Synergistic Effects of Combined Anthocyanin and Metformin Treatment for Hyperglycemia In Vitro and In Vivo

Anthocyanin Profiles in the Tropical Fruits Eugenia jambolana and Inga edulis: A Comparative Study Using Paper Spray Ionization (PSI-MS), Tissue Spray Ionization (TSI-MS), and Direct Infusion (DI-MS)

Paper spray ionization (PSI-MS) and tissue spray ionization (TSI-MS) mass spectrometry are simple and rapid ambient ionization mass spectrometry techniques that offer numerous advantages over conventional analysis methods. This study aims to analyze the efficiency of detecting anthocyanins from Eugenia jambolana fruit peel and Inga edulis seeds using PSI-MS, TSI-MS, and DI-MS (direct infusion). DI-MS exhibited high efficiency, detecting all compounds in abundance, with anthocyanins malvidin 3,5-O-diglucoside (1) and petunidin 3,5-O-diglucoside (2) being the most prevalent. PSI-MS, however, struggled to detect delphinidin 3-O-glucoside and showed lower abundances for compounds 1, 2, 3 (delphinidin 3,5-O-diglucoside), and 4 (petunidin 3-O-glucoside) compared to DI-MS, attributed to the technique's challenges with molecular weight and polarity. TSI-MS was least effective, detecting only compounds 1, 2, and 3 at low intensities. The overall unique compounds identified across techniques were 134, emphasizing the importance of comprehensively employing multiple methods to analyze anthocyanins in these edible plants.

Design of a liposome casein hydrogel as an efficient front-end homeostatic anthocyanin loading system

Proteins have been studied and applied to improve the stability of anthocyanins (ACNs), but the changes in the pH microenvironment during the preparation of steady-state systems are often ignored, and more attention is given to the stability of the system after preparation. In this study, we propose the "anthocyanin front-end homeostasis strategy", which involves designing a system can protect anthocyanins under acidic conditions so that more anthocyanin prototypes can be loaded inside the protein. Anthocyanins are encapsulated in liposomes (Lip) at pH 3.0 and combined with casein methacrylate (CSMA) to form Anthocyanin-loaded liposomes/CSMA hydrogel (Lip@ACNs/CSMA), with good physical properties and good blood compatibility. The system increased the hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacity by 1.16 mg Vc equiv./mg ACNs and the cellular antioxidant activity by 17.55 μM quercetin/100 mg ACNs, the photo and thermal storage stability increased by 36.50 % and 30.71 %, the digestive rate increased by 17.50 %, and the biological availability increased by 0.0049 mg/mL. This study designed a liposome casein hydrogel as an efficient front-end homeostatic anthocyanin loading system and provided a new approach for improving the stability of anthocyanins.

Pharmacodynamics of Sishen decoction in relieving rheumatoid arthritis: Chemical composition, regulatory pathway and online prediction simulation

As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sishen Decoction (SSD) has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and swelling relief effects. However, at present, the pharmacodynamic basis of SSD and its mechanism of treating RA have not been clarified, and further research is needed. Analyzing the pharmacological basis of SSD was the aim of our study and further elucidate its therapeutic mechanism and potential targets for treating RA. LC‒MS was used to identify the high content and characteristic chemical components of SSD. On this basis, a network of pharmacological analysis was established between the chemical structure and RA. According to the predicted possible pathways and targets, in vivo pharmacodynamic experiments and related pathway analysis were conducted. Finally, the possible targets and mechanisms of SSD in treating RA were analyzed. Identified 78 compounds from SSD by LC-MS, including 23 flavonoids, 19 phenolic acids, 9 monoterpenoids and 26 other compounds. Network pharmacological analysis based on pharmacodynamic substances revealed that the most likely interaction pathway between SSD and RA was the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Foot swelling and inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TGF, TNF-α, VEGF) in model mice were shown to be significantly improved in vivo. WB and qPCR experiments proved that SSD could significantly regulate the pathway of PI3K/AKT/mTOR. The interaction between SSD and AKT target was further analyzed by multispectroscopy. This study revealed that SSD alleviates RA by regulating the pathway of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and preliminarily revealed the pharmacodynamic mechanism of SSD for the first time.

Recent advances in computational prediction of molecular properties in food chemistry

The combination of food chemistry and computational simulation has brought many impacts to food research, moving from experimental chemistry to computer chemistry. This paper will systematically review in detail the important role played by computational simulations in the development of the molecular structure of food, mainly from the atomic, molecular, and multicomponent dimension. It will also discuss how different computational chemistry models can be constructed and analyzed to obtain reliable conclusions. From the calculation principle to case analysis, this paper focuses on the selection and application of quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics and coarse-grained molecular dynamics in food chemistry research. Finally, experiments and computations of food chemistry are compared and summarized to obtain the best balance between them. The above review and outlook will provide an important reference for the intersection of food chemistry and computational chemistry, and is expected to provide innovative thinking for structural research in food chemistry.

Potential of Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers for Oral Delivery of Active Phytoconstituents

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication and have the potential to serve as in vivo carriers for delivering active molecules. The biocompatibility advantages of EVs over artificial nanocarriers create new frontiers for delivering modern active molecules. Milk is a favorable source of EVs because of its high bioavailability, low immunogenicity, and commercial producibility. In this review, we analyzed the advantages of milk-derived EVs in the oral delivery of active molecules, discussed their research progress in delivering active phytoconstituents, and summarized the necessary technologies and critical unit operations required for the development of an oral delivery system based on EVs. The review aims to provide innovative ideas and fundamental quality control guidelines for developing the next-generation oral drug delivery system based on milk-derived EVs.

Anthocyanins and Type 2 Diabetes: An Update of Human Study and Clinical Trial

Anthocyanins are phenolic compounds occurring in fruits and vegetables. Evidence from pre-clinical studies indicates their role in glucose level regulation, gut microbiota improvement, and inflammation reduction under diabetic conditions. Therefore, incorporating these research advancements into clinical practice would significantly improve the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. This narrative review provides a concise overview of 18 findings from recent clinical research published over the last 5 years that investigate the therapeutic effects of dietary anthocyanins on diabetes. Anthocyanin supplementation has been shown to have a regulatory effect on fasting blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin, and other diabetes-related indicators. Furthermore, increased anthocyanin dosages had more favorable implications for diabetes treatment. This review provides evidence that an anthocyanin-rich diet can improve diabetes outcomes, especially in at-risk groups. Future research should focus on optimal intervention duration, consider multiple clinical biomarkers, and analyze anthocyanin effects among well-controlled versus poorly controlled groups of patients with diabetes.

Complexes of glycated casein and carboxymethyl cellulose enhance stability and control release of anthocyanins

To improve the stability and sustained-release property of anthocyanins (ACNs), casein (CA) - dextran (DEX) glycated conjugates (UGCA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were used to prepare ACNs-loaded binary and ternary complexes. The ACNs-loaded binary complexes (ACNs-UGCA) and ternary complexes (ACNs-UGCA-CMC) achieved by 8 min' ultrasonic treatment with 40 % amplitude. The binary and ternary complexes showed spherical structure and good dispersibility, with the average size of 121.2 nm and 132.4 nm respectively. The anthocyanins encapsulation efficiency of ACNs-UGCA-CMC increased almost 20 % than ACNs-UGCA. ACNs-UGCA-CMC had better colloidal stabilities than ACNs-UGCA, such as thermal stability and dilution stability. Simultaneously, both of the binary and ternary complexes significantly prevented anthocyanins from being degraded by heat treatment, ascorbic acid, sucrose and simulated gastrointestinal environment. The protective effect of ACNs-UGCA-CMC was more significant. Furthermore, ACNs-UGCA-CMC showed slower anthocyanins release in simulated releasing environment in vitro and a long retention time in vivo. Our current study provides a potential delivery for improving the stability and controlling release of anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins' effects on diabetes mellitus and islet transplantation

The incidence of diabetes mellitus is dramatically increasing every year, causing a huge global burden. Moreover, existing anti-diabetic drugs inevitably bring adverse reactions, and the application of islet transplantation is often limited by the damage caused by oxidative stress after transplantation. Thus, new approaches are needed to combat the growing burden of diabetes mellitus. Anthocyanins are of great nutritional interest and have been documented that have beneficial effects on chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Here, we describe the health effects of anthocyanins on diabetes mellitus and islet transplantation. Epidemiological studies demonstrated that moderate intake of anthocyanins leading to a reduction in risk of diabetes mellitus. Numerous experiments both animal and clinical studies also showed positive effects of anthocyanins on prevention and treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications. These effects of anthocyanins may be related to mechanisms of improving glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. In addition, damage and function of pancreatic islets after transplantation are also improved by anthocyanins. These findings suggest that daily intake of anthocyanins may not only improve nutritional metabolism in healthy individuals to prevent from diabetes, but also as a supplementary treatment of diabetes mellitus and islet transplantation. Thus, more evidence is needed to better understand the potential health benefits of anthocyanins.

Health benefits of anthocyanin-containing foods, beverages, and supplements have unpredictable relation to gastrointestinal microbiota: A systematic review and meta-analysis of random clinical trials

Anthocyanins are a type of natural pigment that has numerous health benefits. In recent years, the interaction of anthocyanins with gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota has been presented as a viable paradigm for explaining anthocyanin activities. The current study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the potential modulation of GI microbiota by anthocyanins in human health improvement. Clinical trials were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, China Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and ClinicalTrials.gov with no language restrictions. Eight clinical trials (252 participants) were selected from the 1121 identified studies and the relative phylum abundance extracted from the trials was analyzed using a random-effects model. Based on the analysis, anthocyanins had no effect on the relative abundance of Firmicutes (standard mean difference [SMD]: -0.46 [-1.25 to 0.34], P = .26), Proteobacteria (SMD, -0.32 [-0.73 to 0.09], P = .13), nor Actinobacteria (SMD, -0.19 [-0.50 to 0.12], P = 0.24), but influenced the abundance of Bacteroidetes (SMD, 0.84 [0.17 to 1.52], P = .01) when compared with placebo/control. No significant influence on the relative abundance was detected when the data were analyzed following the "posttreatment vs. pretreatment" strategy. Our preliminary analysis revealed that the effects of anthocyanins on human GI microbiota vary between studies and individuals, and at the current stage, the clinical trials regarding the effects of anthocyanin interventions on human GI microbiota are lacking. More trials with larger sample sizes are needed to promote the clinical application of anthocyanins.

Mechanism of sugar degradation product 5-hydroxymethylfurfural reducing the stability of anthocyanins

The coexistence of anthocyanin with the sugar degradation product 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is inevitable during the processing and storage of anthocyanin-rich juices. It was determined from our study that lower concentrations of 5-HMF have little effect on the stability of Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), and even cause a slight increase for a short period of time. As the concentration of 5-HMF increased, the retention of C3G decreased and the color of the solution changed from orange-red to purple-red. The reaction sites of 5-HMF and C3G in its hemiketal form were predicted by quantum chemical calculations in order to investigate the pathways of action of the two. The degradation mechanism of 5-HMF on anthocyanin was verified by Ultraviolet and Visible spectrophotometer and Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Therefore, this article provides further theoretical support for the study of the effect of furfural compounds, which are sugar degradation products, on the stability of anthocyanins.

Preclinical Studies of Natural Products Targeting the Gut Microbiota: Beneficial Effects on Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious metabolic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, with a continuously increasing morbidity and mortality. Although traditional treatments including insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range to a certain extent, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs that can effectively improve glucose metabolism and diabetes-related complications. Notably, accumulated evidence implicates that the gut microbiota is unbalanced in DM individuals and is involved in the physiological and pathological processes of this metabolic disease. In this review, we introduce the molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota contributes to the development of DM. Furthermore, we summarize the preclinical studies of bioactive natural products that exert antidiabetic effects by modulating the gut microbiota, aiming to expand the novel therapeutic strategies for DM prevention and management.

Anthocyanins in Chronic Diseases: The Power of Purple

Anthocyanins are mainly purple-coloured phenolic compounds of plant origin that as secondary metabolites are important in plant survival. Understanding their health benefits in humans requires sourcing these unstable compounds in sufficient quantities at a reasonable cost, which has led to improved methods of extraction. Dark-coloured fruits, cereals and vegetables are current sources of these compounds. The range of potential sustainable sources is much larger and includes non-commercialised native plants from around the world and agri-waste containing anthocyanins. In the last 5 years, there have been significant advances in developing the therapeutic potential of anthocyanins in chronic human diseases. Anthocyanins exert their beneficial effects through improvements in gut microbiota, oxidative stress and inflammation, and modulation of neuropeptides such as insulin-like growth factor-1. Their health benefits in humans include reduced cognitive decline; protection of organs such as the liver, as well as the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys; improvements in bone health and obesity; and regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. This review summarises some of the sources of anthocyanins and their mechanisms and benefits in the treatment of chronic human diseases.

Hypoglycemic bioactivity of anthocyanins: A review on proposed targets and potential signaling pathways

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with complicated interrelationships responsible for initiating its pathogenesis. Novel strategies for the treatment of this devastating disease have attracted increasing attention worldwide. Anthocyanins are bioactive compounds that are widely distributed in the plant kingdom, and multiple studies have elucidated their beneficial role in preventing and managing T2DM. This review summarizes and comments on the hypoglycemic actions of anthocyanins from the perspective of molecular mechanisms and different target-related signaling pathways in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. Anthocyanins can ameliorate T2DM by functioning as carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitors, facilitating glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation, suppressing the effectiveness of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), promoting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion, inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) overexpression, and interacting with sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT) to delay glucose absorption in various organs and tissues. In summary, anthocyanin is a promising and practical small molecule that can hyperglycemic symptoms and accompanying complications suffered by patients with diabetes. However, rational and potent doses for daily intake and clinical studies are required in the future.