Anti-diabetic potential of a Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai extract in L6 skeletal muscle cells

The anti-diabetic potential of a Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai extract (SQE) in L6 muscle cells was evaluated. The SQE stimulated glucose uptake via the AMP-activated protein kinase-activating pathway, but not via the insulinstimulating pathway. The SQE increased the expression of fatty acid translocase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, and induced phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The SQE attenuated oleic acid-induced intracellular triglyceride contents by decreasing the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and fatty acid synthase. These results indicate that the SQE probably has an anti-diabetic potential by enhancing glucose uptake and reducing triglyceride content in L6 skeletal muscle cells.     

Quality characteristics of fermented sausage prepared with soy sauce

Food Science and Biotechnology - The contributions of soy sauce to the quality characteristics of fermented sausages were investigated. The number of lactic acid bacteria in sausages prepared with...     

Anti-inflammatory effect of the immature peel extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jinkyool</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus sunki</Emphasis> Hort. ex Tanaka)

The peel of jinkyool (Citrus sunki Hort. ex Tanaka) has been widely used in traditional Asian medicine for treatment of a number of diseases, including indigestion and bronchial asthma. In the present study, we compared the flavonoids content and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanolic peel extracts from both immature and mature fruits. Comparing to the mature peel extract (MPE), the immature peel extract (IPE) contained more abundant flavonoids. IPE more effectively suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (IPE, 67.6±1.2%; MPE, 78.9±2.4% at 300 μg/mL of control), nitric oxide (NO) production, and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression, as well as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, IPE reduced c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated kinase (p38) activation, suggesting that IPE may exert an anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines that suppress activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Taken together, these results indicate that IPE has potential for use as an anti-inflammatory agent.     

A GC-MS based metabolic profiling of fermented sausage supplemented with pineapple

Food Science and Biotechnology - A GC-MS based metabolomic study was performed to understand metabolic changes during sausage fermentation and to investigate how the incorporation of pineapple...