• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.325-334
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to compare the content and metabolic activities between fresh pine needle juice (PNJ) and fermented pine needle juice (FPNJ). A variety of factors were measured, including total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity [DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA), total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), cellular antioxidant capacity (CAC)], anti-genotoxic activity, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The TPC was $17.3{\pm}0.2$ and $4.6{\pm}0.0$ mg GAE/g in PNJ and FPNJ, respectively. The DPPH RSA, TRAP, and ORAC values increased in a dose-dependent manner for both PNJ and FPNJ, with significantly higher activities in PNJ than FPNJ. The CAC against AAPH-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells was protected by both PNJ and FPNJ. Pretreatment with PNJ and FPNJ in human leukocytes produced significant reductions in $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage at a concentration of $50{\mu}g/mL$. ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase inhibitory activity was significantly higher in FPNJ than PNJ. The ACE inhibitory activity was about 87.1% and 60.0% in 1:1 diluted PNJ and FPNJ, respectively. This study suggests that the fermentation of PNJ could enhance the regulation of blood glucose metabolism and both PNJ and FPNJ might be a new potential source of natural antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive agents applicable to food.