In general, Cordyceps sinensis is much more popular than C. militaris, though both species contain quite similar bioactive ingredients and exhibit medicinal activities. Many bioactive ingredients have been isolated from C. militaris, such as adenosine, cordycepin, D-mannitol, and exopolysaccharides. C. militaris is claimed to have extensive pharmacological properties, such as: anti-inflammatory; anti-fatigue; anti-bacterial; anti-diabetic; improve lung, liver, and kidney functions; to be beneficial for treating cancer as well as male and female sexual dysfunctions. C. militaris is fast gaining momentum for its so-called health benefits, and it is often used as a substitute for C. sinensis. In view of the growing popularity of C. militaris, nowadays C. militaris cultivation for stroma is also done. There is a great diversity of compounds from different strains of Cordyceps and different artificially cultivated products. This study is to determine the optimum culture parameters integrated with substrate of choice to bring the indoor-cultivated C. militaris to a higher and more consistent level of quality. To achieve the above objective, the resultant products after growth were analyzed for adenosine, cordycepin, and D-mannitol using the high-performance liquid chromatography method. The optimum culture condition to produce a high level of adenosine is by using millet as solid substrate. It must be cultivated in the dark for the first 7 days and harvested on day 40. The optimum culture condition to produce a high level of cordycepin is by using soybean as solid substrate. It must be cultivated in the dark for the first 14 days and harvested on day 50. While a high level of D-mannitol is achieved with millet as the solid substrate. It must be kept in the dark for the first 7 days and harvested on day 50. The adenosine level decreased and cordycepin increased from day 40 of culture to day 50 generally.
Intestinal permeability of 246 early primary schoolchildren at 2 schools (106 of whom were infected with intestinal helminths) was assessed by using the lactulose/mannitol differential absorption test. The ratio of the urinary recoveries of lactulose and mannitol was determined after oral administration of a standard solution of the 2 sugars. Assessment of intestinal permeability was repeated on 100 infected children after treatment and on a cohort of 68 uninfected children. Infected and uninfected groups were compared with respect to baseline lactulose/mannitol ratio (L/M1) and change in lactulose/mannitol ratio between assessments (delta L/M). The correlations between baseline intensity of infection and L/M1, and between fall in intensity and delta L/M, were evaluated. Based on a crude index of socioeconomic status, each child was assigned to one of 3 socioeconomic groups; all but 3 children belonged to either groups 2 or 3. Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides were the 2 predominant infections; the hookworm infection rate was relatively low. The results suggested that helminthiasis exerted only a marginal effect on intestinal permeability, the impact of which in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds was negligible in comparison with the cumulative effects of other factors.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of electroporation (2.5-7.5 kV cm⁻¹ for 3.0-4.0 ms) on the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, membrane properties and bioconversion of isoflavones in mannitol-soymilk.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVB; 90 J/m²) on growth, bioconversion of isoflavones and probiotic properties of parent and subsequent passages of L. casei FTDC 2113. UV radiation significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) the growth of parent cells in mannitol-soymilk fermented at 37°C for 24 h. This had led to an enhanced intracellular and extracellular β-glucosidase activity with a subsequent increase in bioconversion of isoflavones in mannitol-soymilk (P < 0.05). UV radiation also promoted (P < 0.05) the tolerance of parent cells towards acidic condition (pH 2 and 3) and intestinal bile salts (oxgall, taurocholic and cholic acid). In addition, parent treated cells also exhibited better (P < 0.05) adhesion ability to mucin and antimicrobial activity compared to that of the control. All these positive effects of UV radiation were only prevalent in the parent cells without inheritance by first, second and third passage of cells. Although temporary, our results suggested that UV radiation could enhance the bioactive and probiotic potentials of L. casei FTDC 2113, and thus could be applied for the production of probiotic products with enhanced bioactivity.