Work

Effects of Treatment Conditions on the Chemical Ingredient Contents and Activities of Eleutherococcus senticosus Leaves

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Background Eleutherococcus senticosus leaves (ESL), recognized for their rich phytochemical profile and dual medicinal‐nutritional value, hold significant potential as sustainable functional ingredients. However, the impact of post‐harvest processing conditions on the retention of their bioactive components and corresponding biological activities remains to be systematically elucidated. Purpose and Study Design This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of different post‐harvest processing methods on the quality of ESL. An integrated approach combining HPLC fingerprinting, chemometric analysis, and multi‐activity evaluation (including antioxidant, antimicrobial, enzyme‐inhibitory, and cellular activity assays) was employed to clarify how treatment conditions influence ingredient retention and bioactivity in ESL. Results The findings identified nine chemical markers in ESL, establishing a foundation for quality assessment. Moreover, the combination of vacuum freeze‐drying with heated extraction (VD2) most effectively preserved key chemical markers and enhanced antioxidant capacity. This treatment also markedly promoted glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis in astrocytes under oxidative stress, showing a 77% increase compared to the control. In contrast, the VD1 treatment exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against α‐amylase and pancreatic lipase (IC 50 values of 0.83 ± 0.056 mg/mL and 1.61 ± 0.057 mg/mL, respectively), while the HD4 treatment showed remarkable potency in inhibiting α‐glucosidase (IC 50 value of 0.14 ± 0.038 mg/mL). Conclusions This study demonstrates that specific drying and extraction protocols can selectively enhance desired bioactive properties in ESL. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing industrial‐scale ESL production processes, facilitating the targeted development of ESL‐based nutraceuticals, neuroprotective adjuvants, and antioxidants.

Source: Phytochemical Analysis

DOI: 10.1002/pca.70033

Authors: Shuang Jiang, Zhiwei Zhang, Ying Zhang, Xu Jia, Xiaoqiang Chen

Institution: Northeast Forestry University

Language: English

Topic: Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: green

Funder: Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province