Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; C-Peptide ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Diet ; Diet Therapy ; Eating ; Hordeum ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Male ; Meals

Anaphylaxis ; Asia ; Beer ; Child ; Eating ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Hordeum ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Pediatrics ; Phenotype ; Respiratory System ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Triticum ; Wheat Hypersensitivity

Salinity affects more than 6% of the world's total land area, causing massive losses in crop yield. Salinity inhibits plant growth and development through osmotic and ionic stresses; however, some plants exhibit adaptations through osmotic regulation, exclusion, and translocation of accumulated Na+ or Cl-. Currently, there are no practical, economically viable methods for managing salinity, so the best practice is to grow crops with improved tolerance. Germination is the stage in a plant's life cycle most adversely affected by salinity. Barley, the fourth most important cereal crop in the world, has outstanding salinity tolerance, relative to other cereal crops. Here, we review the genetics of salinity tolerance in barley during germination by summarizing reported quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and functional genes. The homologs of candidate genes for salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis, soybean, maize, wheat, and rice have been blasted and mapped on the barley reference genome. The genetic diversity of three reported functional gene families for salt tolerance during barley germination, namely dehydration-responsive element-binding (DREB) protein, somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase and aquaporin genes, is discussed. While all three gene families show great diversity in most plant species, the DREB gene family is more diverse in barley than in wheat and rice. Further to this review, a convenient method for screening for salinity tolerance at germination is needed, and the mechanisms of action of the genes involved in salt tolerance need to be identified, validated, and transferred to commercial cultivars for field production in saline soil.
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genetic Variation ; Germination/physiology* ; Hordeum/physiology* ; Salt Tolerance/genetics*

The effect of white rice (WR) mixed with high β-glucan-containing barley at 50% on improvement of postprandial blood glucose levels was assessed by meal tolerance test and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in 15 healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance (age 31.6 ± 12.9 years old, 4 males and 11 females). A meal tolerance test (500 kcal) was conducted using 2 types of test meals: a test meal only with WR and a test meal WR mixed 50% barley, and the side dish was the same in both meals. Blood glucose levels of the subjects 180 minutes after ingestion of the test meals were compared. In addition, a CGM device was attached to the subjects for 2 days when the WR or barley as a staple food was provided 3 times a day for consecutive days, and the daily variation of glucose was investigated. The glucose levels 30 minutes after dietary loads and the area under the blood concentration-time curve over 180 minutes were significantly decreased in the barley consumption group. In CGM, 24-hour mean blood glucose and 24-hour standard deviation of blood glucose were also significantly decreased after ingestion of the barley. Postprandial glucose level elevation was suppressed by mixing high-β-glucan barley with WR in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.
Blood Glucose* ; Diet Therapy ; Eating ; Glucose* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hordeum* ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Male ; Meals*

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore how fermented barley extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) affected the browning in adipocytes and obese rats. METHODS: In vitro, 3T3-L1 cells were induced by LFBE, raw barley extraction (RBE) and polyphenol compounds (PC) from LFBE to evaluate the adipocyte differentiation. In vivo, obese SD rats induced by high fat diet (HFD) were randomly divided into three groups treated with oral gavage: (a) normal control diet with distilled water, (b) HFD with distilled water, (c) HFD with 800 mg LFBE/kg body weight (bw). RESULTS: In vitro, LFBE and the PC in the extraction significantly inhibited adipogenesis and potentiated browning of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, rather than RBE. In vivo, we observed remarkable decreases in the body weight, serum lipid levels, white adipose tissue (WAT) weights and cell sizes of brown adipose tissues (BAT) in the LFBE group after 10 weeks. LFBE group could gain more mass of interscapular BAT (IBAT) and promote the dehydrogenase activity in the mitochondria. And LFBE may potentiate process of the IBAT thermogenesis and epididymis adipose tissue (EAT) browning via activating the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent mechanism to suppress the obesity. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that LFBE decreased obesity partly by increasing the BAT mass and the energy expenditure by activating BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning in a UCP1-dependent mechanism.
3T3 Cells ; Adipocytes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Adipose Tissue, Brown ; drug effects ; physiology ; Adipose Tissue, White ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animal Feed ; analysis ; Animals ; Anti-Obesity Agents ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Diet ; Fermentation ; Hordeum ; chemistry ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Obesity ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uncoupling Protein 1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVES: Although smoking is associated with both low socioeconomic status and blood cadmium (Cd) levels, the association between socioeconomic status and Cd levels remains unclear. Therefore, our study aimed to examine this association and to clarify whether smoking is a confounding or mediating variable in this relationship.METHODS: Data (n=7,734) were drawn from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2008- 2011), including years that contained data on blood Cd and urinary cotinine levels. We investigated the associations of income, education, and occupation with blood Cd levels. Smoking was investigated by categorizing participants by smoking status (never, former, and current) and pack-years into quartiles. The weekly frequency of rice and barley intake was analyzed to gain insights into participants' dietary patterns. Additionally, urinary cotinine levels were used to ensure the validity of the smoking variables.RESULTS: Participants earning a low income and with less formal education had higher blood Cd levels. After controlling for smoking, the association between income and Cd levels substantially weakened. Further controlling for education, the association between income and Cd levels disappeared. However, there was a strong negative association between education and Cd levels, even after controlling for smoking history, pack-years, and urinary cotinine levels.CONCLUSIONS: In cross-sectional data from the KNHANES, blood Cd levels were significantly higher among those with a low income and less formal education. Smoking history contributed to, but did not fully explain, these associations.
Cadmium ; Cotinine ; Education ; Hordeum ; Korea ; Negotiating ; Nutrition Surveys ; Occupations ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class

OBJECTIVES: Although smoking is associated with both low socioeconomic status and blood cadmium (Cd) levels, the association between socioeconomic status and Cd levels remains unclear. Therefore, our study aimed to examine this association and to clarify whether smoking is a confounding or mediating variable in this relationship. METHODS: Data (n=7,734) were drawn from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2008- 2011), including years that contained data on blood Cd and urinary cotinine levels. We investigated the associations of income, education, and occupation with blood Cd levels. Smoking was investigated by categorizing participants by smoking status (never, former, and current) and pack-years into quartiles. The weekly frequency of rice and barley intake was analyzed to gain insights into participants’ dietary patterns. Additionally, urinary cotinine levels were used to ensure the validity of the smoking variables. RESULTS: Participants earning a low income and with less formal education had higher blood Cd levels. After controlling for smoking, the association between income and Cd levels substantially weakened. Further controlling for education, the association between income and Cd levels disappeared. However, there was a strong negative association between education and Cd levels, even after controlling for smoking history, pack-years, and urinary cotinine levels. CONCLUSIONS: In cross-sectional data from the KNHANES, blood Cd levels were significantly higher among those with a low income and less formal education. Smoking history contributed to, but did not fully explain, these associations.
Cadmium ; Cotinine ; Education ; Hordeum ; Korea ; Negotiating ; Nutrition Surveys ; Occupations ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class

PURPOSE: Barely sprout is a well-known oriental herbal medicine with a wide range of health benefits. Recent studies have provided scientific evidence of its therapeutic effects with expanded application. This study investigated anti-melanogenic effect of barley sprout water extract (BSE) in murine melanocyte B16F10. METHODS: Various concentrations (0, 50, 125, and 250 µg/mL) of BSE and arbutin (150 ppm) were applied to B16F10 stimulated with or without alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (100 nM) for 72 hours. The whitening potency of BSE was determined altered cellular melanin contents. Activity and expression of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) were also assayed. RESULTS: Experimental results revealed that treatment with BSE reduced cellular melanin production by approximately 40% compared to the control. Molecular findings supported that suppressed activity and expression of tyrosinase and MITF proteins by BSE were associated with declined cellular melanogenesis. Furthermore, anti-melanogenic effect of BSE (250 µg/mL) was similar to that of arbutin, a commonly used whitening agent. Lastly, polyphenols including p-coumaric, ferulic, and vanillic acids were identified in BSE using HPLC analyses. They might be potential active ingredients showing such melanogenesis-reducing effect. CONCLUSION: BSE was evident to possess favorable anti-melanogenic potency in an in vitro model. As a natural food sourced material, BSE could be an effective depigmentation agent with potential application in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Arbutin ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Herbal Medicine ; Hordeum ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insurance Benefits ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Polyphenols ; Therapeutic Uses ; Vanillic Acid ; Water

In this study, we evaluated the effect of the herbicide propyl 4-(2-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzylamino) benzoate (ZJ0273) on barley growth and explored the potential to trigger growth recovery through the application of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Barley plants were foliar-sprayed with various concentrations of ZJ0273 (100, 500, or 1000 mg/L) at the four-leaf stage. Increasing either the herbicide concentration or measurement time after herbicide treatment significantly impaired plant morphological parameters such as plant height and biomass, and affected physiological indexes, i.e. maximal photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m), quantum yield of photosystem II (Ф_PSII), net photosynthetic rate (P_n), and chlorophyll meter value (soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD)). Cellular injury of herbicide-treated plants was also evidenced by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidative enzyme activity. Elevated levels of herbicide significantly reduced the activity of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of BCAAs. In a separate experiment, growth recovery in herbicide-stressed barley plants was studied using various concentrations of BCAAs (10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L). Increasing BCAA concentration in growth media significantly increased the biomass of herbicide-stressed barley seedlings, but had no significant effect on non-stressed plants. Further, BCAAs (100 mg/L) significantly down-regulated ROS and consequently antioxidant enzyme levels in herbicide-stressed plants. Our results showed that exogenous application of BCAAs could reverse the inhibitory effects of ZJ0273 by restoring protein biosynthesis in barley seedlings.
Amino Acids, Branched-Chain/administration & dosage* ; Antioxidants/metabolism* ; Benzoates/pharmacology* ; Biomass ; Chlorophyll/metabolism* ; Herbicides/pharmacology* ; Hordeum/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis/drug effects* ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Seedlings/metabolism*

OBJECTIVEA subcutaneous transplantation tumor model of human HT-29 cells was established in nude mice to study the anticarcinogenic activities and apoptosis-regulatory mechanistic effect of aqueous extract of fermented barley with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE).

METHODSHT-29 cells were transplanted via subcutaneous injection of 1 × 107cells into the right flank of each nude mouse. Then, nude mice were treated for 30 days with LFBE (high-dose 2 g·kg-1·d-1; low-dose 1 g·kg-1·d-1) and for 7 days with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 25 g·kg-1·d-1) by gavage and intraperitoneal injection, respectively.

RESULTSTumor volume and weight decreased significantly in both groups of nude mice treated with LFBE. In addition, the cell apoptosis rate of the LFBE group was significantly higher than that of the control group and 5-FU groups as measured by the TUNEL assay. Moreover, the real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot methods further confirmed these apoptosis-enhancing and growth-inhibiting effects. The involvement of LFBE in inducing apoptosis was confirmed by the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, and cyclinD1.

CONCLUSIONThe results showed that LFBE could induce subcutaneous transplantation tumor apoptosis in nude mice and could be used as a natural nutrient supplement or chemopreventive agent in the treatment of human colon cancer.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Female ; Fermentation ; HT29 Cells ; Hordeum ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism