• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that induces symptoms such as a decrease in motor function and cognitive impairment. Increases in the aggregation and deposition of amyloid beta protein ($A{\beta}$) in the brain may be closely correlated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the effects of an adzuki bean extract on the aggregation of $A{\beta}$ were examined; moreover, the anti-Alzheimer's activity of the adzuki extract was examined. MATERIALS/METHODS: First, we undertook thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate the effect of an adzuki bean extract on $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregation. To evaluate the effects of the adzuki extract on the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in vivo, $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing Drosophila were used. In these flies, overexpression of $A{\beta}_{42}$ induced the formation of $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregates in the brain, decreased motor function, and resulted in cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Based on the results obtained by ThT fluorescence assays and TEM, the adzuki bean extract inhibited the formation of $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregates in a concentration-dependent manner. When $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing flies were fed regular medium containing adzuki extract, the $A{\beta}_{42}$ level in the brain was significantly lower than that in the group fed regular medium only. Furthermore, suppression of the decrease in motor function, suppression of cognitive impairment, and improvement in lifespan were observed in $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing flies fed regular medium with adzuki extract. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal the delaying effects of an adzuki bean extract on the progression of Alzheimer's disease and provide useful information for identifying novel prevention treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.584-589
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• 2007

The effect of water extract of adzuki beans on acetaminophen-altered lipid metabolism was examined in rats. Control group of rats was fed a basal diet, another group of rats was fed 0.5% acetaminophen (APAP group), and a third group of rats was fed 0.5% acetaminophen plus 5% adzuki bean extract (ABE group) for 4 weeks. Serum total and HDL cholesterol levels in the APAP group were significantly lower than those in the control and ABE groups. Hepatic cholesterol $7{\alpha}-hydroxylase$ and fatty acid synthase mRNA levels in the APAP and ABE groups were significantly higher and lower than in the control group, respectively. Hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase mRNA level in the APAP group was significantly lower than in the control group, whereas that in the ABE group was significantly higher than in the APAP group. These results indicate that adzuki bean extract may improve the acetaminophen-altered serum lipid metabolism in rats.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.245-249
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• 1998

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.), mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz.], cowpea [V. unguiculata (L.) Walp.], adzuki bean [V. angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi], maize [Zea mays L.], sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], sorghum $\times$ sudangrass [So bicolor intraspecific hybrid], and Japanese millet [Echinochloa crusgalli var. frumentacea (Link) W.F. Wight] were grown at two planting dates (18 June and 15 July) at Cheju in 1997 to select the best forage legumes adapted to Cheju Island for grass-legume forage rotation. Averaged across planting dates and cultivars, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and total digestible nutrient (TDN) yields were 5,646, 1,056, and 3,637 kg/ha for soybean, 4,458, 676, and 2,661 kg/ha for mungbean, 3,289, 553, and 2,055 kg/ha for cowpea, 3,931, 674, and 2,489 kg/ha for adzuki bean, 12,695, 969, and 7,642 kg/ha for maize, 17,071, 1,260, and 8,857 kg/ha for sorghum, 16,355, 1,163, and 8,543 kg/ha for sorghum $\times$ sudangrass hybrid, and 8,288, 929, and 4,091 kg/ha for Japanese millet. Soybean was higher in CP, ether extract (EE), and TON content but was lower in nitrogen free extract content compared with the three other legumes. The legumes had much higher CP (13.7 to 21.9%), EE (2.42 to 6.23%), and TDN (58.7 to 69.9%) content but lower in crude fiber (CF) content (17.3 to 25.3%) than did the grasses tested except maize which had relatively lower CF content but higher TDN content. These results suggest that soybean could be the best forage legume for grass-legume forage rotation in the Cheju region.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2014

It is already known that adzuki beans (Vigna angularis) are able to control appetite. Therefore, this study tested the proteins isolated from adzuki beans for their protease resistance and interaction with the intestinal mucosa. The major proteins from adzuki beans were found to be resistant to the digestive enzymes pepsin and pancreatin, and were identified using 2D-SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. The major adzuki proteins were easily fractionated by treating the soluble protein extract with 10mM $CaCl_2$, and were found to contain lactotransferrin, a homologous protein to the dynein light chain domain, proteinase inhibitor, and proteins with unknown functions. From a tissue binding assay using mouse intestinal tissue sections, the major protein fraction showed weak, yet significant and specific binding to the mucosa layer of the small intestine. Thus, the current results suggest that adzuki proteins are resistant to digestive enzymes, which enables them to survive protease digestion in the intestinal tract, plus they may interact with the intestinal mucosa layer. Therefore, the molecules responsible for controlling appetite in adzuki beans are presumably protease-resistant proteins that interact with the intestinal mucosa or delay digestion in the digestive tract.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.9
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• pp.1325-1333
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• 2014

Sasang constitutional medicine is a Korean traditional medicine in which individuals are classified into four constitutional types, Taeyangin, Taeumin, Soyangin, and Soeumin. To develop new functional Saengsik products, we investigated the immunostimulatory activities of raw materials of Saengsik (milled rice, barley, Job's tears, soybean, adzuki bean, millet, eggplants, radish, carrot, Lentinus edodes, Agaricus bisporus, and Auricularia auricula-judae) and Saengsik products (Mix 1~6) in primary immune cells (lymphocytes and macrophages) isolated from blood of Taeumin, Soyangin, and Soeumin types. Increased cell proliferation as well as NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ protein production by immune cells treated with extracts of materials of Saengsik and Saengsik products were measured as immunostimulatory parameters. We chose milled rice, adzuki bean, radish, and Lentinus edodes to study the immunostimulatory activity of Teaumin, barley, soybean, eggplants, and Agaricus bisporus to study the immunostimulatory activity of Soyangin, as well as Job's tears, adzuki bean, carrot, and Auricularia auricula-judae to study the immunostimulatory activity of Soeumin. The mixtures (Mix 1~6) were made with different kinds and ratios of Saengsik materials based on the immunostimulatory activities of Saengsik materials. The immunostimulatory activity of Taeumin was highest in Mix 2 (rice 60%, adzuki bean 20%, radish 10%, and Lentinus edodes 10%) extract-treated immune cells among all six mixtures. The immunostimulatory activity of Soyangin responded best to Mix 4 (barley 60%, soybean 20%, eggplants 10%, and Agaricus bisporus 10%) among the six extracts (Mix 1~6). The increased immunostimulatory activity of Mix 6 (Job's tears 60%, adzuki bean 20%, carrot 10%, and Auricularia auricula-judae 10%)-treated immune cells was higher than the other five extracts (Mix 1~5). Accordingly, Mix 2, Mix 4, and Mix 6 may be useful as mixtures for Saengsik products having personalized immunostimulatory activities.