• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-obesity effect of Scutellariae Radix extract combined with metformin. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice, 4 weeks of age, were used to set high-fat diet induced obesity model. They were grouped NOR (normal control), HFD (high fat diet control), MET (metformin, 100 mg/kg/day), MH2 (metformin 50 mg/kg/day+Scutellariae Radix 200 mg/kg/day), and HG4 (Scutellariae Radix 400 mg/kg/day). MET, MH2, and HG4 were orally administered for 10 weeks. Body weight was measured every week. Fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were measured before sacrifice. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was also performed. Organ weight and internal fat weight were measured after sacrifice. Results: MH2 group showed a reduction of body weight when compared with HFD group. MH2 group showed stable blood level control which was calculated areas under the curves by OGTT. TC, GOT, GPT level, internal fat, and organ weight in MH2 group reduced. Conclusions: The combined treatment of Scutellariae Radix and Metformin has impact on treating obesity. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of Metformin and herbal medicine combination therapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.646-652
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• 2010

Gambejaeseup-tang (GBJST) have recently been used as an anti-obesity herbal medicine but their effect and mechanism of action have not been studied. We modified ingredients of GBJST based on the previous experiments about exploring herbs to suppress triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We investigated the effects of modified GBJST on energy, glucose and lipid homeostasis using female rats with diet-induced obesity and their action mechanism was also determined. Rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD) were divided into 3 groups: rats in each group received 0.2 or 2 g water extracts of modified GBJST (L-GBJST or H-GBJST) or 2 g cellulose per kg body weight (a negative control) on a daily basis. A further group was fed a low-fat diet (LFD) as a positive control. We found that modified GBJST dose-dependently decreased body weight and mesenteric and retroperitoneal fat more than the control. This decrease was due to the reduction in energy intake and the increase of energy expenditure. HFD increased fat oxidation more than LFD and modified GBJST further increased fat oxidation as a major energy source more than the control in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, H-GBJST improved glucose tolerance without changing serum insulin levels during an oral glucose tolerance test. H-GBJST also suppressed the increase of serum total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels by HFD. In conclusion, modified GBJST have a good anti-obesity effect by decreasing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure mainly as fat in female rats with diet-induced obesity. It also improves glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2020

Objectives: Obesity is becoming more popular disease worldwide. Because of the side effects of conventional obesity treatment modality, herbal medicine treatment is becoming more preferred. Gambihwan which including Ephedra sinica Staph is widely used in traditional Korean Medicine practice for obesity treatment. Garcinia cambogia is a kind of health functional food that has body fat reducing effect. Nowadays, ephedra and Garcinia cambogia are often used simultaneously in clinical practice of Korean Medicine. However, the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy in obesity treatment is not well established. Methods: We conducted retrospective observational study to explore effectiveness and safety of combination therapy. We evaluated effect of combined treatment of Gambihwan and Garcinia cambogia on body weight, body mass index, body fat mass, and waist hip ratio reduction. We also assessed safety via liver function test and adverse event. Results: Finally, 23 patients were included. In paired t-test, body weight significantly decreased from 64.50±14.50 kg to 62.94±13.85 kg (P<0.001) and body mass index were also significantly decreased from 24.43±3.79 kg/㎡ to 23.83±3.59 kg/㎡ (P<0.001). Body fat mass was also reduced. Aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase were not significantly increased. There were no drug-induced liver injury and no severe adverse event. Conclusions: In our retrospective review, we found combination therapy of Gambihwan and Garcinia cambogia reduce body weight, body mass index and body fat mass. There were no severe adverse event and drug induced liver injury which indicated safety of combination therapy in obesity treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.39-54
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• 1988

The effects of exercise and selenium added high fat diet on edurance and serum lipid components were studied in rats. A total of 72 male Sprague-Dawley ($150{\pm}35g$, body weight) were divided into trained group and untrained group and were bred for 7 weeks. Each group had 6 different dietary subgroups; namely, basal diet, 20％ shortening and 20％ soybean oil subgroup and selenium (0.01mg％) added each subgroups. Exercises of 8-min treadmill running and 10-min swimming were given to the trained group every other day during the experimental period while only treadmill running was given to the untrained group during the last week. The amounts of food intake, changes in body weight and endurance were determined once a week and serum lipid components were measured before and after experimental period. Following are the results obtained : 1) The untrained group took a slightly larger amount of food than that in the trained group. The food efficiency is, however, higher in the trained group. Body weight increased more in untrained group, while high fat diet resulted in greater increment in body weight than that in normal diet groups. 2) The trained group showed remarkably longer endurance than the untrained group and selenium added high fat diet enhanced the effect. 3) The trained group showed lower blood level of T-chol., TG and TG/PL than the untrained group. All the other blood values of HDL-chol., PL, MDL-chol./T-chol., HDL/LDL and A/G ratio were higher in trained group. 4) Soybean oil added dietary groups exibited lower blood levels of T-chol., TG, TG/PL and A/G than those in shortening added dietary groups. On the contrary, the former groups showed higher blood HDL-chol., PL., HDL, HDL-chol. and HDL/LDL ratio than those of soybean oil added dietary groups. 5) $LDH_5$ was the most abundant one among serum LDH isozymes. The electrophoretic pattern of serum LDH isozymes was not changed by exercise training and selenium added high fat diet. 6) Exercise training lowered blood GOT and TBA. These effects were enhanced by soybean oil added diets. From the above results it was concluded that a regular and long term exercise training as well as a small amount of selenium added high fat diet result in reduction of body weight and TBA and improve dietary efficiency and physical endurance in rats.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 2011

Capsaicin is a pungent component of red pepper, which is widely consumed as food adjuncts. The present study was performed to investigate anti-obesity effects of capsaicin in diet-induced obese rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=14) were fed with a high-fat diet (Control) or high-fat diet containing 0.016% capsaicin (w/w) (Capsaicin) for 8 weeks. The final body weight and the mass of white adipose tissue were significantly lower in capsaicin supplemented group compared to control. Dietary capsaicin ameliorated lipid profiles with decrease in the plasma concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol, and decrease in the levels of total lipids and triglycerides in the liver. Activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), an indicator of triglyceride biosynthesis in white adipose tissue, decreased by 35% in the group supplemented with capsaicin. However, consumption of capsaicin increased the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in white adipose tissue, which is related to energy consumption. Our data suggests that capsaicin may reduce body weight and fat accumulation in high fat diet-induced obese rats. These effects may be mediated, at least partially, by the upregulation of UCP2 gene expression and its ability to inhibit GPDH activity.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2010

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of red-pepper ingestion on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in young women. METHODS. The six female college students involved in this experiment. The subjects participated in two trials, standard meal (650 kcal) and standard meal +10 g red-pepper with 200 ml water. After the subjects allowed to have rest for 60 min, exercised by resistance program for 40 minutes. RESULTS. The excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) was not affected by the red-pepper ingestion. However, post-exercise fat oxidation and plasma free fatty acid levels were higher in red-pepper trial than in control trial. CONCLUSION. Therefore, red-pepper ingestion before resistance exercise might be improve body fat reduction.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4435-4440
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• 2013

Aloe vera gel supercritical $CO_2$ extract (AVGE) has been shown to contain five phytosterols, reduce visceral fat accumulation, and influence the metabolism of glucose and lipids in animal model experiments. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that obesity is an established risk factor for several cancers including colorectal cancer. Therefore, we examined the effects of AVGE on intestinal polyp formation in Apc-deficient Min mice fed a high-fat diet. Male Min mice were divided into normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HFD), low dose AVGE (HFD+LAVGE) and high dose AVGE (HFD+HAVGE) groups. The ND group received AIN-93G diet and the latter 3 groups were given modified high-fat AIN-93G diet (HFD) for 7 weeks. AVGE was suspended in 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and administered orally to mice in HFD+LAVGE and HFD+HAVGE groups every day (except on Sunday) for 7 weeks at a dose of 3.75 and 12.5 mg/kg body weight, respectively. ND and HFD groups received 0.5% CMC alone. Between weeks 4 and 7, body weights in the HFD and HFD+LAVGE groups were reduced more than those in the ND group. However, body weights were not reduced in the HFD+HAVGE group. Mice were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and their intestines were scored for polyps. No significant differences were observed in either the incidence and multiplicity of intestinal polyps (${\geq}0.5$ mm in a diameter) among the three groups fed HFD. However, when intestinal polyps were categorized by their size into 0.5-1.4, 1.5-2.4, or ${\geq}2.5$ mm, the incidence and multiplicity of large polyps (${\geq}2.5$ mm) in the intestine in the HFD+HAVGE group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group. We measured plasma lipid (triglycerides and total cholesterol) and adipocytokine [interleukin-6 and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin] levels as possible indicators of mechanisms of inhibition. The results showed that HMW adiponectin levels in the HFD group were significantly lower than those in the ND group. However, the levels in the HFD+HAVGE group were significantly higher than those in the HFD group. These results indicate that HAVGE reduced large-sized intestinal polyps and ameliorated reduction in plasma HMW adiponectin levels in Min mice fed HFD.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-obesity effect and molecular mechanism of YY312, a herbal extract composed of Imperatae Rhizoma, Citri Unshius Pericarpium Immaturus, and Evodiae Fructus, on a high-fat diet-induced animal model and on 3T3-L1 cells. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were fed for 6 weeks with a normal diet or a high-fat diet (HFD). Then they orally administered daily with 300 mg/kg YY312 for next 10 weeks. Body weight and food consumption were recorded weekly and daily, respectively. Tissue weights, serum lipid, and glucose levels were analyzed at the end of the study. Additionally, the effects of YY312 on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells were examined. After differentiating 3T3-L1 cells were treated with YY312, Oil-red O staining, RT-PCR, and Western blotting were performed for lipid accumulation, mRNA expression of adipogenesis gene, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, respectively. Results : YY312-administered mice showed a significant reduction of body weights and abdominal adipose tissue weights. YY312 also reduced the serum levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol, compared with the HFD group. Treatment with YY312 inhibited lipid accumulation and blocked expression of adipogenic transcription factors and lipogenesis genes, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$, CCAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ and fatty acid synthase. YY312 increased AMPK phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusions : This study showed that herbal extract YY312 has an anti-obesity effect in vitro and in vivo. Thus, YY312 could be developed as a supplement for reduction of body weight gain induced by an HFD.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2017

This study was to evaluate the age-dependent effects of caffeine exposure on the long bones and reproductive organs using male rats. A total of 15 immature male rats and 15 young adult male rats were allocated randomly to three groups: a control group and two groups fed caffeine with 120 and 180 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. Exposure to caffeine at either dose significantly reduced body weight gain; a proportional reduction in muscle and fat mass in immature animals, whereas a selective reduction in fat mass with relatively preserved muscle mass in young adult animals. The long bones of immature rats exposed to caffeine were significantly shorter and lighter than those of control animals along with decreased bone minerals. However, there was no difference in the length or weight of the long bones in young adult rats exposed to caffeine. Exposure to caffeine reduced the size and absolute weight of the testes significantly in immature animals in comparison to control animals, but not in young adult animals exposed to caffeine. In contrast, the adrenal glands were significantly heavier in caffeine-fed young adult rats in comparison to control animals, but not in caffeine-fed immature rats. Our results clearly show that the negative effects of caffeine on the long bones and testes in rats are different according to the age of the rat at the time of exposure, and might therefore be caused by changes to organ sensitivity and metabolic rate at different developmental stages. Although the long bones and testes are more susceptible to caffeine during puberty, caffeine has negative effects on body fat, bone minerals and the adrenal glands when exposure occurs during young adulthood. There is a need, therefore, to educate the public the potential dangers of caffeine consumption during puberty and young adulthood.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2015

Objectives: The herb of Agastache rugosa (AR) is a traditional herbal medicine used for colds, vomiting and furuncles. However, there are few reports to investigate the inhibitory effects of AR on obesity. In this study, the effects of AR on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its mechanism of actions were investigated in experimental animals. Methods: The mice were fed HFD for 4 weeks to induce obesity. After randomly divided into normal fat diet, HFD and AR groups, 200 mg/kg of AR was administrated for 4 weeks with continuous HFD feeding while vehicle was orally treated to HFD group. Food intake and body weight were recorded weekly. Results: Increased body weight by HFD was improved by AR treatment. AR administration inhibited an increase of visceral fat weight as well as adipocyte hypertrophy. Hepatic steatosis was ameliorated in AR-treated mice. In addition, treatment of AR attenuated the expression of adipogenic transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma in the epididymal adipose tissue. Also the increased serum leptin level by HFD was maintained in AR group, leading to inhibition of food intake. Conclusions: AR treatment showed inhibitory effects on HFD-induced obesity by inhibition of PPAR-gamma and reduction of food intake. AR could be an alternative treatment for obesity.