• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2019

This study aimed to determine whether double-processed ginseng berry extract (PGBC) could improve learning and memory in an $A\hat{a}42$-induced Alzheimer's mouse model. Passive avoidance test (PAT) and Morris water-maze test (MWMT) were performed after mice were treated with PGBC, followed by acetylcholine (ACh) measurement and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) detection for brain damage. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression were analyzed using Ellman's and qPCR assays, respectively. Results demonstrated that PGBC contained a high amount of ginsenosides (Re, Rd, and Rg3), which are responsible for the clearance of $A{\hat{a}} 42$. They also helped to significantly improve PAT and MWMT performance in the $A{\hat{a}} 42-induced$ Alzheimer's mouse model when compared to the normal group. Interestingly, ACh and ChAT were remarkably upregulated and AChE activities were significantly inhibited, suggesting PGBC to be a palliative adjuvant for treating Alzheimer's disease. Altogether, PGBC was found to play a positive role in improving cognitive abilities. Thus, it could be a new alternative solution for alleviating Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.362-368
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• 2018

Grasshoppers play vital role in the digestion of photosynthetically fixed carbons. With the aid of intestinal microflora, the grasshopper can degrade leaves constituents such as cellulose and hemicellulose. The purpose of this study was to examine cellulolytic yeast isolates from the gut of grasshoppers collected in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Among the yeast isolates, ON2, ON17 (two strains), and ON6 (one strain) showed positive cellulolytic activity in the CMC-plate assay. The sequence analyses of D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rDNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions revealed that the strains ON2 and ON17 were most closely related to Papiliotrema aspenensis CBS $13867^T$ (100%, sequence similarity in D1/D2 domains; 99.4% sequence similarity in ITS) and strain ON6 related to Saitozyma flava (100% in D1/D2 domains; 99.0% in ITS). All these three yeast strains are capable of degrading cellulose; therefore, the members of endosymbiotic yeasts may produce their own enzymes for carbohydrate degradation and convert mobilized sugar monomers to volatile fatty acids. Thus, the endosymbiotic yeast strains ON2, ON17 (represents the genus Papilioterma) and ON6 (Saitozyma) belonging to the family Tremellomycetes, are unreported strains in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.699-709
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• 2021

Muscle mass improvement through lifestyle modification has been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. This study examined the capacity of ethanol extracts of Scytosiphon lomentaria (SLE) to suppress the bioactivity of myostatin, a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass, as well as the effect of SLE treatment on metabolic homeostasis in obese zebrafish induced by high feeding. A total of 10 ㎍/ml SLE completely blocked myostatin (1 nM/ml) signaling in the pGL3-(CAGA)₁₂ luciferase assay and suppressed myostatin-induced Smad2 phosphorylation in the Western blot analysis. In the zebrafish larvae analysis, the whole body glucose concentration of the high feeding control (HFC) group was significantly higher than that of the normal feeding control (NFC) group. However, the glucose levels of the high feeding group treated with 12.5 ug SLE and of the high feeding group treated with 18.75 ug SLE were similar to those of the NFC group. The mRNA expression level of the GLUT2 gene of the HFC group was significantly lower than that of the NFC group. SLE treatment restored the expression of the GLUT2 gene to a level that was close to that of the NFC group, indicating that SLE is capable of regulating glucose levels in zebrafish larvae. The current results highlight the potential of SLE as a natural MSTN inhibitor and supplement that can be used to facilitate the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.674-691
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils extracted from the wood of Chamaecyparis obtusa, Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, and Larix kaempferi. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their chemical components were determined by GC/MS. Major chemical components of these essential oils were ${\alpha}$-cadinol (19.25%), ${\tau}$-muurolol (14.20%), and ${\alpha}$-pinene (13.74%) in C. obtusa; ${\alpha}$-pinene (47.16%), longifolene (14.31%), ${\beta}$-phellandrene (11.78%), and ${\beta}$-pinene (11.02%) in P. densiflora; ${\alpha}$-pinene (13.49%) and longifolene (10.79%) in P. koraiensis, and geranyl linalool (23.58%) and ${\alpha}$-pinene (18.57%) in L. kaempferi. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RBL-2H3 mast cells were treated with these essential oils; then, the changes in the mRNA expression level of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 were examined. Further, degranulation was evaluated by measuring ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release. After LPS-induced RBL-2H3 mast cells were exposed to $10^{-7}%$ of all types of essential oils, the gene expression levels of IL-4 and IL-13 within the cells remarkably decreased. The relative mRNA expression level of IL-4 was 69.6% in P. densiflora, 63.2% in P. koraiensis, 55.1% in C. obtusa, and 45.8% in L. kaempferi compared with that in the group treated with LPS. The mRNA expression level of L-13 should a similar trend. The inhibitory rate of IL-13 mRNA expression of P. densiflora, P. koraiensis, C. obtusa, and L. kaempferi was 57.8%, 57.1%, 51.1%, and 34.5%, respectively. ${\beta}$-Hexosaminidase release significantly decreased following the treatment with the four types of essential oils. The rate of ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release were 38.1% C. obtusa; 33.0% P. densiflora; 27.4% P. koraiensis; and 9.1% L. kaempferi. Among all types of essential oils, that extracted from P. densiflora wood showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity. These results show that the tested essential oils exert an anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of degranulation and expression of cytokines.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1179-1191
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• 2019

Cancer cells undergo the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and show unique oncogenic metabolic phenotypes such as the glycolytic switch (Warburg effect) which are important for tumor development and progression. The EMT is a critical process for tumor invasion and metastasis. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin-associated nuclear protein, but it acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern molecule when released from dying cells and immune cells. HMGB1 induces the EMT, as well as invasion and metastasis, thereby contributing to tumor progression. Here, we show that HMGB1 induced the EMT by activating Snail. In addition, the HMGB1/Snail cascade was found induce a glycolytic switch. HMGB1 also suppressed mitochondrial respiration and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity by a Snail-dependent reduction in the expression of the COX subunits COXVIIa and COXVIIc. HMGB1 also upregulated the expression of several key glycolytic enzymes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2), phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 2 (PFKFB2), and phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1), in a Snail-dependent manner. However, HMGB1 was found to regulate some other glycolytic enzymes including lactate dehydrogenases A and B (LDHA and LDHB), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), and monocarboxylate transporters 1 and 4 (MCT1 and 4) in a Snail-independent manner. Transfection with short hairpin RNAs against HK2, PFKFB2, and PGAM1 prevented the HMGB1-induced EMT, indicating that glycolysis is associated with HMGB1-induced EMT. These findings demonstrate that HMGB1 signaling induces the EMT, glycolytic switch, and mitochondrial repression via Snail activation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2021

Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc. is traditionally used as an edible and medicinal plant in many countries in East Asia. Previous studies have shown the pharmacological potential of extracts and components of C. officinalis, but comparative analysis of the composition of the leaf, stem, and fruit extracts has been insufficient to date. In the present study, the content of active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients was verified in different C. officinalis parts (under-ripe sansuyu, ripe sansuyu, seed, leaf, stem, and dried sansuyu). One active component, morroniside, was high in fruit (under-ripe and ripe sansuyu), while loganin was high in fruit (under-ripe sansuyu) and cornin was high in seeds. Total polyphenol contents were highest in fruit (ripe sansuyu) and flavonoids were highest in leaves. DPPH radical scavenging activity was highest in leaves, followed by seeds and then ripe sansuyu extract. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of leaf extracts of C. officinalis (LCO) was further investigated by measuring their effects on levels of nitric oxide (NO) and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of LCO effectively decreased the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inducible NO synthase, resulting in decreased NO production. LCO also significantly suppressed LPS-induced production and expression of IL-1β and IL-6. Taken together, the present findings suggest that C. officinalis leaves have potential as natural materials for the development of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.298-304
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• 2021

The anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activities of hot-water (Ca-HW) and 70% ethanol (Ca-E70) whole-plant Calamagrostis arundinacea extracts, as well as their bioactive potentials, were investigated using cell-free and cell-mediated experimental systems. Use of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical decolorization assay to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the Ca-HW and Ca-E70 extracts revealed DPPH radical scavenging activities of 27% and 48%, respectively. Neither extract caused significant cytotoxicity, and both showed cell proliferation and promotion effects using RAW 264.7, B16F10, and CCD986sk cells. B16F10 melanoma cells showed higher melanin synthesis when treated with 100 mg/ml Ca-HW or Ca-E70 than with arbutin, indicating a stronger inhibitory effect of arbutin on melanin synthesis. Ca-HW and Ca-E70 increased pro-collagen biosynthesis in the human fibroblast CCD986-SK cell line by 24.69% and 12.55%, respectively. Analysis of the anti-inflammatory effects of different concentrations of Ca-HW and Ca-E70 in RAW264.7 cells revealed that Ca-E70 appeared to inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide and IL-6, a proinflammatory cytokine; therefore, Ca-E70 showed an anti-inflammatory effect. These results suggested that C. arundinacea extracts could have skin anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2021

Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is a molecular motor protein of the kinesin superfamily (KIF) that moves along a microtubule plus-end directed motor protein. It consists of three different motor subunits (KIF3A, KIF3B, and KIF3C) and a kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3) that form a heterotrimeric complex. Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 interacts with many different binding proteins through the cargo-binding domain of the KIF3s. The activity of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is regulated to ensure that the cargo is directed to the right place at the right time. How this regulation occurs, however, remains in question. To identify the regulatory proteins for heterotrimeric kinesin-2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and found a specific interaction with creatine kinase B (CKB), which is the brain isoform of cytosolic creatine kinase enzyme. CKB bound to the cargo-binding domain of KIF3A but did not interact with the KIF3B, KIF5B, or KAP3 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The carboxyl (C)-terminal region of CKB is essential for the interaction with KIF3A. Another protein kinase, CaMKIIa, interacted with KIF3A, but GSK3a did not interact with KIF3A in the yeast two-hybrid assay. KIF3A interacted with GST-CKB-C but not with GSK-CKB-N or GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CKB co-localized with KIF3A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF3A and KIF3B but not KIF5B. These results suggest that the CKB-KIF3A interaction may regulate the cargo transport of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 under energy-compromised conditions in cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2021

The biological activities of non-edible extracts of asparagus stems and roots were investigated using hot water and ethanol. The highest contents of rutin and total polyphenol were 31.74 mg/g and 20.14 mg GAE/g, respectively, in the stem hot water extract. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities were 541.1±21.0 and 649.5±6.6 ㎍/mL, respectively, in stem hot water extract. All extracts were non-cytotoxic in HepG2 cells, but 200 ㎍/mL stem extracts tended to decrease the viability of RAW 264.7 cells. The highest xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was 43.68% in the root hot water extract at 200 ㎍/mL. The expression level of MMP-9 was significantly decreased in the asparagus extracts. The highest GGT, AST, and LDH activities showed a concentration-dependent decrease in the stem ethanol extract. In conclusion, the presence of bioactive substances in the non-edible extracts of asparagus was confirmed for the development of extracts with antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anti-gout activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-obesity effects of Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract in the order of leaf development on the shoot (L0, L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5). The leaves at the apex of a Cudrania tricuspidata shoot were classified as L0; the next leaves of the apex were classified as L1, L2, L3, and L4 from highest to lowest; and the lowest leaf was classified as L5. A series of 70% ethyl alcohol leaf extracts were screened for the inhibitory effects of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. We found that the apical leaf extract of Cudrania tricuspidata (CTL0) was the most effective. Next, a study was conducted on the inhibitory action mechanism of CTL0. Treatment with CTL0 significantly suppressed the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, as confirmed by the decrease in lipid droplet content observed with Oil Red O staining. Treatment with 12.5 ㎍/ml, 25 ㎍/ml, and 50 ㎍/ml of CTL0 significantly reduced the lipid droplet content. Glucose and cellular triglyceride concentrations were reduced in the 3T3-L1 cells on the CTL0-treated medium compared to the differentiation medium (DM control, DMEM + insulin + dexamethasone + rosiglitazone). Compared with DM, CTL0 significantly inhibited the expression of key pro-adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), LPL, A-FABP, and Glut4. These findings show that CTL0 extract has potent anti-obesity effects.