Functional Food Components Research Articles

The improved inhibition of Mn (II)-EGCG on α-glucosidase: Characteristics and interactions properties

To improve epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)’s inhibition on α-glucosidase, Mn (II)-EGCG was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), mass spectrometry (MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen (1H-NMR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The interactions between Mn-EGCG and α-glucosidase were revealed using fluorescence, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking. FT-IR of Mn-EGCG showed OH participated in the coordination with Mn, a m/z 565.4 peak was found in MS, a new spectral band Mn-O coordination bond was revealed by FT-IR (623 cm−1) and 1H-NMR, Mn replaced H of EGCG at 4′, 3′, 5′′, and 4′′-OH, and the molecular of Mn-EGCG was presumed to be C22H14O11Mn2 [E-4H+2Mn (II)], XRD indicated the broadened and shifted 2θ with crystallinity (79.68%), TGA showed the improved thermal stability of Mn-EGCG (30.8%). Inhibition rate of Mn-EGCG could reach 91.6% with IC50 7.5 mg/L, which was higher than EGCG (70.8%, 14 mg/L). Binding constants of Mn-EGCG were higher than EGCG and increased with temperature, resulting in static quenching of α-glucosidase. ITC and molecular docking showed Mn-EGCG bound to α-glucosidase was dominated by hydrophobic interactions, and three interactions (Alkyl, Pi-Anion, and Metal-Acceptor) appeared. In conclusion, a new functional food component and its inhibition mechanism are described.

Food Security in Emerging Global Situations-Functional Foods and Food Biotechnology Approaches: A Review

People having access to physical, social and economic food that is sufficient, safe and nutritious to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, for an active and healthy life, could be a mirage without the involvement of local communities, in global effort to mitigate malnutrition. World leaders have identified the lacuna in the drive for food security and therefore, seek a sustainable approach through which biotechnology and functional food technology could be tailored to forestall food insecurity, especially in emerging global situations. Consequently, researchers in food microbiology, enzyme biotechnology, among other disciplines are making concerted effort to provide solutions to some emerging world problems such as banditry, wars, climate change, internal displacement, migration, among others. Emphasis on the role of functional foods and biotechnology for sustainable food security should be paramount on the global scale as championed by United Nations Organization (UNO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Health Organization/World Bank (WHO/WB) and World Food Programme on Malnutrition. Functional food components such as biotin, carotenoids, lycopene, monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, among others could be tailored to reduce the incidences coronary heart diseases, diabetes and free radicals in the body for improved nutrition, while nutritional education, alongside global support and empowerment initiatives for sustainability in agricultural biotechnological approaches would be highly imperative. It is therefore imperative for the global support agencies to reduce malnutrition to emphasize food functionality such as the role of carotenoids, fatty acids, lycopene, vitamins, minerals, biotin, fibre, etc in combating food insecurity through nutritional education, and in farming operations. It is in doing so that the role of food biotechnology would impact positively on the affected population, whereby foods are not just in abundance but also have the ability and capacity to provide the needed food ingredients to functionally prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neutralize free radicals and prevent antioxidant activity in the body.

Phenolic Compound Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Harvested at Different Growth Stages.

The profile of phenolic compounds changes during the growth of a plant and this change affects its antioxidant potential. The aim of this research has been to find the growth stage of flax with the highest antioxidant capacity, and to determine the phenolic compounds responsible for such a capacity. Flax was harvested in six growth stages: from stem extension to mature seeds. The phenolic compounds were identified using LC-TOF-MS and quantified in an extract and in the fresh matter (FM) of each growth stage. The radical scavenging activity against ABTS•+ and DPPH•, the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the antioxidant activity in the β-carotene-linoleic acid emulsion system were determined. Mono- and di-C-glycosyl flavones were found to be the most abundant phenolics of the aerial parts of flax, which also showed the highest content of isoorientin (210-538 µg/g FM). Coniferin, its derivative, and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were also detected. The plant was richer in flavone C-glycosides from stem extension to seed ripening (1105-1413 µg/g FM) than at the mature seed stage (557 µg/g FM). Most of the individual flavone C-glycoside contents in the extracts decreased when increasingly older plants were considered; however, the isoorientin content did not change significantly from the steam extension to the seed ripening stages. The antiradical activity against ABTS•+ and FRAP was higher for the aerial parts of the flax harvested at the flowering, brown capsule, and seed ripening stages, mainly due to the presence of flavone C-glycosides. The oxidation of β-carotene-linoleic acid emulsion was instead inhibited more effectively by the extracts from plants at the brown capsule and mature seed stages. Coniferin and its derivative were significantly involved in this activity. The extracts from the aerial parts of the flax harvested from flowering to seed ripening could be a valuable source of flavone C-glycosides for use as nutraceuticals and components of functional foods.

Soy protein isolate-polyguluronate nanoparticles loaded with resveratrol for effective treatment of colitis

Polyguluronate (PG) is an acidic homopolymer of α-(1,4)-l-guluronate separated from alginate. In this study, PG was first grafted with soy protein isolate (SPI) through the Maillard reaction to obtain a new glycoprotein (SPI-PG). Then, this novel glycoprotein was used to prepare nanoparticles to encapsulate the resveratrol (RES). Our results showed that SPI-PG-RES had better pH stability, storage stability and ionic stability than SPI-RES. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the RES bioavailability of SPI-PG-RES was much higher than that of free RES and SPI-RES. Furthermore, the in vitro antioxidant capacity of SPI-PG-RES was much stronger than that of free RES and SPI-RES. In addition, SPI-PG-RES was more effective in preventing the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis than RES and SPI-RES. These results suggested that the protein nanoparticles prepared using SPI-PG were a stable and effective hydrophobic polyphenol carrier and could be applied to food-grade components in functional foods and nutritional supplements.

Extraction and Quantitation of Phytosterols from Edible Brown Seaweeds: Optimization, Validation, and Application.

Brown seaweeds are known as important marine food sources, from which phytosterols have been recognized as functional food components with multiple health-beneficial effects. However, studies on phytosterol extraction and quantitation from edible brown seaweeds are limited. In the present work, extraction methods for seaweed phytosterols were compared and optimized by one-factor-at-one-time method and response surface methodology. Moreover, the quantitation method of total sterols and major sterol components, including fucosterol, saringosterol, and ostreasterol, was established and validated using 1H NMR. Furthermore, the developed extraction and determination methods were applied to investigate three common edible seaweeds from Japan (Hijiki, Wakame, and Kombu). As a result, the finally optimized conditions were ultrasound-assisted extraction with CHCl3-MeOH 2:3 for 15 min followed by saponification with 1.65 mL of 1.85 M KOH for 14.5 h. Based on the developed methods, phytosterols in three seaweeds were compared, and Hijiki showed an abundant total sterol amount (2.601 ± 0.171 mg/g DW), significantly higher than Wakame (1.845 ± 0.137 mg/g DW) and Kombu (1.171 ± 0.243 mg/g DW). Notably, the composition of the sterol components varied in different seaweeds. These findings might help the nutritional investigation and functional food development concerning phytosterols from seaweeds.

Therapeutic probiotics– A Review

Functional foods have become a part of everyday life in the industrialised world that provides potential health benefits beyond the well-known nutritional impacts. Prebiotics and probiotics, generally known as "synbiotics," are now the most significant and widely utilised functional food components. Furthermore, dairy products appear to be a great way of developing nutritious meals, given their existing good reputation. These probiotic dairy meals benefit the host by increasing the numbers of implantation of living microbial dietary adjunct in the gut. The present review examines the present state of probiotics and their potential utility.

Probiotics and Postbiotics as the Functional Food Components Affecting the Immune Response.

The food market is one of the most innovative segments of the world economy. Recently, among consumers there is a forming trend of a healthier lifestyle and interest in functional foods. Products with positive health properties are a good source of nutrients for consumers' nutritional needs and reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, or obesity. They also seem to boost the immune system. One of the types of functional food is "probiotic products", which contain viable microorganisms with beneficial health properties. However, due to some technical difficulties in their development and marketing, a new alternative has started to be sought. Many scientific studies also point to the possibility of positive effects on human health, the so-called "postbiotics", the characteristic metabolites of the microbiome. Both immunobiotics and post-immunobiotics are the food components that affect the immune response in two ways: as inhibition (suppressing allergies and inflammation) or as an enhancement (providing host defenses against infection). This work's aim was to conduct a literature review of the possibilities of using probiotics and postbiotics as the functional food components affecting the immune response, with an emphasis on the most recently published works.

Regulatory status of bioactive non-nutritional food components in Southeast Asian countries

A review conducted on the regulatory status of bioactive non-nutritional food components in foods and beverages in eight Southeast Asian countries indicates these components have been recognised for their health benefits. Indonesia and Malaysia have promulgated specific regulations allowing the addition of these bioactive components in foods and beverages, provided a list of the permitted components that may be used, and clear process for the industry to apply for new components. Both countries also have separate regulations that govern the making of function claims which refer to the beneficial physiological or health effects brought about by such bioactive components. The other six countries do not have a specific regulation governing the use of these bioactive components. However, these countries also permit the making of similar function claims, provided they are scientifically substantiated, preferably human clinical trials. Each country has slightly different requirements and process in place for reviewing applications for claims. All countries, except Myanmar, also allow the sale and marketing of foods containing probiotics, another functional food component. Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand have promulgated specific probiotic regulations and, except for Indonesia, have published permitted list of probiotics. All seven countries have provisions for the industry to apply for the use of new probiotics. Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand permit the use of a pre-approved generic function claims related to probiotics. The sharing of experiences in regulatory approaches would be beneficial to the advancement of scientific and regulatory development of bioactive non-nutritional food components in the region and would benefit all stakeholders.

Phytochemicals, Biological Activities, Molecular Mechanisms, and Future Prospects of Plantago asiatica L.

Plantago asiatica L. has been used as a vegetable and nutritious food in Asia for thousands of years. According to recent phytochemical and pharmacological research, the active compositions of the plant contribute to various health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer. This article reviews the 87 components of the plant and their structures, as well as their biological activities and molecular research progress, in detail. This review provides valuable reference material for further study, production, and application of P. asiatica, as well as its components in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

Antioxidant Activity of Raw and Roasted Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Skins Extracts

Background: Peanut skins are a by-product from peanut but with low socio-economic value despite having appreciable amounts of bioactive phytochemicals. Studies are on-going to remove some astringent properties in peanut skins and improve its values. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant activity of raw peanut skins and roasted peanut skins extracts were determined in hydro alcoholic medium. Materials and Methods: The raw and roasted peanut skins powders were each subjected to extraction procedure in 70% methanol for 48 hr. The phytochemical screening including total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC, TFC) were determined. The antioxidant activity including DPPH radical scavenging, Fe2+-chelating, ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP), OH- radical scavenging and reducing power assays were determined and compared against standard antioxidants. Results: The results showed significantly higher (p<0.05) TPC and total antioxidant capacity in the raw extract compared to the roasted extract. The roasted peanut skins extract showed significantly higher (p<0.05) DPPH radical, OH- radical scavenging capacity, Fe2+-chelating and ferric reducing antioxidant property compared to the raw peanut skins extract. Both extracts each produced concentration dependent percentage inhibitions which were significantly lower than the antioxidant standards used. Conclusion: The results showed that roasting improved the in vitro antioxidant properties of the peanut skins compared to the raw peanut skins. This could add value to its use as functional food component, antioxidant and in animal feed industries.

Limited enzymatic hydrolysis of green coffee protein as a technique for preparing new functional food components

Valorisation of side-streams in food production has become an important booster for increased sustainability in food production. The objective of this work was to study and improve the functional properties of green coffee (GC) protein. Extraction of defatted GC meal by using PVPP slightly increased protein yield and significantly decreased the amount of covalently and non-covalently bound CQA, therefore decreasing the antioxidant activity of the meal. Peptic hydrolysis at pH 1.5 led to a significantly higher degree of hydrolysis (DH) than at pH 3. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the molecular weights of peptides of GC protein hydrolysates were in the range of 11–60 kDa, while peptides were in the range of 500–5000 Da using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). Additionally, the enzymatic hydrolysis significantly improved the antioxidant activity of the GC protein. Finally, the results suggest that enzymatic hydrolysis with pepsin is an effective technique to provide bioactive compounds. The works presented in our manuscript may help in further exploiting the potential use of green coffee beans for food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industry.

Stimulation of ACE inhibitory and improving α-amylase and α-glucosidase and antioxidant activities of semi-prepared and dry soup by incorporating with date kernel powder.

Date kernel as a functional food component has a special importance due to its rich nutritional profile, low price, and ease of access. For this, in this research, the sub-product was used for formulation of semi-prepared dry soup (SPDS); the effect of adding 0 (S1=control), 2 (S2), and 4 (S3) %w/w date kernel powder (DKP) on physicochemical, nutritional, and organoleptic properties and beneficial effects of SPDS samples were evaluated. The results revealed that S2 and S3 samples were different from the control sample in some physicochemical properties so that viscosity increased 1.27 and 1.52 times and a* raised 5.6 and 8.5 times, respectively, while L* decreased 0.94 and 0.88 times and b* reduced 0.92 and 0.8 times, respectively. The nutritional properties of S2 and S3 samples compared with the control sample improved. Also, differences were observed in the beneficial effects of S2 and S3 compared with the control sample as total polyphenol content (TPC) increased 1.06 and 1.11 times, respectively (p < .05); antioxidant activities (AA) of S2 and S3 samples were 8.04 and 6.01 mg/ml and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities were measured to be 8.2 and 7.86 mg/ml, respectively; also, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of S2 and S3 samples were observed 4.48% and 5.70%, and 4.59% and 6.36%, respectively. From the organoleptic aspect, S3 had the highest acceptability. Generally, it is concluded that with the addition of DKP (maximally 4%w/w) to SPDS formulation, a functional soup could be produced considering the rich nutritional profile of DKP.

Astaxanthin Prevents Tuberculosis-Associated Inflammatory Injury by Inhibiting the Caspase 4/11-Gasdermin-Pyroptosis Pathway.

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death caused by inflammation. Multiple studies have suggested that Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection causes tissue pyroptosis. However, there are currently no protective drugs against the inflammatory damage caused by pyroptosis. In this study, anti-pyroptotic effects of the natural compound astaxanthin (ASTA) were explored in a simulated pulmonary tuberculosis-associated inflammatory environment. The results showed that ASTA maintained the stability of MLE-12 lung epithelial cell numbers in the inflammatory environment established by lipopolysaccharide. The reason is not to promote cell proliferation but to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced pyroptosis. The results showed that ASTA significantly inhibited the expression of key proteins in the caspase 4/11-gasdermin D pathway and the release of pyroptosis-related inflammatory mediators. Therefore, ASTA inhibits inflammation-induced pyroptosis by inhibiting the caspase 4/11-gasdermin D pathway and has the potential to protect lung tissue from tuberculosis-related inflammatory injury. ASTA, a functional food component, is a promising candidate for protection against tuberculosis-associated inflammatory lung injury.

Transcriptome and proteomics conjoint analysis reveal metastasis inhibitory effect of 6-shogaol as ferroptosis activator through the PI3K/AKT pathway in human endometrial carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Endometrial cancer remains as one of the widespread female malignancies despite the existing treatment measures mainly surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. In recent times, studies have focused on medicinal plants such as ginger due to its multifaceted characteristics compared to conventional medicine. 6-Shogaol is regarded as the main active compound of ginger participating in pharmacological activities and combating various health disorders, especially cancer. In our study, we compared the effects of 6-gingerol, 6-paradol, and 6-shogaol on Ishikawa cells, and found 6-shogaol as a more effective ingredient against Ishikawa cell proliferation. Moreover, its promoted ferroptosis, as a result, triggered mitochondrial morphologic alternation, as well as changed iron concentration, GSH and MDA levels. Furthermore, 6-Shogaol inhibited cell metastasis by influencing cell invasion and migration. Finally, 6-shogaol could trigger PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo confirmed by western blotting assay and immunohistochemical evaluation. These findings suggest that 6-shogaol can be used as promising functional food component in health diet and in drug target methods for endometrial cancer therapy.

Effect Of Rhizobacteria Promoting Plant Growth (PGPR) On Character Of Resulting From Crossing Resiprocal Corn With Pulut-Purple Corn With Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.)

Functional food is increasing along with the increasing number of people with degenerative diseases and the elderly population, the development of commercial products, scientific evidence of the benefits of functional food components, and the development of food technology. The purpose of this research is. The research was conducted in Tegalgondo Village, Karangploso District, Malang Regency, East Java Province. The research was conducted in March – June 2022. The research was arranged in a Split-Plot Design consisting of 4 main plots (PGPR Concentration) and 4 subplots (crosses). Based on the results, it was concluded that there was an interaction between the administration of PGPR and the reciprocal cross of Pulut-purple corn x sweet corn on the observation of sugar content characters. PGPR treatment with PGPR concentration of 45 ml/l water (V45) can increase growth and yield characteristics. The results of the reciprocal crosses (JPUM) of pulut-purple corn♀ x sweet corn and (JMPU) sweet corn♀ x pulut-purple corn showed that the female parent was more dominant than the male parent.

Antioxidant activities of novel peptides from Limosilactobacillus reuteri fermented brown rice: A combined in vitro and in silico study

Oxidative stress is known to cause cell apoptosis, tissue damage, and pathological changes in the body, but antioxidant peptides are renowned radical scavengers. This study investigated the antioxidative and protective effect of six novel peptides obtained after microbial fermentation of brown rice. The selected peptides (MW ≤ 8 KDa), namely AVPYPQ (P1), ILTAV (P2), LGDVIGVP (P3), NPIFDYVLLP (P4), VAPFPEV (P5), and VLPVPK (P6) exhibited strong antioxidant potential against in vitro radicals with IC50 values for DPPH (5.12 ± 0.9–12.54 ± 0.6 µg/ml), ABTS (5.97 ± 0.2–14.20 ± 1.5 µg/ml), FRAP (4.98 ± 2.2–12.19 ± 0.8 µg/ml) and PSC (9.71 ± 0.5–17.84 ± 1.3 µg/ml),respectively. Additionally, these peptides reduced ROS concentrations in Caco-2 cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. In silico studies indicated all six peptides had a higher binding score for the Keap1-Kelch domain than TX6, a potential Keap1 reference ligand. These findings suggest peptides derived from fermented brown rice might be functional components in foods.

Beta-Glucan as a Novel Functional Fiber: Functional Properties, Health Benefits and Food Applications

Recently the demand for functional food components such as prebiotics, probiotics, and phenolic compounds are increased. Nowadays, β-glucan, dietary fiber, and biologically active natural polysaccharide, exhibit properties like a prebiotic effect and immune system support. Furthermore, clinical studies have shown that daily intake of 250-500 mg β-glucan has several benefits on the immune system, showing low glycemic index, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a polysaccharide composed of D-glucose monomers connected with β-glycoside bonds, found in natural sources like yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), some edible mushrooms, algae, and cereal grains. β-Glucan is more resistant and preserves its stability during food processing technologies (drying, freezing, etc.). Especially, β-glucan originated from baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae) has many immunostimulatory properties, such as hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Also, the utilization of β-glucan in the food industry has increased regarding to their techno-functional properties like gelation, viscosity, solubility, and encapsulating agent. Therefore, this review highlights recently published research results on the functional properties, health benefits and clinical studies, the effects on the interaction with the other food compounds, and the potential food applications of β-glucans.

Microalgae play a structuring role in food: Effect of spirulina platensis on the rheological, gelling characteristics, and mechanical properties of soy protein isolate hydrogel

Soy protein isolate (SPI) is a nutritional commercial product, while the poor solubility and mechanical properties restrict its applications to functional foods. As a biological resource, spirulina platensis is considered promising functional food component due to its balanced composition and various nutritional components. What's more, microalgae and their biopolymers are found to be structuring ingredients in food. Thus, in this study, the processed spirulina platensis was proposed to improve the rheological properties and mechanical properties of SPI hydrogel. The gel strength, hardness, and storage modulus of SPI gel can be significantly improved by adding spirulina platensis suspensions treated by pre-thermal and high-speed shearing homogenization. After food processing, cell wall polysaccharides of spirulina platensis were dissolved, which will be filled in the three-dimensional network of SPI hydrogel and increased physical interactions. Furthermore, the addition of spirulina platensis increases the content of β-sheet, thus improving the hardness and compactness of the SPI hydrogel structure. Overall, the successful synthesis of SPI-sp hydrogel provides a new idea for the food application of microalgae, which means that spirulina platensis can not only be ingested as a health product in the form of powder but also play a unique role in improving food texture as a structural component.

Total Bioactive Contents, Metabolic Profiling, Docking Studies, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Activities of Convolvulus Arvensis L. and Multivariate Analysis to Unravel a Potential Herb as Natural Resource for Pharmaceutical Industry.

Convolvulus arvensis L. is an evergreen herb growing in various regions of Pakistan. Despite of several medicinal properties associated to this herb, it was not investigated scientifically for its bioactive compounds and detailed pharmaceutical properties. Therefore, its methanolic extract was divided into hexane (CA-H), chloroform (CA-C), ethyl acetate (CA-E) and butanol (CA-B) soluble fractions. CA-H and CA-C were found rich in phenolics (30.73±0.63 and 20.15±0.59 mg GAE/g of the extract, respectively), and the same fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activities (DPPH: 5.23±0.11 & 12.34±0.17 mg TE/g extract, respectively; ABTS: 36.82±0.04 & 56.74±0.61 mg TE/g extract, respectively). Also in CUPRAC activity assay, CA-H and CA-C exhibited highest activities as 87.30±0.46 and 56.74±0.61 mg TE/g extract, respectively, while CA-C was most active in FRAP activity assay with value of 40.21±2.19 mg TE/g extract. Total antioxidant capacity (1.23±0.033 mmol TE/g extract) was also found higher for CA-C, while CA-H activity was also comparable, however, CA-H showed higher metal chelating activity (22.74±0.001 mg EDTAE/g extract) than that of CA-C (17.55±0.22 mg EDTAE/g extract). These activities clearly revealed a direct relation between antioxidant potential and phenolic contents of CA-H and CA-C. In AChE and BChE inhibitory assay, CA-H and CA-E showed better inhibition (AChE: 8.24±0.77 & 4.46±0.007 mg GALAE/g extract; BChE: 5.40±0.02 & 1.92±0.24 mg GALAE/g extract) as compared to other fractions, whereas, against tyrosinase, CA-B was most active (37.35±0.53 mg KAE/g extract). CA-H and CA-C also showed higher inhibitory potential (0.98±0.08 & 0.58±0.01 mmol ACAE/g extract) against α-Amylase; while against α-Glucosidase, CA-E was the most active fraction. UHPLC/MS analysis of the methanolic extract of C. arvensis disclosed the presence of 62 compounds as sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, alkaloids and coumarins. In Multivariate Analysis, the total phenolic contents were correlated strongly with all antioxidant assays except FRAP and DPPH. Regarding enzyme inhibitory properties, only AChE, BChE and α-amylase were correlated with the total phenolic contents in the extracts. Docking analyses confirmed these findings, as identified compounds had high binding free energy and inhibition constants with the enzymes studied. It was finally concluded that C. arvensis is a potential industrial crop, which can be a component of nutraceuticals and functional foods, if evaluated for its toxicity.

Polysaccharide ORP-1 isolated from Oudemansiella raphanipes ameliorates age-associated intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in Caco-2 cells monolayer

Age-associated increase in intestinal permeability is known to relate with gut microbiota dysbiosis and loss of epithelial tissue integrity. To improve healthy aging and prevent age-associated chronic disabilities, the protective potential of polysaccharides from Oudemansiella raphanipes (ORP-1) against age-associated intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in d-galactose-induced Caco-2 cells monolayer was investigated. In-vitro results demonstrated that ORP-1 can restore a healthy gut microbial population to handle age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis mainly by facilitating the proliferation and adhesion of probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) and Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) to compete with intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) for ecological niches and nutrition. Meanwhile, ORP-1 strengthened the intestinal structural integrity primarily by abolishing the aggravation of apoptosis and the age-associated alterations of tight junction (TJ) proteins expression in intestine. These findings highlighted that ORP-1 could be a potential functional food component with preventive utility against age-associated intestinal barrier injury.