Dietary phytochemical and metabolic disease prevention: Focus on plant proteins.

Plant-based functional foods have attracted increasing research interest to validate their use in preventing metabolic disease. Since it is increasingly recognized that inflammation, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythm play vital roles in various metabolic diseases, including diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic liver disease, plant proteins, protein hydrolysates, and food extracts that intervene in these biological processes are promising dietary supplements to prevent metabolic diseases. Here, we reviewed the recent research on plant-based foods used for metabolic disease prevention and provided new perspectives regarding the current study gaps and future directions in this field.

C-geranylated flavanones from YingDe black tea and their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition activities.

YingDe black tea is produced from crude tea prepared from leaves of Camellia sinensis var. assamica. In this work, we isolated and identified five novel flavanones, namely, amelliaone A-E (1-5), along with seven known compounds 6-12 from the ethanol extract of YingDe black tea. The structures of these five novel phenolic compounds were determined using extensive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments. The compounds were further evaluated for antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory, and cytotoxic activities. Compound 1 exhibited higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration value (IC50) of 10.2µM compared with acarbose (18.2µM).

Soy Soluble Polysaccharide as a Nanocarrier for Curcumin.

The complexation between soy soluble polysaccharide (SSPS) and curcumin at pH 7.0 and 4.0, as well as some physicochemical characteristics of the resultant complexes, was investigated. The encapsulation efficiency and loading amount of curcumin in the complexes at pH 4.0 reached 67.3% and 4.49 µg/mg SSPS, respectively. Ethanol-induced denaturation and structural unfolding of the protein fraction in SSPS was essential for complex formation. The complexation with curcumin resulted in aggregation of SSPS and the subsequent formation of compacted nanoparticles with curcumin as the core. The complexation greatly improved the heat stability and in vitro bioaccessibility of curcumin. In general, the encapsulation efficiency, heat stability, and bioaccessibility of curcumin in the complexes at pH 4.0 were better than those at pH 7.0. The findings are of importance for the development of food grade nanovehicles for enhanced water solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility of hydrophobic bioactives.

Green tea polyphenols induce cell death in breast cancer MCF-7 cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.

In order to study the molecular mechanisms of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) in treatment or prevention of breast cancer, the cytotoxic effects of GTPs on five human cell lines (MCF-7, A549, Hela, PC3, and HepG2 cells) were determined and the antitumor mechanisms of GTPs in MCF-7 cells were analyzed. The results showed that GTPs exhibited a broad spectrum of inhibition against the detected cancer cell lines, particularly the MCF-7 cells. Studies on the mechanisms revealed that the main modes of cell death induced by GTPs were cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis showed that GTPs mediated cell cycle arrest at both G1/M and G2/M transitions. GTP dose dependently led to apoptosis of MCF-7 cells via the mitochondrial pathways, as evidenced by induction of chromatin condensation, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), improvement in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), induction of DNA fragmentation, and activations of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the present paper.

Two new flavonoids from the bark of Allium chrysanthum.

The isolation and structure elucidation of two new flavonoids, chrysanthumones A and B from the extracts of Allium chrysanthum were reported. Seven known phenolic constituents were also isolated. Their structures were determined on the basis of NMR and MS techniques.

Food protein-based phytosterol nanoparticles: fabrication and characterization.

The development of food-grade (nano)particles as a delivery system for poorly water soluble bioactives has recently attracted increasing attention. This work is an attempt to fabricate food protein-based nanoparticles as delivery systems for improving the water dispersion and bioaccessibility of phytosterols (PS) by an emulsification-evaporation method. The fabricated PS nanoparticles were characterized in terms of particle size, encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and loading amount (LA), and ξ-potential. Among all the test proteins, including soy protein isolate (SPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC) and sodium caseinate (SC), SC was confirmed to be the most suitable protein for the PS nano-formulation. Besides the type of protein, the particle size, EE% and LA of PS in the nanoparticles varied with the applied protein concentration in the aqueous phase and organic volume fraction. The freeze-dried PS nanoparticles with SC exhibited good water re-dispersion behavior and low crystallinity of PS. The LA of PS in the nanoparticles decreased upon storage, especially at high temperatures (e.g., >25 °C). The PS in the fabricated nanoparticles exhibited much better bioaccessibility than free PS. The findings would be of relevance for the fabrication of food-grade colloidal phytosterols, with great potential to be applied in functional food formulations.

Core-Shell Soy Protein-Soy Polysaccharide Complex (Nano)particles as Carriers for Improved Stability and Sustained Release of Curcumin.

Using soy protein isolate (SPI) and soy-soluble polysaccharides (SSPS) as polymer matrixes, this study reported a novel process to fabricate unique core-shell complex (nano)particles to perform as carriers for curcumin (a typical poorly soluble bioactive). In the process, curcumin-SPI nanocomplexes were first formed at pH 7.0 and then coated by SSPS. At this pH, the core-shell complex was formed in a way the SPI nanoparticles might be incorporated into the interior of SSPS molecules without distinctly affecting the size and morphology of particles. The core-shell structure was distinctly changed by adjusting pH from 7.0 to 4.0. At pH 4.0, SSPS was strongly bound to the surface of highly aggregated SPI nanoparticles, and as a consequence, much larger complexes were formed. The bioaccessibility of curcumin in the SPI-curcumin complexes was unaffected by the SSPS coating. However, the core-shell complex formation greatly improved the thermal stability and controlled release properties of encapsulated curcumin. The improvement was much better at pH 4.0 than that at pH 7.0. All of the freeze-dried core-shell complex preparations exhibited good redispersion behavior. The findings provide a simple approach to fabricate food-grade delivery systems for improved water dispersion, heat stability, and even controlled release of poorly soluble bioactives.

Feruloylated Oligosaccharides from Maize Bran Modulated the Gut Microbiota in Rats.

Corn bran is a byproduct produced from corn milling; it is rich in ferulic acid and hemicellulose. In this research, the effects of feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) from maize bran on the microbial diversity and profiles in rat feces were investigated through 16S rRNA sequencing. FOs significantly increased bacterial richness and diversity compared with the control and xylooligosaccharides (XOS) alone. In comparison with the control group and the group administrated with XOS, FOs orally administered at 300 mg/kg increased OTU in feces by 57.0 and 24.8 %, and Chao value by 93.4 and 37.6 %, respectively. FOs also influenced obesity- and diabetes-associated bacteria. Oral administration of FOs at 300 mg/kg decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes from 477.7:1 to 55.1:1; greatly increased the reads of bacteria that were previously found resistant against diabetes in rats, such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroides, and Lactobacillus; whereas decreased diabetes-prone bacteria, such as Clostridium and Firmicutes.

Characterization of phenolic constituents inhibiting the formation of sulfur-containing volatiles produced during garlic processing.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.), which is a widely distributed plant, is globally used as both spice and food. This study identified five novel phenolic compounds, namely, 8-(3-methyl-(E)-1-butenyl)diosmetin, 8-(3-methyl-(E)-1-butenyl)chrysin, 6-(3-methyl-(E)-1-butenyl)chrysin, and Alliumones A and B, along with nine known compounds 6-14 from the ethanol extract of garlic. The structures of these five novel phenolic compounds were established via extensive 1D- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments. The effects of the phenolic compounds isolated from garlic on the enzymatical or nonenzymatical formation of sulfur-containing compounds produced during garlic processing were examined. Compound 12 significantly reduced the thermal decomposition of alliin, whereas compound 4 exhibited the highest percentage of alliinase inhibition activity (36.6%).

Protection of feruloylated oligosaccharides from corn bran against oxidative stress in PC 12 cells.

Feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) were prepared by autoclaving corn bran in oxalic acid (0.6%) solution, and their protection effects against oxidative stress in pheochromocytoma cells (PC 12) cells were investigated. The FOs samples, which comprised a mixture of feruloylated mono- and dipentoses with 4.88% bound ferulic acid (FA), as well as xylose, arabinose, galactose, and glucose amounting to 46.43, 40.46, 3.76, and 8.68% of the total sugars, respectively, were prepared by autoclaving the pretreated corn bran in 0.6% oxalic acid and then further separated. Antioxidant activity was tested by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) methods. Oxidative stress was induced by H2O2 in PC 12 neuronal cell culture model. The results showed that FOs exhibited higher antioxidant activity than free ferulic acid, with an IC50 value of 11 versus 128 µM for DPPH and an ORAC value of 4.77 versus 2.62 µmol Trolox/µmol. Tetrazolium blue assay showed that the addition of FOs with an FA concentration >50 µM significantly increased cell viability after treatment with H2O2. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the addition of FOs at concentrations of 800, 200, and 50 µM significantly decreased the apoptosis rate at the sub-G0 phase from 37.5 to 12.7, 16.2, and 20.9% (P < 0.01), respectively. FOs also significantly decreased the malonic dialdehyde content and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, but increased superoxide dismutase activity in PC 12 cells treated with H2O2 and prevented the damage of cellular membranes by decreasing the release of LDH to the cultures. The addition of FA at 800 µM showed an effect similar to that of FOs at 200 µM. Therefore, the FOs prepared from corn bran are potential functional ingredients for protection against oxidative stress.

A new dipeptide isolated from the bulb of garlic.

(R)-3-(allylthio)-2-((R)-3-(allylthio)-2-aminopropanamido)propanoic acid was isolated from the bulb of garlic, together with four known amino acids. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of 2D NMR and MS techniques. To the best of our knowledge, (R)-3-(allylthio)-2-((R)-3-(allylthio)-2-aminopropanamido)propanoic acid, which showed antibacterial activity against the Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistant strain, was the first example of dipeptide from garlic.

1,2-Bis(4-nitro-benz-yl)diselane.

The title compound, C(14)H(12)N(2)O(4)Se(2), is not chiral, but the mol-ecules assume a chiral conformation in the solid state and crystallize as an aggregate. The central C-Se-Se-C torsion angle is 90.4 (2)°, while the two Se-Se-C-C fragments assume gauche conformations with values of -59.4 (5) and 67.5 (4)°. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 80.74 (14)°.

(±)-4a-(4-Nitro-benz-yl)-2,3,4,4a-tetra-hydro-1H-carbazole.

The title mol-ecule, C(19)H(18)N(2)O(2), is built up from three fused rings, viz. phenyl, pyrrole and cyclo-hexane, linked to a nitro-benzyl group. The C atom bearing the nitro-benzyl group is chiral and the compound is a racemate (R/S). The dihedral angle between the nitro-benzyl and indole rings is 57.49 (5)°. The cyclo-hexane ring adopts a slightly distorted chair conformation.

Triterpenoid saponins from the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum.

Three new triterpenoid saponins, polygonoides C (1), D (2), and E (3), were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute. On the basis of NMR and ESI-MS spectra, and chemical evidence, the structures of the three new compounds were elucidated as 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3ß,7ß,22ß-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid (1), 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3ß,7ß,22ß-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid methyl ester (2), and 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1→2)]-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3ß,21ß-dihydroxy-oleanolic acid 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3).

Effects of fruit extracts on the formation of acrylamide in model reactions and fried potato crisps.

Natural products extracted from plants and fruits have attracted increasing attention for the development of effective inhibitors against the formation of acrylamide during food processing. In this study, six fruit extracts (apple, blueberry, mangosteen, longan, dragon fruit with white flesh, and dragon fruit with red flesh) were compared for their activities against acrylamide formation in chemical models containing equal molar quantities of glucose and asparagine in distilled water (160 degrees C for 30 min). Apple extract demonstrated potent inhibition on acrylamide formation. Blueberry, mangosteen, and longan extracts did not have significant impact, whereas dragon fruit extracts enhanced acrylamide formation. Column chromatography guided by chemical model analysis showed that the proanthocyanidin-rich subfraction played a key role in mediating the inhibitory activity. The inhibitory activity was finally corroborated in fried potato crisps. The present study identified some natural products that might have important applications in the food industry to inhibit acrylamide formation.

Protection against oxidative stress in diabetic rats by wheat bran feruloyl oligosaccharides.

Diabetes is one of the most costly of the chronic diseases and is increasing in epidemic proportions in developing countries. It has been found that some antioxidants play a role in protection against oxidative stress, which is associated with diabetes. In this study, enzyme-released feruloyl oligosaccharides from wheat bran were given intragastrically (ig) to test their effect on antioxidant capacity, body weight restoring capacity, and serum glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, using sodium ferulate and vitamin C as positive control groups. The levels of blood glucose, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and malondiadehyde (MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were determined in rat serum, liver, and testes. Feruloyl oligosaccharides significantly increased TAOC level, GSH-Px, and SOD activities, but decreased blood glucose and MDA levels and XOD activity in serum, liver, and testes of diabetic rats compared to diabetic controls. Feruloyl oligosaccharides were, overall, more efficient in mitigating oxidative damage in diabetic rats than sodium ferulate and vitamin C. In this feruloyl oligosaccharide feeding study, the antioxidant restoring capacity varied across the tissues observed, and also the activity change of the various antioxidant enzymes varied within a single tissue. Feruloyl oligosaccharides showed greater antioxidant capacity in vivo than in vitro when compared with vitamin C.