We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Ecklonia cava polyphenol (Seapolynol™, a polyphenol antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent purified from E. cava) during a 12-week treatment period (400 mg orally once daily) in individuals with hypercholesterolemia and performed subgroup analysis for metabolic syndrome (MetS). As a noncomparative study, forty-six individuals (M:F=22:24, mean age=54±11 years) with fasting total cholesterol concentration >240 mg/dL or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration >130 mg/dL were enrolled. Hip circumference (100±7 cm vs. 98±7 cm, P<.01), total cholesterol (244±25 mg/dL vs. 225±37 mg/dL, P<.01), LDL-C (161±24 mg/dL vs. 146±34 mg/dL, P<.01), and C-reactive protein (2.51±3.55 mg/L vs. 1.37±1.32 mg/L, P<.05) were significantly decreased without significant adverse effect. A differential assessment according to the presence [MetS(+) group, n=18] and absence [MetS(-) group, n=28] of MetS showed that Hb(A1c) decreased significantly following 12-week Seapolynol treatment in the MetS(+) compared with the MetS(-) group (-0.3%±0.5% vs. 0.1%±0.3%, P<.01). In conclusion, although our results showed that Seapolynol treatment is effective and safe without significant adverse events or abnormal laboratory findings during a 12-week period in individuals with hypercholesterolemia, more research in a larger population with a longer-term follow-up period in a randomized placebo-controlled study is needed to confirm the results.

GABA는 포유류의 신경전달물질의 분비를 억제하며, 신경안정 작용, 스트레스 해소, 우울증 완화, 불면 등에 효과가 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 곡류식품에 존재하는 GABA 함량은 일반미 1∼4 mg/100 g, 현미 4∼8 mg/100 g으로 알려져 있지만, 그 함량이 낮아 자연 식품으로부터 섭취하는 양으로는 생리활성을 기대하기 어렵다. 본 연구에서는 mono sodium glutamate (MSG)발효로 얻은 GABA 코팅 쌀이 신경안정제 뿐만 아니라 수면유도제로 쓰이는 melatonin과 serotonin의 생성 촉진 효과를 알아보았다. 그 결과 melatonin의 경우 GABA (25 mg/mL) 투여군은 3.515 ± 0.149 pg/mL, 일반 미 공급군의 경우 2.632 ± 0.188 pg/mL이며, GABA 코팅 쌀 공급군은 3.578 ± 0.158 pg/mL로 나타났다. Serotonin 함량 을 측정한 결과 GABA (25 mg/mL), 일반미 공급군은 각각 5.183 ± 0.142 ng/mL, 4.784 ± 0.108 ng/mL가 측정되었으며 GABA 코팅 쌀을 공급한 실험군은 5.918 ± 0.169 ng/mL의 serotonin이 생성되었다. GABA 코팅 쌀의 지속적인 섭취로 인해 melatonin과 serotonin은 유의적인 증가는 있었지만, 누적효과는 없었다. 기능성 식품으로 개발된 GABA 코팅 쌀을 지속적으로 섭취하면 일반미에서 섭취하여 얻을 수 있는 melatonin과 serotonin의 유도효과를 얻을 수 있고, GABA 25 mg/mL를 섭취하는 것과 비슷한 효과를 나타낼 수 있다고 사료된다.Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid widely present in organisms, which has shown several important physiological functions such as neurotransmission, hypotension induction, as well as diuretic and tranquilizer effects. They have also been extensively used in food industry. GABA contents in the grain and brown rice are about 1∼4 mg/100 g and 4∼8 mg/100 g, respectively but it is difficult to expect physiological activity from such low amounts of natural food intake. We investigate the effects of GABA-coated rice on the secretion of melatonin and serotonin which both have been used as sleep inductive compounds. As a result, the secretion of melatonin and serotonin from mice were found to be 3.578 ± 0.158 pg/mL, 5.918 ± 0.169 ng/mL respectively. The melatonin and serotonin in mice increased significantly up to the 8.7 and 22.8 times respectively, when compared to that of the rice, but there was no cumulative effects. Due to the continuous intake of GABA-coated rice, which was developed as a functional food nutrient, inductive effects of melatonin and serotonin from general rice could be achieved and also the similar effect as taking up directly 25 mg/mL of GABA could be obtained.