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The use of probiotic starters can improve the sensory and health-promoting properties of fermented foods. In this study, we developed an anti-inflammatory probiotic starter, Limosilactobacillus reuteri EFEL6901, for use in kimchi fermentation. The EFEL6901 strain was safe for use in foods and was stable under human gastrointestinal conditions. In in vitro experiments, EFEL6901 cells adhered well to colonic epithelial cells and decreased nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages. In in vivo experiments, oral administration of EFEL6901 to DSS-induced colitis mice models significantly alleviated the observed colitis symptoms, prevented body weight loss, lowered the disease activity index score, and prevented colon length shortening. Analysis of these results indicated that EFEL6901 played a probiotic role by preventing the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, improving gut barrier function, and up-regulating the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids. In addition, EFEL6901 made a fast growth in a simulated kimchi juice and it synthesized similar amounts of metabolites in nabak-kimchi comparable to a commercial kimchi. This study demonstrates that EFEL6901 can be used as a suitable kimchi starter to promote gut health and product quality.

Resistant starch (RS) is metabolized by gut microbiota and involved in the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are related to a variety of physiological and health effects. Therefore, the availability of RS as a prebiotic is a topic of interest, and research on gut bacteria that can decompose RS is also important. The objectives in this study were 1) to isolate a human gut bacterium having strong degradation activity on non-gelatinized RS, 2) to characterize its RS-degrading characteristics, and 3) to investigate its probiotic effects, including a growth stimulation effect on other gut bacteria and an immunomodulatory effect. Bifidobacterium adolescentis P2P3 showing very strong RS granule utilization activity was isolated. It can attach to RS granules and form them into clusters. It also utilizes high-amylose corn starch granules up to 63.3%, and efficiently decomposes other various types of commercial RS without gelatinization. In a coculture experiment, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ATCC 29148, isolated from human feces, was able to grow using carbon sources generated from RS granules by B. adolescentis P2P3. In addition, B. adolescentis P2P3 demonstrated the ability to stimulate secretion of Th1 type cytokines from mouse macrophages in vitro that was not shown in other B. adolescentis. These results suggested that B. adolescentis P2P3 is a useful probiotic candidate, having immunomodulatory activity as well as the ability to feed other gut bacteria using RS as a prebiotic.

We investigated the effect of acetic acid fermented onion vinegar supplementation and acute swimming exercise on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity of rats fed a high-fat diet. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats, 6 weeks of age, were randomly divided four groups; high fat diet sedentary group (HS, n=8), high fat diet acute exercise group (HE, n=8), acetic acid fermented onion supplemented sedentary group (AS, n=8), and acetic acid fermented onion supplemented acute exercise group (AE, n=8). The rats in the HS and HE were given a high fat diet and those in the AS and AE were given a 6% acetic fermented onion added to the high fat diet for 4 weeks. In the results, serum TG and TC levels of AE was significantly increased than that of the AS, respectively (p

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of lactic acid fermented Onion supplementation and acute swimming exercise on lipid peroxidation levels and SOD protein activity of rats fed a high-fat diet. Thirty-two SD male rats, 6 weeks of age, were randomly divided into 4 groups: high fat diet sedentary group(HS, n=8), high fat diet exercised group(HE, n=8), lactic acid fermented Onion supplemented sedentary group(OS, n=8), lactic acid fermented Onion supplemented exercised group(OE, n=8). They were given a high fat diet (HS and HE) or supplemented 3% of lactic acid fermented Onion(OS and OE) for 4 weeks. The animals in the swim groups swam for 60 min/days, 5 days/wk for 4 weeks in a plastic tube filled with water(temp: 35±1℃, depth 50cm, radius: 25cm). In the results, serum TG level of OE group was significantly lower than that of the HE and OS group(p

Compound K (CK; 20-O-β-(d-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol) is one of the metabolites of ginsenosides contained in red ginseng (RG) and is known to have high bioavailability. This study aimed to establish the optimal conditions for enzyme treatment to convert ginsenosides from RG extract to CK, and to prove the characteristics of bioconverted red ginseng (BRG) extract. CK was not detected in unenzyme-treated RG extract, and in the single-step enzyme treatment, it was produced at less than 4.58 mg/g only in treatment group with Pyr-flo or Sumizyme AC (at 50 °C for 48 h). The highest yield of CK (14.32 mg/g) was obtained by Ultimase MFC treatment at 50 °C for 48 h after treatment with a mixture of Pyr-flo and Rapidase at 50 °C for 24 h. Total polyphenol, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity were higher in BRG than in RG (p p

Because cinnamon is orally ingested, its biological activity is likely to influence the small intestinal epithelium and the microbiota along the intestinal tract. We investigated small intestinal epithelial gene expression associated with immunity and lipid metabolism and measured IgA level in the small intestines and sera of mice fed cinnamon. We also analyzed microbial changes in the small and large intestines and feces using pyrosequencing of the 16 s rRNA gene. Cinnamon increased the gene expression of Muc2, RegIIIγ, and Pigr, which are necessary for defense against gut bacteria. It also increased the gene expression of GATA4 and Slc27a2, which are implicated in lipid absorption. Cinnamon increased luminal IgA level but not serum IgA and decreased the class Gammaproteobacteria (classified within the phylum Proteobacteria), particularly the genus Pseudomonas, in the large intestine. Cinnamon thus affected immunity and lipid absorption in the small intestinal epithelium and microbial composition in the intestines.

Wheat germ is rich in quinones that exist as glycosides. In this study, we used Celluclast 1.5L to release the hydroxyquinones, which turn into benzoquinone, and prepared the water extract from enzyme-treated wheat germ (EWG). We investigated whether enzyme treatment altered the anti-inflammatory activity compared to the water extract of untreated wheat germ (UWG). UWG inhibited the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin (IL)-12 and induced the production of IL-10 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Enzyme treatment resulted in greater inhibition of iNOS and IL-10 and induction of HO-1 compared to UWG, possibly involving the modulation of nuclear factor (NF)-&kappa, B, activator protein 1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2). Mice fed UWG or EWG had decreased serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&alpha, and increased serum IL-10 levels after intraperitoneal injection of LPS, with UWG being more effective for IL-10 and EWG more effective for TNF-&alpha, Hepatic HO-1 gene was only expressed in mice fed EWG. We provide evidence that enzyme treatment is a useful biotechnology tool for extracting active compounds from wheat germ.

The bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) is used as a food additive and herbal medicine for various inflammatory disorders and cancer in Eastern Asia. RVS has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages in vitro, but whether oral administration of RVS affects the inflammatory response of macrophage needs to be verified. RVS was given orally to mice for ten days. For isolation of macrophages, intraperitoneal injection of thioglycollate was performed. For determination of serum inflammatory response, intraperitoneal injection of LPS was applied. RVS stimulated monocyte differentiation in thioglycollate-induced peritonitis by increasing the population of cells expressing CD11b and class A scavenger receptors. These monocyte-derived macrophages showed an increased uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein. When peritoneal macrophages from the RVS group were stimulated with LPS, the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&alpha, and interleukin (IL)-6 in the supernatant decreased, but the level of IL-12 increased. The surface expression of CD86 was reduced, but surface expression of class II major histocompatibility complex molecules was increased. RVS suppressed the serum levels of LPS-induced TNF-&alpha, and IL-6. Collectively, RVS promoted monocyte differentiation upon inflammatory insults and conferred selective anti-inflammatory activity without causing overall inhibitory effects on immune cells.

Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) produced by Lactobacillus sakei B2-16 on diet and acute swimming exercise was investigated in rats with high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. The body weight gain in the GABA+Exercise group was significantly (p 0.05) influenced reduction in body weight gain, compared to the HFD group. The weights of abdominal and epididymal fat tissues and the liver in the GABA+Exercise group were significantly (p

This study investigated the effects of α-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein expression in rat skeletal muscles under non-exercising condition. Fourteen Sprague-Dawley male rats at the age of 6 weeks were randomly divided into 2 groups CS, (normal diet group, n=7) and AS (0.5% ALA supplemented diet group, n=7), and keep non-exercising condition for 4 weeks. The muscle MDA concentration of the AS group was significantly lower than that of the CS group in the both soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. The expressions of Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD proteins in the soleus muscle were significantly higher in the AS group than that in the CS group. From these results, ALA supplementation under non-exercising condition had a role in increasing of antioxidant enzymes in skeletal muscle types of rats.

This study was examined the effects of deepsea water (DSW) supplementation and swimming exercise on bone metabolism in growing male rats. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley male rats, 6 weeks of age, were randomly divided into high-fat diet sedentary (HS, n=8) or exercised group (HE, n=8) and DSW supplemented sedentary (DS, n=8) or exercised group (DE, n=8), given a high fat diet to all groups for 8 weeks. In the results, serum osteocalcin level of the DS was significantly lower than that of the HS (p

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Pellinus linteus (PL) extract supplementation in healthy young men. The subjects were 18 healthy young males 20 years of age that were given 1.5 L of 0.12% PL extract orally (n=8) or a placebo (control group, n=10) daily for 4 weeks. The body composition, the white blood cell (WBC) count and differential as well as the serum cortisol, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 concentrations were measured before and after the supplementation. Serum concentrations of cortisol and IL-1β at rest after oral supplementation were significantly decreased compared to before treatment (p