Lim Ji-Sun, Yu Mi-Hee, Choi Dong Kyu, Kim Hae Won, Park Seung-Hwan, Sin Sin-Il, Kim Jong-Sang
KNU LAMP Research Center, KNU Institute of Basic Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
Foods. 2025 Jul 30;14(15):2685. doi: 10.3390/foods14152685.
Apples and Korean green chili peppers are rich in phytochemicals and recognized for their diverse bioactive properties. Given the potential to enhance these beneficial compounds, this study investigated the effects of mineral supplementation during cultivation on the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of extracts from both crops. Mineral-enriched cultivation significantly increased the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in both crops, which was accompanied by enhanced DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. Moreover, the mineral-supplemented extracts of Korean green chili pepper activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway and upregulated downstream antioxidant enzymes, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCL), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Notably, the mineral-supplemented Korean green chili pepper extract significantly suppressed the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells. These findings suggest that mineral supplementation during cultivation may improve the functional quality of apples and Korean green chili peppers, supporting their potential application in cancer prevention and complementary therapeutic strategies.
苹果和韩国青椒富含植物化学物质，并因其多样的生物活性特性而闻名。鉴于有增强这些有益化合物的潜力，本研究调查了栽培过程中补充矿物质对这两种作物提取物的抗氧化和抗增殖活性的影响。富含矿物质的栽培显著增加了两种作物中的总酚和黄酮含量，同时增强了DPPH和ABTS自由基清除活性。此外，补充矿物质的韩国青椒提取物激活了Nrf2信号通路，并上调了下游抗氧化酶，包括血红素加氧酶-1（HO-1）、γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸连接酶（GCL）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GPx）。值得注意的是，补充矿物质的韩国青椒提取物显著抑制了人结肠癌细胞的增殖。这些发现表明，栽培过程中补充矿物质可能会提高苹果和韩国青椒的功能品质，支持它们在癌症预防和辅助治疗策略中的潜在应用。
