Seong Soon Kim

Anti-obesity Activity of Peanut Sprout Extract

Sprouting of peanut usually promotes de novo biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as resveratrol. As phenolic compounds have been reported to possess anti-obesity activity, we investigated the effect of peanut sprout extract (PSE) on weight gain induced by high-fat diet (HF) in C57BL/6J mice. Administration of PSE effectively suppressed the body weight gain induced by HF without altering food intake. Furthermore, blood parameters, including levels of TG and total cholesterol, were significantly improved by administration of 0.5 g/kg BW of PSE compared to mice fed HF alone. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, the anti-obesity activity of PSE appears to be associated with its inhibition of carbohydrate digestion enzymes, as it dose-dependently inhibited the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase but not pancreatic lipase while PSE did not have any inhibitory effect against lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3L1 adipocyte. In conclusion, PSE deserves further study as a health functional ingredient for body weight control.

Neuroprotective effect of Reseda luteola L. extract in a mouse neuronal cell model

Aqueous extracts of Reseda luteola L. used as a dyeing agent for centuries have antioxidant activities. The neuroprotective effect of aqueous herb extracts were investigated against glutamate-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) insult using mouse hippocampal HT22 and cortical neural cells. Aqueous extracts and the hexane fraction of R. luteola L. effectively attenuated the cytotoxicity of glutamate (5 mM) in both HT22 and primary neural cells derived from the mouse cortex. The neuroprotective effect was attributable to unidentified components and luteolin, which is known as a biologically active constituent. Aqueous extracts of R. luteola L. deserve further study for identification of active components and development of food colorants with health benefits.

Enhancement of Alcohol Metabolism by Sprouted Peanut Extract in SD Rats

Excessive ethanol intake is known to induce a number of physiological symptoms, including headache, dizziness and vertigo. In this study, we investigated the attenuation effect of sprouted peanut extract (SPE) on ethanol-induced hangover in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were divided into five groups: the control group, which was administered ethanol only; the ethanol plus SPE experimental groups, which were administered ethanol and 100, 200, or 400 mg SPE/kg b.w.; and the positive control group, which was administered ethanol plus DAWN808®, a commercial product. SPE-suspended water was delivered to rats via gavage 15 h and 30 min before the administration of ethanol. Blood was collected from the tail 0, 1, 3, and 5 h after ethanol administration. The results showed that serum ethanol concentrations were significantly lower in SPE treated groups than in the control group. Furthermore, hepatic alcohol and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activities were enhanced by SPE in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that SPE could be useful in attenuating hangover after alcohol consumption.