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Background and Aims: Excessive intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are formed in foods cooked at high temperatures for long periods of time, has negative health effects, such as inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. Nε-(Carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) is one of the major dietary AGEs. Given their generally recognized as safe status and probiotic functionalities, lactic acid bacteria may be ideal supplements for blocking intestinal absorption of food toxicants. However, the protective effects of lactic acid bacteria against dietary AGEs have not been fully elucidated. Materials and Methods: We investigated the effect of treatment with Lactococcus lactis KF140 (LL-KF140), which was isolated from kimchi, on the levels and toxicokinetics of CML. The CML reduction efficacies of the Lactococcus lactis KF140 (LL-KF140), which was isolated from kimchi, were conducted by in vitro test for reducing CML concentration of the casein-lactose reaction product (CLRP) and in vivo test for reducing serum CML level of LL-KF140 administered rats at 2.0 × 108 CFU/kg for14 days. In addition, 12 volunteers consuming LL-KF140 at 2.0 × 109 CFU/1.5 g for 26 days were determined blood CML concentration and compared with that before intake a Parmesan cheese. Results: Administration of LL-KF140 reduced serum CML levels and hepatic CML absorption in rats that were fed a CML-enriched product. In a human trial, the intake of LL-KF140 prevented increases in the serum levels of CML and alanine aminotransferase after consumption of a CML-rich cheese. LL-KF140 was determined to presence in feces through metagenome analysis. Furthermore, ß-galactosidase, one of the L. lactis-produced enzymes, inhibited the absorption of CML and reduced the levels of this AGE, which suggests an indirect inhibitory effect of LL-KF140. This study is the first to demonstrate that an L. lactis strain and its related enzyme contribute to the reduction of dietary absorption of CML.
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AIM: The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of exopolymers from Aureobasidium pullulans (EAP) on the incidence of colds and flu in healthy adults. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the onset of the influenza season. A total of 76 subjects (30-70 years of age) were recruited from the general population. The subjects were instructed to take one capsule per day of either EAP or a placebo for a period of 8 weeks. The duration of cold and flu symptoms, a primary variable in assessing effectiveness, and serum cytokine levels as well as WBC counts as secondary variables were also evaluated. RESULTS: EAP was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the duration of cold and flu symptoms, a primary variable in assessing effectiveness. Although cold and flu symptom levels were not significantly different at a significance level of 5%, the cold and flu symptom levels of the EAP group were less severe compared to the placebo group. No statistically significant changes of serum cytokine levels as well as WBC counts were observed. CONCLUSION: The results showed that EAP is a useful pharmaceutical and functional food material for preventing and treating colds and flu.
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Although classification of an individual's Sasang constitution is a key step in the prescription of traditional Korean medicine, the classifying process is complex and not objective. Identification of metabolic-based biomarkers could allow the development of a reliable and sensitive classification technique and even therapeutic management. Our pilot study investigated whether metabolites in plasma are characteristic of Sasang constitutions. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabolic analysis was conducted against 15 Soyangin (SY), 15 Taeeumin (TE), and 18 Soeumin (SE) individuals, as classified according to the Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Classification II (QSCC II) and specialist diagnosis. Metabolomics data showed that the TE group was significantly separated from the SY and SE groups. Nine canonical pathways related to constitution; phenylalanine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis were activated in the TE group as compared with the other groups. Similar to the results of the metabolomics analysis, the TE group was also significantly separated from the other two groups by lipidomic analysis. On the other hand, the intensity of lipid metabolites was higher in the SY group than in the other groups. Our findings suggest that the combined analysis of metabolomics and lipidomics can provide useful information for characteristics of Sasang constitutions.