BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to measure and/or estimate the total antioxidant capacity of the Korean diet. MATERIALS/METHODS: Eighty-one plant foods that were expected to exhibit rather high antioxidant activities were selected from the Korean diet using the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES V). These foods were categorized into 11 food groups: cereals, potatoes, legumes, nuts, vegetables, kimchies, mushrooms, fruits, fruit juices, sea weeds, and oils. The foods were mixed in the proportions specified in traditional Korean recipes and analyzed. The measured indicators for antioxidant capacities were total phenolics, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). RESULTS: Total phenolics were high in the fruit juices, nuts, vegetables, and fruits; and the average DPPH, ORAC, and TEAC values were high in the vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, and nuts. The correlation coefficient between the content of total phenolics of each food and the in vitro antioxidant capacity was relatively high at 0.851. The intake of total phenolics per capita per day in the Republic of Korea was estimated to be 127 mg. The total dietary antioxidant capacity (TDAC) values, which were obtained from the total antioxidant capacity of each food, taking into account the intake of each food, were 20,763, 54,335, and 876.4 micromol of Trolox equivalents using the DPPH, ORAC, and TEAC methods, respectively. The food group that contributed the most to the Korean TDAC was cereals at 39.7%, followed by fruits and vegetables at 27.8% and 13.9%, respectively. The contribution of legumes, nuts, fruit juices, and mushrooms was quite minimal at less than 2% each. CONCLUSIONS: The content of total phenolics and the antioxidant capacity of the Korean diet are significantly correlated and the high contributing food groups are cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
Agaricales ; Edible Grain ; Diet* ; Fabaceae ; Fruit ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nuts ; Oils ; Oxygen ; Phenol ; Plants ; Republic of Korea ; Solanum tuberosum ; Vegetables

The purpose of this study was to evaluate nutrient intake and meal variety with breakfast eating in Korean adolescents using data from the 2008-2009 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The analysis included 1245 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The subjects were divided into two groups according to breakfast skipping (BS: breakfast skipping, n = 235, BE: breakfast eating, n = 1110). The BS group was significantly higher in its frequency of eating soda drinks, instant noodle, and ice cream than the BE group. The BS group consumed significantly lower quantities of plant calcium and plant protein per 1,000 kcal compared to the BE group. Also the intake of cereal and vegetables in the BS group was significantly lower than those in the BE group, however, the intake of beverage in the BS group was significantly higher than that in the BE group. The average number of foods of the BE and BS groups were 29.50 and 25.85, respectively and revealed a statistical significance (p < 0.0001). The snack intake and % energy from snack intake of the BS group were significantly higher than those of the BE group. Also, the fasting blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher in the BS group compared to the BE group. In conclusion, adolescents who skip breakfast may have lower meal variety and higher blood glucose concentrations. Therefore, in support of proper dietary management, it is necessary to promote and encourage breakfast eating.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Beverages ; Blood Glucose ; Breakfast ; Calcium ; Edible Grain ; Eating ; Fasting ; Humans ; Ice Cream ; Meals ; Nutrition Surveys ; Plants ; Snacks ; Vegetables

The previous extensive in vitro studies on the antioxidative activities of a number of Korean grains, vegetables, seaweeds and mushrooms, and the various combinations of these food source exhibited a wide range of antioxidative activities, and four food mixtures composed of 5 kinds of foods (5A, 5B, 5C and 5D) were designed from 16 selective foods showing high antioxidant effect, in vitro, to find the good combinations for the meal planning. Mixture 5B or 5C contained very high levels of total flavonoid and polyphenol, and ethanol extract from 5A, 5B or 5C showed very strong inhibitory effects against in vitro Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation and ethanol extract from 5B or 5C showed remarkable DPPH radical scavenging effect and lipid peroxide-protein conjugation inhibition effect. And in vivo study was also carried out with two mixtures (5B, 5C). Powders (P5B, P5C) or ethanol extracts (E5B, E5C) of these mixtures were supplemented to Sprague-Dawley rats fed on high fat (15%)-high cholesterol (1%) semipurified diet for 5 weeks. The total antioxidant power in serum was significantly higher in P5B, P5C, E5B and E5C groups than in high fat control group, and ascorbate-Fe2+-induced TBARS was significantly lowered by E5B supplementation in rat liver. In liver tissue, Cu, Zn-SOD activity was significantly higher in P5B and E5B groups than in high fat control group, while catalase or GSH-peroxidase (GPx) activity was not changed by any supplementations. In kidney, Cu, Zn- SOD activity was significantly higher in P5B group than in high fat control group, while GPx activity was not changed by any supplementations. Taken together, mixture 5B and 5C showed very strong antioxidative effects both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the ingredient Korean foods of 5B and 5C could be recommended to take a lot together for prevention from age-related chronic diseases.
Agaricales ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; Catalase ; Cholesterol* ; Chronic Disease ; Diet* ; Edible Grain ; Ethanol ; Kidney ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Meals ; Plants* ; Powders ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances ; Vegetables

Dietary Variety Score (DVS) or Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) offers a way of comparing eating habits across populations and across countries. This study compared nutrients intakes, food intakes, DVS, and NAR between Korean and US adults using the large national survey data. 4662 Korean adults (men: 2201, women: 2461) aged 20 - 49 years were selected from the 'Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2001' and 4199 US adults (men: 2127, women: 2072) aged 20 - 49 years were selected from the 'US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES IV, 1999 - 2002)'. The total plant food intakes were high in Korean adults, but the total animal food intakes were high in US adults. Intakes of legumes and nuts, vegetables and mushrooms were higher in Korean than in US adults. On the other hand, intakes of meats, milk and dairy products of US adults were higher than Korean. Beverage intakes were 8 - 10 times higher in US adults than in Korean. The mean DVS of Korean men and women were higher than US men and women. Intakes of fat, calcium and vitamin B2 of US adults were 1.5 - 2 times higher than those of Korean, which could probably related to larger consumption by US adults on milk and dairy product. While the intakes of carbohydrate and vitamin C of the Korean were higher than the US adults, which could presumably related to higher grain and vegetable consumption. Percent energy intakes from carbohydrate, protein, and fat were 64.1%, 15.8%, and 20.1% for Korean men, 52.4%, 15.0%, and 32.6% for US men, 65.9%, 14.9%, 19.2% for Korean women, and 52.1%, 14.7%, 33.2% for US women respectively, which showed higher %energy from carbohydrate in Korean and higher %energy from fat in US adults. Most nutrient intakes except energy and vitamin C expressed as %RDA were higher in US than in Korean adults. Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) of US men and Korean men were both 0.85, while the MAR was 0.81 for Korean women, 0.79 for US women. The Korean women's diet showed more diverse and adequate than the US women's diet.
Adult* ; Agaricales ; Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; Beverages ; Calcium ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Eating ; Edible Grain ; Fabaceae ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Meat ; Milk ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nuts ; Plants ; Riboflavin ; United States* ; Vegetables

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the induction of constricting rings and test predation of Dactylaria brochopaga isolates against second stage juveniles (J2s) of Meloidogyne graminicola. Among the five fungal isolates, isolate D showed the greatest number of predatory rings and, consequently, trapped the maximum number of M. graminicola J2s in dual cultures. Another pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of D. brochopaga (isolate D) on the management of wheat root-knot disease. Applying a mass culture (10 g/pot) and a spore suspension of the fungus with and without cow dung manure to soil infested with 2,000 M. graminicola juveniles significantly improved plant height, root length, weights of shoots, roots, panicles and grains per hill compared to those in the control. Moreover, the fungus significantly reduced the number of root-knots, the number of egg masses, juveniles, and females per hill compared to those in the control. Bio-efficacy of the fungus was heightened when the mass culture and a spore suspensions were used in combination with cow dung manure to improve the plant growth parameters and reduce the number of root-knot and reproductive factors. Further investigations should be conducted to identify the impact of this fungus in the field.
Edible Grain ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Manure ; Ovum ; Plants ; Soil ; Spores ; Suspensions ; Triticum ; Tylenchoidea ; Weights and Measures

Scedosporium(S.) apiospermum is the asexual stage of Pseudallescheria boydii. It has been isolated from soil, plant debris, polluted water and sewage. It is an opportunistic organism with low virulence. Infection may occur via direct inoculation. This ubiquitous fungus causes not only mycetoma, but also infections of a variety of body sites including the skin. Localized skin infection without granule or grain production due to this organism is much rarer than mycetoma. We report a case of cutaneous S. apiospermum infection which occurred in a 69-year-old woman. The lesion was manifested by a 5.0 x 4.0 cm-sized, scaly erythematous plaque on the dorsum of the right hand. The fungal culture from the biopsy specimen on Sabouraud's dextrose agar showed white to gray colored floccose colonies of S. apiospermum. The patient was treated with 200 mg of itraconazole daily for 3 months. Skin lesions were completely cured and recurrence has not been observed to date.
Agar ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Edible Grain ; Female ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Hand ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Mycetoma ; Plants ; Pseudallescheria ; Recurrence ; Scedosporium* ; Sewage ; Skin* ; Soil ; Virulence

To assess zinc status by dietary intake and urinary excretion of preschool children in Busan and to evaluate the relationship of intakes of food and nutrient with urinary zinc excretion, zinc food frequencies of 40 common foods affecting intakes of zinc by food fequency method, nutrient intake by 24hr recall and 24hr urinary zinc excretion were measured with 97 preschool children. The mean zinc intake was 4.29 mg and 43.0% of RDA. The mean zinc intake per 1,000 kcal was 3.09 mg.97.9% of subjects had zinc intake less than 75% of RDA. Grains food group was the primary source of zinc intake and supplied 38.9% of the total daily zinc intake. Altogether, plant food products supplied 49.7% of zinc intake. The mean urinary zinc excretion and zinc excretion per gram of creatinine were 0.19 mg and 1.00 mg respectively. The urinary zinc excretion showed positive significant correlations with height and weight (p<0.05, p<0.05) , urine volume and urinary creatinine excretion (p<0.05, p<0.001) , urinary zinc excretion per creatinine (p<0.001) , urinary zinc excretion per weight (p<0.001) , intakes of energy and carbohydrate (p<0.05, p<0.01) and usual intake of zinc from eggs food group (p<0.05) . In conclusion, these results show that the zinc intake of preschool children is low and that sources of dietary zinc are mainly plant foods, suggesting low bioavailability. So nutritional education is needed in order to inc-rease usual intake of animal food group. Interpretation of urinary zinc excretion data is complicated by current uncertainty about "normal" zinc level at this age group. Further studies are needed to obtain extensive data on urinary zinc excretion for this age group.age group.
Animals ; Biological Availability ; Busan* ; Edible Grain ; Child, Preschool* ; Creatinine ; Eating ; Education ; Eggs ; Humans ; Ovum ; Plants ; Uncertainty ; Zinc*

Food allergy is an adverse food reaction as a result of immune mechanisms. In a sensitized individual, food allergens activate mast cells and basophils by binding with IgE present on the cell surface, resulting in the release of chemical mediators and various cytokines to cause various clinical symptoms of food allergy. Sensitization to food allergens can occur in the gastrointestinal tract (class 1 food allergy) or as a consequence of cross reactivity to structurally homologous inhalant allergens (class 2 food allergy). The class 1 food allergens are water-soluble glycoproteins with 10-70 kD size that are resistant to heat, acid and enzymes. On the other hand, the class 2 food allergens are highly unstable and degraded by heat or enzymatic digestion. Much progress has been made in identifying and isolating food allergen. Recently cDNAs for many proteins have been isolated and recombinant proteins have been generated. These techniques make it easier to characterize each responsible food allergens. Plant food allergens are classified into families and superfamilies by their structural and functional properties. The most of plant food allergens are the cupin and prolamin superfamilies and the protein families of the plant defense system. The cupin superfamily includes allergenic seed storage proteins of 7s globulin (vicilin) and 11s globulin (legumin). 2s albumin seed storage proteins, the nonspecific lipid transfer proteins, and the cereal alpha-amylase and protease inhibitors belong to the prolamin superfamily. Profilins, heveins, and nonspecific lipid transfer proteins are present in a variety of pollens, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. These are considered as panallergens, causing a significant degree of IgE-mediated cross-reactivity. Detailed informations about the character of food allergens can be used to develop more sophisticated diagnostic methods and treatment modalities in the near future. Further knowledge of food allergens is also useful to assess the allergenicity of novel protein of genetically mo.
Allergens* ; alpha-Amylases ; Basophils ; Edible Grain ; Classification* ; Cytokines ; Digestion ; DNA, Complementary ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Fruit ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glycoproteins ; Hand ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mast Cells ; Nuts ; Plants* ; Pollen ; Profilins ; Protease Inhibitors ; Recombinant Proteins ; Seed Storage Proteins ; Vegetables

Flavonoids including quercetin and rutin are a group of naturally occurring compounds widely distributed in plants, especially in buckwheat. Thus, cereal and the leaf of the plant have increasingly used as a source of nutritional and functional foods such as noodle, cake or soup in Korea, Japan and other countries. This study investigated comparative effects of dietary rutin rich in buckwheat and its aglycone, quercetin, on serum biomarkers and antioxidant parameters in rats treated with chronic ethanol. Rats were fed with the liquid diets prepared by the method of Lieber Decarli. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities increased significantly by alcohol feeding. Dietary flavonoids including rutin, quercetin and their mixtures (1/1, v/v) decreased significantly the activities of serum ALT whereas the feeding of quercetin decreased only the activity of serum AST. The concentration of serum malondialdehydes elevated by chronic alcohol feeding decreased markedly in all the experimental groups that were fed with the flavonoids; however, the combined administration of quercetin or rutin, but not that of rutin or quercetin alone decreased significantly the concentration of liver malondialdehydes to the normal range in rats fed without ethanol. Our results suggested that dietary combined mixture of rutin and quercetin might be effective in ameliorating adverse responses seen in rats exposed to ethanol chronically.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Biomarkers ; Diet* ; Edible Grain ; Ethanol* ; Fagopyrum ; Flavonoids ; Functional Food ; Japan ; Korea ; Liver ; Methods ; Plants ; Quercetin* ; Rats* ; Reference Values ; Rutin*

Pseudallescheria (P.) boydii is a true fungus that is ubiquitous in nature, and has a world-wide distribution. It has been isolated from soil, plant debris, polluted water and sewage. Infection may occur via direct inoculation or inhalation, and usually affects the extremities. It is a common cause of mycetoma characterized by tumefaction, draining sinuses and grains. It has polymorphism due to a complicated life cycle which undergoes teleomorph as well as anamorph stages. Cleistothecia, ascocarp and ascospore may be seen during the teleomorph stages, whereas scedosporium and graphium type may be seen during the anamorph stages. We report a case of P. boydii mycetoma occurring in a 69-year old male. He had multiple nodules with a discharging fistula on a dark red plaque at the dorsum of the right forearm. Cultural isolation for definitive diagnosis showed typical P. boydii. The lesion responded well to daily itraconazole.
Aged ; Edible Grain ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Fistula ; Forearm ; Fungi ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Itraconazole ; Life Cycle Stages ; Male ; Mycetoma* ; Plants ; Pseudallescheria* ; Scedosporium ; Sewage ; Soil