ObjectiveSeveral intervention studies have suggested that vegetarian or vegan diets have clinical benefits, particularly in terms of glycemic control, in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, no randomized controlled trial has been conducted in Asians who more commonly depend on plant-based foods, as compared to Western populations. Here, we aimed to compare the effect of a vegan diet and conventional diabetic diet on glycemic control among Korean individuals.Materials and MethodsParticipants diagnosed with T2D were randomly assigned to follow either a vegan diet (excluding animal-based food including fish; n = 46) or a conventional diet recommended by the Korean Diabetes Association 2011 (n = 47) for 12 weeks. HbA1c levels were measured at weeks 0, 4, and 12, and the primary study endpoint was the change in HbA1c levels over 12 weeks.ResultsThe mean HbA1c levels at weeks 0, 4, and 12 were 7.7%, 7.2%, and 7.1% in the vegan group, and 7.4%, 7.2%, and 7.2% in the conventional group, respectively. Although both groups showed significant reductions in HbA1C levels, the reductions were larger in the vegan group than in the conventional group (-0.5% vs. -0.2%; p-for-interaction = 0.017). When only considering participants with high compliance, the difference in HbA1c level reduction between the groups was found to be larger (-0.9% vs. -0.3%). The beneficial effect of vegan diets was noted even after adjusting for changes in total energy intake or waist circumference over the 12 weeks.ConclusionBoth diets led to reductions in HbA1c levels; however, glycemic control was better with the vegan diet than with the conventional diet. Thus, the dietary guidelines for patients with T2D should include a vegan diet for the better management and treatment. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of a vegan diet, and to identify potential explanations of the underlying mechanisms.Trial RegistrationCRiS KCT0001771

A compound K-producing fungus was isolated from meju (fermented soybean brick) and identified as the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) strain Aspergillus tubingensis. The extracellular enzymes obtained after the cultivation of 6 days in the medium with 20 g/L citrus pectin as an inducer showed the highest compound K-producing activity among the inducers tested. Under the optimized conditions of 0.05 mM MgSO4, 55 °C, pH 4.0, 13.4 mM protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenosides, and 11 mg/mL enzymes, the extracellular enzymes from A. tubingensis completely converted PPD-type ginsenosides in the ginseng extract to 13.4 mM (8.35 mg/mL) compound K after 20 h, with the highest concentration and productivity among the results reported so far. As far as we know, this is the first GRAS enzyme to completely convert all PPD-type ginsenosides to compound K.

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Background Low-dose persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have recently been linked to immunosenescence, a key mechanism in carcinogenesis, as well as many aging-related chronic diseases. Since feces are the main excretion route of POPs, the large intestine is a potential target organ for these pollutants. We performed a case-control study to evaluate whether exposure to low-dose POPs is related to the risk of colorectal polyps and cancer. Methods A total of 277 participants were recruited from one hospital: 99 cancer patients, 102 polyp patients, and 76 control subjects. As typical examples of POPs, we measured the serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Results Across the tertiles of the summary measure of POPs, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of colorectal polyps and cancer were 2.8 (1.2-6.8) (P trend = 0.01) and 3.0 (1.0-8.8) (P trend = 0.02), respectively, for subjects in the highest tertile. When OCPs and PCBs were analyzed separately, OCPs were linked to an increased risk of both polyps and cancer; the adjusted ORs were 2.3 (0.9-5.7) (P trend = 0.05) for polyps and 3.6 (1.1-11.8) (P trend < 0.01) for cancer. However, PCBs were only significantly associated with a high risk of polyps but not cancer; the adjusted OR was 2.8 (1.2-6.6) (P trend = 0.01). Conclusion Chronic exposure to low-dose POPs may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal polyps and cancer. Our findings suggest the carcinogenic potential of strong lipophilic

The root of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) have been used as traditional herbs to treat diseases and maintain for thousands of years in Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. Ginsenosides are the main components in ginseng for pharmacological effects. They are divided into protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides (PPTGs) and protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides (PPDGs) according to the position and number of their hydroxyl groups. Major ginsenoside such as Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, and Rg1 comprise more than 80% of the ginsenosides in wild ginseng. Minor ginsenosides such as F2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, and compound K are the deglycosylated from of the major ginsenosides [1]. These are known to be more bioactive than the major ginsenosides because of their improved permeability across the cell membrane in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, major ginsenosides are needed to be transformed into minor ginsenosides by the hydrolysis of the saccharide moiety in the ginsenosides [2]. C-K, one of the most pharmacologically effective minor ginsenosides, has anti-allergic, anti-diabetic, antiinflammatory, anti-tumor, and hepatoprotective effects [3]. Since C-K is absent in natural ginseng, it can be transformed from the glycoside hydrolysis of major PPDGs like Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd. The production of C-K from PPDGs in ginseng extract has been attempted through fermentation [4-11] and biotransformation using cells [12] and recombinant [13], commercial [14-16], and wild-type enzymes [17]. The biotransformation using recombinant enzymes shows the highest yield, selectivity, and productivity for C-K production [13], however, the produced C-K is debatable on food-safety problems. The use of enzymes originated from "generally recognized as safe (GRAS)" microorganisms is the proper way to solve food safety problems. GRAS microorganisms typically include lactic acid bacteria and some fungi that have been used for the manufacture of products in the food industry for a long time. Fungi are more suitable for C-K production than lactic acid bacteria because they are easier to grow in cheaper mediums and exhibit higher productivity [2]. Fermentation using GRAS fungi is one of the most popular methods of C-K production. However, this method results in the formation of unnecessary by-products that can cause a problem in the product Compound K (C-K) is one of the most pharmaceutically effective ginsenosides, but it is absent in natural ginseng. However, C-K can be obtained through the hydrolysis of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides (PPDGs) in natural ginseng. The aim of this study was to obtain the high concentration of food-available C-K using PPDGs in Korean ginseng extract by an extracellular enzyme from Aspergillus niger KACC 46495. A. niger was cultivated in the culture medium containing the inducer carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for 6 days. The extracellular enzyme extracted from A. niger was prepared from the culture broth by filtration, ammonium sulfate, and dialysis. The extracellular enzyme was used for C-K production using PPDGs. The gly...