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Trans, trans-2,4-decadienal (tt-DDE) is a highly reactive unsaturated aldehyde that widely present in foods. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of tt-DDE exposure on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the possible protective effects of green tea catechins. tt-DDE exposure induced pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in endothelial cells, as evidenced by increased LDH release and PI-positive cells, and elevated protein expressions of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD-N. NLRP3 inhibitor (MCC950) efficiently suppressed the tt-DDE-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis. Additionally, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) showed the strongest activity among the four green tea catechins, which significantly alleviated tt-DDE-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, EGCG effectively attenuated tt-DDE-induced endothelial cell pyroptosis and dysfunction by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome. Results of cultured mesenteric arteries further confirmed that EGCG prevented tt-DDE-induced endothelial dysfunction and pyroptosis. These results provide novel insights into tt-DDE-induced endothelial injury, and demonstrate the protective role of EGCG against tt-DDE-associated endothelial toxicity.

A large quantity of by-products is annually produced from processing of Sapindaceae fruits including longan and rambutan, accounting for 24.9–40.7 and 52.9–74.7% of the whole fruit on a fresh weight basis, respectively, and these are currently discarded. These by-products are rich in phenolics with over 50 compounds identified. Among these the main components are gallic acid, ellagic acid, corilagin, and geraniin. This review highlights the biological activities, health-promoting effects and safety evaluation of these by-products as well as their potential application in food and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of conventional and modern extraction techniques for the recovery of these phenolics are discussed. This information is intended to inspire further research in areas that are still underexplored and encourage fruit processing manufacturers to find ways to add value to these fruit by-products and to minimize their wastage.