Composition of Liquid Rice Hull Smoke and Anti-inflammatory Effects in Mice

A new liquid rice hull smoke extract with a smoky aroma and sugar-like odor prepared by pyrolysis of rice hulls followed by liquefaction of the resulting smoke contained 161 compounds characterized by GC/MS. Antioxidative, antiallergic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract were assessed in vitro and in vivo. At pH 5, the extract inhibited 1-dipheny1-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and suppressed nitric oxide (NO) and beta-hexosaminidase releases from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 mouse macrophage leukemia cells and ionophore A23187-stimulated RBL-2H3 rat basophilic cells without significant cytotoxicity. 12-O-Tetradecanolylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was applied to the ears of CD-1 mice to induce inflammation (edema), which was accompanied by increases in a series of biomarkers. Topical application of 1% of the extract as well as feeding mice a standard diet with 1% extract for two weeks significantly reduced the expression of biomarkers associated with the TPA-induced inflammation. These include tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1 beta, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukotriene B-4 (LTB4), prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)), myeloperoxidase (MPO). These in vitro and in vivo findings demonstrate the potential value of rice hull smoke extract derived from a major agricultural byproduct to serve as a new biomaterial for the improvement of food quality and safety and the environment.