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Ginsenosides are active compounds that are beneficial to bone metabolism and have anti-osteoporosis properties. However, very few clinical investigations have investigated the effect of ginseng extract (GE) on bone metabolism. This study aims to determine the effect of GE on improving bone metabolism and arthritis symptoms in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 90 subjects were randomly divided into a placebo group, GE 1 g group, and GE 3 g group for 12 weeks based on the random 1:1:1 assignment to these three groups. The primary outcome is represented by bone metabolism indices consisting of serum osteocalcin (OC), urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and DPD/OC measurements. Secondary outcomes were serum CTX, NTX, Ca, P, BsALP, P1NP, OC/CTX ratio, and WOMAC index. The GE 3 g group had a significantly increased serum OC concentration. Similarly, the GE 3 g group showed a significant decrease in the DPD/OC ratio, representing bone resorption and bone formation. Moreover, among all the groups, the GE 3 g group demonstrated appreciable improvements in the WOMAC index scores. In women with osteopenia, intake of 3 g of GE per day over 12 weeks notably improved the knee arthritis symptoms with improvements in the OC concentration and ratios of bone formation indices like DPD/OC.

This study investigated the clinical characteristics and associated risk factors of prediabetes in the southwestern region of Korea. A total of 323 subjects from 13 prediabetes studies were included in the data analysis. Subjects with prediabetes were divided into the following subtypes: (1) normal glucose tolerance (NGT) with HbA1c 5.7%&ndash, 6.4%, (2) isolated impaired fasting glucose (I-IFG), (3) isolated impaired glucose tolerance (I-IGT), and (4) combined I-IFG and I-IGT (C-IFG/IGT). Clinical and biochemical variables were compared among subtypes, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for prediabetes subtypes. The overall proportion of subjects with NGT, I-IFG, I-IGT and C-IFG/IGT was 8.4%, 20.7%, 33.1% and 37.8%, respectively. In men, C-IFG/IGT was the most common subtype, while in women, I-IGT was the most common. The parameters related to dysglycemia, atherosclerosis and liver dysfunction were higher in subjects in the C-IFG/IGT subtype than in other subtypes. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed independent risk factors for increased FPG, 2h-PPG and HbA1c levels. This study identified the clinical features and independent risk factors for prediabetes subtypes.

The prevalence of metabolic diseases has risen globally in parallel with the obesity epidemic over the past few decades. Green tea has been reported to have metabolically beneficial effects on obesity; however, the mechanism by which green tea regulates lipid metabolism is not clearly understood. Male c57BL/6 mice were fed a normal chow diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or an HFD supplemented with various doses of epigallocatechin gallate-rich green tea extract (GTE) for 12 weeks. GTE supplementation reduced body weight gain, prevented hepatic fat accumulation, decreased hypertriglyceridemia, and improved hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in HFD-fed mice. The underlying mechanisms of these beneficial effects of GTE might involve the upregulation of sirtuin 1 and AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the downregulation of enzymes related to de novo lipogenesis. Consistent with the in vivo findings, GTE increased the expression and activity of sirtuin 1, enhanced the binding of sirtuin 1 to liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and subsequent deacetylation of LKB1, and reduced triglyceride accumulation in HepG2 cells. These results suggest the possible therapeutic potential of dietary epigallocatechin gallate-rich GTE supplementation for preventing the development and progression of hepatic steatosis and obesity.

Metabolically beneficial effects of decursin and decursinol angelate have been reported. However, it is unclear whether Angelica gigas Nakai extract (AGNE), which is rich in decursin and decursinol angelate, can alleviate high-fat diet (HFD)-mediated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and dyslipidemia. In this study, c57BL6/J mice were fed a HFD, or HFD with various doses of AGNE for 16 weeks. Supplementation with AGNE attenuated glucose and insulin intolerance, hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and hypertriglyceridemia induced by the HFD. AGNE significantly suppressed hepatic de novo lipogenesis through activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). HepG2 cells treated with free fatty acid mixture (oleate:palmitate = 2:1) displayed increases of de novo lipogenesis and consequent lipid droplet formation. Addition of decursin or decursinol angelate increased Sirt1 expression, which suppressed lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that the metabolic effects of AGNE may be related to the induction of Sirt1 and consequent activation of AMPK.

Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), is an important protective molecule in the vasculature. However, eNOS coupling and its resultant activation are altered under oxidative stress. Under these conditions, eNOS uses molecular oxygen as a substrate instead of l -arginine, resulting in the production of superoxide anion radicals ( O 2 - ) rather than NO. We explored the effects of mulberry extract and its components on eNOS uncoupling induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein in HUVECs and investigated the potential molecular mechanism. Ox-LDL significantly increased O 2 - production and reduced NO release from HUVECs. Pretreatment of cells with mulberry extract and its main components significantly inhibited ox-LDL-induced O 2 - generation, preserving NO level. Mulberry extract also prevented ox-LDL-induced reduction in phospho-eNOS Thr495. These regulatory effects were related to phosphorylation of eNOS Thr495. Mulberry extract and its components can potentially be used to treat ox-LDL-related vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Aim Mixed grain, which contributes to lowered glycaemic responses, has been shown to be effective in dietary management of patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. Methods The present study determined the postprandial blood glucose response of 20 healthy volunteers to mixed grains containing giant embryonic rice (MG-GER) or giant embryonic brown rice (MG-GEBR) compared with white rice (WR) in a randomised crossover design. Plasma glucose and serum insulin at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes were measured, and glycaemic index (GI) and incremental area under the curve (iAUC) were calculated. Results The GIs for WR, MG-GER and MG-GEBR were 86.75 ± 5.78, 76.09 ± 7.01 and 69.33 ± 6.54, respectively. The 120-minute iAUCs after administration of MG-GER or MG-GEBR were significantly lower than that of WR. In addition, the MG-GEBR diet group had a significantly lower C-peptide concentration at the 120-minute time point when compared to the WR group. Conclusions These results suggest that consumption of MG-GER or MG-GEBR instead of WR is more effective to reduce postprandial glucose levels without increasing insulin secretion.

Angelica gigas Nakai, Korean dang-gui, has long been widely used in traditional treatment methods. There have been a number of studies of the health effects of A. gigas and related compounds, but studies addressing effects on blood triglycerides (TG) are lacking. To investigate the effects of A. gigas Nakai extract (AGNE) on TG in Korean subjects, we carried out a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects who met the inclusion criterion (130 mg/dL &le, fasting blood TG &le, 200 mg/dL) were recruited for this study. One hundred subjects were assigned to the AGNE group (n = 50) or the placebo group (n = 50), who were given 1 g/day of AGNE (as a gigas Nakai extract 200 mg/d) in capsules and the control group for 12 weeks. Outcomes were efficacy TG, lipid profiles, atherogenic index, and safety parameters were assessed initially for a baseline measurement and after 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of supplementation, TG and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentration and TG/HDL-C ratio in the AGNE group were significantly reduced compared to the placebo group (p &lt, 05). No significant changes in any safety parameter were observed. These results suggest that the ingestion of AGNE may improve TG and be useful to manage or prevent hypertriglyceridemia.

Some speakers have clearer voices than others. In the present study, we investigate whether early bilingualism has systematic repercussions for talker clarity, using a group of Korean-American heritage bilingual talkers, as well as American and Korean (near-)monolinguals. American monolinguals and the bilinguals produced English sentences, which were mixed with white noise at two signal-to-noise ratios and presented to native English listeners. Korean monolinguals and the same bilinguals produced Korean sentences, which were presented to native Korean listeners. In English, there was no monolingual/bilingual difference in talker clarity. In Korean, bilingual talkers were more clear than monolinguals. Post hoc investigation showed that Korean American bilinguals produced the Korean stimuli more slowly than monolinguals, explaining part of the bilingual advantage. Taken together, these results suggest that early bilingual exposure does not cause a talker clarity deficit, in either language.

The analytical method for the determination of minerals (sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc) in foods by inductively coupled plasma optical emissio...

Background: Red ginseng is prepared by steaming raw ginseng, a process believed to increase the pharmacological efficacy. Further bioconversion of red ginseng through fermentation is known to increase its intestinal absorption and bioactivity, and bioconversion diminishes the toxicity of red ginseng’s metabolite. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of daily supplementation with fermented red ginseng (FRG) on glycemic status in subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study was a four-week long, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-two subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to two groups assigned to consume either the placebo or fermented red ginseng (FRG) three times per day for four weeks. Fasting and postprandial glucose profiles during meal tolerance tests were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: FRG supplementation led to a significant reduction in postprandial glucose levels and led to an increase in postprandial insulin levels compared to the placebo group. There was a consistently significant improvement in the glucose area under the curve (AUC) in the FRG group. However, fasting glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles were not different from the placebo group. Conclusion: Daily supplementation with FRG lowered postprandial glucose levels in subjects with impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01826409