2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Ganoderma lucidum, a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom, has been widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatopathy of various etiologies. Our previous study showed that peptides isolated from G. lucidum (GLP) possessed potent free radical-scavenging capacities," scientists writing in the Journal of Food Biochemistry report.

  "Here, we evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of GLP, using mice with CCl4-induced liver injuries. Results showed that the serum aminotransferase (ALT/AST) activities and numbers of necrotic and pathological hepatocytes were reduced in a dose-dependent manner in GLP-treated groups. At the dose of 260 mg/kg.bw GLP, the serum malondialdehyde, ALT and AST were statistically significant different to that of positive control groups (P < 0.05). CCl4-induced liver damage was largely prevented as suggested by histopathological examination," wrote H. He and colleagues, Huazhong Agricultural University ...read more

  2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Protamine, derived from fish milt, which is normally discarded as an industrial by-product in the process of fish plant, was hydrolyzed with pancreatin. Salmon protamine hydrolysate was found to possess antioxidative activity against hydroxyl, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide anion radicals," researchers in Shanghai, People's Republic of China report.

  "Through consecutive chromatographic methods including size exclusion, ion exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a series of peptide fractions with high antioxidative activities were obtained. Peptide with highest antioxidative activity was identified to be Pro-Arg matching 1-2 and 16-17 residues of the salmon protamine by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and database search," wrote Y.G. Wang and colleagues ...read more

  2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Soluble and insoluble fish protein powders were made from arrowtooth flounder (AF) fillets using three methods, which were heating and fractionation, enzymatic hydrolysis and alkali protein extraction. The AF powders were compared, and physical, chemical and rheologic properties were evaluated," investigators in the United States report.

  "The alkali protein extraction soluble (AES) (89.6%) and enzymatic hydrolysis soluble (EHS) (84.8%) powders had higher protein contents than other protein powders (72.6-77.8%). Both heating and fractionation soluble (HFS) and heating and fractionation insoluble powders were whiter than the other protein powders. HFS and EHS had the highest nitrogen solubility values, and EHS had the highest emulsion stability values. Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis indicated AES and alkali protein extraction insoluble protein powders had more high molecular weight protein bands, while EHS, enzymatic hydrolysis insoluble and HFS protein powders were substantially hydrolyzed and had an abundance of low molecular weight peptides. The flow and viscoelastic properties of the emulsions prepared with soluble AF were investigated using a parallel plate rheometer. The power law model was used to determine the flow behavior index (n) and consistency index (K). The emulsion containing AES had the highest K value (85.3 Pa.s) and the lowest value was for EHS (27.3 Pa.s)," wrote S. Sathivel and colleagues, University of Alaska ...read more