Effect on Chemical and Physical Properties of Soil Each Peat Moss, Elemental Sulfur, and Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria.

Peat moss is an organic substance corroded by sphagnum moss and has a pH of 3.0-4.0. Elemental sulfur is sulfated and oxidized by the action of bacteria to become sulfuric acid. These biological factors can alter the soil environment. Blueberries require soil with a pH of 4.5-5.2 and high organic matter content. In this experiment, we investigated whether different treatment rates of peat moss, elemental sulfur, and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria affect changes in soil pH, physicochemical properties, and electrical conductivity. We detected strong changes in soil pH as a reaction to the supply of peat moss, elemental sulfur, and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The pH of the soil when peat moss and elemental sulfur each were supplied was reduced. In addition, the pH decreased faster when elemental sulfur and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were supplied together than elemental sulfur alone, satisfying an acidic soil environment suitable for blueberry cultivation. In this experiment, it is shown that peat moss, elemental sulfur, and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are suitable for lowering soil pH. It was demonstrated that when elemental sulfur and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were treated together, the pH decreased faster than when treated with peat moss. It could be economically beneficial to farmers to use elemental sulfur and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, which are cheaper than peat moss, to reduce the pH of the soil.

Changes in Bone Metabolism and Antioxidant Defense Systems in Menopause-Induced Rats Fed Bran Extract from Dark Purple Rice (Oryza sativa L. Cv. Superjami).

Menopause is a matter of concern for women's health due to a deficiency of female hormones; additionally, reactive oxygen species and aging can cause osteoporosis. Food becomes increasingly interesting as a menopausal woman's alternative to hormone therapy. The effects of ethanol extracts from dark purple Superjami rice bran on bone metabolism and antioxidant defense systems in menopause-induced animal models were evaluated. Female rats underwent sham surgery or were ovariectomized to induce a menopause-like state. Rats were divided into a sham control group (SHAM), an ovariectomized control group (OVX), and an ovariectomized grou supplemented with Superjami rice bran extract group (OVX-S) and fed for 8 weeks. The OVX groups exhibited significantly more weight gain, amounts of bone turnover biochemical markers (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and C-terminal telopeptide), bone loss, lipid-peroxidation and oxidative stress than the SHAM group. However, Superjami bran extract added to the diet resulted in a significant reduction in body weight and lipid peroxidation, as well as enhanced bone metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activities, in ovariectomized rats. These results propound that extracts from Superjami rice bran have therapeutic potentiality against bone loss and oxidative stress in menopause-induced states and will be useful in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis and oxidative damage.

In Vitro and in Vivo Anti-Hyperglycemic Activities of Taxifolin and Its Derivatives Isolated from Pigmented Rice (Oryzae sativa L. cv. Superhongmi).

Superhongmi is a new rice variety, which was developed for the enrichment of bioactive compounds through cross-breeding three varieties of rice breeds in Korea. The high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector quadrupole and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/PDA/QTOF-MS) analysis has revealed that superhongmi bran extract contained four taxifolin derivatives as well as cyanidin 3-glucoside. The high-performance countercurrent chromatography (CCC) and reversed-phase HPLC led to the isolation of aforementioned five compounds, and spectroscopic analysis identified cyanidin 3-glucoside (1), along with (2R,3R)-taxifolin 3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (2), (2R,3R)-4'-O-methyltaxifolin 3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (a novel compound) (3), (2R,3R)-taxifolin (4), and (2R,3R)-4'-O-methyltaxifolin (5). Compound 2 had the highest rat small intestinal sucrase inhibitory activity (0.54 mM) relevant for potentially managing postprandial hyperglycemia, followed by compound 1 (0.97 mM) and compound 4 (1.74 mM, IC50). The anti-hyperglycemic effect of compound 4 (taxifolin), a main peak in HPLC analysis was investigated using a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model. Compared to a control, taxifolin treatment (p < 0.001) reduced significantly after sucrose loading the observed postprandial blood glucose and the maximum blood glucose (Cmax) by 15% (203.60 ± 15.86 to 172.30 ± 12.74). These results indicate that taxifolin derivatives that inhibit the activity of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes resulting in reduced dietary carbohydrate absorption can potentially be used as a strategy to manage diabetes.

Germinated Pigmented Rice (Oryza Sativa L. cv. Superhongmi) Improves Glucose and Bone Metabolisms in Ovariectomized Rats.

The effect of germinated Superhongmi, a reddish brown pigmented rice cultivar, on the glucose profile and bone turnover in the postmenopausal-like model of ovariectomized rats was determined. The ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three dietary groups (n = 10): normal control diet (NC) and normal diet supplemented with non-germinated Superhongmi (SH) or germinated Superhongmi (GSH) rice powder. After eight weeks, the SH and GSH groups showed significantly lower body weight, glucose and insulin concentrations, levels of bone resorption markers and higher glycogen and 17-ß-estradiol contents than the NC group. The glucose metabolism improved through modulation of adipokine production and glucose-regulating enzyme activities. The GSH rats exhibited a greater hypoglycemic effect and lower bone resorption than SH rats. These results demonstrate that germinated Superhongmi rice may potentially be useful in the prevention and management of postmenopausal hyperglycemia and bone turnover imbalance.

Anti-inflammatory effects of black rice, cyanidin-3-O-beta-D-glycoside, and its metabolites, cyanidin and protocatechuic acid.

The anti-inflammatory effects of cyanidin-3-O-beta-D-glycoside (C3G), a major constituent of black rice (BR), and its metabolites, cyanidin and protocatechuic acid (PA), were assessed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells and carrageenan-induced inflammation in air pouches in BALB/c mice. BR, C3G and its metabolites suppressed the production of the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta, and the inflammatory mediators, NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), as well as the gene expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in RAW 264.7 cells. These agents also inhibited the phosphorylation of I kappaB-alpha, the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Furthermore, these agents significantly inhibited the leukocyte number and the levels of TNF-alpha, PGE2, and protein in the exudates of the air pouch in carrageenan-treated mice, as well as COX-2 expression and NF-kappaB activation. Among the test agents, PA most potently inhibited these inflammatory mediators in vivo and in vitro. Based on these findings, if BR is orally administered, its main constituent, C3G, may be metabolized to cyanidin and/or PA, which express potent anti-inflammatory effects by regulating NF-kappaB and MAPK activation.

A new 2-arylbenzofuran with antioxidant activity from the black colored rice (Oryza sativa L.) bran.

From the black colored rice bran of Oryza sativa cv. Heugjinjubyeo, a new 2-arylbenzofuran, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-4,6-dihydroxybenzofuran-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester, oryzafuran (1), was isolated. Its structure has been elucidated on the basis of spectral data. This compound showed strong antioxidative activity in a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay.