A tree native to northern China known as Xanthoceras sorbifolia (i.e. Yellowhorn, shiny leaf yellowhorn, goldenhorn, Chinese flowering chestnut) has been studied for its pharmaceutical and energy producing potential.
More than 50% of the seed of yellowhorn (i.e. Xanthoceras sorbifolia) is oil that has been suggested as a food source has also been proposed as a biofuel source.
During the oil extraction process a significant amount of biomass has been considered to be unusable, however, scientists have recently reported presence of polyphenolic compounds.
One of the objectives of this work was to determine if waste could be limited during the extraction process by collecting bioactive polyphenols.
The results of this work were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Here are the study details
– Mature seeds of X. sorbifolia were collected from Xi’an Botanical Garden of Shannxi Province at the harvest stage
– Air-dried nutshells of X. sorbifolia were ground into a fine powder in a mechanical grinder, and a mesh of 2 mm diameter was used. Samples were extracted with 70% aqueous methanol with butylated hydroxytoluene
Here are the results
– A total of 20 polyphenols were identified in the yellowhorn nut extract including benzoic acid, isoeugenol and more.
Read here for what polyphenols were isolated in the extract.
– The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was found to be similar to vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Here are comments by the authors
As a result of their significant bioactivities, NE of X. sorbifolia, long considered to be waste materials, can be developed in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries as a result of the natural immunomodulator and antioxidant ability with low cost as well as in view of their availability in large amounts.
and
This study provides for the first time information on the phenolic profile, in vitro antioxidant activities, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the residue of X. sorbifolia seeds
and
The results indicated that the investigated extracts could be used as the potential phenolic antioxidants that should be specifically studied for their effects on human health.
Take away message
The Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia) tree is a unique bush native to northern China with a lifespan of more than 200 years. One proposed benefit of this nut is the use of the oil as a nutrition source and biofuel source. During the extraction process of Xanthoceras sorbifolia was shown in this study to possess more than 20 polyphenols that have been studied for health promotion.
Future studies will likely be ongoing to determine the full potential of the yellowhorn nut extract.
Reference
Zhao et al. Nutshell Extracts of Xanthoceras sorbifolia: A New Potential Source of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds as a Natural Antioxidant and Immunomodulator. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2018, Volume 66 (Issue 15), pages 3783–3792
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Food, Plant Extracts
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