The nonenzymatic brownirig of' dried red peppers N W S studied under various water activities, storage temperatures, and puckuging utmospheres. Whole pepper and pepper powder5-coarse ~t i d j n e . with and without seeds-were compured. The browning cun be described by the zero order reaction, cind the rate constatit is .strongly ajjec~ed by water utility and temperature. Flushing the package with nitrogen did not have ( I sign$cunt eflect on the browning rate. For minimum browning, the peppers should be stored at Muter activities below 0.3 and in the form ($ whole pods or cmrse powder with seeds.
Tremella fuciformis Berk (TFB) has long been used as a traditional medicine in Asia. Although TFB exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, the mechanisms of action responsible have remained unknown. We confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects of Tremella fuciformis Berk extract (TFE) in RAW 264.7 cells and observed significantly suppressed LPS-induced iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production. TFE also suppressed LPS-induced IKK, IkB, and p65 phosphorylation, as well as LPS-induced translocation of p65 from the cytosol. Additionally, TFE inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs. In an acute inflammation study, oral administration of TFE significantly inhibited LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production and iNOS and COX-2 expression. The major bioactive compounds from TFB extract were identified as gentisic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and coumaric acid. Among these compounds, protocatechuic acid showed the strongest inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. Overall, these results suggest that TFE is a promising anti-inflammatory agent that suppresses iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 expression, as well as the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
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