Department of Food Sciences, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan
Yi-Fen Jhai
Department of Food Sciences, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan
Bao-Hong Lee
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11042, Taiwan
Yifan Han
Department of Oral Pathology, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
Zhibin Cui
Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Wei-Hsuan Hsu
Biochemical Process Technology Department, Center of Excellence for Drug Development, Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30058, Taiwan
She-Ching Wu
Department of Food Sciences, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 60004, Taiwan
Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) belongs to the Sapotaceae family. It can change flavors on taste buds, transforming acidic tastes to sweet. We evaluated various miracle fruit extracts, including water, butanol, ethyl acetate (EA), and hexane fractions, to determine its antioxidant effects. These extracts isolated from miracle fruit exerted potential for reduction of uric acid and inhibited xanthine oxidase activity in vitro and in monosodiumurate (MSU)-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, we also found that the butanol extracts of miracle fruit attenuated oxonic acid potassium salt-induced hyperuricaemia in ICR mice by lowering serum uric acid levels and activating hepatic xanthine oxidase. These effects were equal to those of allopurinol, suggesting that the butanol extract of miracle fruit could be developed as a novel anti-hyperuricaemia agent or health food.
