In this study, the nutritional, functional, and chemical measurements of sensory attributes of different parts of wasabi, namely, leaf, petiole, and rhizome, were investigated. Proximate composition analysis showed the presence of high amounts of carbohydrates in the rhizome and amino acid composition analysis confirmed high proportions of glutamic acid and aspartic acid in all three parts. While proximate composition showed low lipid content in wasabi, ω-3 fatty acids accounted for a high proportion (>44%) of the total lipids. Wasabi leaves had high vitamin C and total phenolic contents, and thus demonstrated antioxidant capacity. Allyl isothiocyanate, which gives wasabi its characteristic pungent taste, was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and an electronic nose. On an electronic tongue, wasabi leaves showed compounds associated with sourness and saltiness while the petiole had high content of compounds associated with sweetness and bitterness. This study provides basic data for the utilization of wasabi parts as food materials based on their nutritional, functional, and chemical measure of sensory attributes.

Fructose is a strong risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), resulting from the disruption of redox systems by excessive reactive oxygen species production in the liver cells. Of note, recent epidemiological studies indicated that women are more prone to developing metabolic syndrome in response to fructose-sweetened beverages. Hence, we examined whether disruption of the redox system through a deletion of NADPH supplying mitochondrial enzyme, NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2), exacerbates fructose-induced NAFLD conditions in C57BL/6 female mice. Wild-type (WT) and IDH2 knockout (KO) mice were treated with either water or 34% fructose water over six weeks. NAFLD phenotypes and key proteins and mRNAs involved in the inflammatory pathway (e.g., NF-κB p65 and IL-1β) were assessed. Hepatic lipid accumulation was significantly increased in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose compared to the WT counterpart. Neutrophil infiltration was observed only in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose. Furthermore, phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and expression of IL-1β was remarkably upregulated in IDH2 KO mice fed fructose, and expression of IκBα was decreased by fructose treatment in both WT and IDH2 KO groups. For the first time, we report our novel findings that IDH2 KO female mice may be more susceptible to fructose-induced NAFLD and the associated inflammatory response, suggesting a mechanistic role of IDH2 in metabolic diseases.

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This study investigated the amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin in normal and high-oleic peanuts and compared the retention rates after roasting via HPLC analysis. Method validation showed a high linearity (r 2 [ 0.99), and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.001-0.038 and 0.002-0.115 lg/mL, respectively. Accuracy and precision were confirmed using standard reference materials. Thiamin content was not significantly different between the normal and high-oleic cultivars; however, it significantly decreased in the roasted peanut cultivars. Although there were no significant differences in riboflavin between the cultivars, a significantly increased amount of riboflavin was observed in the roasted peanuts, which confirms that riboflavin is highly stable to thermal treatment such as roasting. With only a small difference between the cultivars, niacin showed a decreased retention rate with roasting in normal cultivars, but a significantly increased retention rate with roasting in high-oleic cultivars. The amount of thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin present in peanuts and their retention rates after roasting showed variations among the cultivars. This study provides basic data on the water-soluble vitamins in raw and roasted peanuts.