Quality of bread supplemented with mushroom mycelia.

Mushroom mycelia of Antrodia camphorata, Agaricus blazei, Hericium erinaceus and Phellinus linteus were used to substitute 5% of wheat flour to make bread. Bread quality, including specific volume, colour property, equivalent umami concentration (EUC), texture profile analysis, sensory evaluation and functional components, was analysed. Mycelium-supplemented bread was smaller in loaf volume and coloured, and had lower lightness and white index values. White bread contained the lowest amounts of free umami amino acids and umami 5'-nucleotides and showed the lowest EUC value. Incorporating 5% mushroom mycelia into the bread formula did not adversely affect the texture profile of the bread. However, incorporating 5% mushroom mycelia into the bread formula did lower bread's acceptability. After baking, mycelium-supplemented bread still contained substantial amounts of γ-aminobutyric acid and ergothioneine (0.23-0.86 and 0.79-2.10 mg/g dry matter, respectively). Overall, mushroom mycelium could be incorporated into bread to provide its beneficial health effects.

Attenuation of long-term Rhodiola rosea supplementation on exhaustive swimming-evoked oxidative stress in the rat.

Rhodiola rosea improves exercise endurance and fatigue. We hypothesized that ingredients in Rhodiola rosea may increase antioxidant capability against swimming induced oxidative stress. In this study, we have identified the Rhodiola rosea ingredients, p-tyrosol, salidroside, rosin, rosavin and rosarin by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer and evaluated their O2(-)*, H2O2, and HOCl scavenging activities by a chemiluminescence analyzer. We next explored the effect and mechanism of Rhodiola rosea on 90-min swimming-induced oxidative stress in male Wistar rats fed with three doses of Rhodiola rosea extracts in drinking water (5, 25, 125 mg/day/rat) for 4 weeks. Our results showed that the 4 major ingredients (salidroside, rosin, rosavin and rosarin) from Rhodiola rosea extracts scavenged O2(-)*, H2O2, and HOCl activity in a dose-dependent manner. The ninety-min swimming exercise increased the O2(-)* production in the order: liver > skeletal muscle > blood, indicating that liver is the most sensitive target organ. The level of plasma malonedialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, was also increased after exercise. Treatment of 4 weeks of Rhodiola rosea extracts significantly inhibited swimming exercise-enhanced O2(-)* production in the blood, liver and skeletal muscle and plasma malonedialdehyde concentration. The expression in Mn-superoxide dismutase Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase, and catalase in livers were all enhanced after 4 weeks of Rhodiola rosea supplementation especially at the dose of 125 mg/day/rat. Treatment of Rhodiola rosea extracts for 4 weeks significantly increased swimming performance. In conclusion, treatment of Rhodiola rosea extracts for 4 weeks could reduce swimming-enhanced oxidative stress possibly via the reactive oxygen species scavenging capability and the enhancement of the antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Supplementary catechins attenuate cooking-oil-fumes-induced oxidative stress in rat lung.

Cooking-oil-fumes containing toxic components may induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) to oxidize macromolecules and lead to acute lung injury. Our previous study showed that a decaffineated green tea extract containing (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate can inhibit oxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis. We determined whether the catechins supplement may reduce cooking-oil-fumes-induced acute lung injury in rat. In the urethane-anesthetized Wistar rat subjected to 30-120 min of cooking-oil-fumes exposure, blood ROS significantly increased in the recovery stage. After 30-min cooking-oil-fumes exposure, the enhanced blood ROS level further increased in a time-dependent manner during the recovery stage (321 +/- 69 counts/10 s after 1 h, 540 +/- 89 counts/10 s after 2 h, and 873 +/- 112 counts/10 s after 4 h). Four hours after 30-min cooking-oil-fumes exposure, lung lavage neutrophils and ROS as well as lung tissue dityrosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal increased significantly. Two weeks of catechins supplememnt significantly reduced the enhanced lavage ROS, lung dityrosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal level. Cooking-oil-fumes-induced oxidative stress decreased lung Bcl-2/Bax ratio and HSP70 expression, but catechins treatment preserved the downregulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio and HSP70 expression. We conclude that catechins supplement attenuates cooking-oil-fumes-induced acute lung injury via the preservation of oil-smoke induced downregulation of antioxidant, antiapoptosis, and chaperone protein expression.

Antioxidant activity of tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) and common (Fagopyrum esculentum moench) buckwheat sprouts.

This study compared the differences of two types of buckwheat sprouts, namely, common buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and tartary buckwheat ( Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.), in general composition, functional components, and antioxidant capacity. The ethanol extracts of tartary buckwheat sprouts (TBS) had higher reducing power, free radical scavenging activity, and superoxide anion scavenging activity than those of common buckwheat sprouts (CBS). As for chelating effects on ferrous ions, CBS had higher values than TBS. Rutin was the major flavonoid found in these two types of buckwheat sprouts, and TBS was 5 fold higher in rutin than CBS. The antioxidant effects of buckwheat sprouts on human hepatoma HepG2 cells revealed that both of TBS and CBS could decrease the production of intracellular peroxide and remove the intracellular superoxide anions in HepG2 cells, but TBS reduced the cellular oxidative stress more effectively than CBS, possibly because of its higher rutin (and quercetin) content.

Improving the antioxidant activity of buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricm Gaertn) sprout with trace element water.

Trace element water (TEW) (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500ppm) was used to grow buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricm Gaertn) to evaluate whether the beneficial effects of trace elements on the antioxidant activity could be accomplished with the supplement of TEW. At 300ppm, TEW significantly increased the Cu, Zn and Fe contents in buckwheat sprout, but not the Se and Mn contents. The levels of rutin, quercitrin and quercetin did not differ between buckwheat sprouts grown in TEW and de-ionized water (DIW). The ethanolic extract from buckwheat sprout grown in 300ppm TEW showed higher DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating activity, superoxide anion scavenging activity and inhibitory activity toward lipid peroxidation than that grown in DIW. The extract of the TEW group also enhanced intracellular superoxide dismutase activity and resulted in lower level of reactive oxygen species in human Hep G2 cells.

Trace element water improves the antioxidant activity of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) sprouts.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) was grown in trace element water (TEW) (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm) and deionized water (DIW) to evaluate whether the beneficial effects of trace elements on the antioxidant activity could be accomplished with the supplement of TEW. At 300 ppm, TEW significantly increased the Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe contents in buckwheat sprout but not the Se content. However, the levels of rutin, isoorientin, vitexin, and isovitexin did not differ between buckwheat sprouts grown in TEW and DIW. The ethanolic extract from buckwheat sprout grown in 300 ppm of TEW showed higher ferrous ion chelating activity and inhibitory activity toward lipid peroxidation than that grown in DIW. The extract in the TEW group also enhanced intracellular superoxide dismutase activity and lowered reactive oxygen species and superoxide anion in the human Hep G2 cell. It was concluded that TEW could increase the antioxidant activities of buckwheat sprouts.

Antioxidant properties of Glossogyne tenuifolia.

Glossogyne tenuifolia (Labill) Cass. (Compositae) is a special medicinal plant in the Pescadores Islands. Ethanolic, cold and hot water extracts were prepared from the dried herb and their antioxidant properties and components were studied. Ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, butylated hydroxyanisole, citric and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acids were used in assays for comparison. With regard to EC(50) values in antioxidant activity, ethanolic and hot water extracts (0.08 and 0.09 mg/ml) were much more effective than the cold water extract (0.76 mg/ml). At 1.0 mg/ml, reducing capacities were 1.57, 0.31 and 1.04 for ethanolic, cold water and hot water extracts, respectively. Scavenging abilities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals were in descending order: ethanolic > cold water > hot water extracts. At 20 mg/ml, the hot water extract chelated all hydroxyl ions (100%) whereas the scavenging ability of the cold water extract was 68.86%. Chelating abilities on ferrous ions were in descending order: cold water > hot water > ethanolic extracts. Phenols were found to be the major antioxidant components. All EC(50) values were below 20 mg/ml, and some even below 0.1 mg/ml, indicating that all three extracts from G. tenuifolia were rich in antioxidant properties.

Taste quality of monascal adlay.

Monascus purpureus was inoculated into cooked adlay, and a new product was produced after fungal fermentation. Contents of crude ash, fat, fiber, and protein in the inoculated products [monascal polished adlay (MPA) and monascal dehulled adlay (MDA)] were much higher than those in the uninoculated controls [polished adlay (PA) and dehulled adlay (DA)]. Only carbohydrate content was notably higher in DA and PA. The three soluble sugars and polyol found were arabitol, galactose, and glucose. The contents of total soluble sugars and polyol were in the descending order of DA approximately PA (79.6 and 79.1 mg/g, respectively) > MDA (59.8 mg/g) > MPA (53.5 mg/g). The total free amino acid contents ranged from 8.60 to 14.11 mg/g and occurred in the descending order of MDA approximately MPA > DA > PA. Contents of bitter components (4.07-7.61 mg/g) were high as compared to monosodium glutamate-like and sweet components, in the descending order of MDA approximately MPA > DA > PA. No flavor 5'-nucleotides were found. On the basis of the results obtained, monascal adlay products might give a bitter perception.