Physicochemical properties and physiological activity of bean sprouts extract containing Hovenia dulcis Thunb concentrates

Reactive oxygen species are the byproducts of metabolic processes in the body, However, excessive amount may cause side effects such as cancer. Therefore, to reduce the production of these species, but their long-term administration at high doses may induce side effects. Hence, natural materials with antioxidant activities are attracting attention. Two of these natural materials are soybean sprouts and Hovenia dulcis Thunb. fruits, but few studies have evaluated the effects of their combination. Thus, we prepared a soybean sprout extract containing 1.5% H. dulcis Thunb. fruit concentrate (BHM) to develop a functional food material derived from natural products and then confirmed its physicochemical properties and physiological activity. Among the organic acids detected in BHM, malic acid exhibited the highest content of 1,451.03 ppm, and the main free sugars were glucose (645.48 ppm) and fructose (738.11 ppm). Taurine was the most abundant free amino acid at a concentration of 11.95 ppm, followed by those of arginine (10.97 ppm) and glutamic acid (10.16 ppm). Analyses of the mineral components revealed large amounts of Zn and Fe in BHM, and the respective total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in BHM were 957.16 and 601.93 ppm. The DPPH radical and H2O2 scavenging activities and reducing power indicated excellent antioxidant efficacy compared to the positive controls. Furthermore, blood alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations were measured to confirm the hangover-relieving effects of BHM, with both significantly decreased (p<0.05). BHM displays potential for development as a functional food, and the results of this study may be used as basic data in further research.