• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.523-528
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• 2005

The commercial interests in functional foods containing probiotics are gaining significance in view of increasing studies on their role in digestive tract. Probiotic dairy foods containing health-promoting bacteria are important segment of functional food market. Various health benefits have been attributed to specific strains of lactic acid bacteria or food containing these probiotic cultures. Probiotic-containing foods are considered to improve general gut health and natural defenses of body, and lower blood cholesterol level. Specific probiotic microbes can alleviate or prevent diverse intestinal diarrhea-inducing disorders, cause prophylaxis of intestinal and urogenital infections, inhibit mutagenicity of intestinal contents, and reduce incidence of intestinal tumors. Recent increasing evidences on health effects of probiotics have triggered consumer interest in this category of functional foods. Rational approach needs to be applied in selection of strains for probiotic preparation to achieve required functionality. Present article focuses on some prominent probiotic candidates and criteria for their inclusion in functional food sector. Various health claims of probiotics on gastrointestinal disorders, anticarcinogenic effects, and anti-cholestrimic effects, and possible mechanistic explanations for their functionality are highlighted.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3797-3803
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• 2016

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide and thus one of the leading causes of mortality in women. Lovastatin, a non polar, anticholesterol drug has previously been reported to exert antitumour activity in vitro. In the present study, lovastatin from Aspergillus terreus (KM017963) was purified by adsoprtion chromatography and evaluated for its anticancer and anti-oxidant properties with a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of purified lovastatin on HeLa cells were investigated by determining its influence on cell numbers, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), DNA fragmentation and antioxidant properties in terms of hydroxy radical scavenging effects as well as levels of total reduced glutathione. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry (propidium iodide staining) confirmed induction of apoptotic cell death and revealed cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Results of the study give leads for the anticancer effects of lovastatin and its potential usefulness in the chemotherapy of cervical cancer.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2020

Probiotics are actively being studied for their efficacious anticancer, anticholesterol, and antidiabetic properties. As novel probiotic strains are being developed continuously, new strain-specific safety issues may be reported. Therefore, a procedure for the safety evaluation of probiotic strains is needed. In this study, we investigated the current status of domestic and foreign guidelines for the evaluation of safety of probiotics and suggested a general probiotic safety evaluation process. In other countries, the guidelines for probiotic evaluation are provided and managed separately. However, in Korea, general guidelines are provided regarding the use of functional ingredients, and specific guidelines for the use of probiotics are lacking. A review step based on the characteristics of the probiotics has been introduced in the procedure for safety evaluation of probiotics. Additionally, it has been suggested that the safety evaluation process should consider the results of the functional and genomic analysis for strain identification. Moreover, the factors to be evaluated are presented separately for the notified and non-notified strains. The suggested evaluation procedure may ensure the safety of probiotics, thereby promoting enhanced utilization of probiotics as functional products.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.28-47
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• 2021

Pectin is a natural polysaccharide and biopolymer that serves as a structural component of plant tissues' primary cell walls. Pectin is primarily composed of D-galacturonic acid linked by α-1, 4-glycosidic linkage and is further classified by the ratio of esterified galacturonic acid groups known as degree of esterification (DE). Pectin that contains more than half of its carboxylate units as methyl esters is known as a high methyl (HM) ester. Conversely, pectin that has less than half of its carboxylate units as methyl esters is known as a low methyl (LM) ester. Pectin has various bioactive properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticholesterol, antitumoral, and chemopreventive properties. Moreover, pectin is a useful biopolymer in biomedical applications. Biomedical engineering, which is founded on research aimed to improve the quality of life using new materials and technologies, is typically classified according to the use of hydrogels, nanofiber mats, and nanoparticles. This paper reviews the progress of recent research into pectin-based biomedical applications and the potential future biomedical applications of marine-derived pectin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1100-1109
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• 2021

The halophyte Artemisia scoparia is an edible medicinal plant, with insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, antipyretic, and antibacterial effects. The aim of this study was to assess the inhibitory effect of crude extract and solvent-partitioned fractions obtained from A. scoparia on MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells using four different activity tests: gelatin zymography, MMP enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), wound healing assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blot assay. A. scoparia samples were extracted twice with methylene chloride (MC) and twice with methanol (MeOH). After the MC and MeOH crude extracts were combined, the combined crude extracts showed a significant inhibitory effect against MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes. They were then fractionated into n-hexane, 85% (v/v) aqueous methanol (85% (v/v) aq.MeOH), n-butanol, and water according to solvent polarity. Among the four solvent-partitioned fractions, n-hexane and 85% (v/v) aq. MeOH fractions significantly inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and cell mobility. In addition, the n-hexane and 85% (v/v) aq.MeOH fractions effectively inhibited MMP-2 and -9 activity in the gelatin zymography and MMP ELISA assay. In the wound healing assay, RT-PCR, and Western blot assay, all solvent-partitioned fractions, except the H₂O fraction, significantly suppressed cell migration, as well as the expression levels of MMP-2 and -9 mRNA and proteins.