Alginate Films Enriched in Raspberry and/or Black Currant Seed Oils as Active Food Packaging.

Alginate films plasticized with glycerol and enriched in raspberry and/or black currant seed oils were prepared via casting solution techniques. The intention was to create active films for food packaging where antioxidants in a film would deactivate oxidants in a packed product or its surroundings, improving conditions inside packaging and extending the shelf life of such a product. The prepared materials were characterized by physicochemical, spectroscopic, mechanical, water vapor transmission (WVTR), and antioxidant activity analysis. Infrared spectra of the alginate films with oils were similar to those without the additive; the band with a maximum at about 1740 cm-1 stood out. The prepared materials with oils were thicker, contained less water, were more yellow, and were less permeable to water vapor. Moreover, the presence of the oil in the films resulted in a slightly lower Young's modulus and lower stress at break values but higher strain at break. The antioxidant capacity of raspberry seed oil itself was about five times higher than that of black currant seed oil, and a similar trend was noticed for films modified with these oils. The results indicated that both oils could be used as active substances with antioxidant properties in food packaging.

The Effect of Phenolic-Rich Extracts of Rubus fruticosus, R. ulmifolius and Morus nigra on Oxidative Stress and Caco-2 Inhibition Growth.

Currently, a clear interest has been given to berries due to their richness in active metabolites, including anthocyanins and non-coloured phenolics. Therefore, the main aim of the present work is to investigate the phenolic profile, antioxidant abilities, and antiproliferative effects on normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco-2) cells of phenolic-rich extracts from three red fruits highly appreciated by consumers: two species of blackberries (Rubus fruticosus and Rubus ulmifolius) and one species of mulberry (Morus nigra). A total of 19 different phenolics were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn and HPLC-DAD, respectively. Focusing on the biological potential of the phenolic-rich extracts, all of them revealed notable scavenging abilities. Concerning the antiproliferative properties, R. fruticosus presented a cytotoxic selectivity for Caco-2 cells compared to NHDF cells. To deeper explore the biological potential, combinations with positive controls (ascorbic acid and 5-fluorouracil) were also conducted. Finally, the obtained data are another piece of evidence that the combination of phenolic-rich extracts from natural plants with positive controls may reduce clinical therapy costs and the possible toxicity of chemical drugs.

Exogenous melatonin prolongs raspberry postharvest life quality by increasing some antioxidant and enzyme activity and phytochemical contents.

There is a growing trend towards enhancing the post-harvest shelf life and maintaining the nutritional quality of horticultural products using eco-friendly methods. Raspberries are valued for their diverse array of phenolic compounds, which are key contributors to their health-promoting properties. However, raspberries are prone to a relatively short post-harvest lifespan. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of exogenous melatonin (MEL; 0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mM) on decay control and shelf-life extension. The results demonstrated that MEL treatment significantly reduced the fruit decay rate (P ≤ 0.01). Based on the findings, MEL treatment significantly increased titratable acidity (TA), total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total anthocyanin content (TAC). Furthermore, the MEL-treated samples showed increased levels of rutin and quercetin content, as well as antioxidant activity as measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reduction activity potential (FRAP). Additionally, the samples exhibited higher levels of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and catalase (CAT) enzymes compared to the control samples. Moreover, the levels of pH, total soluble solids (TSS), and IC50 were decreased in the MEL-treated samples (P ≤ 0.01). The highest amount of TA (0.619 g/100 ml juice), rutin (16.722 µg/ml juice) and quercetin (1.467 µg/ml juice), and PAL activity (225.696 nm/g FW/min) was observed at 0.001 mM treatment, while, the highest amount of TAC (227.235 mg Cy-g/100 ml juice) at a concentration of 0.01 mM and CAT (0.696 u/g FW) and TAL activities (9.553 nm/100 g FW) at a concentration of 0.1 mM were obtained. Considering the lack of significant differences in the effects of melatonin concentrations and the low dose of 0.001 mM, this concentration is recommended for further research. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) divided the treatments into three groups based on their characteristics. Based on the Pearson correlation between TPC, TFC, TAC, and TAA, a positive correlation was observed with antioxidant (DPPH and FRAP) and enzyme (PAL and CAT) activities. The results of this study have identified melatonin as an eco-friendly compound that enhances the shelf life of raspberry fruits by improving phenolic compounds, as well as antioxidant and enzyme activities.

Exploring chitosan-plant extract bilayer coatings: Advancements in active food packaging via polypropylene modification.

UV-ozone activated polypropylene (PP) food films were subjected to a novel bilayer coating process involving primary or quaternary chitosan (CH/QCH) as the first layer and natural extracts from juniper needles (Juniperus oxycedrus; JUN) or blackberry leaves (Rubus fruticosus; BBL) as the second layer. This innovative approach aims to redefine active packaging (AP) development. Through a detailed analysis by surface characterization and bioactivity assessments (i.e., antioxidant and antimicrobial functionalities), we evaluated different coating combinations. Furthermore, we investigated the stability and barrier characteristics inherent in these coatings. The confirmed deposition, coupled with a comprehensive characterization of their composition and morphology, underscored the efficacy of the coatings. Our investigation included wettability assessment via contact angle (CA) measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), which revealed substantial enhancements in surface concentrations of elements and functional groups of CH, QCH, JUN, and BBL. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) unveiled the coatings' heterogeneity, while time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and CA profiling showed moderately compact bilayers on PP, providing active species on the hydrophilic surface, respectively. The coatings significantly reduced the oxygen permeability. Additionally, single-layer depositions of CH and QCH remained below the overall migration limit (OML). Remarkably, the coatings exhibited robust antioxidative properties due to plant extracts and exceptional antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, attributed to QCH. These findings underscore the pivotal role of film surface properties in governing bioactive characteristics and offer a promising pathway for enhancing food packaging functionality.

Construction of blackberry polysaccharide nano-selenium particles: Structure features and regulation effects of glucose/lipid metabolism in HepG2 cells.

In this study, blackberry polysaccharide-selenium nanoparticles (BBP-24-3Se) were first prepared via Na2SeO3/Vc redox reaction, followed by coating with red blood cell membrane (RBC) to form core-shell structure polysaccharide-selenium nanoparticles (RBC@BBP-24-3Se). The particle size of BBP-24-3Se (167.1 nm) was increased to 239.8 nm (RBC@BBP-24-3Se) with an obvious core-shell structure after coating with RBC. FT-IR and XPS results indicated that the interaction between BBP-24-3 and SeNPs formed a new C-O···Se bond with valence state of Se0. Bioassays indicated that RBC coating markedly enhanced both the biocompatibility and bioabsorbability of RBC@BBP-24-3Se, and the absorption rate of RBC@BBP-24-3Se in HepG2 cells was 4.99 times higher than that of BBP-24-3Se at a concentration of 10 µg/mL. Compared with BBP-24-3Se, RBC@BBP-24-3Se possessed significantly heightened protective efficacy against oxidative damage and better regulation of glucose/lipid metabolism disorder induced by palmitic acid in HepG2 cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that RBC@BBP-24-3Se could effectively improve PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote glucose metabolism, inhibit the expression of lipid synthesis genes and up-regulate the expression of lipid-decomposing genes through AMPK signaling pathway to improve lipid metabolism. These results provided a theoretical basis for developing a new type of selenium supplement for the treatment of insulin resistance.

Foodomics uncovers functional and volatile metabolite dynamics in red raspberry chewable tablet optimized processing.

Raspberries are known to contain valuable metabolites and possess a robust antioxidant capacity. However, the impact of different tablet processing stages on the nutritional content and flavor profile of raspberries remains unclear. The dynamic profile of functional and volatile metabolites was investigated through foodomics combined with UPLC-MS/MS-based widely targeted metabolomics and HS-SPME-GC-MS, and antioxidant capacities were assessed during tablet processing. 1336 functional metabolites and 645 volatile metabolites were identified. Results indicated tablets retained 34% âˆ¼ 61% of the total volatile contents. In addition, the conversion intensity of functional metabolites was consistent with the order of "Tableting > Freeze-drying > Crushing". Compared to raspberry, tablets showed higher antioxidant activity, which was positively correlated with vitamin contents. This study elucidated that tablet formation demonstrated advantages in antioxidation and aroma retention, which may provide insights for enhancing quality during the tableting process.

Overview of the distinctive characteristics of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry in berries, berry wines, and berry spirits.

Red berries have gained popularity as functional and nutritious food due to their health benefits, leading to increased consumer demand and higher production, totaling over 11,000 ktons for strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries combined in 2021. Nutritionally, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries present high levels of vitamin C (9.7-58.8 mg/100 g dry weight [dw]), folates (6-24 µg/100 g dw), and minerals (96-228 mg/100 g dw). Due to their perishable nature, producers have utilized alcoholic fermentation to extend their shelf life, not only increasing the lifespan of red berries but also attracting consumers through the production of novel beverages. Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry wines possess low alcohol (5.5-11.1% v/v), high acidity (3.2-17.6 g/L), and interesting bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, polysaccharides, and melatonin. Distillation holds tremendous potential for reducing food waste by creating red berry spirits of exceptional quality. Although research on red berry spirits is still in the early stages, future studies should focus on their production and characterization. By incorporating these factors, the production chain would become more sustainable, profitable, and efficient by reducing food waste, capitalizing on consumer acceptance, and leveraging the natural health-promoting characteristics of these products. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of strawberry, blueberry, and red raspberry in berries, wines, and spirits, with a focus on their chemical composition and production methods.

A new UHPLC-HRMS metabolomics approach for the rapid and comprehensive analysis of phenolic compounds in blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cranberry and cherry fruits.

Phenolic compounds are considered an important group of bioactive molecules that are present in abundant quantities in fruits such as berries and cherries; hence, the analysis and quantification of these compounds are of significant interest to the scientific community. The current study aimed to develop a novel analytical method using liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for the rapid, comprehensive and simultaneous analysis of 66 phenolic compounds optimized for the selected five types of fruits commercially available in Canada. Bioactive compounds that could potentially be metabolite markers for each berry were identified. Various phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in all five selected fruits. Notably, blackberries were rich in anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside (368.4 ± 6 µg/g), while blueberries were rich in peonidin-3-glucoside (1083 ± 9 µg/g). In addition, raspberries and cherries contained significant amounts of cyanidin-3-rutinoside, at 3156 ± 36 µg/g and 301.3 ± 2 µg/g, respectively, while cranberries contained the highest concentrations of petunidin at 829.7 ± 3 µg/g. The newly developed and validated UHPLC-HRMS method proved helpful in comprehensively analyzing phenolic compounds in blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, blackberry and cherry. Identifying and quantifying bioactives can lead to applications in neutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries by using phenolic-rich berry extracts in functional foods, supplements, or pharmaceutical products.

Study of the physicochemical characteristics, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro multiplication of wild blackberry species from the Peruvian highlands.

The Peruvian Andes are the natural habitat of several wild blackberry species that are little known and exploited due to the lack of technological and scientific development to support their agricultural potential. In this context, a study was conducted to understand the physicochemical composition, bioactive compounds, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro multiplication of four wild blackberry (Rubus sp.) species from the northern Peruvian highlands. The results indicate that fruits of R. floribundus presented the highest content of total soluble solids (9.58 ± 1.83°Brix) and titratable acidity (1.88 ± 0.07% citric acid). The fruits of R. weberbaueri recorded the highest total phenolic content (415.06 ± 8.69 mg GAE/100 g Ff). The antioxidant capacity determined by the DPPH assay varied significantly among species, with the highest value found in fruits of R. andicola (50.27 ± 0.11 mg TE/100 g Ff). The fruit extracts of R. weberbaueri and R. andicola showed better antimicrobial activity, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most sensitive bacterium. In the in vitro multiplication phase, the results show that BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) has a significant effect at a dose of 1.5 mg l-1 on shoot number, leaf number, and shoot length. The results may help in the management of genetic resources.

Ent-labdane-type diterpene glycosides obtained from Rubus chingii Hu and their inhibitory effects on PDE5A activity.

In this study, 16 new ent-labdane-type diterpene glycosides, designated as goshonosides J1-J16 (1-16), along with nine previously known diterpene glycosides (17-25) were extracted from the fruits of Rubus chingii Hu. The structures of goshonosides J1-J16 were elucidated using various analytical techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, electron capture detector ECD, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry HREIMS, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and hydrolysis. Furthermore, the isolates' efficacy in inhibiting the activity of phosphodiesterase type 5 A was evaluated. Goshonosides J1, J2, and G effectively inhibited the activity of the aforementioned enzyme (IC50 values: 6.15 ± 1.76, 3.27 ± 0.65, and 9.61 ± 2.36 µM, respectively). Our findings highlight the remarkable structural diversity of bioactive compounds in R. chingii Hu and offer insights into the use of this shrub.

Constituents of the fruits of Rubus chingii Hu and their neuroprotective effects on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Rubi fructus (Rubus chingii Hu) is a fruit of Rubus genus and is used in medicine and food applications. In this study, eight new phenylpropanoids (1-8) and seven known compounds (9-15) were isolated from the dried fruits of Rubus chingii Hu, and their structures were characterized through high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments were performed, and the results were compared with ECD spectra. Compound 3 was characterized through extensive single crystal X-ray diffraction. Evaluation of the neuroprotective pharmacological activities revealed that compounds 6, 7, 9, and 14 exerted protective effects against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity by reducing the reactive oxygen species levels at concentrations of 50 and 100 µM. Moreover, the three compounds 6, 9, and 14 significantly inhibited the expression of the Casp3 gene at a concentration of 50 µM. Compounds 7 and 9 effectively repressed the expression of the MYC gene. Compounds 6 and 9 obviously upregulated the ratio of Bcl2/Bax in SH-SY5Y cells and inhibited cell apoptosis. The study results can be used as a reference for the development of R. chingii products to realize their neuroprotective functions in the future.

Integrated analysis of multiple metabolome and transcriptome revealed the accumulation of flavonoids and associated molecular regulation mechanisms in Rubus chingii Hu at different developmental stages.

The traditional Chinese herb Rubus chingii Hu (R. chingii) is widely used in clinical practice due to its beneficial effects. Flavonoids are the important class of pharmacological substances in R. chingii, however, the molecular mechanism underlying the differences in active flavonoid contents in R. chingii at different developmental stages remain poorly understood. In this experiment, we selected four developmental stages (GG, GY, YR, RR) of R. chingii as the research material. We studied the untargeted and targeted metabolic profiles of flavonoids in different periods of R. chingii, combining full-length and comparative transcriptome analyses. Functional analyses were conducted on genes implicated in flavonoid differences. GG and RR displayed relatively higher and lower contents of flavonols, flavones, flavanols, flavanones, and isoflavonoid, respectively. RNA-seq analyses showed structural genes such as RcPAL, RcC4H, Rc4CL, RcCHS, RcCHI, RcF3H, RcF3'H, and RcFLS in flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in GG, which were essential for the accumulation flavanones, flavones, and flavonols (effective components). qRT-PCR analyses investigated that six structural genes RcCHI, RcF3H, 2 RcCHS, and 2 Rc4CL, two TFs RcMYB308 and RcMYB123 had a consistent expression pattern with which in transcriptome. Also, an interaction network showed that the RcMYB308 could positively regulate Ka3R, Qu, Qu3G, AS, Hy, Ti through RcF3H. Furthermore, Subcellular localization analysis revealed that RcMYB308 was localization to the nucleus. In tobacco, RcMYB308 was overexpressed, resulting in higher flavonoids, RcF3H, RcF3'H, RcCHI, and RcFLS. RcMYB308 upregulated RcF3H in dual-luciferase assays. These results provide new insights for further understanding the molecular mechanism regulating flavonol biosynthesis in R. chingii fruit, and also provide a potential MYB regulator for molecular breeding of R. chingii.

Proteins from Blackberry Seeds: Extraction, Osborne Isolate, Characteristics, Functional Properties, and Bioactivities.

Blackberry fruit contains high levels of nutrients and phenolic compounds. Blackberry pomace accounts for 20~30% of its whole fruit during processing and is generally treated as fertilizer. Blackberry pomace has many seeds that contain carbohydrates, polyphenols, flavonoids, pectin, protein, and other bioactive nutrients. However, its functional properties and seed protein compositions have not been reported. We used a single-factor experiment, response surface, and Osborne isolate method to extract protein isolate, albumin, globulin, glutelin, and prolamin from blackberry seeds for the first time and evaluated their characteristics and functional properties. Glutelin and protein isolate showed good water-holding capacity, emulsification, and foaming capacity, while albumin and globulin showed good oil-holding capacity and thermal stability. They were found to have good antioxidant activities that might be good DPPH free radical scavengers, especially prolamin, which has the lowest IC50 value (15.76 µg/mL). Moreover, globulin had the lowest IC50 value of 5.03 µg/mL against Hela cells, 31.82 µg/mL against HepG2 cells, and 77.81 µg/mL against MCF-7 cells and a high selectivity index (SI), which suggested globulin had better anti-cervical, antihepatoma, and anti-breast activity but relatively low cytotoxicity. These seed proteins may have great prospects for the development and application of food and drugs in the future.

Blackberries and Mulberries: Berries with Significant Health-Promoting Properties.

Blackberries and mulberries are small and perishable fruits that provide significant health benefits when consumed. In reality, both are rich in phytochemicals, such as phenolics and volatile compounds, and micronutrients, such as vitamins. All the compounds are well-known thanks to their medicinal and pharmacological properties, namely antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antiviral, and cardiovascular properties. Nevertheless, variables such as genotype, production conditions, fruit ripening stage, harvesting time, post-harvest storage, and climate conditions influence their nutritional composition and economic value. Given these facts, the current review focuses on the nutritional and chemical composition, as well as the health benefits, of two blackberry species (Rubus fruticosus L., and Rubus ulmifolius Schott) and one mulberry species (Morus nigra L.).

Rubus chingii Hu relieved the polycystic ovary syndrome with enhanced insulin sensitivity through inhibiting TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most prevalent endocrine disorders in gynecology with severe metabolic abnormalities. Therefore, identifying effective treatments and drugs for PCOS is important. We aimed to investigate effect of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Rubus chingii Hu (R. chingii) on ovarian function and insulin resistance (IR) of PCOS rat models, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: A PCOS rat model was established by subcutaneous injection of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) solution for 20 days. PCOS rats were randomly divided into a control group (CON), model group (MOD), metformin group (MET), TCM R. chingii group (RCG), and RCG + Ad-TXNIP groups. After 28 days of treatment, the samples were collected for subsequent experiments. RESULTS: R. chingii treatment alleviated hormone imbalance and IR while improving ovarian pathology in the PCOS model. R. chingi inhibited the activation of the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP)/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the ovarian tissue of PCOS rats. Furthermore, TXNIP overexpression hindered the protective effect of R. chingii intervention in PCOS rats, as evidenced by the increase of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and atretic follicles. CONCLUSION: R. chingii intervention improved ovarian polycystic development by suppressing the TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be an effective treatment for PCOS.

Micronized Powder of Raspberry Pomace as a Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Red raspberries, which contain a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that are beneficial for human health, can be utilized as a raw material in the creation of several supplements. This research suggests micronized powder of raspberry pomace production. The molecular characteristics (FTIR), sugar, and biological potential (phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity) of micronized raspberry powders were investigated. FTIR spectroscopy results revealed spectral changes in the ranges with maxima at ~1720, 1635, and 1326, as well as intensity changes in practically the entire spectral range analyzed. The discrepancies clearly indicate that the micronization of the raspberry byproduct samples cleaved the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the polysaccharides present in the samples, thus increasing the respective content of simple saccharides. In comparison to the control powders, more glucose and fructose were recovered from the micronized samples of the raspberry powders. The study's micronized powders were found to contain nine different types of phenolic compounds, including rutin, elagic acid derivatives, cyanidin-3-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-(2-glucosylrutinoside), cyanidin-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-rutinoside, and elagic acid derivatives. Significantly higher concentrations of ellagic acid and ellagic acid derivatives and rutin were found in the micronized samples than in the control sample. The antioxidant potential assessed by ABTS and FRAP significantly increased following the micronization procedure.

Insights into the metabolite profiles of Rubus chingii Hu at different developmental stages of fruit.

The fruits of Rubus chingii Hu have high medicinal and nutritional values. However, the metabolite profiles of R. chingii, especially the alterations during different development stages of fruit, have not been comprehensively analyzed, hindering the effective utilization of the unique species. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the metabolites of R. chingii fruit at four developmental stages using systematic untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics analysis and identified 682 metabolites. Significant changes were observed in metabolite accumulation and composition in fruits during the different developmental stages. The contents of the index components, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and ellagic acid, were the highest in immature fruit. The analysis identified 64 differentially expressed flavonoids and 39 differentially expressed phenolic acids; the accumulation of most of these differentially expressed metabolites decreased with the developmental stages of fruit from immaturity to maturity. These results confirmed that the developmental stages of fruit are a critical factor in determining its secondary metabolite compositions. This study elucidated the metabolic profile of R. chingii fruit at different stages of development to understand the dynamic changes in metabolites.

Rubochingosides A - J, labdane-type diterpene glycosides from leaves of Rubus chingii.

Ten previously undescribed labdane-type triterpenoids, rubochingosides A - J (1-10), were isolated from the leaves of Rubus chingii Hu. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. The cytotoxicity of all isolated compounds was tested against five human tumor cell lines (Bel-7402, Caski, BGC-823, A2780, and HCT-116). Among them, compounds 4 and 8 showed cytotoxic activities against Bel-7402 and A2780 cells with IC50 values of 10.43 ± 0.51 and 29.03 ± 2.94 µM, respectively; Compound 8 exhibited cytotoxic activities against Bel-7402 and HCT-116 cells with IC50 values of 17.78 ± 1.54 and 26.23 ± 6.14 µM, respectively.

A novel polysaccharide from Rubus chingii Hu unripe fruits: Extraction optimization, structural characterization and amelioration of colonic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Raspberry is used as a medicine food homology species and its polysaccharides are worthy being investigated and developed. In the present study, a novel polysaccharide of unripe raspberry fruits (pRCP) was extracted and characterized. The results show that pRCP was an acidic heteropolysaccharide and its Mw value was 74.86 kDa with a high homogeneity. The main chain of pRCP consisted of â†’ 3,6)-ß-Galp(1 â†’ and â†’ 5)-α-Araf(1→, and its side chain was composed of α-Araf(1 â†’ linked to the C3 position of â†’ 3,6)-ß-Galp(1 â†’. In addition, pRCP supplementation increased the gut microbial diversity and reduced harmful bacteria including Erysipelatoclostridium and Negativibacillus in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Treatment with pRCP also alleviated HFD-induced colonic inflammation and oxidative stress in mice. These beneficial effects can be transferred to recipient mice by faecal microbiota transplantation from pRCP-treated mice. Therefore, our study suggests that pRCP could be used as a potential prebiotics to improve intestinal health by modulating the gut microbiota.

Microencapsulation of Brazilian Cherokee blackberry extract by freeze-drying using maltodextrin, gum Arabic, and pectin as carrier materials.

There are many blackberry cultivars in Brazil; however, the characteristics and applications of the Cherokee cultivar have not yet been widely studied. For this reason, this research investigated the behaviour of maltodextrin (MD), gum Arabic (GA), and pectin (PEC), as carriers combined in different proportions (20% MD, 15% MD + 5% GA, 15% MD + 5% PEC), on encapsulation of Cherokee blackberry pulp extract obtained by freeze-drying. The results of moisture content (2.73-3.36%), water activity (aw) (0.11-0.15), solubility (52.40-54.11%), hygroscopicity (17.59-21.11%), colour (hue 0.24-0.32), retention of anthocyanins (51.55-60.53%), total phenolic compounds (39.72-70.73 mg GAE/100g), antioxidant activity at 25 mg/mL (77.89-80.02%), IC50 (12.26-14.53), simulated in vitro digestion and morphology were discussed. Concerning morphology, blackberry powders had irregular structures and amorphous structures. Comparatively, the best results were obtained for MD-GA. MD-GA presented the highest content of phenolic compounds (70.73 ± 1.84 mg GAE/100g) and antioxidant activity (80.02%), as well as the lowest IC50 value (12.26). In general, all powders showed an increase in phenolic compounds during in vitro digestion, because of the pH conditions and digestive enzymes present in the simulated digestive fluid. This result shows that the wall material provides protection, since the blackberry rich extract (RE) showed degradation of phenolic compounds in in vitro digestion. In this sense, freeze-drying is a suitable technique for the encapsulation of Cherokee blackberry pulp extract.