It was confirmed that complex fermentation (CF) was more efficient than
single-strain fermentations in inducing changes in the contents of phenolic
compounds of Maclura tricuspidate and Pyrus
Montana Nakai. A mixture of Maclura tricuspidata,
Pyrus montana Nakai, Platycodon
grandiflorum and Codonopsis lanceolata were
fermented in CF using Aspergillus shirousamii
(koji), yeast, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for 24 days,
and the pH, °Brix, total acidity, anti-oxidant activity, polyphenol
content, nitric oxide (NO), and Western blotting of inducible nitric oxide
synthase (iNOS), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis
factor-α (TNF-α) of the
sample were determined. There was no significant change in pH and total acidity.
°Brix significantly decreased from day 6 onwards. HPLC confirmed that the
concentrations of chlorogenic acid, 4-hydrobenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and
caffeic acid significantly increased from day 18 during the fermentation.
Additionally, DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity, total phenol, and total
flavonoid were confirmed to be increased until 18 days. NO was significantly
inhibited from day 6, along with significant inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, and
TNF-a. In conclusion, this study confirmed that CF of low-use (or underutilized)
wild vegetables enhances phenolic compounds. It effectively suppresses NO, iNOS,
COX-2, and TNF-α, markers of inflammation-related
pathogenesis. Altogether, our results suggest that CF of the above plants has a
potential anti-inflammatory effect.