Polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Jackfruit) Pulp Ameliorates Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Enteritis in Rats.

A polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp (JFP-Ps) is known for its excellent bioactivities. However, its impact on small intestinal barrier function is still largely unexplored. The study aimed to examine the protection effect of JFP-Ps against dextran sodium sulfate-induced enteritis and its underlying mechanism. This research revealed that JFP-Ps mitigated small intestinal tissue damage by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoting the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 in the small intestine. JFP-Ps diminished oxidative stress by bolstering the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reducing the concentration of malondialdehyde in the small intestine. In addition, JFP-Ps may restore the mechanical barrier and inhibit intestinal structure damage by augmenting the expression of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) receptors (GPR41/43) and up-regulating the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin). In conclusion, JFP-Ps may positively influence intestinal health by relieving oxidative stress in the small intestine, improving mechanical barrier function, activating the SCFA-GPR41/GPR43 axis, and inhibiting TLR4/MAPK pathway activation. The results augment our comprehension of the bioactivities of JFP-Ps, corroborating its great potential as a functional food.

De novo transcriptome sequencing of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and an analysis of genes involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism in response to Phytophthora capsici.

BACKGROUND: Piper nigrum L., or "black pepper", is an economically important spice crop in tropical regions. Black pepper production is markedly affected by foot rot disease caused by Phytophthora capsici, and genetic improvement of black pepper is essential for combating foot rot diseases. However, little is known about the mechanism of anti- P. capsici in black pepper. The molecular mechanisms underlying foot rot susceptibility were studied by comparing transcriptome analysis between resistant (Piper flaviflorum) and susceptible (Piper nigrum cv. Reyin-1) black pepper species. RESULTS: 116,432 unigenes were acquired from six libraries (three replicates of resistant and susceptible black pepper samples), which were integrated by applying BLAST similarity searches and noted by adopting Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Gene Ontology (GO) genome orthology identifiers. The reference transcriptome was mapped using two sets of digital gene expression data. Using GO enrichment analysis for the differentially expressed genes, the majority of the genes associated with the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were identified in P. flaviflorum. In addition, the expression of genes revealed that after susceptible and resistant species were inoculated with P. capsici, the majority of genes incorporated in the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway were up-regulated in both species. Among various treatments and organs, all the genes were up-regulated to a relatively high degree in resistant species. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and peroxidase enzyme activity increased in susceptible and resistant species after inoculation with P. capsici, and the resistant species increased faster. The resistant plants retain their vascular structure in lignin revealed by histochemical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide critical information regarding target genes and a technological basis for future studies of black pepper genetic improvements, including transgenic breeding.

Contribution of Bacillus Isolates to the Flavor Profiles of Vanilla Beans Assessed through Aroma Analysis and Chemometrics.

Colonizing Bacillus in vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) beans is involved in glucovanillin hydrolysis and vanillin formation during conventional curing. The flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electronic nose, and quantitative sensory analysis. The flavor profiles were analytically compared among the vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, conventional curing, and non-microorganism-assisted curing. Vanilla beans added with Bacillus vanillea XY18 and Bacillus subtilis XY20 contained higher vanillin (3.58%±0.05% and 3.48%±0.10%, respectively) than vanilla beans that underwent non-microorganism-assisted curing and conventional curing (3.09%±0.14% and 3.21%±0.15%, respectively). Forty-two volatiles were identified from endogenous vanilla metabolism. Five other compounds were identified from exogenous Bacillus metabolism. Electronic nose data confirmed that vanilla flavors produced through the different curing processes were easily distinguished. Quantitative sensory analysis confirmed that Bacillus-assisted curing increased vanillin production without generating any unpleasant sensory attribute. Partial least squares regression further provided a correlation model of different measurements. Overall, we comparatively analyzed the flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, indirectly demonstrated the mechanism of vanilla flavor formation by microbes.

Characterization of Fatty Acid, Amino Acid and Volatile Compound Compositions and Bioactive Components of Seven Coffee (Coffea robusta) Cultivars Grown in Hainan Province, China.

Compositions of fatty acid, amino acids, and volatile compound were investigated in green coffee beans of seven cultivars of Coffea robusta grown in Hainan Province, China. The chlorogenic acids, trigonelline, caffeine, total lipid, and total protein contents as well as color parameters were measured. Chemometric techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and analysis of one-way variance (ANOVA) were performed on the complete data set to reveal chemical differences among all cultivars and identify markers characteristic of a particular botanical origin of the coffee. The major fatty acids of coffee were linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and arachic acid. Leucine (0.84 g/100 g DW), lysine (0.63 g/100 g DW), and arginine (0.61 g/100 g DW) were the predominant essential amino acids (EAAs) in the coffee samples. Seventy-nine volatile compounds were identified and semi-quantified by HS-SPME/GC-MS. PCA of the complete data matrix demonstrated that there were significant differences among all cultivars, HCA supported the results of PCA and achieved a satisfactory classification performance.

Volatile organic compound emissions from different stages of Cananga odorata flower development.

Headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the different flower development stages of Cananga odorata for the evaluation of floral volatile polymorphism as a basis to determine the best time of harvest. Electronic nose results, coupled with discriminant factor analysis, suggested that emitted odors varied in different C. odorata flower development stages, including the bud, display-petal, initial-flowering, full-flowering, end-flowering, wilted-flower, and dried flower stages. The first two discriminant factors explained 97.52% of total system variance. Ninety-two compounds were detected over the flower life, and the mean Bray-Curtis similarity value was 52.45% among different flower development stages. A high level of volatile polymorphism was observed during flower development. The VOCs were largely grouped as hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, acids, ketones, and ethers, and the main compound was ß-caryophyllene (15.05%-33.30%). Other identified compounds were ß-cubebene, D-germacrene, benzyl benzoate, and α-cubebene. Moreover, large numbers of VOCs were detected at intermediate times of flower development, and more hydrocarbons, esters, and alcohols were identified in the full-flowering stage. The full-flowering stage may be the most suitable period for C. odorata flower harvest.

Protective Effect of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Jackfruit) Polysaccharides on Liver Injury Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Mice.

In recent years, Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) polysaccharides (namely JFP-Ps) have attracted much attention due to their multiple biological activities. This study aimed to explore the protective effects and the underlying mechanisms of JFP-Ps on cyclophosphamide (Cp)-induced liver damage. The protective effect of JFP-Ps was evaluated using HE staining, antioxidant testing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot and ultra-performance liquid chromatography equipped with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) metabolomics analysis. The results showed that Cp caused pathological liver damage, activated oxidative stress and downregulated cytokine expression, while JFP-Ps treatment was found to exert antioxidant effects and play immune regulatory roles through mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB (MAPK/NF-κB) related inflammation and cell apoptosis pathways to protect the Cp-induced liver injury. Metabolomic results showed that the liver-protective effects of JFP-Ps were mainly related to aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) biosynthesis, sphingolipid metabolism, purine metabolism and the citrate cycle. These results indicate that JFP-Ps have great potential application in alleviating liver injury.

[Comparison of green coffee beans volatiles chemical composition of Hainan main area].

Chemical component of Hainan green coffee beans was analyzed with solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the discrepancy between two green coffee beans was differentiated through the spectrum database retrieval and retention index of compound characterization. The experimental results show that: the chemical composition of Wanning coffee beans and Chengmai coffee beans is basically the same. The quantity of analyzed compound in Wanning area coffee is 91, and in Chengmai area coffee is 106, the quantity of the same compound is 66, and the percent of the same component is 75.52%. The same compounds accounted for 89.86% of the total content of Wanning area coffee, and accounted for 85.70% of the total content of Chengmai area coffee.

Unveiling the retrogradation mechanism of a novel high amylose content starch-Pouteria campechiana seed.

The research of starch retrogradation have been attracting interest. Thereby, the long-term retrogradation mechanism (0-21 days) of Pouteria campechiana seed starch (PCSS) was investigated. The results showed that crystal type was changed from A- to B + V-type during retrogradation. The retrogradation PCSS (RPCSS) exhibited faster retrogradation rate and more compact internal ultra-structure compared to rice, wheat and maize starch. Pearson correlation indicated that, as retrogradation days increased, values of α-1,4-glycosidic bond, A chains, double helix, V-type polymorphism, Mw, relative crystallinity (Rc) and short-range order gradually significantly increased, and B1 chains, B3 + chains values gradually significantly dropped (p < 0.05). These inferred an increasing peak temperature and compactness of morphology with increasing retrogradation days. Compared to native starch, RPCSS α-1.4-glycosidic bond was increased, which indicated that its quick molecules degradation including decreased Mw, B3 + chains, Rc, semicrystalline order, and ΔH. These might provide a theoretical direction for preparation of starch-basis food.

Effect of the Amylose Nanoscale Polymerization Index on the Digestion Kinetics and Mechanism of Recombinant Chinese Seedless Breadfruit Starch Triadic Complexes.

The demand for multicomponent foods to meet human energy and nutritional needs has been increasing; however, few studies have addressed the theoretical basis for their preparation. We investigated the effect of the nanoscale polymerization index (DPw) of amylose on the logarithm of slope plot-based kinetics and the mechanism of digestion of starch-lauric acid-ß-lactoglobulin protein complexes. Amylose from each of the five Chinese seedless breadfruit species was mixed with breadfruit amylopectin with the highest resistant starch (RS) content to form starch ternary complexes with various amylose DPws. All five complexes exhibited V-type crystalline diffraction and rod-like molecular configuration. Characteristic X-ray diffraction peaks and Fourier transform-infrared spectra of the ternary complexes revealed similar molecular configurations. As the amylose DPw increased, the complexing index, relative crystallinity, short-range order, weight-average molar mass, molecular density index, gelatinization temperature, decomposition temperature, RS, slowly digestible starch (SDS), and speed rate constants at the second hydrolysis stage (k2) increased, whereas the semicrystalline lamellae thickness, mass fractal structure parameter, average characteristic crystallite unit length, radius of gyration, fractal dimension and cavities of granule surface microstructure, final viscosity, interval speed rate from SDS to RS, equilibrium concentration, and glycemic index decreased. The digestion kinetics exhibited highly significant variation according to the physiochemical properties and multiscale supramolecular structure (r > 0.99 or r < -0.99, p < 0.01). Together, these results identify amylose DPw as an important structural factor that markedly affects the kinetics and mechanism of ternary complex digestion and provide a new theoretical direction for the production of starch-based multicomponent foods.

Changes in Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Jackfruit) Pulp during In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion.

An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model was applied to investigate the effect of digestion on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp. The total phenol content (TPC) was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. Phenolic compounds were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization, followed by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The results showed that TPC was significantly higher after gastric digestion. Thirty phenolic compounds (hydroxybenzoic acids and derivatives, hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives, and flavonoids) were identified. The antioxidant activities of the digested samples varied with the TPC, and there was a correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC. The present study implies that gastrointestinal digestion may improve TPC and increase the amount of free phenolic compounds, mainly related to changes in pH value and digestive enzymes.

Effects of hydroxylation at C3' on the B ring and diglycosylation at C3 on the C ring on flavonols inhibition of α-glucosidase activity.

The structure-activity relationship and inhibitory mechanism of flavonols on α-glucosidase were studied by inhibition kinetics, multispectral study, and molecular docking. The flavonols of rutin, quercetin and kaempferol effectively inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase, among which quercetin and rutin showed the strongest and weakest inhibitory abilities, respectively. The inhibitory ability of flavonols was enhanced by hydroxylation at C3' of B ring, while it was weakened by diglycosylation at C3 of C ring. Remarkably, the quenching affinity and inhibitory ability of flavonols were inconsistent, which was different from the conclusions reported by some previous studies. This may be ascribed to the hydroxyl groups of C3' of B ring and C3 of C ring. Furthermore, three flavonols were spontaneously bound to α-glucosidase through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, which caused the structure and hydrophobic microenvironment of α-glucosidase to change, resulting in significant inhibition of α-glucosidase by flavonols.

Optimization of enzymatic process for vanillin extraction using response surface methodology.

Vanillin was extracted from vanilla beans using pretreatment with cellulase to produce enzymatic hydrolysis, and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the processing parameters of this extraction. The effects of heating time, enzyme quantity and temperature on enzymatic extraction of vanillin were evaluated. Extraction yield (mg/g) was used as the response value. The results revealed that the increase in heating time and the increase in enzyme quantity (within certain ranges) were associated with an enhancement of extraction yield, and that the optimal conditions for vanillin extraction were: Heating time 6 h, temperature 60 °C and enzyme quantity 33.5 mL. Calculated from the final polynomial functions, the optimal response of vanillin extraction yield was 7.62 mg/g. The predicted results for optimal reaction conditions were in good agreement with experimental values.

Characteristics of soil microbiota and organic carbon distribution in jackfruit plantation under different fertilization regimes.

Manure amendment to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) content is an important strategy to sustain ecosystem health and crop production. Here, we utilize an 8-year field experiment to evaluate the impacts of organic and chemical fertilizers on SOC and its labile fractions as well as soil microbial and nematode communities in different soil depths of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.). Three treatments were designed in this study, including control with no amendment (CK), organic manure (OM), and chemical fertilizer (CF). Results showed that OM significantly increased the abundance of total nematodes, bacterivores, bacteria, and fungi as well as the value of nematode channel ratio (NCR) and maturity index (MI), but decreased plant-parasites and Shannon diversity (H'). Soil microbial and nematode communities in three soil depths were significantly altered by fertilizer application. Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi dominated the bacterial communities of OM soil, while Nitrospira was more prevalent in CF treatment. Organic manure application stimulated some functional groups of the bacterial community related to the C cycle and saprotroph-symbiotroph fungi, while some groups related to the nitrogen cycle, pathotroph-saprotroph-symbiotroph and pathotroph-saprotroph fungi were predominated in CF treatment. Furthermore, OM enhanced the soil pH, contents of total soil N, P, K, and SOC components, as well as jackfruit yield. Chemical fertilizers significantly affected available N, P, and K contents. The results of network analyses show that more significant co-occurrence relationships between SOC components and nematode feeding groups were found in CK and CF treatments. In contrast, SOC components were more related to microbial communities than to nematode in OM soils. Partial least-squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that fertilization had significant effects on jackfruit yield, which was composed of positive direct (73.6%) and indirect effects (fertilization → fungal community → yield). It was found that the long-term manure application strategy improves soil quality by increasing SOM, pH, and nutrient contents, and the increased microbivorous nematodes abundance enhanced the grazing pressure on microorganisms and concurrently promoted microbial-derived SOC turnover.

Polysaccharides from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp improves intestinal barrier functions of high fat diet-induced obese rats.

Polysaccharides show protective effects on intestinal barrier function due to their effectiveness in mitigating oxidative damage, inflammation and probiotic effects. Little has been known about the effects of polysaccharides from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. pulp (jackfruit, JFP-Ps) on intestinal barrier function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of JFP-Ps on intestinal barrier function in high fat diet-induced obese rats. H&E staining and biochemical analysis were performed to measure the pathological and inflammatory state of the intestine as well as oxidative damage. Expression of the genes and proteins associated with intestinal health and inflammation were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blots. Results showed that JFP-Ps promoted bowel movements and modified intestinal physiochemical environment by lowering fecal pH and increasing fecal water content. JFP-Ps also alleviated oxidative damage of the colon, relieved intestinal colonic inflammation, and regulated blood glucose transport in the small intestine. In addition, JFP-Ps modified intestinal physiological status through repairing intestinal mucosal damage and increasing the thickness of the mucus layer. Furthermore, JFP-Ps downregulated the inflammatory genes (TNF-α, IL-6) and up-regulated the free fatty acid receptors (GPR41 and GPR43) and tight junction protein (occludin). These results revealed that JFP-Ps showed a protective effect on intestinal function through enhancing the biological, mucosal, immune and mechanical barrier functions of the intestine, and activating SCFAs-GPR41/GPR43 related signaling pathways. JFP-Ps may be used as a promising phytochemical to improve human intestinal health.

A study of starch resources with high-amylose content from five Chinese mutant banana species.

Investigation on staple crop starch of new species has been becoming the research focus of scholars at present. Based on this, the physicochemical properties and microstructural characteristics of starches isolated from Chinese mutant Musa acuminata Colla acuminata and double balbisiana (MA), Musa double acuminata cv. Pisang Mas (MAM), Musa acuminata cv. Pisang Awak (MAA), and Musa Basjoo Siebold (MBS), and Musa double acuminata and balbisiana-Prata (MAP) were investigated. Results exhibited that all starches exhibited high content of amylose (34.04-42.59%). According to the particle size, they were divided into medium (MA, MAM) (14.54-17.71 µm) and large (MAA, MBS, MAP) (23.01-23.82 µm) group. The medium group with A-type crystallization showed higher peak viscosity (PV), final viscosity, gel fracturability and gel hardness. For large group with B-type crystallization, the compact particle morphology, higher degree of crystallinity, short range order, gelatinization enthalpy, pasting temperature, lower porosity, water absorption capacity (WAC) and oil absorption capacity were found. In addition, the medium group with higher PV and gel hardness could be used as food thickening or gelling agents. The large group with higher Rc, short-range order, lower porosity and WAC could be potential to become raw material for resistant starch. All results showed the amylose content, had significant effect on the microstructure and physicochemical properties of starch samples. Outcomes in this investigation might provide a basis of theoretical application for industrial food production.

A novel degraded sesquiterpene from the fresh stem of Aquilaria sinensis.

A novel degraded sesquiterpene, named aquilarin B (1), together with two known compounds (2 and 3), was isolated from the EtOH extract of the fresh stem of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR (HMQC, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HMBC, and ROESY). The cytotoxic activities of the three compounds against three human tumor cell lines K562, SMMC-7721, and SGC-7901 were evaluated, and compound 3 exhibited obvious cytotoxic activity.

Polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp modulates gut microbiota composition and improves short-chain fatty acids production.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. pulp (JFP-Ps) on gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids production in mice. The microbial communities of V3 and V4 region 16S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR, then sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq PE250 platform and analyzed by multivariate statistical methods. The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured using gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The results showed that JFP-Ps significantly affected the levels of intestinal bacteria, including Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, Deferribacteres and TM7. The concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid and total SCFAs in mouse feces were significantly increased by treatment with JFP-Ps for 2 weeks. These results indicate that JFP-Ps is beneficial to the gut health and can be developed as a functional ingredient in relation to gut health.

Supramolecular structure of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam seed starch prepared by improved extrusion cooking technology and its relationship with in vitro digestibility.

Jackfruit seed starch (JFSS) was modified by an improved extrusion cooking technology (IECT), and the supramolecular structure, molecular weight, debranched chain length distributions, relative crystallinity (Rc), and amylose content, were studied. During IECT, the α-1.4-glycosidic bond in amylopectin was broken, which led to decreased radius of gyration (Rg), number-average molar mass (Mn), weight-average molar mass (Mw), long chains and Rc. The medium and short chains and PI (Mw/Mn) increased, while the amylose content hardly changed. The crystalline structure of JFSS was converted from A-type to V-type. Increasing the temperature and screw speed during the treatment significantly increased the medium and short chains and Rg, while it decreased the long chains, amylose, Mn, Mw, PI, and Rc. However, the opposite effect was observed when increasing the moisture content. The in vitro digestibility of JFSS was significantly improved after IECT, due to destruction of starch supramolecular structure according to principal component analysis.

Aquilarin A, a new benzenoid derivative from the fresh stem of Aquilaria sinensis.

Chemical investigation of the EtOH extract of the fresh stem of Aquilaria sinensis collected in Hainan Province of China resulted in the isolation of a new benzenoid, named aquilarin A (1), together with two known compounds balanophonin (2) and (+)-lariciresinol (3). Their structures were elucidated by a study of their physical and spectral data. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited cytotoxicity against SGC-7901 and SMMC-7721 cell lines.

Effect of degree of polymerization of amylopectin on the gelatinization properties of jackfruit seed starch.

Five gelatinized jackfruit starches (GJFSS: M1', M5', M6', M11', and BD') were prepared using amylose mixed with five types of amylopectin. M1' had the lowest degree of polymerization while BD' had the highest. The five GJFSS samples showed significant variations in microstructures, varying from a compact structure (M1') to a loose structure (BD'). The freeze-thaw stability was consistent with results of the microstructure. High syneresis formed compact structure (M1'), and low syneresis formed a loose structure (BD'). As the degree of polymerization of amylopectin increased, the gelatinization enthalpy, peak viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity, setback, and absorbance ratio decreased, while the transition temperature and pasting temperature increased. The thermal, pasting properties, and the short-range molecular order, were consistent with the results of the microstructure and syneresis. All the results indicated that the degree of polymerization of amylopectin is an important structural factor that can significantly affect the gelatinization properties of starch.