Tea polyphenols (TPs) are among the most abundant functional compounds in tea. They exhibit strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, their instability and low bioavailability limits their applications. Nanotechnology, which involves the use of nanoscale substances (sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm) to improve the properties of substances, provides a solution for enhancing the stability and bioavailability of TPs. We reviewed the preparation, performance, effects, and applications of different types of TPs nanocarriers. First, we introduced the preparation of different nanocarriers, including nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, nanomicelles, and nanolipids. Then, we discussed various applications of tea polyphenol-loaded nanocarriers in functional ingredient delivery, food quality improvement, and active food packaging. Finally, the challenges and future development directions of TPs nanocarriers were elucidated. In conclusion, a nano-strategy may be the “key” to break the application barriers of TPs. Therefore, the use of nano-strategies for the safe, stable, and efficient release of TPs is the direction of future research.

Four novel acylglycosides flavones (AGFs) including two quercetin acylglycosides and two kaempferol acylglycosides were isolated from Fuzhuan brick tea (FBT) as follows: quercetin 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O’’-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [β-d-glucopyranosyl (1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-galactoside was named as camelliquercetiside E (1), quercetin 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O’’-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-galactoside was named as camelliquercetiside F (2), kaempferol 3-O-[α-l-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O’’-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [β-d-glucopyranosyl (1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-glucoside was named as camellikaempferoside D (3), kaempferol 3-O-[α-l-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O’’-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-glucoside was named as camellikaempferoside E (4). Chemical structures of AGFs were identified by time-of-flight mass (TOF-MS) and NMR spectrometers (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY, HMBC and HSQC), and the MS² fragmentation pathway of AGFs was further investigated. The inhibitory abilities of AGFs and their proposed metabolites on α-glucosidase and HMG-CoA reductase were analyzed by molecular docking simulation, and the results suggested that inhibitory activities of AGFs were significantly affected by acyl structure, number of glycosyl and conformation, and part of them had strong inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase and HMG-CoA reductase, suggesting that AGFs and their metabolites might be important ingredients that participate in the regulation of hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. The results provided new AGFs and research directions for the practical study of FBT health functions in future.

Hedera helix L. is an important traditional medicinal plant in Europe. The main active components are triterpenoid saponins, but none of the potential enzymes involved in triterpenoid saponins biosynthesis have been discovered and annotated. Here is reported the first study of global transcriptome analyses using the Illumina HiSeq^™ 2500 platform for H. helix. In total, over 24 million clean reads were produced and 96,333 unigenes were assembled, with an average length of 1385 nt; more than 79,085 unigenes had at least one significant match to an existing gene model. Differentially Expressed Gene analysis identified 6,222 and 7,012 unigenes which were expressed either higher or lower in leaf samples when compared with roots. After functional annotation and classification, two pathways and 410 unigenes related to triterpenoid saponins biosynthesis were discovered. The accuracy of these de novo sequences was validated by RT-qPCR analysis and a RACE clone. These data will enrich our knowledge of triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis and provide a theoretical foundation for molecular research on H. helix.

Conventional scientific studies had supported the use of polysaccharides and β-glucans from a number of fungi, including Ganoderma lucidum for the treatment of recurrent oral ulceration (ROU). Our aim of the present study was to evaluate whether freeze-dried powder from G. lucidum mycelia (FDPGLM) prevents ROU in rats. A Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model with ROU was established by autoantigen injection. The ROU rats were treated with three different dosages of FDPGLM and prednisone acetate (PA), and their effects were evaluated according to the clinical therapeutic evaluation indices of ROU. High-dose FDPGLM induced significantly prolonged total intervals and a reduction in the number of ulcers and ulcer areas, thereby indicating that the treatment was effective in preventing ROU. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that high-dose FDPGLM significantly enhanced the serum transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) levels, whereas reduced those of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-17 (IL-17). Flow cytometry (FCM) showed that the proportion of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ (forkhead box P3) regulatory T cells (Tregs) significantly increased by 1.5-fold in the high-dose FDPGLM group compared to that in the rat model group (P < 0.01). The application of middle- and high-dose FDPGLM also resulted in the upregulation of Foxp3 and downregulation of retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t(RORγt) mRNA. High-dose FDPGLM possibly plays a role in ROU by promoting CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg and inhibiting T helper cell 17 differentiation. This study also shows that FDPGLM may be potentially used as a complementary and alternative medicine treatment scheme for ROU.

Bopu powder^® and Sangrovit^® were developed from Macleayacordata and are widely used in agriculture and animal husbandry, but their impurities have been rarely reported in the literature. Impurity analysis is of great importance to the quality and safety of veterinary drugs. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with a screening method was used to screen and characterize the impurities in Bopu powder^® and Sangrovit^®. A total of 58 impurities were screened from Bopu powder^® and Sangrovit^® using the screening strategies, of which 39 were identified by their accurate m/z value, characteristic MS/MS data, and fragmentation pathways of references. This established method was used for impurity analysis for the first time and proved to be a useful and rapid tool to screen and identify the impurities of Bopu powder^® and Sangrovit^®, especially for those at trace levels in a complex sample. In addition, this study marks the first comprehensive research into impurities in these two products and has great significance for the systematic detection of impurities in other plant-derived drugs.