Oxidative stress, caused by the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), results in cellular damage. Therefore, functional materials with antioxidant properties are necessary to maintain redox balance. Turmeric leaves (Curcuma longa L. leaves; TL) are known to have antioxidant properties, including 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-Azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) radical scavenging activity in several studies. The antioxidant effects of TL come from distinct bioactive compounds, such as curcumin, total phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. Therefore, in this study, the antioxidant effects of a water extract of TL (TLE) against H₂O₂ treatment were assessed in vitro Vero cells and in vivo zebrafish models. The intracellular ROS generation and the proportion of sub-G1 phase cells were evaluated in H₂O₂- or/and TLE-treated Vero cells to measure the antioxidant activity of TLE. TLE showed outstanding intracellular ROS scavenging activity and significantly decreased the proportion of cells in the sub-G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, cell death, ROS generation, and lipid peroxidation in the H₂O₂-treated zebrafish model were attenuated as a consequence of TLE treatment. Collectively, the results from this study suggested that TLE may be an alternative material to relieve ROS generation through its antioxidant properties or a suitable material for the application in a functional food industry.

Obesity is a serious metabolic syndrome characterized by high levels of cholesterol, lipids in the blood, and intracellular fat accumulation in adipose tissues. It is known that the suppression of adipogenic protein expression is an effective approach for the treatment of obesity, and regulates fatty acid storage and transportation in adipose tissues. The 60% ethanol extract of Grateloupia elliptica (GEE), a red seaweed from Jeju Island in Korea, was shown to exert anti-adipogenic activity in 3T3-L1 cells and in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. GEE inhibited intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells, and significantly reduced expression of adipogenic proteins. In vivo experiments indicated a significant reduction in body weight, as well as white adipose tissue (WAT) weight, including fatty liver, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and leptin contents. The expression of the adipogenic proteins, SREBP-1 and PPAR-γ, was significantly decreased by GEE, and the expression of the metabolic regulator protein was increased in WAT. The potential of GEE was shown in WAT, with the downregulation of PPAR-γ and C/EBP-α mRNA; in contrast, in brown adipose tissue (BAT), the thermogenic proteins were increased. Collectively, these research findings suggest the potential of GEE as an effective candidate for the treatment of obesity-related issues via functional foods or pharmaceutical agents.

Fucosterol is a phytosterol that is abundant in marine brown algae and is a renowned secondary metabolite. However, its ability to protect macrophages against particulate matter (PM) has not been clarified with regard to inflammation; thus, this study aimed to illustrate the above. Padina boryana, a brown algae that is widespread in Indo–Pacific waters, was applied in the isolation of fucosterol. Isolation was conducted using silica open columns, while identification was assisted with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and NMR. Elevated levels of PM led the research objectives toward the implementation of it as a stimulant. Both inflammation and oxidative stress were caused due the fact of its effect. RAW 264.7 macrophages were used as a model system to evaluate the process. It was apparent that the increased NO production levels, due to the PM, were mediated through the inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), including prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂)). Further, investigations provided solid evidence regarding the involvement of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the process. Oxidative stress/inflammation which are inseparable components of the cellular homeostasis were intersected through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Conclusively, fucosterol is a potent protector against PM-induced inflammation in macrophages and hence be utilized as natural product secondary metabolite in a sustainable manner.

In this study, we investigated the effects of various defatting methods, including organic solvent (aqueous, acetone, ethanol, and hexane) extraction and physical (cold pressure) extraction, on the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties of proteins extracted from Hermetia illucens larvae. The total essential amino acid contents were higher with cold pressure protein extraction than other treatments. The surface hydrophobicity with cold pressure treatment was the lowest, and there were no significant differences among the other treatments. The protein solubility after defatting with organic solvent was higher than for other treatments. The nonreduced protein band at 50 kDa of the defatted protein prepared using organic solvent was fainter than in the cold pressure treatment. The cold pressure-defatted protein showed the highest emulsifying capacity, and the water extracted protein showed the lowest emulsifying capacity. Although organic solvents may be efficient for defatting proteins extracted from insects, organic solvents have detrimental effects on the human body. In addition, the organic solvent extraction method requires a considerable amount of time for lipid extraction. Based on our results, using cold pressure protein extraction on edible insect proteins is ecofriendly and economical due to the reduced degreasing time and its potential industrial applications.

Fucoidans are sulfate-rich polysaccharides with a wide variety of beneficial biological activities. The present study aimed to highlight the anti-inflammatory activity of fucoidan from the brown seaweed Sargassum autumnale (SA) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Among the isolated fucoidan fractions, the third fraction (SAF3) showed a superior protective effect on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. SAF3 inhibits nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of prostaglandin E-2 (PGE2) via downregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) expression in LPS-induced RAW 26.7 cells. SAF3 treatment decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression in LPS-induced cells. LPS stimulation activated NF-κB and MAPK signaling cascades in RAW 264.7 cells, while treatment with SAF3 suppressed them in a concentration-dependent manner. Existing outcomes confirm that SAF3 from S. autumnale possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity and exhibits good potential for application as a functional food ingredient or for the treatment of inflammation-related disorders.