• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.248-255
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• 2023

Objective: Stress factors such as high temperatures, overcrowding, and diurnal temperature range exert profound negative effects on weight gain and productivity of broiler chickens. The potential of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) as an excitatory neurotransmitter was evaluated under various stress conditions in this study. Methods: The experiment was conducted under four different environmental conditions: normal, high temperature, overcrowded, and in an overcrowded-diurnal temperature range. The experimental groups were divided into (-) control group without stress, (+) control group with stress, and G50 group (GABA 50 mg/kg) with stress. Weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were measured, and stress reduction was evaluated through hematologic analysis. Results: The effects of GABA on broilers in four experimental treatments were evaluated. GABA treated responded to environmental stress and improved productivity in all the experimental treatments. The magnitude of stress observed was highest at high temperature, followed by the overcrowded environment, and was least for the overcrowded-diurnal temperature range. Conclusion: Various stress factors in livestock rearing environment can reduce productivity and increase disease incidence and mortality rate. To address these challenges, GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, was shown to reduce stress caused due to various environmental conditions and improve productivity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.447-451
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• 2012

In order to investigate the efficacies for cognitive function of edible plants, we measured the inhibitory effects of acetylcholinesterase(AChE) activity, radical scavenging activities, and the contents of GABA and glutamate in the plant extracts. Among the plant extracts, Schizandra chinensis contained the highest GABA 14.8 mg/g and the extracts of Cnidium officinale and Polygonum multiflorum also had a relatively high GABA. On the other hand, plant extracts except, Acorus gramineus, showed similar glutamate contents. S. chinensis, Hovenia dulcis, Thuja orientalis, and Eleutherococcus senticosus exhibited high inhibition against AChE activities at about 18-33% at 1 mg/mL. In addition, strong radical scavenging activities were also detected in those extracts which showed high AChE inhibition. Taken together, H. dulcis, T. orientalis, E. senticosus, and S. chinensis could be effective resources for enhancing cognitive function. Further, it was suggested that the AChE inhibitory activities of plant extracts might be related to antioxidative activity.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2006

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the roles of the spinal and peripheral ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)- ergic systems for the mechanical hypersensitivity produced by chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglion (CCD). Methods: CCD was performed at the left 5th lumbar dorsal root ganglion. The paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) to von Frey stimuli was measured. The mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons was examined. GABAergic drugs were delivered with intrathecal (i.t.) or intraplantar (i.pl.) injection or by topical application onto the spinal cord. Results: CCD produced mechanical hypersensitivity, which was evidenced by the decrease of the PWT, and it lasting for 10 weeks. For the rats showing mechanical hypersensitivity, the mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons was enhanced. A similar increase was observed with the normal lumbar dorsal horn neurons when the GABA-A receptor antagonist bicuculline was topically applied. An i.t. injection of GABA-A or GABA-B receptor agonist, muscimol or baclofen, alleviated the CCD-induced hypersensitivity. Topical application of same drugs attenuated the CCD-induced enhanced mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons. CCD-induced hypersensitivity was also improved by low-dose muscimol applied (i.pl.) into the affected hind paw, whereas no effects could be observed with high-dose muscimol or baclofen. Conclusions: The results suggest that the neuropathic pain associated with compression of the dorsal root ganglion is caused by hyperexcitability of the dorsal horn neurons due to a loss of spinal GABAergic inhibition. Peripheral application of low-dose GABA-A receptor agonist can be useful to treat this pain.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2012

The goal of this study was to identify neurotransmitters in endings (p-endings) presynaptic to low-threshold mechanoreceptive vibrissa afferents in the laminae III/IV of cat trigeminal caudal nucleus (Vc). Rapidly-adapting vibrissa afferents were intra-axonally labeled after electrophysiological identification, and postembedding immunogold staining with antisera against ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine was performed, followed by quantitative ultrastructural analysis of p-endings presynaptic to the labeled vibrissa afferent terminals. Sixteen p-endings, which are presynaptic to the HRP-labeled vibrissa afferent terminals, were analyzed in this study: Eight p-endings (50%, 8/16) were immunopositive to GABA but immunonegative to glycine (GABA+ p-ending), and remaining 8 p-endings (50%, 8/16) exhibited immunoreactivity to both GABA and glycine. Bouton volume of the p-endings was not significantly different between the two groups. However, the p-endings differed from each other in relative content of GABA and glycine. These findings suggest that low-threshold mechanoreceptive information conveyed through vibrissa afferent at Vc is presynaptically modulated by GABA and/or glycine, and that degree of presynaptic modulation may differ among each vibrissa afferent terminal.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.508-515
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• 2016

This study aimed to investigate the functional and physicochemical properties of yogurt, supplemented with germinated brown rice (GBR) containing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), during storage. GBR was produced by soaking brown rice at 30℃, and saccharified germinated brown rice (SGBR) was produced by treating brown rice with α- and β-amylase for 1 h, at 80℃ and 60℃, respectively. Yogurt was manufactured using a commercial starter (YC-X11, CHR. Hansen, Denmark) at 37℃ for 12 h. The fatty acids and GABA contents were analyzed using GC and HPLC, respectively. The fatty acids in the cereal samples consisted of oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acid. The portion of oleic acid was the highest, at 35.65% in GBR, and 32.16% in SGBR. During germination, the oleic acid content increased, whereas linolenic and palmitic acid contents from GBR tended to decrease. Although the portion of saturated fatty acids, such as stearic and myristic acid, decreased significantly (p<0.05), that of unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic and linoleic acid, increased with an increase in supplementation of BR, GBR, or SGBR in the yogurt. The yogurt, supplemented with cereal samples, showed a tendency of an increase in the concentration of GABA with an increase in the supplementation of the cereal samples. However, yogurt supplemented with GBR showed the highest concentration of GABA, regardless of the supplementation of the cereal samples. These results indicated that yogurt supplemented with BR, GBR, or SGBR could be a promising dairy product.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.438-445
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• 2015

The production of GABA was optimized by co-cultivation of immobilized Lactobacillus plantarum K154 (ILK) with Ceriporia lacerata cultures. The mycelial culture of C. lacerata was performed in a defined medium containing 3% glucose, 3% soybean flour, and 0.15% $MgSO_4$ in a submerged condition for 7 days at $25^{\circ}C$, resulting in the production of 29.7 g/L mycelia, 3.1 g/L exopolysaccharides, 2% (w/w) ${\beta}$-glucan, 68.96 unit/mL protease, and 10.37 unit/mL ${\alpha}$-amylase. ILK in C. lacerata culture showed viable cell counts of $3.13{\time}10^9CFU/mL$ for immobilized cells and $1.48{\time}10^8CFU/mL$ for free cells after 1 day. GABA production in the free and immobilized cells was 9.96 mg/mL and 6.30 mg/mL, respectively, after 7 days. A recycling test of ILK in the co-fermentation was consequently performed five times at $30^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, resulting in the highest production of GABA. GABA could also be efficiently overproduced by co-cultivation with the produced polysaccharides, ${\beta}$-glucan, peptides, and probiotics.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.493-504
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• 2020

Gastrodia elata Bl. (GE) is a traditional herbal medicine used for the treatment hypertension and cerebrovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effect and blood pressure control ability of the GABA containing fermented Gastrodia elata Blume. The fermentation strain provided by Dr. Gi in Seoul National University is L. brevis GABA100, excellent strain of GABA production, which is involved in the ability to degrade gastrodin glycosides and activation of brain function. The Gastrodia elata Blume fermented by Lactobacillus brevis GABA 100 showed antioxidant activity (total phenolic contents, DPPH radical and ABTS anion scavenging activities) than unfermented Gastrodia elata Blume. In the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), the concentration of fermented Gastrodia elata Blume was administered at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure decreased statistically significantly (p<0.05), especially 2 weeks after feeding fermented Gastrodia elata Blume. Also, it showed a significant decrease in low, medium, and high concentrations of fermented Gastrodia elata Blume at 4 weeks and 8 weeks. These results indicated that Gastrodia elata Blume fermented by the excellent strain of GABA production L. brevis GABA100 shows the antioxidant function and the effect of suppressing the increase in blood pressure.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2016

Dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from traditional fermented foods to obtain rare ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing LAB. Out of 147 isolates, 23 strains that could produce GABA with 1% (w/v) L-monosodium glutamate (MSG) were first isolated. After further screening of these rare GABA-producing LAB by analysis of the glutamate decarboxylase and 16S rRNA gene sequences, Enterococcus faecium JK29 was isolated, and 1.56 mM of GABA was produced after 48 h cultivation in basic de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) medium. To enhance GABA production by E. faecium JK29, the culture conditions were optimized. When E. faecium JK29 was cultivated in optimized MRS medium containing 0.5% (w/v) sucrose and 2% (w/v) yeast extract with 0.5% (w/v) MSG, GABA production reached 14.86 mM after 48 h cultivation at initial conditions of pH 7.5 and $30^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2013

Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of animals, has several physiological effects including anti-hypertensive, diuretic, tranquilizing, and anti-stress properties, in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate Lactobacillus plantarum K74, which was isolated from kimchi and selected as a strain with a high ability to produce GABA, to develop a new starter culture for fermented milk production. L. plantarum K74 produced $134.52{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 1% MSG, $212.27{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 2% MSG, and $234.63{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 3% MSG. The optimum growth temperature of L. plantarum K74 was $34^{\circ}C$, reaching a pH of 4.4 after 18 hours of growth. L. plantarum K74 was most sensitive to novobiocin out of 16 different antibiotics tested, and was most resistant to kanamycin and polymyxin B. L. plantarum K74 did not produce ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, a carcinogenic enzyme, and was comparatively tolerant to bile juice and low pH. Furthermore, it displayed resistance to Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus at rates of 54.9%, 46.3%, and 0.7%, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.7 s.87
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• pp.970-975
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• 2007

For the screening of ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid (CABA)-producing bacteria, 86 bacterial strains which produce GABA were isolated from Kimchi and Salted fisk .Among these, three strains designated AML15, AML45-1, AML72 with relatively high GABA productivity were selecled by thin layer chromatography (TLC). To elucidate the relationship between isolated strains and the genus Lactobacillus, their 16S rDNA sequence were examined. The result of their DNA sequences showed 99% similarity with Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 367. On the basis of the these results, isolated strains were identified as Lactobacillus brevis and designated L. brevis AML15. In order to determine the optimum conditions for GABA production, the isolated strains were cultivated in pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) and monosodium glutami. acid (MSG). Results showed that L. brevis AML15 had the highest CABA productivity with 10,424 $nM/{\mu}l$ concentration in MRS broth containing 5% (w/v) MSG and 10 ${\mu}M$ PLP at pH 5.0. The results imply that L. brevis AML15 has the potential to be developed as a strain for GABA hyper-production.