• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.587-601
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• 2020

Exposure to hazardous substances occurs through multiple pathways. Aggregated risk assessment, which includes all potential exposure pathways to a single toxicant, is necessary to prevent exposure to harmful substances. We aimed to estimate cadmium and lead exposure through various media, such as food, water, air, smoking, cosmetics, and female hygiene products. This study covered 10,733 subjects from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2016, 2017). Dietary exposure was estimated using 24-hour recall data. For water and inhalational exposure, regional variations were considered. Water was classified as tap, bottled, and public water. Inhalational exposure was estimated using the '2014 Time Use Survey' based on daily lifestyle and social status. The frequency and volume of cosmetic usage were randomly approximated by sex and age. Post-menarcheal and premenopausal women were assumed to use feminine hygiene products. Non-carcinogenic aggregated risks were estimated using the Aggregate Risk Index from EPAs and the Total Exposure Hazard Index from Korean government guidelines. For carcinogenic risk assessment, excessive cancer risk was estimated. Ingestion, especially food, was the major route for both cadmium and lead exposure. Smoking was also associated with high cadmium exposure. Exposure to lead from cosmetics was remarkable but not critical. In aggregate risk assessments, median cadmium and lead exposure did not exceed the reference value. Sex, age, smoking status, and income affected exposure levels, unlike to regional variations.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.526-537
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• 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of aqueous and 60% ethanol extracts of Allium ochotense Prokh. against alcohol-induced cytotoxicity as well as on the activities of alcohol-metabolic enzymes. Antioxidant effects of the extracts were analyzed using 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazl, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and malondialdehyde assays, and found that both extracts exhibited considerable antioxidant activities. Additionally, both extracts showed synergistic effects on the activities of alcohol-metabolic enzymes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase, but not on the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase. In addition, 2'-7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays revealed that aqueous and 60% ethanol extracts reduced oxidative stress and increased cell viability. Moreover, both extracts regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, namely B-cell lymphoma (BCl-2), BCl-2 associated X (BAX), and pro-caspase-3, in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, aqueous and 60% ethanol extracts of A. ochotense Prokh. might be valuable functional materials derived from natural resources for the prevention of ethanol-induced cytotoxicity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.697-704
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• 2013

The inhibitory effect of ethanol extracts from Curdrania tricuspidata leaves (CTL) on osteoarthritis was investigated in primary cultured rat cartilage cells and a monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced arthritis rat model. To identify the effects of CTL 80% ethanol extracts (CTL80) and CTL 10% ethanol extracts (CTL10) against $H_2O_2$ treatment in vitro, cell survival was measured by the MTT assay. Cell survival after $H_2O_2$ treatment increased with CTL80 and CTL10 close to normal up to $300{\mu}g/mL\;H_2O_2$. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was determined MMP-7 and MMP-13 (known catabolic factors), were significantly inhibited by CTL 80 and CTL10; a $200{\mu}g/mL$ dose of CTL80 especially decreased MMP-13 expression. In vivo, osteoarthritis was induced by an intra-articular injection of MIA into the knee joints of rats, then CTL80 and CTL10 orally administered daily for 35 days. After the animals were sacrificed, histological evaluations of their knee joints revealed a reduction in polymorphonuclear cell infiltration and smooth synovial lining in the CTL80-500 group. Micro-CT analysis of hind paws from CTL80-500 and CTL10 showed a protection against osteophyte formation, soft tissue swelling, and bone resorption. In conclusion, CTL ethanol extracts are effective in ameliorating joint destruction and cartilage erosion in MIA-induced rats. CTL decreases and normalizes articular cartilage through preventing extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte injury, and could potentially serve as a therapeutic treatment for humans.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2004

Metallothionein (MT) is a family of ubiquitous, low molecular weight (6-7 kDa), cysteine-rich protein with a high affinity to metal ions and has no aromatic amino acids and histidine. Some of the known functions of MT include detoxification of heavy metals and alkylating agents and neutralization of free radicals. Also, this protein may affect a number of cellular processes including gene expression, apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. But, its actual functions are still not clear. The present study was undertaken to examine immunocytochemically the localization of MT in developing rat liver. On the day 11 of gestation, the fetal rat liver has already been formed and contained numerous oval cells with high nuclear cytoplasmic ratio, which were the progenitors of hepatic parenchymal cells, but no reaction products of MT were detected at this time. And then, positive reactions against MT started to appear predominantly in the parenchymal cells of liver from the 13th day after gestation. Reaction products, immunogold particles or brown coloration, were localized at both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the parenchymal cells, except mitochondria. The intensity of this reaction gradually increased, and exhibited the strongest at birth. The intensity of MT staining and immunogold labelling diminished with growth, and by the 15th day after birth weak positive reaction was observed in the cells. In brief, positive reactions for MT were observed in the oval cells and the parenchymal cells during fetal stage, meanwhile they were present only in the parenchymal cells after birth. The present results suggest that MT possibly involves parechymal cell proliferation and differentiation through the storage or the supply of various metal ions in the developing rat liver.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. However, the preventive effect of Alnus japonica leaf extracts on alcohol-related liver damage has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts of Alnus japonica leaf (AJL) against ethanol-induced liver damage in HepG2/2E1 cells. Treatment with AJL significantly prevented ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2/2E1 cells by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). This protective effect was likely associated with antioxidant potential of AJL, as evidenced by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and restoration of the depleted glutathione (GSH) levels in ethanol-induced HepG2/2E1 cells. Our findings suggest that FCC might be considered as a useful agent in the prevention of liver damage induced by oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1715-1719
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• 2011

The effects of dietary fiber isolated from Synurus deltoides on constipation induced by loperamide (4 mg/kg/day) were investigated. Food intake and body weight both decreased in the 5% S. deltoides dietary fiber and loperamide-treated group (SD5) and 10% S. deltoides dietary fiber and loperamide-treated group (SD10), whereas fecal water contents increased by 2.4 and 3.4-fold in the SD5 and SD10 groups, respectively. The concentrations of total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride in the sera of the SD5 and SD10 groups were lower than those in the control (C) group. However, the biochemical parameters, GOT (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase), GPT (glutamic pyruvic transaminase), and glucose levels, were not affected by the level of S. deltoides. In addition, the concentrations of total-cholesterol and triglyceride in the livers of the SD5 and SD10 groups were also significantly lower than those in the control group. These results suggest that dietary fiber isolated from S. deltoides might ameliorate constipation symptoms, and lower lipid concentrations in the blood and liver.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.1759-1766
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• 2013

In this study, the optimal conditions for salmon hydrolysate using squid liver and compositional properties of hydrolysate were investigated. The optimal conditions were $55^{\circ}C$, pH 5.5 and 0.66~0.67% (w/w) in the ratio of squid liver to acidic and thermal treated salmon muscle. The free amino acid of hydrolysate from the acidic treated salmon muscle was higher than that of hydrolysate from the thermal treated salmon muscle, while the total amino acid and mineral were high in the acidic treated salmon muscle. Furthermore, cadmium of hydrolysate from the thermal denatured salmon muscle was below 2 ppm, and has an acceptable level as potential ingredient. The distribution of peptide molecular weight was 40.0% for 1.0~9.5 kDa, 6.7% for 0.5 kDa, and 47.4% of others in hydrolysate from the thermal treated salmon muscle. Both hydrolysates did not show any toxicity against the HepG2 cell line for up to $200{\mu}g/mL$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.847-852
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• 2008

In order to determine the effects of puffing red ginseng (PRG) powder on the antioxidant enzyme activities of hepatotoxicity in benzo($\alpha$) pyrene[B($\alpha$)P]-treated mice, the mice were divided into 5 groups. The dried red ginseng were prepared by puffing conditions of moisture content 10% and puffing pressure $5\;kgf/cm^2$, and then powdered. PRG powder was injected i.p. once a day for 5 successive days, followed by the administration of B($\alpha$)P treatment on the fifth day. We also evaluated the relationship between lipid peroxidation and PRG powder on oxidative stress. The increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase observed following B($\alpha$)P-treatment were reduced by the treatment of PRG powder. Whereas the glutathione content and glutathione S-transferase activity depleted by B $\alpha$)P were significantly increased, the B($\alpha$)P-associated elevation of cytochrome P-450 activities and lipid peroxide content were reduced as the result of PRG powder treatment. Especially, PRG powder had higher antioxidant activities than RG powder. These results suggest that puffing red ginseng powder can protect against B($\alpha$)P intoxicification through its antioxidant properties.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2003

This study was carried out to compare the biological activities of Epjmedium koreanum Nakai grown wild in Korea and China. The antioxidative effect of E. koreanum Nakai-extracts grown wild in Gangwondo was 78%, which was higher than that in China as 71%. The inhibition ratio of growing cancer cells was estimated as 89, 91 and 86% for human liver, lung and breast cancer cell lines, respectively in adding 0.1 g/l of ethanol extracts of E. koreanum grown in Korea. The hepatoprotective effect and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibiting effect of Korean one were also observed as 124 and 87%, respectively, which were also higher than those produced in China. There was not much difference between Korean and Chinese one in inhibiting ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ activities in all ranges of supplement. It was proved that most effective extraction solvent was mixed type as water and ethanol (1:1, v/v) to have higher biological activities from both Korean and Chinese ones.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.114-122
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• 1998

This study was designed to observe the effect of hot water soluble polysaccharides extract(PS) from Lentinus edodes on the enzyme activities related with hepatic function and peroxidation in the rats fed better yellow. The four groups of male SD rats were fed with the diets contained 15% casein(basal diet; NO group), added butter yellow(BO group) or /and PS(NP, BP group) for 6 weeks. The activities of ${\gamma}$-GTP and GPT in BP were significantly lower compared with BO. The activities of glutathione peroxidase, catalase and lactate dehydrogenase were not significantly different between NP and NO, while those activities were significantly lower value in BP than BO. The activities of glutathione S-transferase of the microsomal and cytosol fractions were significantly lower in BP than in BO. The contents of glutathione and malondialdehyde in the liver were considerably low value in BP. In a view of these results the PS of Lentinus edodes prevents the lipid peroxidation and diminishes the liver toxicity caused with better yellow. The superoxide dismutase activity in cytosolic fraction of liver was not found any effect in all groups. But hepatic function enzyme activities such as catalase and glutathione peroxidase, LDH activities were remarkably decreased in the groups 2(basal diet + PS) and the ${\gamma}$-GTP, GOT and GPT activities, too. In liver, the contents of glutathione decreased by PS supplementation but HDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol ratio in plasma decreased at the groups 3, 4. The ${\gamma}$-GTP, GOT and GPT in plasma were remarkably higher in the rats fed the p-DAB than the control group, too. But above enzyme activities significantly decreased in the groups fed PS.