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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(±)-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).

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)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,7β,22β-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid (1), 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,7β,22β-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid methyl ester (2), and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,21β-dihydroxy-oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-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.

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.