Wasabia koreana Nakai: A Preliminary Study on Nutrients and Chemical Compounds That May Impact Sensory Properties

In this study, the nutritional, functional, and chemical measurements of sensory attributes of different parts of wasabi, namely, leaf, petiole, and rhizome, were investigated. Proximate composition analysis showed the presence of high amounts of carbohydrates in the rhizome and amino acid composition analysis confirmed high proportions of glutamic acid and aspartic acid in all three parts. While proximate composition showed low lipid content in wasabi, ω-3 fatty acids accounted for a high proportion (>44%) of the total lipids. Wasabi leaves had high vitamin C and total phenolic contents, and thus demonstrated antioxidant capacity. Allyl isothiocyanate, which gives wasabi its characteristic pungent taste, was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and an electronic nose. On an electronic tongue, wasabi leaves showed compounds associated with sourness and saltiness while the petiole had high content of compounds associated with sweetness and bitterness. This study provides basic data for the utilization of wasabi parts as food materials based on their nutritional, functional, and chemical measure of sensory attributes

Mechanically Stable Flexible Organic Photovoltaics with Silver Nanomesh for Indoor Applications

Enhanced device performance of flexible organic solar cells (FOSCs) was achieved according to the development of organic solar cells (OSCs). OSCs are promising candidates as energy sources for low-power supply systems such as the Internet of Things (IoT) under indoor lighting environments. To apply FOSCs to flexible or wearable applications, they must be mechanically stable. In this study, we fabricated FOSCs with silver nanomesh (AgNM) as the bottom transparent conductive electrode (TCE). Instead of indium tin oxide (ITO), AgNMs were prepared using three pitches of 25, 50, and 100 mu m with a square pattern, using a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. Notably, the device using AgNMs with a pitch of 25 mu m exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.93% under 1 sun illumination and 17.91% under 1000 lux of light-emitting diode (LED) light conditions. Flexible devices using AgNMs maintained over 92% of their initial PCE under 1 sun illumination (PCE decreased to 12.98 from 14.04%) and over 92% when tested under 1000 lux of LED light illumination (PCE decreased to 16.57 from 17.91%) after 1000 instances of bending. These results demonstrate the advantages of using AgNMs as an alternative TCE under both 1 sun and indoor lightning environments and are promising candidates for flexible applications

The Edible Insect <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> Protects against Gut-Derived Inflammatory Responses and Liver Damage in Mice after Acute Alcohol Exposure

Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to excess alcohol exposure is a major cause of gut barrier disruption and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic inflammation, as well as liver steatosis and apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate protective effects of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, an edible insect recognized by the Korea Food and Drug Administration, against acute alcoholic liver damage in mice. Administration of G. bimaculatus extracts (GBE) attenuated alcohol-induced steatosis and apoptotic responses in the liver and intestinal permeability to bacterial endotoxin. These protective effects were associated with suppression of ROS-mediated oxidative stress in both the liver and small intestine. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that GBE inhibits LPS-induced Kupffer cell activation and subsequent inflammatory signaling. Importantly, the protective effects of GBE were more potent than those of silymarin, a known therapeutic agent for alcoholic liver diseases

MicroRNA profiling associated with muscle growth in modern broilers compared to an unselected chicken breed

Background: Genetically selected modern broiler chickens have acquired outstanding production efficiency through rapid growth and improved feed efficiency compared to unselected chicken breeds. Recently, we analyzed the transcriptome of breast muscle tissues obtained from modern pedigree male (PeM) broilers (rapid growth and higher efficiency) and foundational Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) chickens (slow growth and poorer efficiency). This study was designed to investigate microRNAs that play role in rapid growth of the breast muscles in modern broiler chickens. Results: In this study, differential abundance of microRNA (miRNA) was analyzed in breast muscle of PeM and BPR chickens and the results were integrated with differentially expressed (DE) mRNA in the same tissues. A total of 994 miRNA were identified in PeM and BPR chicken lines from the initial analysis of small RNA sequencing data. After filtering and statistical analyses, the results showed miR-2131-5p, miR-221-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-146b-5p, miR-10a-5p, let-7b, miR-125b-5p, and miR-146c-5p up-regulated whereas miR-206 down-regulated in PeM compared to BPR breast muscle. Based on inhibitory regulations of miRNAs on the mRNA abundance, our computational analysis using miRDB, an online software, predicated that 118 down-regulated mRNAs may be targeted by the up-regulated miRNAs, while 35 up-regulated mRNAs appear to be due to a down-regulated miRNA (i.e., miR-206). Functional network analyses of target genes of DE miRNAs showed their involvement in calcium signaling, axonal guidance signaling, and NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response pathways suggesting their involvement in breast muscle growth in chickens. Conclusion: From the integrated analyses of differentially expressed miRNA-mRNA data, we were able to identify breast muscle specific miRNAs and their target genes whose concerted actions can contribute to rapid growth and higher feed efficiency in modern broiler chickens. This study provides foundation data for elucidating molecular mechanisms that govern muscle growth in chickens

IDH2 Deficiency Is Critical in Myogenesis and Fatty Acid Metabolism in Mice Skeletal Muscle

Mitochondrial NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate into &alpha;-ketoglutarate with concurrent reduction of NADP+ to NADPH. However, it is not fully understood how IDH2 is intertwined with muscle development and fatty acid metabolism. Here, we examined the effects of IDH2 knockout (KO) on skeletal muscle energy homeostasis. Calf skeletal muscle samples from 10-week-old male IDH2 KO and wild-type (WT; C57BL/6N) mice were harvested, and the ratio of skeletal muscle weight to body and the ratio of mitochondrial to nucleic DNA were measured. In addition, genes involved in myogenesis, mitochondria biogenesis, adipogenesis, and thermogenesis were compared. Results showed that the ratio of skeletal muscle weight to body weight was lower in IDH2 KO mice than those in WT mice. Of note, a noticeable shift in fiber size distribution was found in IDH2 KO mice. Additionally, there was a trend of a decrease in mitochondrial content in IDH2 KO mice than in WT mice (p = 0.09). Further, mRNA expressions for myogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis were either decreased or showed a trend of decrease in IDH2 KO mice. Moreover, genes for adipogenesis pathway (Pparg, Znf423, and Fat1) were downregulated in IDH2 KO mice. Interestingly, mRNA and protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a hallmark of thermogenesis, were remarkably increased in IDH2 KO mice. In line with the UCP1 expression, IDH2 KO mice showed higher rectal temperature than WT mice under cold stress. Taken together, IDH2 deficiency may affect myogenesis, possibly due to impairments of muscle generation and abnormal fatty acid oxidation as well as thermogenesis in muscle via upregulation of UCP1

Chemical Characterization and Oxidative Stability of Medium- and Long-Chain Fatty Acid Profiles in Tree-Borne Seed Oils

This study was undertaken to evaluate chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of tree-borne seed oils. A total of 15 different fatty acids were identified in six tree-borne seed oils, which included seven types of saturated fatty acids, four types of monounsaturated fatty acids, and four types of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Japanese camphor tree (JCT) had a high content of medium-chain fatty acids (97.94 ± 0.04%), in which fatty acid composition was distinct from those of the other five plant seed oils. Overall, contents of tocopherols, a type of fat-soluble vitamin, ranged between 3.82 ± 0.04 mg/100 g and 101.98 ± 1.34 mg/100 g, respectively. Phytosterol contents ranged from 117.77 ± 1.32 mg/100 g to 479.45 ± 4.27 mg/100 g, respectively. Of all tree-borne seed oils, β-sitosterol was the phytosterol at the highest concentration. Contents of unsaponifiables were between 0.13 ± 0.08 and 2.01 ± 0.02, and values of acid, peroxide, and p-anisidine were between 0.79 ± 0.01 and 38.94 ± 0.24 mg KOH/g, 3.53 ± 0.21 and 127.67 ± 1.79 meq/kg, and 2.07 ± 0.51 and 9.67 ± 0.25, respectively. Oxidative stability of tree-borne seed oils was assessed through measurement of oxidation-induction periods. These results should serve as a foundation to identify the potential of tree-borne seed oils in industrial application as well as in providing fundamental data

IDH2 Deficiency Aggravates Fructose-Induced NAFLD by Modulating Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism and Activating Inflammatory Signaling in Female Mice

Fructose is a strong risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), resulting from the disruption of redox systems by excessive reactive oxygen species production in the liver cells. Of note, recent epidemiological studies indicated that women are more prone to developing metabolic syndrome in response to fructose-sweetened beverages. Hence, we examined whether disruption of the redox system through a deletion of NADPH supplying mitochondrial enzyme, NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2), exacerbates fructose-induced NAFLD conditions in C57BL/6 female mice. Wild-type (WT) and IDH2 knockout (KO) mice were treated with either water or 34% fructose water over six weeks. NAFLD phenotypes and key proteins and mRNAs involved in the inflammatory pathway (e.g., NF-&kappa;B p65 and IL-1&beta;) were assessed. Hepatic lipid accumulation was significantly increased in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose compared to the WT counterpart. Neutrophil infiltration was observed only in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose. Furthermore, phosphorylation of NF-&kappa;B p65 and expression of IL-1&beta; was remarkably upregulated in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose, and expression of I&kappa;B&alpha; was decreased by fructose treatment in both WT and IDH2 KO groups. For the first time, we report our novel findings that IDH2 KO female mice may be more susceptible to fructose-induced NAFLD and the associated inflammatory response, suggesting a mechanistic role of IDH2 in metabolic diseases

Canavalia gladiata Pod Extract Mitigates Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma Onset in Male BALB/c Mice via Suppression of MAPK

Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory diseases of the lung worldwide. There has been considerable progress in recent studies to treat and prevent allergic asthma, however, various side effects are still observed in clinical practice. Six-week-old male BALB/c mice were orally administered with either sword bean pod extracts (SBP; 100 or 300 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (DEX; 5 mg/kg) once daily over 3 weeks, followed by ovalbumin sensitization (OVA/Alum.; intraperitoneal administration, 50 &mu;g/2 mg/per mouse). Scoring of lung inflammation was performed to observe pathological changes in response to SBP treatment compared to OVA/Alum.-induced lung injury. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines were quantified in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissue using ELISA and Western blot analyses. SBP treatment significantly reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells, and release of histamine, immunoglobulin E, and leukotriene in serum and BALF. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of SBP was also assessed to analyze the inflammatory changes in the lung tissues. SBP markedly suppressed the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway and the expression of key inflammatory proteins (e.g., TNF-&alpha;) and Th2 type cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13). SBP was effective in ameliorating the allergic inflammation against OVA/Alum.-induced asthma by suppressing pulmonary inflammation

Hepatic Transcriptomics Reveals that Lipogenesis Is a Key Signaling Pathway in Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 2 Deficient Mice

Mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2) plays a key role in the intermediary metabolism and energy production via catalysing oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to &alpha;-ketoglutarate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Despite studies reporting potential interlinks between IDH2 and various diseases, there is lack of effort to comprehensively characterize signature(s) of IDH2 knockout (IDH2 KO) mice. A total of 6583 transcripts were identified from both wild-type (WT) and IDH2 KO mice liver tissues. Afterwards, 167 differentially expressed genes in the IDH2 KO group were short-listed compared to the WT group based on our criteria. The online bioinformatic analyses indicated that lipid metabolism is the most significantly influenced metabolic process in IDH2 KO mice. Moreover, the TR/RXR activation pathway was predicted as the top canonical pathway significantly affected by IDH2 KO. The key transcripts found in the bioinformatic analyses were validated by qPCR analysis, corresponding to the transcriptomics results. Further, an additional qPCR analysis confirmed that IDH2 KO caused a decrease in hepatic de novo lipogenesis via the activation of the fatty acid &beta;-oxidation process. Our unbiased transcriptomics approach and validation experiments suggested that IDH2 might play a key role in homeostasis of lipid metabolism