Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a healthy and nutritionally important food item. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of 75% ethanol extracts from tartary buckwheat (EEB) against ethanol- and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver damage. EEB were administered to C57BL/6 mice (ethanol induction) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (CCl(4) induction) for 4 and 8 consecutive weeks, respectively. The major active compounds, rutin and quercetin, were also administered to ethanol- and CCl(4)-induced animals. EEB inhibited increase in serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in the ethanol- and CCl(4)-induced animals; similar effects were found after rutin and quercetin administration. Moreover, EEB elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities, including those of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and inhibited the levels of hepatic inflammation in the ethanol- and CCl(4)-treated animals. This study suggests that EEB exerts hepatoprotection via promoting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties against oxidative liver damage.

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The antioxidant activity of mulberry leaves (Morus alba var. Acidosa G. cv. Taisang 2) was investigated. The results indicated that methanolic extracts of mulberry leaves (MEML) showed stronger antioxidant activity and that methanol gave higher yields of extract than other organic solvents. The MEML exhibited 78.2% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid, greater than that of R-tocopherol (72.1%) but equal to that of butylated hydroxyanisole. The MEML were separated into nine fractioins by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Two of the fractions [R f ) 0.92 (I) and R f ) 0.68 (II)] possessed remarkable antioxidant activities. These two fractions showed 77.3 and 72.0% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid, respectively. Fraction I (R f ) 0.92) was further purified again with TLC; the stronger antioxidant activity was found in subfraction Ia (R f ) 0.87), while fraction II (R f ) 0.68) was not fractionated into any subfractions. On the basis of UV-vis spectral, HPLC, NMR, and MS data, the antioxidant components of Ia and II were identified as -carotene and R-tocopherol, respectively.

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Because of the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Asian countries, traditional fermented foods from Asia have been increasingly investigated for antiatherosclerotic effects. This study investigated the production of nattokinase, a serine fibrinolytic enzyme, in pigeon pea by Bacillus subtilis fermentation. B. subtilis 14714, B. subtilis 14715, B. subtilis 14716, and B. subtilis 14718 were employed to produce nattokinase. The highest nattokinase activity in pigeon pea was obtained using B. subtilis 14715 fermentation for 32 hours. In addition, the levels of antioxidants (phenolics and flavonoids) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity were increased in B. subtilis 14715-fermented pigeon pea, compared with those in nonfermented pigeon pea. In an animal model, we found that both water extracts of pigeon pea (100 mg/kg body weight) and water extracts of B. subtilis-fermented pigeon pea (100 mg/kg body weight) significantly improved systolic blood pressure (21 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (30 mmHg) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. These results suggest that Bacillus-fermented pigeon pea has benefits for cardiovascular health and can be developed as a new dietary supplement or functional food that prevents hypertension.

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