Hsu, C.-L.; Pei, W.; Chen, T.-C.; Hsu, M.-C.; Chen, P.-C.; Kuo, H.-M.; Hung, J.-F.; Chen, Y.-J.L. Optimized Sugar-Free Citrus Lemon Juice Fermentation Efficiency and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of the Fermented Juice. Nutrients2023, 15, 5089.
Hsu, C.-L.; Pei, W.; Chen, T.-C.; Hsu, M.-C.; Chen, P.-C.; Kuo, H.-M.; Hung, J.-F.; Chen, Y.-J.L. Optimized Sugar-Free Citrus Lemon Juice Fermentation Efficiency and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of the Fermented Juice. Nutrients 2023, 15, 5089.
Hsu, C.-L.; Pei, W.; Chen, T.-C.; Hsu, M.-C.; Chen, P.-C.; Kuo, H.-M.; Hung, J.-F.; Chen, Y.-J.L. Optimized Sugar-Free Citrus Lemon Juice Fermentation Efficiency and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of the Fermented Juice. Nutrients2023, 15, 5089.
Hsu, C.-L.; Pei, W.; Chen, T.-C.; Hsu, M.-C.; Chen, P.-C.; Kuo, H.-M.; Hung, J.-F.; Chen, Y.-J.L. Optimized Sugar-Free Citrus Lemon Juice Fermentation Efficiency and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of the Fermented Juice. Nutrients 2023, 15, 5089.
Abstract
Aging and obesity make humans more prone to cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome diseases, leading to several serious health conditions, including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and sleep disturbance. Hyperlipidemia means elevated blood lipid levels, including cholesterol and triglycerides. This study aimed to explore the hypolipidemic effect of fermented citrus lemon juice using a hyperlipidemic hamster model. Sugar-free lemon juice’s fermentation was optimized, and the characteristics of fresh and fermented lemon juice (FLJ) were evaluated and compared. In addition, tests were conducted to determine the appropriate hamster feed for the functional animal tests. Then, experiments were conducted to evaluate the hypolipidemic effect of the FLJ, which contained polyphenols and superoxide dismutase-like activity, on a hyperlipidemic hamster model. This study’s pre-fermentation efficiency evaluation found that 21–30 days of bacterial DMS32004 and DMS32005 fermentation of fresh lemon juice provided the best fermentation benefits. In addition, the fermentation evaluation showed that a sugar-free fermentation method provided FLJ with the best benefits. Results showed that the absorption and utilization efficiency of FLJ was higher compared with the unfermented lemon juice. After six weeks of feeding, the total cholesterol and triglyceride values in the blood and liver of the FLJ treatment groups were de-creased compared with the high-fat diet (HFD) group. In addition, the blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the FLJ treatment groups compared with the HFD group. In contrast, the blood high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio increased considerably in the FLJ treatment groups, and the total to high-density lipoprotein ratio was significantly lower than in the HFD group. Compared with the HFD group, the total cholesterol content in the FLJ treatment groups’ feces increased significantly. This study demonstrated that the sugar-free fermentation method and fermentation cycle management provided FLJ with the potential to regulate blood lipids. Further research and verification will be carried out to isolate specific substances from the FLJ and identify their mechanisms of action.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Dietetics and Nutrition
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