## 4 Health Benefits and Composition of Kiwi By-Products
### Health-Promoting Properties of Kiwi Fruit-Based Nutraceuticals
A hardy kiwi was used in a pill to study its effects on atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs. The study had two phases, with the first one being a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and the second phase being an open, non-placebo-controlled study. The results were promising for mild-to-moderate cases of AD. The effectiveness was most noticeable after 2 months of continued utilization. Long-term therapy is advised to evaluate the clinical benefits of this treatment in individual clinical cases [81]. Kiwi fruit peels were converted into valuable kiwi fruit peel carbon dots (KFP-CDs), and their anticancer properties were tested on human breast cancer cells lines and human thyroid cancer cell lines. The findings indicate excellent biocompatibility; synthesized KFP-CDs are nontoxic to both normal cells and cancer cells, which provides safe and sustainable development of cellular imaging. Additionally, the KFP-CDs were capable of being utilizedas a cell labeling agent for both in vitro and in vivo imaging for MSCs, breast cancer cells, and thyroid cancer cells [60]. The combination of catechin, rutin, and epicatechin, was used in regard to Swiss albino mice, to study their anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The single and combined effect of the three molecules was measured using the oral glucose tolerance test. The three compounds demonstrated excellent antihyperglycemic activity, both separately and in different combinations, involving single, binary, and ternary mixes, and were compared to positive and normal controls. Nonetheless, the determination of the optimal combination was concluded using a preset goals for each response. Among the substances tested, EP exhibited the most effective inhibition of hyperglycemia. Utilizing mixture design experimentation, efforts were made to maximize the formulation that best achieved the desired effect. The predicted formulation comprised a binary combination of RU and EP in a ratio of 25:75. This combination was then administered to alloxan-induced diabetic mice over a 28-day period, resulting in remarkable outcomes, without any observed signs of toxicity. Given its confirmed antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, along with its diverse modes of action, this formulated combination could be considered a safe and versatile alternative for the treatment of diabetes [82]. The potential of the cacao flavonoid (\(-\))-epicatechin (Epi), a substance found in kiwi, to cancel out oxidative stress (OS), by positively influencing mitochondrial structure/function endpoints and redox balance control systems in the skeletal and cardiac muscles of dystrophic, \(\delta\)-sarcoglycan (\(\delta\)-SG) null mice, was investigated. Male mice, both wild type and \(\delta\)-SG null, aged 2.5 months, were orally administered either water (as control) or Epi for 2 weeks. The findings revealed a significant normalization of the total protein carbonylation, restoration of the reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG ratio), and enhancement in the activities of superoxide dismutase 2, catalase, and citrate synthase, with Epi treatment. These effects were accompanied by elevations in the protein levels for thioredoxin (TRX), glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase 2, catalase, and mitochondrial endpoints. Additionally, a reduction was observed in fibrosis in both heart and skeletal muscles, along with an improvement in skeletal muscle function, following treatment. These results underscore the potential of Epi as a therapeutic candidate for mitigating muscle degeneration associated with muscular dystrophy (MD) [83]. The acute and chronic effects of ellagic acid on pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin-induced convulsions were investigated in young male Swiss albino mice. Ellagic acid and diazep were given either as a single dose for acute treatment or for 14 consecutive days for chronic treatment. Pentylenetetrazole induced both tonic and colonic convulsions, while picrotoxin induced tonic convulsions only.