high amylose starch and polyphenols. Full article

Osteoporosis is characterized by reduction in bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of the bone, which causes bone fragility and fracture susceptibility. Ishige sinicola, a brown alga, reportedly affects osteoblast differentiation. However, its protective effect on estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of I. sinicola extract (ISE) on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss in vivo and osteoclastogenesis in vitro. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the sham-operated (SHAM) group and four OVX subgroups: SHAM, OVX, ISE20 (20 mg/kg), ISE200 (200 mg/kg), and estradiol (10 μg/kg). After 6 weeks of treatment, the bone mineral density (BMD), femur indices, and serum biomarker levels were measured. Furthermore, the effects of ISE on osteoclastogenesis and the expression of osteoclast-specific markers were measured. ISE administration improved the trabecular bone structure, bone biomechanical properties, BMD, and bone mineralization degree. In addition, the levels of serum bone turnover markers were decreased in the ISE group compared with those in the OVX group. Moreover, ISE inhibited osteoclast formation by downregulating NFATc1, TRAP, c-Src, c-Fos, and cathepsin K without any cytotoxic effects on RANKL-induced osteoclast formation. Therefore, we suggest that ISE has therapeutic potential in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Full article

It is well established that C-glucosidic ellagitannins contribute to wine quality, and new forms of ellagitannins have been found recently in cognac eaux-de-vie. The contribution of some ellagitannin-derived spirit compounds to eaux-de-vie taste has been demonstrated recently. However, there is a gap in our knowledge of the content, composition, and evolution of C-glucosidic ellagitannins in this matrix. Indeed, the quantification of these compounds and their evolutionary compounds have never before been researched in cognac eaux-de-vie. Thus, the aim of this study was not only to quantify these compounds, but also to study their kinetics and to observe how they are impacted by barrel toasting. For this purpose, barrels representing eight different toasting levels were used to age the same eau-de-vie during the first 18 months. Ellagitannin quantification was carried out by HPLC-Triple quadrupole. The results showed that the evolutionary trend of the eight ellagitannins is the same for all eight types of barrel toasting. The maximum concentrations of C-glucosidic ellagitannins were found after 3 months of aging (up to 23 mg/L) before decreasing to 18 months (9.7 mg/L), whereas ellagitannin-derived spirit compound concentrations increased throughout aging (up to 130.9 mg/L). In addition, barrel toasting had such an impact on ellagitannin content that barrels could be differentiated according to their levels. Eaux-de-vie in barrels with high toasting were lower in ellagitannins concentrations. Full article

Background: Piper excelsum (kawakawa) is an endemic shrub of Aotearoa, New Zealand, of cultural and medicinal importance to Māori. Its fruits and leaves are often consumed. These tissues contain several compounds that have been shown to be biologically active and which may underpin its putative health-promoting effects. The current study investigates whether kawakawa tea can modulate postprandial glucose metabolism. Methods: We report a pilot three-arm randomized crossover study to assess the bioavailability of kawakawa tea (BOKA-T) in six male participants with each arm having an acute intervention of kawakawa tea (4 g/250 mL water; 1 g/250 mL water; water) and a follow-up two-arm randomized crossover study to assess the impact of acute kawakawa tea ingestion on postprandial glucose metabolism in healthy human volunteers (TOAST) (4 g/250 mL water; and water; n = 30 (15 male and 15 female)). Participants consumed 250 mL of kawakawa tea or water control within each study prior to consuming a high-glycemic breakfast. Pre- and postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured, and the Matsuda index was calculated to measure insulin sensitivity. Results: In the BOKA-T study, lower plasma glucose (p < 0.01) and insulin (p < 0.01) concentrations at 60 min were observed after consumption of a high-dose kawakawa tea in comparison to low-dose or water. In the TOAST study, only plasma insulin (p = 0.01) was lower at 60 min in the high-dose kawakawa group compared to the control group. Both studies showed a trend towards higher insulin sensitivity in the high-dose kawakawa group compared to water only. Conclusions: Consuming kawakawa tea may modulate postprandial glucose metabolism. Further investigations with a longer-term intervention study are warranted. Full article

Reactive oxygen and carbonyl species promote oxidative and carbonyl stress, and the development of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and others. The traditional herb Cistus × incanus is known for its antioxidant properties; therefore, the current study aimed to assess how the chemical composition of a C. incanus water infusion corresponds with its antioxidative and antiglycative effects in vitro. The composition of infusions prepared from commercial products was analyzed with UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and non-flavonoid polyphenols were determined. Antioxidant activity of infusions and selected polyphenols was investigated using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. Fluorometric measurements and methylglyoxal capture were performed to investigate the antiglycation activity. PCA and PLS-DA models were applied to explore the correlation between chemical and antioxidant results. The principal flavonoids in C. incanus were flavonols. In vitro tests revealed that a stronger antioxidant effect was demonstrated by plant material from Turkey rich in flavonoids, followed by Albania and Greece. Flavonols and ellagic acid displayed stronger antiradical and reducing power than EA-derived urolithins. Hyperoside was the most potent inhibitor of glycation. The results indicate that flavonoids are primarily responsible for rock rose antioxidant and antiglycation properties. PLS-DA modeling can be used to identify the origin of plant material with sensitivity and specificity exceeding 86%. Full article

We report here the purification of a novel metal-binding protein from Oratosquilla oratoria (O. oratoria MT-1) by gel and ion-exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analyses demonstrated that isolated O. oratoria MT-1 was of high purity with a molecular weight of 12.4 kDa. The fluorescence response to SBD-F derivatives revealed that O. oratoria MT-1 contained a large number of sulfhydryl groups, which is a general property of metallothioneins. Zn and Cu metal stoichiometries for O. oratoria MT-1 were 3.97:1 and 0.55:1, respectively. The proportion of cysteine (Cys) residues in the amino acid composition was 32.69%, and aromatic amino acids were absent. The peptide sequence coverage with Macrobrachium rosenbergii calmodulin (accession AOA3S8FSK5) was 60%. Infrared spectroscopy of O. oratoria MT-1 revealed two obvious peaks at absorption frequencies for the amide I band and the amide II band. CD spectra revealed that the secondary structure was mainly composed of random coil (57.6%) and β-sheet (39.9%). An evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activity revealed that isolated O. oratoria MT-1 has strong reducing activities, exhibiting scavenging rates for DPPH and OH of 77.8% and 75.8%, respectively (IC₅₀ values 0.57 mg/mL and 1.1 mg/mL). O. oratoria MT-1 may be used as a functional additive in cosmetics, health foods, and medical products, as well as a reference material for quantitative analysis of metallothionein in such products. Full article

Browning of adipocytes using herbal extracts is an attractive and realistic strategy for obesity treatment. Ephedra sinica Stapf (E. sinica) is an Asian traditional medicine known to activate brown adipocytes. To evaluate the effect of E. sinica (EEs) on the browning of white adipocytes, expression levels of browning markers, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), were determined using qPCR, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry after mature mouse inguinal preadipocyte (mIPA) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were treated with EEs. In addition, mitochondrial activity was determined by analyzing MitoTracker staining, mtDNA copy number, and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Treatment with EEs suppressed lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenic markers, including Pparg, during mIPA differentiation. In mature mIPA and hADSCs browning markers, including Ucp1, were up-regulated by EEs. In addition, EEs increased expression of mitochondrial genes, mtDNA copy number, and OCR. EEs showed a dual function: inhibiting adipogenesis in immature preadipocytes, and promoting thermogenesis via browning in mature white adipocytes. Therefore, E. sinica is a potential herb for regulating energy metabolism by inducing the browning process. Full article

Raffino-oligosaccharide (ROS), the smallest oligosaccharide of the raffinose family, is a novel food ingredient. However, the anti-constipation effects of ROS remain obscure. This study investigates the anti-constipation effects of ROS based on the loperamide-induced mice model and reveals the underlying mechanism using constipation parameters, neurotransmitter level, 16S rRNA sequencing, and the targeted screening strategy. The prevention effects were firstly investigated by the gastro-intestinal transit rate experiment (50 mice) and defecation status experiment (50 mice), which were divided into five groups (n = 10/group): blank, model, and low-, medium- and high-dose ROS. Furthermore, the slow-transit constipation experiment (blank, model, and high-dose ROS, n = 10/group) was conducted to illustrate the underlying mechanism. The results showed that ROS aided in preventing the occurrence of constipation by improving the gastro-intestinal transit rate and the defecation frequency in mice, and ROS significantly reduced the serum levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). In addition, ROS regulated the diversity and structure of intestinal flora. Among them, one specific family and six specific genera were significantly regulated in constipated mice. The targeted screening revealed that 29 targets related to the anti-constipation effects of ROS, indicating ROS may play a role by regulating multiple targets. Furthermore, the network pharmacology analysis showed that Akt1, Stat3, Mapk8, Hsp90aa1, Cat, Alb, Icam1, Sod2, and Gsk3b can be regarded as the core anti-constipation targets. In conclusion, ROS could effectively relieve constipation, possibly by inhibiting the level of neurotransmitters and regulating the gut flora in mice. This study also provides a novel network pharmacology-based targeted screening strategy to reveal the anti-constipation effects of ROS. Full article

In certain cases, people’s health can be compromised or medical treatment delayed as a result of their misplaced belief in false advertisements and purchasing of functional foods. These advertisements can be divided into three distinct types of claims: nutrition, health, and reduction in disease risk. This study analysed how, after consumers realise advertising violations, their intention to purchase functional foods with different claims are affected by the degree of consumer involvement (product, advertising, and situational involvement) and region of residence. A total of 1046 survey responses were collected for analysis. The results reveal that both product and advertising involvement influence purchase intention through the mediation of situational involvement. Residents in nonnorthern regions of Taiwan exhibited a greater effect of overall involvement on purchase intention than did those in the north. In addition, products and advertisements with health claims had a stronger effect on purchase intention than did those with nutrition and disease risk reduction claims. The results indicate that, for functional foods and advertisements with nutrition and health claims, the effects of overall involvement on nonnorthern residents’ purchase intentions were greater than those on the northern residents, but for functional foods with disease risk reduction claims, the effects were greater on the northern residents’ purchase intentions. Full article

Dioscorea hispida Dennst. locally known as “ubi gadung” has been used as a traditional remedy and source of carbohydrate among Malaysians. To assess the effect of Dioscorea hispida aqueous extract (DHAE) on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their effects on DNA damage in Sprague Dawley rat’s placental tissues, pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups. The animals were orally treated with distilled water (negative control) and three different concentrations of DHAE (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight (BW)) from gestation day 6 until 20. The oxidative stress in placental tissues was evaluated at day 21 by measuring the level of ROS, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation biomarker, malondialdehyde (MDA) while comet assay was used for DNA damage. There was no significant production of ROS and SOD activities in all groups. Significant changes were observed in the MDA level at 1000 mg/kg BW DHAE. Comet assay revealed a significant increase (p < 0.05) of DNA damage on animals treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg BW DHAE but not at the highest concentration. It was postulated that the placental cells could have undergone necrosis which destroys all components including DNA. This occurrence simultaneously reduces the levels of DNA damage which can be represented by lower level of tail moments. This finding correlates with our histopathological examination where necrotic cells of spongiotrophoblast were observed in the basal zone of placental tissue. The high amount of hydrogen cyanide and other compounds in 1000 mg/kg BW DHAE could elevate the lipid peroxidation and directly induce cell necrosis which requires further investigation. Full article

Lyciumruthenicum Murray (L. ruthenicum) has been used both as traditional Chinese medicine and food. Recent studies indicated that anthocyanins are the most abundant bioactive compounds in the L. ruthenicum fruits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects and the mechanism of the anthocycanins from the fruit of L. ruthenicum (ACN) in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. In total, 24 male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: control group (fed a normal diet), high-fat diet group (fed a high-fat diet, HFD), and HFD +ACN group (fed a high-fat diet and drinking distilled water that contained 0.8% crude extract of ACN). The results showed that ACN could significantly reduce the body weight, inhibit lipid accumulation in liver and white adipose tissue, and lower the serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to that of mice fed a high-fat diet. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterial DNA demonstrated that ACN prevent obesity by enhancing the diversity of cecal bacterial communities, lowering the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio, increasing the genera Akkermansia, and decreasing the genera Faecalibaculum. We also studied the inhibitory effect of ACN on pancreatic lipase. The results showed that ACN has a high affinity for pancreatic lipase and inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase, with IC50 values of 1.80 (main compound anthocyanin) and 3.03 mg/mL (crude extract), in a competitive way. Furthermore, fluorescence spectroscopy studies showed that ACN can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of pancreatic lipase via a static mechanism. Taken together, these findings suggest that the anthocyanins from L. ruthenicum fruits could have preventive effects in high-fat-diet induced obese mice by regulating the intestinal microbiota and inhibiting the pancreatic lipase activity. Full article

The purpose of this study was to develop two different functional breads (Pita and Tandoori) supplemented with novel functional ingredients: waxy wheat flour (15%), inulin (8%) and guar gum (2%) independently and in combination. The breads were submitted to sensory characteristics, shelf life, glycaemic and satiety indices assessments. Both guar gum and inulin independently and in combination significantly (p < 0.05) decreased post-prandial blood glucose and glycemic response of Pita (GI of guar gum bread was 55%, inulin 57%) and Tandoori (GI of guar gum bread was 57% and inulin bread was 60%) compared to the control breads (GI 100%). Moreover, the results of the area under the curve of satiety showed that the addition of functional ingredients increased satiety levels as follows: for Pita, control was 355, a combination of all ingredients was 418, inulin was 451 and guar gum was 452; for Tandoori, control was 329, a combination of all ingredients was 420, inulin was 381 and guar gum was 390. The results showed that all sensory characteristics were improved, and breads were acceptable (all obtained more than five points) when the highest proportions of ingredients were added. Similarly, the shelf life of supplemented Pita and Tandoori breads was improved with the addition of ingredients. Therefore, the functional ingredients such as inulin and guar gum can be used independently and in combination to reduce GI and increase satiety of Pita and Tandoori bread with acceptable quality and shelf life. Full article

Food safety is a critical problem that impacts everyone worldwide. Many countries around the world are becoming increasingly reliant on the availability and safety of their food supply. Despite growing public consciousness about food-related dangers, the growth in food poisoning cases implies that individuals continue to make food consumption, food storage, and food preparation decisions that are less than optimal from a health and safety standpoint. The aim of this study was to assess Saudi Arabia’s households’ knowledge and practices of food safety. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge of food safety and practices among a group of households in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp), and emails communications were distributed. A total of 309 adults (age range 18–59 years) participated in the study. In general, there were no differences between regions regarding the knowledge of food safety. Additionally, most of the participants had good practices of food safety. The findings of our study show that the gender, age, and educational level are factors that have an impact on the knowledge of food safety among respondents. Regarding food safety practices, in general, the results show that the participants had good practices. Therefore, organizations should focus on educational programs, training, holding workshops and activities in public places such as malls, schools, and home visit to improve and increases food safety knowledge and practices. Full article

Green mandarins are widely consumed unripe as mandarin oranges (Citrus unshiu Marcov.), which exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle effects by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was performed to verify the skin improvement efficacy and safety of green mandarin extract (PTE). For the standardization of PTE, narirutin was set as a marker compound, and PTE with a constant narirutin content was prepared for the study. After randomizing subjects with periorbital wrinkles, they were orally administered PTE (300 mg/day) or a placebo for 12 weeks. Periorbital wrinkles were measured using PRIMOS^CR SF. Skin elasticity, moisture content, transepidermal water loss, and gloss were also measured. In the study results, the depth, volume, and skin roughness of the periorbital wrinkles were significantly improved compared to the control group (p = 0.011, 0.009, and 0.004, respectively). The survey confirmed that the skin condition improved after PTE consumption for 12 weeks. No adverse reactions associated with PTE were observed during the study period. Thus, the results demonstrate that PTE effectively improves UV-induced skin wrinkles. Therefore, it is considered that PTE has sufficient value as a functional food ingredient that can prevent skin aging. Full article

(1) Background: The current research intended to obtain functional compounds from agricultural by-products. A functional tea seed flavonoid, kaempferol-3-O-[2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-6-O-α-L-rhanmopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside (KXRG), was isolated from tea seed dregs. We further determined its chemical structure and evaluated the protective effects of KXRG against local and systemic inflammation in vivo; (2) Methods: First, cytotoxicity and proinflammatory cytokine release were examined in a cell-culture system. The biological activities of KXRG were investigated in a mouse model of ear edema, and from inflammatory damage to organs as demonstrated by histologic examination, in addition to brain function evaluation using the Y-maze test. Serum biochemical analysis and western blotting were utilized to explore the related cellular factors; (3) Results: KXRG inhibited IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells at a non-toxic concentration. Further experiments confirmed that KXRG exerted a stronger effect than indomethacin in terms of the prevention of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced ear inflammation in a mouse model. KXRG feeding significantly prevented LPS-induced small intestine, liver, and kidney inflammatory damage, as demonstrated by histologic examination. KXRG also significantly improved LPS-induced cognitive impairments. Serum biochemical analysis showed that KXRG elevated antioxidant capacity and reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Western blotting revealed that KXRG reduced the COX-2 expression induced by LPS in mouse tissues; (4) Conclusions: KXRG can be purified from agricultural waste, and hence it is inexpensive, with large amounts of raw materials available. Thus, KXRG has strong potential for further development as a wide-use anti-systemic inflammation drug to prevent human disease. Full article

Tropomyosin (TM) is an important crustacean (Scylla paramamosain) allergen. This study aimed to assess Maillard-reacted TM (TM-G) induction of allergenic responses with cell and mouse models. We analyzed the difference of sensitization and the ability to induce immune tolerance between TM and TM-G by in vitro and in vivo models, then we compared the relationship between glycation sites of TM-G and epitopes of TM. In the in vitro assay, we discovered that the sensitization of TM-G was lower than TM, and the ability to stimulate mast cell degranulation decreased from 55.07 ± 4.23% to 27.86 ± 3.21%. In the serum of sensitized Balb/c mice, the level of specific IgE produced by TM-G sensitized mice was significantly lower than TM, and the levels of interleukins 4 and interleukins 13 produced by Th2 cells in spleen lymphocytes decreased by 82.35 ± 5.88% and 83.64 ± 9.09%, respectively. In the oral tolerance model, the ratio of Th2/Th1 decreased from 4.05 ± 0.38 to 1.69 ± 0.19. Maillard reaction masked the B cell epitopes of TM and retained some T cell epitopes. Potentially, Maillard reaction products (MRPs) can be used as tolerance inducers for allergen-specific immunotherapy. Full article

The fruits of Rosa roxburghii (R. roxburghii) Tratt., which are rich in bioactive compounds, provide numerous health benefits, yet the overall metabolism of R. roxburghii fruits and the metabolic profiles among different genotypes of R. roxburghii fruits are not fully understood. In the research, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis to identify and quantify metabolites including phenolic acids, amino acids, and organic acids in six R. roxburghii genotypes; a total of 723 metabolites were identified. Comparative analysis showed some different characteristic metabolites in each genotype. Moreover, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and phenolic acids were significantly correlated with the antioxidant capacity of the fruit extract. Our results suggest that R. roxburghii fruits have rich bioactive metabolites beneficial to human health and that Rr-7 and Rr-f have more potential to be used as medicinal material or functional food than other genotypes. This research provides helpful information for developing new functional foods of R. roxburghii genotypes. Full article

This study explores the underlying psychological structure of purchasing value-added pulse products. It expands the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model by incorporating an emotional factor and explains consumers’ attitudes and subsequent behavioral intentions in the context of value-added pulse products (VAPPs). The study results showed the significant effect of pride on the purchase intention of value-added pulse products, as well as the moderating effect of perceived barriers on some of the relationships among the variables. Although value-added pulse products are emerging as a means of income maximization in the agri-food industry, there is a lack of understanding about consumers who purchase these products. This study fills the gap by developing a research framework for agriculture-related businesses. The findings may provide further insights into consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in consuming agri-foods, thereby assisting pulse producers and marketers to develop a more effective marketing strategy. Full article

Whey protein is a common food additive for enhancing product stability and texture, while phenolics are considered food antioxidants. As a consequence, combining whey protein with phenolics is an effective way to improve protein functionality while also maintaining polyphenol bioactivity. Herein, the functional properties and antioxidant activity of whey protein modified with various types and concentrations of oxidized phenolic compounds, including gallic acid (OGA), ferulic acid (OFA), and tannic acid (OTA), were studied. In general, the modified whey protein had a decrease in free amino content, but an increase in total phenolic content. Whey protein modified with 5% OTA showed the highest total phenolic content and the lowest free amino content. Modification of whey protein with OTA and OGA resulted in a loss of surface hydrophobicity in contrast to whey protein modified with OFA. However, no significant difference in surface activity including foam and emulsion properties in the whey protein with/without modification was observed. The modified whey protein had an increase in antioxidant activity when compared with that of the control. Full article

Accumulating evidence points to a critical role of the brain gut axis as an important paradigm for many central nervous system diseases. Recent studies suggest that propolis has obvious neuroprotective properties and functionality in regulating intestinal bacteria flora, hinting at a potential key effect at both terminals of this axis regulation. However, currently no clear evidence confirms the effects of propolis on alcohol-induced depression. Here, we establish an alcoholic depression model with C57BL/6J mice and demonstrate that treatment with propolis protects against alcohol-induced depressive symptoms by behavioral tests. In addition, propolis attenuates the injury of nerve cells in the hippocampal region and restores the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine (DA) in mice with alcohol-induced depression. Pathology and biotin tracer assays show that propolis repairs the intestinal leakage caused by alcohol. Additionally, propolis treatment increases the expression levels of intestinal intercellular tight junctions’ (TJs’) structural proteins Claudin-1, Occludin and zona occludens-1 (ZO-1), as well as the activation state of the liver kinase B1/AMP-activated protein kinase (LKB1/AMPK) signaling pathway, which is closely related to the intestinal permeability. Furthermore, propolis can reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and fatty-acid-binding protein 2 (FABP2), suggesting the significance of the inflammatory response in alcoholic depression. Collectively, our findings indicate that propolis exerted an improving effect on alcohol-induced depressive symptoms by ameliorating brain gut dysfunction. Full article

Saw palmetto berry extract (SPE) is the most commonly consumed supplement by men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The oral administration of SPE was previously shown to significantly attenuate urodynamic symptoms in the hyperactive bladders of female rats by increasing bladder capacity and prolonging the micturition interval. The amelioration of urodynamic symptoms by SPE may be partly attributed to its binding to muscarinic receptors in the urinary bladder and its inhibition of vanilloid receptors on afferent nerves. Therefore, SPE may be pharmacologically effective at mitigating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women. The efficacy and safety of a 12-week treatment with SPE in adult women with urinary symptoms were examined herein. The daytime frequency score in the core lower urinary symptom score (CLSS) questionnaire was significantly lower in women with LUTS treated with SPE for 12 weeks than in the placebo group. A subgroup analysis revealed that SPE alleviated the symptoms of daytime frequency (CLSS Q1) and nocturia (CLSS Q2) in a subset of subjects with a CLSS Q5 score of 1 or higher. The daytime frequency of urination in overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) Q1 was also significantly improved by the SPE treatment. In conclusion, the present study is the first to demonstrate the potential of SPE to mitigate LUTS in adult women. Full article

Background: Many studies that use food containing Panax genus plants (PGPs) have been conducted but most of them have not mentioned the effective compounds ginsenosides and their composition. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of time to exhaustion as an index of exercise endurance with ingestion of PGPs or ginsenosides to reveal their effects. Methods: We performed a systematic review with a comprehensive and structured literature search using seven literature databases, four clinical trial databases, and three general web search engines during 15–22 March 2021. A random-effects model was applied to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) as the difference between the mean in the treatment and placebo groups. We evaluated the risk of bias of individual studies along with the risk of bias tool in the Cochrane handbook. This study was funded by Maruzen Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Hiroshima, Japan). The protocol for this study was registered with the UMIN-CTR (No. UMIN000043341). Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The number of total participants was 90, with 59 in the ingestion-PGPs group and 64 in the control group, because three studies were crossover-design trials. We found that ingestion of PGPs or ginsenosides significantly improved exercise endurance (SMD [95% CI]: 0.58 [0.22–0.95], I² = 0%). It was suggested that ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rg₁) and PGPs extract containing Rg₁ were significantly effective in improving exercise endurance (SMD [95% CI]: 0.70 [0.14–1.27], I² = 30%) by additional analysis. Conclusions: This systematic review suggests that the ingestion of PGPs or ginsenosides, especially Rg₁, is effective in improving exercise endurance in healthy adults. However, further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required because imprecision and publication bias cannot be ignored in this systematic review. Full article

A meta-analysis has been widely applied to draw general conclusions using a set of studies with similar purposes and designs. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis of six randomized placebo-controlled trials, independently conducted for the relationship between a plant-based multivitamin/mineral supplementation (PMS) and oxidative stress for 6 to 8 weeks, to provide overall estimates of those effects. In detail, linear mixed model analysis was first conducted on each study to obtain individual estimates; then, two types of meta-analysis were applied to combine the individual estimates from all available studies (overall meta-analysis) and region-specific studies (subgroup meta-analysis). In the meta-analysis, we selected 19 biomarker variables that overlapped in at least two studies and found 6 variables significant in at least one meta-analysis. The overall estimates of beta coefficients were 0.17 for vitamin C, 0.80 for vitamin B₆, 0.46 for vitamin B₁₂, 0.81 for folate, 0.36 for β-carotene, and −0.17 for oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). Subsequent association analysis revealed significant negative correlations between plasma free radical scavenging nutrients and plasma ox-LDL levels, indicating a general benefit of PMS in alleviating oxidative stress by providing exogenous oxidant scavengers. Full article

Cancer is a major disease with a high mortality rate worldwide. In many countries, cancer is considered to be the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. The clinical management of cancer continues to be a challenge as conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, have limitations due to their toxicity profiles. Unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits are the key risk factors for cancer; having a healthy diet and lifestyle may minimize the risk. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high fruit and vegetable intake in our regular diet can effectively reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers due to the high contents of antioxidants and phytochemicals. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that phytochemicals exert significant anticancer effects due to their free radical scavenging capacity potential. There has been extensive research on the protective effects of phytochemicals in different types of cancers. This review attempts to give an overview of the etiology of different types of cancers and assesses the role of phytonutrients in the prevention of cancers, which makes the present review distinct from the others available. Full article

Liver damage seriously affects human health. Over 35% of cases of acute liver damage are caused by alcohol damage. Thus, finding drugs that can inhibit and effectively treat this disease is necessary. This article mainly focuses on the effect of the metabolome physical activity of active peptides in Camellia vietnamensis active peptide (CMAP) and improving liver protection. DEAE Sepharose FF ion-exchange column chromatography was used in separating and purifying crude peptides from Camellia vietnamensis Two components, A1 and A2, were obtained, and the most active A1 was selected. Sephadex G-100 gel column chromatography was used in A1 separation and purification. Three components, Al-1, Al-2, and Al-3, were obtained. Through antioxidant activity in vitro as an index of inspection, the relatively active component A1-2 was removed. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography showed that the purity of component A1-2 was 93.45%. The extracted CMAPs acted on alcoholic liver injury cells. Metabolomics studies revealed that the up-regulated metabolites were ribothymidine and xanthine; the down-regulated metabolites were hydroxyphenyllactic acid, creatinine, stearoylcarnitine, and inosine. This study provides an effective theoretical support for subsequent research. Full article

Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) is a soluble dietary fiber derived through controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of guar gum, a highly viscous galactomannan derived from the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. Here, we examined the therapeutic potential of dietary supplementation with PHGG against sarcopenic obesity using Db/Db mice. Db/Db mice fed a normal diet alone or a fiber-free diet, or supplemented with a diet containing PHGG (5%), were examined. PHGG increased grip strength and the weight of skeletal muscles. PHGG increased the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration in feces and sera. Concerning innate immunity, PHGG decreased the ratio of inflammatory cells, while increasing the ratio of anti-inflammatory cells in the small intestine. The present study demonstrated the preventive effect of PHGG on sarcopenic obesity. Changes in nutrient absorption might be involved through the promotion of an anti-inflammatory shift of innate immunity in the intestine accompanied by an increase in SCFA production by PHGG. Full article

Drying is a commonly used technology that provides a long post-harvest storage time for produce such as sweet potatoes. Convective drying (CD) is a method that, when conditions are optimized, provides produce with a better appearance and improved textural properties. In this study, changes in water activity (a_w), moisture content (MC), rehydration capacity (R_c), shrinkage (S_b) and color attributes were modelled for the optimization of drying factors (temperature, thickness and time) using response surface methodology (RSM). The total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total anthocyanin content (TAC) and antioxidant activity of CD samples (63.79 °C, 4.78 h, 3 mm) were investigated as functional aspects and compared with results for FD samples (−45 °C, one term). Optimum convective drying conditions caused an increase in general antioxidant properties, such as total phenol (TPC), total anthocyanin (TAC), DPPH and CUPRAC. The TPC was 190.94 mgGAE/100 g, the DPPH scavenging activity was 12.05%, the TAC was 11.37 mg/100 g, and the CUPRAC was 0.469 mmolTR/g in convectively dried samples under optimum conditions. Although improved appearance and textural properties are obtained by freeze drying, it is possible to produce sweet potatoes with good appearance and functional properties by optimizing the variables of the convective drying process. Full article

Alfalfa polysaccharides (AP) receive wide attention in the field of medicine, because of their anti-inflammatory property. However, AP has high molecular weight and poor water solubility, resulting in low biological activity. We wanted to obtain highly bioactive alfalfa polysaccharides for further research. Herein, we successfully synthesized highly substituted sulfated alfalfa polysaccharides (SAP) via the chlorosulfonic acid (CSA)-pyridine (Pyr) method, which was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Under the best reaction conditions, that is, the reaction temperature, time, and ratio of CSA to Pyr being 55 °C, 2.25 h, and 1.5:1, respectively, the maximum degree of substitution of SAP can reach up to 0.724. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy also confirmed the existence of sulfonic acid groups on SAP. Despite the increased average molecular weight of SAP, its water solubility is improved, which is beneficial for its biological activity. Further in vitro results showed that SAP exhibited better antioxidant activity and antibacterial ability than AP. Besides, the former can efficiently enhance the viability of oxidatively stressed intestinal epithelial cells compared with the latter. Furthermore, SAP has the potential to inhibit obesity. It is concluded that sulfation modification could improve the antioxidant, antibacterial, bovine intestinal epithelial cells’ proliferation-promoting, and the obesity inhibition abilities of AP. The improvement of AP biological activity may provide references for the utilization of plant extracts that have weaker biological activity. Full article

Coffee silverskin (CS), a by-product obtained by the coffee industry after the roasting process, is scientifically known to be a source of fiber and polyphenols, which could contribute to human health. In this work, the production of CS-enriched biscuits is proposed, where the CS from Arabica and Robusta type and a decaffeinated blend of the two were used at three different levels as a replacement for wheat flour. The biscuits were analyzed for their physicochemical properties, consumer acceptability, and the bioaccessibility of polyphenols after in vitro digestion was estimated in order to identify the formulation most appreciated by consumers and most promising in terms of nutritional and biofunctional potential. From the results, CS-based biscuits represent an interesting possibility to create a more sustainable coffee chain, thanks to the valorization of the silverskin, especially if a decaffeinated CS is considered. In fact, a 4% replacement of the wheat flour with decaffeinated CS is able to give a final product with a high content of accessible polyphenols and a biscuit appreciated by the consumer. Full article

Previous studies have reported that recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α has powerful antiviral activity but severe systematic side effects. Jasminin is a common bioactive component found in Chinese herbal medicine beverage “Jasmine Tea”. Here, we report that jasminin-induced endogenous TNF-α showed antiviral activity in vitro. The underlying TNF-α-inducing action of jasminin was also investigated in RAW264.7 cells. The level of endogenous TNF-α stimulated by jasminin was first analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from the cell culture supernatant of RAW264.7 cells. The supernatants were then collected to investigate the potential antiviral effect against herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). The antiviral effects of jasminin alone or its supernatants were evaluated by a plaque reduction assay. The potential activation of the PI3K–Akt pathway, three main mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and nuclear factor (NF)–κB signaling pathways that induce TNF-α production were also investigated. Jasminin induces TNF-α protein expression in RAW264.7 cells without additional stimuli 10-fold more than the control. No significant up-expression of type I, II, and III interferons; interleukins 2 and 10; nor TNF-β were observed by the jasminin stimuli. The supernatants, containing jasminin-induced-TNF-α, showed antiviral activity against HSV-1. The jasminin-stimulated cells caused the simultaneous activation of the Akt, MAPKs, and NF–κB signal pathways. Furthermore, the pretreatment of the cells with the Akt, MAPKs, and NF–κB inhibitors effectively suppressed jasminin-induced TNF-α production. Our research provides evidence that endogenous TNF-α can be used as a strategy to encounter viral infections. Additionally, the Akt, MAPKs, and NF–κB signaling pathways are involved in the TNF-α synthesis that induced by jasminin. Full article

Ilex paraguariensisA.St.-Hil. (IP) is a South American plant. IP-dried leaves have been consumed in the form of infusion by indigenous peoples since pre-Hispanic times. In recent years, IP has gained many beverage markets and new ways of consumption, reaching the category of a global consumer product. A side consequence is the increase in IP crops for the specification of human consumption. This situation is the driving force for the investigation of new uses of IP, including feed supplements for livestock and functional food for human consumption. A deep understanding of the influence of processing on the nutritional value of IP is crucial for the development of these alternative products. It is known that the quality and quantity of nutritional compounds occurring in IP depend on the origin, plant condition, and harvest time. However, the effects of the drying method of the leaves and the ageing time of dried leaves on the final IP products deserve further investigation. The present work presents the variation of the nutritional, digestibility, energy, and mineral assets of IP submitted to three different processes: open-air dried and crushed; dried under direct fire and grounded; and dried under direct fire, grounded, and aged for 6 months under controlled conditions. The presence of agrochemical residues and antinutritional factors were also studied. Processing widely influenced the nutritional and digestibility assets of IP leaves. The inorganic content (K, Mg, Ca, P, Zn, B and Fe) significantly varied among leaves treated using different processes. IP samples dried in open air resulted in the highest % of crude protein, Mg, K, S, and Mn. IP samples dried under direct fire resulted in the highest % of carbohydrates and Fe. IP samples dried under direct fire and aged for 6 months resulted in the highest % of digestible matter, Ca, P, Zn, and B. The results also showed quality protein levels between 10.03 and 19.06% of dry matter. The digestibility values showed that IP leaves are suitable for human functional foods and for enriched supplements for livestock feeds. No traces of agrochemicals or antinutritional factors were found. Full article

This study investigates the physicochemical and storage characteristics of Tteokgalbi treated with various concentrations of Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) powder (BP). BP is constituted mainly of carbohydrates (77.9%), possesses free-radical scavenging activity due to the presence of polyphenol and flavonoids, and is slightly acidic (pH 5.99). Five Tteokgalbi samples were treated with 0 (CON), 0.5% (B1), 1.0% (B2), or 2.0% (B3) of BP or 0.05% of ascorbic acid (REF). Compared to CON, BP-treated Tteokgalbi demonstrated significantly higher carbohydrate content and water-holding capacity and decreased cooking loss (%). BP-treated Tteokgalbi had significantly altered Hunter color properties, with decreased L* and increased b* values. Additionally, BP treatment significantly changed the textural properties by increasing the hardness (B3) and chewiness (B2 and B3) and decreasing the springiness (B3) of Tteokgalbi. Owing to the increased total polyphenol and flavonoid content, BP addition significantly enhanced the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of Tteokgalbi during vacuum-packed cold storage (0–14 days) at 5 °C. BP-treated Tteokgalbi maintained a higher pH compared to CON, and BP-treatment significantly suppressed 2-thiobarbituric acid, volatile basic nitrogen, and total microbial count during the cold storage period (7 and 14 days). Therefore, BP is a natural, edible antioxidant that may be applied to Tteokgalbi. Full article

Agavins are prebiotics and functional fiber that modulated the gut microbiota and metabolic status in obese mice. Here, we designed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, exploratory study to assess fluctuations in gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability-related symptoms to increasing doses of agavins in 38 lean and obese Mexican adults for five weeks and their impact on subjective appetite, satiety, metabolic markers, and body composition. All GI symptoms showed higher scores than placebo at almost every dose for both lean and obese groups. Flatulence caused an intense discomfort in the lean-agavins group at 7 g/day, while obese-agavins reported a mild-to-moderate effect for all five symptoms: no significant differences among 7, 10, and 12 g/day for flatulence, bloating, and diarrhea. Ratings for any GI symptom differed between 10 and 12 g/day in neither group. The inter-group comparison demonstrated a steady trend in GI symptoms scores in obese participants not seen for lean volunteers that could improve their adherence to larger trials. Only body weight after 10 g/day reduced from baseline conditions in obese-agavins, with changes in triglycerides and very-low-density lipoproteins compared to placebo at 5 g/day, and in total cholesterol for 10 g/day. Altogether, these results would help design future trials to evaluate agavins impact on obese adults. Full article

Industrial chicory has been the subject of numerous studies, most of which provide clinical observations on its health effects. Whether it is the roasted root, the flour obtained from the roots or the different classes of molecules that enter into the composition of this plant, understanding the molecular mechanisms of action on the human organism remains incomplete. In this study, we were interested in three molecules or classes of molecules present in chicory root: fructose, chlorogenic acids, and sesquiterpene lactones. We conducted experiments on the murine model and performed a nutrigenomic analysis, a metabolic hormone assay and a gut microbiota analysis, associated with in vitro observations for different responses. We have highlighted a large number of effects of all these classes of molecules that suggest a pro-apoptotic activity, an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effect and also an important role in appetite regulation. A significant prebiotic activity was also identified. Fructose seems to be the most involved in these activities, contributing to approximately 83% of recorded responses, but the other classes of tested molecules have shown a specific role for these different effects, with an estimated contribution of 23–24%. Full article

About 4% of the world’s population has type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the available hypoglycemic drugs for treating diabetes have some side effects. Therefore, research on the extraction of hypoglycemic components from plants has gradually become popular. This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of polyphenol-rich Rosa roxburghii Tratt extract (RP) isolated from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit and of four constituents (IRP 1–4 ) isolated from RP on db/db mice. The results indicated that the oral administration of RP and IRP 1–4 could markedly decrease the food intake, water intake, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and serum insulin levels in the db/db mice. Glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress were ameliorated in the RP and IRP 1–4 groups. Histopathological observation revealed that RP and IRP 1–4 could effectively protect the liver fat against damage and dysfunction. RP and IRP 1–4 also increased the hepatic and muscle glycogen contents by increasing the phosphorylation and reducing the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). The activities of glucokinase (GCK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC) and their respective mRNA expression levels in the liver of db/db mice were simultaneously increased and decreased in the intervention groups. RP and IRP 1–4 significantly increased the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P13K) and the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT). These results indicate that RP and IRP 1–4 exhibit good hypoglycemic effects by activating the P13K/AKT signaling pathway and regulating the expression of FOXO1 and p-GSK3β proteins, controlling hepatic gluconeogenesis and improving hepatic glycogen storage insulin resistance. Therefore, RP and IRP 1–4 could be utilized as the hypoglycemic functional component to alleviate the symptoms of T2DM. Full article

Acetylcholine (ACh) acts as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. A small dose of eggplant powder rich in ACh (equivalent to 22 g fresh eggplant/d) has been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) in individuals with higher BP. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive effects of low-dose orally administered ACh in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The effects of ACh on BP and sympathetic nervous activity (SNA), including lumbar SNA (LSNA) and renal SNA (RSNA), were evaluated by subjecting conscious SHRs to a telemetry method. Single oral administration of ACh decreased LSNA and lowered BP. Repeated oral administration of ACh for 30 d decreased RSNA and suppressed the elevated BP. Noradrenaline levels in the urine also decreased. However, vagotomy and co-administration of M3 muscarinic ACh receptor antagonist reversed the BP-lowering effect; the dynamics of non-absorbable orally administered ACh was revealed using stable isotope-labeled ACh. In conclusion, ACh acts on the gastrointestinal M3 muscarinic ACh receptor to increase afferent vagal nerve activity, which decreases SNA by autonomic reflex, suppressing noradrenaline release and lowering BP. This study suggests the use of exogenous ACh as an antihypertensive food supplement for controlling the autonomic nervous system, without absorption into the blood. Full article

Atherosclerosis (AS) is recognized as the original cause of most cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The dual-protein (DP) nutrition that consists of soy protein and whey protein is reported to be associated with a reduction in AS; however, the relationship between DP and AS remains ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the effect of DP on AS and explore the optimal DP intake to improve AS. ApoE^−/− mice were administrated with low- (LDP), middle- (MDP), and high-dose (HDP) DP. The MDP group exhibited significant improvements in AS. In terms of lipid metabolism, the levels of plasma total triglyceride and LDL-C and the mRNA expression levels of Cyp7a1 and PCSK9 were markedly tuned in the MDP group. In addition, the MDP treatment group had a substantially lower inflammatory response and better intestinal barrier function than LDP and HDP groups. The species richness demonstrated by the Chao1 index was distinctly increased in the MDP group, and the relative abundance of intestinal-permeability-protective microbes Blautia and Akkermansia was significantly elevated. In summary, an adequate intake of DP was able to counteract atherosclerosis development in ApoE^−/− mice, and this study provides a scientific theoretical basis for the application of DP in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Full article

Fermented foods have been used for several years all over the world, due to their unique nutritional characteristics and because fermentation promotes conservation and food security. Moreover, fermented foods and beverages have a strong impact on human gut microbiota. Papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya plant, traditionally used as a medicinal fruit, but there are also references to the use of the fermented form of this fruit. The main purpose of this review is to provide an improved understanding of fermented papaya nutritional and health applications. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Both in vitro and in vivo studies were included. According to the retrieved studies, fermented papaya has proven to be an excellent antioxidant and an excellent nutraceutical adjuvant in combined therapies against several diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, allergic reactions, anticancer activity, and anemias. Therefore, it is concluded that fermented papaya has many benefits for human health and can be used as prevention or aid in the treatment of various diseases. Full article

With the global escalation of the aging process, the research on aging mechanisms and anti-aging strategies has become a hot spot. As the most external organ of the human body, skin can be used as an ideal organ for the study of endogenous and exogenous aging. Bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) possess a variety of biological effects such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, anti-radiation, and anti-aging. However, it is still unclear whether they can delay skin aging. This study aimed to analyze the inhibitory effect of BLF on skin aging and explore their molecular mechanisms. We found that 10–40 μg/mL BLF significantly inhibited the senescence of HaCaT cells induced by AAPH, which might be related to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities. Further mechanism studies showed that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), especially the p38 MAPK pathway, was the key to BLF to alleviate the senescence of HaCaT cells. In addition, autophagy was also involved in the anti-senescence effect of BLF. The results were also verified in UVB-induced photoaging mice. Therefore, BLF can be used as a potential therapeutic agent to intervene skin aging in vitro and in vivo. Full article

In order to comprehensively evaluate the aroma-active substances and taste components of durian, solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) were used to test the key components of three popular durian cultivars. A total of 27 volatile compounds, 5 sugars, 27 organic acids and 19 free amino acids were detected in Black Thorn (BT) durian. A total of 38 volatile compounds, 4 sugars, 27 organic acids and 19 free amino acids were detected in Monthong (MT) durian. A total of 36 volatile compounds, 4 sugars, 27 organic acids and 20 free amino acids were detected in Musang King (MK) durian. Finally, the flavor differences of the three durians were evaluated using electronic nose (e-nose) and electronic tongue (e-tongue), and different cultivars were classified through principal component analysis (PCA). Full article

Lentilactobacillus buchneri isolated from Korean fermented plant foods produces β-glucosidase, which can hydrolyze ginsenoside Rb1 from Panax ginseng to yield ginsenoside Rd. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms underlying the extracellular β-glucosidase activity obtained from Lentilactobacillus buchneri URN103L. Among the 17 types of lactic acid bacteria showing positive β-glucosidase activity in the esculin iron agar test, only URN103L was found to exhibit high hydrolytic activity on ginsenoside Rb1. The strain showed 99% homology with Lentilactobacillus buchneri NRRLB 30929, whereby it was named Lentilactobacillus buchneri URN103L. Supernatants of selected cultures with β-glucosidase activity were examined for hydrolysis of the major ginsenoside Rb1 at 40 °C, pH 5.0. Furthermore, the β-glucosidase activity of this strain showed a distinct ability to hydrolyze major ginsenoside Rb1 into minor ginsenosides Rd and Rg3. Lentilactobacillus buchneri URN103L showed higher leucine arylamidase, valine arylamidase, α-galactosidass, β–galactosidase, and β-glucosidase activities than any other strain. We conclude that β-glucosidase from Lentilactobacillus buchneri URN103L can effectively hydrolyze ginsenoside Rb1 into Rd and Rg3. The converted ginsenoside can be used in functional foods, yogurts, beverage products, cosmetics, and other health products. Full article

The phytochemical compositions of green coffee beans (GB), roasted coffee (RC), and the solid residue known as spent coffee grounds (SCG) have been associated with beneficial physiological effects. The objective of this study was to analyze the total phenolic compounds, antiradical scavenging ability, antibacterial activity, and antiproliferative activity on cancer cells of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of GB, RC, and SCG samples. The total phenolic content was quantified by Folin–Ciocalteu assay, while the antiradical activity was evaluated by ABTS^●+ and DPPH radical assays, antibacterial activity was determined using the microtiter broth dilution method, and antiproliferative activity was evaluated by MTT assay in lung carcinoma cells (A549) and cervical cancer cells (C33A); furthermore, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were evaluated by flow cytometry. Ethanolic extracts of RC and SCG showed the highest content of total phenols. The SCG ethanolic extract exhibited the lowest inhibitory capacity 50 (IC₅₀) values for free radicals. The SCG extracts also had the lowest MIC values in bacteria. In antiproliferative assays, SCG extracts exhibited a significant decrease in viability in both cell lines, as well as increased apoptotic cells and promoted cell cycle arrest. The higher content of total phenols and antiradical activity of SCG ethanolic extracts was related to their antiproliferative activity in cancer cells, as well as their antibacterial activity against clinical isolates; therefore, the utilization of SCG adds value to an abundant and inexpensive residue. Full article

The present study is a preparation of bioactive peptides from Cornus officinalis proteins by the compound enzymatic hydrolysis method. Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box–Behnken design (BBD) is used to optimize the preparation process of Cornus officinalis peptides. The effects of independent variables, such as the amount of enzyme, pH value, time, extraction times and the ratio of material to liquid on the yield of peptides, are also investigated. The analysis results of the RSM model show that the optimum conditions for the extraction of Cornus officinalis peptides were a pH value of 6.76, temperature of 48.84 °C and the amount of enzyme of 0.19%. Under optimal conditions, the yield of peptides was 36.18 ± 0.26 %, which was close to the predicted yield by the RSM model. Additionally, the prepared Cornus officinalis peptides showed significant antioxidant activity; the scavenging rates of the peptides for DPPH and ·OH were 48.47% and 29.41%, respectively. The results of the cell proliferation assay revealed that the prepared Cornus officinalis peptides could promote embryo fibroblast cells proliferation and repair oxidative damage cells. These results have a practical application value in the design of novel functional food formulations by using Cornus officinalis. Full article

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the bioconversion products of Oenanthe javanica extract fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (OEFL) on relieving hangovers and improving liver function. In addition, the bioactive substance of the OEFL, which alleviates hangover and ethanol-induced liver damage, was identified and its bioactive property was verified through in vivo experiments. In major substances analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography, OEFL produced 9.5-fold higher p-coumaric acid than the O. Javanica extract (OE). In addition, considering that quinic acid, which is not present in the OE, was produced in the OEFL it was confirmed that chlorogenic acid was decomposed into quinic acid by bioconversion. In the in vivo experiment using Sprague-Dawley rats, the OEFL and p-coumaric acid diets reduced blood ethanol, acetaldehyde, GPT, and ALP concentrations, increasing blood albumin concentrations compared to ethanol-administered groups, demonstrating that OEFL and p-coumaric acid, the main substance in the OEFL, improved ethanol-induced liver damage. Furthermore, the OEFL and its main bioactive substance, p-coumaric acid, alleviated liver fibrosis by downregulating TGF-β, SMAD-2, SMAD-4, α-SMA, and upregulating MMP-1. Therefore, OEFL is expected to be used as a functional food or pharmaceutical material as it has been confirmed to effectively relieve hangovers, prevent liver damage, and delay liver fibrosis in ethanol-induced liver damages. Full article

In this work, a new strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SY07 isolated from a traditional fermented soybean food was reported to possess remarkable α-glucosidase inhibitor-producing ability. Different culture media were applied for the proliferation of B. amyloliquefaciens SY07, and it was found that fermented okara broth presented the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, while Luria-Bertani medium showed a negative effect. The extract from fermented okara broth acted in a dose-dependent manner to inhibit α-glucosidase activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.454 mg/mL, and main inhibitors in the fermentation extract presented a reversible, uncompetitive pattern according to Lineweaver–Burk plots. Moreover, 1-deoxynojirimycin, a recognized α-glucosidase inhibitor, was found in the extract. Results indicated that B. amyloliquefaciens SY07 could utilize okara, a by-product from the soy processing industry, to generate α-glucosidase inhibitors effectively, and be regarded as a novel excellent microbial candidate for safe, economical production of potential functional foods or ingredients with hypoglycemic effect. Full article