Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) have gained attention as promising bioactive nutraceutical molecules; their presence in common fruit juices has increased their significance because human interaction is inevitable. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of PEVs derived from grapefruit and tomato juices as functional ingredients, antioxidant compounds, and delivery vehicles. PEVs were isolated using differential ultracentrifugation and were found to be similar in size and morphology to mammalian exosomes. The yield of grapefruit exosome-like vesicles (GEVs) was higher than that of tomato exosome-like vesicles (TEVs), despite the latter having larger vesicle sizes. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of GEVs and TEVs was found to be low in comparison to their juice sources, indicating a limited contribution of PEVs to the juice. GEVs showed a higher efficiency in being loaded with the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) than TEVs, as well as a higher efficiency than TEV and PEV-free HSP70 in delivering HSP70 to glioma cells. Overall, our results revealed that GEVs present a higher potential as functional ingredients present in juice and that they exert the potential to deliver functional molecules to human cells. Although PEVs showed low antioxidant activity, their role in oxidative response in cells should be further addressed.

The use of green technologies such as ultrasound and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for revalorisation of food and agricultural by-products represents a sustainable way to tackle waste and promote a healthier environment while delivering much-needed functional food ingredients for an increasingly unhealthy population. The processing of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) generates large amounts of by-products rich in fibre-bound bioactive phytochemicals. This paper assessed the extractability of bioactive compounds through NADES and the functional properties of the persimmon polysaccharide-rich by-products to evaluate their suitability to be used as functional ingredients in commercial beverages. Although higher amounts of carotenoids and polyphenols were extracted after eutectic treatment vs. conventional extraction (p < 0.05), the fibre-bound bioactives remained abundant (p < 0.001) in the resulting persimmon pulp by-product (PPBP) and persimmon pulp dietary fibre (PPDF), showing also a strong antioxidant activity (DPPH^•, ABTS^•+ assays) and an improved digestibility and fibre fermentability. The main structural components of PPBP and PPDF are cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. PPDF-added dairy-based drink showed more than 50% of preference over the control among panellists and similar acceptability scores to the commercial ones. Persimmon pulp by-products represent sustainable source of dietary fibre and bioactives and are suitable candidates to develop functional ingredients for food industry applications.

Background and Aims: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) accounts for 70% of liver-related deaths in Europe, with no effective approved therapies. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of alcohol-induced injury, restoring mitochondrial activity remains a problematic strategy due to oxidative stress. Here, we identify methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) as a mediator for ALD progression and hypothesize that targeting MCJ may help in recovering mitochondrial fitness without collateral oxidative damage. Approach and Results: C57BL/6 mice [wild-type (Wt)] Mcj knockout and Mcj liver-specific silencing (MCJ-LSS) underwent the NIAAA dietary protocol (Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% (vol/vol) ethanol for 10 days, plus a single binge ethanol feeding at day 11). To evaluate the impact of a restored mitochondrial activity in ALD, the liver, gut, and pancreas were characterized, focusing on lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, intestinal permeability, and microbiota composition. MCJ, a protein acting as an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration, is downregulated in the early stages of ALD and increases with the severity of the disease. Whole-body deficiency of MCJ is detrimental during ALD because it exacerbates the systemic effects of alcohol abuse through altered intestinal permeability, increased endotoxemia, and dysregulation of pancreatic function, which overall worsens liver injury. On the other hand, liver-specific Mcj silencing prevents main ALD hallmarks, that is, mitochondrial dysfunction, steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as it restores the NAD⁺/NADH ratio and SIRT1 function, hence preventing de novo lipogenesis and improving lipid oxidation. Conclusions: Improving mitochondrial respiration by liver-specific Mcj silencing might become a novel therapeutic approach for treating ALD.

Appropriate nutrition targets decrease the risk of incidence of preventable diseases in addition to providing physiological benefits. Dietary fiber, despite being available and necessary in balanced nutrition, are consumed at below daily requirements. Food byproducts high in dietary fiber and free and bonded bioactive compounds are often discarded. Herein, persimmon byproducts are presented as an interesting source of fiber and bioactive compounds. The solvent extraction effects of dietary fiber from persimmon byproducts on its techno- and physio-functional properties, and on the Caco-2 cell model after being subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and probiotic bacterial fermentation, were evaluated. The total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fiber, total phenolic, carotenoid, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity were determined. After in vitro digestion, low quantities of bonded phenolic compounds were detected in all fiber fractions. Moreover, total phenolic and carotenoid contents, as well as antioxidant activity, decreased depending on the extraction solvent, whereas short chain fatty acids production increased. Covalently bonded compounds in persimmon fiber mainly consisted of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanols. After probiotic bacterial fermentation, few phenolic compounds were determined in all fiber fractions. Results suggest that persimmon’s dietary fiber functional properties are dependent on the extraction process used, which may promote a strong probiotic response and modulate the epithelial barrier function.

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruits are a remarkable source of carotenoids, which have shown protective effects against UV radiation in bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants. The aim of this study was to analyze the photoprotection provided by an acetone extract, rich in carotenoids and obtained from byproducts derived from the persimmon juice industry, against UV-induced cell death in the keratinocyte HaCaT cell line. For this purpose, the cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of carotenoid extract, as well as its intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and anti-adhesive activities towards HaCaT cells, were evaluated. The in vitro permeation test provided information about the permeability of the carotenoid extract. Persimmon extracts, rich in carotenoids (PEC), were absorbed by HaCaT keratinocyte cells, which reduced the UV-induced intracellular ROS production in treated cells. Thus, PEC exerted a photoprotective and regenerative effect on UV-irradiated HaCaT cells, and this protection was UV dose-dependent. No cytotoxic effect was observed in HaCaT cultures at the concentration tested. PEC treatment also stimulated the adhesion capacity of skin microbiome to HaCaT cells, while exhibiting a significant anti-adhesive activity against all tested pathogens. In conclusion, PEC showed potential for use as a functional ingredient in skin-care products.