• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2006

We investigated the effects of fructooligosaccharides and chicory inulin on the profiles of cecal and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and fecal bile acids in rats. Thirty-six Sprague Dawley male rats weighing about 190 g were randomly divided among four treatments; control diet, control diet +6%(w/w) fructooligosaccharide (POS), control diet +6% chicory inulin oligosaccharide(CIOS), and control diet +6% chicory inulin(CI). The rats were pair-fed and experimental diets were maintained for 5 weeks. Cecal and fecal pH was significantly decreased in rats that were fed fructooligosaccharides and chicory inulin. Cecal propionate was significantly elevated in rats fed CIOS diets, and butyrate was lower in rats fed FOS and CI than control values. Cecal lactate was significantly higher in the FOS group than in the control group. The fecal excretions of acetate and total SCFA were 200-300% higher in rats that were fed fructooligosaccharides and chicory inulin than in the control group. Lactate excretion was highest in rats that were fed FOS, followed by those fed CIOS and CI. The cholic acid and total bile acid concentrations in feces were significantly lower in the rats that were fed fructooligosaccharides and chicory inulin. The deoxycholic acid concentrations in wet feces were significantly lower in the groups of rats that ate CIOS (0.186 mM), FOS (0.274 mM), and CI (0.362 mM) than in the control group (0.595 mM). Among the fructans, short-chain fructooligosaccharide was more effective at decreasing colonic pH and lactate production, but medium-chain chicory inulin oligosaccharide was more effective at increasing fecal butyrate and lowering the fecal secondary bile acid concentration.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to elucidate effects of fructooligosaccharide on gastrointestinal tract and blood lipids of rats when this was supplied as purchased condition or oligosaccharide containing sponge cake. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of 3 treatments 1) control diet 2) 7.5% fructooligosaccharide containing diet (FOS diet) 3) lyophilized sponge cake powder containing diet (FOS-C diet). The sponge cake was made with fractooligosaccharide which replaced 40% of its surose, and the final concentration of fructooligosaccharide in FOS-C diet was 7.5%. Cecal and fecal water contents, amount of cecal content, and cecal wall weight were higher from fructooligosaccharide consumption, whereas total gut transit time was longer in rats consuming fructooligosaccharide compared with those fed control diet. Cecal and fecal pH were lower in FOS and FOS-C groups than in control group. Total cecal SCFA pools were higher from ingesting fructooligosaccharide containing diets compared with control diet. Serum triglyceride levels were lower in rats fed FOS and FOS-C diet than those fed control diet, while serum cholesterol levels were unaffected by treatment. Therefore the effects of fructooligosaccharide in sponge cake on serum lipids and gastrointestinal tract were similar to those of intact fructooligosaccharide. Also, adding 7.5% of FOS accompanied diarrhea symptom which suggests some precaution are needed when using FOS.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.931-936
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• 2006

This study sought to investigate any additive or interactive effects that soy isoflavones may have on the ecosystem of the gut, which is influenced by fructooligosaccharide (FOS) in colon-cancer model rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine were given experimental diets containing 0, 3, 6, or 9% FOS with or without 0.1% soy isoflavone for 12 weeks. In addition to the effects of FOS dosage on the gut ecosystem, dietary supplementation with soy isoflavone reduced the number of colonic aberrant crypts (ACs). The fecal weight, fecal pH, and gut transit time significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in rats fed FOS and the fecal concentration of bifidobacteria was higher in rats fed FOS than in control rats. The fecal output of total short-chain fatty acids, acetate, and propionate was significantly increased by the presence of FOS and was negatively correlated with the number of ACs, whereas the fecal output of butyrate showed no significant correlation with FOS dosage. The addition of soy isoflavone to the diet did not result in any significant differences in gut ecosystem parameters. Therefore, we conclude that the suppressive effect of soy isoflavone on ACs was not associated with the intestinal ecosystem, which was significantly altered by the dosage of FOS.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.196-200
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• 2004

There are increasing evidences that prebiotics can modulate various properties of the immune system. This study was conducted to investigate effects of three kinds of fructans (chicory inulin, chicory inulin oligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide) and a glucose oligomer(isomaltooligosaccharide) in large bowel mass and innnunoglobulin A (IgA) in rats. Forty five Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing about 1909 were randomly sorted to receive one of the five treatments, which were control diet, control diet+6% isomaltooligosaccharide (IMOS), control diet+6% fructooligosaccharide (FOS), control diet+6% chicory inulin oligosaccharide (CIOS), or control diet + 6% chicory inulin (CI). Rats were pair-fed and received the experimental diets for 5 weeks. Cecal and colonic wall weights were significantly higher in fructan (FOS, CIOS, CI)-fed groups compared with control and IMOS groups, and the length of colon was elevated in FOS and CIOS groups compared with control group. Fecal concentrations of acetic acid and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly elevated in fructan-fed groups. Plasma and cecal levels and fecal excretion of immunogiobulin A (IgA) in rats were not significantly different among groups. However, fructooligosaccharide tended to increase IgA level in cecum. Cecal IgA level was significantly negatively correlated with pH of cecal content (r=-0.337), positively correlated with acetic acid level (r=0.310). Fecal IgA excretion was positively correlated with total SCFA (r=0.311) and propionic acid (r=0.400) level in feces. These results indicate that fructooligosaccharide and chicory inulin oligosaccharide exerted trophic effects in large bowel wall, increased production of SCFAs and decreased pH, which were conditions positively associated with cecal and colonic IgA secretion.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.208-219
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• 2019

Probiotics are very closely related to gut microbiome and recognized as beneficial microorganisms for our health. They have various biological effects such as inhibition of pathogenic bacteria, activation of beneficial bacteria, prevention of diarrhea and constipation, enhanced immune activity etc. Prebiotics, non-digestible carbohydrates such as galactooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide, are utilized by beneficial gut bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, resulting in production of short chain fatty acids which inhibit pathogenic bacteria in the gut and function for human health. Synbiotics are introduced for synergistic effects when probiotics are combined with prebiotics and now commercially available. At the moment many functional ingredients are developed and commercialized. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics might be hot items in the functional food market and the values will increase according to the results of human gut microbiome researches. To meet the situation, systematic and scientific studies as well as marketing effects should be accompanied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.1648-1657
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• 2014

In this study, the hepatic lipid-lowering effects and related mechanism of action of sujeonggwa were examined in hypercholesterolemia-induced apoprotein E knockout (apo E ko) mice. Sujeonggwa drink was prepared with cinnamon, ginger, and sugar by modifying the traditional recipe of sujeonggwa. Sugar was partially substituted with either stevia or short chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS) in order to reduce the calorie content of sujeonggwa, which was measured by descriptive analysis. Apo E ko mice (n=42) were induced to have hypercholesterolemia (plasma total cholesterol concentration >1,000 mg/dL) by administration of a high cholesterol diet for 4 weeks, followed by division into six groups. Experimental groups were orally administered water as a vehicle (normal group), sugar solution (control group), commercially available 'V' sujeonggwa drink (positive control group), or three different types of sujeonggwa drinks (S-sugar, S-stevia, and S-scFOS group) for 6 weeks while high cholesterol diet was provided to all animals. Compared to the control group, concentrations of hepatic triglycerides, total cholesterol, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and reactive oxygen species in S-sugar, S-stevia, S-scFOS were significantly reduced (P<0.05), indicating that sujeonggwa had inhibitory effects on hepatic lipid accumulation. Protein expression levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and its transcription factor, sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1 responsible for triglyceride synthesis, as well as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and its transcription factor, SREBP-2 responsible for cholesterol synthesis, were also reduced in S-sugar, S-stevia, and S-scFOS groups (P<0.05). These benefits of sujeonggwa were even greater in S-stevia and S-scFOS compared to S-sugar. The beneficial effects of S-stevia on regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism were slightly greater than those of S-scFOS although the differences were not significant. In conclusion, sujeonggwa drinks, especially functional sujeonggwa drinks in which sugar was partially substituted with stevia or scFOS, inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation via suppressing FAS and HMGCR protein expression through down-regulation of SREBP-1 and 2.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.1627-1634
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• 2014

The recipe for sujeonggwa, a Korean traditional sweet drink containing cinnamon, ginger, sugar, or honey, was modified by replacing sugar with alternative sweeteners [stevia or short-chain frutooligosaccharide (scFOS)] in order to improve the health functionality of sujeonggwa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of modified sujeonggwa on lipid peroxidation and oxidized DNA damage in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic ApoE knockout mice. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in 6-week-old male mice by administration of a high cholesterol diet (1.25% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid, and 10% coconut oil) for 4 weeks, after which mice were divided into five groups: sucrose solution-fed control group, sujeonggwa containing sucrose group, sucrose+stevia group, sucrose+stevia+scFOS group, and commercially available sujeonggwa group as a positive control. After 6 weeks, sujeonggwa supplementation resulted in reduced hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), regardless of sweetener type. However, reduction of hepatic TBARS by commercially available sujeonggwa was insignificant. Both endogenous and $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage in hepatocytes and splenocytes were significantly reduced only in the sujeonggwa containing stevia group compared to the sucrose-fed control group. There were no significant effects of sujeonggwa supplementation on total radical trapping potential, lipid peroxidation, or DNA damage in blood. These results suggest that sujeonggwa has protective effects against hepatic lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in hepatocytes or splenocytes from diet-induced hypercholesterolemic ApoE knockout mice, and the type of sweetener should be modified to improve the health benefits of sujeonggwa.