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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2021) | Viewed by 48195
Related Special Issue: Functional Food and Chronic Disease II

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hae-Jeung Lee

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Bio-Nano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
2. Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology (GAIHST), Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea
3. Institute for Aging and Clinical Nutrition Research, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
Interests: bioactive compounds; phytochemicals; antioxidants; inflammation; brown cell; chronic diseases; in vitro mechanism
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Prof. Dr. Jae-Suk Choi

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Guest Editor

Department of Seafood Science and Technology, Gyeongsang National University, Tongyeong 53064, Republic of Korea
Interests: health functional food; health functional cosmetics; in vitro mechanism; animal model; clinical trials; toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of the journal Applied Sciences, “Functional Food and Chronic Disease”.

Chronic diseases are multifactorial pathological conditions considered to be a serious public health problem, accounting for about 60% of deaths worldwide. A disease is considered chronic if it has a duration of more than 3 months since its incidence. Chronic diseases are difficult to recover from, and owing to the associated after-effects, require long-term treatment and observation. Foods and natural products or ingredients can be used to help treat, suppress, or prevent chronic diseases. Claims linking the consumption of functional foods or food ingredients with health outcomes require sound scientific evidence. Therefore, research into the impact of food or natural products on chronic diseases is under demand, and the results should provide useful data on food to guide health policies toward the promotion of health.

Chronic diseases include various cancers; cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke; chronic liver diseases, such as diabetes and hepatocirrhosis; chronic kidney failure; dyslipidemia; arthritis and osteoporosis; obesity; asthma and other atopic diseases; and chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In particular, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the implementation of national-level measures by designating cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers with high disease burdens worldwide as major chronic diseases.

Health functional foods have been studied widely and are used to prevent such chronic diseases and to relieve the associated symptoms. This Special Issue, “Functional Food and Chronic Disease”, focuses on the functional evaluation and mechanistic research of functional foods and ingredients in the prevention and suppression of chronic diseases. Articles on a wide range of related topics are also welcome. The target materials can include the food itself, food extracts, natural substances, specific ingredients of food, and any other subject of relevance to the topic. For this Special Issue, we welcome a broad range of article types, such as research methods including in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies; reviews; systemic reviews; and clinical trials.

We look forward to your participation.

Prof. Hae-Jeung Lee
Prof. Dr. Jae-Suk Choi
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

functional food
food ingredients
nutraceuticals
food consumption
chronic disease
functionality evaluation
mechanism verification
cancer
cardiovascular disease
chronic liver disease
chronic kidney failure
arthritis and osteoporosis
obesity
asthma and atopic diseases
chronic respiratory disease

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Functional Food and Chronic Disease II in Applied Sciences (10 articles)

Published Papers (14 papers)

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14 pages, 1727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenol Rich Sugarcane Extract Reduces Body Weight in C57/BL6J Mice Fed a High Fat, High Carbohydrate Diet

by Matthew Flavel, Timothy P. Ellis, Lauren Stahl, Denovan Begg, Jason Smythe, Leodevico L. Ilag, Richard S. Weisinger, Barry Kitchen and Markandeya Jois

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5163; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115163 - 2 Jun 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2635

Abstract

Background: Energy-dense diets have been implicated as a driving force in the global obesity crisis. Sucrose derived from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) is a carbohydrate source at the centre of this discussion. However, sugar cane is a complex plant containing a wide variety of phytochemicals that may have anti-obesity properties. The objective of this study was to assess if polyphenols extracted from sugar cane were capable of mitigating the progression of diet-induced obesity. Methods: Forty-five male, six-week-old C57BL/6J mice were divided into groups of 15 and fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet supplemented with 0%, 2% or 4% polyphenol-rich sugarcane extract (PRSE) for twelve weeks. Body weight, food intake, water intake and faecal content were measured in addition to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the mice. Gene expression was also assessed for a range of key metabolic pathways in both blood and tissue samples in order to determine PRSE’s potential mechanisms of action. Data was analysed using ANOVA and post-hoc statistical methods. Results: Mice fed 4% PRSE were found to have a significantly lower overall bodyweight and adipose tissue accumulation compared to control (0%). This finding was supported by a reduced plasma leptin concentration and an increased excretion of carbohydrates. Upregulated gene transcriptions of adiponectin, PPARγ, PPARα, UCP2 and fatty acid synthase mRNAs were also observed. Conclusions: These results indicate that reduced carbohydrate absorption is the primary mechanism leading to the reduction of body weight in mice fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. This is predominately supported by the detection of increased carbohydrate concentration in the faeces of mice that lost weight. Other potential mechanisms, such as feed intake and energy expenditure, did not show significant differences between groups and are less likely to be involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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10 pages, 1226 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Colonic Fermentation Products of Polydextrose, Lactitol and Xylitol on Intestinal Barrier Repair In Vitro

by Yuan Yue, Ditte S. G. Nielsen, Sofia D. Forssten, Knud Erik B. Knudsen, Markku T. Saarinen, Arthur C. Ouwehand and Stig Purup

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(9), 4174; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094174 - 3 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2379

Abstract

Many functional food ingredients improve intestinal barrier function through their colonic fermentation products short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Effects of individual SCFAs have been well studied, but the effects of SCFA mixtures–colonic fermentation products have been rarely investigated. Therefore, this study used an EnteroMix semi-continuous model to simulate the colonic fermentation of three widely used food ingredients, polydextrose, lactitol and xylitol in vitro, and investigated the effects of their fermentation products on impaired colonic epithelial barrier function through a mucus-secreting human HT29-MTX-E12 cell model. Fermentation of polydextrose and lactitol produced mainly acetate, while fermentation of xylitol produced mainly butyrate and resulted in a much higher butyrate proportion. All fermentation products significantly improved intestinal barrier repairing as measured by increased transepithelial electrical resistance and decreased paracellular permeability. Among these, xylitol fermentation products exhibited better repairing effects than that of polydextrose and lactitol. Correlation analysis showed that the repairing effects were attribute to butyrate but not acetate or propionate, implying that in the fermentation products butyrate may play a major role in improving intestinal barrier function. Our results suggest that functional food ingredients that mainly produce butyrate during fermentation may be of more value for improving gut health related to chronic diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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20 pages, 9929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deciphering the Antitussive, Expectorant, and Anti-Inflammatory Potentials of ShashamKyeongok-Go and Their Phytochemical Attributes: In Vivo Appraisal in ICR Mice

by Jin-Ryul Hu, Chul-Jong Jung, Seong-Min Ku, Dae-Hwa Jung, Sae-Kwang Ku, Md. Mohibbullah, Hae-Jeung Lee and Jae-Suk Choi

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031349 - 2 Feb 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3073

Abstract

In this paper, we hypothesized that ShashamKyeongok-go (SKOG) is a mixed preparation of Adenophorae Radix powder (AR) and Kyeongok-go (KOG). SKOG may be served as a novel preventive and/or therapeutic agent for various respiratory diseases. SKOG were orally administered to ICR mice at 400, 200, and 100 mg/kg once a day for 11 days to examine antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory effects. The NH₄OH exposure-induced allergic acute inflammation with coughing responses was dose-dependently and significantly (p < 0.01) inhibited by pretreatment with SKOG at doses of 400, 200, and 100 mg/kg. With these concentrations of SKOG, the thickness of intrapulmonary secondary bronchus mucosa and the number of periodic acid Schiff stain-positive mucous-producing cells were significantly (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) increased, as a result of the increased amount of phenol red secretion. Subsequently, SKOG showed significant (p < 0.01) anti-inflammatory activities as characterized by reducing the effects of xylene-induced increases of ear weight, thickness of total ear and ear dermis, and number of infiltrated inflammatory cells in the ear dermis, in a dose-dependent manner. These results supported that SKOG might have potential therapeutic effects to be used as an antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory agents in the prevention or treatment of chronic bronchitis and asthma. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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13 pages, 3978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of Fermented Red Ginseng Marc and Traditional Polyherb Formula in C57BL/6 Mice

by Phil Hyun Song, Gyu-Ryeul Park, Yoon-Hae Kim, Dae Hwa Jung, Sae-Kwang Ku and Chang-Hyun Song

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031195 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4754

Abstract

An abnormal hair-growth cycle induces hair loss, which affects psychological distress and impairs life quality. Red ginseng marc (RGM) is usually discarded as a byproduct after extracting red ginseng, but several studies have shown that the RGM still has bioactive components including ginsenosides. Therefore, the hair-growth effects of fermented RGM (fRGM) and traditional polyherb formula (PH) were examined in C57BL/6 mice. The dorsal hairs of mice were depilated, and they were topically treated with fRGM or PH at 400, 200 and 100 mg/kg or the combination of both middle doses (combi) once a day for two weeks. The hair-covering regions were significantly increased with higher doses of fRGM and PH and in combi groups, compared with the control treated with distilled water. Hair length, thickness and weight also increased in the treatment groups. In particular, the fRGM and PH increased the anagen-phased hair follicles, the follicular diameters and the dermal thickness. Immunostains for Ki-67 showed the anagen-phased cell division in the treatment groups. The beneficial effects were greater in the high doses of fRGM and PH and the combi groups. These suggest hair-growth-promoting effects of fRGM, PH and the combination by enhancing the hair-growth cycle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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15 pages, 3972 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Lemon Balm and Dandelion Leaf Extracts Synergistically Protect against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice

by Beom-Rak Choi, Il-Je Cho, Su-Jin Jung, Jae-Kwang Kim, Dae-Geon Lee, Sae-Kwang Ku and Ki-Moon Park

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010390 - 3 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2842

Abstract

Lemon balm and dandelion are commonly used medicinal herbs exhibiting numerous pharmacological activities that are beneficial for human health. In this study, we explored the protective effects of a 2:1 (w/w) mixture of lemon balm and dandelion extracts (MLD) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury in mice. CCl₄ (0.5 mL/kg; i.p.) injection inhibited body weight gain and increased relative liver weight. Pre-administration of MLD (50–200 mg/kg) for 7 days prevented these CCl₄-mediated changes. In addition, histopathological analysis revealed that MLD synergistically alleviated CCl₄-mediated hepatocyte degeneration and infiltration of inflammatory cells. MLD decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transferase activities and reduced the number of liver cells that stained positive for cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, suggesting that MLD protects against CCl₄-induced hepatic damage via the inhibition of apoptosis. Moreover, MLD attenuated CCl₄-mediated lipid peroxidation and protein nitrosylation by restoring impaired hepatic nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 mRNA levels and its dependent antioxidant activities. Furthermore, MLD synergistically decreased mRNA and protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in the liver. Together, these results suggest that MLD has potential for preventing acute liver injury by inhibiting apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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13 pages, 2906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Brassica oleracea Prevents HCl/Ethanol-Induced Gastric Damages in Mice

by Mi-Ryung Kim, Tae-Il Kim, Beom-Rak Choi, Moon Bong Kim, Il Je Cho, Keun-Woo Lee and Sae Kwang Ku

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010016 - 22 Dec 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3178

Abstract

Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. (cabbage) is a popular vegetable with a wide range of pharmacological activities that help to promote human health. The present study investigated the beneficial effects of B. oleracea var. capitata L. extract (BOE) on HCl/ethanol (H/E)-induced gastric damages in mice. Pre-administration of BOE (25–100 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days significantly decreased macroscopically visible lesion on the gastric mucosa induced by H/E. In addition, results from hematoxylin and eosin-stained gastric tissue showed that BOE inhibited invaded percentage of lesion and prevented the reduction in mucosal thickness in peri-ulcerative region. BOE significantly alleviated the H/E-mediated decreases in Alcian blue binding, total hexose, sialic acid, and collagen in the gastric tissue, suggesting BOE attenuates the gastric damage via preserving the integrity of gastric mucus. Moreover, BOE significantly decreased histamine level in the plasma and reduced mRNA levels associated with secreting gastric acid. Furthermore, BOE inhibited myeloperoxidase activity and suppressed nuclear factor-κB mRNA and its dependent inflammatory genes expression induced by H/E. BOE also strengthened antioxidant enzyme activity, with a mitigating H/E-mediated increase in malondialdehyde level of the gastric tissue. Thus, these results suggest that BOE has the potential to protect the gastric tissue via inhibiting gastric acid secretion, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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13 pages, 5512 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indian Gooseberry and Barley Sprout Mixture Inhibits Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis Activity in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

by Soo-Jeung Park, Dakyung Kim, Jong-Lae Kim, Mi-Ryeong Park, Tae Gi Kim, Ok-Kyung Kim and Da-Eun Nam

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 9078; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10249078 - 18 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2127

Abstract

This study aimed to confirm the synergistic effect of an Indian gooseberry (IG) and barley sprout (BP) mixture in differentiated adipocytes. To this end, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with IG, BP, and IGBP mixtures during the differentiation period. On the last day of differentiation, we measured intracellular cAMP, triglyceride (TG), and fatty acid (FA) levels, as well as performed Oil Red O staining, glycerol release, and Western blot assays. During adipogenesis, IGBP (200 μg/mL) increased the cAMP levels by more than 2-fold and decreased the protein expressions levels of p-CREB (66.3%), C/EBPα (79.4%), C/EBPβ (85.9%), and PPARγ (74.1%) compared to those in the C group. Furthermore, the expression levels of the adipogenesis-related genes and GLUT4 (more than 3-fold) were regulated. During lipogenesis, the IGBP (200 μg/mL) activated AMPK and ACC levels and reduced the protein expression levels of SREBP1c, FAS, and LPL. This reduced the FA and TG contents in the cells by 47.6% and 76.3%, respectively, compared to those in the differentiated control (C) group, resulting in a more than 5-fold increase in glycerol release. In conclusion, we found that IGBP inhibited TG synthesis during adipogenesis and lipogenesis, and thus, displayed potential as a functional health food for preventing obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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13 pages, 2273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenols Extracted from Chinese Hickory (Carya cathayensis) Promote Apoptosis and Inhibit Proliferation through the p53-Dependent Intrinsic and HIF-1α-VEGF Pathways in Ovarian Cancer Cells

by Zhiping He, Shaozhen Wu, Ju Lin, Ashley Booth, Gary O’Neal Rankin, Ivan Martinez and Yi Charlie Chen

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(23), 8615; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10238615 - 1 Dec 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2368

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer with an estimated 13,940 mortalities across the United States in 2020. Natural polyphenols have been shown to double the survival time of some cancer patients due to their anticancer properties. Therefore, the effect of polyphenols extracted from Chinese hickory seed skin Carya cathayensis (CHSP) on ovarian cancer was investigated in the present study. Cell viability results showed that CHSP is more effective in inhibiting ovarian cancer cells than normal ovarian cells, with the IC50 value for inhibition of cell proliferation of Ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3) being 10.33 ± 0.166 µg/mL for a 24 h treatment. Flow cytometry results showed that the apoptosis rate was significantly increased to 44.21% after 24 h treatment with 20 µg/mL of CHSP. Western blot analysis showed that CHSP induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells through a p53-dependent intrinsic pathway. Compared with control values, levels of VEGF excreted by OVCAR-3 cancer cells were reduced to 7.87% with a 40 µg/mL CHSP treatment. Consistent with our previous reports, CHSP inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion by regulating the HIF-1α-VEGF pathway. In addition, we also found that the inhibitory effect of CHSP on ovarian cancer is related to the up-regulation of Phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) and down-regulation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappa B). These findings provide some evidence of the anti-ovarian cancer properties of CHSP and support the polyphenols as potential candidates for ovarian cancer adjuvant therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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15 pages, 2746 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze Restores Blood Perfusion from Hind-Limb Ischemic Mice

by Hyun Yang, Dong Ho Jung, Hye Won Lee, Dongoh Lee and Byoung Seob Ko

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(23), 8562; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10238562 - 30 Nov 2020

Viewed by 1706

Abstract

Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze (TTK) is grown for the edible leaves, and can be used as food. And which commonly called Beonhaengcho in Republic of Korea. TTK is found along the seaside of the Jeju-Island and it has long been consumed as a food for women’s health. We investigated the effects of TTK on peripheral circulation disorder during menopausal transition and/or menopause in a hind-limb ischemic (HLI) mouse model. Chemotactic motility and tube formation of vascular epithelial cells were evaluated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a TTK (150 or 450 mg/kg/day) for four weeks and the rate of blood flow was assessed using a laser Doppler after HLI. TTK treatment significantly increased cell migration and the branch interval value of tubular structure in a dose-dependently. In the TTK treatment group, blood flow rate was significant induced at 7, 14, and 28 days after HLI, compared with the vehicle. TTK treatment also an increase in capillary density, and the highest levels of pERK(1/2), pAkt, pPLCγ1 and pFAK proteins compared to the vehicle control. These results suggest that extract of TTK may ameliorate the blood flow via improvement of peripheral angiogenesis under hind-limb ischemic stress in a menopausal mouse model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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8 pages, 690 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Total Serum Calcium and Recovery after Rehabilitation in Patients with Stroke

by Mariacristina Siotto, Marco Germanotta, Massimo Santoro, Chiara Di Blasi, Claudia Loreti, Simona Mastropaolo and Irene Aprile

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7893; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217893 - 7 Nov 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2066

Abstract

Calcium deficiency is frequently observed in stroke survivors, but no data exist concerning the relationship between calcium and rehabilitation outcome in patients with stroke. Therefore, we examined in a group of subacute stroke patients if changes in the Barthel Index after a rehabilitation treatment were associated with blood parameters related to calcium status. We retrospectively explored serum calcium status (total calcium, ionized calcium), serum total protein status, and serum albumin percentage in 30 subacute stroke patients admitted to our rehabilitation center. Patients underwent a 6-week rehabilitation treatment (each session lasting 45 min, 2 sessions/day, 6 days/week). Overall, 26.7% of patients had total calcium levels below the reference range, whereas 100% of patients had ionized calcium in the reference range. Total protein and albumin were below the reference range in about 77% and 67% of patients, respectively. We found that only total calcium was correlated with the change from baseline of the Barthel Index (BI) (rho = 0.466, p = 0.009). A multiple linear regression model confirmed that in our sample the total calcium significantly predicted the change from baseline of the Barthel Index (F5, 24 = 4.074, p = 0.008, adj. R2 = 0.346). This study suggests a possible connection between serum calcium status and total protein status of stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation treatment and rehabilitation outcomes. Further investigations are necessary to confirm the importance of testing serum calcium status of patients at admission in a rehabilitation unit for an eventual supplementation or a dietary personalized program. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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11 pages, 1700 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Status in Relation to Consumption of Chickpeas and Hummus in the U.S. Population

by Cara L. Frankenfeld and Taylor C. Wallace

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7341; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207341 - 20 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4667

Abstract

Chickpeas, a commonly consumed legume, are the main ingredient in traditional hummus. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend consuming 1–1.5 cups of legumes per week. This study aimed to evaluate temporal changes in hummus and chickpea consumption and describe diet and biomarkers of health in U.S. consumers versus non-consumers. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2016) data were used. Dietary intake was collected using two 24-h recalls; age, gender, and poverty-to-income ratio were adjusted in statistical analyses. The proportion of the population who consumed chickpeas or hummus increased significantly over time. Hummus and chickpea consumers were more likely to obtain recommended legume intake. Consumers had significantly increased intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and decreased added sugars intakes versus non-consumers. Consumers also had lower concentrations of urinary iodine and higher concentrations of serum 4-pyridoxic acid, total vitamin B6, and red blood cell folate. Adults who consumed chickpeas and hummus were 48% and 62% less likely to have metabolic syndrome, respectively. Consuming chickpeas or hummus may be a practical means of improving diet quality and nutritional status. Future work should evaluate whether chronic disease incidence is reduced by chickpea and hummus consumption through better nutrition or lower metabolic syndrome incidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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12 pages, 2462 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Immune-Enhancing Effects of Red Platycodon grandiflorus Root Extract via p38 MAPK-Mediated NF-κB Activation

by Eun-Jung Park, You-Suk Lee, Sung Min Kim, Ah Jin Jung, Jeong-Hyun Yoo, Sung-Hyen Lee, Hyun Cheol Jeong and Hae-Jeung Lee

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5457; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165457 - 7 Aug 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2741

Abstract

Platycodongrandiflorus (PG) root extract has been widely used as an oriental herbal medicine. Red PG root extract (RPGE), which is made by steaming and drying PG several times, contains more saponin than raw (white) PG. Although RPGE has been known to have anti-inflammatory activity, the effects of RPGE on the immune-enhancing response remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the immune-enhancing effects of RPGE and its mechanism in macrophage cells and splenocytes. Our results revealed that cell proliferation of both macrophages and splenocytes correlate positively with the concentration of RPGE. Moreover, RPGE treatment increased the phagocytic activity of macrophage cells, as well as nitric oxide and cytokines production. Furthermore, RPGE induced phosphorylation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, which contributed to nuclear factor-kappa B activation. Thus, our findings suggest that RPGE may be a potential functional food for improving immune function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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16 pages, 1994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Colon Cancer Potential of Crude Extracts of Fucoidan Obtained from Sargassum Glaucescens Pretreated by Compressional-Puffing

by Wei-Cheng Shiao, Chia-Hung Kuo, Yung-Hsiang Tsai, Shu-Ling Hsieh, Ai-Wei Kuan, Yong-Han Hong and Chun-Yung Huang

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3058; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093058 - 28 Apr 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2664

Abstract

Fucoidans constitute a family of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides, which possess multiple characteristics, including antioxidant, antitumor, antivirus, anticoagulant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the incidence of colon cancer has risen rapidly worldwide. In the present study, fucoidan extracts were extracted from the Sargassum glaucescens (SG) pretreated by compressional-puffing, and four fucoidans (SG1-SG4) were obtained with different puffing conditions. It was found that SG4 possessed the highest extraction yield, relatively high cytotoxicity against human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells, and relatively low cytotoxicity to normal cells, as compared to the other extracted fucoidans. Moreover, SG4 caused cell cycle arrest of HT-29 cells at sub-G₁, S, and G₂/M phases. SG4 also induced HT-29 cellular apoptosis, as evidenced by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), increased cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-9 and -3, increased DNA fragmentation, and increased early and late apoptotic cells visualized by annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) assay. Additional biological experiments revealed that the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/S6 pathway is involved in SG4-induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells. These results clearly indicate that SG4 showed anti-colon cancer potential via the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and thus may have a possible application as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in colon cancer treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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16 pages, 308 KiB

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Can Walnut Serve as a Magic Bullet for the Management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

by Mi-Young Kim and Sang-Woon Choi

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010218 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8950

Abstract

Walnut contains many nutrients and bioactive components such as essential fatty acids, polyphenols, fiber, ɤ-tocopherol, folate, minerals, and vegetable protein, and has therefore been regarded as a natural functional food. Walnut-enriched diets have been demonstrated to be useful for heart health, cancer prevention, and metabolic disorders owing to their anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties as well as for the maintenance of a healthy metabolism and immune function. Walnut extracts, either phenolic or lipid, also demonstrated the health effects in animal and cultured cell studies. More recently, the beneficial effects of walnut consumption on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is a hepatic manifestation of obesity, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome with substantial hepatic accumulation of triglyceride, have been proposed because walnut and a walnut-containing diet can modulate the etiologic mechanism such as ameliorating systemic and hepatic dyslipidemia, reducing lipotoxicity and inflammation, enhancing immune function, and maintaining gut microbiota balance. Through the extensive literature review we discuss the preventive roles of walnut in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and provide mechanistic insights into these effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food and Chronic Disease)

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