Abstract:The effects of fermented paste made from soybean, brown rice, or brown rice in combination with rice bran or red ginseng marc on the glucose metabolism and antioxidative defense system in high fat-fed mice were investigated. The mice were given experimental diets for eight weeks: Normal control, high fat, and high fat supplemented with soybean fermented paste, brown rice fermented paste, brown rice-rice bran fermented paste, or brown rice-red ginseng marc fermented paste. The high fat group showed markedly higher blood glucose level and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation than the normal control group. Diet supplementation of fermented paste inhibited the high fat-induced hyperglycemia and oxidative stress via regulation of the glucose-regulating and antioxidant enzymes activities. The soybean and brown rice-red ginseng marc fermented pastes were the most effective in improving the glucose metabolism and antioxidant defense status in mice under high fat diet condition. These findings illustrate that brown rice, in combination with red ginseng marc, may be useful in the development of fermented paste with strong hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities.

Fresh ginseng roots were aged in an oven at 80°C for 14 d. The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of this aged ginseng, in comparison with those of the white and red ginsengs, were evaluated. In in vitro antioxidant assays, the ethanolic extracts from aged ginseng showed significantly higher free radical scavenging activity and reducing power than those of the white and red ginsengs. In in vivo antioxidant assays, mice were fed a high fat diet supplemented with white, red, or aged ginseng powders. High fat feeding resulted in a significant increase in lipid peroxidation and a substantial decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities in the animals. However, diet supplementation of ginseng powders, particularly aged ginseng, markedly reduced lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant enzymes activities. The results illustrate that the aged ginseng has greater in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacity than the white and red ginsengs. The aged ginseng also showed considerably higher total saponin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents, indicating that its antioxidant capacity may have been partly due to its high levels of antioxidant compounds. This new ginseng product may be useful as a functional food with strong antioxidant potential.

The effect of germination on the antioxidant capacity of pigmented and non-pigmented rice was investigated.The blackish purple Superjami, reddish-brown Superhongmi, and ordinary non-pigmented brown rice were germinated for 72 h. The germinated rice grains were extracted with 80% methanol and their antioxidant activities and compounds were analyzed. Germination substantially increased the free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, ferrous chelating ability, and superoxide dismutase activity in all the rice samples. The anthocyanin, tannin, phenolic, phytic acid, tocopherol, and tocotrienol contents were markedly higher in germinated rice compared to those of the non-germinated ones. The pigmented varieties exhibited greater antioxidant capacity and higher amounts of antioxidant compounds than the non-pigmented brown rice in both germinated and non-germinated forms. Superjami showed higher antioxidant activities and anthocyanin, phenolic, tocopherol, and tocotrienol contents than Superhongmi. These findings illustrate that germination could increase the antioxidant compounds and enhance the antioxidant capacity of pigmented rice which may be useful as functional foods.Keywords: pigmented rice, germination, antioxidant activity, antioxidant compounds IntroductionGermination has been shown to improve the nutritional value and increase the amount of bioactive compounds in various cereal grains including rice, oat, wheat, and barley (Hubner and Arendt, 2013). It has also been reported that germination could improve the texture and eating quality of brown rice (Wu et al., 2013b). This process involves soaking of the grains in water for a few days to induce slight germination. The rice is considered germinated when the primary root is already visible (Moongngarm and Khomphiphatkul, 2011). A number of studies have shown that germinated rice possesses various pharmacological properties, such antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemia, antioxidant, and anticancer (Mohd Esa et al., 2013;Patil and Khan, 2011;Wu et al., 2013b).Biochemical changes occur during germination of rice which causes softening of the endosperm and an increase in nutrient bioavailability (Islam and Becerra, 2012;Patil and Khan, 2011).Pigmented rice varieties are rice grains with colored pericarp and have been shown to have higher amounts of nutrients and greater antioxidant capacity than ordinary non-pigmented rice (Laokdiluk et al., 2011;Kang et al., 2013). A study conducted by Nam et al. (2005) revealed that extracts from pigmented rice brans have anticancer and antimutagenic properties. Moreover, consumption of pigmented rice has been associated with reduced risk of developing hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease (Ling et al., 2001). Due to the high antioxidant potential and functional properties of pigmented rice, new lines of this variety with enhanced biofunctional properties are continuously being developed and produced. In Korea, new pigmented rice varieties, Superjami and Superhongmi, have been recently developed through conventional breedin...

The effects of aging process on the ginsenosides and antioxidant activity of ginseng was investigated. Fresh ginseng roots were aged in oven at 70 or 80 °C for 7, 14, 21, or 28 d. Their ginsenosides, phenolics, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. Ginseng aged at 80 °C for 14 d exhibited the highest amounts of total saponins and phenolics. It also showed markedly higher free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and ferrous ion chelating ability than the other aged ginsengs. The ginsenosides Rb1 , Rb3 , Rg3 , Re, Rg1 , and Rg2 were generated during aging. The Rg2 was the most abundant ginsenoside in aged ginseng, with samples treated at 80 °C for 14 d having the highest amount. These findings provide the first evidence that aging, particularly at 80 °C for 14 d, could increase the bioactive compounds, indicating that this heating process may be useful in enhancing the biological activity of ginseng. PRACTICALAPPLICATION: Ginseng has long been recognized for its various health beneficial effects. The present study showed that aging of ginseng roots at 80 °C for 14 d substantially increased the amount of bioactive compounds ginsenosides and phenolics and enhanced the antioxidant activity. The food industry could use the aging process to improve the functional quality of ginseng.

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The effects of giant embryo brown rice Seonong 17 and Keunnunjami, in comparison with that of ordinary normal brown rice, on the body weight and lipid profile in mice under a high‐fat diet condition were investigated. The animals were fed with experimental diets for eight weeks: normal control, high fat (HF), and high fat supplemented with normal brown rice, Seonong 17 rice, or Keunnunjami rice powder. Their body and fat weights, lipid profiles, lipogenic enzyme activities, and adipokine concentrations were determined. Significant differences between the animal groups were analyzed with Tukey's test (P < 0.05). A marked increase in the body weight and fat, plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations, and free fatty acid level were found in HF mice relative to the control group. On the other hand, diet supplementation with rice, particularly the giant embryo rice samples, significantly suppressed this high‐fat‐induced body weight gain and hyperlipidemia via regulation of lipogenesis and adipokine production. Both the Seonong 17 and Keunnunjami exhibited greater hypolipidemic and body fat–lowering effects than the normal brown rice. The results demonstrate that these giant embryo mutants may be beneficial as biomaterials for functional foods with antiobesity and hypolipidemic effects.

BackgroundIn the recent years, cases of elderly women suffering from metabolic diseases such as dyslipidemias brought about by hormonal imbalance after menopause are continuously increasing. In this regard, a continuous and escalating demand to develop a more functional and highly nutritional food product as an adjunct supplement that can help alleviate these diseases is still being sought.ObjectiveThis study investigated the effects of germinated blackish-purple rice cultivars Keunnunjami, Superjami, and reddish-brown cultivar Superhongmi in the lipid metabolism of ovariectomized Sprague–Dawley rats.MethodThe animals were randomly divided into nine groups (n=5) and were supplemented with either non-germinated or germinated rice for 9 weeks. Then the plasma, liver, and fat samples were collected for the lipid metabolism effects analyses.ResultsAnimals fed with germinated rice cultivars had improved lipid profile levels relative to the groups supplemented with non-germinated rice cultivars. The germinated rice groups, Keununjami and Superjami in particular, showed a low total cholesterol levels, high levels of high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol, high fecal lipid output, low hepatic lipid values, and low hepatic adipocyte accumulation. There was also an increase in the rate of lipolysis and decrease in lipogenesis based on the lipid-regulating enzyme activity profiles obtained for the groups that fed on germinated rice. Also, results revealed that pigmented rice cultivars had superior effects in improving the lipid metabolism relative to the non-pigmented normal brown rice variety.ConclusionBased on the results, this study suggests that germinated pigmented rice consumption can confer better lipid metabolism than ordinary white rice and constitutes as an effective functional food in alleviating the risk of having dyslipidemias like those suffering from menopausal co-morbidities.

The comparative effects of instant cooked rice made from giant embryo mutant or ordinary normal rice on body weight and lipid profile in high fat-fed mice were investigated. The animals were given experimental diets for seven weeks: normal control (NC), high fat (HF), and HF supplemented with instant normal white (HF-NW), normal brown (HF-NB), giant embryonic white (HF-GW), or giant embryonic brown (HF-GB) rice. The HF group showed markedly higher body weight, body fat, plasma and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, and atherogenic index relative to NC group. However, instant rice supplementation counteracted this high fat-induced hyperlipidemia through regulation of lipogenesis and adipokine production. The GB rice exhibited greater hypolipidemic and body fat-lowering effects than the GW or NB rice. These findings illustrate that the giant embryo mutant may be useful as functional biomaterial for the development of instant rice with strong preventive action against high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia and obesity.