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Diabetic complications are a leading cause of blindness, renal failure, and nerve damage. Additionally, diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis leads to increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and limb amputation. At the present time, 4main molecular mechanisms have been implicated in hyperglyceamia-mediated vascular damage. In particular, advancedglycation endproducts (AGE), which are formed by complex, heterogeneous, sugar-derived protein modifications, have beenimplicated as a major pathogenic process for diabetic complications. Recently, AGE inhibitors such as aminoguanidin, ALT-946, and pyridoxamine have been reported. Such an integrating paradigm provides a new conceptual framework for futureresearch on diabetes complications and on discovering drugs to prevent the progression of AGE-induced maladies.

Bread is an essential food consumed worldwide. Bread rapidly loses its desirable texture and flavor qualitiesassociated with freshness through a process known as staling. The shelf life of bread is limited by this staling leading toeconomical losses in the range of one billion dollars per year. There are a number of mechanisms thought to be related to thestaling process, such as water migration and redistribution, starch retrogradation, and gluten transformation. In this review,roles of water and water migration on bread staling are summarized and discussed.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), a member of the nuclear receptor of ligand-activatedtranscription factors, plays a key role in lipid and glucose metabolism or adipocytes differentiation. A lignan compound wasisolated from mace (the aril of Myristica fragrans Houtt.) as a PPARγ ligand, which was identified as fragrin A or 2-(4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-propane. To ascertain whether fragrin A has PPARγ ligand-bindingactivity, it was performed that GAL-4/PPARγ transactivation assay. PPARγ ligand-binding activity of fragrin A increased 4.7,6.6, and 7.3-fold at 3, 5, and 10µM, respectively, when compared with a vehicle control. Fragrin A also enhanced adipocytesdifferentiation and increased the expression of PPARγ target genes such as adipocytes fatty acid-binding protein (aP2),lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Furthermore, it significantly increased theexpression level of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). These results indicate that fragrin A can be developed as a PPARγ agonistfor the improvement of insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes.

This study aimed to investigate the alterations in plasma antioxidant activity after the consumption of a single oraldose of curcumin, vitamin C, and E administered individually or in combination to (i) assess possible synergies or antagonismbetween the antioxidants and (ii) determine the optimal composition of the antioxidant mixture such that the duration of actionis prolonged to beyond that of individual antioxidants. Each antioxidant was administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats, andblood samples were drawn at different time points up to 180 min to measure the plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Fiveantioxidant compositions (M1-M5) were evaluated to assess the possible synergies or antagonisms among them and todetermine the optimal composition of the antioxidant mixture. Blood samples were collected up to 360 min post-consumption.A single oral dose of individual antioxidants significantly increased the TAC values; however, the time to reach the peak TACvalue varied. Among the 5 antioxidant compositions, M2 exhibited the highest and most prolonged antioxidant effect inplasma; this was greater than the proportional sum of the effects of the individual antioxidants in the composition. This resultindicates a synergistic interaction among antioxidants in the optimal composition M2.

The antioxidant activity of hot water extracts of various parts, the leaf, stem, and root of Synurus deltoides wasevaluated by various antioxidant assays, including total phenolic content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicalscavenging, hydroxyl radical (·OH) scavenging, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and xanthine oxidase (XOI) activities. Thevarious antioxidant activities were compared with the standard antioxidants such as L-ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, andbutylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Among the different plant parts, stem has been found to possess the highest activity in alltested model systems, the activity decreased in the order stems>roots>leaves. These results indicate that stem extract could beused as potential source of natural antioxidant.

An novel amylolytic yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae HA 27, isolated from nuruk, displayed resistance against highsugar (50% glucose) and alcohol (15%). Maximal production of amylolytic enzyme by S. cerevisiae HA 27 was achieved on 9days of cultivation at the optimal temperature 20oC and pH 6.0. The activity of amylolytic enzyme produced by S. cerevisiaeHA 27 was stable, even at 70oC, and over a broad pH range (4.0-11.0). Also, the amylolytic enzyme of S. cerevisiae HA 27showed optimal activity in pH 5.0 at 50oC. S. cerevisiae HA 27 exhibited 6.2%(v/v) alcohol fermentation ability using starchas a carbon source.

The deposition of the amyloid β (Aβ)-peptide following proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP)by β-secretase (BACE1) and γ-secretase is critical feature in the progress of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Consequently,BACE1, a key enzyme in the production of Aβ, is a prime target for therapeutic intervention in AD. In the course of searchingfor BACE1 inhibitors from natural sources, the ethyl acetate fraction of Petasites japonicus showed potent inhibitory activity.Two BACE1 inhibitors quercetin (QC) and kaempferol 3-O-(6''-acetyl)-β-glucopyranoside (KAG) were isolated from P.japonicus by activity-guided purification. QC, in particular, non-competitively attenuated BACE1 activity with IC50 value of2.1×10−6 M and Ki value of 3.7×10−6 M. Both compounds exhibited less inhibition of α-secreatase (TACE) and other serineproteases including chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase, suggesting that they were relatively specific and selective inhibitors toBACE1. Furthermore, both compounds significantly reduced the extracellular Aβ secretion in APP695-transfected B103 cells.

This study was undertaken to classify Enterobacter sakazakii isolates from 13 powdered infant formula products,25 powdered weaning diet products, and 33 weaning diet ingredients on polymerse chain reaction (PCR) methods. Thenumbers of the isolates from 1 powdered infant formula product, 7 powdered weaning diet products, and 6 weaning dietingredients were 1, 14, and 8, respectively. The contaminated ingredients were 1 rice powder, 2 millet powders, 2 vegetablepowders, and 1 fruit and vegetable premix. PCR with the primer of repetitive extragenic palindromic element (REP-PCR) andrandom amplification of polymorphic DNA(RAPD) were effective in discriminating among the isolates, but tRNA-PCR andPCR with the primer of 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS-PCR) were not. Some of E. sakazakii isolates from vegetablepowders, fruit and vegetable premix, and millets powders were classified into the clonal groups based on the DNA patterns inthe REP-PCR and RAPD analysis. A close genetic relationship among the isolates from some of the powdered weaning dietproducts and the rice powder was also detected in the cluster analysis based on the DNA patterns in RAPD.

The effect of some peptides on hepatoprotection and cecal fermentation against D-galactosamine (GalN)-treatedrats was studied. In acute hepatic injury tests, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotranferase (AST), andlactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were remarkably increased after injection of GalN. However, potato and soybeanpeptides significantly decreased GalN-induced alterations of serum ALT and AST activities. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) concentration in GalN-treated groups fed potato and soybean peptides was significantly lowerthan that in GalN-treated control group. Hepatic glutathione level in the GalN-treated group fed potato peptide wassignificantly higher than that in GalN-treated control group. Furthermore, cecal Lactobacillus level in GalN-treated groups fedpotato and soybean peptides was significantly higher than that in GalN-treated control group, and cecal short-chain fatty acidconcentrations in GalN-treated group fed potato peptide were significantly higher than in GalN-treated control group. Theseresults indicate that potato peptide may improve the cecal fermentation and prevent the GalN-induced liver damage in rats.

When 10 kinds of herbal medicines were fractionated into hexane, MeOH, cold-water, and hot-water extracts, hot-water extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus (AS), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (GU), Cichorium intybus (CI), and Polygonatumodoratum (PO) showed the potent intestinal immune system modulating activity (1.72-, 1.62-, 1.60-, and 1.53-fold of controlat 100µg/mL, respectively). Especially, hot-water extracts from AS (215% compared with the control) and GU (187%) alsohad macrophages stimulating activity and mitogenic activity of splenocytes (7.1- and 6.5-fold) at 100µg/mL. In addition, theeffects of hot-water extracts from herbal medicines on anticancer activities were studied in mice. Hot-water extracts from ASand GU enhanced cytotoxicity of natural killer cell against cancer cell, Yac-1 (37 and 34% cytotoxicity) at E/T ratio 100:1,and colon 26-M3.1 cancer cell lines had significantly inhibited (82.1 and 75.2%) in experimental lung metastasis. Theseresults suggest that hot-water extracts from A. senticosus and G. uralensis can be used as biological response modifiers tostimulate immune system and inhibit tumor.

The antibacterial and antioxidant potentials of extruded ginseng extract (EGE) with 60% ethanol and methanolwere investigated. The inhibitory activity of the EGE in Gram-positive bacteria was significantly higher than in Gram-negative bacteria. Higher antibacterial activity was observed with methanol ginseng extract when moisture content and barreltemperature were 20% and 115oC, respectively, that diameter of inhibition zone at 1,500mg/mL was 15.40±0.13mm forBacillus subtilis and 9.31±0.05mm for Salmonella typhimurium. The amount of total phenolics was highest in extrudedginseng at 20% moisture content and 115oC barrel temperature. Especially, a positive correlation was observed between thetotal phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extracts. In the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical (DPPH) system, alltested extract of extruded ginseng at 20% moisture content exhibited very strong antioxidant properties when compared to redginseng with percent scavenging effect of 23-35% at 20mg/mL. In conclusion, it can be said that the extracts of extrudedginseng could be used as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in the food preservation.

Present study investigated the effects of the 70% ethanol extracts of tissue-cultured mountain ginseng (TCMG),Korean red ginseng (KRG), and Panax ginseng (PG) on agonist-induced platelet aggregation and activation in human wholeblood. The IC50 values for TCMG, KRG, and PG were 1.159, 3.695, and 4.978mg/mL for collagen-induced aggregation,0.820, 2.030, and 4.743 mg/mL for arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, and 1.070, 2.617, and 2.954mg/mL for ADP-induced aggregation, respectively. Also, this study assessed the effects of the most active extract, TCMG, on markers ofplatelet activation by determining receptor expression on platelet membranes in healthy subjects, including expression ofGPIIb/IIIa-like (PAC-1) and P-selectin (CD62), by flow cytometry. A significant decrease in PAC-1 expression (p=0.018) wasobserved in the presence of TCMG. These results show that TCMG has potent anti-platelet activity.

Silk fibroin (SF) film containing catechin was prepared and the antimicrobial activity as well as physical propertyof the film was examined. Tensile strength of the SF film decreased with increasing concentration of catechin, and water vaporpermeability of the film decreased. The film’s antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 increased withincreasing catechin concentration. Sausage samples were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, andthe sausage packaged with the SF film containing catechin had a decrease in the populations of E. coli O157:H7 and L.monocytogenes by 0.83 and 0.85 log CFU/g after 12 days of storage, respectively, compared to the control. In addition, thesausage had a better quality than the control regarding lipid oxidation. Our results indicate that sausages can be packed withthe SF film containing catechin to extend shelf life.

The possible protective effects of highly zinc-containing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FF-10 strain, isolatedfrom tropical fruit rambutan on acute alcoholic liver injury in rats were evaluated. Zinc concentration in this strain was 30.6mg%. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(γ-GTP) were highly increased when alcohol was treated, relative to the normal rats. Also, a highly significant increase in theblood alcohol and acetaldehyde levels by alcohol treatment was observed. Administration of FF-10 strain markedly preventedalcohol-induced elevation of the activities of serum ALT, AST, and γ-GTP, and the levels of blood alcohol and acetaldehyde,and these reduced levels reached to that of normal rats. As compared with alcohol treated control rats, the FF-10 strainsupplementation showed highly decreased the triglyceride concentration in serum. Alcohol treatment induced the markedaccumulation of small lipid droplets, hepatocytes necrosis, and inflammation, but FF-10 strain administration attenuated toalcohol-induced accumulation of small lipid droplets and hepatocyte necrosis in the liver. Therefore, the current findingsuggests that zinc-enriched yeast FF-10 strain isolated from tropical fruit rambutan may have protective effect against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.

Secondary metabolites from the fruit body of Phellinus linteus were evaluated for their proliferative effect onhuman osteoblast-like cells. 3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetraxolium bromide (MTT) assay and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity assay were used to assess the effect those isolates on the human osteoblast-like cell line (Saos-2). Activity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of ALP-activating phenolic compounds through the extraction of P. linteus, solventpartitioning, and repeated silica gel and octadecyl silica gel (ODS) column chromatographic separations. From the result ofspectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), and infrared spectroscopy (IR), thechemical structures of the compounds were determined as 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one (1), 2-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,3-benzodioxole-5-aldehyde (2), 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (4), and protocatechuicacid methyl ester (5), respectively. This study reports the first isolation of compounds 1-3 and 5 from P. linteus. In addition, allphenolic compounds stimulated proliferation of the osteoblast-like cells and increased their ALP activity in a dose-dependentmanner (10-8 to 10-1 mg/mL). The present data demonstrate that phenolic compounds in P. linteus stimulated mineralization inbone formation caused by osteoporosis. The bone-formation effect of P. linteus seems to be mediated, at least partly, by thestimulating effect of the phenolic compounds on the growth of osteoblasts.

The application of the cellulase gene (celA) as a selection marker of food-grade integration system wasinvestigated in Lactobacillus (Lb.) casei, Lactococcus lactis, and Leuconostoc (Leu.) mesenteroides. The 6.0-kb vector pOC13containing celA from Clostridium thermocellum with an integrase gene and a phage attachment site originating frombacteriophage A2 was used for site-specific recombination into chromosomal DNA of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). pOC13 wasalso equipped with a broad host range plus replication origin from the lactococcal plasmid pWV01, and a controllablepromoter of nisA (PnisA) for the production of foreign proteins. pOC13 was integrated successfully into Lb. casei EM116, andpOC13 integrants were easily detectable by the formation of halo zone on plates containing cellulose. Recombinant Lb. caseiEM116::pOC13 maintained these traits in the absence of selection pressure during 100 generations. pOC13 was integrated intothe chromosome of L. lactis and Leu. mesenteroides, and celA acted as an efficient selection marker. These results show thatcelA can be used as a food-grade selection marker, and that the new integrative vector could be used for the production offoreign proteins in LAB.

Having idea to develop more effective anti-diabetic agent from ginseng root, we comprehensively assessed theanti-diabetic activity and mechanisms of ginsam in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice. The db/db mice were divided into 4 groups;diabetic control (DC), ginsam at a dose of 300 or 500mg/kg (GS300 or GS500) and metformin at a dose of 300mg/kg(MT300). Ginsam was orally administered for 8 weeks. GS500 reduced the blood glucose concentration and significantlydecreased an insulin resistance index. In addition, GS500 reduced the plasma non-esterified fatty acid, triglyceride, andincreased high density lipoprotein-cholesterol as well as decreased the hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride. More interestingly,ginsam increased the plasma adiponectin level by 17% compared to diabetic control group. Microarray, quantitative-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme activity results showed that gene and protein expressions associated with glycolysis,gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid oxidation were changed to the way of reducing hepatic glucose production, insulin resistanceand enhancing fatty acid β-oxidation. Ginsam also increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase and glucosetransporter expressions in the liver and skeletal muscle, respectively. These changes in gene expression were considered to bethe mechanism by which the ginsam exerted the anti-diabetic and anti-dyslipidemic activities in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice.

To study the health promoting effects of medicinal plants, 30 medicinal plants commonly available in Korea havebeen evaluated for their antioxidant compounds and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Total polyphenolics andflavonoids in the methanolic extracts were measured by spectrophotometric methods and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and chelating effectshave been determined for antioxidant activities. Moreover, the effects of medicinal plants on cell proliferation of intestinal(Caco-2) and pituitary (GH3) tumor cells were investigated using thiazolyl blue terazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The methanolicextracts of Pueraria thunbergiana and Artemisiae asiatria contained the highest total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents,respectively. P. thunbergiana exhibited the highest antioxidant activities. A. asiatria showed the strongest antiproliferativeactivity against Caco-2 and Ponciruc trifoliata Rafin and Lophathrum gracile Bronghiart exhibited the highest activitiesagainst GH3. Although there was positive correlation between ABTS radical scavenging activity and polyphenolic contents(R2=8189), no relationship was found between antiproliferative and antioxidant activities.

Kimbab is the most popular ready-to-eat (RTE) food in Korea. A rapid detection method based on multiplex PCRtechnique was developed for detection of major food-borne pathogens like Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Bacillus cereus,Listeria monocytongenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Specific bands were obtained as 108 bp (Sau, S. aureus), 284 bp (Sal, S.enterica, S. enteritids, and S. typhmurium), 404 bp (Lmo, L. monocytogenes), 475bp (Bce, B. cereus), and 600 bp (Shi, S.flexineri and S. sonnei). Visible cell numbers varied from 4.14-5.03, 3.61-4.47, and 4.10-5.11 log CFU/g in randomly collectedJune, July, and August samples, respectively. Among the 30 kimbab samples obtained 83.3% samples were contaminated and16.7% samples were free from contamination. The highest rate of contamination was with S. aureus (56.7%) followed by B.cereus (43.3%), Salmonella spp. (36.7%), Shigella spp. (13.3%), and L. monocytogenes (6.7%). The identification of thepathogenic species could be faster using one polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ability to test for food-borne pathogenicspecies in kimbab will save time and increase the ability to assure its quality.

Phyllosticta melochiae, an endophytic fungus isolated from the healthy leaves of Melochia corchorifolia, wasscreened for the production of an anticancer drug, taxol on modified liquid medium and potato dextrose broth medium inculture for the first time. The presence of taxol was confirmed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. Theamount of taxol produced by this fungus was quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The maximum amountof fungal taxol production was recorded as 274µg/L. The production rate was increased to 5.5×1,000 fold than that found inthe culture broth of earlier reported fungus, Taxomyces andreanae. The fungal taxol extracted also showed a strong cytotoxicactivity in the in vitro culture of tested human cancer cells by apoptotic assay. The results designate that the fungal endophyte,P. melochiae is an excellent candidate for an alternate source of taxol supply and can serve as a potential species for geneticengineering to enhance the production of taxol to a higher level.

The aim of the present study was to prepare nanosample of fucoidan using lecithin as encapsulated material and toinvestigate the anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of nanoparticle in vitro. The nanoparticles have been characterizedby dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Confocal microscopy confirmed theinternalization of the fucoidan conjugates into the immune cells. The uptake of nanoparticles was confirmed with confocalmicroscopy demonstrating their localization in the cells. The anticancer activity was increased over 5-10% in different cancercells of fucoidan nanoparticle as compare with fucoidan. The human B and T cells growth and the secretion of interleukin-6and tumor necrosis factor-α from B cell were also improved by fucoidan nanoparticle because of the rapid absorption ofnanoparticle into the cells as compare to fucoidan. At 0.6mg/mL concentrations, the fucoidan nanoparticle showed betteractivity than 1.0mg/mL concentration in T cell growth because the cells reached their saturation capacity. When the fucoidanwas encapsulated in lecithin, its anticancer as well as its immunomodulatory activity proved to be superior from that of itselfin pure form.

In the present study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effect of conjugatedlinoleic acid (CLA) supplementation (50:50 ratio of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 isomers) for 8 weeks on bodycomposition and biochemical parameters in healthy overweight/obese (body mass index, BMI≥23 kg/m2) Korean subjectswas performed. Thirty participants (3 males and 27 females) were randomized to receive placebo (2.4g olive oil/day) or 2.4g/day CLA (mixture containing 36.9% of cis-9, trans-11 and 37.9% of trans-10, cis-12). Eight weeks of CLA supplementationsignificantly decreased body weight by −0.75kg, BMI by −0.27kg/m2, and hip circumference by -1.11 cm. The reduction ofbody weight was ascribed to the reduction of body fat mass (−0.59kg) and lean body mass (−0.18kg), although these changeswere not significant. No significant differences in serum lipid profiles, liver function enzyme activities, and proteinconcentration were observed in either the CLA or placebo groups. These results indicate that short term supplementation (8weeks) with CLA (2.4g/day) may decrease body weight in Korean overweight/obese subjects.

Adlay bran is a waste product previously thought to have no commercial value. Its methanolic extract wasfractionated using n-hexane (ABM-Hex), ethyl acetate (ABM-EtOAc), 1-butanol (ABM-BuOH), and water (ABM-H2O). TheABM-EtOAc fraction exhibited a strongest inhibition against growth of human lung cancer cell A549 and human colorectalcarcinoma cells HT-29 and COLO 205. Inhibition of cell cycle progression at G0/G1 transition, increase of cells at the sub-G1phase, and DNA ladders were observed in cells treated with ABM-EtOAc. The ABM-BuOH fraction showed the strongestinhibition of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interlukin (IL)-1β in stimulated RAW 264.7macrophages. Further, ABM-EtOAc and ABM-BuOH inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in A549 and HT-29carcinoma cells, while COX-1 expression was not affected. These results reveal that both ABM-EtOAc and ABM-BuOH mayaid the prevention of cancers and the applications in cancer chemotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Kyung Hee Allergic Disease Herbal Formula (KAHF)on atopic dermatitis (AD) and its mode of action. Our clinical study showed KAHF reduced Severity Scoring of AtopicDermatitis (SCORAD) indexes and subjective symptom scores. In parallel, the decreased levels of interferon (IFN)-γ andinterleukin (IL)-5 in serum, which contributed to its AD-mitigating effect was observed. To reveal the underlying mechanismsof KAHF in AD, its anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced responses in RAW 264.7 cells wasexamined. KAHF was found to significantly inhibit the productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and IL-1βin LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Consistently, KAHF potently inhibited protein and mRNA expressions ofinducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Furthermore, KAHF inhibited LPS-induced activationof nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Taken together, our data suggest that KAHF has a beneficial effect on several eicosanoid-relatedskin inflammations, such as atopic dermatitis.

When cheonggukjang was manufactured using a Bacillus subtilis CH10-1 starter culture, a short-term fermentationfor 14-18hr appeared to be the optimal for the raw cheonggukjang to avoid the formation of a bitter taste and to contain a highconcentration of free sugars, whereas a long-term fermentation for more than 4 days was the optimal for the cheonggukjangfor stew in order to contain a high concentration of free amino and organic acids, which are responsible for sweet, savory, andbitter tastes present in stewed cheonggukjang. During activation of murine splenic T cells with phytohemagglutinin (PHA),the presence of either poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) or partially hydrolyzed γ-PGA resulted in reduction in the level ofinterferon-γ production and enhancement in the level of interleukin-5 production, possibly due to suppression of Th1 activityand augmentation of Th2 activity. Taken together these results indicate that the raw cheonggukjang and the cheonggukjang forstew are different in their quality and taste as well as immunomodulating activity.

The purpose of this study was to characterize and investigate the immune activity of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides(ODNs) from Bifidobacterium longum. Bacterial CpG motifs have attracted considerable interests because of theirimmunomodulatory activities. Genomic DNA from B. longum was prepared and amplified for 4 different 180-188-merdouble-stranded ODNs (BLODN1-BLODN4). When immune cells (RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and JAWS II dendriticcells) with these ODNs were treated, BLODN4 induced the highest immune activity. To assess the effectiveness of the CpGsequences within BLODN4, single-stranded 40-mer ODNs containing CpG sequences (sBLODN4-1, sBLODN4-2) weresynthesized. sBLODN4-1 induced higher level of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-12p40 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-αby macrophage and IL-6 and TNF-α by dendritic cells than did sBLODN4-2. The results suggest that CpG ODNs-enrichedcomponents of B. longum might be useful as an immunomodulatory functional food ingredient.

Fresh egg yolk (EY) was enzymatically modified using phospholipase A2 (PLA2) to produce an enzymaticallymodified-egg yolk powder (EM-EYP). The EM-EYP offered significantly higher emulsifying activity, emulsion stability,protein solubility, and mayonnaise stability than the control EYP. By employing PLA2 in the enzymatic modification process,structural changes occurred in the phospholipids and lipoproteins of the yolk, and cleavage of apo-high density lipoprotein(HDL) components (Mw 105 kDa) was detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyaerylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).Based on its functional properties, EM-EYP has great potential as a replacement for fresh EY in the production of processedfood products such as mayonnaise.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) induce innate immune responses recognizing conserved microbial structural molecules.All TLR signaling pathways culminate in the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). The activation of NF-κB leads to theinduction of inflammatory gene products such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Guggul has been used for centuries to treat avariety of diseases. Guggulstreone, one of the active ingredients in guggul, has been used to treat many chronic diseases.However, the mechanism as to how guggulsterone mediate the health effects is largely unknown. Here, we report biochemicalevidence that guggulsterone inhibits the NF-κB activation and COX-2 expression induced by TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4agonists. Guggulsterone also inhibits the NF-κB activation induced by downstream signaling components of TLRs, myeloiddifferential factor 88 (MyD88), IκB kinase β (IKKβ), and p65. These results imply that guggulsterone can modulate theimmune responses regulated by TLR signaling pathways.

The potential antioxidant activities of different fractions from a 70% methanolic (MeOH) extract of Sonchusoleraceus were assayed in vitro. All of the fractions exception of n-hexane showed a strong antioxidant activity, especially theethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction, which showed the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavengingactivity (IC50=19.25µg/mL). The results of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and a reducing power assay showedconcentration dependence, the EtOAc fraction demonstrating a better result than the other fractions at the same concentrationin the studies. Additionally, the fractions’ total phenolic (TP) contents was measured, phenolic compounds such as tannic acid,p-coumatric acid, quercetin, epicathchin, and kaempferol being detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Meanwhile, a regression analysis revealed a moderate-to-high correlation coefficient between the antiradical activity and theTP contents, suggesting that fractions obtained from the 70% MeOH extract of S. oleraceus are of potential use as sources ofantioxidant material.

Baicalein, one of the major flavonoid in Scutellaria baicalensis, has been known for its effects on proliferation andapoptosis of many tumor cell lines. Most biological effects of baicalein are thought to be from its antioxidant and prooxidantactivities. In this report, baicalein was found to induce apoptosis in HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line. Baicaleintreatment induced DNA fragmentation and typical morphological features of apoptosis. To elucidate the mechanism ofbaicalein-induced apoptosis, the activities of the members of caspase family were measured. Interestingly caspase 2, 3, and 6were significantly activated whereas caspase 1, 8, and 9 were not activated, suggesting selective involvement of specificcaspases. Further, treatment with caspase inhibitors also supports the involvement of caspase 2 in apoptosis process. Althoughit has been reported that baicalein can induce apoptosis through many caspase pathways, the present study indicates thatcaspase 2 not caspase 9 pathway may be the important step in apoptosis on HL60 cell line.