Search

Cork taint has devastating effects on the aroma and quality of the wine, which can cause an annual loss of may be up to more than one billion dollars. There are many causes of cork taint, but 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA) is a major contributor, giving the wine a wet-moldy smell. This study provided a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, detection, and control/remediation of 2,4,6-TCA. The occurrence and formation mechanisms of 2,4,6-TCA mainly include microbial O-methylation of chlorophenols and chlorination of anisole. The source of 2,4,6-TCA in wine is the cork or other woodworks, but it is also possible to contaminate wine from the environment. Due to the extremely low odor threshold concentration of 2,4,6-TCA, the effective sample pre-enrichment for instrument identification and quantification is more important. The control/remediation strategies of 2,4,6-TCA mainly include eliminating 2,4,6-TCA in cork and removing 2,4,6-TCA from wine by adsorption. Finally, the challenges and possible future research directions in this research field were discussed and proposed.

A large portion of global grape production has been utilized for wine production, accompanied by tremendous pressure to dispose grape pomace. To achieve circular economy, the high-value recycling of grape pomace must be considered. The social level barriers to circular economy promotion are also important constraints, like the acceptability of upcycled products. The main components of grape pomace and their utilization are summarized, and critical reviews of green extraction methods analyzed the key points of grape pomace recycling process to achieve the goal of sustainability in the production process, culminating in discussions of the factors affecting the acceptability of upcycled products. Grape pomace bioactive substances have higher added value. To realize its green extraction, various emerging technologies need to be made a comprehensive choice. Nevertheless, the acceptability of upcycled products is influenced by personal, context and product factors, optimizing them is essential to remove the constraints of circular economy development.

In this study, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was employed to analyze the prevalence of 10 mycotoxins in 140 samples from the Chinese market, aiming to assess the exposure of Chinese individuals to these mycotoxins through the consumption of wine, baijiu, and huangjiu. Mycotoxins were detected in 98% of the samples, with fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN) exhibiting positive rates exceeding 50%. Regarding the exposure of the Chinese population to mycotoxins resulting from alcoholic beverage consumption, fruit wine intake made a relatively significant contribution to aflatoxin exposure, while baijiu showed a relatively significant contribution to ZEN exposure (1.84%). The analysis of the correlation between grape variety, wine region, and mycotoxin content demonstrated that FBs, ZEN, and DON were significantly influenced by grape variety and wine region. This research holds great significance in protecting human life and health, as well as in the production of safer alcoholic beverages.

Color is a crucial sensory indicator of wine quality. However, changes in anthocyanin concentration and profile occur during wine aging, resulting in noticeable reductions in chroma and shifts in hue from purple to brick red. This is because monomeric anthocyanins degrade and derivative anthocyanins form. The rate of color changes can vary depending on complex factors, such as the anthocyanin content of the must, oenological technology, and environmental conditions, which makes the management of red wine color evolution challenging. To address this issue, appropriate winemaking techniques are required to achieve an elegant wine color. This review summarizes the mechanisms related to anthocyanin stability, including glycosylation, acetylation, and derivatization. The review also discusses factors influencing red wine color fading for specific grape varieties and wine appellations, offering time- and cost-efficient techniques to accelerate anthocyanin derivatization and color stabilization.

Quinoa, a globally cultivated “golden grain” belonging to Chenopodium in the Amaranthaceae family, is recognized for being gluten-free, with a balanced amino acid profile and multiple bioactive components, including peptides, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and saponins. The bioactive compounds extracted from quinoa offer multifaceted health benefits, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardiovascular disease (CVD) improvement, gut microbiota regulation, and anti-cancer effects. This review aims to intricately outline quinoa’s nutritional value, functional components, and physiological benefits. Importantly, we comprehensively provide conclusions on the effects and mechanisms of these quinoa-derived bioactive components on multiple cancer types, revealing the potential of quinoa seeds as promising and effective anti-cancer agents. Furthermore, the health-promoting role of quinoa in modulating gut microbiota, maintaining gut homeostasis, and protecting intestinal integrity was specifically emphasized. Finally, we provided a forward-looking description of the opportunities and challenges for the future exploration of quinoa. However, in-depth studies of molecular targets and clinical trials are warranted to fully understand the bioavailability and therapeutic application of quinoa-derived compounds, especially in cancer treatment and gut microbiota regulation. This review sheds light on the prospect of developing dietary quinoa into functional foods or drugs to prevent and manage human diseases.

The mechanisms by which alcohol, alcoholic beverages, and their de-alcoholized derivatives affect animal physiology, metabolism, and gut microbiota have not yet been clarified. The polyphenol, monosaccharide, amino acid, and organic acid contents of four common alcoholic beverages (Chinese Baijiu, beer, Chinese Huangjiu, and wine) and their de-alcoholized counterparts were analyzed. The research further explored how these alcoholic beverages and their non-alcoholic versions affect obesity and gut microbiota, using a high-fat diet bee model created with 2% palm oil (PO). The results showed that wine, possessing the highest polyphenol content, and its de-alcoholized form, particularly when diluted five-fold (WDX5), markedly improved the health markers of PO-fed bees, including weight, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in blood lymphocytes. WDX5 treatment notably increased the presence of beneficial microbes such as Bartonella, Gilliamella, and Bifidobacterium, while decreasing Bombilactobacillus abundance. Moreover, WDX5 was found to closely resemble sucrose water (SUC) in terms of gut microbial function, significantly boosting short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharide metabolism, and associated enzymatic pathways, thereby favorably affecting metabolic regulation and gut microbiota stability in bees.

The microbial community structure associated with wine in a wine-growing region is shaped by diverse ecological factors within that region, profoundly impacting the wine flavor. In wine fermentation, fungi contribute more sensory-active biochemical compounds than bacteria. In this study, we employed amplicon sequencing to measure samples from the spontaneous fermentation process of cabernet sauvignon wines from two wine-growing regions in China to study the diversity and structural evolution of fungi during spontaneous fermentation and analyze the correlation between fungi and volatile compounds. The results showed significant differences in fungal community structure and diversity in cabernet sauvignon musts from different geographical origins, and these differences affected the flavor quality of the wines. As alcoholic fermentation progressed, Saccharomyces became the dominant fungal genus and reshaped the fungal community structure, and the diversity of the fungal community decreased. However, the fungal communities of each wine-growing region remained distinct throughout the fermentation process. Furthermore, the correlation between the fungal community and volatile compounds indicated that wine is a product of fermentation involving multiple fungal genera, and the flavor is influenced by a variety of fungi. Our study enhances the comprehension of fungal communities in Chinese wine-growing regions, explaining the regulatory role of wine-related fungal microorganisms in wine flavor.

Abstract Breast cancer, the most common cancer in women, usually exhibits intrinsic insensitivity to drugs, even without drug resistance. MUC1 is a highly glycosylated transmembrane protein, overexpressed in breast cancer, contributing to tumorigenesis and worse prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism between MUC1 and drug sensitivity still remains unclear. Here, natural flavonoid apigenin was used as objective due to the antitumor activity and wide availability. MUC1 knockout (KO) markedly sensitized breast cancer cells to apigenin cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Both genetical and pharmacological inhibition significantly enhanced the chemosensitivity to apigenin and clinical drugs whereas MUC1 overexpression conversely aggravated such drug resistance. Constitutively re-expressing wild type MUC1 in KO cells restored the drug resistance; however, the transmembrane domain deletant could not rescue the phenotype. Notably, further investigation discovered that membrane-dependent drug resistance relied on the extracellular glycosylated modification since removing O-glycosylation via inhibitor, enzyme digestion, or GCNT3 (MUC1 related O-glycosyltransferase) knockout markedly reinvigorated the chemosensitivity in WT cells, but had no effect on KO cells. Conversely, inserting O-glycosylated sites to MUC1-N increased the drug tolerance whereas the O-glycosylated deletant (Ser/Thr to Ala) maintained high susceptibility to drugs. Importantly, the intracellular concentration of apigenin measured by UPLC and fluorescence distribution firmly revealed the increased drug permeation in MUC1 KO and BAG-pretreated cells. Multiple clinical chemotherapeutics with small molecular were tested and obtained the similar conclusion. Our findings uncover a critical role of the extracellular O-glycosylation of MUC1-N in weakening drug sensitivity through acting as a barrier, highlighting a new perspective that targeting MUC1 O-glycosylation has great potential to promote drug sensitivity and efficacy.

IntroductionIndigenous yeasts are generally found in grapes, vineyards, and natural environments. Sequential inoculation and fermentation with non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (H30) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YT13) also improve the flavor of wine.MethodsThis study sequentially inoculated fermented Petit Manseng and natural grape juice with native H30 and YT13 selected from vineyards in Yantai, China.Results and discussionThe sensory characteristics of Petit Manseng wine were evaluated by detecting the primary organic acids, phenolic acid compounds, and volatile ester compounds. The results showed that the lactic acid content of the natural wine fermented sequentially with H30 and YT13 increased by 490 μg/L compared with the control group, while the ferulic acid content was 1.4 times that of the single-yeast fermentation group. Furthermore, butyrolactone and anthocyanidin propionate were present in the mixed fermentation group, increasing the aroma complexity of Petit Manseng wine and providing high-quality yeast resources that increase the regional characteristics when producing dry white wine.

Coconut oil (CO) and its main ingredients, medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), present many benefits. Whether MCFA and CO play an equally valuable role in anti-obesity remains unclear. This study compared the anti-obesity effects of CO and MCFA [octanoic acid (C8:0) and decanoic acid (C10:0)] to gain insight into the underlying mechanism. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either a low-fat diet (LFD) or high-fat diet (100% HFD) replaced with 2.5% MCFA (97.5% HFD + 2.5% MCFA) or 5% CO (95% HFD + 5% CO) for 17 weeks. CO and MCFA ameliorated the HFD-induced abnormal body and adipose depot weights, insulin sensitivity, and energy expenditure (EE), which was associated with brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Furthermore, CO enhanced the expression of thermogenesis markers in BAT, which was consistent with increased BAT activity. CO showed a better effect than MCFA in activating BAT to increase thermogenesis and energy metabolism to combat obesity, which may be attributed to the cooperation of MCFA and other substances in CO. This work provides evidence for the anti-obesity effects of CO, which could be a better alternative to lard in daily diet, rather than pure MCFA.

Chinese Marselan grapes are believed to possess the potential to become a characteristic regional variety, whose quality is internationally recognized. The fermentation-related mycobiota from six climatically diverse Marselan-producing regions in China were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing (HTS), while the influence of environmental factors was evaluated as well. The results implied that the phyla Ascomycota and genus Aureobasidium dominated the fungal communities in 166 Marselan must and fermented samples. Significant differences were detected in the fungal microbiota from the regions, as well as the wineries, while these discrepancies decreased as the fermentation progressed. Moreover, the discrepancy in fungal communities between the wineries exceeded the variation involving the regions. Geoclimatic elements (Gc) and physicochemical indexes (Pi) exerted a significant effect on the fungal must consortium, explaining 58.17% of the taxonomic information. Furthermore, a correlation was proposed between the spontaneous fermentation performance and their association with fungal taxonomic composition. In addition to depicting a fundamental landscape of fungal biogeography patterns across Chinese main wine-producing regions, we firstly proposed the correlation between the must polyphenol content and fungal microbiota, which may provide a new strategy for harnessing autochthonous “microbial terroir.”

The contribution of grape pomace on tannin concentration, tannin composition and aroma profile of Pinot noir wine was studied using different fermentation media to make up four treatments: GJ-P, grape juice plus pomace; MJ-P, model juice plus pomace; GJ, grape juice; MJ, model juice. The MJ-P treatment showed significantly lower amounts of tannins, mean degree of polymerisation (mDP), similar amounts of anthocyanin, and a similar secondary aroma profile compared to the GJ-P treatment. Grape pomace addition significantly increased the tannin concentration in wines. This study was also revealed the importance of phenolics present in grape juice in tannin polymerisation and final tannin concentration in wines. Grape pomace addition significantly reduced some important aroma compounds such as acetate esters (except ethyl acetate), most of the volatile fatty acids, a few ethyl esters and β-damascenone but increased some primary aromas in wines due to the presence of their aroma precursors in skins. Hence, these results indicate that grape pomace may bind or delay the release of some aroma compounds and/or lose these compounds during cap management in GJ-P and MJ-P treatments compared to the respective juice treatments.

Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a new and useful tool, can be used in fermentation to enhance the aroma characteristic qualities of the wine-production region. In this study, we used indigenous S. cerevisiae L59 and commercial S. cerevisiae FX10 to ferment Prince (a new hybrid variety from Lion Winery) wine, detected the basic physicochemical parameters and the dynamic changes of fungal communities during fermentation, and analyzed the correlations between fungal communities and volatile compounds. The results showed that the indigenous S. cerevisiae L59 could quickly adapt to the specific physicochemical conditions and microbial ecology of the grape must, showing a strong potential for winemaking. Compared with commercial S. cerevisiae FX10, the wine fermented by indigenous S. cerevisiae L59 contained more glycerol and less organic acids, contributing to a rounder taste. The results of volatile compounds indicated that the indigenous S. cerevisiae L59 had a positive effect on adding rosy, honey, pineapple and other sweet aroma characteristics to the wine. Overall, the study we performed showed that selection of indigenous S. cerevisiae from the wine-producing region as a starter for wine fermentation is conducive to improving the aroma profile of wine and preserving the aroma of the grape variety.

Summary: The metabolic improvement effect of blueberries has long been recognized, although its precise mechanism(s) remains obscure. Here, we show that phenolic blueberry extract (BE) treatment improved diet- and genetically induced metabolic syndromes, which were linked to increased energy expenditure in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and improved lipid metabolism in the liver via pathways involving the bile acid (BA) receptors TGR5 and FXR. These observations were strongly correlated with the regulation of BAs (e.g., a decrease in the FXR inhibitors TαMCA and TβMCA) and the gut microbiota (GM) (e.g., an expansion of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus), because antibiotic treatment completely blunted the regulation of the GM and BAs and the metabolic effects of BE. We also observed similar results in db/db mice. Furthermore, treating mouse primary cells derived from the liver and BAT with the combinations of BAs mimicking the in vivo alterations upon BE treatment mirrored the in vivo observations in mice. : Nutrition; Obesity Medicine; Microbiome Subject Areas: Nutrition, Obesity Medicine, Microbiome

This study analyzed the interaction between copper and functional substances in wine under different drinking amounts on alcoholic liver injury in mice. When the daily drinking amount reached 500 mL/60 kg/day (14% abv) with just ethyl alcohol, the liver aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and total triglyceride levels of mice were significantly increased to 130.71 U/L, 37.45 U/L, 2.55 U/L, the total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and glutathione level decreased significantly to 1.01 U/mL, 30.20 U/mgprot, and 2.10 U/mgprot, and the liver became gradually damaged. Wine could alleviate and reduce the damage caused by ethyl alcohol well. Low concentrations of copper (0.33, 0.66 mg/L) in wine hardly caused hepatic injury in mice and only significantly improved the aspartate aminotransferase values (109.21 U/L, 127.29 U/L) of serum. Combined with the staining evidence, in the case of medium and high intragastric doses (≥500 mL/60 kg/day), 0.99 mg/L copper (the maximum allowed by China’s national standards) in wine began to damage the liver, indicating that under this concentration, the damage of copper to the liver had begun to exceed the protective effect of wine’s functional substances on alcoholic hepatic injury. At all experimental doses, high concentrations (1.33 mg/L, 2.00 mg/L) of copper significantly aggravated alcoholic hepatic injury in mice, indicating that high concentrations of copper have a great toxicological risk. In the future, it is necessary to further strengthen the control of copper content in wine and the inspection of market wines in order to protect the health of consumers.

Colonization and maturation of the gut microbiota (GM) during early life is a landmark event that fundamentally influences the (early) immunity and later-life health of various mammals. This is a delicate, systematic process that is biologically actively regulated by infants and their mothers, where (secretory) IgA, an important regulator of microbes found in breast milk and generated actively by infants, may play a key role. By binding to microbes, IgA can inhibit or enhance their colonization, influence their gene expression, and regulate immune responses. IgA dysfunction during early life is associated with disrupted GM maturation and various microbe-related diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis and diarrhea, which can also have a lasting effect on GM and host health. This review discusses the process of early GM maturation and its interaction with immunity and the role of IgA (focusing on milk secretory IgA) in regulating this process. The possible application of this knowledge in promoting normal GM maturation processes and immune education has also been highlighted.

Flavonoids have been reported to play an essential role in modulating processes of cellular redox homeostasis such as scavenging ROS. Meanwhile, they also induce oxidative stress that exerts potent antitumor bioactivity. However, the contradiction between these two aspects still remains unclear. In this study, four typical flavonoids were selected and studied. The results showed that low-dose flavonoids slightly promoted the proliferation of breast cancer cells under normal growth via gradually reducing accumulated oxidative products and demonstrated a synergistic effect with reductants NAC or VC. Besides, low-dose flavonoids significantly reduced the content of ROS and MDA induced by LPS or Rosup but restored the activity of SOD. However, high-dose flavonoids markedly triggered the cell death via oxidative stress as evidenced by upregulated ROS, MDA and downregulated SOD activity that could be partly rescued by NAC pretreatment, which was also confirmed by antioxidative gene expression levels. The underlying mechanism of such induced cell death was pinpointed as apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, accumulated mitochondrial superoxide, impaired mitochondrial function and decreased ATP synthesis. Transcriptomic analysis of apigenin and quercetin uncovered that high-dose flavonoids activated TNF-α signaling, as verified through detecting inflammatory gene levels in breast cancer cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, we identified that BRCA1 overexpression effectively attenuated such oxidative stress, inflammation and inhibited ATP synthesis induced by LPS or high dose of flavonoids possibly through repairing DNA damage, revealing an indispensable biological function of BRCA1 in resisting oxidative damage and inflammatory stimulation caused by exogenous factors.

Although using non-Saccharomyces yeasts during alcoholic fermentation can improve the wine aroma, most of them are not ethanol tolerant; therefore, in 2017, this study screened 85 non-Saccharomyces yeasts isolated and identified from 24 vineyards in seven Chinese wine-producing regions, obtaining Pichia terricola strain H5, which displayed 8% ethanol tolerance. Strain H5 was subjected to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and diethyl sulfate (DES) mutagenesis treatment to obtain mutant strains with different fermentation characteristics from the parental H5. Compared with strain H5, the UV-irradiated strains, UV5 and UV8, showed significantly higher ethanol tolerance and fermentation capacity. Modified aroma profiles were also evident in the fermentation samples exposed to the mutants. Increased ethyl caprate, ethyl caprylate, and ethyl dodecanoate content were apparent in the UV5 samples, providing the wine with a distinctly floral, fruity, and spicy profile. Fermentation with strain UV8 produced a high ethyl acetate concentration, causing the wine to present a highly unpleasant odor. To a certain extent, UV irradiation improved the ethanol tolerance and fermentation ability of strain H5, changing the wine aroma profile. This study provides a theoretical basis for the industrial application of non-Saccharomyces yeasts that can improve wine flavor.

The investigation of indigenous wine yeast can facilitate the production of distinctive Beijing wine by providing wineries with more choices in distinctive wine yeasts. Wine yeasts that were isolated from grape must during spontaneous fermentation and from vineyard soil were preliminarily classified by their colony morphologies when cultured on Wallerstein Laboratory Nutrient (WLN) medium and then were identified by 5.8S ITS sequence analysis. Four selected strains were involved in inoculated fermentation tests. The results showed that five yeast species were isolated from the grape must, and five non-Saccharomyces yeast species were found in vineyard soil. The colony morphology of Pichia occidentalis on the WLN medium was described herein for the first time. An effective way which could be used for isolate and select wine yeasts from soil samples on WLN medium was described. And one of the selected indigenous strains shared over 99% similarity on 5.8S ITS sequence with commercial wine yeast, which indicated that commercial yeast might have influenced the local yeast diversity. The two selected indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, which showed good fermentation performances, could be applied in the local wine industry in the future.

Although essential for life, copper is also potentially toxic in concentrations that surpass physiological thresholds. The high-osmolarity glycerol pathway of yeast is the main regulator of adaptive responses and is known to play crucial roles in the responses to various stressors. The objective of this research is to determine whether the HOG pathway could be activated and to investigate the possible interplay of the HOG pathway and oxidative stress due to copper exposure. In this research, we demonstrate that copper could induce oxidative stress, including the elevated concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Increased combination with GSH, increased intracellular SOD activity, and the up-regulation of relevant genes can help cells defend themselves against oxidative toxicity. The results show that copper treatment triggers marked and prolonged Hog1 phosphorylation. Significantly, oxidative stress generated by copper toxicity is essential for the activation of Hog1. Activated Hog1 is translocated to the nucleus to regulate the expressions of genes such as CTT1, GPD1, and HSP12, among others. Furthermore, copper exposure induced significant G1-phase cell cycle arrest, while Hog1 partially participated in the regulation of cell cycle progression. These novel findings reveal another role for Hog1 in the regulation of copper-induced cellular stress.

Obesity results from a sustained positive energy balance, occurring when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. One promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate obesity is the promotion of thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue (BAT) to increase energy expenditure. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is an anthocyanin compound widely distributed in human diets. In this study, researchers studied the effect and mechanism of C3G on the prevention and treatment of high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD) induced obesity. The study shows that C3G enhances energy expenditure and thermogenic capacity of BAT, protecting mice against HFFD obesity. Further, C3G increases expression of UCP1 and other thermogenic genes in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), as well as in BAT. Results demonstrate that C3G promotes the heat production of BAT and iWAT by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis and function. These findings reveal that C3G activates BAT, which may provide a safe, effective approach to prevent and treat diet-induced obesity.

(1) Background: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) burns energy to produce heat. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) can then enhance the thermogenic ability of BAT in vivo. However, the mechanism by which C3G regulates Ucp1 protein expression remains unclear. (2) Methods: In this study, C3H10T12 brown adipose cells and db/db mice and mice with high-fat, high-fructose, diet-induced obesity were used as the model to explore the effect of C3G on the expression of the Ucp1 gene. Furthermore, the 293T cell line was used for an in vitro cell transgene, a double luciferase reporting system, and yeast single hybridization to explore the mechanism of C3G in regulating Ucp1 protein. (3) Results: we identified that, under the influence of C3G, Prdm16 directly binds to the −500 to −150 bp promoter region of Ucp1 to activate its transcription and, thus, facilitate BAT programming. (4) Conclusions: This study clarified the mechanism by which C3G regulates the expression of the Ucp1 gene of brown fat to a certain extent.

The common use of commercial yeasts usually leads to dull wine with similar aromas and tastes. Therefore, screening for novel indigenous yeasts to practice is a promising method. In this research, aroma discrepancies among six wine groups fermentated with indigenous yeasts were analyzed. Three Saccharomyces yeasts (FS36, HL12, YT28) and three matched non-Saccharomyces yeasts (FS31, HL9, YT2) were selected from typical Chinese vineyards. The basic oenological parameters, aroma compounds, and sensory evaluation were analyzed. The results showed that each indigenous Saccharomyces yeast had excellent fermentation capacity, and mixed-strain fermentation groups produced more glycerol, contributing to sweeter and rounder taste. The results from GC-MS, principal components analysis (PCA), and sensory evaluation highlighted that the HL mixed group kept the most content of Marselan varietal flavors such as calamenene and β-damascone hereby ameliorated the whole aroma quality. Our study also implied that the indigenous yeast from the same region as the grape variety seems more conducive to preserve the natural variety characteristics of grapes.

Cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin 3-rutinoside (C3R), two anthocyanin compounds isolated from mulberry fruit, have beneficial effects in regards to reducing obesity. Their molecular targets have yet to be elucidated, however. Improving the function or increasing the quantity of mitochondria in brown adipose tissue (BAT) can promote the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat. This study was designed to investigate the mitochondrial biogenesis regulated by C3G and C3R during brown adipogenesis. The BAT-cMyc cell was treated with C3G and C3R, both of which significantly increased the expression levels of fatty acid oxidation-related genes such as PGC1α, PRDM16, and CPT1α. C3G and C3R also significantly increased the expression of TFAM and NRF1/NRF2. Notably, C3G and C3R treatment greatly elevated the mitochondrial copy number and BAT specific gene-UCP1 expression through AKT and ERK signaling pathways. These results altogether suggest that C3G and C3R may ameliorate metabolic disease through activating BAT thermogenesis.

During the last decades, a dramatic global rise in the prevalence of obesity has become evident. Therefore, effective therapeutic approaches are necessary to help combat this condition. Grape seed is known as a rich source of biologically active polyphenols, which can be used as one of the candidates to resolve problems associated with obesity. This paper investigated the anti-obesity effects of grape seed flour (GSF) and showed that GSF ameliorated weight gain, hepatic lipid levels and part of the serum profiles. Moreover, GSF increased energy expenditure (EE) and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese mice. GSF also affected expressions of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and other metabolism-related genes in white adipose tissue (WAT). In conclusion, our results showed that GSF prevented diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice, and suggested that the mechanism responsible was related to the promotion of energy metabolism.

An efficient preparative separation method for Sphallerocarpus gracilis stems and leaves polyphenols (SGslP) was established in this study. An X-5 macroporous adsorption resin was selected for the purification of the SGslP, and the polyphenol content of the purified SGslP (PSGslP) was increased 5.11-fold from 8.29% to 42.38% after one treatment run. The chemical composition of the PSGslP was analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS, and the predominant compounds were found to be luteolin-7-glucoside, acacetin-7-acetyglycoside and its isomers. In addition, the PSGslP was evaluated in vitro to determine the DNA damage-protective activity and inhibitory effects of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The results indicated that the PSGslP exhibited significant protective activities against both ROO• and •OH radical-induced DNA damage. Moreover, the PSGslP exerted a dose-dependent inhibition effect on α-glucosidase but no inhibitory effect on α-amylase. These findings indicate that the Sphallerocarpus gracilis stems and leaves are good natural sources of antioxidants and are potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase activity and are potential anti-diabetic inhibitor.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the common malignancies leading to death. Although radiotherapy and chemotherapy have certain effects, their side effects limit their therapeutic effect. Phytochemicals have recently been given more attention as promising resources for cancer chemoprevention or chemotherapy due to their safety. In this study, the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) on the apoptosis, cell cycle, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway-related proteins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 (NAG-1) expression of HepG2 cells were investigated. The results showed that GSPs inhibited the viability of HepG2 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, induced apoptosis and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and regulated cell cycle-related proteins, cyclin B1, cyclin-dependent kinase 1, and p21. GSPs also increased reactive oxygen species production and caspase-3 activity. In addition, GSPs also increased the expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38 MAPK and NAG-1, and GSPs-induced NAG-1 expression was related to the MAPK pathway-related proteins. These data suggest that GSPs may be promising phytochemicals for HCC chemoprevention or chemotherapy.

Proanthocyanidins are colorless flavonoid polymers condensed from flavan-3-ol units. They are essential secondary plant metabolites that contribute to the nutritional value and sensory quality of many fruits and the related processed products. Mounting evidence has shown that the accumulation of proanthocyanidins is associated with the resistance of plants against a broad spectrum of abiotic and biotic stress conditions. The biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins has been examined extensively, allowing for identifying and characterizing the key regulators controlling the biosynthetic pathway in many plants. New findings revealed that these specific regulators were involved in the proanthocyanidins biosynthetic network in response to various environmental conditions. This paper reviews the current knowledge regarding the control of key regulators in the underlying proanthocyanidins biosynthetic and molecular mechanisms in response to environmental stress. Furthermore, it discusses the directions for future research on the metabolic engineering of proanthocyanidins production to improve food and fruit crop quality.

Vanillin, a simple phenolic compound, exists marginally in some plants and can be produced by microbes. This study uses high-fat-diet (HFD) induced obese mice to study the effect of vanillin on obesity and obtain positive results. First, both body and adipose tissue weight are reduced. Second, the blood properties signaling certain disorders such as ALT, LDH, glucose, cholesterol, LDL-C, TG and HDL-C are ameliorated and both insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance are improved. Third, vanillin reduced elevated levels of inflammatory factors including LPS, IL-6, and TNF-α in plasma and liver tissue resulting from obesity. Finally, the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is enhanced. Additionally, study results demonstrate that vanillin significantly alleviates obesity-related gut microbiota (GM) disorders including the decrease of alpha- and beta-diversity. Furthermore, vanillin reduces the abundance of Firmicutes phylum, increases the richness of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobiota phyla, and inhibits the expansion of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing bacteria Bilophila genus and the H2S-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio genus.

Dynamic changes in total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), total anthocyanins (TA), two main monomer anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (C3R), colour and antioxidant activities as well as correlations among these factors were investigated in mulberry wine during alcoholic fermentation. TP and TF increased rapidly from day 0 to 3 and showed unobvious changes from day 3 to 10, whereas TA, C3G and C3R increased first and then decreased. C3G and C3R reached their maximum at days 1 and 2, respectively; thereafter, C3G decreased rapidly, whereas C3R was more stable. Five colour parameters, L*, a*, b*, C* and H*, changed significantly from day 0 to 2 and showed unobvious changes from day 2 to 10. For antioxidant activity, changes of the scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH⋅) and reducing power were similar to changes of colour parameters. TP, TF, TA and C3R exhibited significant correlations (P

The phenolic composition and hepatoprotective effects of phenolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Sphallerocarpus gracilis (PESG) were investigated. The predominant constituents of PESG were found to be luteolin-7-O-glucoside, acacetin-7-O-acetyglycoside and isomers of the latter by HPLC–MS. Oral administration of PESG (200 and 400 mg/kg/bw) to mice significantly reduced the effects of CCl4 toxicity on serum markers of hepatic damage, including serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. PESG treatment also increased the hepatic levels of the antioxidant glutathione and the antioxidant enzymes of superoxide dismutase and catalase and ameliorated the elevated level of hepatic lipid peroxidation induced by CCl4 treatment of the mice. Moreover, in vitro experiments showed that PESG reduced BRL hepatocyte apoptosis and the level of damage to these cells caused by CCl4 treatment. These findings indicate that PESG could be developed as a functional food for therapeutic purpose and for prevention of hepatic injury.

The effects of four processing units on the contents of α-carotene, β-carotene and lutein in carrot juice were investigated. The results indicated that composite phosphate peeling exhibited the best peeling effect and led to the lowest loss of carotenoids among the four peeling methods. The best blanching conditions included a blanching temperature of 86 °C for 10 min and an addition of 0.25% of ascorbic acid. A certain range of blanching times and blanching temperatures contributed to the dissolution and stability of the three carotenoids, while excessive blanching temperatures and blanching times led to the degradation of the carotenoids. Single enzyme treatment or mixed enzyme treatment with different orders of addition could significantly raise the contents of the three carotenoids in the juice. However, the use of pectinase and cellulase at the same time exhibited an antagonistic effect. High temperature sterilization increased the loss of carotenoids in carrot juice on one hand but, conversely, improved its stability during storage.

The effects of copper pollution on the polyphenol content, color, and antioxidant activity of wine, as well as correlations among these factors, were investigated. Copper had clear influences on wine polyphenol content. At low copper concentrations, the concentrations of nearly all polyphenols increased, and the antioxidant activity values of the wine also increased. When the copper concentration reached the lowest level of the medium copper range (9.6~16 mg/L), most of the indices also improved. When the copper concentrations reached the latter part of the medium copper range (19.2 and 22.4 mg/L), many of the tested indices began to decrease. Furthermore, when the copper concentration reached the high ranges (32, 64, and 96 mg/L), the polyphenol content, CIELAB color parameters, and antioxidant activity of wine were substantially decreased, indicating the need to control increasing copper content in grape must.

Abstract Background To integrate radiomics and dosiomics features from multiple regions in the radiation pneumonia (RP grade ≥ 2) prediction for esophageal cancer (EC) patients underwent radiotherapy (RT). Methods Total of 143 EC patients in the authors’ hospital (training and internal validation: 70%:30%) and 32 EC patients from another hospital (external validation) underwent RT from 2015 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Patients were dichotomized as positive (RP+) or negative (RP-) according to CTCAE V5.0. Models with radiomics and dosiomics features extracted from single region of interest (ROI), multiple ROIs and combined models were constructed and evaluated. A nomogram integrating radiomics score (Rad_score), dosiomics score (Dos_score), clinical factors, dose-volume histogram (DVH) factors, and mean lung dose (MLD) was also constructed and validated. Results Models with Rad_score_Lung&Overlap and Dos_score_Lung&Overlap achieved a better area under curve (AUC) of 0.818 and 0.844 in the external validation in comparison with radiomics and dosiomics models with features extracted from single ROI. Combining four radiomics and dosiomics models using support vector machine (SVM) improved the AUC to 0.854 in the external validation. Nomogram integrating Rad_score, and Dos_score with clinical factors, DVH factors, and MLD further improved the RP prediction AUC to 0.937 and 0.912 in the internal and external validation, respectively. Conclusion CT-based RP prediction model integrating radiomics and dosiomics features from multiple ROIs outperformed those with features from a single ROI with increased reliability for EC patients who underwent RT.