Ashwagandha Ethanol Extract Attenuates Sarcopenia-Related Muscle Atrophy in Aged Mice.

The investigation focused on the impact of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) extract (WSE) on age-related mechanisms affecting skeletal muscle sarcopenia-related muscle atrophy in aged mice. Beyond evaluating muscular aspects, the study explored chronic low-grade inflammation, muscle regeneration, and mitochondrial biogenesis. WSE administration, in comparison to the control group, demonstrated no significant differences in body weight, diet, or water intake, affirming its safety profile. Notably, WSE exhibited a propensity to reduce epidermal and abdominal fat while significantly increasing muscle mass at a dosage of 200 mg/kg. The muscle-to-fat ratio, adjusted for body weight, increased across all treatment groups. WSE administration led to a reduction in the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß, mitigating inflammation-associated muscle atrophy. In a 12-month-old mouse model equivalent to a 50-year-old human, WSE effectively preserved muscle strength, stabilized grip strength, and increased muscle tissue weight. Positive effects were observed in running performance and endurance. Mechanistically, WSE balanced muscle protein synthesis/degradation, promoted fiber differentiation, and enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis through the IGF-1/Akt/mTOR pathway. This study provides compelling evidence for the anti-sarcopenic effects of WSE, positioning it as a promising candidate for preventing sarcopenia pending further clinical validation.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Polysaccharide from Fermented Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) on RAW 264.7 Macrophage and Balb/c Mice.

This study aims to determine the immunomodulatory effects of a polysaccharide fraction from fermented M. citrifolia L. (FMP) in RAW 264.7 macrophages and Balb/c mice. M. citrifolia was fermented for 72 h using Lactobacillus brevis; polysaccharides were extracted using ethanol precipitation. The RAW 264.7 cells exposed to FMP (50, 100, and 200 µg/mL) for 24 h showed increased NO production, proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α) release, and COX-2 and iNOS protein expression. FMP (100, 200 mg/kg) and deacetylasperulosidic acid (DAA) (20 mg/kg) administered orally to Balb/c mice for 14 days upregulated NO production and NK cytotoxicity in abdominal cavity and spleen, respectively. Th1 and Th2 cytokines production and immune cell numbers increased in spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), peritoneal exudate cells (PEC), Peyer's patches (PP), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Therefore, FMP containing DAA can be used as materials for health functional foods to enhance immune responses.

Environmental obesogens (bisphenols, phthalates and parabens) and their impacts on adipogenic transcription factors in the absence of dexamethasone in 3T3-L1 cells.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous compounds that are capable of blocking or mimicking the action of bioidentical hormones. Obesogenic EDCs, commonly called obesogens, play an important role in adipogenesis. This study was carried out to determine the effects of select obesogens and their alternatives on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells under dexamethasone (DEX)-free conditions. Preadipocytes were treated with a cocktail of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and insulin to which an obesogen (viz., bisphenol A (BPA) or its analogs BPS and BPF; dioctyl terephthalate; tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate; or various parabens) had been added. A mixture containing IBMX, insulin, and DEX, which constitute the typical hormonal cocktail required for adipocyte differentiation, was used as the control against which the other groups were measured. The obesogens and the PBA analogs all had evident adipogenic effects under DEX-free conditions, as was determined by estimating the lipid accumulation levels in the cells using Oil Red O staining. Furthermore, the expression of adipogenic transcription factors (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, and adipocyte protein 2) was induced by 20 µM of BPA, BPS, or BPF at both the mRNA and protein levels, as determined through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays. Taken together, the results reveal that adipocyte differentiation can be induced by obesogens and their alternatives in the absence of DEX.

Method validation of 12 kinds of food dye in chewing gums and soft drinks, and evaluation of measurement uncertainty for soft drinks.

We developed and validated a method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of food dyes in two food matrices, i.e., chewing gum and soft drinks. Furthermore, we evaluated the stability of food dyes in these matrices with respect to the pH and acid content. The optimized and validated method is based on high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) and liquid chromatography-tandem spectroscopy; the proposed method could identify and quantify 12 dyes in the two matrices. The recoveries of the food dyes identified by HPLC-PDA analysis ranged from 98.61% to 118.42%, with relative standard deviations of 0.06-4.90%. In addition, the expanded uncertainties of the measurements ranged from 0.57 to 3.12%. Finally, the food dyes were found to be stable in the matrices over 30 days. Thus, we believe that the proposed analytical method is suitable for the identification and quantification of food dyes in chewing gum and soft drink samples.

Physicochemical, nutritional and functional properties of Cucurbita moschata.

Cucurbita moschata is widely planted in most parts of the world, and is rich in carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals, and phenolic compounds. It also has important medicinal value. Some related research has proven that Cucurbita moschata has the potential ability to induce anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, and anticancer effects. At the same time, it has attracted more attention in the medical field. These nutrients and bioactive compounds in Cucurbita moschata have important effects on human health. In order to make better use of this crop, it still needs further study. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to summarize the physicochemical properties and nutritional components of Cucurbita moschata, and to provide a reference for further research on the benefits of on human health.

Antiobesity effect of Brassica juncea cultivated in Jeongseon with optimized sinigrin content using 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

In recent years, Brassica juncea has been selected as a special agricultural crop in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, Korea, and is actively grown there. However, there have been no studies on B. juncea cultivated in Jeongseon (BJJ). Sinigrin, an index component of cruciferous vegetables, has been reported to have antiobesity effects. In this study, we developed a method for obtaining a BJJ extract with optimized sinigrin content, and investigate the antiobesity properties of the BJJ extract and sinigrin. The optimal extraction conditions for BJJ were found to be with 60% ethanol, at 70°C, for 3 hr. Lipid accumulation and ROS production were significantly suppressed in both the BJJ extract and sinigrin-treated groups. Furthermore, BJJ extract and sinigrin were effectively controlled the expression of proteins that regulate lipid accumulation, fatty acid oxidation, and energy metabolism. Thus, BJJ extract containing sinigrin may be used as a health functional food material. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Brassica juncea has been reported to be rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, and glucosinolate, which are secondary vegetable metabolites. In this study, an extraction method to optimize the content of sinigrin in BJJ was established, and the antiobesity mechanism for the extract was confirmed. Lipid accumulation and ROS production were significantly suppressed in both the BJJ extract and sinigrin-treated groups in the study. It was confirmed that the expression of proteins that regulate lipid accumulation, lipid synthesis, fatty acid oxidation, heat generation, and energy metabolism was effectively controlled by the BJJ extract and sinigrin. Therefore, the ethanol extraction method of this study are considered to be useful for the preparation of extracts using cruciferous vegetables, and BJJ extract containing sinigrin have the potential to be used as a health functional food material for obesity.

Radical Scavenging-Linked Anti-Adipogenic Activity of Aster scaber Ethanolic Extract and Its Bioactive Compound.

Aster scaber is a wild vegetable cultivated in Korea and is known to contain phytochemicals with various biological activities. The potential antioxidant and anti-obesity effects of A. scaber and their mechanism are yet to be reported. We evaluated the total phenolic, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin contents and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of A. scaber ethanolic extract (ASE), and analyzed the major phenolic compounds of ASE. Antioxidant activity was measured at the chemical level through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power assay, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay. In addition, it was measured in vitro through inhibition of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in 3T3-L1 adipocyte, and inhibition of lipid accumulation was also evaluated. ASE reduced the expression of enzymes involved in the production of ROS and increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes that reduce increased ROS levels. They also reduced the expression of adipogenesis transcription factors that regulate adipocyte differentiation in relation to ROS production, inhibited the expression of lipogenesis-related genes related to fat accumulation through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, and increased expression of lipolysis-related genes. Thus, ASE containing CGA (chlorogenic acid) inhibits ROS production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, owing to its strong antioxidant activity, and inhibits lipid accumulation caused by oxidative stress. The extract can be used as a potential functional food material for reducing oxidative stress and obesity.

Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Components and Antioxidant Activities of Different Brassica juncea Cultivars.

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional components and antioxidant activities of two different cultivars of Brassica juncea (Dolsan, Yeosu, Korea (BJD) and (Jeongseon, Gangwon, Korea (BJJ)). We investigated the proximate composition (moisture, crude ash, crude protein and crude lipid), antioxidant activities (2,2-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)), total phenol content, total flavonoid content and sinigrin content by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Our results show that the proximate compositions of BJD and BJJ were not significantly different. However, both the DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP activities of the BJJ extracts were higher than those of the BJD extracts. The total phenol contents of the BJD and BJJ extracts were 6.56 and 9.80 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, respectively. The total flavonoids content of the BJD and BJJ extracts were 20.92 and 34.81 mg rutin equivalent/g, respectively, whereas the sinigrin contents, one of the major compounds in BJD and BJJ extracts, were 16.16 mg/g and 11.73 mg/g, respectively. In this study, we confirmed that, by comparing BJJ and BJD, the sinigrin content of BJD was higher than that of BJJ, but the antioxidant activity and phenol content of BJD were superior to that of BJJ.

Enhancement of Immune Activities of Mixtures with Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai and Ficus erecta var. sieboldii.

The objective of the present study was to develop a concoction of natural products that could dramatically improve immune function with minimal possible side effects. Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai and Ficus erecta var. sieboldii are plants that are native to Jeju Island, Korea and are known to be rich in physiologically active substances. We prepared a mixture of different proportions and extraction conditions using two natural plants and determined their optimum mixing ratio and extraction method by assessing immune function-related biomarkers in RAW264.7 macrophages. Optimal extract (HR02/04(8:2)-W) was selected from in vitro experiments and its immunity-enhancing efficacy was evaluated in mice. After oral administration of extract to BALB/c mice for 2 weeks, nitric oxide production in the peritoneal exudate cells, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, cytokine expression in splenocytes, and total cell number of immune tissues and phenotype analysis were evaluated. Our results demonstrated that HR02/04(8:2)-W significantly enhanced the immune system by increasing natural killer cell activity, cytokine expression, and total number of cells in immune tissues. In conclusion, our study validates the role of HR02/04(8:2)-W in enhancing immunity and its potential development as a functional food.