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Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 26189

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yunkyoung Lee

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
Interests: omics nutrition; natural dietary fibers; microbiome; metabolome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Guiguo Zhang

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal Nutrition, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
Interests: omics nutrition; natural dietary fibers; microbiome; metabolome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Soonkyu Chung

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Guest Editor

Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Interests: obesity; brown adipocytes; adipose Inflammation; dietary polyphenols; epigenetics

Dr. Inhae Kang

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Guest Editor

Department of Food and Nutrition, Jeju National University, 102 Jejudaehak-ro, Jeju 63243, Korea
Interests: functional ingredients/foods; mitochondria; brown fat; aging, inflammation; obesity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity and its associated metabolic diseases are problematic for public health around the world. To find novel ingredients and foods to help control obesity and its associated metabolic diseases, scientists in various fields have been intensively studying potential functional ingredients and foods from mainly natural sources with the expectation of lower toxicity compared to synthetic compounds and/or drugs to treat metabolic diseases. With the increased consideration to well-being, even the healthy population has become a consumer for the functional foods. Although more research is required to understand the mechanisms of action of the functional ingredients and foods in manipulating the metabolic diseases, their potential health beneficial effects could improve public health as well as promote primary industry with higher added value.

This Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) aims to collect the current knowledge on functional ingredients and foods and diet-induced obesity and its associated metabolic diseases using both therapeutic and preventive approaches. Original research papers, reviews, case reports, brief reports, and communications are all welcome in this Issue.

Dr. Yunkyoung Lee
Dr. Guiguo Zhang
Dr. Soonkyu Chung
Dr. Inhae Kang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Functional foods/ingredients
Obesity
Metabolic diseases
Inflammation
Diabetes
Hypertension
Bioactivity

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Soybean and Soybean Koji on Obesity and Dyslipidemia in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet: A Comparative Study

by Sihoon Park, Jae-Joon Lee, Hye-Won Shin, Sunyoon Jung and Jung-Heun Ha

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 6032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116032 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3495

Abstract

Soybean koji refers to steamed soybeans inoculated with microbial species. Soybean fermentation improves the health benefits of soybeans. Obesity is a serious health concern owing to its increasing incidence rate and high association with other metabolic diseases. Therefore, we investigated the effects of soybean and soybean koji on high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8/group) as follows: (1) regular diet (RD), (2) high-fat diet (HFD), (3) HFD + steamed soybean (HFD+SS), and (4) HFD + soybean koji (HFD+SK). SK contained more free amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids than SS. In a rat model of obesity, SK consumption significantly alleviated the increase in weight of white adipose tissue and mRNA expression of lipogenic genes, whereas SS consumption did not. Both SS and SK reduced serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. SS and SK also inhibited lipid accumulation in the liver and white adipose tissue and reduced adipocyte size. Although both SS and SK could alleviate HFD-induced dyslipidemia, SK has better anti-obesity effects than SS by regulating lipogenesis. Overall, SK is an excellent functional food that may prevent obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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20 pages, 6838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Metabolite Profiling of Momordica charantia Leaf and the Anti-Obesity Effect through Regulating Lipid Metabolism

by Meiqi Fan, Jae-In Lee, Young-Bae Ryu, Young-Jin Choi, Yujiao Tang, Mirae Oh, Sang-Ho Moon, Bokyung Lee and Eun-Kyung Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115584 - 24 May 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3508

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of Momordica charantia (M. charantia) extract in obesity and abnormal lipid metabolism in mice fed high fat diet (HFD). Fruit, root, stem, and leaf extracts of M. charantia were obtained using distilled water, 70% ethanol and 95% hexane. M. charantia leaf distilled water extract (MCLW) showed the highest antioxidant activity in both 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity tests and reducing power. Metabolite profiles of M. charantia leaf extracts were analyzed for identification of bioactive compounds. HFD-fed mice were treated with MCLW (oral dose of 200 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks. MCLW reduced lipid accumulation, body weight, organ weight, and adipose tissue volume and significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in HFD mice. Furthermore, MCLW administration reduced serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with HFD mice. Moreover, MCLW significantly reduced the levels of serum urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate aminotransferase; alleviated liver and kidney injury. MCLW decreases expression of genes that fatty acid synthesis; increase the expression of catabolic-related genes. These results indicate that MCLW has an inhibitory effect on obese induced by high fat diet intake, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of abnormal lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissue, suggesting that MCLW may be a suitable candidate for the treatment of obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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13 pages, 5795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Antidiabetic Effects of Seaweed Extracts by Upregulating Glucose Utilization and Alleviating Inflammation in C2C12 Myotubes

by Eunyoung Kim, Jiamei Cui, Inhae Kang, Guiguo Zhang and Yunkyoung Lee

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 1367; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031367 - 2 Feb 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4908

Abstract

Seaweed is known to have various health-promoting effects. However, the mechanisms underlying seaweed’s antidiabetic effects remain unclear. We investigated the potential antidiabetic effects of seaweed water extracts and further examined their mechanism(s) using C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. Briefly, we screened the physiochemical properties of seven seaweed extracts by comparing the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects. Among them, three seaweed extracts, Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll (UPS), Codium fragile (CF), and Gracilaria verrucosa (GV), were selected for further testing of their possible antidiabetic effects with underlying mechanisms using C2C12 myotubes. Consistent with the superior α-glucosidase inhibition of the three seaweed extracts, the extracts also enhanced glucose utilization in myotubes compared to the control. The upregulated glucose uptake by the seaweed extracts was reversed by an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor, compound C, in the UPS- and CF-treated groups. Furthermore, all three seaweed extracts significantly promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK which was completely blocked by pretreating with compound C. In addition, all three extracts reduced lipopolysaccharide-simulated TNF-α production in C2C12 cells. Our results demonstrated that all three seaweed extracts exhibited antidiabetic properties through not only the inhibition of glucose absorption but also the promotion of glucose utilization. Moreover, the regulation of inflammatory cytokine production by the extracts suggested their potential anti-inflammatory property which might play a critical role in protecting insulin sensitivity in a chronic inflammatory state. Taken together, UPS, CF, and GV are a promising source to modulate the glucose absorption and utilization in muscle cells partially via the AMPK pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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13 pages, 2678 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Attenuates Obesity and Adipose Tissue Remodeling in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6 Mice

by Seok Hee Seo, Feng Fang and Inhae Kang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020631 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6418

Abstract

Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue, which is an active endocrine organ regulating energy metabolism. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiobesity effects, but the role of ginger in modulating adipocyte metabolism is largely unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that ginger supplementation inhibits high-fat (HF)-diet-mediated obesity. C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to three diets for 7 weeks: low fat (LF, 16% kcal from fat), HF (HF, 60% kcal from fat), or HF with 5% ginger powder in diet (HF + G). The HF diet increased body weight (BW) and BW gain, as well as fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and hepatic lipid levels, compared to the LF diet-fed group. Ginger supplementation significantly improved HF-diet-induced BW gain, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hepatic steatosis without altering food intake. Next, we investigated whether ginger modulates adipocyte remodeling. HF-mediated adipocyte hypertrophy with increased lipogenic levels was significantly improved by ginger supplementation. Furthermore, the HF+G group showed high levels of the fatty-acid oxidation gene, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), which was accompanied by a reduction in adipocyte inflammatory gene expression. Taken together, our work demonstrated that ginger supplementation attenuated HF-diet-mediated obesity and adipocyte remodeling in C57BL/6 mice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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11 pages, 2111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Effects of Whole Red Raspberry Polyphenols and Their Gut Metabolite Urolithin A on Neuroinflammation in BV-2 Microglia

by Ashley Mulcahy Toney, Mahaa Albusharif, Duncan Works, Luke Polenz, Stacie Schlange, Virginia Chaidez, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait and Soonkyu Chung

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010068 - 24 Dec 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3413

Abstract

Whole red raspberry polyphenols (RRW), including ellagic acid, and their gut-derived metabolite, urolithin A (UroA), attenuate inflammation and confer health benefits. Although results from recent studies indicate that polyphenols and UroA also provide neuroprotective effects, these compounds differ in their bioavailability and may, therefore, have unique effects on limiting neuroinflammation. Accordingly, we aimed to compare the neuroprotective effects of RRW and UroA on BV-2 microglia under both 3 h and 12 and 24 h inflammatory conditions. In inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP stimulation after 3 h, RRW and UroA suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and regulated the JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway. UroA also reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression and promoted M2 microglial polarization. During inflammatory conditions induced by either 12 or 24 h stimulation with LPS, UroA—but not RRW—dampened pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and suppressed JNK/c-Jun signaling. Taken together, these results demonstrate that RRW and its gut-derived metabolite UroA differentially regulate neuroprotective responses in microglia during 3 h versus 12 and 24 h inflammatory conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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15 pages, 1942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Cultured Ginseng Roots Extract in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Mouse Macrophages and Adipocytes

by Hyun Ju Park, Sang-Mi Jo, Seok Hee Seo, Myoungsook Lee, Yunkyoung Lee and Inhae Kang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(13), 4716; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134716 - 30 Jun 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3570

Abstract

Wild ginseng, Panax ginseng Meyer, is a traditional medicine widely used in Asia. Due to low reward and high costs, wild ginseng is produced by a plant cell culture technique called cultured ginseng roots (GR). The health benefits of wild ginseng have been well studied, but the potential health effects of GR are largely unknown. Thus, we investigated the role of a GR extract (GRE) on inflammatory responses. We firstly investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of GRE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. GRE (100 μg/mL) dampened pro-inflammatory gene expression, cytokine release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. These anti-inflammatory responses by GRE were confirmed in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), which showed that GRE could inhibit inflammation with the induction of antioxidant levels. LPS was recently reported to impair mitochondrial bioenergetics in mouse macrophages. We next measured the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR), determining mitochondrial function. LPS treatment downregulated OCR; however, GRE partially restored the LPS-mediated energy homeostasis defects. Furthermore, GRE-pretreated conditioned media (CM) obtained from mouse macrophages decreased CM-mediated adipocyte inflammation. Collectively, these data suggested that GRE attenuated LPS-induced inflammation, and it might be partially involved in the protection from mitochondrial dysfunction in macrophages and adipocytes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients/Foods and Diet-Induced Obesity Associated Metabolic Diseases)

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