In this study, peptides with inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) from the alcalase hydrolysate of seabuckthorn seed meal protein were purified by ultrafiltration and macroporous resin separation, and their structures were investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and molecular docking. The peptides had good thermal and pH stability. The PPL inhibitory activity was significantly improved by adding appropriate amounts of Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ but not influenced by short-term exposure to the air. A total of 31 peptides were identified by UPLC/MS-MS, and six peptides were selected by molecular docking, whose contents in the ultrafiltration fraction with molecular mass less than 3 kDa were as follows: VR (2.90%), FR (7.40%), RDR (1.10%), APYR (1.50%), NLLHR (1.40%) and EEAASLR (1.10%), respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of VR, FR, RDR, APYR, NLLHR and EEAASLR prepared by solid phase synthesis were 371.07, 243.07, 250.50, 350.41, 220.70, and 510.55 μg/mL, respectively. The results of molecular docking showed that each of these peptides could combine with PPL by hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between molecular binding energy and the PPL inhibitory activity of the peptides from seabuckthorn seed protein (R² = 0.865, P < 0.05).

Hyperlipidemia constitutes a critical factor in the pathogenesis of vascular disease and gut microbiota dysbiosis. This study aims to investigate the role of sea buckthorn fruit oil (SBFO) in ameliorating hyperlipidemia, modulating gut microbiota, and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of its lipid-lowering effects. SBFO intervention in hyperlipidemic mice significantly reduced body weight and visceral adiposity index while mitigating symptoms associated with hyperlipidemia, including dyslipidemia, inflammation, liver damage, and endothelial dysfunction. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that SBFO enhanced the response of free fatty acid oxidation and breakdown (adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase α, carnitine palmitoyltransferase1a, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ) while suppressing the synthesis of triglycerides and fatty acids (sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1, fatty acid synthase, and acetyl CoA carboxylase) at the gene and protein expression levels. Moreover, SBFO intervention enriched the gut microbiota of hyperlipidemic mice by increasing the relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum, and Allobaculum, while decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. These findings suggest that SBFO exhibits promising therapeutic potential in attenuating hyperlipidemia in mice through the regulation of lipid metabolism and modulation of gut microbiota.

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.