Nutrient Compositions And Antioxidant Capacity Of E’jiao Gao

Abstract

Background Aging is a major public health issue and is considered to be associated with oxidative stress. Additionally, foods are basic for nutrients, survival and growth of organisms, and are a good source for antioxidants. E’jiao Gao (EJG, made up of E’jiao, walnut, semen sesame nigrum and rice wine) is a well-known traditional food in China, however, little nutritional and bioactive information is available. Therefore, in the present study, nutritional compositions of EJG, including protein, amino acid, vitamins, fatty acid and mineral contents, were investigated. Furthermore, 55 female aging ICR mice were used to evaluate the anti-aging activity of EJG in vivo, and their antioxidant enzyme activities, including SOD, GPx and CAT, and MDA contents were determined. Results EJG is abundant in protein, amino acids, vitamin E, essential fatty acids (linoleic acid and linolenic acid), mineral elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium,) and other biological nutrients (selenium, zinc and iron). After administrated with EJG, the activities of SOD, GPx and CAT were remarkably improved (P<0.05) and the content of MDA remarkably decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion Overall, EJG is a functional food for supplementation of protein, vitamin E, amino acid or calcium, and is a potential food for promoting the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzyme to fight against aging. Therefore, these data are essential theoretical basis for the development of the traditional food of EJG and useful for encouraging people to pay attention to the nutritional composition and bioactivities of food they consume.