Functional Food Material Research Articles

Effects of fermented Arctium lappa L. root by Lactobacillus casei on hyperlipidemic mice.

This study aimed to establish a fermentation system based on Lactobacillus casei (LC) and Arctium lappa L. root (AR) to investigate its effects. The objectives included comparing metabolite profiles pre- and post-fermentation using untargeted metabolomics and evaluating the impact of LC-AR in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice. Untargeted metabolomics was used to analyze differences in metabolites before and after fermentation. In vitro antioxidant activity, liver injury, lipid levels, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and cholesterol-related mRNA expression were assessed. 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted to evaluate changes in gut microbiota composition. LC-AR exhibited stronger antioxidant activity and higher metabolite levels than AR. It also improved liver injury as well as better regulation of lipid levels, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and cholesterol-related mRNA. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that LC-AR decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which correlated negatively with triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These findings suggest that LC-AR may serve as a promising functional food and drug raw material for improving hyperlipidemia, particularly through its beneficial effects on gut microbiota and lipid regulation.

Geographical origin identification of dendrobium officinale based on NNRW-stacking ensembles

Dendrobium officinale is a well-recognized functional food material. Considering its therapeutic effect and price vary among different geographical origins, this paper proposed an origin identification method based on Raman spectroscopy and NNRW (neural network with random weights)-stacking ensemble model. In a case study of dendrobium officinale samples from three different geographical origins, we compare both single estimators, i.e., KNN (k-nearest neighbors), MLP (multi-layer perceptron), DTC (decision tree classifier), and NNRW, and their stacking ensemble counterparts. The results showed that the NNRW-stacking ensemble has the best test accuracy (96.3%) and an impressive fitting speed (the fastest among all ensembles). In conclusion, the NNRW-stacking ensemble model combined with Raman spectroscopy can be a promising method for herb geographical original identification. The proposed model has demonstrated the speed advantage of NNRW (no need for gradient-based iterations) and the generalization power of stacking ensembles (reduce single-estimator bias).

Utilization methods and challenges of AI technology in the field of functional food materials

Utilization methods and challenges of AI technology in the field of functional food materials

OPTIMIZATION OF THE HORMONAL STATUS OF THE CULTURE MEDIUM FOR H. RHAMNOIDES IN VITRO CULTIVATION

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is an ancient crop that has traditionally been used as a medicinal plant, health promotion agent and dietary supplement. The fruits of sea buckthorn, which are a source of carotenoids, which had been collected since ancient times and was introduced into cultivation only at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, sea buckthorn berries are harvested on an industrial scale, as due to the high content of biologically active substances in them, consumer interest in sea buckthorn products has increased significantly, and their use in the food industry and medicine is expanding. Due to its biologically active compounds, high content of vitamin C, flavonoids, carotenoids and tocopherols, sea buckthorn is an excellent raw material for functional foods. The purpose of this work is to select conditions for cultivating explants of H. rhamnoides L. plants and obtaining micro-shoots for subsequent microclonal reproduction. The material for initiating a sterile culture was the seeds H. rhamnoides. The samples were introduced from natural populations in the RSE “Altai Botanical Garden” of the SC of MoES of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Ridder). Solutions of 0.1% sulema, 34% hydrogen peroxide, and 10% Domestos solution were used for seed sterilization, the exposure period was 20 minutes. Next, the seeds were planted on the surface of the WPM and ½ MS nutrient medium with the addition of phytohormones 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) in various concentrations. Activated carbon in an amount of 2 g/l was used to reduce the accumulation of polyphenols in the medium. The beginning of germination was noted on days 7-8, depending on the genotype of sea buckthorn. The minimum number of infected seeds was observed in the variant using 0.1% sulema. When using hydrogen peroxide, the contamination of seeds with fungal and bacterial infections was at the level of 40.8-45.5%. The largest number of germinated seeds were observed when using WPM medium. The maximum values of seedling length were noted on WPM media with the addition of 1 mg/l BA + 1 mg/l GA3, where the average shoot length was 8.6±0.9 cm. In this variant, sterile seedlings were characterized by an intense green color and well-developed cotyledon leaves. In some genotypes, intensive growth and the appearance of a second internode were noted. In other variants, height indicators varied from 3.2 cm. up to 4.2 cm. Thus, we have found that WPM medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 1 mg/l gibberellic acid is better suited for obtaining sterile shoots from H. rhamnoides seeds. The obtained sterile seedlings of H. rhamnoides will be used in vitro culture for subsequent microclonal reproduction.

High internal phase emulsions stabilized by fluorescent phycocyanin for improved stability and bioaccessibility of β-carotene.

High internal phase emulsions (HIPE) are distinguished from ordinary emulsions by higher oil-phase percentage and better storage stability. Recently, HIPE stabilized with protein-based particles has received more attention. However, organic precipitation, chemical cross-linking and thermal denaturation are often needed to stabilize emulsions with natural proteins, and there is an urgent need to reduce the pollution of organic reagents. HIPE loaded with β-carotene stabilized by phycocyanin was prepared under mild conditions. It demonstrated strong stability in terms of temperature and storage, as evidenced by its 94.17% retention rate and 81.06% bioavailability. This stability was ascribed to the efficient defense against heat and UV rays, which was probably associated with the oil-droplet environment and interfacial protection of phycocyanin. It is speculated that the possible main interaction site between phycocyaninand sorbitol exists near amino acids 110 to 120 of the B chain. The hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction between them make the phycocyanin fully adsorbed on the oil-water interface when sorbitol is stable, forming a strong oil-water structure, which increases the stability of the emulsion. The outstanding fluorescence characteristics provide a feasible alternative for fluorescent emulsions to distribute and trace active compounds in vitro. HIPE loaded with β-carotene might have potential as a 3D printing material for edible functional foods. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Taraxacum coreanum (Korean Dandelion) Extract Protects against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Destruction via Regulation of Tight Junctions and Inflammatory Responses in bEnd.3 Cells.

Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is closely related to neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegenerative disorders. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin, can cause inflammation by impairing the brain endothelial barrier function and increasing the BBB permeability. Although Taraxacum coreanum NAKAI extract (TC), a traditional medicine widely used in Korea, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the protective effects on neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction are not fully understood. In the present study, bEnd.3 cerebral vascular endothelial cells were treated with TC followed by LPS exposure, and the effects on transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) values, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and expression of proteins related to inflammatory responses and tight junction integrity were assessed. The TC-treated group exhibited elevated TEER values in bEnd.3 monolayer compared to LPS-only treated group. In addition, TC treatment increased the expression of proteins involved in the tight junctions, such as ZO-1, claudin-5, and occludin. Furthermore, the TC-treated group suppressed the proteins expression-related to nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Taken together, TC attenuates LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses by regulating NF-κB activation, which may contribute to protecting against BBB disruption. These findings suggest that TC may have the potential to be used as a material for functional foods to prevent neuroinflammation-related brain diseases.

An Exploratory Study on the Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds in Gardenia Fruit Using the Heracles NEO Ultra-Fast Gas Phase Electronic Nose.

Gardenia fruit is a popular functional food and raw material for natural pigments. It comes from a wide range of sources, and different products sharing the same name are very common. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important factors that affect the flavor and quality of gardenia fruit. This study used the Heracles NEO ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose with advanced odor analysis performance and high sensitivity to analyze six batches of gardenia fruit from different sources. This study analyzed the VOCs to find a way to quickly identify gardenia fruit. The results show that this method can accurately distinguish the odor characteristics of various gardenia fruit samples. The VOCs in gardenia fruit are mainly organic acid esters, ketones, and aldehyde compounds. By combining principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant factor analysis (DFA), this study found that the hexanal content varied the most in different gardenia fruit samples. The VOCs allowed for the fruit samples to be grouped into two main categories. One fruit sample was quite different from the fruits of other origins. The results provide theoretical support for feasibility of rapid identification and quality control of gardenia fruit and related products in the future.

Phytochemical analysis and cardiovascular protective effect of four herbal medicines with functional food properties (Four Huaiqing Chinese Medicine)

Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, Achyranthes bidentata Bl. (A. bidentata), Dioscorea opposita Thunb, and Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat (C. morifolium) are known as the ‘Four Huaiqing Chinese Medicine’ in China, which are used as materials for functional foods. In this paper, the constituents of Four Huaiqing Chinese Medicine were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, and flavones and aromatic compounds are mainly responsible for these herbs. Moreover, C. morifolium exhibited the most significant effect in cobalt chloride-induced HUVECs injury, which could decrease cell apoptosis and the overproduction of ROS, lactic dehydrogenase (LD) and pyruvic acid, and increase the migration capacity of cells. Meanwhile, A. bidentata exhibited the most significant effect in isoproterenol-induced H9C2 cell injury, which could decrease the levels of ROS overproduction, BNP, NO, LD and pyruvic acid. Western blot revealed that C. morifolium and A. bidentata also could decrease the levels of bax/bcl-2 ratio, cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c, HIF-1ɑ, GLUT1, HKII and PFKFB3, respectively.

Core-shell structured alginate-based hydrogel beads modified by starch and protocatechuic acid: Preparation, characterization, phenolic slow release and stable antioxidant potential

A novel core-shell structured alginate-based hydrogel bead modified by co-gelatinizing with starch and protocatechuic acid (PA), was designed to modulate physical properties of beads, release behavior and antioxidant stability of encapsulated bioactives. Core was fabricated by ionotropic gelation, and its formulation (ratio of sodium alginate/starch) was determined by particle size/starch distribution, texture and bioactive encapsulation capacity of core. Then, coating core with shell-forming solution co-gelatinized with different doses of PA, and subsequently cross-linked with Ca2+ to obtain core-shell structured beads. Surface microstructure, mechanical characteristics, and swelling ratio of beads were affected by concentrations of PA. Besides, core-shell structure containing PA could enhance delivery and sustained release of encapsulated phenolic bioactives during in vitro digestion, and improve their antioxidant potential stability. Furthermore, interaction between PA and polysaccharide components was elucidated by FTIR and TGA. The present information was beneficial for the advancement of functional food materials and bioactive delivery systems.

Efficient and novel biosynthesis of myricetin α-triglucoside with improved solubility using amylosucrase from Deinococcus deserti

Although myricetin (3,3′,4′,5,5′,7-hexahydroxyflavone, MYR) has a high antioxidant capacity and health functions, its use as a functional food material is limited owing to its low stability and water solubility. Amylosucrase (ASase) is capable of biosynthesizing flavonol α-glycoside using flavonols as acceptor molecules and sucrose as a donor molecule. Here, ASase from Deinococcus deserti (DdAS) efficiently biosynthesizes a novel MYR α-triglucoside (MYRαG3) using MYR as the acceptor molecule. Comparative homology analysis and computational simulation revealed that DdAS has a different active pocket for the transglycosylation reaction. DdAS produced MYRαG3 with a conversion efficiency of 67.4 % using 10 mM MYR and 50 mM sucrose as acceptor and donor molecules, respectively. The structure of MYRαG3 was identified as MYR 4′-O-4″,6″-tri-O-α-D-glucopyranoside using NMR and LC-MS. In silico analysis confirmed that DdAS has a distinct active pocket compared to other ASases. In addition, molecular docking simulations predicted the synthetic sequence of MYRαG3. Furthermore, MYRαG3 showed a similar DPPH radical scavenging activity of 49 %, comparable to MYR, but with significantly higher water solubility, which increased from 0.03 μg/mL to 511.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the efficient biosynthesis of a novel MYRαG3 using DdAS and highlighted the potential of MYRαG3 as a functional material.

A Comparative Study of Composition and Soluble Polysaccharide Content between Brewer's Spent Yeast and Cultured Yeast Cells.

Yeast, crucial in beer production, holds great potential owing to its ability to transform into a valuable by-product resource, known as brewer's spent yeast (BSY), with potentially beneficial physiological effects. This study aimed to compare the composition and soluble polysaccharide content of Brewer's spent yeast with those of cultured yeast strains, namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and S. boulardii (SB), to facilitate the utilization of BSY as an alternative source of functional polysaccharides. BSY exhibited significantly higher carbohydrate content and lower crude protein content than SC and SB cells. The residues recovered through autolysis were 53.11%, 43.83%, and 44.99% for BSY, SC, and SB, respectively. Notably, the polysaccharide content of the BSY residue (641.90 μg/mg) was higher than that of SC (553.52 μg/mg) and SB (591.56 μg/mg). The yields of alkali-extracted water-soluble polysaccharides were 33.62%, 40.76%, and 42.97% for BSY, SC, and SB, respectively, with BSY comprising a comparable proportion of water-soluble saccharides made with SC and SB, including 49.31% mannan and 20.18% β-glucan. Furthermore, BSY demonstrated antioxidant activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ABTS, and DPPH scavenging potential, suggesting its ability to mitigate oxidative stress. BSY also exhibited a significantly higher total phenolic compound content, indicating its potential to act as an effective functional food material.

Compositional, structural, and functional characterization of fucoidan extracted from Sargassum polycystum collected from Saint Martin's Island, Bangladesh

Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide with diversified biological activities commonly found in brown seaweeds. In our present study, fucoidan was extracted from Sargassum polycystum collected from Saint Martin's Island in three different extraction methods. The composition of the fucoidans was determined by measuring the total carbohydrate, sulfate, uronic acid, fucose, and protein contents. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) were studied to determine the structural groups of extracted fucoidans. Functional activities were analyzed by antioxidant activity and anti-diabetic activity assay. Fucoidan yield was obtained highest in the acid extraction method (0.061 ± 0.007 g/g), followed by the water extraction method (0.058 ± 0.005 g/g) and salt extraction method (0.041 ± 0.005 g/g). Water extracted fucoidan showed the highest carbohydrate content (62.97 %), uronic acid content (6.46 %), and protein content (2.62 %). Sulphate content (28.56 %) was highest in salt extracted fucoidan, whereas fucose content (24.0 %) was highest in water extracted fucoidan. FT-IR and 1H NMR analysis confirm several characteristic picks for the extracted fucoidans. Extracted fucoidans presented comparable antioxidant activity, but salt-extracted fucoidan presented the highest DPPH radical scavenging assay (86.85 ± 0.74 %, IC50 = 0.03 mg/mL), ABTS radical scavenging assay (65.13 ± 0.92 %, IC50 = 1.94 mg/mL), Phosphomolybdenum assay (4.356 ± 0.11) and Nitric Oxide (NO) radical scavenging assay (57.08 ± 0.52 %, IC50 = 3.73 mg/mL) in dose-dependency manner. Further anti-diabetic activity assay resulted in the highest α-amylase inhibition activity (62.82 ± 1.36 %, IC50 = 2.30 mg/mL) and α-glucosidase inhibition activity (55.73 ± 0.84 %, IC50 = 3.71 mg/mL) by salt-extracted fucoidan. These functional potentials of seaweed may add significant value to the development of functional food and pharmaceutical materials.

Characterization of the aroma in barley leaves from different cultivars and tillering stages by HS-SPME/GC-MS, GC-O and E-nose

Barley leaf, as a food source with medicinal attributes, is an excellent raw material for functional food. Aroma-active compounds that characterize the unique flavor of the barely leaf is an important issue that should be clarified. Therefore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with GC-olfactometry (GC-O) were employed to investigate the volatiles in barely leaves from 7 cultivars and 2 tillering stages. According to a quantitative study and odor activity value (OAV), 18 volatile compounds were identified as aroma-active components. Aldehydes and alcohols are the dominant compounds. Hexanal, 2-hexenal, and isovaleraldehyde are the most abundant compounds in the former. (E)-3-hexen-1-ol, hexanol, 1-pentene-3-ol, (E)-2-hexenol, linalool and (Z)-2-pentenol are the main aromatic active compounds in the latter. The impact of the tillering stage was more significant than that of cultivars on the characteristics of volatile compounds. Furthermore, through the multivariate statistical analysis, it was found that 9 volatile compounds with Variable Importance in Projection (VIP)≥1, including (E)-2-hexenol, (E)-3-hexene-1-ol, (Z)-2-pentenol, 2-octanone, pentadecanal, 1-penten-3-ol, linalool, 2-hexenal and hexanol, played a significant role in differentiating samples. Consistent results were also got from the quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and electronic nose (E-nose) measurement. Overall, it is suggested that Flower 30 and Morex are the most suitable specialized cultivars to produce barley leaf products.

Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of anthraquinones in sicklepod sprouts with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Sicklepod [Cassia obtusifolia L. syn Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby, Fabaceae] sprouts are promising ingredients with health-promoting benefits. Notwithstanding, the pharmacologically active compounds in sicklepod sprouts have not been studied or analysed in detail. This study aimed to isolate and structurally identify phytochemicals showing α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in sicklepod sprouts and simultaneously quantify the compounds in the sprouts to determine the optimal cultivation method and germination time to maximise active compounds. A simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method with high sensitivity and accuracy was developed and used to analyse time-dependent changes in anthraquinone content during sicklepod germination. Thirteen anthraquinones were isolated and identified, of which six-chrysoobtusin, emodin, 1-O-methyl-2-methoxychrysophanol, 7-O-methylobtusin, chrysophanol, and physcion-showed moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The maximum content of anthraquinones in a sprout was observed on Day 5 under both light and dark conditions. The findings of this study revealed that sicklepod sprouts which are promising functional food materials contain a variety of anthraquinones.

Selective induction of furanocoumarins in Angelica acutiloba roots by signaling molecule, ethylene and their monoamine oxidase inhibition

The level of bioactive metabolites is the most critical factor to become a functional food material. This study offered the practical method to enhance furanocoumarins (FCs) content in Angelica acutiloba which is an herbal vegetable and functional food ingredient. FCs content in root part was significantly increased by the treatment of the signaling molecule, ethylene. Newly increased FC derivatives were annotated as xanthotoxin (XAT), psoralen (PSR), isopimpinellin (IPP), and bergapten (BGT). The contents of FCs continued to increase until they reached the level where XAT (54-fold, 64.9 μg/g → 3499 μg/g), PSR (7-fold, 31.9 μg/g → 214 μg/g), IPP (23-fold, 16.2 μg/g → 375 μg/g), and BGT (51-fold, 29.5 μg/g → 1512 μg/g). Hereby, the content of FC derivatives increased selectively, and other metabolites were not affected by ethylene. The metabolite changes were systematically investigated using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS analysis to obtain a clear difference in the PLS-DA score, S-plot, and heatmap to explain the gradual fluctuation in the metabolite levels over the treatment time (96 h). Additionally, FCs enriched roots showed a distinctive inhibitory activity against monoamine oxidase (MAO-A and B) compared to control roots because of the increased FCs content. A. acutiloba with greatly enhanced FCs content is applicable as functional food material for new purposes.

An Evaluation of the Edible Value of Salvia miltiorrhiza Seeds: Proximate Composition, Phytochemical Components and Antioxidant Activity.

Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds (SMS) are the main by-product of the production processing of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae. The main purposes of this work are to analyse the nutritional components in SMS, to explore the antioxidant activity of the chemical components in SMS and to evaluate the possibility of SMS as a raw material for functional foods. The contents of crude fibre, total protein, carbohydrates, total phenolics and flavonoids in SMS and the composition and relative content of fatty acids in SMS oil were determined. The results suggested that SMS has high contents of crude fibre (28.68 ± 4.66 g/100 g), total protein (26.65 ± 2.51 g/100 g), total phenolics (6.45 ± 0.55 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g) and total flavonoids (3.28 ± 0.34 mg of rutin equivalent/g), as well as a high level of α-linolenic acid (33.774 ± 4.68%) in their oil. Twenty-two secondary metabolites were identified in SMS residue, and nine compounds were isolated. The IC50 values of the total phenolic content in SMS on an ABTS radical, DPPH radical, superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical were 30.94 ± 3.68 μg/mL, 34.93 ± 4.12 μg/mL, 150.87 ± 17.64 μg/mL and 230.19 ± 24.47 μg/mL, respectively. The results indicate that SMS contain many nutrients and have high utilization value as a promising functional food.

Postbiotic of Pediococcus acidilactici GQ01, a Novel Probiotic Strain Isolated from Natural Fermented Wolfberry, Attenuates Hyperuricaemia in Mice through Modulating Uric Acid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota.

Hyperuricaemia (HUA) is a disorder of purine metabolism, which manifests itself as an increase in uric acid production and a decrease in uric acid excretion, as well as a change in the structure of the intestinal microbiota. Most of the drugs currently used to treat HUA have significant side effects, and it is essential to find a treatment for HUA that is free of side effects. In this study, a novel strain, Pediococcus acidilactici GQ01, was screened from natural fermented wolfberry. The effects of both live bacteria GQ01 and its heat-killed G1PB postbiotic on HUA were investigated. The results showed that both probiotic GQ01 and G1PB postbiotics could effectively decrease blood uric acid, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels in the HUA mice model. P. acidilactici GQ01 was more effective in inhibiting ADA activity, while G1PB postbiotics was more effective in inhibiting XOD activity. Meanwhile, GQ01 and G1PB were able to ameliorate liver and kidney tissue injury, upregulate the expression of ABCG2 in kidney and XOD gene in liver, downregulate the protein expression of URAT1 and GLUT9 in kidney, and therefore reduce the value of blood uric acid by decreasing the uric acid reabsorption and increasing the excretion of uric acid. Additionally, both probiotics and postbiotics could regulate the intestinal microbiota structure of HUA mice, so as to bring the dysfunctional intestinal composition back to normal. Furthermore, P. acidilactici GQ01 and G1PB postbiotics can increase the levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in the intestinal tract, improve the intestinal function, and maintain the healthy homeostatic state of the intestinal tract. In summary, P. acidilactici GQ01 and its G1PB postbiotics may be developed as functional food or drug materials capable of treating HUA.

Curcuma longa L. extract increased immune responses in RAW 264.7 cells and cyclophosphamide-induced BALB/c mice

Curcuma longa L. extract (CLE) exerts various biological functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, and antiallergenic effects. However, its immune-enhancing capacity remains unclear. Therefore, the immune-enhancing effect of CLE was investigated in RAW 264.7 cells and cyclophosphamide (CPP)-induced immunosuppression model. CLE upregulated nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species production and increased inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression without affecting the RAW 264.7 cells viability. The results of quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that CLE increased the gene expression and protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, CLE upregulated p65, I kappa B kinase α/β, and I kappa B α (IκBα) phosphorylation and downregulated IκBα expression in RAW 264.7 cells. CLE also increased p65 translocation from the cytoplasmic to the nucleus in RAW 264.7 cells. The oral administration of CLE increased organ indexes (including the spleen and thymus) and NO production in peritoneal macrophages and improved natural killer cell activity in CPP-induced immunosuppression BALB/c mice. Overall, CLE could be a useful health functional food material that can improve innate immunity via macrophage activation.

Phenolic compounds in purple whole-wheat flour and bread: Comparative analysis

Whole-wheat flour of purple wheat varieties contains anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity, which makes it a potential raw material for functional foods. The content and composition of phenolic compounds in whole-wheat flour depends on the genotype and weather conditions; in the bread, however, they also depend on the bread-making technology. This article offers a comparative analysis of phenolic compounds in purple whole-wheat flour and bread baked from this flour.
 The study featured purple soft spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) of two varieties, Nadira and Line 193, which were harvested in 2016 and 2017, and corresponding bread samples. The antioxidant activity and phenolic content were measured spectrophotometrically while the qualitative analysis relied on the method of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 
 In the hot and dry year of 2016, the content of bound phenolic acids reached 2.0–2.4 mg/g dry weight in the flour of both genotypes. In the cool and humid year of 2017, the content of anthocyanins in the Nadira flour increased by 2.7 times and amounted to 0.65 mg/g dry weight. However, the corresponding bread sample had a much lower phenolic content: soluble phenolics were halved, anthocyanins dropped by 3–4 times, and bound phenolic acids went down by 7–17 times. The content of bound phenolic acids in the flour correlated positively with the content of free phenolic acids in the bread. The HPLC analysis revealed an increase in the content of free hydroxycinnamic acids in the bread: p-coumaric acid was the most abundant and amounted to 0.14–0.22 mg/g dry weight.
 Conventional State Standard 27669-88 for bread making resulted in a total decrease in anthocyanins, bound phenolic acids, and most free phenolics. Therefore, this technology cannot be applied to functional bread. The results can help develop a breadmaking technology for purple wheat varieties.

Production with Fermentation Culture and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides from Morchella esculenta

Morchella esculenta is a precious edible and medicinal fungus rich in protein, polysaccharides, polyphenols, amino acids, triterpenes, and other active components. In this study, MS-1 was isolated from the fruiting body of M. esculenta. Through conducting single-factor experiments and the response surface analysis of the culture conditions, the optimal culture components of an M. esculenta fermentation broth for extracellular polysaccharide production were determined, namely, 3.7% glucose, 2% yeast extract, and 0.15% sodium chloride. The polysaccharides MSF and MSL were extracted from the fruiting body of M. esculenta and the fermentation broth, respectively, and analyzed with gel permeation chromatography (GPC), monosaccharide composition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and in vivo and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity analyses. The research results show that the calculated MW of MSF is 2.34 × 105 Da, and the calculated MW of MSL is 1.40 × 105 Da. MSF is composed of three monosaccharides: D-galactose, D-glucose, and D-mannose (molar ratio of 4.34:90.22:5.45). MSL consists of five monosaccharides: D-arabinose, D-galactose, D-glucose, D-mannose, and glucuronic acid (molar ratio of 0.31:14.71:13.03:71.43:0.53). The in vitro antioxidant test results show that MSF and MSL both have significant antioxidant activities. Activity experiments on MSF and MSL in zebrafish showed that MSF and MSL have significant repair effects on the oxidative damage caused by metronidazole in zebrafish embryos, and there were significant changes in the transcriptional activity levels of the oxidative stress-related genes SOD, Keap1, and Nrf2. Therefore, the polysaccharides MSF and MSL from MS-1 can be used as important raw materials for functional foods and drugs.