title: Fruit of Ziziphus jujuba (Jujube) at two stages of maturity: distinction by metabolic profiling and biological assessment.
abstract: The fruit of Ziziphus jujuba, named as jujube or Chinese date, is used as a health supplement worldwide. Two kinds of jujubes are commonly found in the market: immature jujubes eaten as fruits, and mature jujubes employed as medicinal herbs. To study the variation of jujubes at two developmental stages, we investigated their chemical and biological properties by metabolic profiling and cellular assays. In NMR profiling, the levels of 11 metabolites were measured. Statistically differences in the levels of threonine, alanine, acetate, creatine, glucose, sucrose, and formate were found between mature and immature jujubes. In parallel, their neuro-protecting and erythropoietic activities were compared. The water extract of mature jujube possessed better effect in inducing neurofilament expression than that of the immature one, while immature jujube extract performed better in activating HRE-mediated transcriptional activity. These findings suggest the maturity of jujube has to be considered when it is being used for health food products.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Pui H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Candy T W
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Zhonggui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kelly Y C
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Tina T X
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Huangquan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Karl W K
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsim
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D055432:Metabolomics; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D031957:Ziziphus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: NMR; Rhamnaceae; Ziziphus jujuba; hypoxia response element; maturity; metabolic profiling; neurofilament expression