Comparison of Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities of Berries Cultivated in Korea: Identification of Phenolic Compounds in Aronia by HPLC/Q-TOF MS.

Aronia, blueberry, Korean raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, and red raspberry fruits cultivated in Korea were evaluated for total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total anthocyanin, and ascorbic acid content. All berries were assayed for antioxidant activities determined as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6 sulphonic acid free radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Individual phenolic compounds in aronia were also identified using high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry. TPC, TFC, total anthocyanin, and ascorbic acid contents of the fruit samples ranged from 17.05 to 135.55 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (dw), 1.0 to 8.59 mg of rutin equivalent/g dw, 2.55 to 24.43 mg of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside equivalent/g dw, and 3.14 to 19.45 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent/g dw, respec-tively. Aronia and Korean raspberry showed the highest TPC, TFC, and total anthocyanin while red raspberry had the high-est ascorbic acid content. Antioxidant activities showed positive correlations to phenolic and anthocyanin contents suggesting antioxidant activity of berry samples is due to these compounds. Aronia had the highest antioxidant value among fruits.

The functional effect of 3D-printing individualized orthosis for patients with peripheral nerve injuries: Three case reports.

RATIONALE: In the medical field, the use of 3-dimensional (3D) printing is increasing explosively and it is especially widespread in the clinical application of fabricating orthosis. Advantages of 3D-printed orthosis compared to conventional ones include its lower cost, easier modification, and faster fabrication. The 3D-printing technique makes it possible for physicians to easily create individual-tailored products. Recently, many kinds of orthosis through 3D printing have been studied and used. The knee orthosis, ankle-foot orthosis, wrist orthosis, hand orthosis, and foot orthotics are examples used in the rehabilitation fields of orthotics. We reported 3 cases of 3D-printed orthoses in patients with peripheral nerve injuries. PATIENTS CONCERNS: In spite of the rapid development of the clinical use of 3D printing, to our knowledge, its application to patients with peripheral nerve injuries has not yet been reported. Two patients suffered from upper limb problems and 1 patient had a foot drop associated with peripheral nerve injury. DIAGNOSIS: Three patients diagnosed with median neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, and right lower lumbar radiculopathy, respectively, by electromyography. INTERVENTIONS: Herein we present 3 case reports of patients with peripheral nerve injuries whose orthotic needs were fulfilled with the application of 3D-printed wrist orthosis and ankle-foot orthosis. OUTCOMES: For hand function evaluation, we assessed the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test. Grasp and pinch powers were assessed by a hand dynamometer before and after orthosis application. For lower limb functional evaluation, we used a 6-minute walking test and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile for ambulatory function. LESSONS: The 3D-printed orthosis could help functional improvement in patients with peripheral nerve injuries.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Steam-Distilled Essential Oil and Glycosidically Bound Volatiles from Maclura Tricuspidata Fruit.

Essential oil obtained from Maclura triscuspidata fruit has been reported to have functional properties. This study aimed at determining chemical compositions and antioxidant activities of steam-distilled essential oil (SDEO) and glycosidically bound aglycone fraction (GBAF) isolated from fully ripe M. triscuspidata fruit. SDEO was isolated by simultaneous steam distillation and extraction (SDE). GBAF was prepared by Amberlite XAD-2 adsorption of methanol extract, followed by methanol elution and enzymatic hydrolysis. Both fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 76 constituents were identified from both oils. Apart from fatty acids and their esters, the SDEO contained p-cresol in the highest concentration (383.5 ± 17.7), followed by δ-cadinene (147.7 ± 7.7), ß-caryophyllene (145.7 ± 10.5), ß-ionone (141.0 ± 4.5), n-nonanal (140.3 ± 20.5), theaspirane A (121.3 ± 4.5) and theaspirane B (99.67 ± 9.05 µg/g). Thirteen carotenoid-derived compounds identified in the SDEO are being isolated from M. triscuspidata fruit for the first time. Out of the 22 components identified in GBAF, 14 were present only in the glycosidically bound volatiles. Antioxidant activity of the GBAF was higher than that of SDEO. These results suggest that glycosidically bound volatiles of M. triscuspidata fruit have a good potential as natural antioxidants.

Changes of Phytochemical Components (Urushiols, Polyphenols, Gallotannins) and Antioxidant Capacity during Fomitella fraxinea⁻Mediated Fermentation of Toxicodendron vernicifluum Bark.

The stem bark of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (TVSB) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine and food ingredients in Korea. However, its application has been restricted due to its potential to cause allergies. Moreover, there is limited data available on the qualitative and quantitative changes in the composition of its phytochemicals during fermentation. Although the Formitella fraxinea-mediated fermentation method has been reported as an effective detoxification tool, changes to its bioactive components and the antioxidant activity that takes place during its fermentation process have not yet been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of urushiols, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant properties during the fermentation of TVSB by mushroom F. fraxinea. The contents of urushiols, total polyphenols, and individual flavonoids (fisetin, fustin, sulfuretin, and butein) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-ß-D-glucose (PGG) significantly decreased during the first 10 days of fermentation, with only a slight decrease thereafter until 22 days. Free radical scavenging activities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) as an antioxidant function also decreased significantly during the first six to nine days of fermentation followed by a gentle decrease up until 22 days. These findings can be helpful in optimizing the F. fraxinea⁻mediated fermentation process of TVSB and developing functional foods with reduced allergy using fermented TVSB.

Intracavernous delivery of clonal mesenchymal stem cells restores erectile function in a mouse model of cavernous nerve injury.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, much attention has focused on stem cell therapy; bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) are one of the most studied mesenchymal stem cells used in the field of erectile dysfunction (ED). However, a major limitation for the clinical application of stem cell therapy is the heterogeneous nature of the isolated cells, which may cause different treatment outcomes. AIM: We investigated the effectiveness of mouse clonal BMSCs obtained from a single colony by using subfractionation culturing method (SCM) for erectile function in a mouse model of cavernous nerve injury (CNI). METHODS: Twelve-week-old C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups: sham operation group, bilateral CNI group receiving a single intracavernous (IC) injection of phosphate-buffered saline (20 µL) or clonal BMSCs (3 × 10(5) cells/20 µL), and receiving a single intraperitoneal (IP) injection of clonal BMSCs (3 × 10(5) cells/20 µL). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The clonal BMSC line was analyzed for cell-surface epitopes by using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and for differentiation potential. Two weeks after CNI and treatment, erectile function was measured by electrically stimulating the cavernous nerve. The penis was harvested for histologic examinations and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Clonal BMSCs expressed cell surface markers for mesenchymal stem cells and were capable of differentiating into several lineages, including adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic cells. Both IC and IP injections of clonal BMSCs significantly restored cavernous endothelial and smooth muscle content, and penile nNOS and neurofilament content in CNI mice. IC injection of clonal BMSCs induced significant recovery of erectile function, which reached 90-100% of the sham control values, whereas IP injection of clonal BMSCs partially restored erectile function. CONCLUSION: We established a homogeneous population of mouse clonal BMSCs using SCM; clonal BMSCs successfully restored erectile function in CNI mice. The homogeneous nature of clonal mesenchymal stem cells may allow their clinical applications.