Yeon Sook Lee

Production of γ-aminobutyric acid in black raspberry juice during fermentation by Lactobacillus brevis GABA100

Black raspberry juice was fermented to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis GABA 100) at different temperatures (25, 30, or 37 degrees C) and pHs (3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, or 6) for 15 days. Concentrations of GABA in the juices were determined during fermentation using HPLC. GABA was produced continuously even if the viable bacterial counts markedly decreased. The fermentation at 30 degrees C generally showed higher production of GABA in the juices than those at 25 and 37 degrees C. The GABA in the juices fermented at 30 degrees C reached the maximum levels on the 12th day. The juices fermented at lower pH and lower temperature showed a lower degradation of monomeric anthocyanins. The results suggest that black raspberry juice can be GABA enriched using lactic acid bacteria.

Protective effect of dietary chitosan on cadmium accumulation in rats.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Cadmium is a toxic metal that is an occupational and environmental concern especially because of its human carcinogenicity; it induces serious adverse effects in various organs and tissues. Even low levels of exposure to cadmium could be harmful owing to its extremely long half-life in the body. Cadmium intoxication may be prevented by the consumption of dietary components that potentially reduce its accumulation in the body. Dietary chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from animal sources; it has been known for its ability to bind to divalent cations including cadmium, in addition to other beneficial effects including hypocholesterolemic and anticancer effects. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of dietary chitosan in reducing cadmium accumulation using an in vivo system. MATERIALS/METHODS Cadmium was administered orally at 2 mg (three times per week) to three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats: control, low-dose, and high-dose (0, 3, and 5%, respectively) chitosan diet groups for eight weeks. Cadmium accumulation, as well as tissue functional and histological changes, was determined. RESULTS Compared to the control group, rats fed the chitosan diet showed significantly lower levels of cadmium in blood and tissues including the kidneys, liver, and femur. Biochemical analysis of liver function including the determination of aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels showed that dietary chitosan reduced hepatic tissue damage caused by cadmium intoxication and prevented the associated bone disorder. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that dietary chitosan has the potential to reduce cadmium accumulation in the body as well as protect liver function and bone health against cadmium intoxication.