• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1332-1338
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• 2018

Activated microglia, induced by various pathogens, protect neurons and maintain homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). However, severe activation causes neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease because of the secretion of various neurotoxic molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG), and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Because chronic microglial activation endangers neuronal survival, negative regulators of microglial activation have been identified as potential therapeutic candidates for treatment of many neurological diseases. One potential source of these regulators is Locusta migratoria, a grasshopper of the Acrididae, usually 4-6 cm in size, belonging to the family of large insects in Acrididae. This grasshopper is an edible insect resource that can be consumed by humans as protein source or used for animal feed. The aim of the present study was to examine the inhibitory effects of a L. migratoria ethanol extract (LME) on the production of inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia cells. The extract significantly inhibited the NO, iNOS, COX-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokine ($TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$) levels in BV-2 microglia cell. Because the inhibition of microglial activation may be an effective solution for treating brain disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, these results suggest that LME may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of brain disorders induced by neuroinflammation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.166-182
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• 2022

Deer antler velvet is widely used in traditional medicine for its anti-aging, antioxidant, and immunity-enhancing effects. However, few studies have reported on the discovery of probiotic strains for deer antler fermentation to increase functional ingredient absorption. This study evaluated the ability of probiotic lactic acid bacteria to enhance the concentrations of bioactive molecules (e.g., sialic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) in extracts of deer antler velvet. Seventeen strains of Lactobacillus spp. that were isolated from kimchi and infant feces, including L. sakei, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, and L. plantarum, and those that improved the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans were selected for evaluation. Of the 17 strains, 2 (L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007) were selected based on data showing that these strains increased both the sialic acid and GABA contents of deer antler extract after fermentation for 2 d and significantly improved the life span of C. elegans. Co-fermentation with both strains further increased the concentrations of sialic acid, GABA, and metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and amino acids. We evaluated the biological effects of the fermented antler velvet (FAV) on the antibacterial immune response in C. elegans by assessing worm survival after pathogen infection. The survival of the C. elegans conditioned with FAV for 24h was significantly higher compared with that of the control worm group fed only normal feed (non-pathogenic E. coli OP50) exposed to E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Listeria monocytogenes. To evaluate the protective effects of FAV on immune response, cyclophosphamide (Cy), an immune-suppressing agent was treated to in vitro and in vivo. We found that FAV significantly restored viability of mice splenocytes and immune promoting-related cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], interferon [IFN]-γ, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) were activated compared to non-fermented deer antlers. This finding indicated the protective effect of FAV against Cy-induced cell death and immunosuppressed mice. Taken together, our study suggests that immune-promoting antler velvet can be produced through fermentation using L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007.