The Potential of Korean Bioactive Substances and Functional Foods for Immune Enhancement

Kim, Mi Eun; Lee, Jun Sik

doi:10.3390/ijms25021334

IJMS

2024

DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021334

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The Potential of Korean Bioactive Substances and Functional Foods for Immune Enhancement

Mi Eun Kim,

Jun Sik Lee

Abstract: In this review, we explore the immunomodulatory properties of Korean foods, focusing on ginseng and fermented foods. One notable example is Korean red ginseng, known for its immune system-regulating effects attributed to the active ingredient, ginsenoside. Ginsenoside stimulates immune cells, enhancing immune function and suppressing inflammatory responses. With a long history, Korean red ginseng has demonstrated therapeutic effects against various diseases. Additionally, Korean fermented foods like kimchi, do… Show more

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Cited by 3 publications

References 69 publications

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Immunoenhancing and antioxidant potentials of kimchi, an ethnic food from Korea, as a probiotic and postbiotic food

Nugroho,

Thinthasit,

Surya

et al. 2024

J. Ethn. Food

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Kimchi, the traditional lactic fermented vegetables from Korea, is globally praised for its potential as a functional food owing to the presence of beneficial microorganisms known as probiotics. However, the serving of kimchi in traditional Korean dishes often involves cooking at high temperature, thus killing the probiotics. Recently, non-viable or inactivated microorganisms and their metabolites, known as postbiotics, were shown to confer health benefits when consumed, thus giving rise to a novel potential of kimchi as a postbiotic food with health functionalities. The present study aimed to explore the potential of uncooked and cooked kimchi, both as a probiotic and postbiotic food, respectively, using an animal model. Mice were fed by AIN-76 diet enriched in 10% freeze-dried uncooked or cooked kimchi for 28 days prior to kill. Several parameters related to immune system and antioxidant were evaluated. Exposure of kimchi toward heat in steaming process killed the microorganisms in kimchi, but did not alter its antioxidant activity. Interestingly, the consumption of uncooked and cooked kimchi stimulated the growth of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine indifferently, as shown in the fecal matter. In addition, kimchi supplementation, either uncooked or cooked, increased the number of splenic lymphocytes and intestinal IgA, supporting the role of kimchi in the immune system. Furthermore, kimchi supplementation reduced the level of lipid peroxidation in the fecal matter, indicating its antioxidant activity in vivo. Taken together, the findings in this study suggest the potential of kimchi both as a probiotic and postbiotic food with antioxidant and immunoenhancing properties.

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Immunoenhancing and antioxidant potentials of kimchi, an ethnic food from Korea, as a probiotic and postbiotic food

Nugroho,

Thinthasit,

Surya

et al. 2024

J. Ethn. Food

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The Role of Fermented Vegetables as a Sustainable and Health-Promoting Nutritional Resource

Borrego-Ruiz,

González-Domenech,

Borrego

2024

Applied Sciences

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The increasing global burden of morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases related to poor diet quality, coupled with the unsustainable depletion of vital planetary resources by current food production systems, threatens future food security and highlights the urgent need to transition to high-quality plant-based diets as a viable solution to mitigate economic, health, and environmental challenges. Taking into consideration the significant role that fermented vegetables may play as a sustainable, healthy, long-lasting, and plant-based nutritional resource, this narrative review analyzes their production and benefits. For this purpose, the mechanisms of the fermentation process are explored, along with the importance of probiotic cultures in plant-based fermented foods, and with the implications of fermentation on food safety within the broader framework of low-impact, organic, plant-derived nutrition. Additionally, the health benefits of fermented vegetables and probiotics are examined, including their effects on mental health. Vegetable fermentation is a versatile method for enhancing food preservation, nutritional quality, and safety. This ancient practice prolongs the shelf life of perishable items, reduces the toxicity of raw ingredients, and improves digestibility. Specific starter cultures, particularly lactic acid bacteria, are essential for controlling fermentation, ensuring safety, and maximizing health benefits. Fermented vegetables, rich in probiotics, support gut health and immune function. Emerging research indicates their potential to alleviate adverse mental health symptoms such as stress and anxiety, highlighting their significance in modern dietary guidelines and chronic health management.

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Unraveling the Evolutionary Diet Mismatch and Its Contribution to the Deterioration of Body Composition

Assaf,

Park,

Chowdhry

et al. 2024

Metabolites

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Over the millennia, patterns of food consumption have changed; however, foods were always whole foods. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been a very recent development and have become the primary food source for many people. The purpose of this review is to propose the hypothesis that, forsaking the evolutionary dietary environment, and its complex milieu of compounds resulting in an extensive metabolome, contributes to chronic disease in modern humans. This evolutionary metabolome may have contributed to the success of early hominins. This hypothesis is based on the following assumptions: (1) whole foods promote health, (2) essential nutrients cannot explain all the benefits of whole foods, (3) UPFs are much lower in phytonutrients and other compounds compared to whole foods, and (4) evolutionary diets contributed to a more diverse metabolome. Evidence will be presented to support this hypothesis. Nutrition is a matter of systems biology, and investigating the evolutionary metabolome, as compared to the metabolome of modern humans, will help elucidate the hidden connections between diet and health. The effect of the diet on the metabolome may also help shape future dietary guidelines, and help define healthy foods.

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The Potential of Korean Bioactive Substances and Functional Foods for Immune Enhancement

Cited by 3 publications

References 69 publications

Immunoenhancing and antioxidant potentials of kimchi, an ethnic food from Korea, as a probiotic and postbiotic food

Immunoenhancing and antioxidant potentials of kimchi, an ethnic food from Korea, as a probiotic and postbiotic food

The Role of Fermented Vegetables as a Sustainable and Health-Promoting Nutritional Resource

Unraveling the Evolutionary Diet Mismatch and Its Contribution to the Deterioration of Body Composition

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