• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.994-1002
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• 2017

This study was performed to evaluate the anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, and whitening effects of Zizania latifolia ethanol extracts prepared from 5 different ethanol concentrations (10, 30, 50, 70, and 90%). As the ethanol concentration in the extraction solvent was increased, the radical scavenging activities also increased. The inhibitory activity of Z. latifolia ethanol extracts on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells tended to increase as the content of ethanol increased. The highest inhibitory activity was obtained with 70% ethanol extract. The antiallergy effects of Z. latifolia ethanol extracts were tested by measuring the release of ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$ in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. The suppressive effect of Z. latifolia ethanol extracts increased in a dose-dependent manner as the proportion of ethanol increased, except for the 10% ethanol extract. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of Z. latifolia ethanol extracts against melanin production in ${\alpha}-melanocyte$ stimulated hormone (MSH)-stimulated B16F0 cells increased as the ethanol ratio increased, and 70 and 90% ethanol extracts showed similar inhibitory activities to arbutin, a positive control, at $250{\mu}m$. The present study confirmed the efficacy of Z. latifolia ethanol extracts in various areas, demonstrating antioxidative, anti-inflammation, antiallergy, skin protective, and skin whitening effects, with no cytotoxicity. It could be used as a raw material in functional foods, as well as in cosmetics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1015-1024
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• 2023

Antibiotics have greatly contributed to the treatment and prevention of bacterial diseases in humans, animals, and fish. However, antibiotic misuse has led to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In addition to antibiotic discovery research, efforts are being made to combat such multidrug-resistant bacteria using antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, host immune enhancement, probiotics, and bacteriophages, as well as various symptomatic therapies. To discover novel bioactive compounds, it is crucial to adopt approaches that incorporate fresh ideas, new targets, innovative techniques, and untapped resources. Halophytes are plants that grow in high-salt soils and are known to adapt to salt-induced stress through unique metabolic processes that produce secondary metabolites. This study aimed to investigate the effects of extracts of halophytes native to Korea on oxidative stress and to determine whether they exert inhibitory activity against biofilms, which are major pathogenic factors of infectious bacteria. The Acinetobacter baumannii strain ATCC 17978, a representative drug-resistant bacterium, was used to measure anti-biofilm activity. The results showed that Aster spathulifolius, Carex kobomugi, Rosa rugosa, and Asparagus cochinchiensis exerted strong antioxidant and anti-biofilm effects without affecting bacterial growth itself. The halophytes used in this study are promising candidates for the development of pharmaceutical agents with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.676-684
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• 2017

The present study aimed to examine the hepatoprotective effects of ethanol extracts from steam-dried ginseng berry (SGBE) in both $\text\tiny{D}$-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide ($\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS)-sensitized mice and in vitro models. Our results clearly demonstrated that SGBE significantly reduced the level of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase in blood, and $TNF{\alpha}$ was normalized in 8 h after the treatment with $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS. Coincidently, major organs remained unimpaired when compared to $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS control group. Moreover, p38, which stimulates expression of NAFLD-associated cytokines, was markedly inhibited when treated with SGBE. In vitro analysis revealed that the main components of SGBE, linoleic acid and ginsenoside Re/Rd, may play a role in protecting liver from $\text\tiny{D}$-GalN/LPS-induced toxicity. Finally, we concluded that SGBE may be a promising therapeutic agent for preventing damage to the liver.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 2006

Purpose : This study was carried out to elucidate the effects of nitric oxide synthase(NOS) inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) and nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine(L-Arg) on cerebral hemodynamics and energy metabolism during reoxygenation-reperfusion(RR) after hypoxia-ischemia(HI) in newborn piglets. Methods : Twenty-eight newborn piglets were divided into 4 groups; Sham normal control(NC), experimental control(EC), L-NMMA(HI & RR with L-NMMA), and L-Arg(HI & RR with L-Arg) groups. HI was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries and simultaneously breathing with 8 percent oxygen for 30 mins, and followed RR by release of carotid occlusion and normoxic ventilation for one hour. All groups were monitored with cerebral hemodynamics and cytochrome $aa_3$ (Cyt $aa_3$) using near infrared spectroscopy(NIRS). $Na^+$, $K^+$-ATPase activity, lipid peroxidation products, and tissue high energy phosphate levels were determined biochemically in the cerebral cortex. Results : In experimental groups, mean arterial blood pressure, $PaO_2$, and pH decreased, and base excess and blood lactate level increased after HI compared to NC group(P<0.05). These variables subsequently returned to baseline after RR except pH. There were no differences among the experimental groups. In NIRS, oxidized hemoglobin($HbO_2$) decreased and hemoglobin(Hb) increased during HI(P<0.05) but returned to base line immediately after RR; 40 min after RR, the $HbO_2$ had decreased significantly compared to NC group(P<0.05). Changes of Cyt $aa_3$ decreased significantly compared to NC after HI and recovered at the end of the experiment. Significantly reduced cerebral cortical cell membrane $Na^+$, $K^+$-ATPase activity and increased lipid peroxidation products(P<0.05) were not improved with L-NMMA or L-Arg. Conclusion : These findings suggest that NO is not involved in the mechanism of HI and RR brain damage during the early acute phase of RR.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.361-373
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• 2015

This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Glycyrriza uralensis Fisher (Jecheon, Korea) extracts obtained by various extraction conditions (85% ethanol, heating temperatures and times), and to establish the optimal extraction condition of G. uralensis for the application as cosmetic ingredients. The extracts obtained under different conditions were concentrated and made in the powdered (sample-1) and were the crude extract solutions without concentration (sample-2). The antioxidant effects were determined by free radical scavenging activity ($FSC_{50}$), ROS scavenging activity ($OSC_{50}$), and cellular protective effects. Antibacterial activity was determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) on human skin flora. DPPH free radical scavenging activity of sample-1 ($100{\mu}g/mL$) was 10% higher in group extracted for 6 h than 12 h, but sample-2 didn't show any significant differences. The extraction yield extracted with same temperature for 12 h was 2.6 times higher than 6 h, but total flavonoid content was 1.1 times higher. These results indicated that total flavonoid content hardly increased with increasing extraction time. Free radical scavenging activity, ROS scavenging activity and cellular protective effects were not dependent on the yield of extraction, but total flavonoid content of extraction. Antibacterial activity on three skin flora (S. aureus, B. subtilis, P. acnes)of sample-1 in different extraction conditions were evaluated on same concentration, and the group extracted at 25 and $40^{\circ}C$ showed 16 times higher than methyl paraben ($2,500{\mu}g/mL$). In conclusion, 85% ethanol extracts of G. uralensis extracted at $40^{\circ}C$ for 6 h showed the highest antioxidant and antibacterial activity. These results indicate that the extraction condition is important to be optimized by comprehensive evaluation of extraction yield with various conditions, yield of active component, and activity test with concentrations, and activity of 100% extract, for manufacturing process of products.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.369-373
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• 2012

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) maintains energy homeostasis in skeletal muscle. Nonetheless, its functional role on protein synthesis with different nutrient availability has not been elucidated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of AMPK activity on protein content in C2C12 myotubes incubated with low (5 mM; LG) or high (25 mM; HG) glucose media. LG stimulated (p<0.05) AMPK and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) activity compare to those in HG group. Total protein content was higher in myotubes cultured with HG than in those cultured with LG and further increased by AICAR (5-amino-1-${\beta}$-D-ribofuranosyl-imidazole-4-carboxamide). Myotubes cultured with HG showed 7.5% lower UbFL (Ubiquitin Firefly Luciferase)-to-SV40 (Simian virus40) ratio compared to those in LG. Glucose level did not change the phosphorylation level of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Interestingly, administration of AICAR significantly increased phosphorylation level of mTOR in myotubes cultured with LG but not in those with HG. Overall, this data indicate that AMPK activity and protein turnover are finely regulated in response to different glucose concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.719-728
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• 2021

Melanin pigments are abundantly distributed in mammalian skin, hair, eyes, and nervous system. Under normal physiological conditions, melanin protects the skin against various environmental stresses and acts as a physiological redox buffer to maintain homeostasis. However, abnormal melanin accumulation results in various hyperpigmentation conditions, such as chloasma, freckles, senile lentigo, and inflammatory pigmentation. Tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme, plays an important role in the regulation of the melanin pigment biosynthetic pathway. Although several whitening agents based on tyrosinase inhibition have been developed, their side effects, such as allergies, DNA damage, mutagenesis, and cytotoxicity of melanocytes, limit their applications. In this study, we synthesized 4-chromanone derivatives (MHY compounds) and investigated their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Of these compounds, (E)-3-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (MHY1294) more potently inhibited the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 5.1±0.86 μM) than kojic acid (14.3±1.43 μM), a representative tyrosinase inhibitor. In addition, MHY1294 showed competitive inhibitory action at the catalytic site of tyrosinase and had greater binding affinity at this site than kojic acid. Furthermore, MHY1294 effectively inhibited α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells. The results of the present study indicate that MHY1294 may be considered as a candidate pharmacological agent and cosmetic whitening ingredient.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.158-168
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• 2023

Natural products have been used to mitigate the effects of cancer and infectious diseases, as they feature diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Here, we chose 10 natural products that are well-known as pulmonary enhancers and investigated their bactericidal effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the disk diffusion assay, the growth of S. pneumoniae was significantly regulated by G. fructus treatment regardless of extraction method used. We first adopted spraying as a novel delivery method for G. fructus. Interestingly, mice exposed to G. fructus three times a day for 2 weeks were resistant to S. pneumoniae intranasal infection (shown both through body weight loss and survival rates compared to the control group). Moreover, we confirmed that exposure to G. fructus regulated the colonization of the bacteria despite the sustained inflammation in the lung after exposure to S. pneumoniae, indicating that migrated inflammatory immune cells may involve a host defense mechanism against pulmonary infectious diseases. While a similar number of granulocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C⁺Ly6G⁺), neutrophils (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G⁺), and monocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G^-) were found between groups, a significantly increased number of alveolar macrophages (CD11b⁺CD11c^hiF4/80⁺) was detected in BAL fluids of mice pre-exposed to G. fructus at 5 days after S. pneumonia infection. Taken together, our data suggest that this usage of G. fructus can induce protective immunity against bacterial infection, indicating that facial spray may be helpful in enhancing the defense mechanism against pulmonary inflammation and in evaluating the efficacy of natural products as immune enhancers against respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2007

LPS induces the synthesis of several inflammatory cytokine, chemokine, NO and inflammation in the liver of rats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of Rubus coreanum Miquel (RCM) In lipid metabolism. RCM of 100 mg/kg concentration was intraperitoneally administered into rats at dose of 1.5ml/kg for 20 days. On the day 21, 1.5ml/kg of LPS was injected 4 hours before anesthetization. We examined the lipid-related functions by measuring the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), total lipid (TL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in serum and malondialdehyde(MDA) in liver tissue. The results showed that LPS treatment increased the values of TG, TC, TL and MDA, decreasing that of HDL-C. But RCM pretreatment decreased the high values of TG, TC, TL and MDA to the low values and increased the low value of HDL-C to the high value. These results suggested that RCM could be used as the potential candidate for the lipid metabolism natural supplement.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.63-71
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• 2014

Objectives : Lonicerae japonicae Flos(LJF) has been reported to exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-rheumatoid properties. However, it is still largely unknown whether LJF inhibits the ultraviolet(UV)B-induced oxidative damage in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Therefore in this paper, we investigated the anti-oxidative capacity and protective effect of LJF against UVB-induced oxidative demage in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Methods : To evaluate the anti-oxidative activity of LJF extracts, we measured total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity, and superoxide scavenging activity. To give an oxidative stress to HaCaT cells, UVB was irradiated with $200mJ/cm^2$ to HaCaT cells. To detect the protective effect of LJF against UVB, we measured cell viability, DNA fragmentation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In addition, we performed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to find a major component of LJF. Results : LJF contained phenolic and flavonoid contents, and showed the anti-oxidant and superoxide scavenging activity. The UVB-induced oxidative conditions led to the cell death, DNA fragmentation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, pretreatment with LJF reduced oxidative conditions, including inhibition of cell death, DNA fragmentation and ROS production. In addition, we found out chlorogenic acid as major component of LJF. Conclusions : These results could suggest that LJF contained anti-oxidative contents and exhibited protective effects against UVB on human HaCaT keratinocytes. And the effective compound of LJF which could show protective activities against UVB is chlorogenic acid. Thus, LJF and chlorogenic acid would be useful for the development of drug or cosmetics treating skin troubles.