Oral Administration of Mixed Probiotics Improves Photoaging by Modulating the Cecal Microbiome and MAPK Pathway in UVB-Irradiated Hairless Mice.

SCOPE: Continuous ultraviolet (UV) exposure causes skin photoaging, wrinkle formation, and skin barrier damage. In this study, the protective effect of mixed probiotics (MP) against photoaging in UVB-irradiated Hs68 fibroblasts and SKH-1 hairless mice is investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mice are irradiated with UVB for 8 weeks to induce photoaging, and MP (15 and 50 mg day-1 ) is orally administered once a day. Skin parameters are measured in the dorsal skin and wrinkle formation factors are analyzed in skin replicas. To evaluate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, western blotting and qRT-PCR are performed. MP (50 mg day-1 ) significantly improves skin moisture, transepidermal water loss, erythema, and skin thickness. MP also effectively suppresses wrinkle formation by regulating the transcriptional expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs. MP also reduces inflammatory cytokine levels and phosphorylation of extracellular signaling regulatory kinase, Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 protein. Furthermore, the intestinal microbiome of the MP groups is significantly different compared with that of the UVB group, and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia is significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings suggest that MP modulates the gut microbiome and ameliorates UVB-induced photoaging by downregulating the MAPK pathway.

Utility of a Hydrolysate from Overproduced Paralichthys olivaceus for Hypertension Treatment: Correlation between Physical Properties and Potent Anti-Hypertensive Activities.

Aquacultured fish are the richest natural source of protein. However, their overproduced biomass is often discarded due to production imbalance, causing considerable losses to the fishery industry. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize surplus fish and add value to overproduced fish. We performed complex enzyme-assisted hydrolysis to determine the correlation between its physical characteristics and anti-hypertensive activity in vitro and in vivo using an SHR model. Protamex-Pepsin assisted hydrolysate from Paralichthys olivaceus (POppH) produced by complex enzyme-assisted hydrolysis contained low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids with anti-hypertensive activity. POppH regulated blood pressure and serum angiotensin II and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme levels, and histological and ultrasound image analysis revealed substantially reduced thickness and diameter of the carotid aorta in the POppH-administered SHR group. Therefore, we propose to reduce food loss due to overproduction by utilizing the anti-hypertensive activity and physical properties of POppH; the results demonstrate its application as a therapeutic agent.

Diphlorethohydroxycarmalol Derived from Ishige okamurae Improves Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Muscle Atrophy Induced by Dexamethasone in an In-Vivo Model.

Muscle atrophy refers to the loss of skeletal muscle mass, myofiber size, and related physical functions such as walking speed or grip strength caused by aging or a lack of physical activity due to injury or illness and can also be attributed to excessive exposure to corticosteroids. Ishige okamurae (IO) and its active component, diphlorethohydroxycarmalol (DPHC), have been known to improve glucose homeostasis by controlling the contraction of skeletal muscles. Based on this idea, we hypothesized that the effects of DPHC and IO extract on muscle metabolism are associated with their role in improving muscle physical function. This study assessed the effects of DPHC or IO extract on muscle behavioral responses with their metabolic properties in muscle atrophy induced by glucocorticoids and dexamethasone (DEX) in vivo. In addition to the improvement in muscle behavioral response by DPHC or IO extract, the loss of muscle fiber and the related metabolic properties by DEX exposure in the gastrocnemius and soleus of calf muscle was prevented. These findings suggest that IO extract and its active component DPHC can potentially prevent muscle atrophy caused by exposure to corticosteroids and could be used to treat reverse skeletal atrophy.

Intracellular Dynamin Elastin-like Polypeptides Assemble into Rodlike, Spherical, and Reticular Dynasomes.

Dynamin (DNM) is a family of large GTPases possessing a unique mechanical ability to "pinch" off vesicles entering cells. DNM2 is the most ubiquitously expressed member of the DNM family. We developed a novel tool based on elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) technology to quickly, precisely, and reversibly modulate the structure of DNM2. ELPs are temperature-sensitive biopolymers that self-assemble into microdomains above sharp transition temperatures. When linked together, DNM2 and a temperature-sensitive ELP fusion organize into a range of distinct temperature-dependent structures above a sharp transition temperature, which were not observed with wild-type DNM2 or a temperature-insensitive ELP fusion control. The structures comprised three different morphologies, which were prevalent at different temperature ranges. The size of these structures was influenced by an inhibitor of the DNM2 GTPase activity, dynasore; furthermore, they appear to entrap co-expressed cytosolic ELPs. Having demonstrated an unexpected diversity of morphologically distinct structures, DNM2-ELP fusions may have applications in the exploration of dynamin-dependent biology.

Clean label starch: production, physicochemical characteristics, and industrial applications.

Recently, health-conscious consumers have a tendency to avoid the use of modified starch in their food products because of reluctance regarding food additives or chemical processes. The present paper considers the characteristics and manufacturing methods of clean label starch, which is free from chemical modification. Clean label starch manufacturing is mainly dependent on starch blending, physical and enzymatic modification methods. Physical modifications include ultrasound, hydrothermal (e.g., heat-moisture treatment and annealing), pre-gelatinization (e.g., drum drying, roll drying, spray cooking, and extrusion cooking), high-pressure (high hydrostatic pressure), and pulsed electric field treatments. These physical processes allow variation of starch properties, such as morphological, thermal, rheological, and pasting properties. Enzyme treatment can change the properties of starch more dramatically. Actual use of clean label starch with such altered properties has occurred in industry and is described here. This review may provide useful information on the current status and future direction of clean label starch in the field of food science.

Influences of added surfactants on the water solubility and antibacterial activity of rosemary extract.

Rosemary extract (RE) has significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties; however, the application of RE to areas with an aqueous solution is limited due to its poor solubility. There is a need for research focused on finding a method to improve water solubility for incorporating RE into aqueous systems, such as food and cosmetic. Therefore, in this study, the micellar solubilization of RE is conducted using four types of surfactants (Tween 20, polyglyceryl-10-laurate, polyglyceryl-10-myristate, and polyglyceryl-10-monooleate) to increase the water solubility of RE and the effects of various surfactant types and concentration on solubility were investigated. Antibacterial activities of the mixture solutions containing RE and surfactants were also examined. The water solubility of RE significantly improved when surfactants were added into the RE solution and especially in polyglyceryl-10-monooleate, with the longest tail, was the most effective for increasing solubility. In terms of the antibacterial effect on Bacillus subtilis, it was observed that a relatively lower concentration of surfactants was effective. The results of this study provide useful information for the development of a new RE-loaded delivery system for food and cosmetic application.

Effect of xanthan gum on lipid digestion and bioaccessibility of ß-carotene-loaded rice starch-based filled hydrogels.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of xanthan gum on the lipid digestibility, rheological properties, and ß-carotene bioaccessibility of rice starch-based filled hydrogels. ß-Carotene was solubilized within lipid droplets of emulsion that were then entrapped within rice starch hydrogels fabricated with different concentrations of xanthan gum. At a low concentration of xanthan gum (<0.5wt%), the viscous characteristics of the filled starch hydrogels increased. Furthermore, these hydrogels had a slower rate of lipid digestion than the ß-carotene-loaded emulsion. As the concentration of xanthan gum was increased (to 1.0wt% and 2.0wt%), the filled starch hydrogels became more elastic gel-like than those without xanthan gum, and also had the fastest rate and highest final extent of lipid digestion. The addition of xanthan gum to the filled starch hydrogel lowered the bioaccessibility of ß-carotene to varying degrees, depending on the xanthan gum concentration. The results obtained from this study can be useful in designing gel-like food products fortified with lipophilic nutraceuticals.

Bleomycin-Loaded pH-Sensitive Polymer⁻Lipid-Incorporated Liposomes for Cancer Chemotherapy.

Cancer chemotherapeutic systems with high antitumor effects and less adverse effects are eagerly desired. Here, a pH-sensitive delivery system for bleomycin (BLM) was developed using egg yolk phosphatidylcholine liposomes modified with poly(ethylene glycol)-lipid (PEG-PE) for long circulation in the bloodstream and 2-carboxycyclohexane-1-carboxylated polyglycidol-having distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (CHexPG-PE) for pH sensitization. The PEG-PE/CHexPG-PE-introduced liposomes showed content release responding to pH decrease and were taken up by tumor cells at a rate 2.5 times higher than that of liposomes without CHexPG-PE. BLM-loaded PEG-PE/CHexPG-PE-introduced liposomes exhibited comparable cytotoxicity with that of the free drug. Intravenous administration of these liposomes suppressed tumor growth more effectively in tumor-bearing mice than did the free drug and liposomes without CHexPG-PE. However, at a high dosage of BLM, these liposomes showed severe toxicity to the spleen, liver, and lungs, indicating the trapping of liposomes by mononuclear phagocyte systems, probably because of recognition of the carboxylates on the liposomes. An increase in PEG molecular weight on the liposome surface significantly decreased toxicity to the liver and spleen, although toxicity to the lungs remained. Further improvements such as the optimization of PEG density and lipid composition and the introduction of targeting ligands to the liposomes are required to increase therapeutic effects and to reduce adverse effects.

Influence of methylcellulose on attributes of ß-carotene fortified starch-based filled hydrogels: Optical, rheological, structural, digestibility, and bioaccessibility properties.

There is considerable interest in controlling the gastrointestinal fate of nutraceuticals to improve their efficacy. In this study, the influence of methylcellulose (an indigestible polysaccharide) on lipid digestion and ß-carotene bioaccessibility was determined. The carotenoids were encapsulated within lipid droplets that were then loaded into rice starch hydrogels containing different methylcellulose levels. Incorporation of 0 to 0.2% of methylcellulose had little impact on the dynamic shear rheology of the starch hydrogels, which may be important for formulating functional foods with desirable textural attributes. The microstructure, lipid digestion, and ß-carotene bioaccessibility of the filled hydrogels were measured as the samples were passed through simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal phases. The lipid digestion rate and carotenoid bioaccessibility decreased with increasing methylcellulose. This effect was attributed to the ability of the methylcellulose to inhibit molecular diffusion, promote droplet flocculation, or bind gastrointestinal components thereby inhibiting triacylglycerol hydrolysis at the lipid droplet surfaces. This information may be useful for rationally designing functional foods with improved nutritional benefits.