Lactic acid fermentation of germinated barley fiber and proliferative function of colonic epithelial cells in loperamide-induced rats.

To develop a functional food from the dietary fiber fraction of germinated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (GBF), lactic acid fermentation was attempted using Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidus. The quality characteristics of the lactic acid-fermented product and its effect on gastrointestinal function in an animal model were examined. The anaerobic fermentation of 1% and 2% GBF yielded lactic acid bacteria at 8.9 +/- 1.0 x 10(8) and 1.6 +/- 0.2 x 10(9) colony-forming units/mL, and it was considered acceptable for consumption by sensory assessment. To determine the effect on gastrointestinal function, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with three types of diets: a normal chow diet and chow diets supplemented with 10% lactic acid bacteria or a yogurt fermented with 2% GBF (GBFY). The rats fed GBFY for 6 weeks gained less body weight, excreted more fecal mass, and had improved gastrointestinal transit as examined with barium sulfate. The effect of GBFY on colonic epithelial proliferation was investigated through loperamide (LPM)-induced constipation in rats. The rats fed with GBFY for 6 weeks were intraperitoneally administered LPM twice daily for 7 days. GBFY supplementation decreased fecal excretion and moisture content in feces and depleted goblet cells as observed by hematoxylin and eosin stain. However, the rats supplemented with GBFY prior to the LPM administration had enhanced bowel movement, mucin secretion, and production of short-chain fatty acids compared with values for the LPM-alone group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the GBFY supplement increased the numbers of nuclei stained positively for Ki-67 and extended from the base to the middle zone of crypts. These results indicate that GBFY alleviates constipation via the proliferation of the colonic crypts in LPM-administered rats.

Effects of pine needle extract on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and obesity in high-fat diet fed rats.

The present study examined the anti-obesity effects of pine needle extract (PNE) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and in vivo studies. PNE treatment suppressed both glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes. To investigate the effect of PNE on obesity in rats fed high-fat diet, four types of diet, which included a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), ND+PNE, and HFD+PNE diets, were fed to the rats ad libitum for 6 weeks. The PNE supplement significantly decreased body weight gain and visceral fat mass compared to the HFD group. The total cholesterol, TG, and leptin levels in the plasma were significantly reduced by PNE supplementation compared with those of the HFD group. Histological findings in liver tissue showed that PNE supplementation alleviated steatosis induced by HFD. In conclusion, PNE treatment suppressed differentiation of 3T-L1 adipocytes, in part by down-regulating expression of PPAPgamma mRNA, and reduced adipose tissue mass, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in obese rats fed HFD. Therefore, pine needle water extract may be considered for use in therapy to control obesity.

Effect of ethanol extract of dried Chinese yam (Dioscorea batatas) flour containing dioscin on gastrointestinal function in rat model.

In this study, a 40% ethanol extract of Chinese yam flour (Dioscoreae rhizoma), containing 177 +/- 58 microg/mL of dioscin, was tested in order to evaluate its pharmacological effects on the gastrointestinal tracts of Sprague-Dawley rats. Via the ingestion of the Chinese yam extract, the secretion of gastric acid was suppressed in the rats, and gastrointestinal motility increased by as much as 10%. The fecal quantity of rats fed on the Chinese yam extract also increased, by more than 40% as compared with that of the controls. The Chinese yam extract was found not to affect the growth of normal intestinal bacteria. However, a great deal of lactose-fermenting bacteria was observed in the fecal samples of rats fed for 6 weeks on 2% Chinese yam extract. This finding would appear to suggest that Chinese yam extract not only induces an improvement in digestive capability, but also affects the conversion of some intestinal flora to helpful bacteria. Our serochemical analyses indicated that serum glucose, neutral lipid, and total cholesterol levels were reduced to some degree by long-term feeding on Chinese yam extract. This finding bolsters the notion that Chinese yam extract may prove helpful as a digestion-aiding agent for patients suffering from hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia.