ABSTRACT
Perilla frutescens is a medicinal herb that is commonly cultivated in Asian countries. Perilla seed is extensively pressed for cooking oil extraction. However, phenolic chemicals are still abundant in pressed perilla seed meal (PSM), which was previously thought to be useless after oil extraction. In our study, PSM was extracted using five solvents (water and 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% ethanol) based on different ethanol concentrations, and its antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, and inhibitory effects against key enzymes related to diabetes mellitus were evaluated. The 75% ethanol extract had higher phenolic (105.58 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoid (66.52 mg QE/g DW) contents and showed better antioxidant and inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Analysis of the phenolic compounds of the five extracts by HPLC indicated the presence of apigenin, rosmarinic acid, benzoic acid, caffeic acid, and vanillic acid. Therefore, because of its high antioxidant activity and inhibitory capacity against enzymes relevant to diabetes, the 75% ethanol extract of perilla seed meal has the most potential to be used as a functional or nutraceutical food in the prevention and treatment of oxidation and diabetes.
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of the aging period on the black elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) manufacturing process. Black elephant garlic is a processed elephant garlic product prepared by high-temperature and high-humidity treatment for 40 days. The proximate composition (moisture, crude lipid, crude protein, carbohydrate, and ash), minerals, color values, reducing sugars, pH, total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of elephant garlic and black elephant garlic were evaluated. The browning intensity of elephant garlic increased with the aging period, but the browning reaction terminated after aging for 30 days, exhibiting the same browning level. Reducing sugars increased over the aging period until 20 days, and then decreased with the aging period, in contrast to the pH, which decreased from 6.47 to 3.68 over the aging period. Antioxidant components, including the total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents of black elephant garlic, increased significantly until day 30 of aging. From the metabolite profiles determined through GC/MS analysis, it was confirmed that primary metabolites related to antioxidant components, such as lactic acid and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furoic acid, were generated during the aging process of elephant garlic.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although controversial, probiotics and dietary fiber are commonly used for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We evaluated the effects of multistrain probiotics on the symptoms of IBS to determine whether the addition of dietary fi ber had an additive effect on constipation-predominant IBS. METHODS: A total of 142 participants who met the Rome III criteria were recruited and randomized into a control group or a test group. Participants in the control group received multistrain probiotic fermented milk with Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis; the participants in the test group received the same probiotic fermented milk mixed with dietary fi ber such as sea tangle extracts, radish extracts and glasswort extracts. The patients were treated for four weeks. RESULTS: Most of the symptoms of IBS, with the exception of fl atulence, stool consistency, and frequency of defecation, signifi cantly improved in both groups. In the analysis of IBS subtypes, especially constipation-predominant IBS, the frequency and duration of defecation and straining at stool were improved more in the test group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary fiber had additive benefits for the symptoms of constipation, especially in constipation-predominant IBS.
