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Mangifera odorata, or known as “kuini” in Malay, is considered an underutilised climacteric tropical fruit. Recent studies had suggested that the by-products of M. odorata may serve as functional food ingredients based on their nutritional values and biological activities. Thus, the present work was aimed to determine the nutritional composition, antidiabetic properties through α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition assays, and phytochemical profiling of M. odorata pulp using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS). Proximate analyses found that M. odorata pulp contained high amounts of soluble fibre and moisture. The main sugar in the pulp was identified as sucrose, while ß-carotene, potassium, calcium, iron, and zinc were the major vitamins and minerals. The extraction of the sample in water, acetone, methanol, and ethanol were performed for the determination of antidiabetic assay. The results showed that 60% of ethanolic extract had the highest α-amylase inhibitory activity among the four extraction solvents. The findings revealed high levels of mangiferin in the active extract, which may be responsible for the α-amylase inhibition activity, thus contributing to lower post-prandial blood glucose. The present work provides evidence on the nutritional benefits of M. odorata pulp, as well as the potential use of its ethanolic extract as an α-amylase inhibitor.

Ergogenic property is the ability to enhance capacity for physical activities through efficient production of energy and is potentially beneficial in weight management for the obese. In this study, ergogenic property of Morinda citrifolia leaf's extract (MCL) was evaluated using AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and high fat diet-induced obese rats. Findings from the study showed that MCL demonstrated ergogenic activity via enhancement of AMPK activity using L6 skeletal muscle cell line. Interestingly, the result also revealed that rats treated with the intermediate dosage of MCL experienced the lowest % weight gain. The rats fed the highest dose of 200 mg/kg BW MCL demonstrated the longest swimming time of approximately three times that of green tea and caffeine-fed rats. The highest dose fed rats were also found to have lower glucose and lactate levels, suggesting that energy metabolism was more effective in these rats. In addition, lactate dehydrogenase and creatinine kinase activities, the muscle injury indicators, were found to be the lowest in rats fed the highest MCL dose. The same effect was not seen in rats fed either caffeine or green tea, indicating that MCL treatment is may be protective of the rats' muscles. It was also shown that MCL consisted of various flavonoids with epicatechin, catechin, and quercetin that may be responsible for the effects measured. In conclusion, improvements were seen in rats fed MCL in terms of weight management, endurance capacity, energy metabolism, and muscle injury parameters. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Results of the study revealed that Morinda citrifolia leaf has great potential to be used as functional ingredient in the development of designer food/drink as ergogenic aid for both obese and non-obese individuals. Morinda citrifolia leaf could help in the weight management of obese people and enhance endurance capacity and energy metabolism in active individuals.

Glutens are potential proteins with multifunctional therapeutic effects. Their covalence network structures with and without protease inhibitors are expected to enhance or to serve further properties and further technological points such as increased bioactive surfaces, gelatinization, gelation and pasting properties. The depletion of the allergic peptide sequences of gluten proteins comprising sometimes protease inhibitors are valid via the enzymatic ingestion using proteolytic enzymes that might enhance these functional and technological processes by producing active peptides having osmoregulation and regular glass transitions, surface activity for coating and encapsulation properties. In addition to further therapeutic functions such as immunoregulatory, antithrombin and opioidal activities, particularly in eradicating most of the free radicals, suppressing diabetes Mellitus II complications and inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme cardiovascular growth diseases.

The present study describes the antioxidant effect, glucose uptake activity and cytotoxicity of Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) leaf extract using cell lines. Results of the study revealed that 60% ethanolic ML extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity with total phenolics and flavonoid contents of 354 mg GAE/g DW and 313 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g DW, respectively. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was found to be 294.3 mM Fe (II) /g. The study showed that, ML leaf extract stimulated fluorescent d-glucose analog 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-NBDG) uptakes by both 3t3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells, showing significant increase in a dose dependent way. Interestingly, cytotoxic activity of the extract conducted against 3t3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 using the 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, showed high activity against HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells with IC 50 of 20.33 ± 1.5 μg/mL and 13.7 ± 2.1 μg/mL after exposure of 48 h and 72 h, respectively. However, ML extract was inactive against 3t3-L1 cell line with IC 50 values of 93 ± 3 μg/mL and 81 ± 2 μg/mL. The results ascertained the significance of ML as a medicinal plant with prodigious applications as an anti-diabetic as well as anti-cancer agents.

Several bioactive compounds from microalgae have demonstrated diverse biological activities with positive effects on human health. However, the potential of bioactive peptides as functional foods is still undervalued. Therefore, the exploration of microalgae strains as sources of bioactive peptides could reveal strong and unique bioactivities, especially when these marine sources have never been explored before. For this aim, protein extracts from six indigenous marine diatoms were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using four proteases (flavourzyme, pepsin, papain and trypsin). The hydrolysates were then tested for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)‐inhibitory, antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. Results showed that papain hydrolysates from all microalgae strains exhibited strong ACE‐inhibitory activities and antioxidant properties. In particular, protein hydrolysates from Bellerochea malleus were found to reduce blood pressure properties of 17 mmHg after 5 days of oral administration to SHR animals. These results revealed the potential of bioactive peptides from indigenous marine diatoms for use as functional foods or nutraceuticals.

The demand for food bioactive ingredients from natural sources with low cost and broad range of applications is extremely increasing. In this study, five date varieties marketed in Malaysia were evaluated for their potential applications as functional food ingredients. The date fruits were extracted with 80% ethanol, and biological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-elastase activity were determined by referenced methods. Results of the study showed that the date variety Piyarom demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 11.3 µg/ mL), strong antibacterial activity towards tested pathogens that was ranged in 62-76 %, and strong anti-elastase activities (61.2±4.9%). The varieties Ajwa and Anbar showed moderate antioxidant and antibacterial activity, while Deglet Nour and Rabbi exhibited low activities. The results revealed high potential of Piyarom extract to be used as ingredient for functional food applications and fulfilled the high demand for natural functional food ingredients.

In the present study, the alcalase-generated proteolysates obtained after 8 h of proteolysis of stone fish flesh showed the most potent antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH• radical scavenging activity (77.43%, IC50 of 0.5 mg/mL), ABTS• radical scavenging activity (92.73%, IC50 of 0.33 mg/mL) and FRAP value (39.2 mmol/100 mL FeSO4). These proteolysates profiled and characterized as antioxidative peptides. The proteolysates were initially subjected to ultrafiltration using MWCO Spin-X UF. Potent fractions were further characterized based on hydrophobicity using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and isoelectric point using an OFFGEL isoelectric focusing fractionator. Results indicated that most of the antioxidative peptides found in fractions with a molecular weight (MW) of less than 2 kDa, hydrophilic (hydrophilicity >80%) and basic (pI = 9.7). The final purified fraction with the highest antioxidant activity was selected for peptide identification and sequencing using Q-TOF mass spectrometry. A total of four peptides were identified, from which Peptide 1 (GVSGLHID) showed the highest antioxidant activity and this has potential as a novel bioingredient of nutraceuticals and functional foods to promote human health.

The present work aimed to compare the main ergogenic attributes of two commercialized stages (young and mature) of coconut water (CW) obtained from four coconut varieties. The changes of electrolytes and sugars in CW upon maturation were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Based on the electrolyte profiling, potassium yielded the highest amount (ranging from 237.41 to 361.20 mg/100 mL) followed by sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, selenium, and zinc across all the maturity stages tested. For sugars, there were lower amounts of fructose and glucose, but a higher amount of sucrose with the maturation of the fruits. In conclusion, the amount of beneficial nutrients in the form of sugars and minerals was higher than that of young CW, and the ergogenic attributes of mature CW especially from MATAG variety (M-MATAG) were the best to be exploited further in the development of natural energy drinks.

Fatigue increases oxidative stress which damages body cells and increases the risk for the development of various chronic diseases. In this study, the anti-fatigue activity of Piyarom date extract was evaluated in fatigue-induced rats using a forced swimming test (FST). Results showed that rats treated with 500 mg/kg BW date extract exhibited enhanced energy production with a highest endurance capacity (632.9±28.7 min). The date-treated rats also had lower blood lactate, indicating efficient energy utilization with lower fatigue as compared to normal and fatigued rats. Moreover, the serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in 250 and 500 mg/kg BW date extracts and caffeine groups were significantly lower compared to the fatigued rats. Creatine kinase activity was the lowest in the group fed with 500 mg/kg BW date extract. The treated rats showed an amelioration of lipid profiles, while the histological study revealed improvement in various organs. Rats treated with 500 mg/kg BW date extract demonstrated an enhancement in energy production and improved energy metabolism which could be due to the presence of bioactive compounds in the dates. Piyarom date extract demonstrated anti-fatigue property and could be used as a functional ingredient in the development of beverages or snacks that address fatigue associated maladies.

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by continuous hyperglycemia associated with insulin resistance and /or reduced insulin secretion. There is an emerging trend regarding the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) is one of the Melicope species belonging to the family Rutaceae. In traditional medicines, its leaves and flowers are known to exhibit prodigious health benefits. The present study aimed at investigating anti-diabetic effect of Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) leaves extract. Methods In this study, anti-diabetic effect of ML extract is investigated in vivo to evaluate the biochemical changes, potential serum biomarkers and alterations in metabolic pathways pertaining to the treatment of HFD/STZ induced diabetic rats with ML extract using 1H NMR based metabolomics approach. Type 2 diabetic rats were treated with different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg BW) of Melicope lunu-ankenda leaf extract for 8 weeks, and serum samples were examined for clinical biochemistry. The metabolomics study of serum was also carried out using 1H NMR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis to explore differentiating serum metabolites and altered metabolic pathways. Results The ML leaf extract (400 mg/kg BW) treatment significantly increased insulin level and insulin sensitivity of obese diabetic rats, with concomitant decrease in glucose level and insulin resistance. Significant reduction in total triglyceride, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein was also observed after treatment. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in high density lipoprotein of the treated rats. A decrease in renal injury markers and activities of liver enzymes was also observed. Moreover, metabolomics studies clearly demonstrated that, ML extract significantly ameliorated the disturbance in glucose metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Conclusion ML leaf extract exhibits potent antidiabetic properties, hence could be a useful and affordable alternative option for the management of T2DM.

In recent years, medicinal plants have gained much attention as potential source of bioactives for the development of novel herbal drugs for primary healthcare. However, phytotherapeutic mechanisms of action of phytomedicines need to be explored comprehensively. Out of the available strategies for the said purpose, metabolomics is one, which results in the production of inclusive metabolite profiles providing a clear understanding of diagnostic changes in the levels of metabolites, leading to therapeutic monitoring of drug targets through the elucidation of metabolomic pathways. On the other hand, proteomics is also a powerful strategy to deal with systematic protein expression analysis and analyze different biomarkers compared to metabolomics during drug treatment. Currently, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography equipped with mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography coupled with MS and ultra-performance liq...

Herbs that are usually recognized as medicinal plants are well known for their therapeutic effects and are traditionally used to treat numerous diseases, including aging. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolite variations among six selected herbs namely Curcurma longa, Oenanthe javanica, Vitex negundo, Pluchea indica, Cosmos caudatus and Persicaria minus using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) coupled with multivariate data analysis (MVDA). The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The anti-aging property was characterized by anti-elastase and anti-collagenase inhibitory activities. The results revealed that P. minus showed the highest radical scavenging activities and anti-aging properties. The partial least squares (PLS) biplot indicated the presence of potent metabolites in P. minus such as quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin), myricetin derivatives, catechin, isorhamnetin, astragalin and apigenin. It can be concluded that P. minus can be considered as a potential source for an anti-aging ingredient and also a good free radical eradicator. Therefore, P. minus could be used in future development in anti-aging researches and medicinal ingredient preparations.

We evaluated the acute (single-dose) and subacute (repeated-dose) oral toxicity of alcalase-hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate. Our acute study revealed no death or treatment-related complications, and the median lethal dose of whey protein concentrate hydrolysate was >2,500 mg/kg. In the subacute study, when the hydrolysate was fed at 3 different concentrations (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg), no groups showed toxicity changes compared with controls. Then, whey protein concentrate hydrolysate was orally administered to spontaneously hypertensive rats. Results revealed significant reductions in blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner, and dosing at 400 mg/kg led to significant blood pressure reduction (−47.8 mm Hg) compared with controls (blood pressure maintained) and the findings of previous work (−21 mm Hg). Eight peptides—RHPEYAVSVLLR, GGAPPAGRL, GPPLPRL, ELKPTPEGDL, VLSELPEP, DAQSAPLRVY, RDMPIQAF, and LEQVLPRD—were sequentially identified and characterized. Of the peptides, VLSELPEP and LEQVLPRD showed the most prominent in vitro angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibition with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of 0.049 and 0.043 mM, respectively. These findings establish strong evidence for the in vitro and in vivo potential of whey protein concentrate hydrolysate to act as a safe, natural functional food ingredient that exerts antihypertensive activity.

Introduction Natural products are obtaining much acceptance as ergogenic aid, not only among athletes but also among the general population including people with excess body fat. Under normal circumstances, an obese person will have the desire and ability to exercise reduced; mainly because they are easily fatigued. Thus, they need to boost their energy production so that they can be more active and healthier. Objective In this present work, Morinda citrifolia L. leaf extract (MLE) which is believed to possess ergogenic property, was evaluated on its effect on an obese animal model using 1 H-NMR based metabolomics. Material and methods Rats were fed with high fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks for obese development. Once this was achieved, all the rats underwent endurance exercise (forced swimming test) every 2 weeks for 8 weeks together with treatment. The time to exhaustion was recorded for each rat. Three different dosages of MLE: 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of body weight were used together with two positive controls: 5 mg/kg caffeine and 100 mg/kg green tea. Blood was collected before and after treatments for metabolomics study. Results Findings showed that feeding the rats at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight MLE significantly prolonged the exhaustive swimming time of the rats, and altered the metabolites present in their serum. Discriminating metabolites involved were the product of various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, lipids metabolism and energy metabolism. Treatment with 200 mg/kg body weight MLE resulted in significant improvement in the metabolic perturbations where the proximity of the obese exercised treated group to that of normal exercised group in the partial least squares discriminant analysis score plot was observed. Conclusion The present work demonstrated ergogenic property of MLE based on the improved metabolic perturbation in exercised obese rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential for developing probiotic beverage using jackfruit juice via lacto-fermentation with Lactobacillus casei ATCC334. The viable cells count was significantly (p

The main objective of this study was to improve the antioxidant properties of parboiled wheat noodles (salted and yellow alkaline noodles) by adding different concentrations of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) into the noodle formulations (0, 0.75, and 1.50%) in order to produce the acceptable new product. The total phenolic contents and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity varied from 4.07 to 8.61 mg GAE/g and from 23.20 to 95.16%, respectively. The white salted noodle fortified with 1.50% PPE had the highest antioxidant activity among all prepared noodles. The fortified noodles showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences in terms of color and textural properties as compared to the control noodle. The fortified white salted noodles had a light brown color with a soft texture, whereas the fortified yellow alkaline noodles were substantially darker and harder than the white salted noodles. The fortified white noodles had a shorter optimum cooking time than the yellow noodles. The addition of PPE to the formulation of both noodles led to a reduction of pH. The current study revealed that the fortified noodles had more homogeneous and compact microstructure than the control noodle. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the overall acceptability of both fortified noodles.

Actinopyga lecanora, commonly known as sea cucumber, is a rich protein source. This marine protein source was hydrolyzed using six proteases to generate anti-inflammatory hydrolysates and bioactive peptides. Bromelain hydrolysates after 1 h hydrolysis exhibited the highest nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity reflecting anti-inflammatory activity. A sequence of two fractionation methods was employed to fractionate the peptides based on their hydrophobicity using a semi-preparative RP-HPLC and isoelectric points using isoelectric focusing technique. Based on these fractionation methods, basic peptides with relatively higher hydrophobicity provided higher NO-inhibitory activity than did acidic peptides. Furthermore, using Q-TOF mass spectrometry; 12 peptide sequences were successfully identified. The inhibitory effect of the purified peptides from A. lecanora on NO production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was investigated. The three identified bioactive peptides, namely LRE...

Pomegranate peel is a rich source of phenolic compounds (such as punicalagin and hydroxybenzoic acids). However, the content of such bioactive compounds in the peel extract can be affected by extraction type and condition. It was hypothesized that the optimization of a pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE) technique could result in the pomegranate peel extract with higher yield and antioxidant activity. The main goal was to optimize PUAE condition resulting in the highest yield and antioxidant activity as well as the highest contents of punicalagin and hydroxybenzoic acids. The operation at the intensity level of 105W/cm(2) and duty cycle of 50% for a short time (10min) had a high efficiency for extraction of phenolics from pomegranate peel. The application of such short extraction can save the energy and cost of the production. Punicalagin and ellagic acid were the most predominant phenolic compounds quantified in the pomegranate peel extract (PPE) from Malas variety. PPE contained a minor content of gallic acid.

Diabetes mellitus is normally characterized by chronic hyperglycemia associated with disturbances in the fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. There is an increasing trend of using natural products instead of synthetic agents as alternative therapy for disorders due to their fewer side effects. In this study, antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of different Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) ethanolic extracts were evaluated using inhibition of α-glucosidase and 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals scavenging activity, respectively; whereas, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1) H NMR) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-MS/MS) techniques were used for metabolite profiling of ML leaf extracts at different concentrations of ethanol and water. Sixty percent of ethanolic ML extract showed highest inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase enzyme (IC50 of 37 μg/mL) and DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 of 48 μg/mL). Antidiabetic effect of ML extracts was also evaluated in vivo and it was found that the high doses (400 mg/Kg BW) of ML extract exhibited high suppression in fasting blood glucose level by 62.75%. The metabolites responsible for variation among ML samples with variable ethanolic levels have been evaluated successfully using (1) H-NMR-based metabolomics. The principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares(PLS) analysis scores depicted clear and distinct separations into 4 clusters representing the 4 ethanolic concentrations by PC1 and PC2, with an eigenvalue of 69.9%. Various (1) H-NMR chemical shifts related to the metabolites responsible for sample difference were also ascribed. The main bioactive compounds identified attributing toward the separation included: isorhamnetin, skimmianine, scopoletin, and melicarpinone. Hence, ML may be used as promising medicinal plant for the development of new functional foods, new generation antidiabetic drugs, as a single entity phytomedicine or in combinational therapy.

Stichopus horrens is the most popular species of sea cucumber due to strong beliefs of its numerous medicinal properties. In this study, ACE-inhibitory peptides of S. horrens generated through enzymatic hydrolysis using Alcalase were isolated. Three peptides EVSQGRP, CRQNTLGHNTQTSIAQ and VSRHFASYAN were found to exhibit high inhibition potency with IC50 values of 0.05, 0.08 and 0.21 mM, respectively. It was found that the EVSQGRP, VSRHFASYAN and SAAVGSP exhibiting mixed inhibition patterns were susceptible to degradation by ACE as well, suggesting that the mixed-mode inhibition could be a result of new generated peptide fragments while CRQNTLGHNTQTSIAQ inhibited ACE in a non-competitive manner. In-vivo ACE inhibition studies showed that 400 mg/kg of Alcalase-generated proteolysate stabilized the blood pressure in normotensive rats. These results suggest that the hydrolysed protein components of S. horrens possess bioactive peptides that can be exploited as functional food ingredients against hypertension.

Background Cosmos caudatus is an annual plant known for its medicinal value in treating several health conditions, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and total phenolic content of the leaf aqueous ethanolic extracts of the plant at different growth stages (6, 8. 10, 12 and 14 weeks) were determined in an effort to ascertain the best time to harvest the plant for maximum medicinal quality with respect to its glucose-lowering effects. Methods The aqueous ethanolic leaf extracts of C. caudatus were characterized by NMR and LC-MS/MS. The total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity were evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and α-glucosidase inhibitory assay, respectively. The statistical significance of the results was evaluated using one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s post hoc test, and correlation among the different activities was performed by Pearson’s correlation test. NMR spectroscopy along with multivariate data analysis was used to identify the metabolites correlated with total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the C. caudatus leaf extracts. Results It was found that the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and total phenolic content of the optimized ethanol:water (80:20) leaf extract of the plant increased significantly as the plant matured, reaching a maximum at the 10th week. The IC50 value for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (39.18 μg mL− 1) at the 10th week showed greater potency than the positive standard, quercetin (110.50 μg mL− 1). Through an 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach, the 10-week-old samples were shown to be correlated with a high total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. From the partial least squares biplot, rutin and flavonoid glycosides, consisting of quercetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, and quercetin 3-O-xyloside, were identified as the major bioactive metabolites. The metabolites were identified by NMR spectroscopy (J-resolve, HSQC and HMBC experiments) and further supported by dereplication via LC-MS/MS. Conclusion For high phytomedicinal quality, the 10th week is recommended as the best time to harvest C. caudatus leaves with respect to its glucose lowering potential. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2655-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Palm kernel cake protein was hydrolyzed with different proteases namely papain, bromelain, subtilisin, flavourzyme, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin to generate different protein hydrolysates. Peptide content and iron-chelating activity of each hydrolysate were evaluated using O-phthaldialdehyde-based spectrophotometric method and ferrozine-based colorimetric assay, respectively. The results revealed a positive correlation between peptide contents and iron-chelating activities of the protein hydrolysates. Protein hydrolysate generated by papain exhibited the highest peptide content of 10.5 mM and highest iron-chelating activity of 64.8% compared with the other hydrolysates. Profiling of the papain-generated hydrolysate by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography fractionation indicated a direct association between peptide content and iron-chelating activity in most of the fractions. Further fractionation using isoelectric focusing also revealed that protein hydrolysate with basic and neutral isoelectric point (pI) had the highest iron-chelating activity, although a few fractions in the acidic range also exhibited good metal chelating potential. After identification and synthesis of papain-generated peptides, GGIF and YLLLK showed among the highest iron-chelating activities of 56% and 53%, whereas their IC50 were 1.4 and 0.2 μM, respectively.

This study was aimed to generate a valuable protein hydrolysate and bioactive peptides with strong ACE-inhibitory activity in vitro and in vivo from palm kernel cake (PKC) protein. PKC protein was independently hydrolyzed by seven different proteases to produce PKC protein hydrolysates. Among those investigated, papain-produced hydrolysate revealed the highest ACE-inhibitory activity (70.9%). When normotensive rats induced with hypertension were fed the hydrolysate at a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight, their blood pressures stabilized considerably. Fractionation of the protein hydrolysate using RP-HPLC revealed a direct relationship between hydrophobicity and ACE-inhibitory activity. The fractions with relatively higher ACE-inhibitory activity were further fractionated by isoelectric focusing, out of which fractions having neutral and basic charges showing higher ACE-inhibitory activities (77% and 75%, respectively). Nine peptide sequences were identified by Q-TOF mass spectrometry, and their respective ACE-inhibitory activities evaluated. The peptide sequences YLLLK, YGIKVGYAIP, and LPWRPATNVF showed ACE-inhibitory activities of 100%; however, the best IC50 values were observed for YGIKVGYAIP, GIFE and LPWRPATNVF at 1 μM, 3 μM and 20 μM, respectively.

In recent years, food protein-derived hydrolysates have received considerable attention because of their numerous health benefits. Amongst the hydrolysates, those with anti-hypertensive and anti-oxidative activities are receiving special attention as both activities can play significant roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The present study investigated the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities of Actinopyga lecanora (A. lecanora) hydrolysates, which had been prepared by alcalase, papain, bromelain, flavourzyme, pepsin, and trypsin under their optimum conditions. The alcalase hydrolysate showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (69.8%) after 8 h of hydrolysis while the highest anti-oxidative activities measured by 2,2-diphenyl 1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) (56.00%) and ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) (59.00%) methods were exhibited after 24 h and 8 h of hydrolysis, respectively. The ACE-inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities displayed dose-dependent trends, and increased with increasing protein hydrolysate concentrations. Moreover, strong positive correlations between angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities were also observed. This study indicates that A. lecanora hydrolysate can be exploited as a source of functional food owing to its anti-oxidant as well as anti-hypertension functions.

Genetic diversity and relationships among 45 collected purslane accessions were evaluated using ISSR markers. The 28 primers gave a total of 167 bands, among which 163 were polymorphic (97.6%). The genetic diversity as estimated by Shannon's information index was 0.513, revealing a quite high level of genetic diversity in the germplasm. The average number of observed allele, effective allele, expected heterozygosity, polymorphic information content (PIC) and Nei's index were 5.96, 1.59, 0.43, 0.35 and 0.35, respectively. The UPGMA dendrogram based on Nei's genetic distance grouped the whole germplasm into 7 distinct clusters. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 89% of total variation occurred within population, while 11% were found among populations. Based on the constructed dendrogram using ISSR markers those accessions that are far from each other by virtue of genetic origin and diversity index (like Ac1 and Ac42; Ac19 and Ac45; Ac9 and Ac23; Ac18 and A25; Ac24 and Ac18) are strongly recommended to select as parent for future breeding program to develop high yielding and stress tolerant purslane variety in contribution to global food security.

Objectives. Optimizing glycemic control is crucial to prevent type 2 diabetes related complications.Cosmos caudatusis reported to have promising effect in improving plasma blood glucose in an animal model. However, its impact on human remains ambiguous. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness ofC. caudatuson glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes.Materials and Methods. In this randomized controlled trial with two-arm parallel-group design, a total of 101 subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to diabetic-ulam or diabetic controls for eight weeks. Subjects in diabetic-ulam group consumed 15 g ofC. caudatusdaily for eight weeks while diabetic controls abstained from takingC. caudatus.Both groups received the standard lifestyle advice.Results. After 8 weeks of supplementation,C. caudatussignificantly reduced serum insulin (−1.16 versus +3.91), reduced HOMA-IR (−1.09 versus +1.34), and increased QUICKI (+0.05 versus −0.03) in diabetic-ulam group compared with the diabetic controls. HbA1C level was improved although it is not statistically significant (−0.76% versus −0.37%).C. caudatuswas safe to consume.Conclusions.C. caudatussupplementation significantly improves insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Protein hydrolysates produced from different food sources exhibit therapeutic potential and can be used in the management of chronic diseases. This study was targeted to optimise the conditions for the hydrolysis of stone fish protein to produce antioxidant hydrolysates using central composite design (CCD) by response surface methodology (RSM). The stone fish protein was hydrolysed under the optimum predicted conditions defined by pH (6.5), temperature (54°C), E/S ratio (1.5%), and hydrolysis time (360 min). The hydrolysates were then evaluated for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging activity and ferrous ion- (Fe2+-) chelating activity. Results validation showed no significant difference between the experimental values of DPPH• scavenging activity (48.94%) and Fe2+-chelating activity (25.12%) obtained at 54.62% degree of hydrolysis (DH) compared to their corresponding predicted values of 49.79% and 24.08% at 53.08% DH, respectively. The hydrolysates demonstrated non-Newtonian behavior (n<1) with stronger shear-thinning effect and higher viscosities at increasing concentration. Thus, RSM can be considered as a promising strategy to optimise the production of stone fish protein hydrolysates containing antioxidant peptides. It is hoped that this finding will enhance the potential of stone fish protein hydrolysates (SHs) as therapeutic bioactive ingredient in functional foods development.