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Background: Large amounts of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) commercial products are provided in the worldwide market such as powders, tea bags, or capsules as dietary supplements which contained triterpenoids and/or polysaccharides. Therefore, it was estimated that several thousand tons of GL residues (GLR) are produced and discarded. For recycling uses, the aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of two hot-water extracts from GLR (HWP_GLR) and solid-state fermentation GLR inoculated with GL mycelia (HWP_GLRF) on the growths of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum. The RAW264.7 cells were used to investigate the effects of HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF on nitric oxide productions, phagocytic activities against FITC-labeled E. coli, and to lower lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding capacities. The powders of GLR and GLRF were used as additives in the commercial feeds for feeding broiler chicks in vivo to evaluate the immune-stimulatory and prebiotic activities. Results: HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF with molecular size 5 to 8 kDa were showed to stimulate growths of L. rhamnosus and B. longum. It was found that in the presence of polymyxin B HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF could stimulate nitric oxide productions, elevate phagocytic activities against FITC-labeled E. coli, and to lower lipopolysaccharide-binding capacities in RAW264.7 cells. The broiler chicks were selected for feedings in vivo. The 1-day-old chicks were fed commercial feeds for 1 week, and then were fed without or with 4 or 8 % of GLR and GLRF additives for 3 weeks. There was no significant weight difference among feeding groups. However, the phagocytosis and natural killer cytotoxicity in the peripheral bloods, and prebiotic activities of bifidobacteria in feces of GLR and/or GLRF groups were significantly different compared to the control (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The GLR, GLRF, and their hot-water extracts with beneficial activities could be processed as feed additives which could increase the waste-recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LUFFACHITIN obtained from the residue of the sponge-like dried fruit of Luffa aegyptiaca was developed as a weavable skin substitute in this study. A chemical analysis revealed that LUFFACHITIN was composed of a copolymer containing N-acetylglucosamine (∼40%) as a major monomer with a filamentary structure as demonstrated by both optical and scanning electron microscopy. The pulp-like white residue of the sponge-like dried fruit of Luffa aegyptiaca after treatment was then woven into a thin, porous membrane by filtration and lyophilization as a skin substitute for conducting wound-healing study on rats. The results indicated that the LUFFACHITIN membrane showed significant wound-healing enhancement (25 days to complete healing) compared to cotton gauze (>30 days), but not inferior to that of SACCHACHITIN. Furthermore, the LUFFACHITIN membrane had advantages of having a high yield, better physical properties for fabrication, and a more attractive appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acteoside (Act), a phenylethanoid glycoside, is an active compound in several plants and traditional herbal medicines. Act along with its structural isomer, isoacteoside (Isoact), and an analog, 6-O-acetylacteoside (6-O-acetylact), were used in the study to investigate the antioxidant, anti-angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and hemolysis inhibitory activities in vitro and antihypertensive activity against spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in vivo. We showed that Act, Isoact, and 6-O-acetylact effectively scavenged 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picryl-hydrazyl radicals (with IC50 at 11.4, 9.48, and 9.55 μM, respectively) and superoxide radicals (with IC50 at 66.0, 38.5, and 39.1 μM, respectively). As Isoact and 6-O-acetylact had similar radical-scavenging activities, only Act and Isoact were used for following studies. Both Act and Isoact inhibited xanthine oxidase activity with IC50 at 53.3 and 62.2 μM, respectively. Both Act and Isoact also significantly inhibited ACE activity and the hemolysis induced by 2,2'-azo-bis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride, but the effects of Act were stronger than Isoact. We then orally administered a single dose of Act or Isoact (10 mg/Kg body weight) to SHR and measured the changes of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) over 24 h. Act, but not Isoact, showed antihypertensive activity in lowering SBP and DBP. The results suggest the potential usefulness of Act as a health food product for antioxidant protection and blood pressure regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]