AUTHOR=Zhang Han , Wang Haidong , Zhou Hongyan , Shi Jialin , Wan Zhiqiang , Li Guangzhe , Yan Mingming 

TITLE=Synergistic effect in the co-extraction of Ginseng and Schisandra protein

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1482125

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1482125

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Ginseng</italic> and <italic>Schisandra</italic> are traditional Chinese plants that have been used in culinary practices and are renowned for their immune-boosting properties. In Chinese medicine, <italic>Ginseng</italic> and <italic>Schisandra</italic> are frequently used together as a clinical pair to mutually enhance their effect, producing a synergistic effect when consumed in combination. However, the underlying mechanism of their synergistic effect remains uncertain. Therefore, this study investigates the synergistic effect of <italic>Ginseng</italic>-<italic>Schisandra</italic> in terms of macromolecular proteins.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>We used a dual-protein research methodology combined with co-extraction techniques to obtain the co-extracted protein of ginseng and Schisandra. We then compared the physicochemical and functional properties and antioxidant activities of co-extracted protein (COP), simple mixed protein (SMP), <italic>Ginseng</italic> protein (PGP), and <italic>Schisandra</italic> protein (SCP).</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Generally, PGP and SCP are considered as functional food with antioxidant activity. COP are composite proteins with a shared internal structure that are combined by <italic>Ginseng</italic> and <italic>Schisandra</italic> proteins, while SMP are simple mixtures of PGP and SCP. Free radical scavenging experiments indicated that COP exhibited the highest scavenging ability for hydroxyl radicals (98.89%), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (85.95%), and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS+) radicals (42.69%). <italic>In vitro</italic>, COP significantly reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing intracellular levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in HepG2 cells.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Discussion</title><p>The comparative results of the macromolecular proteins reveal that COP contributes to the synergistic effect of Ginseng-Schisandra and indicate the advantages of co-extraction in protein production, suggesting the potential application of COP in the food industry.</p></sec>