This combination of polysaccharide-rich fermented black rice bran and green tea extract prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet, with favorable effects on glucose tolerance and plasma lipids, and may also have health benefits for humans.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by epidermal barrier dysfunction and dysregulated immune responses, particularly an imbalance between T helper type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2) cytokines. Natural products with immunomodulatory activity have attracted increasing attention as potential strategies for regulating allergic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of bioprocessed black rice bran (BRB-F) and bioprocessed balloon flower root (BFR-F). In vitro assays using human B cells, mast cells, and keratinocytes were conducted to evaluate IgE production, mast cell degranulation, and epithelial inflammatory mediator release. The efficacy of the BRB-F:BFR-F mixture was further evaluated in BALB/c mice with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)/Dermatophagoides farinae extract (DFE)-induced AD-like dermatitis. BRB-F and BFR-F suppressed IgE production, attenuated mast cell degranulation and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) release, and reduced keratinocyte-derived inflammatory mediators (thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), and IL-6). In mice, dietary supplementation with the BRB-F:BFR-F mixture (10–80 mg/kg/day) dose-dependently improved clinical skin lesions and histopathological changes, with serum IgE reduced by up to 87.1% at the highest dose. The treatment significantly suppressed Th2 cytokine mRNA expression in ear tissue (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) by 37.2%, 32.7%, and 34.0%, respectively, compared with the positive control. In contrast, splenic Th1 cytokine mRNA expression (IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-γ) was partially restored by 37.1%, 22.5%, and 18.7%, respectively. These findings indicate that BRB-F and BFR-F modulate multiple immune pathways and help restore Th1/Th2 immune balance, suggesting their potential as functional materials for regulating immune dysregulation associated with AD.

Kyung Hee Lee, Woon Sang Hwang, Wha Young Lee, Jeanman Kim, Sang Jong Lee, and Sung Phil Kim. Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition 2024;53:886-97. https://doi.org/10.3746/jkfn.2024.53.9.886