PMID: 

J Agric Food Chem. 2020 Feb 18. Epub 2020 Feb 18. PMID: 32067456

Abstract Title: 

Protective Effects of Sesamol on Systemic Inflammation and Cognitive Impairment in Aging Mice.

Abstract: 

Sesamol, a lignan in sesame, possesses several bioactivities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotective capability. In this study, the effects of sesamol on aging-caused cognitive defects are investigated. Twelve-month-old mice were treated with sesamol (0.1%,/) as dietary supplementation for 12 weeks. Behavioral tests revealed that sesamol improved aging-associated cognitive impairments. Sesamol decreased aging-induced oxidative stress via suppression of malondialdehyde production and increased antioxidant enzymes. Histological staining showed that sesamol treatment improved aging-induced neuronal damage and synaptic dysfunction in hippocampus. Furthermore, sesamol significantly reduced aging-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the microglial overactivation and inflammatory cytokine expressions. Meanwhile, the accumulation of Aβwas reduced by sesamol treatment. Moreover, sesamol protected the gut barrier integrity and reduced LPS release, which was highly associated with its beneficial effects on behavioral and inflammatory changes. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the use of sesamol is feasible in the treatment of aging-related diseases.

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PMID: 

Food Funct. 2020 Feb 10. Epub 2020 Feb 10. PMID: 32037412

Abstract Title: 

Sesamol: a powerful functional food ingredient from sesame oil for cardioprotection.

Abstract: 

Phytophenols are important bioactive food based chemical entities, largely present in several natural sources. Among them, sesamol is one of the key natural phenols found in sesame seeds, Piper cubeba etc. Several studies have reported that sesame oil is a potent cardioprotective functional food. Papers on the utility of sesamol in sesame oil (the chemical name of sesamol is methylenedioxyphenol, MDP) have appeared in the literature, though there is no single concise review on the usefulness of sesamol in sesame oil in CVD in the literature. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most challenging health problem encountered by the global population. There has been increasing interest in the growth of effective cardiovascular therapeutics, specifically of natural origin. Among various natural sources of chemicals, phytochemicals are micronutrients and bio-compatible scaffolds having an extraordinary efficacy at multiple disease targets with minimal or no adverse effect. This review offers a perspective on the existing literature on functional ingredients in sesame oil with particular focus on sesamol and its derivatives having nutritional and cardioprotective properties. This is demonstrated to have shown a specifically modulating oxidative enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) and other proteins which are detrimental to human well-being. The molecular mechanism of cardioprotection by this food ingredient is primarily attributed to the methylenedioxy group present in the sesamol component.

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PMID: 

Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2019 Jun ;24(2):114-120. Epub 2019 Jun 30. PMID: 31328114

Abstract Title: 

Sesame Oil Attenuates Renal Oxidative Stress Induced by a High Fat Diet.

Abstract: 

The antioxidative effects of the bioactive compounds enriched sesame oil (e.g. lignans and tocopherols) are well established. This study aims to elucidate whether sesame oil could reduce renal oxidative stress induced by a high fat diet (HFD). Mice received HFD for 12 weeks (n=7 per group), which was prepared by adding 20% (w/w) lard (lard group) or sesame oil (sesame group) to the chow diet, respectively. Compared with mice in the lard group, renal lipid levels of those in the sesame group were reduced, shown by decreases in protein expression of transcription factors and enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis (sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 and acetyl coenzyme A carboxylaseα) and an increase in β-oxidation (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I) (

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PMID: 

World J Mens Health. 2020 Jan ;38(1):95-102. Epub 2019 Aug 5. PMID: 31385480

Abstract Title: 

Do Kimchi andProbiotics as a Functional Food Improve Androgenetic Alopecia? A Clinical Pilot Study.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: Probiotic supplementation demonstrates beneficial effects on serum lipid profiles. We hypothesized that probiotics could benefit patients presenting with alopecia, secondary to improved blood flow to the scalp.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included men with stage II to V patterns of hair loss based on the Hamilton-Norwood classification and women with stage I to III patterns of hair loss based on the Ludwig classification. All patients were administered 80 mL of Mogut® (a kimchi andprobiotic product) twice a day. Hair growth and numbers were measured using the Triple Scope System® (KC Technology, Korea) at baseline and after 1 and 4 months of administration of a kimchi andprobiotic product.RESULTS: At baseline, the mean hair count was 85.98±20.54 hairs/cm² and the mean thickness was 0.062±0.011 mm in all patients (n=46). Hair count and thickness had significantly increased at 1 month (90.28±16.13 hairs/cm² and 0.068±0.008 mm, respectively) and at 4 months (91.54±16.29 hairs/cm² and 0.066±0.009 mm, respectively). In this study, we found that a kimchi andprobiotic product could promote hair growth and reverse hair loss without associated adverse effects such as diarrhea.CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the observed improvements in hair count and thickness resulted from initiation of the anagen phase in hair follicles in response to probiotics.

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PMID: 

Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Aug ;7(8):2740-2746. Epub 2019 Jul 15. PMID: 31428362

Abstract Title: 

Antioxidant effect of Kimchi supplemented with Jeju citrus concentrate and its antiobesity effect on 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Abstract: 

Citrus is cultivated throughout Jeju Island and is thought to possess some medicinal properties. Citrus concentrate is the most extensively utilized form of citrus in the food industry. In this study, antioxidant and antiobesity effects of Kimchi supplemented with citrus concentrate were investigated. Prepared Kimchi was infused with 7% citrus concentrate (CK) and freeze-dried for analysis. Normal Kimchi (NK) without citrus concentrate was utilized as a control. Total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities were examined. Cytotoxicity, intracellular triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes were also measured. Additionally, the inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation were trialed by measuring the oil-red O (ORO)-stained cells. TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities of CK were significantly higher than those of NK ( 

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PMID: 

Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 27 ;9(1):20152. Epub 2019 Dec 27. PMID: 31882939

Abstract Title: 

Lactobacillus amylovorus KU4 ameliorates diet-induced obesity in mice by promoting adipose browning through PPARγ signaling.

Abstract: 

Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is currently considered a potential therapeutic strategy to treat diet-induced obesity. While some probiotics have protective effects against diet-induced obesity, the role of probiotics in adipose browning has not been explored. Here, we show that administration of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus amylovorus KU4 (LKU4) to mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) enhanced mitochondrial levels and function, as well as the thermogenic gene program (increased Ucp1, PPARγ, and PGC-1α expression and decreased RIP140 expression), in subcutaneous inguinal WAT and also increased body temperature. Furthermore, LKU4 administration increased the interaction between PPARγ and PGC-1α through release of RIP140 to stimulate Ucp1 expression, thereby promoting browning of white adipocytes. In addition, lactate, the levels of which are elevated in plasma of HFD-fed mice following LKU4 administration, elicited the same effect on the interaction between PPARγ and PGC-1α in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, leading to a brown-like adipocyte phenotype that included enhanced Ucp1 expression, mitochondrial levels and function, and oxygen consumption rate. Together, these data reveal that LKU4 facilitates browning of white adipocytes through the PPARγ-PGC-1α transcriptional complex, at least in part by increasing lactate levels, leading to inhibition of diet-induced obesity.

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PMID: 

Biomed Environ Sci. 2018 09 ;31(9):667-676. PMID: 30369345

Abstract Title: 

Fermented Barley Extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 Rich in Vanillic Acid Modulate Glucose Consumption in Human HepG2 Cells.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of fermented barley extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) for modulating glucose consumption in HepG2 cells via miR-212 regulation.METHODS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were treated with palmitate. After 12 h, palmitate-induced HepG2 cells were treated with LFBE and its main components. Changes in glucose consumption, proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and miRNA-212 expression in HepG2 cells was observed.RESULTS: Treatment with LFBE rich in vanillic acid (VA) increased glucose consumption and reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion in HepG2 cells. LFBE and VA normalized the upregulation of miR-212, which led to the upregulation of dual-specificity phosphatase-9 (DUSP9), a direct target of miR-212, at both protein and mRNA levels. Downregulation of miR-212 markedly increased glucose consumption and reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion by enhancing DUSP9 expression.CONCLUSION: The results showed the benefit of LFBE and miR-212 downregulation in modulating glucose consumption and reducing proinflammatory cytokine secretion by targeting DUSP9. VA in LFBE was a strong regulator of palmitate-induced abnormal glucose consumption in HepG2 cells and can be a primary mediator.

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PMID: 

Heliyon. 2019 Feb ;5(2):e01197. Epub 2019 Feb 6. PMID: 30839934

Abstract Title: 

Hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of green sprouts juice and functional dairy micronutrients against streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress and diabetes in rats.

Abstract: 

Hyperglycemia, the mark normal for diabetes and associated disorders are the main goals of natural diabetes therapies. In this context, the present research was designed to study the effects of fenugreek sprouts juice (FS), barley sprouts juice (BS), cell-free probiotic extract (cell-free PE), whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) and their mixture on diabetic rats. Free radical scavenging activity, total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of each item mentioned were determined. Diabetes was induced through the injection of male rats with a single intraperitoneal dose (45 mg/kg) of streptozotocin. After the development of diabetes, diabetic rats were orally administered daily with 1ml of with fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate or their mixture until the end of the study period (45 day). Oral administration of fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate and their mixture to diabetic rats significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved the lipid profile. All the studied items limit the reductions of haemoglobin concentrations and plasmaα-amylase activities. Also all the studied items suppressed the elevation of malondialdehyde values and the reduction of catalase activities. Histopathological investigation of pancreas, liver and kidneys of the diabetic rats showed histological alterations. On the other hand, supplementations withthe tested materials lead to relieving these injuries. Results revealed that fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate and their mixture had promising effects towards hyperglycemia and associated disorders.

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PMID: 

Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 12 ;9(1):6005. Epub 2019 Apr 12. PMID: 30979953

Abstract Title: 

Green barley mitigates cytotoxicity in human lymphocytes undergoing aggressive oxidative stress, via activation of both the Lyn/PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK pathways.

Abstract: 

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in numerous diseases. Therefore, the pursuit of compounds with antioxidant activity remains critical. Green barley young leaves aqueous extract (GB) was tested for its capacity to ameliorate cellular oxidative stress, and its potential cytoprotective mechanism was partially elucidated. Through Folin-Ciocalteau and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) colorimetric assays, GB total phenolic content and free radical scavenging activity were found to be 59.91 ± 2.17 mg/L and 110.75 µg/ml (IC), respectively. Using a live cell-based propidium iodide dye exclusion assay and flow cytometry, GB was found to display significant cytoprotection activity on three human lymphocytic cell lines exposed to an aggressive HO-induced oxidative stress. The molecular mechanism for GB cytoprotection activity was assessed via bead-based xMAP technology on the Luminex platform and western blot analysis. GB treatment resulted in activation of Lyn, Akt, and ERK1/2, suggesting that GB is able to mitigate the HO-induced oxidative stress via activation of both the Lyn/PI3K/Akt and ERK/MAPK pathways. Our findings support the notion that GB extract has the potential to be a valuable therapeutic agent and may serve to establish a strategy to discover potential compound(s) or biological extracts/mixtures to be incorporated as a treatment to prevent oxidative stress-related diseases.

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PMID: 

Biomed Environ Sci. 2019 Oct ;32(10):755-768. PMID: 31843045

Abstract Title: 

Anti-obesity Action of Fermented Barley Extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 and Associated MicroRNA Expression in High-fat Diet-induced Obese Rats.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To further explore associated effects of Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) on obesity and lipid metabolism at the gene expression level, the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) was investigated in the liver of high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese rats.METHODS: Three groups of animal models were established. Changes in miRNA expression in the liver of each group were analyzed by microarray and RT-qPCR, complemented by bioinformatics. Palmitateinduced hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were used as a model to validate the test.RESULTS: LFBE treatment groups and HFD groups were observed to be distinctly different with respect to rates of increase in body weight and body fat percentage and triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels in serum and liver. In addition, the LFBE group showed upregulation of ten miRNAs and downregulation of five miRNAs in the liver. Downregulation of miR-34a and miR-212 was observed in the livers of the LFBE group. Gene ontology and kyoto encyelopedia of geues and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that possible target genes of the deregulated miRNAs were significantly enriched in the adrenergic and HIF-1 signaling pathways.CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that LFBE might regulate the expression of miRNAs in order to inhibit obesity and fatty liver.

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