This study was conducted to provide basic data on the antioxidant activity, inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of a mixture of Brassica juncea extract (BJE) and fermented black rice fraction (BRF). We investigated the total phenol content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant effects (DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging, reducing power, FRAP and ORAC assay) and anti-obesity activity of the mixture in 3T3-L1 cells. Our results showed that the total phenol and flavonoid content increased with increasing BRF mixture ratio. The antioxidant activity increased as the BRF mixture ratio increased. In addition, BJE and BRF mixtures did not show any cytotoxicity during the 3T3-L1 differentiation period. During adipocyte differentiation, BJE and BRF mixtures significantly inhibited lipid accumulation and ROS production compared to the control group. These results warrant further experiments to develop an anti-obesity functional food using a mixture of BJE and BRF.

The Cheonggukjang used in this study was made with four soybean cultivars grown and harvested at the National Agrobiodiversity Center of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences: C1 (KLS87248), C2 (Nongrim 51), C3 (GNU- 2007-14613), and C4 (Daewon). The soybeans were inoculated with Bacillus subtilis AFY-2 and fermented for 0, 12, 21, 36, 45, and 60 h in a culture room at 35°C. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities were significantly increased upon fermentation for 12 hours in all samples and maintained or decreased after 21 hour The inhibition of NO production was significantly increased compared to the LPS-treated group, and the C2 sample showed inhibition of NO production at 12 hours of fermentation, and the C3 sample showed inhibition at 21 hours of fermentation. PCA analysis revealed that the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity and NO production inhibitory activity reached peak levels around 12 h fermentation time for all samples. Our results indicate that the optimal fermentation time of the Cheonggukjang sample is 12 hours, confirming the high correlation of all experiments.

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and anti-obesity activity of ethanol extracts from fermented Arctium lappa L. Arctium lappa fermented twice with Phellinus linteus (2nd FA) showed more DPPH radical scavenging activity than non-fermented Arctium lappa (NFA), and Arctium lappa fermented once (1st FA) at a concentration of 62.5 ppm. The 2nd FA showed the highest level of ABTS radical scavenging activity at concentration range of 31.5~125 ppm. The ABTS free radical scavenging activities of 1st FA and 2nd FA were similar to that of BHA, a synthetic antioxidant, at a concentration of 250 ppm. The total polyphenol content of 2nd FA was higher than those of NFA and 1st FA. The flavonoid content was significantly increased in 1st FA and 2nd FA than NFA. During adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells was significantly decreased in the order of NFA, 1st FA, and 2nd FA at all concentrations. In conclusion, the antioxidant and anti-obesity activities of A. lappa were increased depending on the degree of fermentation. It is suggested that fermented Arctium lappa, especially 2nd FA, could be used as a natural ingredient for functional foods and medicine.

Obesity has become one of the main public health problems. Saussurea lappa (Asteraceae), syn Aucklandia lappa and Saussurea costus, is a well-known herbal medicine that has been used for treating various ailments, such as inflammatory and gastrointestinal diseases. The present study examined the anti-obesity effect of S. lappa extract (SLE) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model. SLE significantly inhibited the differentiation from preadipocytes to adipocytes of cultured 3T3-L1 in dose-dependent manner. In addition, SLE significantly decreased the body weight gain and the food efficiency ratio of mice fed HFD during 9 weeks. Further study must be performed for the pharmacological mechanism and safety of SLE as well as the identification of active compound in SLE. Our results revealed that S. lappa suppresses the adipogenesis in cultured cells and the obesity in rodent models. Therefore, S. lappa may be useful toward the development of new potent anti-obesity drugs.

본 연구에서는 제주도에서 자생하는 30여 종의 식물추출물에 대한 항비만 효능을 조사하였다. 항비만 효능은 in vitro oil red-O staining 방법을 이용하여 지방전구세포 3T3-L1에서 분화억제력을 측정하였다. 그 결과, 30여 종의 식물 중에서 약도라지, 호장근, 유근피 등을 포함한 6종의 식물이 지방전구세포 3T3-L1의 분화를 억제하였다. 지방전구세포의 분화를 억제하는 물질 중 유근피, 약쑥, 호장근, 후박 4종은 우수한 항산화 효능도 동시에 가지고 있음을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과를 통해, 본 실험에서 확보된 추출물이 항비만 물질로 사용될 수 있는 가능성을 확인하였다.