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The composition of anthocyanins in cultivated Lycium ruthenicum Murray (CLM) before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was determined using an HPLC system coupled with an electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition of the anthocyanins before and after digestion were also studied. The results showed that most of the anthocyanins in CLM were found in glycosylated form, containing glycoside ligands. After digestion, the glycosylated anthocyanins were transformed to anthocyanidins (without glycol-ligands) which exhibited higher antioxidant activity comparatively. Interestingly, although the inhibitory activity of anthocyanins against α-glucosidase was increased by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, as suggested by IC50 value, the binding affinity of the anthocyanidins to α-glucosidase remained stable, as demonstrated by fluorescence quenching constant. This suggested that the anthocyanidins might have formed the anthocyanidin-α-glucosidase-substrate tertiary complex. Conclusively, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion may enhance the biological activities of CLM anthocyanins, regarding the antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition.

The present work was aimed at developing and characterizing biodegradable citrus pectin films incorporated with young apple polyphenols (YAPs). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed to get acquaintance with the structure of the pectin/YAP films. An increase of tensile strength (TS) and elastic modulus (EM) accompanied with a decrease in elongation at break (% EB) was observed with YAP. FTIR spectrometry exhibited the emergence of new absorbance peak at 1520 cm−1, suggesting some interactions between both constituents of films. An increase in thermal stability of films was also observed by the inclusion of YAP into the film. Moreover, SEM analysis revealed that YAPs were homogenously distributed across pectin matrix. The antioxidant potential of the films was amplified by incorporating YAP. The microbiological assessment of the films confirmed the antimicrobial efficiency of newly developed films against three major food-borne pathogens.

Apple juices produced from nine different industrial production technologies were obtained in pilot scale, for simplifying and integrating the production technologies according to the quality comparison of juices. Juice quality characterized by total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total soluble solid (TSS), stability, turbidity, titratable acidity and pH was investigated. The TPCs of traditional pulping combined with belt-style pressing (TP+BSP)-based juices were higher than that of cold pulping combined with horizontal spiral centrifuge separation (CP+HSCS)-based juices, while the CP+HSCS juices showed higher turbidity than the TP+BSP juices. Principal component analysis, liner discriminant analysis and cluster analysis were applied for analyzing juice quality. Nine production technologies were well separated into three categories and that pulping, juicing and sterilizing methods were the main factors affecting the overall juice quality. Our study provided a method to simplify and integrate the current industrial production technologies of juices. Abbreviations: TPC: total phenolic content; TFC: total flavonoid content; TSS: total soluble solid; TA: titratable acidity; TP+BSP: traditional pulping combined with belt-style pressing; CP+HSCS: cold pulping combined with horizontal spiral centrifuge separation; NFC: not from concentrate; PCA: principal component analysis; LDA: liner discriminant analysis; HCA: hierarchical cluster analysis.

This study aims to explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of Lycium barbarum pigment (LP) and polysaccharides (LBPs) on alcohol-induced fatty liver disease (AFLD) in mice, through the measurement of serum and hepatic biochemical indexes, morphologic pathological observation and expression of metabolism-related genes. The results showed that LP and LBPs were non-toxic. The body weight, liver index, and lipid metabolic indexes were significantly inhibited by LP and LBPs. Besides, LP and LBPs could protect liver from oxidative injury and allergy, as suggested by increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6). Furthermore, through RT-PCR, LP, and LBPs were found to regulate liver injury related metabolism by increasing expression of AMPKα2 mRNA and reducing expressions of SREBP-1c, CYP2E1, TLR4, and Myd88 mRNA. Therefore, Lycium barbarum may be developed as a potential functional food regarding preventing and treating AFLD.

The effects of unit operations on the quality of not from concentrate (NFC) apple juice were investigated in this study. After the main processing steps (juicing, pre-pasteurization, homogenization and pasteurization), juice samples were collected and characterized by total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, turbidity, non-enzymatic browning index (NEBI), color quality, aromas and phenolic constituents. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were applied for analyzing juice aromas and polyphenols. The results showed that homogenization only affected (increased) the juice turbidity, and only the TSS content was not affected by the unit operations. The TA, pH, aroma component and polyphenol content of the NFC apple juice were significantly decreased, while the turbidity, NEBI and color values were significantly increased by pre-pasteurization. Pasteurization had less effect on these properties than pre-pasteurization. Therefore, those were the thermal treatments that mainly affected the juice quality during NFC apple juice production.

The aim of this study was to study the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of young apple polyphenols (YAP) and to investigate the application of YAP in grass carp fillets (GCF) stored at 4°C for retarding lipid and protein degradation. The results indicated that YAP had high antioxidant activities in vitro, and the addition of YAP to GCF during low-temperature storage could significantly inhibit the microbial growth; retard the decrease in contents of fatty acids for both unsaturated and saturated ones; and minimize the degradation of salt-soluble myofibrillar protein and sulfhydryl group. The profiles of GCF in the presence and absence of YAP under a scanning electron microscope indicated that YAP could protect GCF from destruction that was resulted from fish deterioration. Therefore, YAP may be developed as natural antioxidants to control lipid and protein degradation and to extend shelf life of freshwater fish fillets.

Characterization, antioxidant activities and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from pre-pressing separation apple (Fuji) peel pomace were investigated in this study. Gel permeation chromatography indicated that apple peel polysaccharides (APPs) were a kind of heteropolysaccharides composed of three fractions with homogenous polarity. Both GC–MS and HPLC analysis showed that arabinose, galactose and galacturonic acid were the main monosaccharides in APP. In vitro antioxidant activities of APP were characterized. Furthermore, administration of APP (450 mg/kg bw) in mice significantly decreased the CCl4-induced elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase, asparate aminotransferase and lactic dehydrogenase activities, and hepatic malondialdehyde level and inhibited the decreases in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities caused by CCl4. Histopathological observation further confirmed that APP could protect the liver tissues from CCl4-induced histological alternation. These findings indicate that APP has the antioxidant and hepatoprotective potentials and provide a scientific basis for comprehensive utilization of pre-pressing separation apple peel pomace.