Apple and Apple Phytochemicals,how strange a common fruit so magic use?

Health benefits of apples: epidemiological evidence.

Apple Peel extract INCI Name Pyrus Malus Extract CAS 89957-48-2 EINECS ELINCS No 289-567-5 Apple extract.Malus sylvestris ext.Green Apple Peel extract.Red Apple Peel extract Polyphenol Proanthocyanidin B2 photo picture image Anti-aging:

Apple polyphenols show anti-cancer benefits, and may prevent or treat other age-related diseases including heart disease, Alzheimer's Disease, stroke, diabetes, and mental decline.

Apple juice concentrate (AJC) prevents the increase in oxidative damage to brain tissue and decline in cognitive performance,contributes to the decline in cognitive performance during normal aging and in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

These findings provide further evidence that the antioxidant potential of Apple Extracts can compensate for dietary and genetic deficiencies that otherwise promote neurodegeneration.

Anti-allergic results:

Recent Research evaluate the anti-allergic effect of apple condensed tannins (ACT) in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) as a pilot study. An ACT supplement given to the patients at oral doses of 10 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks reduced the inflammation, lichenification, cracking, itching, sleep disturbance and peripheral blood eosinophil counts. Itching and sleep disturbance scores after ACT supplement even for 2 weeks were significantly decreased compared with the control group. The results suggest that ACT has an anti-allergic effect and that its use improved the symptoms of AD.The oral administration of ACT significantly inhibited the ear swelling responses,result proved that apple extracts has an antiallergic effect on type I allergic symptoms.

Antioxidant activity:

Apples, and especially apple peels, have been found to have a potent antioxidant activity and can greatly inhibit the growth of liver cancer and colon cancer cells. The total antioxidant activity of apples with the peel was approximately 83 umol vitamin C equivalents, which means that the antioxidant activity of 100 g apples (about one serving of apple) is equivalent to about 1500 mg of vitamin C. However, the amount of vitamin C in 100 g of apples is only about 5.7 mg. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, but this research shows that nearly all of the antioxidant activity from apples comes from a variety of other compounds. Vitamin C in apples contributed less than 0.4% of total antioxidant activity.

Antiproliferative activity:

Apples have been shown to have potent antiproliferative activity in several studies. When Caco-2 colon cancer cells were treated with apple extracts, cell proliferation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner reaching a maximum inhibition of 43% at a dose of 50 mg/mL. The same trend was seen in Hep G2 liver cancer cells with maximal inhibition reaching 57% at a dose of 50 mg/mL. Eberhardt et al. proposed that it is the unique combination of phytochemicals in the apples that are responsible for inhibiting the growth of tumor cells. Apples had the third highest antiproliferative activity when compared to eleven other commonly consumed fruits.

Different varieties of apples had different effects on liver cancer cell proliferation. At a dose of 50 mg/mL, Fuji apple extracts inhibited Hep G2 cell proliferation by 39% and Red Delicious extracts inhibited cell proliferation by 57%. Northern Spy apples had no effect on cell proliferation. Apples without peels were significantly less effective in inhibiting Hep G2 cell proliferation when compared to apples with the peel, suggesting that apple peels possess significant antiproliferative activity. Wolfe et al. demonstrated that apple peels alone inhibited Hep G2 cell proliferation significantly more than whole apples. For example, apple peels from Idared apples had an EC50 of 13.6 mg/mL whereas the whole apple had an EC50 of 125.1 mg/mL. The EC50 refers to the dose of the apple that is required to inhibit cell proliferation by 50%.

There has been some concern that apple antioxidants do not directly inhibit tumor cell proliferation, but instead they indirectly inhibit cell proliferation by generating H2O2 in reaction with the cell culture media. However, more recently it has been reported that apple extracts did not generate H2O2 formation in WME, DMEM, or DMEM/Ham F12 media, and H2O2 addition to culture medium did not inhibit Hep G2 cell proliferation or Caco-2 colon cancer cell proliferation. Additionally, the addition of catalase did not block the antiproliferative activity of apple extracts.

Asthma and pulmonary function:Apple Polyphenols and Asthma:

Apple consumption has been inversely linked with asthma and has also been positively associated with general pulmonary health.

In a recent study involving 1600 adults in Australia, apple intake showed a stronger inverse relationship with asthma. This latter effect was most clear in subjects who consumed at least two apples per week. Onion, tea, and red wine consumption were not related to asthma incidence, suggesting an especially beneficial effect of apple flavonoids.

Apple intake and orange intake were both associated with a reduced incidence of asthma in the Finnish study involving 10, 000 men and women. Flavonoid intake in general was associated with a lower risk of asthma, and the association was attributed mainly to quercetin, hesperitin, and naringenin. Other fruits and vegetables, such as onions, grapefruit, white cabbage, and juices, were not associated with a decreased risk in asthma.

In a study of over 13,000 adults in the Netherlands, it was found that apples might beneficially affect lung function. Apple and pear intake was positively associated with pulmonary function and negatively associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Catechin intake was also associated with pulmonary function and negatively associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but there was no association between tea, the main source of catechins, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [28]. A study of approximately 2500 middle aged (45~59 yrs) Welsh men also demonstrated a beneficial effect of apple consumption on lung function. Lung function was measured as forced expiratory volume (FEV) in one second, and was positively correlated with citrus fruit, fruit juice/squash, and apple consumption. However, the association with citrus fruit and fruit juice/squash lost significance after adjustment for smoking. Apple consumption remained positively correlated with lung function after taking into account possible confounders such as smoking, body mass index, social class, and exercise. Participants who consumed five or more apples per week had a significantly greater FEV of 138 mL when compared to those who did not consume apples.

Cancer:

Several studies have specifically linked apple consumption with a reduced risk for cancer, especially lung cancer. In the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals' Follow-up Study, involving over 77,000 women and 47, 000 men, fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a 21% reduced risk in lung cancer risk in women, but this association was not seen in men. Very few of the individual fruits and vegetables examined had a significant effect on lung cancer risk in women, however apples were one of the individual fruits associated with a decreased risk in lung cancer. Women who consumed at least one serving per day of apples and pears had a reduced risk of lung cancer. Of the men involved, there was no association seen between any individual fruit or vegetable and lung cancer risk.

In a case control study in Hawaii, it was found that apple and onion intake was associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer in both males and females. Smoking history and food intake was assessed for 582 patients with lung cancer and 582 control subjects without lung cancer. There was a 40~50% decreased risk in lung cancer in participants with the highest intake of apples, onions, and white grapefruit when compared to those who consumed the lowest amount of these fruits. The decreased risk in lung cancer was seen in both men and women and in almost all ethnic groups. No associations were seen with red wine, black tea or green tea. Both onions and apples are high in flavonoids, especially quercetin and quercetin conjugates. Le Marchand et al. found an inverse association between lung cancer and quercetin intake although the trend was not statistically significant. Interestingly, the inverse association seen between apple and onion intake and lung cancer were stronger for squamous cell carcinomas than for adenocarcinomas.

In a Finnish study involving 10,000 men and women and a 24-year follow-up, a strong inverse association was seen between flavonoid intake and lung cancer development. In the sampled population, the mean flavonoid intake was 4.0 mg per day, and 95% of the total flavonoid intake was quercetin. Apples and onions together provided 64% of all flavonoid intake. The reduced risk of lung cancer associated with increased flavonoid consumption was especially strong in younger people and in nonsmokers. Apples were the only specific foods that were inversely related to lung cancer risk. Since apples were the main source of flavonoids in the Finnish population, it was concluded that the flavonoids from apples were most likely responsible for the decreased risk in lung cancer.

The relationship of dietary catechins and epithelial cancer was examined in 728 men (aged 65~84) as part of the Zutphen Elderly Study. Tea, a naturally high source of catechins, contributed 87% of the total catechin intake in this study, while apples contributed 8.0% of catechin consumption. It was found that total catechin and tea consumption did not have an effect on lung cancer, but apple consumption was associated with decreased epithelial lung cancer incidence. This supported the findings of the previous studies discussed, where apples were significantly inversely associated with lung cancer, and may suggest that catechins alone do not play have a effect against lung cancers. Other data from the Zutphen Elderly study showed an inverse association between fruit and vegetable flavonoids and total cancer incidence and tumors of the alimentary and respiratory tract. Again, tea flavonoids were not associated with a decrease in cancer risk.

Catechins from apple, the major source of non-tea catechins, were also related to lung cancer incidence

Cardiovascular disease:

A reduced risk of cardiovascular disease has been associated with apple consumption. The Women's Health Study surveyed nearly 40,000 women with a 6.9-year follow-up, and examined the association between flavonoids and cardiovascular disease. Women ingesting the highest amounts of flavonoids had a 35% reduction in risk of cardiovascular events. Flavonoid intake was not associated with risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease death. Quercetin did not have any association with cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction or stroke. However, both apple intake and broccoli intake were associated with reductions in the risk of both cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events. Women ingesting apples had a 13~22% decrease in cardiovascular disease risk.

In a Finnish study examining flavonoid intake and coronary mortality, it was found that total flavonoid intake was significantly inversely associated with coronary mortality in women, but not in men. Apple and onion intake was also inversely associated with coronary mortality, especially in women. Data collected from this same cohort study also showed the effect of quercetin and apple intake on cerebrovascular disease. Those who had the highest consumption of apples had a lower risk of thrombotic stroke compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts of apples. Onion intake and quercetin intake were not associated with thrombotic stroke or other cerebrovascular diseases.

Apple and wine consumption was also inversely associated with death from coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women in a study of nearly 35,000 women in Iowa. The intakes of catechin and epicatechin, both constituents of apples, were strongly inversely associated with coronary heart disease death. Although total catechin intake was inversely associated with coronary heart disease mortality, Arts et al (2001) found that tea catechins were not associated with coronary heart disease mortality in postmenopausal women. Apple catechins may be more bioavailable than the catechin and epicatechin gallates commonly found in teas.

The relationship between flavonoids and risk of coronary heart disease were also examined as part of the Zutphen Elderly Study. Flavonoid intake was strongly correlated with a decreased mortality from heart disease in elderly men and also negatively correlated with myocardial infarction. Tea was the main source of flavonoids in this study and was also negatively correlated with coronary heart disease. Apple intake contributed to approximately 10% of the total ingested flavonoids and was also associated with a reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease in men, however the relationship was not statistically significant.

Cholesterol:Cholesterol-lowering effects

The range of concentrations of phenolic classes in fresh apple extracts was: hydroxy methyl furfural, n.d.; phloridzin, 11-17%; cinnamates, 3-27%; anthocyanins, n.d.-42%; flavan-3-ols, 31-54%; flavonols, 1-10%. The ability of compounds in apple juices and extracts from fresh apple to protect LDL was assessed using an in vitro copper catalyzed human LDL oxidation system.

Fruits and their juices contain phytochemicals that inhibit in vitro low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation,the observed effect on LDL might be associated with reduced CAD risk and supports the inclusion of apple juice in a healthy human diet.

Results clearly demonstrate that apple, but not wine polyphenols extract, dose-dependently decreases the esterification of cholesterol and the enterocyte secretion of lipoproteins.

Diets supplemented with apples and to a less extent with peaches and pears have improved lipid metabolism and increased the plasma antioxidant potential especially in rats fed with added cholesterol. The highest content of biologically active compounds and the best results in the experiment on rats makes apple preferable for dietary prevention of atherosclerosis and other diseases.

Some of the apple's protective effect against cardiovascular disease may come from its potential cholesterol-lowering ability. Aprikian et al. (2001) found that when cholesterol fed rats were supplemented with lyophilized apples, there was a significant drop in plasma cholesterol and liver cholesterols and an increase in high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Furthermore, they found that cholesterol excretion increased in the feces of rats fed apples, suggesting reduced cholesterol absorption. In a second study, a similar cholesterol lowering effect was seen in cholesterol fed rats when rats were fed apples, pears, and peaches. Apples had a greater cholesterol lowering affect than the other two fruits. The three fruits also increased the plasma antioxidant potential, with apple having the greatest effect. Apples, pears, and peaches all had similar fiber content, but apples contained more phenolic compounds suggesting that perhaps the phenolics in apples contribute to this effect.

In obese Zucker rats, apple consumption lowered cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), however in lean rats, apple consumption did not change cholesterol levels. In rats supplemented with cholesterol, apple pomace fiber and sugar beet fiber, the plasma lipids were significantly lower than in rats without the dietary fiber. Rats fed sugar beet pulp fiber and apple pomace fiber, but not fed cholesterol, had no change in lipids, suggesting that these sources of dietary fiber have hypolipidemic effects only in rats fed cholesterol. The sugar beet pulp fiber and the apple pomace fiber did not have an effect of lipid peroxides.

Aprikian et al. in more recent studies, found that combined apple pectin and apple phenolic fractions lowered plasma and liver cholesterol, triglycerides, and apparent cholesterol absorption to a much greater extent than either apple pectin alone or apple phenolics alone. This work suggests that there is a beneficial interaction between fruit fiber and polyphenolic components and also supports the benefits of eating whole fruits as opposed to dietary supplements.

Diabetes and weight loss:

Not only may apples help decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, and asthma, but apple consumption may also be associated with a lower risk for diabetes. In the previously discussed Finnish study of 10,000 people, a reduced risk of Type II diabetes was associated with apple consumption. Higher quercetin intake, a major component of apple peels, was also associated with a decreased risk in type II diabetes. Myrectin and berry intake were also associated with a decreased risk in type II diabetes, but onion, orange, grapefruit and white cabbage intake were not associated with a lowered risk.

Apple and pear intake has also been associated with weight loss in middle aged overweight women in Brazil. Approximately 400 hypercholestemic, but nonsmoking, women were randomized to one of three supplement groups: oat cookies, apples or pears, and each subject consumed one of each supplement three times per day for twelve weeks. The participants who consumed either of the fruits had a significant weight loss after 12 weeks of 1.21 kg, whereas those consuming the oat cookies did not have a significant weight loss. Those consuming fruit also had a significantly lower blood glucose level when compared to those consuming the oat cookies.

Higher quercetin intake, a major component of apple peels, was also associated with a decreased risk in type II diabetes.

Phloridzin (PHZ) is an antidiabetic agent that is found primarily in apple peels,scientific research proved that The weight of white adipose tissue in MKR mice was decreased in response to PHZ treatment,fat pad weights decreased by 27 and 30%, respectively

Hair Regrowth and apple polyphenol extract:

Researchers in China have found that apple polyphenol extract, specifically procyanidin B-2, is extremely effective in regrowing hair in human male test subjects over 4 to 6 months.

These impressive results were obtained when subjects with male pattern baldness used topical apple polyphenol extract in 2 randomized double-blind clinical trials.
Procyanidin B-2 therapy shows potential as a promising cure for male pattern baldness.
The maximum growth-promoting activity for hair epithelial cells with procyanidin B-2, an epicatechin dimer, reached about 300%,

Procyanidins are a family of condensed tannins we have identified in apples, which act as a hair-growing factor in the murine model both in vitro and in vivo,After 12 months of use, 71% of the subjects showed an increased number of hairs in the designated scalp area relative to pre-trial measurements.

Forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, promotes hair epithelial cell growth and boosts the growth-promoting effect of procyanidin B-2.
Apple Peel extract INCI Name Pyrus Malus Extract CAS 89957-48-2 EINECS ELINCS No 289-567-5 Apple extract.Malus sylvestris ext.Green Apple Peel extract.Red Apple Peel extract Polyphenol Proanthocyanidin B2 photo picture image

Inhibition of lipid oxidation:

Addition of apple phenolics to human serum decreased diphenylhexatriene-labeled phosphatidylcholine (DPHPC) oxidation in a dose dependent manner. DPHPC is incorporated into low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fractions and is an indicator of oxidation. Apple ingestion led to a decrease in DPHPC oxidation, reflecting the apples antioxidant activity in vivo. The protective effects of apples on LDL oxidation reached its peak at three hours following apple consumption and returned to baseline levels by 24 hours. Diphenylhexatriene labeled propionic acid (DPHPA) binds to serum albumin and is a good measure of oxidation within the aqueous phase of human serum. Mayer et al. (2001) also found that consumption of apples also led to a decrease in albumin DPHPA oxidation, reaching peak activity at 3 hours.

Although apple juice typically contains less phenolics than whole apples, it is still a widely consumed source of dietary antioxidants. Pearson et al examined the effects of six commercial apple juices and Red Delicious apples (whole apples, peels alone, and flesh alone) on human LDL oxidation in vitro. LDL oxidation was measured using headspace analysis of hexanal produced from copper-induced lipid oxidation in vitro. The dose of the apple juices and whole apple, apple peel and apple flesh, were standardized for gallic acid equivalents, and each LDL solution was treated with 5 uM gallic acid equivalents for each apple sample. LDL oxidation inhibition varied greatly between brands of fruit juice, ranging from 9 to 34% inhibition and whole apples inhibited LDL oxidation by 34%. Apple peels inhibited LDL oxidation by 34%, while the flesh alone showed significantly less inhibition (21%).

Rats fed apple juice also had a decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation. Quercetin, a major flavonoid in apples, had no effect on lipid oxidation when ingested by rats, suggesting that quercetin alone is not responsible for the apple's ability to inhibit lipid oxidation. Other antioxidants and the interaction between the different apple antioxidants, including quercetin, may contribute to the antioxidant activity of apples. The effect of apple juice on lipid oxidation has also been examined in vivo in human subjects. In a study involving four women and one man, ingestion of high levels of a 1:1 mixture of apple juice and black currant juice increased the antioxidant status of the blood and decreased lipid oxidation. Glutathione peroxidase also increased in humans consuming apple juice. Plasma MDA decreased over the seven-day intervention period when the subjects ingested the highest dose of the apple juice and black currant mixture (1500 mL). Despite the antioxidant effect on lipoproteins, apple juice intake had a pro-oxidant effect on plasma proteins in both humans and rats.

Other health effects:

Aside from chronic disease, apples may be used to help combat other prevalent disease in the world. Recently it has been found that crude extracts from immature apples actually inhibited enzymatic activities of cholera toxin in a dose dependent manner. Additionally, apple extract reduced cholera toxin induced fluid accumulation in a dose dependent manner. The apple extracts were fractionated and each fraction was tested for inhibitory action on enzymatic activities of cholera toxin. The two apple extract fractions that contained highly polymerized catechins inhibited cholera toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation by 95% and 98%. The fraction containing non-catechin polyphenols caused only 3.5% inhibition and the fraction containing monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric catechins caused 39% inhibition.

Summary:

Based on these epidemiological studies, it appears that apples may play a large role in reducing the risk of a wide variety of chronic disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in general. Of the papers reviewed, apples were most consistently associated with reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and type II diabetes when compared to other fruits and vegetables and other sources of flavonoids. Apple consumption was also positively associated with increased lung function and increased weight loss. Partially because of such strong epidemiological evidence supporting the health benefits in apples, there is increasing research using animal and in vitro models that attempts to more clearly explain these health benefits.

Overall, the animal studies and in vitro work begin to define mechanisms by which apples may help prevent chronic disease. First, the strong antioxidant activity of apples may help prevent lipid and DNA oxidation. Cancer cell culture work has demonstrated that apples inhibit cell proliferation in vitro, which may contribute to the association of apple intake with decreased cancer risk. Apples significantly lowered lipid oxidation both in humans and rats and lowered cholesterol in humans. These effects, which may be attributed to both the phenolics and the dietary fiber found in apples, may partially explain the inverse association of apple intake and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reference:

1.Apple and Apple Phytochemicals,how strange a common fruit so magic use?

last edit date:8th,Mar.2010.

Available Product

Name:Apple Peel extract
Serie No:P007.
Specifications:10:1 TLC
INCI Name:PYRUS MALUS EXTRACT
EINECS/ELINCS No.:289-567-5
CAS: 89957-48-2
Chem/IUPAC Name:Pyrus Malus Extract is an extract of the fruit of the apple,Pyrus malus,Rosaceae

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