Protective effect of purple sweet potato leaf (Ipomoea batatas Linn Convolvulaceae) against alcohol-induced liver damage in mice

Purpose: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Ipomoea batatas extract against alcohol-induced liver damage in mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups (n = 10). Normal Group: The animals received distilled water 5 ml/kg for 7 days; Alcohol Group: The animals received alcohol 5 ml/kg of 40 % w/v alcohol for 7 days; Alcohol + Purple sweet potato leaf extract (PSPE) Group: PSPE 400 mg/kg was for 7 days. The animals received alcohol 5 ml/kg of 40 % w/v alcohol for 7 days; Alcohol + Hovenia dulcis Thunb extract (HDE) Group: HDE 400 mg/kg was for 7 days. To confirmed to the liver protection effect of PSPE, it was calculated, and the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) in serum were detected. To evaluate changes of histological in alcohol-fed mice, liver tissue was determined by H&E staining. Results: Blood alcohol concentration in purple sweet potato leaf extract (PSPE) 200 mg/kg and Hovenia dulcis (H. dulcis) extract (HDE) 200 mg/kg treated group significantly decreased compared to - alcohol with water treated group (p < 0.05). Serum ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) were markedly reduced. Liver sections in mice stained with H&E (hematoxylin and eosin) stain to displayed the physiological changes in the liver tissue. Furthermore, the results showed that inflammatory cells increased in the alcohol group compared to the normal group, but spontaneously decreased in the PSPE or HDE-treated group. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that Ipomoea batatas may be therapeutically effective in protecting the liver from alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity and fatty liver.

Combined Water Extracts from Oxidation-Treated Leaves and Branches of Hovenia dulcis Has Anti-Hangover and Liver Protective Effects in Binge Alcohol Intake of Male Mice

Hovenia dulcis, known as the oriental raisin tree, is used for food supplements and traditional medicine for the liver after alcohol-related symptoms. However, little information exists about the use of its leaves and branches. In this study, we established a method to use the leaves and branches to develop anti-hangover treatment and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Oxidation-treated leaves (OL) exhibited high antioxidant content comparable to that of the peduncles and showed an anti-hangover effect in male mice. The branch extract (BE) was enriched in the flavonoid catechin, approximately five times more than OL extract. The mixture of OL and BE (OLB) was formulated in a 2:1 ratio with frozen-dried extract weight and was tested for anti-hangover effects and protective properties against binge alcohol-induced liver injury. OLB showed better anti-hangover effect than OL. In addition to this anti-hangover effect, OLB protected the liver from oxidative/nitrosative damage induced by binge alcohol intake.

Vulnerability to biological invasion of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. in green areas of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Foram considerados seis fatores relacionados à presença de Hovenia dulcis: nove pontos de ocorrência da espécie; altitude e declive (métricas topográficas); e área, forma e isolamento entre fragmentos de habitat (métricas da paisagem). O método Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) foi utilizado para definir pesos para cada fator. A vulnerabilidade foi avaliada como muito baixa (0 – 0.2); baixa (0.21 – 0.4); moderada (0.41 – 0.6); alta (0.61 – 0.8); e muito alta (0.81 – 1). As análises espaciais foram realizadas no software QGIS® 3.10. Os pontos de ocorrência da espécie representaram 45% do modelo gerado, seguidos pelos fatores paisagísticos, principalmente a forma dos fragmentos (17,69% do modelo). Nas áreas verdes urbanas selecionadas, 995,15 ha corresponderam à classe de alta vulnerabilidade e 839,54 ha à classe de vulnerabilidade moderada à invasão pela espécie. As regiões oeste, sul e norte da cidade são as mais vulneráveis, e também as mais urbanizadas. O Parque Passaúna é a área verde mais suscetível à invasão pela espécie principalmente devido à forma irregular, mais propensa ao efeito de borda. Curitiba tem uma alta vulnerabilidade à invasão biológica por Hovenia dulcis em suas áreas verdes, principalmente naquelas localizadas em regiões mais urbanizadas.

Changes in Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Polyphenolic-Protein-Polysaccharide Ternary Complexes from Hovenia dulcis after In Vitro Simulated Saliva-Gastrointestinal Digestion

The present study aimed to explore the impacts of in vitro simulated saliva-gastrointestinal digestion on physicochemical and biological properties of the polyphenolic-protein-polysaccharide ternary complex (PPP) extracted from Hovenia dulcis. The results revealed that the in vitro digestion did remarkably affect physicochemical properties of PPP, such as content of reducing sugar release, content of bound polyphenolics, and molecular weight distribution, as well as ratios of compositional monosaccharides and amino acids. In particular, the content of bound polyphenolics notably decreased from 281.93 ± 2.36 to 54.89 ± 0.42 mg GAE/g, which might be the major reason for the reduction of bioactivities of PPP after in vitro digestion. Molecular weight of PPP also remarkably reduced, which might be attributed to the destruction of glycosidic linkages and the disruption of aggregates. Moreover, although biological activities of PPP obviously decreased after in vitro digestion, the digested PPP (PPP-I) also exhibited remarkable in vitro antioxidant and antiglycation activities, as well as in vitro inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase. These findings can help to well understand the digestive behavior of PPP extracted from H. dulcis, and provide valuable and scientific supports for the development of PPP in the industrial fields of functional food and medicine.

Characterization of pseudo-fruits of Hovenia dulcis T. at different maturation stages and drying methods

The vast majority of fruits and unprocessed vegetables, have a very short shelf life, mainly due to its high-water activity. Drying technology is an effective process, used to increase the shelf life of these products. It also can provide an effective method of consumption of fruits in food products. In this study, the influence of the maturation stage and drying method on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of Japanese grape pseudo-fruits (Hovenia dulcis T.) were studied. The centesimal composition, reducing sugars and nonreducing sugars, ratio, color, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of the unprocessed pseudo-fruits, at different maturation stages (immature, in maturation and mature), were analyzed. Two drying methods were employed in the pseudo-fruits (oven with air circulation and freeze drying) obtaining flour from which moisture content, instrumental color, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were determined. The unprocessed pseudo-fruits of Japanese grape showed significant content of phenolic compounds at the early stages of maturation and high antioxidant capacity when mature (at the final stages of maturation). In addition, they showed a high content of fibers and sugars, and can be used as raw material in the food industry. After dehydration, the freeze-drying process provided a more stable color, because this process minimizes the enzymatic browning reactions, and preserved a greater number of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity, however, showed to be associated with the drying method, being higher in the flour obtained from lyophilized immature pseudo-fruits.

PREDAÇÃO DE FRUTOS DE HOVENIA DULCIS EM FRAGMENTO DE FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL

Introdução: A Floresta Estacional Decidual é considerada uma formação florestal ameaçada, especialmente na região oeste do estado de Santa Catarina devido, entre tantos fatores, a introdução da espécie exótica Hovenia dulcis. Objetivo: Caracterizar e avaliar o processo de predação desta espécie invasora pela fauna nativa. O estudo ocorreu no Parque Estadual Fritz Plaumann entre 2017 e 2018. Material e Métodos: para caracterizar o consumo e dispersão de frutos foram utilizadas bandejas plásticas contendo frutos de H. dulcis, divididas em três tratamentos: “controle” (diretamente sob o solo), “baixo” (acesso a 30cm do solo) e “elevado” (a 60cm do solo). As bandejas foram dispostas em seis estações amostrais, posicionadas dentro do fragmento florestal e disponibilizadas aos animais por duas vezes em cada estação do ano, sendo em torno de 20 dias de exposição em cada estação, totalizando 1980 frutos em 12 ofertas e 120 dias ou 2.880 horas de exposição. Ao final de cada período de oferta, foram verificados os estados dos frutos e classificados em: intacto, predado (vestígios de alimentação pela fauna) ou disperso (removido da bandeja). Resultados: em todos os tratamentos a estação inverno obteve a maior porcentagem de frutos dispersos, sendo respectivamente: “controle” (73%), “baixo” (63%) e “elevado” (63%); seguido pela estação outono, com: “controle” (67%), “baixo” (57%) e “elevado” (53%). Já para os frutos predados, a estação verão alcançou maior índice nos tratamentos “controle” (33%) e “baixo” (31%); e as estações outono e primavera para o tratamento “elevado” (30% cada). Não houve diferença estatística (p = 0,45909) entre as parcelas quanto à dispersão. Maiores predação e consumo dos frutos no inverno e no outono podem ser explicados devido ao período de frutificação da H. dulcis, ocorrendo de março a outubro, o qual coincide com o período de queda das folhas das árvores de grande porte da FED, sendo assim a H. dulcis oferece maior volume de frutos para a fauna neste período de restrição natural da floresta. Conclusão: conclui-se que a H. dulcis apresenta grandes taxas de predação e dispersão no local de estudo, demonstrando que diferentes grupos animais podem estar se alimentando dos frutos.

Do Landscape Elements Interfere in Hovenia Dulcis Thunb. Invasions in Subtropical Forest Fragments?

Changes in characteristics of landscape adjacent to forest fragments due to anthropic actions result in increased invasion of non-native species and biodiversity loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the invasion process of Hovenia dulcis (Thunb.) in forest fragments with different size and shape in order to relate the behavior of the invasion with landscape metrics. As a result, shape and size of the forest fragments do not influence the abundance of H. dulcis. However, a greater number of H. dulcis individuals are concentrated in the edge areas. The canopy, declivity and land use were not associated with the abundance of H. dulcis. The high abundance at the edge of forest fragments highlights the dynamics of the landscape in the study area that are marked by the agricultural matrix. The invasion process occurs regardless of the size and shape of the forest fragments.