The Effect of Hydrolysis Pre-Treatment by Flavourzyme on Meat Quality, Antioxidative Profiles, and Taste-Related Compounds in Samgyetang Breast Supplemented with Black Garlic.

This study aimed to carefully investigate the effect of hydrolysis using Flavourzyme on meat quality, antioxidative status, and taste-related compounds in breast of Samgyetang that was supplemented with black garlic (BG). Four different treatment groups were compared: (1) conventional Samgyetang (control), (2) Samgyetang hydrolyzed with Flavourzyme (1%, v/w) (FS), (3) Samgyetang made with the BG extract without hydrolysis (NBG), and (4) BG samgyetang pre-treated with Flavourzyme (1%, v/w) in a water bath at 55°C for 2.5 h and hydrolyzed before being processed (HBG). All the treatment groups were cooked by retorting at conditions 121°C and 1.5 kg/cm2 for 1 h. Improved umami profiles through the increase of umami-related nucleotides (5'-GMP, 5'-IMP) and free amino acids-aspartic acid and glumtamic acid, in Samgyetang breast was recorded following hydrolysis. The HBG group tended to impart stronger scavenging activity toward free radicals compared with the other two groups, while not differing with NBG group regarding suppressing malondialdehyde. Textural properties were improved through hydrolysis, wherein the shear force value decreased from 2.29 kgf in the control to 1.19 and 1.25 kgf in the FS and HBG group. Moisture percentages were highly retained, with the redness score increasing and the lightness color decreasing following hydrolysis. In conclusion, the results of this study can be a preliminary information of the effect of hydrolysis pre-treatment for BG samgyetang. Further experiments are required to compare various enzymes along with its organoleptic acceptances.

Neuroprotective effect of modified Chungsimyeolda-tang, a traditional Korean herbal formula, via autophagy induction in models of Parkinson's disease.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Previous studies in our laboratory revealed the neuroprotective effect of modified Yeoldahanso-tang (MYH) in models of Parkinson׳s disease (PD). In this study, we investigated another traditional Korean herbal formula, modified Chungsimyeolda-tang (termed DG), as a potential treatment for PD. Chungsimyeolda-tang has been used in Korea to treat cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke. Here, we verify the neuroprotective and autophagy-inducing effects of DG to evaluate any potential anti-parkinsonian properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) and rotenone were used to induce cytotoxicity in nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Cell viability was measured using an MTT assay. Induction of autophagy by DG in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells was measured using an immunoblotting assay with an LC3 antibody. The proteasomal inhibitor lactacystin was used to induce ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) dysfunction in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells. DG-mediated clearance of aggregated proteins was measured using an immunoblotting assay with a ubiquitin antibody. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that DG robustly protects NGF-differentiated PC12 cells against the neurotoxic effects of MPP(+) and rotenone in an in vitro model. Furthermore, DG protects NGF-differentiated PC12 cells against lactacystin-induced cell death. This effect is partially mediated by an increased autophagy associated with the enhanced degradation of aggregated proteins. This study suggests that DG is an attractive candidate drug for inducing autophagy and, therefore, may represent a promising strategy to prevent diseases associated with misfolded/aggregated proteins in various neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson׳s disease.

Anti-inflammatory mechanism of α-viniferin regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced release of proinflammatory mediators in BV2 microglial cells.

α-Viniferin is an oligostilbene of trimeric resveratrol and has anticancer activity; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of α-viniferin has not been completely elucidated thus far. Therefore, we determined the mechanism by which α-viniferin regulates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of proinflammatory mediators in BV2 microglial cells. Treatment with α-viniferin isolated from Clematis mandshurica decreased LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). α-Viniferin also downregulated the LPS-induced expression of proinflammatory genes such as iNOS and COX-2 by suppressing the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) via dephosphorylation of Akt/PI3K. Treatment with a specific NF-κB inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), indirectly showed that NF-κB is a crucial transcription factor for expression of these genes in the early stage of inflammation. Additionally, our results indicated that α-viniferin suppresses NO and PGE2 production in the late stage of inflammation through induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) regulated by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2). Taken together, our data indicate that α-viniferin suppresses the expression of proinflammatory genes iNOS and COX-2 in the early stage of inflammation by inhibiting the Akt/PI3K-dependent NF-κB activation and inhibits the production of proinflammatory mediators NO and PGE2 in the late stage by stimulating Nrf2-mediated HO-1 signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. These results suggest that α-viniferin may be a potential candidate to regulate LPS-induced inflammation.

Clinical subgroups of a psychoneurologic symptom cluster in women receiving treatment for breast cancer: a secondary analysis.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate clinical subgroups using an empirically identified psychoneurologic symptom cluster (depressed mood, cognitive disturbance, fatigue, insomnia, and pain) and to examine the differences among subgroups in the selected demographic and clinical variables, as well as in patient outcome (i.e., functional performance). DESIGN: Secondary analysis. SETTING: A university health science center in Salt Lake City, UT, and a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Philadelphia, PA. SAMPLE: 282 patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. METHODS: Cluster analyses were conducted to identify subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression and one-way analyses of variance were used to examine the differences among subgroups. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Depressed mood, cognitive disturbance, fatigue, insomnia, pain, and functional performance. FINDINGS: Patients were classified into four distinct subgroups based on their symptom cluster experience: all low symptom, high fatigue and low pain, high pain, and all high symptom. Such patient classification patterns were consistent across the treatment trajectory, although group memberships were inconsistent. After initiating treatment, two additional subgroups emerged: high depressed mood and cognitive disturbance, and high fatigue and insomnia. Subgroups differed in physical performance status at baseline, symptom burden, and treatment modality in a relatively consistent pattern across time points. Patients in the all-high-symptom subgroup experienced the most serious limitations in activities across all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Patient subgroups exist that share the unique experience of psychoneurologic symptoms. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Findings are useful to determine who needs more intensive symptom management during cancer treatment. Future studies should examine whether specific symptom management strategies are more efficient for certain subgroups.