• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.464-468
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• 2003

The antihypertensive and cholesterol- lowering effects of Monascus koji (M. koji) prepared with Monascus ruber IFO32318 were examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Control was fed a normal diet and groups I, II or III were fed diets containing 0.03%, 0.1% or 0.3% M. koji for 8 weeks, respectively. After 8 weeks, all animals were fed normal diets in the following 2 weeks. The blood pressure of rats fed M. koji added diets were significantly attenuated as compared with control and the diet containing high concentration of M. koji had a tendency of stronger antihypertensive effect. These differences lasted throughout the experimental period when they were fed experimental diet. For 2 weeks after the 8 weeks of experimental diet all groups were fed the same normal diet and the differences of blood pressure caused by M. koji disappeared. In rats fed the M. koji added diet, the serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were not differed compared with control, but VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C) was significantly lowered. M koji also significantly decreased serum risk factors, both TC/HDL-C ratio and non HDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Consequently, it is suggested that M. koji may play an important role to attenuate hypertension and to improve serum lipid Profiles.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.893-907
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the related factors of dental caries and periodontal disease in adolescents from Korean multicultural families, thereby helping to reduce the prevalence rate of oral disease. Methods: The subjects were 710 multicultural adolescents recruited using a web-based survey, National 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior, from the Korean Center for Disease Control. A multicultural family was defined in this study as one having an immigrant mother or father. Oral symptoms included dental caries and periodontal disease. Toothache was defined as a symptom of dental caries. Tender or bleeding gums were defined as symptom of periodontal disease. For statistical analysis, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21.0 for Windows was used. Descriptive analysis and a Chi-square test were conducted to determine the factors associated with general characteristics, health behavior, and oral health behavior. Finally, to investigate the associations among oral disease symptoms, logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Toothache was significantly higher in female 1.52 (95% CI; 1.45-1.60), high school 1.23 (95% CI; 1.18-1.28), women school 1.10 (95% CI; 1.05-1.16), individuals with poor economic status 1.45 (95% CI; 1.30-1.52), and participants who consumed alcohol 1.32 (95% CI; 1.27-1.37). Toothache related to perceived health status was significantly lower in the healthy group 0.69 (95% CI; 0.64-0.75), and was higher in usual stress group 1.65 (95% CI; 1.57-1.74). Gum bleeding was significantly higher in female 1.32 (95% CI; 1.27-1.37), high school 1.15 (95% CI; 1.10-1.19), and individuals with poor economic status 1.38 (95% CI; 1.27-1.50). Gum bleeding related to perceived health status was significantly lower in the healthy group 0.68 (95% CI; 0.63-0.74), and was higher in usual stress group 1.54 (95% CI; 1.46-1.62). Conclusions: Taking into account of social and economic levels, and dietary habits in the multicultural families adolescents, further education and support will be needed for oral disease prevention and early treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.648-658
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between eating habits and health among adolescents in Shanghai and Heze, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 on 2,089 adolescents; 1,089 students were from Shanghai and 999 students from Heze region. Eating habits, weight, height, and nutritional knowledge were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Eating habits score was classified into two categories: healthy eating habits and unhealthy eating habits, based on "Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey", for statistical data analysis. Associations between eating habits, BMI, and nutritional knowledge were examined using a general linear model with adjustment of potential confounding factors such as region, gender, age, parents' education level, and pocket money. Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS (version 9.3) program. Proportions of healthy eating habits group were 90.0% for breakfast (3-7 times/wk), 29.1% for fruit (${\geq}once/d$), 12.5% for vegetable (${\geq}3times/d$), 7.3% for milk (${\geq}2times/d$), 90.0% for fast food (<3 times/wk) consumption, respectively. The average BMI score was 20.1 (Shanghai 20.5 Heze 19.6), which is in the range of normal weight. Rates of obesity and overweight were 16.5% and 8.3% in Shanghai and Heze, respectively. There were significant negative correlations between intake frequencies of breakfast, fast food, biscuits, sugar, chocolate, and BMI score. Eating habits and nutritional knowledge score showed a significant positive correlation. These results showed better eating habits regarding eating regularity and consumption of fruits and soft drinks in Chinese adolescents compared with Korean adolescents, although cultural differences were not fully considered. This study demonstrated significant associations of BMI and nutritional knowledge with dietary behavior in Chinese adolescents in two regions of China. Further studies on Chinese adolescents from other regions in China should be considered.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.595-606
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• 2010

A total 221 samples of the retailed foods collected from 2004 to 2007 was examined to estimate the level of dioxins(29 congeners) by the isotopic dilution method, and the exposure of population of Korean to dietary of dioxins was performed. Dioxins levels were calculated using TEF values established in 1998 and 2005, respectively. The average levels (pg TEQ/g) were less than 0.01 for polished rice, 0.04 (poultry)-0.13 (beef) for meats, 0.04 (milk)-0.05(cheese) for milk and dairy products, 0.13 for egg (york, only) and 0.11 (alaska pollack)-1.35 (pacific mackerel) for fishes. The estimated daily intake of Korean through foods was 0.47 pg TEQ/kg bw/day, and it was estimated as about 11% to tolerable daily intake (TDI; 4 pg TEQ/kg bw/day) of Korea and Japan. Consequently, it was concluded that there was no health risk.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.91-96
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• 2014

Evidence suggests that dietary indole, particularly rich in cruciferous vegetables, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Endosulfan is a residual organochlorine pesticide, which is detected in fruits, vegetables, and crops. In this study, we investigated the effect of luminal indole on endosulfan transport in the small intestine in mesenteric lymph duct-cannulated rats. The duodenum was also cannulated and a fasting phosphate buffered saline-glucose solution was infused overnight at 3 mL/hr. After recovery, a lipid emulsion containing [2,3-$^{14}C$] endosulfan ($^{14}C$-endosulfan) was infused into the duodenum for 8 hours. The tested rats were infused with the same lipid emulsion, but with indole. Samples from the lymph-fistula were collected hourly, and the luminal contents and mucosa were collected at the end of the infusion. The lymph flow in the mesenteric lymph did not differ between the two groups. However, the intestinal absorption of both endosulfan and cholesterol were significantly decreased by indole. The amount of radioactive endosulfan, which remained in the mucosa, was greater in the indole-infused rats due to the decreased transport of endosulfan into the lymph. This study indicates that the indole decreases the intestinal transport of endosulfan into the mesenteric lymph.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1021-1032
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• 2020

Numbers of companion animals and people rearing them are increasing in developed countries. As a result, businesses related to companion animals are becoming more advanced and specialized. Dogs have been cohabiting with humans as companions (pets) for thousands of years and, as a result, eat carbohydrate-rich foods similar to humans and maintain lives similar to their owners. Tight bonds between dogs and their owners are formed by sharing similar lifestyles, including a dwelling and food. Owners are responsible for their pets and treat them with emotional stability. Pets depend on their owners, although the food situation can cause stress. Since pet dogs are carnivorous in nature, providing pet dogs with a nutritionally balanced diet and functional materials is important for a healthy gut microbiome. Recently, the gut microbiota has become a research focus because it is associated with protection from harmful pathogens and immune regulation while maintaining physiological homeostasis. An abnormal gut microbiota is related to pathogenic processes and various gut, metabolic, mental, and neurological diseases. Additionally, pet dogs at risk of disease affect the health of their owners. Therefore, this review discusses the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of dogs and the relationships between the gut microbiota and diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.451-460
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• 2015

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a mammalian $NAD^+$-dependent protein deacetylase that regulates cellular metabolism and inflammatory response. The organ-specific deletion of SIRT1 induces local inflammation and insulin resistance in dietary and genetic obesity. Macrophage-mediated inflammation contributes to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, however, the macrophage-specific SIRT1 function in the context of obesity is largely unknown. C57/BL6 wild type (WT) or myeloid-specific SIRT1 knockout (KO) mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal diet (ND) for 12 weeks. Metabolic parameters and markers of hepatic steatosis and inflammation in liver were compared in WT and KO mice. SIRT1 deletion enhanced HFD-induced changes on body and liver weight gain, and increased glucose and insulin resistance. In liver, SIRT1 deletion increased the acetylation, and enhanced HFD-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$), hepatic inflammation and macrophage infiltration. HFD-fed KO mice showed severe hepatic steatosis by activating lipogenic pathway through sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), and hepatic fibrogenesis, as indicated by induction of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), alpha-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), and collagen secretion. Myeloid-specific deletion of SIRT1 stimulates obesity-induced inflammation and increases the risk of hepatic fibrosis. Targeted induction of macrophage SIRT1 may be a good therapy for alleviating inflammation-associated metabolic syndrome.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.11 no.1_2
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• pp.19-29
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• 1996

Human exposure to volatile compounds in tap water can occur from inhalation and dermal absorption as well as direct ingestion. The relative contribution to total human exposure from these pathways has been considered to be important especially for VOC's (volatile organic compounds). In an attempt to reduce the uncertainty of the risk assessment, it has been suggested that the exposure assessment process could be significantly improved by adopting Monte-Carlo simulation. However, there is no actual data in Korea for each exposure parameter to determine the level of exposure, and the distributional pattern. Therefore, we surveyed water use patterns and behavior related to multi-route exposure to VOC's in household tap water in Korea, and compared these values to the those in western countries. In the first survey, we calculated daily water intake using data from a sample of 1322 persons of several cities in Korea. In the second survey, we obtained questionnaire data on exposure time for showering, bathing and household activities, and tap water intake from 851households in Korea. In the last survey, we measured the exposure parameters (exposure time, water use rate etc.) related to showers, baths, toilets, dish washing, washing and cooking, and tap water intake was surveyed. Also, the subjects were measured their body weight, height and tidal volume, etc. A diary, a flow meter and a measuring cup were used to measure these values as precisely as possible. Average daily water intake was ranged 0.79-1.71 L/day for adults in three surveys. Tap water intake measured by log-sheet during one week in third survey was 1.26 (average), 1.98 L/day (90 percentlie), respectively. These results were comparable with results from EPA (1.4, 2L/day). The average amount of water used by housewives in the third survey was 515.0 $\pm$ 564.6L/day. In usual activity, the amount of water used in the bathroom, the laundry and the kitchen was 140.0 $\pm$ 538.9, 148.0 $\pm$ 174.5, 229.3 $\pm$ 205.4 L/day, respectively. Exposure parameters such as water intake rate, exposure duration, body weight, inhalation rates in surveyed data of Korean people differed from those published from western countries. This could be attributed to variations in lifestyle, dietary habits and physiological characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.480-486
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• 2012

To evaluate of biological activity of Chambirum ($Amaranthus$ $lividus$) $in$ $vitro$ and $in$ $vivo$, we investigated the free radical scavenging activity of its extracts $in$ $vitro$ and the effect of lyophilized powder on the serum lipid profile of rats fed cholesterol. ABTS, DPPH, and NO radical scavenging activities were tested from water and 80% ethanol extracts of Chambirum, and biological activities of the ethanol extracts were significantly higher than the water extracts. The total lipid and total cholesterol content of serum, atherogenic index (AI), and cardiac risk factor (CRF) were decreased significantly for the groups fed with a 5% and 10% supplement of Chambirum powder (HCA1 and HCA2) in comparison with the group fed cholesterol (HC). Triglyceride content decreased drastically in the HCA2 group, while its content was not decreased in the other group. HDL-cholesterol content was elevated in the HCA1 and HCA2 groups, but was not significantly different to the supplemented amount of Chambirum powder. GPT and ${\gamma}$-GTP activities were decreased significantly in the groups fed with Chambirum powder compared to the HC group. And the content of the lipid peroxide level was the same trend. Therefore, these results give evidence that Chambirum might be useful in the control of induced disorders by dietary cholesterol and/or lipids.