Anti-inflammatory Effect of Polysaccharide Derived from Commercial Kanjang on Mast Cells

Abstract

Soy sauce is a traditional fermented seasoning in several oriental countries, such as Korea and Japan, and recently it has been reported to have biological activities. In Korean soy sauce, soybeans and wheat are the two main raw materials. Polysaccharides that originate from the cell wall of soybeans are resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. These polysaccharides remain in the soy sauce even after fermentation and are termed Kanjang polysaccharides (KPS). In this study, polysaccharides were obtained from dialysate of different soy sauces labeled as A~T and manufactured by fermentation or the acid-hydrolyzate method. We investigated anti-inflammatory activities by examining the effects of these KPS on proinflammatory cytokine release and mRNA expression in mast cells. Histamine and β-hexosaminidase release were strongly decreased by the KPS treatment in RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment with KPS clearly reduced mRNA expression and the release of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in PMACI-stimulated HMC-1 cells. In particular, KPS derived from fermented Kanjang products showed a significant anti-inflammation effect on mast cells compared to the acid-hydrolyzed Kanjang products. This study suggests that KPS appear to be effective in suppressing allergic inflammatory reactions.