Seabuckthorn seed meal (SSM) is a waste of oil extraction industry that rich in protein. In order to seek suitable protein extraction method, three different deep eutectic solvents (DESs) (including choline chloride-glycerol, choline chloride-oxalic acid and choline chloride-urea) were developed for extracting protein from SSM and compared with alkaline. Result indicated that alkaline could effectively extract 56.9% protein from SSM and its protein content was 73.1%, higher than DES at 31.0%‒41.4% and 64.3%‒67.5%, respectively. However, compared to alkali, DES led to a product with less β-sheet, more β-turn, more essential amino acids, higher total amino acid content, especially choline chloride-urea which extracted protein showing an integrated and similar protein weight distribution compared to SSM. Also, this protein extracted chloride-urea showed a highest digestibility in vitro (by pepsin) (54.2%). These results indicated that choline chloride-urea extraction is better than alkaline extraction for SSM.

Auricularia auricula (AA) and Auricularia polytricha (AP) are popular edible fungi. This study successfully produced hypoglycemic polysaccharides from un-smashed or smashing and sieving (through a 10-mesh sieve) AA and AP (termed as AAP/AAP-10 and APP/APP-10) via scalable processes (water extraction, ethanolic precipitation and deproteinization). This is the first report to compare the effectiveness of AAP and APP in combating streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress and diabetes-related changes in mice (body weight, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, proinflammatory mediator and cytokines, oxidative stress-related products, antioxidant enzymes). APP and AAP with different molecular weights and monosaccharide molar ratios could be therapeutic options for diabetes with a low dose (100 mg/kg/day) likely working better. At the same dose, APP generally performed more effective than AAP, and AAP-10/APP-10 seemed slightly more beneficial than AAP/APP. One mechanism underlying these antidiabetic functions might involve the NF-κB and associated signalling pathways. AP is cheaper than AA, thereby representing a favorable source of functional polysaccharides.

This study investigated the anti-anxiety/anti-depression potential of a formula containing red pomegranate fruit extract (RPFE; 40%, m/m), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) (34%, m/m), magnesium gluconate (25%, m/m) and vanillin (1%, m/m). The RPFE formula (dose: 2.0, 1.5 or 1.0mg/gday) reversed behavioral dysfunctions and body weight gain induced by chronic restraint stress combined with corticosterone injection in C57BL/6 male mice. The RPFE formula exhibited the abilities to normalize the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and IFN-γ) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), as well as relieve the injury of hippocampal neurons. The serotonin (5-HT) levels in hippocampus were increasingly enhanced, which might be mediated by reducing the activity of indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) and increasing the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). Thus, the neuroprotective and ameliorating effects on anxiety/depression-like behaviors resulting from the RPFE formula ingestion were possibly related to serotonergic activation, which might be mediated via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant actions.