Background Momordica charantia is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and has traditionally been used for medical nutritional therapy to cure diabetes, and its various biological properties have been reported. However, several studies have demonstrated that M. charantia may exert toxic or adverse effects under different conditions. In this study, we prepared an M. charantia extract using ultrasound-assisted extraction, which is a green technology, and verified its anti-inflammatory effects. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of M. charantia extract using ultrasound-assisted extraction in LPS-induced Raw264.7 macrophages and explore the potential mechanism mediated by the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Results We found that the M. charantia extract was non-toxic up to a concentration of 500 μg/mL in Raw264.7 cells. We verified that treatment with M. charantia extract significantly reduced the production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-6, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was dramatically increased by treatment with the M. charantia extract. In addition, the phosphorylation of the transcription factor NF-κB, which modulates the production of inflammatory proteins, including JNK, ERK, and p38, was reduced by downregulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion These results indicate that the M. charantia extract collected using an industrial ultrasonic system is non-toxic and has an anti-inflammatory effect through regulation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways, suggesting that it can act as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Background Moju is a traditional rice beverage local to Jeonju with an alcohol content of 1–2%. Moju is made by boiling makgeolli with several kinds of medicinal herbs, such as ginger, jujube and cinnamon. The raw materials used in Moju are well known for their physiological and functional effects. Although Moju is made with functional raw materials, the operational role of Moju has not yet been reported. Objectives The aim of this study was to identify the anti-melanogenic effects of Moju in B16F10 melanoma cells and explore the potential mechanisms. Results In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effect of Moju. Moju showed no toxicity to HEK293T or B16F10 cells. The antioxidant activity of Moju was confirmed by its ability to increase radical scavenging activity. Moju decreased tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. At the cellular level, Moju reduced melanin synthesis and the expression of proteins involved in melanin synthesis at concentrations of 100, 250, and 500 μg/mL in B16F10 cells. In addition, Moju inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Conclusions These results provide evidence that Moju has antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effect that occur through regulation of the ERK pathway. Although further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanism and functional components, the ability of Moju to inhibit melanin synthesis by altering tyrosinase activation suggest that it can be used as a functional whitening ingredient.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that Glycine max hydrolyzed with enzymes from Bacillus velezensis KMU01 has on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Hydrolysis improves functional health through the bioconversion of raw materials and increase in intestinal absorption rate and antioxidants. Therefore, G. max was hydrolyzed in this study using a food-derived microorganism, and its anti-inflammatory effect observed. Enzymatically hydrolyzed G. max (EHG) was orally administered once daily for four weeks before DSS treatment. Colitis was induced in mice through consumption of 5% (w/v) DSS in drinking water for eight days. Results showed that EHG treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss and decreased the disease activity index and colon length. In addition, EHG markedly reduced tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6 production, and increased that of IL-10. EHG improved DSS-induced histological changes and intestinal epithelial barrier integrity in mice. Moreover, we found that the abundance of 15 microorganisms changed significantly; that of Proteobacteria and Escherichia coli, which are upregulated in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, decreased after EHG treatment. These results suggest that EHG has a protective effect against DSS-induced colitis and is a potential candidate for colitis treatment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that Glycine max hydrolyzed with enzymes from Bacillus velezensis KMU01 has on dextran-sulfate-sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Hydrolysis improves functional health through the bioconversion of raw materials and increase in intestinal absorption rate and antioxidants. Therefore, G. max was hydrolyzed in this study using a food-derived microorganism, and its anti-inflammatory effect was observed. Enzymatically hydrolyzed G. max (EHG) was orally administered once daily for four weeks before DSS treatment. Colitis was induced in mice through the consumption of 5% (w/v) DSS in drinking water for eight days. The results showed that EHG treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss and decreased the disease activity index and colon length. In addition, EHG markedly reduced tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 production, and increased that of IL-10. EHG improved DSS-induced histological changes and intestinal epithelial barrier integrity in mice. Moreover, we found that the abundance of 15 microorganisms changed significantly; that of Proteobacteria and Escherichia coli, which are upregulated in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, decreased after EHG treatment. These results suggest that EHG has a protective effect against DSS-induced colitis and is a potential candidate for colitis treatment.