• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 2015

Objectives: It was investigated the cytoprotective efficacies of isorhamnetin, a flavonoid originally derived from Hippophae rhamnoides L., against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in C2C12 myoblasts. Methods: The effects of isorhamnetin on cell growth, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion assay, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and flow cytometry. The levels of apoptosis-regulatory and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway-related proteins, and caspase activities (caspase-3 and -9) were determined by Western blot analysis and colorimetric assay, respectively. Results: Our results revealed that treatment with isorhamnetin prior to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) exposure significantly increased the C2C12 cell viability and, indicating that the exposure of C2C12 cells to isorhamnetin conferred a protective effect against oxidative stress. Isorhamnetin also effectively attenuated $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis and ROS generation, which was associated with the restoration of the upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2 induced by $H_2O_2$. In addition, $H_2O_2$ enhanced the activation of caspase-9 and -3, and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase, a typical substrate protein of activated caspase-3; however, these events were almost totally reversed by pretreatment with isorhamnetin. Moreover, isorhamnetin increased the levels of heme oxygenase-1, a potent antioxidant enzyme, associated with the induction of Nrf2. Conclusions: Our data indicated that isorhamnetin may potentially serve as an agent for the treatment and prevention of muscle disorders caused by oxidative stress.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2021

Objectives: Excessive accumulation of fat on specific region, regarded as localized fat, is one of the serious problems and well-known risk factors of health. Recently, an interest in health and aesthetics is growing by treating lipolytic injection. Polygonatum sibiricum Rehd (PS) has been known to have anti-oxidant, -aging and -atherosclerotic effects. In this study, we investigated the lipolytic effects of PS pharmacopuncture in obese mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice was fed with high fat diet to induce obesity for 12 weeks. PS pharmacopuncture was dissolved in saline by adjusting pH 7. 100 μL of PS pharmacopunture was injected subcutaneously into the left side inguinal fat pad, while saline was injected into the right side inguinal fat pad in mice as self-control. Samples were treated 3 times per weeks for 2 weeks. Results: PS pharmacopunture significantly decreased the inguinal fat weight compared to left side inguinal fat pad. Decrease rate of PS pharmacopuncture was about 21%. In addition, the diameter of adipocyte in inguinal fat tissues was significantly reduced by 17% compared to saline-injected side. There was no sign of toxicity through whole experiments. Conclusion: The present study indiates that PS pharmacopunture could be a material derived from natural herb as a lipolytic injection for decreasing localized fat.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.979-988
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• 2022

Halophytes have been reported to possess a variety of physiological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity. Studies on the roots of the halophyte Rosa rugosa, in particular, have shown a variety of physiological activities and are known to be effective for nursing diabetic complications in traditional Korean medicine. In this study, the effect of R. rugosa on adipogenesis was investigated in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes treated with crude extract and solvent fractions (H₂O, n-BuOH, 85% aq. MeOH, and n-Hex) obtained from R. rugosa roots. Treatment with extract and the solvent fractions inhibited the formation of intracellular lipid droplets in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared to the untreated group. In particular, n-BuOH and 85% aq. MeOH fractions effectively decreased the expression of adipogenic transcription factors: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) in both mRNA and protein levels. In conclusion, these results suggest that R. rugosa contains anti-adipogenic molecules that can be utilized as a nutraceutical against obesity. Further refining of n-BuOH and 85% aq. MeOH fractions and analysis of their action mechanisms could yield potential therapeutic agents with anti-adipogenic effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.664-670
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• 2016

Cheonggukjang (CKJ) is a Korean traditional food made of fermented soybeans. In comparison to normal intake of soybeans, Cheonggukjang has high digestibility with bioactive, antioxidant substances, and thrombolytic enzymes. Recent studies have reported anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity activities as well as inhibitory activities against osteoporosis for CKJ. In this study, we identified the effects of CKJ on osteoblast differentiation by increasing the polyglutamic acid (PGA) content of CKJ. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization significantly increased in response to treatment with both natural CKJ (CKJ A) and PGA-increased CKJ (CKJ B). However, CKJ B exhibited higher ALP activity and mineralization than CKJ A. Real-time reverse transcription PCR demonstrated that mRNA expression of osteoblastic-associated genes such as type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and osteopontin in C2C12 cells was significantly up-regulated by CKJ A or B treatment. These results indicate that treatment with CKJ has an anabolic effect on bone by increasing osteoblastic differentiation and ALP activity. Increasing PGA content in CKJ had a greater effect than CKJ A on up-regulation of osteoblastic gene expression in osteoblast cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1365-1372
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• 2010

We investigated the inhibitory effects of solvent extracts from dried yam on $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and growth of cancer cell lines (HT1080 human fibrosarcoma and HT-29 human colon cancer cells). Yam (Dioscoreacea) has been recognized as a healthy food due to its various biological activities, such as anti-obesity, anti-constipation, anti-proliferation, and anti-mutagenic activities, as well as its ability to decrease blood glucose and cholesterol levels. In order to determine the protective effect on $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress, DCFH-DA (dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate) assay was conducted. Acetone with methylene chloride (A+M) extract of dried yam appeared to reduce the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) with dose responses. Among the fractions, 85% aq. methanol fraction showed the highest protective effect on production of lipid peroxides. Inhibitory effects of A+M and methanol (MeOH) extracts on the growth of HT1080 and HT-29 cancer cells increased in a dose dependent manner. The treatments of n-hexane, 85% aq. methanol and n-butanol fractions (${\geqq}0.5$ mg/ml concentrations) significantly inhibited the growth of both cancer cells (p<0.05). From these results, 85% aq. methanol fraction showed inhibitory effects on cellular oxidation and growth of human cancer cells, suggesting that this fraction may contain active compounds of dried yam.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.1418-1425
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• 2000

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are associated with common pathogenic mechanism, and ${\beta}-glucan$ of Agaricus blazei Murill is potent inhibitor of intestinal ${\alpha}-glycosidase$ and inhibit the digestion of starch and sucrose in the small intestine. In this studies, there was observed the anti-hyperglycemic effect in obese diabetic mice(C57BLKsJ db/db), which were supplied Agaricus and Acarbose for 5 weeks. In db/db mice, food intake and body weight gain were decreased significantly in Agaricus groups(p<0.05). Also these group exhibited lower fasting serum glucose level compared with control group. HbA1c level, triglyceride level, total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level, LDL cholesterol level and VLDL cholesterol level were lowered in db/db mice. The activity of disaccharidases on proximal and distal segments of small intestine was decreased. In conclusion, it was assumed that ${\beta}-glucan$ of Agaricus blazei Murill has anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obesitic effects by reducing food intake and body weight gain, and also decreasing serum glucose and lipid level through inhibiting the activity of small intestinal disaccharidases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2022

Purpose: Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid abundant in many fruits and vegetables. It has potential health-beneficial properties, such as antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the lipid metabolism improvement effect of quercetin affected the regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and microRNA (miR)-21 expression in the liver of mice fed a high-cholesterol diet. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed with normal diet, quercetin-free diet and diets containing 0.05% or 0.1% quercetin for six weeks. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by adding 1% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid to all diets. Serum and liver triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) concentrations were analyzed using a commercial enzymatic colorimetric kit. AMPK activity was quantified using an AMPK kinase assay kit. The levels of miR-21 and genes involved in lipid metabolism were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Supplementation of quercetin reduced serum and hepatic TG and TC levels without changing body weight and food intake. Dietary quercetin significantly inhibited the mRNA levels of hepatic sterol-regulatory element binding protein-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 and fatty acid synthesis, which are involved in hepatic lipogenesis. Dietary quercetin enhanced AMPK activity and suppressed miR-21 expression, promoting hepatic lipid accumulation. Conclusion: These results suggest that the lipid-lowering effect of quercetin on the serum and liver of mice may be partially mediated by the regulation of lipogenic gene expression, AMPK activity and miR-21 expression in the liver of mice fed a high-cholesterol diet.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1701-1707
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• 2016

The present study investigated the anti-obesity effect of pine cone (PC, Pinus koraiensis) supercritical extract in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with HFD, HFD+catechin, and HFD+PC [two different doses, 20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) and 100 mg/kg b.w.] in each AIN93G supplement for 8 weeks. Treatment of HFD mice with both low and high doses of PC significantly reduced body weight gain compared to HFD mice. Liver weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (24.19% and 19.83%, respectively). Total adipose tissue weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (45.54% and 62.66%, respectively). Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups, and ratios of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol increased by 94.55% in the high dose PC-supplemented group. Serum leptin was significantly reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (28.14% and 62.72%, respectively). These results were supported by genetic expression of protein and enzymes related to lipid metabolism assessed by real-time PCR. There was significant reduction of lipid regulatory transcription factors such as $PPAR-{\gamma}$, C/EBP, and SREBP and lipid enzymes such as fatty acid synthesis and lipoprotein lipase in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups. However, there was no statistical difference between low and high dose PC treatments. These results suggest that pine cone supercritical extract supplementation is able to regulate serum lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels, followed by regulation of expression of lipid metabolic factors, resulting in reduction of weight gain in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.1411-1416
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity activity of Aceriphyllum rossii ethanol extract on rat fed a high fat diet. Male SD rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 was the control. Group 2 was fed a high-fat diet. Group 3 was the positive control, fed a high-fat diet supplemented with Garcinia Cambogia extracts. Group 4 was fed a high fat diet supplemented with ethanol extracts of Aceriphyllum rossii (EEAR). Precisely 166 mg/kg of powdered Garcinia Cambogia extracts was used for Group 3. Also, 250 mg/kg of EEAR was used for Group 4. The Body weight increased Group 2, but decreased Group 4. The serum total cholesterol in Group 2 increased by 15.26% when compared to Group 1, but only increased 5.29% in Group 3 and 4.29% in Group 4. The liver and mesenteric adipose tissue weights of Group 2 increased compared to Group 1, whereas they decreased in Group 3 and Group 4. As a result of measuring the concentration of triglycerides in extracted livers, Group 2 showed a significant increase compared to the Group 1, and Groups 3 and 4 showed significant decrease compared Group 2. These results suggest that Aceriphyllum rossii ethanol extracts may be useful as an anti-obesity agent.