• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.13
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• 2015

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is an important Rasayana herb and widely considered as Indian ginseng in Ayurveda. In traditional system of Indian medicine, it is used as tonic to rejuvenate the body and increase longevity. In Ayurvedic preparations, various parts of the plant have been used to treat variety of ailments that affect the human health. However, dried roots of the plant are widely used for the treatment of nervous and sexual disorders. The major active chemical constituents of this plant are withanolides, which is responsible for its wide range of biological activities. Since the beginning of the $20^{th}$ century, a significant amount of research has been done and efforts are ongoing to further explore other bioactive constituents, and many pharmacological studies have been carried out to describe their disease preventing mechanisms. In this chapter, we have reviewed the chemistry and pharmacological basis of W. somnifera in various human ailments.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.291-295
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• 2012

We previously reported that Hydnocarpi Semen (HS) has a wound healing effect on diabetic foot ulcer lesion in mice. In this study, ethylacetate (EtOAc) fraction from HS extract were evaluated for their wound healing activity by using in vitro acute inflammation model. GC and GC/MS analysis shows that the main constituents in EtOAc fraction are chaulmoogric acid, hydnocarpic acid, and gorlic acid. EtOAc fraction activated macrophages to increase the production of TNF-${\alpha}$. The fraction also increased the production of TGF-${\beta}$ and VEGF, which induced fibroblast activation and angiogenesis. These results suggest that the mechanism that the fraction helps to enhance healing of skin wound is possibly associated with the production of TNF-${\alpha}$, as well as secretion of VEGF, TGF-${\beta}$ and HS may have a new bioactive material for the treatment of skin wound.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2009

Medicinal herbs are significant source of synthetic and herbal drugs. In the commercial market, medicinal herbs are used as raw drugs, extracts or tinctures. Isolated active constituents are used for applied research. For the last few decades, phytochemistry (study of plants) has been making rapid progress and herbal products are becoming popular. According to Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, the classical texts of Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita were written around 1000 B.C. The Ayurvedic Materia Medica includes 600 medicinal plants along with therapeutics. Herbs like turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, garlic and holy basil are integral part of Ayurvedic formulations. The formulations incorporate single herb or more than two herbs (poly-herbal formulations). Medicinal herb contains multitude of chemical compounds like alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, resins, oleoresins, sesquiterpene, lactones and oils (essential and fixed). Today there is growing interest in chemical composition of plant based medicines. Several bioactive constituents have been isolated and studied for pharmacological activity. R. cordifolia is an important medicinal plant commonly used in the traditional and Ayurvedic system of medicine for treatment of different ailments. This review illustrates its major constituents, pharmacological actions substantiating the claims made about this plant in the traditional system of medicine and its clinical applications.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.153-162
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• 2009

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Korean herb medicine, has been widely used in China and Japan for fatigue and enhancement of resistance to many diseases. In this study, we investigated the synergistic effect of Korean red ginseng and Fagopyrum esculentum extracts (RGFE) on dermal bioactive properties. RGFE treatment significantly increased electron donating ability, nitrite scavenging activity and collagenase inhibitory activity compared to red ginseng-treated group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in RGFE-treated group was similar to that of red ginseng. However, tyrosinase activity as indicator of melanin synthesis was not affected by RGFE or red ginseng. The results indicate that RGFE has anti-oxidative property and inhibitory effect of collagenase, and it may serve as a effective ingredient for beauty food.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2010

The medicinal plant Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) contains various phytosterols and bioactive triterpene saponins (ginsenosides). Squalene synthase catalyzes the first committed step in ginsenoside biosynthesis. Transgenic plants of P. ginseng were generated by introducing the squalene synthase gene derived from P. ginseng. Adventitious roots of the transgenic ginseng grew best in B5 medium, and 2 g of inoculum secured an optimal growth rate. Two phytohormones, indolebutyric acid and 1-naphtalene acetic acid, increased root growth and decreased ginsenoside production. Treatment with two selected elicitors, chitosan and jasmonic acid, and a precursor of the isoprenoid pathway, mevalonic acid, enhanced ginsenoside production and retarded ginseng growth rate.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.113-121
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• 2008

Objectives In human myeloid leukemia cells, there are no specific features of apoptosis compared with apoptosis in other cell types. Solanum nigrum L.(SNL) is a deciduous tree, which is widely distributed in Korea with reported anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and non-specific immune-enhancing properties. Although the plant has been clinically used for treating a variety of diseases, its bioactive ingredients are unknown and its mode of action potential has never been investigated. Thus anti-tumor property of methanol extract was investigated. Methods In this study, anti-tumor property of methanol extract was investigated by determining its in vitro growth-inhibitory effects on human myeloid leukemia cells. XTT proliferation assay, DNA fragmentation, immunoblot analysis, densitometric analysis were used. Results 1. The methanol fraction of the extracts of SNL induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells. 2. The methanol fraction exhibited relatively higher cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner than chloroform, and hexane fraction. 3. Typical ladder profile of Oligonucleosomal fragments were appeared. 4. The secreted cytosolic cytochrome C level was increased by treatment of methanol fraction. Conclusions Methanol fraction of SNL is capable of inducing apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.3-23
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• 2017

The achievement of tissue engineering can be highly depending on the capability to generate complicated, cell seeded three dimensional (3D) micro/nano-structures. So, various fabrication techniques that can be used to precisely design the architecture and topography of scaffolding materials will signify a key aspect of multi-functional tissue engineering. Previous methods for obtaining scaffolds based on top-down are often not satisfactory to produce complex micro/nano-structures due to the lack of control on scaffold architecture, porosity, and cellular interactions. However, a bioprinting method can be used to design sophisticated 3D tissue scaffolds that can be engineered to mimic the tissue architecture using computer aided approach. Also, in recent, the method has been modified and optimized to fabricate scaffolds using various natural biopolymers (collagen, alginate, and chitosan etc.). Variation of the topological structure and polymer concentration allowed tailoring the physical and biological properties of the scaffolds. In this presentation, the 3D bioprinting supplemented with a newly designed plasma treatment for attaining highly bioactive and functional scaffolds for tissue engineering applications will be introduced. Moreover, various in vivo and in vitro results will show that the fabricated scaffolds can carry out their structural and biological functionality.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2010

Abalone (Haliotis discus hannai), mostly distributed and maricultured in southwestern coastal areas of South Korea, is recognized as an economically important species in the fishery industry. Abalone intestines are one of the by-products of abalone processing. To investigate abalone intestines as bioactive substances, abalone intestine gastrointestinal digests (AIGIDs) of various molecular weights (MWs) were prepared using in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and an ultrafiltration system, and tested for inhibitory effects against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in macrophage cells treated with hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). In our results, among AIGIDs, AIGID-III (MW=5-10 kDa) showed potent inhibitory activities for lipid peroxidation and free radicals. Additionally, the results clearly indicated that AIGID-III treatment could prevent cytotoxic damage of macrophages by $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress due to its potent scavenging ability against cellular ROS. These results suggest that AIGIDs may have protective and therapeutic potential for oxidative stress syndromes and immune diseases through ROS inhibition in macrophage cells.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2011

We demonstrate that baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid originally isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis, inhibits LPS-induced expression of iNOS gene in RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells with baicalein inhibited LPS-stimulated nitric oxide production in a dose-related manner. Immunohistochemical staining of iNOS and RT-PCR analysis showed that the decrease of NO was due to the inhibition of iNOS gene expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Immunostaining of p65, EMSA, and reporter gene assay showed that baicalein inhibited NF-${\kappa}$B nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation, respectively. Collectively, these series of experiments indicate that baicalein inhibits iNOS gene expression by blocking NF-${\kappa}$B nuclear translocation. Due to the critical role that NO release plays in mediating inflammatory responses, the inhibitory effects of baicalein on iNOS suggest that baicalein may represent a useful anti-inflammatory agent.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2011

Antifungal activity of three Myxococcus spp., KYC 1126, 1136, and 2001, was tested in vitro against three phytopathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, and Pyricularia grisea). Spore germination and mycelial growth of the three pathogenic fungi were completely inhibited by bioactive substances from a myxobacterium KYC 1126. In addition, the activity of KYC 1126 was fungicidal, but liquid culture filtrate of KYC 1126 did not affect protoplast reversion in C. acutatum. A bioassay of KYC 1126 filtrate against anthracnose in hot pepper was conducted in the greenhouse and field at 2009 and 2010. The incidence of anthracnose in control seedlings was 74%, but was reduced to 29% after KYC 1126 treatment. The control value with KYC 1126 was 60% while that with the fungicide dithianon was 42%. In the greenhouse, disease incidence with KYC 1126 was consistentely 10-35% lower than with fungicide as a positive control. The control value with KYC 1126 was 13.4% and 41.0%, whereas that with the fungicide was 52.3% and 63% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Although anti-anthracnose activity of KYC 1126 was not maintained for long time in the field, the bacteriolytic myxobacterium KYC 1126 could be a prospective biocontrol agent.