The aim of the current study was to examine the antidiabetic effect of noodle containing fermented lettuce extract (FLE) on diabetic mice as a pre-clinical study. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, antioxidant capacity, and total polyphenol content of the FLE noodles were analyzed and compared with those of standard noodles. In addition, oral glucose and sucrose tolerance, and fasting blood glucose tests were performed using a high-fat diet/streptozotocin-mediated diabetic mouse model. Serum metabolite profiling of mice feed standard or FLE noodles was performed using gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOF-MS) to understand the mechanism changes induced by the FLE noodles. The GABA content, total polyphenols, and antioxidant activity were high in FLE noodles compared with those in the standard noodles. In vivo experiments also showed that mice fed FLE noodles had lower blood glucose levels and insulin resistance than those fed standard noodles. Moreover, glycolysis, purine metabolism, and amino acid metabolism were altered by FLE as determined by GC–TOF-MS-based metabolomics. These results demonstrate that FLE noodles possess significant antidiabetic activity, suggesting the applicability of fermented lettuce extract as a potential food additive for diabetic food products.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of fermented cabbage extract (FC) containing nitric oxide metabolites with silica (FCS) on 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) in BALB/c mice. Atopic dermatitis-like allergic contact dermatitis was induced by DNFB challenge in the ear after DNFB sensitization on the dorsal skin of mice. FCS alleviated the severity of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions. In addition, epidermis thickness of the ear and penetration of inflammatory cells in atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions were decreased after topical application of FCS. The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-4 were measured in atopic dermatitis mice using ELISA kits, which were observed to be significantly decreased after topical application of FCS. This study demonstrates that the FCS can be used as a potential therapeutic for the treatment and prevention of AD.

This study investigated the gastroprotective effects of Salvia plebeia extract (SPE) against acute gastric mucosal injury induced by 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol in rats and explored its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. SPE exhibited strong in vitro antioxidant activity, with DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of 86.2 ± 2.4% and 89.1 ± 1.9%, respectively, along with a high total polyphenol content (96.4 ± 3.1 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract). In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, SPE attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory signaling, as evidenced by reduced TLR4 and JNK expression and restoration of IκBα levels. In vivo, oral administration of SPE (100 or 300 mg/kg) 1 h prior to HCl/ethanol challenge significantly reduced gastric lesion area and improved histopathological damage compared with the HCl/ethanol-treated control group. SPE also increased gastric pH, reduced gastric juice volume, decreased serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6, and downregulated gastric mucosal mRNA expression of Nos2 and Ptgs2. Immunohistochemical analysis further showed that SPE attenuated NF-κB p65 immunoreactivity in gastric tissues. Collectively, these findings suggest that SPE exerts gastroprotective effects through antioxidant activity and suppression of inflammatory responses associated with the MAPK/NF-κB pathway in acute HCl/ethanol-induced gastric injury.

이윤성, et al. J Nutr Health. 2024 Aug;57(4):389-402. https://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2024.57.4.389

Objectives: Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. (C. gladiata) has been used in traditional medicine to treat suppurative inflammatory conditions. Its antibacterial activity against oral pathogens and potential use as a non-alcoholic mouthwash have also been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the biological activity of Con A from C. gladiata, evaluate nitric oxide (NO) production induced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans), and as-sess its potential association with periodontal inflammation. Methods: In this study, a 0.5 M NaCl extract of C. gladiata (CGE_Na) was prepared, and its protein content was quantified. The Concanavalin A equivalent (Con Aeq.) of CGE_Na was determined via a hemagglutination assay, and its effect on NO production was evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS-A.a.) derived from A. actinomycetemcomitans. LPS was extracted from six A. actinomycetemcomitans strains and used to induce inflammatory activation. Result: CGE_Na treatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production at concentrations below 6.25 μg/mL without cytotoxic effects, suggesting an anti-inflammatory potential associated with lectin-like components. Conclusions: These results suggest that C. gladiata extract suppresses LPS-A.a.-mediated macrophage activation. Further studies are required to determine whether Con A specifically mediates this response and to evaluate its therapeutic relevance in the context of periodontal inflammation.

Background/Objectives: Psychological stress is a main factor in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and contributes to changes in gastrointestinal motility and inflammatory responses. We investigated the effects of three probiotic strains, Lactobacillus brevis N1, L. brevis N2, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens S1, isolated from Korean fermented foods, on stress-induced colonic hypermotility and inflammatory signaling in a rat model. Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control (sham), Stress (water avoidance stress, WAS), Treatment A (WAS + L. brevis N1), Treatment B (WAS + L. brevis N2), and Treatment C (WAS + B. amyloliquefaciens S1) (n = 6 per group). Rats were exposed to WAS for 1 h daily for nine consecutive days. Furthermore, before stress exposure, probiotics were administered by oral gavage. The fecal pellet output (FPO), body weight, and food intake were recorded daily. Colon tissues were harvested for protein extraction, and inflammatory signaling was evaluated by Western blotting for NF-κB and IκBα, with β-actin as loading control. Immunoreactive bands were visualized by enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) and quantified using ImageJ software version 1.54k. Results: The WAS group showed significantly higher FPO than the sham group (p < 0.01). FPO was significantly decreased in rats treated with L. brevis N2 compared to that in the WAS-only group (p < 0.05). Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that NF-κB expression was suppressed in all the probiotic groups. Conclusions: Therefore, probiotics are suggested to have elevated anti-inflammatory effects through the downregulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by restoring IκBα expression and can be utilized as potential therapeutics for stress-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction.