β-Glucan-enriched fermented barley bran (Sigumjang meju) extracts attenuates gastric mucosal injury induced by acute alcohol intake in vivo

Fermented barley bran (FBB) using Bacillus spp. is the main ingredient of sigumjang, a traditional fermented food in South Korea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the gastro-protective effects of β-glucan-enriched FBB extracts in an experimental mouse model of the EtOH-induced gastric ulcer. The gastro-protective activity of FBB was determined using histopathological inspection, level of EtOH absorption from the gastrointestinal-tract and measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokine. Pretreatment of FBB showed less gastrointestinal bleeding and reduced EtOH absorption into the bloodstream with the gastric mucosa. Furthermore, FBB effectively reduced the EtOH-induced mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor α in the gastric mucosa and its level in the blood. These results showed that FBB can prevent gastric mucosal damage induced by acute EtOH-administration in mice by reducing absorption of EtOH by gastric mucosa along with decreasing the inflammatory response. Altogether, this data provides useful information on how β-glucan-enriched food modulates the EtOH-induced gastric mucosal damage, and thus, it could lead to the development of formulations for protecting gastric mucosal injury with acute alcohol intake.