Phenolics and Terpenoids Profiling in Diverse Loquat Fruit Varieties and Systematic Assessment of Their Mitigation of Alcohol-Induced Oxidative Stress.

To compare and investigate the phenolic compounds in the peel and flesh of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) and evaluate their ability to protect against alcohol-induced liver oxidative stress, we employed a combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze 22 phenolics and 2 terpenoid compounds in loquat peel and flesh extracts (extraction with 95% ethanol). Among these, six compounds were identified for the first time in loquat, revealing distinct distribution patterns based on variety and tissue. Various chemical models, such as DPPH, FRAP, ORAC, and ABTS, were used to assess free radical scavenging and metal ion reduction capabilities. The results indicate that peel extracts exhibited higher antioxidant capacity compared with flesh extracts. Using a normal mouse liver cell line, AML-12, we explored the protective effects of loquat extracts and individual compounds against ethanol-induced oxidative stress. The findings demonstrate the enhanced cell viability and the induction of antioxidant enzyme activity through the modulation of Nrf2 and Keap1 gene expression. In a C57/BL6 mouse model of alcohol-induced liver damage, loquat extract was found to alleviate liver injury induced by alcohol. The restoration of perturbed serum liver health indicators underscored the efficacy of loquat extract in reclaiming equilibrium. The culmination of these findings significantly bolsters the foundational knowledge necessary to explore the utilization of loquat fruit extract in the creation of health-focused products.

Nobiletin as a chemopreventive natural product against cancer, a comprehensive review.

As a leading cause of death, second only to heart disease, cancer has always been one of the burning topics in medical research. When targeting multiple signal pathways in tumorigenesis chemoprevention, using natural or synthetic anti-cancer drugs is a vital strategy to reduce cancer damage. However, toxic effects, multidrug resistance (MDR) as well as cancer stem cells (CSCs) all prominently limited the clinical application of conventional anticancer drugs. With low side effects, strong biological activity, unique mechanism, and wide range of targets, natural products derived from plants are considered significant sources for new drug development. Nobiletin is one of the most attractive compounds, a unique flavonoid primarily isolated from the peel of citrus fruits. Numerous studies in vitro and in vivo have suggested that nobiletin and its derivatives possess the eminent potential to become effective cancer chemoprevention agents through various cellular and molecular levels. This article aims to comprehensively review the anticancer efficacy and specific mechanisms of nobiletin, enhancing our understanding of its chemoprevention properties and providing the latest research findings. At the end of this review, we also give some discussion and future perspectives regarding the challenges and opportunities in nobiletin efficient exploitation.

Citrus flavonoids and their antioxidant evaluation.

The antioxidant ability is the link and bridge connecting a variety of biological activities. Citrus flavonoids play an essential role in regulating oxidative stress and are an important source of daily intake of antioxidant supplements. Many studies have shown that citrus flavonoids promote health through antioxidation. In this review, the biosynthesis, composition and distribution of citrus flavonoids were concluded. The detection methods of antioxidant capacity of citrus flavonoids were divided into four categories: chemical, cellular, animal and clinical antioxidant capacity evaluation systems. The modeling methods, applicable scenarios, and their relative merits were compared based on these four systems. The antioxidant functions of citrus flavonoids under different evaluation systems were also discussed, especially the regulation of the Nrf2-antioxidases pathway. Some shortcomings in the current research were pointed out, and some suggestions for progress were put forward.

Antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of tartary buckwheat rice flavonoids after in vitro digestion.

Oxidative stress and diabetes have a tendency to alter protein, lipid, and DNA moieties. One of the strategic methods used to reduce diabetes-associated oxidative stress is to inhibit the carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, thereby decreasing gastrointestinal glucose production. Plant-derived natural antioxidant molecules are considered a therapeutic tool in the treatment of oxidative stress and diabetes. The objective of this study was to identify tartary buckwheat rice flavonoids and evaluate the effect of in vitro digestion on their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated the presence of rutin as a major component and quercitrin as a minor component of both digested and non-digested flavonoids. Both extracts showed a significant antioxidant capacity, but digested flavonoids showed reduced activity compared to non-digested. There were some decreases of the antioxidant activities (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) of digested tartary buckwheat rice flavonoids compared with non-digested. Flavonoids from both groups significantly inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and α-glucosidase activity. Both digested and non-digested flavonoids markedly increased glucose consumption and glycogen content in HepG2 cells. Tartary buckwheat rice flavonoids showed appreciable antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, even after digestion. Tartary buckwheat rice appears to be a promising functional food with potent antioxidant and antidiabetic properties.

The Growth of SGC-7901 Tumor Xenografts Was Suppressed by Chinese Bayberry Anthocyanin Extract through Upregulating KLF6 Gene Expression.

To investigate the antitumor effect of anthocyanins extracted from Chinese bayberry fruit (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.), a nude mouse tumor xenograft model was established. Treatments with C3G (cyanidin-3-glucoside, an anthocyanin) significantly suppressed the growth of SGC-7901 tumor xenografts in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemical staining showed a significant increase in p21 expression, indicating that the cell cycle of tumor xenografts was inhibited. qPCR screening showed that C3G treatment up-regulated the expression of the KLF6 gene, which is an important tumor suppressor gene inactivated in many human cancers. Western blot showed that C3G treatments markedly increased KLF6 and p21 protein levels, inhibited CDK4 and Cyclin D1 expression, but did not notably change the expression of p53. These results indicated that KLF6 up-regulates p21 in a p53-independent manner and significantly reduces tumor proliferation. This study provides important information for the possible mechanism of C3G-induced antitumor activity against gastric adenocarcinoma in vivo.

[Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of quercetin and its glycosides].

Quercetin and its glycosides are important flavonols in traditional herbal drugs and plant-derived food, and they have diverse hiological activities such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that quercetin and its glycosides were effective in the prevention and treatment of non-infectious chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. They can regulate glucose and lipid metaholism through different mechanisms. They can decrease blood glucose via protecting pancreatic/p cells or/and improving insulin sensitivity. Also, they have lipid-lowering effects, which may be the result of regulation of lipid catabolism or/and anabolism. Their distributions, as well as the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects are reviewed in this paper. In addition, further bioactivities as well as their dose-activity relationship, structure-activity relationship, bioavailability, and future clinical application of quercetin and its glycosides are discussed and proposed.

[Changes in respiratory rate, ethylene production rate and quality of postharvest Chinese bayberry fruits with different maturities].

Harvested fruits of three Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. & Zucc.) varieties, i.e. "Biqi", "Dongkui" and "Zaodamei" which were divided into three maturities (designated as "Immature", "Mature" and "Ripe") according to fruit colour, were investigated for the changes in climacteric pattern and quality at 20 degrees C. Respiration rate and ethylene production rate were underwent 3 h during 48 h storage. Our result showed that both Immature and Mature fruits underwent rises in respiration and ethylene production rate of a climacteric rise, but no such peak was observed in Ripe fruit (Fig.1 and 2). Total soluble solids (TSS) contents increased with maturity and decreased over the 48 h at 20 degrees C (Fig.3); titratable acidity (TA) decreased with the maturity and throughout 48 h storage period (Fig.4). In "Biqi" Chinese bayberry fruit, PAL activities increased in Immature and Mature fruit, but, it decreased in Ripe fruit during the storage period; the change in Cy-3-Glu with fruit ripening was consistent with PAL activities (Table 1); there was significant positive correlation between CIRG (Color Index for Red Grape) values and Cy-3-Glu content (r=0.96**). This study provides important information on the postharvest behaviour of Chinese bayberry fruit, and our result shows that it is climacteric fruit.