Amyloid-β protein (Aβ) is known to increase free radical production in neuronal cells, leading to cell death by oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of PineXol® on Aβ25-35 induced neuronal cell death. Rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells were pre-treated with 100 μg/mL of PineXol® for 2 h. The cells were exposed to single dose of 30 μM Aβ25-35 for 24 h. Cell death was assessed by a cell count kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, lactate and dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. An Apoptotic process was analyzed by a protein expression of the Bcl-2 family using western blotting. Cell viability increased in PC-12 cells treated with both Aβ25-35 and PineXol®, compared to the control group. PineXol® induced a decrease of the Bcl-2 protein expression (p<0.05), while Bax and Sod1 increased (p<0.05), indicating attenuation of Aβ25-35 induced apoptosis. These results suggest that PineXol® may be a good candidate for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).

In the current study, we investigated the inhibitory activity of water soluble β-glucan from oat (Avena sativa) against various digestive enzymes such as α-glucosidase, sucrase, maltase and glucoamylase. Inhibition of these enzymes involved in the absorption of disaccharide can significantly decrease the post-prandial increase of blood glucose level after a mixed carbohydrate diet. The β-glucan had the highest documented rate of small intestinal sucrase inhibitory activity (2.83 mg/mL, IC50) relevant for potentially managing post-prandial hyperglycemia. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of β-glucan on the level of post-prandial blood glucose in animal model. The post-prandial blood glucose levels were tested two hours after sucrose/starch administration, with and without β- glucan (100, and 500 mg/kg-body weight). The maximum blood glucose levels (Cmax) of β-glucan administration group were decreased by about 23% (from 219.06±27.82 to 190.44±13.18, p<0.05) and 10% (from 182.44±13.77 to 165.64±10.59, p<0.01) in starch and sucrose loading test, respectively, when compared to control in pharmacodynamics study. The β -Glucan administration significantly lowered the mean, maximum, and minimum level of post-prandial blood glucose at 30 min after meal. In view of the foregoing, it is felt that our findings suggest that β-glucan from oat serves to reduce post-prandial blood glucose rise secondary to slower absorption of glucose in the small intestine, via carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes inhibition.

The effects of different feeding times, using a diet containing 800 ppm betaine, on production, blood profile, and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), was investigated using 240 Cherry Valley (Anas platyrhynchos) meat ducks exposed to a scorching heat wave. The animals were randomly assigned to four groups, each of which was replicated three times with twenty ducks per replicate. The experimental period was 42 days for each group. Four groups were assigned into C (heat wave control group without betaine), T1 (ad libitum group fed a diet containing 800 ppm betaine), T2 (diet-restricted group fed twice daily between 05:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00, using a diet containing 800 ppm betaine), and T3 (night-restricted group, fed from 17:00-10:00, with a diet containing 800 ppm betaine). At 42 days, body weight increased in order of T2, T1, T3 compared to the heat wave control group although. However, these differences were not found between the groups of T1 and T3. The heat wave control group, provided an ad libitum diet without betaine (C), showed an elevated feed conversion ratio compared to the groups fed a diet containing betaine. However, these differences were not found between the groups of T1, T2 and T3. RBC and platelet profiles except for PLT and MPV showed statistically significant differences between study groups fed a diet containing betaine. T2 presented significantly higher blood electrolytes Na+ and Cl- than the other groups. T2 also showed a blood gas level that was generally higher than the other groups. Total SCFA, acetic acid and propionic acid concentration has been the increasing trend in T2, but butyric acid, isobutyric acid and valeric acid concentration has been the decreasing trend in T2 compared to the other groups. It is concluded that the feeding-restricted group, fed two times daily between 05:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00, with a diet containing 800 ppm betaine may improve growth performance in meat ducks exposed to a scorching heat wave.

This study investigated the pharmacodynamics of betaine on the blood profile and short chain fatty acid levels in meat ducks exposed to heat wave. 400 heads of Cherry valley (Anasplatyrhynchos) meat ducks were completely randomized to 5 treatments (4 repetitions each), and were raised for 42 days. They were grouped into T1 (heat wave control group without betaine), T2 (betaine 400 ppm), T3 (betaine 800 ppm), T4 (betaine 1200 ppm), and T5 (normal control group without betaine). Compared to T1, the betaine addition groups showed higher body weight gain at shipment, with T3 showing the highest significant difference. For hematological indictors measured (red blood cells and platelets), the betaine addition groups showed significantly higher values than the heat wave control group. The pH of the former was lower but their electrolytes (K+, P+, and Cl-) were significantly higher compared to the latter. For blood gas concentration, the former showed a significantly higher value than the latter. For the total short chain fatty acids, acetic acid, and propionic acid, the betaine addition groups and group fed broiler-high temperature diet showed higher values than the heat wave control group. On the other hand, the former showed significantly lower values in butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid than the latter group. These results suggest that betaine has the pharmacodynamics that mediate heat stress, via the maintenance and control of the blood profile, osmotic pressure, gas concentration, and short chain fatty acid, of meat ducks under heat wave.

본 연구는 국내에서 상용 중인 과일 및 채소로부터 췌장베타세포 보호활성을 가지는 추출물의 식물 자원을 탐색해보고자 수행되었다. Alloxan에 대한 총 13종의 과일･채소 추출물에 대한 효과를 햄스터췌장베타세포주(HIT-T15)를 배양한 후 세포생존율, LDH 방출량, NAD+/NADH ratio, 인슐린 분비량 및 4종의 항산화효소활성을 측정하였다. 총 13종의 과일･채소 추출물은 alloxan에 의해 감소된 세포생존율을 유의하게 증가시켰다. 마늘종(Allium sativum) 등의 11종의 시료는 alloxan에 의해 증가된 LDH 방출량을 유의적으로 감소시켰으며, 산수유(Cornus officinalis) 등의 9종의 시료는 alloxan에 의해 감소된 NAD+/NADH ratio를 유의적으로 상승시킴으로써 세포생존율을 증가시켰다. 또한 3종의 추출물인 마늘종(Allium sativum), 산수유(Cornus officinalis)와 고들빼기(Yongjia sonchifolia) 추출물은 인슐린 분비능을 보호하였고 깻잎 등 5종의 시료는 SOD, GST, GR 및 GPx와 같은 항산화효소 활성을 유의적으로 증가시켰다. 과일･채소 추출물은 세포괴사 및 DNA fragmentation을 억제하고 세포 내 항산화효소 활성을 증가시킴으로써 alloxan에 의해 유발된 산화스트레스로부터 췌장베타세포를 보호하는 것으로 생각된다. 이상의 연구결과로부터 마늘종(Allium sativum), 산수유(Cornus officinalis), 자두(Prunus salicina), 오미자(Schisandra chinensis) 및 고들빼기(Yongjia sonchifolia)와 같은 5종의 추출물이 alloxan에 의한 산화스트레스로부터 췌장베타세포를 보호하는 효과가 우수한 것으로 판단되며 향후 췌장베타세포의 손상을 억제하는 기능성 식품 등의 개발에 기초 연구자료로 활용될 것으로 생각된다.

Amyloid peptide()은 지방산화 및 free radical의 생산에 의해 신경세포의 apoptosis를 유도하거나 산화적 스트레스를 증가시키는 원인이 되는 물질로 알려져 있으며, 알츠하이머와 같은 신경계 질환은 뇌에 아밀로이드베타 단백질들의 축적에 의해서 일어난다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 수분 활성도 0.813인 분말 녹차를 저장기간별로 저장한 후 에서 5분간 추출한 분말 녹차 열수추출물을 이용하여 아밀로이드 베타단백질에 의해 유도된