Untargeted Metabolomics of Korean Fermented Brown Rice Using UHPLC Q-TOF MS/MS Reveal an Abundance of Potential Dietary Antioxidative and Stress-Reducing Compounds

Limosilactobacillus reuteri fermented brown rice alleviates anxiety improves cognition and modulates gut microbiota in stressed mice

Chronic stress disrupts gut microbiota homeostasis, contributing to anxiety and depression. This study explored the effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri fermented brown rice (FBR) on anxiety using an ICR mouse chronic mild stress (CMS) model. Anxiety was assessed through body weight, corticosterone levels, neurotransmitter profiles, and behavioral tests. A four-week FBR regimen reduced corticosterone, restored neurotransmitters like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, and improved anxiety-related behaviors. Metagenomic (16S rRNA) and metabolomic analyses revealed enhanced amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in FBR-treated mice. FBR-enriched beneficial gut bacteria, aligning the microbiota profile with that of non-stressed mice. FBR also modulated GABA receptor-related gene expression, promoting relaxation. Network pharmacology identified quercetin, GABA, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, and ferulic acid as bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential. These findings highlight FBR's potential as a gut-brain axis-targeted therapeutic for anxiety and stress-related disorders.

Biopeptide-rich fermented hemp seeds: Boosting anti-inflammatory and immune responses through Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotic fermentation

Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) seeds are increasingly recognized as a promising food source rich in phytochemicals that support inflammatory and immunological reactions. This study investigates whether fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum can further enhance these functional properties, paving the way for hemp seeds to be developed into potent functional food ingredients. Aqueous, 70 % ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts from both L. plantarum-fermented (FHS) and unfermented hemp seeds (HS) were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities using cell-based assays. The 70 % ethanol extract of FHS exhibited marked inhibitory effects on cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10, with fermentation significantly enhancing these effects by 25 %, 39.3 %, and 29.6 %, respectively, compared to the unfermented extracts. Additionally, mRNA expression analysis confirmed the strong immunomodulatory potential of the fermented extracts. Intracellular metabolomic analysis revealed that the 'antifolate resistance', 'nicotine addiction', 'aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis', and 'D-amino acid metabolism' are highlighted in the reasons for this enhancement. Furthermore, FHS significantly prolonged the survival of C. elegans exposed to pathogens, with gene expression analysis indicating modulation of the innate immune system via regulation of genes such as gcs-1, lys-1, dbl-1, pmk-1, elt-2, and dod-22. A comprehensive metabolomic and correlation analysis identified five novel bioactive peptides (AAELIGVP, AAVPYPQ, VFPEVAP, DVIGVPLG, PVPKVL) and bioactive acids (indoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid) that were enriched during fermentation, which are strongly linked to the enhanced anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects observed. These findings suggest that L. plantarum-fermented hemp seeds hold significant promise as functional ingredients in anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory food products, with potential applications in health and wellness industries.

Uncovering the antiinflammatory potential of Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum fermented Cannabis Sativa L seeds

Inflammation acts as a dual role in disease initiation and progression, while Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) seeds, known for their abundance of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, present a promising food source. Additionally, fermentation may optimize the food matrix, thereby augmenting its developmental prospects. This study explores the anti-inflammatory potential of hemp seeds fermented with 10 different probiotic strains. Among these, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum fermented hemp seeds (FHS) demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory ability, accompanied by a reduction in the expression of critical inflammatory markers such as TLR4, NF-κBp65, and iNOS. Moreover, there is a noteworthy dose-dependent inhibition of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and NO within a concentration range of 50 to 500 µg/mL. Subsequently, metabolomics analysis using UHPLC-QTOF-MS highlighted significant metabolic alterations in FHS compared to raw hemp seeds (RHS). Through multivariate, univariate, and correlation analyses, indolelactic acid (IA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) emerged as the main anti-inflammatory metabolites in FHS. Validation via HPLC confirmed the concentration of IA and HVA in RHS and FHS and both organic acids demonstrated lower IC50 values for TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and NO inhibition, showcasing their potent anti-inflammatory abilities. Furthermore, in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion coupled with the Caco-2 cell monolayer model validates the uptake and bioaccessibility of FHS, further affirming IA and HVA as major anti-inflammatory compounds. Overall, this research sets the stage for the development of novel hemp seed-based products targeting inflammation-associated disorders.

Draft genome sequence of Limosilactobacillus reuteri, isolated from human breast milk

Limosilactobacillus reuteri is a lactic acid bacterium with several probiotic properties. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of L. reuteri isolated from human breast milk. The average genome size was estimated as 2,087,202 bp, with a guanine-cytosine (GC) content of 51.6%. GC content is the percentage of nitrogenous bases in a DNA or RNA molecule that are either guanine (G) or cytosine (C). De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe, often abbreviated to MRS, is a selective culture medium designed to favor the luxuriant growth of lactobacilli for lab study.

Dynamics changes in physicochemical properties, volatile metabolites, non-volatile metabolites, and physiological functions of barley juice during Bifidobacterium infantis fermentation

The purpose of this research was to explore the potential of Bifidobacterium infantis fermentation to modify the composition and physiological properties of barley juices. B. infantis JFM12 showed a potent capability to decrease the total sugar contents from 0.39 ± 0.01 mg/mL to 0.35 ± 0.01 mg/mL within 24 h of fermentation. The volatile metabolite profiles were enriched after B. infantis JFM12 fermentation, leading to the changes of 13 aldehydes, 11 ketones, 10 acids, 7 alcohols, and 6 esters. A total of 98 key non-volatile metabolites were identified in the barley juice between before and after B. infantis JFM12 fermentation, including 80 non-volatile metabolites that were remarkably increased and 18 non-volatile metabolites that were remarkably reduced. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities and lipase inhibitory activities of fermented barley juice were higher than those of unfermented barley juice. Overall, B. infantis JFM12 was beneficial in increasing the quality of barley juice.

Whole-genome analysis of gamma-aminobutyric acid producing Psychobiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri with its Untargeted metabolomics using UHPLC-Q-Tof MS/MS

The gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is a chemical messenger and is essential for the health of the brain and muscles. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have the potential to function as psychobiotic cultures because they can produce significant amounts of neuroactive compounds like GABA. Psychobiotics are known to alter bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. In the present study, the Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) strain, isolated from human breast milk, was used to detect the GABA-producing glutamic acid decarboxylase (gad) gene and GABA production. PCR, HPLC and UHPLCQ-TOF-MS² approaches were applied to identify the gad gene, GABA content, and bioactive compounds produced by the bacterial strain, respectively. Additionally, the whole genome was sequenced to better understand the strain's psychobiotic and technological genomic properties. The gadB and gadC genes were confirmed in plasmid 1 of the whole genome. The complete genome sequence of L. reuteri comprises the genome length of 2,087,202 bp with 51.6 percent of G + C content. The results indicate that L. reuteri can be used as a starter culture for the production of GABA-enriched functional foods as well as psychobiotics for health benefits.

Comparative Analysis of the Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antibacterial, Cytoprotective Potential and Metabolite Profile of Two Endophytic Penicillium spp

The current study assessed the metabolite abundance, alpha (α)-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity of the ethyl acetate extract (EAE) of endophytic Penicillium lanosum (PL) and Penicillium radiatolobatum (PR). A higher extract yield was found in EAE-PR with a total phenolic content of 119.87 ± 3.74 mg of GAE/g DW and a total flavonoid content of 16.26 ± 1.95 mg of QE/g DW. The EAE-PR inhibited α-amylase and scavenged ABTS+ radicals with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 362.5 and 37.5 µg/mL, respectively. Compared with EAE-PL, EAE-PR exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Treatment with EAE-PR (1000 µg/mL) did not cause significant toxicity in the HEK-293 cell line compared to the control cells (p < 0.05). EAE-PR treatments (250-1000 µg/mL) showed higher cytoprotective effects toward H₂O₂-stressed HEK-293 cells compared with ascorbic acid (AA). The UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of thiophene A (C₁₃H₈S), limonene (C₁₀H₁₆), and phenylacetic acid (C₈H₈O₂) in EAE-PR. Furthermore, these compounds demonstrated substantial interactions with diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), oxidative stress (NADPH-oxidase), and bacteria (D-alanine D-alanine ligase)-related enzymes/proteins evidenced in silico molecular docking analysis.

Sexual dimorphism in spatial learning and brain metabolism after exposure to a western diet and early life stress in rats

Prolonged daily intake of Western-type diet rich in saturated fats and sugars, and exposure to early life stress have been independently linked to impaired neurodevelopment and behaviour in animal models. However, sex-specific effects of both environmental factors combined on spatial learning and memory, behavioural flexibility, and brain oxidative capacity have still not been addressed. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal and postnatal exposure to a high-fat and high-sugar diet (HFS), and exposure to early life stress by maternal separation in adult male and female Wistar rats. For this purpose, spatial learning and memory and behavioural flexibility were evaluated in the Morris water maze, and regional brain oxidative capacity and oxidative stress levels were measured in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Spatial memory, regional brain oxidative metabolism, and levels of oxidative stress differed between females and males, suggesting sexual dimorphism in the effects of a HFS diet and early life stress. Males fed the HFS diet performed better than all other experimental groups independently of early life stress exposure. However, behavioural flexibility evaluated in the spatial reversal leaning task was impaired in males fed the HFS diet. In addition, exposure to maternal separation or the HFS diet increased the metabolic capacity of the prefrontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus in males and females. Levels of oxidative stress measured in the latter brain regions were also increased in groups fed the HFS diet, but maternal separation seemed to dampen regional brain oxidative stress levels. Therefore, these results suggest a compensatory effect resulting from the interaction between prolonged exposure to a HFS diet and early life stress.

Rice Quality-Related Metabolites and the Regulatory Roles of Key Metabolites in Metabolic Pathways of High-Quality Semi-Glutinous japonica Rice Varieties

We explored the related metabolites produced by different quality semi-glutinous japonica rice varieties and the modulatory role of key metabolites in metabolic mechanisms. In this study, three high-quality edible semi-glutinous rice varieties were employed as investigational materials, the metabolites of the three varieties were detected using LC-MS metabolomics technology, and the rice quality traits of the three rice varieties were determined. The taste value (TV) of Yangnongxiang 28 (YNX28H) was substantially higher than that of Hongyang 5 hao (HY5H) and Nanjing 5718 (NJ5718), and the hardness (HA) of YNX28H was significantly lower than that of HY5H and NJ5718. The HA was significantly negatively correlated with the TV. The highest chalkiness rate (CR) and chalkiness degree (CD) were observed for NJ5718, and the lowest CR and CD were observed for HY5H. HY5H had a substantially lower protein content (PC) than YNX28H and NJ5718 and a markedly higher amylose content (AC) than those two varieties. Overall, 188 differential metabolites (DMs) were recognized between HY5H and NJ5718. A total of 136 DMs were detected between YNX28H and NJ5718, and 198 DMs were recognized between HY5H and YNX28H. The metabolites with a strong correlation with rice quality were mainly associated with amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and the citrate cycle. The key metabolites in the metabolic pathway include lipid metabolites (sagittariol, glycerophosphocholine, gamma-eudesmol rhamnoside, goshonoside F1, diosbulbinoside F, and corchorifatty acid F), amino acid metabolites (pantothenic acid, L-serine, L-proline, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamate, L-asparagine, and glutathione) and carbohydrate metabolites (sucrose, levan, D-maltose, and amylose). These key metabolites play important regulatory roles in metabolic mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for breeding new high-quality edible rice varieties.

Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) leaf flavonoids rich in morin and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside ameliorate lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells

In this study, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and mechanism of burdock leaf flavonoids (BLF) on LPS-stimulated inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells were explored. We have observed that BLF and main effective components morin and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside pretreatment significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated inflammatory activation of RAW264.7 cells by lowering the levels of NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 production (p < .05). At the same time, BLF not only had potent free radical scavenging ability in vitro (DPPH: 2025.33 ± 84.15 μmol Trolox/g, ABTS: 159.14 ± 5.28 μmol Trolox/g, and ORAC: 248.72 ± 9.74 μmol Trolox/g) but also effectively ameliorated cellular oxidative stress status by restoring the decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) and decreasing the elevated levels of ROS and TBARS in LPS-stimulated macrophages (p < .05). The western blot analysis indicated that BLF and main components morin and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside mainly inhibited LPS-stimulated inflammation by reducing the iNOS and COX-2 protein expression, decreasing cellular ROS, and blocking the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in macrophages. Our results collectively imply that BLF could be used as a new type of functional factor for the development of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods.

Phytochemical profiling and cellular antioxidant efficacy of different rice varieties in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells exposed to oxidative stress

In the present study, white (Baegilmi), brown (hyunmi) and black (chalheugmi) Korean local rice varieties ethanol extracts were analyzed for in-vitro antioxidant assays (ABTS, FRAP and DPPH), cellular antioxidant activities (CAAs) and phenolic phytochemicals content. The highest antioxidant assays, phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanins content were identified among the free fractions of black rice. Phenolic phytochemicals were detected and quantified using the ultra-high-performance liquid tandem chromatography quadrupole flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS²). Which indicated the richness of several phytochemicals like ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, catechin, epigallocatechin and quercetin in black rice than in other rice samples. The cellular antioxidant activities (CAA) of black rice were found equivalent to that of ascorbic acid, the standard employed in the assay. The CAAs of free fractions were as follows: white rice < brown rice < black rice. These findings are significant for enhancing human health through increased consumption of black and brown rice in the development of functional food products.

Quantification of Amino Acids, Phenolic Compounds Profiling from Nine Rice Varieties and Their Antioxidant Potential

In recent years, the health benefits of the pigmented rice varieties have been reported due to the richness of their bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study evaluated the antioxidant, total flavonoid, total phenolic, anthocyanin content, amino acid and individual phenolic compound quantification of nine Korean-grown rice varieties using spectrophotometric, HPLC-FLD-MS/MS and UHPLC Q-TOF-MS/MS methods. Our research found that the free fractions of DM29 (red rice) had the highest free radical scavenging ability of ABTS and DPPH. In contrast, the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power was observed in the 01708 brown rice variety. The majority of phenolic compounds such as quercetin, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, ascorbic acid, caffeic acid and genistein were found in the DM29 sample. The phenolic content of rice varies depending on its color, with DM29 red rice having the highest TPC, TFC and TAC levels. At the same time, the presence of the majority of amino acids was quantified in the 01708 and GR (Gangwon) brown rice varieties. According to this study, colored rice varieties are high in amino acids, phenolic compounds and antioxidants. This research would be beneficial in furthering our understanding of the nutritional value of different colors of rice and their high potential as a natural antioxidant.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri Fermented Brown Rice: A Product with Enhanced Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Potential

Oxidative stress has been postulated to play a role in several diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stress-related disorders (anxiety/depression). Presently, natural plant-derived phytochemicals are an important tool in reducing metabolomic disorders or for avoiding the side effects of current medicinal therapies. Brown Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important part of Asian diets reported as a rich source of bioactive phytonutrients. In our present study, we have analyzed the effect of different lactic acid bacteria (LABs) fermentation on antioxidant properties and in the enhancement of bioactive constituents in Korean brown rice. Therefore, the antioxidant activities and phytochemical analysis were investigated for raw brown rice (BR) and different fermented brown rice (FBR). BR fermented with Limosilactobacillus reuteri, showed the highest antioxidant activities among all samples: DPPH (121.19 ± 1.0), ABTS (145.80 ± 0.99), and FRAP (171.89 ± 0.71) mg Trolox equiv./100 g, dry weight (DW). Total phenolic content (108.86 ± 0.63) mg GAE equiv./100 g, DW and total flavonoids content (86.79 ± 0.83) mg catechin equiv./100 g, DW was also observed highest in Limosilactobacillus reuteri FBR. Furthermore, phytochemical profiling using ultra-high-performance liquid tandem chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) and cell antioxidant assay (CAA) revealed L. reuteri FBR as a strong antioxidant with an abundance of bioactive compounds such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, coumarin, cinnamic acid, butanoic acid, ascorbic acid, nicotinic acid, and stearic acid. This study expanded current knowledge on the impact of fermentation leading to the enhancement of antioxidant capacity with an abundance of health-related bioactive compounds in BR. The results obtained may provide useful information on functional food production using fermented brown rice.