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Changes in the quality of blue honeysuckle fruit following exposure to air or controlled atmospheres (CA1: 20% O2 and 20% CO2; CA2: 5% O2 and 20% CO2; CA3: 5% O2 and 10% CO2) were investigated. The 'Lanjingling’ blue honeysuckle was stored at a temperature of −1 °C for a duration of 28 d. An elevated concentration of CO2 led to a reduction in fruit weight loss, ethanol content, and respiration rate, while simultaneously increasing the epicuticular wax coverage index, firmness, TSS, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity. Notably, treatment with high levels of carbon dioxide (20% CO2) led to an approximately 150% increase in total anthocyanin content compared to control conditions. Additionally, it was observed that reducing the oxygen content from 20% to 5% had a detrimental effect on the antioxidant capacity of blue honeysuckle during storage. Specifically, there were decreases of 10.4%, 16.8%, and 6.7% in DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, respectively. The respiration rate is increased by treatment with 5% O2 and 5% CO2, which may result in accelerated senescence of blue honeysuckle. After 28 d, the treatment resulted in a respiration rate that was 1.49 times higher than the control. Hence, it can be deduced that maintaining a controlled atmosphere containing 20% O2 and 20% CO2 can be deemed an effective method of blue honeysuckle for prolonging storage life and safeguarding its bioactive components.

Papaya leaves have been used as food and traditional herbs for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, asthma, and virus infections, but the active principle has not been understood. We hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory activity could be the predominant underlying principle. To test this, we extracted papaya leaf juice with different organic solvents and found that the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction showed the most outstanding anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the production of nitric oxide (NO, IC50 = 24.94 ± 2.4 μg/mL) and the expression of pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2), and cytokines including interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6), and a tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Transcriptomic analysis and Western blot results revealed its anti-inflammatory mechanisms were through the MAPK signaling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNKs, and p38 and the prevention of the cell surface expression of TLR4. Furthermore, we discovered that the EA fraction could inhibit the replication of alpha-coronavirus (HCoV-229E) and beta-coronavirus (HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2) and might be able to prevent cytokine storms caused by the coronavirus infection. From HPLC-QTOF-MS data, we found that the predominant phytochemicals that existed in the EA fraction were quercetin and kaempferol glycosides and carpaine. Counter-intuitively, further fractionation resulted in a loss of activity, suggesting that the synergistic effect of different components in the EA fraction contribute to the overall potent activity. Taken together, our results provide preliminary evidence for papaya leaf as a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-coronavirus agent, warranting further study for its use for human health promotion.

5,6-dihydroxyflavone (5,6-DHF), a flavonoid that possesses potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities owing to its special catechol motif on the A ring. However, its function and mechanism of action against inflammation and cellular oxidative stress have not been elucidated. In the current study, 5,6-DHF was observed inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species (ROS) production with the IC50 of 11.55 ± 0.64 μM and 0.8310 ± 0.633 μM in murine macrophages, respectively. Meanwhile, 5,6-DHF suppressed the overexpression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as proteins and cytokines and eradicated the accumulation of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS). The blockage of the activation of cell surface toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), impediment of the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 from the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) from the JAK-STAT pathway, and p65 from nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways were involved in the process of 5,6-DHF suppressing inflammation. Furthermore, 5,6-DHF acted as a cellular ROS scavenger and heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) inducer in relieving cellular oxidative stress. Importantly, 5,6-DHF exerted more potent anti-inflammatory activity than its close structural relatives, such as baicalein and chrysin. Overall, our findings pave the road for further research on 5,6-DHF in animal models.

Cumulative light exposure, including electronic device radiation, may induce retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-related retinal diseases, potentially mitigated by lutein. However, there is limited 3D RPE monolayer model to study the effect of phytochemicals on their activity and action mechanisms in vitro. Here, we present a method using a monolayer RPE tissue model on a 3D-printed polycaprolactone scaffold. Six-hour of phone screen light increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RPE cells, leading to oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and inhibited metabolism. Pre-treating RPE cells (24 h) with 0.5 µM lutein reduced ROS levels and maintained viability under the same light exposure. Additionally, lutein demonstrated protective effects on crucial RPE functions, including phagocytosis and the retinal-blood barrier. This study underscores the importance of optimal lutein content in shielding RPE from phone screen light damage, and our model holds promise for evaluating the efficacy of antioxidants against light radiation.

Edible mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea is distinctive for its use in many health supplement products in relieving of diverse health-related conditions. A. cinnamomea is known for its rich array of bioactive secondary metabolites, predominantly terpenoids, that possess anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the abundance of these compounds, only some compounds have demonstrated notable anti-inflammatory activity. Moreover, there is a lack of established quality control methods specifically tailored to the active constituents of these products. Consequently, there is a great need for the development of precise and effective quality control methods for A. cinnamomea-based products, targeting their active components to ensure the consistency and reliability of these products in harnessing their anti-inflammatory potential. Herein we report a quantitative HPLC method for better evaluating the quality of A. cinnamomea based dietary supplements. Based on their bioactivities, we selected ten benchmark compounds, i. e. antcin K, (25S)-antcin H, (25R)-antcin H, (25R)-antcin C, (25S)-antcin C, (25R)-antcin A, 15α-acetyl-dehydrosulphurenic acid, versisponic acid D, dehydroeburicoic acid, and eburicoic acid and developed and validated a HPLC-UV method for quantification of these compounds simultaneously with high sensitivity, linearity and range, precision, and accuracy. Furthermore, we applied our method to quantify the commercially available A. cinnamomea containing supplements and found that the quality of these supplements varies greatly with only one product containing good amount of the active compounds. Our method provides a needed solution to quality control problem of the highly priced A. cinnamomea food and nutraceutical products that show great variety and inconsistency.

Sweetpotato (SP, Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is a globally significant food crop known for its high nutritional and functional values. Although the contents and compositions of bioactive constituents vary among SP varieties, sweetpotato by-products (SPBs), including aerial parts, storage root peels, and wastes generated from starch processing, are considered as excellent sources of polyphenols (e.g., chlorogenic acid, caffeoylquinic acid, and dicaffeoylquinic acid), lutein, functional carbohydrates (e.g., pectin, polysaccharides, and resin glycosides) or proteins (e.g., polyphenol oxidase, β-amylase, and sporamins). This review summarises the health benefits of these ingredients specifically derived from SPBs in vitro and/or in vivo, such as anti-obesity, anti-cancer, antioxidant, cardioprotective, and anti-diabetic, evidencing their potential to regenerate value-added bio-products in the fields of food and nutraceutical. Accordingly, conventional and novel technologies have been developed and sometimes combined for the pretreatment and extraction processes aimed at optimising the recovery efficiency of bioactive ingredients from SPBs while ensuring sustainability. However, so far, advanced extraction technologies have not been extensively applied for recovering bioactive compounds from SPBs except for SP leaves. Furthermore, the incorporation of reclaimed bioactive ingredients from SPBs into foods or other healthcare products remains limited. This review also briefly discusses current challenges faced by the SPB recycling industry while suggesting that more efforts should be made to facilitate the transition from scientific advances to commercialisation for reutilising and valorising SPBs.

Catalysed oxidative C-C bond formation reactions are important in the synthesis of natural products, but poorly tolerated by polyphenolic flavones. Here the authors report the reactivity of molecular oxygen in alkaline water without added catalyst for the synthesis of a collection of flavone dimers and trimers.

In this study, a compound sugar (CS) with different glycemic index sugars was formulated via hydrolysis characteristics and postprandial glycemic response, and the impact of CS and creatine emulsion on exercise-related fatigue in mice was investigated. Thirty-five C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups to supply different emulsions for 4 weeks: initial emulsion (Con), glucose emulsion (62 mg/10 g MW glucose; Glu), CS emulsion (62 mg/10 g MW compound sugar; CS), creatine emulsion (6 mg/10 g MW creatine; Cr), and CS and creatine emulsion (62 mg/10 g MW compound sugar, 6 mg/10 g MW creatine, CS-Cr). Then, the exhaustion time of weight-bearing swimming and forelimb grip strength were measured to evaluate the exercise capacity of mice, and some fatigue-related biochemical indexes of blood were determined. The results demonstrated that the ingestion of CS significantly reduced the peak of postprandial blood glucose levels and prolonged the energy supply of mice compared to ingesting an equal amount of glucose. Mouse exhaustion time was 1.22-fold longer in the CS group than in the glucose group. Additionally, the supplementation of CS increased the liver glycogen content and total antioxidant capacity of mice. Moreover, the combined supplementation of CS and creatine increased relative forelimb grip strength and decreased blood creatine kinase activity. The findings suggested that the intake of CS could enhance exercise capacity, and the combined supplementation of CS and creatine has a synergistic effect in improving performance.

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder associated with an increased incidence of cognitive and emotional disorders. Previous studies have indicated that the frontostriatal circuits play a significant role in brain disorders. However, few studies have investigated functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in the frontostriatal circuits in T2DM.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) of the frontostriatal circuits in patients with T2DM and to explore the relationship between abnormal FC and diabetes-related variables.MethodsTwenty-seven patients with T2DM were selected as the patient group, and 27 healthy peoples were selected as the healthy controls (HCs). The two groups were matched for age and sex. In addition, all subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neuropsychological evaluation. Seed-based FC analyses were performed by placing six bilateral pairs of seeds within a priori defined subdivisions of the striatum. The functional connection strength of subdivisions of the striatum was compared between the two groups and correlated with each clinical variable.ResultsPatients with T2DM showed abnormalities in the FC of the frontostriatal circuits. Our findings show significantly reduced FC between the right caudate nucleus and left precentral gyrus (LPCG) in the patients with T2DM compared to the HCs. The FC between the prefrontal cortex (left inferior frontal gyrus, left frontal pole, right frontal pole, and right middle frontal gyrus) and the right caudate nucleus has a significant positive correlation with fasting blood glucose (FBG).ConclusionThe results showed abnormal FC of the frontostriatal circuits in T2DM patients, which might provide a new direction to investigate the neuropathological mechanisms of T2DM.

This study investigates freeze-dried okra seed flour (OSF) as a functional ingredient to attenuate postprandial blood glucose rise by creating lower glycemic index (GI) rice noodles. Secondary objectives are postprandial gut hormone responses, noodle satiety, and sensory evaluation. Twenty healthy individuals consumed control rice noodle (CON), 10 % okra seed fortified noodle (OKN), 20 % OKN and glucose reference drinks on separate visits. 20 % OKN significantly lowered the postprandial glucose and insulin peaks compared to CON. Compared to CON, there was a 20-point reduction of GI value for 20 % OKN to 64. All noodles produced similar responses in postprandial ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). OKN were found to be more satiating than control noodles given the same amount of available carbohydrates. Sensory evaluation revealed that OSF can be added to noodle to create sensorially acceptable products, though ratings for sensory characteristics decreased with increased fortification.

Scope and aimSweet potato is widely consumed as a healthy and nutritive vegetable containing bioactive constituents for health promotion. This study investigated the beneficial impact of white-fleshed sweet potato extract (SPE) on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice.Methods and resultsFirst, SPE, in which resin glycoside was found as the dominant constituent, was suggested as a potential anti-obesity agent, because 20–70% pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibition was measured with SPE by in vitro turbidity assay and pNPP assay. Hence, next, the effect of SPE on obese mice was detected by oral administration of HFD supplemented with 6% SPE on C57BL/6J mice for 9 weeks. Surprisingly, being the opposite of what was typically observed from a lipase inhibitor such as orlistat, the fecal fat content in SPE-fed obese mice was decreased (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, 6% SPE supplement indeed significantly ameliorated HFD-induced obesity in mice, including body weight gain, fat accumulation, adipocyte enlargement, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis (p < 0.05). The improved liver steatosis was found associated with a down-regulating action of SPE on nuclear factor kappa B activation in HFD-fed mice. The anti-obesity influence of SPE was also confirmed on the HepG2 cell model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).ConclusionThese results indicate that SPE, as a dietary supplement, has the great potential for weight control and treating hepatic steatosis, possibly through a different action mechanism from that of orlistat.

Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is a phytochemical with multiple bioactivities. However, its poor liposolubility limits its application in the field. In this study, DHM was acylated with different fatty acid vinyl esters to improve its lipophilicity, and five DHM acylated derivatives with different carbon chain lengths (C2-DHM, C4-DHM, C6-DHM, C8-DHM, and C12-DHM) and different lipophilicity were synthesized. The relationship between the lipophilicity and antioxidant activities of DHM and its derivatives was evaluated with oil and emulsion models using chemical and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) tests. The capacity of DHM derivatives to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS+•) was similar to that of DHM, except for C12-DHM. The antioxidant activity of DHM derivatives was lower than that of DHM in sunflower oil, while C4-DHM exhibited better antioxidant capacity in oil-in-water emulsion. In CAA tests, C8-DHM (median effective dose (EC50) 35.14 μmol/L) exhibited better antioxidant activity than that of DHM (EC50: 226.26 μmol/L). The results showed that in different antioxidant models, DHM derivatives with different lipophilicity had various antioxidant activities, which has guiding significance for the use of DHM and its derivatives.

The purpose of this study is to prepare Maillard reaction products (MRPs) with both good emulsification and antioxidant activity, and the relationship between the Maillard reaction degree and structural changes of whey protein isolate (WPI) conjugated with xylose through wet-heating was explored. Browning intensity didn’t change while the free amino groups reduced significantly at the initial stage of Maillard reaction (MR). Amino acid analysis indicated that the lysine and arginine reduced significantly. The antioxidant property of the MRPs was significantly improved. The best emulsifying properties could be obtained in the middle degree of MR. The sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis illustrated that WPI and xylose formed high molecular weight conjugates. The circular dichroism spectra suggested that α-helix and random coil were increased while the β-sheet and β-turns were decreased after the MR. All of the MRPs exhibited a marked red shift in the maximum fluorescence intensity, indicating that the hydrophilicity of MRPs was enhanced.

Understanding the effects of drying on the selenium (Se) content and Se bioaccessibility of Se-rich plants is critical to dietary supplementation of Se. The effects of five common drying methods (far-infrared drying (FIRD), vacuum drying (VD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD), hot air drying (HD), and freeze vacuum drying (FD)) on the content and bioaccessibility of Se and Se species in Cardamine violifolia leaves (CVLs) were studied. The content of SeCys2 in fresh CVLs was the highest (5060.50 μg/g of dry weight (DW)); after FIRD, it had the lowest selenium loss, with a loss rate of less than 19%. Among all of the drying processes, FD and VD samples had the lowest Se retention and bioaccessibility. FIRD, VD, and FD samples have similar effects on antioxidant activity.

Sourdough fermentation has been widely used in food products. However, there has been limited study of the effect of co-fermentation with lactic acid bacteria and yeast on the dough and cracker products. In this study, the influence of co-fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum HLJ29L2 (LP HLJ29L2) and yeast on wheat protein digestibility of cracker was studied, and the mechanism of the protein changes in sourdough during fermentation was further explored. Co-fermentation with LP HLJ29L2 and yeast (DN-1) strongly improved the protein digestibility of cracker. At the same time, the content of free amino acids in DN-1 crackers increased by 20%. Co-fermentation also had significant effect on the sourdough during fermentation. The SDS-soluble protein content in sourdough was increased, and large molecule proteins were significantly reduced in the DN-1 sourdough. This was due to the fact, that LP HLJ29L2 grew rapidly during co-fermentation and produced more organic acids, which led to an increase in protease activity in sourdough and promoted the degradation of protein by proteases. The results of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the application of lactic acid bacteria and yeast co-fermentation in crackers.

Dietary flavones 6,3´,4´-trihydroxyflavone (6,3´,4´-HOFL) and 7,3´,4´-trihydroxyflavone (7,3´,4´-HOFL) showed preliminary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in a two-dimensional (2D) cell culture model. However, their action mechanisms remain unclear, and the anti-inflammatory activities have not been studied in a reliable three-dimensional (3D) cell model. Therefore, in the current study, the antioxidant potency was examined by their scavenging ability of cellular reactive oxygen species. Anti-inflammatory activities were examined via their inhibitory effects on inflammatory mediators in vitro on 2D and 3D macrophage models, and their mechanisms were determined through transcriptome. In the 3D macrophages, two flavones were less bioactive than they were in 2D macrophages, but they both significantly suppressed the overexpression of proinflammatory mediators in two cell models. The divergent position of the hydroxyl group on the A ring resulted in activity differences. Compared to 6,3´,4´-HOFL, 7,3´,4´-HOFL showed lower activity on NO, IL-1β suppression, and c-Src binding (IC50: 12.0 and 20.9 µM) but higher ROS-scavenging capacity (IC50: 3.20 and 2.71 µM) and less cytotoxicity. In addition to the IL-17 and TNF pathways of 6,3´,4´-HOFL, 7,3´,4´-HOFL also exerted anti-inflammatory activity through JAK-STAT, as indicated by the RNA-sequencing results. Two flavones showed prominent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on 2D and 3D models.

A collection of tropical medicinal plants from East Malaysia's rainforests are used by indigenous tribes for their curative properties. Despite their purported healing properties, these forest plant species are largely unexplored and hence remain virtually unknown to the outside world. In this study, antidiabetic properties of Psychotria viridiflora, a plant used to treat diabetes by a local community in Sarawak, Malaysia were investigated. Ethyl acetate (EA) extract of P. viridiflora stem was found to exhibit high starch hydrolase inhibition activity with an IC50 value of 15.4 ± 2.1 μg/ml against porcine α-amylase and an IC50 value of 32.4 ± 3.7 μg/ml against rat intestinal α-glucosidase. A complex mixture of A-type oligomeric proanthocyanidins containing (epi)fisetinidol, (epi)afzelechin, (epi)guibourtinidol, and (epi)catechin were found. These compounds may be responsible for the starch hydrolase inhibition activity. Ethyl acetate (EA) extract of P. viridiflora stem was incorporated into wheat and rice flour to reformulate noodles with slow digestibility and was assessed under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. A dose-dependent effect on digestibility was observed for both noodles upon incorporation of 1-6% (w/w) of EA extract, with noodles containing 6% (w/w) extract exhibiting the greatest reduction in digestibility. As compared to rice noodles containing 6% extract (31.16% inhibition), wheat noodles with the same extract concentration had a smaller decline in digestibility (27.25% inhibition) after 180 min. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of P. viridiflora in the prevention of postprandial hyperglycaemia.

Antrodia cinnamomea is a precious edible mushroom originating from Taiwan that has been popularly used for adjuvant hepatoprotection and anti-inflammation; however, the chemical principle for its anti-inflammatory activity has not been elucidated, which prevents the quality control of related products. Using the RAW264.7 model for the anti-inflammatory activity assay as a guide, we reported the isolation and structural elucidation of three potent anti-inflammatory compounds from isolated ergostanes (16) and lanostanes (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis including NMR and HR-QTOF-MS. Particularly, the absolute configurations of (25R)-antcin K, (25R)-antcin A, versisponic acid D, and (25R)-antcin C were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). The representative and most promising compound antcin A was shown to suppress pro-inflammatory biomolecule release via the down-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 expression through the NF-κB pathway while the mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 were also decreased. The high dependency on structural variation and activity suggests that there might be special biological targets for antcin A. Our work makes it possible to develop evidence-based dietary supplements from Antrodia cinnamomea based on anti-inflammatory constituents.

Cardamine violifolia is a selenium (Se)-enriched plant in China. In this study, we prepared Se-enriched peptides (SPE) from C. violifolia by enzymatic hydrolysis. The peptides were then separated by ultrafiltration. The fraction with the highest in vitro antioxidant activity, SPE4, was obtained. Mice treated with SPE4 in D-galactose induced oxidative stress model showed significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and glutathione (GSH) content and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl content in plasma and tissues. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-fatigue activities of SPE4 were evaluated by exhaustive swimming experiments. The weight-loaded swimming time of mice was prolonged by taking SPE4. The blood lactic acid (BLA) and urea nitrogen (BUN) content was decreased, and the level of hepatic glycogen (HG) was increased. Therefore, Se-enriched peptides form C. violifolia may be a beneficial ingredient to use in functional foods.

For rapid and portable detection of ethylene in commercial fruit ripening storage rooms, we designed a smartphone-based optical fiber sensor (SOFS), which is composed of a 15 mW 365 nm laser for fluorescence signal excitation and a bifurcated fiber system for signal flow direction from probe to smartphone. Paired with a pyrene-tagged Grubbs catalyst (PYG) probe, our SOFS showed a wide linearity range up to 350 ppm with a detection limit of 0.6 ppm. The common gases in the warehouse had no significant interference with the results. The device is portable (18 cm × 8 cm × 6 cm) with an inbuilt power supply and replaceable optical fiber sensor tip. The images are processed with a dedicated smartphone application for RGB analysis and ethylene concentration. The device was applied in detection of ethylene generated from apples, avocados, and bananas. The linear correlation data showed agreement with data generated from a fluorometer. The SOFS provides a rapid, compact, cost-effective solution for determination of the fruit ethylene concentration dynamic during ripening for better fruit harvest timing and postharvest management to minimize wastage.

Necrosis is a form of cell death, which is related to various serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Necrosis-avid agents (NAAs) selectively accumulated in the necrotic tissues can be used for imaging and/or therapy of related diseases. The aim of this study was to preliminarily investigate necrosis avidity of 131I-evans blue (131I-EB) and its mechanism. The biodistribution of 131I-EB at 24 h after intravenous administration showed that the radioactivity ratio of necrotic to viable tissue was 3.41 in the liver and 11.82 in the muscle as determined by γ counting in model rats. Autoradiography and histological staining displayed preferential uptake of 131I-EB in necrotic tissues. In vitro nuclear extracts from necrotic cells exhibited 82.3% of the uptake in nuclei at 15 min, as well as 79.2% of the uptake at 2 h after 131I-EB incubation. The DNA binding study demonstrated that evans blue (EB) has strong binding affinity with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) (Ksv=5.08×105 L/(mol/L)). Furthermore, the accumulation of 131I-EB in necrotic muscle was efficiently blocked by an excess amount of unlabeled EB. In conclusion, 131I-EB can not only detect necrosis by binding the DNA released from necrotic cells, but also image necrotic tissues generated from the disease clinically. KEY WORDS: 131I-Evans blue, Necrosis avidity, Radioactivity, DNA binding, Necrosis imaging

Abstracts: The slow hydrogen sulphide (H2S) releasing compound S-allyl glutathione disulfide (GSSA) from garlic, which can release H2S via α carbon substitution, showed anti-aging effects on the chronological lifespan (CLS) of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Hormesis was observed, showing lifespan extension at nanomolar concentrations (100–200 nM), whereas at high concentration (1 mM) toxicity were observed. A possible explanation therefore might be the beneficial properties of the recently discovered gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Yet, 2-vinyl-4H-1,3-dithiin (2-VDT) and 3-vinyl-4H-1,2-dithiin (3-VDT) from garlic appeared both inactive in terms of prolonging the lifespan of yeast. While for 2-VDT these findings seem reasonable since it cannot release H2S, for 3-VDT the contrary was expected as H2S releasing properties were observed. The underlying mechanism of H2S release of 3-VDT was proposed to be a similar α carbon substitution-like observed for GSSA.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a gasotransmitter with multiple cellular signaling functions, and substantial number of H2S donors has been reported for research and therapeutic applications. However, most of the H2S donors are synthetic compounds. Naturally occurring slow H2S releasing agents are rare, especially those found in fruits and vegetables. We report herein that 1,2,4-trithiolane (TTL), the major cyclic polysulphide from stinky bean, is a potent, slow releasing H2S donor. TTL is 6.35 times more effective than diallyl trisulphide (DATS) in terms of increasing the cellular H2S concentration in cultured cells. Moreover, TTL could release H2S in cultured cells for up to two days. HPLC and LC–MS study reveal that TTL releases H2S through a sluggish reaction with glutathione (GSH), during which the thiolate attacks the carbon to open the trithiolane ring, resulting in H2S and several glutathione-methylene-sulphide conjugates. The apparent rate constant was estimated to be (2.02 ± 0.38) × 10−5 s−1. Our results suggest that stinky bean, may be of potential as functional food with H2S donation property.

Blanched and unblanched garlic were fermented using L. plantarum for investigation of organosulphide profiles, hydrogen sulphide-releasing activity, pH, titratable activity and microbial growth. Both raw and blanched garlic preparations allowed growth of L. plantarum with corresponding lowering of pH below 4.0 and an increase in titratable acidity from an initial value of less 0.05% to 0.3 and 0.5%, respectively. Fermentation, alone, decreased allicin and vinyl dithiins, but increased the concentration of DATS. The H2S-releasing activity, expressed as DATS-E (mmol DATS/g oil), of raw-fermented (2.91) garlic was not significantly different to that of raw (4.74) garlic, but values in blanched (0.41) and blanched-fermented (0.71) samples significantly decreased. Reductions in DATS-E values in blanched and blanched-fermented garlic corresponded well with the negative effect of blanching on the organosulphide concentrations of the products. Fermentation with L. plantarum retains H2S-releasing activity by increasing DATS, despite notable losses in allicin and allicin transformation products.

This article contains experimental data on the identification and quantification of the organosulfides on boiled garlic extracts. Data included are related to the research article “Boiling enriches the linear polysulfides and the hydrogen sulfide-releasing activity of garlic” (R. Tocmo, Y. Wu, D. Liang, V. Fogliano, D. Huang, 2016) [1]. Characterization was carried out by GC–MS and HPLC. Dose-response curves obtained from the cell-based H2S-releasing capacity assay of allicin transformation products, namely vinyl dithiins and ajoene are also included. DATS-E values were calculated from these dose-response curves to quantify the contribution of the individual polysulfides to the H2S-releasing capacity of boiled extracts.

Type-II diabetes has become a health threat globally. One major challenge for diabetes patients is to control their post-prandial hyperglycaemia, which could be achieved through the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Lepisanthes alata (Malay cherry) was discovered as a promising edible plant with high starch hydrolase inhibition activities for corn starch hydrolysis with IC50 of its aqueous extracts at 0.77 ± 0.09 µg/mL (for porcine α-amylase) and 10.83 ± 0.67 µg/mL (for rat intestinal α-glucosidase). Proanthocyanidins were identified to be responsible as active compounds. The proanthocyanidin exhibited high degree (mDP at 27) of polymerization and was composed of (epi)catechins and (epi)gallocatechins linked through B-type 4–8 interflavanyl bonds. Inhibition kinetic study revealed that the proanthocyanidins were a mixed noncompetitive inhibitor against α-amylase but competitive inhibitor against α-glucosidase. Our discovery highlighted the potential of the leaves of L. alata for use in prevention of post prandial hyperglycaemia.

We found that Abelmoschus esculentus Moench (okra, or lady's finger) exhibits significant α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Assay-guided fractionation of the okra extracts resulted in identification of oligomeric proanthocyanidins in unripe okra seeds as the compounds responsible to the activity. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis using a diol column revealed oligomers are a dominant composition with higher degree (>20) of polymerisation appearing as one large peak in the chromatogram. Thiolysis treatment of the proanthocyanidins using methyl thioglycolate produced thioether derivatives of (epi)gallocatechins and (epi)catechins as major products. Based on the ratio of terminal and extension units, the mean degree of polymerisation was estimated to be 21.97. B-type gallocatechin oligomers up to pentadecamer could be detected using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra.

Durian (Durio zibethinus) is a tropical fruit grown in Southeast Asia and highly appreciated by consumers throughout Asia. Folates are a group of vitamins and are essential nutrients for humans. Here we present the folate analysis of different durian cultivars as well as diverse durian products. An LC-MS/MS method and the application of a stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA) was used for quantitation of the folate vitamers 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 10-formylfolate, tetrahydrofolate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid by using [13C5]-labeled internal standards. Total folates varied from 175 to 440 μg/100 g for durian arils and from 15.0 to 417 μg/100 g for durian products. These contents are extraordinarily high compared to other fruits and may be correlated to the upregulated methionine biosynthesis pathway reported recently. In summary, the tropical fruit durian can be considered as a very rich dietary source of natural folates.

This paper investigates the problem of identifying unknown coefficient of time dependent in heat conduction equation by new iteration method. In order to use new iteration method, we should convert the parabolic heat conductive equation into an integral equation by integral calculus and initial condition. This method constructs a convergent sequence of function, which approximates the exact solution with a few iterations and does not need complex calculation. Illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency and validity.

Dietary organosulfur compounds commonly found in garlic and cruciferous vegetables are potent hypochlorite scavengers as measured using a novel fluorescence assay based on quantum dots (QDs) as the nanoprobe. By using hydrogen sulfide as a standard, we quantified the HClO scavenging capacity of organosulfides in the following order: cysteine > methionine > phenethylisothiocyanate > diallyldisulfide ~ dially trisulfide. The reaction products of these sulfides with hypochlorite were characterized by LC–MS spectra, which revealed that the sulfur atoms are the acceptor of oxygen from hypochlorite. Finally, the hypochlorite scavenging activity of garlic upon heat treatment reduced the ClO− scavenging activity significantly.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), viewed as a deadly environmental pollutant, is now intensively researched as the third gaseous signalling molecule, ubiquitously present and with a myriad of physiological functions. We studied garlic (Allium sativum L.) scapes, the underexplored yet widely consumed “flower stalks” of garlic, for their organosulphide constituents and H2S-releasing activity. Oils obtained from pH-adjusted (pH 3.0–9.0) puree contained 15 organosulphides that showed sensitivity to the pH values of the processing media. Disulphides are significantly higher in the oil obtained at basic pH while trisulphides and cyclic organosulphides were much higher in the oils isolated at the acidic to weakly acidic pH values. A cell-based fluorescent method was used to quantify the H2S-releasing capacity, expressed as diallyl trisulphide equivalents (DATS-E in mmol DATS/g). DATS-E values significantly increased with increasing concentrations of trisulphides and tetrasulphides but showed inverse relationship with the increase in disulphides concentration. Common cooking method of stir-frying resulted in loss of more than 96% of the organosulphides and the oil obtained had an 85-fold lower DATS-E value.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a gaseous signalling molecule with multiple biological functions in the human body. Previous research demonstrates that diallyl trisulphide (DATS) and diallyl disulphide (the two major compounds of garlic oil) can be metabolized to generate H2S in biological conditions and modulate cell signalling. In this paper, a fluorescent method for quantification of H2S releasing capacity in cell lines was developed. MCF-7 cells in 96 well plate were incubated with a H2S probe BCu for 3 h, then treated with H2S donors for 2 h, which would be metabolized by the cells and produce H2S. The resulting H2S was captured by the probe and turn on its fluorescence, which was measured with a microplate reader. Linear dose response could be established between organosulphur concentration and fluorescence intensity, and the H2S releasing capacity of a sample was determined by comparing the slope of the regression curve with that of a DATS standard obtained in parallel. With this method, the H2S releasing capacity of ten organosulphur rich fruits and vegetables (garlic, red onion, yellow onion, scallion, shallot, leek, spring onion, Chinese chives, durian, and stinky beans) were evaluated and ranked. Stinky beans (a vegetable from Southeast Asia) topped the ranking with very high H2S releasing capacity, followed by garlic and yellow onion. Our work provides new thinking on the health benefits of organosulphur-rich foods.

Glyceollin I, an induced phytoalexin isolated from soybean, has been reported to have various bioactivities, including anti-bacterial, anti-nematode, anti-fungal, anti-estrogenic and anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, insulin sensitivity enhancing, and attenuation of vascular contractions. Here we show that glyceollin I has hormesis and extends yeast life span at low (nM) doses in a calorie restriction (CR)-dependent manner, while it reduces life span and inhibits yeast cell proliferation at higher (μM) doses. In contrast, the other two isomers (glyceollin II and III) cannot extend yeast life span and only show life span reduction and antiproliferation at higher doses. Our results in anti-aging activity indicate that glyceollin I might be a promising calorie restriction mimetic candidate, and the high content of glyceollins could improve the bioactivity of soybean as functional food ingredients.

This paper studies the recognition criterion of the bifurcation problem with trivial solution. The t-equivalence is different from the strong equivalence studied by Golubitsky et al. The difference is that the second component of the differential homeomorphism is not identical. Consider the normal subgroup of t-equivalence group, we obtain the characterization of higher order terms P ( h ) . In addition, we also explore the properties of intrinsic submodules and the finite determinacy of the bifurcation problem.

In this work, we developed quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR) models for prediction of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of flavonoids. Both linear (partial least squares—PLS) and non-linear models (artificial neural networks—ANNs) were built using parameters of two well-established antioxidant activity mechanisms, namely, the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanism defined with the minimum bond dissociation enthalpy, and the sequential proton-loss electron transfer (SPLET) mechanism defined with proton affinity and electron transfer enthalpy. Due to pronounced solvent effects within the ORAC assay, the hydration energy was also considered. The four-parameter PLS-QSAR model yielded relatively high root mean square errors (RMSECV = 0.783, RMSEE = 0.668, RMSEP = 0.900). Conversely, the ANN-QSAR model yielded considerably lower errors (RMSEE = 0.180 ± 0.059, RMSEP1 = 0.164 ± 0.128, and RMSEP2 = 0.151 ± 0.114) due to the inherent non-linear relationships between molecular structures of flavonoids and ORAC values. Five-fold cross-validation was found to be unsuitable for the internal validation of the ANN-QSAR model with a high RMSECV of 0.999 ± 0.253; which is due to limited sample size where resampling with replacement is a considerably better alternative. Chemical domains of applicability were defined for both models confirming their reliability and robustness. Based on the PLS coefficients and partial derivatives, both models were interpreted in terms of the HAT and SPLET mechanisms. Theoretical computations based on density functional theory at ωb97XD/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory were also carried out to further shed light on the plausible mechanism of anti-peroxy radical activity. Calculated energetics for simplified models (genistein and quercetin) with peroxyl radical derived from 2,2′-azobis (2-amidino-propane) dihydrochloride suggested that both SPLET and single electron transfer followed by proton loss (SETPL) mechanisms are competitive and more favorable than HAT in aqueous medium. The finding is in good accord with the ANN-based QSAR modelling results. Finally, the strongly predictive ANN-QSAR model was used to predict antioxidant activities for a series of 115 flavonoids designed combinatorially with flavone as a template. Structural trends were analyzed, and general guidelines for synthesis of new flavonoid derivatives with potentially potent antioxidant activities were given.

Ethanolic extract of durian seeds was fractionated by reverse phase flash column chromatography and the fractions characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. Among a few unknown compounds collected, oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) were found to be one of the main compounds. Based on this result, the OPCs were purified the first time from the durian seeds using standard procedures and gave a yield of 1.8 mg/g dry matter after fractionation by Sephadex LH-20 column. Structural analysis by 13C{1H} NMR and ESI-MS spectra showed the presence of primarily B-type procyanidins with mainly epicatechin as the extension units, which was further verified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization–time of flight mass spectra (MALDI-TOF MS), which shows a distribution of dimers to decamers. In addition, hydroxylated peaks with molecular weight 16 units more than the poly-epicatechins represented significant peaks. We suggest this might be due to hydroxylation occurring under the MALDI-TOF MS conditions. Consistently, depolymerization with α-toluenethiol resulted in epicatechin thioether as the major product, but undetectable amount of gallocatechin or its α-toluenethiol derivatives. The oligomershave a mean degree of polymerization of 7.30.

Proanthocyanidins from the rhizomes of Selliguea feei (PSFs) were solvent-extracted and fractionated by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography to give a 2.42% isolated yield (dry matter basis). 1H-NMR spectroscopy revealed the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) to be 2.6. 13C-NMR analysis showed typical signals for afzelechin/epiafzelechin units. Clear peaks at 76 ppm and 84 ppm indicated that both stereoisomers (afzelechin/epiafzelechin) are present. In agreement with the NMR spectra, the ESI-MS spectrum indicated that PSFs are mainly monomers to trimers consisting of afzelechin/epiafzelechin units with A-type and B-type interflavanyl linkages. A trimer was purified and identified as demethylated selligueain B. Thiolysis confirmed the structure and the thiolytic products, methyl 2-[(2R, 3R, 4S)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chroman-4-yl]acetate (1) and 4β-(carboxymethyl)sulphanylepiafzelechin-(2β→O→7,4β→8)-epiafzelechin methyl ester (2), were purified and characterized. Selligueain A, demethylated selligueain B, compounds 1 and 2 possess high antioxidant capacity at 1.18 × 104, 1.16 × 104, 0.95 × 104 and 1.29 × 104 µmol TE/g, respectively.

Characterzation of polyphenolic compounds in the stems of P. multiflorum was conducted using HPLC, high resolution LC-MS and LC-MSn. Proanthocyanidins in particular were isolated in 4.8% yield using solvent extraction followed by Sephadex LH-20 fractionation. HPLC analysis using a diol column revealed oligomers (from dimer to nonamer) as minor components, with (epi)catechin monomeric units predominating, and oligomers with higher degree of polymerization being dominant. Thiolysis treatment of the proanthocyanidins using mercaptoacetic acid produced thioether derivatives of (epi)catechin as the major product and a mean value of the degree of polymerization of 32.6 was estimated from the ratio of terminal and extension units of the (epi)catechin. The isolated proanthocyanidins were shown to strongly inhibit α-amylase with an acarbose equivalence (AE) value of 1,954.7 µmol AE/g and inhibit α-glucosidase with an AE value of 211.1 µmol AE/g.

This paper investigates the boundary value in the heat conduction problem by a variational iteration method. Applying the iteration method, a sequence of convergent functions is constructed, the limit approximates the exact solution of the heat conduction equation in a few iterations using only the initial condition. This method does not require discretization of the variables. Numerical results show that this method is quite simple and straightforward for models that are currently under research.

Durian fruit is rich in volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), especially thiols and disulfides, which contribute to its onion-like odor. After fermentation, these VSCs were reduced to trace or undetectable levels in durian wine. The possible reduction mechanism of these VSCs (especially diethyl disulfide and ethanethiol) was investigated in a modified buffer in the presence of sulfite at different pH. An interconversion between diethyl disulfide and ethanethiol was found to be dependent on the pH: the higher the pH, the higher production of ethanethiol. It is suggested that, during durian wine fermentation, disulfides endogenous to durian pulp might be firstly converted into their corresponding thiols in the presence of reductant sulfite formed by yeast. The produced thiols as well as the thiols endogenous to the durian pulp were then removed by the mannoproteins of yeast lees.

The phenolic profiles of 12 cruciferous vegetables (pakchoi, choysum, Chinese cabbage, kailan, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, rocket salad, red cherry radish, daikon radish, and watercress) were studied with UHPLC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were also evaluated. A total of 74 phenolic compounds were identified, including 16 hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives, and 58 flavonoids and derivatives. The main flavonoids identified were glycosylated quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, and the main hydroxycinnamic acids were ferulic, sinapic, caffeic and p-coumaric acids. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the distribution of phenolic compounds in different genera of cruciferous vegetables was in accordance with their conventional taxonomy. The DPPH, ORAC and TPC values ranged from 1.11 to 9.54 µmoles Trolox equivalent/g FW, 5.34 to 32.92 µmoles Trolox equivalent/g FW, and 0.16 to 1.93 mg gallic acid equivalent/g FW respectively. Spearman’s correlation showed significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations between TPC, flavonoids and antioxidant activity.

Accumulating scientific evidence suggests that over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be the root cause of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, and ageing per se [1,2].[...]

It is established that glucose restriction extends yeast chronological and replicative lifespan, but little is known about the influence of amino acids on yeast lifespan, although some amino acids were reported to delay aging in rodents. Here we show that amino acid composition greatly alters yeast chronological lifespan. We found that non-essential amino acids (to yeast) methionine and glutamic acid had the most significant impact on yeast chronological lifespan extension, restriction of methionine and/or increase of glutamic acid led to longevity that was not the result of low acetic acid production and acidification in aging media. Remarkably, low methionine, high glutamic acid and glucose restriction additively and independently extended yeast lifespan, which could not be further extended by buffering the medium (pH 6.0). Our preliminary findings using yeasts with gene deletion demonstrate that glutamic acid addition, methionine and glucose restriction prompt yeast longevity through distinct mechanisms. This study may help to fill a gap in yeast model for the fast developing view that nutrient balance is a critical factor to extend lifespan.

The traditional view on dietary restriction has been challenged with regard to extending lifespan of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This is because studies have shown that changing the balance of dietary components without reduction of dietary intake can increase lifespan, suggesting that nutrient composition other than dietary restriction play a pivotal role in regulation of longevity. However, this opinion has not been reflected in yeast aging studies. Inspired by this new finding, response surface methodology was applied to evaluate the relationships between nutrients (glucose, amino acids and yeast nitrogen base) and lifespan as well as biomass production in four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (wild-type BY4742, sch9Δ, tor1Δ, and sir2Δ mutants) using a high throughput screening assay. Our results indicate that lifespan extension by a typical dietary restriction regime was dependent on the nutrients in media and that nutrient composition was a key determinant for yeast longevity. Four different yeast strains were cultured in various media, which showed similar response surface trends in biomass production and viability at day two but greatly different trends in lifespan. The pH of aging media was dependent on glucose concentration and had no apparent correlation with lifespan under conditions where amino acids and YNB were varied widely, and simply buffering the pH of media could extend lifespan significantly. Furthermore, the results showed that strain sch9Δ was more responsive in nutrient-sensing than the other three strains, suggesting that Sch9 (serine-threonine kinase pathway) was a major nutrient-sensing factor that regulates cell growth, cell size, metabolism, stress resistance and longevity. Overall, our findings support the notion that nutrient composition might be a more effective way than simple dietary restriction to optimize lifespan and biomass production from yeast to other organisms.