Cancer-Related Constituents of Strawberry Jam as Compared with Fresh Fruit

Myricetin inhibits pseudorabies virus infection through direct inactivation and activating host antiviral defense

Myricetin, a polyhydroxyflavone compound, is one of the main ingredients of various human foods and therefore also known as dietary flavonoids. Due to the continuous emergence of resistant strains of herpesviruses, novel control measures are required. In the present study, myricetin exhibited potent antiviral activity against pseudorabies virus (PRV), a model organism of herpesvirus. The suppression rate could reach up to 96.4% at a concentration of 500 μM in cells, and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was 42.69 μM. Moreover, the inhibitory activity was not attenuated by the increased amount of infective dose, and a significant reduction of intracellular PRV virions was observed by indirect immunofluorescence. A mode of action study indicated that myricetin could directly inactivate the virus in vitro, leading to inhibition of viral adsorption, penetration and replication in cells. In addition to direct killing effect, myricetin could also activate host antiviral defense through regulation of apoptosis-related gene expressions (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax), NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and cytokine gene expressions (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, c-Jun, STAT1, c-Fos, and c-Myc). In PRV-infected mouse model, myricetin could enhance the survival rate by 40% at 5 days post infection, and viral loads in kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and brain were significantly decreased. The pathological changes caused by PRV infection were improved by myricetin treatment. The gene expressions of inflammatory factors (MCP-1, G-CSF, IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and apoptotic factors (Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and Bax) were regulated by myricetin in PRV-infected mice. The present findings suggest that myricetin can effectively inhibit PRV infection and become a candidate for development of new anti-herpesvirus drugs.

Influence of Freezing and Different Drying Methods on Volatile Profiles of Strawberry and Analysis of Volatile Compounds of Strawberry Commercial Jams

Strawberry is the most consumed berry fruit worldwide due to its unique aroma and flavor. Drying fruits to produce a powder represents one of the possible conservation methods to extend their shelf-life. The aim of the present study was to compare the influence of freezing and different drying methods on the volatile profile of strawberry using the HS-SPME/GC–MS method, in addition to analysis of strawberry jam volatiles. A total of 165 compounds were identified, accounting for 85.03–96.88% of the total volatile compositions. Results and PCA showed that freezing and each drying process affected the volatile profile in a different way, and the most remarkable representative differential volatiles were ethyl hexanoate, hexyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, mesifurane, (E)-nerolidol, γ-decalactone, 1-hexanol, and acetoin. Shade air-dried, frozen, freeze-dried, and oven-dried 45 °C samples retained more of the fruity and sweet aromas of strawberry, representing more than 68% of the total aroma intensity according to the literature. In contrast, the microwave-drying method showed drastic loss of fruity esters. Strawberry jams demonstrated complete destruction of esters and alcohols in most jams, while terpenes were significantly increased. These findings help better understand the aroma of strawberry and provide a guide for the effects of drying, freezing, and jam processing.

Preparation and characterization of phytosterol-loaded nanoparticles with sodium caseinate/dextran conjugates

Sodium caseinate (SC)/dextran conjugates were prepared via Maillard reaction under controlled dry-heating conditions. Moreover, the nanoparticles of phytosterols (PS) encapsulated by SC or SC/dextran were produced using the emulsion evaporation method. The encapsulation efficiency (78.81 ± 5.22%) of PS in SC/dextran nanoparticles was higher than that (73.5 ± 2.78%) in SC nanoparticles. Compared with the compact and dense structure of SC nanoparticles, SC/dextran nanoparticles existed as relatively loose aggregates. The result of differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the encapsulation of PS greatly decreased its crystallinity. The released rates of PS from SC and SC/dextran nanoparticles under acidic gastric conditions were 8.59% and 4.73%, respectively. After 7 h of intestinal digestion, the released rate (52.19%) of PS from SC/dextran nanoparticles was significantly higher than that from SC (32.67%) nanoparticles. Therefore, SC/dextran conjugates prepared by the Maillard reaction are more suitable to be used as wall material for the nano-encapsulation of PS.

Myricetin: A review of the most recent research

Myricetin(MYR) is a flavonoid compound widely found in many natural plants including bayberry. So far, MYR has been proven to have multiple biological functions and it is a natural compound with promising research and development prospects. This review comprehensively retrieved and collected the latest pharmacological abstracts on MYR, and discussed the potential molecular mechanisms of its effects. The results of our review indicated that MYR has a therapeutic effect on many diseases, including tumors of different types, inflammatory diseases, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and pathogenic microbial infections. Furthermore, it regulates the expression of Hippo, MAPK, GSK-3β, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, STAT3, TLR, IκB/NF-κB, Nrf2/HO-1, ACE, eNOS / NO, AChE and BrdU/NeuN. MYR also enhances the immunomodulatory functions, suppresses cytokine storms, improves cardiac dysfunction, possesses an antiviral potential, can be used as an adjuvant treatment against cancer, cardiovascular injury and nervous system diseases, and it may be a potential drug against COVID-19 and other viral infections. Generally, this article provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of MYR and a reference for its further use.

Fruits

Fruits come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and flavors. This chapter will cover selected fruits that are known to be healthy and highly nutritious. These fruits were chosen due to their common usage and availability. Since it is not possible to cover all health benefits or essential nutrients and important phytochemicals of the fruit composition, this chapter will focus on the key valuable constituents and their potential health effects.

The Protective Effect of Dietary Phytosterols on Cancer Risk: A Systematic Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS

Many studies have explored the association between dietary phytosterols and cancer risk, but the results have been inconsistent. We aimed to provide a synopsis of the current understanding of phytosterol intake for cancer risk through a systematic evaluation of the results from previous studies.

METHODS

We performed a literature search of PUBMED, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wanfang, and studies published before May 2019 focusing on dietary total phytosterols, β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitostanol, and campestanol, as well as their relationships with cancer risk, were included in this meta-analysis. Summaries of the relative risks from 11 case-control and case-cohort studies were eventually estimated by randomized or fixed effects models.

RESULTS

The summary relative risk for the highest versus the lowest intake was 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49-0.81) for total phytosterols, 0.74 (95% CI = 0.54-1.02) for β-sitosterol, 0.72 (95% CI = 0.51-1.00) for campesterol, 0.83 (95% CI = 0.60-1.16) for stigmasterol, 1.12 (95% CI = 0.96-1.32) for β-sitostanol, and 0.77 (95% CI = 0.65-0.90) for campestanol. In a dose-response analysis, the results suggested a linear association for campesterol and a nonlinear association for total phytosterol intake.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the hypothesis that high phytosterol intake is inversely related to risk of cancer. Further studies with prospective designs that control for vital confounders and investigate the important anticancer effects of dietary phytosterols are warranted.

Developing a vacuum cooking equipment prototype to produce strawberry jam and optimization of vacuum cooking conditions

Purpose of this study was to develop prototype cooking equipment that can work at reduced pressure and to evaluate its performance for production of strawberry jam. The effect of vacuum cooking conditions on color soluble solid content, reducing sugars total sugars HMF and sensory properties were investigated. Also, the optimum vacuum cooking conditions for strawberry jam were optimized for Composite Rotatable Design. The optimum cooking temperature and time were determined targeting maximum soluble solid content and sensory attributes (consistency) and minimum Hue value and HMF content. The optimum vacuum cooking conditions determined were 74.4 °C temperature and 19.8 time. The soluble solid content strawberry jam made by vacuum process were similar to those prepared by traditional method. HMF contents of jams produced with vacuum cooking method were well within limit of standards.