Moringa oleifera Lam. (MO) is called the “Miracle Tree” because of its extensive pharmacological activity. In addition to being an important food, it has also been used for a long time in traditional medicine in Asia for the treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. In this study, by constructing a library of MO phytochemical structures and using Discovery Studio software, compounds were subjected to virtual screening and molecular docking experiments related to their inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-IV), an important target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. After the four-step screening process, involving screening for drug-like compounds, predicting the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME/T) of pharmacokinetic properties, LibDock heatmap matching analysis, and CDOCKER molecular docking analysis, three MO components that were candidate DPP-IV inhibitors were identified and their docking modes were analyzed. In vitro activity verification showed that all three MO components had certain DPP-IV inhibitory activities, of which O-Ethyl-4-[(α-l-rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl] carbamate (compound 1) had the highest activity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] = 798 nM). This study provides a reference for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-diabetic activity of MO. The obtained DPP-IV inhibitors could be used for structural optimization and in-depth in vivo evaluation.

This study optimized the extraction process of crude polysaccharides from Panax notoginseng leaves (PNLP) using the ultrasonic-assisted dual-enzyme method through a single-factor combined with response surface experiment. The crude polysaccharides were subsequently purified and isolated with DEAE-Cellulose 52, followed by structural analysis, evaluation of antioxidant activity, and examination of digestive enzyme inhibition. The hypoglycemic effects of the purified components were further clarified. The results indicated that the optimized crude polysaccharide had an extraction yield of 17.13 ± 0.29%. The purified fraction PNLP-3 (eluted with 0.3 M NaCl) was obtained through DEAE-Cellulose 52 chromatography, exhibiting a total sugar content of 81.2% and a molecular weight of 16.57 kDa. PNLP is primarily composed of arabinose, galactose, and galacturonic acid, with molar percentages of 20.24%, 33.54%, and 24.27%, respectively. PNLP-3 is mainly composed of arabinose and galactose, with molar percentages of 29.97% and 49.35%, respectively. In this study of hypoglycemic activity, the IC₅₀ values of PNLP-3 for α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition were 1.045 mg/mL and 9.53 mg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking results confirmed that PNLP-3 exhibits better inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. Furthermore, PNLP-3 alleviated hyperglycemia in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells by enhancing glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis. The antioxidant activity of PNLP-3 exhibited a positive correlation with its concentration, potentially contributing to its hypoglycemic effects by reducing oxidative stress. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of Panax notoginseng leaf polysaccharides in managing type 2 diabetes and offer new perspectives on the use of natural polysaccharides for regulating blood glucose.

Background: In this study, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) combined with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) were used to extract bioactive compounds from the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam.Methods: The FT-IR method was used to analyze the structural characteristics of the DESs, and the extraction efficiencies of the DESs for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were evaluated. The stability of the extracts under high temperature and UV radiation was assessed, and their antioxidant activity was investigated after undergoing in vitro simulated digestion.Results: The results show that the seven DESs extracted more TPC and TFC than did the 70% ethanol (36.27 ± 1.58 mg GAE/g, 23.09 ± 1.47 mg RT/g), and the extraction process of UAE-DES was optimized by selecting choline chloride: citric acid as the DES solvent, which has the highest extraction of TPC (86.92 ± 1.34 mg GAE/g) and TFC (49.73 ± 0.85 mg RT/g). The stability results indicated that the DES phenolic extracts were less stable when exposed to high temperature and UV radiation, indicating that DES extracts have better bioactivity. Moreover, after in vitro simulated digestion, the DES extract shows a higher DPPH free radical scavenging capacity (12.79 ± 3.88 mmol Trolox/g of DES extracts, 6.99 ± 4.02 mmol Trolox/g of ethanol extracts) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (62.61 ± 1.71 mmol Trolox/g of DES extracts, 55.07 ± 1.66 mmol Trolox/g of ethanol extracts) than ethanol extracts.Conclusion: This study confirmed that DESs are a new and environmentally friendly solvent that can be used for the extraction of phenolic compounds.

Finding stable and bioavailable calcium supplements is crucial for addressing calcium deficiency. In this study, glycated peptide–calcium chelates (WMPHs–COS–Ca) were prepared from walnut meal protein hydrolysates (WMPHs) and chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs) through the Maillard reaction, and the structural properties and stability of the WMPHs–COS–Ca were characterized. The results showed that WMPHs and COSs exhibited high binding affinities, with a glycation degree of 64.82%. After glycation, Asp, Lys, and Arg decreased by 2.07%, 0.46%, and 1.06%, respectively, which indicated that these three amino acids are involved in the Maillard reaction. In addition, compared with the WMPHs, the emulsifying ability and emulsion stability of the WMPHs–COS increased by 10.16 mg²/g and 52.73 min, respectively, suggesting that WMPHs–COS have better processing characteristics. After chelation with calcium ions, the calcium chelation rate of peptides with molecular weights less than 1 kDa was the highest (64.88%), and the optimized preparation conditions were 5:1 w/w for WMPH–COS/CaCl₂s, with a temperature of 50 °C, a chelation time of 50 min, and a pH of 7.0. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the “bridging role” of WMPHs-COS changed to a loose structure. UV–vis spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry results indicated that the amino nitrogen atoms, carboxyl oxygen atoms, and carbon oxygen atoms in WMPHs-COS chelated with calcium ions, forming WMPHs-COS-Ca. Moreover, WMPHs-COS-Ca was relatively stable at high temperatures and under acidic and alkaline environmental and digestion conditions in the gastrointestinal tract, indicating that WMPHs–COS–Ca have a greater degree of bioavailability.

A major active constituent of Moringa oleifera Lam. is 4-[(α-L-rhamnose oxy) benzyl] isothiocyanate (MITC). To broaden MITC’s application and improve its biological activity, we synthesized a series of MITC quinazolinone derivatives and evaluated their anticancer activity. The anticancer effects and mechanisms of the compound with the most potent anticancer activity were investigated further. Among 16 MITC quinazolinone derivatives which were analyzed, MITC-12 significantly inhibited the growth of U251, A375, A431, HCT-116, HeLa, and MDA-MB-231 cells. MITC-12 significantly inhibited U251 cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner and decreased the number of EdU-positive cells, but was not toxic to normal human gastric mucosal cells (GES-1). Further, MITC-12 induced apoptosis of U251 cells, and increased caspase-3 expression levels and the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio. In addition, MITC-12 significantly decreased the proportion of U251 cells in the G1 phase and increased it in S and G2 phases. Transcriptome sequencing showed that MITC-12 had a significant regulatory effect on pathways regulating the cell cycle. Further, MITC-12 significantly decreased the expression levels of the cell cycle-related proteins CDK2, cyclinD1, and cyclinE, and increased those of cyclinA2, as well as the p-JNK:JNK ratio. These results indicate that MITC-12 inhibits U251 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, activating JNK, and regulating cell cycle-associated proteins. MITC-12 has potential for use in the prevention and treatment of glioma.