Label-free Raman imaging for screening of anti-inflammatory function food

Qi Zeng; Yangyao Peng; Xianzhen Zhou; Jiaojiao Zhang; Yuhang Yang; Xinyi Xu; Bin Guan; Yuntian Zhang; Xiaojia Hu; Xueli Chen

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101297

Label-free Raman imaging for screening of anti-inflammatory function food

Food Chem X. 2024 Mar 16:22:101297. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101297. eCollection 2024 Jun 30.

Authors

Qi Zeng^{1

2

3}, Yangyao Peng^{1

2}, Xianzhen Zhou^{1

2}, Jiaojiao Zhang^{1

2}, Yuhang Yang^{1

2}, Xinyi Xu^{1

2

3}, Bin Guan⁴, Yuntian Zhang⁵, Xiaojia Hu⁵, Xueli Chen^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Biomedical-photonics and Molecular Imaging, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China.
² Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China.
³ Innovation Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Technology, Xidian University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510555, China.
⁴ Affiliated Wuxi Fifth Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Fifth People's Hospital, Wuxi 214000, China.
⁵ Shanghai Nature's Sunshine Health Products Co. Ltd, Shanghai 200040, China.

Abstract

Natural bioactive compounds and plant constituents are considered to have a positive anti-inflammatory effect. This study aimed to establish a screening technique for anti-inflammatory function in foods based on label-free Raman imaging. A visible anti-inflammatory analysis method based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) was established with an LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell model. Dynamic changes in proteins and lipids were determined at laser pump light wavelengths of 2956 cm^-1 and 2856 cm^-1, respectively. The method was applied to a plant-based formula (JC) with anti-inflammatory activity. Q-TOF-MS and HPLC analyses revealed the main active constituents of JC as quercetin, kaempferol, l-glutamine, and sodium copper chlorophyllin. In in vitro and in vivo verification experiments, JC showed significant anti-inflammatory activity by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, this study successfully established a label-free and visible method for screening anti-inflammatory constituents in plant-based food products, which will facilitate the evaluation of functional foods.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering; Plant-based ingredient; Raman imaging technique.