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Since time immortal, people have used the well-known Chinese Chaenomeles fruit Xuan-Mugua for both traditional medicine and nourishment. With an aim to explore the digestive and antioxidant properties of the phenolics, Xuan-Mugua peel and pulp were extracted, digested and analyzed in vitro. Our results indicated that the total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and the antioxidant activity of the peel were 3.24–8.89 times higher than that of pulp. The contents and activity of the peel and pulp consistently dropped in the sequence of oral, gastric, and small intestine digestions, from 22.78 % to 52.16 %. With a level of 1.590 ± 0.060 and 0.395 ± 0.015 mg g−1 dried weight in the peel and pulp, respectively, chlorogenic acid was the primary phenolic ingredient in Xuan-Mugua, with a promising recovery (81.39–82.23 %) during the digestion. According to these results, Xuan-Mugua exhibited an appreciable level of phenolic content and antioxidant activity during digestion, making it a suitable ingredient for use in functional foods.

Lately, the inclusion of oleogels has emerged as an alternative strategy for the preparation of chocolate. The present study used Lycium barbarum seed oil-based oleogel through a combination of glyceryl monostearate and vegetable wax as gelling factor, and partially replaced cocoa butter for the preparation of chocolate. To further explore the storage stability of the oleogel chocolate, we measured the white index of the chocolate every five days, and also observed the surface morphology of the chocolate using 3D laser focusing microscopy. Then, we characterized the stability of resulting oleogel-chocolate stored at different temperature conditions using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Our data showed that the polycrystalline morphology of the chocolate changed during storage, and the temperature differences led to variations in white index and surface roughness. The presence of oleogel attenuated the migration of liquid oils and fats in the chocolate system, and increased the stability of the chocolate system as well as relatively improved the frosting phenomenon of the chocolate. This study provides innovative avenue for the preparation of chocolates with lower saturated fatty acid content, higher storage stability, and improved nutritional value.

Lophatherum gracile Brongn. (L. gracile) is a traditional edible plant that contains abundant phytochemicals including phenolic compounds, polysaccharides and other substances, showing plentiful biological functions such as antioxidant, antiviral activities, and liver protection effects. Due to its various natural products and bioactivities, L. gracile is widely applied in food areas and traditional medicine. However, the current information on the composition, function and application of L. gracile is fragmented, which may limit its development and utilization, thus an overview of its recent studies is required to give a comprehensive insight into L. gracile. Herein, the advance in the phytochemical, bioactivity and food application of L. gracile was summarized, which may facilitate its further study and application.

To evaluate the release and activity of Indian jujube phenolics in vivo, its peel and pulp were subjected to simulated digestions. The phenolics content and antioxidant activity of the digested samples were determined. The results showed that the total phenolics/flavonoids in the peel were respectively 4.63 and 4.48 times higher than that in the pulp. The release of phenolics and flavonoids respectively increased by 79.75% and 39.98% in the peel and 86.34% and 23.54% in the pulp after the intestinal digestion. The correlation between the total phenolics/flavonoids and antioxidant activity was higher in the peel (r > 0.858, p 89.88%) during the digestion, implying that these phenolics may play a vital role in the function of Indian jujubes.

In recent years, burgeoning reports have emphasized that food-derived peptides and protein hydrolysates can confer additional health benefits beyond nutritional role. The biologically active peptides are regarded as nutraceuticals and functional food ingredients displaying antihypertensive, antioxidant, mineral binding, maintenance of intestinal barrier function, and antimicrobial attributes. The food-derived bioactive peptides serve as an alternative to pharmacological treatments in the control of hypertension, the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and oxidative stress. This review integrates the existing information on plant and animal proteins with a particular focus on anti-diabetic inhibitory peptides. Besides, their modes of inhibition and structure–activity relationship of peptide inhibitors are also discussed. To elicit systemic effects, efficacy assessment and sufficient absorption are the key factors which have been proved by in vitro and in vivo studies, particularly if health-related claims are to be made.

The fruits of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis are folk medicines in China and their major components are geniposide and water soluble pigment crocins. This study compared the chemical profiles and free radical scavenging activities of two Zhizi species from five provinces of China, including Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Sichuan and Henan. The results showed that Jiangxi Zhizi contained higher levels of volatiles (71.84%), crocins (20.38 mg/g), geniposide (31.36 mg/g) and flavonoids (84.42 μg quercetin/mg) than four other Zhizi fruits; whereas Hunan Zhizi provided higher total phenolics (33.81 μg catechin/mg) and ABTS/DPPH radical scavenging activities. These findings implied that Jiangxi Zhizi would be suitable for extraction of gardenia yellow and geniposide, as well as preparation of essential oil. This information may provide valuable guidance for application of Zhizi fruits to biomedicine industry in China.