Production of xylooligosaccharide from wheat bran by microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis.

The effective production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from wheat bran was investigated. Wheat bran contains rich hemicellulose which can be hydrolyzed by enzyme; the XOS were obtained by microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis. To improve the productivity of XOS, repeated microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and activated carbon adsorption method was chosen to eliminate macromolecules in the XOS.

Glycemic index, glycemic load and insulinemic index of Chinese starchy foods.

Aim: To determine the glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL) and insulinemic index (II) of five starchy foods that are commonly used in Chinese diets.

Methods: Ten healthy subjects aged between 20-30 years were recruited. Each subject was asked to consume 50 g of available carbohydrate portions of test foods and reference food.

Optimization of acid hydrolysis conditions for feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran through response surface methodolgy.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the hydrolysis conditions with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to obtain the maximum amount of feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran. The TFA concentration and hydrolysis time effects on feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery are studied. The optimum hydrolysis conditions for maximizing feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery were 193 mM TFA concentration and 1.

Increased IgA and IgG serum levels using a novel yam-boxthorn noodle in a BALB/c mouse model.

To determine whether yam-boxthorn noodle, a newly developed functional noodle, has immunomodulatory effects in vivo, we measured the changes in visceral organ weight, immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgE, IgG, IgM serum level and IgA level in the intestinal lavage fluid of female BALB/c mice after continuously consuming the test diet for 5 weeks. We found that body weights and absolute and relative organ weights (lung, heart, liver, spleen and kidney) in female BALB/c mice did not significantly change compared with those from the control group. The IgA and IgG serum levels in the experimental group significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner when the yam-boxthorn noodle concentration in the AIN 76 diet rose from 3% to 30%.

The evaluation of reno- and hepatoprotective effects of huai-shan-yao (Rhizome Dioscoreae).

Huai-shan-yao (Chinese yam; Rhizome Dioscoreae) is a common food in China. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of the crude extract of huai-shan-yao on acute kidney and liver injuries in rats induced by ethanol. Results of pharmacological, biochemical and pathologic observations all showed that rats treated with the extract of huai-shan-yao had decreased damage in renal tubules as well as decreased inflammation in the central vein and necrosis in the liver tissue.

Effects of "Chinese yam" on hepato-nephrotoxicity of acetaminophen in rats.

Aim: To study the effect of yam in Taiwan, which is a commonly used Chinese medicine, on hepato-nephro-toxicity in rats.

Methods: Crude water extract of yam (Dioscorea alata L), was used to treat rats with an acute toxicity induced by acetaminophen (APAP) challenge.

Results: The pharmacological and biochemical studies showed the extract of yam had the effect of kidney secureness and liver fortification (P < 0.