Antiglycating effects of citrus flavonoids and associated mechanisms

Glycation of proteins and DNA forms advanced glycation end products(AGEs)causing cell and tissue dysfunction and subsequent various chronic diseases,in particular,metabolic and age-related diseases.Targeted AGE inhibition includes scavengers of reactive carbonyl species(RCS)such as methylglyoxal(MG),glyoxalase-1 enhancers,Nrf2/ARE pathway activators,AGE/RAGE formation inhibitors and other antiglycatng agents.Citrus flavonoids have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and are also found to be effective antiglycating agents.Herein,we reviewed the up to date progress of the antiglycation effects of citrus flavonoids and associated mechanisms.Major citrus flavonoids,hesperedin and its aglycone,hesperetin,inhibited glycation by scavenging MG forming mono-or di-flavonoid adducts with MG,enhanced the activity of glyoxase-1,activated Akt/Nrf2 signal pathway while inhibiting AGE/RAGE/NF-κB pathway,reduced the formation of Nε-(carboxylmethyl)lysine(CML)and pentosidine,inhibited aldol reductase activity and decreased the levels of fructosamine.The antiglycating activity and mechanisms of other flavonoids was also summarized in this review.In conclusion,citrus flavonoids possess effective antiglycating activity via different mechanisms,yet there are many challenging questions remaining to be studied in the near future such as in vivo testing and human study of citrus flavonoids for efficacy,effectiveness and adverse effects of citrus flavonoids as a functional food in managing high levels of AGEs and controlling AGE-induced chronic diseases,diabetic complications in particular.

Capsaicin alleviates the hepatic clock gene disruption and gut microbiota dysbiosis in circadian rhythm disorder mouse model

As the body’s internal clock,the circadian rhythm regulates the energy expenditure,appetite,and sleep.There exists a close relationship between the host circadian rhythm and gut microbiota.In this work,a circadian disorder mouse model induced by constant darkness(CD)was constructed to investigate the regulating effects of capsaicin(CAP)on disturbances of metabolism homeostasis and gut microbiota in the respect of circadian rhythm-related mechanisms.Our results indicated that CAP reduced weight gain induced by circadian rhythm disorder in mice by inhibiting fat accumulation in liver and adipose tissue.The rhythmic expressions of circadian clock genes and lipid-metabolism related genes in liver were also recovered by CAP.Microbial study using 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that CAP modulated the gut microbiota richness,diversity and composition,and restored diurnal oscillations of gut microbes at the phylum and family level.These results indicated that CAP could alleviate CD-induced hepatic clock gene disruption and gut microbiota dysbiosis in mice,providing theoretical basis for CAP to be used as a muti-functional ingredient with great healthpromoting effects.

The modulatory effect of oolong tea polyphenols on intestinal flora and hypothalamus gene expression in a circadian rhythm disturbance mouse model

The interaction between host circadian rhythm and gut microbes through the gut-brain axis provides new clues for tea polyphenols to improve host health.Our present research showed that oolong tea polyphenols(OTP)improved the structural disorder of the intestinal flora caused by continuous darkness,thereby modulating the production of metabolites related to pyruvate metabolism,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,and tryptophan metabolism to alleviate the steady-state imbalance.After fecal microbiota transplantation from the OTP group,the single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that OTP significantly increased the number of hypothalamus cell clusters,up-regulated the number of astrocytes and fibroblasts,and enhanced the expression of circadian rhythm genes Cry2,Per3,Bhlhe41,Nr1d1,Nr1d2,Dbp and Rorb in hypothalamic cells.Our results confirmed that OTP can actively improve the intestinal environmental state as well as internal/peripheral circadian rhythm disorders and cognitive impairment,with potential prebiotic functional characteristics to notably contribute to host health.

Piperine regulates the circadian rhythms of hepatic clock gene expressions and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

The interplay between the host circadian clock and microbiota has significant influences on host metabolism processes,and circadian desynchrony triggered by high-fat diet(HFD)is closely related to metabolic disorders.In this study,the modulatory effects of piperine(PIP)on lipid metabolism homeostasis,gut microbiota community and circadian rhythm of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats were investigated.The Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were fed with normal diet(ND),HFD and HFD supplemented with PIP,respectively.After 9 weeks,rats were sacrificed with tissue and fecal samples collected for circadian analysis.Results showed that chronic PIP administration ameliorated the obesity-induced alterations in lipid metabolism and dysregulation of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats.The gut microbial communities studied through 16S rRNA sequencing showed that PIP ameliorated the imbalanced nicrobiota and recovered the circadian rhythm of Lactobacillaceae,Desulfovibrionaceae,Paraprevotellaceae,and Lachnospiraceae.The fecal metabolic profiles indicated that 3-dehydroshikimate,cytidine and lithocholyltaurine were altered,which were involved in the amino acid and fatty acid metabolism process.These findings could provide theoretical basis for PIP to work as functional food to alleviate the lipid metabolism disorder,circadian rhythm misalignment,and gut microbiota dysbiosis with wide applications in the food and pharmaceutic industries.

Chemical composition,sensory properties and application of Sichuan pepper(Zanthoxylum genus)

This review summarized the composition of volatile and nonvolatile compounds,the sensory mechanism and the application of Sichuan pepper(Zanthoxylum genus)as a spice and multifunctional food,such as antibacterial,inhibition of inflammation,and antioxidant among others.The aim is to provide a better understanding and potential future in-depth research and application of Sichuan pepper.

Inhibition of citrus flavonoids on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-induced skin inflammation and tumorigenesis in mice

The inhibitory effects of a formulated product from citrus peel extract,Gold Lotion(GL),on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate(TPA)-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)in mouse skin was reported in this study.It is found that in the TPA-induced skin inflammation model,the topical application of GL effectively inhibited the transcriptional activation of iNOS and its mRNA and protein in mouse skin.It is also discovered that GL significantly inhibited TPA-induced mouse skin inflammation by decreasing inflammatory gene parameters.Furthermore,GL dramatically inhibited 7,12-dimethylbenez[a]anthracene(DMBA)/TPA-induced skin tumor formation and reduced tumor incidence,tumor weight and tumor multiplicity of papillomas at 20 weeks.In essence,these in vivo data have revealed that GL is an effective anti-tumor agent that functions by down-regulating the protein levels of COX-2,ornithine decarboxylase(ODC),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in mouse skin,suggesting that GL is a novel functional natural product capable of preventing inflammation-associated tumorigenesis.©2012 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.on behalf of Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.

Anti-inflammatory effects of characterized orange peel extracts enriched with bioactive polymethoxyflavones

In view of the potential of polymethoxyflavones(PMFs)and hydroxylated PMFs(OH-PMFs)as bioactives against inflammation,we prepared six different orange peel extracts(OPEs).The major compounds of these extracts were characterized and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Effects on inflammation were analyzed by nutrigenomics using a human cell-based TPA-induced monocyte–macrophage differentiation model employing U-937 cells and inflammatory surrogate genes.Dose response and kinetics analysis of OPEs with different chemical profiles revealed less cytotoxic effects of PMFs as compared to OH-PMFs as demonstrated by the MTT-method.Noteworthy,a comparison of two PMF members such as 3,5,6,7,3,4-hexamethoxyflavone(HexaMF)and 3,5,6,7,8,3,4-heptamethoxyflavone(HeptaMF)exhibited less cytotoxic effects of HeptaMF as compared to HexaMF.A specific OPE enriched with HeptaMF,PMFs and OH-PMFs at low concentrations(10g/mL)significantly down-regulated the expression of a panel of genes involved in inflammatory response,including COX-2,TNF-α,ICAM-1,NFκB,IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-8 with an inflammatory index of−0.55.The strong anti-inflammatory effects were then validated in a mouse carrageenan-induced paw edema model.Oral intake of OPE reduced paw edema significantly in a dose-dependent manner.Importantly,a dosage of 250 mg/kg gave an anti-inflammatory effect comparable to ibuprofen.A preliminary clinical study showed that OPE was well tolerated showing no adverse side effects.In summary,enrichment of phyto extracts such as OPEs with specific polymethoxyflavones as anti-inflammatory bioactives is a promising strategy to find naturally derived extracts that are effective against diseases associated with inflammation.©2014 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Simultaneous quantification of 18 bioactive constituents in Ziziphus jujuba fruits by HPLC coupled with a chemometric method

The fruit of Ziziphus jujuba Mill., known as Hongzao(or Hong-Zao) in Chinese and cultivated in China for more than 4 000 years, has shown to have hepatoprotective property. In previous study, we have isolated and identified 27 known compounds from Z. jujuba fruits, which demonstrated anti-tumor activity. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detection-mass spectrometry(HPLC-DAD-MS) method was successfully applied to the simultaneous characterization and quantitation of 18 constituents in 28 Z. jujuba samples, comprised of 12 cultivars from different regions in China, by comparing their HPLC retention times, MS spectra, UV spectra, and NMR data with those of reference compounds. The quantitative method was validated with excellent linearity(R^(2 )> 0.999 1), preferable intra-and inter-day precisions(RSD < 2.78%), and good recoveries(94.96%–102.65%). The content variation of 18 compounds was analyzed by a chemometric method(hierarchical cluster analysis). In addition, these constituents showed protection against carbon tetrachloride(CCl_(4)) intoxicated Hep G2 cell lines by decreasing lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) levels. Results in this study illustrated that the content of all 18 compounds examined has significant difference and variation among cultivars and extracts. The proposed method can serve as a prerequisite for quality control of bioactive compounds in Z. jujuba products.

Inhibitory effects of oxyresveratrol on ERK and Smad1/2 phosphorylation and HSC activation in preventing carbon tetrachloride-induced rat liver fibrosis

Oxyresveratrol(ORes,trans-2,4,3′,5′-tetrahydroxy stilbene)naturally exists in mulberry,grapes,peanuts and other plants.It belongs to stilbene polyphenolic family and has an extra hydroxyl group at 2-position comparing with resveratrol(Res).Hence,ORes has stronger antioxidant activity than resveratrol.In present study,we employed a rat hepatic fibrosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCl_(4))and administrated ORes via gavage feeding to study the protective effects and potential mechanisms of ORes against hepatic fibrosis.We demonstrated that rat liver oxidative damage induced by CCl_(4)was significantly alleviated after ORes feeding.Furthermore,the mRNA transcription levels ofα-smooth muscle actinn(˛-SMA),desmin,and two MMPs(MMP2 and MMP9)were reduced and the expression levels of transforming growth factorβ1(TGF-β1),p-small mother against decapen-taplegic protein(Smad)1/2 and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinases(ERK)1/2 in the liver tissue down-regulated dramatically.In a parallel study with Res,ORes showed more efficacious protective effect than Res against rat liver fibrosis,which is attributed to extended conjugation system due to the extra hydroxyl group at 2-position on ORes making it more electron-rich and susceptible to oxidation than Res.Therefore,dietary consumption of mulberry and other fruits containing ORes may be beneficial in the prevention of liver fibrosis.

二苯乙烯苷和白藜芦醇抗氧化构效关系研究

通过量子化学计算,运用前线轨道理论、解离能数值以及原子的净电荷数比较何首乌中二苯乙烯苷与白藜芦醇的抗氧化活性,并初步推测了二苯乙烯苷抗氧化的反应活性位点。

何首乌中二苯乙烯苷清除DPPH自由基机理研究

从传统中草药何首乌中分离出单体二苯乙烯苷,对其清除DPPH自由基的抗氧化机理进行初步探讨。在模拟体内反应条件下,二苯乙烯苷与DPPH进行缓慢反应,运用柱层析手段分离纯化得到主要反应产物,分别对产物进行HPLC-MS、FIRT、NMR分析确定其结构,进而推断出二苯乙烯苷抗氧化的途径和路线;通过分离得到的主要反应产物,证明二苯乙烯苷清除自由基机理主要是酚羟基给出氢原子后,自身聚合形成二聚体。

解纤维热酸菌产L-阿拉伯糖异构酶的培养条件优化

解纤维热酸菌SK1.009发酵产生合成塔格糖所需的L-阿拉伯糖异构酶,通过单因素与正交实验优化确定产酶培养基条件。结果表明,发酵最佳条件(g/L):可溶性淀粉8、蛋白胨鱼粉1、L-阿拉伯糖1.5、NH4Cl1、KH2PO41、Na2HPO4·12H2O0.135、MgSO4.7H2O0.2、CaCl20.15,发酵初始pH4.5,培养温度55℃,接种量4%,培养时间60h。在该最佳培养基下发酵产生酶活为0.184U/mL。

Tea aroma formation

Besides water,tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world.The chemical ingredients and biological activities of tea have been summarized recently.The current review summarizes tea aroma compounds and their formation in green,black,and oolong tea.The flavor of tea can be divided into two categories:taste(non-volatile compounds)and aroma(volatile compounds).All of these aroma molecules are generated from carotenoids,lipids,glycosides,etc.precursors,and also from Maillard reaction.In the current review,we focus on the formation mechanism of main aromas during the tea manufacturing process.©2015 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Black tea in chemo-prevention of cancer and other human diseases

Tea is the most popular functional beverage in the world and has been gaining more and more attention for its health beneficial properties.Among common teas,black tea is consumed more than green tea and oolong tea worldwide.Numerous studies have shown the biological activities of black tea and its polyphenols that include anti-oxidant,anti-tumor,anti-inflammation and metabolic regulation.Tea polyphenols such as theaflavins and catechins are considered to be multifunctional compounds that could be effective in the prevention or treatment of various cancers,cardiovascular disease,chronic inflammation,obesity,metabolic syndrome,and neurodegenerative diseases.In this review,we summarized the up-to-date research and underlying molecular mechanisms of black tea and its polyphenols.©2013 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Focusing on the recent progress of tea polyphenol chemistry and perspectives

Myriad evidence attests to the health-promoting benefits of tea drinking.While there are multiple factors of tea influencing the effective biological properties,tea polyphenols are the most significant and valuable components.The chemical characterization and physical characteristics of tea polyphenols have been comprehensively studied over the previous years.Still the emergence of new chemistry in tea,particularly the property of scavenging reactive carbonyl species(RCS)and the newly discovered flavoalkaloid compounds,has drawn increasing attention.In this review,we summarize recent findings of a new class of compounds in tea-flavonoid alkaloids(flavoalkaloids),which exist in fresh tea leaves and can be generated during the process of post-harvesting,and also postulate the formation mechanism of flavoalkaloids between catechins and theanine-derived Strecker aldehyde.Additionally,we detail the up-to-date research results of tea polyphenols regarding their ability to trap RCS and their in vivo aminated metabolites to suppress advanced glycation ends products(AGEs).We further raise questions to be addressed in the near future,including the synthetic pathways for the generation of flavoalkaloids and AGEs in fresh tea leaves before processing and the concentrations of tea polyphenols that affect their RCS scavenging capability due to their pro-oxidant nature.More intensive research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of action underlying the biological activity of flavoalkaloids and the pharmacological application of tea polyphenols in scavenging RCS and impeding detrimental AGEs.

Structure variety and its effects on biological activity of tea polysaccharides

Tea polysaccharides(TPSs),one of the major bioactive ingredients in tea,have been widely studied due to their variety of biological activities,including antioxidant,cancer prevention,hypoglycemia,anti-fatigue,anti-coagulant,anti-obesity and immunomodulatory effect.The biological effectiveness of TPSs has direct relation with their structures such as monosaccharide composition,molecular weight,glycosidic linkages,conformation and others,which can be influenced by tea materials,processing methods,extraction and purification procedures among others.Comparing to the study of tea polyphenols,the exploration of TPSs in structural elucidation and biofunctionality is very preliminary.Yet several factors affecting the structural change of TPSs have been studied and identified.Consequently,the variation of some TPS biological activity brought by the change of TPS structures has been evaluated and preliminary correlation of structure activity relationship of TPSs has been performed.Therefore,this review aims to serve as a summary research report regarding the influencing factors on TPSs structures and consequential effects on the biological activities of TPSs.We hope to provide updated information and systematic references for future study and functional food development of TPSs.

Improving the stability and bioavailability of tea polyphenols by encapsulations:a review

Tea polyphenols(TPPs)have attracted significant research interest due to their health benefits.However,TPPs are sensitive to certain environmental and gastrointestinal conditions and their oral bioavailability was found to be very low.Delivery systems made of food-grade materials have been reported to improve the shelf-life,bioavailability and bioefficacy of TPPs.This review discusses the chemistry of TPPs;the setbacks of TPPs for application;and the strategies to counteract application limitations by rationally designing delivery systems.An overview of different formulations used to encapsulate TPPs is provided in this study,such as emulsion-based systems(liposome,nanoemulsion,double emulsion,and Pickering emulsion)and nano/microparticles-based systems(protein-based,carbohydrate-based,and bi-polymer based).In addition,the stability,bioavailability and bioactivities of encapsulated TPPs are evaluated by various in vitro and in vivo models.The current findings provide scientific insights in encapsulation approaches for the delivery of TPPs,which can be of great value to TPPs-fortified food products.Further explorations are needed for the encapsulated TPPs in terms of their applications in the real food industry as well as their biological fate and functional pathways in vivo.

Characterization of aroma compounds of Pu-erh ripen tea using solvent assisted flavor evaporation coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-olfactometry

Pu-erh ripen tea becomes popular worldwide owing to its unique taste and aroma.In the present study,volatile compounds from Pu-erh ripen tea were extracted using a solvent assisted flavor evaporation(SAFE)and analyzed with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)and a gas chromatography olfactometry(GC-O).Results demonstrated that 58 major volatile compounds and 24 aroma active substances of Pu-erh ripen tea were identified by GC-MS and GC-O analysis.Among volatile compounds identified,methoxyphenyl compounds were considered as the dominate compounds in the aroma of Pu-erh ripen tea.Further investigation showed that 6 methoxybenzenes were responsible for the aging aroma in Pu-erh ripen tea;α-ionone,3,4-dimethoxytoluene,1,3-dimethoxybenzene,etc.were responsible for the wood-like aroma.Linalool,α-terpineol,α-ionone,β-ionone,and benzeneacetaldehyde were responsible for the floral odor.Compared the odor detection threshold(ODT)among the 8 methoxyphenyl compounds in water,1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene showed the highest ODT,followed by 3,4-dimethoxyphenol.1,3-dimethoxybenzene(105μg/L)and 1,2,3-trimethoxy-5-methylbenzene(100μg/L)were present at relatively low odor threshold values.The result indicated that methoxyphenyl compounds play a vital role in the unique flavor of Pu-erh ripen tea.

Comprehensive comparison on the chemical metabolites and taste evaluation of tea after roasting using untargeted and pseudotargeted metabolomics

Roasting is a common manufacture technology for processing various teas.It is not only used in decreasing the water content of finished tea,but also improving the flavor of teas.In the present study,the roasted and non-roasted teas were compared by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry and sensory evaluation.The roasted tea tasted less bitter and astringent.The content of main galloylated and simple catechins,caffeine and theobromine in roasted were significantly lower than non-roasted teas.Targeted taste-compounds metabolomics revealed that(-)-epigallocatechin gallate,kaempferol-glucose-rhamnose-glucose and(-)-epicatechin gallate were main contributors tightly correlated to astringent intensity.Flavonol glycosides including kaempferol-glucose,quercetin-glucose,kaempferol-glucose-rhamnose-glucose,and quercetin-glucose-rhamnose-glucose in roasted teas were also significantly less than non-roasted teas.To study the chemical changes during roasting,tea with a strong astringency was roasted under 80,100,120,140,and 160°C.With the increase of roasting temperature,the bitter and astringent intensity of tea was gradually decreased,but the main astringent compounds including(-)-epigallocatechin,(-)-epigallocatechin gallate and kaempferol/quercetin glycosides were irregularly varied with temperature.The Pearson correlation coefficient analysis suggested procyanidin B2,coumaroylquinic acids and gallotannins were tightly correlated to the astringent and bitter perceptions,while N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidonesubstituted flavan-3-ols were negatively correlated.

Phytochemical constituents and biological activities of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) fruit: a review

Longan(Dimocarpus longan Lour.),as an edible fruit and traditional Chinese medicine,has been consumed for thousands of years.Longan pulp has abundant nutritional phytochemicals such as protein,carbohydrate,vitamin C,polysaccharides,polyphenols,which shows multiple biological activities including antioxidant,immunomodulatory and antitumor effects.Longan pericarp also demonstrates biological activities because of its rich content of polysaccharides and polyphenols.This review summarizes the bioactive compounds and bioactivities of longan pulp and aims to provide comprehensive information for future development of longan as a functional health food.