Identification of Phenolic Constituents and Inhibitory Activity of Persimmon Calyx and Shiteito against Tumor Cell Proliferation

Chemical Constituents of the Leaves of Diospyros kaki (Persimmon)

Diospyros kaki (persimmon) leaves have long been utilized as traditional medicine for the treatment of ischemic stroke, angina, and hypertension and as a healthy beverage and cosmetic for anti-aging. This study aimed to isolate as many compounds as possible from an ethanol extract of the persimmon leaves to identify the biologically active compounds. The antioxidative effect of the ethyl acetate layer from the ethanol extract of the persimmon leaves was demonstrated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and online high-performance liquid chromatography-2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (HPLC-ABTS) analysis. A new flavonoid, kaempferol-3-O-β-d-2″-coumaroylgalactoside (1), and a new natural compound, kaempferol-3-O-β-d-2″-feruloylglucoside (3) were isolated from the ethyl acetate layer, along with 25 previously known compounds, including fourteen flavonoids, one ionone, two coumarins, seven triterpenoids, and one acetophenone. Their structures were determined by the interpretation of spectrometric and spectroscopic data. All isolated compounds were rapidly evaluated using an online HPLC-ABTS assay, and of these, compounds 4–8, 11, 13, 15, and 16 clearly showed antioxidative effects. The amount of these compounds was 0.3–0.65% of the extract.

From Diospyros kaki L. (Persimmon) Phytochemical Profile and Health Impact to New Product Perspectives and Waste Valorization

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit's phytochemical profile includes carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, and gallic acid among other phenolic compounds and vitamins. A huge antioxidant potential is present given this richness in antioxidant compounds. These bioactive compounds impact on health benefits. The intersection of nutrition and sustainability, the key idea behind the EAT-Lancet Commission, which could improve human health and decrease the global impact of food-related health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, bring the discussion regarding persimmon beyond the health effects from its consumption, but also on the valorization of a very perishable food that spoils quickly. A broad option of edible products with better storage stability or solutions that apply persimmon and its byproducts in the reinvention of old products or even creating new products, or with new and better packaging for the preservation of food products with postharvest technologies to preserve and extend the shelf-life of persimmon food products. Facing a global food crisis and the climate emergency, new and better day-to-day solutions are needed right now. Therefore, the use of persimmon waste has also been discussed as a good solution to produce biofuel, eco-friendly alternative reductants for fabric dyes, green plant growth regulator, biodegradable and edible films for vegetable packaging, antimicrobial activity against foodborne methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus found in retail pork, anti-Helicobacter pylori agents from pedicel extracts, and persimmon pectin-based emulsifiers to prevent lipid peroxidation, among other solutions presented in the revised literature. It has become clear that the uses for persimmon go far beyond the kitchen table and the health impact consumption demonstrated over the years. The desired sustainable transition is already in progress, however, mechanistic studies and clinical trials are essential and scaling-up is fundamental to the future.

Bioactivities of Phenolic Compounds from Kiwifruit and Persimmon

Fruit used in the common human diet in general, and kiwifruit and persimmon particularly, displays health properties in the prevention of heart disease. This study describes a combination of bioactivity, multivariate data analyses and fluorescence measurements for the differentiating of kiwifruit and persimmon, their quenching and antioxidant properties. The metabolic differences are shown, as well in the results of bioactivities and antioxidant capacities determined by ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC and DPPH assays. To complement the bioactivity of these fruits, the quenching properties between extracted polyphenols and human serum proteins were determined by 3D-fluorescence spectroscopy studies. These properties of the extracted polyphenols in interaction with the main serum proteins in the human metabolism (human serum albumin (HSA), α-β-globulin (α-β G) and fibrinogen (Fgn)), showed that kiwifruit was more reactive than persimmon. There was a direct correlation between the quenching properties of the polyphenols of the investigated fruits with serum human proteins, their relative quantification and bioactivity. The results of metabolites and fluorescence quenching show that these fruits possess multiple properties that have a great potential to be used in industry with emphasis on the formulation of functional foods and in the pharmaceutical industry. Based on the quenching properties of human serum proteins with polyphenols and recent reports in vivo on human studies, we hypothesize that HSA, α-β G and Fgn will be predictors of coronary artery disease (CAD).