Fermentation of Abelmoschus manihot Extract with Halophilic Bacillus licheniformis CP6 Results in Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

Microbial fermentation provides a valorization strategy, through biotransformation, to convert plant-derived raw materials into health-promoting agents. In this study, we have investigated the antioxidative activity of Abelmoschus manihot fermented with various Bacillaceae strains from specific environments and demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of Bacillus licheniformis CP6 fermented A. manihot extract (FAME) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. Of 1500 bacteria isolated from various specific environments, 47 extracellular protease- and amylase-producing strains with qualified presumption safety status, belonging to the family Bacillaceae, were selected for A. manihot fermentation. Among them, strain CP6, a halophilic bacterium isolated from Tongyeong seawater in Korea and identified as B. licheniformis, showed the highest antioxidant activity. In particular, FAME exerted anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. Consequently, FAME had a potent inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages, without cytotoxicity. Moreover, FAME downregulated LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediator and enzyme levels in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells, including IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2, compared to levels when cells were incubated in A. manihot extract (IAME). Further detailed characterization indicated that FAME suppresses inflammation by blocking NF-κB via IKK phosphorylation inhibition and IκB-α degradation and by downregulating NO production, and inflammatory mediators also decreased NF-κB translocation. Furthermore, FAME inhibited LPS-stimulated activation of MAPKs, including ERK1/2, JNK, and p38, compared to that with either IAME. Therefore, we suggest that FAME could be used for inflammation-related disorders.

Comparative Assessment of Biological Activities of Mistletoes for Cosmetic Applications: Viscum Album Var. Coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi and Loranthus Tanakae Franch. & Sav.

Mistletoes, hemiparasites, contain many components with various biological activities and have been used in cosmetics industry. Loranthacease (1,000 species) and Viscaceae (550 species) have the most dominant species in mistletoes (nearly 1,600 species). It can be expected that the biological activities vary from species to species; therefore, we have tested Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi (belonging to Santalaceae) and Loranthus tanakae Franch. & Sav. (belonging to Loranthacease) for a comparative study of their cosmetic properties, including antioxidant, antimelanogenic, and antiwrinkle activities. As results, the ethanol extract of L. tanakae had higher phenolic content and showed effective antioxidant activity and elastase inhibition. Meanwhile, the ethanol extract of V. album more effectively inhibited tyrosinase. Comparing with ethanol extracts, the water extracts of both mistletoes showed lower biological efficacy than the ethanol extracts or no significant effect. Thus, these results show that different extracts of mistletoe have different levels of biological activities, presumably because of the differences in their phytochemical profiles and because of the different extraction methods used.

Dietary D-psicose reduced visceral fat mass in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

UNLABELLED: D-Psicose, a C-3 epimer of D-fructose, has shown promise in reducing body fat accumulation in normal rats and plasma glucose level in genetic diabetic mice. Effects of D-psicose on diet-induced obesity are not clearly elucidated, and we investigated food intake, body weight, and fat accumulation in rats fed high-fat (HF) diet. Sprague-Dawley rats became obese by feeding HF diet for 4 wk, and were assigned either to normal or HF diet supplemented with or without D-psicose, sucrose, or erythritol for 8 wk. Changing HF to normal diet gained less body weight and adipose tissue due to different energy intake. D-psicose-fed rats exhibited lower weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and fat accumulation than erythritol- and sucrose-fed rats. This effect was more prominent in D-psicose-fed rats with normal diet than with HF diet, suggesting combination of psicose and calorie restriction further reduced obesity. There was no difference in serum cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-C and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-C/HDL-C ratios between D-psicose group and other groups. Liver weight in 5% psicose group with normal diet was higher than in other groups, but histopathological examination did not reveal any psicose-related change. D-Psicose inhibited the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) to adipose tissue in a concentration-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that D-psicose produces a marked decrease, greater than erythritol, in weight gain and visceral fat in an established obesity model by inhibiting MSC differentiation to adipocyte. Thus, D-psicose can be useful in preventing and reducing obesity as a sugar substitute and food ingredient. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: We can develop D-psicose as a sugar substitute and food ingredient since it can prevent obesity in normal people, but also suppress adiposity as a sugar substitute or food ingredients with antiobesity effect in obese people. D-psicose can be unique functional sweetener because of its function of reducing visceral fat mass and weight gain.