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There is great interest in the enhancement of isoflavones as one of the functional ingredients in soybean. This study aimed to investigate the effects of changes in the ecological environment over different planting times on isoflavone content. A total of 28 Korean soybean cultivars were grown at different planting times in late May, mid-June, and early July and their isoflavone content was measured over 2 years (2017 and 2018). Analyses of variance revealed significant effects of genotypes, planting times, years, and their interactions on isoflavone content. The average content of total isoflavone, as well as its component groups of malonylglucoside and aglycon, increased significantly as the seed planting time was delayed from late May to early July. The accumulation of each isoflavone component varied with changes in the planting time. The isoflavone content of the soybean cultivars for soy-sprout and soy-paste and tofu were higher for plantings in early July than for those in late May and/or mid-June, except for the black soybean cultivars. Despite significant correlations of the isoflavone content of the 28 cultivars among the three planting times, the responses of individual cultivars varied in isoflavone content by planting time. When planting was delayed, the time to flowering and maturity was also delayed and the number of days of growth from planting or flowering to maturity decreased; however, this was not related to isoflavone content. When planting was delayed, the temperature during the ripening period from flowering to maturity was lower, which was inversely related to the isoflavone content.

Phytophthora blight (PB) caused byPhytophthora nicotianaeis a highly destructive disease in sesame (Sesamum indicumL.). In this study, we used linkage mapping and genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes associated with PB resistance. The QTL mapping in 90 RILs of the Goenbaek × Osan cross using genotyping-by-sequencing detected significant QTLs for PB resistance on chromosome 10, explaining 12.79%–13.34% of phenotypic variation. Association of this locus to PB resistance was also revealed through bulked segregant analysis in second RIL population (Goenbaek × Milsung cross) comprising 188 RILs. The GWAS of 87 sesame accessions evaluated against threeP. nicotianaeisolates identified 29 SNPs on chromosome 10 significantly associated with PB resistance. These SNPs were located within a 0.79 Mb region, which co-located with the QTL intervals identified in RIL populations, and hence scanned for identifying candidate genes. This region contained several defense-related candidateRgenes, five of which were selected for quantitative expression analysis. One of these genes,SIN_1019016was found to show significantly higher expression in the resistant parent compared to that in the susceptible parents and selected RILs. Paired-end sequencing of the geneSIN_1019016in parental cultivars revealed two synonymous SNPs between Goenbaek and Osan in exon 2 of coding DNA sequence. These results suggestedSIN_1019016as one of the candidate gene conferring PB resistance in sesame. The findings from this study will be useful in the marker-assisted selection as well as the functional analysis of PB resistance candidate gene(s) in sesame.

The α-glucosidase inhibition effects of the 80% ethanol extracts in the seeds of five Vigna species (V. nakashimae, V. nipponensis, V. umbellate, V. radiate, and V. angularis) were evaluated and their half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values showed considerable differences (p 900 μg/ml. V. nakashimae exhibited the most potent inhibition with IC50 value of 7.3 ± 1.1 μg/ml, followed by V. nipponensis (184.0 ± 9.5 μg/ml) and V. umbellata (520.0 ± 8.1 μg/ml). Bioactivity-guided fractionation of V. nakashimae seeds yielded three phenolics by silica gel chromatography and their structures were elucidated as gambiriin D (1), luteoliflavan-7-O-glucopyranoside (2), and catechin-7-O-glucopyranoside (3) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In particular, gambiriin D (1) possessed strong inhibition activity with IC50 of 36.8 ± 2.3 μM through simple reversible slow-binding inhibition (kinetic parameters: k4 = 0.0048 μM−1s−1; Kiapp = 48 μM). Furthermore, this compound inhibited recombinant human aldose reductase with IC50 value of 12.0 ± 0.7 μM. Results suggest that V. nakashimae may be a potent α-glucosidase inhibition for health products.

There has been increasing concern over the potential carcinogenic problem of the synthetic antioxidants in oil industries. Tomato extract was prepared by supercritical‐CO₂, which may be a natural antioxidant. The supercritical fluid tomato extract (SFTE) was added in perilla oil (PO) and investigated the oxidative stability of PO and compared with control and those of the PO containing α‐tocopherol as a positive control. SFTE had a high content of lycopene (64.91%) and β‐carotene (34.93%), which led to significantly higher antioxidant capacity than that of the α‐tocopherol. During the thermal treatment at 65°C for 24 hr, the PO containing SFTE at various concentrations (100, 300, 500, and 1,000 µg/ml) showed significantly lower acid value and peroxide value, and at least 1.5 times higher induction period than those of the control and α‐tocopherol‐added PO at the same concentrations. The results suggest that SFTE may be an attractive natural antioxidant in oil industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Oxidation is a major problem causing the quality deterioration of edible oils which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Generally, chemically synthesized antioxidants are widely added to vegetable oils for retarding oxidative deterioration. But, these antioxidants are potentially carcinogenic to human health. SFTE produced in this study can be attractive alternative natural antioxidant over widely used α‐tocopherol and chemically synthesized antioxidants for preventing the lipid oxidation in food industries.

The aim of the present research was to investigate the antioxidant properties and anthocyanin profiles in the black seed coated adzuki bean (Vigna angularis, Geomguseul cultivar). The acidic 60% methanol extract (40 μg/mL) contains the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (486 ± 3 mg GAE/100 g; 314 ± 10 mg CE/100 g) with potent antioxidant properties (trolox equivalent 1272 ± 26 and 662 ± 24 mg TE/100 g) against ABTS and DPPH radicals compared to other methanol–water ratios (20, 40, 80, and 100%). Ten anthocyanin components were identified in this extract including delphinidin-3,5-O-digalactoside (1), delphinidin-3,5-O-diglucoside (2), delphinidin-3-O-galactoside (3), delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (4), delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside (5), delphinidin-3-O-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside (6), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (7), petunidin-3-O-galactoside (8), petunidin-3-O-glucoside (9) and petunidin-3-O-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside (10) via NMR spectroscopy and UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis. The key anthocyanins 3 and 4 of delphinidin type were isolated by reversed phase C-18 MPLC. Our results indicate that the anthocyanin profiles as well as the high phenolic and flavonoid contents are important factors determining the antioxidant effects of black adzuki bean.

The present study is the first to investigate the germination properties regarding phytochemicals, amino acids, total phenolics, and antioxidant capacities of white and black sesame seeds. Nutritional components and antioxidant effects showed considerable differences. Sesamine and sesamolin composition decreased (white: 4.21→1.72, 3.57→1.57 mg/g; black: 2.43→0.58, 1.36→0.45 mg/g) during germination. Moreover, catechin displayed the predominant composition in sprouted seeds with values of 13.50 mg/g (white) and 19.09 (black) mg/g followed by (-)-epicatechin and sinapic acid. Total phenolics increased by approximately 4 times upon germination, i.e., 503.1±27.1→ 2085.0±56.7 (white) and 645.8±31.5→2480.1±49.5 (black), mg GAE/g. Amino acids also remarkably increased in sprouted white (7.04→31.69mg/g) and black (6.55→26.97mg/g) seeds, with individual composition occurring in the following order: asparagine>arginine>tryptophan>leucine>alanine. In particular, arginine and tryptophan exhibited the greatest variations. The antioxidant effects against DPPH radical were stronger in sprouted seeds depending on the phytochemicals. Therefore, sprouted sesame can be utilized as an excellent source for functional foods.

Volatile profiles using GC/MS with hydrodistillation extraction and antioxidant effects against DPPH and ABTS radicals of purple perilla (Perilla fructescens) leaf extracts from plants grown in greenhouse were investigated. Volatiles were characterized as 25 components of 7 types including 2 alcohols, 3 furans, 3 esters, 2 aldehydes, 4 ketones, 10 hydrocarbons, and an acid. The dominant component was perillaketone (>54%) in total average content. Isoegomaketone was the second major compound (21%), followed by α-bergamotene (8.7%) and β-caryophyllene (5.7%). Contents of these 4 major components differed between cultivars, especially perillaketone and isoegomaketone (39.0-74.1 and Not Detected-36.9%, respectively). Antioxidant properties of methanol extracts containing 1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) showed differences with highest effects at 50 μg/mL. The main volatiles of perilla were affected by genetics and cultivars more than by environmental conditions. Antioxidant activities are probably correlated with phenolic and anthocyanin contents.

This work investigated the effect of freeze-thaw (FT) pretreatment on the yield and quality of oil cold-pressed from perilla seeds. FT pretreatment ruptured the perilla seed coat and internal structure, resulting in an oil yield of 78.71%, about 2.5-times greater than the yield from untreated control perilla seeds. Acid values were relatively low (0.54 mg KOH/g) and not different in the FT-treated and control oil. Likewise, peroxide values were low (1.34 meq/kg) and not different amongst the treatment groups. Viscosity values (96.5 mPa s) were indicative of a light oil while color values (L*a*b*) indicated a light yellow-green color. The major unsaturated fatty acids were identified as linolenic acid (C18:3, ω−3), linoleic acid (C18:2, ω−6), and oleic acid (C18:1, ω−9). The most abundant volatiles were 1-(furan-2-yl)-4-methylpentan-1-one and 3-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-furan in both of the oil samples. However, the normalized relative intensity of the volatile compounds was reduced in the FT-treated PO. The acylglycerol profile in FT-treated and control PO was not different, yet another indication that FT pretreatment did not increase oil rancidity or oxidative instability. FT pretreatment on oil seeds before cold-pressing is an attractive technique for obtaining high oil yield without deteriorative effects on the quality characteristics of edible oil.

Rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity-related metabolic inflammatory diseases has led to research focused on nutraceuticals for their treatment. This study investigated the effects of the ethanol extracts of mung bean testa (MBT) on the metabolic inflammation-induced lipogenesis in gastrocnemius muscle of KK-Ay diabese mice. Ethanol extracts of MBT were orally administered to diabese KK-Ay mice for 4 weeks after diet-induced obesity model was generated by feeding a 60% high-fat diet for 3 weeks. Although there were no changes in body weight gain, MBT treatments decreased total weight of white adipose tissue. MBT also decreased triacylglycerol and total cholesterol levels in the muscle by 30%, which was correlated with suppression of lipogenic genes such as ACC, C/EBP alpha, PGC-1 alpha, and PPAR gamma. In particular, decreased levels of p-ERK1/2, PPAR gamma, and C/EBP alpha in the MBT-treated groups suggest that MBT might inhibit adipogenesis and decrease differentiation via the MEK/ERK pathway. Furthermore, significantly lower amounts of plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and intramuscular tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were detected in MBT groups, confirming the anti-inflammatory effect of mung bean. In addition, our in vitro pilot study with 3T3-L1 cells showed that vitexin, the functional chemical in MBT, inhibited inflammation-induced lipogenesis with significantly lower amounts of IL-6 and MCP-1 after 14 days of vitexin treatment. Thus, the functional compounds in the mung bean ethanol extracts such as vitexin and isovitexin may regulate intracellular lipogenesis and adipogenesis via anti-inflammatory mechanisms and MEK/ERK pathway in the KK-Ay mouse model.

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), a member of the anthocyanin family, is a potent natural antioxidant. However, effects of C3G on glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i increase and neuronal cell death remain unknown. We studied the effects of C3G on glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i increase and cell death in cultured rat hippocampal neurons from embryonic day 17 maternal Sprague-Dawley rats using digital imaging methods for Zn(2+), Ca(2+), reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential and a MTT assay for cell survival. Treatment with glutamate (100 µM) for 7 min induces reproducible [Zn(2+)]i increase at 35 min interval in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The intracellular Zn(2+)-chelator TPEN markedly blocked glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i increase, but the extracellular Zn(2+) chelator CaEDTA did not affect glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i increase. C3G inhibited the glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i response in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 of 14.1 ± 1.1 µg/ml). C3G also significantly inhibited glutamate-induced [Ca(2+)]i increase. Two antioxidants such as Trolox and DTT significantly inhibited the glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i response, but they did not affect the [Ca(2+)]i responses. C3G blocked glutamate-induced formation of ROS. Trolox and DTT also inhibited the formation of ROS. C3G significantly inhibited glutamate-induced mitochondrial depolarization. However, TPEN, Trolox and DTT did not affect the mitochondrial depolarization. C3G, Trolox and DTT attenuated glutamate-induced neuronal cell death in cultured rat hippocampal neurons, respectively. Taken together, all these results suggest that cyanidin-3-glucoside inhibits glutamate-induced [Zn(2+)]i increase through a release of Zn(2+) from intracellular sources in cultured rat hippocampal neurons by inhibiting Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial depolarization and formation of ROS, which is involved in neuroprotection against glutamate-induced cell death.

Black soybeans have been known as medicinal food with anti-obesity, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress effects, and the testa of Cheongja #3 black soybeans is especially rich in anthocyanins. Forty-one male C57BL/6N mice were randomly assigned into four groups after 10-week-period of diet-induced obesity: a control group, a high-fat diet group, a high-fat diet group with the ethanol extract from black soybean testa (BBC), and a high-fat diet group with orlistat; BBC was orally administered for 12 weeks. BBC treatment significantly decreased food intake, fat accumulation, and the expression of lipogenesis genes (acetyl-CoA carboxylase and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha), and increased the levels of lipolysis proteins (lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, and AMP-activated protein kinase) in mesenteric fat. BBC also showed successful anti-inflammatory effects through regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10. These findings provide scientific support for using anthocyanin-rich black soybean as functional food in prevention of obesity and inflammation-induced diseases.

In the analysis of chemotype relationship among Korean Chrysanthemum species, the volatile compounds in the leaves of 15 taxa were analyzed and identified by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis used for the grouping based on the volatile compounds. Fifteen taxa of Charysanthemum species were categorized into three groups. Groups I and II included higher ketones than Group III. Group I had five C. zawadskii subspecies: acutilobum, acutilobum var. tenuisectum, acutilobum var. alpinum, lucidum, and coreanum. Five C. zawadskii subspecies were analyzed with main volatile compounds of D-limonene and m-thymol. Group II consisted of four C. zawadskii subspecies including naktongense, yezoense, latilobum, and latilobum var. leiophyllum, and one species C. makinoi. They consisted of main compounds of linalool, cis-chrysanthenol, eugenol, and chrysanthenone. Group III included five C. indicum species and related species: C. indicum, var. albescens, var. acuta, C. boreale, and C. lineare. The present study was able to classify volatile compounds of Korean Chrysanthemum species attributable to major compounds, such as hydrocarbons (sabinene, cymene, β-selinene), alcohols (1-octen-3-ol, cis-chrysanthenol, hinesol), ketones (chrysanthenone, camphor), and esters (cis-sabiene hydrate, trans-chrysanthenyl acetate).

Engineering, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju 660-758, Korea Department of Functional Crop, National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Miryang 627-803, Korea Division of Chemical Biology & BioTechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551 Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Korea Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea. *E-mail: dsjang@khu.ac.kr

This study was conducted to compare the volatile flavor compounds found in the leaves of 15 taxa of Korean native Chrysanthemum species. The volatile flavor compounds from the taxa were collected using a simultaneous steam distillation and extraction technique and were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass selective detector (GC/MSD). A total of 45 volatile flavor compounds were identified with six functional groups: 14 alcohols, 4 ketones, 19 hydrocarbons, 5 esters, 2 acids, and 1 aldehyde. The main functional group in 15 taxa of Chrysanthemum species was alcohols, accounting for 28.7% of volatile flavor compounds, followed by ketones (21.2%) and hydrocarbons (13.2%). Camphor, which is known for its antimicrobial properties, was the most abundant volatile compound (30%) in C. zawadskii ssp. latilobum and var. leiophyllum. In particular, C. indicum subspecies and C. boreale contained -thujone, which has outstanding anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and anti-diabetic efficacies. C. indicum var. albescens could be used in perfumes, since it showed 21 times more camphene than C. indicum. In addition, C. indicum var. acuta contained a fairly high content of 1,8-cineole, which has an inhibitory effect on mutagenesis. C. lineare contained only pentadecanoic acid compounds, whereas other taxa hexadecanoic acids. Overall, the Korean native Chrysanthemum species had considerable variation in volatile flavor compounds in their leaves. This study provides a good indication of specific potential use for various applications.

A novel allele of the putative soybean raffinose synthase gene, RS2, was discovered in PI200508 that is associated with the low raffinose and stachyose content. Soybean line PI200508 was identified as expressing reduced levels of raffinose and stachyose as well as elevated levels of sucrose. The RS2 mutant gene shows three base pairs InDel with the normal gene. Based on InDel region we developed novel co-dominant and dominant marker. The aim of this study was to develop Korean soybean cultivars, Daewon, Cheongja, and Danmiput, containing low levels of raffinose and stachyose. A specific markers assay for the PI200508 RS2 allele was developed to allow direct selection of the low raffinose and stachyose phenotype. Our findings highlight the efficiency of allele-specific markers in selection, which is evident in the matching genotype and results of the HPLC in the F2 generations of Daewon×PI200508 population.

This research was the first to investigate nutritional components, including soluble phenolics (isoflavones and anthocyanins), protein, oil, and fatty acid as well as antioxidant activities in different coloured seed coat soybeans (yellow, black, brown, and green) for two crop years. The soluble phenolics differed significantly with cultivars, crop years, and seed coat colours, while protein, oil, and fatty acid exhibited only slight variations. Especially, malonylgenistin and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside compositions had the most remarkable variations. Green soybeans had the highest average isoflavone content (3079.42 μg/g), followed by yellow (2393.41 μg/g), and black soybeans (2373.97 μg/g), with brown soybeans showing the lowest value (1821.82 μg/g). Anthocyanins showed only in black soybeans, with the average contents of the primary anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, delphinidine-3-O-glucoside, and petunidin-3-O-glucoside, quantified at 11.046, 1.971, and 0.557 mg/g, respectively. Additionally, Nogchae of green soybean and Geomjeongkong 2 of black soybean may be recommended as potential cultivars owing to the highest average isoflavone (4411.10 μg/g) and anthocyanin (21.537 mg/g) contents. The scavenging activities of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals also differed remarkably, depending upon isoflavone and anthocyanin contents, with black soybeans exhibiting the highest antioxidant effects.

In this study, we evaluated the antidiabetic effect of a chloroform fraction of a methanol extract of Vigna nakashimae (designated VN) and compared it with that of a water fraction. Both fractions were administrated to eight-week old db/db mice for two weeks, after which the plasma glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels were measured. The chloroform fraction (VN-C) lowered the fasting glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin in the db/db mice more effectively than those of the water fraction (VN-W). VN-C also improved the glucose tolerance and led to a significant decrease in the plasma levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides. VN-C enhanced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) in HepG2 and C2C12 cells more significantly than VN-W. Consistent with AMPK activation, VN-C inhibited cAMP/Dex-stimulated expression of gluconeogenic genes and increased glucose uptake in C2C12. Collectively, these results suggest that VN-C has an antidiabetic effect, which is exerted via AMPK activation, and that this effect is stronger than that of VN-W.

The present research was the first to investigate phenolic compound profiles and antioxidant properties in the seeds of various perilla (Perilla frutescens) cultivars. The 80% methanol extract (50 μg/ml) of this species showed potent antioxidant activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals. Phenolic compounds were characterised by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector and electrospray ionisation/mass (UPLC-PDA-ESI/MS) analysis. Nine compounds were elucidated as caffeic acid-3-O-glucoside (1), caffeic acid (2), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (3), apigenin-7-O-glucoside (4), rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucoside (5), rosmarinic acid (6), luteolin (7), apigenin (8), and chrysoeriol (9). The individual and total phenolic contents were remarkably different, especially rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucoside (5) and rosmarinic acid (6) which were the predominant compounds (>95%) in all perilla cultivars. Additionally, Yeupsil cultivar exhibited the highest phenolic content (5029.0 μg/g) and antioxidant activity, whereas the lowest was shown by Dasil (2138.7 μg/g). Therefore, these results suggest that antioxidant effects of perilla seeds are correlated with phenolic contents.

SummaryThis study was conducted to develop biomarkers to identify 26 cultivars of Korean sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) using omics-based methods. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers revealed that 75 random 10-mer primers generated 50 polymorphic RAPD markers from the 28 Korean sweet potato cultivars. Six sweet potato cultivars were selected for further analysis by proteomic and metabolomic approaches based on their flesh colour (two each having cream, orange, or purple flesh) and by a dendrogram generated using the polymorphic RAPD bands. Changes in the proteomes of these six sweet potato cultivars were investigated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) coupled with matrix-assisted, laser desorption/ionisation tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) analysis. Overall, ten protein spots were expressed differentially between the six cultivars and identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Among these, an ATP-dependent zinc metalloprotease and the chaperone protein...

The present study is the first to investigate the germination properties regarding phytochemicals, amino acids, total phenolics, and antioxidant capacities of white and black sesame seeds. Nutritional components and antioxidant effects showed considerable differences. Sesamine and sesamolin composition decreased (white: 4.21→1.72, 3.57→1.57 mg/g; black: 2.43→0.58, 1.36→0.45 mg/g) during germination. Moreover, catechin displayed the predominant composition in sprouted seeds with values of 13.50 mg/g (white) and 19.09 (black) mg/g followed by (-)-epicatechin and sinapic acid. Total phenolics increased by approximately 4 times upon germination, i.e., 503.1±27.1→ 2085.0±56.7 (white) and 645.8±31.5→2480.1±49.5 (black), mg GAE/g. Amino acids also remarkably increased in sprouted white (7.04→31.69mg/g) and black (6.55→26.97mg/g) seeds, with individual composition occurring in the following order: asparagine>arginine>tryptophan>leucine>alanine. In particular, arginine and tryptophan exhibited the greatest variations. The antioxidant effects against DPPH radical were stronger in sprouted seeds depending on the phytochemicals. Therefore, sprouted sesame can be utilized as an excellent source for functional foods.

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring polyphenolic pigments in plants that have been shown to decrease weight gain and insulin resistance in mice-fed high-fat diets. We investigated the effects of anthocyanins on cell growth, differentiation, and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 cells to test our hypothesis that anthocyanins could reduce adipose tissue mass by acting directly on adipocytes. Anthocyanin extracts from black soybeans were used and composed of 3 of the following major anthocyanins: cyanidine-3-O-glucoside (68.3%), delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (25.2%), and petunidin-3-O-glucoside (6.5%). Treatment with 12.5 and 50 μg/mL of black soybean anthocyanins exhibited inhibitory effects on the proliferation of both preconfluent preadipocytes (P < .01) and maturing postconfluent adipocytes (P < .01). In fully differentiated adipocytes, the number of viable cells was reduced by black soybean anthocyanins (P < .01). Treatment with 50 μg/mL of black soybean anthocyanins slightly increased epinephrine-induced lipolysis but decreased the basal lipolysis of fully differentiated adipocytes (P < .05). Black soybean anthocyanins also reduced lipid accumulation and suppressed the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, a major transcription factor for the adipogenic gene (P < .01). These results suggest that black soybean anthocyanins inhibit adipocyte differentiation and basal lipolysis, which may contribute to their antiobesity and antidiabetic properties.

To determine whether FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis for whole cell extracts can be used to discriminate major leguminous plant at metabolic level, seed extracts of six leguminous plants were subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). FT-IR spectral data from seed extracts were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The PCA could not fully discriminate six leguminous plants, however PLS-DA could successfully discriminate six leguminous plants. The hierarchical dendrogram based on PLS-DA separated the six leguminous plants into four branches. The first branch was consisted of all three Vigna species including Vigna radiata var. radiate, Vigna angularis var. angularis and Vigna unguiculata subsp. Unguiculata. Whereas Pisum sativum var. sativum, Glycine max L and Phaseolus vulgaris var. vulgaris were clustered into a separate branch respectively. The overall results showed that metabolic discrimination system were in accordance with known phylogenic taxonomy. Thus we suggested that the hierarchical dendrogram based on PLS-DA of FT-IR spectral data from seed extracts represented the most probable chemotaxonomical relationship between six leguminous plants.

Aims To investigate neuroprotective effects of three major anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, and petunidin-3-O-glucoside) isolated from the black soybean (Glycine max L.) cv. Cheongja 3 seed coat against H2O2-induced cell death of human brain neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. Main methods Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, production and expression of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and inactivation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades were determined by MTT assay, 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting, respectively. Key findings Pretreatment with anthocyanins reduced the cytotoxicity of H2O2 on SK-N-SH cells, dose-dependently reduced the intracellular ROS level and inactivated apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK1, Thr845), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) proteins. The HO-1 and Neu1 mRNA levels were increased by H2O2 (25 μM) and further elevated by the pretreatment with anthocyanins. Sialic acids added to the culture plates not only attenuated the cytotoxicity of H2O2 (25 μM) but also reduced intracellular ROS level. These results suggest that Cheongja 3 black soybean seed coat anthocyanins have brain neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress (H2O2) by inhibiting the activation of ASK1–JNK/p38 pathways, scavenging ROS, stimulating the expression of HO-1 and, more interestingly, recruiting cellular free sialic acids through up-regulation of Neu1 sialidase gene expression. Significance This is the first report indicating potent health benefits of black soybean seed coat anthocyanins in neuroprotection by triggering mobilization of cellular free sialic acid and utilizing it as an additional biological antioxidant in brain neural cells.