Exploring the beneficial effects and mechanisms of Cerasus humilis (Bge.) Sok fruit for calcium supplementation and promotion

Cerasus humilis(Bge.) Sok (Ch) is a fruit-medicinal plant of the genus Cerasus and its fruits are rich in nutrition. Ch fruit is rich in mineral elements, organic acids, flavonoids and other components, especially the highest content of calcium in all fruits, so it is also known as "calcium fruit". Calcium is an essential element in the human body and when calcium intake is insufficient, the body will directly lack the raw material of bone, which leads to bone diseases such as osteoporosis. In this study, the contents of elements, total polyphenols and total flavonoids in Ch fruit were determined. The effect of Ch fruit in calcium supplementation and promotion of calcium absorption were investigated and the results showed Ch regulates the changes of DHVD3, CT, I-PTH, and ALP, resulting in an improvement in bone calcium content and density. Meanwhile, Ch fruit promotes intestinal calcium absorption through the transmembrane transport pathway. Further molecular docking study found that flavonoids such as quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside are likely to contribute to this mechanism. In summary, this study confirmed the calcium supplement and promotion of calcium absorption of Ch fruit and preliminarily identified the calcium promoting mechanism and its material basis. These findings shed light on the potential use of Ch fruit as a dietary supplement to improve bone health.