Acute and 13-week subchronic toxicity studies of hot-water extract of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix in Sprague-Dawley rats

Cynanchi wilfordii Radix (CWR) is a herbal medicinal plant that is well-known and used in Asian countries as a health food. In this study, acute and 13-week subchronic oral toxicity studies of hot-water extract of CWR (CWR-WE) were performed in Sprague-Dawley rats. For the acute toxicity study, CWR-WE was administered once orally to five male and five female rats at doses of 800, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg. Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight changes were monitored over 14 days. There were no treatment-related changes in these parameters and the approximate lethal dose of CWR-WE in male and female rats was determined to be > 5000 mg/kg. For the subchronic toxicity study, CWR-WE was administered orally once daily to male and female rats for 13 consecutive weeks at doses of 0 (vehicle control), 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day (n = 10 rats/sex/group). There were no toxicologically significant changes with regard to clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, clinical chemistry, organ weights, necropsy findings, and histopathological findings. These results suggest that the oral no observed adverse-effect level of CWR-WE is > 2000 mg/kg/day for both sexes, although target organs were not identified.

Thermal Coursed Effect of Comprehensive Changes in the Flavor/Taste of Cynanchi wilfordii

This study aims to investigate alterations in volatile compounds and chemical components that may affect the sensory properties of Cynanchi wilfordii roasted at 120 °C and 180 °C for various durations of time (0 to 4 min). For volatile compound profiles, tridecane, tetradecane, and ethyl hexyl ether were detected as major compounds of the sample without roasting. As the roasting temperature increased, the types of volatile compounds increased, whereas the content decreased with an increase in heterocyclic compound generation. The sample roasted at 120 °C for 1 min showed a notably different profile pattern from the other roasted samples. For the sniffing test performed by trained panelists using gas chromatography olfactometry, naphthalene and nonanal, which induce spicy and raw C. wilfordii, respectively, were perceived most intensely throughout all the samples. In the electronic tongue analysis, the sample roasting at 180 °C showed an increased and decreased pattern in umami taste and saltiness, respectively, with increased roasting time. Electronic tongue analysis results showed that the sample roasted at 180 °C for 4 min would have the best sensory preference. Along with the volatile compound profiles, the sample roasted at 120 °C for 1 min had more sourness than the other samples, and would potentially have distinctive sensory characteristics. This study should provide baseline data on variations in the sensory properties and industrial applications of C. wilfordii upon roasting. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Various applications of food ingredients through changes in sensory characteristics by roasting will provide consumers more options for food selections. Accordingly, this study will be utilized by (1) individuals and food companies who are interested in functional foods, (2) individuals and food industries that seek optimum roasting conditions for proper sensory characteristics of foods, and (3) farmers and crop producers who seek for utilization the applications of Cynanchi wilfordii as a food ingredient.

Comprehensive changes in volatile/nonvolatile compounds and flavor and physicochemical characteristics in Angelica gigas Nakai roots by thermal processing

This study investigated the changes of physicochemical and flavor characteristics of Angelica gigas Nakai roots during roasting. Glutamic acid and arginine were higher in constituent amino acids. In the taste value, glutamic acid was highest in constituent and free amino acids. Total phenol contents were highest in 0 min and lowest in 3 min. Hundred twenty-six volatile compounds were detected by GC/MS during roasting. α-pinene, eudesmol, nonane, and limonene were detected as major volatile compounds. For antioxidant ability, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl did not change during roasting, and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid showed the highest value in 3 min. Browning intensity showed a slight decrease over time. In Electronic nose, fragrance increased by roasting, and strength, NH₃ , and H₂ S decreased significantly. In Electronic tongue, sweetness, bitterness, and umami taste increased by roasting, and this was related to amino acid composition. The results provide basic data on the physicochemical and flavor characteristics of A. gigas Nakai according to the roasting process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Angelica gigas Nakai has been known as a medicinal herb in Asian countries and usually consumed in powder, tea, and snacks. In order to produce the powder, tea, or snacks with A. gigas Nakai, thermal treatment is an essential and critical process. Despite that existing studies reported many physiological benefits and functional properties of A. gigas Nakai, studies have rarely discovered how the nutritional properties and volatile compounds of A. gigas Nakai alter when it undergoes thermal treatment. Therefore, this study will be utilized as basic data to optimize the thermal processing conditions (e.g., roasting time) for the production of food products with A. gigas Nakai such as tea and snacks. This study further provides objective chemical measures of sensory profiles of A. gigas Nakai using electronic tongue and electronic nose during the thermal processing.

Wasabia koreana Nakai: A Preliminary Study on Nutrients and Chemical Compounds That May Impact Sensory Properties

In this study, the nutritional, functional, and chemical measurements of sensory attributes of different parts of wasabi, namely, leaf, petiole, and rhizome, were investigated. Proximate composition analysis showed the presence of high amounts of carbohydrates in the rhizome and amino acid composition analysis confirmed high proportions of glutamic acid and aspartic acid in all three parts. While proximate composition showed low lipid content in wasabi, ω-3 fatty acids accounted for a high proportion (>44%) of the total lipids. Wasabi leaves had high vitamin C and total phenolic contents, and thus demonstrated antioxidant capacity. Allyl isothiocyanate, which gives wasabi its characteristic pungent taste, was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and an electronic nose. On an electronic tongue, wasabi leaves showed compounds associated with sourness and saltiness while the petiole had high content of compounds associated with sweetness and bitterness. This study provides basic data for the utilization of wasabi parts as food materials based on their nutritional, functional, and chemical measure of sensory attributes.

Effect of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Chrysanthemum indicum Linné on Blood Pressure and Electroencephalogram

This study identified the volatile organic compounds in the essential oils that are extracted from Chrysanthemum indicum Linné (C. indicum Linné) and investigated the effects of the inhalation of these compounds. We detected a total of 41 volatile organic compounds, including 32 hydrocarbons, four acids, three alcohols, two ketones, and one aldehyde. In a sniffing test, seven types of volatile organic compounds were identified. Furthermore, the volatile organic compounds in C. indicum Linné that were identified were found to be derived from 1,8-cineole and camphor. After inhalation of the essential oils, the subjects’ systolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased. This indicates that inhalation of the essential oils extracted from C. indicum Linné provides mental and physical relaxation. We examined the changes in electroencephalogram findings that are observed after C. indicum Linné essential oil inhalation. An increase in theta and alpha waves, which usually appear during relaxation, as well as a decrease in beta and gamma waves, which appear during brain activity such as excessive attention, were noted. These results indicate that C. indicum Linné essential oil inhalation helps to reduce blood pressure and may provide mental and physical relaxation.