Clinical Efficacy of Potato Extract for Alleviating Chemoradiotherapy-Related Leukopenia: a Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Leukopenia is the most common adverse event in chemotherapy, which natural products can prevent and treat. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of potato extract for alleviating chemoradiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients. METHODS: This was a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 184 cancer patients. The participants were scheduled to undergo chemoradiotherapy in two hospitals, where they were randomized to receive potato extract or a placebo in a 1:1 ratio for a period of 49 days. Change in leukocyte value was considered the primary outcome of this clinical trial. Secondary outcomes included tumor response rate, blood test, and quality of life score. RESULTS: The leukopenia was relieved in the potato extract group compared with the placebo group. Of note, a significant difference in leukopenia between the two groups was found after 14 days (p = 0.04). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in leucocyte levels in the potato extract group (before and after potato extract treatment; p = 0.13), but in the placebo group, the leukocyte value significantly decreased compared to before treatment (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Potato extract can alleviate chemoradiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients. These results show the potential function of potato extract as a protective agent in management of cancer chemoradiotherapy.

Effects of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract on the quality of peanut and palm oils during storage and frying process.

The potential uses of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract as a natural antioxidant to protect the quality of different oils during storage and frying process were studied. The results showed that L. robustum extract has been shown to retard the decline in the quality of both oils based on the tests of acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, color, volatile flavor, and fatty acid compositions, and the protective effect of L. robustum extract on the quality of peanut oil was better than that of palm oil. By the component analysis, L. robustum extract was found to have a total phenols content of 140.75 ± 1.52 mg/g, and ligurobustoside C was identified as the main phenolic compound. The thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that L. robustum extract enhanced the oxidative stability of peanut and palm oils. In addition, Fourier transform infrared results indicated that L. robustum extract had protective effects on the C=C bond and ester bond of oil molecule. Moreover, by using electron spin resonance technique, L. robustum extract showed the ability to inhibit and scavenge alkyl-free radicals in both oils. The present results suggested that L. robustum extract may protect the quality of oils during the storage and frying process by inhibiting the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and might be a potential natural antioxidant in the food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The excellent antioxidant ability of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract on the oxidation of different oils and its low price indicated that it could be used as a new low-cost natural antioxidant in oil processing.

Gliadin interacted with tea polyphenols: potential application and action mechanism.

The effect of tea polyphenols (TPs) on noodles quality was investigated, and the interaction mechanism between catechins and gliadins was explored. With TPs addition, noodles showed the significant changes in physicochemical and sensory properties. The water absorption, tensile strength and elasticity increased by 1.35%, 4.98%, 28.51% with 0.5% of TPs, and then decreased with the increasing of TPs. According to the determinations of surface hydrophobicity, spatial structure, thermal properties, amidogen and sulfhydryl content, the structure and properties of gliadin were affected by catechins. Esterified catechins tended to disrupt gliadin structures and non-esterified catechins polymerised gliadin molecules. Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that catechins interacted with gliadin mainly by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic action. The reactivity of catechins with gliadin was in the sequence as: epigallocatechin gallate > epicatechin gallate > epigallocatechin > epicatechin, which was based on the account of gallate and B-ring hydroxyl number discrepancy. All results suggested that catechins affected greatly on gliadin, and TPs were potentially used to improve the quality of flour products.

Effect of tea polyphenols on the quality of Chinese steamed bun and the action mechanism.

Effect of tea polyphenols (TP) on the quality of Chinese steamed bun (CSB) was investigated, while the interaction and action mechanism between TP and vital wheat gluten (VWG, constitutive proteins of flour) were further explored. With a low concentration (1%) of TP, CSB showed positive changes in quality, and the hardness of CSB decreased by 33.95%, while its specific volume, springiness, and resilience separately increased by 1.8%, 11.9%, and 5.5%, whereas the higher concentrations of TP (2% and 4%) caused an adverse impact. By observation of scanning electron microscope, VWG formed a fluffier structure with a low concentration of TP, while the structure deteriorated at high concentration of TP. In addition, the secondary and tertiary structures of VWG were both changed by TP. Along with the results of thermodynamic analysis (thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry measurements), TP could induce the structural rearrangement of VWG. Further, a lower amidogen and sulfhydryl contents of VWG were obtained in TP groups, which illustrated that peptide and disulfide bonds of VWG were not possibly interrupted by TP. Instead, hydrophobic residues of VWG were bonded to form a more hydrophilic structure. Moreover, according to molecular docking results, epigallocatechin-3-gallate interacted tightly with VWG by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic actions, and the action sites were mainly at hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. All results suggested that the VWG structure was affected greatly by TP, and a low dose of TP might be potential to improve the quality of flour products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The physicochemical properties of gluten show the significant effects on the quality of flour products in food industry. In the present study, a low dose of tea polyphenols exhibited a strengthened effect on gluten, so as to ameliorate the texture of Chinese steamed bun (CSB) due to their tight interactions with gluten, while the color of CSB was changed to brown as tea polyphenols. All results suggested that a low dose of tea polyphenols could be potentially utilized to improve flour quality and enhance gluten strength in food industry.

Antioxidant, antibrowning, and cytoprotective activities of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract.

The antioxidant, antibrowning, and cytoprotective activities of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract (LRE) were investigated and the main antioxidant component was isolated and identified. With its high content of phenols and flavonoids, the LRE showed remarkable antioxidant capacity to scavenge free radicals in vitro and to inhibit oil oxidation in a peanut oil system. Moreover, LRE was observed to inhibit tyrosinase action and browning of fresh-cut apple slices effectively. Furthermore, the cytoprotective activity of LRE was evaluated in a human intestine model using Caco-2 cell lines. According to the activity-guided isolation and identification, by using column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, ursolic acid was characterized as the main antioxidant component of LRE; it showed the strongest free radical-scavenging activity. The results suggested that L. robustum (Rxob.) Blume could be a new resource for preparing functional food and nutraceutical products for use in food and pharmacology industries.