Abstract Litchi ( Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a fruit grown in subtropical to tropical areas. Its effects on postprandial glycemic response and the potential benefits for human remain unclear. This study quantified the nutritional components of litchi pulp by high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) or HPLC-MS/MS methods, and conducted a trail among healthy volunteers to observe the dynamic blood glucose and plasma proteome alteration after eating litchi. Litchi was rich in glucose, fructose, sucrose, various amino acids and vitamins. Among 3 litchi cultivars, “Feizixiao” possessed the highest vitamin content and the strongest antioxidant activity. After eating litchi, blood glucose rose rapidly to peak within 30 min, and then dropped to the initial fasting blood glucose level around 120 min, and continued to drop, with a trough phenomenon during 120–180 min. The glycemic index of litchi was 66 and glycemic load was 11 (first reported). In the plasma proteome, brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1), Tsukushi (TSKU), protein MTSS 1 (MTSS1), vinculin (VCL), peptidyl-prolyl cis - trans isomerase A (PPIA) and tubulin alpha-1B chain (TUBA1B) were identified as important proteins related to the function of litchi. In conclusion, litchi is rich in nutrients and may have various health benefits for humans.
Wen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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