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In this study, mulberry cultivars were found to have abundant bioactive compounds such as phenolics (100.97–586.23 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh weight), flavonoids (16.38–368.16 mg rutin equivalents/100 g fresh weight) and procyanidins (4.20–121.56 mg catechin equivalents/100 g fresh weight) after in vitro digestion. HPLC-TOF-MS analysis revealed that digested mulberry cultivars contained multiple phenolic compounds including cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. After gut microbiota fermentation, the contents of anthocyanins were increased initially, then decreased with time, and some anthocyanin metabolites (such as 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, etc.) were detected. Our further cellular study indicated that mulberry (Hanguo) possessed reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity after gut microbiota fermentation. Our results indicated that the new cultivar Hanguo contained abundant polyphenols and exhibited potent antioxidant property after in vitro digestion and gut microbiota fermentation compared with other mulberry cultivars, which could be recommended as a dietary source of functional foods.

Jujube belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a popular fruit worldwide. Jujube has a long history of usage as traditionally healthy food. However, jujube fruits have a short shelf-life and it can be stored for no more than ten days under non-controlled conditions. Thus, the processing of jujube to product is one of the best options for long time storage. This review aims to highlight the nutritional importance of jujube fruit and its potential application for the development of commercial food products. It also addresses the health benefits of jujube-based food products. Moreover, jujube products possess high nutritional and biological value, which can be incorporated into different food formulations to improve product quality. Therefore, jujube fruit can be a promising food ingredient for the development of functional food products to achieve high consumer acceptability and health benefits.

The present study aimed to establish a simple and rapid method for the preparation of pure delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside (D3S) from Roselle and then investigate its antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity. According to our results, 60 mg of D3S with the purity of 96.1% was finally isolated from 500 g of Roselle by combination of macroporous resins and C18 Sep-Pak cartridge techniques. Further studies revealed that D3S could significantly attenuate H2O2-induced oxidative stress by inhibiting H2O2-induced ROS overproduction, GSH depletion, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and mitochondrial membrane peroxidation. In addition, we also found that D3S at the concentrations of 20 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL are able to promote glucose consumption and increase glycogen content in human liver HepG2 cells. These results indicated that D3S possesses potent antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic activity. Overall, our studies suggest that D3S could be a valuable material for designing functional foods against oxidative stress-related diseases and diabetes.

Emerging evidence suggests that anthocyanins prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D), however, its mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, we sought to elucidate the antihyperglycemic mechanism of pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (Pg3G) extracted from wild raspberry based on RNA-sequence. Our study showed that Pg3G ameliorated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in db/db mice. Besides, Pg3G improved serum lipid profiles and attenuated hepatic dysfunction. RNA-sequence analysis showed that Pg3G contributed to 301 genes upregulated and 269 genes downregulated. Further GO, KEGG and GSEA analysis indicated that Pg3G led to differential gene expressions enriched in glucose and lipid metabolism by upregulation of Elovl7, C1ql3, Cybb, Cytip, Src, Pdk4 and downregulation of Fasn, Aacs, Srebp1c, Mlxipl, Sorbs3, Gck, Slc2a4. RT-PCR validation of selected genes exhibited a positive correlation between RNA-sequence and RT-PCR results. Taken together, this study demonstrated that Pg3G attenuated T2D by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, which implicates the potential for T2D therapeutics.

Fruits tend to possess different nutritional values among different cultivars of same family. Therefore, in this study, the composition and antioxidant activity of some new and common bayberry cultivars were evaluated. Significant amounts of phenolics (0.47 to 2.31 g gallic acid equivalents/kg), flavonoids (0.34 to 2.08 g rutin equivalents/kg) and procyanidins (0.24 to 1.99 g catechin equivalents/kg) were found in all tested bayberry varieties. Anthocyanin cyanidin-3-glucoside and flavonol myricetin was detected in almost all cultivars, however, cyanidin-3-glucoside was not detected in new cultivar Xishanbai. Antioxidant activity of bayberry was highly correlated with contents of phenolics, including flavonoids. However, no positive correlation was observed between cellular reactive oxygen species scavenging ability and bioactive compounds. The new cultivar Yingsi was found to have higher levels of nutritional components and potent antioxidant activity among all tested cultivars.

Mulberry is a delicious fruit with high nutritional value. However, there are significant differences in the nutritional values among different mulberry cultivars. Therefore, in this study, the composition of some new and common mulberry cultivars was compared and their potential antioxidant activity evaluated. HPLC and LC–MS analyses revealed that mulberry fruits are rich in polyphenols such as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (1.25–3.35 g/kg), cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (0.25–1.50 g/kg), rutin (0.01–0.12 g/kg) and quercetin (0.0068–0.0081 g/kg). Correlation studies explained that the antioxidant activity of mulberry cultivars was closely associated with phenolics, including flavonoids. However, weak correlation was observed between cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability and bioactive components. Besides, principal component analysis was employed to compare the differences between mulberry cultivars. Concerning high content of nutritional components and antioxidant activity, Hanguo variety was found to be the most beneficial and commercial cultivar among all the tested varieties.