As an effort to develop functional food ingredients and to discover the biological activity, the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, SOD-like activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Fe 2+ chelating of Aster scaber were measured using a 70% ethanol extract and various solvent fractions. As a result, the total phenolic concent was highest in an ethyl acetate fraction of 141.9 mg GAE eq/g and the total flavonoid content was 105.6 mg QUE eq/g. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was highest in an ethyl acetate fraction of 97.1% at a concentration of 1,000 μg/mL (p<0.05). The ABTS radical scavenging activity showed a 86.9% ethyl acetate fraction and a 57.9% butanol fraction at a concentration of 125 μg/mL, and higher than that of positive control (α-tocopherol and BHT) (p<0.05). The SOD-like activity showed 42.8% in an ethyl acetate at a concentration of 1,000 μg/mL. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest value of FRAP at 1051.9 μM and a concentration of 1,000 μg/mL (p<0.05). The Fe 2+ chelating was highest in the 70.1% chloroform fraction at a concentration of 500 μg/mL (p<0.05). There is the highest correlation between DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP (r=0.981) as compared to other antioxidant assays (p<0.01). With these results, we confirmed that the ethyl acetate fraction of Aster scaber has great antioxidant potential. So it can be expected to be developed into a specific functional food ingredient.

The dietary intake of whole grains is known to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In our previous study, hog millet (HM, Panicum miliaceum L.) water extract showed the highest anti-lipogenic activity among nine cereal types in 3T3-L1 cells. In this study, the effect of hog millet water extract on hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism in mice fed a high fat diet was investigated. Mice were fed a normal-fat diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD containing 1% or 2% (w/w) HM for 7 weeks. Body weight and food intake were monitored during the study period. Insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), fasting lipid profile, hepatic fatty acid metabolism-related gene expression determined, and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IGTT) were performed at the study's end. The results indicated that 1% and 2% HM diets effectively decreased liver weights, blood TG and T-cholesterol levels (p<0.05), while the HDL-cholesterol level was increased (p<0.05) compared to HFD-induced steatotsis mice. Hepatic lipogenic-related gene (PPARα, L-FABP, and SCD1) expressions decreased, whereas lipolysis-related gene (CPT1) expression increased in animals fed the 2% PME diet (p<0.05). In addition, mice fed 1% or 2% HM diet had markedly decreased IGTT and HOMA-IR, compared to the those of the HFD-induced hepatic steatosis control group (p<0.05). These results indicated that HM inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation by regulating fatty acid metabolism, and suggested that HM is useful in the chemoprevention or treatment of high fat-induced hepatic steatosis and hepatic steatosis-related disorders including hyperlipidemia, glucose sensitivity, and insulin resistance.