Bile acids induced hepatic lipid accumulation in mice by inhibiting mRNA expression of patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein.

Preliminary studies have shown that a lithogenic diet (LG), which contains cholesterol and cholic acid, induces gallstones and hepatic lipid accumulation (HLA), and reduction of blood triglyceride in mice. We hypothesized that an LG induces HLA by diminishing hepatic triglyceride excretion; however, there is no clear understanding of the mechanism of LG-induced HLA. This study aimed to investigate transcript expression related to the synthesis, expenditure, and efflux of hepatic triglyceride, in mice fed an LG for 4 weeks.

Involvement of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve in the regulation of plasma adipokine levels in rats fed a high-fructose diet.

High-fructose diets are associated with not only fat accumulation in liver but also blood adipokine levels. Some studies have shown the involvement of humoral factors in the regulation of adipokines. However, the role of the vagus nerve in expression of adipokines is not fully understood.

Absolute quantification of the α, α', and β subunits of β-conglycinin from soybeans by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry using stable isotope-labelled peptides.

β-Conglycinin, a major protein in soybeans, shows improvement effect of lipid metabolism. Moreover, this protein influences the processing properties of soybeans. β-Conglycinin is a hetero-trimer constituted by α, α', and β subunits.

Dietary intake of heat-killed Lactococcus lactis H61 delays age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice.

Age-related hearing loss (AHL) is a common disorder associated with aging. In this study, we investigated the effect of the intake of heat-killed Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris H61 (strain H61) on AHL in C57BL/6J mice.

Absolute quantification of Pru av 2 in sweet cherry fruit by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with the use of a stable isotope-labelled peptide.

Pru av 2, a pathogenesis-related (PR) protein present in the sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit, is the principal allergen of cherry and one of the chief causes of pollen food syndrome (oral allergy syndrome). In this study, a quantitative assay for this protein was developed with the use of the protein absolute quantification (AQUA) method, which consists of liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) employing TGC[CAM]STDASGK[(13)C6,(15)N2], a stable isotope-labelled internal standard (SIIS) peptide.

Quercetin suppresses immune cell accumulation and improves mitochondrial gene expression in adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice.

Scope: To examine the effect of dietary quercetin on the function of epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) in Western diet-induced obese mice.

Methods And Results: C57BL/6J mice were fed a control diet; a Western diet high in fat, cholesterol, and sucrose; or the same Western diet containing 0.05% quercetin for 18 weeks.

Time-fixed feeding prevents obesity induced by chronic advances of light/dark cycles in mouse models of jet-lag/shift work.

Recent findings have uncovered intimate relationships between circadian clocks and energy metabolism. Epidemiological studies have shown that the frequency of obesity and metabolic disorders increases among shift-workers. Here we found that a chronic shift in light/dark (LD) cycles comprising an advance of six hours twice weekly, induced obesity in mice.

Estimated daily intake and seasonal food sources of quercetin in Japan.

Quercetin is a promising food component, which can prevent lifestyle related diseases. To understand the dietary intake of quercetin in the subjects of a population-based cohort study and in the Japanese population, we first determined the quercetin content in foods available in the market during June and July in or near a town in Hokkaido, Japan. Red leaf lettuce, asparagus, and onions contained high amounts of quercetin derivatives.

Absolute quantification of protein NP24 in tomato fruit by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry using stable isotope-labelled tryptic peptide standard.

Protein NP24 is a thaumatin-like protein contained in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). This protein is reported to be a putative tomato allergen and is listed as a food allergen in Structural Database of Allergenic Proteins (SDAP).

Milk prevents the degradation of daikon (Raphanus sativus L.) isothiocyanate and enhances its absorption in rats.

Epidemiological and experimental researches show that isothiocyanate (ITC), a class of phytochemical compounds that imparts a characteristic biting taste and pungent odour to cruciferous vegetables, such as daikon (Japanese white radish, Raphanus sativus L. Daikon Group), broccoli, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage, possesses anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The concentration of daikon ITC, which degrades in aqueous solution, was measured in mixtures of daikon juice and water, corn oil, or milk.

Corn oil and milk enhance the absorption of orally administered allyl isothiocyanate in rats.

Allyl isothiocyanate, a chief component of mustard oil, exhibits anticancer effects in both cultured cancer cells and animal models. The accumulation of the N-acetylcysteine conjugate of allyl isothiocyanate, the final metabolite of allyl isothiocyanate, in urine was evaluated in rats that were orally coadministered allyl isothiocyanate with fluids (e.g.

Repeated oral administration of a squeezed ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract augmented the serum corticosterone level and had anti-inflammatory properties.

We investigated the ability of a ginger extract to induce an immune response in RAW 264 cells and after a repeated oral administration to mice. The squeezed ginger extract augmented the production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 when added to RAW 264 cells. This extract was collected as its ethanol-insoluble fraction.

Evaluation of tolerable levels of dietary quercetin for exerting its antioxidative effect in high cholesterol-fed rats.

The tolerable level of dietary quercetin for exerting its antioxidative effect was evaluated in high cholesterol-fed rats, using quercetin-containing diets (31-1260 mg quercetin/kg body weight/day) and onion diets (19-94 mg quercetin aglycone equivalent/kg body weight/day), from the viewpoint of a safety assessment. After feeding for 4 weeks, the urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) levels of the quercetin-containing diet groups fed more than 157 mg quercetin/kg body weight/day were higher than the group fed a quercetin-free diet, although the plasma quercetin metabolite levels and plasma antioxidative activity were elevated depending on the amounts of quercetin or onion diet intake. No significant effect on body weight gain by quercetin-containing diets or onion diets was observed.

Structures and antioxidant activity of anthocyanins in many accessions of eggplant and its related species.

Anthocyanins were detected in extracts from the peels of 123 accessions of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and its related species. Their anthocyanin profiles were classified into four types, including known Japanese eggplant type (type 1) and non-Japanese eggplant type (type 2). Although most of the eggplant accessions had one of the two known profiles, one accession had a novel profile (type 3).

Lowering effects of onion intake on oxidative stress biomarkers in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The protective effect of onion against oxidative stress in streptozotosin-induced diabetic rats was investigated in comparison with that of quercetin aglycone. We measured oxidative stress biomarkers involving the susceptibility of the plasma against copper ion-induced lipid peroxidation, which was estimated by the amounts of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and cholesteryl ester hydroperoxides, and urine TBARS and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine contents. After the 12-week feeding period, plasma glucose levels and these biomarkers increased in diabetic rats compared to normal rats.

Mechanism of inhibition of peroxynitrite-induced oxidation and nitration by [6]-gingerol.

[6]-Gingerol potently inhibits peroxynitrite-induced oxidation and nitration reactions, but its mechanism of action is unclear. In order to discover the mechanism of inhibition, [6]-gingerol was reacted with peroxynitrite and the reaction mixture was analyzed using HPLC. The HPLC chromatogram showed one novel peak, indicative of the formation of a reaction product between [6]-gingerol and peroxynitrite.

Enhancing effect of lipids and emulsifiers on the accumulation of quercetin metabolites in blood plasma after the short-term ingestion of onion by rats.

The effects of co-ingested lipids and emulsifiers on the accumulation of quercetin metabolites in blood plasma after the short-term ingestion of onion by rats were investigated. Plasma extracts of rats that had been fed onion-containing diets for one and two weeks were analyzed by HPLC with electrochemical detection after a treatment with sulfatase/beta-glucuronidase. Almost all of the quercetin metabolites in the plasma were sulfate/glucuronide conjugates of quercetin and isorhamnetin.

[6]-Gingerol inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in activated J774.1 mouse macrophages and prevents peroxynitrite-induced oxidation and nitration reactions.

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as nitric oxide (NO) and its derivatives, e.g. peroxynitrite (ONOO-), have been proposed as being able to influence signal transduction and cause DNA damage, contributing to carcinogenic processes.

Effect of naturally occurring organosulfur compounds on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages.

Excessive nitric oxide (NO) production is involved in cellular injury and possibly in the multistage process of carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effect of organosulfur compounds (S-allyl cysteine, allyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, allyl isothiocyanate, phenyl isothiocyanate, and benzyl isothiocyanate) that are found in allium or cruciferous vegetables on NO production in J774.1 macrophages activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Combination of lipids and emulsifiers enhances the absorption of orally administered quercetin in rats.

The effects of lipids, emulsifiers, and ethanol on the absorption of orally administered quercetin in rats were investigated for its efficient intestinal absorption. Rats were administered 150 micromol/kg quercetin in water supplemented with lipids and/or emulsifiers, or ethanol, and blood was collected from the tail for 6 h after administration. Co-administration of lipids such as lecithin and soybean oil or emulsifiers including sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and sodium taurocholate had no statistically significant effects on quercetin absorption, although these constituents rather increased the accumulation of conjugated forms of quercetin and those of isorhamnetin in rat plasma.