Background: Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury contributes to mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. Curcumin has been shown to exert neuro-protective effects in the central nervous system (CNS). The aim of this study was to investigate the neuro-protective activity of curcumin and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. Material/Methods: A hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) protocol was used to simulate I/R injury in vitro. Isolated neonatal neurons were pre-treated with curcumin at serially diluted concentrations and exposed to H/R injury. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. Contents of TNFa and IL6 in supernatant of cell culture medium were detected by ELISA. Protein expression, phosphorylation, and nuclear translocation levels were studied by Western blotting. Results: H/R reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis of neurons. H/R significantly increased Wnt5a expression, JNK1 phosphorylation, and NF-kB nuclear translocation. Moreover, expression levels of cleaved caspase3, TNFa, and IL6 were elevated in H/R-exposed neurons. Curcumin pre-treatment significantly increased cell viability and inhibited apoptosis of neurons exposed to H/R, in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, curcumin pretreatment significantly decreased expression levels of Wnt5a, IL6, TNFa, and phosphorylation level of JNK1, as well as the nuclear translocation level of NF-kB in H/R-exposed neurons, in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions: Curcumin exerted neuro-protective effects against H/R-induced neuron apoptosis and inflammation by inhibiting activation of the Wnt/JNK1 signaling pathway.

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Lemon juice contains numerous biologically active substances that have potential health benefits. In this study, we evaluated the biotransformation characteristics and functional properties of lactic acid bacteria-fermented lemon juices and examined their effects on regulating blood pressure. Fermentation of Pingtung Eureka lemon juice with a mixture of five selected strains of lactic acid bacteria was found to be the most effective in enhancing juice γaminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, with an increases in yield of up to 7.37 ± 0.39 g/l. Among the different lemon varieties fermented with Lactobacillus fermentum LF33, Taichung Eureka and Nantou Eureka gave the highest fermentation yields of GABA at 4.19 ± 0.17 and 5.35 ± 0.36 g/l, respectively. In spontaneously hypertensive rats that were administered fermented lemon juice to assess to the effects on blood pressure, we observed that diastolic, systolic, and mean blood pressures, as well as heart rate, were significantly lower than those in control rats (p < 0.1). Fermented lemon juice was also found to contribute to a significant increase in serum IgG concentrations (p < 0.05). Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of Taichung Limon and Pingtung Limon juice fermentation broths on the allergic effect of ovalbumin in sensitized BALB/c mice, and found that these fermented juices significantly reduced ovalbumin-induced IgE antibody levels (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we speculate that juice-containing substances, such as GABA, have a calming effect on ganglia, which could contribute to stabilizing heart rate, and that consumption of fermented lemon juice may have the effect of reducing levels of IgE antibodies.