Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of squalene and vitamin E based oil from Zizyphi Spinosae Semen and evaluation of its antioxidant activity

Sour Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): A Bibliometric Review of Its Bioactive Profile, Health Benefits and Trends in Food and Medicine Applications

Research on the comprehensive utilization of sour jujube and its beneficial properties to human health has attracted extensive attention. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the bioactive profile of sour jujube and future trends in applications. The research advancements within this field from 2000 to 2023 were addressed using the Web of Science database and VOSviewer. Among the 322 results, the most frequent keywords of bioactivity are flavonoids, antioxidants, saponins, insomnia, polyphenols, terpenoids and anti-inflammatory; the most studied parts of sour jujube are seeds, fruits and leaves; the published articles with high citations mainly focus on identification, biological effects and different parts distribution of bioactive compounds. The bioactivity of various parts of sour jujube was reviewed considering their application potential. The seeds, rich in flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids, exhibit strong effects on central nervous system diseases and have been well-developed in pharmacology, healthcare products and functional foods. The pulp has antioxidant properties and is used to develop added-value foods (e.g., juice, vinegar, wine). The leaves can be used to make tea and flowers are good sources of honey; their extracts are rich sources of flavonoids and saponins, which show promising medicinal effects. The branches, roots and bark have healing properties in traditional folk medicine. Overall, this study provides a reference for future applications of sour jujube in food and medicine fields.

Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa) Beverage Processed by High-Pressure Homogenization: Changes in Main Components and Antioxidant Capacity during Cold Storage

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is an emerging technology for obtaining physical and microbial stability of plant-based milks, but there is little information on the effects of this technology on the phytochemical components of the processed plant food beverage and during its cold storage. The effect of three selected HPH treatments (180 MPa/25 °C, 150 MPa/55 °C, and 50 MPa/75 °C) and pasteurization (PAS) (63 °C, 20 min) on minor lipid constituents, total proteins, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and essential minerals of Brazil nut beverage (BNB) were studied. Additionally, the study of the possible changes in these constituents was carried out during cold storage at 5 °C for 21 days. The fatty acid profile (dominated by oleic acid and linoleic acid), free fatty acid content, protein, and essential minerals (notable source of Se and Cu) of the processed BNB remained almost stable to treatments (HPH and PAS). Specifically, reductions in squalene (22.7 to 26.4%) and γ-γ-tocopherol (28.4 to 36%) were observed in beverages processed via both non-thermal HPH and thermal PAS, but β-sitosterol remained unchanged. Total phenolics were reduced (24 to 30%) after both treatments, a factor that influenced the observed antioxidant capacity. The studied individual phenolics in BNB were gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, catechin gallate, and ellagic acid, being the most abundant compounds. During cold storage (5 °C) up to 21 days, changes in the content of phytochemicals, minerals, and total proteins were not noticeable for any treated beverages, and no lipolysis processes were promoted. Therefore, after the application of HPH processing, Brazil nut beverage (BNB) maintained almost unaltered levels of bioactive compounds, essential minerals, total protein, and oxidative stability, remarkable characteristics for its potential development as a functional food.

Research progress of quality control for the seed of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow (Suan-Zao-Ren) and its proprietary Chinese medicines

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS), the seed of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow (Chinese name Suan-Zao-Ren), is widely distributed in China, Laos, Myanmar, and Iran. It is a classic traditional Chinese medicine with sedative and sleeping effects. In clinical practice, there are more than 155 proprietary Chinese medicines containing SZS. However, many commercial SZS products are difficult to qualify using current methods. Moreover, there is a scarcity of quality standards for SZS in proprietary Chinese medicines.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to clearly reveal the quality indicators during the entire production process of SZS and its products.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study reviewed more than 230 articles and related books on the quality control of SZS and its proprietary Chinese medicines published over the last 40 years (from January 1979 to October 2022). Moreover, where available, information on the quality of SZS and its proprietary Chinese medicines was also collected from websites for comparison, including online publications (e.g. PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, and Web of Science), the information at Yaozhi website and China Medical Information Platform, along with some classic books on Chinese herbal medicine. The literature and information search were conducted using keywords such as "Suan-Zao-Ren", " Ziziphus jujuba" and "quality control", and the latest results from various databases were combined to obtain valid information. The active components, which in vivo exposure, and Q-markers were also summarized.

RESULTS

The jujuboside A, jujuboside B, and spinosin were revealed as the key Q-markers for SZS. Moreover, the advancements and prospects of the quality control for SZS and its extract, proprietary Chinese medicines, health foods, and adulterants were comprehensively summarized. The high-performance liquid chromatography-UV/evaporative light scattering detection and fingerprint analysis were found to be the mainstream methods for the SZS quality control. In particular, the novel quality evaluation method based on the unit content was applied for SZS and its proprietary Chinese medicines. Significant fluctuations were found in the contents of Q-markers. Moreover, the mass transfer rule of Q-markers was comprehensively clarified based on the entire production process, including production origins, ripening time, primary process, processing, compatibility decoction/extract, and storage. Ultimately, the crushing and compatibility of SZS were found to be the key steps affecting the active components.

CONCLUSIONS

In short, this study provides solid evidences to reveal quality indicators for the entire production process of developing rational quality standards for SZS and its products. Moreover, this study also provides a template quality control overview, which could be extended to other traditional Chinese medicines.

A Bio-Therapeutically Squalene

Although the skin tissue on our bodies is a well-organized structure with high biomechanical properties like tensile strength and friction, we have all experienced various types of wounds throughout our lives owing to numerous etiological factors. In the general population, it is a substantial source of morbidity. For instance, in the case of burnt skin tissue, self-healing is in fact a large and challenging barrier to tissue regeneration. Squalene is a bioactive triterpene that occurs naturally and plays a key role in the process of making sterols. The most well-known source of squalene is shark liver oil. Vegetable oils may contain squalene in a range of concentrations. They have been extracted using a variety of techniques, including supercritical carbon dioxide, microwave, ultrasonic, cold press, and traditional Soxhlet extractions. In vitro and in animal models, these substances have been demonstrated to have anticancer, antioxidant, drug carrier, detoxifier, skin moisturising, and emollient effects.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of swertisin from sour Jujube seed and comprehensive revelation of its antioxidant activity

As a typical flavonoid glycoside, swertisin mainly exists in sour Jujube seed. In this study, swertisin was extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction method optimized with Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. The antioxidant effect of swertisin was determined in vitro and in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Furthermore, the potential mechanisms of its antioxidant stress were comprehensively evaluated and explored with network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. The results showed obvious scavenging ability of swertisin on free radical and swertisin (50, 250, and 500 μmol/L) significantly enhanced antioxidative enzymes activity (GST-4, SOD-3, and GSH-P_X ) and reduced the reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde accumulation in C. elegans, thereby protecting them from oxidative stress (heat stress and hydrogen peroxide). A total of 139 antioxidant targets of swertisin were screened and 70 signal pathways were enriched, including cancer-related pathways, lipid metabolism, liver injury-related pathways, acute lung injury, nervous system diseases, etc. This study provides the basis for further investigation on the antioxidant stress mechanism and contributes to the development of relevant drugs from natural products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The imbalance between the antioxidant defense system and reactive oxygen species is one of the main causes of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and aging. Therefore, alleviating oxidative stress injury has become a common strategy, which is helpful for the multi-target treatment of related diseases. The flavonoid of sour Jujube seed possesses potential antioxidant activity with multiple food health effects. From this study results, we optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction method for extracting the swertisin from sour Jujube seed and supported the use of C. elegans as an in vivo experimental model. We can recommend that the swertisin as a natural ingredient has a positive effect on antioxidation, which provided a scientific basis for treating related diseases through relevant pharmacological mechanisms and making antiaging functional food formula.

Wild Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): A Review of Its Phytonutrients, Health Benefits, Metabolism, and Applications

Wild jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou, as a food and health supplement worldwide, has rich nutritional value. It contains nutrients such as nucleosides, amino acids, polysaccharides, and fatty oils. The fruits, seeds, and leaves of wild jujube can all be used for food, medicine, or health care purposes. Among these, the fruits play many roles, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions, and can be used as a natural nutritional supplement to prevent aging. Simultaneously, the mature seed of wild jujube exhibits beneficial effects on central nervous system diseases and is often used for the treatment of insomnia and as a functional food for improving sleep quality and enhancing learning and memory. This review presents an overview of research progress relevant to the phytonutrients, biological functions, metabolism of bioactive compounds, and applications of wild jujube and aims to provide a scientific reference for the development and utilization of this plant.

Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou Seed Ameliorates Insomnia in Rats by Regulating Metabolomics and Intestinal Flora Composition

The seed of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou (ZSS) is often used as a traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia due to its sedative and hypnotic effects, but the mechanism underlying this effect has not been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, an insomnia model induced by intraperitoneal injection of DL-4-chlorophenylalanine suspension in Sprague-Dawley rats was adopted to investigate the therapeutic effect of ZSS extract. Metabolomics analyses of plasma and urine as well as 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the intestinal flora were performed. The relationships between the plasma and urine metabolites and the intestinal flora in insomnia rats were also analyzed. The results showed that changes in plasma and urine metabolites caused by insomnia were reversed after administration of ZSS, and these changes were mainly related to amino acid metabolism, especially phenylalanine metabolism. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and short-chain fatty acid determination showed that the ZSS extract could reverse the imbalance of intestinal flora caused by insomnia and increase the contents of SCFAs in feces. All of these improvements are mainly related to the regulation of inflammation. Therefore, it is concluded that insomnia, which alters metabolic profiles and the intestinal flora, could be alleviated effectively by ZSS extract.