Nowadays, new types of vinegar have been developed using various raw materials and biotechnological processes. The fruit of Prunus mume has been extensively distributed in East Asia and used as a folk medication for fatigue. In this study, the Prunus mume vinegar (PV) was produced by a two-step fermentation and was evaluated for its anti-fatigue activity by C2C12 myoblasts and high-intensity exercised rats. The administration of PV significantly improved running endurance and glycogen accumulation in the liver and muscle of PV supplemented rats compared to sedentary and exercised control groups. In addition, PV supplementation elicited lower fatigue-related serum biomarkers, for instance, ammonia, inorganic phosphate, and lactate. PV administered rats exhibited higher lactate dehydrogenase activity and glutathione peroxidase activity, and lower creatine kinase activity and malondialdehyde levels. Furthermore, phenolic compounds in PV were identified using HPLC analysis. The phenolic acids analyzed in PV were protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, and its derivates. These results indicate that the administration of PV with antioxidative property contributes to the improvement of fatigue recovery in exhausted rats. The findings of this study suggest that the PV containing various bioactive constituents can be used as a functional material against fatigue caused by high-intensity exercise.

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Context: Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad (Amaranthaceae), known as a traditional medicine in China, Japan and Korea, is reported to have various biological activities. However, K. scoparia seed extract (KSE) functional roles on angiogenesis and prostate cancer inhibition have not been elucidated.Objective: This study elucidates the effects of KSE on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and inhibition of proliferation in prostate cancer cells.Materials and methods: HUVECs were treated with 10–20 µg/mL of KSE and 20–50 ng/mL of VEGF for 12–72 h. Anti-angiogenesis properties of KSE were determined by wound healing, trans-well, tube formation, rat aortic ring assay and western blotting. Prostate cancer and normal cells were incubated with 10–250 µg/mL of KSE for 24 h, and cell viability was measured by SRB assay. Phenolic compounds in KSE were analyzed using a HPLC-PDA system.Results: IC50 for cell viability of HUVECs, LNCaP, PC-3, RC-58T and RWPE-1 by KSE were 30.64, 89.25, 123.41, 141.62 and >250 µg/mL, respectively. Treatment with KSE (20 µg/mL) significantly suppressed VEGF-induced migration, invasion and capillary-like structure formation of HUVECs and microvessel sprouting from rat aortic rings. In addition, KSE down-regulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR levels and phosphorylation of VEGF receptor 2 in HUVECs. 3-OH-tyrosol (1.63 mg/g) and morin hydrate (0.17 mg/g) were identified in KSE.Conclusions: KSE inhibits angiogenesis in HUVECs as well as proliferation in human prostate cancer cells, suggesting KSE may be useful herbal medicine for preventing progression of prostate cancer and angiogenesis.

Context Alkaloid-enriched extract of Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trevis (Lycopodiaceae) (HsAE) can potentially be used to manage neuronal disorders. Objective This study determines the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of HsAE on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods BV-2 cells were pre- or post-treated with different concentrations of HsAE (25-150 µg/mL) for 30 min before or after LPS induction. Cell viability was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and no cytotoxicity was found. Nitric oxide (NO) concentration was determined using Griess reagent. The levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were analyzed using western blotting. Results HsAE reduced LPS-induced NO production with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 99.79 and 92.40 µg/mL at pre- and post-treatment, respectively. Pre-treatment with HsAE at concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 µg/mL completely inhibited the secretion of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β compared to post-treatment with HsAE. This suggests that prophylactic treatment is better than post-inflammation treatment. HsAE decreased the expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 and attenuated the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors by downregulating the phosphorylation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase in the MAPK signaling pathway. Discussion and Conclusions HsAE exerts anti-neuroinflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells, suggesting that it may be a potential candidate for the treatment of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.

The fruit of Prunus mume (PM) is widely cultivated in East Asia, and it has been used as a folk medication for gastrointestinal disorders, e.g., diarrhea, stomach ache and ulceration. In this study, the pectinase-treated PM juice (PJ) was fermented with Lactobacillus strains containing fundamental organic acids and free amino acids. The PJ fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum and L. casei (FP) was investigated for its protective effect in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice model. The administration of FP reduced lipid peroxidation and histopathological colitis symptoms, e.g., shortening of the colon length, depletion of mucin, epithelial injury and ulceration, in colonic tissues. The FP-supplemented group showed the alleviation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Compared with the DSS control group, the supplementation of FP significantly reduced the levels of serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-17 as well as colonic tumor necrosis factor-α, IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-17. Furthermore, the DSS-induced TUNEL-positive area was significantly reduced by the FP supplementation. These results show that the supplementation of FP fermented with mixed lactic acid bacteria, L. plantarum and L. casei, elucidated the protective effect in DSS-induced colitis mice. Hence, this study suggests that FP can be utilized as a natural therapeutic agent for colitis and intestinal inflammation.