Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. Natural compounds have emerged as promising candidates for cancer treatment due to their diverse pharmacological activities and relatively low toxicity. Among these, pterostilbene, a natural stilbenoid found mostly in blueberries and grapes, has garnered increasing attention for its potential anti-cancer properties. Pterostilbene has been shown to modulate multiple molecular mechanisms involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, and metastasis by targeting multiple signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, AMPK, MAPK/ERK, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB. Evidence from studies on various cancer types highlights its capability to suppress tumor growth, modulate oxidative stress, and inhibit inflammation. Furthermore, preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of pterostilbene to inhibit tumor growth, induce apoptosis, and enhance the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs. Overall, pterostilbene holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for cancer treatment, offering potential benefits for improving patient outcomes and quality of life. So, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying pterostilbene’s anti-cancer effects and evaluates its role as a potential therapeutic agent in cancer treatment.

Obesity has become a signifi cant global public health issue. Previous studies have found that the Chenpi has the anti-obesity activity. However, the anti-obesity phytochemicals and their mechanisms are still unclear. This study investigated the anti-obesity phytochemicals and molecular mechanisms involved in treating obesity by Chenpi through network pharmacology and molecular docking. A total of 17 bioactive phytochemicals from Chenpi and its 475 related anti-obesity targets have been identifi ed. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway are the main signaling pathways involved in the anti-obesity effect of Chenpi. According to molecular docking analysis, the phytochemicals of Chenpi can bind to central anti-obesity targets. Based on the ADMET analysis and network pharmacology results, tangeretin exhibited the lowest predicted toxicity and potential for anti-obesity effects. In the in vitro lipid accumulation model, tangeretin effectively suppressed the free fatty acid-induced lipid in HepG2 cells by upregulating the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway based on the result of q-PCR and Western blotting. The outcomes of this research give insights for future research on the anti-obesity phytochemicals and molecular mechanisms derived from Chenpi, also providing the theoretical basis for developing anti-obesity functional foods based on Chenpi.

This study reviews the health benefits of white tea and the development of new products derived from white tea. The core processing procedures such as withering and drying play a pivotal role in shaping the unique characteristics of white tea. In the withering phase, water gradually diminishes, and endogenous polyphenol oxidase induces a slight oxidation of polyphenols which leads to a delicate fermentation process. This not only helps preserve the integrity of most components but also imparts an exclusive flavor and taste to white tea. Additionally, white tea stands out as a rich source of polyphenols, polysaccharides, and saponins. These bioactive components which can be extractable during brewing are conferring a myriad of health benefits. These benefits include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-radiation, anti-hyperglycemia, anti-hyperlipidemia, neuroprotection, and cardiovascular-protection properties. Innovative applications range from ready-to-drink infusions to skincare products. The review proposes white tea as a raw material for supplements, meal replacements, and confectionery. Various studies suggest its potential in enhancing gut health, supporting endurance, and contributing to photoprotection in skincare. The article concludes by highlighting white tea's adaptability, its role as a bridge between tradition and modernity, and its potential to shape the future of functional foods and beverages. Overall, white tea emerges as a versatile resource with applications extending beyond traditional consumption, offering a holistic approach to health and wellness.

High-throughput technologies in combination with modern exciting advancements in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and data analysis pipelines have empowered comprehensive characterization of disease phenotypes and their mechanistic regulation by dietary agents and bioactive molecules at unprecedented dimensionality and resolution. Extra-ordinary breakthroughs in the field of nutrigenomics have leveraged our understanding altogether to a new level of maturity. Interdisciplinary researchers have extensively analyzed health promoting and pharmacologically significant properties of garlic (Allium sativum). Importantly, garlic and its biologically active chemicals targeted oncogenic signaling cascades. In this mini-review we have attempted to summarize how garlic and its bioactive constituents regulated signal transduction cascades in cell culture studies and tumor-bearing mice.

Obesity has become a significant global public health issue. Previous studies have found that the Chenpi has the anti-obesity activity. However, the anti-obesity phytochemicals and their mechanisms are still unclear. This study investigated the anti-obesity phytochemicals and molecular mechanisms involved in treating obesity by Chenpi through network pharmacology and molecular docking. Seventeen bioactive phytochemicals from Chenpi and its 475 related anti-obesity targets have been identified. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway are the main signaling pathways involved in the anti-obesity effect of Chenpi. According to molecular docking analysis, the phytochemicals of Chenpi can bind to central anti-obesity targets. Based on the ADMET analysis and network pharmacology results, tangeretin exhibited the lowest predicted toxicity and the highest potential for anti-obesity effects. In the in vitro lipid accumulation model, tangeretin effectively suppressed the FFA-induced lipid in HepG2 cells by upregulating the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway based on the result of q-PCR and Western Blotting. The outcomes of this research give insights for future research on the anti-obesity phytochemicals and molecular mechanisms derived from Chenpi, also providing the theoretical basis for developing anti-obesity functional foods based on Chenpi.

Betalains are natural coloring pigments with betalamic acid as the core structure of all subclasses. Besides their coloring properties, betalains exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are highly imperative. Further in-vivo studies reported that betalains protect various body organs, leading to health enhancement. Body organs, including the heart, liver, kidney, lung, etc., are important for a healthy life. However, these organs can be affected or damaged by various stress factors, toxicants, and harmful substances. Recent studies have claimed that betalains could protect all vital organs of the body through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This review article described the in-vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of betalains in various cell-line or animal models. A comprehensive discussion has been provided on the mechanism of action of betalains in protecting various body organs, including cardio-protective effect, hepato-protective ability, renal protection capacity, repro-protective ability, neuro-protective effect, lung protection, and gut protection ability. Finally, future research directions and conclusions have been outlined.

Although a certain number of amino acid-Amadori rearrangement products (ARPs) have been studied, there is still a lack of knowledge of small peptide-ARPs. Filling the gap should be a great step in the potential usage of ARP as future flavor additives. This study illustrated that small peptides (diglycine and triglycine) exhibited better relative reactivity of ARP formation than an amino acid (glycine) at relatively low temperature such as 80 and 100 ℃ and in a wide range of pH from acidic to neutral conditions, but the result reversed at high temperatures for severer instability of small peptide-ARPs. The relative reactivity of ARP formation of amino compounds in a competing Maillard systems results from dynamic systems with various factors including the chemical characterization and composition of intrinsic reactants, and parameters of matrix conditions like pH, temperature and thermal treatment time among others. Further research should be conducted to investigate peptide-ARPs, for which are ubiquitous in real food systems and worth to pay more attention.

The isolated secondary metabolites from 39 edible mushrooms are reported, among which 107 compounds were active, 61 demonstrated antitubercular activities with IC₅₀ range of 0.2–50 µg/mL and 46 manifested antimalarial effects with IC₅₀ range of 0.061–36 µg/mL. While more than 2000 strains of edible mushrooms are identified, this review shows the paucity of research in these rich organisms featuring a vital culinary ingredient worldwide. A thorough search was conducted on basidiomycetes to discuss the chemistry and biology of the isolated compounds, structure activity relationships (SAR) as well as the cytotoxicity profiles of, primarily, the active anti-plasmodial and antitubercular molecules. With a safe cellular profile, lanostane triterpenoids were found to be the only molecules with combined activities against both diseases. SAR correlations reviewed here indicated the significance of 3β- and 7α-hydroxylation in the anti-tuberculosis activity and the terminal unsaturated moiety between C-4 and C-28 in the antimalarial activity in the same terpene skeleton. This review will attract the attention of medicinal chemists, and food scientists to optimize and rationalize the use of mushrooms both as unexploited sources of novel molecules and as nutraceuticals to treat two of the deadliest infectious diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis.

In this study, we isolated starches from non-traditional sources, including quinoa, lentil, arrowhead, gorgon fruit, sorghum, chickpea, proso millet, and purple potato and investigated their morphology, physicochemical, and functional properties. Significant differences in starch particle morphology, swelling power, solubility, syneresis, crystalline pattern, and pasting viscosity were observed among the starches from these non-traditional sources. Further, all these isolated starches had unique properties because of their characteristic distinct granules when seen under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The amylose content of the isolated starches shown significant difference (P < 0.05), and the values ranged between 11.46% and 37.61%. Results demonstrated that the isolated starches contained between 79.82% to 86.56% starch, indicating that the isolated starches had high purity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of starches isolated from sorghum, proso millet, quinoa, purple potato, and gorgon fruit presented A-type diffraction pattern; while lentil seeds, arrowhead, and chickpea starches presented C-type diffraction pattern. Overall, these results will promote the development of products based on starch isolated from non-traditional starches.

With the deterioration of the environment and the improvement of human self-protection awareness, the voice of human beings for returning to nature is increasing. There is an increasing interest in regulating the composition and metabolic function of the gastrointestinal microbial community with natural plant diet methods to improve health and prevent or treat diseases. As the "invisible organ" of human beings, the intestinal flora is closely related to human health. Dysbacteriosis can induce a variety of diseases. The regulatory effect of natural plant ingredients on the intestinal flora is expected to be a new treatment for related diseases. The metabolic mechanism of several main components of natural plants in the human body and their influence on the intestinal flora were presented in this paper. Meanwhile, the mechanism of action of intestinal flora in several typical diseases was introduced. In addition, this paper gathered and analyzed previous studies in order to gain insight how plant components can improve diseases by regulating intestinal flora.