Discover the hidden benefits of perilla-pickled apricots, a Japanese delicacy that packs a powerful punch of antioxidants and health-promoting compounds.
The treasure of antioxidants for you to unlock
Japanese apricots, based on their proven biochemistry and health efficacies are believed to be the most traditional medicine for a wide variety of conditions. With anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, these tasty fruits kick ass.
But scientists are now going even further. Professor Yukiharu Ogawa, Jutalak Suwannachot, and a team of researchers at Chiba University made a deep dive into perilla-pickled apricots (Shiso-zuke Umeboshi, PP) to find the secret behind this significant discovery.
Published in Food Research International, the study aimed to provide quantification of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity changes within the production stage of these peculiar pickles. Researchers also worked to simulate digestion processes to see how these healthful compounds are broken down and absorbed if ingested.
Optimal Pickling with Health Benefits
The idohace saw this study investigating three methods of providing–(std) and dry paddled for 30 days (DDW), or dry paddled for 60 days with dried leaves (PP)–sperms maintained on threes from the age gut-containing SP, 30-PP; OR PP.
What they found was amazing, to say the least. The concentration of bioactive compounds (rosmarinic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids) was considerably higher in the finished product compared with the 30-day pickling stage; PP = finished product, Fig.
Rosmarinic acid Rosmarinic acid (RA) was found to be the most abundant compound in all samples. The esterified fractions also demonstrated levels of caffeic and p-coumaric acids as being higher, while ferulic acid was less pronounced in this fraction which may be related to the lower hydrophilicity of this compound.
The researchers then generated a computer model to simulate the process, applying this simulation with data from real cases of SP and PP that came at different stages of digestion. The differences were striking – the highest release of bioactivators happened pre-digestion (G0), with a marked jump between gastric and intestinal digestion transition, from 25 % to slightly over 60 %.
The cumulative release of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) was the highest for SP and PP at the final stage of small intestinal digestion(I120), suggesting that these compounds in pickles potentiate bioavailability during perilla treatment.
Conclusion
The results of this study are amazing; they suggest the immense possibility of perilla-pickled apricots as a functional food with remarkable health benefits. Fermented and infused with purple perilla, the spice-laden leaves appear to be a treasure trove of antioxidants—and surely many other important bioactives—that potentially transform ordinary cabbage into an extraordinary health food. While we slowly discover the millions of natural remedies plant-based medicine could provide concerning better health, the humble perilla-pickled apricot could simply be a pillar in the world of functional foods.
