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Addressing the challenge of blood glucose fluctuations triggered by the ingestion of pea starch, we have adopted an eco-friendly strategy utilizing microwave irradiation to synthesize the novel pea starch–tea polyphenol complexes. These complexes exhibit high swelling capacity and low solubility, and their thermal profile with low gelatinization temperature and enthalpy indicates adaptability to various processing conditions. In vitro digestion studies showed that these complexes have a small amount of rapidly digestible starch and a large amount of resistant starch, leading to a slower digestion rate. These features are particularly advantageous for diabetics, mitigating glycemic excursions. Structurally, the pea starch–tea polyphenol complexes exhibited a B + V-shaped dense network with low crystallinity, high orderliness, and a prominent double helix content, enhancing its stability and functionality in food applications. In summary, these innovative complexes served as a robust platform for developing low glycemic index foods, catering to the nutritional needs of diabetics. It offers an environmentally sustainable approach to food processing, fostering human well-being and propelling innovation in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Discarded young fig fruits (DYFFs) result in a waste of resources, such as sparse fruits and residual fruits, and there has been no research on the relationship between phenolic compounds and biological activity in DYFFs (2) Methods: Different deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and 80% ethanol were used to prepare DYFF extracts, and polyphenol extraction efficiency and bioactivities in the DYFFs extracts were compared. (3) Results: More than 1700 phytochemicals were identified in DYFFs, and thirteen of these typical phenolic compounds were analyzed quantitatively; chlorogenic acid, rutin, luteolin 8-C-glucoside, and epicatechin are the main polyphenols in DYFFs, especially chlorogenic acid with 2720–7980 mg/kg. Ferulic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin, (+)-catechin, luteolin 8-C-glucoside, rutin, hesperetin, and chlorogenic acid showed different degrees of correlation with in vitro antioxidant activity. Moreover, the highest total phenol content found in the extracts of ChCl-Ethylene glycol (Choline chloride:Ethylene glycol = 1:2) was 8.88 mg GAE/g DW, and all quantitatively analyzed phenolic compounds had high levels in various DESs and 80% ethanol. The 80% ethanol and Choline chloride (ChCl) solvent system showed the greatest antioxidant properties, and the Choline chloride-Urea (Choline chloride: Urea = 1:2) extract of DYFFs exhibited the highest inhibitory activity. (4) Conclusions: DESs have demonstrated potential as promising green solvents, especially the ChCl solvent system, which facilitates the extraction of polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the antioxidant activity of fermented tartaty buckwheat extract of Pleurotus eryngii in vitro as well as its protective effect on alcohol-induced liver and gastric mucosa injury in vivo. Methods: The study involved determining the contents of functional components in fermented tartary buckwheat extract and observing its antioxidant capacity. Mice models of chronic alcoholic liver and gastric mucosa injury were established using Lieber-DeCarli liquid feed. The protective effects of fermented tartary buckwheat extract at low and high doses (1.5 g/kg B.W., 3.0 g/kg B.W.) were investigated for both liver and gastric mucosa injury. Results: The extract of fermented buckwheat with Pleurotus eryngii contained more antioxidant components, the contents of polyphenols, flavonoids and triterpenes were 11.40±0.32 mg GAE/g DW, 17.19±0.30 mg RE/g DW and 7.59±0.24 mg/g, respectively. The contents of rutin and quercetin were as follows: 13.55±0.05 and 0.665±0.01 mg/g. The iron reducing antioxidant capacity and DPPH and ABTS+ free radical scavenging efficiency of Tartary buckwheat extract were 16.66±0.65, 33.49±1.26 and 15.68±1.17 µmol Trolox/g DW, respectively. Compared with the model group, both high-dose and low-dose groups significantly reduced malondialdehyde (P<0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.01), alanine aminotransferase (P<0.01), lactate dehydrogenase (P<0.05), and interleukin-1β (P<0.05) levels and significantly increased levels of superoxide dismutase (P<0.01) and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.01), downregulated protein expression levels of reactive oxygen species (P<0.01), rat sarcoma (P<0.01), rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (P<0.01), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (P<0.05), and mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (P<0.05). Conclusion: Fermented tartaty buckwheat extract of Pleurotus eryngii has good antioxidant activity, and has obvious protective effect on chronic alcoholic liver and gastric mucosa injury in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble dietary fibers (SDFs) exist as the major bioactive components in legumes, which exhibit various biological functions. To improve the potential applications of legume SDFs as healthy value-added products in the functional food industry, the physicochemical properties and biological functions of SDFs from ten selected traditional legumes, including mung bean, adzuki bean, red bean, red sword bean, black bean, red kidney bean, speckled kidney bean, common bean, white hyacinth bean, and pea, were studied and compared. Results showed that the physicochemical properties of SDFs varied in different species of legumes. All legume SDFs almost consisted of complex polysaccharides, which were rich in pectic-polysaccharides, e.g., homogalacturonan (HG) and rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I) domains. In addition, hemicelluloses, such as arabinoxylan, xyloglucan, and galactomannan, existed in almost all legume SDFs, and a large number of galactomannans existed in SDFs from black beans. Furthermore, all legume SDFs exhibited potential antioxidant, antiglycation, immunostimulatory, and prebiotic effects, and their biological functions differed relative to their chemical structures. The findings can help reveal the physicochemical and biological properties of different legume SDFs, which can also provide some insights into the further development of legume SDFs as functional food ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat belongs to the family Polygonaceae, which is a traditionally edible and medicinal plant. Due to its various bioactive compounds, the consumption of Tartary buckwheat is correlated to a wide range of health benefits, and increasing attention has been paid to its potential as a functional food. This review summarizes the main bioactive compounds and important bioactivities and health benefits of Tartary buckwheat, emphasizing its protective effects on metabolic diseases and relevant molecular mechanisms. Tartary buckwheat contains a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, bioactive polysaccharides, and bioactive proteins and peptides, as well as D-chiro-inositol and its derivatives. Consumption of Tartary buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat-enriched products is linked to multiple health benefits, e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Especially, clinical studies indicate that Tartary buckwheat exhibits remarkable antidiabetic activities. Various tartary buckwheat -based foods presenting major health benefits as fat and blood glucose-lowering agents have been commercialized. Additionally, to address the safety concerns, i.e., allergic reactions, heavy metal and mycotoxin contaminations, the quality control standards for Tartary buckwheat and its products should be drafted and completed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]