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In this study, a controlled atmosphere (CA) treatment was used in the submerged (SM) and solid-state (SS) fermentation of Inonotus obliquus to determine the optimal conditions. The goal was to accelerate the artificial fermentation to obtain I. obliquus as an ingredient for dietary supplements. The results indicated that when CA treatment was used, the SM and SS fermentation of I. obliquus yielded polysaccharide and betulinic acid contents 2–2.5 times higher than those obtained when such treatment was not used. The two fermentation methods yielded similar outcomes in terms of DPPH scavenging ability, bioactivity, and antioxidant activity. Although SS fermentation yielded highly bioactive fruiting bodies when the period of fermentation was extended to 60 days, the mycelia produced by SM reached a similar bioactivity quality with only 30 days of fermentation. It was indicated that SM fermentation is more economically feasible than SS fermentation in the production of I. obliquus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study collected 220 commercially available samples of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) tea produced in Taiwan from 2016 to 2021. The 220 tea samples were categorized into five types of GABA tea, including 108 GABA Oolong tea, 71 GABA Black tea, 21 GABA Paochong tea, 12 GABA Green tea, and 8 GABA Puerh tea samples. The most common type of GABA tea in Taiwan is GABA Oolong tea, followed by GABA Black tea. The physico-chemical constituents and consumer acceptance of the GABA tea samples were analyzed. The GABA content varied among the different types of GABA tea: GABA Oolong tea ranged from 128–286 mg/100 g, GABA Black tea ranged from 182–360 mg/100 g, GABA Paochong tea ranged from 98–203 mg/100 g, GABA Green tea ranged from 56–174 mg/100 g, and GABA Puerh tea ranged from 142–191 mg/100 g. In terms of the commercial standard of GABA tea, 22 out of the 220 GABA tea samples failed to meet the commercial standard, with a failure rate of 10%. During the fermentation process of GABA tea, the contents of GABA increased significantly, but the total polyphenol and total catechin contents remained stable. In terms of consumer acceptance, GABA Black tea is the most accepted by consumers, followed by GABA Puerh tea, GABA Paochong, and GABA Oolong tea. The sour flavor in GABA tea is similar to the original sour sensory properties found in black tea. It is assumed that this is the main reason GABA Black tea has the highest acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensory qualities of Taiwanese teas are evaluated by the experts from the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) at tea competitions held annually. The prices of Taiwanese teas are also influenced by the results of these tea competitions. However, a tea winning an award and having a high sensory quality and price does not mean that it is liked by Taiwanese consumers. The check all that apply method (CATA) is a scientific method of sensory evaluation. It is able to evaluate the sensory characteristics with consumers and is cheap and time-saving. Twelve samples of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) Oolong tea made by the Taiwan Tea No. 12 cultivar were selected from the first Taiwanese GABA tea competition in 2020. The aim of this research was to study young Taiwanese consumers' acceptability for GABA Oolong tea infusions, and their opinions towards the sensory qualities of teas through questionnaires composed of CATA questions and hedonic scales. Based on the results, the CATA method identified 21 important descriptive terms for GABA tea that were selected by over 20% of consumers. It was found that the consumers like GABA Oolong teas with 13 specific sensory characteristics, but dislike the ones with another 6 specific sensory characteristics. We conjecture that the different process of tea production will affect consumers' preference for GABA Oolong tea. Overall, GABA Oolong tea has the same delightful sensory characteristics as traditional Taiwanese specialty Oolong teas, and is liked by the young Taiwanese consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two commercial Pu-erh teas, 15-year-old Ta-Huang-In and 25-year-old Ta-Hon-In, were used for screening some species of fungi, yeasts, and bacteria, and six of them were isolated and identified as Actinoplanes aurantiacus, Actinoplanes pallidoaurantiacus, Actinoplanes purpeobrunneus, Streptomyces bacillaris, Streptomyces cavourensis subsp. cavourensis, and Streptomyces cinereus. They were selected for inoculated into thee tea leaves (Yun Nan from China, TTES-12 and C. S. Oolong from Taiwan) and fermented for 180 days. The total polyphenols and GABA content, and DPPH radical scavenging effects were determined to examine the tea infusion quality. The samples inoculated with S. cinereus had the highest total polyphenols content and maximum capacity to scavenge DPPH radicals; the highest GABA content was obtained while the sample inoculated with S. bacillaris. Further comparison of these samples with two commercial Pu-erh teas of different ages (Ta-Huang-In, 15-year storage and Ta-Hon-In, 25-year storage) showed that DPPH radical scavenging activity and GABA content of S. bacillaris and S. cinereus fermented tea leaf were higher than these two commercial teas. Sensory evaluation also demonstrated that the taste, flavor, and overall acceptance did not had significant differences between the experimental tea leaves and commercial samples. The present studies revealed that the fresh tea leaves inoculated with the suitable microbes in short period of time will possess a high-quality tea infusion as long-term storage Pu-erh tea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory quality differences between microbe-inoculated and noninoculated tea infusions. Fifteen strains isolate from samples of the 15-year Ta-Huang-In and 25-year Ta-Hon-In of Pu-erh tea were inoculated into the tea leaves and then an improved pile-fermentation process under 60–70% relative humidity at 37C for 42 days was commenced. The results showed that there were significant effects on tea infusion mustiness, floral aroma, caramelness, sweetness, grassiness, fullness and sweet aftertaste. The sensory evaluation of odor, flavor and aftertaste of tea infusions inoculated with strains R8, R9, R15, Y11 and Y21 achieved higher scores than that of the blank. Thus, these strains governed the better performance in the overall acceptability of tea infusion. This was also demonstrated in the principal component analysis score plot. Furthermore, the tea infusion color of inoculated samples was similar to the commercial Pu-erh tea product. By this indicated way of using isolated microbe with shortened fermentation time (6 weeks), the sensory quality of tea infusions may be the same as that of old commercial Pu-erh tea. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In this report, we studied the effects of isolated microbes on the sensory quality (i.e., mustiness, floral aroma, caramelness, sweetness, grassiness, fullness and sweet aftertaste) differences between microbe inoculated and non-inoculated tea infusions for Pu-erh tea in an improved pile-fermentation process. By using the results from this study, the tea infusion color of inoculating sample was also similar to the commercial Pu-erh tea product. By this indicated way of using isolated microbe with shortened the fermentation time (6 weeks), the sensory quality of tea infusion may be the same as that of old commercial Pu-erh tea. What is crucial in this study is isolation of useful strains that governed a remarkable action in improving tea-leaf quality in a pile-fermentation process. The results of the research developed herein could effectively reduce fermentation time and could be suitably applied to the field of tea technology for large-scale commercial purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps species have been traditionally used for the enhancement of sexual function, however, there is few direct evidence to prove this. We investigated the spermatogenic effect of Cordyceps militaris (CM) by supplementation with CM mycelium to subfertile boars. Seventeen Duroc and 12 Landrace boars (29 to 40 months old) were selected to feed with regular diet (control groups, n = 8 and 6, respectively) or diet supplemented with CM mycelium (treatment groups, n = 9 and 6, respectively) for 2 months. Semen was collected once a week. The quality of fertile sperm (normally greater than 62% of motility and 70% of normal morphology) and the quantity (semen volume, and total sperm number) were compared in these boars. The result showed that sperm production was enhanced significantly at the end of first month (p < 0.05), peaked at the second month (p < 0.01) of supplementation with CM and was maintained for 2 weeks after stopping the treatment (p < 0.01). Plasma cordycepin concentration was detected in boars supplemented with CM but not in the controls. More importantly, the percentages of motile sperm cells and sperm morphology were also improved significantly in most of treated boars during the second month of supplementation (p < 0.01) and 2 weeks after the treatment (p < 0.05) as compared to their initial values. These results indicate that supplementation with CM mycelium improves sperm quality and quantity in subfertile boars and may partly support the role of Cordyceps in sexual enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed to play a pathogenic role in neuronal injury. Sesame antioxidants that inhibit lipid peroxidation and regulate cytokine production may suppress ROS generation. In this study, we focused on the effect of sesamolin on H2O2-induced neurotoxicity and ROS production in the murine microglial cell line BV-2. Results indicate that the H2O2 elicited BV-2 cell death in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. ROS generation in BV-2 cells was time-dependently increased by the H2O2 treatment. Sesamolin reduced ROS generation in BV-2 cells. p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and caspase-3 were also activated in BV-2 cells under H2O2 stress. Sesamolin was able to inhibit H2O2-induced p38 MAPK and caspase-3 activation and cell death. In addition, sesamolin preserved superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in BV-2 cells under H2O2 stress. In conclusion, sesamolin protects microglia against H2O2-induced cell injury and this protective effect was accompanied by its inhibition of p38 MAPK and caspase-3 activation and ROS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market size of varied carbonated teas and bottled ready-to-drink tea products in Taiwan has surpassed that of traditional Taiwan tea with hot infusion. The consumption behavior of Taiwanese consumers for new and varied types of cold infusion tea products has also differed from that of traditional hot infusion ones. More kinds of Taiwan tea with different fermentation levels are gradually being used as raw materials for various cold infusion tea products. Therefore, to study consumers' responses towards cold-brewed tea has become more important for the market of tea in Taiwan. This study recruited Taiwanese consumers to taste seven Taiwanese specialty tea infusions with various degrees of fermentation, and their opinions were gathered by questionnaires composed of check-all-that-apply (CATA), and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA) questions and hedonic scales. We found that both CATA and TCATA data agreed that the sensory features of unfermented and lightly semi-fermented tea infusions could be plainly distinguished from the ones of heavily semi-fermented and fully fermented teas based on correspondence analyses. Through CATA and TCATA, the sensory characteristics of the cold-brewed tea of various fermentation degrees could be clearly identified. The first-hand information of cold tea beverages analyzed through this study could be useful for the development of the market in Taiwan. The proper level of bitterness, astringency, fresh tea leaf flavor, and late sweetness were the essential qualities of cold infusions brewed from lightly fermented teas, which could be the best raw materials for production of cold tea beverages to satisfy as many consumers as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To screen the optimal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from nine strains LAB and culture media composition for spray‐drying microencapsulation in advance, the physicochemical and physiological properties of microencapsulation including cell permeability, viable cell count, and survival rate were analyzed. According to the primary results of the bacterial growth, pH determination, and quantification of organic acids, the optimal LAB of two from nine strains selected to be better promising LAB for spray drying was found to be Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The viable cells count and survival rate were significantly higher for both B. adolescentis and L. acidophilus cultivated in MRS broth with glucose of carbon source containing 10% (w/w) green tea extract(p < .05). Thus, the optimal LAB and culture medium for spray‐drying microencapsulation were obtained, which is beneficial to human health and has potential applications in the health food industry. Practical applications: This study evaluated the physicochemical and physiological properties of microcapsules with various compositions and their potential for application in the encapsulation of probiotic microorganisms such as B. adolescentis and L. acidophilus. The highest survival rate of the microcapsule with a carrier composition of 95% maltodextrin (MD) + 5% isomaltooligosaccharide (IMOS) was found at inlet/outlet temperatures of 120/60°C in both B. adolescentis and L. acidophilus. Encapsulation increases the cell permeability, cell viability, and survival rate and plays an important role in the spray‐drying of food products, resulting in a high stability, and viability during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first study to investigate the biological activities of fermented extracts of Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) and Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae). Alcaligenes piechaudii CC-ESB2 fermented and ethanol extracts of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica were prepared and the antioxidative activities of different concentrations of samples were evaluated using in vitro antioxidative assays. Tyrosinase inhibition was determined by using the dopachrome method with L-DOPA as substrate. The results demonstrated that inhibitory effects (ED50 values) on mushroom tyrosinase of fermented Rhodiola rosea, fermented Lonicera japonica, ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica, and ethanol extract of Rhodiola rosea were 0.78, 4.07, 6.93, and >10 mg/ml, respectively. The DPPH scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea (ED50 = 0.073 mg/ml) and fermented Lonicera japonica (ED50 = 0.207 mg/ml) were stronger than effects of their respective ethanol extracts. Furthermore, the scavenging effect increases with the presence of high content of total phenol. However, the superoxide scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea was less than effects of fermented Lonicera japonica. The results indicated that fermentation of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica can be considered as an effective biochemical process for application in food, drug, and cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This second total diet study (TDS) in Taiwan was initiated to assess the health risk posed on general consumers from the dietary intake of benzoic acid and sorbic acid as an illustration of a risk assessment of food preservatives. Health risk was assessed by estimating the ratio of the exposure level to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) level of an analyte. This ratio, known as the hazard index (HI), must be less than 100% to ensure no health risk of concern. The ADI values were obtained from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The present TDS was conducted based on the two analytes, benzoic acid and sorbic acid. Exposure levels of the analytes were determined by using three sets of local data: 1) the analyte concentrations (C) in pertinent food samples, 2) the individual consumption rates (CR) of these food samples, and 3) the body weight (BW) of consumers. C values were obtained by chemical analysis of the analytes in food samples, while CR and BW values were derived from the database of the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT). The HI values were calculated using the equation below and expressed as % ADI. » -^ADD^ » QxCR, HI =V »/„ADI, = Y ^-xl00% = Y '¦ ü- xl00% 1 tí tf ADI, ^BWjXADIp A scheme was developed to select food items to represent the total diet consumed in Taiwan. Based on the NAHSIT database, the total diet was classified into 12 categories and 47 sub-categories. By ranking food consumption rates, 128 food items were selected to form a basic list for the TDS, which represented 83% of the total diet consumed daily in Taiwan. Taking into consideration the occurrence pattern of the analytes in foods, the list was adjusted to a total of 97 food items for sample collection and preparation for chemical analysis. Food products were purchased from 50 strategic sampling sites throughout Taiwan over two seasons (spring/summer and autumn/winter) for two consecutive years. Food samples were prepared according to the conditions of serving and were homogenized and mixed prior to chemical analysis to obtain data on C, of which the maximum concentration of each food item was used to make a conservative estimate. The BW of nine age groups and CR of individual food items by each age group were used as exposure factors in risk calculation. The results indicated that the levels of exposure to benzoates and sorbates of the general consumers at 95th percentile in Taiwan were below 50% ADI for benzoates and around 10% ADI for sorbates, which suggest relatively low risk of concern. The present TDS work has helped to renew and strengthen the framework of TDS in Taiwan and facilitate further similar risk assessment work on other target chemicals in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Background: The fungus Antrodia cinnamomea , which grows on Cinnamomum kanehirae tree, has many medicinal uses. However, its cultivation using the traditional method of growing on the C. kanehirae tree is costly and time-consuming. A possible alternative method of cultivating A. cinnamomea is to use Pinus morrisonicola Hayata tree, as it contains α-terpineol, which stimulates the synthesis of triterpenoids., Experimental Approach: To compare the cultivation of A. cinnamomea on P. morrisonicola and C. kanehirae , the contents of triterpenoids and antcin were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Anti-inflammatory effects of the extracts of each product were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 cells. Their mechanisms on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways (p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)) were determined using Western blot analysis., Results and Conclusions: The results showed that the cultivation times of A. cinnamomea on P. morrisonicola and traditional C. kanehirae discs were drastically different, lasting 6 and 18 months, respectively. The concentration of triterpenoids in the corresponding fruiting bodies was (70.0±3.0) and (20.0±4.0) mg/mL, respectively. More antcins were produced in the P. morrisonicola culture. Similar anti-inflammatory effect was obtained by both cultures, which is confirmed by the reduced production of IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2 and nitrogen monoxide. Their mechanisms were confirmed by the suppression of MAPK signalling pathways., Novelty and Scientific Contribution: Cultivation on P. morrisonicola is an innovative and more cost-effective method for growing A. cinnamomea . The same anti-inflammatory effect is achieved in a shorter production time., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Authors.)

Objectives: Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) is found with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory biological activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-hepatitis effect of the emulsified AC extract from RO water or supercritical fluid CO 2 with ethanol co-solvent extract methods of AC preparations., Materials and Methods: Five groups of eight to ten weeks male rats with a count of ten for each group were studied to evaluate the protection of two kinds of AC extract from hepatic injury. Acute liver injury of rats was induced by injecting 40% carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Positive and negative control groups rats were perfused with CCl 4 or isotonic saline, respectively. Experimental groups received oral administration once/day of AC preparations before CCl 4 treatment: water AC extract (WAE group), or emulsified AC extract from supercritical fluid extraction (EAE group) for 5 days, and sacrificed on the 6 th day and the blood and liver samples were collected under chloral hydrate anesthesia. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant markers, and relevant signaling pathways were measured (AST, ALT, ROS, IL-1, IL-6, NO, and COX-2, MAPKs, and caspase-3)., Results: EAE at 50 mg/kg significantly decreased the serum AST, ALT, IL-1, IL-6, NO, and ROS levels. Both extracts reduced the activation of p-ERK in the liver samples, but EAE inhibited COX-2 and caspase-3 protein expression better than WAE. The EAE ameliorated CCl 4 -induced hepatic injury significantly; as compared with WAE and the positive control., Conclusion: The hepatoprotection of EAE could be attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Antrodia .

Objectives: Longan seeds have been used as a folk medicine in China. Longan seed extract (LSE) is known for antioxidative, antiproliferative, hypoglycemic, and hypouremic effects. However, its anti-inflammatory effect has not been shown., Materials and Methods: In this study, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given LSE orally (vehicle, 10, and 30 mg/kg) for 3 days to its test anti-inflammatory effect by injecting λ-carrageenan (CARR) in the right hind paw or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), IP. For the positive control, animals were given aspirin (20 mg/kg) orally and treated likewise. Serum or tissue samples from treated rats were collected after 3 hr of stimulation. Regarding the in vitro study, BV2 microglial cells were stimulated with LPS in the presence of LSE or normal saline for 10 min or 24 hr for Western blot and ELISA assay, respectively., Results: LSE reduced CARR-induced edema in the experimental animals. LSE also reduced LPS/CARR-induced nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL1β), IL6, and COX2 productions. These inflammatory factors were also reduced dose dependently by LSE in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that LSE inhibited LPS activated c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), and p38 MAP kinases signaling pathways, caspase-3, inducible NO synthase, and COX2 expressions., Conclusion: LSE pretreatment suppressed CARR- and LPS-induced inflammations and these effects might be through the inhibition of MAP kinases signaling pathways and inflammatory factors.

This is the first study to investigate the biological activities of fermented extracts of Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) and Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae). Alcaligenes piechaudii CC-ESB2 fermented and ethanol extracts of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica were prepared and the antioxidative activities of different concentrations of samples were evaluated using in vitro antioxidative assays. Tyrosinase inhibition was determined by using the dopachrome method with L-DOPA as substrate. The results demonstrated that inhibitory effects (ED50 values) on mushroom tyrosinase of fermented Rhodiola rosea, fermented Lonicera japonica, ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica, and ethanol extract of Rhodiola rosea were 0.78, 4.07, 6.93, and >10 mg/ml, respectively. The DPPH scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea (ED50 = 0.073 mg/ml) and fermented Lonicera japonica (ED50 = 0.207 mg/ml) were stronger than effects of their respective ethanol extracts. Furthermore, the scavenging effect increases with the presence of high content of total phenol. However, the superoxide scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea was less than effects of fermented Lonicera japonica. The results indicated that fermentation of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica can be considered as an effective biochemical process for application in food, drug, and cosmetics.

Betanin is an antioxidant pigment found in djulis, a grain native to Taiwan, and is a natural source food coloring, but the bright red color degrades rapidly if submitted to light, heat, or oxygen. The effects of nanogrinding on the stability of pigments and bioactive components are unknown. In this study, the color characteristics and bioactivity (antioxidant capacity and enzyme activity) of nanoparticle (NP) djulis was compared with those of intact granules (IG) and microparticles (MP). Results showed that the NP samples exhibited the highest betanin content (2.04 mg/g), which was almost twice that of IG. It was observed that nanogrinding resulted in higher pigment extraction efficiency. However, during storage (5-35 °C for 56 days), NP samples showed the most serious pigment degradation, and this color degradation, as expected, had the lowest activation energy. This was more evident when the storage temperature was high. Antioxidant capacities showed the same trends. MP and NP exhibited significantly higher activity of superoxide dismutaste-like activity, lactoperoxidase (LPO), and lysozyme than IG. Gel permeation chromatography confirmed the degradation of larger particles during nanogrinding, which might favor enzyme extraction and their activities. Statistical analysis revealed a close relationship between betanin and antioxidant capacity.

Besides cancer prevention, the hypolipidemic effects of tea have been well studied in animals and humans. Recently, statin has been identified in Pu-erh tea extract. Clinical trials have confirmed that statin decreases the incidence of major coronary and cerebrovascular events and this may be due to its hypolipidemic and antiinflammatory effects. Since a good Pu-erh tea needs longer storage (10 years or more) of fermentation to enhance the flavor and fragrance, we screened microorganisms from two Pu-erh teas, 20 and 25 years old. Species of fungi and bacteria strains that contributed to a good taste of Pu-erh tea were isolated. The effect of fermentation was investigated by inoculating fresh tea leaves with individual strains of isolated microorganisms. Results showed that statin, total polyphenol content, and the scavenging activities of alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals increased during fermentation. Tea leaves inoculated with Streptomyces bacillaris strain R9 had the highest polyphenol content (3.3 mg/100 g) and scavenging ability to DPPH radicals (92%). Streptomyces cinereus strain Y11 was equally good for polyphenol content but yielded the highest amount of statin (1012 ng/g) after 42 days of fermentation. Interestingly, the statin content of fresh tea leaves fermented with strain R9 or Y11 after 180 days was much higher (4- and 8-fold, respectively) than that of the 25-year-old Pu-erh tea (513 ng/g) as measured by the HPLC method. Similarly, these two strains also increased the content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 5.7- and 4.7-fold in tea fermented for 180 days as compared with the fresh leaves (1270 microg/g) and that were higher than that of the Pu-erh tea (4900 microg/g). Taken together, the present results indicate that tea short-term fermented with S. bacillaris or S. cinereus enhances the color and content of statin, GABA, and polyphenols.

Bromelain has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. It has been cross-linked with organic acids and polysaccharides by gamma irradiation. The cross-linked (CL)-bromelain preparation resisted an acidic environment of pH 3 for 2 h and preserved 80% of its enzyme activity. Pretreatment of rats with CL-bromelain intragastrically for 7 days significantly reduced serum cytokine production induced by injected i.p. with 2.5 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Bromelain significantly reduced serum glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase induced by LPS. The anti-inflammatory effect of CL-bromelain was correlated with reduced LPS-induced NF-kappaB activity and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) mRNA expression in rat livers. In addition, CL-bromelain dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced COX-2 mRNA and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in BV-2 microglial cells. CL-Bromelain also suppressed the LPS-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory effects of the CL-bromelain preparation in vivo and in vitro suggest its therapeutic potentials.