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Commonly consumed fruit juices possess low inhibitory activity of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), which plays central role in elevation of blood pressure. The ACE inhibitory activity of fruit–seed mixed juice may be improved via synergistic interactions. In this study, the investigated synergistic, additive, and antagonistic effects of fruit–seed combination on ACE inhibition were investigated. Thirteen fruits and 15 seeds including legumes, nuts, and cereals were combined in pairs; pear-hemp seed-pumpkin seed juice (3-mixed juice) displayed the highest ACE inhibition resulting from synergistic interactions. Additionally, nitric oxide production in human endothelial cells was promoted by 3-mixed juice. Three-mixed juice showed antioxidant activities such as DNA protective, DPPH radical scavenging, and reducing effects. These results suggested that combinations of different food categories are beneficial for improving biological functions such as vascular health. Three-mixed juice, which shows high ACE inhibitory activity, may be useful as an anti-hypertensive agent and for treating hypertension.

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To investigate the synergistic and combined effects of a seed-vegetable combination, oilseed crops (safflower seed, evening primrose seed, and sesame seed) and cereals (whole buckwheat grain) were extracted with carrot using a low-speed juice extractor. Nutrient composition showed that the mixed seeds juice provided a well-balanced diet to supplement nutrient deficiency. Four assays of antioxidant activities showed that all seed juices exhibited higher activities than carrot juice. Similarly, mixed seeds juice displayed the highest α-amylase and protease activities, implicating the formulation in the improvement of the relatively low digestibility of seed. These results indicated that juice extraction significantly (<0.001) influenced the nutrient contents, antioxidant activities, and digestion enzyme activities of seed juice. The synergistic and combined interactions of seeds and vegetables may be beneficial in enhancing biological functions and result in a well-balanced diet.

This study was conducted to investigate both plant growth-promoting and plant disease-controlling activities of bacterial strains isolated from soil. All the isolated strains were able to grow at various temperatures. All the strains, except ANG40, showed antagonistic effects against various phytopathogenic fungi. This antagonism can be ascribed to the production of siderophores and antibiotic substances. In addition, all the strains showed abilities such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and siderophore production. These results suggest that nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron can be converted into forms that can be easily absorbed by the plants for their growth. Analysis of the growth-promoting properties revealed that ANG51 produced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) both of which are related to ethylene production. In contrast, the other strains were found to have only IAA-producing ability. Therefore, this study suggests that Pseudomonas geniculata ANG3, Exiguobacterium acetylicum ANG40, and Burkholderia stabilis ANG51, which were selected through analysis of comparative advantages for both plant growth promotion and disease-controlling activity, may be used as biological agents.