Tea polyphenol (TP)‐loaded alginate–collagen microspheres were prepared by ionic gelation method by Ca2+ as a cation and alginate as an anion. The morphology of the prepared microspheres was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. TP appeared in an amorphous state with an average size of 510.26 μm when encapsulated in the microspheres. The loading capacity (LC%) and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) were about 5.11% (w/w) and 33.51%, respectively. These microencapsulated beads were evaluated as a pH‐sensitive system for the delivery of tea polyphenol. At pH 7.4, the amounts of TP released increased significantly as compared with those released at pH 1.2. The 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activity and the stability of the microencapsulated TP were higher than that of free TP. Overall, the TP microspheres could improve antioxidant activity and the storage stability of TP at room temperature for 6 months. Practical applications TP is widely used in the food industry, medicine, and daily health care because of its antioxidant and antibacterial effects. However, TP is sensitive to temperature, light, pH, oxygen, etc., which risks its stability during processing, storage, and transportation. The encapsulation using microspheres is of great significance for improving the antioxidant activity of TP. In conclusion, microspheroidization is an attractive approach to preserving TP efficiency during food processing and enables a targeted delivery upon consumption.

Shanzha (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge), an edible traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has an effect on dyspepsia. However, the investigations of the pharmacological effects have not been carried out. This study aimed to identify the potential targets and pharmacological mechanisms of Shanzha in the treatment of dyspepsia by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Five active compounds and 13 key targets were obtained by a set of bioinformatics assays. Vitexin 7‐glucoside, suchilactone, and 20‐hexadecanoylingenol were the main compounds acting on dyspepsia. The key targets were prostaglandin‐endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), serine/threonine‐protein kinase mTOR (MTOR), heat shock protein HSP 90‐alpha (HSP90AA1), mitogen‐activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), MAPK3, E3 ubiquitin‐protein ligase Mdm2 (MDM2), receptor tyrosine‐protein kinase erbB‐2 (ERBB2), caspase‐3 (CASP3), matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP9), estrogen receptor (ESR1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate 3‐kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform (PIK3CA), and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARG), which played the vital roles in TNF, prostate cancer, thyroid hormone, hepatitis B and estrogen signaling pathway. The molecular mechanisms of Shanzha regulating dyspepsia were mainly related to reduction of inflammatory response, controlling cell proliferation and survival, increasing intestinal moisture, and promoting intestinal motility. Practical applications Shanzha has been used as an edible TCM to improve digestion for a long time. However, the ingredients and mechanisms of Shanzha in the treatment of dyspepsia are not clear. In this research, network pharmacological analysis integrated with molecular docking was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanism. The results suggested that the core targets alleviated dyspepsia by reducing the intestinal inflammatory response, increasing intestinal movement, controlling cell physiological activities, and reducing constipation. In summary, this study demonstrated the multiple compounds, targets, and pathways characteristics of Shanzha in the treatment of dyspepsia, which may provide guidance and foundations for further application of edible medicine.

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Three new compounds (1-3) were isolated from the whole plant of Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae). The structures of these compounds were characterized by MS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR. The DPPH radical scavenging property of these compounds as well as vitamin C which served as the positive control group was determined. The result showed that Compound 3 exhibited the highest scavenging activity with an EC50 value of 0.34 mM while Compounds 1 and 2 showed scavenging activity of 0.52 and 5.37 mM respectively. The EC50 value for vitamin C is 1.36 mM. The result therefore showed that Compounds 1 and 2 possess better scavenging property than vitamin C and thus may serve as potent antioxidant drugs in oxidative stress management.