• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.285-295
• /
• 2016

To investigate the effect of dietary fiber from mozuku, Cladosiphon novae-caledoniae kylin (C. novae-caledoniae kylin) on the skin care, we measured anti-oxidant activity, anti-microbial activities, tyrosinase activity inhibition and elastic activity. B16F10 melanoma cell (MTT assay) were used to measure cell viability. MC and MI exhibited in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphyloccus aureus (S. aureus) and MRSA without antifungal activity. Mozuku extract (MS) showed excellent tyrosinase inhibition effect compared to arbutin as a positive control (to 49% for tyrosine). The wrinkle-improving effect was relatively low. However, wrinkle-improving effect was relatively low. DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 89% in a concentrations at $500{\mu}g/mL$. These results indicate that the mozuku extracts may be an effective cosmetic ingredient for skin whitening.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.519-526
• /
• 2012

Recently, herbal flavonoids have been implicated for anti-cancer therapy. Flavonoids as a commonly known for their anti-oxidant activity, are contained in the herbal medicine as well as root of plants, vegetables, fruits, grains, tea, and wine. Kaempferol, a component of Polygonati rhizoma, a member of the herbal flavonoids, has been studied for anti-hypercholesterol, anti-hypertension and anti-diabetes. It is also known to be effective in anti-cancer therapy for breast, prostate and other type of cancers. However, the anti-cancer therapeutic mechanisms are pooly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying kaempferol-induced anti-cancer effects using the human liver cancer cell lines, Hep3B, HepG2, and Sk-Hep-1, and human Chang liver cell as a control. As shown by the FACS analysis, measurement of caspase activity, DAPI and trypan blue staining, and DNA fragmentation assay, kaempferol induced apoptosis in the liver cancer cells with the greater potential in Hep3B cells than other liver cancer cells. In addition, we performed microarray analysis to profile the genome-wide mRNA expression regulated by kaempferol. Many of the apoptosis-related genes were significantly induced in kaempferol-treated Hep3B cells, in particular, the genes associated with MAPK cascade. Additionally, kaempferol induced the mRNA expression of genes involved in MKK7-JNK cascade, MKK3-p38 cascade, and caspase signaling pathway, which are all known to trigger apoptosis. Overall, our data suggest that kaempferol has anti-liver cancer effects by inducing apoptosis through the MKK7-JNK cascade, MKK3-p38 cascade, and caspase signaling pathways.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.99-116
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of Hyulbuchukeotanggamibang water extract (HBCT). Methods: In the study of anti-inflammatory effects, HBCT was investigated using cultured cells and a murine models. As for the parameters of inflammation, levels of several inflammatory cytokines and chemical mediators which are known to be related to inflammation were determined in mouse lung fibroblast cells (mLFCs) and RAW264.7 cells. Results: Prior to the experiment, we investigated the cytotoxicity of HBCT. HBCT showed a safety in cytotoxicity on mLFCs. In experiment of anti-inflammatory effect, HBCT effected scavenging activity on DPPH free radical, superoxide dismutase and superoxide anion radical. HBCT inhibited $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$, COX-2 and NOS-II mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner in RAW264.7 cell line, and inhibited significantly $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$ production at $100{\mu}g/\;ml$ in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggest that HBCT can be used for treating diverse female diseases caused by inflammation such as endometriosis, pelvic pain, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic tuberculosis and so forth.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.135-148
• /
• 2006

Sophorae Radix (SFR) is known as a therapeutic drug that has been used in Oriental traditional medicine for the treatment of skin and mucosal ulcers, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, diarrhea, inflammation and arrhythmia. In the present study, we examined the effects of the aqueous extract of SFR on anti-inflammation, anti-allergic and anti-oxidant effect in various cell lines; they include mouse lung fibroblast cells (hFCs), human mast cells (HMC-1), human monocytic cells (THP-1), and RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment with SFR extract at a concentration of 250 ${\mu}g$/ml for 24h showed no significant decrease in the survival rate of the hFCs. SFR decreased the mRNA expression of IL-8, TNF-$\alpha$, and IL-6 in HMC-1 cells. SFR extract treatment significantly inhi-bited the protein expression of IL-6 and, IL-8 induced by mite in THP-1 cells and it also did MCP-1 expression. We examined the alternation of histamine release in HMC-1 cells for investigating anti-allergic effect of SFR. Histamine secretion decreased after the treatment with SFR. In addition, SFR extract treatment at a concentration of 10 ${\mu}g$/ml, 100 ${\mu}g$ /ml, and 200 ${\mu}g$/ml lowered the $\beta$-hexosaminidase to 10.3%, 21.7%, and 50.8%, respectively. IC50 of SFR extract in RBL-2H3 cells was 196.85 ${\mu}g$/ml. Both activity of NF-$\kappa$B promoter in RBL-2H3 cells significantly diminished after the dose-dependent treatment of SFR. Therefore, our results indicate that SFR has anti-inflammatory and it may be useful for treating allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.5317-5323
• /
• 2013

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and one of the leading causes of death among women in the world. Plants and herbs may play an important role in complementary or alternative treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-proliferative potential of Urtica dioica. The anti oxidant activity of an aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf was measured by MTT assay and the FRAP method while its anti-proliferative activity on the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and fibroblasts isolated from foreskin tissue was evaluated using MTT assay. Mechanisms leading to apoptosis were also investigated at the molecular level by measuring the amount of anti and pro-apoptotic proteins and at the cellular level by studying DNA fragmentation and annexin V staining by flow cytometry. The aqueous extract of Urtica dioica showed antioxidant effects with a correlation coefficient of $r^2$=0.997. Dose-dependent and anti-proliferative effects of the extract were observed only on MCF-7 cells after 72 hrs with an $IC_{50}$ value of 2 mg/ml. This anti proliferative activity was associated with an increase of apoptosis as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation, the appearance of apoptotic cells in flow cytometry analysis and an increase of the amount of calpain 1, calpastatin, caspase 3, caspase 9, Bax and Bcl-2, all proteins involved in the apoptotic pathway. This is the first time such in vitro antiproliferative effect of aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf has been described for a breast cancer cell line. Our findings warrant further research on Urtica dioica as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.9
• /
• pp.986-993
• /
• 2017

Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) has been identified as one of the plants that are likely to undergo important commercial exploitation. This study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression of hot water (LMW) and 80% ethanol (LME) extracts from lemon myrtle leaf in lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS) RAW 264.7 cells. The total phenol content of LMW and LME was 207.44 and $331.54{\mu}g$ tannic acid equivalents (TAE)/mg, respectively (p<0.01). DPPH radical scavenging activities of LMW and LME were remarkably increased in a dose-dependent manner, and were about 90.69% and 92.50% at 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of LMW and LME were 106.22% and 103.58% at 1 mg/ml, respectively. The highest activity (91.03%) of nitrite-scavenging was observed for LME at 1 mg/ml at pH 1.2, while the activity for LMW was about 81.03% under the same conditions (p<0.05). Anti-inflammatory effect was examined in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Nitric oxide (NO) production were reduced to 35.41% and 78.39% by addition of LMW and LME at 0.5 mg/ml, respectively (p<0.05). LMW and LME reduced protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). These results, we conclude that lemon myrtle may be a highly valuable natural product owing to its high-quality functional components as well as its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.199-205
• /
• 2009

Background: A major ingredient of green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and this is known to have many beneficial effects for cancer prevention and also on the cardiovascular system and neurodegenerative diseases through its anti-oxidant, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and neuroprotective properties. Its actions on nociception and the spinal nervous system have been examined in only a few studies, and in these studies EGCG showed an antinociceptive effect on inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and a neuroprotective effect in motor neuron disease. This study was performed to investigate the effect of EGCG on acute thermal pain and the development of morphine tolerance at the spinal level. Methods: The experimental subjects were male Sprague-Dawley rats and the Hot-Box test was employed. A single or double-lumen intrathecal catheter was implanted at the lumbar enlargement for drug administration. An osmotic pump was used to infuse morphine for 7 days for induction of morphine tolerance. EGCG was injected repeatedly for 7 days at twice a day through the intrathecal catheter. Results: Intrathecal EGCG increased the paw withdrawal latency (PWL) after repeated administration for 7 days at twice a day, but this did not happen with administering on single bolus injection of EGCG. In addition, the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal morphine was not affected by co-administration with EGCG. A continuous 7-day infusion of morphine caused a significant decrease of the PWL in the control group (M + S, morphine plus saline). In contrast, intrathecal EGCG injection over 7 days blocked the decrease of the PWL in the experiment group (M + E, morphine plus EGCG). Conclusions: Intrathecal ECGC produced a weak antinociceptive effect for acute thermal pain, but it did not change the morphine's analgesic effect. However, the development of antinociceptive tolerance to morphine was attenuated by administering intrathecal EGCG.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.33 no.3 s.130
• /
• pp.252-256
• /
• 2002

In the previous study, we demonstrated that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ isolated from the butanol fraction of the head of Panax ginseng had significant gastroprotective activity on gastritis and gastric ulcer models in rats. It has been well established that drugs to have capacity of scavenging or inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen radicals prevent the gastric mucosal injury. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ was tested on HCl ethanol-induced gastritis in rats, DPPH-induced free radical scavenging effect, MDA assay, GSH activity, and SOD activity in gastric tissue. It showed significant inhibition in HCl ethanol-induced gastritis, and al~o significantly increase of GSH activated SOD. We speculate that the protective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ against HCl ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage is originated from the increase of GSH and the activation of SOD.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.1411-1414
• /
• 2007

According to the report of Korea National Statistical Office in 2007, cerebral vascular disease is second cause of deaths in Korean. Cerebral ischemia is one of the main reason of cerebral vascular diseases. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of heyneanol A against cerebral ischemia, we used the middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO). Heyneanol A from root of vitis amurensis Rup is a tetramer of resveratrol as known anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent. Although the effects of resveratrol in the various fields have been well established, little is known of the effects of heyneanol A. In this study, heyneanol A reduced infarction and edema volume by 33.5% and 57% compared with control groups (vehicle), respectively. Also, neurological score was decreased by heyneanol A. It's effects were more potent than resveratol. Taken together, these results exerted that heyneanol A has a neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.63 no.2
• /
• pp.147-152
• /
• 2020

Farrerol is a flavanone isolated from the traditional Chinese herb 'Man-shan-hong' (Rhododendron dauricum L.). Farrerol has been reported to have various bioactivities including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, and anti-fungal. However, anti-cancer effect of farrerol has not yet been reported in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the anti-cancer effect of farrerol on MCF-7 cells. Farrerol decreased viability and induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells in a dose dependent manner. Ferrerol exhibited a significant anti-proliferation effect with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 145.04±1.4 μM in MTT assay, when MCF-7 cells were treated with ferrerol for 48 h. Also, ferrerol induced apoptotic bodies of MCF-7 cells as evaluated by TUNEL assay and Annexin V/PI staining using FACS. By mechanism of action, ferrerol regulated the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and altered the expression level of BAX, Bcl-2, and Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase in MCF-7 cells. In summary, our finding demonstrated that ferrerol has anti-cancer effect through regulating the activation and expression of apoptosis-related proteins in MCF-7 cells.