Potential value and mechanism of Rosa roxburghii tratt juice on pro-inflammatory responses in peripheral blood of patients with arsenic poisoning.

Increasing evidence supports the role of arsenic in dysregulated immune and inflammation responses, while, safe and effective treatments have not been fully examined. Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT), a traditional Chinese edible fruit with potential immunoregulatory activities, was considered as a dietary supplement to explore its protective effects and possible mechanism in arsenic-induced dysregulated inflammation responses. We enrolled 209 arsenicosis patients and 41 controls to obtain baseline data, including the degree of arsenic poisoning prior to the RRT juice (RRTJ) intervention. Then, based on criteria of inclusion and exclusion and the principle of voluntary participation, 106 arsenicosis patients who volunteered to receive treatment were divided into RRTJ (n = 53) and placebo (n = 53) groups randomly. After three months follow-up, 89 subjects (46 and 43 of the RRTJ and placebo groups, respectively) completed the study and were examined for the effects and possible mechanisms of RRTJ on the Th17 cells-related pro-inflammatory responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The PBMCs had higher levels of Th17 and Th17-related inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-6, and RORγt. Furthermore, the gene expressions of STAT3 and SOCS3 in PBMCs increased and decreased, respectively. Conversely, RRTJ decreased the number of Th17 cells, secretion of IL-17, IL-6, RORγt, and relative mRNA levels of STAT3, and increased the transcript levels of SOCS3. This study provides limited evidence that possible immunomodulatory effects of RRTJ on the critical regulators, IL-6 and STAT3, of the Th17 cells in arsenicosis patients, which indicated that IL-6/STAT3 pathway might appear as a potential therapeutic target in arsenicosis.

Exploring the effects of different processing techniques on the composition and biological activity of Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC. by metabonomics and pharmacologic design.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC. (PG) is a common natural medicine with a history of thousands of years. The processing products were mainly recorded as raw, honey-processed, wine-fried, yellow-fried, and bran-fried PG, which were respectively used for different clinical purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to study the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of PG after processing. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the effects of different processing methods on the composition and biological activity of PG using metabonomics and pharmacologic design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify different metabolites before and after the processing of PG. Network pharmacology was used to construct the metabolite-target-disease network. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting were used to detect cell viability, apoptosis, and the expression of related proteins, respectively. RESULT: A total of 43 differentially expressed metabolites (VIP >10) were detected and identified in the analyzed groups. Based on their chemical nature, these metabolites were divided into five categories, namely, saccharolipids, flavonoid glycosides, alkynes, saponins, and lipids (including fatty acids, phospholipids, fatty aldehydes, and sterols). The content of lipids in the five processed groups (CH, FC, JZ, MZI, and MZG) was found to be higher than that in raw PG. In particular, the processing approaches explored herein increased the contents of many phospholipids, such as, glycerophosphoinositols, phosphatidic acids, and lysophosphatidyle·thanolamines. The 8 metabolites were found by venn diagram to distinguish different processed products (metabolites 2, 6, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, and 38). The results of network pharmacology analysis showed that the primary anti-cancer targets of 43 metabolites of PG processing products are PIK3CA, Akt, and STAT3, and based on CCK-8 assay, MZI has a significant killing effect on A549 cells, compared to other processing techniques. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis showed that the cells treated with MZI exhibit significantly increased cell apoptosis, and that the effect is dose-dependent. Finally, the western blots performed herein demonstrated that the MZI effectively inhibits the expression of p-Akt and p-STAT3, which is consistent with the network pharmacology results. CONCLUSION: Depending on the processing technique, the contents of 43 different metabolites in PG were varied significantly. Specifically, the contents of phospholipids and fatty acids increase, whereas the contents of large Mw saponins decrease. Compared to the other investigated processing methods, MZI increases the potential of PG in inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation by affecting the Akt and STAT3 signaling pathways. The increased levels of 3-O-ß-glucopyranosyl polygalacic acid and platycoside F after honey-frying confirm these results.

Evaluating cepharanthine analogues as natural drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

Cepharanthine (CEP) is a natural biscoclaurine alkaloid of plant origin and was recently demonstrated to have anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) activity. In this study, we evaluated whether natural analogues of CEP may act as potential anti-coronavirus disease 2019 drugs. A total of 24 compounds resembling CEP were extracted from the KNApSAcK database, and their binding affinities to target proteins, including the spike protein and main protease of SARS-CoV-2, NPC1 and TPC2 in humans, were predicted via molecular docking simulations. Selected analogues were further evaluated by a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 infection assay. In addition, the efficacies of CEP and its analogue tetrandrine were assessed. A comparison of the docking conformations of these compounds suggested that the diphenyl ester moiety of the molecules was a putative pharmacophore of the CEP analogues.

Preparation of Hop Estrogen-Active Material for Production of Food Supplements.

In recent years, the interest in the health-promoting effects of hop prenylflavonoids, especially its estrogenic effects, has grown. Unfortunately, one of the most potent phytoestrogens identified so far, 8-prenylnaringenin, is only a minor component of hops, so its isolation from hop materials for the production of estrogenically active food supplements has proved to be problematic. The aim of this study was to optimize the conditions (e.g., temperature, the length of the process and the amount of the catalyst) to produce 8-prenylnaringenin-rich material by the magnesium oxide-catalyzed thermal isomerization of desmethylxanthohumol. Under these optimized conditions, the yield of 8-prenylnaringenin was 29 mg per 100 gDW of product, corresponding to a >70% increase in its content relative to the starting material. This process may be applied in the production of functional foods or food supplements rich in 8-prenylnaringenin, which may then be utilized in therapeutic agents to help alleviate the symptoms of menopausal disorders.

Analysis of Unani coded formulation on the hormonal parameters of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The effect of Unani coded polyherbal formulations (Picolin) containing: 1) Cinnamomum verum (Bark), 2) Glycyrrhiza glabra (Root), 3) Linum usitatissimum (Seed) and 4) Vitex agnus castus (Seed) on the hormonal levels of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients (n=73) was determined. A randomized controlled multi-center trial was conducted on three groups that received either: 1) Capsule Picolin (n=25, 500 mg, two capsules thrice a day) and 2) Hydroalcoholic extract, tablet Picolin-E (n=23, 250 mg thrice a day) or 3) Metformin (n=25, 500 mg, twice a day) that continued for 12 weeks. The effect of capsule Picolin before and after treatment on serum insulin (14.8±1.8 vs 10.7±1.7µIU/mL) and prolactin (17.7±0.9 vs 8.5±1.1ng/mL) levels were significant. Likewise, the tablet Picolin-E also demonstrated significant effect on serum insulin (16.7±1.7 vs 9.3±0.1µIU/mL) and prolactin (18.5±1 vs 10±1.5ng/mL) levels. On the contrary in metformin treated group these parameters, serum insulin (17.4±1.6 vs 16.4±1.4µIU/mL) and prolactin (21.7±2.8 vs 21±2.8ng/mL) were non-significant. The improvement in the menstrual flow in the PCOS patients after treatment with either capsule Picolin, tablet Picolin-E or metformin were improved by 84%, 61% and 54%, respectively. Unani formulation were comparatively more effective than metformin. The treatment effectiveness was capsule Picolin> tablet Picolin-E>metformin.

Metabolic engineering for plant natural products biosynthesis: new procedures, concrete achievements and remaining limits.

Microorganisms and plants represent major sources of natural compounds with a plethora of bioactive properties. Among these, plant natural products (PNPs) remain indispensable to human health. With few exceptions, PNP-based pharmaceuticals come from plant specialized metabolisms and display a structure far too complex for a profitable production by total chemical synthesis. Accordingly, their industrial processes of supply are still mostly based on the extraction of final products or precursors directly from plant materials. This implies that particular contexts (e.g. pandemics, climate changes) and natural resource overexploitation are main drivers for the high production cost and recurrent supply shortages. Recently, biotechnological manufacturing alternatives gave rise to a multitude of benchmark studies implementing the production of important PNPs in various heterologous hosts. Here, we spotlight unprecedented advancements in the field of metabolic engineering dedicated to the heterologous production of a prominent series of PNPs that were achieved during the year 2020. We also discuss how the knowledge accumulated in recent years could pave the way for a broader manufacturing palette of natural products from a wide range of natural resources.

PLA-coated Imwitor® 900 K-based herbal colloidal carriers as novel candidates for the intra-articular treatment of arthritis.

Although there are several treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), outcomes are unsatisfactory and often associated with many side effects. We attempted to improve RA therapeutic outcomes by intra-articular administration of dual drug-loaded poly(lactic) acid (PLA)-coated herbal colloidal carriers (HCCs). Curcumin (CU) and resveratrol (RES) were loaded into HCCs because of their safety and significant anti-inflammatory activity. HCCs were prepared using a high-pressure, hot homogenization technique and evaluated in vitro and in vivo using a complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis model. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) evaluated coating selected formulations with PLA, which increased particle sizes from 52 to 89.14 nm. The entrapment efficiency of both formulations was approximately 76%. HCCs significantly increased the amount of RES and CU released compared with the drug suspensions alone. The in vivo treated groups showed a significant improvement in joint healing. PLA-coated HCCs, followed by uncoated HCCs, yielded the highest reductions in knee diameter, myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) levels. Histological examination of the dissected joints revealed that PLA-coated HCCs followed by uncoated HCCs exhibited the most significant joint healing effects. Our results demonstrate the superiority of intra-articularly administered HCCs to suppress RA progression compared with RES or CU suspensions alone.

Chemical comparison of the raw and processed Farfarae Flos by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolomic approach.

Farfarae Flos (FF) has been used in China for a long time as an anti-tussive and expectorant herbal drugs, and it was usually honey-fried FF (HFF). To clarify the mechanism of honey processing, it is important to know the chemical difference between FF and HFF firstly. In this study, UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS was used to characterize the chemical compounds in FF, honey and HFF. Then the metabolomic approach based on UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS revealed 68 differential compounds between the FF and HFF, and chemical reactions occurring during processing were also proposed to elucidate the honey processing mechanisms of FF. In order to investigate the chemical difference between FF and HFF comprehensively and accurately, the components derived from the honey and the moisture content in FF and HFF were considered for the first time. In summary, this study investigated the chemical differences between FF and HFF in a holistic way, which laid the basis for the quality control of HFF and further explaining the honey processing mechanisms of FF. In addition, eight native compounds derived from the honey could be used as the index to authenticate the HFF prepared by the genuine honey.

Chemical and sensorial characterization of spray dried hydroSOStainable almond milk.

BACKGROUND: Water scarcity is a worldwide problem that leads to environmental and economic issues. Agriculture is one of the main consumers of water for irrigation and fertilization and almond is the major tree nut crop in the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, there is a continuous growing demand for healthy, vegan and sustainable products. Consequently, the present study aimed to chemically characterize almond milk powder enriched with probiotics manufactured from hydroSOStainable almonds (i.e. generated under water stress conditions). Almond milk powder enriched with probiotic bacteria was produced with almonds grown under optimal irrigation conditions (100% of the crop evapotranspiration) and was chemically compared to the samples made from hydroSOStainable almonds. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), minerals, organic acids and sugars, fatty acids, and descriptive sensory analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that almond milk powder produced from hydroSOStainable almonds had a higher content of TPC, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), PUFAs/saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio and PUFAs/monounsaturated fatty acids ratio, as well as almond and nutty flavors. Moderate and sustained deficit irrigation leads to powders with a higher content of PUFAs and PUFAs/SFAs ratio, which are parameters of utmost importance for health. CONCLUSION: Using these strategies, between 66% and 76% of the irrigation water can be saved, producing hydroSOStainable almond milk powder higher in TPC and PUFAs, as well as positive sensory attributes, compared to that from fully irrigated almonds. These findings may have a positive impact in both agriculture and food industry, allowing water savings and high quality and sustainable food products to be obtained. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of durum wheat fresh pasta fortified with Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder.

BACKGROUND: Pasta is a staple food that is consumed worldwide and is an excellent product for the addition of ingredients rich in bioactive compounds. The fortification of pasta with such compounds could represent a healthy choice for consumers. RESULTS: In this study, fresh pasta was formulated by replacing durum wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g 100 g-1 of dried Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP), rich in fibers, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Increasing levels of MOLP influenced the technological and nutritional properties of wheat-based fresh pasta. Moringa oleifera reduced the optimum cooking time, the swelling index and firmness, while increasing the cooking loss and adhesiveness. From a nutritional viewpoint, the inclusion of MOLP enhanced the phenol content, the antioxidant activity, and the mineral content of fresh pasta. The products obtained had good sensorial acceptability and can make several nutritional claims due to MOLP richness minerals. CONCLUSIONS: The fortification of fresh pasta with MOLP could represent a valuable strategy to increase the nutritional value of the product, preserving pasta technological properties without affecting sensory acceptability. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of tea products on in vitro starch digestibility and eating quality of cooked rice using domestic cooking method.

Cooked rice (CR) is a staple diet for many people, but exhibits the high glycemic index that makes it difficult to control the blood glucose. Herein, instant green tea (IGT), instant black tea (IBT) and matcha (Mat) (1, 2 and 3% w/w, rice basis) were added to lower the in vitro starch digestibility and improve the eating quality of CR prepared with an electric rice cooker. The results showed that adding tea products at each level could remarkably reduce the in vitro starch digestibility of CR. Compared with IGT and IBT, 3% of Mat significantly decreased the contents of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) from 72.96% to 60.99%, the digestion rate constant (K) from 11.4 × 10-2 to 8.68 × 10-2 min-1 and the expected glycemic index (eGI) from 77.55 to 66.86. Furthermore, the gas chromatography-ion migration spectrum was analysed to confirm that the tea products endowed the cooked rice with a refreshing flavor by inducing the redistribution of the main aroma components. Moreover, it was found that increasing the ordered crystal structure of rice grains played a major role on lowering the starch digestion, which was demonstrated by the results of the Rapid Visco Analyser, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These findings suggested that cooking rice with tea products, especially Mat, can be useful in enhancing the palatability and slowing the in vitro digestion properties of CR.

DNA metabarcoding to unravel plant species composition in selected herbal medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) of Thailand.

Traditional medicines are widely traded across the globe and have received considerable attention in the recent past, with expectations of heightened demand in the future. However, there are increasing global concerns over admixture, which can affect the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicinal products. In this study, we aimed to use DNA metabarcoding to identify 39 Thai herbal products on the Thai National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and assess species composition and admixture. Among the products, 24 samples were in-house-prepared formulations, and 15 samples were registered formulations. In our study, DNA metabarcoding analysis using ITS2 and rbcL barcode regions were employed to identify herbal ingredients mentioned in the products. The nuclear region, ITS2, was able to identify herbal ingredients in the products at the genus- and family-levels in 55% and 63% of cases, respectively. The chloroplast gene, rbcL, enabled genus- and family-level identifications in 58% and 73% of cases, respectively. In addition, plant species were detected in larger numbers (Family identified, absolute %) in registered herbal products than in in-house-prepared formulations. The level of fidelity increases concerns about the reliability of the products. This study highlights that DNA metabarcoding is a useful analytical tool when combined with advanced chemical techniques for the identification of plant species in highly processed, multi-ingredient herbal products.

Valorization of Persimmon and Blueberry Byproducts to Obtain Functional Powders: In Vitro Digestion and Fermentation by Gut Microbiota.

Globalization of fruit and vegetable markets generates overproduction, surpluses, and potentially valuable residues. The valorization of these byproducts constitutes a challenge, to ensure sustainability and reintroduce them into the food chain. This work focuses on blueberry and persimmon residues, rich in polyphenols and carotenoids, to obtain powders with high added value to be used as ingredients in food formulation. These powders have been characterized, and the changes in the bioactive compounds in in vitro gastrointestinal digestion have been evaluated. The results indicated that the type of residue, the drying process, as well as the content and type of fiber determine the release of antioxidants during digestion. In vitro colonic fermentations were also performed, and it was observed that the characteristics of digested powders had an effect on the composition of the growing microbial community. Thus, carotenoids and anthocyanins maintain an interplay with microbiota that could be beneficial for human health.

Potential Hepatotoxins Found in Herbal Medicinal Products: A Systematic Review.

The risk of liver injury associated with the use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) is well known among physicians caring for patients under a HMP therapy, as documented in case reports or case series and evidenced by using the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) to verify a causal relationship. In many cases, however, the quality of HMPs has rarely been considered regarding potential culprits such as contaminants and toxins possibly incriminated as causes for the liver injury. This review aims to comprehensively assemble details of tentative hepatotoxic contaminants and toxins found in HMPs. Based on the origin, harmful agents may be divided according two main sources, namely the phyto-hepatotoxin and the nonphyto-hepatotoxin groups. More specifically, phyto-hepatotoxins are phytochemicals or their metabolites naturally produced by plants or internally in response to plant stress conditions. In contrast, nonphyto-hepatotoxic elements may include contaminants or adulterants occurring during collection, processing and production, are the result of accumulation of toxic heavy metals by the plant itself due to soil pollutions, or represent mycotoxins, herbicidal and pesticidal residues. The phyto-hepatotoxins detected in HMPs are classified into eight major groups consisting of volatile compounds, phytotoxic proteins, glycosides, terpenoid lactones, terpenoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, and phenolic acids. Nonphyto-hepatotoxins including metals, mycotoxins, and pesticidal and herbicidal residues and tentative mechanisms of toxicity are discussed. In conclusion, although a variety of potential toxic substances may enter the human body through HMP use, the ability of these toxins to trigger human liver injury remains largely unclear.

Effect of long-term consumption of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) flower polysaccharides on maintaining intestinal health in BALB/c mice.

Polysaccharides have various health-promoting functions. However, dietary polysaccharides cannot be digested by the human alimentary tract, thus the gut is the most important location where polysaccharides play their role. The effect of polysaccharides from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) flower (TFPS) on intestinal health was investigated in the present study. TFPS with the molecular weight of 1,316.29 kDa was prepared, and twenty 6-week-old BALB/c male mice were randomly allotted to a chow diet (normal control group, NC group) or with 200 mg/kg (body weight)/day of TFPS for 13 weeks (n = 10 each). Histomorphology observation of jejunum and colons showed that TFPS maintained the adequate gut barrier. qPCR analysis revealed that the expression of colonic tight junction proteins of claudin1 (1.29 ± 0.15 compared with 1.00 ± 0.13, P < 0.05) and claudin5 (2.91 ± 0.44 compared with 1.00 ± 0.27, P < 0.01) at mRNA level with a significant difference between TFPS supplement or not, while the expression of TLR4 and TNF-α mRNA was not changed statistically. 16S rDNA amplicons sequencing was applied to measure the compositions of gut microbiota from feces of mice. TFPS treatment exhibited similar relative abundances in Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes; however, it decreased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and increased that of Lactobacillus compared with the NC group. The contents of short-chain fatty acids after TFPS supplementation, both in cecal contents and feces, were significantly higher than those of the NC group. Besides, TFPS significantly increased IgA production. These results suggest that TFPS is beneficial to intestinal health and can improve intestinal adaptive immune tolerance. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Dietary polysaccharides improve human intestinal health. Understanding the effect of TFPS, safe and healthy food components, on gut health increases the likelihood that TFPS will be developed as a functional food.

Nose to brain drug delivery - A promising strategy for active components from herbal medicine for treating cerebral ischemia reperfusion.

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI), one of the major causes of death from stroke in the world, not only causes tremendous damage to human health, but also brings heavy economic burden to society. Current available treatments for CIRI, including mechanical therapies and drug therapies, are often accompanied by significant side-effects. Therefore, it is necessary to discovery new strategies for treating CIRI. Many studies have confirmed that the herbal medicine has the advantages of abundant resources, good curative effect and little side effects, which can be used as potential drug for treatment of CIRI through multiple targets. It's known that oral administration commonly has low bioavailability, and injection administration is inconvenient and unsafe. Many drugs can't delivery to brain through routine pathways due to the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). Interestingly, increasing evidences have suggested the nasal administration is a potential direct route to transport drug into brain avoiding the BBB and has the characteristics of high bioavailability for treating brain diseases. Therefore, intranasal administration can be treated as an alternative way to treat brain diseases. In the present review, effective methods to treat CIRI by using active ingredients derived from herbal medicine through nose to brain drug delivery (NBDD) are updated and discussed, and some related pharmacological mechanisms have also been emphasized. Our present study would be beneficial for the further drug development of natural agents from herbal medicines via NBDD.

Gut microbial transformation, a potential improving factor in the therapeutic activities of four groups of natural compounds isolated from herbal medicines.

Herbal medicines (HMs) have attracted widespread attention because of their significant contributions to the prevention and treatment of many human diseases. Recently, gut microbiota has become an important frontier to understand the therapeutic mechanisms of medicines. Gut microbiota-mediated transformation is a microbial metabolic form after oral administrations of HMs compounds. A great number of studies showed that gut microbiota could transform some HMs compounds by the variation of chemical structures into several active metabolites, which exerted better bioavailabilities and therapeutic activities than their parent compounds. Among these HMs compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols and terpenoids were the representative ones. However, there is no systemic review focusing on the potential improved therapeutic activities of these natural compounds caused by gut microbial transformation. Here, this review summarizes the therapeutic activities that are more potent in microbial transformed metabolites than in their parent compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols and terpenoids) from HMs. We hope this review will be conducive to deepening the understanding of the relationship between gut microbial transformation and therapeutic activities of HMs compounds.

The dietary freeze-dried fruit powder of Actinidia arguta ameliorates dextran sulphate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by inhibiting the activation of MAPKs.

In this study, we aimed at investigating the antiinflammatory activity of the freeze-dried fruit powder of Actinidia arguta (FAA) on dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice and the effect of its extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. For pharmacodynamic studies, the oral administration of FAA (300 or 600 mg kg-1) could decrease the disease activity index (DAI), reduce the incidence of colon and spleen edemas (caused by inflammation), and alleviate the pathological changes in UC. For research involving biochemical indicators, FAA could decrease the expression of inflammatory markers (such as myeloperoxidase (MPO)) and attenuate the oxidative stress levels. ELISA results revealed that the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α) were downregulated by FAA. Furthermore, the expression levels of the inflammation-induced activation of p38, JNK, and ERK were decreased by FAA. Hence, it was concluded that FAA could alleviate the UC symptoms in mice and the inflammatory response of macrophages via the MAPK signal pathway. Overall, FAA might have the potential to treat UC when used as a dietary supplement.

Novel Processing Technologies as Compared to Thermal Treatment on the Bioaccessibility and Caco-2 Cell Uptake of Carotenoids from Tomato and Kale-Based Juices.

This research aimed to measure the impact of novel food processing techniques, i.e., pulsed electric field (PEF) and ohmic heating (OH), on carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake from tomato juice and high-pressure processing (HPP) and PEF on the same attributes from kale-based juices, as compared with raw (nonprocessed) and conventional thermally treated (TT) juices. Lycopene, ß-carotene, and lutein were quantitated in juices and the micelle fraction using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection and in Caco-2 cells using HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. Tomato juice results were as follows: PEF increased lycopene bioaccessibility (1.5 ± 0.39%) by 150% (P = 0.01) but reduced ß-carotene bioaccessibility (28 ± 6.2%) by 44% (P = 0.02), relative to raw juice. All processing methods increased lutein uptake. Kale-based juice results were as follows: TT and PEF degraded ß-carotene and lutein in the juice. No difference in bioaccessibility or cell uptake was observed. Total delivery, i.e., the summation of bioaccessibility and cell uptake, of lycopene, ß-carotene, and lutein was independent of type of processing. Taken together, PEF and OH enhanced total lycopene and lutein delivery from tomato juice to Caco-2 cells as well as TT, and may produce a more desirable product due to other factors (i.e., conservation of heat-labile micronutrients, fresher organoleptic profile). HPP best conserved the carotenoid content and color of kale-based juice and merits further consideration.