Gamma irradiation enhances biological activities of mulberry leaf extract

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quality control of bioconverted Mori Folium extracts with appropriate marker compounds related to antidiabetes

A HPLC method was developed to assess the enhanced bioactivity of bioconverted Mori Folium (MF) extract and to apply a quality-control system. Liquid-liquid extraction was applied to observe changes in chemical composition through enzymatic bioconversion. The ethyl acetate layer was used for quality control of the anti-diabetic functional MF product. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed to analyze five marker compounds (syringaldehyde, trans-caffeic acid, morin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, astragalin, and moracin M 3′-O-β-glucopyranoside) within 60 min. Optimized sample preparation was sonication for 44 min and a water-to-material ratio of 102.5 mL/g by response surface methodology. Comparing MF water extract, trans-caffeic acid and syringaldehyde contents were increased 1.89 times and 2.70 times at Viscozyme-bioconverted material by applying the developed method. This HPLC method can be used to control the quality of bioconverted MF based on suitable bioactive markers and also applied to develop anti-diabetic functional foods containing Mori Folium.

Chlorogenic acid-rich Solanum melongena extract has protective potential against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells

Neurodegenerative diseases are major threats to human health. Here, through fluorescence, colorimetric, immunoblotting, spectroscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopic techniques, we investigated the neuroprotective properties of chlorogenic acid-rich Solanum melongena extracts (SM extract) in rotenone-induced PC-12 cell death. The results showed that rotenone caused apoptosis to PC-12 cells by elevating Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and increasing caspase-3 activity. Rotenone also increased ROS in cells while suppressing SOD and catalase activities. This resulted in the depletion of ATP in cells by blocking mitochondria complex I activity. Pretreatment of the cells with SM extract at concentrations of 100, 250, and 500 μg/ml before incubation for 24 hr with rotenone significantly prevented apoptosis, decreased ROS, and increased ATP production in the cells. SM extract upregulated SOD and catalase activities in the cells. These results unveil evidence that SM extract content neuroprotective properties that can be exploited to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Solanum melongena eggplant is a popular ingredient in many traditional recipes and is well known in Asia for its medicinal benefits. Despite numerous scientific reports of the potential health benefits of this plant, reports on its effects in neurodegenerative diseases is still lacking. This pilot study demonstrates that S. melongena eggplant can protect against neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative diseases. The results of this research serves as a base for further research on eggplant that will result in its usage on a larger scale as functional food materials.