• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.689-706
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of a nutrition education focused on Food Exchange System for the higher grades elementary children. Nutrition education lessons (40 min/lesson, 4 times), '5 major nutrients and functions', '6 food groups', 'daily needed energy and food exchange units', 'good choice of snacks and balanced exercise' were provided to elementary students (5th grade students). This research was based on the data from two groups of elementary school children in the 'education' group (n = 31) and 'non-education' group (n = 31). We assessed the changes in dietary attitude, food habit and nutrition knowledge using questionnaire and nutrient intake using 24hr recall method by nutrition education using the developed pamphlet. After education, there was a significant difference in the dietary attitude score only in attitude of 'balanced meal' (p < 0.001) in the education group compared to the non-education group. In food habit, there were significant positive changes in the type of breakfast and in the priority of choosing snack in the educated group. In nutrition knowledge, there were significant increases in scores of 'function of carbohydrate' (p < 0.05), 'function of fat' (p < 0.01), 'function of vitamin' (p < 0.01), 'foods of carbohydrate' (p < 0.01), and 'foods of vitamin' (p < 0.01) in the educated group. After education, carbohydrate: protein: fat (CPF) ratio was significantly different between the two groups (education group, 59 : 16 : 26 vs. non-education group, 63 : 15 : 23). In evaluation of nutrient intake by Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs), there were significant positive effects in energy (p < 0.05), thiamin (p < 0.05), riboflavin (p < 0.05), vitamin C (p < 0.05), phosphorus (p < 0.01), Fe (p < 0.01) and zinc (p < 0.01) in the education group compared to the non-education group. In conclusion, the developed 4 times' nutritional education pamphlet focused on individual daily energy requirements and food exchange units using food exchange system for higher grades' elementary student may positively change nutrition knowledge and dietary intakes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.355-364
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• 2008

Mushrooms are regarded as one of the well-known foods and biopharmaceutical materials with a great deal of interest. ${\beta}$-Glucan is the major component of mushrooms that displays various biological activities such as antidiabetic, anticancer, and antihyperlipidemic effects. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism of its immunostimulatory potency in immune responses of macrophages, using exopolysaccharides prepared from liquid culture of Lentinus edodes. We found that fraction II (F-II), with large molecular weight protein polysaccharides, is able to strongly upregulate the phenotypic functions of macrophages such as phagocytic uptake, ROS/NO production, cytokine expression, and morphological changes. F-II triggered the nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and activated its upstream signaling cascades such as PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways, as assessed by their phosphorylation levels. The function-blocking antibodies to dectin-1 and TLR-2, but not CR3, markedly suppressed F-II-mediated NO production. Therefore, our data suggest that mushroom-derived ${\beta}$-glucan may exert its immunostimulating potency via activation of multiple signaling pathways.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.203-217
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Centella asiatica, also known as Gotu kola, is a tropical medicinal plant native to Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. It is well known to have biological activities, including wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, and antioxidant effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of extracts of C. asiatica against age-related eye degeneration and to examine their physiological activities. MATERIALS/METHODS: To determine the effects of CA-HE50 (C. asiatica 50% EtOH extract) on retinal pigment cells, we assessed the cytotoxicity of CoCl₂ and oxidized-A2E in ARPE-19 cells and observed the protective effects of CA-HE50 against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced retinal damage in C57BL/6 mice. In particular, we measured factors related to apoptosis and anti-oxidation and the protein levels of rhodopsin/opsin. We also measured glucose uptake to characterize glucose metabolism, a major factor in cell protection. RESULTS: Induction of cytotoxicity with CoCl₂ and oxidized-A2E inhibited decreases in the viability of ARPE-19 cells when CA-HE50 was administered, and promoted glucose uptake under normal conditions (P < 0.05). In addition, CA-HE50 inhibited degeneration/apoptosis of the retina in the context of MNU-induced toxicity (P < 0.05). In particular, CA-HE50 at 200 mg/kg inhibited the cleavage of pro-caspase-3 and pro-poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase and maintained the expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 similar to normal control levels. Rhodopsin/opsin expression was maintained at a higher level than in normal controls. CONCLUSION: A series of experiments confirmed that CA-HE50 was effective for inhibiting or preventing age-related eye damage/degeneration. Based on these results, we believe it is worthwhile to develop drugs or functional foods related to age-related eye degeneration using CA-HE50.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.385-393
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of egg consumption and suggest proper guidelines for consumption of eggs by determining the relationship between eggs and cholesterol. Methods: Literature review was conducted on the relationship between nutritional, functional properties of eggs and serum cholesterol, as well as cardiovascular disease. Results: Eggs, which are a good protein food with complete amino acid composition, contain vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin $B1_2$, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, choline, selenium, ${\beta}$-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, etc. However the egg yolk has a high cholesterol content, which is associated with chronic diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. As a result, its intake is subject to regulation. Outbreak of heart disease by yolk intake can show different results depending on the characteristics of the subjects, amount of egg intake, and the implications of other foods eaten. It is difficult to determine whether eggs are beneficial, as they are the main supplying source for other major nutritive elements as well. Several research studies insist that when cholesterol intake increases by 100 mg, the level of serum cholesterol increases by 2.2~4.5 mg/dL and when serum cholesterol increases by 1%, the risk of heart disease increases by 2%. This indicates that a large intake of eggs can increase the risk of heart disease. Although the cholesterol of egg yolk and serum cholesterol are correlated, it is insufficient to conclude that only cholesterol and not other components are related to heart disease. In fact, other components in egg such as various unsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids could be related as well. Rather than concluding egg as a 'good' or 'bad' food according to its cholesterol content, it is important to define egg as a part of dietary patterns. Conclusion: Generalizing an indiscriminate and uniform amount of egg intake for all seems inadequate. However, patients with diabetes or heart disease should pay particular attention to the amount of egg intake. As for the norm, eating egg with vegetables as a substitute for other animal products seems beneficial.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.80-98
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• 2024

Edible insects, such as the two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus, GB), have high nutritional value but are not widely consumed because of their appearance and smell. Consequently, the development of foods containing these insects in less recognizable forms, e.g., flour-like powders, has drawn considerable attention. Herein, we investigated the quality characteristics of muffins prepared from wheat flower supplemented with fresh ginseng (5%) and GB (0, 10, 20, and 40%) powders. GB loading was negatively correlated with muffin volume, height, moisture content, and textural properties (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness) and positively correlated with crude protein content and antioxidant properties. Significant (p<0.05) color differences were observed between samples with different GB loadings. The contents of hexanal and nonanal, which are the major volatiles responsible for off-flavor, increased with increasing GB loading, and the number of volatiles maximized at 40% GB. Sensory preference decreased in the order of 0% GB>10% GB≈ 20% GB>40% GB. Based on these results, a GB loading of 20% offered the best trade-off between attractiveness and nutritional value. Thus, this study promotes the widespread use of GB in the food industry and the development of various edible-insect-based food products.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 1998

Antimutagenic activity of Saururus chinesis (Lour.) Bail was investigated for food-borne mutagens using S. typhimurium TA98. Methanol extract from Saururus Chinesis (Lour.) Bail was fractionated into hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and butanol fractions, followed by determination of antimutagenic activity for food-borne mutagenic heterogenic amines (HCA). The hexane fraction exhibited a strong antimutagenic activity for 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3,4-dimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyroid[4,3-b]indole acetate (Trp-2-A); however its fraction rather enhanced the bacterial mutagenicity of 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinozaline (4,8-diMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxline (7,8-diMeIQx). Active principle in the fraction was found to be two major compounds (${\gamma}$-crene B and epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrane) and 6 minor compounds (${\delta}$-caryophyllene, ${\gamma}$-elemene, ${\beta}$-cabebene, ${\delta}$-cadinene, ${\delta}$-selinene, and patchoulene). Modulation effect for the mutagenic activity of the food-borne mutagenic HCA by the fraction might be derived from a cumulative effect of each individual compounds. Hence, this hexane fraction might be use to reduce the production of mutagenic HCA during cooking process of protein-rich foods.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.419-424
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• 1998

Removal of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) and improvement of quality of the soy-sauce made from acid-hydrolyzate of defatted soy protein (SAHSP) were examined by fermenting the soy-sauce with soy-sauce koji or koji plus Pediococcus soya or/and Saccharomyces rouxii. The overall fermentation process performed in this work consisted sequentially of autodigestion of soy-sauce koji $(at\;45^{\circ}C\;for\;12\;days)$, lactic acid fermentation $(at\;30^{\circ}C\;for\;14\;days\;in\;S3\;and\;S4)$, ethanol fermentation $(at\;30^{\circ}C\;for\;14\;days\;in\;S2\;and\;S4)$,and aging $(at\;25^{\circ}C\;for\;20\;days)$. At the end of the autodigestion period, the highest MCPD removal (from the initial 38.6 ppm to 1.3 ppm) was observed in the S-2. Reducing sugar contents of the S-2 and S-4 sharply decreased from the 30th day of incubation, from the initial concentration of about 5.0% to less than 0.5% at the end of the process. Total soluble nitrogen content of all the soy-sauce products slightly increased during the overall fermentating period.The level of free glutamic acid, a major amino acid that is known to determine the taste of soy-sauce was determined to be an average value of $1270{\sim}1323\;mg/100\;mL$ of soy-sauce. The results of sensory evaluation of the fermented SAHSPs show that qualities of the S-2 and S-4 samples are nearly on the same level with that of the commercially fermented soy-sauce (p<0.05). This result suggests that the fermentation process in this work, especially the process performed with S. rouxii has a good effect for removing MCPD from SAHSP and also for improving quality of the SAHSP product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2030-2035
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• 2016

Bacillus cereus causes food-borne illness through contaminated foods; therefore, its pathogenicity and genome sequences have been analyzed in several studies. We sequenced and analyzed B. cereus strain FORC_021 isolated from a sashimi restaurant. The genome sequence consists of 5,373,294 bp with 35.36% GC contents, 5,350 predicted CDSs, 42 rRNA genes, and 107 tRNA genes. Based on in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values, B. cereus ATCC $14579^T$ was closest to FORC_021 among the complete genome-sequenced strains. Three major enterotoxins were detected in FORC_021. Comparative genomic analysis of FORC_021 with ATCC $14579^T$ revealed that FORC_021 harbored an additional genomic region encoding virulence factors, such as putative ADP-ribosylating toxin, spore germination protein, internalin, and sortase. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity testing showed that FORC_021 exhibited a high level of cytotoxicity toward INT-407 human epithelial cells. This genomic information of FORC_021 will help us to understand its pathogenesis and assist in managing food contamination.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Over the past few decades, Malaysia has been experiencing an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity that threatens the health of Malaysians. Poor dietary intake is one of the major contributors to the development of obesity and many non-communicable diseases. The dietary intakes of adults in Malaysia were assessed to determine the association between the dietary intake variables and the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements. This study examined whether the dietary intake achieved the recommended nutritional guidelines and compared the intakes between both sexes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The height, weight, and WC of four-hundred-and-ninety adults (n = 490) in Malaysia were measured using standard procedures. The three-day 24-hour dietary recalls were conducted on 422 out of the 490 adults and their dietary intakes were evaluated in detail. The selected dietary intake variables were used to determine the associations with the obesity indicators. RESULTS: Among the participants, 52.8% were overweight or obese. After data analysis, the mean energy intake was 1,550 kcal/day, in which male participants had a significantly higher energy and macronutrients intake than females. Protein consumption and its percentage of energy contribution exceeded the recommended range. The consumption of fruits, vegetables, and milk and milk products were lower than the recommended number of servings for a healthy diet. The male participants consumed significantly more servings of carbohydrate-based foods, meat, and fats, oils, and sweets than females. Among the selected dietary intake variables, only the carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with the BMI (Estimate b = -0.008) and WC measurements (Estimate b = -0.019) after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the dietary intakes of a sample of Malaysian adults and its association with the obesity indicators. The results highlight the need for improvements and modifications of the dietary intake of Malaysians to reduce the overweight and obesity rates.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.6 s.101
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• pp.405-409
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• 2006

Bokbunja (Rubus coreanus Miquel) is a wild berry belonging to Rosaceae genus of which application areas have been expanded due to many health effects. Bokbunja berry contains carbohydrates, protein, fats and dietary fibers as major components and various flavonoids such as tannins, volatile components including organic acids, alcohols and hydrocarbons as minor ones. Those active compounds attribute to the following health effects: increase in immune function and antioxidant activity, rise in hormone secretion, suppression of the growth of type B hepatitis virus, and control of weight gain. To utilize the above activities, many products have been developed by using Bokbunja berry extracts in the area of foods, liquors, and cosmetics. Recently, pure compounds have been isolated from the extracts for the development of medicines. In this mini review, the state-of-the-art of Bokbunja researches and applications including papers and patents is summarized.