Cherries and Blueberries-Based Beverages: Functional Foods with Antidiabetic and Immune Booster Properties

Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Reveals Molecular Mechanisms of the Cold Stress Response during the Overwintering Period in Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)

In China, the Liaodong Peninsula is an important growing area for blueberries because of the high organic matter content in the soil, the abundance of light, and the large temperature difference between day and night. However, the low temperature and relative humidity of the air during the winter and early spring in the Liaodong Peninsula are the main reasons for the damage to blueberry plants. Here, we documented the transcriptome and proteome dynamics in response to cold stress in three blueberry cultivars ('Northland', 'Bluecrop', and 'Berkeley'). Functional enrichment analysis indicated that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were mainly involved in the pathways of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, the glutathione metabolism pathway, and ribosomes. We identified 12,747 transcription factors (TFs) distributed in 20 families. Based on our findings, we speculated that cold tolerance development was caused by the expression of calcium-related genes (CDPKs and CMLs), glutathione proteins, and TFs (NAC, WRKY, and ERF). Our investigation found that three cultivars experienced cold damage when exposed to temperatures between -9 °C and -15 °C in the field. Therefore, the cold resistance of blueberries during overwintering should not only resist the influence of low temperatures but also complex environmental factors such as strong winds and low relative humidity in the air. The order of cold resistance strength in the three blueberry cultivars was 'Berkeley', 'Bluecrop', and 'Northland'. These results provide a comprehensive profile of the response to cold stress, which has the potential to be used as a selection marker for programs to improve cold tolerance in blueberries.

Gut microbiota in insulin resistance: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) is considered the pathogenic driver of diabetes, and can lead to obesity, hypertension, coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome, and other metabolic disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates that the connection between gut microbiota and IR. This bibliometric analysis aimed to summarize the knowledge structure of gut microbiota in IR.

Methods

Articles and reviews related to gut microbiota in IR from 2013 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), and the bibliometric analysis and visualization were performed by Microsoft Excel, Origin, R package (bibliometrix), Citespace, and VOSviewer.

Results

A total of 4 749 publications from WoSCC were retrieved, including 3 050 articles and 1 699 reviews. The majority of publications were from China and USA. The University Copenhagen and Shanghai Jiao Tong University were the most active institutions. The journal of Nutrients published the most papers, while Nature was the top 1 co-cited journal, and the major area of these publications was molecular, biology, and immunology. Nieuwdorp M published the highest number of papers, and Cani PD had the highest co-citations. Keyword analysis showed that the most frequently occurring keywords were "gut microbiota", "insulin-resistance", "obesity", and "inflammation". Trend topics and thematic maps showed that serum metabolome and natural products, such as resveratrol, flavonoids were the research hotspots in this field.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis summarised the hotspots, frontiers, pathogenesis, and treatment strategies, providing a clear and comprehensive profile of gut microbiota in IR.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-023-01342-x.

Natural Functional Beverages as an Approach to Manage Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease, commonly associated with unhealthy habits and obesity, and it is becoming a serious health issue worldwide. As a result, new approaches to treat diabetes are required, and a movement towards more natural approaches is emerging. Consuming fruit and vegetables is advised to prevent diabetes since they contain several bioactive compounds. A simple and effective strategy to include them in the diets of diabetic and obese people is through beverages. This review aims to report the anti-diabetic potentials of different vegetable and fruit beverages. These functional beverages demonstrated in vitro potential to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes and to improve glucose uptake. In vivo, beverage consumption showed a reduction of blood glucose, increase of insulin tolerance, improvement of lipid profile, control of obesity, and reduction of oxidative stress. This suggests the potential of vegetable- and fruit-based functional beverages to be used as a natural innovative therapy for the management of diabetes.

Microbial Secondary Metabolites via Fermentation Approaches for Dietary Supplementation Formulations

Food supplementation formulations refer to products that are designed to provide additional nutrients to the diet. Vitamins, dietary fibers, minerals and other functional compounds (such as antioxidants) are concentrated in dietary supplements. Specific amounts of dietary compounds are given to the body through food supplements, and these include as well so-called non-essential compounds such as secondary plant bioactive components or microbial natural products in addition to nutrients in the narrower sense. A significant social challenge represents how to moderately use the natural resources in light of the growing world population. In terms of economic production of (especially natural) bioactive molecules, ways of white biotechnology production with various microorganisms have recently been intensively explored. In the current review other relevant dietary supplements and natural substances (e.g., vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants) used in production of dietary supplements formulations and their microbial natural production via fermentative biotechnological approaches are briefly reviewed. Biotechnology plays a crucial role in optimizing fermentation conditions to maximize the yield and quality of the target compounds. Advantages of microbial production include the ability to use renewable feedstocks, high production yields, and the potential for cost-effective large-scale production. Additionally, it can be more environmentally friendly compared to chemical synthesis, as it reduces the reliance on petrochemicals and minimizes waste generation. Educating consumers about the benefits, safety, and production methods of microbial products in general is crucial. Providing clear and accurate information about the science behind microbial production can help address any concerns or misconceptions consumers may have.

Nanoformulations for the Delivery of Dietary Anthocyanins for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by abnormal blood glucose levels-hyperglycemia, caused by a lack of insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or a combination of both. The incidence of DM is increasing, resulting in billions of dollars in annual healthcare costs worldwide. Current therapeutics aim to control hyperglycemia and reduce blood glucose levels to normal. However, most modern drugs have numerous side effects, some of which cause severe kidney and liver problems. On the other hand, natural compounds rich in anthocyanidins (cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin) have also been used for the prevention and treatment of DM. However, lack of standardization, poor stability, unpleasant taste, and decreased absorption leading to low bioavailability have hindered the application of anthocyanins as therapeutics. Therefore, nanotechnology has been used for more successful delivery of these bioactive compounds. This review summarizes the potential of anthocyanins for the prevention and treatment of DM and its complications, as well as the strategies and advances in the delivery of anthocyanins using nanoformulations.

Strawberry, Blueberry, and Strawberry-Blueberry Blend Beverages Prevent Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Rats by Modulating Key Genes Involved in Lipid Metabolism

There is an increasing interest in developing natural herb-infused functional beverages with health benefits; therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of strawberry, blueberry, and strawberry-blueberry blend decoction-based functional beverages on obesity-related metabolic alterations in high-fat and high-fructose diet-fed rats. The administration of the three berry-based beverages for eighteen weeks prevented the development of hypertriglyceridemia in obese rats (1.29-1.78-fold) and hepatic triglyceride accumulation (1.38-1.61-fold), preventing the development of hepatic steatosis. Furthermore, all beverages significantly down-regulated Fasn hepatic expression, whereas the strawberry beverage showed the greatest down-regulation of Acaca, involved in fatty acid de novo synthesis. Moreover, the strawberry beverage showed the most significant up-regulation of hepatic Cpt1 and Acadm (fatty acid β-oxidation). In contrast, the blueberry beverage showed the most significant down-regulation of hepatic Fatp5 and Cd36 (fatty acid intracellular transport). Nevertheless, no beneficial effect was observed on biometric measurements, adipose tissue composition, and insulin resistance. On the other hand, several urolithins and their derivatives, and other urinary polyphenol metabolites were identified after the strawberry-based beverages supplementation. In contrast, enterolactone was found significantly increase after the intake of blueberry-based beverages. These results demonstrate that functional beverages elaborated with berry fruits prevent diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis by modulating critical genes involved in fatty acid hepatic metabolism.

Effect of Adding Matricaria recutita L., Cymbopogon citratus, or Mentha piperita L. Extracts to Fermented Orange Beverage: Sensory Evaluation, Physicochemical Characterization, and Prediction of Toxic Risks and Biological Activity In Silico

Fermentation is an important tool in producing functional beverages through agro-industrial wastes, and medicinal and aromatic plants due to the specific content of bioactive molecules. Therefore, this study evaluated the contribution of Matricaria recutita (chamomile), Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), or Mentha piperita (peppermint) extracts to the phytochemical profile and potential biological effects of a functional fermented orange beverage in vitro and in silico. The concentrations of aromatic herbal extracts that yielded the best sensory performance for fermented beverages were selected for analyses that involved characterizing the fermented beverages. The beverages that received the extracts (2%) had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant potential compared to the control. Hesperidin (124-130 mg L^-1), narirutin (66-70 mg L^-1), chlorogenic (11-16 mg L^-1), caffeic (5.3-5.5 mg L^-1), and ferulic (1-1.7 mg L^-1) acids were found in the different formulations. The in silico analysis suggested that the evaluated compounds do not present a toxicity risk (mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity, and ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier). Additionally, they can contribute to the biological effects of therapeutic importance, such as antioxidant, gastroprotective, and anti-ulcerative properties, and the Mentha piperita L. extract presented the greatest potential among the evaluated herbs for use in functional fermented beverages.

Influence of Altitudes and Development Stages on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Capacity of the Wild Andean Blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth)

The chemical composition and biological capacities of berries depend on environmental parameters, maturity, and location. The Andean blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth), also known as mortiño, presents a unique combination of several phytochemicals, which play a synergistic role in its characterization as a functional food. We aimed to expose the possible variations that exist in the profile of the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of the wild Andean blueberry with respect to three ripeness stages and two different altitudes. We found that polyphenols are the predominant compounds in the berry during the early ripeness stage and are the main bioactive compounds that give rise to the antioxidant capacity and inhibition effect on the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the accumulation of ascorbic acid, free amino acids, and anthocyanins increases as the ripening process progresses, and they were the main bioactive compounds in the ripe berry. The latter compounds influence the production of the typical bluish or reddish coloration of ripe blueberries. In addition, it was determined that environmental conditions at high altitudes could have a positive influence in all cases. Overall, our data provide evidence regarding the high functional value of the wild Andean blueberry.