Gill-Woong Jang

Aster scaber is a wild vegetable cultivated in Korea and is known to contain phytochemicals with various biological activities. The potential antioxidant and anti-obesity effects of A. scaber and their mechanism are yet to be reported. We evaluated the total phenolic, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin contents and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of A. scaber ethanolic extract (ASE), and analyzed the major phenolic compounds of ASE. Antioxidant activity was measured at the chemical level through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay. In addition, it was measured in vitro through inhibition of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in 3T3-L1 adipocyte, and inhibition of lipid accumulation was also evaluated. ASE reduced the expression of enzymes involved in the production of ROS and increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes that reduce increased ROS levels. They also reduced the expression of adipogenesis transcription factors that regulate adipocyte differentiation in relation to ROS production, inhibited the expression of lipogenesis-related genes related to fat accumulation through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, and increased expression of lipolysis-related genes. Thus, ASE containing CGA (chlorogenic acid) inhibits ROS production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, owing to its strong antioxidant activity, and inhibits lipid accumulation caused by oxidative stress. The extract can be used as a potential functional food material for reducing oxidative stress and obesity.

Cucurbita moschata is widely planted in most parts of the world, and is rich in carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals, and phenolic compounds. It also has important medicinal value. Some related research has proven that Cucurbita moschata has the potential ability to induce anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, and anticancer effects. At the same time, it has attracted more attention in the medical field. These nutrients and bioactive compounds in Cucurbita moschata have important effects on human health. In order to make better use of this crop, it still needs further study. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to summarize the physicochemical properties and nutritional components of Cucurbita moschata, and to provide a reference for further research on the benefits of on human health.

The objective of the present study was to develop a concoction of natural products that could dramatically improve immune function with minimal possible side effects. Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai and Ficus erecta var. sieboldii are plants that are native to Jeju Island, Korea and are known to be rich in physiologically active substances. We prepared a mixture of different proportions and extraction conditions using two natural plants and determined their optimum mixing ratio and extraction method by assessing immune function-related biomarkers in RAW264.7 macrophages. Optimal extract (HR02/04(8:2)-W) was selected from in vitro experiments and its immunity-enhancing efficacy was evaluated in mice. After oral administration of extract to BALB/c mice for 2 weeks, nitric oxide production in the peritoneal exudate cells, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, cytokine expression in splenocytes, and total cell number of immune tissues and phenotype analysis were evaluated. Our results demonstrated that HR02/04(8:2)-W significantly enhanced the immune system by increasing natural killer cell activity, cytokine expression, and total number of cells in immune tissues. In conclusion, our study validates the role of HR02/04(8:2)-W in enhancing immunity and its potential development as a functional food.

Antioxidants are used to prevent the oxidation of foods. When used for food additive purposes, the dosage should be regulated and the functionality evaluated to ensure stability. In this study, we performed a method validation for the quantitative analysis of rosemary extract residues and evaluated the antioxidant activity of rosemary extract in food matrices. The validated method was able to determine rosemary extract under the optimized high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) conditions. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by peroxide value, acid value, and in terms of the residual antioxidant levels in lard oil. For HPLC-PDA analysis, the limit of detection and quantification of rosemary extracts was ranged from 0.22 to 1.73 μg/mL, 0.66 to 5.23 μg/mL and the recoveries of the rosemary extracts ranged from 70.6 to 114.0%, with relative standard deviations of between 0.2% and 3.8%. In terms of antioxidant activity, carnosic acid performed better than carnosol. Furthermore, by evaluation of the residual antioxidant level using HPLC, we found that carnosic acid is more stable in lard oil than carnosol. These results indicate that rosemary extract can be used as an antioxidant and that the analytical method is suitable for the determination of rosemary extract in various food samples.