Critical review on anti-inflammation effects of saponins and their molecular mechanisms.

This review highlights the increasing interest in one of the natural compounds called saponins, for their potential therapeutic applications in addressing inflammation which is a key factor in various chronic diseases. It delves into the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of these amphiphilic compounds, prevalent in plant-based foods and marine organisms. Their structures vary with soap-like properties influencing historical uses in traditional medicine and sparking renewed scientific interest. Recent research focuses on their potential in chronic inflammatory diseases, unveiling molecular actions such as NF-κB and MAPK pathway regulation and COX/LOX enzyme inhibition. Saponin-containing sources like Panax ginseng and soybeans suggest novel anti-inflammatory therapies. The review explores their emerging role in shaping the gut microbiome, influencing composition and activity, and contributing to anti-inflammatory effects. Specific examples, such as Panax notoginseng and Gynostemma pentaphyllum, illustrate the intricate relationship between saponins, the gut microbiome, and their collective impact on immune regulation and metabolic health. Despite promising findings, the review emphasizes the need for further research to comprehend the mechanisms behind anti-inflammatory effects and their interactions with the gut microbiome, underscoring the crucial role of a balanced gut microbiome for optimal health and positioning saponins as potential dietary interventions for managing chronic inflammatory conditions.

A comprehensive review of the bioactive components of sesame seeds and their impact on bone health issues in postmenopausal women.

Sesame seeds perform many therapeutic functions against several health issues especially those related to bones because they possess a rich content of calcium, vitamins, proteins, oil, and carbohydrates. Using the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases, we performed a comprehensive search of the literature from 2013 to date on reports related to sesame seeds and their bioactive ingredients. Sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin, and sesamol are the major bioactive lignans found in sesame seeds. Our comprehensive review of the literature revealed the protective role of sesame seeds towards bone health in postmenopausal osteoporosis. It was observed that sesame seeds have a positive impact on postmenopausal women experiencing bone-related problems, i.e. osteoporosis and arthritis. Therefore, this review is focused on exploring the effect of sesame seeds on bone mineralization in women experiencing menopause. Furthermore, to aid balancing the hormones in women after their disturbance by the postmenopausal phase, we highlight the effect of the daily intake of sesame seeds in women. Finally, we conclude that the supplementation of sesame seeds in a regular diet shows a positive impact on the bone health of post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Suppressive effects of bioactive herbal polysaccharides against different cancers: From mechanisms to translational advancements.

BACKGROUND: Fueled by rapidly evolving comprehension of multifaceted nature of cancers, recently emerging preclinical and clinical data have supported researchers in the resolution of knowledge gaps to deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms. The extra-ordinary and bewildering chemical diversity encompassed by biologically active natural products continues to be of relevance to drug discovery. Accumulating evidence has spurred a remarkable evolution of concepts related to pharmacological target of oncogenic signaling pathways by polysaccharides in different cancers. PURPOSE: The objective of the current review is to provide new insights into study progress on anticancer effects of bioactive herbal polysaccharides. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and other databases were searched for articles related to anticancer effects of polysaccharides. Searches were conducted to locate relevant publications published up to October 2022. RESULTS: Polysaccharides have been reported to pleiotropically modulate TGF/SMAD, BMP/SMAD, TLR4, mTOR, CXCR4 and VEGF/VEGFR cascades. We have also summarized how different polysaccharides regulated apoptosis and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, this mini-review describes increasingly sophisticated understanding related to polysaccharides mediated tumor suppressive and anti-metastatic effects in tumor-bearing mice. We have also provided an overview of the clinical trials related to chemopreventive role of polysaccharides. CONCLUSION: Genomic and proteomic findings from these studies will facilitate 'next-generation' clinical initiatives in the prevention/inhibition of cancer.

Discrimination on potential adulteration of extra virgin olive oils consumed in China by differential scanning calorimeter combined with dimensionality reduction classification techniques.

Thermal properties of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumed in China were investigated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) dimension reduction analysis combined with K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM) models were used to determine whether oil samples would be EVOO. Both models exhibited a 100% ability to distinguish EVOO from non-EVOO. Additionally, the discrimination test of canola oil was still limited from EVOO adulteration due to its similarity of cooling profiles with EVOO. Canola oil was artificially added into EVOO in 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% and DSC test results collected were detected in computer models. Both models effectively identified even 5% canola oil adulterated in EVOO; however, KNN (93.75%) model exhibited much higher accuracy than SVM (43.92%). In conclusion, DSC combined with KMN model analysis was more available for the adulteration detection of EVOO.

Review of the recent developments in metabolomics-based phytochemical research.

Phytochemicals are important bioactive components present in natural products. Although the health benefits of many food products are well-known and accepted as a common knowledge, the identity of the main bioactive molecules and the mechanism by which they interact in the body of human are often unknown. It was only in the last 30 years when the field of metabolomics had matured that the identification of such molecules with bioactivity has been made possible through the development of instruments to separate and computational techniques to characterize complex samples. This in turn has enabled in vitro studies to quantify the biological activity of the respective phytochemical either in mice models or in humans. In this review, the importance of key dietary phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, resveratrol, curcumin, and capsaicinoids are discussed together with their potential functions for human health. Untargeted metabolomics, in particular, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, is the most used method to isolate, identify and profile bioactive compounds in the study of phytochemicals in foods. The application of metabolomics in drug discovery is a common practice nowadays and has boosted the drug and/or supplement manufacturing sector. HighlightsPhytochemicals are beneficial compounds for human healthPhytochemicals are plant-based bioactive and obtainable from natural productsUntargeted metabolomics has boosted the discovery of phytochemicals from foodTargeted metabolomics is key in the authentication and screening of phytochemicalsMetabolomics of phytochemicals is reshaping the road to drug and supplement manufacture.

Anti-inflammatory natural products modulate interleukins and their related signaling markers in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review.

This review aims to identify in vivo studies investigating the potential of plant substances and their natural molecules in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Specifically, the objective is to examine the impact of these substances on interleukins and other key inflammatory signaling markers. Relevant articles published up to December 2022 were identified through a search of the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases. The search used keywords including "inflammatory bowel disease", "medicinal plants", "natural molecules", "anti-inflammatory", and "ulcerative colitis", and identified 1,878 potentially relevant articles, of which 89 were included in this review after completion of the selection process. This study provides preclinical data on natural products (NPs) that can potentially treat IBD, including ulcerative colitis. The main actions of these NPs relate to their effects on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway, the regulation of T helper 17/regulatory T cells balance, and oxidative stress. The ability of these NPs to inhibit intestinal inflammation appears to be dependent on lowering levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-17, via the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1, NF-κß-p65, and STAT3 pathways. In addition, NPs were shown to reduce oxidative stress and the severity of ulcerative colitis, as well as increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes. These actions suggest that NPs represent a promising treatment for IBD, and potentially have greater efficacy and safety than current treatments.

New insights into antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of edible mushrooms.

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has opened a new market for functional foods with antibacterial activities. More than ever before, people are interested in the natural foods that offer a pathogen fighting benefits due to their obvious advantages over management of diseases. Consumers who are health aware are continually using functional foods in their dietary regimens both for their nutritious, associated health benefits values and convenience. Examples include plant-based essential oils, garlic, and mushrooms. Many studies were conducted on mushrooms crude extracts as functional food with antimicrobial properties, yet the bioactive compounds isolated are few or even rare. Because antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation are exacerbating the severity of infectious diseases worldwide, this review summarized the antimicrobial molecules compared to the number of extracts as well as the biofilm acting compounds and extracts from edible mushrooms in the last seven years to facilitate drawing the roadmap of anti-infectious agent's discovery from functional foods in the future. 156 compounds and more than 100 edible mushroom extracts with antibacterial, antifungal or biofilm inhibiting activities through the period from 2015 to 2022 were reviewed. Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus were thoroughly searched with relevant search words, and data reviewed indicated ninety active compounds against Gram (-ve), hundred and twenty active compounds against Gram (+ve), sixty-eight active compounds against fungi. The biofilm inhibition was revealed by nineteen compounds. Effective combinations active in biofilm inhibition were represented by quinic acid with uridine/inosine or adenine/oxalic mixtures. Activities against multi-resistant strains, represented by ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species), MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus), VRSA (Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and multi-resistant tuberculosis were shown by 39 compounds and extracts. Terpenoid compounds revealed the most potent antimicrobial action; for instance, cyathanes, cerevisterol, psathyrins and grifolaone. Because variation in cultural media is accompanied by a different response in fungal growth and mass yield as well as the variation of compounds of interest from one strain to another, the methods of isolation, cultures and media used are highlighted together with structure activity relationships when available.

Enhancement of Potential Health Benefits of Insoluble Dietary Fiber from the Fruiting Body of Medicinal Mushroom Schizophyllum commune (Agaricomycetes) through Superfine Pulverization.

The objective of the current study is to reveal the influence of particle size of ground Schizophyllum commune and its extracted dietary fiber (DF) on physicochemical and antioxidant properties. Sch. commune powder and the extracted DF was ground by regular and superfine grinding, and their particle sizes were determined using laser diffraction particle size analyzer. The results indicated that superfine grinding could significantly pulverize DF particles to micro-scale; the particle size distribution presented a Gaussian distribution. The soluble DF in Sch. commune was increased effectively with superfine grinding. Sub-micronized insoluble DF showed increased total phenolic content (TPC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Moreover, with particle size reduction, the oil binding capacity (OBC), nitrite ion absorption capacity (NIAC), cation-exchange capacity (CEC), cholesterol absorption capacity (CAC), and Pb ion adsorption capacity were significantly (p < 0.05) increased and the water retention capacity (WRC), swelling capacity (SC) and Cu, Zn ions adsorption capacity had no significant changes. A kind of health beneficial DF with higher soluble DF content, OBC, NIAC, CEC, CAC, Pb ion adsorption capacity and antioxidant activity (TPC and FRAP) was obtained through superfine grinding. Sch. commune DF could be potentially used as an ingredient for functional food and nutraceuticals.

Jatrorrhizine Improves Endothelial Function in Diabetes and Obesity through Suppression of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Jatrorrhizine (JAT) is one of the major bioactive protoberberine alkaloids found in rhizoma coptidis, which has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potential. This study aimed to evaluate the vasoprotective effects of JAT in diabetes and obesity and the underlying mechanism involved. Mouse aortas, carotid arteries and human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with risk factors (high glucose or tunicamycin) with and without JAT ex vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, aortas were obtained from mice with chronic treatment: (1) control; (2) diet-induced obese (DIO) mice fed a high-fat diet (45% kcal% fat) for 15 weeks; and (3) DIO mice orally administered JAT at 50 mg/kg/day for the last 5 weeks. High glucose or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducer tunicamycin impaired acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxations (EDRs) in mouse aortas, induced oxidative stress in carotid arteries and HUVECs, downregulated phosphorylations of Akt at Ser473 and eNOS at Ser1177 and enhanced ER stress in mouse aortas and HUVECs, and these impairments were reversed by cotreatment with JAT. JAT increased NO release in high-glucose-treated mouse aortas and HUVECs. In addition, chronic JAT treatment restored endothelial function with EDRs comparable to the control, increased Akt/eNOS phosphorylation, and attenuated ER stress and oxidative stress in aortas from DIO mice. Blood pressure, glucose sensitivity, fatty liver and its morphological change, as well as plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and plasma lipid profile, were also normalized by JAT treatment. Collectively, our data may be the first to reveal the vasoprotective effect of JAT that ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in diabetes and obesity through enhancement of the Akt/eNOS pathway and NO bioavailability, as well as suppression of ER stress and oxidative stress.

Mycochemical profile and health-promoting effects of morel mushroom Morchella esculenta (L.) - A review.

Mushrooms have been well known for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for their medicinal properties. Morchella esculenta (L.) Pers. (Morchellaceae) is a species of edible mushroom. Due to its distinctive and precise flavor, it has been used as a food and food-flavoring material in soups and sauces. It is one of the most medicinally important and economically beneficial wild species of mushroom. The fruiting body of M. esculenta contains a wide range of active constituents like vitamins, proteins, steroids, minerals, polysaccharides, and polynucleotides. M. esculenta and its active compounds possess significant cardiovascular protective, antitumor, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, and antidiabetic properties. In this article, the mycochemical profile, nutritional values, and bioactivities of M. esculenta were reviewed.

Bee Pollen: Clinical Trials and Patent Applications.

Bee pollen is a natural cocktail of floral nectar, flower pollen, enzymes, and salivary secretions produced by honeybees. Bee pollen is one of the bee products most enriched in proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. It has a significant health and medicinal impact and provides protection against many diseases, including diabetes, cancer, infectious, and cardiovascular. Bee pollen is commonly promoted as a cost-effective functional food. In particular, bee pollen has been applied in clinical trials for allergies and prostate illnesses, with a few investigations on cancer and skin problems. However, it is involved in several patents and health recipes to combat chronic health problems. This review aimed to highlight the clinical trials and patents involving bee pollen for different cases and to present the role of bee pollen as a supplementary food and a potential product in cosmetic applications.

Black Truffle Extract Exerts Antidiabetic Effects through Inhibition of Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism Regulation.

Black truffle, a culinary and medical fungus, is highly valued worldwide for its nutritional and therapeutic importance. To enhance the existing knowledge about the beneficial properties, this study investigates the antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, and anti-inflammatory effects of black truffle extract in in vitro biochemical assays and animal study. Briefly, black truffle extract was administered orally to treat streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic Wistar rats for 45 days. At the end of the experimental duration, rats were sacrificed to perform biochemical and gene expression analyses related to lipid regulatory and inflammatory pathways. Our results indicated that total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, and low-density lipoprotein in different tissues and circulation were significantly increased in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the ß-hydroxy ß-methylglutaryl-CoA enzyme was also significantly increased; lipoprotein lipase and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase enzymes were significantly decreased in diabetic rats. However, the above conditions were reversed upon black truffle extract feeding. Furthermore, black truffle extract was also found to downregulate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) and lipid regulatory genes (serum regulatory element-binding protein-1 and fatty acid synthase). The truffle extract-treated effects were comparable to glibenclamide and medication commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus. Overall, our results suggested that black truffle possesses strong antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects on diabetic rats. These findings will enhance the current knowledge about the therapeutic importance of black truffles. They might be exploited as a possible food supplement or even as a natural source of pharmaceutical agents for diabetes prevention and treatment.

Storage Stability and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Liposomal Betacyanins from Red Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

In order to address the poor stability of the betacyanins from red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus, HP), which are considered as good sources of natural colorant, liposomal-encapsulation technique was applied in this study. Thin-layer dispersion method was employed to prepare HP betacyacnin liposomes (HPBL). The formulation parameters for HPBL were optimized, and the characteristics, stability, and release profile of HPBL in in vitro gastrointestinal systems were evaluated.Results showed that an HP betacyanin encapsulation efficiency of 93.43 ± 0.11% was obtained after formulation optimization. The HPBL exhibited a narrow size distribution of particle within a nanometer range and a strong electronegative ζ-potential. By liposomal encapsulation, storage stability of HP betacyanin was significantly enhanced in different storage temperatures. When the environmental pH ranged from 4.3-7.0, around 80% of HP betacyanins were preserved on Day 21 with the liposomal protection. The loss of 2,2'-Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and color deterioration of HPBL were developed in accordance with the degradation of HP betacyanins during storage. In in vitro gastrointestinal digestion study, with the protection of liposome, the retention rates of HP betacyanins in vitro were enhanced by 14% and 40% for gastric and intestinal digestion, respectively.This study suggested that liposomal encapsulation was an effective approach to stabilize HP betacyanins during storage and gastrointestinal digestion, but further investigations were needed to better optimize the liposomal formulation and understand the complex liposomal system.

Application of vibrational spectroscopic techniques for determination of thermal degradation of frying oils and fats: a review.

Deep fried foods are popular among consumers due to their unique taste and texture. During the process of deep-frying, oil is subjected to a high temperature that results into the generation of harmful compounds. The repeated usage of frying oil is a common exercise and associated with various health hazards. Thus, determination of frying oil quality is a critical practice to follow. The chemical methods employed to determine the quality of frying oil are destructive and require large amount of harmful chemical, thus researchers are exploring the application of various vibrational spectroscopic techniques for this purpose. The first part of this review provides a detailed insight into fundamental theoretical aspects of two main vibrational spectroscopic techniques (infrared and Raman spectroscopy) and chemical alteration in frying oils under thermal stress. While in the following parts, the application of near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy for evaluating the quality of various frying oils and fats under thermal stress has been discussed. It is anticipated that this review paper can serve as a reference source for impending research in this field.

Anthocyanin supplement as a dietary strategy in cancer prevention and management: A comprehensive review.

Anthocyanins are natural pigments proven to be beneficial in the vast majority of health problems with no side effects. In this review, the latest progress on the cancer prevention and management of anthocyanins in treating cancers ranked in the top 5 of incidence and mortality was summarized, and the interaction and corresponding mechanisms were established based on a systematic review of electronic libraries. Several studies have revealed that anthocyanins have positive impact on human health with anti-cancer capacity. This review aimed to accumulate the evidence on the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanins, corresponding mechanisms and limitation of anthocyanins on cancer prevention and management. Notably, this review updated the latest studies on cancer prevention and management of anthocyanins and also inputted the future perspectives and the demanding questions for the possible contribution of anthocyanins as anti-cancer adjuvant.

Marine organisms: Pioneer natural sources of polysaccharides/proteins for green synthesis of nanoparticles and their potential applications.

Current innovations in the marine bionanotechnology arena are supporting and stimulating developments in other fields, including nanomedicine, pharmaceuticals, sensors, environmental trends, food, and agriculture aspects. Many oceanic creatures, particularly algae, plants, bacteria, yeast, fungi, cyanobacteria, actinomyces, invertebrates, animals and sponges can survive under extreme circumstances. They can biogenerate a broad spectrum of phytochemicals/metabolites, including proteins, peptides, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, carbohydrate polymers, polysaccharides, sulfated polysaccharides, polysaccharide-protein complexes such as carrageenan, fucoidanase, fucoidan, carboxymethyl cellulose, poly-γ-glutamic acid, sugar residues with proteins, melanin, haemocyanin, etc). These products exhibit exclusive advantages that offer pioneering roles in the eco-friendly fabrication of several nanoparticles (NPs) i.e., Ag, Au, Ru, Fe2O3, Cobalt (III) Oxide (Co2O3), ZnO and Ag@AgCl within a single phase. Importantly, marine organisms can biosynthesize NPs in two modes, namely extracellular and intracellular. Biosynthesized NPs can be characterized using various methodologies among them, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Taken together, this review focuses on the green synthesis of metallic, metallic oxides and nonmetallic NPs utilizing extracts/derivatives from marine organisms based on eco-friendly green biogenic procedures. Moreover, significant attention is given to the medicinal and industrial importance of such marine organisms mediated NPs.

Targeting Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway by bioactive natural agents: Possible therapeutic strategy to combat liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), a stress-activated transcription factor, has been documented to induce a defense mechanism against oxidative stress damage, and growing evidence considers this signaling pathway a key pharmacological target for the treatment of liver diseases. PURPOSE: The present review highlights the role of phytochemical compounds in activating Nrf2 and mitigate toxicant-induced stress on liver injury. METHODS: A comprehensive search of published articles was carried out to focus on original publications related to Nrf2 activators against liver disease using various literature databases, including the scientific Databases of Science Direct, Web of Science, Pubmed, Google, EMBASE, and Scientific Information (SID). RESULTS: Nrf2 activators exhibited promising effects in resisting a variety of liver diseases induced by different toxicants in preclinical experiments and in vitro studies by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as an antioxidant defense mechanism. We found that the phytochemical compounds, such as curcumin, naringenin, sulforaphane, diallyl disulfide, mangiferin, oleanolic acid, umbelliferone, daphnetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin-3-O-galactoside, hesperidin, diammonium glycyrrhizinate, corilagin, shikonin, farrerol, and chenpi, had the potential to improve the Nrf2-ARE signaling thereby combat hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSION: Nrf2 activators may offer a novel potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. More extensive studies are essential to identify the underlying mechanisms and establish future therapeutic potentials of these signaling modulators. Further clinical trials are warranted to determine the safety and effectiveness of Nrf2 activators for hepatopathy.

New insights into chemical compositions and health promoting effects of edible oils from new resources.

This paper discusses the chemical compositions and health benefits of several kinds of oils which are extracted from new resources, including avocado seed oil, jackfruit seed oil, papaya seed oil, custard-apple seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, cherry seed oil, and pumpkin seed oil. In addition, the beneficial components found in these oils provide a future trend towards the utilization of seed oils as functional foods in the prevention and management of various chronic diseases. Nevertheless, the development prospects of some seed oils, such as papaya seed oil or custard-apple seed oil, need to be further studied and reconsidered due to the unconfirmed edibility. Furthermore, some other hindrances need to be solved to make better use of these valuable food industry by-products.

New insights into molecular mechanisms of "Cold or Hot" nature of food: When East meets West.

Traditional Chinese medicines are largely adopted in China and have a key importance in the world medical system. Cold-hot nature is the important characteristics of food and Chinese Materia Medica in the traditional Chinese medicine, relating to food functions in the organism. As compared to the studies on the cold and hot nature in Chinese medicine, the research studies carried out to establish the association between cold-hot nature and food are insufficient. Intending to investigate the criteria to discriminate the cold-hot nature of food and Chinese medicine scientifically, this review collected the cold-hot nature-related literature in recent 20 years in several popular databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. This review explored that the cold and hot natures are not only linked to the chemical components such as water, carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, but also correlated to the biological effects, comprising of energy metabolism, inflammation response, oxidation reaction, immune response, and cell growth and proliferation. Besides, this review further put forward the possibility that cold-hot nature of food and Chinese medicine exert different biological effects on the inflammatory response via regulating the signaling pathways viz. NF-κB and MAPK. More extensive studies are needed to consider the overall connections between both the biological effects and chemical components and how food processing affects the cold-hot nature of the food.

Anthocyanin-containing purple potatoes ameliorate DSS-induced colitis in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is on the rise worldwide. Approximately three million people suffer from IBD in the United States alone, but the current therapeutic options (e.g., corticosteroids) come with adverse side effects including reduced ability to fight infections. Thus, there is a critical need for developing effective, safe and evidence-based food products with anti-inflammatory activity. This study evaluated the antiinflammatory potential of purple-fleshed potato using a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) murine model of colitis. Mice were randomly assigned to control (AIN-93G diet), P15 (15% purple-fleshed potato diet) and P25 (25% purple-fleshed potato diet) groups. Colitis was induced by 2% DSS administration in drinking water for six days. The results indicated that purple-fleshed potato supplementation suppressed the DSS-induced reduction in body weight and colon length as well as the increase in spleen and liver weights. P15 and P25 diets suppressed the elevation in the intestinal permeability, colonic MPO activity, mRNA expression and protein levels of pro-inflammatory interleukins IL-6 and IL-17, the relative abundance of specific pathogenic bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and pks+ E. coli, and the increased flagellin levels induced by DSS treatment. P25 alone suppressed the elevated systemic MPO levels in DSS-exposed mice, and elevated the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) as well as attenuated colonic mRNA expression level of IL-17 and the protein levels of IL-6 and IL-1ß. Therefore, the purple-fleshed potato has the potential to aid in the amelioration of UC symptoms.