Effect of water cooking on antioxidant capacity of carotenoid-rich vegetables in Taiwan

Carotenoid-rich green leafy vegetables including cilantro, Thai basil leaves, sweet potato leaves, and choy sum were selected to evaluate the effects of water cooking or boiling on their total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic content (TPC), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The percentage inhibition of peroxidation (%IP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and metal-chelating effect were used to evaluate TAC. The results indicated that TCC reached the maximum after boiling cilantro, Thai basil leaves, and sweet potato leaves for 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and 5 minutes, respectively, and choy sum remained almost unchanged after 30 minutes of boiling. Boiling cilantro and choy sum had a negative effect on their TPC, whereas there was a significant increase in TPC of Thai basil leaf and sweet potato leaf at 1 minute and 5 minutes of boiling, respectively. During water cooking, TAC of the vegetables did not demonstrate a consistent trend. However, TCC was a vital contributor to %IP, whereas TPC showed a strong association with TEAC. Our findings suggest that a boiling time of ≤5 minutes would be better for preserving or enhancing TCC and TPC as well as revealing a higher %IP, TEAC, or metal-chelating effect for the four vegetables investigated in this study

Neuroprotective peptides isolated from flavourzyme-pea protein hydrolysate protect human SH-SY5Y cells from Aβ1-42 induced apoptosis

Neuroprotective peptides derived from Flavourzyme®-pea protein hydrolysate (FPPH) were sequentially purified by chromatographies. Cell viability of β-amyloid peptide-induced oxidative damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was used to explore neuroprotective effects of FPPH. Three novel neuroprotective peptides were obtained by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. In vitro effect of gastrointestinal proteases on neuroprotective effects of the three peptides was also investigated. The result suggested that the gastrointestinal proteases did not affect neuroprotective effects of the three novel peptides, which reveals the potential to ameliorate diseases caused by neurodegeneration. Pretreating SH-SY5Y cells with peptide GGPFKSPF (GF) before Aβ1-42 treatment increased cell viability and reduced formation of reactive oxygen species. Decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 induced by Aβ1-42 can be restored by GF treatment. GF can remarkably decrease the contents of pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax and Caspase-3, inducing the activation of Akt/GSK-3β pathway by phosphorylation of Akt. GF exerted an antioxidant effect via Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway by activating Nrf2, reducing malondialdehyde level as well as increasing the expression of HO-1 and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. As a results, GF had preventively potential as functional foods in Aβ–related neurodegenerative disease

Hepatoprotective Effects of Swimming Exercise against D-Galactose-Induced Senescence Rat Model

This study investigates whether a 12-week swimming exercise training can prevent liver damage or senescence associated biomarkers in an experimental aging model in rats. Twenty-three male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: vehicle treatment with sedentary control (C, ), aging induction with sedentary (A, ), vehicle treatment with swimming exercise (SW, ), and aging induction with swimming exercise (A + SW, ). Rats in groups A and AS received intraperitoneal D-galactose injections (150 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks to induce aging. Rats in groups SW and A + SW were subjected to swimming exercise training for 12 weeks. Body weight, liver weight, epididymal fat mass, blood biochemistry, and liver pathology were performed at the end of the experiment. Hepatic senescence protein markers such as β-galactosidase, p53, and p21, as well as the inflammatory mediator, IL-6, were examined. The D-galactose-treated rats exhibited increases in AST and γ-GT plasma levels and β-galactosidase protein expression compared to the control group. Swimming exercise significantly reduced BW, epididymal fat mass, γ-GT activity, and p53, p21, and IL-6 protein levels compared to the aging group. These results suggest that a 12-week swimming exercise program suppresses senescence markers and downregulates inflammatory mediator in the liver tissues of D-galactose-induced aging rats

Shikonin Inhibits Der p 2-Induced Cytokine and Chemokine Expression in Dendritic Cells in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder. Shikonin, the active component of Lithospermum erythrorhizon extract, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of shikonin on proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine in patients with AD. Ten patients with AD who were allergic to house dust mite (HDM) and seven healthy controls were recruited in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, and CD14+ cells were further selected and differentiated to dendritic cells. Dendritic cells stimulated using Der p 2, the major HDM allergen, were cotreated with shikonin for 24 hours, and dexamethasone was used as a control. Culture supernatants were collected, and proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine concentrations were analyzed using a multiplex assay system. Shikonin significantly inhibited Der p 2-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-9, and IL-17A; monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1; macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α; MIP-1β; and Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (RANTES). The inhibitory effects of shikonin on IL-9, MIP-1β, and RANTES expression were stronger than those of dexamethasone. Therefore, Shikonin can be considered a promising drug for AD treatment because it inhibits different inflammatory cytokines expression

Lipolysis stimulating peptides of potato protein hydrolysate effectively suppresses high-fat-diet-induced hepatocyte apoptosis and fibrosis in aging rats

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common outcomes of obesity and is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides, increased tissue apoptosis, and fibrosis. NAFLD is more common among elderly than in younger age groups, and it causes serious hepatic complications. Objective: In this study, alcalase treatment derived potato protein hydrolysate (APPH) with lipolysis-stimulating property has been evaluated for its efficiency to provide hepato-protection in a high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed aging rats. Design: Twenty-four-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=8): aged rats fed with standard chow, HFD-induced aged obese rats, HFD with low-dose (15 mg/kg/day) APPH treatment, HFD with moderate (45 mg/kg/day) APPH treatment, HFD with high (75 mg/kg/day) APPH treatment, and HFD with probucol. Results: APPH was found to reduce the NAFLD-related effects in rat livers induced by HFD and all of the HFD-fed rats exhibited heavier body weight than those with control chow diet. However, the HFD-induced hepatic fat accumulation was effectively attenuated in rats administered with low (15 mg/kg/day), moderate (45 mg/kg/day), and high (75 mg/kg/day) doses of APPH. APPH oral administration also suppressed the hepatic apoptosis- and fibrosis-related proteins induced by HFD. Conclusions: Our results thus indicate that APPH potentially attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation and anti-apoptosis and fibrosis effects in HFD-induced rats. APPH may have therapeutic potential in the amelioration of NAFLD liver damage

Solvent Selection and Optimization of a-Chymotrypsin-Catalyzed Synthesis of N-Ac-Phe-Tyr-NH2 Using Mixture Design and Response Surface Methodology

A peptide, N-Ac-Phe-Tyr-NH2, with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity was synthesized by an a-chymotrypsin-catalyzed condensation reaction of N-acetyl phenylalanine ethyl ester (N-Ac-Phe-OEt) and tyrosinamide (Tyr-NH2). Three kinds of solvents: a Tris–HCl buffer (80 mM, pH 9.0), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and acetonitrile were employed in this study. The optimum reaction solvent component was determined by simplex centroid mixture design. The synthesis efficiency was enhanced in an organic-aqueous solvent (Tris-HCl buffer: DMSO: acetonitrile ¼ 2:1:1) in which 73.55% of the yield of N-Ac- Phe-Tyr-NH2 could be achieved. Furthermore, the effect of reaction parameters on the yield was evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). Based on a ridge max analysis, the optimum condition for this peptide synthesis included a reaction time of 7.4 min, a reaction temperature of 28.1 C, an enzyme activity of 98.9 U, and a substrate molar ratio (Phe:Tyr) of 1:2.8. The predicted and the actual (experimental) yields were 87.6 and 85.5%, respectively. The experimental design and RSM performed well in the optimization of synthesis of N-Ac-Phe-Tyr-NH2, so it is expected to be an effective method for obtaining a good yield of enzymatic peptide