• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.1604-1610
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• 2010

We investigated the anti-obesity effects of Foeniculum fructus water extract on body weight, epididymal adipocyte size, plasma lipid levels and activities of key enzymes such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) in high fat diet-induced obese mice. Experimental groups were normal diet group (ND), high fat diet group (HFD), high fat diet with 0.05% orlistat group (HFDO), and high fat diet with 0.5% Foeniculum fructus group (HFDF). Eleven-weeks feeding with HFD resulted in significant increase in lipid levels, body weight, liver and epididymal adipose tissue weight, compared with the ND group. Diet containing Foeniculum fructus water extract significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose concentrations as well as body weight, liver and epididymal adipose tissue weights. Plasma LDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the HFDF group than those in HFDO group. LPL activities elevated by a high fat diet were significantly decreased by Foeniculum fructus water extract administration. ACS activities decreased in the high fat diet group and markedly increased in the Foeniculum fructus water extract administered group. All things considered, Foeniculum fructus water extract efficiently inhibits the inflow of fatty acid into the cell, and activates metabolic process that uses fatty acids flowing as an energy source. Thus, Foeniculum fructus water extract may have great potential as a novel anti-obesity agent.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.11A no.7 s.91
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• pp.555-562
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• 2004

Both global volume reduction and local shape changes of hippocampus within the brain indicate their abnormal neurological states. Hippocampal shape analysis consists of two main steps. First, construct a hippocampal shape representation model ; second, compute a shape similarity from this representation. This paper proposes a novel method for the analysis of hippocampal shape using integrated Octree-based representation, containing meshes, voxels, and skeletons. First of all, we create multi-level meshes by applying the Marching Cube algorithm to the hippocampal region segmented from MR images. This model is converted to intermediate binary voxel representation. And we extract the 3D skeleton from these voxels using the slice-based skeletonization method. Then, in order to acquire multiresolutional shape representation, we store hierarchically the meshes, voxels, skeletons comprised in nodes of the Octree, and we extract the sample meshes using the ray-tracing based mesh sampling technique. Finally, as a similarity measure between the shapes, we compute $L_2$ Norm and Hausdorff distance for each sam-pled mesh pair by shooting the rays fired from the extracted skeleton. As we use a mouse picking interface for analyzing a local shape inter-actively, we provide an interaction and multiresolution based analysis for the local shape changes. In this paper, our experiment shows that our approach is robust to the rotation and the scale, especially effective to discriminate the changes between local shapes of hippocampus and more-over to increase the speed of analysis without degrading accuracy by using a hierarchical level-of-detail approach.

• Composites Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.71-78
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• 1999

To determine the effect of chemical structure of linear amine curing agents on thermal and mechanical properties, standard epoxy resin DGEBA was cured with diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM), diaminodiphenyl sulphone (DDS) in a stoichiometrically equivalent ratio. From this work, the effect of aromatic amine curing agents. In contrast, the results show that the DGEBA/DDS cure system having the sulfone structure between the benzene rings had higher values in the conversion of epoxide, density, shrinkage (%), glass transition temperature, tensile modulus and strength, flexural modulus and strength than the DGEBA/DDM cure system having methylene structure between the benzene rings, whereas the DGEBA/DDM cure system presented higher values in the maximum exothermic temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermal stability. These results are caused by the relative effects of sulfone group having strong electronegativity and methylene group having (+) repulsive property and stem from the effect of the conversion ratio of epoxide group. The result of fractography shows that the each grain size of the DDM/DGEBA system with feather-like structure is larger than that of the DDS/DGEBA system.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2018

Rebaudioside A is a natural sweetener isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, one of the glycosides based on steviol. Recent studies have shown that rebaudioside A inhibits the inflammatory response by inhibiting cytokines secretion such as interleukin-$1{\alpha}/1{\beta}$ in activated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells by LPS. However, the inhibitory mechanism of inflammation by rebaudioside A in the presence of LPS has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we tried to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of rebaudioside A at the protein level when RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS. The inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression level was reduced in the group treated with $250{\mu}M$ rebaudioside A compared to the LPS-treated group. In addition, the mRNA expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$, which is a representative nuclear transcription factor by inflammatory signal, was also decreased as compared with that of LPS-treated group. In addition, $NF-{\kappa}B$ and inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ ($I-{\kappa}B$) complexes that are known to be dissociated by $I-{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation and ubiquitination were less phosphorylated than LPS treated group in the presence rebaudioside A. Finally, we could find that rebaudioside A was involved in the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway through reducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that rebaudioside A might suppress inflammatory reaction through MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ regulation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2018

Chamaecyparis obtusa (CO) has recently been attracting attention because of its beneficial effects on skin allergies, atopic dermatitis, and skin diseases, such as acne and eczema. In the present study, the extract from CO leaf grown in Jangseong gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea was evaluated for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects in vitro. The total polyphenol content of the CO leaf extract was $25.89{\pm}0.31mg$ gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of six compounds in the CO leaf extract: ${\alpha}-terpinene$ (3.03 mg/g), ${\alpha}-terpineol$ (9.48 mg/g), limonene (5.96 mg/g), borneol (59.78 mg/g), myrcene (4.85 mg/g), and sabinene (11.31 mg/g). The $RC_{50}$ values of the CO leaf extract for $H_2O_2$ and ABTS radical were $5.47{\pm}0.13mg/mL$ and $4.00{\pm}0.01mg/mL$, respectively. In addition, the CO leaf extract showed significant inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells and IgE-induced release of ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$ (degranulation) in mast-cell like RBL-2H3 cells. The cell viability assay showed that the CO leaf extract ($100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$) did not affect the viability of human normal skin fibroblast CCD-986sk cells significantly. Overall, these results suggest that the CO leaf extract is a potential functional cosmetic ingredient that can exert anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.341-348
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• 2014

We investigated the anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of extracts of two roasted coffee beans (Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2) and fermented coffee beans with Monascus rubber mycelium (MR) by solid-state culture. C57B/L6 mice were divided into seven groups: normal diet (ND) group, high fat diet (HFD) group, and HFD groups with hot water extracts from Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR-MR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans with 10% brown rice (HFD-VR-MR-BR10), Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES), and MR-fermented Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES-MR). After 6 weeks, body weight gain and food efficiency ratio were higher in the HFD group, but significantly reduced in the coffee extracts-fed groups. The HFD-ES-MR group showed greater body weight reduction than the HFD-ES group. The serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels as well as the atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor all tended to decrease in groups fed Vietnam robusta coffee extracts compared to the HFD group. These results suggest that Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 may be used to make functional coffee beverages with anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1431-1437
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• 2016

Sorghum bicolor L. is one of the important minor cereals in Asia, Africa, and the central United States, and it is considered a rich source of polyphenols, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. However, there is a lack of data on the anti-cancer activity of Sorghum in prostate cancer cells and immune activity in macrophages. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of an ethanol extract of S. bicolor L. (SE) on inducing apoptosis in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells and immunomodulatory activity in RAW 264.7 cells. SE significantly inhibited the viability of RC-58T/h/SA#4 primary prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The morphology of RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells treated with SE was shrunken and involved the formation of an apoptotic body and nuclear condensation. In addition, SE markedly activated caspase-8, -9, and -3; increased the protein levels of Bax, p53, cleaved PARP, and cytosolic cytochrome c; and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, the inhibition of caspases in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells with z-VAD-fmk attenuated SE-induced cell growth inhibition. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was also elevated by SE treatment, as revealed by immune response parameters. These results suggest that SE inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in primary human prostate cancer cells in a caspase-dependent manner, and it modulates the immune functions in macrophages. Therefore, Sorghum bicolor L. may be used as a functional food to prevent prostate cancer and enhance immune activity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.838-847
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• 1999

Based on the results that the extract of Korean mistletoe (KM-110) has immunological and anti-tumor activities and its main component is lectin called KML-U, this study was carried out to investigate the immunostimulatory and anti-tumor activities of FKM-110, fermented KM-110 with lactobacillus, as a basic study for the development of functional food with anti-tumor activity. The amount of lectin after fermentation determined by ELISA was varied with the fermentation time and kinds of lactobacillus. Cytotoxic effects of FKM-110 on the various tumor cells was significant and dependent on the concentration of KML-U and the kinds of lactobacillus. FKM-110 stimulated macrophage and resulted in the secretion of some cytokines such as IL-1 and $IFN-{\gamma}$, but this effect was not correlated with the concentration of lectin. FKM-110 fermented with Marshall Lactobacillus casei showed the most potent antitumor activity in experimental and spontaneous metastasis models. When yoghurt produced with KM-110, Marshall Lactobacillus casei and skim milk was administered orally to mouse, the metastasis of tumor cells was significantly inhibited.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.66-77
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of the mulberry leaf tea fermented by Monascus pilosus on high fat-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver in mice. Non-fermented mulberry leaf tea powder (UM) and fermented mulberry leaf tea powder (FM) were supplemented with high-fat diet at 2% (wt/wt) dosage for 8 weeks. Both UM and FM lowered body weight gain, feed efficiency ratio, epididymal fat, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol increased markedly with high fat diet (HC) in mice. FM showed more significant effects when it was compared with UM. In addition, Hepatic lipid peroxides and xanthin oxidase activities of the UM and FM were significantly lower than those of HC, despite the lack of a big difference in the amount of hepatic GSH. Activities of ROS scavenging enzymes and serum alanine aminotransferase activity were also examined as a parameter of hepatic damage. The UM and FM groups showed a recovery to NC group from significant changes induced by HC. Finally, histopathological analyses of liver samples revealed a decrease of lipid accumulation in hepatocytes in the UM and FM groups. These results suggest that UM and especially FM can reduce the development of obesity, hyperlipidemia and fatty liver.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.574-579
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• 2008

Propolis is the generic term for the resinous substance collected by honey bees from a variety of plant sources. In this study, we have assessed the immunomodulatory properties of propolis (P) and fermented-propolis (FP) in BALB/c mice. Mice were subjected to gavage once a day (for 14 days) with 50, 100, 200 mg/kg body weight P, FP, or vehicle. Lymphocytes were isolated from the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and the immune cell proportions, proliferative activities, and cytokine production were evaluated. The P- and FP-administration induced similar, but differential, alterations in the percentage of immune cell populations and their biological functions, including cytokine production and NK cell cytotoxicity. The proportion of$ CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T cells in the spleen was increased slightly in the P- and FP-administered mice as compared to the vehicle-treated mice. In MLN, the percentage of $CD4^+$ T cells was increased significantly in the 200 mg/kg P-treated mice. The mice which were treated with P and FP evidenced significantly increased interferon-$\gamma$ and interleukin-4 production in concanavalin A-stimulated splenocytes, whereas the production of theses cytokines was not shown to be induced by P-treatment. In addition, NK cell activity was also increased dramatically by the administration of P and FP. Collectively, these findings showed that P and FP are wide-spectrum immunomodulators, which may modulate both innate and adaptive immune responses.