Salicornia Extract Ameliorates Salt‐Induced Aggravation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Mice Fed a High‐Fat Diet

High‐fat and high‐salt intakes are among the major risks of chronic diseases including obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Salicornia is a halophytic plant known to exert antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic effects, and Salicornia‐extracted salt (SS) has been used as a salt substitute. In this study, the effects of SS and purified salt (PS) on the aggravation of NAFLD/NASH were compared. C57BL/6J male mice (8‐wk‐old) were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 6 mo and divided into 3 dietary groups, which were additionally fed HFD, HFD + SS, and HFD + PS for 13 wk. PS induced aggravation of NAFLD/NASH in HFD‐fed mice. Although the actual salt intake was same between the PS and SS groups as 1% of the diet (extrapolated from the World Health Organization [WHO] guideline), SS induced less liver injury and hepatic steatosis compared to PS. The hepatic mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis marker were significantly lower in the SS group than the PS group. Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of inflammation in NAFLD/NASH. Results of the component analysis showed that the major polyphenols that exhibited antioxidant activity in the Salicornia water extract were ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and isorhamnetin. These results suggest that even the level of salt intake recommended by WHO can accelerate the progression of liver disease in obese individuals consuming HFD. It is proposed that SS can be a salt substitute for obese individuals who consume HFD.     

Rosemary Extract‐Mediated Lifespan Extension and Attenuated Oxidative Damage in Drosophila melanogaster Fed on High‐Fat Diet

Rosemary extract has a potent antioxidant activity and is widely used in the food industry. In this study, the lifespan prolonging and antioxidant activity of rosemary extract was evaluated by high‐fat‐induced oxidative damage in Drosophila melanogaster. The results revealed that the lifespan and climbing ability of fruit flies was enhanced significantly by feeding rosemary extract. Furthermore, feeding with rosemary extract significantly increased the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and significantly decreased the level of malonaldehyde. The gene expression of SOD, CAT, and nuclear factor erythroid‐2 related factor 2 was enhanced and that for methuselah was significantly reduced. The comet assay showed that high‐fat diet‐induced DNA lesion was significantly reduced in larvae treated with the rosemary extract. Our results suggest that feeding with rosemary extract is effective to the extended lifespan in fruit flies by strengthening of the resistance to high‐fat‐induced oxidative stress and by stimulating, at least in part, the endogenous antioxidant response.     

Resveratrol Preserves Mitochondrial Function,Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis,and Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Regulatory T Cells of Mice Fed a High‐Fat Diet

Consumption of high‐fat diet (HFD) is related with increased oxidative stress and dysfunctional mitochondria in many organs. The effects of resveratrol (trans‐3,5,4′‐trihydroxystilbene) that can protect T lymphocytes in various disease conditions on the HFD‐induced apoptosis of CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^low/? regulatory T cells (Tregs) were studied, and the possible mechanism was postulated. Resveratrol significantly decreased Tregs death induced by 20‐wk HFD, being associated with the reduction of reactive oxygen species production and the alleviation of HFD‐induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in Tregs. Furthermore, resveratrol increased the expression of factors that regulated mitochondrial biogenesis in Tregs. Finally, resveratrol recovered the HFD‐induced activation of apoptotic markers in Tregs. Resveratrol protected Tregs against HFD‐induced apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress, restoring mitochondrial functional activities, and stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Effects of the Polysaccharide from the Sporophyll of Brown Alga Undaria Pinnatifida on Serum Lipid Profile and Fat Tissue Accumulation in Rats Fed a High‐Fat Diet

We investigated the effects of the polysaccharide from the sporophyll of a selected brown alga Undaria pinnatifida on serum lipid profile, fat tissue accumulation, and gastrointestinal transit time in rats fed a high‐fat diet. The algal polysaccharide (AP) was prepared by the treatment of multiple cellulase‐producing fungi Trichoderma reesei and obtained from the sporophyll with a yield of 38.7% (dry basis). The AP was mostly composed of alginate and fucoidan (up to 89%) in a ratio of 3.75:1. The AP was added to the high‐fat diet in concentrations of 0.6% and 1.7% and was given to male Sprague–Dawley rats (5‐wk‐old) for 5 wk. The 1.7% AP addition notably reduced body weight gain and fat tissue accumulation, and it improved the serum lipid profile, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, and very low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol. The effects were associated with increased feces weight and shortened gastrointestinal transit time. In addition, the lipid peroxidation of the liver was decreased in both groups.     

Effects of Myricetin‐Containing Ethanol Solution on High‐Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

Myricetin is a natural flavonol widely occurring in wines. Many beneficial effects of myricetin in alcoholic beverages have been reported before, but never including anti‐obesity. In the present study, we fed obese male Sprague–Dawley rats with ethanol solutions containing various concentrations of myricetin and found that myricetin may maintain the food intake while reduce the weight‐gain, feed efficiency, level of blood lipids, adipocyte size, and weight and size of the perirenal and epididymal adipose tissues (P < 0.01). Our experiment data also show that the anti‐obesity effect may be associated with the upregulation of adropin and β‐endorphin levels. Based on the above‐described findings, we propose the potential for myricetin‐containing alcoholic beverages to be developed into anti‐obesity health food.     

The Effect of Non‐Gluten Proteins on the Staling of Bread

As part of our studies on the mechanisms of bread staling, starch bread was used as a research tool that enables us to gain insights into the individual contributions that starch and gluten have on staling. Reconstitution experiments have demonstrated that bread of equivalent specific loaf volume stales at the same rate irrespective of protein concentration, or type of protein. However, other properties of bread, such as specific loaf volume, may be altered by specifically changing the protein component in the flour.