• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2022

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 1-year administration of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) on the platelet activity in patients with schizophrenia through a retrospective review of the medical records. Methods : The mean platelet component (MPC) value was used as an index of the platelet activity. The included subjects (N=24) were the patients who were confirmed to have taken SGAs continuously for one year after the first MPC measurement had been performed. The change of MPC was verified through a paired sample t-test. Results : The result revealed that the mean MPC value was significantly decreased from 26.5±1.4 g/dL to 25.6±1.8 g/dL after 1-year administration of SGAs from the time of the first MPC measurement. Conclusions : This study suggests that 1-year administration of SGAs may be related with increased platelet activity, and that close monitoring for risks such as cerebrovascular/cardiovascular or thromboembolic diseases may be necessary during SGAs treatment in clinical practice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1400-1408
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• 2016

The black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) is belong to the Grossulariaceae family, and has piquant berries, which can be eaten as raw or as processed foods, such as jams, jelly, juice and syrups. In this study, the fresh juice of black currant (FJBC) from Austria and its subsequent organic solvent fractions, such as hexane fraction, ethylacetate (EA) fraction, butanol fraction and water residue, were prepared and their in-vitro anti-oxidant, anti-coagulation and anti-platelet aggregation activities were evaluated. The FJBC and EA fraction, which has concentrated polyphenol and flavonoid, showed strong radical scavenging activities and reducing power. The $RC_{50}s$ of EA fraction against DPPH anion, ABTS cation, nitrite were 136.3, 66.2 and $115.5{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, those are 1/10, 1/16, and 1/7.7 of $RC_{50}s$ of vitamin C. In anti-coagulation assay, the FJBC, EA and butanol fraction showed significant inhibitory activities against thrombin, prothrombin and coagulation factors. Furthermore, the anti-platelet aggregation activities of EA and butanol fraction were the stronger than that of aspirin. The concentrations required for 50% platelet aggregation inhibition of aspirin, EA and butanol fraction were 0.395, 0.192 and 0.261 mg/ml, respectively. The EA and butanol fraction have no hemolysis activities up to 0.5 mg/ml against human red blood cells. The results suggest that the FJBC and its EA and butanol fraction have high potentials as novel anti-thrombosis agents. This report provides the first evidence of anti-thrombosis activity of black currant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.363-368
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• 2008

The in vitro thrombin inhibitory activities of 304 crude extracts from 76 kinds of korean wild insects were evaluated. Measurement of thrombin time showed that the DMSO extracts of Acrida cinerea cinerea (Thunberg), Anax parthenope julius Brauer, Eurydema rugosa Motschulsky, and Stethophyma magister (Rehn) and the water extracts of Dolycoris baccarum Linne, Lixus divaricatus Motschulsky, Metrioptera bonneti, Moechotypa diphysis (Pascoe), Nicrophorus concolor sp., and Tomapoderus ruficollis (Fabricius) had strong thrombin inhibitory activity. No prominent changes of activated partial thromboplastin time by treatment of the selected extracts suggested direct inhibition of thrombin activity by the insect extracts. DPPH scavenging activity of selected extracts showed that the extract of A. cinerea cinerea (Thunberg), D. baccarum Linne, L. divaricatus Motschulsky and N. concolor sp. has good antioxidant activity as well as antithombin activity. Our results suggested that some of korean wild insects could be developed as a natural source of antithrombosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1252-1259
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• 2013

To investigate the effects of a fibrinolytic enzyme, BK-17, on the growth of human cancer cells, we performed various biochemical experiments, including cell proliferation and viability, and investigated subsequent morphological changes and apoptosis induction. BK-17 treatment of AGS human gastric and T24 human bladder carcinoma cells decreased the viability and the proliferation of the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Microscopic studies indicated that the antiproliferative effects of the BK-17 treatment were associated with morphological changes, such as membrane shrinking, cell rounding up, and the formation of apoptotic bodies, indicating that BK-17 induced apoptosis in the cell lines. Of note, RT-PCR and Western blotting data indicated that the BK-17 treatment induced the down-regulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 members, Bcl-2 and $Bcl-X_L$, and the up-regulation of proapoptotic Bax members, Bax and Bad, in the AGS cells. BK-17-induced apoptosis of AGS cells was involved in the proteolytic activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Taken together, these findings suggest that BK-17 is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.391-397
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• 2010

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) have been used as medicinal and edible resources worldwide. In the present study, methanol extracts were prepared from various kinds of yam, including D. batatas (Gyeongbuk No. 1 and No. 4), D. alata L. (Gyeongbuk No. 5 and No. 6), and D. bulbifera and D. nipponica, and the antioxidant, antithrombin, and antimicrobial activities of these extracts were evaluated. The water content of the various yams was 54.7~83.2% (D. batatas> D. alata L.>D. nipponica>D. bulbifera) and the methanol extracts contained 0.59-1.59% (w/v) solid matter (D. alata L.>D. batatas >D. nipponica>D. bulbifera). The mean concentrations of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and total sugars in the different types of yam were 49.82 mg/g, 9.79 mg/g, and 173.81 mg/g, respectively. Analysis of DPPH radical-scavenging activity showed that D. alata L. Gyeongbuk No. 6 had a strong antioxidant capacity (IC50=$142.30{\mu}g/mL$), whereas the other yams showed reduced levels of activity (IC50=371-$486{\mu}g/mL$). D. alata L. Gyeongbuk No. 6 showed a strong antithrombin activity against human thrombin. Upon treatment with a D. alata methanol extract (1.5 mg/mL), thrombin time was increased 7.35-fold compared with that when methanol alone was used. In an antimicrobial activity assay, the D. nipponica extract showed moderate antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella typhimurium. Our results indicate that different varieties of Dioscorea spp., including D. batatas, have useful biochemical attributes, including antioxidant, antithrombin, and antibacterial activities.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.206-211
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• 2006

This study was performed to examine antitumor activities of Rubus coreanus Miquel and Angelica gigas Nakai extracts against sarcoma-180 and anti-stress activities in ICR mice. The variation of body weights of the 20 days of Rubus coreanus extracts-administrated mice group was very low. The survival rate (T/C %) of Rubus coreanus extract administrated group was 161% after 50 days from the inoculation of sarcoma-180 and the increment of their body weights was suppressed. Anti-stress effect of the extracts of R. coreanus and A. gigas were estimated by maeasuring blood chemical value and internal organs weight in ICR mice. The extracts of R. coreanus reduced the cholesterol and glucose to the normal level in the all stress animal models. The extracts of R. coreanus reduced the hypertrophy of the internal organs such as adrenal, spleen and liver to the regular level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1107-1112
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• 2010

In this study, the stable maintenance of bioactivity in alkaline ionized water (AIW) and antibacterial effects of AIW were evaluated to confirm benefits of AIW. As controls, purified water (PW) and tap drinking water (DW) were used. The pH and ORP (oxidation-reduction potential) of AIW, PW and DW used were 9.5 and 120 mV, 7.2 and 144 mV, and 7.3 and 564 mV, respectively. High level of minerals was observed in DW (DW>AIW>PW of mineral contents). Concentrations of $Ca^{++}$ and $Na^+$ in DW were 14.5, and 8.4 mg/l, respectively, while no $Ca^{++}$, $Mg^{++}$, $K^+$, and $Na^+$ were detected in PW. Evaluation of antioxidant activities for AIW, PW and DW showed that the waters did not act as antioxidants. However, the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) or superoxide radical scavenging activities or reducing power of vitamin C were stably maintained in AIW and PW, though not in DW, against heat treatment ($60^{\circ}C$) or vigorous shaking (120 rpm) at $37^{\circ}C$. Similarly, after aspirin treatment at $60^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr, the antithrombosis activity in PW and AIW was 62.6% and 55.3%, while that of DW was 52.1%. Furthermore, cell growth analysis and viable cell count of Escherichia coli H7:O157 in PW, AIW and DW showed that AIW and DW, not DW, have antibacterial activities. Our results suggest that the state of water, for example pH, ORP and mineral contents of water, should be considered in medicine or food industries, and that AIW has high potential for utilization in various fields.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 2014

In the course of study for the development of functional food using red beans (azuki beans, Phaseolus radiatus L.), the ethanol extracts from raw-red bean (RRB) and boiled-red bean (BRB) were prepared, and the components and various biological activities of both were compared. It was observed that the extraction yield, and the total polyphenol content, of the BRB were 1.2 times higher than that of the RRB. However, the contents of total flavonoid, total sugar and reducing sugar in the BRB were 30, 27.9 and 30.8% respectively when compared with those of RRB. In relation to antioxidative activity, both RRB and BRB exhibited moderate DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite scavenging activities and reducing power, though in all cases RRB demonstrated stronger activities than BRB. The extracts of RRB and BRB did not reveal any antimicrobial activities. In a ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibitory activity assay, RRB was higher than BRB, while BRB showed higher ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity than RRB. A strong and particular activity was observed in an anti-thrombosis activity assay of RRB. The extract of RRB demonstrated strong inhibitions against prothrombin and blood coagulation factors, with moderate thrombin inhibition. However, the extract of BRB did not exhibit any significant anti-thrombosis activity. Our results indicate that RRB has different, but useful biological activities, and loss or elimination of the biologically active substances in RRB occurs during the production of BRB. Therefore, to develop more functional foods from red beans, a study of suitable boiling, heating and drying processes is essential, and the efficient re-use of boiled waste water from the boiling process is necessary. These results could be applied to the further development of functional red bean beverages and sweat red bean pastes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1068-1075
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• 2018

Kaempferia parviflora, an herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae, is popular in many tropical regions. It is called as black ginger or krachaidum in Thailand and Laos, and its raw or dried root have been used as spices and teas. The rhizomes also have been traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, gout, dysentery, allergies and to improve physical work capacity. Recently, its anti-obesity, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood clot-lysis activities were reported. In this study, the anti-thrombosis activity of black ginger was investigated, since improvement in blood fluidity leads to the prevention of various lifestyle-related diseases. The hot water and ethanol extract and their subsequent solvent fractions (hexane, ethylacetate, butanol fractions and water residue) were prepared, and their anti-coagulation and platelet aggregation inhibitory activities were determined, respectively. Among the black ginger extracts and their fractions, the ethylacetate fraction (EAF) of ethanol extract only showed significant extensions of blood coagulation time determined by thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). At 5 mg/ml concentration, TT, PT and aPTT were extended to 1.22, 1.49 and >15-folds compared to non-treatment. The EAFs of ethanol and hot water extract showed strong inhibitions against collagen-induced platelet aggregations, which are comparable to inhibitions of aspirin. Also the EAFs from black ginger did not show any hemolysis activity against human RBC up to 0.5 mg/ml. Our results suggest that the EAF of black ginger has a potential as novel anti-coagulation and ant-platelet aggregation agent. This report provides the first evidence of anti-coagulation activity of black ginger.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.247-266
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• 2017

Cordyceps is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb well-known in China, Korea and Japan since B.C. 2,000. The original entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sinensis belonging to the genus Cordyceps could not be found inside Korean peninsula due to the absence of the host insect for the corresponding entomogenous fungus. The development of artificial production methods of Korean type Cordyceps using the silkworm Bombyx mori as in vivo culture medium for the the entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces tenuipes is the first, and wonderful occasion in the research history of insect industry of this global world. The aim of this article is to review the historical research background, mass-production methods, and pharmacological effects of the silkworm-dongchunghacho (Paecilomyces tenuipes) which is a newly developed Korean medicinal insect-borne mushroom, and another non-insect-borne medicinal mushroom (Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps pruinosa). Their biological actions include anti-tumor, immunostimulating, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombosis, hypolipidaemic and insecticidal effects. The bioactive principles are protein-bound polysaccharides (hexose, hexosamin), cordycepin, D-manitol, acidic polysaccharide etc. Protein-bound polysaccharides and n-butanol fractions were demonstrated to show a significant anti-tumor activities but did not show a cytotoxicities. D-mannitol exhibited a significant prolongation of the life span in tumor bearing mice. Ergosterol did not show an efficient anti-tumor activity, but showed a significant phagocytosis enhancing activity. Anti-tumor activity of silkworm-dongchunghacho might be attributed to immuno-stimulating activities rather than cytotoxic effects [164]. Also this review comprises the breeding of Dongchunghacho varieties, optimization of culture conditions, improvement of learning and memory by Dongchunghacho, application of them as foods and chemical constituents.