Dried plums (prunes) reduce atherosclerosis lesion area in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Dried plums are a fruit high in pectin with substantial antioxidant activity. Previous studies in rats and man indicate that dried plums or plum fibre lower liver and plasma cholesterol; respectively. The apoE-deficient mouse; which develops atherosclerotic lesions rapidly when fed cholesterol; was used to determine the ability of dried plums to reduce atherosclerosis. Diets […]

Antioxidant properties of dried plum ingredients in raw and precooked pork sausage

Raw pork sausages with no antioxidant (control); 3% or 6% dried plum puree (DP); 3% or 6% dried plum and apple puree (DPA); or 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA/BHT) were (1) stored raw in chubs at 4 degrees C (RR) and evaluated weekly over 28 d; (2) cooked as patties; vacuum packaged; and […]

Dried plum polyphenols attenuate the detrimental effects of TNF-alpha on osteoblast function coincident with up-regulation of Runx2; Osterix and IGF-I

Previous studies have demonstrated that dried plums which contain high amounts of polyphenols can restore bone mass and structure; and significantly increase indices of bone formation. The purpose of this study was to determine how dried plum polyphenols influence osteoblast activity and mineralized nodule formation under normal and inflammatory conditions. MC3T3-E1 cells were plated and […]

Characterization and Antioxidative Properties of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidin from Prunes; Dried Fruit of Prunus domestica L

A prune extract was separated by an antioxidant-guided assay to obtain an oligomeric proanthocyanidin fraction. The antioxidative oligomer was characterized as a procyanidin oligomer with an average polymerization degree of five and composed of epicatechin and catechin units. The antioxidative activity of the oligomer showed greater potency than chlorogenic acid which is known as an […]

Consumption of prunes as a source of dietary fiber in men with mild hypercholesterolemia.

Forty-one free-living adult men with mild hypercholesterolemia (5.2-7.5 mmol/L) voluntarily participated in an 8-wk crossover study designed to determine the effect of prunes as a source of fiber on plasma cholesterol and on fecal output and bile acid concentration. During the prune period, subjects supplemented their usual diets with 12 prunes (100 g; 6 g dietary fiber) daily. Plasma low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower after the prune period (3.9 mmol/L) […]

Dried plum prevents bone loss in a male osteoporosis model via IGF-I and the RANK pathway

Previously; dietary supplementation with dried plums; a rich source of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; has been shown to improve bone density; microstructure and biomechanics in female animal models of osteopenia. We designed this study to determine the extent to which dried plum prevents skeletal deterioration in gonadal hormone deficient male animals and […]