The study was aimed to characterize the probiotic properties of a Pediococcus pentosaceus strain, KID7, by in vitro and in vivo studies. The strain possessed tolerance to oro-gastrointestinal transit, adherence to the Caco-2 cell line, and antimicrobial activity. KID7 exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity and cholesterol-lowering activity, in vitro. In vivo cholesterol-lowering activity of KID7 was studied using atherogenic diet-fed hypercholesterolemic mice. The experimental animals (C57BL/6J mice) were divided into 4 groups viz., normal diet-fed group (NCD), atherogenic diet-fed group (HCD), atherogenic diet- and KID7-fed group (HCD-KID7), and atherogenic diet- and Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121-fed group (HCD-L.ac) as positive control. Serum total cholesterol (T-CHO) level was significantly decreased by 19.8% in the HCD-KID7 group (P < 0.05), but not in the HCD-L.ac group compared with the HCD group. LDL cholesterol levels in both HCD-KID7 and HCD-L.ac groups were decreased by 35.5 and 38.7%, respectively, compared with HCD group (both, P < 0.05). Glutamyl pyruvic transaminase (GPT) level was significantly lower in the HCD-KID7 and HCD-L.ac groups compared to HCD group and was equivalent to that of the NCD group. Liver T-CHO levels in the HCD-KID7 group were reduced significantly compared with the HCD group (P < 0.05) but not in the HCD-L.ac group. Analysis of expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism in liver showed that low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) mRNA expression was significantly increase in the HCD-KID7 group compared to the HCD group. Furthermore, KID7 exhibited desired viability under freeze-drying and subsequent storage conditions with a combination of skim milk and galactomannan. P. pentosaceus KID7 could be a potential probiotic strain, which can be used to develop cholesterol-lowering functional food after appropriate human clinical trials.

Smilax china L., a native plant found in Asian countries, has several medicinal properties including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. Although the root of the plant is commonly used as traditional herbal medicine in Korea and China, the medicinal properties of the leaves have not gained the same attention. In this study, we analyzed the antioxidant activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory effect and lipid accumulation inhibition effect of Smilax china L. leaf water extract (SCLE) and its solvent fractions. SCLE was fractionated by using a series of organic solvents, including ethylacetate (EA) and n-butanol (BuOH). The EA fraction had the highest total polyphenol content (440.20 ± 12.67 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (215.14 ± 24.83 mg QE/g). The radical scavenging activity IC50 values of the EA fraction for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) were 0.022 mg/mL and 0.13 mg/mL, respectively. Further, SOD-like activity and reducing power values of the EA fraction were higher than those of the other fractions. However, both the α-glucosidase and lipid accumulation inhibition assays showed that the BuOH fraction (83.35 ± 4.18% at 1 mg/mL) and water extract (11.27 ± 2.67%) were more effective than the EA fraction (64.13 ± 6.35%, and 45.66 ± 7.20%). These results provide new insights into the potential anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of Smilax china L. leaf. (

These results suggest that the anti-obesity effects of MFBS are elicited by regulating the expression of adipogenesis-related genes in adipocytes and WAT of HFD-induced obese mice.