• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2008

Objective : Herb medicines are potential sources of useful edible and medicinal plants. They are used as a drug because of their various biological activities such as immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor functions. Nelumbo nucifera have been applied in Chinese herbal prescriptions to improve tissue inflammation. However, it has not been elucidated on the effect of the flower of Nelumbo nucifera in cells. Method : In the present study, to examine the effect of that on glioma cells, U87, the essential oil was extracted from the flower of Nelumbo nucifera (NN essential oil). U87 cells were exposed to different concentrations of 2-40 ug/ml of NN essential oil in ethanol. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay at 24 h. To find out the intracellular target signal molecule(s) for this antiproliferative activity of NN essential oil, phosphorylation of Akt, ERM, MAPK or p38 proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. To study long term effect of NN essential oil in U87 cells, the image of cells treated with NN essential oil for 4 days were obtained. Results and Conclusion : NN essential oil was shown to exhibit antitumor activity in glioma cells, at a broad range of concentrations of 10-40 ug/ml. The phosphorylation of Akt and Endoplasmic Reticulum Matrix (ERM) proteins which known to be involved in the cell death, were gradually decreased to 2 hours after addition 20 ug/ml of NN essential oil. However, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) and p38 was found to increase in NN essential oil treated cells. NN essential oil treated cells showed decreased glioma cell number. These results provide a possible NN essential oil-induced inhibitory signal for tumor cell proliferation that is initiated by the decrease in Akt activity. Moreover, it is likely that the activation of p38 is required for the NN essential oil-induced inhibition of tumor proliferation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.518-528
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• 2013

Scutellaria baicalensis, belonging to the family Labiatae, is widely distributed in Korea, China, Mongolia, and eastern Siberia. It has been used in traditional medicine for various diseases, such as dysentery, pyrexia, jaundice, and carbuncles. In addition, S. baicalensis is reported to possess various beneficial pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiviral, antihypertension, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anticancer activity have not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the proapoptotic effects of ethanol extract of S. baicalensis (EESB) on human renal cell carcinoma Caki-1 cells. The anti-proliferative activity of EESB was associated with apoptosis induction, which was associated with the up-regulation of death receptor 4, the Fas ligand, and Bax and the down-regulation of Bid, XIAP, and cIAP-1 proteins. EESB treatment also induced mitochondrial dysfunction, proteolytic activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 and degradation of caspase-3 substrate proteins, such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, ${\beta}$-catenin, and phospholipase C-${\gamma}1$. However, pretreatment of a pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk, significantly attenuated the EESB-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that EESB may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anticancer activity of S. baicalensis.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.140-149
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• 2021

Mushroom-derived polysaccharides, which are the primary bioactive constituents, are beneficial for human health. Polysaccharides have immuno-modulation, antitumor, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, they have antiviral properties and protect against chronic radiation stress. In this study, high yield water-soluble polysaccharides were obtained from Pleurotus djamor var. roseus basidiocarps. The crude polysaccharide (CP) was extracted sequentially by hot water and ethanol precipitation. The yield of the brown CPs was 5.6% dw. Diethylaminoethyl cellulose and Sepharose-6B column chromatography of CPs generated several fractions. Total glucan content was determined in all the fractions. The F1 fraction displayed the highest sugar content and was considered as a purified polysaccharide (PP). The total glucan and β-glucan content in the four fractions ranged between 76.85-2.95% and 75.08-1.46%, respectively. The yield of the PPs was 300 mg, and it was obtained as a white powder. The PPs were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thin-layer chromatography. The FTIR spectral details confirmed the presence of a xylopentose polysaccharide. The antioxidant activity of the PPs was evaluated using in vitro 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay. The PPs showed strong DPPH free radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities in a dose-dependent manner. Purified PPs free of phenolics, protein, and carbohydrates were mainly responsible for the radical scavenging activity. The data suggest the potential of PPs as natural antioxidants.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2023

Background: Pseudotyped virus systems that incorporate viral proteins have been widely employed for the rapid determination of the effectiveness and neutralizing activity of drug and vaccine candidates in biosafety level 2 facilities. We report an efficient method for producing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pseudovirus with dual luciferase and fluorescent protein reporters. Moreover, using the established method, we also aimed to investigate whether Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), a valuable Korean herbal medicine, can attenuate infectivity of the pseudotyped virus. Methods: A pseudovirus of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-2pv) was constructed and efficiently produced using lentivirus vector systems available in the public domain by the introduction of critical mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of the spike protein. KRG extract was dose-dependently treated to Calu-3 cells during SARS2-pv treatment to evaluate the protective activity against SARS-CoV-2. Results: The use of Calu-3 cells or the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in HEK293T cells enabled SARS-2pv infection of host cells. Coexpression of transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2), which is the activator of spike protein, with ACE2 dramatically elevated luciferase activity, confirming the importance of the TMPRSS2-mediated pathway during SARS-CoV-2 entry. Our pseudovirus assay also revealed that KRG elicited resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cells, suggesting its beneficial health effect. Conclusion: The method demonstrated the production of SARS-2pv for the analysis of vaccine or drug candidates. When KRG was assessed by the method, it protected host cells from coronavirus infection. Further studies will be followed for demonstrating this potential benefit.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2004

Background: 1-8D gene is a member of human 1-8 interferon inducible gene family and is shown to be overexpressed in fresh colon cancer tissues. Three peptides 1-6, 3-5 and 3-7 derived from 1-8D gene were shown to have immunogenicity against colon cancer. Methods: To study tumor immunotherapy of these peptides we established an adoptive transfer model. $D^{b-/-}{\times}{\beta}2$ microglobulin (${\beta}2m$) null mice transgenic for a chimeric HLA-A2.1/$D^b-{\beta}2m$ single chain (HHD mice) were immunized with irradiated peptide-loaded RMA-S/HHD/B7.1 transfectants. Spleens were removed after last immunization, and splenocytes were re-stimulated in vitro. Lymphocytes from vaccinated HHD mice were transferred together with IL-2 to the tumor bearing nude mice that were challenged S.C. with the HCT/HHD/B7 colon carcinoma cell line that was found to grow in these mice. Results: Peptide 3-5 was found to be highly effective in CTL activity. Adoptively transferred anti-peptide 3-5 cytolytic T lymphocytes caused significant retardation in tumor growth. Conclusion: This study shows that peptide 3-5 can be the most effective candidate for the vaccine of adoptive immunotherapy against colon cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1855-1866
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• 2017

The synergistic activation mediator (SAM) system can robustly activate endogenous gene expression by a single-guide RNA. This transcriptional modulation has been shown to enhance gene promoter activity and leads to epigenetic changes. Human $interferon-{\gamma}$ is a common natural glycoprotein involved in antiviral effects and inhibition of cancer cell growth. Large quantities of high-purity $interferon-{\gamma}$ are important for medical research and clinical therapy. To investigate the possibility of employing the SAM system to enhance endogenous human $interferon-{\gamma}$ with normal function in innate immunity, we designed 10 single-guide RNAs that target 200 bp upstream of the transcription start sites of the $interferon-{\gamma}$ genome, which could significantly activate the $interferon-{\gamma}$ promoter reporter. We confirmed that the system can effectively and highly activate $interferon-{\gamma}$ expression in several humanized cell lines. Moreover, we found that the $interferon-{\gamma}$ induced by the SAM system could inhibit tumorigenesis. Taken together, our results reveal that the SAM system can modulate epigenetic traits of non-immune cells through activating $interferon-{\gamma}$ expression and triggering JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Thus, this strategy could offer a novel approach to inhibit tumorigenesis without using exogenous $interferon-{\gamma}$.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.184-190
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• 2017

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases that take significant roles in extracellular matrix degradation and therefore linked to several complications such as metastasis of cancer progression, oxidative stress, and hepatic fibrosis. Hizikia fusiformis, a brown algae, was reported to possess bioactivities, including but not limited to, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory partly due to bioactive polysaccharide contents. In this study, the potential of H. fusiformis against cancer cell invasion was evaluated through the MMP inhibitory effect in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells in vitro. H. fusiformis crude extract was fractionated with organic solvents, $H_2O$, n-BuOH, 85% aqueous MeOH, and n-hexane (n-Hex). The non-toxicity of the fractions was confirmed by MTT assay. All fractions inhibited the enzymatic activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 according to the gelatin zymography assay. Cell migration was also significantly inhibited by the n-Hex fraction. In addition, both gene and protein expressions of MMP-2 and -9, and tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMPs) were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. The fractions suppressed the mRNA and protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 while elevating the TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, with the $H_2O$ fraction being the least effective while n-Hex fraction the most. Collectively, the n-Hex fraction from brown algae H. fusiformis could be a potential inhibitor of MMPs, suggesting the presence of various derivatives of polysaccharides in high amounts.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.704-713
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• 2014

The highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) viruses of the H5N1 subtype infect poultry and have also been spreading to humans. Although new antiviral drugs and vaccinations can be effective, rapid detection would be more efficient to control the outbreak of infections. In this study, a phage-display library was applied to select antibody fragments for HPAI strain A/Hubei/1/2010. As a result, three clones were selected and sequenced. A hemagglutinin inhibition assay of the three scFvs revealed that none exhibited hemagglutination inhibition activity towards the H5N1 virus, yet they showed a higher binding affinity for several HPAI H5N1 strains compared with other influenza viruses. An ELISA confirmed that the HA protein was the target of the scFvs, and the results of a protein structure simulation showed that all the selected scFvs bound to the HA2 subunit of the HA protein. In conclusion, the three selected scFVs could be useful for developing a specific detection tool for the surveillance of HPAI epidemic strains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.684-692
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• 2016

Acute respiratory virus infectious diseases are a growing health problem, particularly among children and the elderly. Much effort has been made to develop probiotics that prevent influenza virus infections by enhancing innate immunity in the respiratory tract until vaccines are available. Lactobacillus plantarum GB-LP2, isolated from a traditional Korean fermented vegetable, has exhibited preventive effects on influenza virus infection in mice. To identify the molecular basis of this strain, we conducted a whole-genome assembly study. The single circular DNA chromosome of 3,284,304 bp was completely assembled and 3,250 protein-encoding genes were predicted. Evolutionarily accelerated genes related to the phenotypic trait of anti-infective activities for influenza virus were identified. These genes encode three integral membrane proteins, a teichoic acid export ATP-binding protein and a glucosamine - fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase involved in host innate immunity, the nonspecific DNA-binding protein Dps, which protects bacteria from oxidative damage, and the response regulator of the three-component quorum-sensing regulatory system, which is related to the capacity of adhesion to the surface of the respiratory tract and competition with pathogens. This is the first study to identify the genetic backgrounds of the antiviral activity in L. plantarum strains. These findings provide insight into the anti-infective activities of L. plantarum and the development of preventive probiotics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1189-1197
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• 2017

Lichen-forming fungi are known to have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammation, and anti proliferative effects. However, the immunosuppressive effects of Bryoria sp. extract (BSE) have not previously been investigated. In this study, the inhibitory activity of BSE on the proliferation of $CD8^+$ T cells and the mixed lymphocytes reaction (MLR) was evaluated in vitro. BSE was non-toxic in spleen cells and suppressed the growth of splenocytes induced by anti-CD3. The suppressed cell population in spleen cells consisted of $CD8^+$ T cells and their proliferation was inhibited by the treatment with BSE. This extract significantly suppressed the IL-2 associated with T cell growth and $IFN-{\gamma}$ as the $CD8^+$ T cell marker. Furthermore, BSE reduced the expression of the IL-2 receptor alpha chain ($IL-2R{\alpha}$) on $CD8^+$ T cells and CD86 on dendritic cells by acting as antigen-presenting cells. Finally, the MLR produced by the co-culture of C57BL/6 and MMC-treated BALB/c was suppressed by BSE. IL-2, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and CD69 on $CD8^+$ T cells in MLR condition were inhibited by BSE. These results indicate that BSE inhibits the MLR via the suppression of $IL-2R{\alpha}$ expression in $CD8^+$ T cells. BSE has the potential to be developed as an anti-immunosuppression agent for organ transplants.