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Neuroprotective Activities of Fermented Ganoderma lucidum Extracts by Lactic Acid Bacteria
With greater development in medical technology comes a higher life expectancy for the public. Access to resources and development in the medical field have helped people to live longer lives, but the added years present another challenge, often bringing about degenerative diseases that are difficult to treat. There are two basic ways to try and mitigate the onset and symptoms of these types of diseases: regeneration and protection. The former is significantly more advanced as it requires the regrowth of cells, whereas the latter presents an interesting opportunity to proactively defend against these conditions. One particular form of degeneration, neural degeneration, has received significant attention since it is the cause of common elderly conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's. To date, researchers have been able to determine the presence of oxygen free radicals as one of the main causes of neuro-degeneration. This is largely because oxidative stress induces lipid peroxidation, injury to protein, cell membranes and DNA, and cell aging and deformation. Specifically, memory impairment has been associated with the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This has directed the medical community to work to develop treatments to protect neurons while addressing their limitations, including low in vivo usage rates and side effects such as toxicity.
Yang et al. of the Imsil Research Institute of Cheese Science in South Korea decided to look at one potential treatment, Ganoderma Luciderm, to determine its neuroprotective potential. G. Luciderm is a plant extract that has been used for centuries in teas and powders to promote health and long life in China, Korea, and Japan. Attention has been paid lately to the use of fermentation to promote health—fermentation has been found to destroy toxic substances, increase absorption of nutrients, and add physiologically active substances as well as improve the storability of foods. Yang and his team wanted to look at the role of G. Luciderm and fermented G. Luciderm in the protection of neurons. To do this, they introduced the substances to PC12 cells and measured acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity as increased AChE activity is linked to a subsequent decrease in acetylcholine, which is associated with cognitive impairment. In this study, closely measuring the AChE levels was essential to obtaining results. Researchers used the Amplite® Colorimetric Acetylcholinesterase Assay Kit, which uses DTNB to measure the thiocholine produced from the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine by AChE in blood, in cell extracts and other solutions. It allows readings for AChE quantities as small as as .1 mU in a 100 µL assay volume, which helps ensure accurate measurements and more robust results.
After their experiments, Yang and his colleagues were able to determine that both G. Luciderm and fermented G. Luciderm extracts significantly inhibited AChE activity. This lends support to the use of this substance as an effective neuroprotector. When determining potential therapies, accuracy is key, as it is what ultimately determines if the treatment being tested is a valid one. In this case, the use of the Amplite® Colorimetric Acetylcholinesterase Assay Kit helped deliver these clear, accurate results, increasing the validity of the study and the potential neurotherapy being examined.
Yang et al. of the Imsil Research Institute of Cheese Science in South Korea decided to look at one potential treatment, Ganoderma Luciderm, to determine its neuroprotective potential. G. Luciderm is a plant extract that has been used for centuries in teas and powders to promote health and long life in China, Korea, and Japan. Attention has been paid lately to the use of fermentation to promote health—fermentation has been found to destroy toxic substances, increase absorption of nutrients, and add physiologically active substances as well as improve the storability of foods. Yang and his team wanted to look at the role of G. Luciderm and fermented G. Luciderm in the protection of neurons. To do this, they introduced the substances to PC12 cells and measured acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity as increased AChE activity is linked to a subsequent decrease in acetylcholine, which is associated with cognitive impairment. In this study, closely measuring the AChE levels was essential to obtaining results. Researchers used the Amplite® Colorimetric Acetylcholinesterase Assay Kit, which uses DTNB to measure the thiocholine produced from the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine by AChE in blood, in cell extracts and other solutions. It allows readings for AChE quantities as small as as .1 mU in a 100 µL assay volume, which helps ensure accurate measurements and more robust results.
After their experiments, Yang and his colleagues were able to determine that both G. Luciderm and fermented G. Luciderm extracts significantly inhibited AChE activity. This lends support to the use of this substance as an effective neuroprotector. When determining potential therapies, accuracy is key, as it is what ultimately determines if the treatment being tested is a valid one. In this case, the use of the Amplite® Colorimetric Acetylcholinesterase Assay Kit helped deliver these clear, accurate results, increasing the validity of the study and the potential neurotherapy being examined.
References
- Yang, Hee Sun, et al. "Neuroprotective activities of fermented Ganoderma lucidum extracts by lactic acid bacteria against H2O2-stimulated oxidative stress in PC12 cells." Food Science and Biotechnology 24.4 (2015): 1413-1420.
Original created on May 5, 2017, last updated on May 5, 2017
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