• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.233-241
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contents of apigenin and luteolin in vegetables mainly distributed and consumed in Korea. In this study, the contents of apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside in vegetables were surveyed by using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). According to the analysis of 27 items (91 samples) in vegetables, the content of total apigenin (the sum of apigenin and apigenin-7-O-glucoside) was quantified in 8 out of the 27 items in vegetables, followed by pepper leaves, parsley, celery, chamnamul, foremost mugwort, and perilla leaves. The content of total luteolin (the sum of luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside) was found in 11 of the 27 items in vegetables, followed by pepper leaves, dandelion, celery, red lettuce, foremost mugwort, and perilla leaves. Celery was divided into stalks and leaves for comparing the contents of apigenin and luteolin. Celery showed higher contents of apigenin and luteolin in leaves than in stalks.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.10
• /
• pp.1409-1419
• /
• 2021

A growing number of healthy dietary ingredients in fruits and vegetables have been shown to exhibit diverse biological activities. Phloretin, a dihydrochalcone flavonoid that is abundant in apples and pears, has anti-inflammatory effects on ulcerative colitis (UC) mice. The gut microbiota and metabolism are closely related to each other due to the existence of the food-gut axis in the human colon. To investigate the interplay of faecal metabolites and the microbiota in UC mice after phloretin treatment, phloretin (60 mg/kg) was administered by gavage to ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in mice. Gut microbes and faecal metabolite profiles were detected by high-throughput sequencing and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, respectively. The correlations between gut microbes and their metabolites were evaluated by Spearman correlation coefficients. The results indicated that phloretin reshaped the disturbed faecal metabolite profile in UC mice and improved the metabolic pathways by balancing the composition of faecal metabolites such as norepinephrine, mesalazine, tyrosine, 5-acetyl-2,4-dimethyloxazole, and 6-acetyl-2,3-dihydro-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4(1H)-pyridinone. Correlation analysis identified the relations between the gut microbes and their metabolites. Proteus was negatively related to many faecal metabolites, such as norepinephrine, L-tyrosine, laccarin, dopamine glucuronide, and 5-acetyl-2,4-dimethyloxazole. The abundance of unidentified Bacteriodales_S24-7_group was positively related to ecgonine, 15-KETE and 6-acetyl-2,3-dihydro-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4(1H)-pyridinone. The abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group was negatively related to the levels of 15-KETE and netilmicin. Stenotrophomonas and 15-KETE were negatively related, while Intestinimonas and alanyl-serine were positively related. In conclusion, phloretin treatment had positive impacts on faecal metabolites in UC mice, and the changes in faecal metabolites were closely related to the gut microbiota.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.375-383
• /
• 2020

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical widely used in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins. BPA is an endocrine disruptor. Residue of BPA in agricultural environments is a major concern. The objective of this study was to understand the characteristics of the uptake and distribution of BPA and its metabolites introduced into the agricultural environment to crops, and to use it as basic data for further research on reduction of BPA in agricultural products. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study established the analysis method of BPA and its metabolites in soil and crops, and estimated the intake of BPA and its metabolites from lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in sandy loam and loam soil, which are representative soils in Korea. The two major metabolites of BPA were 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA). BPA, 4-HAP and 4-HBA have been analyzed by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). These substances were detected in sandy loam and loam soil, indicating that certain portions of BPA were converted to 4-HAP and 4-HBA in the soil; however, it was observed that only 4-HBA migrated to lettuce through the roots into crops. CONCLUSION: The uptake residues showed the BPA and 4-HAP were not detected in lettuces grown on sandy loam (SL) and loam (L) soil treatments that were applied with of 10 ng/g, 50 ng/kg and 500 ng/g of BPA. However, the 4-HBA was detected at the level of 7 ng/g and 11 ng/g in the lettuce grown in sandy loam and loam soil that were treated with the 500 ng/g of BPA, respectively, while the 8 ng/g of 4-HBA was measured in the lettuce cultivated in the loam that was treated with 100 ng/g of BPA. This result presents that the BPA persisting in the soil of the pot was absorbed through the lettuce roots and then distributed in the lettuce leaves at the converted form of 4-HBA, what is the oxidative metabolite of BPA.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.264-272
• /
• 2021

Background: Gintonin is a ginseng-derived exogenous G-protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand, which exhibits in vitro and in vivo functions against Alzheimer disease (AD) through lysophosphatidic acid 1/3 receptors. A recent study demonstrated that systemic treatment with gintonin enhances paracellular permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through the LPA1/3 receptor. However, little is known about whether gintonin can enhance brain delivery of donepezil (DPZ) (Aricept), which is a representative cognition-improving drug used in AD clinics. In the present study, we examined whether systemic administration of gintonin can stimulate brain delivery of DPZ. Methods: We administered gintonin and DPZ alone or coadministered gintonin with DPZ intravenously or orally to rats. Then we collected the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and serum and determined the DPZ concentration through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Results: Intravenous, but not oral, coadministration of gintonin with DPZ increased the CSF concentration of DPZ in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Gintonin-mediated enhancement of brain delivery of DPZ was blocked by Ki16425, a LPA1/3 receptor antagonist. Coadministration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) + gintonin with DPZ similarly increased CSF DPZ concentration. However, gintonin-mediated enhancement of brain delivery of DPZ was blocked by axitinip, a VEGF receptor antagonist. Mannitol, a BBB disrupting agent that increases the BBB permeability, enhanced gintonin-mediated enhancement of brain delivery of DPZ. Conclusions: We found that intravenous, but not oral, coadministration of gintonin facilitates brain delivery of DPZ from plasma via LPA1/3 and VEGF receptors. Gintonin is a potential candidate as a ginseng-derived novel agent for the brain delivery of DPZ for treatment of patients with AD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.239-244
• /
• 2021

In the present study, liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry was used to conduct a risk assessment of ethoxyquin and ethoxyquin dimer residues in 288 farmed fish sold in wholesale and traditional markets in Seoul. The detection range (detection rate) of ethoxyquin and ethoxyquin dimer was 0.005~0.309 mg/kg (4.9%) and 0.001~2.828 mg/kg (69.8%), respectively. Ethoxyquin was detected only in freshwater eels, loaches, catfish, and flatfish, whereas ethoxyquin dimer was present in all fish species. To estimate the dietary exposure levels of ethoxyquin and ethoxyquin dimer, the hazard index, calculated using the acceptable daily intake and estimated daily intake, ranged from 0.001 to 0.300%. Our results indicate that there is no significant exposure risk to humans from these farmed fish despite 10 farmed fish samples exceeding the maximum residue level (1.0 mg/kg as the sum of ethoxyquin and ethoxyquin dimer).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.530-539
• /
• 2021

Background: In South Korea, areas around abandoned metal mines are designated as regions with high arsenic (As) contamination. However, studies assessing urinary As exposure, As metabolism, and relevant genetic polymorphisms in residents of these metal mine areas are lacking. Objectives: To identify factors associated with As exposure and evaluate the effects of MTHFR, As3MT, and GSTO1 genetic polymorphisms on As metabolism in residents of abandoned metal mine areas by measuring urinary As species. Methods: Urinary As species (arsenite [As³⁺], arsenate [As⁵⁺], monomethyl arsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid) were isolated using high-performance liquid chromatography in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). Four genetic polymorphisms (MTHFR A222V, MTHFR E429A, GSTO1 A140D, As3MT M287T) were analyzed in 144 residents of four areas around abandoned metal mines. Results: The study sample was comprised of 34.7% men and 65.3% women, with a mean age of 70.7±10.9 years. The urinary inorganic As concentration was higher among those consuming more than half locally produced rice (0.31 ㎍/L) than those consuming less than half such rice (0.18 ㎍/L). The urinary dimethylarsinic acid concentration was higher in the group that had consumed seafood in the past day (31.68 ㎍/L) than in those who had not (22.37 ㎍/L). Furthermore, individuals heterozygous in the MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphism had higher urinary arsenic species concentrations than did individuals with a wild type or homozygous for the variant allele. Conclusions: Consumption of locally produced rice was associated with inorganic As exposure, whereas seafood consumption was associated with organic As exposure among residents of abandoned metal mine areas. There was no clear association between MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphisms and As metabolism.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.224-235
• /
• 2022

Objective: Cage rearing has critical implications for the laying duck industry because it is convenient for feeding and management. However, caging stress is a type of chronic stress that induces maladaptation. Environmental stress responses have been extensively studied, but no detailed information is available about the comprehensive changes in plasma metabolites at different stages of caging stress in ducks. We designed this experiment to analyze the effects of caging stress on performance parameters and oxidative stress indexes in ducks. Methods: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) was used to determine the changes in metabolites in duck plasma at 5 (CR5), 10 (CR10), and 15 (CR15) days after cage rearing and traditional breeding (TB). The associated pathways of differentially altered metabolites were analyzed using Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) database. Results: The results of this study indicate that caging stress decreased performance parameters, and the plasma total superoxide dismutase levels were increased in the CR10 group compared with the other groups. In addition, 1,431 metabolites were detected. Compared with the TB group, 134, 381, and 190 differentially produced metabolites were identified in the CR5, CR10, and CR15 groups, respectively. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) show that the selected components sufficiently distinguish the TB group and CR10 group. KEGG analysis results revealed that the differentially altered metabolites in duck plasma from the CR5 and TB groups were mainly associated with ovarian steroidogenesis, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and phenylalanine metabolism. Conclusion: In this study, the production performance, blood indexes, number of metabolites and PCA were compared to determine effect of the caging stress stage on ducks. We inferred from the experimental results that caging-stressed ducks were in the sensitive phase in the first 5 days after caging, caging for approximately 10 days was an important transition phase, and then the duck continually adapted.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.135-151
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND: The β-agonists known as phenyl ethanolamine derivatives have a conjugated aromatic ring with amino group. They are used as tocolytic agents and bronchodilator to human and animal generally, and some of them are used as growth promoters to livestock. METHODS AND RESULTS: β-agonists in samples were extracted by 0.4 N perchloric acid and ethyl acetate. The target compounds were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Validation of method was performed according to CODEX guidelines (CAC/GL-71). The matrix matched calibration gave correlation coefficients>0.98, and the obtained recoveries were in the range of 62.0-109.8%, with relative standard deviation ≤ 20.1%. In addition, a survey was performed to inspect any residual β-agonist from 100 samples of livestock and fishery products and ractopamine was detected in one of the 100 samples. CONCLUSION(S): In this study, we established the analytical method for β-agonists through using the expanded target compounds and samples. And we anticipate that the established method would be used for analysis to determine veterinary drug residues in livestock and fishery products.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.65 no.3
• /
• pp.173-181
• /
• 2022

This study was carried out to investigate the residual characteristics of flubendiamide in kale to establish pre-harvest residue limits (PHRL) and the removal efficiency according to the washing solvent and method. Field tests were conducted at two different greenhouses, field 1 (Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do) and field 2 (Incheon-si, Gyeonggi-do). According to the safe use guidelines kale was sprayed with flubendiamide twice every 10 days and harvested 0 (after 2 h), 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days after the final application. The biological half-live of flubendiamide in kale was calculated based on dissipation curves of the pesticide in samples analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. In the analysis, method limits of quantitation (MLOQ) were 0.01 mg/kg, and recoveries performed with two different fortification levels of 10 MLOQ and maximum residue limit (0.7 mg/kg) were 104.2±3.6 and 101.9±10.2%, respectively. The dissipation rate constant of flubendiamide in kales were 0.2437 at field 1 and 0.1981 at field 2. PHRL calculation equations obtained using the dissipation constants estimated as follows: if the residual concentration of flubendiamide in kale on 10 days before harvest is less than 8.0 mg/kg, the residual concentration on the harvest would be under MRL. The removal of flubendiamide from kale was the greatest when it was washed with vinegar (39.8%), followed by baking soda (31.7%), calcium powder (30.2%), neutral detergent (27.2%), and tap water (15.9%). The results of this study would be useful for both farmers and consumers to produce or consume safe agricultural products.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.65 no.4
• /
• pp.439-446
• /
• 2022

Soybean is a crop with high-quality of protein and oil, and it is one of the most widely used genetically modified (GM) crops in the world today. In South Korea, Kwangan is the most utilized variety as a parental line for GM soybean development. In this study, untargeted LC-MS metabolomic approaches were used to compare metabolite profiles of Kwangan and three other commercial varieties cultivated in Gunwi and Jeonju in 2020 year. Metabolomic studies revealed that the 4 soybean varieties were distinct based on the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) score plots; 18 metabolites contributed to variety distinction, including phenylalanine, isoflavones, and fatty acids. All varieties were clearly differentiated by location on the PLS-DA score plot, indicating that the growing environment is also attributable to metabolite variability. In particular, isoflavones and linolenic acid levels in Kwangan were significantly lower and higher, respectively compared to those of the three varieties. It was discussed that it might need to include more diverse conventional varieties as comparators in regard to metabolic characteristics of Kwangan for the assessment of substantial equivalence biogenetically engineered soybeans in a Kwangan-variety background.