Abstract Fermented soybean products have been used for several centuries. Fermented soymilk is one of the known soy products with several health benefits. The current literature review recapitulates the various health benefits of fermented soymilk. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the consumption of fermented soymilk protects one from cancer, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, etc. It has also been reported that fermented soymilk has immune-modulatory, memory improvement, anti-colitis, and wound healing activities. However, there are few studies to confirm the health benefits of fermented soymilk for human subjects. The dose and duration of the intervention may vary between the animal model and humans. So, additional studies are obligatory to authorize the proposed health benefits of fermented soymilk.

Abstract Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is a valuable essential oil-producing plant species. It is a shrub and is mostly found in India, China, Japan, Taiwan, and, Northern Thailand. L. cubeba essential oil, which is rich in citral, has been used as a traditional medicine to treat several diseases. The fresh fruits of L. cubeba are used for the extraction of essential oil, and the oil is intense yellowish in color, fresh and has a sweet aromatic flavor. The composition of essential oil varies based on the extraction method, cultivar, plant parts, time of sampling and processing. The current manuscript summarizes the composition as well as pharmacological and economic importance of L. cubeba essential oil. The literature review revealed that the essential oil of L. cubeba exhibited antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activities; also, it can be used as pesticide, repellent and fragrance agent in cosmetics. However, further studies are required to bridge the scientific gap of transferring the scientific findings into commercially valuable products. Also, studies on the potential of L. cubeba essential oil in other possible fields like aromatherapy and cognition are desirable.

Abstract The global cancer burden has increased, and about 9.6 million cancer-related deaths were recorded in 2018. Genetic makeup, unhealthy lifestyle, urbanization, obesity, and dietary preferences are key risk factors associated with cancer incidence and development. Next to lung cancer, colorectal cancer is the most perilous cancer type in terms of mortality rate. Diet plays a major role in colorectal cancer risk. The consumption of vegetables, unprocessed cereals, fish product, and fermented foods are associated with lower cancer risk, while raw and processed red meats and refined foods are associated with increased cancer risk. The anti-cancer properties of fermented foods and their possible mechanisms are summarized in this review. Some studies indicated that the consumption of fermented foods reduced the risk of cancer and improved the health status of cancer patients. However, some other research findings suggested that the intake of fermented foods was not associated with reduced cancer risk. Several signaling pathways (p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, energy deprivation, and death-receptor mediated pathways) are involved in the anti-proliferative and growth suppressive properties of fermented foods. Overall, the literature survey suggested that the consumption of fermented foods might reduce cancer risk and improve health status in association with other factors, such as genetics and healthy lifestyle.

Abstract Plants are the major sources of food and medicine for humans. Streblus asper Lour is a small tree belonging to the Moraceae family and is commonly found in tropical countries. S. asper plant is used in several folk medicines, especially Ayurveda and Siddha, to treat several diseases and disorders. This review summarizes the medicinal and economical properties of this medicinal plant. Scientific literature dealing with S. asper was collected from scientific databases without any year limit and was included in this review. About twenty potential active compounds were isolated from S. asper. The study revealed that S. asper is an important medicinal plant with several proven therapeutic potentials in vitro and in vivo, including anti-cancer, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-macrofilaricidal, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and neuroprotective effects. Additionally, the plant can be used as animal feed and bio-insecticide. It also helps in the coagulation of skimmed milk and cheese production. Further, it has some economic uses, including vermicompost production and papermaking and its use as a fuel. However, there are no prescribed S. asper-based therapeutic agents to manage any disease condition, and some adverse effects were observed in human trials. Enough studies are available to prove the potential of S. asper in vitro and in vivo models; however, further clinical studies are required to develop safe therapeutic agents using the phytoconstituents of S. asper.

Abstract In treating various diseases, natural therapies are widely preferred in the modern era to synthetic drugs as they offer little or no side effects, in contrast to synthetic drugs. However, there is limited scientific knowledge about plants that have a broad range of medicinal properties. Cleistocalyx nervosum var. paniala, native to Thailand and generally known as Ma-kiang in Thai, is one of the least documented plant species. Due to its richness in phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins, C. nervosum var. paniala has been used in traditional medicine to treat several health complications. The fruits, seeds, and leaves of C. nervosum var. paniala have been reported to exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-aging, and neuroprotective properties. The extracts of C. nervosum var. paniala are non-toxic to living systems, and they also can activate the immune system. Moreover, they are widely used in industrial applications, such as in functional food products and in many health products, due to the colored anthocyanin pigments and the anthocyanin benefits of C. nervosum var. paniala. However, there is a need to conduct research in this berry species to identify the mechanism behind its medicinal properties. The present review summarizes the functional properties and bioactivities of C. nervosum var. paniala based on available scientific information.

Abstract A total of 544 isolates of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented products: 451 isolates from fermented products from Thailand and 93 isolated from French fermented products were screened for bacteriocin production. 10 isolates showed antimicrobial activities. Identification of the selected strains by random amplification of polymorphic DNA-polymerase change reaction using the primers E1, E2 and M13 showed three different RAPD patterns. One of the isolates from each product was chosen and good antimicrobial activity were displayed by 3 strains including MP6/2, PKS2-1 and OV1-1 producing in MRS broth bacteriocin-like substance (BLIS) inhibiting Candida albicans ATCC 90028, Carnobacterium maltraromaticum NCDO 2760, Lactobacillus sakei subsp. sakei JCM 1157, Listeria innocula CIP 80.11, Listeria ivanovii SLCC 2379, Pseudomonasc aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus CIP 76.25 and Streptococcus mutans used as indicator strains. However, inhibitory activities of MP6/2 and PKS2-1 were related to the production of either organic acid, while OV2-1 was not affected by heating. The inhibitory activities of these three isolates were sensitive to proteolytic enzymes. 16S rDNA gene sequencing allowed to identify the MP6/2 as Pediococcus pentosaceus while PKS2-1 and OV1-1 were identified as Enterococcus faecium. It was concluded that the obtained isolates may be used as bio-preservative cultures to produce fermented foods.

Abstract Morinda citrifolia L., generally known as noni, is commonly used in Thai medicines and cuisine. Several bioactive phytochemicals have been isolated and identified from the noni plant, and their compositions differ based on the cultivars and harvesting period. Different types of fermented noni fruit juices (FNJ) were used as health supplement in several southeastern countries. The formation of a large amount of alcohol, especially methanol, in FNJ is one of the major hindrances to FNJ production. The current study explains the impact of starter culture (Lactobacillus plantarum SK15), pasteurization and addition of EGCG on alcohol content, bioactivity, and the physiochemical property of FNJ. The pH and sugar content of the samples were reduced during fermentation, while the organic acid content increased. The samples with EGCG obviously exhibited high total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The level of pectin was high, and pectin methylesterase (PME) activity was low in EGCG-added samples compared with other samples. The alcohol content of the samples was under the permissible level of Thai standard; specifically, the methanol level was low in EGCG-added samples. Pasteurization and addition of starter culture did not influence any of the studied parameters. About 70% of acceptability index was observed for FNJ samples in the sensory evaluation. The study concluded that the addition of EGCG effectively reduced the alcohol content and improved the quality of FNJ. Also, further studies are required to reveal the role of starter culture in noni fruit fermentation.

Abstract Beta-glucan (BG) is one of the most common types of polysaccharides, and is a potent immune activator. It is present in microbes, plants, and mushrooms. The immunomodulatory properties of BG are varied among different species. This paper explains the composition of BG from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae HII31), oat (Avena sativa L.) and mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), and also describes in vivo immunomodulation and changes in the antioxidant capacity of BG. In vivo studies were conducted in BALB/cMlac mice, and changes in cytokines level, antioxidant enzymes, and total antioxidant capacity were evaluated. About 91.42 ± 5.07, 86.90 ± 3.44, and 84.43 ± 4.10% of BG were recorded in yeast, mushroom, and oat samples, respectively, with 4-5% of α-glucan in all the samples. The band area range ratio analysis indicate that yeast and mushroom have a high content of β-1,3-glucan followed by β-1,6-glucan, whereas oat recorded a high content of β-1,4-glucan. Yeast-BG stimulated the expression of IL-6, IL-17, IFN-γ, IL-10, and TGF-β effectively. Moreover, antioxidant capacity was enhanced during yeast-BG supplementation in a dose-dependent manner than oat and mushroom BG. This study reveals that yeast-BG is a potent immune activator and enhancer of the host’s antioxidant capacity than oat, and mushroom-BG.

Abstract Fermented beverages are widely used all over the country. Fermented plant beverages (FPB) are prevalent in Thailand and FPBs are believed to cure and prevent many health oriented problems. The people of Thailand produce many varieties of FPBs in small scale or large scale and consume them in their daily lives. This study is a survey conducted among the representative consumers of FPBs in Thailand to know the consumer's opinion on FPBs, effects and benefits of FPBs, and real status of consumer satisfaction in Thailand. This study revealed that the rationale for the consumption of respective FPBs was to treat their health issues and for the betterment of their health. Most of the consumers of FPBs benefited in case of improving their physical and mental health. The current survey revealed the opinion of the FPBs consumers in Thailand. This study concluded that FPBs are health promoting drink that is affordable in the daily life of Thai people. The FPBs prepared in Thailand did not report any massive adverse effects in Thailand. Till now the preparation and consumption of FPBs are followed in Thailand and not influenced by adverse effects; FPBs are considered safe for human consumption.

Abstract The present study estimated the optimum germination conditions to achieve high content of Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and other phytochemicals in Thai black rice cultivar Kum Payao (BR). The Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology was employed to optimize the germination conditions. The changes in the GABA, phytochemical content, impact of salt, and temperature stress variation on phytochemical content, and stability of GABA were studied. The results showed that 12 h of soaking at pH 7, followed by 36 h of germination was the optimum condition to achieve maximum GABA content (0.2029 mg/g of germinated BR (GBR)). The temperature (8 and 30 °C), and salt (50-200 mM NaCl) content affected the phytochemicals of GBR, especially GABA, and anthocyanins. Obviously, the antioxidant capability, and enzyme (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) inhibiting nature of BR was significantly (P < 0.001) increased after germination. The storage of GBR at 4 °C significantly, preserved the GABA content (∼80%) for 45 days. Primarily, the current study revealed the changes in phytochemical content, and bioactivity of Thai black rice cr. Kum Payao during germination. More studies should be carried out on pharmacological benefits of GABA-rich GBR.

Abstract Host microbiome and metabolome are associated with the incidence of colorectal cancer (CC), one of the major health problems in developed countries. The pro and prebiotic supplementation helps to improve the host health. Inulin is one such prebiotic used for the enhancement of naïve probiotic bacterial population. This paper explains the impact of inulin (PRE) extracted from Jerusalem artichoke (JA), Lactobacillus plantarum HII11 (PRO), and synbiotic (SYN; inulin + L. plantarum HII11) preparation on Azoxymethane mediated CC induced rat model with respect to changes in microbial load, microbial enzymes, and preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci. The results suggested that the PRE and SYN supplementation effectively reduced the selected pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli), microbial enzymes and increased the probiotic load. The intervention of SYN significantly reduced the colonic ACF in CC model. The study results revealed that the supplementation of SYN diet (inulin and L. plantarum HII11) protects the AOM-mediated colon cancer induced host.

Abstract Beta-glucan (BG) is a conserved cell wall components of bacteria, fungi, and yeast. BG is an immunomodulator and stimulates the host immune system. This study was performed to screen Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with high BG, extraction of BG using different chemical extraction methods, composition analysis of BG, and evaluation of the immunomodulatory effect of high-quality BG using mice model. Ten yeast strains were screened for high BG content using total glucan extraction kit and were subjected to FT-IR analysis. The kit based extraction revealed that HII31 showed a high content of total glucan and BG. HII31 cells were subjected to four different acid/base extractions, which indicated that combination of a strong base (NaOH) and weak acid (CH3COOH) extraction recovered high BG and a high ratio of polysaccharide, protein, and lipid. Further, the immunomodulatory effect of the selected BG was evaluated using mice, which suggested that low dose of HII31-BG induces the expression of selected pro-inflammatory (IL-17, IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) significantly, whereas relatively high dose was required to alter the IL-6 and TGF-β expression. Overall, the present study revealed that BG extracted from HII31 cells alters the expression of studied cytokines, which can be used as a potent immunomodulator in pharmaceutical products.

The fermented herbal juices are capable of curing and preventing diseases and reducing the aging progress. The present study was performed to investigate the fermentation of Phyllanthus emblica fruit by Lactobacillus paracasei HII01 with respect to carbon sources, polyphenols, and antioxidant properties. The physical changes, for instance, color, odor, taste, turbidity and gas formation, throughout the fermentation process was manually monitored. The fermented product was rich in polyphenolic content. The acid content and pH of the product were under the norms of Thai community product standards. Antioxidant properties of the fermented product were proved using ABTS, and FRAP assays. Chelation based study suggested that fermented P. emblica fruit juices are healthy enough to stabilize the oxidized form of the metal ion. The optimum fermentation period was 15 days. All the results supported that studied carbon sources did not interfere with the quality of the product. This report is the prelude study on the use of probiotic starter culture for the production of P. emblica fruit based lactic acid bacteria fermented beverages (LAFB) enriched with bioactive compounds. Further research on the impact of different carbon sources and upstream processes on the quality of LAFB is currently in progress.

AbstractThe current study was employed to assess the influence of the different extraction methods on total tocols, γ-oryzanol content, and antioxidant properties of Chiang Mai Black rice, Mali Red rice, and Suphanburi-1 Brown rice bran oil. Rice bran oil (RBO) was extracted by Hexane, Hot pressed, Cold pressed, and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFe) methods. High yield of RBO was extracted by hexane and SFe methods. Total and subgroups of tocols, and γ-oryzanol content were determined by HPLC. The hexane extracted sample accounts for high content of γ-oryzanol and tocols. Besides, all of RBO extracts contain a significantly high amount of γ-tocotrienol. In vitro antioxidant assay results indicated that superior quality of oil was recovered by hexane extraction. The temperature in the extraction process also affects the value of the oil. Superior quality of oil was recovered by hexane extraction, in terms of phytochemical contents and antioxidant properties compared to other tested extraction methods. Further, thorough study of factors compromising the quality and quantity of RBO recovery is required for the development of enhanced functional foods and other related products.

Rice, the seed of Oryza species, is the major cereal crop in most of the developing countries. Nearly 95% of global rice production is done in Asian countries, and about half of the world’s population consumes it. Some speciality rices are not commonly consumed. Colored rice is one of such variety. In these varieties, high amounts of anthocyanin pigment are deposited in the rice coat to form its black (also known as purple), brown and red colors. Minimum studies are there to explain the properties of these rice varieties of Thailand. Thus, the current study was aimed to assess the physicochemical and antioxidative properties of three rice varieties (Chiang Mai Black rice, Mali Red rice and Suphanburi-1 Brown rice) of different cultivars of northern Thailand. Rice bran extracts of these three cultivars were prepared with different solvents (polar and non-polar) for the evaluation of total phytochemical content and anti-oxidant free-radical-scavenging properties. Chiang Mai Black rice contained higher concentration of phenolic acid, flavonoids, and anthocyanins (Cyanidin 3-glucoside, peonidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin chloride). Chiang Mai Black rice is richer in free-radical-scavenging compounds and activities than the other tested varieties. Polar extractions of rice bran are high in anti-oxidative compounds and activities than non-polar extractions.