Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a prevalent chronic metabolic condition, for which no approved medications are available. As a condiment and traditional Chinese medicine, ginger can be useful in reducing the symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Although its active ingredients and mechanisms of action are unknown, there is a lack of research on them. The purpose of this study is to prepare magnetite (Fe₃O₄)@Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) materials and analyze them using ultra-high performance liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) for rapid screening of potential inhibitors of SCD1 in ginger. Based on this analysis, it has been shown that the primary components in ginger that bind SCD1 directly are gingerols, with 10-gingerol having a greater affinity for binding to SCD1 than 8-gingerol and 6-gingerol. Moreover, further studies indicated that free fatty acids (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation is improved by this class of compounds in normal human hepatocytes (THLE-3), with 10-gingerol being the most effective compound. This study provides a new insight into the mechanism, by which ginger contributes to the improvement of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and provide support for the effective use of 10-gingerol for the treatment of NAFLD.

As a by-product in the sericulture industry, mulberry branches are not currently utilized effectively. Jialing 20 is an artificial triploids mulberry that widely cultivated in southwest China. In this study, the chemical composition of the Jialing 20 mulberry branch extract (MBE) was first analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and 42 components, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and coumarins, were obtained. Then, the antioxidant activities, hypoglycemic effect, Alzheimer’s disease inhibition, and cardiovascular protection of MBE were also evaluated in vitro. The IC₅₀ values for the scavenging DPPH and ABTS radicals were, respectively, 31.23 ± 0.57 μg/mL and 8.88 ± 0.36 μg/mL (IC₅₀ values of positive Vc were, respectively, 4.41 ± 0.19 μg/mL and 8.79 ± 0.41 μg/mL). The IC₅₀ value for inhibiting α-glucosidase was 1.90 ± 0.05 μg/mL (IC₅₀ value of positive acarbose was 0.03 μg/mL). The IC₅₀ values for inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were, respectively, 179.47 ± 0.38 μg/mL and 101.82 ± 3.37 μg/mL (IC₅₀ values of positive berberine were, respectively, 1.27 ± 0.03 μg/mL and 57.41 ± 0.21 μg/mL). MBE (10 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL) significantly increased the survival rate of oxidized low-density lipoprotein- (ox-LDL) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and significantly decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species. These results suggest that the extracts of Jialing 20 mulberry branches could be used as a functional food additive.

Rhodiola crenulata (RC) is a traditional herb and functional food that has demonstrated beneficial effects in improving physical function, enhancing work capacity, alleviating fatigue, and preventing altitude sickness. Additionally, RC has shown promising effects in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), although its specific bioactive components and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) combined with network pharmacology was employed to identify six potential bioactive compounds from the serum of rats treated with RC—Salidroside, Tyrosol, Crenulatin, Catechin gallate, Eriodictyol, and Rhodiooctanoside—that may contribute to its therapeutic effects on NAFLD. The efficacy of these compounds in improving NAFLD was assessed in vitro using HepG2 cells exposed to Palmitic acid (PA), and it was found that Catechin gallate exhibited a significant effect in reducing lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, based on network pharmacology predictions, molecular docking studies suggested that the primary targets of Catechin gallate in alleviating fatty liver might include ABCB1, DYRK1A, PGD, and FUT4. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed stable binding interactions between Catechin gallate and these four target proteins. This study clarifies the material basis of RC in the treatment of NAFLD and provides a theoretical foundation for the application of RC and Catechin gallate as functional additives for the management of NAFLD.

Finger citron (Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis Swingle), a common edible fruit, demonstrates strong potential for development as a functional food. Pol

Background: Finger citron (Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis Swingle, CM) is an important edible and medicinal plant. Owing to its diverse pharmacological properties, its fruit has long served as a traditional Chinese medicine and has increasingly been developed for functional food applications. However, its non-fruit parts, including leaves, branches, and roots, remain underutilized. Methods: In this study, CM fruit (CMF), leaves (CML), roots (CMR), and branches (CMB) were selected to systematically compare their small-molecule metabolic profiles and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Untargeted metabolomics was conducted based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Meanwhile, antioxidant capacity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays, and anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage inflammation model. Results: Metabolomic analysis revealed 826 differential metabolites across the four CM parts (CMs), reflecting pronounced organ-specific metabolic features. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, the variations in metabolite profiles across the four CMs were primarily linked to amino acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. In the antioxidant assays, the DPPH radical scavenging activity at 2 mg/mL followed the order CML (78.37 ± 7.29%), CMR (73.30 ± 2.68%), CMB (40.71 ± 0.16%), and CMF (36.67 ± 1.67%), whereas ABTS radical scavenging activity followed the order CMR (51.36 ± 2.17%), CML (48.30 ± 1.64%), CMB (45.23 ± 1.72%), and CMF (18.48 ± 0.22%). In the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage model, at 0.4 mg/mL, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production followed the order CML (88.18 ± 4.02%), CMB (87.21 ± 3.02%), CMF (68.05 ± 2.54%), and CMR (67.21 ± 9.12%). Correlation analysis further suggested that features putatively annotated as minecoside, maltotetraose, and (+)-catechin may be associated with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activities. Conclusions: The study revealed differences in metabolite composition and bioactivities among different CMs, providing an experimental basis for the development and utilization of non-fruit parts, especially leaves, and for further investigation of their bioactive constituents.