The Impact of Pinus koraiensis Leaf Extract Consumption on Postprandial ApoB100 and Lipid Metabolism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Healthy Participants Subjected to an Oral High-Fat Challenge.

Pinus koraiensis (PK) leaf extract, derived from Korean pine byproducts, holds promise for alleviating postprandial hyperlipidemia. In this study, we investigated the potential of PK leaf extract for modulating postprandial hyperlipidemia in adults with normal or borderline fasting triglyceride levels. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel design, 70 subjects were randomly assigned to either the placebo or PK group for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of consuming PK leaf extract, the results indicated a trend toward decreased serum apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB100) levels 2 h after a high-fat challenge. Furthermore, significant improvements were observed in the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) at 0-4 h and 2-4 h compared to baseline, particularly among individuals with a higher body weight (>61.35 kg) and daily caloric intake (>1276.5 kcal). Based on these findings, PK leaf extract may have beneficial effects on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism, especially among individuals with a relatively high body weight and caloric intake.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) hot water extract improves inflammation and tight junctions in the intestine in vitro and in vivo.

The natural byproduct Cinnamomum cassia was widely used in ancient Asia to cure disease because of its various pharmacological effects. Despite its ethnomedicinal benefits, few studies on the intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of C. cassia have been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of C. cassia on the intestine in vitro and in vivo. Herein, the effects of cinnamon hot water extract (CWE) on tight junction (TJ) barrier function, transepithelial electrical resistance, and mRNA expression were confirmed in Caco-2 cells. The CWE treatment groups showed significantly enhanced cell permeability, proinflammatory cytokine mRNA expression, and TJ expression. CWE-treated mice showed an improved histological index and decreased cytokine concentrations compared with those of colitis model mice. These results suggest that CWE alleviated inflammatory damage and improved the TJ barrier, indicating that CWE may be used as a functional food to improve intestinal health. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01292-3.

Noni fruit extract ameliorates alcohol-induced hangover symptoms by reducing the concentrations of alcohol and acetaldehyde in a Sprague Dawley rat model and a human intervention study.

Various studies have reported that Noni shows various health effects. This study aimed to assess the ability of Noni fruit extract to serve as a single active functional ingredient for the alleviation of hangover symptoms in Sprague Dawley rats and healthy subjects in a single-dose, randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. The rats were orally administered Noni fruit extract at 50 or 100 mg per kg body weight (B.W.) and HOVENIA. The blood ethanol (EtOH) and acetaldehyde concentrations were significantly lower in the 100 mg per kg B.W. group than in the EtOH group. Alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity tended to increase in the 100 mg kg-1 B.W. group. In the human study, 30 subjects received either a placebo or Noni fruit extract (1 g). The Noni fruit extract group showed significantly faster time point at which the maximum concentration (Tmax) of alcohol than in the placebo group. In addition, blood acetaldehyde levels and diarrhea at 40 and 720 min after alcohol intake and the area under the curve between 40 and 60 min of acetaldehyde were significantly decreased in the Noni fruit extract group compared to the placebo group. According to the QUalitative INteraction Trees, subjects who were ≤36 years old who consumed more alcohol (>15 drinks per week) and had a higher total hangover score (>27.5 and 33) presented significantly lower blood acetaldehyde levels and less severe hangover symptoms. These results indicate that Noni fruit extract has the potential to improve hangover symptoms by decreasing alcohol and acetaldehyde levels.