A New Natural Antioxidant Biomaterial from Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira Leaves Represses Melanogenesis and Protects against DNA Damage.

Cinnamomoum osmophloeum Kanehira (COK) is an indigenous tree species in Taiwan. Chemical compositions, antioxidant activity, mushroom tyrosinase inhibition, melanin synthesis repression, and protection against DNA damage of hydrosol from the COK leaves by steam distillation were examined. We performed 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, metal ion chelating, reducing power, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays and determined the correlations between total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities. The findings showed that the anti-oxidative properties of COK hydrosol are closely correlated with their phenol contents. Additionally, the major constituents of hydrosol, i.e., cinnamaldehyde and benzaldehyde, had dose-dependent anti-tyrosinase effects against both monophenolase and diphenolase activities. GC-MS analysis revealed that the major bioactive components of hydrosol were trans-cinnamaldehyde (87.7%), benzaldehyde (7.0%), and cinnamyl acetate (5.3%). Moreover, we found that the hydrosol with the presence of benzaldehyde is more potent than pure cinnamaldehyde, and enhances the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of hydrosol. In kinetic analyses, Lineweaver-Burk plots and replots showed that COK hydrosol is a mixed-type inhibitor. Additionally, we found that very low doses of COK hydrosol repressed α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced synthesis of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, leading to decreased melanin synthesis in B16-F10 melanoma cells. These results demonstrated that production of hydrosol from COK leaves using steam distillation may provide a safe and efficacious source of skin-whitening agents for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications, with antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, anti-melanogenesis, and DNA protective activities.

Effects of vinegar-egg on growth inhibition, differentiation human leukemic U937 cells and its immunomodulatory activity.

Vinegar and eggs have rich nutrients. In this study, the mixed form of both derived products, vinegar-egg solution and its products (vinegar-egg concentrate and vinegar-egg condensate) were chosen for an assessment of their biological activity. To further our understanding regarding the anticancer and immunomodulatory effects of vinegar-egg, we investigated its effects on the proliferation and differentiation of U937 cells. Vinegar-egg was treated using spray drying, freeze drying and vacuum concentration and used to stimulate human mononuclear cells. The conditioned media obtained from these cultures by filtration were used to treat U937 cells. Three conditioned media inhibited U937 cell growth by 22.1-67.25% more effectively than PHA-treated control (22.53%). CD11b and CD14 expression on the treated U937 cells were 29.1-45.4% and 31.6-47.2%, respectively. High levels of cytokines IL-1ß, IFN-γ and TNF-α were detected in the three conditioned media. Vinegar-egg stimulates human mononuclear cells to secrete cytokines, which inhibit the growth of U937 cells and induce their differentiation.

Bovine Colostrum Whey Protein Hydrolysate Inhibits Cell DNA Damage and LDL Oxidation In Vitro.

Whey protein isolated from bovine colostrums collected on the second day postpartum was two-stage hydrolyzed by alcalase and flavourzyme [...].

The Inhibition Effect of Cell DNA Oxidative Damage and LDL Oxidation by Bovine Colostrums.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of bovine colostrums on inhibition of DNA oxidative damage and low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation in vitro. Results showed that whey and skimmed milk exhibited not only higher inhibitory activities of oxidative damage of deoxyribose but also an inhibitory effect on the breakdown of supercoiled DNA into open circular DNA and linear DNA. The quantities of 8-OH-2'-dG formed under whey, caseins and skimmed milk treatment were 0.24, 0.24 and 1.24 µg/mL, respectively. The quantity of malondialdehyde formed through LDL oxidation induced by copprous ion was significantly decreased as colostrums protein solutions were added, in which whey and caseins led to a more significant decrease than skimmed milk. The formation of conjugated dienes could be inhibited by treatment with colostrums protein solutions. Whey exhibited the longest lag time of conjugated dienes formation among the colostrums proteins. The lag time of the whey was 2.33 times that of the control. From the results of foregoing, the bovine colostrums protein has potential value in the inhibition of DNA oxidation damage and LDL oxidation.

Effect of different germination conditions on antioxidative properties and bioactive compounds of germinated brown rice.

This study investigates antioxidative activity and bioactive compounds of ungerminated brown rice (UBR) and germinated brown rice (GBR). We used two rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.), Taiwan Japonica 9 (TJ-9) and Taichung Indica 10 (TCI-10), as the materials in our experiments. The conditions for inducing germination are soaking time in water 24, 48, or 72 h; temperature 26 or 36°C; incubation in light or darkness; and open or closed vessels, in which the antioxidative activities and bioactive compounds of GBR were determined. We found that, in order to maximize antioxidative activity and bioactive compounds, germination should be under higher temperature (36°C), long soaking time (72 h), darkness, and closed vessel. GBR contains much higher levels of antioxidative activity and bioactive compounds than ungerminated brown rice (UBR). We found a strong correlation between antioxidative activities (DPPH radical scavenging ability, reducing power, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) and bioactive compounds (γ-oryzanols, tocopherol, and tocotrienol). Higher temperature (36°C) is also conducive to the production of GABA in GBR. These results are considered very useful research references for the development of future functional foods and additives.

Improvement of strain discrimination by combination of superantigen profiles, PFGE, and RAPD for Staphylococcus aureus isolates from clinical samples and food-poisoning cases.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major bacterial species that may cause clinical infection and food-poisoning cases. Strains of this bacterial species may produce a series of superantigens (SAgs) (i.e., staphylococcal enterotoxins [SEs], staphylococcal enterotoxin-like toxins, and toxic shock syndrome toxin). In this study, S. aureus strains from clinical samples and food-poisoning cases in Taiwan were collected; their SAg profiles, and SmaI digestion patterns determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), were then analyzed. Results showed that their SAg gene profiles and SmaI digestion patterns of chromosomal DNA were highly diverse. Although PFGE has been used as a criterion standard for typing of S. aureus strains, and the SAg profiles have been used in combination with PFGE for typing of S. aureus strains, we found that strains grouped in these combined patterns could be further discriminated by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method. Thus, the combined use of SAg profiles, PFGE, and RAPD patterns permits high discrimination for typing of S. aureus strains from not only the clinical samples but also the food-poisoning cases. Such a combined method may be used as a highly accurate approach for epidemiological study and tracing of the contamination origin of staphylococcal infections either in hospitals or food-poisoning cases.

Effects of Lycium barbarum extract on production and immunomodulatory activity of the extracellular polysaccharopeptides from submerged fermentation culture of Coriolus versicolor.

Polysaccharopeptides (PSPs) from Coriolus versicolor have been used as immunomodulatory and anticancer agents. However, most studies have concentrated on the mycelial PSPs and not those in the fermented broth. On the other hand, Lycium barbarum fruit has been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for two millennia. Its extract contains various nutrients, minerals, and also polysaccharide-protein complexes, which are proven to be bioactive. Herein we report the effects of L. barbarum fruit extract on the mycelial growth and extracellular PSP (ePSP) production of C. versicolor LH1 by using a submerged fermentation process in 20l fermenters. Fermentation production of C. versicolor biomass and its ePSP were augmented in the presence of L. barbarum extract. The ePSP such obtained differs from those obtained with normal culture medium in terms of simple sugar composition and protein content but shows similar overall chemical structures as analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the ePSP from C. versicolor cultured with supplementary L. barbarum extract exhibits significant immunomodulatory activity as judged by its effects on the production of nitric oxide and several cytokines by murine RAW264.7 macrophages.