Chrysophyllum cainito: A Tropical Fruit with Multiple Health Benefits

Phytoconstituents, antioxidant and antiglycation activity of Chrysophyllum cainito L., Hancornia speciosa Gomes and Plinia glomerata Berg. fruits

The present study verified the presence of phytoconstituents and evaluated antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, NO and TBARS tests) and antiglycation (REM test) activities of unconventional wild edible fruits Chrysophyllum cainito, Hancornia speciosa and Plinia glomerata. It was verified the presence of phenolic compounds for all fruits and flavonoids were observed only for C. cainito, which presented in its peel the highest total phenols (90.34 μg GAE mg-1) and flavonoids (30.4 μg RE mg-1) content. Sugar concentration was significant for all fruits, where H. speciosa showed the highest reducing sugar content (576.12 mg g-1) and C. cainito pulp showed the highest total sugar content (858.67 mg g-1). All fruits presented vitamin C and carotenoids, highlighting P. glomerata with the best results for ascorbic acid (2260.94 mg 100 g-1) and carotenoids (59.62 µg g-1). Extracts presented antioxidant activity, highlighting C. cainito peel that presented 65.64% (DPPH), 231.34 µM TE L-1 (FRAP), 49.34% (NO) and 22.56% (TBARS), while in antiglycation evaluation, P. glomerata showed evident activity. Therefore, it was possible to determine different phytoconstituents, and antioxidant and antiglycation activities of the fruits. These data provide subsidies for application of these fruits in new studies, to increase knowledge and preservation of these species.

Gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism of star apple leaf polyphenol-enriched fraction on metabolic syndrome in diabetic mice

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is a kind of metabolic syndrome (MetS) that seriously threatens human health globally. The leaf of star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.) is an incompletely explored folk medicine on diabetes. And, the effects and mechanisms on diabetes complicated glycolipid metabolism disorders are unknown till now.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the constituents of star apple leaf polyphenol enriched-fraction (SAP), and elucidate their treatment effects and mechanism on diabetes and accompanied other MetS.

METHODS

The components of SAP were tentatively identified by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity was determined by the scavenging of free radicals and hypoglycemic activities by inhibition of α-glucosidase in vitro. HepG2 cells were used for evaluating the alleviation effects of SAP on lipid accumulation. Streptozotocin and high-fat diet induced diabetic mice were grouped to evaluate the effects of different dosages of SAP. 16S rRNA was conducted to analysis gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism.

RESULTS

It showed that myricitrin was one of the main active constituents of SAP. SAP not only showed low IC50 on -glucosidase (24.427± 0.626 μg/mL), OH·(3.680± 0.054 μg/mL) and ABTS· (9.155±0.234 μg/mL), but significantly induced the lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells (p < 0.05). SAP at 200 mg/kg·day significantly decreased the blood glucose, insulin and oral glucose tolerance test value (p < 0.05). The insulin resistance indexes and oxidative stress were alleviated after administration. SAP not only attenuated hepatic lipid deposition, but also reversed the hepatic glycogen storage. 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that the interaction between SAP and gut microbiota led to the positive regulation of beneficial bacteria including Akkermansia, Unspecified S24_7, Alistipes and Unspecified_Ruminococcaceae, which might be one of the mechanisms of SAP on MetS.

CONCLUSION

For the first time, this study explored the regulation effect of star apple leaf polyphenols on the hepatic glycolipid metabolism and studied the underlying mechanism from the view of gut microbiota. These findings indicated that SAP possesses great potential to serve as a complementary medicine for diabetes and associated MetS. It provided scientific evidence for folk complementary medicine on the treatment of diabetes-complicated multiple metabolic disorders.

Wild Food Harvest, Food Security, and Biodiversity Conservation in Jamaica: A Case Study of the Millbank Farming Region

Harvesting wild food is an important coping strategy to deal with food insecurity in farming households across the Caribbean. The practice is tightly connected to the region's unique agrarian history, food heritage, traditional cuisine, and local knowledge of wild or semidomesticated plants. In Jamaica, small-scale farmers are the chief stewards of agrobiodiversity, and their food security and well-being are often dependent on wild food harvest. Yet, there is a paucity of empirical research on the relationship between wild food use, food security, and biodiversity conservation. In this paper, we use the knowledge and lived experience of rural farmers in a remote community (Millbank) at the edge of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJMNP) to explore the relationship between wild food harvest and food insecurity within the context of protected area management. Specifically, we seek to (1) characterize different patterns of wild food harvest; (2) examine the relationship between food insecurity and wild food harvest, and (3) explore the implications of forest conservation measures for wild food harvest. Detailed interviews were conducted with 43 farmers to capture data on food insecurity, wild food collection, livelihood satisfaction, household characteristics, farming activities, livelihood strategies, and forest resource interaction. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was used to characterize food insecurity, while participatory techniques were used to develop indicators to assess the well-being of farmers. The results show strong evidence of a relationship between wild food harvest and food insecurity (p &lt; 0.001). Overall, the findings support the importance of wild foods to the well-being of rural households and provide empirical evidence for its inclusion in food security, poverty, and biodiversity conservation policies.