Background: Fatigue is one of the major health conditions induced by excessive stress or abnormal immune function or defective antioxidant systems. Placental extract has been reported to have various effects such as immune modulation and cellular regeneration. Fermented porcine placenta (FPP) is a safe nontoxic material, which is highly valuable as a functional food. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-fatigue effects of FPP supplementation compared with a placebo product. Methods: In this double-blind, parallel, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial 84 healthy males and females, aged between 30 and 60 years were randomized to 320 mg of FPP once daily or placebo. The main outcome measures included efficacy of fatigue-inducing treadmill exercise on physical fatigue and fatigue-related parameters based on the questionnaire administered. Results: The IL-1β mRNA expression and fatigue severity scale were changed significantly after 8 weeks of treatment with fermented porcine placenta compared with placebo (p < 0.05). Cortisol levels were significantly improved in participants younger than 45 years following treatment with FPP compared with placebo. Furthermore, the lactate and myoglobin levels were improved significantly in participants with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m² (p = 0.045 and p = 0.011, respectively) following treatment with FPP versus placebo. Conclusions: Our study showed that FPP supplementation significantly ameliorated fatigue-related parameters and subjective symptoms in healthy adults. Therefore, our results indicate that FPP supplementation induced anti-fatigue effect by regulating the inflammatory response.

Skin aging is primarily driven by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell cycle dysregulation. This study investigated the anti-senescence effects of fermented porcine placenta (FPP) and its dipeptides, leucine–glycine (LG) and proline–hydroxyproline (PH), in human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs), using nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) as a reference for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺)-related pathways. FPP suppressed senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity and Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (p16) expression while enhancing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)–peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) signaling. LG and PH exhibited distinct actions: LG improved redox balance by increasing the NAD⁺/NADH ratio and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) activity, whereas PH modulated cell cycle regulators and upregulated sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression. Although both peptides contributed to FPP’s effects, their combination did not fully replicate its overall activity, suggesting synergistic roles of multiple bioactive constituents. These findings highlight FPP as a multifactorial modulator of keratinocyte senescence, acting via mitochondrial and redox-related mechanisms.

Child growth is affected by genetics, nutrition, physical activity, and environmental factors. Despite the improvements in average height among Korean children due to better socioeconomic and nutritional status, safe and effective growth-promoting interventions are still needed for children with mild short stature. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of fermented oyster extract (FGO) supplementation in children aged 6 to 9 yrs with heights between the third and 25th percentiles for age and gender. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, subjects received FGO (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40) once daily (500 mg/day) for 24 weeks. This study evaluated the height growth, bone age (BA), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD) for the efficacy of FGO and sex hormones, including estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone, for its safety. Finally, 66 children (33 each in the FGO and placebo group) completed the study. No significant baseline differences existed between the 2 groups. After 24 weeks, the FGO group showed significant improvements in height, height SD score, and height velocity (all P < 0.001). BA and BA delay improved significantly in the FGO group (P = 0.024 and P = 0.035). The FGO group showed significantly greater changes in the IGF-1 and urine DPD levels (P = 0.010 and 0.001, respectively). The GH and IGFBP-3 concentrations increased in the FGO group, but the difference between the two groups was not significant. No serious adverse events or increase in sex hormones were observed after FGO supplementation, assuring its safety. FGO may be a safe and effective health supplement ingredient for height growth in children, irrespective of gender. Future studies will need to evaluate the long-term effects of FGO and its applicability across various populations.