Journal of Food Bioactives

Phytochemistry, biological function and metabolism of Seleno-flavonoids

Ying Ni — 2025-03-31

Selenoflavonoids (SeFs), emerging as a novel class of bioactive compounds that integrate selenium into flavonoid structures, have garnered significant attention due to their enhanced biological properties compared to conventional flavonoids. This review systematically analyzes recent advances in SeFs research, encompassing their structural characteristics, metabolic processes, and diverse biological functions. Studies reveal that selenium incorporation occurs primarily through the formation of covalent bonds between phenolic hydroxyl groups and selenium in its +4 oxidation state, resulting in compounds with superior bioavailability and reduced toxicity compared to inorganic selenium forms. The metabolic fate of SeFs involves complex pathways centered on hydrogen selenide (H2Se) as a crucial intermediate, with subsequent transformations regulated by selenium status and metabolic requirements. Extensive investigations demonstrate that SeFs exhibit remarkable therapeutic potential across multiple biological systems, including enhanced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities through NF-κβ pathway modulation and GPx-mimetic properties, neuroprotective effects via regulation of protein aggregation and neuroinflammation, metabolic benefits through modulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis, and antitumor activities targeting multiple cellular pathways. Current challenges in SeFs research include the optimization of isolation techniques, scalable synthesis methodologies, and the need for deeper mechanistic understanding of their biological activities. These findings suggest that SeFs represent promising candidates for therapeutic applications, though further research is needed to fully elucidate their molecular mechanisms and clinical potential.

Advancements in the singlemer separation of polymethoxyflavones in citrus peels

Junfeng Shen — 2025-03-31

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) including 5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone (TMF), tangeretin, sinensetin, nobiletin, and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF), possess multiple significant health-promoting activities. They have drawn increasing attention in recent years. However, the supply of pure singlemers of these PMFs, even the major content of tangeretin, nobiletin, HMF and TMF has been a limiting factor for their in vivo study and human testing, due to the difficulties in large scale preparation. Due to the close structural and configurational similarities of these PMFs in plants such as citrus peels, the purification to obtain single PMFs for in-depth efficacy evaluation has been an enormous challenge, preventing further large scale and broad study for their potential excellent biological properties. In this review, we summarized the up to date reported purification methods chiefly from citrus peel extract using various chromatography techniques to obtain singlemers of these PMFs. These methods including normal phase and reversed phase liquid chromatography, macroporous gel separation, counter current chromatography, and supercritical fluid chromatography as well as the combination of those isolation techniques. The aim of this review is to provide key references to establish an efficient and scalable separation method in acquiring single polymethoxyflavone isomers which will enable further investigations on the health-promoting and medicinal properties of these PMFs and associated mechanisms.

Structure characteristics biological properties and application of chitooligosaccharides

Liping Fan — 2025-03-31

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are degradation products after cleavage of β-1,4-glycosidic bonds from chitosan, which are converted and extracted from chitin in the shells of shrimp, crabs and other crustacean creatures. Degradation methods to obtain chitooligosaccharides include acids hydrolysis, oxidative cleavage, ultrasound oscillation, enzymatic catalysis, and the combination of two or more methodologies. Due to the low degree of polymerization of glucosamine units, chitooligosaccharides possess superior characteristics to chitosan and chitin, such as a lower molecular weight and higher aqueous solubility, translating more applicability in food and related products in particular. The primary amino groups at C-2 position of chitooligosaccharides are positively charged in week acidic conditions and also readily derivatized with acylation, alkylation, carboxylation, esterification, Maillard reaction, protonation forming salts, and sulfation. Exploration of chitooligosaccharides biological activities revealed that they possess antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. The major applications of chitooligosaccharides are in food packaging, functional films, hydrogels, emulsions and drug-loaded complex. This review aims to brief summary of chitooligosaccharide properties and their application in food related products.

Progress in Research on Flavor Compounds in Gastrodia elata

Hongling Du — 2025-03-31

As a medicinal and edible plant, Gastrodia elata (G. elata) flavor compounds critically influence its sensory, nutritional, and medicinal properties. This review summarizes recent advances in G. elata flavor research. Volatile components, mainly comprising organic acids, aldehydes, alcohols, and esters, form its unique flavor profile, with 3-methylthiopropionaldehyde and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine identified as key contributors to the characteristic "horse-urine odor." Variations in volatile composition exist among cultivars, geographical origins, and harvest seasons. Non-volatile compounds, including phenolics (e.g., gastrodin, parishins), saccharides, and free amino acids, underpin pharmacological efficacy and nutritional value. Conventional extraction techniques (steam distillation, solvent extraction) face limitations in efficiency and eco-friendliness, while processing methods (steaming, fermentation) significantly alter flavor profiles. Future research should focus on advanced identification technologies, sustainable extraction methods, mechanistic elucidation, and industrial applications to optimize G. elata’s utilization in food and pharmaceuticals.

Anti-allergic effect of kefir from goat milk with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Dad-13: In Vitro evaluation

Firarosa Asida — 2025-03-31

Kefir is a type of fermented milk produced by a unique and complex mixture of bacteria and yeasts viable in a symbiotic relationship. Anti-allergic effect of goat milk kefir fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum Dad-13 isolated from “Dadih” (curd made from buffalo milk from West Sumatera, Indonesia) was evaluated using rat basophilic leukemia cell line RBL-2H3 cells by identifying β-hexosaminidase release, intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca²⁺]i), microtubule formation and intracellular signal transduction. The results showed that goat milk kefir significantly inhibits degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells at 20 mg/mL without cytotoxicity by inhibiting the microtubule formation and the elevation in ([Ca²⁺]i ) stimulated by antigens. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that goat milk kefir significantly downregulated phosphorylation of Syk, Akt and PI3K in the signaling pathways activated by antigen-mediated stimulation. These results suggested that goat milk kefir fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum Dad-13 has the potential to serve as a functional food with anti-allergic properties.

Impact of constant light-induced circadian disruption on hepatic lipid metabolism: Evaluating the effects of GABA oolong tea extract

Yen-Chun Koh — 2025-03-31

Disruptions in circadian rhythms have been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and fatty liver disease. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GABA oolong tea extract (OTE) on metabolic disturbances induced by constant light (LL) exposure and a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The results showed that LL alone did not induce obesity but significantly reduced food intake and water consumption while increasing food conversion efficiency and blood glucose levels. In contrast, LL + HFD led to significant weight gain, increased white, beige, and brown adipose tissue weights, larger adipocyte size, and severe hepatic lipid infiltration. At the molecular level, LL and LL + HFD significantly reduced hepatic AMPK phosphorylation and PPARα expression, impairing fatty acid β-oxidation and promoting triglyceride accumulation. OTE intervention decreased hepatic triglyceride levels but did not alleviate obesity or metabolic dysfunction. These findings suggest that LL exacerbates HFD-induced metabolic disturbances, and OTE may have limited protective effects under these conditions. Further studies with higher OTE dosages are warranted.

Presence of γ-glutamyl and β-aspartyl isopeptides, diketopiperazines, pyroglutamyl peptides, in addition to normal peptides in fish and soy sauces: Structures, contents and their bioavailability

Yudi Rahmadian — 2025-03-31

This study identified peptides in fish and soy sauces and elucidated their bioavailability in rats. Over 96 peptides including γ-glutamyl, pyroglutamyl, β-aspartyl peptides, and diketopiperazines were detected. The content of these peptides varied greatly between the products tested. After the administration of Vietnamese fish sauce which had the highest peptide content among samples tested, most normal peptides did not significantly increase in the blood; whereas γ-glutamyl and pyroglutamyl peptides significantly increased in the small intestine and some hydrophobic γ-glutamyl isopeptides and pyroglutamyl-proline significantly increased in the blood. Diketopiperazines and β-aspartyl isopeptides significantly increased in the small intestine and the blood. These findings highlight the presence of modified peptides in fish and soy sauces, which are commonly consumed in daily dishes in East Asia. Only modified peptides such as diketopiperazines, β-aspartyl isopeptides and hydrophobic γ-glutamyl isopeptides survived gastrointestinal digestion, entering blood circulation, suggesting their potential biological activities.

Propolis Targets Macrophage Activity to Ameliorate Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Xinru Yang — 2025-03-31

Propolis is a gelatinous mixture produced by honeybees for maintaining the structural integrity and aseptic environment of the hive. The bioactive compounds are crucial for the health effects of propolis. Given that propolis is generated by honeybees, its exact bioactives and health benefits are varied due to the sources of materials. Here we investigated whether propolis collected from Yaunqu County, Shanxi ,China, potentially protected against mice intestinal damage-induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Our results indicated that propolis effectively alleviated DSS-induced intestinal injury and the mechanisms behind it involving in targeting macrophage inflammation including pro-inflammatory cytokines, pro-inflammatory signal pathways Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and tissue factors. This research enriches the evidence of propolis as a candidate for protection against intestinal injury.