• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.54-64
• /
• 2021

The chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been developed for offensive or defensive purposes and used as chemical weapons in war and terrorism. The CWAs are exposed to the natural environment, transported through the water system and then eventually contaminate soil and groundwater. Therefore, effective decontamination technology to remediate CWAs are needed. The CWAs are extremely dangerous and prodution is strictly prohibited, therefore, it is difficult to use CWAs even in experimental purpose. In this study, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was chosen as a model representative CWA because it is a simulant of anti-plant CWAs and one of the major component of agent orange. The optimum degradation conditions such as oxidant:activator ratio were determined. The effects of hydroxylamine and chelating agents such as citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), malic acid (MA), and EDTA addition to increase Fe2+ activation were also investigated. Scavenger experiments using tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and ethanol confirmed that although both sulfate (SO4•-) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) existed in Fe2+-persulfate system, sulfate radical was the predominant radical. To promote the Fe2+ activator effect, the effect of hydroxylamine as a reducing agent was investigated. In chelating agents assisted Fe2+-persulfate oxidation, the addition of 2 mM of CA and MA enhanced 2,4-D degradation. In contrast, EDTA and OA inhibited the 2,4-D removal due to steric hindrance effect.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.59-66
• /
• 2016

It has been generally accepted that obesity and overweight are associated with metabolic diseases and cancer incidence. In fact, obesity increased risks of cancers i.e. breast, liver, pancreatic and prostate. Celastrol is a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from Thunder god vine, was used as a Chinese traditional medicine for treatment of inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, lupus erythematosus and Alzheimer's disease. Also, celastrol has various biological properties of chemo-preventive, neuro-protective, and anti-oxidant effects. Recent studies demonstrated that celastrol has anti-proliferation effects in different type of obesity-related cancers and suppresses tumor progression and metastasis. Anticancer effects of celastrol include regulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$, heat shock protein, JNK, VEGF, CXCR4, Akt/mTOR, MMP-9 and so on. For these reasons, celastrol has shown to be a promising anti-tumor agent. In this review, we will address the anticancer activities and multiple mechanisms of celastrol in obesity-related cancers.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 2011

This study was carried out to search for natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds from 5 medicinal plants (Carthamus tinctorius seed, Cyperus rotundus, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum, and Paeonia lactiflora). These plants were extracted with 70% ethanol. In order to measure total antioxidant activity of flavonoids, polyphenol content was measured. Radical scavenging activities of extracts were examined using a-a-Diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl ($DPPH{\cdot}$), 2,2-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid ($ABTS{\cdot}$), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and superoxide anion radical assays. C. tinctorius seed extracts showed the highest polyphenol and flavonoid contents as well as strong $DPPH{\cdot}$, $ABTS{\cdot}$, FRAP, and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity. Also, C. tinctorius seed extracts showed the highest nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory effect. Theses results indicate that the C. tinctorius seed extracts can be used as a functional material due to their effective anti-oxidative and antiinflammatory activities.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.58 no.3
• /
• pp.241-246
• /
• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the antiinflammatory activities of taxifolin from Opuntia humifusa. A potent anti-oxidant activity was shown from the leaf extract at $IC_{50}$ value of $38.33{\pm}1.07{\mu}g/mL$ and fruit extract at $IC_{50}$ value of $40.23{\pm}2.21{\mu}g/mL$ by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Fraction of taxifolin from leaf extract identified using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results of cell viability indicated that taxifolin did not show cytotoxicity on RAW 264.7 cells at $500{\mu}M$ of concentration. The result showed that taxifolin inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of Nitrite oxide. In addition, taxifolin inhibited LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6 production by cytokine assay and cyclooxygenase-2 expression by western blot analysis, meaning taxifolin has a significant anti-inflammatory effect. Our results suggested that taxifolin from Opuntia humifusa showed anti-inflammatory activities.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.64 no.3
• /
• pp.245-251
• /
• 2021

Codonopsis lanceolata (Deoduk) was grown in East Asia, including Korea, China, Japan, and Russia, and the roots of C. lanceolata have been used as functional foods and traditional medicine to treat symptoms of cough, bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, and dyspepsia. The phytochemicals of C. lanceolata have been reported such as phenylpropanoids, polyacetylenes, saponins, and flavonoids that are involved in pharmacological effects such as anti-obesity, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, and anti-microbial activities. Selecting marker substances of the main producing area by MS-based metabolomics analysis is important to ensure the beneficial effect of C. lanceolata without side-effects because differences in cultivated areas of plants were related not only to the safety of medicinal plants but also to changes in chemical composition and biological efficacy. In our present study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical analysis was applied to recognize the main producing area of C. lanceolata in South Korea. As a result of Principal Component Analysis and loading plot analysis of three groups, Inje (Kangwon-do), Hoengseong (Kangwon-do), and Muju (Jeonlabuk-do), several secondary metabolites of C. lanceolata including tangshenoside I, lancemaside A, and lancemaside G, were suggested as potential marker substances to distinguish the place of main producing area of C. lanceolata.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.240-249
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Glabridin (GD) is a bio-available isoflavane isolated from the root extract of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.). It exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. However, extracellular vesicles (EVs) secretion and the anti-cancer mechanism of action remains largely unknown. The present study investigates the anticancer effects of GD by determining the inhibition of EVs secretion in the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. Methods: Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, migration, invasion rate, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration were assessed in MDA-MB-231 cells treated with increasing concentrations of GD (0.1, 1, 5, 10, 20 µM). Subsequently, EV secretion and exosomal DEL-1 protein expression were evaluated to determine the anticancer effects of GD. Results: The results showed that GD significantly inhibited the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- or time-dependent manner. Also, ROS production and apoptosis marker protein cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased in GD-treated MDA-MB-231, compared to control. Furthermore, GD exposure resulted in significantly decreased not only migration and invasion rates but also the VEGF concentration, thereby contributing to a reduction in angiogenesis. Interestingly, the concentration and number of EVs as well as EV marker proteins, such as CD63 and TSG101, were decreased in GD-treated MDA-MB-231 cells. Markedly, extracellular matrix protein DEL-1 as angiogenesis factor was decreased in EVs from GD-treated MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion: This study identifies that the anti-cancer molecular mechanism of GD is exerted via inhibition of angiogenesis and EVs secretion, indicating the potential of GD as a chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.9
• /
• pp.703-712
• /
• 2023

Angiogenesis, the formation of blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, is a multistep process regulated by modulators of angiogenesis. It is essential for various physiological processes, such as embryonic development, chronic inflammation, and wound repair. Dysregulation of angiogenesis causes many diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and delayed wound healing. However, the number of effective anti-angiogenic drugs is limited. Recent research has focused on identifying potential drug candidates from natural sources. For example, marine natural products have been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and wound-healing effects. Thus, this study aimed to describe the angiogenesis inhibitory effect of Hizikia fusiforms (brown algae) extract. The hexane extract of H. fusiformis has shown inhibitory effects on in vitro angiogenesis assays, such as cell migration, invasion, and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The hexane extract of H. fusiformis (HFH) inhibited in vivo angiogenesis in a mouse Matrigel gel plug assay. In addition, the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal kinase, and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 decreased following treatment with H. fusiformis extracts. Our results demonstrated that the hexane extract of H. fusiformis (HFH) inhibits angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.931-937
• /
• 2018

Triptolide is a compound found in Tripterygium wilfordii and reported to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. A previous study shows that the dietary supplementation with triptolide increases resistance to environmental stressors, including oxidative stress, heat shock, and ultraviolet irradiation, and extends lifespan in C. elegans. Here, we investigated the underlying mechanisms involved in the lifespan-extending effect of triptolide. The effect of triptolide on age-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease, was also examined using animal disease models. The longevity phenotype conferred by triptolide was not observed in the eat-2 mutant, a well-known genetic model of dietary restriction, while there was an additional lifespan extension with triptolide in age-1 and clk-1 mutants. The long lifespan of age-1 mutant is resulted from a reduced insulin/IGF-1-like signaling and the clk-1 mutant lives longer than wild-type due to dysfunction of mitochondrial electron transport chain reaction. The effect of dietary restriction using bacterial dilution on lifespan also overlapped with that of triptolide. The toxicity of high glucose diet or transgenic human amyloid beta gene was significantly suppressed by the supplementation with triptolide. These findings suggest that triptolide can mimic the effect of dietary restriction on lifespan and onset of age-related diseases. We conclude that triptolide can be a strong candidate for the development of dietary restriction mimetics.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.3 s.58
• /
• pp.181-191
• /
• 2006

In this study, we investigated the anti-oxidative, anti-wrinkle and whitening effects of 36 plant extracts collected from self-growing plants in Jeju island. Their anti-oxidant activities were measured by free radical scavenging activity using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical), reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities on ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay, and cell protecting activities using the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes. In addition, the inhibitory activities of tyrosinase for whitening effect and elastase for anti-wrinkle were investigated. The results showed that the Rumex crispus (all grass) extract has the most significant free radical scavenging activity ($FSC_{50};\;10{\mu}g/mL$), Plantago asiatica and Rumex crispus extracts for the prominent ROS scavenging activity ($OSC_{50};\;0.006{\mu}g/mL$, $0.04{\mu}g/mL$ respectively), Rumex crispus ($\tau_{50};\;1,140 min $at $50{\mu}g/mL$), Machilus thunbergii leaf (216 min), and Celastrus orbiculatus (200 min) for cell protecting effects, Morus alba stem for the inhibitory activity on tyrosinse (94.8% at $200{\mu}g/mL$), Rumex crispus (81.8% at $200{\mu}g/mL$), Morus alba (74.6%), and Celastrus orbiculatus leaf/stem/flower (63.1%) for the activity on elastase. These results indicated that the extracts of Rumex crispus, Plantago asiatica, Machilus thunbergii leaf, Morus alba stem, Celastrus orbiculatus leaf/stem/flower could have the functional effects when they are added as ingredients in cosmetics. Thus, it is concluded that further experiments are needed to apply for cosmetic products.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.613-621
• /
• 2015

In this study, the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of water extract (ASSW) and 70% ethanol extract (ASSE) of Allium sativum L. stems were investigated using Raw 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ABTS radical scavenging activities of ASSW and ASSE at $1000{\mu}g/mL$ concentration were 96.9% and 97.8%, respectively. In order to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of ASSW and ASSE, nitric oxide (NO), pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor including ${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) were measured. ASSW and ASSE at $100{\mu}g/mL$ concentration showed inhibitory effects against NO production by 18% and 23%, respectively. Production of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 after treatment with ASSW and ASSE at $100{\mu}g/mL$ decreased by approximately 28% and 15% for ASSW and 17% and 12% for ASSE, respectively. In addition, production of TNF-${\alpha}$ after treatment of $100{\mu}g/mL$ of ASSW and ASSE decreased by 24% and 23%, respectively. In addition, the treatment of $100{\mu}g/mL$ of ASSW and ASSE showed inhibitory expressions against PGE2 by 45.47% and 33.87%, respectively. These results suggested that ASSE showed greater inhibitory activity than that of the ASSW by the suppression of inflammatory mediators, including NO, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$ and PGE2 production, and the expressions of iNOS and COX-2 in macrophages. In conclusion, ASSW and ASSE may have some ancillary effects on inflammatory factors as potential anti-inflammatory agents.