Application of Electrolyzed Water to Improve Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Fermented Soybeans Started withBacillus SubtilisB1

Edible Plant Sprouts: Health Benefits, Trends, and Opportunities for Novel Exploration

The consumption of plant sprouts as part of human day-to-day diets is gradually increasing, and their health benefit is attracting interest across multiple disciplines. The purpose of this review was to (a) critically evaluate the phytochemicals in selected sprouts (alfalfa, buckwheat, broccoli, and red cabbage), (b) describe the health benefits of sprouts, (c) assess the recent advances in sprout production, (d) rigorously evaluate their safety, and (e) suggest directions that merit special consideration for further novel research on sprouts. Young shoots are characterized by high levels of health-benefitting phytochemicals. Their utility as functional ingredients have been extensively described. Tremendous advances in the production and safety of sprouts have been made over the recent past and numerous reports have appeared in mainstream scientific journals describing their nutritional and medicinal properties. However, subjects such as application of sprouted seed flours in processed products, utilizing sprouts as leads in the synthesis of nanoparticles, and assessing the dynamics of a relationship between sprouts and gut health require special attention for future clinical exploration. Sprouting is an effective strategy allowing manipulation of phytochemicals in seeds to improve their health benefits.

Effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water on bioactive compounds and morphology of broccoli sprouts

The producers of broccoli sprouts have become increasingly interested in improving their sulforaphane content. This study has evaluated the effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) with different available chlorine concentrations (ACC) on broccoli sprouts: their content of some bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates, their morphology, and their total bacterial counts. The results have shown that SAEW might affect the content of sulforaphane by influencing the content of glucosinolates and the activity of myrosinase. SAEW inhibited the growth of broccoli sprouts: their fresh weight decreased as the available chlorine concentration (ACC) of the SAEW increased, but the different solutions did not affect their dry weight. The number of microorganisms on the broccoli sprout decreased by 1.71logCFU/g after using the SAEW with ACC value of 50mg/L treatment compared with tap water treatment. Overall, although SAEW adversely affected the morphology of broccoli sprouts, with a suitable ACC it can be a useful tool for enhancing the amount of secondary metabolites and reducing the microbial counts on broccoli sprouts intended for fresh consumption as a functional food.

ACE-Inhibitory Peptide Isolated from Fermented Soybean Meal as Functional Food

Biologically active peptides as components in functional foods exhibit diverse activities and exert health effects in humans, just as the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide exerts an antihypertensive effect. The solid-state fermentation of soybean meal was conducted using Bacillus subtilis natto at an appropriate temperature to accelerate proteolytic hydrolysis, and the crude extract containing ACE-inhibitory peptides was sequentially purified by ultrafiltration, gel chromatography and reverse phase-HPLC. A novel ACE-inhibitory peptide was obtained and its ACE-inhibitory activity was 84.1% with an IC50 value of 0.022 mg/ml. The results suggest that these ACE-inhibitory peptides obtained from the solid-state fermentation of soybean meal using B. subtilis natto have good potential for application in the management of hypertension and the fermented soybean meal has good potential for application in the production of a novel physiologically functional food.