Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is induced by multiple environmental factors, and there is still no known treatment capable of curing the disease completely. We propose a zeolite-containing mixture (Hydryeast®, HY)—a multi-component nutraceutical of which the main ingredients are Azumaceramics (mixture of zeolite and oyster shell burned under high temperature), citric acid, red rice yeast (monascus) and calcium stearate—as a nutraceutical intervention in IBD to ameliorate dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. We show the mechanism through integrated omics using transcriptomics and proteomics. C57BL6 mice were given an AIN-93G basal diet or a 0.8% HY containing diet and sterilized tap water for 11 days. Colitis was then induced by 1.5% (w/v) DSS-containing water for 9 days. HY fed mice showed significantly improved disease activity index and colon length compared to DSS mice. Colonic mucosa microarray analysis plus RT-PCR results indicate HY supplementation may ameliorate inflammation by inhibiting the intestinal inflammatory pathway and suppress apoptosis by curbing the expression of genes like tumor protein 53 and epidermal growth factor receptor and by upregulating epithelial protection-related proteins such as epithelial cell adhesion molecule and tenascin C, thus maintaining mucosal immune homeostasis and epithelial integrity, mirroring the proteome analysis results. HY appears to have a suppressive effect on colitis.

Western parsley (WP), a culinary herb, has been reported to display significant antioxidative properties and to contribute to the elimination of heavy metals, but little information is available regarding its effect over food storage stability. In this study, the effect of this plant on the oxidative stabilities of food was investigated as compared with the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin (EQ) under accelerated oxidative stress. Headspace oxygen consumption, formation of primary and secondary oxidation products, and 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activity, were used as the parameters. Oxidative stabilities of food increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with addition of WP, revealing potent antioxidant activities of WP for stabilization of food over a long storage period. Our results suggested that the synergistic action of the phytochemicals may be contributing to the improved oxidative stabilities. According to these results, WP, a commonly consumed herb, can be used as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in the long‐term storage of food. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Our results suggest that Western parsley (WP), a commonly used plant, can be used effectively as a natural antioxidant, which is increasingly important as an additive in the food industry, especially in fat‐based foods. In addition to their antioxidative role, presently, there are convincing evidences that nature antioxidants exert a protective effect in many pathological conditions, such as inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. During this research, we got results (not shown) that suggest that WP might exhibit similar effects. With that, further applications and uses of WP will be explored. On the light of these evidences, the uses of WP might be considered hereon in more food system, as an attractive alternative to present.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial immunomodulatory disorder. In relative nosogenesis, gut microbiota has been the focus of research on IBD. In our previous study, we demonstrated the ameliorating effect of zeolite‐containing mixture (Hydryeast®, HY) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis, through transcriptomics and proteomics. In the present study, we performed further investigation from the perspective of metagenomics using the gut microbiota. C57BL6 mice were provided an AIN‐93G basal diet or a 0.8% HY‐containing diet, and sterilized tap water for 11 days. Thereafter, colitis was induced by providing 1.5% (w/v) DSS‐containing water for 9 days. DNA was extracted from the cecal contents and pooled into libraries in a single Illumina MiSeq run. The resulting sequences were analyzed using Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) software. According to the alterations in the relative abundance of certain bacteria, and the related gene and protein expressions, HY supplementation could improve the gut microbiota composition, ameliorate the degree of inflammation, inhibit the colonic mucosal microbial growth, and, to some extent, promote energy metabolism in the colon compared with the DSS treatment. Thus, we believe that HY may be a candidate to prevent and treat IBD.

The antioxidant activity of Chinese parsley was evaluated as compared to the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin during storage at 45 • C for 42 days. The oxidative stabilities of diets were determined according to the changes in headspace oxygen consumption, the formation of oxidation products, and the DPPH radical scavenging activity. The results achieved using different oxidation parameters showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in oxidation products and high DPPH radical scavenging activity, suggesting that Chinese parsley is effective in retarding lipid oxidation over a long storage period. On the other hand, the efficiency of ethoxyquin decreased as it was degraded over time. In addition, DPPH radical scavenging activity was strongly correlated (R 2 = 0.98, P < 0.01) with the content of caffeic acids, one of the simple polyphenols in Chinese parsley, and thus, caffeic acid may be responsible for the improved oxidative stability. Therefore, results suggested that Chinese parsley, a commonly used plant, can be safely used as a natural antioxidant alternative to synthetic additives for long-term storage in the feed or food industry.