• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.180-184
• /
• 2009

The apoptotic effect of bacteria-derived $\beta$-glucan was investigated in human colon cancer cells SNU-C4 using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase-3 genes, and assay of caspase-3 enzyme activity. $\beta$-Glucan of 10, 50, and $100{\mu}g$/mL decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with typical apoptotic characteristics, such as morphological changes of chromatin condensation and apoptotic body formation from TUNEL assay. In addition, $\beta$-glucan ($100{\mu}g$/mL) decreased the expression of Bc1-2 by 0.6 times, whereas the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 were increased by 3.1 and 2.3 times, respectively, compared to untreated control group. Furthermore, the caspase-3 activity in the $\beta$-glucan-treated group was significantly increased compared to those in control group (P < 0.05). Bacterial derived $\beta$-glucan could be used as an effective compound inducing apoptosis in human colon cancer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.488-492
• /
• 2003

Yeast cell wall mutant, Saccharomyces cerevisiae IS2 was screened by the NTG treatment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCTC 7911. The mutant was highly resistant to zymolase, which specifically degrades ${\beta}$-1,3-D-glucose chain of ${\beta}$-glucan and mechanical disruption by glass beads. These phenomena demonstrate that the yeast mutant has cell wall structure different from the wild-type. The ${\beta}$-glucan of yeast mutant and wild-type strains was recovered by sequential extraction with NaOH. The injection of ${\beta}$-glucan into the abdominal cavity of mouse resulted in an increase in the number of peritoneal immune cells, NO (nitric oxide) production, and phagocytic activity of macrophage. The number of immune cells was found to be $3.90{\times}10^6\;cells/10\;mL$ and $5.48{\times}10^6\;cells/10\;mL$ with the wild-type and mutant ${\beta}$-glucan, respectively. The effect on the NO production and phagocytic activity of mutant ${\beta}$-glucan were 1.69 and 1.43-fold higher than those of wild-type. These results indicate that the immuno-stimulating activity of alternated ${\beta}$-glucan from mutant yeast is higher than that of wild-type.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.41 no.12
• /
• pp.1764-1770
• /
• 2012

This study was performed to investigate the changes of total and soluble ${\beta}$-glucan contents, purity, and physical characteristics of three heated barley varieties: Saessalbori (SSB), Saechalssalbori (SCSB), and Hinchalssalbori (HCSB). The barleys were heated at different temperatures of 110, 120, 130, 140 and $150^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours. The total ${\beta}$-glucan contents of raw SSB, SCSB, and HCSB were 8.40, 7.77 and 8.28%, and the soluble ${\beta}$-glucan contents were 4.79, 4.14, and 4.61%, respectively. After heating at $130^{\circ}C$, the total ${\beta}$-glucan contents increased to 11.59, 14.6, and 13.36%, as did the soluble ${\beta}$-glucan contents to 4.21, 7.96, and 7.23%, respectively. The purities of soluble ${\beta}$-glucan of the raw barleys were 35.11, 32.74 and 25.62%, but after heating at $150^{\circ}C$, it increased to 83.43, 91.02, and 88.01%, respectively. The molecular weight and viscosity of the ${\beta}$-glucan solution decreased with increasing heating temperature. The re-solubility of raw barley ${\beta}$-glucan was about 50%, but it was increased to 97% with increasing heating temperature. These results suggest that heating of ${\beta}$-glucan can improve the utilization of barley ${\beta}$-glucan.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.823-830
• /
• 2005

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of bacteria-derived $\beta$-glucan fiber on serum lipids, adiposity and uncoupling protein (UCP) expression in rats. In order to induce obesity, Sprague-Dawley weanling male rats were allowed free access to AIN-76A diet until 4 weeks of age, and fed high-fat diet (beef tallow, $40\%$ of calories as fat) for 6 weeks until 10 weeks of age. Rats were then fed with $0\%$ thigh- fat control group), $1\%$, or $5\%$ bacterial ~-glucan supplemented high-fat diets (w/w) for another 6 weeks. For comparison, normal control group was fed with AIN-76 diet $11.7\%$ fat). Supplementation with bacterial $\beta$-glucan resulted in a significant reduction of high-fat-induced white fat (i.e., visceral and peritoneal fat) development, adipocyte hypertrophy, and development of hyperinsulinemia and hyperleptinemia. Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels were greatly reduced, but, HDL-cholesterol concentrations were increased by bacterial $\beta$-glucan supplementation. Serum leptin level was lower in the $\beta$-glucan groups than in the high-fat group. The expression of UCPs (UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) were significantly increased by $5\%$ bacterial $\beta$-glucan-containing diet. This study suggests that the anti-obesity effect of $5\%$ bacterial $\beta$-glucan is attributed to upregulation of UCPs and inefficient energy utilization.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.35 no.10
• /
• pp.1363-1370
• /
• 2006

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Agaricus blazei $\beta-glucan$ and egg shell calcium complex on bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Forty Sprague-Dewley female rats, 10 weeks of age $(248{\pm}1.7g)$, were divided into 4 groups and fed on the experimental diets for 6 weeks: sham operated control treated with normal diet containing 0.5% calcium (Sham-C), OVX-control treated with normal diet containing 0.5% calcium (OVX-C), $OVX-\beta-glucan$ group treated with $\beta-glucan$ diet containing 0.5% calcium (OVX-G), and $OVX-\beta-glucan$ egg shell calcium complex treated with $OVX-\beta-glucan$ egg shell calcium complex containing 0.5% calcium (OVX-GE). Bone weight of femur was higher in the OVX-GE group than in the other OVX groups. Bone mineral density of femur was significantly different (p<0.05) among the experimental groups and showed the highest level in the OVX-GE group. Calcium absorption rate and retention were higher in the $\beta-glucan$ supplement groups than in the other groups (p<0.05). Alkaline phosphatase activities and osteocalcin levels of serum showed lower in the $\beta-glucan$ supplement groups than in the OVX-C group. Deoxypyridinoline crosslink values of urine, indicator of bone absorption, showed the lowest in the OVX-GE group. The $\beta-glucan$ supplemented groups had a lower bone resorption ratio than in the OVX-C group. We concluded that bioavailability of calcium is higher in $\beta-glucan$ supplement groups compared to those in OVX rats. From the above results, these findings suggest the possibility of using $\beta-glucan$ egg shell calcium complex as a functional food material related to bone metabolism, even though there is no significant difference between the groups of $\beta-glucan$ and $\beta-glucan-egg$ shell calcium complex supplementation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.642-646
• /
• 1992

We have isolated conditional lethal mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which are low in (1 ~3)-~-D-glucan synthase activity. These mutants were osmotic sensitive at nonpermissive temperature (37$^{\circ}$C) and showed a decreased level of alkali-insoluble cell wall glucan. The decrease in (1 ~3)-~-D-glucan synthase activity of the mutants appeared to be mainly due to the defect in catalytic component rather than in GTP-binding component.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.644-650
• /
• 1999

A normal and a waxy hull-less barley with similar ${\beta}-glucan$ contents were selected, and the effects of ${\beta}-glucans$ on rheological and pasting properties were investigated by using their flour extracts and isolated ${\beta}-glucan$ gum materials. ${\beta}-Glucans$ in the barley cultivars were extracted in a crude form with alkaline extraction, and the waxy hull-less barley produced more ${\beta}-glucan$ gum yield. The waxy barley also showed higher viscosities of water and alkaline flour extracts, compared to the normal barley. Both normal and waxy barley ${\beta}-glucan$ gums exhibited pseudoplastic flow behavior, and increasing ${\beta}-glucan$ concentration increased viscosity in a similar manner. The normal barley flour had a higher amylograph peak viscosity than did waxy barley flour. On the other hand, waxy barley flour with treatment of $HgCl_2$ demonstrated considerably higher increase in peak viscosity. Pasting characteristics of normal and waxy barley starches in the presence of ${\beta}-glucan$ gum solutions were tested using a rapid visco-analyzer (RVA). ${\beta}-Glucan$ gums increased the pasting viscosities of the barley starches, and the synergistic increase in viscosity appeared to be higher in the normal barley starch.

• Food Engineering Progress
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.8-15
• /
• 2009

This study was investigated on optimal conditions of the functional activities of ${\beta}$-glucan which was extracted from rice bran (RB) and rice germ (RG) using response surface methodology. The extraction temperature was varied in the $80-100^{\circ}C$, the extraction time between 2-10 min, and the ethanol concentration was in the interval of 30-70%. A central composite design was applied to investigate the effects of independent variables of extraction temperature ($X_1$), extraction time ($X_2$) and ethanol concentration ($X_3$) on dependent variables such as electron donating ability of RB ($Y_1$), electron donating ability of RG ($Y_2$), total phenolics of RB ($Y_3$), total phenolics of RG ($Y_4$), ${\beta}$-glucan contents of RB ($Y_5$) and ${\beta}$-glucan contents of RG ($Y_6$). As a result, the highest $Y_1$ level was 84.02% at $92.60^{\circ}C$, 2.75 min and 60.41% in saddle point. This value was affected by extraction temperature (P<0.05). The value of $Y_2$ was found to be the highest at $87.52^{\circ}C$, 2.23 min and 54.40% in saddle point. The highest $Y_3$ level was $98.56^{\circ}C$, 6.69 min and 40.26% in saddle point, and this extraction was greatly influenced by extraction temperature (P<0.01) and ethanol concentration (P<0.05). The value of $Y_4$ was found to be highest at $95.73^{\circ}C$, 9.19 min and 53.67% in minimum point. The value of $Y_5$ was found to be the highest at $96.23^{\circ}C$, 7.70 min and 63.69% in saddle point. The value of $Y_6$ was found to be highest at $87.82^{\circ}C$, 2.10 min and 50.03% in minimum point, and this extraction was greatly influenced by extraction time (P<0.01).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.609-613
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of $\beta$-1,3 glucan on growth, hematological and body composition in juvenile korean rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli fed the white fish meal based diets for 6 weeks. Four experimental diets were formulated to contain control (without supplementation of glucan), 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5% (this diet was fed to fish daily, bi-weekly as three different dietary treatments) $\beta$-1,3 glucan per kg diet (Control, $D_{0.05}$, $D_{0.1}$, $D_{0.5}$, $B_{0.05}$, $B_{0.1}$, $B_{0.5}$). Fish averaging $4.0\pm0.1g$ (mean$\pm$SD) were randomly distributed in each aquarium as triplicate groups of 23 fish. Weight gain (WG, %) and specific growth rate (SGR, %) of fish fed $D_{0.5}$ diet were significantly lower than those of fish fed the other diets (P<0.05). Feed efficiency (FE) of fish fed $B_{0.05}$ diet was significantly higher than those of fish fed $D_{0.1}$, $D_{0.5}$, $B_{0.1}$ and $B_{0.5}$ diets (P<0.05). Protein efficiency ratio (PER) of fish fed $B_{0.05}$ diet was significantly higher than those of fish fed $D_{0.1}$ and $D_{0.5}$ diets (P<0.05). According to the results, the supplementation of 0.05% $\beta$-1,3 glucan daily and/or biweekly is optimum in juvenile Korean rockfish.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.942-947
• /
• 2006

The effect of oat bran extracts on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was studied in F344 male rats. Extracts were prepared using various combinations of temperature (40, 45, 50, 55, or 60$^{\circ}C:\;X_1$), ethanol concentration (0,5, 10, 15, or 20%: $X_2$), and pH (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9: $X_3$). Among the various extracts tested, one ethanol extract (EE; $45^{\circ}C$, 15% ethanol at pH 6) and one water extract (WE; $50^{\circ}C$ at pH 5) were selected based on their in vitro antitumor activity. The animals were fed with basal diet alone or basal diet supplemented with 0.25 or 0.5% of EE or WE for 6 weeks. During the initial 2 weeks of the 6-week test period, the rats were subcutaneously injected with DMH (30 mg/kg) 4 times for the induction of ACF. DMH induced an average of 322.7 and 142.9 aberrant crypts (AC) and ACF, respectively. A low dose (0.25%) of EE (containing 38.3% ${\beta}$-glucan) and WE (containing 22.8% ${\beta}$-glucan) greatly reduced the numbers of DMH-induced AC and ACF. Significantly, ACF consisting of more than 3 AC were reduced by half in which the effect of EE, containing a higher concentration of ${\beta}$-glucan, was superior to that of WE. These results demonstrate that oat bran extracts may confer protection against colon carcinogenesis.