• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.481-487
• /
• 2010

The nutritional components, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects of water and a 50% methanol extract from litchi fruit pericarp were investigated. The most abundant mineral, amino acid, and fatty acid were K, proline, and palmitic acid, respectively. In addition, the total water phenolics and 50% methanol extracts were 8.02 and 12.28 mg/g, respectively. The DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power of the water and 50% methanol extracts showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity. In a cell viability assay using MTT, almost all extracts showed a protective effect against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity, and lactate dehydrogenase leakage was also inhibited by the pericarp extracts. In particular, the 50% methanol extract showed a higher cell membrane protective effect than the water extract at the highest concentration. Consequently, these data suggest that litchi fruit pericarp can be utilized as an effective and safe functional food substances for natural antioxidants and may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disorders.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.620-626
• /
• 2016

In this study, we investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity and cellular protective effects against oxidative stress on human skin cells in 50% ethanol extract and its fractions of Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) flowers. We measured the antioxidant effects of 50% ethanol extract and its fractions of C. officinalis flowers on the free radical scavenging activity ($FSC_{50}$), the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) and the inhibition of intracellular ROS generation in human skin cells. These results showed that the antioxidant effect of the ethyl acetate and aglycone fraction was more than the 50% ethanol extract of C. officinalis flowers. We also investigated the cellular protective activity and the results showed that treatment of the ethyl acetate fraction ($0.05-3.13{\mu}g/mL$) protects human skin cells in a concentration-dependent manner when the skin cell damages were induced by treating them with $H_2O_2$. In addition, the aglycone fraction ($1.56-3.13{\mu}g/mL$) shows cellular protective effects on the UV-induced cell damages in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the fractions of C. officinalis flowers can function as a natural antioxidant agent of cosmetics in human skin cells exposed to oxidative stress by ROS scavenging effects.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.355-368
• /
• 2003

In Exp. 1, this study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary germanium biotite on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in nursery pigs. A total of sixty crossbred pigs (initial body weight 15.09$\pm$0.18kg) were used in this experiment. This study was carried out for 28 days. The five treatments were control (CON; basal diet), GB0.1 (basal diet + germanium biotite 0.1%), GB0.3 (basal diet + germanium biotite 0.3%), GB0.6 (basal diet + germanium biotite 0.6%) and GB1.0 (basal diet + germanium biotite 1.0%). For overall period, ADG and Gain/feed were not significantly different among the treatments. In Exp. 2, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of germanium biotite as a substitute for antibiotics in growing pigs. A total of fifty five crossbred pigs (initial body weight 32.47$\pm$0.9kg) were used in this experiment. The three treatments were negative control (NC: basal diet without antibiotic), positive control (PC: basal diet + 200ppm CTC) and GB0.3 (basal diet + germanium biotite 0.3%). Pigs fed PC (17%, 385 vs 451 g/d) and GB0.3 (14%, 385 vs 438 g/d) diets grew faster(P<0.05) than pigs fed NC diet. Pigs fed PC and GB0.3 diets resulted higher(P<0.05) ADFI than pigs fed CON diet. However, pigs fed GB0.3 diet had improved gain/feed compared to pigs fed NC diet(P<0.05). Apparent digestibility of DM and N by pigs fed PC and GB0.3 diets were greater(P<0.05) than those by pigs fed NC diet. In Exp. 3, a study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary germanium biotite on growth performance, plasma characteristics, backfat thickness and fecal ammonia gas concentration in finishing pigs. A total of seventy-two finishing pigs (initial body weight 78.56$\pm$1.32kg) were used in this experiment. The treatments included 1) Control (CON; basal diet) 2) GB1.0 (basal diet + germanium biotite 1.0%), 3) GB3.0 (basal diet + germanium biotite 3.0%). Pigs fed GB1.0 diet grew faster than pigs fed CON diet and GB0.3 diet (P<0.05). Also, pigs fed CON diet showed higher(p<0.05) ADFI than pigs fed GB3.0 diet. Pigs fed GB diets had improved gain/feed compared to pigs fed CON diet(P<0.05). Total?and VLDL concentrations in plasma of pigs fed GB diets treatments were significantly decreased compared to those in pig fed CON diet(P<0.05). However, HDL-cholesterol concentration in plasma of the pig was significantly increased compared to those in pigs fed CON diet (P<0.05). Pigs fed CON diet exerted higher(P<0.05) backfat thickness than pigs fed GB1.0 (5.4%, 27.19 vs 25.71mm) and GB3.0 (16.1%, 27.19 vs 22.81mm) diets. Feces from CON treatment were higher in fecal ammonia gas concentration than faces from pigs fed GB1.0 (64.1%, 17.00 vs 6.10mg/kg)and GB3.0 (61.8%, 17.00 vs 6.50mg/kg) treatments(P<0.05). In conclusion, the results suggest that the dietary addition of germanium biotite into diets for nursery pigs did not affect growth performance. The results also suggest the possibility of germanium biotite to replace antibiotic in diets for growing pigs. In finishing pigs, dietary supplementation of germanium biotite was an effective means for improving growth performance and for decreasing Total-and LDL+VLDL-plasma cholesterols, backfat and fecal ammonia gas concentration.