Aging leads to a decline in the mass and function of skeletal muscles, a condition known as sarcopenia. It was previously reported that aging-related alterations in protein degradation, chronic inflammation, and deterioration of mitochondrial metabolism affect the acceleration of muscle atrophy in the elderly. However, the detailed mechanism or substantial causes for age-related muscle loss are still lacking, yet exercise or an increment in dietary protein intake are suggested as effective approaches to mitigate muscle atrophy. This study aims to investigate the regulatory effect of black soybean (Rhynchosia nulubilis) and black rice (Oryza sativa L.) mixture extract (BBME), which are rich in protein and bioactive compounds, in 12-month-old aged mice and L6 myotubes. BBME was orally administered at 300 and 600 mg/kg/day (low and high doses) for 12 weeks, and its effects on systemic glucose homeostasis and skeletal muscle metabolism were evaluated. Consequently, BBME at a high dose marginally ameliorated muscle loss and significantly improved glucose metabolism. BBME also reduced cellular senescence markers and enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis in aged skeletal muscles. Additionally, BBME exerted insulin-like activity by promoting glucose metabolism in L6 myotubes. These findings suggest the potential of BBME as a functional food ingredient in alleviating aging-induced muscle loss by modulating mitochondrial activity and glucose metabolism.

ObjectiveBoth alternate-day fasting (ADF) and calorie restriction (CR) are effective weight loss strategies. However, most individuals find it difficult to adhere to CR. Furthermore, CR can induce an excessive loss of not only fat but also muscle mass. This study aimed to compare the effects of ADF and pair-feeding (PF) CR on metabolic pathways underlying obesity in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity.MethodsMale C57BL/6N Tac mice (n = 10 per group) were fed an HFD for 8 weeks to establish a diet-induced obesity model. Mice were then continued on the HFD with either alternate-day access to food or PF for the next 8 weeks. We measured body weight, adiposity, plasma biomarkers, and molecular mechanisms involving lipolysis and autophagy.ResultsBoth ADF and PF resulted in comparable weight and fat loss. Compared with PF, ADF showed a significant reduction in liver weight and hepatic triglyceride levels. ADF significantly increased plasma ketone body levels and white adipose tissue lipolysis. Compared with PF, ADF tended to activate autophagy elongation and autophagosome formation, which were insignificant.ConclusionsThese findings indicated that ADF is a promising intervention for metabolic diseases, potentially due to its superior efficacy in promoting ketogenesis and lipolysis compared with PF.

SCOPE:The decline in estrogen during menopause contributes to a variety of menopausal symptoms, for which hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been extensively applied. Regarding side effects and limited effectiveness of HRT for specific individuals, there is a growing interest in safe alternatives such as phytoestrogens which are structurally analogous to estrogens. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of yam and gromwell extracts, rich in bioactive compounds, and the synergistic effect of extracts on symptoms induced by estrogen deficiency in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. METHODS AND RESULTS:OVX mice receive dietary intervention of either yam, gromwell extract, or their mixture for 14 weeks. Sham-operated mice and E2-injected OVX mice serve as positive controls. Following 14 weeks of oral administration, blood, adipose tissue, vagina, uterus, femurs, and tibias are harvested for further investigation. Consequently, yam and gromwell extracts ameliorate menopausal conditions such as weight gain, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis in estrogen-deficient OVX mice. In addition, the mixture of yam and gromwell extracts synergistically aids in the relief of the indications. CONCLUSION:These results indicate the potential use of yam and gromwell extracts, as well as their mixture, for the development of healthy functional foods to modulate menopausal symptoms.

Soldiers undergo intensive physical training, maintain high levels of concentration, and require rapid recovery from various traumas, making them highly specialized individuals. Under high physical and mental stress conditions, soldiers experience health issues related to decreased muscle function, impaired immunity, depression, and cognitive decline. A growing need exists for dietary supplements to mitigate these issues, and the usage patterns of such supplements are continuously increasing. Therefore, as dietary supplement consumption rises within the military, a sophisticated approach to addressing nutritional supplement requirements is essential. We discuss health problems that may arise under stressful conditions in soldiers, suggesting various nutritional supplements that are essential to address these issues. In conclusion, these nutritional supplements can be used as promising interventions for numerous health problems, including enhanced muscle function, improved immunity, mental stress alleviation, and cognitive enhancement. This ultimately suggests a contribution to military personnel health and the strengthening of national defense capabilities.

The effects of puffing on the ginsenoside composition as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ginseng berry were investigated to increase the utilization of ginseng berry. There was no significant difference in extraction yield between the control and puffed samples at all moisture contents and pressure conditions (p < 0.05). Major ginsenosides of ginseng berry (especially ginsenoside Re) were degraded through deglycosylation and dehydration by heat and pressure, and new minor ginsenosides (Rg3, F2, Rh2 and Rb2) were produced after puffing. Puffed ginseng berries showed higher total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and Maillard reaction products (MRPs) than those of the control group, and these contents were increased as puffing pressure increased. In addition, higher antioxidant activities were observed in puffed ginseng berries compared to the controls, possibly due to the increase in TPC and MRPs. Antioxidant activity increased with increasing puffing pressure at all moisture contents. Nitric oxide (NO) production showed no significant inhibitory effect between control and puffed ginseng berries (p < 0.05). In the case of inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 had an inhibitory effect, but TNF-α had no inhibitory effect. Consequently, puffing showed a positive effect on the composition and the transformation of ginsenosides as well as the antioxidant activity of ginseng berries, suggesting that puffed ginseng berries can be used as a high value-added food material.

Studies reported the beneficial effects of trehalose on metabolic syndromes, hyperlipidemia, and autophagy, but its action mechanisms are still poorly understood. Even though trehalose is digested by disaccharidase and absorbed in the intestine, intact molecules encounter immune cells which form a solid balance between the allowance of nutritive substances and the removal of harmful pathogens. In this regard, the polarization of intestinal macrophages into an anti-inflammatory phenotype through metabolic regulation is emerging as a therapeutic strategy for the prevention of gastrointestinal inflammation. The current study investigated the effects of trehalose on immunological phenotypes, energy metabolism, and LPS-induced macrophage mitochondrial functioning. Results indicate that trehalose reduces prostaglandin E-2 and nitric oxide, which are inflammatory mediators of LPS-induced macrophages. In addition, trehalose further significantly suppressed inflammatory cytokines and mediators via energy metabolism reprogramming towards M2-like status in LPS-stimulated macrophages.

Postharvest ultraviolet (UV) treatment is a promising method for enhancing the coloration of apple skin. However, the effects of this treatment on the bioactivities of apple skin components are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate changes in antioxidant and proinflammatory cytokine inhibition activities as well as the components of apple skin extracts following UV-B treatment. The results showed that UV-B treatment had minimal effects on the quality parameters of the fruit, such as firmness, soluble solids content, and titratable acidity, but it stimulated the accumulation of cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (C3gal). Quercetin-3-O-galactoside (Q3gal), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (Q3glu), and ursolic acid were the major components that exhibited significantly increased content in UV-B-irradiated apple skin extracts presenting 24.9, 7.9, and 11.1-fold higher content than dark treatment, respectively, with this study the first to reveal that UV-B treatment alters ursolic acid content in apples. UV-B treatment also increased both 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2 '-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid antioxidant activities, although excessive UV-B intensity (>4 W m(- 2) s(-1)) decreased DPPH activity. Furthermore, UV-B-treated skin showed significantly suppressed nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production but not interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibition, which was not a specific effect of UV-B treatment as it is common effect of apple skin extracts. C3gal and Q3gal significantly inhibited IL-6 but not nitric oxide and TNF-alpha suppression. Overall, our findings indicate that UV-B intensity positively correlates with antioxidant activity resulting from the accumulation of C3gal, Q3gal, Q3glu, and ursolic acid. However, UV B intensity did not correlate with anti-inflammatory effects, although the extract of UV-B-treated apple skin exhibited relatively strong inhibition of inflammation.

Hepatic cancer was the third most prevalent cause of cancer-related death worldwide in 2018, and its incidence is increasing. While therapeutic agents for hepatic cancer have improved, these agents can cause serious side effects, including damage to healthy tissues. To overcome this limitation, more than 3,000 plants have been used globally as common alternatives for cancer treatment. The anti-cancer activity of Alpinia japonica, one of the traditional herbal medicines (Korean name: Kkot-yang-ha), was investigated. Water extract of A. japonica (AJ) decreased the cell viability of hepatic cancer cells. AJ extract showed greater than 70% loss of mitochondrial potential in HepG2 cells as demonstrated by JC-1 staining. Apoptosis was induced by treatment with AJ extract as shown through FACS analysis, and G0/G1 phase arrest of 76.66% HepG2 cells was confirmed through cell cycle analysis and quantitative RT-PCR. Improper regulation of ERK1/2 might contribute to cell death, and JNK activation is necessary for apoptosis induced by stress stimuli. AJ extract stimulated the phosphorylation of JNK and ERK1/2, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), in HepG2 cells. AJ extract has anticancer activity by inhibiting cell cycle progression, leading to apoptosis of hepatic cancer cells. This extract could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for hepatic cancer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of puffing, acid, and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on the ginsenoside profile and antioxidant capacity of mountain-cultivated Panax ginseng (MCPG) before and after treatments. Puffing and HHP treatments decreased extraction yield and increased crude saponin content. The combination of puffing and HHP treatment showed significantly higher crude saponin content than each single treatment. Puffing treatment showed the highest ginsenoside conversion compared with HHP and acid treatments. Significant ginsenoside conversion was not observed in HHP treatment but was in acid treatment. When the puffing and acid treatments were combined, Rg3 and compound K content (1.31 mg and 10.25 mg) was significantly higher than that of the control (0.13 mg and 0.16 mg) and acid treatment (0.27 mg and 0.76 mg). No synergistic effect was observed between acid and HHP treatments. In the case of functional properties, the puffing treatment showed a significant increase in TFC (29.6%), TPC (1072%), and DPPH radical scavenging capacity (2132.9%) compared to the control, while acid and HHP combined treatments did not significantly increase; therefore, the synergistic effects of HHP/puffing and acid/puffing treatments were observed in crude saponin content and ginsenoside conversion, respectively. Consequently, puffing combined with acid or HHP treatments may provide new ways to produce high-value-added MCPG with a higher content of Rg3 and compound K or crude saponin compared to untreated MCPG.

Supplementary Figures 1-2, Tables1-3 from Reduced Colitis-Associated Colon Cancer in <i>Fat-1</i> (<i>n</i>-3 Fatty Acid Desaturase) Transgenic Mice

Supplementary Figures 1-2, Tables1-3 from Reduced Colitis-Associated Colon Cancer in Fat-1 (n-3 Fatty Acid Desaturase) Transgenic Mice

SCOPE:Mild cognitive impairment is associated with a high prevalence of dementia. The study examines the benefits of a modified Korean MIND (K-MIND) diet and explores biomarkers using multi-omics analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS:The K-MIND diet, tailored to the elderly Korean population, includes perilla oil, milk, or fermented milk, and avoids alcohol consumption. As a result, the K-MIND diet significantly improves subjects "orientation to place" in the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination, 2nd edition test. According to multi-omics analysis, the K-MIND diet upregulates genes associated with mitochondrial respiration, including ubiquinone oxidoreductase, cytochrome C oxidase, and ATP synthase, and immune system processes, and downregulates genes related to nuclear factor kappa B activity and inflammatory responses. In addition, K-MIND affects the metabolic pathways of glycine, serine, threonine, tryptophan, and sphingolipids, which are closely linked to cognitive function through synthesis of neurotransmitters and structures of brain cell membranes. CONCLUSION:The findings imply that the K-MIND diet improves cognitive function by upregulating key genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Chronic, persistent, low-grade inflammation in the elderly is termed 'inflammaging' and is one of the main causes of age-related diseases. Although the detailed molecular mechanisms of inflammaging are poorly understood, its amelioration by modulating macrophage phenotypes is of high interest. As a dietary approach, it was previously reported that black soybean (Rhynchosia nulubilis) and black rice (Oryza sativa L.) contain potent bioactive components that aid in the mitigation of several metabolic diseases. The current study investigated whether dietary intervention of black soybean and black rice mixture extract (BBME) modulates inflammaging through functional and/or phenotypic alteration of mitochondrial respiration in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Administration of BBME not only inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators, but also enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines. BBME further regulated mitochondrial respiration in M1/M2 BMDMs. These results suggest BBME as a dietary modulator for prevention or amelioration of diseases related to inflammaging.

Cultivated wild Panax ginseng (CWPG) has been reported to have a higher content of ginsenoside than normal Panax ginseng. This study was carried out to increase the antioxidant activity and active ingredients by the puffing process. Therefore, effects of moisture content and pressure conditions on the antioxidant activity and active ingredients of CWPG were investigated. Extraction yield and crude saponin content were decreased at all moisture contents with increasing pressure. HPLC analysis showed that the contents of ginsenoside Rg3 and compound K were increased by puffing when the pressure increased. Antioxidant properties, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were increased by puffing. The correlation between color change and antioxidant activity showed the greatest correlation with the decrease of L value. It is expected that the progress of this study will play an important role in the international market of high-value-added food using CWPG.

Macrophages are involved in all inflammatory processes from killing pathogens to repairing damaged tissue. In the obese state, macrophages infiltrate into enlarged adipose tissue and polarize into pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages, resulting in chronic low-grade inflammation due to the secretion of inflammatory mediators. Rice bran oil (RBO) is an edible oil containing tocopherols, tocotrienols, and γ-oryzanol. Previous research in normal diet-fed mice suggested that RBO mitigates inflammatory responses by modulating mitochondrial respiration of macrophages. Therefore, we investigated if RBO had an anti-inflammatory effect in diet-induced obese mice by assessing the expression of inflammatory markers in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and polarization of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Rice bran oil exerted a local anti-inflammatory effect in white adipose tissue by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators and upregulating transcription of anti-inflammatory genes. Rice bran oil also promoted anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarization in BMDMs thereby affecting systemic inflammation. Overall, our in vivo and ex vivo results highlight the potential of RBO as a dietary mediator that can ameliorate obesity-induced chronic low-grade inflammation by mediating the expression of inflammation-related factors and macrophage polarization.

Salicornia europaea L. (SE) as a halophyte has been widely used as a seasoned vegetable with various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. In particular, the desalted SE (DSE) has been considered an attractive alternative compared to SE for its anti-obesity effect. 1-Deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) is one of the known α-glucosidase inhibitors and has been reported to have similar biological activities with SE. This study reports the anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities of DSE fermented by Bacillus velezensis K26 (BVDSE) previously isolated from Korean fermented soybean paste and elucidated to produce 1-DNJ in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 cells. BVDSE (5%) did not show cytotoxicity in 3T3-L1 cells and inhibited lipid accumulation, which was decreased to 23% in the differentiated cells. BVDSE did not inhibit the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, while it remarkedly inhibited IL-6 on lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the fermentation of DSE with B. velezensis K26 as a 1-DNJ producer has more significant anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects than even non-fermented DSE, assuming the synergistic effects by 1-DNJ production from B. velezensis K26, by which it could be highlighted that BVDSE may be considered for use as a functional food supplement.

The sweetener neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC) is a precursor for anthocyanins and has been reported to have various bioactivities, including antioxidant and hepatitis inhibitory effects. However, its inflammatory functions and mechanisms of action are poorly understood. In this study, RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were treated with NHDC and its metabolite dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA), after which cytokine production and mitochondrial respiration were assessed. DHCA significantly down-regulated the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, NHDC had a marginal effect, suggesting that the biological metabolism of NHDC to DHCA is required for its anti-inflammatory function. However, both NHDC and DHCA rescued LPS-induced suppression of oxidative phosphorylation, which is a hallmark of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. 3T3-L1 adipocytes showed lower fat deposition in the presence of DHCA, while sugar-containing NHDC showed a slight increase in fat deposition. In high-fat diet-induced obese mice, treatment with NHDC successfully down-regulated body weight gain in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, M2 polarized bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) from NHDC-fed mice secreted an increased amount of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Overall, these results indicate that NHDC and its physiological metabolite DHCA have the potential to suppress the inflammatory response and obese status.

Population aging due to the increase in the average age is a common challenge in modern society, and the resulting degenerative sarcopenia requires a new solution. Since sarcopenia is caused by various factors such as protein imbalance, lack of exercise, and increased inflammation, a multi-pronged approach through scientific cause analysis is required. This can create a new blue ocean for the food industry, but the current domestic research on sarcopeniaimproving food ingredients is in its infancy. The academia and industries abroad, including those of the United States, are conducting comparatively extensive research and development, but there are material limitations limited to soybean protein, as well as whey protein and formulation limitations due to an exercise supplement-oriented approach.

Black soybeans are generally consumed after steaming, boiling or roasting. They have also been consumed after puffing, which is a thermal processing using high temperature and high pressure. However, limited information is available on bioactive constituents of puffed black soybeans. Therefore, antioxidant and phytoestrogenic activities of puffed black soybeans were investigated. The puffing pressures used were 490, 588, 686, and 784 kPa. Raw and autoclaved samples were designated as "raw" and "control", respectively. In case of isoflavones, decarboxylation and demalonylation of malonylglucoside isoflavone, deacetylation of acetyl glucoside isoflavone as well as deglycosylation of glucoside isoflavone were occurred by puffing and autoclaving resulting in transformation of malonylglucoside isoflavones to acetylglucoside and glucoside isoflavones. Glycitein was only detected after puffing over 490 kPa, and acetylglycitin and acetyldaidzin were detected after puffing. Antioxidant activities, total reducing capacity, total flavonoid contents, and browning increased with increasing puffing pressure with some exception (decreased TFC and browning at 784 kPa). Anthocyanins were degraded into phenolic acids by puffing. Consequently, puffing is an efficient process for conversion of specific phytoestrogenic compounds, such as glycitein, and novel processing for improvement of antioxidant activity of black soybeans.