Synergistic Effect of Rubus crataegifolius and Ulmus macrocarpa Against Helicobacter pylori Clinical Isolates and Gastritis.

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most widespread infections involved in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop medications against H. pylori. This study aimed to evaluate synergistic effect of Rubus crataegifolius (RF) and Ulmus macrocarpa Hance (UL) against H. pylori. Antibacterial susceptibility of each extract either separately or in combination was studied against two H. pylori standard strains and 11 clinical isolates using agar dilution method. The effect of the extracts on H. pylori inoculated Balb/c mice model was also studied using single dosing (100 mg/kg each) approach. The MIC50 of RF and UL were more than 100 and 200 µg/ml, respectively, against the tested strains. However, simultaneous treatment with RF and UL at 75 and 50 µg/ml, respectively, showed decreased viable cell number, MIC70, and at 75 µg/ml each showed synergic effect with MIC90. On H. pylori inoculated Balb/c mice model, RF and UL separately (100 mg/kg each) showed moderate anti-H. pylori effect, while simultaneous treatment of RF and UL with same dose showed significant synergistic anti-gastric effects in stomach. The results showed a significant synergistic effect of plants extract against H. pylori infection and eventually gastric mucosal damage. Our finding could be considered a valuable support in the treatment of H. pylori induced gastritis and may contribute to the development of new and safe combined herbal product as anti-H. pylori regimens.

Formulation and Characterization of Quercetin-loaded Oil in Water Nanoemulsion and Evaluation of Hypocholesterolemic Activity in Rats.

Due to poor water solubility and high susceptibility to chemical degradation, the applications of quercetin have been limited. This study investigated the effects of pH on the formation of quercetin-loaded nanoemulsion (NQ) and compared the hypocholesterolemic activity between quercetin and NQ to utilize the quercetin as functional food ingredient. NQ particle size exhibited a range of 207⁻289 nm with polydispersity index range (<0.47). The encapsulation efficiency increased stepwise from 56 to 92% as the pH increased from 4.0 to 9.0. Good stability of NQ was achieved in the pH range of 6.5⁻9.0 during 3-month storage at 21 and 37 °C. NQ displayed higher efficacy in reducing serum and hepatic cholesterol levels and increasing the release of bile acid into feces in rats fed high-cholesterol diet, compared to quercetin alone. NQ upregulated hepatic gene expression involved in bile acid synthesis and cholesterol efflux, such as cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 1 (ABCG1). These results suggest at least partial involvement of hepatic bile acid synthesis and fecal cholesterol excretion in nanoemulsion quercetin-mediated beneficial effect on lipid abnormalities.

High Hydrostatic Pressure Extract of Ginger Exerts Antistress Effects in Immobilization-Stressed Rats.

Stress contributes to physiological changes such as weight loss and hormonal imbalances. The aim of the present study was to investigate antistress effects of high hydrostatic pressure extract of ginger (HPG) in immobilization-stressed rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 24) were divided into three groups as follows: control (C), immobilization stress (2 h daily, for 2 weeks) (S), and immobilization stress (2 h daily, for 2 weeks) plus oral administration of HPG (150 mg/kg body weight/day) (S+G). Immobilization stress reduced the body weight gain and thymus weight by 50.2% and 31.3%, respectively, compared to the control group. The levels of serum aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and corticosterone were significantly higher in the stress group, compared to the control group. Moreover, immobilization stress elevated the mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (Dbh), and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), which are related to catecholamine and corticosterone synthesis in the adrenal gland. HPG administration also increased the body weight gain and thymus weight by 12.7% and 16.6%, respectively, compared to the stress group. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of Th, Dbh, phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, and P450scc were elevated by the HPG treatment when compared to the stress group. These results suggest that HPG would have antistress effects partially via the reversal of stress-induced physiological changes and suppression of mRNA expression of genes related to corticosterone and catecholamine synthetic enzymes.

The Inhibitory Effect of Tartary Buckwheat Extracts on Adipogenesis and Inflammatory Response.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) has been established globally as a nutritionally important food item, particularly owing to high levels of bioactive compounds such as rutin. This study investigated the effect of tartary buckwheat extracts (TBEs) on adipogenesis and inflammatory response in 3T3-L1 cells. TBEs inhibited lipid accumulation, triglyceride content, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity during adipocyte differentiation of 3T3 L1 cells. The mRNA levels of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (CEBP-α), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and stearoylcoenzyme A desaturase-1 (SCD-1), were suppressed by TBEs. They also reduced the mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In addition, TBEs were decreased nitric oxide (NO) production. These results suggest that TBEs may inhibit adipogenesis and inflammatory response; therefore, they seem to be beneficial as a food ingredient to prevent obesity-associated inflammation.

Association between Abdominal Obesity and Lumbar Bone Mineral Density According to the Postmenopausal Period in Korean Women.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the association between abdominal obesity and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) according to the postmenopausal period of Korean women. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Among the 1,923 women enrolled, 1,138 were included in the study; 785 women were excluded based on conditions that might have affected their bone density. Subjects were divided into short postmenopausal period (SPP, 0-5 years after menopause) and long postmenopausal period (LPP, 6-10 years after menopause). The association between abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥85 cm) and lumbar BMD according to postmenopausal period in Korean women was assessed. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, exercise amount, alcohol consumption, skeletal muscle mass, and body fat mass, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis in the group with abdominal obesity compared to the group without abdominal obesity was 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16-0.88; P=0.023) in the SPP group. However, in the LPP and total groups, the adjusted ORs were not significant. The adjusted ORs for low bone mass showed no significance in the SPP, LPP, and total groups. CONCLUSION: In the SPP group, the risk of osteoporosis was lower in the group with abdominal obesity than in the group without abdominal obesity. However, in the LPP group, no significant difference was found. Therefore, the effect of abdominal obesity on lumbar BMD may be just for a short period after menopause (0-5 years).

Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Cyanidins in Black Raspberry as Candidates for Suppression of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Murine Macrophages.

The extracts produced by multisolvent extraction and subfractionation with preparative liquid chromatography of black raspberry (Rubus coreanus Miquel) cultivated in Gochang, South Korea, were tested for their anti-inflammatory effects. The metabolomic profiling and analysis by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OLPS-DA) suggested that cyanidin, cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), and cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R) were key components for the anti-inflammatory responses in the most active fraction BF3-1, where they were present at 0.44, 1.26, and 0.56 µg/mg of BF3-1, respectively. Both BF3-1 and mixture of these cyanidins at the same ratio reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced protein level of iNOS expression and suppressed mRNA and protein expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1ß through inhibiting the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and STAT3 in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Overall, the results suggested that co-administration of cyanidin, C3G, and C3R is more effective than that of cyanidin alone and that the coexistence of these anthocyanin components in black raspberry plays a vital role in regulating LPS-induced inflammation even at submicromolar concentrations, making it possible to explain the health beneficial activity of its extracts.

Ellagic acid identified through metabolomic analysis is an active metabolite in strawberry ('Seolhyang') regulating lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.

This study employed the metabolomic approach to identify the key constituent exerting anti-inflammatory activity in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Among the six different fractions (SF1-SF6) of the strawberry 'Seolhyang', SF4 showed more significant inhibition on iNOS expression than SF3, and ellagic acid was determined as the most significant different component between SF4 and SF3 using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Ellagic acid (0.3 and 1.0 µM) and SF4 (100 µg/mL) were found to regulate the same inflammatory mediators, inhibitory κB (IκB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which led to the reduction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and iNOS expressions. These results demonstrate that ellagic acid from strawberry 'Seolhyang' is the major component playing a crucial role in inflammation, suggesting the possible application of metabolomic analysis to determining the key ingredients having biological functions in the complicated food matrix.