{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T03:06:37Z","timestamp":1789873597964,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]],"date-time":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1697760000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003725","name":"National Research Foundation of Korea","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["No. 2018R1A2B6006477"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No. 2018R1A2B6006477"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003725","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The health-beneficial outcomes of <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic>, a Korean fermented food have been questioned due to its high salt content; moreover, the detailed underlying mechanisms of its health beneficial effects are not fully investigated. Thus, this study aimed to investigate <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic>\u2019s anti-obesity effects, anti-hypertensive effects, and its underlying mechanisms in high-fat diet -induced obesity. Sprague-Dawley rats fed with normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HD), HD with 8% additive salt (HDS), or HD with <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic> containing 8% salt (HDJ) for 13 weeks. Compared to HD and HDS groups, the HDJ group had lower body and epididymal fat tissue weight gain and showed hypotrophy and hypoplasia. The RAS-related mRNA levels in the adipose tissue, including <jats:italic>Renin<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Ace<\/jats:italic> were downregulated in the HDJ group compared to HD and HDS groups. Additionally, HDJ groups had significant improvements in systolic blood pressure, serum RAS-associated parameters (e.g., angiotensin II and aldosterone), renal mRNA levels related to RAS (e.g., angiotensin II receptor type 1 and 2), and aldosterone-associated mRNA expressions (e.g., mineralocorticoid receptor) in the kidney of HD-induced obese rats. Most importantly, HDS and HDJ groups showed distinct outcomes regarding adipogenesis and electrolytes metabolism, even though both diets contain a high level of salt. HDS group showed a higher epididymal fat tissue weight, mass, and adipocyte size than HDJ group. In addition, compared with HDJ group, HDS group significantly decreased the release of Na<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> and K<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> throughout the urine and feces. The present study addresses that <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic> has anti-obesity effects and anti-hypertensive effects by activating RAS in the adipose tissue and kidney, respectively. Additionally, this study also demonstrates that salt in <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic> and the additive salt differently influences adipogenesis and electrolytes metabolism, supporting <jats:italic>doenjang<\/jats:italic> has health advantageous effects regardless of its high salt contents.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0291762","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]],"date-time":"2023-10-20T17:34:50Z","timestamp":1697823290000},"page":"e0291762","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Korean fermented soybean paste (Doenjang) has anti-obesity and anti-hypertensive effects via the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in high-fat diet-induced obese rats"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Hayoung","family":"Woo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jung Eun","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5579-650X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Youn-Soo","family":"Cha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0291762.ref001","article-title":"The life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy of Koreans","author":"Y-H Jung","year":"2012","journal-title":"Health and Welfare Policy 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