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A slow dietary fiber fermentation rate is desirable to obtain a steady metabolite release and even distribution throughout the entire colon, ensuring to meet the energy needs in the distal colon. In this study, we prepared starch-entrapped microspheres with a variable chitosan-to-starch ratio by means of electrospraying and investigated the fermentability by human fecal microbiota in an in vitro batch system. Starch encapsulation reduced microbial gas production and the concentration of short-chain fatty acids. Butyrate production, in particular, gradually decreased with increasing chitosan proportions. Moreover, the starch and chitosan composites induced a synergistic effect on the gut microbiota composition. Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae, and Clostridiales were promoted by all of the microspheres, and the abundance of the aforementioned health-promoting taxa reached a maximum in chitosan/starch microspheres with a 1:6 (w/w) ratio. Our findings highlight the possible benefits of rationally designing functional foods targeting functional and taxonomic gut microbiota modulation.

The use of combinations of aroma compounds is common in many food and cosmetic applications. To investigate the binding behavior between high-amylose maize starch and binary aroma combinations of decanal and thymol, starch-aroma inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by a one-step or two-step method with different concentrations and orders of addition. The thymol molecule induced the starch chain to form a larger helical cavity and was more likely to form hydrogen bonds with solvents. The encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency of starch-thymol ICs were always higher than those of starch-decanal ICs, independent of the aroma concentration and addition order in binary aroma ICs. However, starch-decanal ICs prepared in the presence of thymol encapsulated more decanal than in the absence of thymol. The V6I-type crystals formed by starch-decanal ICs and the V6III-type crystals formed by starch-thymol ICs were both present in binary aroma ICs, resulting in a less-ordered structure and lower thermal transition temperatures. In summary, the complexation between binary aroma compounds and starch exhibited both cooperative and competitive binding behaviors. The synergistic effects between decanal and thymol provide guidance in enhancing the aroma encapsulation in starch carriers.

Dietary fiber has been considered a key element in shaping the beneficial host-microbe symbiosis. In the present study, we identified Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruits as a promising dietary fiber source. The physicochemical properties and in vitro fermentability by human fecal microbes of R. roxburghii pomace water insoluble dietary fiber (RIDF) obtained from ultrasonic extraction and ultrahigh pressure (90 MPa)-treated RIDF (RIDF-90) were compared to those of R. roxburghii Tratt pomace (R). Ultrahigh pressure modification significantly increased the water holding, oil holding, and swelling capacity of RIDF-90 in comparison to R and RIDF. RIDF-90 displayed the slowest fermentation rate yet yielded the highest butyrate production. The superior butyrogenic properties of both RIDF-90 and, in part, RIDF were reflected by increased Coprococcus and Ruminococcus levels, demonstrating that ultrasonic extraction and/or further ultrahigh pressure treatment of insoluble fibers promotes the prebiotic value of R. roxburghii Tratt.

In this study, Sargassum pallidum polysaccharides (SPPs) were incorporated into chitosan (CH) to develop a novel edible active film (CH/SPPs-US) via ultrasonication. The mechanical, water vapor permeability, surface morphology, crystallinity, antioxidant, and fruit preservation properties of CH/SPPs-US films prepared under sequences of matrix ratios and ultrasound treatment were investigated. The results revealed that the addition of SPPs combined with ultrasonic treatment could significantly enhance the transparency, elongation and tensile strength of the films whereas the water vapor permeability was decreased. Tensile strength and elongation at break of the C2/SP1.2-US film were 12.07 N and 54.18%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those for CH film. Meanwhile, the water vapor permeability value of C2/SP1.2-US was reduced by as high as 40.2% compared with that of chitosan film. In addition, antioxidant effect evaluation showed that the CH-based films added with SPPs exhibited better antioxidant activity than CH film, and ultrasonic treatment could further strengthen the antioxidant activity of the film. The CH/SPPs-US films could effectively extend the shelf life and inhibit the deterioration of the strawberry at room temperature (25 ± 1 °C) and 70% ± 5% relative humidity for 7 days. These results indicated that the CH/SPPs edible films via ultrasonication could be developed as edible packaging films for the preservation of fresh fruits.

Processing induced structural changes of whole foods for the regulation of the colonic fermentation rate and microbiota composition are least understood and often overlooked. In the present study, intact cotyledon cells from pinto beans were isolated as a whole pulse food model and subjected to a series of processing temperatures to modulate the structure, most dominantly the cell wall permeability. The cell wall permeability, observed with the diffusion of fluorescently labeled dextran (FITC-dextran), was increased as a function of the hydrothermal temperature, which is in line with the rise in the in vitro fecal fermentation rate and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from the pinto bean cells. Further, the abundance of beneficial microbiota, such as Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, and Coprococcus, were significantly higher for cells processed at 100 °C compared to the 60 °C-treated ones. We conclude that cell wall provides an effective barrier for the microbial fermentation of intact cells. With an increase in cell wall permeability, microbes and/or microbial enzymes have easier access to intracellular starch for fermentation, leading to an increase in the production of metabolites and the abundance of beneficial microbes. Thus, desired colonic fermentation profiles can be achieved with the controlled processing of whole foods for enhanced gut health.

The gut microbiota community of individuals is predominated by diverse fiber-utilizing bacteria, and might have distinct fermentation outcomes for a given dietary substrate. In this research, we isolated pea cell walls (PCWs) from cotyledon seeds, and performed the in vitro fecal fermentation by individual Prevotella- and Bacteroides-enterotype inocula. The Prevotella-enterotype inoculum showed a higher fermentation rate and produced more short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially propionate and butyrate, throughout the entire fermentation period from PCW degradation compared with the Bacteroides-enterotype one. Furthermore, the better monosaccharide utilization capacity of Prevotella-enterotype inoculum was shown, compared to the Bacteroides-enterotype inoculum. PCW fermentation with Prevotella- and Bacteroides-enterotype inocula resulted in different microbial changes, and the abundance of Prevotella and Bacteroides was promoted, respectively. These results may contribute to predicting the responses of Prevotella and Bacteroides enterotypes to diets and offer useful information in personalized nutrition.

The in vitro digestive and fermentation properties of Sargassum pallidum polysaccharide (SPP) after ultrasound degradation were investigated. The results showed that SPP and its degraded fractions were not affected by human saliva, but slightly degraded by breaking glycosidic bonds under simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The DPPH radical scavenging activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, and bile acid-binding capacity of SPP and its degraded fractions were decreased after digestion, which was attributed to the reduction of molecular weights (MWs) and viscosity. Furthermore, in vitro fermentation assay indicated that SPP and its degraded fractions showed good fermentability. The predominant compositional monosaccharides including arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, and uronic acid were significantly decreased, and the degraded SPP fractions were more easily fermented and utilized by gut bacteria. SPP and its degraded fractions could modulate gut health by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increasing the relative abundances of some beneficial genera, such as Prevotella, Dialister, Phascolarctobacterium, Ruminococcus, and Bacteroides. These findings suggested that SPP and its degraded fractions exhibited similar influence on gut microbiota community, but appropriate degraded SPP fractions were more easily fermented by gut microbiota.

The functional properties and physiological functions of whey protein isolate (WPI) decreased near its isoelectric point (PI). The Maillard reaction covalently binding polysaccharides to proteins is an effective method to improve the functional activities of proteins. WPI-inulin conjugates were prepared by wet-heating method at 70 °C for 2 h, 4 h and 6 h, respectively. New bonds at higher molecular zone appearing at SDS-PAGE, decreased free amino acid content and new formed C N bonds in FT-IR of conjugates compared with WPI confirmed the formation of the covalent bonds between WPI and inulin. As the increase of the reaction time, both the brown intensity and fluorescence intensity of WPI-inulin conjugates became higher. Amino acid contents, Circular dichroism analysis and SEM analysis presented the primary structure, secondary structure and surface structure change of protein after covalent with inulin. Emulsion properties of emulsion activity (EAI) and emulsion stability (ES) of WPI-inulin conjugates were assessed and both showed significantly enhanced compared with WPI at range of pH 3 to pH 7. AAPH+ scavenging test and ORAC measurement also revealed that covalent binding with inulin enhanced the antioxidant activities of WPI. This work presented the conjugation with inulin successfully enhanced the functional properties of WPI.

In this study, the digestion and fermentation properties of a bioactive polysaccharide (MOP-2) purified from Moringa oleifera leaves and its impact on the human colonic microbiota were determined using simulated saliva-gastrointestinal digestion and human fecal fermentation models in vitro. The results showed that the simulated saliva and gastric juices had no effect on the average molecular weight (MW) of MOP-2. The MW of MOP-2 slightly decreased from 155.29 to 145.02 kDa during intestinal digestion, and the reducing sugar content increased from 0.159 to 0.234 mg/ml, indicating that MOP-2 was partially degraded during intestinal digestion. During fermentation, MOP-2 was largely used by human fecal inoculums. Notably, MOP-2 could significantly regulate the structure of the microbial community by improving the relative abundances of some beneficial gut microbiota, such as Phascolarctobacterium, Coprococcus, Roseburia, and Bacteroides. Additionally, after fermentation for 48 hr, MOP-2 could significantly improve the production of short-chain fatty acids, especially n-butyric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and n-valeric acid. These results suggested that MOP-2 could potentially be a gut microbiota manipulator aimed at promoting gut health. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Gut microbial community is an important part of the human intestinal environment. The health of gut microbiota is closely associated with host heath. This work reported that a polysaccharide (MOP-2) purified from Moringa oleifera leaves could modulate the microbial structure by improving the relative abundances of some beneficial gut microbiota, which provided useful information for the application of MOP-2 as a prebiotic additive in food industry.

The physical structure of type 1 resistant starch (RS 1) could influence the metabolite production and stimulate the growth of specific bacteria in the human colon. In the present study, we isolated intact cotyledon cells from pinto bean seeds as whole pulse food and RS 1 model and obtained a series of cell wall integrities through controlled enzymolysis. In vitro human fecal fermentation performance and microbiota responses were tested, and we reported that the cell wall integrity controls the in vitro fecal fermentation rate of heat-treated pinto bean cells. The concentration of butyrate produced by pinto bean cell fermentation enhanced with weakened cell wall integrity, and certain beneficial bacterial groups such as Blautia and Roseburia genera were remarkably promoted by pinto bean cells with damaged cell wall integrity. However, the intact cell sample had a shape more similar to microbiota composition with the purified cell wall polysaccharides, rather than the damaged cells.

Glycosylation has a great effect on the antioxidant ability of proteins, which is due to the structural conformational change of peptides in the protein. In this study, a chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) was selected as the saccharide for glycation with lactoferrin (LF) by a wet-heat method, and a new stripe at a higher molecular zone in the gel of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a change in the bond revealed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses were used to confirm that the chitosan oligosaccharide was successfully covalently bound to lactoferrin. The ABTS and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays indicated that lactoferrin exhibited a stronger antioxidant activity after glycation with the chitosan oligosaccharide. High-resolution mass spectroscopy further illuminated the relationship of enhanced antioxidant capacity and structural conformational change of peptides in lactoferrin at a molecular level.

This study was aimed at investigating the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of a polysaccharide (RTFP) isolated from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit on type-2 diabetic db/db mice. The results indicated that the oral administration of RTFP could significantly decrease the body weight, fat, and liver hypertrophy and the levels of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and serum lipids of the db/db mice. Histopathological observation showed that RTFP could effectively protect the pancreas, liver, and epididymal fat against damage and dysfunction. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed that the gene expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ (PPAR-γ), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1c), acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1 (ACC-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6 Pase) were significantly down-regulated in the liver of db/db mice after treatment with RTFP. Moreover, RTFP treatment reversed gut dysbiosis by lowering the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and enhancing the relative abundances of beneficial bacteria including Bacteroidaceae, Bacteroidaceae S24-7 group, and Lactobacillaceae. These findings suggest that RTFP can be used as a promising functional supplement for the prevention and treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus.

In the present study, the digestion and fermentation of blackberry polysaccharides (BBPs) with different molecular weights (Mw) were investigated. The results showed that the Mw decrease rates of BBP, BBP-8, BBP-16, and BBP-24 were 77.48, 69.61, 56.87, and 52.89%, respectively. The antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of BBPs were decreased under gastrointestinal condition, which might be due to the variation of Mw during digestion. The bile acid-binding ability of BBPs showed an Mw-dependent manner for higher Mw polysaccharides with higher viscosity. Through fermentation, the BBPs affected the ecosystem of the intestinal tract by promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids, lowering the pH of colon, and decreasing the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. All BBPs showed almost a similar modulation effect on the gut bacteria, but the lower Mw polysaccharide was more easily utilized by bacteria.

A polysaccharide, designated as PSP-1, was isolated and purified from Sargassum pallidum. Physicochemical characterization showed that PSP-1 with the average molecular weight of 1.036 × 106 Da was composed of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 18.45:2.15:19.06:1.89:16.07:1.00:5.74:20.09. The results of antioxidant assays indicated that PSP-1 had good DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, cellular antioxidant activity, and reactive oxygen species inhibition activity, and could significantly improve cellular antioxidant enzymes of ABAP-induced HepG2 cell model. The results of hypoglycemic assays showed that PSP-1 possessed favorable α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and could remarkably enhance glucose consumption, glycogen synthesis and the activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase in insulin-resistance HepG2 cells. The results suggest that PSP-1 can be exploited as a potential antioxidant and hypoglycemic candidate for functional and nutraceutical applications.

This study was carried out to study the effects of selenylation on physicochemical and biological properties of polysaccharide (SPP) extracted from Sargassum pallidum. The selenized derivative of SPP (Se-SPP) with the selenium content of 2419 μg/g was synthesized by sodium selenite/dilute nitric acid method. Physicochemical characterization indicated that selenylation modification resulted in some changes in chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight and surface morphology of polysaccharides. FT-IR spectroscopy showed that a new absorption peak appeared at 675 cm−1 in Se-SPP probably due to the substitution of selenyl groups. Bioactivity assay showed that Se-SPP exhibited higher scavenging radical activities and ferrous ion chelating activities than native SPP. Compared with SPP and acarbose, Se-SPP showed more significantly inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase activity in a noncompetitive inhibition type. The IC50 values of SPP, Se-SPP and acarbose were determined as 1.579, 0.896 and 2.742 mg/mL, respectively. These results suggest that Se-SPP can be used to develop a new selenium-complementary ingredient in functional foods.

Menthol inclusion complexes (ICs) have addressed a range of opportunities in food applications due to their volatile resistance. However, previous protocols used for their synthesis give low yields and high industrial application costs. In the present investigation, metal-organic frameworks based on β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-MOF) have been prepared for the molecular encapsulation of menthol. Menthol/β-CD-MOF-IC was synthesized under the optimized parameters, after which release behavior was studied. In this optimized manner, a higher menthol capacity was obtained in which the menthol content and encapsulation efficiency were 27.1 and 30.6%, respectively. Compared with menthol/β-CD-IC, menthol/β-CD-MOF-IC is resistant to high temperature, but sensitive to moisture. In a simulated oral release experiment, the rate of menthol release from different samples followed the order of: pure menthol > β-CD > β-CD-MOF, which can be attributed to two mechanisms: non-specific binding and site preference. We propose that β-CD-MOF can be used as a promising delivery system for aroma compounds.

In vitro digestion and fermentation of blackberry fruit was investigated, and results showed that the phenolics were mainly released in gastric phase while carbohydrates in small intestinal phase. The bioaccessibility for phenolics and carbohydrates were 42.80% and 69.30%, indicating most of phenolics still remain in colon and available for intestinal flora. The total phenolics released during the digestion account for the improvement of antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Especially, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside with higher released amount and bioaccessibility index (63.21%), exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. After fermentation, the non-digestible fractions of blackberry affected the ecosystem of the intestinal tract by decreasing the colonic pH (△pH = 1.10), enhancing the production of SCFAs and modulating gut microbiota composition (the ratio of Firmicute/Bacteroidetes decreased from13.18 to 0.87). The results provided insights into the digestive properties and health benefits of blackberry fruit after consumption.

The in vitro fecal fermentation characteristics and microbiota responses to A- and B-type polymorphic starches as model (whole) foods enriched with resistant starch was investigated. Marked difference in fermentation rate as well as microbial genera was observed during fermentation, the degradation pattern as well as structural evolution during fermentation was almost similar. The final butyrate concentrations of both HAMS and PS (ca. 38 mM) were significantly higher than that of WMS (23 mM) and NMS (33 mM), which was associated with the increase of the relative abundance of Roseburia, Blautia, and Lachnospiraceae. A-type polymorphic starches, on the other hand had remarkably faster fermentation rate and promoted Megamonas. X-ray diffraction and size-exclusion chromatography of residual starch during the fermentation course demonstrated the “side-by-side” fermentation pattern. Based on the structural changes observed, we conclude that in vitro fecal fermentation of starch granules predominantly controlled by the surface features rather than the molecular and supra-molecular structure.

This study aimed at investigating the structure, hypoglycemic activity and the underlying mechanism of a homogeneous polysaccharide (PSP-2) purified from Sargassum pallidum. Structural characterization revealed that PSP-2 with a molecular weight of 144.8 kDa was composed of fucose (21.6%), arabinose (2.5%), galactose (22.4%), glucose (2.2%), xylose (18.8%), mannose (1.2%), glucuronic acid (7.7%) and galacturonic acid (23.6%). The backbone chain of PSP-2 was composed of →1)-β-d-Xylp-(3→, →1,3)-β-l-Fucp-(4→, →1)-α-d-Galp-(6→, and →1)-α-d-GlcpNAc-(2→, and the side chains were composed of →1,3,6)-α-d-Galp-(2→, →3)-β-l-Fucp-(1,4→, β-d-GalpNAc-(1→, and α-d-Manp-(1→. In vitro hypoglycemic assays indicated that PSP-2 could significantly enhance glucose consumption, glycogen synthesis, and pyruvate kinase (PK) and hexokinase (HK) activities of insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the underlying mechanistic studies revealed that PSP-2 could ameliorate insulin resistance by up-regulating the expression levels of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), glycogen synthase (GS), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4). These results suggested that PSP-2 may be a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In the present study, the digestion properties of a polysaccharide from Rosa roxburghii fruit (RTFP-3) under saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions were studied for the first time. The results indicated that human saliva had no effect on RTFP-3. RTFP-3 was slightly degraded in simulated gastric and small intestinal juices. The molecular weight (Mw) of RTFP-3 was decreased from 67.59 to 44.22 kDa. Meanwhile, the reducing sugars were increased from 0.503 to 1.744 mM. Then, the prebiotic effects of RTFP-3 were examined by in vitro fermentation model. RTFP-3 could significantly increase the production of total short-chain fatty acids from 23.49 to 44.29 mM, and 60.28% of total carbohydrate was consumed after 48 h fermentation. Furthermore, RTFP-3 could significantly modulate the microbial structure by lowering the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes from 14.89 to 4.68 after 48 h fermentation, and improving the relative abundances of some beneficial gut microbiota.

This study aims to investigate the bioaccessibility, bioactivity and gut microbiota modulation effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation. A total of 24.95 ± 0.91 mg GAE per g DM and 21.66 ± 1.41 mg RE per g DM of phenolics and flavonoids were released during digestion. The HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS analysis showed that the major phenolic compound 6,8-di-C-glucosylapigenin was released during oral digestion, catechin during gastric digestion, and quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside and ferulic acid during small intestine digestion. The antioxidant activity of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves during the whole digestion process was in line with the release of phenolics and flavonoids. In addition, the fermentation of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves induced the production of acetic, propionic, and n-butyric acids leading to a decrease in pH, as well as the growth of beneficial colonic bacteria. The results suggested that Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves are a promising candidate for healthy food.

Type 1 resistant starch (RS1) has recently received tremendous attention from various research areas such as food science, nutrition, microbiology, and pharmaceutical technology due to its ability to resist digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The protective barriers of RS1 play a vital role in the reduction of starch hydrolysis, glucose absorption, and the glycemic response that has the potential to limit the prevalence of some diseases by delaying the reaction of the digestive enzymes and extending glucose release. This work aims to provide a comprehensive review of RS1 mechanisms in controlling starch digestion and a summary of its industrial applications in relation to health benefits. Despite extensive research in this area, the review exposed some unrevealed aspects of RS1 that would require further study.

Although many studies have investigated the enzyme susceptibility of bean starches, the factors that reduce the lower hydrolysis of bean starch are not well understood. In the present study, we isolated starches from eight commercial bean varieties and established a causal relationship between micro and macro-structure with α-amylase susceptibility. The in vitro starch digestion kinetic profiles were monitored at a fixed enzyme concentration, and the data were fitted into the Logarithm of Slope model to obtain first-order rate coefficients and extent of digestion. Among eight varieties, pinto bean starch showed the lowest digestion rate (0.0013 min−1) and extent (40.7%), whereas red kidney bean starch has the highest rate (0.0042min−1) and extent (69.2%). In order to probe the interdependability of digestion kinetic parameters with starch microstructure, the enzyme binding capacity, molecular size, crystalline structure as well as thermal parameters of eight bean starches were correlated as Pearson's matrix. Whilst, significant correlation was not observed between digestion rate/extent and the structural parameters, the residual enzyme activity after binding with starch granules at non-hydrolyzing condition had significant negative correlation with the digestion rate and extent. Similarly, positive correlation was observed for degree of starch damage and enzyme susceptibility. Thus, it is concluded that for bean starches with similar biological origins, the available sites for initial binding of enzymes predominates the succeeding catalysis rate.

Cooked whole pulses are widely accepted as a low glycemic food with potential health benefits of reducing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, the structural basis for the variation in digestion rate and extent of different pulses is still unclear. In this study, intact cotyledon cells of four commercial pulses (i.e., pinto bean, garbanzo bean, green-split pea, and black-eyed pea) were isolated under controlled cooking and isolation conditions, as a model for whole foods. We investigated the macrostructure of intact cells and structural features of entrapped starch granules, such as crystallinity and thermal parameters, and diffusion of an amylase-sized FITC dextran probe into intact cells. In vitro digestion kinetic profiles of pulse cells were monitored by a reducing sugar assay with a fixed α-amylase activity, and were fitted into a first order model to obtain the apparent rate coefficient and digestion extent at 180 min. Pearson's correlation analysis suggested that there is no significant correlation between the kinetic parameters and structural features of entrapped starch granules nor the size of the cell particles. It is concluded that the starch digestibility of isolated pulses is controlled by the accessibility of digestive enzymes, which is limited by the rigid cell wall and/or pulse protein matrix, rather than starch structure.

Water-soluble polysaccharides (RTFP) were extracted from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit by hot water method. The physicochemical, functional, and hypoglycemic properties of RTFP were investigated. The results revealed that RTFP mainly contained carbohydrates (63.79 ± 0.73%, g/g), uronic acids (14.8 ± 0.06%, g/g), and proteins (4.10 ± 0.58%, g/g). RTFP was composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, and fucose with molar percentages of 33.8, 37.3, 20.7, 1.74, 3.43, and 2.95%, respectively. Functional analyses indicated that RTFP had good oil-holding capacity, foaming properties, and emulsifying capacity. The rheological results showed that RTFP exhibited typical shear-thinning behavior and viscoelastic properties influenced by sample concentration, temperature and inorganic salt. Additionally, RTFP exhibited favorable inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase in a mixed inhibition type, and against α-amylase in an uncompetitive inhibition type. These results suggest that RTFP can be exploited as a multi-functional additive or hypoglycemic agent in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Anthocyanins in rind extracts of three sugarcane cultivars, ROC 22, Haitang 22 and Guitang 21, were characterized using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). A total of thirteen anthocyanins were identified and quantified. Except for cyanidin-3-glucoside, twelve anthocyanins were reported for the first time from sugarcane. The total anthocyanin content (TAC) varied significantly from 10.8 (Haitang 22) to 132.0 μg/g dry rind weight (DW) (ROC 22). Regarding single anthocyanins, ROC 22 contained 79.8 μg/g DW cyanidin-3-glucoside but this anthocyanin was not identified in the other two cultivars. Instead, Guitang 21 contained 94.6 μg/g DW malvidin-3-p-coumaroyl-rhamnoside-5-glucoside. The rinds of red sugarcane cultivars ROC 22 and Guitang 21 had higher total antioxidant activities than green sugarcane Haitang 22, which was attributed to much higher contents of free and total phenolics. This study provides useful information for the production of valuable nutraceuticals from sugarcane.

The aim of the present study was to investigate structural characteristic and in vitro fermentation of a novel polysaccharide named ST-P2 from Sargassum thunbergii by human fecal inoculums, and its impact on human colonic microbiota. The results showed that ST-P2 was homogeneous with molecular weight of 48,788 Da, and consisted of arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, and mannose. The main linkage types were identified as (1 → 5)-α-L-Araf, (1 → 3)-α-L-Manp, (1 → 3,6)-β-D-Galp, (1 → 6)-α-D-Glcp, and (1 → 3)-β-D-Xylp, respectively. After 48 h fermentation, 67.83 ± 1.15% of total carbohydrate was utilized by colonic microbiota. The pH value in the fecal culture significantly decreased from 6.09 ± 0.11 to 4.70 ± 0.04. The concentrations of total short chain fatty acids, acetic, propionic, n-butyric and n-valeric acids significantly increased compared to the blank. ST-P2 could remarkably modulate the composition and abundance of beneficial microbiota. These results suggest that ST-P2 could potentially be a functional food aimed at promoting the gut health.

Chestnut rose (Rosa Roxburghii) is an endemic fruit in China with many bioactivities. The present study investigated the effect of chestnut rose juice concentrate (CRJC) on the digestibility of normal wheat starch (NWS), with a focus on the interaction between polyphenols and amylose as well as that between polyphenols and porcine pancreatic α-amylase (PPA). NWS was mixed with CRJC and digestibility was determined using Englyst method. The composition of CRJC was analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Molecular dynamics (MD) was used to study the binding between polyphenols and PPA and between polyphenols and amylose. The results showed that CRJC could significantly increase the resistant starch content. The MD results agreed with previous docking and experimental results regarding the inhibitory effects (IEs) of polyphenols (with galloyl and glycosyl group differences) against α-glucosidase. The MD results also showed that complex polyphenols with greater molecular weights or a high number of hydrogen bond donors (HBDs)/acceptors (HBAs) bind in a stronger and more lasting manner with amylose than simple polyphenols. CRJC has the potential to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and molecular simulation can be a supporting tool to study mechanisms in food system.

Increasing evidence indicates that gut microbiota is an important factor in mediating the development of metabolic disorders, especially type 2 diabetes. Herein, we investigated the protective effects of polysaccharides from mulberry fruit on diabetic db/db mice. We observed an inhibition in the body weight increase, a decrease in the blood glucose levels, and an improvement in glucose tolerance. Furthermore, our data showed increased enzymatic activities as evidenced by parameters such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT). In addition, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased, while total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipid peroxide content malonaldehyde (MDA), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels decreased, accompanied by the recovery from damage to the liver, kidneys and pancreas. Meanwhile, metformin and polysaccharide similarly shifted the abundance of the main gut microbiota, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, in diabetic mice toward levels observed in healthy mice. Especially at the genus level, the enrichment of some key bacteria like Bacteroidales, Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Bacteroides, and Akkermansia was observed. Taken together, our findings suggest that polysaccharides from the mulberry fruit modulate gut microbiota, including enriching functional bacteria and reducing microbial diversity, which may contribute to their antidiabetic effects.

The human gut microbiota are mostly regulated and stabilized by available macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) excursed to colonic fermentation. Resistant starch (RS) has been shown to be metabolized to specific short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon associated with proven health benefits. However, the in vitro fecal fermentation outcomes of starch-lipid complexes (i.e., type 5 RS) and its regulation mechanism on gut microbiota are least understood. In this study, debranched high-amylose maize starches complexed with saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were in-vitro fermented by human fecal inocula and evaluated for fermentation rate, beneficial metabolite profiles as well as changes in microbiota composition. The fermentation rate of all starch-lipid complexes tested was similar and slow throughout the whole fermentation process. At the end of fermentation, the propionate concentration was significantly different between starch-lipid complex samples prepared with various SFAs. No significant difference was observed at the first three fermentation time points for the butyrate concentration, with the final concentration range of 27–33 mM. Starch-lipid complexes significantly increased the relative abundance of some beneficial gut microbiota such as Roseburia and Prevotella, and showed a closer distance with high-amylose maize starch and debranched starch rather than SFAs from the principal component analysis. Furthermore, compared with starch-lipid complexes, lauric acid and myristic acid promoted the increase of some apparently harmful gut microbiota, including Bilophila, Fusobacterium and Dialister, while palmitic acid and stearic acid did not show similar phenomenon.

The purpose of this work was to improve the oral bioavailability of a poorly soluble functional food ingredient, the total flavones of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (TFH). A self-microemulsion drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was developed to overcome the problems of poor absorption of TFH in vivo. The optimal SMEDDS significantly enhanced the solubility of TFH up to 530 times compared to that in water. The mean droplet size was 61.76 nm with uniform distribution. And the loaded system was stable at 25 °C for 3 mo with transparent appearance. The in vitro release of TFH from SMEDDS was faster and more complete than that from suspension. After oral administration of TFH–SMEDDS in rats, the relative bioavailability of TFH was dramatically improved for 3.09 times compared with the unencapsulated form. The investigation indicated the potential application of SMEDDS as a vehicle to improve the oral bioavailability of TFH. Practical Application The lipid-based nanotechnology, namely self-microemulsion drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was used to improve the bioavailability and oral delivery of total flavones of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (TFH). The relevant bioavailability of TFH could be remarkably 3-fold improved by the optimized SMEDDS. The SMEDDS produced via a simple one-step process for poorly soluble TFH to achieve a significant improvement in the bioavailability, may endorse the promising utilization of TFH in functional foods as well as pharmaceutical fields with an enhanced absorption in vivo.

Polysaccharides from Gracilaria lemaneiformis possess various beneficial bioactive functions, but the immunomodulatory activity remains incompletely known. In the present study, a new low molecular-weight sulfated polysaccharide named as GLP-2 was isolated from G. lemaneiformis. The chemical composition and structural characteristics of GLP-2 were determined by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), gas chromatography (GC), infrared (IR) spectrum, methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. In addition, the immunomodulatory activity and underlying mechanism of GLP-2 were examined using murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The results indicated GLP-2 could significantly improve the proliferation and pinocytic capability of RAW264.7 cells, and promote the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by activating iNOS, IL-6 and TNF-α gene expressions. These results suggested that GLP-2 could be developed as a potent immunomodulatory agent for use in functional foods and dietary supplements.

Phytochemical profiles, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of berry extracts were evaluated and compared in four subspecies of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). Among the subspecies, Hippophae rhamnoides L. subsp. sinensis exhibited highest total phenolics content (38.7±1.3mgGA equiv./g DW) and corresponding total antioxidant activity. Whereas maximum cellular antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were determined in Hippophae rhamnoides L. subsp. yunnanensis. Total antioxidant activity was significantly associated to total phenolics, isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside and isorhamnetin-3-glucoside. The cellular antioxidant activity and antiproliferative activity of phytochemicals were fairly correlated to phenolic acids and flavonoid aglycones. Lower median effective dose (EC50) of individual compounds against human liver cancer HepG2 cells proliferation studies confirmed the better correlation between antiproliferative activity of Sea buckthorn extracts and flavonoid aglycones, including isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol.

Wrightia laevis Hook. f. is a great tree of Apocynaceae. It is mainly distributed in Southeast provinces of China and Southeast Asian countries. It is a plant that combines dyestuff and economic value. There is no study on the genome of W. laevisso far. Here we report and characterize the complete plastid genome sequence of W. laevis in order to provide genomic resources useful for promoting its conservation. The complete chloroplast genome of W. laevis is 155,274 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure, consisting of a large single-copy region (LSC, 85,463 bp), a single-copy region (SSC, 18,181 bp) and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,815 bp). There are 133 genes annotated, including 88 unique protein-coding genes, 8 unique ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The overall G/C content in the plastome of W. laevis is 38.05%. The complete plastome sequence of W. laevis will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for phylogenetic studies in Apocynaceae.

Caesalpinia sappan Linnaeus is a great tree of Fabaceae. It is mainly distributed in the Southern provinces of China and Southeast Asian countries. It can be used to extract dyes. The heartwood has...

Morus alba L. is an edible fruit with multiple medical function. To reveal the geographic variation pattern of polysaccharide content in the mulberry fruits and its antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities, the fruit samples were collected and analyzed from seven geographic locations throughout the distribution areas in China. The polysaccharide content in the mulberry fruits ranged from 4.13 ± 0.04% to 1.07 ± 0.07%. All the polysaccharides derived from mulberry fruit showed certain antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities with a significant variation. Significant differences were observed among polysaccharide content, antioxidant activity, and sunshine hours, but no clear geographical or polysaccharide content variation patterns were observed for hypoglycemic activity. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the annual average sunshine hours was significantly correlated to the polysaccharide content and antioxidant activity. According to the polysaccharide contents and bioactivities, certain natural populations of M. alba L. such as Xinjiang, Hunan, and Anhui were recommended for food and medical use in future. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Morus alba L. belonging to the family Moraceae, is cultivated across an extensive range of geographical, climatic, and soil conditions. Polysaccharides from mulberry fruit have been proved to have the function of enhancing immunity, antiaging, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and hypoglycemic effects with no toxic record in clinic. It has been reported that the phytochemicals accumulation in plants is greatly affected by genetic, climatic, and harvesting factors during the growing period. We revealed the geographic variation pattern of polysaccharide content in the mulberry fruits and its antioxidant activity. Based on the polysaccharide contents and bioactivities, certain natural populations of M. alba L. such as Xinjiang, Hunan, and Anhui were recommended for food and medical use in future. The information obtained by this study could be useful for the selection of natural populations with adequate polysaccharide content, as well as high food and medical use for M. alba L.

The present study was designed to analyze and compare phytochemical activities of four different cultivars of kiwifruit. Among all investigated varieties, Hua You (HY) and Cui Xiang (CUX) displayed the maximum concentration of phytochemical content, and the highest total phenolic results were observed in HY and CUX cultivars with 220.20 ± 1.12 mg GAE/100 g and 218.04 ± 1.11 mg GAE/100 g FW, respectively. Likewise, the richest total flavonoids results were estimated in red kiwifruit (RKF) and CUX varieties with 49.082 ± 0.14 mg CE/100 g FW and 48.327 ± 0.14 mg CE/100 g FW, respectively. Moreover, tests for oxygen radical scavenging capacity (ORAC) and peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) were observed maximum in RKF cultivar showing 131.229 ± 5.91 μM Trolox equivalent/g FW and 85.957 ± 11.75 μM vitamin C equivalent/g FW, respectively. Furthermore, the highest cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) with No PBS wash protocol was depicted in RKF 237.544 ± 4.12 μM QE equivalent/g FW with the lowest EC50 0.0128 mg/ml. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis confirmed the presence of ferulic acid, naringin, gallic acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, protocatechuic acid, salicylic acid, and catechin in kiwifruit. Catechin as one main content in our study is consistent with the recent reports. The result suggested that the phytochemical profile and bioactivities were significantly affected by the type of cultivars. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Kiwifruit is widely consumed over the world for its rich nutritious and medicinal values. Currently, phytochemicals are considered as one of the main bioactive components of kiwifruits, which are responsible for lots of bioactivities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. There are varieties of kiwifruits, and the bioactive components and bioactivities are greatly affected by the cultivars. But there have been no comparative studies on the phytochemicals from different varieties. This study aimed to make a comprehensive assessments of the free, bound, and total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as the chemical-based and cell-based antioxidant activities of four different subspecies of kiwifruit. This work would be beneficial to elucidate the function differences of different kiwifruit phytochemicals, promote its further research, as well as provide a basis for selecting cultivars.

Resistant starch (RS) acylated with propionate groups is of particular interest in terms of their capacity to deliver specific short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to the colon with health benefits. In the present study, we fabricated propionylated high-amylose maize starches with different degrees of substitution (DS), and monitored the in vitro human fecal fermentation profiles. Propionylated modification did not change the slow gas production properties of high-amylose maize starch throughout the whole fermentation period. The final concentration of propionate (13.68–21.10 mM) produced by propionylated starch fermentation enhanced gradually with increase of DS value, resulting from the release of introduced propionyl groups. Certain beneficial gut microbiota such as Roseburia, and Blautia were obviously promoted, suggesting that propionylated starch could regulate the composition of gut microbiota. The results may facilitate the design and manufacture of functional food products with the aim of improving colonic health.

The concept of “enterotype” has been proposed to differentiate the gut microbiota between individual humans, and different dominant bacteria utilize fiber substrates with different fermentation properties and microbial changes. In this study, we made propionylated high-amylose maize starch and investigated both in vitro fecal fermentation properties and microbial responses by individual Bacteroides-dominated enterotype inocula. Propionyl group substitution of HAMS did not significantly change gas production profiles, suggesting that the gas production during fermentation is independent of propionylation. The final concentration of released propionate significantly increased (10.26–12.60 mM) as a function of propionylation degree, suggesting that the introduced propionyl groups can increase the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) during colonic fermentation. At the genus level, Bacteroides was obviously promoted for all donors with the final abundance in the range of 0.1–0.24, indicating that propionylated high-amylose maize starch changed the structure and abundance of microbiota compared to unmodified starch. Besides, the non-metric dimensional scoring (NMDS) plots showed that those changes were related to the initial microbiota composition. The results may offer useful information for the design of personalized food products and relevant therapies at least within Bacteroides-dominated enterotype.

This research aimed to screen potential α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) from Sargassum pallidum, Ecklonia kurome, Hizikia fusiforme and Undaria pinnatifida Suringar. Acetone was the best solvent to extract polyphenolic compounds in brown seaweeds with high total phenolic content. After concentrating with AB-8 macroporous resin, the enriched EtOH extract of Hizikia fusiforme extracts (HFEE) had the highest total phenolic content with 60.2 mg GAE/g E. The enriched acetone extract of Sargassum pallidum (SPEA) indicated the best α-glucosidase inhibitory effect with IC50 value of 270.7 μg/mL. A total of 21 potential α-glucosidase inhibitors were separated from four brown seaweed extracts by ultrafiltration, and included 2 phenolic acids, 5 terpenes, 4 flavonoids, 5 fatty acids, 3 simple phenolic compound, 1 ester and 1 other compound. The main constituents were palmitic acid (0.40–1.21 mg/g), poricoic acid A (0.58–1.62 mg/g), n-hexacosyl caffeate-hexose (0.92–2.37 mg/g), quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (1.02 mg/g in SPEA) and 6- gingerol (1.06–1.87 mg/g). Molecular docking has showed that poricoic acid A and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide could bind the active sites of α-glucosidase and form 4 and 6 hydrogen bonds in ligand-enzyme complex, and then caused the inhibition activity on α-glucosidase. The results showed the significant potential of Sargassum pallidum to be explored as AGIs.

Little work has been conducted on the evaluation of antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of different sesame seed varieties. This article compared the total phenolics, antioxidant contents, and the antiproliferative activities of six varieties of white sesame seeds. Total contents of phenolics and flavonoids ranged between 370.5–786.8 mg GAE/100 g, DW and 714.0–1354.7 mg CE/100 g, DW, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), hydrogen peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assays. According to the ORAC and PSC assays, the white sesame seeds showed high antioxidant values of 33.94 μmol Trolox equiv./g, DW and 9.39 μmol Vit. C equiv./g, DW, respectively. The free CAA values ranged from 55.66 to 224.45 μmol QE/100 g, DW in the no PBS wash protocol, and 21.88–57.36 μmol QE/100 g, DW in the PBS wash protocol. The proliferation of HepG2 human liver cancer cells were inhibited significantly after exposure to the white sesame seed extracts, with EC50 of antiproliferative activities ranging from 102.54 to 43.92 mg mL−1. Free phenolics make a major contribution to total phenolic content, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. This study suggested that white sesame seeds are potential sources of functional food to prevent chronic diseases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammation effects of blueberry extracts through NLRP3 inflammasome. The anti-inflammation activities of blueberry extracts were detected using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated the mononuclear macrophage (RAW264.7), and then detected the gene expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, apoptosis-associated specked-like protein (ASC) and inflammatory factor including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS. Blueberry extracts could significantly inhibit the gene expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS, but the inhibitions were showed differently among the varieties of Blomidom (BD), North Country (NC) and JK-M7 (JK). The protein expressions of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the blueberry treated groups were significantly lower than the LPS treated group. Quercetin significantly inhibited LPS-induced ROS and inhibited the mRNA expression and protein levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

Phenolics, antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of Sea buckthorn berries were evaluated using a simulated in vitro digestion and compared with a chemical extraction method. Digested samples were subjected to antiproliferation evaluation against human liver, breast and colon cancer cells. Furthermore, the bioaccessibility of digested berries was evaluated using a Caco-2 cell culture model. Results revealed that after enzymatic digestion the phenolic compounds were quite different from the chemical extracts, more flavonoid aglycones were released, whereas less total phenolics, phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides were detected. Although the extracellular antioxidant activity of the digesta was lower than that of extracts, the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and antiproliferative effects of berries were significantly enhanced by digestion. This was attributed to their higher flavonoid aglycone content and could be verified by testing individual active compounds, suggesting that the cellular uptake of samples might be improved, which was also certified by the Caco-2 cell uptake model. The digested samples showed an almost 5-fold cellular accumulative amount of isorhamnetin than pure isorhamnetin, which was attributed to the significant down regulation of the mRNA expression level of efflux transporters MRP2 and P-gp. This finding indicated that the digestion enhanced the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds of berries.

Prunella vulgaris polysaccharides have been reported to have antioxidant, antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. In this study, P. vulgaris polysaccharide (P1)-zinc complex (P1-Zn) was first prepared by a facile method and its antiproliferative effect on HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells was also investigated. Results showed that P1-Zn could effectively inhibit the proliferation (98.4% inhibition rate at 500μg/mL) of HepG2 cells through induction of apoptosis, evidenced by morphological changes, chromatin condensation and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest. The intracellular mechanism of P1-Zn induced apoptosis was found to be the involvement of the activation of caspase-3 and -9, reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings suggest that P1-Zn may be a potent candidate for human hepatocellular carcinoma treatment and prevention in functional foods and pharmacological fields.

A method based on simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) was developed for the analysis of volatile profiles in soy sauce. Its optimum operating conditions were as follows: 100 mL soy sauce plus 100 mL saturated brine; 2 h extraction using 50 mL dichloromethane. Eighty-eight volatile compounds were identified. Of these, 26 aroma-active compounds were detected by GC-O including 3-(methylthio)propanal, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-methylbutanoic acid, 2,3-butanedione, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and 2-methyl-1-butanol (which occurred at a high odor intensity in both high-salt liquid-state fermentation soy sauce (HLFSS) and low-salt solid-state fermentation soy sauce (LSFSS). SDE analysis of the odorless soy sauce indicated 12 volatiles (mainly Strecker aldehydes and α-dicarbonyl compounds). Thus, the proportions of these compounds (1.94–54.07 %) shown in previous GC-MS results could result from thermal degradation of non-volatile compounds in soy sauce. Especially, the contribution of 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, phenylacetaldehyde, 3-(methylthio)propanal, and 2,3-butanedione to the aroma of soy sauce could be overestimated by conventional SDE-GC-O. With a full consideration of such limitations, this study will improve the application of SDE on aroma analysis of complex food matrix.

Flaxseed is one of the richest seed sources of lignan and other bioactive compounds. The present study characterized lignan biosynthesis and potential health benefits in flaxseeds during 10-day germination. The transcription levels of lignan biosynthesis, along with variation of bioactivities, including cellular antioxidant activity and antiproliferative activity of flaxseed sprouts during germination, were studied. The results showed that 8-day germination brought about a 6.3-fold increase in secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and 4.5-fold increase in secoisolariciresinol compared to ungerminated flaxseeds. The highest amount of total phenolics and total flavonoids were found in 10-day geminated flaxseed, namely a 5.6-fold and 55-fold increase compared to ungerminated flaxseed. Transcription analysis revealed that five key-encoding genes in the lignan biosynthetic pathway were up-regulated during germination. Furthermore, the highest antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were found on day 10. These findings suggest that germination for 8-10 days leads to optimal lignan production and potential health benefits if incorporated into the human diet.