The Juice of Asparagus By-Product Exerts Hypoglycemic Activity in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

The woody ends of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spears contain various bioactive substances. However, they are often discarded as by‐products. We extracted juice from recycled woody stems of asparagus (AJ) to investigate its hypoglycemic effect in a streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rat model. The diabetic rats showed significant decreased fasting serum glucose, glycosylated serum protein and malondialdehyde levels after 21 days of AJ treatment. Moreover, the oral glucose tolerance test revealed that AJ treatment can significantly reduce rat blood glucose level at 30, 60 and 120 min after glucose loading. These results demonstrated the hypoglycemic activity of AJ and its potential therapeutic use in preventing diabetic complications associated with hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. Practical Applications Asparagus, a healthy and nutritious vegetable, is commonly consumed in many regions of the world. In addition to its edible value, this plant has been reported to possess various biological activities. During harvest, the woody ends of asparagus, around 30–40% of each spear, are usually discarded as by‐product. In fact, this by‐product has been reported to be rich in many bioactive phytochemicals. In the current study, we identified that juice from woody stems of asparagus (AJ) exerted potential hypoglycemic activity in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. We found that oral administration of AJ significantly decreased the elevated levels of fasting serum glucose, glycosylated serum protein and serum malondialdehyde in diabetic rats. Moreover, we found AJ could improve the impaired glucose tolerance in diabetic rats. Overall, our findings suggest that AJ might have potential usage in food supplements for its therapeutic effects.

Drying of restructured chips made from the old stalks of Asparagus officinalis : impact of different drying methods

“…Fuentes‐Alventosa reported that high dietary fiber powder obtained from asparagus by‐product exhibited antioxidant activity, and found that saponin content ranged from 2.14 to 3.64 mg g −1 fiber . Wen Zhang extracted juice from recycled woody stems of asparagus and found that the juice showed hypolipidemic properties in hyperlipidemic mice …”

“…2 Wen Zhang extracted juice from recycled woody stems of asparagus and found that the juice showed hypolipidemic properties in hyperlipidemic mice. 3 Drying is a preservation method widely used in the food industry, and drying is recognized as one of the most common and most energy-consuming food preservation methods. Different drying technologies have different characteristics and each drying technique has its own advantages and disadvantages.…”

Effects of Blanching and Drying Process on Total Flavonoid Content and DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity of Green Asparagus Spray-Dried Powder

“…1.13 Received: January 04, 2020; accepted: January 04, 2021 (tăng cường chuyển hóa, xây dựng tế bào). Ngoài việc được sử dụng như nguồn rau xanh hàng ngày, măng tây còn được đánh giá rất cao về những lợi ích đối với sức khỏe như chống ung thư, chống oxi hóa, giảm lipid máu và bảo vệ gan [1]. Acid coumaric, acid caffeic và acid ferulic là thành phần phenolic chủ yếu trong thân măng tây.…”

Maltodextrin improves physical properties and volatile compound retention of spray-dried asparagus concentrate

“…After harvesting, approximately one-third of the lower part of the white asparagus spear is cut off because of its woody texture and to standardize the length of the spears for the market (Zhang et al, 2014). A significant waste stream is thus generated, which could potentially be utilised as a food ingredient, for example in the form of asparagus powder for instant soups.…”