Effect of Porcine Placenta Extract from Subcritical Water Extraction on Photodamage in Human Keratinocytes

Immunostimulatory effects of a subcritical water extract of Ganoderma

Ganoderma, a medicinal mushroom with various physiological activities, has been extensively investigated regarding its effectiveness. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a subcritical water extract of Ganoderma (SWEG) on the immune system. The use of subcritical water with a higher temperature and pressure than hot water allows efficient elution of components from natural products. As an evaluation of the effectiveness of SWEG, a cell proliferation and a cell differentiation test were carried out using A-6 cells, a model of hematopoietic stem cells. Furthermore, an oral administration test in mice was conducted to examine the effects of SWEG on the number and function of immune cells. As a result, SWEG was revealed to promote both self-renewal and differentiation into immune cells such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in experiments with A-6 cells. These results were not obtained in experiments using hot water extract of Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinense. The oral administration test in mice demonstrated that SWEG increased hematopoietic precursor cells, immature B cells, and NK cells in the bone marrow, and T cells in the thymus. In addition, SWEG enhanced the immune functions in the spleen by promoting granzyme B expression and NK cell activity. SWEG was demonstrated to be a food material that acts on HSCs and regulates immunity in vivo.

Antioxidant effect of human placenta hydrolysate against oxidative stress on muscle atrophy

Sarcopenia, which refers to the muscle loss that accompanies aging, is a complex neuromuscular disorder with a clinically high prevalence and mortality. Despite many efforts to protect against muscle weakness and muscle atrophy, the incidence of sarcopenia and its related permanent disabilities continue to increase. In this study, we found that treatment with human placental hydrolysate (hPH) significantly increased the viability (approximately 15%) of H₂ O₂ -stimulated C2C12 cells. Additionally, while H₂ O₂ -stimulated cells showed irregular morphology, hPH treatment restored their morphology to that of cells cultured under normal conditions. We further showed that hPH treatment effectively inhibited H₂ O₂ -induced cell death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Mstn expression induced by oxidative stress are closely associated with muscular dysfunction followed by atrophy. Exposure of C2C12 cells to H₂ O₂ induced abundant production of intracellular ROS, mitochondrial superoxide, and mitochondrial dysfunction as well as myostatin expression via nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling; these effects were attenuated by hPH. Additionally, hPH decreased mitochondria fission-related gene expression (Drp1 and BNIP3) and increased mitochondria biogenesis via the Sirt1/AMPK/PGC-1α pathway and autophagy regulation. In vivo studies revealed that hPH-mediated prevention of atrophy was achieved predominantly through regulation of myostatin and PGC-1α expression and autophagy. Taken together, our findings indicate that hPH is potentially protective against muscle atrophy and oxidative cell death.