• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2014

Red yeast rice (RYR) has been known to exhibit various biological effects, including anti-hyperlipidemia, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammtory activities. Oxidative stress is a main risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidant effect of RYR on rats fed a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with either 0.2%, 1%, or 5% RYR for 4 weeks. We measured lipid profiles in the plasma and liver, antioxidant enzyme activities in plasma and erythrocyte, gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, and oxidative DNA damage in lymphocytes. The group supplemented with 0.2% RYR had total cholesterol level in plasma decreased by 24%, while the group supplemented with 5% RYR had high-density cholesterol increased by 20% compared to the control. The antioxidant enzyme activities were also affected by RYR supplementation. Total superoxide dismutase activities in plasma significantly decreased by 11% in the 1% RYR group, while these activities in the liver significantly decreased by 16% and 21% in the 1% and 5% supplemented group compared to the control, respectively. Glutathione peroxidase activities in plasma and erythrocytes increased 13% and 48% in the 1% RYR group, respectively. Catalase (CAT) activity in erythrocytes significantly increased by 49% and 68% in the 1% and 5% RYR group compared to the control, respectively. The gene expression of CAT was up-regulated 7.9 fold compared to the control in the 5% RYR supplemented group. These results suggest that RYR can control hyperlipidemia by improving the lipid profile and modulating oxidative stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.84.2-84.2
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• 2006

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2008

Stress activates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and subsequently increases the systemic levels of glucocorticoids. It also inhibits the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from hypothalamus. Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng CA Meyer) has been proven as an anti-stress agent. However, most of the anti-stress effects of ginseng on stresses such as immobilization, electronic foot shock, and cold swim, which subsequently cause oxidative damage in brain, were obtained by using ginseng extract or ginseng total saponin. Moreover, anti-stress and anti-oxidative effects of ginseng were demonstrated by determination of enzyme or hormone levels but not mRNA as well as transcriptome. Further studies on transcriptome, proteomics, and systems biology as well as signal transduction would be required to elucidate molecular action mechanisms of ginseng on stresses.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.10.1-10.14
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• 2019

Fish skin waste accounts for part of the solid waste generated from seafood processing. Utilization of fish skin by bioconversion into high-grade products would potentially reduce pollution and economic cost associated with treating fish processing waste. Fish skin is an abundant supply of gelatin and collagen which can be hydrolyzed to produce bioactive peptides of 2-20 amino acid sequences. Bioactivity of peptides purified from fish skin includes a range of activities such as antihypertensive, anti-oxidative, antimicrobial, neuroprotection, antihyperglycemic, and anti-aging. Fish skin acts as a physical barrier and chemical barrier through antimicrobial peptide innate immune action and other functional peptides. Small peptides have been demonstrated to possess biological activities which are based on their amino acid composition and sequence. Fish skin-derived peptides contain a high content of hydrophobic amino acids which contribute to the antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity. The peptide-specific composition and sequence discussed in this review can be potentially utilized in the development of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and an ability of a biological system, to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage. It has been suggested that developmental alloxan-induced liver damage is mediated through increases in oxidative stress. The anti-diabetic effect and antioxidant activity of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) fractions were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. After two weeks administration of PM, the liver antioxidant enzyme and hyperglycemic state were evaluated. The results showed that oral administration of PM treatments reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats by oral administration (P < 0.05). Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (sGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) were also diminished by PM supplementation. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared to those in the normal rats but were restored by PM treatments. PM fractions also repressed the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and $\gamma$-glutamylcysteine synthase (GCS) were also reduced in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. PM fractions could restore the GR and GST activities, but the GCS activity was not affected in rat livers. From the results of the present study, the diabetic effect of the butanol fraction of PM against alloxan-induced diabetic rats was concluded to be mediated either by preventing the decline of hepatic antioxidant status or due to its indirect radical scavenging capacity.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.79-86
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate neuroprotective effects and molecular mechanisms of luteolin against ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}_{25-35}$)-induced oxidative cell death in BV-2 cells. Methods : The protective effects of luteolin against $A{\beta}_{25-35}$-induced cytotoxicity and apoptotic cell death were determined by MTT dye reduction assay and TUNEL staining, respectively. The apoptotic cell death was further analyzed by measuring mitochondrial transmembrane potential and expression of pro- and/or anti-apoptotic proteins. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of luteolin, intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species, oxidative damages, and expression of antioxidant enzymes were examined. Results : Luteolin pretreatment effectively attenuated $A{\beta}_{25-35}$-induced apoptotic cell death indices such as DNA fragmentation, dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and caspase-3 in BV-2 cells. Furthermore, $A{\beta}_{25-35}$-induced intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative damages such as lipid peroxidation and depletion of endogenous antioxidant glutathione were suppressed by luteolin treatment. The neuroprotective effects of luteolin might be mediated by up-regulation of cellular antioxidant defense system via up-regulation of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine ligase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the glutathione biosynthesis and superoxide dismutase, an enzyme involved in dismutation of superoxide anion into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Conclusions : These findings suggest that luteolin has a potential to protect against $A{\beta}_{25-35}$-induced neuronal cell death and damages thereby exhibiting therapeutic utilization for the prevention and/or treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1399-1403
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• 2009

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of protective effectness of swimming exercise and Gastrodia elata blume oral administration against beta-cell damage in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. The animals were divided into five groups: the normal group(n=10), the STZ-induced diabetes group(n=10), the STZ-induced diabetes and moderate-intensity exercise group(n=10), the STZ-induced diabetes Gastrodia elata blume(300 mg/kg) oral administration group(n=10), the STZ-induced diabetes and moderate-intensity exercise and Gastrodia elata blume(300 mg/kg) oral administration group(n=10). Animals in the exercise groups were made to swim moderate swimming exercise protocols once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. Serum glucose concentration and insulin level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were measured in serum. Swimming exercise and Gastrodia elata blume extract administration has shown anti-diabetic effect probably through decreasing serum glucose and insulin level and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.4 s.147
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• pp.258-265
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• 2006

Brassica rapa L. (Turnip) which is one of the specialized crops in Ganghwa island, has been used for diuretic, digestive, and curative for jaundice, etc. In this study, the anti oxidative effects and hepatoprotective effects of turnip in vitro and in vivo were investigated in order to evaluate the possibility as hepatoprotective agents. Ethanol extract of turnip potently showed the scavenging effect on DPPH and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. Oral administration of turnip extract to dgalactosamine-induced experimental liver injured rats was significantly reduced the serum AST, ALT and LDH enzyme activities. And the decrease of catalase and SOD activities in liver microsolmal cytosol was significantly improved by the treatment of turnip. Based on these findings, it is presumed that ethanol extract of turnip may have the hepatoprotective effect on d-galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity rat.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2012

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cutaneous damage in various inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract of Duchesnea chrysantha (DCE). DEC was prepared by extracting with 80% ethanol. Total flavonoids and polyphenols were measured by a colorimetric assay. The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was analyzed by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and Griess reagent assay. An oxidative product of nitric oxide (NO), was measured in the culture medium by the Griess reaction. The level of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were measured by Western blot analysis. Total flavonoid and polyphenol contents of DCE were included $24.73{\pm}0.45$ and $178.77{\pm}2.65$, respectively. DCE significantly increased electron donating ability (DPPH), nitrite scavenging (NO) and ABTS reducing activity in dose dependant. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of DCE on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. DCE significantly suppressed NO and prdstaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in dose dependant. Furthermore, the levels of iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions were markedly suppressed by the treatment with DCE in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that DEC may has value as natural product with its high quality functional components, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.31-42
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• 2021

Objectives : This study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Spatholobi Caulis water extract (SC) to thioacetamide (TAA)-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in rats. Methods : The rats were injected intraperitoneally with TAA (200 mg/kg body weight) and orally administered SC (100 or 200 mg/kg b.w.) daily for 3 days. Liver biomarkers were assessed by serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and ammonia levels. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured both serum and liver tissue. In addition, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, anti-oxidant, and inflammation-related proteins were investigated by western blot analysis. Histological examination further confirmed though hematoxylin and eosin stain. Results : The SC treatment reduced liver function markers like GOT and GPT and also remarkably decreased ammonia level. Moreover, the elevated MDA level in TAA-induced group was significantly reduced by SC treatment. NADPH oxidase expression associated with oxidative stress including NOX2, NOX4, and p47phox markedly inhibited by SC administration. SC treatment exerted anti-oxidant effect through the increase of anti-oxidant enzyme including superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-�� (TNF-��), IL-6, and IL-1�� induced by nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-��B) activation were modulated through blocking the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor ��B�� (I��B)��. SC treatment also improved histological alterations. Conclusion : These findings suggested that SC administration may be a potential candidate for the prevention or treatment of ALI.