Doenjang, a Korean Fermented Soy Food, Exerts Antiobesity and Antioxidative Activities in Overweight Subjects with the PPAR-γ2 C1431T Polymorphism: 12-Week, Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

We examined the antiobesity and antioxidant effects of supplementation with doenjang, a fermented soybean paste, in overweight Koreans with the PPAR-γ2 C1431T polymorphism. Sixty overweight subjects were randomly assigned to consume either 9.8 g/day of doenjang or placebo for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, anthropometric and metabolic parameters, along with abdominal fat distribution and PPAR-γ2 polymorphisms, were measured. Fifty-one subjects completed the study, doenjang (n=26) and placebo (n=25) groups. Relative frequencies of the PPAR-γ2 genotypes CC, TC, and TT were 70% (n=41), 25.9% (15), and 3.4% (2), whereas those of the PPAR-γ2 alleles C and T were 81.6% and 18.4%. Visceral fat area (VFA) was significantly decreased by doenjang supplementation in subjects with a mutant T allele of PPAR-γ2 compared to those with a C allele after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index. Plasma free fatty acid, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were also significantly increased in the doenjang group. Doenjang pills significantly activated radical clearance capacity (ORAC and DNA tail length) in subjects with the C allele. The catalase (CAT) activity was increased twofold in the doenjang-treated group with the C allele, but this phenomenon was reversed in those with the T allele. Doenjang-treated subjects tended to have low dietary carbohydrate and sodium intakes compared with those given placebo. We found that doenjang supplementation decreased visceral fat accumulation and aging most effectively in subjects with PPAR-γ polymorphisms. This study suggests that doenjang has antiobesity and antioxidative effects in overweight individuals with mutant alleles of PPAR-γ2.

Total phenolic content, antioxidant, tyrosinase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of water soluble extracts of noble starter culture Doenjang, a Korean fermented soybean sauce variety

“…Polyphenols have been reported to have similar effects as insulin in terms of glucose utilization and have been shown to act as inhibitors of key digestive enzymes such as aamylase and a-glucosidase, which are associated with type-2 diabetes and lipid peroxidation in tissues (Reddy et al, 2010). Studies have also shown that the bioactivities of polyphenols and flavonones in fermented soybean products are linked to antioxidant activities (Cha et al, 2014), and many of these compounds also possess hypoglycemic properties . Inhibitors of aglucosidase can inhibit uptake of dietary carbohydrates and suppress postprandial hyperglycemia, making them useful for treating diabetic and/or obese patients (Hsieh et al, 2010).…”

Fermented Soypastes, Doenjang and Cheonggukjang, and Obesity

“…Visceral fat was significantly decreased by Doenjang supplementation in subjects with the PPARG T allele compared to those with the wild-type C allele after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI [89]. Doenjang pills significantly increased the oxygen radical absorbance capacity and reduced oxidative DNA damage in subjects with the C allele [89]. Our study suggests that Doenjang has antiobesity and antioxidative effects in overweight individuals with mutant UCP1 and PPARG alleles.…”

“…In the case of PPAR-γ, relative frequencies of the PPARG genotypes CC, TC, and TT in 51 subjects were 70%, 25.9%, and 3.4%, respectively, whereas those of C and T alleles were 81.6% and 18.4%. Visceral fat was significantly decreased by Doenjang supplementation in subjects with the PPARG T allele compared to those with the wild-type C allele after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI [89]. Doenjang pills significantly increased the oxygen radical absorbance capacity and reduced oxidative DNA damage in subjects with the C allele [89].…”

“…In addition, some compounds derived from Doenjang have been shown to have a high activity in reducing blood pressure through inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) [87]. Some reports have examined whether the effects of Doenjang on antiobesity are sustained in subjects harboring polymorphisms in antiobesity genes [88,89]. Genes encoding beta-3 adrenergic receptor, ApoA5, PPAR-γ, and mitochondrial brown fat uncoupling protein 1 (UCP 1) were selected because of the similar frequencies of their polymorphisms in Koreans.…”

Microbiome and Beyond: Non-Viable Food Microbes and Human Health

“…Many of these foods have well-documented health benefits, but until now they were assumed to be due to the food components that were modified by the bacteria. 8,9 Although many fermented foods contribute valuable live probiotic bacteria, the totality of current research also provides increasingly convincing evidence that fermenting foods beneficially modifies the bioactive compounds in those foods, releases soluble bioactive compounds from the microbes, and provides functional microorganisms that may remain bioactive even when they have been killed by cooking.…”