Saengshik, a Formulated Health Food, Prevents Liver Damage in CCl₄-Induced Mice and Increases Antioxidant Activity in Elderly Women

Abstract

Saengshik is a Korean noncooked food made with of more than 30 different whole gains, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and seaweeds. All of these ingredients are frozen and dried to minimize the loss of nutrients. Saengshik has become popular among health-conscious people in the Republic of Korea. The study aims to investigate antioxidant effects of Saengshik by in vivo and human experiments. In in vivo tests, mice were fed Saengshik for 4 weeks, and oxidative damage was induced by CCl(4). Then the effects of Saengshik on oxidative damage were examined. It was found that plasma lipid hydroperoxide and protein oxidative damages were significantly suppressed and antioxidants, glutathione, and thiol groups were increased. The activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase was increased, and the level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase was decreased. In a human study, elderly people were given Saengshik for 24 weeks, and changes in antioxidant defense of the body were examined. Antioxidant activities in plasma were enhanced, although the difference was not significant. Therefore, it is expected that Saengshik is effective at removing oxidants from body tissues, preventing oxidative damage, and eventually boosting the antioxidant capacity of the body.

In vivoandin vitroantioxidant activity and hepatoprotective properties of polyphenols fromHalimeda opuntia(Linnaeus) Lamouroux

“…Pre-treatment with H. opuntia (80 mg/kg) led to 20 and 25% reductions in serum and liver TBARS levels, respectively. These results are in agreement with Kim et al, 35 who observed a comparable reduction in hydroperoxide levels in the liver and plasma (30 and 15%, respectively, relative to CCl 4treated group) in a study of rats fed on Saengshik, a non-cooked food containing vegetables and seaweeds. Similarly, a previous study from our laboratory showed that an H. incrassata aqueous extract was effective in reducing TBARS levels by 55% in rats with oxidative stress induced by methylmercury.…”

“…38 These results suggest potent hepatoprotective activity of the phenolic fraction of H. opuntia. Kim et al 35 observed a comparable rise in SOD activity in rats fed on Saengshik for 4 weeks. Mancini-Filho et al 34 reported considerable increase in the activities of SOD and CAT in rats treated with polyphenol-rich fractions (80 mg/kg) of H. monile.…”

Effects of natural raw meal (NRM) on high-fat diet and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in C57BL/6J mice

“…It has also been shown to have higher nutritional value [ 3 ] and had a greater anti-inflammatory effect than Sunsik in our study. Several studies have reported that Saengshik has protective effects on carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced protein oxidative damage in mouse liver, and other health benefits, such as anti-diabetes, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-obesity, immune enhancement, anti-oxidative, detoxifying, fatty liver improving, and other effects in human and animal studies [ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ]. Natural raw meal (NRM), called raw meal in America, which is regarded as a natural health food, contains high levels of freeze-dried fresh whole grains, vegetables, and berries instead of legumes due to high allergic score [ 12 ], which is a critical difference between it and Saengshik manufactured in South Korea [ 5 ].…”

Superfine Saengshik Improves Liver Protecting Effect Compared with Fine Saengshik in an Animal Model

“…Our previous study demonstrated that saengshik had a hepatoprotective effect, against CCl 4 ‐induced hepatotoxicity (Kim and others 2007). Also, other researchers demonstrated an antioxidative effect of saengshik (Lee and others 2003a, 2003b; Kim and others 2008). Adom and Liu (2002) reported that various kinds of uncooked whole grains have great antioxidative activity by phytochemical compound, especially in the bound form.…”