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Review
. 2017:2017:3019568.
doi: 10.1155/2017/3019568. Epub 2017 Jun 7.

A Review of Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit (Jujube): Developing Health Food Supplements for Brain Protection

Jianping Chen  1 , Xiaoyan Liu  1 , Zhonggui Li  1 , Airong Qi  1 , Ping Yao  2 , Zhongyu Zhou  2   3 , Tina T X Dong  2   3 , Karl W K Tsim  2   3
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit (Jujube): Developing Health Food Supplements for Brain Protection

Jianping Chen et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017.

Abstract

The fruits of Ziziphus jujuba, known as jujube or Chinese date, are being consumed all around the world because of their health benefits, as both food and herbal medicine. Traditionally, one of the main functions of jujube, as described in herbal medicine, is to benefit our brain by calming down the mind and improving quality of sleep. Here, the activities of jujubes on nervous system are summarized and discussed. Jujube possesses neuroprotective activities, including protecting neuronal cells against neurotoxin stress, stimulating neuronal differentiation, increasing expression of neurotrophic factors, and promoting memory and learning. Flavonoid, cAMP, and jujuboside could be the potential bioactive ingredients to account for the aforesaid biological activities. These findings imply that jujube is a potential candidate for development of health supplements for prevention and/or treatment of neurological diseases.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The cultivation areas and major production areas of jujube in China. The cultivation areas of jujube in China were highlighted and shown. The insert shows the location of major production areas of China, including Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces. Shaanxi and Shanxi are considered as the original cultivation areas of jujube.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The neuroprotection effects of jujube. Jujube induces neurite outgrowth and neurothrophic factor expression via cAMP-dependent PKA signaling. Jujube possessed neuroprotection against oxidative stress via enhancing cellular Nrf2-dependent ARE-driven gene expressions. Jujube improves the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and shows inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Jujube increases the level of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain. Jujube stimulates the transcriptional expression of GABA receptor subunits in rat hippocampal neurons.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Structures for chemical compounds in jujube having potential neuroprotection effect. Seven chemical markers found in jujube including kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, (−)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, swertish, spinosin, and cAMP were reported to possess effect on neuroprotection.
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