Simple and effective large-scale preparation of geniposide from fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis using a liquid–liquid two-phase extraction

Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) fruit: a critical review of its functional nutrients, processing methods, health-promoting effects, comprehensive application and future tendencies

Gardenia fruit (GF) is the mature fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, boasting a rich array of nutrients and phytochemicals. Over time, GF has been extensively utilized in both food and medicinal contexts. In recent years, numerous studies have delved into the chemical constituents of GF and their associated pharmacological activities, encompassing its phytochemical composition and health-promoting properties. This review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive summary of GF research, covering nutrient content, extraction technologies, and potential health benefits, offering new avenues for future investigations and highlighting its potential as an innovative food resource. Additionally, the review proposes novel industrial applications for GF, such as utilizing gardenia yellow/red/blue pigments in the food industry and incorporating it with other herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. By addressing current challenges in developing GF-related products, this work provides insights for potential applications in the cosmetics, food, and health products industries. Notably, there is a need for the development of more efficient extraction methods to harness the nutritional components of GF fully. Further research is needed to understand the specific molecular mechanisms underlying its bioactivities. Exploring advanced processing techniques to create innovative GF-derived products will show great promise for the future.

Transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed the changes of Geniposide and Crocin content in Gardenia jasminoides fruit

BACKGROUND

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a perennial evergreen shrub of G. jasminoides of Rubiaceae. Geniposide and Crocin are important components in the fruit of G. jasminoides. In addition to being used as medicinal materials, they are also widely used in food, medicine, cosmetics, and other fields. They have high medicinal value, economic value, and ornamental value. However, at present, the utilization rate of G. jasminoides resources is low, mainly focused on germplasm cultivation, primary processing, and clinical pharmacology, and there are few studies on the quality of Gardenia fruit.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Based on transcriptome sequencing and metabolic group analysis, the morphological and structural changes of Gardenia fruit with young fruit, middle fruit, and ripe fruit were analyzed, and the formation mechanism and content changes of Geniposide and Crocin in Gardenia fruit were studied. The content of Geniposide decreased with the development of fruit, so did the expression of the main structural gene GES, G10H, and IS in its synthesis pathway, while the content of Crocin increased with the development of fruit, and the expression of the main structural gene CCD, ALDH, and UGT in its synthesis pathway also increased. The relationship between the morphological structure of G. jasminoides and the accumulation of Geniposide and Crocin was summarized.

CONCLUSIONS

This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the mining and utilization of Geniposide and Crocin, but also provides a theoretical basis for genetic background for the identification and cloning of bioactive substances in gardenia fruit in future. At the same time, it provides support for increasing the dual-use value of G. jasminoides and breeding excellent germplasm resources.

Chemistry and bioactivity of Gardenia jasminoides

Gardenia jasminoides, grown in multiple regions in China, was commonly used as a natural yellow dye but has been one of the popular traditional Chinese medicines since the discovery of its biological property a few decades ago. It has been reported that G. jasminoides possess multiple biological activities, such as antioxidant properties, hypoglycemic effect, inhibition of inflammation, antidepression activity, and improved sleeping quality. In this review, our aim was to have a comprehensive summary of its phytochemistry including the extraction, isolation, and characterization of volatiles and bioactive molecules in G. jasminoides, focusing on the two major phytochemicals, genipin and crocin, which possess potent medicinal properties. Furthermore, this study attempted to establish a structure–activity relationship between the two major series of molecules with two pharmcophores and their biological activities, which would serve further exploration of the properties of phytocompounds in G. jasminoides as potential functional foods and medicines.

Genipin-Crosslinked Chitosan Gels and Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regeneration of Cartilage and Bone

The present review article intends to direct attention to the technological advances made since 2009 in the area of genipin-crosslinked chitosan (GEN-chitosan) hydrogels. After a concise introduction on the well recognized characteristics of medical grade chitosan and food grade genipin, the properties of GEN-chitosan obtained with a safe, spontaneous and irreversible chemical reaction, and the quality assessment of the gels are reviewed. The antibacterial activity of GEN-chitosan has been well assessed in the treatment of gastric infections supported by Helicobacter pylori. Therapies based on chitosan alginate crosslinked with genipin include stem cell transplantation, and development of contraction free biomaterials suitable for cartilage engineering. Collagen, gelatin and other proteins have been associated to said hydrogels in view of the regeneration of the cartilage. Viability and proliferation of fibroblasts were impressively enhanced upon addition of poly-l-lysine. The modulation of the osteocytes has been achieved in various ways by applying advanced technologies such as 3D-plotting and electrospinning of biomimetic scaffolds, with optional addition of nano hydroxyapatite to the formulations. A wealth of biotechnological advances and know-how has permitted reaching outstanding results in crucial areas such as cranio-facial surgery, orthopedics and dentistry. It is mandatory to use scaffolds fully characterized in terms of porosity, pore size, swelling, wettability, compressive strength, and degree of acetylation, if the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells is sought: in fact, the novel characteristics imparted by GEN-chitosan must be simultaneously of physico-chemical and cytological nature. Owing to their high standard, the scientific publications dated 2010-2015 have met the expectations of an interdisciplinary audience.

Gram-scale purification of dehydroevodiamine from Evodia rutaecarpa fruits, and a procedure for selective removal of quaternary indoloquinazoline alkaloids from Evodia extracts

Dehydroevodiamine (DHE) is a major bioactive constituent in the traditional Chinese herbal drug Evodiae fructus (Wu zhu yu). The compound has been shown to possess pronounced cardiovascular and neuropharmacological activities in vitro and in vivo. For quality control purposes and follow-up studies assessing potential safety risks of DHE, we developed a simple and efficient two-step protocol for gram-scale purification of DHE. An alkaloidal fraction was obtained by cation-exchange solid phase extraction, and DHE and the minor alkaloid hortiamine were purified by isocratic preparative RP-HPLC. The DHE content in different commercial batches of Evodiae fructus, and in a series of commercially available Evodia-containing TCM products was assessed. A daily intake of up to mg amounts of DHE was calculated from recommended doses of these products. A method for the selective removal of quaternary indoloquinazoline alkaloids from Evodia extracts was developed.