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Z ingiber officinale Roscoe, one of the most widely used spices, has been reported to have anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of 6-shogaol, a bioactive compound present in ginger, on the adipogenic process in 3 T3- L1 preadipocytes. The anti-adipogenic effects of 6-shogaol was significantly higher than the more widely investigated 6-gingerol, another major ginger constituent. We observed that 6-shogaol inhibited the expression of two master regulators of adipogenesis, PPARγ and C/ EBPα, and also stimulated lipolysis in mature 3 T3- L1 adipocytes. Collectively, these results suggest that 6-shogaol, not 6-gingerol, is the major compound present in ginger responsible for its reported anti-adipogenic properties. Practical Applications Ginger is widely consumed all over the world, and has been associated with various health benefits. At least some of these benefits have been previously attributed to 6-gingerol. In the present study, we observed that 6-shogaol has more potent anti-adipogenic effects than 6-gingerol in 3 T3- L1 cells. This is the first study to investigate the anti-obesity effect of 6-shogaol in vitro, and provides a new perspective on future development of ginger-based anti-obesity strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-asparaginase from bacteria has been used in treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The aim of this study was to purify and characterize L-asparaginase from Phaseolus vulgaris seeds instead of microbial sources. L-asparaginase was purified to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme has molecular mass of 79 kDa. The purified asparaginase had very low activity toward a number of asparagine and glutamine analogues. L-asparaginase was free from glutaminase activity. Kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax of purified enzyme, were found to be 6.72 mM and 0.16 μM, respectively. The enzyme had optimum pH at 8.0. The enzyme showed high stability at alkaline pH (pH 7.5–9.0) when incubated for up to 24 h. L-asparaginase had the same temperature optimum and thermal stability at 37°C. K+ was able to greatly enhance the activity of asparaginase by 150% compared with other metals tested. In conclusion, L-asparaginase showed no glutaminase activity and good stability over a wide range of physiological conditions, and thus it could be used as a potential candidate for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]