Bioactive Compound Analysis in Juglans Species
Summary
The genus Juglans comprises approximately 21 tree species valued for their edible nuts and diverse secondary metabolites. Research into bioactive compounds in walnuts spans multiple plant parts—kernels, pellicles, husks, leaves and bark—and employs advanced extraction and analytical workflows. Common classes of metabolites include naphthoquinones, phenolic acids, flavonoids, diarylheptanoids, triterpenoids and lignans. Chromatographic techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array or mass spectrometric detection, ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) and hyphenated methods with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have enabled precise structural elucidation and quantification. Standardisation of solvent systems, extraction times and sample preparation allows reproducible comparison across species and growth stages. Chemometric analysis of metabolite fingerprints supports chemotype classification, quality control and optimisation of harvest timing. These methodological advances underpin pharmacological investigations into antitumour, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities, and guide the development of functional foods, nutraceuticals and herbal preparations.
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Bioactive Compound Analysis in Juglans Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive compound analysis in juglans species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Diarylheptanoid: A class of phenolic compounds featuring two aromatic rings connected by a seven-carbon chain, often associated with anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.
UPLC–TQ-MS: UltraPerformance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Triple-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry, a sensitive method for simultaneous quantification of trace metabolites.
HPLC–Q-TOF-MS²: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry, offering high resolution and accurate mass measurement for structural elucidation.
Folin–Ciocalteu method: A colourimetric assay for estimating total phenolic content based on the reduction of a phosphomolybdic–phosphotungstic acid complex.
References
- Simultaneous Quantification of Diarylheptanoids and Phenolic Compounds in Juglans mandshurica Maxim. by UPLC–TQ-MS. Separations (2021).
- Analysis of phenolic compounds in black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) fruit extract using high-performance liquid chromatography. Farmatsevtychnyĭ Zhurnal (2023).
- Identification of Polar Constituents in the Decoction of Juglans mandshurica and in the Medicated Egg Prepared with the Decoction by HPLC-Q-TOF MS2. Molecules (2017).
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