• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.243-257
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• 2016

Objectives : Illicium verum Hook. f. has been known to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, analgesic, sedative, convulsive activities, it has been rarely conducted to evaluate the immuno-biological activity. The present study was examined to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of the Illicium verum Hook. f. water extracts (IVE) in vivo and in vitro. Methods : Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The relative levels of NO were measured with Griess reagent. iNOS, COX-2, $NF-{\kappa}B$ and target proteins were detected by immunoblot analysis, and levels of cytokines were analyzed by ELISA kit. Anti-edema effect was determined in the carrageenan (CA)-induced paw edema model in rats. Results : All dosages of IVE used in MTT assay had no significant cytotoxicity. The increases of NO production and iNOS expression were detected in LPS-treated cells compared with control. However, these increases were attenuated by treatment with IVE. Also, IVE reduced the elevated production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS. IVE inhibited the $p-I{\kappa}B$ and translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ to nuclear. Furthermore, IVE significantly inhibited the increases of hind paw swelling, skin thicknesses and inflammatory cell infiltrations induced by CA injection. Therefore, IVE will be favorably inhibited the acute edematous inflammations. Conclusion : These results provide evidences that anti-inflammatory effect of IVE is partly due to the reduction of some inflammatory mediators by suppression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1315-1321
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• 2008

Chan-Su (Venenum bufonis) has long been for a variety of other purposes including treatment of inflammation in the folk medicine recipe. Since nitric oxide (NO) is one of the major inflammatory parameters, we first studied the effects of Chan-Su on NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells, Chan-Su inhibited the secretion of NO in BV2 microglial cells, without affecting cell viability, The protein level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was decreased by Chan-Su, And Chan-Su also inhibited production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and IL-12, were inhibited by Chan-Su in a dose-dependent manner. And Chan-Su inhibited the degradation of ${IkB-\alpha}$, which was considered to be inhibitor of nuclear factor $(NF)-{\kappa}B$, one of a potential transcription factor for the expression of iNOS, COX-2 and proinflammatory cytokines. These results suggest that Chan-Su could exert its anti-inflammatory actions by suppressing the synthesis of NO through inhibition of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.941-946
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• 2010

For the long-term goal of using peanut sprouts as a functional food material, the total polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts were examined with use of 9 day-old peanut sprouts and peanuts collected in Chungbuk, Gyeongbuk and Jeonbuk provinces of Korea, China and Vietnam. The polyphenol levels in the sprout extracts were higher than those of the peanut extracts. The phenolic content of the Gyeongbuk peanut sprout extract (20.4 mg/g) was the highest of the tested samples. After 9 days of germination the peanut sprout extracts had higher activities than those of the peanut extracts. In particular, the activity of Gyeongbuk peanut sprout extract was the highest (37.67% at a concentration of $200\;{\mu}L/mL$), and its reducing power demonstrated a similar trend. The DPPH radical scavenging activities were measured for methanol extracts of cotyledon, root and stem of Gyeongbuk peanut sprouts; the highest (90.96% at a concentration of $200\;{\mu}L/mL$) was the activity of cotyledon. ABTS radical scavenging and $\beta$-carotene bleaching activities also were higher in the cotyledon extract than in those of the root or the stem. The resveratrol content was higher in the Gyeongbuk peanut sprout extract than in the Gyeongbuk peanut extract ($15.05\;{\mu}g/g $and $1.42\;{\mu}g/g$, respectively). These results suggest that peanut sprouts potentially could be used as a functional food material exhibiting antioxidant effects.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.249-255
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• 2009

Esculetin, a coumarin compound, has been known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in several types of human cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in esculetin-induced apoptosis are still uncharacterized in human leukemia cells. In this study, we have investigated whether esculetin exerts anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on human leukemia U937 cells. It was found that esculetin could inhibit cell viability in a time-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death such as increased populations of apoptotic- sub G1 phase. Apoptosis of U937 cells by esculetin was associated with an inhibition of Bcl-2/Bax binding activity, formation of tBid, down-regulation of X-linked inhibitor of apoptotic protein (XIAP) expression, and up-regulation of death receptor 4 (DR4) and FasL expression. Esculetin treatment also induced the degradation of ${\beta}$-catenin and DNA fragmentation factor 45/inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase (DFF45/ICAD). Furthermore, a caspase-3 specific inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, significantly inhibited sub-G1 phase DNA content, morphological changes and degradation of ${\beta}$-catenin and DEE45/ICAD. These results indicated that a key regulator in esculetin-induced apoptosis was caspase-3 in human leukemia U937 cells.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2001

Bucillamine is a novel cysteine derivative with two free intramolecular sulfhydryl groups, and has a preventive and therapeutic effect on adjuvant arthritis, suggesting its antirheumatic action. With respect to the effect on the immune system, bucillamine-exerted such immunoregulating actions are to nomalize an excessive reduction or acceleration in immune reaction. It is useful not only in patients with early stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but also in those with active RA retained for more than 10 years. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two bucillamine tablets, $Rimatil^{TM}$ (Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and $Bucilin^{TM}$ (Kuhn Il Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Eighteen normal male volunteers, $23.67{\pm}2.09$ years in age and $65.03{\pm}6.73\;kg$ in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2{\times}2$ cross-over study was employed. After three tablets containing 100 mg of bucillamine per tablet were orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of bucillamine in serum were determined using GC/MS with mass selective detector. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters. The results showed that the differences in $AUC_t$, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ between two tablets were -0.29%, -3.20% and 8.22%, respectively, when calculated against the $Rimatil^{TM}$ tablet. The powers $(1-{\beta})$ for $AUC_t\;and\;C_{max}$ were 84.31 % and 91.16%, respectively. Minimum detectable differences $({\Delta})$ at ${\alpha}=0.10$ and $1-{\beta}=0.8$ were less than 20% (e.g., 18.58% and 16.51% for $AUC_t\;and\;C_{max}$, respectively). The 90% confidence intervals were within ${\pm}20%$ (e.g.,$-12.77{\sim}12.20$ for $AUC_t$ and $-14.30{\sim}7.90$ for $C_{max}$). Two parameters met the criteria of KFDA for bioequivalence, indicating that $Bucilin^{TM}$ tablet is bioequivalent to $Rimatil^{TM}$ tablet.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.228-233
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• 2009

This study was conducted to examine the changes in the molecular structure and physiological activities of silk fibroin by gamma irradiation. The results of gel permeation chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight of fibroin was increased depending upon the irradiation dose. Secondary structure of fibroin determined by using circular dichroism revealed that the ratio of $\alpha$-helix was increased up to 10 kGy and then decreased depending upon the irradiation dose. Whereas, the ratio of $\beta$-sheet, $\beta$-turn, and random coil were decreased and then increased with an alteration in the $\alpha$-helix secondary conformation. The 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of fibroin was increased by gamma irradiation at 5 kGy, but was decreased above 10 kGy depending upon the irradiation dose. Also, the inhibition activities of tyrosinase and melanin synthesis of fibroin were increased by gamma irradiation. These results indicated that gamma irradiation could be used as an efficient method to make fibroin more suitable for the development of functional foods and cosmetics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.810-814
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• 2008

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a gamma irradiation on the antioxidant activity of ethanol extract from cooking drips of Thunnus thynnus (ECT). The electron donating ability against 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), authentic hydroxyl radical scavenging activity by Ultra Weak Luminescence Analyzer, oxidative protection factors by Racimat method, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching activity were measured as indices of antioxidant activity. All of the results shown that irradiation increased the antioxidant activity of ECT. These results suggested that ECT could be used as an antioxidative component in food and gamma irradiation could enhance these antioxidative properties.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.287-291
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• 2009

In order to use Corni fructus as functional food materials, we investigated the biological activities of ethanol extracts from Corni fructus (EECF). The hydrogen-donating activity of EECF was increased in a dose dependent manner compared with untreated control, and the activities by EECF were 64 and 74% at 300 and $500{\mu}g/mL$ concentration, respectively. The NO productions in the RAW264.7 marcrophage cells treated with EECF were increased in dose dependent manners. EECF significantly inhibited the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in dose and time dependent manners. EECF of $500{\mu}g/mL$ concentration inhibited the proliferation by over 60% in the MCF-7 cells when treated for 72 hr. Also, the proliferations were increased in the MCF-7 cells cultured in the charcoal-treated FBS (cFBS) medium with environmental hormones such as bisphenol or $17{\beta}$-estradiol of $0.1{\mu}M$ whereas the proliferations were decreased in the MCF-7 cells treated with the environmental hormones after treatment of EEFC for 72 hr. The results suggest that Corni fructus would be used as functional food materials.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.28-35
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• 2013

The recycling of the Si/SiC mixture sludge obtained from solar cell industry is very significant, environmentally and economically. The sintering characteristics of Si/SiC mixture sludge was studied for the purpose of recycling. In this study, to understand sintering behavior, SiC content in the Si/SiC mixture was controlled using an air separator. Various Si/SiC mixtures having different SiC contents were sintered using carbon black, clay and aluminum hydroxide as sintering aids. Physical properties of Si/SiC mixture and sintered bodies have been characterized using SEM, XRD, particle size analyzer and apparent density measurement. SEM and particle size analysis result confirmed that the fine particles less than 1 ${\mu}m$ decreased or removed more effectively through the air separator in the case of 95% SiC sample compared than the case of 75% SiC sample or original SiC sample. Further, with addition of the Aluminum Hydroxide, ${\beta}$-cristobalite phase gradually decreased while mullite phase gradually increased. The addition of the carbon black improved the sintering characteristics.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.337-343
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• 2018

Coffee is a commonly consumed beverage that contains anti-inflammatory compounds such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, cafestol, trigonelline, and kahweol. Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium most frequently used in the fermentation of food products of plant origin. L. plantarum is able to degrade some food phenolic compounds and provide high value-added compounds such as powerful antioxidants or food additives approved as flavouring agents. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of coffee extract fermented by L. plantarum on RAW264.7 macrophages. In lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, these coffee extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory activities through the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase expression. Fermented coffee extracts significantly decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$, interleukin $1{\beta}$, interleukin 6, and interferon ${\gamma}$. Cyclooxygenase-2, which is one of the key biomarkers for inflammation, was significantly suppressed. These results might be helpful for understanding the anti-inflammatory mechanism of fermented coffee extract on immune cells and, moreover, suggest that fermented coffee extract may be a beneficial anti-inflammatory agent.