Peroxidation of lipids results in the formation of a number of aldehydic and other carbonyl-containing secondary degradation products. The effect of peroxidative stimuli mediated by vitamin E deficiency, a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (containing cod liver oil), and carbon tetrachloride administration on urinary excretion of a number of lipophilic aldehydes and related carbonyl compounds was examined in rats. These secondary lipid peroxidation products were measured as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives. All three treatments increased urinary excretion of secondary lipid peroxidation products, although the pattern of excretion of these products varied somewhat among the treatments. Significant increases were found in butanal, hexanal, octanal, butan-2-one, pentan-2-one, hex-2-enal, hepta-2,4-dienal, 4-hydroxyhex-2-enal, 4-hydroxyoct-2-enal, 4-hydroxynon-2-enal, and a number of unidentified carbonyl compounds. These results suggest that urinary excretion of these lipophilic secondary lipid peroxidation products is a useful and noninvasive marker of whole-body lipid peroxidation.

In this study, we designed a method to manufacture elevated fermented green tea by using Monascus pilosus, which is known as a functional microbe, and observe its antioxidant abilities and quality characteristics. The water-soluble substance (WSS) content of the fermented tea by M. pilosus (FTM) was lower than that of the non-fermented tea (NFT), although the alcohol-insoluble substance (AIS) content of the FTM was higher than that of NTM. On the other hand, the fractionated distilled water-soluble polysaccharide (DWSP), CDTA-soluble polysaccharides (CDSP), sodium carbonate-soluble polysaccharide (SCSP) and KOH soluble hemicellulose (HC) obtained from the AIS of the FTM was markedly higher than that of NFT. In the antioxidant parameters, the electron donating ability of all fractions, except HC, extracted from FTM was higher than that of NFT, and iron chelating ability of all fractions, except CDSP, extracted from FTM was higher than that of NFT. Whereas the DWSP and SCSP obtained from the FTM were higher than that of NFT, the activity of the HC fraction from both NFT and the FTM could not be detected. In addition, the xanthin oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities of the DWSP, CDSP and the SCSP obtained from the NFT were significantly higher than that of FTM, the aldehyde oxidase (AO) inhibitory activities of the DWSP and SCSP extracted from the FTM were markedly higher than that of the NFT. Meanwhile, the acceptance of NFT and FTM had no significant difference, while the quality of aroma, taste and mouthfeel of the FTM was higher than that of NFT. These results suggest that the post-fermented tea by Monascus microorgan-isms may be responsible for functional components as well as contribute to the improvement of the tea quality.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of non-fermented (CAC) and Monascus pilosus-fermented Columbia arabica coffee (FCAC), as well as Luwak coffee (LC) beans. The results indicated that total polyphenols content (mg/g of dry basis) was highest in CAC (70.69), followed by LC (62.07), and FCAC (41.38). However, the ratio of total flavonoids/polyphenols in FCAC was the highest. In terms of electron donating ability (%, coffee mg/mL), CAC was significantly higher than LC and FCAC. Regardless of fermentation, ferric reducing antioxidant powers were similar in CAC and FCAC and lowest in LC. LC also had the highest inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase (XO). However FAAC had the highest inhibitory activity against aldehyde oxidase (AO), with nearly three times the levels found in CAC and LC. According to the above results, FCAC had a higher ratio of flavonoids/polyphenols and iron chelating activity than CAC. FCAC also had the highest AO inhibitory activity among the three experimental coffee beans. The results suggest that further studies are required to evaluate the bioactive components of various coffee beans so as to determine the potential benefits thatcoffee may have on preventing oxidative stress-related conditions.

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