Earticle

Starches from different botanical sources differ in the ratio of amylose to amylopectin contents, molecular structures of amylose and amylopectin, granule morphology, and minor-component contents. These structural features result in different gelatinization, pasting, retrogradation properties, and enzyme digestibility of starch granules. In this review, compositions and molecular structures of starches and their effects on the physicochemical properties are summarized and discussed.

Bacteriocins in Gram-positive bacteria have attracted much attention because many have a strong antimicrobial activity also against bacteria outside the genera of the producers. Lantibiotics and the pediocin-like bactericins have attracted most attention since they kill a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria including important pathogens. But many other promising Gram-positive bacteriocins have been thoroughly characterized. Recent studies have shown that bacteriocins may playa role in the intestinal flora to protect us against the food-borne pathogens. Bacterial genome sequencing has demonstrated that there may be an arsenal of such compounds and we are only seeing the top of the iceberg. The present review gives a short outlook of the field of bacteriocins with focus on lactic acid bacteria and includes recent findings.

Concerns on environmental waste problems caused by non-biodegradable petrochemical-based plastic packaging materials as well as consumer's demand for high quality food products has caused an increasing interest in developing biodegradable packaging materials using annually renewable natural biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins. However, inherent shortcomings of natural polymer-based packaging materials such as low mechanical properties and low water resistance are causing a major limitation for their industrial use. By the way, recent advent of nanocomposite technology rekindled interests on the use of natural biopolymers in the food packaging application. Polymer nanocomposites, especially natural biopolymer-layered silicate nanocomposites, exhibit markedly improved packaging properties due to their nanometer size dispersion. These improvements include increased mechanical strength, decreased gas permeability, and increased water resistance. Additionally, biologically active ingredients can be added to impart the desired functional properties to the resulting packaging materials. Consequently, natural biopolymer-based nanocomposite packaging materials with bio-functional properties have huge potential for application in the active food packaging industry. In this review, recent advances in the preparation and characterization of natural biopolymer-based nanocomposite films, and their potential use in food packaging applications are addressed.

Ligularia fischeri (LF) has been used to treat jaundice, scarlet-fever, rheumatoidal arthritis, and hepatic diseases. This study was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of the extract from the leaves of LF by using various established in vitro systems with -tocopherol as positive control. The results showed that the ethanol extract of LF (0.05-0.5 mg/mL) displayed a strong free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, O2- , and H2O2 radicals. It was observed that LF extract (1 mg/mL) significantly decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) to 69 and 89% of control, measured by ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test, respectively. LF extract (0.5-2 mg/mL) was also found to inhibit significantly the amount of malondialdehyde formed from liver homogenate to 69-56% of control. Similarly, in the high Fe2+/ascorbate induction system LF extract (1-2 mg/mL) inhibited carbonyl formation measured by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reaction to 89-79% of control. Like antioxidant activity, the reducing power of LF extract was excellent at concentration of 0.5-2 mg/mL. These results indicate that LF could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant.

In this study, the sphericity of calcium alginate gel beads was optimized using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for bead sphericity were a concentration of 2.24% sodium alginate, a flow rate of 0.059 mL/sec for the sodium alginate solution, and a 459 rpm rotation for the calcium chloride solution. The predicted and experimental bead sphericities under the optimum conditions were 94.5 and 96.7%, respectively, showing close agreement. We also investigated the processing condition effects for the physical properties of the optimized calcium alginate gel beads. Immersion in hot water slightly decreased bead size and rupture strength. NaCl treatment increased bead size and decreased rupture strength. While the pH of the calcium chloride solution had little effect on bead sphericity, the bead sizes and gel strengths decreased with longer times in each pH solution. The beads coated with pectin and glucomannan showed no significant changes in sphericity, but their sizes decreased with time. The coated beads showed higher rupture strengths than the uncoated beads.

Mucilage containing r-polyglutamic acid (PGA) was efficiently generated by the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of soybean grit by Bacillus firmus NA-1. B. firmus NA-1 was shown to be a glutamate-dependent strain for PGA production. The SSF of soybean grit was optimized in order to produce mucilage with a fortification of 5% glutamate, resulting in higher levels of mucilage production (6.14%) and a higher consistency index (1.1 Pa secn). The sticky mucilage was comprised of 38% PGA, 7% levan, and some biopolymers. With regard to the viscoelastic properties of the mucilage solution, the viscous modulus (G") obtained from soybean grit fortified with 5% glutamate was approximately 64 times higher titan that of the mucilage solution obtained without glutamate. Although the addition of glutamate in the SSF of soybean grit influenced the rate of PGA production, the molecular weight of PGA remained unaltered, and was detected in a range between 1,400-1,440 kDa.

Bamboo grass, Sasa quelpaertensis, is a native plant to Jeju Island, Korea. The leaves of Sasa plants are widely used in traditional Korean medicine to treat inflammation-related diseases. We investigated the effect of hot water extract from Sasa quelpaertensis leaves (HWE-SQ) on nitric oxide (NO) production and nuclear factor - xB (NF - xB) activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. HWE-SQ inhibited LPS-induced NO production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Reporter gene assays indicated that HWE-SQ decreases LPS-induced NF - xB transcriptional activation. However, HWE-SQ did not affect the phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory xBa (1xBa). HWE-SQ also directly inhibited iNOS enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that HWE-SQ suppresses NO synthesis in macrophages by attenuating NF - xB - mediated iNOS protein expression and inhibiting iNOS enzymatic activity, thereby implicating a mechanism by which HWE-SQ is able to ameliorate inflammation-related diseases by limiting excessive or prolonged NO production in pathological events.

This study was conducted to observe the quality characteristics of cheonggukjang fermented with new small-seed soybeans ('Agakong') according to the degree of germination of the raw soybeans. The sprouting rate was 8.6±5.6% after 12 hr of germination, but at 24 hr it increased rapidly to 85.4±4.7%. We confirmed that the total isoflavone content immediately after soaking was 273.9 mg%, which was at least 3 times greater than for common soybeans; content increased at the start of germination, and increased to 338.4 mg% by 24 hr of germination, but then decreased. The quantity of viscous substance of the cheonggukjang increased in proportion to the degree of germination of the raw soybeans. The levels of amino acids in the cheonggukjang made from non-germinated soybeans, and soybeans germinated 48 hr, were 12.45 and 10.06%, respectively. The isoflavone levels in the cheonggukjang were determined by the degree of germination of the raw soybeans. There were no significant differences between the odor, sweet taste, savory taste, bitter taste, and overall acceptability of the cheonggukjang with different germination times of 0 to 36 hr.

Fruit juices such as grape juice are associated with healthy products by consumers because of the many health benefits they provide. Farm produced (FPGJ) and commercially produced grape juice (CPGJ) in South Korea were compared and studied through the evaluation of their physicochemical, functional, and sensory properties. The results of this study show that FPGJ's physicochemical properties are more varied than CPGJ. The pH, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids of FPGJ were higher than CPGJ. FPGJ had a higher mean value for total phenolics ( GAE), total flavonoid (2,558.20±50.06 mg/L), total anthocyanin (3,238.80±56.11 mg/L), and radical scavenging activity (86.48%) than CPGJ, although the differences were significant only with regard to total flavonoid and total anthocyanin. This study also demonstrates that CPGJ is preferred in terms of sensory evaluation. These properties may be used as a basis for the optimization of processing to produce a higher quality grape juice.

This study was carried out to identify and quantify the flavonoids from 6 different plant parts of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (AVP), including the flower, leaf, root, stem, flower stalk, and flower seed, using liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry. Two major flavonoids were structurally identified as quercetin (3,5,7,3'4,'-pentahydroxyflavone) and kaempferol (3,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxyflavone) at contents of 11.8-25.8 and 6.0-64.4 ug/mL, respectively. In particular, the flower and root plant parts contained the highest amounts of quercetin and kaempferol compared to the other parts. We also assessed the recovery effects of each plant-part extract of AVP on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in WB-F344 cells by the scrape-loading and dye transfer (SL/DT) method. According to the results, GJIC was reduced by approximately 70.2% (62.3±12.5 cells) compared to the control (209±9.5 cells, 100%) when 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was treated alone in the WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells. However, the stem extract (0.2 mg/mL) restored GJIC to basal levels (92%, 204±2.3 cells, p<0.01) and the flower extract (0.2 mg/mL) stimulated GJIC to 82.5% (172.6±8.3 cells, p<0.05), when applied together with the TPA.

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant activity of paprika in the lard-pork model system adding ground fresh paprika (3%) and paprika powders (5%). Paprika powders were obtained through 4 drying methods (freeze, vacuum, far infrared-ray, and hot-air). In the lard and meat-fat mixture (containing lard 30%) containing paprika powders, the rate of increase in the peroxide value (POV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value decreased notably during the refrigerated storage (4℃) compared to the control without paprika. Therefore, paprika powders showed potent antioxidant activity and especially the freeze dried paprika powder revealed the most effective activity among them. However, its antioxidant activity was still lower than that of the fresh paprika because the addition of fresh paprika in the lard and meat-fat mixture merely increased the POV and TBA value. In linoleic acid oxidation, the addition of capsanthin 500 ppm to mixed linoleic acid and 10 ppm of FeCI3 (LF) inhibited the formation of peroxides by 15.2% compared to LF, showing its iron scavenging ability. When mixed antioxidants (B-carotene 200 ppm + ascorbic acid 100 ppm, capsanthin 200 ppm + ascorbic acid 100 ppm) were added in LF, synergistic effects were obtained with 57.7 and 60.4% of inhibition of peroxide formation, respectively.

To investigate the effect of soaking and particle sizes on the properties of rice flour and gluten-free rice bread, wet-milled (WRF, dried at 20℃) and dry-milled rice flours (DRF) were passed through sieves (45 or 100 mesh). Soaking of the rice grains affected the particle size distribution of flour passed through the same size screen. The L and b values of WRF were higher than those of DRF and were not changed with decreasing particle sizes, but DRF increased L and decreased b values. The initial pasting temperatures and setback viscosities of both flours decreased with decreasing particle sizes. The swelling powers at 100℃ increased with decreasing particle sizes in DRF, but maintained in WRF. Starch granules were observed on the surface of flour particles in WRF. The apparent viscosity of WRF paste exhibited 3-5 times higher than that of DRF. Thus, wet milled rice flour with smaller particle sizes (${\phi}<150\;{\mu}m$) showed better properties for making gluten-free rice bread.

To examine the possibility of using rough rice as a health-functional food, we investigated its changes in biological activity with germination. Antioxidant activities of the 70% ethanolic extracts of 'Goami2', 'Keunnunbeyo', and 'Heugkwangbeyo' were studied in comparison with those of ungerminated rough rice. The phytic acid level in rough rice decreased on germination, while the level of phenolic compounds increased. Reducing power increased in a dose-dependent manner and the germinated rough rice tended to have enhanced reducing power. Among the rough rice cultivars, the germinated 'Heugkwang' rough rice tended to be the most effective, with scavenging activities for the DPPH, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals that were 1.6-, 1.3-, and 1.6-fold greater than those of the ungerminated 'Heugkwang' rough rice, respectively. We also found that the germination process increased antioxidant activity in all the rough rice cultivars, where activity was greatest for the 'Heugkwang' rough rice cultivar.

Sliced and whole root of rehmannia were dehydrated in a laboratory dryer at 40, 60, 80, and 100℃ to evaluate the kinetic parameters for dehydration of rehmannia. The drying curves of both samples were characterized by a falling-rate drying period only. Sliced rehmannia dried 1.1 to 3.1 times faster than whole root of rehmannia depending on drying temperature. Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of rehmannia samples at the drying temperature tested were 0.069-0.078 g water/g dry solid, which was coincided with the monolayer moisture content (0.06 and 0.07 g water/g dry solid) evaluated from desorption isotherms using GAB (Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer) model. A logarithmic model for thin layer drying was applied to evaluate the drying time to reach EMC (tEMC) and drying constant (k). The effect of temperature on 1/tEMC and k was described by the Arrhenius model with activation energy values of 32.56 and 47.14 kJ/mol determined using the former parameter, and 34.27 and 38.26 kJ/mol determined using the latter parameter for sliced and whole root of rehmannia, respectively.

This study assessed the effects of the antimicrobial substances sulforaphane, grapefruit seed extracts (GSE), and reuterin on the expression of Salmonella HilA and InvF virulence gene using a LacZY assay (B-galactosidase assay) with hilA:lacZY and invF:lacZY fusion strains of Salmonella typhimurium SL1344. Salmonella was grown for 8 hr at 37℃ in the presence of diluted antimicrobial substances (2 ug/mL sulforaphane, $20{ug/mL$} GSE, and 0.26 mM reuterin) at concentrations that did not inhibit the cellular growth of Salmonella. Sulforaphane inhibited the expression of HilA and InvF by 50-90 and 20-80%, respectively. GSE also inhibited the expression of both genes, but to a lesser degree. Among the 3 antimicrobial substances, reuterin showed the least inhibition, which was abolished after 3-4 hr. None of the antimicrobial substances inhibited the B-galactosidase enzyme activity of S. typhimurium. The assay used in this study represents a very sensitive method for screening bioactive substances that inhibit the expression of virulence genes in Salmonella.

An advantage to the extrusion of raw potatoes is a reduction in the energy input required to process potato products; however, the effects of extrusion on the properties of raw potato have not been studied. The purposes of this study were to develop a workable extrusion process for raw potato and to study the effects of extrusion conditions on the pasting properties of extruded potato products. The peak viscosity, final viscosity, pasting temperature, water solubility index, and water absorption index of pressed and pressed-dried potato extrudates decreased as die exit temperature increased, whereas they did not change as screw speed increased. The peak viscosity, final viscosity, and water solubility of steam-cooked potato products decreased with extrusion processing; however, they did not change with increasing die exit temperature and screw speed. Potato products with different degrees of depolymerization of extruded potato starch, depending on die exit temperature, were produced from raw potatoes.

This study was undertaken to investigate the producibility of processed foods utilizing 6 newly developed non-glutinous rice cultivars. First, cooked rice, cake, cookies, bread, and slender rice cake sticks were prepared with the newly developed cultivars; then their physicochemical and textural properties were evaluated. The rice samples had similar pasting temperatures and peak times, but different viscosities and other pasting properties. The textural analysis results suggested that 'Chucheong' was appropriate for cooked rice due to its low amylose content; hardness, and springiness; 'Ilphumbyeo' for rice cakes due to its high amylose content, moderate cohesiveness and adhesiveness, and low hardness; 'Ilphumbyeo' for cookies due to its high amount of protein, and low cohesiveness and adhesiveness; 'Ilphumbyeo' for bread due to its high amylose content, moderate hardness, and low consistency; and 'Ilphumbyeo' for the slender rice cake sticks due to its low hardness, moderate breakdown, paste viscosity, and setback.

This study was conducted to investigate antioxidant activity and anti-immunological inflammatory effect of Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum extracts (AVPEs). Antioxidant activities of AVPEs were determined by free radical scavenging assay and reducing power test. Leaf-part extract had comparatively better antioxidant activity than other-part extracts. Antioxidant activity of extracts had protective effect for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against superoxide anions secreted from activated neutrophils. Also, we observed AVPEs had inhibitory effects on the adherence of monocytic THP-1 to HUVEC monolayer to the basal level. Inhibitory effect on cell adhesion was caused by suppression of tumor necrosis factor- a (TNF - a) - upregulated expression of vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in HUVECs. From these results, we expect to support the evidence of anti-immunological inflammatory effects of Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum (AVP) as a Korean traditional pharmaceutical.

There has been growing interest in the antioxidative and anticarcinogenic effects of vegetables. This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidative and antiproliferative activities of 13 leafy vegetables consumed in Korea. New-beet and ornamental kale contained >1,000 mg of polyphenolics/100g fresh weight (FW), which was the greatest amount among the test vegetable extracts. Ornamental kale also contained the greatest amount (232.84 mg/100g FW) of flavonoids. With the exception of chicory, values of 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities showed similar trends. New-beet was found to be the greatest antioxidant among the test vegetable extracts. New-beet exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity (>60%) against all tumor cells. No relationship was found between antiproliferative activity and antioxidant contents or antioxidant activities among samples.

Diabetes is marked by high glucose levels and is associated with decreased bone mass and increased fracture rates. To determine if [6]-gingerol could influence osteoblast dysfunction induced by 2-deoxy-D-ribose (dRib), osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells was treated with dRib and [6]-gingerol and markers of osteoblast function and oxidized protein were examined. [6]-Gingerol (10-7 M) significantly increased the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells in the presence of 30 mM dRib (p<0.05). [6]-Gingerol (10-7 M) caused a significant elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen content, and osteocalcin secretion in the cells. We then examined the effect of [6]-gingerol on the production of osteoprotegerin and protein carbonyl in osteoblasts. Treatment with [6]-gingerol (10-9 and 10-7 M) increased osteoprotegerin secretion in osteoblastic cells. Moreover, [6]-gingerol (10-9 and 10-7 M) decreased protein carbonyl contents of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in the presence of 30 mM dRib. Taken together, these results demonstrate that [6]-gingerol inhibits dRib-induced damage and may be useful in the treatment of diabetes related bone diseases.

To overcome the problem of ginseng's earthy smell in the manufacture of ginseng wine, we used dried ginseng powder that was extrusion-cooked at 125-168℃ in the wine making process. By using a ginseng powder that was extrusion-cooked at higher temperatures, fermentation by Maillard reaction products (MRPs) was delayed, and the acidic pH that results from extrusion cooking was improved. At 15℃ with glucose instead of sucrose, an addition of 0.5%(w/v) diammonium phosphate (DAP) to the 125℃ extrusion-cooked ginseng powder reduced the primary fermentation time to 11 days versus 33 days without DAP. In the absence of DAP, by increasing the fermentation temperature from 15 to 30℃, increasing the starter yeast inoculate from 0.02 to 1 %, and by increasing the amount of ginseng extrudate from 1 to 2%, fermentation time was effectively reduced more than 10-fold. The results of this study may provide information for the alcohol fermentation of materials containing MRPs as well as for poor nitrogen sources.

The effect of acetylated rice (AR) starch at different concentrations (0, 4, 6, and 8%) on rheological properties of surimi sols and gels was studied. Dynamic frequency sweeps of surimi-AR starch sols at 10℃ showed that the magnitudes of storage moduli (G') decreased with an increase in starch concentration while those of tan increased, indicating that the effect of AR starch on the viscoelastic properties of surimi sols depended on starch concentration. In general, the G' thermograms of surimi sols showed the similar sol-gel transition pattern and they were also influenced by the addition of AR starch. The presence of AR starch in the surimi gel system reduced the gel strength and expressible moisture content (EMC). Surimi-AR starch gels showed better freeze-thaw stability compared to the control (0% starch concentration). The effect of AR starch on the rheological properties of surimi sols and gels appeared to be related to the swelling ability of starch granules in the presence of limited water available for starch.

The aroma characteristics and antioxidative activity of volatile compounds in heat-treated garlic (Allium sativum L.) were evaluated. The garlic was heated to various temperatures (100, 110, 120, and 130℃) for different lengths of time (1, 2, and 3 hr). The volatile compounds of heated garlic were extracted by simultaneous steam distillation extraction (SDE). Aroma compound profiles were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and antioxidative activity was measured by 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) cation decolorization assay. The major aroma compounds were sulfur compounds such as dimethyl disulfide, 2-propen-1-ol, methyl-2-propenyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, diallyl disulfide, methyl-2-propenyl trisulfide, and di-2-propenyl trisulfide. DPPH radical scavenging activity (EDA, %) and the ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant activity (AEAC) of volatile compounds in heated garlic increased significantly with the increase of temperature and time (p<0.001). The EDA (%) and AEAC of raw garlic were 26.8%/10 mg garlic and 39.05 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per g sample. After heat treatment, the highest values were 40.50%/10 mg garlic for EDA (%) and 46.43 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per g sample for ABTS.

We evaluated the effects of heat treatment on various properties of onion extracts (Allium cepa). Onion was heated at various temperatures (110-150℃) for various times (1-5 hr), and the total polyphenol, flavonoid, and free sugar contents, and antioxidant activity were investigated. With increased heating temperatures and exposure times, the total contents of polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant activity increased. The highest total polyphenol content (189.80 mg/100g) occurred after heating for 2 hr at 140℃. The highest total flavonoid content (252.51 mg/100g) occurred after heating for 3 hr at . The antioxidant activity assessed using the DPPH method was highest, at 2.1 mg/mL (IC50 value), after heating for 2 hr at 150℃. Correlations between antioxidant activity and the total polyphenol, total flavonoid, and fructose contents were highly significant (all p<0.01). The optimal heating time and temperature were 2 hr and 130℃.

Moisture content of normal, waxy, and high amylose com starches was adjusted to 10-35%, and irradiated in a microwave oven. The effect of microwave irradiation on the crystalline structure of starch was measured by using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffractometry. Pasting viscosity profile was also determined by using a rapid viscoanalyzer (RVA). For all the 3 types of starches tested, the rate of temperature increase by the microwave irradiation was faster and more rapidly reached the maximum temperature of the pressure bomb (120℃) when the moisture content was higher. X-ray diffraction and DSC data revealed that the microwave irradiated starch underwent partial disruption of crystalline structure. RVA studies showed that the irradiation caused significant reductions in maximal viscosity and breakdown, whereas pasting temperature was increased. Overall trends revealed that the microwave irradiation on the starch containing limited moisture content (less than 35%) provided the effects similar to the heat moisture treatment. These effects became more significant when the moisture content was higher. Compared to waxy com starch, normal, and high amylose com starches appeared to be more susceptible to the microwave irradiation.

In this study, we investigated the effects of heating (80℃, 30 min) on the physicochemical and functional attributes of acid (cottage) and sweet (Edam and Cheddar) whey powders. The water holding capacity (WHC) of the whey powders was not affected by heating or pH value. The heated Cheddar whey powder had a significantly lower (p<0.05) WHC than that of the other wheys. Heating detrimentally impacted the emulsifying and foaming properties, On the other hand, heating significantly enhanced the heat stabilities (HS) of all powders, This was best demonstrated at the acidic pH values of 3.0 and 4.5, where the HS increased by 57 and 53, 181 and 167, and 31 and 48%, for the cottage, Edam, and Cheddar, respectively. Overall, this data provides useful insights into the manufacture of pasteurization and retort-stable whey powders.

Strain NK34 was characterized for probiotic use. Strain NK34 was named Lactococcus lactis NK34 based on API 50 CHL kit results and 16S rDNA sequencing. L. lactis NK34 was highly resistant to artificial gastric juice (pH 2.5) and artificial bile acid. Based on results from the API ZYM kit, 4 enzymes were produced. L. lactis NK34 was resistant to all antibiotics tested except for 10 ug/mL roxithromycin and 10 ug/mL erythromycin. The cholesterol-lowering effect of L. lactis NK34 was about 46.9%. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1a 20xconcentrated supernatant of L. lactis NK34 was about 361 pg/mL. L. lactis NK34 was also found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells due to MNNG-induced DNA damage. These results demonstrate the potential of L. lactis NK34 as a health-promoting probiotic.

The effects of high-hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the ginsenoside concentration in Korean red ginseng were investigated. HHP-pretreated Korean red ginseng samples were compared to samples produced by a conventional method. Six-year-old Korean fresh ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) samples were vacuum-packaged in polyethylene film and treated at room temperature for 1 min with HHP (200-600 MPa) and steamed at 98℃ for 3 hr. Major ginsenosides of red ginseng were analyzed by HPLC. HHP-pretreated red ginseng showed a 45% higher level of total major ginsenosides than conventionally prepared red ginseng. The levels of 4 protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides increased 34-43% and the levels of 5 protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides increased 45-66%. Scanning electron microscopy and electrical conductivity spectrum analysis showed that HHP pretreatment damaged ginseng plant cells and increased extraction efficiencies of ginsenosides from red ginseng products

In this study, the crude methanol extract of mulberry leaves was fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water, successively. The antioxidant activities of the fractions were examined with the 2-deoxyribose oxidation and linoleic acid peroxidation methods. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest antioxidant activity. From it we isolated chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin 3-O-B-D-glucopyranoside, and kaempferol 3-O-B-D-glucopyranoside with preparatory octadecyl silane-high performance liquid chromatography (ODS-HPLC), and identified the compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and fast atom bombardment mass (FAB-MS) analyses. Overall, quercetin 3-O-B-D-glucopyranoside showed the strongest antioxidant activity by both the 2-deoxyribose oxidation and rat liver microsome peroxidation methods

The present study was conducted to examine the antioxidant activities and neuroprotective effects of methanolic extracts from Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briquet (STE). STE (100 ug/mL) showed 43.33 uM of total phenolic content, 64.43% of radical scavenging activity, and 0.157 of reducing power. In addition, the effect of STE on H2O2-induced DNA damage in human leucocytes was evaluated by the comet assay, where STE was a dose dependent inhibitor of DNA damage induced by 200 uM of H2O2. The protective effect of STE against H2O2-induced oxidative damage on PC12 cells was investigated by an 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays. After 2 hr of cell exposure to H2O2 (500 uM), a marked reduction in cell survival was observed. However, this reduction was significantly prevented by 1-50 ug/mL of STE. Therefore, these results suggest that STE could be a new antioxidant candidate against neuronal diseases.