Higher quantities of arsenic (As) in Sargassum fusiforme limit its use as a food ingredient. The present study aimed to reduce As in S. fusiforme using sequential processing involving hot water, ...citric acid, and fermentation. The As content in S. fusiforme of 76.18 mg/kg was reduced to 30.47 mg/kg and 24.45 mg/kg using hot water and citric acid processing, respectively. However, the As content in S. fusiforme was reduced to 9.09 mg/kg by sequential processing with hot water and citric acid. Using response surface methodology, optimal processing conditions for S. fusiforme were determined to be treatment with hot water at 60 °C for 120 min followed by treatment with 0.4% citric acid. To further reduce the As content, the processed S. fusiforme was fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and the As content was further reduced to 1.64 mg/kg. In addition, the levels of organic acids and amino acids in S. fusiforme pre- and post-fermentation were significantly altered. These results indicated that the As content in S. fusiforme could be effectively reduced using the sequential processing with hot water, citric acid, and L. rhamnosus fermentation, and the organic acid and amino acid levels were significantly altered by L. rhamnosus fermentation.
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•The As in S. fusiforme were effectively reduced by sequential processing involving hot water, and fermentation.•The optimal processing conditions for S. fusiforme were determined using response surface methodology.•The As in S. fusiforme could be reduced from 76.18 mg/kg to 1.64 mg/kg by sequential processing using hot water, citric acid, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus fermentation.•The metabolites of S. fusiforme were significantly altered after fermentation.
is a brown seaweed, which is abundantly distributed in South Africa. This study investigated an efficient approach using high-performance centrifugal partition chromatography (HPCPC), which has been ...successfully developed for the isolation and purification of phlorotannins, eckmaxol, and dieckol from the ethyl acetate fraction of
(EEM). We evaluated EEM for its inhibitory effect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in zebrafish embryos. The separation of eckmaxol and dieckol from samples of EEM using HPCPC was found to be of high purity and yield under an optimal solvent system composed of n-hexane:ethyl acetate:methanol:water (2:7:3:7,
/
/
/
). To evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of EEM containing active compounds, zebrafish embryos exposed to LPS were compared with and without EEM treatment for nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cell death two days after fertilization. These evaluations indicate that EEM alleviated inflammation by inhibiting cell death, ROS, and NO generation induced by LPS treatment. According to these results, eckmaxol and dieckol isolated from brown seaweed
could be considered effective anti-inflammatory agents as pharmaceutical and functional food ingredients.
Pollution caused by fine dust is becoming a global problem in the aquatic environment. Many studies have investigated the hazards that fine dust may pose to terrestrial organisms; however, ...information on the effects on aquatic environments remain limited. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics of the fine dust associated with the captured powder or liquid state were compared using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Raw fine dust (RFD), in the captured powder state, was suspended in water (SFD), and the elemental composition, morphology, and size distribution of both were analyzed. Zebrafish were used as a model to study the effects of SFD-exposure on aquatic organisms. A fatal malformation was observed in the integuments of zebrafish exposed to SFD, specifically in the exterior and interior eye tissues. Furthermore, the exposure of SFD to Tg (flk; EGFP) zebrafish remarkably increased ocular vessel diameter expansion along with blood flow velocity. Regarding vessel diameter expansion, EA.hy926 cells exposed to SFD were adversely affected, with a significant increase in cell migration and capillary-like structure formation, which are angiogenic markers. The SFD-induced angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo was dramatically restored to normal via α/β-adenosine isolated from the anti-angiogenic brown algae Ishige okamurae extract.
Taken together, the current study presents solid evidence of the altered physicochemical characteristics of SFD compared to RFD, and the detrimental impact of SFD in an aquatic in vivo zebrafish model. In addition, the protective effect of α/β-adenosine, a marine natural product, on SFD-induced angiogenesis suggests that it can be used as an agent to reduce the adverse effects of SFD on aquatic animals.
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•The study of the damage to aquatic environment by fine dust exposure is limited.•The characteristics of fine dust suspended in water (SFD) was analyzed by SEM-EDS.•The fatal malformation was observed in SFD exposed aquatic organism, zebrafish.•SFD exposure also notably boosted angiogenesis-related responses in vitro.•The protective role of α/β-adenosine against SFD-caused damage in vitro and in vivo.
(SH), a marine brown alga, is known to contain a variety of bioactive ingredients and previous studies reported sulfated polysaccharides in SH as a potential candidate for a functional ingredient. ...However, immune-enhancing activity combined with
(LAB) is not yet studied. In the present study, we attempted to characterize sulfated polysaccharides (SHCPs) in SH by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry and evaluate their immune-enhancing effect on macrophage cells. The main residue of SHCPs in SH is 2-sulfated 1,4-linked L-fucose and this epitope combined with LAB shows immune enhancement properties through cytokine production at the cellular level and increases the population of lymphocytes and myelomonocytes in the adult zebrafish kidney. These results indicate that SHCPs, along with LAB, have potent immune-enhancing activity and may be utilized as a potential immunomodulatory ingredient.
Skin is the largest organ of humans. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) is the primary environmental factor that causes skin damage. The compound, (-)-loliode, isolated from the brown seaweed
, showed ...strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in in vitro and in vivo models. To further explore the potential of (-)-loliode in cosmetics, in the present study, we investigated the photoprotective effect of (-)-loliode in vitro in skin cells and in vivo in zebrafish. The results indicated that (-)-loliode significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, improved cell viability, and suppressed apoptosis of UVB-irradiated human keratinocytes. In addition, (-)-loliode remarkably attenuated oxidative damage, improved collagen synthesis, and inhibited matrix metalloproteinases expression in UVB-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore, the in vivo test demonstrated that (-)-loliode effectively and dose-dependently suppressed UVB-induced zebrafish damage displayed in decreasing the levels of ROS, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, and cell death in UVB-irradiated zebrafish. These results indicate that (-)-loliode possesses strong photoprotective activities and suggest (-)-loliode may an ideal ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is considered to be the primary environmental factor that causes skin damage. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of dieckol (DK), a compound ...isolated from the brown seaweed
, against UVB-induced skin damage in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF cells). The results indicated that DK effectively inhibited the activity of collagenase. DK remarkably reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species level and improved the viability of UVB-irradiated HDF cells. Besides, DK significantly and dose-dependently improved collagen synthesis and inhibited intracellular collagenase activity in UVB-irradiated HDF cells. In addition, DK markedly reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. Further analyses revealed that these processes were mediated through the regulation of nuclear factor kappa B, activator protein 1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in the UVB-irradiated HDF cells. In conclusion, these results indicate that DK possesses strong in vitro photoprotective effects and therefore has the potential to be used as an ingredient in the cosmeceutical industry.
(
) is a red seaweed with antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant activities. However, the anti-obesity activity of
has not been fully investigated. Therefore, the ...effect of
ethanol extract on the suppression of intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells by Oil Red O staining (ORO) was evaluated. Among the eight red seaweeds tested,
60% ethanol extract (GEE) exhibited the highest inhibition of lipid accumulation. GEE was the only extract to successfully suppress lipid accumulation among ethanol extracts from eight red seaweeds. In this study, we successfully isolated chlorophyll derivative (CD) from the ethyl acetate fraction (EA) of GEE by high-performance liquid chromatography and evaluated their inhibitory effect on intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CD significantly suppressed intracellular lipid accumulation. In addition, CD suppressed adipogenic protein expression such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α), and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). Taken together, our results indicate that CD from GEE inhibits lipid accumulation by suppressing adipogenesis via the downregulation of adipogenic protein expressions in the differentiated adipocytes. Therefore, chlorophyll from
has a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism and it could be utilized as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing obesity.
The aim of this study was to assess the potential hypertensive effects of the IGTGIPGIW peptide purified from Hippocampus abdominalis alcalase hydrolysate (HA) for application in the functional food ...industry. We investigated the antihypertensive effects of IGTGIPGIW in vitro by assessing nitric oxide production in EA.hy926 endothelial cells, which is a major factor affecting vasorelaxation. The potential vasorelaxation effect was evaluated using 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein diacetate, a fluorescent stain. IGTGIPGIW significantly increased the expression of endothelial-derived relaxing factors, including endothelial nitric oxide synthase and protein kinase B, in EA.hy926 cells. Furthermore, oral administration of IGTGIPGIW significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure (183.60 ± 1.34 mmHg) and rapidly recovered the diastolic blood pressure (143.50 ± 5.55 mmHg) in the spontaneously hypertensive rat model in vivo. Our results demonstrate the antihypertensive activity of the IGTGIPGIW peptide purified from H. abdominalis and indicate its suitability for application in the functional food industry.
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•Seahorse has long been used for the purpose of improving male sexual function; related to blood pressure and blood vessels.•Seahorse was hydrolyzed by Protamex (SHP) and later ...further separated by the ultrafiltration and sephadex G-10.•SHP inhibits angiotensin-converting enzyme and increase nitric oxide production, showing an anti-hypertension effect.
According to relevant literature, the consumption of seahorses has been used to increase male functions by improving blood flow and decreasing blood pressure. Thus, it was theorized that seahorses may also be effective against hypertension. Herein, vasodilation caused via the inhibitory effect of angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACEs) in peptides was elucidated by studying the seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) farmed at Jeju in South Korea. Hydrolysate was prepared using the Protamex (SHP) enzyme. The ultrafiltration system was adopted to separate certain fractions from SHP according to different molecular weights (SHP-I, MW > 10 kDa; SHP-II, MW = 5−10 kDa; SHP-III, MW < 5 kDa). The fraction with the lowest molecular weight (SHP-III) and with a low IC50 value (0.044 ± 0.005) for the ACE inhibitory effect was further separated by Sephadex G-10. Three ACE inhibitory peptides from SHP-III were isolated and identified using the Q-TOF mass spectrometer (Ala-Pro-Thr-Leu, Cys-Asn-Val-Pro-Leu-Ser-Pro, and Pro-Trp-Thr-Pro-Leu). Furthermore, SHP-III-induced systolic blood pressure varied with the concentrations, as observed in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). SHP and the isolated peptides were observed to show vasodilation via ACE inhibitions and resulted in lowering the blood pressure of the SHR. These results imply that peptides from seahorses can augment male functions.
Microgravity stimulation is associated with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells that transition to mesenchymal cells (EMT), and these pathological changes cause visual impairment. Vascular ...endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is produced from the RPE and contributes to photoreceptor survival. However, changes in VEGF production and function under microgravity stimulation are unknown. In this study, we verified that microgravity stimulation changed the morphological characteristics of human RPE cells (ARPE19 cells) and the expression of actin cytoskeleton regulators, which are related to excessive VEGF expression. Interestingly, microgravity stimulation increased not only the production of VEGF but also the expression of EMT markers. Previously, we studied the potential of ishophloroglucin A (IPA), a phlorotannin, as an antioxidant. In silico results confirmed that IPA could structurally bind to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) among VEGFRs and inhibit the VEGF pathway. IPA significantly decreased VEGF production and EMT marker expression in microgravity-stimulated cells. It also significantly reduced excessive cell migration in VEGF-induced EMT. Overall, our findings suggested that IPA treatment decreased VEGF production and EMT marker expression in microgravity-stimulated or VEGF-treated ARPE19 cells, and this decrease in EMT could restore excessive cell migration by inhibiting the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway. Therefore, it is a potential therapeutic candidate for angiogenesis-related eye diseases.