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The price of rice bran oil depends on the amounts of contained bioactive compounds especially oryzanol and phytosterols. The oryzanol content of rice bran oil under ohmic heating optimized at 70 V/cm, 90 °C for 3 min (27,580.75 ± 916.58 mg/kg) was higher than the control (24,908.57 ± 19.87 mg/kg). Ethanol-to-water ratio (p ≤ 0.000), medium-to-rice bran ratio (p ≤ 0.002), and electric field (p ≤ 0.028) all statistically significantly affected oryzanol content. Using water medium at low electric field (70 V/cm) produced the highest oryzanol content, while a high medium-to-rice bran ratio (1:1) resulted in the highest oryzanol content due to rapid temperature increase. Ohmic heating reduced acid value and free fatty acid content of rice bran oil and hence extended its shelf life. Ohmic heating under pressure (1 bar) was applied to elevate the boiling point and prolong the holding time, thereby obtaining higher oryzanol content (24,758.11 ± 48.96 mg/kg) than in non-pressurized rice bran oil (21,170.93 ± 42.72 mg/kg) (p ≤ 0.05). Conductivity of the medium and holding time positively correlated with oryzanol content whereas temperature had a negative correlation. Ohmic heating extraction efficiency increased with more water-soluble bioactive compounds ranking from phenolics, oryzanol, and phytosterols.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as pure fermenters and mixed fermenters (simultaneous and sequential culture), on the production of nonvolatiles and volatiles, and on the antioxidant activity in Golden Dried Longan juice and Golden Dried Longan wines. Alanine, arginine, glutamic acid, leucine, proline, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were the most prominent amino acids that were found in these wines. The Golden Dried Longan Wine fermented with monocultures of S. cerevisiae and T. delbrueckii produced a total volatile aroma content of 393.21 mg/l and 383.20 mg/l, respectively. Simultaneous culture of the two organisms produced the highest total volatile aroma content, that affected most volatile compounds including isobutanol, ethyl acetate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl pentanoate, isoamyl acetate, and isobutyl acetate. Of the four treatments, the sequential culture possessed the highest total phenolic content (5.80 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/ml). In addition, the total phenolic content significantly correlated with the antioxidant activity of the Golden Dried Juice and Golden Dried Longan Wine. These results suggest that co-cultures of the two organisms used in the production of the Golden Dried Longan Wine may improve the intensity and complexity of its aroma.

Rice in early development stage contains peptides and various bioactive compounds. Rice protein hydrolysate was prepared from Riceberry bran protein hydrolysed with Alcalase® and trypsin. Protein hydrolysate from Alcalase® (MW < 3 kDa) was fractionated into 12 fractions using RP-HPLC and tested for antioxidant, ACE, and ROS-inhibitory activity. Peptide from RP-HPLC fraction 1 showed that the lowest ROS inhibition and highest antioxidant were identified by LC-MS/MS as Val-Leu-Ala-Ala-Gly-Cys-Pro-Leu. Peptide fraction 4 showed that the strongest in vitro ACE-inhibitory activity was identified as Ala-Met-Ser-Phe-Ala-Glu-Met. Young Riceberry milk was then enriched with Alcalase® protein hydrolysate (MW < 3 kDa) and sonicated at amplitude 20% for 30 min and 40% for 60 min. Particle size, transmittance, and Caco-2 cell absorption were measured. The highest peptide content and % absorption was found in young rice milk ultrasonicated at 40% for 60 min. Rice bran protein hydrolysate produced by Alcalase® had much smaller MW bioactive peptides and could be used as a potent functional food ingredient. The young rice milk fortified with bioactive peptides after high power ultra-sonication could increase the in vitro intestinal absorption.

This study investigated the effects of monocultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii as well as simultaneous and sequential cultures of S. cerevisiae and T. delbrueckii on the nonvolatile and volatile compounds in longan wines. The four cultures had similar characteristics in longan wines. The main amino acids in all the fermentations were glutamic acid, arginine, alanine, leucine, proline, and GABA. The main volatile compounds in longan wines were ethanol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, 2‐phenylethanol, isoamyl acetate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and ethyl acetate, which can contribute more desired aroma compounds in wines. Among the four treatments, the longan wine fermented with the simultaneous culture produced the highest total volatile aroma content (345.26 mg/L). The simultaneous culture also had a better ability to generate a high level of the main volatile compounds in longan wines and also could achieve a noticeable intensity of floral and fruity aromas of wine as evaluated by calculation of the odor activity values.

The formation of aromatic esters in intermittently dried noni fruit by endogenous enzymatic activity was investigated. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry was used to determine the volatile compou...

Crude polysaccharide from seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (SCP) was digested enzymatically using cellulase and pectinase followed by lactic acid fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum or Enterococcus faecalis to obtain crude polysaccharide hydrolysate (SCPH). The total carbohydrates of SCPH (26.76%) were higher than SCP (22.68%). The sulphate content (which indicated sulphate ester groups of sulphated polysaccharides such as fucoidan) was higher relatively after enzymatic and lactic fermentation (from 17.14 to 25.36%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy established a peak between 1228 and 1226 cm-1—which indicated sulphate ester groups, a component of fucoidan—was observed in all A. nodosum polysaccharides but not with purified alginate. Peaks at 814–817 cm-1 indicated also monosaccharide-linked sulphate groups—located at C-2 and C-3—which again highlighted the presence of fucoidan. The capacity of these fragments and other seaweed carbohydrates (alginates) to lower blood glucose was ranked in the order ‘hydrolysed’ alginate, native alginate, SCPH and SCP. Hydrolysed alginate fed to rats produced the greatest quantity of acetic acid followed by native alginate, SCPH (by L. plantarum), SCPH (by E. faecalis) and SCP (23.62, 18.02, 14.95, 14.04 and 12.10 mM respectively). Hydrolysed alginate and native alginate showed better potential gut health benefits (prebiotic properties) in terms of either gastrointestinal (GI) transit resistance or SCFAs production compared with crude seaweed polysaccharide due to the higher percentage of polysaccharides. A novel process to produce seaweed polysaccharides with beneficial bioactivities was proposed.

Tempeh, a traditional Indonesian soybean product produced by fermentation, is especially popular because of its umami taste. In this study, a novel umami peptide GENEEEDSGAIVTVK (GK-15) was identified in the small peptide (

It is hypothesized that the oxidative/nitrosative stress inhibitory effect of a flavanone is governed by its chemical structure. However, the existing cell‐based antioxidant assays primarily focus on single chemical to initiate toxic species production. In this study, a novel cell model using macrophage treated with a combination of PMA and LPS leading to generation of peroxynitrite was proposed to provide a more real physiological condition. Three flavanones (eriodictyol, naringenin, and pinocembrin) with different number of ortho‐dihydroxyl groups on B‐ring were used to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the role of chemical structure in the new model. Dihydrorhodamine123 assay, protein immunoblotting, immunofluorescence assay, and in silico analysis by molecular docking between the flavanones and IKKβ catalytic kinase domain at the ATP binding site were employed. Results indicated that the generation of peroxynitrite was decreased at 10 µM of flavanones; eriodictyol was the most effective inhibitor. Western blot analysis and confocal fluorescence image also showed that eriodictyol could inhibit iNOS and p47 protein expressions through the inhibition of NF‐kB translocation and performed the maximal inhibition compared to that of the other groups. In addition, the highest CDOCKER energy values of eriodictyol (38.6703 kcal/mol) confirmed that the 3′,4′‐ortho‐dihydroxylation on the B‐ring played a crucial role in binding with IKKβ kinase domain at ATP binding site. Finally, we propose that the ortho‐dihydroxyl groups on B‐ring of flavanone may influence directly the occupation of the ATP binding site of IKKβ kinase domain leading to the abrogation of peroxynitrite formation in the innovative cell model., The roles of three flavonoids (eriodictyol, naringenin, and pinocembrin) in peroxynitrile inhibition and their interactions with ATP binding site of the kinase domain of IKKβ were comprehensively studied. The ortho‐dihydroxyl groups on B‐ring of flavanone may influence directly the occupation of the ATP binding site of IKKβ kinase domain leading to the abrogation of peroxynitrite formation in the innovative cell model.

The effects of dry processing and maturity on antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total procyanidins, and identity of phenolic compounds in coffee leaves were evaluated. Fresh coffee leaves were tray-dried at 40 &deg, C for 8 h before total phenolic content, total procyanidins, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The drying process significantly (p &lt, 0.05) improved the release of total phenolic content and total procyanidins compared with the fresh leaves. The results showed that the young leaves exposed to drying processes had the highest total phenolic content, total procyanidins, and DPPH radical scavenging activity. Therefore, the effect of different drying temperatures (30, 40, and 50 &deg, C) in the young leaves were further analyzed. The results indicated that DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, and total procyanidins were increasingly generated when exposed to an increase in drying temperatures, whereby the highest bioactivity was evident at 50 &deg, C. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the coffee leaf teas was significantly correlated with total phenolic content and total procyanidins. Identification of Coffea arabica L. bioactive compounds by LC-MS showed the presence of catechin or epicatechin, mangiferin or isomangiferin, procyanidin B, caffeoylquinic acids (CQA), caffeine, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, procyanidin C, rutin, and 3,4-diCQA. Coffea arabica L. leaf tea was confirmed to be a potential functional food rich in phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant activity.

Renal disease is not rare among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is gaining interest as a target of research. However, related changes in glomerular structural have rarely been investigated. This study was aimed at clarifying the changes in collagens and glomerular filtration barrier (GFB)-related proteins of glomeruli in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Acute colitis was induced by administering 3.5% DSS in Slc:ICR strain mice for eight days. Histological changes to glomeruli were examined by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson&rsquo, s trichrome staining. Expressions of glomerular collagens and GFB-related proteins were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining and Western blot analysis. DSS-colitis mice showed an elevated disease activity index (DAI), colon shortening, massive cellular infiltration and colon damage, confirming that DSS-colitis mice can be used as an IBD animal model. DSS-colitis mice showed increased glycoprotein and collagen deposition in glomeruli. Interestingly, we observed significant changes in glomerular collagens, including a decrease in type IV collagen, and an increment in type I and type V collagens. Moreover, declined GFB-related proteins expressions were detected, including synaptopodin, podocalyxin, nephrin and VE-cadherin. These results suggest that renal disease in DSS-colitis mice might be associated with changes in glomerular collagens and GFB-related proteins. These findings are important for further elucidation of the clinical pathological mechanisms underlying IBD-associated renal disease.

An accurate and rapid liquid chromatography–electrospray ionizaion– tandem mass spectrometry (LC—ESI—MS/MS) analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of antcins A, B, C, H, and K, dehydroeburicoic acid, and 4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole in the extract and capsule of Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) fruiting body. These seven signature compounds were ionized using an electrospray ion source and analyzed by a triple-quadrupole mass analyzer under a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The MRM transitions of m/z 453/409 (antcin A), m/z 467/408 (antcin B), m/z 469/425 (antcin C), m/z 485/413 (antcin H), m/z 487/407 (antcin K), m/z 467/337 (dehydroeburicoic acid), and m/z 197/139 (4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole) were used to quantify these seven components, respectively. Their calibration curves presented good linear regressions (R2 > 0.997) within the tested concentration range. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 1.97% and 2.53%, respective...

High amylose rice starch was modified using a pyrodextrinization process under conditions designed to avoid gelatinization of starch. Rice starch was hydrolyzed with 0.5% HCl and 0.5% citric acid solution at 130 °C for 1 h (H1), 2 h (H2), and 3 h (H3) respectively. Hydrolyzed starches (25% moisture content) were then Heat moisture treatment (HMT) at 115 °C for 1 h. Pasting properties, swelling power, solubility, crystallinity and in vitro and in vivo starch digestibility were investigated. Pyrodextrinized-HMT rice starch was then used as wall material for tocopheryl acetate encapsulation by spray drying. The encapsulation capacity, microstructure, in vitro releasing property under simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal fluid (SIF) were measured. Results show an insignificant increased in rapid digestible starch (RDS) after pyrodextrinization. SDS drastically decreased in proportion to the increase in RS content. Blood glucose responses in Wistar rats fed with pyrodextrinized-HMT starch were slower than those fed with native starch. The pyrodextrinized-HMT starch microcapsule showed higher encapsulation capacity, better resistance to in vitro digestibility, prolonged release in SGF but higher release in SIF without changing its crystalline patterns.

Polisakarida yang berasal dari tumbuhan telah menjadi pusat perhatian pada keilmuan biomedik karena memiliki berbagai kemampuan biologis dan toksisitasnya yang rendah. Pada penelitian sebelumnnya, polisakarida Mesona chinensis (MCP) yang didapat dari ekstrak tanaman cincau atau grass jelly telah menunjukkan kemampuannya sebagai imunostimulator dan anti kanker, akan tetapi bagaimana mekanismenya belum diketahui dengan jelas. Penelitian ini menginvestigasi pengaruh MCP pada sel makrofag RAW264.7 dimana pemeriksaan dilakukan melalui pengukuran produksi sitokin dan ekspresi molekul kostimulator pada permukaan sel makrofag. Beberapa teknik pengukuran telah digunakan untuk menggambarkan mekanisme aksi pada sel makrofag seperti flowsitometri untuk menganalisa kostimulator CD80, CD86 dan MHC-II, pengukuran viabilitas sel, nitric oxide (NO) dan TNF-α menggunakan spektrofotometer, ekspresi protein ERK ½, IκB-α, iNOS menggunakan teknik western blot dan analisa aktivitas protein NF-κB menggunakan mikroskop konfokal. Pengukuran aktivitas NF-κB, ekspresi CD80, CD86, MHC-II, produksi NO dan TNF-α dilakukan setelah diberikan MCP pada sel makrofag RAW264.7 dengan konsentrasi 10, 50, 100 dan 200μg/ml. Analisa statistik dengan ANOVA menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan ekspresi NO, TNF-α, CD80, CD86 dan MHC-II pada semua kelompok perlakuan, selanjutnya uji perbandingan multipel Duncan's menyatakan bahwa terdapat peningkatan ekspresi NO, TNF-α, CD80, CD86 dan MHC-II secara signifikan (p=0,001) bila dibandingkan dengan kelompok lain. Hasil diatas menunjukkan bahwa MCP mampu menginduksi produksi NO, TNF-α, ekspresi kostimulator (CD80, CD86, MHC-II), dan sebagai stimulator terhadap protein ERK ½, IκB-α, dan NF-κB. Hal ini memberikan penjelasan terhadap mekanisme aktivitas seluler yakni melibatkan jalur MAPKs dan NF-κB yang penting dalam menginduksi produksi sitokin dan ekspresi molekul kostimulator. Dengan demikian, MCP telah menunjukkan suatu potensi sebagai agen imunostimulator dan diduga dapat menjadi suatu terapi penting pada penyakit-penyakit infeksi.Â

An incident of food-borne poisoning causing illness in 37 victims due to ingestion of fried fish sticks occurred in September 2014, in Tainan city, southern Taiwan. Leftovers of the victims' fried fish sticks and 16 other raw fish stick samples from retail stores were collected and tested to determine the occurrence of histamine and histamine-forming bacteria. Two suspected fried fish samples contained 86.6 mg/100 g and 235.0 mg/100 g histamine; levels that are greater than the potential hazard action level (50 mg/100 g) in most illness cases. Given the allergy-like symptoms of the victims and the high histamine content in the suspected fried fish samples, this food-borne poisoning was strongly suspected to be caused by histamine intoxication. Moreover, the fish species of suspected samples was identified as milkfish ( Chanos chanos ), using polymerase chain reaction direct sequence analysis. In addition, four of the 16 commercial raw milkfish stick samples (25%) had histamine levels greater than the US Food & Drug Administration guideline of 5.0 mg/100 g for scombroid fish and/or products. Ten histamine-producing bacterial strains, capable of producing 373–1261 ppm of histamine in trypticase soy broth supplemented with 1.0% L-histidine, were identified as Enterobacter aerogenes (4 strains), Enterobacter cloacae (1 strain), Morganella morganii (2 strains), Serratia marcescens (1 strain), Hafnia alvei (1 strain), and Raoultella orithinolytica (1 strain), by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing with polymerase chain reaction amplification.

Bacillus polymyxa D05-1, isolated from salted fish product and possessing amine degrading activity, was used as a starter culture in salted fish fermentation in this study. Fermentation was held at 35°C for 120 days. The water activity in control samples (without starter culture) and inoculated samples (inoculated with B. polymyxa D05-1) remained constant throughout fermentation, whereas the pH value rose slightly during fermentation. Salt contents in both samples were constant in the range of 17.5–17.8% during the first 60 days of fermentation and thereafter increased slowly. The inoculated samples had considerably lower levels of total volatile basic nitrogen (p

Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) seed proteins (GSPs) hydrolysate was investigated for angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. GSPs were hydrolyzed under simulated gastrointestinal digestion using a combination of enzymes, including pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. The screening of ACE inhibitory peptides from GSPs hydrolysate was performed using two sequential bioassay-guided fractionations, namely hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Then, the peptides in the fraction with the highest ACE inhibitory activity were identified by LC-MS/MS. The flow-through (FT) fraction showed the most potent ACE inhibitory activity when HILIC fractionation was performed. This fraction was further separated using RP-HPLC, and the result indicated that fraction 8 (RP-F8) showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity. In the HILIC-FT/RP-F8 fraction, 14 peptides were identified using LC-MS/MS analysis coupled with de novo sequencing. These amino acid chains had not been recorded previously and their ACE inhibitory activities were analyzed in silico using the BIOPEP database. One fragment with the amino acid sequence of ALVY showed a significant ACE inhibitory activity (7.03 &plusmn, 0.09 &micro, M). The Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated that ALVY is a competitive inhibitor. The inhibition mechanism of ALVY against ACE was further rationalized through the molecular docking simulation, which revealed that the ACE inhibitory activities of ALVY is due to interaction with the S1 (Ala354, Tyr523) and the S2 (His353, His513) pockets of ACE. Bibliographic survey allowed the identification of similarities between peptides reported as in gac fruit and other proteins. These results suggest that gac seed proteins hydrolysate can be used as a potential nutraceutical with inhibitory activity against ACE.

Retrogradation affects acceptability of starchy foods; however, it is preferred in some products such as rice noodles. Amylose content, gelatinization temperature, and storage condition were reported to affect retrogradation but with disputed data. The joint effects of these parameters were interested in this study. Rice starch was gelatinized using different temperatures (77, 81, 95, and 121 °C) and stored isothermally with temperature cycles for 10 days. Results showed that the most important parameter that affected retrogradation was storage time followed by storage condition and gelatinization temperature. The recrystallization rate constant (k) and Avrami exponent (n) of retrograded starches stored under temperature cycle were higher than isothermal storage. All samples showed similar polymorphs of a mixture of B and V types. High-temperature gelatinized starch gel stored under temperature cycle condition produced higher yield of resistant starch. The study provided useful information on how to apply these parameters to control the retrogradation of starchy foods, especially rice noodle. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Retrogradation is found to be more prominent at higher gelatinization temperature and longer storage time. Resistant starch produced from retrograded starch depended largely on storage time than storage condition. This finding can be applied to improve rice noodle qualities (by increasing retrogradation) with lower digestibility (by producing higher resistant starch).

Histamine is the causative agent of scombroid poisoning, a foodborne chemical hazard. Histamine is degraded by the oxidative deamination activity of certain microorganisms. In this study, eight histamine-degrading bacteria isolated from salted fish products were identified as Rummeliibacillus stabekisii (1 isolate), Agrobacterium tumefaciens (1 isolate), Bacillus cereus (2 isolates), Bacillus polymyxa (1 isolate), Bacillus licheniformis (1 isolate), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (1 isolate), and Bacillus subtilis (1 isolate). Among them, B. polymyxa exhibited the highest activity in degrading histamine than the other isolates. The ranges of temperature, pH, and salt concentration for growth and histamine degradation of B. polymyxa were 25–37°C, pH 5–9, and 0.5–5% NaCl, respectively. B. polymyxa exhibited optimal growth and histamine-degrading activity at 30°C, pH 7, and 0.5% NaCl in histamine broth for 24 hours of incubation. The histamine-degrading isolate, B. polymyxa, might be used as a starter culture in inhibiting histamine accumulation during salted fish product fermentation.

Glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) are highly expressed in most tumor cells and little in normal cells. In this study, treatment of HL-60 cells with lovastatin induced characteristic apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. We demonstrated that lovastatin treatment inhibited Ras and Raf protein translocation to cell membrane and eliminated the phosphorylation of the downstream effectors Akt and ERK, and the subsequent NF-κB translocation into nucleus. Specific inhibitors and γ-tocotrienol confirmed the Ras/Raf/ERK/NF-κB/GLO1 and Ras/Akt/NF-κB/GLO1 pathways. Data revealed that lovastatin induced HL-60 cell death was attenuated by mevalonate treatment. We demonstrated also that γ-tocotrienol showed its apoptotic effect on the HL-60 cell through the same pathway. γ-Tocotrienol enhanced the apoptotic effect of lovastatin through the down-regulation of GLO1 and HMGCR resulting in an increase of methylglyoxal and a decrease of cholesterol and led to the apoptosis of HL-60 cells. Data also revealed that both lovastatin and gamma-tocotrienol induced significant HL-60 cell differentiation. These results suggest that both lovastatin and gamma-tocotrienol could induce differentiation and followed by apoptosis.

Although flavonoids have been reported for their benefits and nutraceutical potential use, the importance of their structure on their beneficial effects, especially on signal transduction mechanisms, has not been well clarified. In this study, three flavonoids, pinocembrin, naringenin, and eriodictyol, were chosen to determine the effect of hydroxyl groups on the B-ring of flavonoid structure on their antioxidant activity. In vitro assays, including DPPH scavenging activity, ROS quantification by flow cytometer, and proteins immunoblotting, and in silico analysis by molecular docking between the flavonoids and C1B domain of PKCδ phorbol ester binding site were both used to complete this study. Eriodictyol (10 μM), containing two hydroxyl groups on the B-ring, exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity than pinocembrin and naringenin. The IC50 values of eriodictyol, naringenin, and pinocembrin were 17.4 ± 0.40, 30.2 ± 0.61, and 44.9 ± 0.57 μM, respectively. In addition, eriodictyol at 10 μM remarkably inhibited the phosphorylation of PKCδ at 63.4% compared with PMA-activated RAW264.7, whereas pinocembrin and naringenin performed inhibition activity at 76.8 and 72.6%, respectively. According to the molecular docking analysis, pinocembrin, naringenin, and eriodictyol showed -CDOCKER_energy values of 15.22, 16.95, and 21.49, respectively, reflecting that eriodictyol could bind with the binding site better than the other two flavonoids. Interestingly, eriodictyol had a remarkably different pose to bind with the kinase as a result of the two hydroxyl groups on its B-ring, which consequently contributed to greater antioxidant activity over pinocembrin and naringenin.

In this study, we screened 10 resveratrol derivatives isolated from Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. hancei (Planch.) Rehder (ABH) for angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory (ACEI) activity. Among these compounds, (+)-hopeaphenol and (+)-vitisin A showed the lowest IC 50 values (∼1.5 μM) toward ACE. In addition, the compounds’ abundances and distributions in ABH were profiled using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Interestingly, trimers and tetramers of resveratrol were mainly obtained from the bark of ABH when 90% ethanol was used for extraction. This result implies that the antihypertension effect of ABH extract may be mainly contributed by (+)-hopeaphenol ( F1 ) and (+)-vitisin A ( F2 ) in the ABH bark due to their remarkable ACE inhibitions. Moreover, the sizes and structures of these compounds were further correlated to their affinities toward ACE using molecular docking calculations. The results showed that resveratrol tetramers interact with ACE more favorably than other smaller oligomers.

Andrographolide (Andro) is the major active component of the traditional herbal bitter tea Andrographis paniculata . We tested the hypothesis that Andro exerted its antitumor activities through its effects on three key survival enzymes, glyoxalase 1 (GLO1), glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), leading to cancer cell apoptosis. In human leukemia HL-60 cells Andro could reduce cholesterol levels, accompanied with down-regulation of Ras translocation to the membrane and downstream phosphorylation of Akt and ERK. Based on results obtained using specific inhibitors, LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor), U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor), and JSH-23 (NF-κB activation inhibitor), we proposed that the apoptotic effects of Andro in HL-60 cells arose because of interactions with the Ras/Akt/NF-κB/GLO1 and Ras/Raf/ERK/NF-κB/GLO1 pathways. Andro has a potential to be used as a functional food ingredient to prevent and manage inflammatory diseases including cancers.

Background: The calamondin (Citrus microcarpa Bunge) and the kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia Swingle) are two small-size citrus fruits that have traditionally been consumed in Taiwan; however, there has been a lack of scientific research regarding the active compounds and functionalities of these fruits. Methods: Analysis of volatile composition of essential oil and phytosterol was carried out using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Flavonoid and limonoid were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Moreover, antioxidant capacity from their essential oils and extracts were assessed in vitro. Results: The compositions of the essential oils of both fruits were identified, with the results showing that the calamondin and kumquat contain identified 43 and 44 volatile compounds, respectively. In addition, oxygenated compounds of volatiles accounted for 4.25% and 2.04%, respectively, consistent with the fact that oxygenated compounds are generally found in high content in citrus fruits. In terms of flavonoids, the calamondin exhibited higher content than the kumquat, with disomin-based flavonoids being predominant; on the other hand, phytosterol content of kumquat was higher than that of calamondin, with amyrin being the dominant phytosterol. Both of them contain high amounts of limonoids. The ethanol extracts and essential oils of small-sized citrus fruits have been shown to have antioxidant effects, with those effects being closely related to the flavonoid content of the fruit in question. Conclusions: The present study also reviewed antioxidant activity in terms of specific bioactive compounds in order to find the underlying biological activity of both fruits. The calamondin and kumquat have antioxidant effects, which are in turn very important for the prevention of chronic diseases.

In this study, a novel angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory tripeptide (IVR) was isolated and identified from unfertilized soft-shelled turtle egg white (SSTEW). The IC50 value of IVR was measured in vitro as low as 0.81 ± 0.03 μM, and its inhibition type was suggested as competitive according to the Lineweaver-Burk plot. This peptide can be generated from either thermolysin followed by trypsin digestion (two stages) or only trypsin digestion (one stage). Quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that two-stage digestion gave 3.14 ± 0.17 mg of IVR from 1 g of SSTEW, better than that from one-stage digestion (1.31 ± 0.12 mg). In vivo antihypertensive activity of the tripeptide IVR after single oral administration (0.1 and 1 mg/kg of body weight) led to a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure 2-4 h after administration in spontaneously hypertensive rats. In addition, the binding mechanism of IVR has been rationalized through docking simulations using the testicular ACE (tACE)-lisinopril complex at 2 Å resolution (PDB 108A ). The best docking pose was located at the tACE catalytic site resembling the mode of inhibition exerted by lisinopril, an effective hypertensive synthetic drug. The degree of inhibition of this peptide correlated with the H-bond interaction between the C-terminal of IVR and Lys511 and Tyr520 residues of tACE, a significant inhibitor registration for lisinopril. This study illustrated that IVR behaves as a transition-state analogue inhibitor and is useful in therapeutic intervention for blood pressure control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an efficient ACE-inhibitory tripeptide generated from the unfertilized egg of soft-shelled turtle.

Essential oils are formed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites and are widely used in traditional medicine. In this research, the composition and biological activities of three commercial oils essential oils, Ocotea, Copaiba and Blue Cypress, were evaluated in cultured cells and in mice. GC/MS revealed different components within these oils. Ocotea and Copaiba did not have an antioxidant activity below 5 % (v/v), and Blue Cypress possessed a moderate anti-oxidant activity. Ocotea was the most potent inhibitor against pro-inflammatory mediators. In addition, Ocotea and a higher concentration of Blue Cypress suppressed LPS-induced PGE2 production. Single high-concentration administration of the oils showed acute toxicity in mice. Blood chemistry analysis showed the three essential oils to be quite safe under a lower sub-lethal dosage. Our findings suggested that essential oils can be useful as active medicines to inhibit over-activation of macrophages followed by stimulation by inflammatory mediators.

In recent years, biodegradable and alternative biodiesel has attracted increased attention worldwide. Producing biodiesel from biomass involves critical separation and purification technology. Conventional technologies such as gravitational settling, decantation, filtration, water washing, acid washing, organic solvent washing and absorbent applications are inefficient, less cost effective and environmentally less friendly. In this study supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) with few steps and a low environmental impact, was used for biodiesel fractionation from impure fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) solution mixes. The method is suitable for application in a variety of biodiesel production processes requiring subsequent stages of purification. The fractionation and purification was carried out using continuous SC-CO 2 fractionation equipment, consisting of three columns filled with stainless steel fragments. A 41.85% FAME content solution mix was used as the raw material in this study. Variables were a temperature range of 40–70 °C, pressure range of 10–30 MPa, SC-CO 2 flow rate range of 7–21 mL/min and a retention time range of 30–90 min. The Taguchi method was used to identify optimal operating conditions. The results show that a separated FAME content of 99.94% was verified by GC-FID under optimal fractionation conditions, which are a temperature of 40 °C of, a pressure level of 30MPa and a flow rate of 7 mL/min of SC-CO 2 for a retention time of 90 min.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of alginate as a vehicle to protect coenzyme Q10 in liposomes.Design/methodology/approachEncapsulation efficiency and stability were conducted at varying temperatures (20, 30, 40°C) for 5 d and at exposure to simulated gastric conditions (pH 2) for 2 h. The content of coenzyme Q10 was determined using HPLC (LC/MS). Cytotoxicity and phagocytosis of mouse macrophages (RAW264.7) was determined.FindingsResults showed that thermostability was strongly improved by alginate complex formation with liposomes. Moreover, alginate could maintain coenzyme Q10 at a significantly higher level in simulated gastric pH for at least 2 h (pPractical implicationsThis allowed a higher amount of coenzyme Q10 remaining to be absorbed in the small intestine. Alginate not only showed no toxic effect on mouse macrophages but also activated their proliferation and phagocytosis ability.Originality/valueAs a consequence, alginate could be applied as an aid to encapsulation stability and immunostimulating potency.

Biomass and extracellular polysaccharide of Ganoderma tsugae have various biological activity including anti-inflamatory activity, antioxidant activity and antitumor activity. However, the growth rate of G. tsugae in nature is very slow. Therefore, many studies have attempted to develop mass culture systems for G. tsugae using laboratory techniques. Many parameters of submerged fermentation for G. tsugae were studies to determine the optimization of process by combination of statistical techniques. Ten parameters from preliminary results and literature reviews (maltose, skim milk, KH2PO4+K2HPO4, MgSO4-7H2O, CaCO3, vitamin B5+B6, olive oil, ethanol, pH and shaking speed) were screened by Packett Berman design. The significant parameters were determined the optimal ranges by path of steepest ascent method. The optimal condition of process was performed by response surface method. Maltose, skim milk and pH are significant parameters for G. tsugae cultivation. The conditions of 31.031 g L-1 maltose, 14.055 g L-1 skim milk and an initial pH of 7.12 resulted in the maximum extracellular polysaccharide content of 415 mg L-1 and the same fermentation broth at an initial pH of 6.46 exhibited the most biomass at 15.776 g L-1. Finally, the optimal condition was compared with un-optimal condition which result indicates that the combination of statistical techniques enhance the productions of biomass and extracellular polysaccharide (13X and 1.5X of the control, respectively). Therefore, these strategies are useful for improvement of submerged fermentation of G. tsugae which it can apply in pharmaceutical industry.

The physicochemical properties of rice flour treated with protease (Protease-RF) and a conventional alkali steeping method (Alkali-RF) were compared with native flour. The physical properties of flour gels were assessed by rapid visco analyzer, texture analysis, and rheology with reference to their composition and impact on their starch structures by the two treatment methods. Alkali-RF exhibited shorter pasting time to peak with higher breakdown but lower setback. However, the textural parameters of both treatments were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The storage modulus for both treatments increased to a greater extent was compared to native flour. Low-MW polypeptides (5‐30 kDa) had less effect on gel-forming properties, since similar texture qualities were obtained either in their presence or absence. The granule-bound SS or GBSS (58‐60 kDa) had less effect since it could not be removed either by proteases or alkali. The high molecular weight polypeptides (>77 kDa), which were partly removed either by alkali or protease treatments, played an important role in impairing the gel-forming property of rice flour. Textural quality was observed to improve after their removal, compared to native flour.

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 25-methoxycucurbita-5,23(E)-diene-3β,19-diol (1) and 7β-ethoxy-3β-hydroxy-25-methoxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al (2), together with three known cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al (3), (23E)-3β-hydroxy-7β,25-dimethoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-19-al (4), and 3β-hydroxy-25-methoxycucurbita-6,23(E)-dien-19,5β-olide (5), were isolated from the fruit pulp of Momordica charantia. The structures of two new compounds were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR, MS, IR, optical rotation. Among these isolates, compounds 1, 2, and 5 showed slight cytotoxic activity against the SK-Hep 1 cell line with IC50 values of 33.1, 24.3, and 38.7 μM, respectively.

As local varieties of citrus fruit in Taiwan, Ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco), Tankan (C. tankan Hayata), and Murcott (C. reticulate × C. sinensis) face substantial competition on the market. In this study, we used carbon dioxide supercritical technology to extract oleoresin from the peels of the three citrus varieties, adding alcohol as a solvent assistant to enhance the extraction rate. The supercritical fluid extraction was fractionated with lower terpene compounds in order to improve the oxygenated amounts of the volatile resins. The contents of oleoresin from the three varieties of citrus peels were then analyzed with GC/MS in order to identify 33 volatile compounds. In addition, the analysis results indicated that the non-volatile oleoresin extracted from the samples contains polymethoxyflavones (86.2~259.5 mg/g), limonoids (111.7~406.2 mg/g), and phytosterols (686.1~1316.4 μg/g). The DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS [2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] scavenging and inhibition of lipid oxidation, which test the oleoresin from the three kinds of citrus, exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. The component polymethoxyflavones contributed the greatest share of the overall antioxidant capacity, while the limonoid and phytosterol components effectively coordinated with its effects.

Antioxidant testing of natural products has attracted increasing interest in recent years, mainly due to the fact that an antioxidant-rich diet might provide health benefits. Activated macrophages are a major source of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and peroxynitrite generated through the so-called respiratory burst. Constitutively released proinflammatory cytokine, especially tumor necrosis factor-α, triggers nuclear factor-κB, and activator protein-1 translocation leading to the over production of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in macrophages. Activation of transcription factors in the long-lived tissue-resident macrophages and/or monocyte-derived macrophages, trigger epigenetic modifications leading to the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. Nutraceuticals including lipid raft structure disruption agent, cholesterol depletion agent, farnesyltransferase inhibitor, nuclear factor-κB blocker (α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds), glucocorticoid receptor agonist, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist have long been used to inactive macrophage. The inhibition effects on the formation of nitric oxide, superoxide, and nitrite peroxide may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory functionalities. Activated macrophage models could be used to identify the active components for functional diets development through a multiple targets strategy.

Teas can be classified according to their degree of fermentation, which has been reported to affect both the bioactive components in the teas and their antioxidative activity. In this study, four kinds of commercial Taiwanese tea at different degrees of fermentation, which include green (non-fermented), oolong (semi-fermented), black (fully fermented), and Pu-erh (post-fermented) tea, were profiled for catechin levels by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The result indicated that the gallic acid content in tea was directly proportional to the degree of fermentation in which the lowest and highest gallic acid content were 1.67 and 21.98 mg/g from green and Pu-erh tea, respectively. The antioxidative mechanism of the gallic acid was further determined by in vitro and in silico analyses. In vitro assays included the use of phorbol ester-induced macrophage RAW264.7 cell model for determining the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and PKCδ and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunit (p47) activations. The results showed that only at a concentration of 5.00 μM could gallic acid significantly (p < 0.05) reduce ROS levels in phorbol ester-activated macrophages. Moreover, protein immunoblotting expressed similar results in which activations of PKCδ and p47 were only significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated by 5.00 μM treatment. Lastly, in silico experiments further revealed that gallic acid could block PKCδ activation by occupying the phorbol ester binding sites of the protein.

Synopsis Model systems composed of 2-hydroxycyclohexanone and ammonium acetate in a mole ratio of 1 to 3 were set up to study the formation of octahydrophenazine (OHP). Octahydrophenazine and an intermediate were isolated and characterized by GC/MS (El and Cl). This intermediate was the condensation product between a molecule of 2-hydroxycyclohexanone and 2-amino-cyclohexanone via the SchifT base formation mechanism. A larger amount of the intermediate than of OHP was found in the solvent system containing less than 20% ethanol, the relative proportion of the intermediate decreasing as the percentage of ethanol was increased. The formation mechanism for OHP is proposed.

The quantitative effects of oxygen supply in terms of shaking speed and medium volume on the production of mycelia and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) using Ganoderma tsugae in submerged fermentation were investigated. Mycelia growth required the proper shaking speed at 134 rpm for breaking a larger pellet into several smaller pellets. Furthermore, high level of medium volume for consumption of abundant nutrient is needed for maximum mycelia growth. For EPS, a high agitation is needed to promote a good mass transfer for achieving high product concentrations recovery. The appropriate medium volume was found to be 150.4 mL for aiding to produce a secondary metabolite by promoting the mass transfer of substrates. The dry cell mass (DCM)-EPS diagram of G. tsugae was created from the both production equations which this diagram is an useful tool for submerge fermentation industry for decision about to control the both productions.

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis, Roscoe) is a common ingredient in various foods and beverages. It contains potent anti-inflammatory agents and oleoresin, in which 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol are major active compounds. Studies show that 6-shogaol has stronger anti-inflammatory effects. The objectives of this study were to investigate the yield of ginger oils obtained by freeze drying at −80°C, solar drying at atmospheric conditions, and hot air drying at temperatures ranging from 40–80°C and to study the effect of temperature on the transformation of 6-gingerol into 6-shogaol. Dehydrated ginger samples obtained using the drying methods mentioned above were subjected to grinding and the powder was then subjected to supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) to extract ginger oils. The results showed that drying temperatures lower than 70°C resulted in a higher yield of ginger oil (2.4–2.6%, p