Effect of high moisture extrusion on the structure and physicochemical properties of Tartary buckwheat protein and its in vitro digestion.

Tartary buckwheat is rich in nutrients and its protein supports numerous biological functions. However, the digestibility of Tartary buckwheat protein (TBP) poses a significant limitation owing to its inherent structure. This study aimed to assess the impact of high moisture extrusion (HME, 60 % moisture content) on the structural and physicochemical attributes, as well as the in vitro digestibility of TBP. Our results indicated that TBP exhibited unfolded and amorphous microstructures after HME. The protein molecular weight of TBP decreased after HME, and a greater degradation was observed at 70 °C than 100 °C. In particular, HME at 70 °C caused an almost complete disappearance of bands near 35 kDa compared with HME at 100 °C. In addition, compared with native TBP (NTBP, 44.53 µmol/g protein), TBP subjected to HME at 70 °C showed a lower disulfide bond (SS) content (42.67 µmol/g protein), whereas TBP subjected to HME at 100 °C demonstrated a higher SS content (45.70 µmol/g protein). These changes endowed TBP with good solubility (from 55.96 % to 83.31 % at pH 7), foaming ability (20.00 %-28.57 %), and surface hydrophobicity (8.34-23.07). Furthermore, the emulsifying activity (EA) and in vitro digestibility are closely related to SS content. Notably, extruded TBP (ETBP) obtained at 70 °C exhibited higher EA and digestibility than NTBP, whereas ETBP obtained at 100 °C showed the opposite trend. Consequently, HME (especially at 70 °C) demonstrated significant potential as a processing technique for improving the functional and digestive properties of TBP.

Bioactive compounds, health benefits, and industrial applications of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum).

Tartary buckwheat belongs to the family Polygonaceae, which is a traditionally edible and medicinal plant. Due to its various bioactive compounds, the consumption of Tartary buckwheat is correlated to a wide range of health benefits, and increasing attention has been paid to its potential as a functional food. This review summarizes the main bioactive compounds and important bioactivities and health benefits of Tartary buckwheat, emphasizing its protective effects on metabolic diseases and relevant molecular mechanisms. Tartary buckwheat contains a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, bioactive polysaccharides, and bioactive proteins and peptides, as well as D-chiro-inositol and its derivatives. Consumption of Tartary buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat-enriched products is linked to multiple health benefits, e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Especially, clinical studies indicate that Tartary buckwheat exhibits remarkable antidiabetic activities. Various tartary buckwheat -based foods presenting major health benefits as fat and blood glucose-lowering agents have been commercialized. Additionally, to address the safety concerns, i.e., allergic reactions, heavy metal and mycotoxin contaminations, the quality control standards for Tartary buckwheat and its products should be drafted and completed in the future.

Soy Protein Alleviates Malnutrition in Weaning Rats by Regulating Gut Microbiota Composition and Serum Metabolites.

Dietary intervention with plant protein is one of the main methods that is used to lessen the symptoms of malnutrition. Supplementary soy protein to undernourished weaning rats for 6 weeks significantly increased their body weight gain. After the intervention, the level of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was restored to 1,512.7 µg/g, while the level was only 637.1 µg/g in the 7% protein group. The amino acids (valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan) increased in the colon, and vitamin B6 metabolism was significantly influenced in undernourished rats. The tryptophan and glycine-serine-threonine pathways were elevated, leading to an increase in the level of tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) in the serum. In addition, the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Lactobacillus increased, while Enterococcus and Streptococcus decreased compared to undernourished rats. Overall, soy protein improved the growth of rats with malnutrition in early life by regulating gut microbiota and metabolites in the colon and serum.

Mung Bean Protein Suppresses Undernutrition-Induced Growth Deficits and Cognitive Dysfunction in Rats via Gut Microbiota-TLR4/NF-kB Pathway.

Early undernutrition has been found to be closely associated with subsequent neurodevelopment. However, studies examining crude growth in terms of body weight/tail length cannot clarify how diets might mediate associations between the gut microbiota and cognitive dysfunction. In the present study, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a 7% protein diet and mung bean protein diet (MBPD) for 6 weeks to assess central nervous system functions. Bifidobacterium longum subsp, Alloprevotella, and Lactobacillus were significantly altered after supplementary MBPD. Additionally, tryptophan, tyrosine, and glycine significantly restored in the brain, and the choline system also improved. Moreover, mung bean supplementation also upregulated expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, postsynaptic density 95 protein (PSD95), synaptosome-associated protein 25 (SNAP25), downregulated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and nuclear factor kB (NF-kB). Metabolites in the serum also underwent changes. Together, these results showed that malnutrition perturbed neurodevelopment, while MBPD reversed this trend.

Peptides Released from Extruded Adzuki Bean Protein through Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion Exhibit Anti-inflammatory Activity.

Increasing attention has been focused on plant-derived peptides because of their potential bioactivities. In this study, bioactive peptides were released from extruded adzuki bean protein by simulated gastrointestinal digestion. A peptide (KQS-1) sequenced as KQSESHFVDAQPEQQQR was separated and identified using ultrafiltration, pre-high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). KQS-1 was shown to exert significant anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages by reducing the production of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 to 38.31, 6.07, 43.96, and 41.74%, respectively. The involved signaling pathways were identified by transcriptome analysis. Overall, 5236 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene ontology (GO) functions demonstrated that DEGs were significantly related to the NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, KQS-1 prevented the activation and expression of NF-κB/caspase-1 by upstream and downstream factors. These findings highlight the bioactivity of adzuki bean peptides.

Novel dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides released from quinoa protein by in silico proteolysis.

Quinoa protein has been paid more and more attention because of its nutritional properties and beneficial effects. With the development of bioinformatics, bioactive peptide database and computer-assisted simulation provide an efficient and time-saving method for the theoretical estimation of potential bioactivities of protein. Therefore, the potential of quinoa protein sequences for releasing bioactive peptides was evaluated using the BIOPEP database, which revealed that quinoa protein, especially globulin, is a potential source of peptides with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. Three plant proteases, namely papain, ficin, and stem bromelain, were employed for the in silico proteolysis of quinoa protein. Furthermore, four tripeptides (MAF, NMF, HPF, and MCG) were screened as novel promising bioactive peptides by PeptideRanker. The bioactivities of selected peptides were confirmed using chemical synthesis and in vitro assay. The present work suggests that quinoa protein can serve as a good source of bioactive peptides, and in silico approach can provide theoretical assistance for investigation and production of functional peptides.

Anti-obesity effects of α-amylase inhibitor enriched-extract from white common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

α-Amylase inhibitors (α-AI) have great potential to treat obesity. In this study, an α-AI enriched extract (α-AIE) with a specific activity of 1027.1 ± 154.2 (U per mg protein) was prepared from white common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds. Its anti-obesity effect and gut microbiota modulation properties were verified in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. The intake of the α-AIE significantly reduced body weight gain and improved serum lipid levels (p < 0.05). In addition, rats fed the α-AIE diet exhibited higher total short-chain fatty-acid (SCFA) concentrations (p < 0.05) in their colonic contents. ß-Diversity analysis, principal component analysis and a Venn diagram showed that α-AIE administration changed the gut microbiota composition. At the phylum level, the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria decreased and the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Akkermansia increased. In addition, 89 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) significantly responding to the high-fat diet and 30 OTUs significantly responding to the α-AIE were identified. The OTUs enriched by the α-AIE were mainly assigned to putative SCFA-producing bacteria, including Bacteroides, Butyricoccus, Blautia and Eubacterium. Twenty-two OTUs were found to be significantly correlated with obesity indexes. Taken together, the present results suggest that the intake of the α-AIE attenuated obesity and modulated gut microbiota.

Overexpression of the bioactive lunasin peptide in soybean and evaluation of its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities in vitro.

Lunasin, a bioactive peptide with a variety of physiological functions, was overexpressed in soybean to generate a transgenic soybean. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis suggested that lunasin was successfully inserted into the soybean genome, and three transgenic lines, L12, L43, and L45, were selected for further study. Lunasin expression was characterized in the lines by Western blot and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that lunasin content in L12, L43, and L45 lines was 1.47 mg g-1, 1.32 mg g-1 and 1.98 mg g-1, respectively; these values were significantly higher than that in wild-type soybean (0.94 mg g-1). Lunasin enrichments from transgenic soybean (LET) exhibited stronger DPPH, ABTS+, and oxygen radical scavenging activity than lunasin enrichments from wild-type soybean (LEW). Further, LET presented superior anti-inflammatory activity on lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage cells compared to LEW, and it significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 and -6. Moreover, LET showed higher anti-proliferation activity on MDA-MB-231 cells than LEW. Immunofluorescence staining showed that LET could internalize into NIH-3T3 cells, and localize in the nucleus. In conclusion, it is feasible and efficient to produce lunasin through a transgenic soybean expression system. Lunasin overexpressing soybean could be consumed as a functional food in the diets of patients with cancer and obesity in the future.

Antimicrobial activities of Asian ginseng, American ginseng, and notoginseng.

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and notoginseng (Panax notoginseng) are the three most commonly used ginseng botanicals in the world. With the increasing interests on antimicrobial properties of plants, the antimicrobial activities of ginseng species have been investigated by a number of researchers worldwide. This overview interprets our present knowledge of the antimicrobial activities of the three ginseng species and some of their bioactive components against pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Propionibacterium acnes, et al.) and fungi (Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, et al). Ginsenosides, polysaccharides, essential oil, proteins, and panaxytriol are all might responsible for the antimicrobial activities of ginseng. The antimicrobial mechanisms of ginseng components could be summarized to the following points: (a) inhibit the microbial motility and quorum-sensing ability; (b) affect the formation of biofilms and destroy the mature biofilms, which can weaken the infection ability of the microbes; (c) perturb membrane lipid bilayers, thus causing the formation of pores, leakages of cell constituents and eventually cell death; (d) stimulate of the immune system and attenuate microbes induced apoptosis, inflammation, and DNA damages, which can protect or help the host fight against microbial infections; and (e) inhibit the efflux of antibiotics that can descend the drug resistance of the microbial. The collected information might facilitate and guide further studies needed to optimize the use of ginseng and their components to improve microbial food safety and prevent or treat animal and human infections.

Improved antibacterial effects of alkali-transformed saponin from quinoa husks against halitosis-related bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Quinoa is a food crop native to the Andes. The process of dehulling quinoa can produce approximately 8-12% husk, which is often discarded because it contains bitter saponin. Saponin derived from quinoa has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antifungal activity. However, the antibacterial effects of quinoa saponin against halitosis-related bacteria are still unclear. METHODS: In this study, quinoa saponin (QS) and alkali-transformed saponin (ATS) were separated by AB-2 resin to obtain QS-30, QS-80, ATS-30 and ATS-80. Halitosis-related bacteria included Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum). The MIC and MBC were determined using gradient dilutions in 96-well plates, and the saponins were identified by HPLC and mass spectrometry. The changes in membrane integrity were tested using a microplate reader, the membrane potential was tested by spectrofluorometry, and the morphological characteristics were examined using a transmission electron microscope to explore the antibacterial mechanisms. RESULTS: Antibacterial assays indicated that QS-80 and ATS-80 showed inhibitory activity. In addition, ATS-80 exerted a stronger inhibitory effect than QS-80, especially against Fusobacterium nucleatum, with a lower minimum inhibitory concentration (31.3 µg/mL) and a lower minimum bactericidal concentration (125 µg/mL). ATS-80 destroyed the bacterial membrane structure, leading to bacterial death. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the excellent antibacterial activity and economic prospects of quinoa husk, ATS-80 could be used as an antibacterial agent to treat halitosis.

Determination of the volatile and polyphenol constituents and the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of the bioactive compounds from the by-product of Rosa rugosa Thunb. var. plena Regal tea.

BACKGROUND: The phytochemical constituents and biological activities of Rosa rugosa Thunb. var. plena Regal flower cell sap (RFCS) were investigated. METHODS: Volatile constituent, such as linalool, phenylethyl alcohol, citronellol, α-bisabolol, were identified by GC-MS. The contents of hyperoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinosid, rutin, and luteolin as well as the total flavonoid content in RFCS were determined by HPLC and HPLC-MS. The total polyphenol content was evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. The antioxidant activities of RFCS and the standards were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The tyrosinase inhibitory activities of the rose samples and standard substance were determined by a spectrophotometric method. The antimicrobial effects of RFCS were evaluated in terms of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) or minimum Fungicidal concentrations (MFCs). RESULTS: The rose fraction exhibited a high content of biologically active ingredients. The total content of volatile compounds in RFCS was approximately 48.21 ± 2.76 ng/mL. The total phenolic acid content and total flavonoid content were 0.31 ± 0.01 mg/mL and 0.43 ± 0.01 mg/mL, respectively. Its IC50 value in the DPPH assay was 1120 ± 42 µg/mL, and its IC50 value for ABTS radical scavenging activity was 1430 ± 42 µg/mL.RFCS strongly inhibited L-tyrosine oxidation with an IC50 value of 570 ± 21 µg/mL. Every compound identified in RFCS exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. F. nucleatum was most susceptible to RFCS with an MIC of 64 µg/mL and MBC of 250 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Due to its rose-like aroma, phenylethyl alcohol may be combined with linalool for use as a natural skin-whitening agent and skin care additive in the and pharmaceutical industries.

Expression of Bioactive Lunasin Peptide in Transgenic Rice Grains for the Application in Functional Food.

Lunasin, a bioactive peptide initially isolated from soybean, has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. Due its great application value, lunasin seems to be a candidate gene in improving the nutritional value of crops. In this study, lunasin was inserted into the rice genome to evaluate whether it was feasible to express lunasin using the rice expression system and improve the bioactivity of protein in rice for our needs. We generatedlunasin-overexpressing rice lines, and chose three independent transgenic rice lines for further study. The lunasin content in trans-lunasin rice detected by UPLC-MS/MS was 1.01 × 10-3 g·kg-1 dry rice flour with grease removal in the lunasin extracts. The antioxidant efficacy of LET (lunasin-enriched fraction from trans-lunasin rice) and PEW (peptide-enriched fraction from wild type rice) was compared. Due to the presence of lunasin, LET showed higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity than PEW. LET exhibited high DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 8 g·L-1), strong ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 1.18 g·L-1), and great oxygen radical scavenging activity (170 µmol·L-1 Trolox equivalents when the concentration reached 4 g·L-1). Moreover, LET presented significantly higher (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity on macrophage cells, and the NO production and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, MCP1, and TNF-α) were significantly inhibited by LET. However, because of the low purity, LET showed weaker antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity when compared to the Lunasin standard. These results suggested that it is feasible to use the rice expression system to express the exogenous lunasin in rice, and lunasin-overexpressing rice seems to be a candidate resource for application in functional food. Rice rich in lunasin is beneficial for human health, and could be used as a functional food in the diets of cancer and obese patients in the future.

Determination of Multi-Class Mycotoxins in Tartary Buckwheat by Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry.

Considering crops are susceptible to toxicogenic fungi during plantation, pre-processing and storage, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTrap-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the 12 most frequent mycotoxins, including aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, HT-2, T-2 toxin, ochratoxin A, fumonisin B1, B2, zearalanone, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol, in 14 batches of Tartary buckwheat cultivar, collected from different origins in Sichuan Province, China. Differing from those complicated approaches, a simple and cost-efficient pretreatment method based on dilute-and-shoot was employed. Based on optimized chromatographic and mass spectrometry conditions, these 12 mycotoxins could be analyzed with high correlation coefficients (all over 0.995), high precision (RSD 0.47-9.26%), stability (RSD 0.72-11.36%), and recovery (79.52% to 108.92%, RSD 4.35-14.27%). Furthermore, this analysis method exhibited good determination performance with little disturbance of the matrix effect. Finally, this proposed method was applied for 14 batches of Tartary buckwheat seeds, in which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was detected in one moldy cultivar, Meigu No. 2, with its concentration exceeding the maximum residue limits set by EU regulations. The method thus established, which has significant advantages, could provide a preferred determination approach candidate for measurement of multiple mycotoxins measurement in Tartary buckwheat, even other kinds of foodstuffs.

Comparison of Nutritional Composition, Aroma Compounds, and Biological Activities of Two Kinds of Tartary Buckwheat Tea.

Tartary buckwheat tea (TBT) is becoming increasingly popular for its unique flavor and health benefits. However, there is little information regarding the differences in nutritional quality among different kinds of TBT. Two kinds of TBT samples, whole grain tea (WGT) and whole plant tea (WPT), were collected from markets in China. The content of their nutritional compositions, including protein, amino acids, starch, fat, fatty acids, and flavonoids, as well as aroma compounds, were determined. Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were also evaluated. WPT showed higher levels of protein and fat relative to WGT, but the content of essential amino acids and fatty acids was lower. WPT contained more total flavonoids with quercetin as the predominant flavonoid (81%), while rutin was the principal flavonoid compound (86%) in WGT. GC-MS analysis indicated that there were some differences in the aroma compound profile between WGT and WPT, though 14 aroma compounds were identified in both of them with 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine as the predominant compound. In addition, WPT showed superior antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities than WGT. However, the total flavonoid content determined in tea soup was decreased by 60% and 98% compared with that in the alcohol extracts of WGT and WPT, respectively. The antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of tea soup were also lowered, especially for WPT. The differences between 2 kinds of TBT might be due to the variety of raw materials and processing methods. Diversified plant materials and scientific processing technologies should be taken into account to develop a nutritional and healthy TBT product.

Low concentration of sodium bicarbonate improves the bioactive compound levels and antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of tartary buckwheat sprouts.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on the accumulation of flavonoids, total phenolics and d-chiro-inositol (DCI), as well as the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, in tartary buckwheat sprouts. Treatment with low concentrations of NaHCO3 (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2%) resulted in an increase in flavonoids, total phenolic compounds and DCI concentrations, and improved DPPH radical-scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibition activities compared with the control (0%). The highest levels of total flavonoids (26.69mg/g DW), individual flavonoids (rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, and kaempferol), total phenolic compounds (29.31mg/g DW), DCI (12.56mg/g DW), as well as antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition activities, were observed in tartary buckwheat sprouts treated with 0.05% NaHCO3 for 96h. These results indicated that appropriate treatment with NaHCO3 could improve the healthy benefits of tartary buckwheat sprouts.

Detection of lunasin in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and the in vitro evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

BACKGROUND: Lunasin is a novel cancer-preventive peptide that has been detected in various plants. However, the presence and bioactivity of lunasin in quinoa have not been demonstrated. RESULTS: Lunasin was detected in quinoa using ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography-electrosparay ionization-mass spectrometry. The content in 15 quinoa samples ranged from 1.01 × 10-3 g kg-1 dry seed to 4.89 × 10-3 g kg-1 dry seed. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in lunasin content among different cultivars (yy22, xsg86, xsg59, yy30 and yy19) from the same area and the same cultivar from different areas (Hainan, Hebei and Shanxi provinces) were observed. The lunasin isolated and purified from quinoa (QLP) exhibited a weak DPPH radical scavenging activity (no IC50 value), but a strong ABTS+ radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 1.45 g L-1 ) and oxygen radical scavenging activity (40.06 µmol L-1 Trolox equivalents/g QLP when the concentration was 3.20 g L-1 ). In addition, QLP inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages by up to 44.77%, 39.81% and 33.50%, respectively, at a concentration of 0.40 g L-1 . CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings indicate that lunasin presents in quinoa and is bioactive, which strengthens the recommendations for the development of quinoa-based functional foods. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Suppressive Effects of Barley ß-Glucans with Different Molecular Weight on 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Differentiation.

In this study, 2 ß-glucans with different molecular weight were prepared and purified from hull-less barley bran. The aim was to evaluate their effects on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Results showed that barley ß-glucans inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes induced by differentiation medium in a dose-dependent manner, the suppressive effect of high-molecular-weight barley ß-glucans (552 kDa, BGH) was stronger (P < 0.05) than that of low-molecular-weight barley ß-glucan (32 kDa, BGL), evidenced by the significantly decrease (P < 0.05) of Oil-red O staining and intracellular triglyceride content in the mature adipocytes. Besides, gene expression analysis and Western Blot analysis revealed that both BGH and BGL inhibited the mRNA and protein levels of adipogenesis related transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) which are principal regulators of adipogenesis. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ target genes in adipose tissue including adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (ap2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), and glucose-transporter 4 (Glut4) in 3T3-L1 cells was also markedly downregulated (P < 0.05). These findings were anticipated to help develop barley ß-glucans based functional food for the management of obesity.

Antioxidant and immunoregulatory activity of alkali-extractable polysaccharides from mung bean.

Alkali-extractable polysaccharides from the seeds of mung beans and two polysaccharide sub-fractions (MAP-1 and MAP-2) were isolated and purified by anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The average molecular weights (Mws) of MAP-1 and MAP-2 were 94.2 kDa and 60.4 kDa, respectively. Monosaccharide component analysis indicated that MAP-1 was composed of Rha, Ara, Glu, Gal, and GalA in a molar ratio of 1.1:0.4:0.7:0.5:0.3. MAP-2 consisted of Xyl, Rha, Gal, Glu and GalA with a relative molar ratio of 0.4:1.4:1.6:0.5:0.2. Antioxidant assays indicated that both MAP-1 and MAP-2 exhibit significant antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. An in vitro study further showed that MAP-1 and MAP-2 were both able to stimulate the production of secretory molecules (NO, TNF-α and IL-6) by RAW 264.7 murine macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the polysaccharides isolated in our study have immunoregulatory effects on macrophages and can be used as a beneficial health food.

Isoflavones in Chickpeas Inhibit Adipocyte Differentiation and Prevent Insulin Resistance in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia arising from defects in insulin secretion. This study investigated the effects of isoflavones in chickpea sprouts germinated in light (IGL) and isoflavones in chickpea seeds (ICS) on insulin resistance through their role in suppression of 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. Results showed that IGL and ICS inhibit the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes induced by differentiation medium in a dose-dependent manner, and the suppressive effect of IGL was stronger (p < 0.05) than that of ICS, evidenced by a decrease of Oil Red O staining and intracellular triacylglycerol content in the mature adipocytes. IGL and ICS also stimulated glucose uptake significantly (p < 0.05). Besides, IGL and ICS treatment caused a significant decrease in mRNA and protein expression levels of adipogenesis-related transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα). Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (ap2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) in 3T3-L1 cells were also markedly down-regulated (p < 0.05).

Suppressive effects of saponin-enriched extracts from quinoa on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of quinoa saponins (QS) on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. QS inhibited triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the mature adipocytes, evidenced by oil-red O staining and intracellular quantification. Real time-PCR analysis and western blot analysis showed that QS significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of key adipogenic transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), however, they had no significant effect on CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPß) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) which are the upstream regulators for adipogenesis compared with mature adipocytes. QS also reduced mRNA and protein expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) related to the late stage of adipogenesis. Furthermore, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2) and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4), as adipocyte specific genes, were decreased in mature adipocytes by QS treatment. These findings indicate that QS are capable of suppressing adipogenesis and therefore they seem to be natural bioactive factors effective in adipose tissue mass modulation.