• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1456-1462
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• 2009

D-chiro-Inositol, which is the isomer of myo-inositol, is a well known drug for the treatment of type II diabetes. The methylated form of D-chiro-inositol, D-pinitol and D-chiro-inositol are synthesized when the plants are exposed to the abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and low temperature as osmoprotectants. In soybean, myo-inositol is converted to ononitol by O-methyltransferase, and ononitol is converted to D-pinitol by ononitol epimerase and finally converted to D-chiro-inositol by demethylase. However there have been some reports that in buckwheat, myo-inositol can be converted to D-chiro-inositol directly. This study was conducted to determine the changes of soluble cyclitols in buckwheat seedlings after exposure to salt and drought stresses by GC-FID. The results indicated that myo-inositol may be the precursor of D-chiro-inositol biosynthesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.147-151
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• 2009

D-pinitol, another chemical structure of 3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol, is an important insulin-sensitizer. The purpose of this review is to examine the characteristics of pinitol and other analogs as functional food biomaterials which were well known to reduce blood glucose levels. Pinitol can be converted to chiro-inositol in normal humans, while diabetic patients can not use the molecule, resulting in exhibiting low level of chiro-inositol in their urine. Recently, it is reported that pinitol can trigger phospholipase C/D, thus the rate of glucose metabolism accelerates to use as fuel for human body. To not only reduce insulin resistance of diabetic patients, but also alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, obesity, and muscle contraction, pinitol and its dietary supplementation is needed.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2017

D-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a secondary messenger in insulin signal transduction. It is produced in vivo from myo-inositol via action of epimerase. In this study, we evaluated antitumor activity of DCI against human breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. In order to determine the inhibitory effects of DCI on growth of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), two different assessment methods were implemented: MTT assay and mouse xenograft assay. MTT assay demonstrated downturn in cell proliferation by DCI treatment (1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM) groups by 18.3% (p < 0.05), 17.2% (p < 0.05), 17.5% (p < 0.05), 18.4% (p < 0.05), and 24.9% (p < 0.01), respectively. Also, inhibition of tumor growth was investigated in mouse xenograft model. DCI was administered orally at the dose of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight to treat nude mouse for 45 consecutive days. On the 45th day, tumor growth of DCI (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) groups was suppressed by 22.1% and 67.6% as mean tumor volumes were $9313.8{\pm}474.1mm^3$ and $3879.1{\pm}1044.1mm^3$, respectively. Furthermore, breast cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype ($CD44^+/C24^-$) was measured using flow cytometry. On the 46th day, CSC ratios of DCI (500 mg/kg) and co-treatment with doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) and DCI (500 mg/kg) group decreased by 24.7% and 53.9% (p < 0.01), respectively. Finally, from tumor recurrence assay, delay of 5 days in the co-treatment group compared to doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) alone group was observed. Based on these findings, we propose that DCI holds potential as an anti-cancer drug for treatment of breast cancer.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2005

To assess the effect of pinitol supplementation and strength training for two weeks on the anaerobic capacity during and after exercise, and improvement of glucose metabolism during the recovery period of muscular fatigue with repeated acute bouts of cycling exercise, a total of 24 healthy young men were recruited and randomly and equally divided into three groups; pinitol supplementation group (PSG), placebo group (PLG), and control group (CON). Using a randomized double-blinded design, subjects in PSG were provided pinitol supplement, consumed orally 1.2 g/day, and participated in the resistance exercise program and cycling exercise for two weeks. Subjects in PLG underwent the same protocol as those in PSG but consumed the same amount of placebo. No supplementation and exercise program was given to CON. Before and after the intervention, all subjects were tested for their anaerobic capacities evaluated by Wingate test twice separated by 30 min. During the test, peak anaerobic power (PP), mean anaerobic power, total work, and fatigue index were evaluated During resting and recovery, blood samples were drawn and plasma pinitol, myo-inositol, chiro-inositol, insulin, free fatty acid, glucose, and lactate levels were analyzed After two weeks, PP and relative PP of the second biking were improved from the first biking in PSG only (p<0.05). No changes were found in all other variables of Wingate test in all groups. No statistical differences between groups and pre- and post-intervention were observed in concentrations of pinitol, myo-inositol, and chiro-inositol, but pinitol concentration was higher during recovery compared to the baseline in all groups and testings (p<0.05). Lactate level during recovery was higher than the resting level, but no other blood parameters were significantly changed. In conclusion, two weeks of pinitol supplementation in conjunction with short duration of anaerobic training in healthy young men did not induce any obvious benefits in terms of anaerobic capacity and energy metabolism Individual and/or population susceptibility may be one factor responsible for adopting pinitol supplementation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2018

A bacterial strain capable of metabolizing myo-inositol (MI) and converting to other substances was isolated from soil of orchard. The isolate, named YB-46, was grown on minimal medium supplemented with MI as the sole carbon source and was presumed to belonging to genus Enterobacter according to the 16S rDNA sequence. Escherichia coli transformant converting MI into unknown metabolites was selected from a metagenomic library prepared with fosmid pCC1FOS vector. Plasmid was isolated from the transformant, and the inserted gene was partially sequenced. From the nucleotide sequence, an iolG gene was identified to encode myo-inositol dehydrogenase (IolG) consisting of 336 amino residues. The IolG showed amino acid sequence similarity of about 50% with IolG of Enterobacter aerogenes and Bacillus subtilis. The His-tagged IolG (HtIolG) fused with hexahistidine at C-terminus was produced and purified from cell extract of recombinant E. coli. The purified HtIolG showed maximal activity at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 10.5 with the highest activity for MI and D-glucose, and more than 90% of maximal activity for D-chiro-inositol, D-mannitol and D-xylose. $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of the HtIolG for MI were 1.83 mM and $0.724{\mu}mol/min/mg$ under the optimal reaction condition, respectively. The activity of HtIolG was increased 1.7 folds by $Zn^{2+}$, but was significantly inhibited by $Co^{2+}$ and SDS.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.99-108
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• 2017

It is Lespedeza cuneata. G. don used as a remedy for cough, asthma, premature ejaculation and so on, though it has been used for a long time. In order to investigate the possibility of using Lespedeza cuneata. G. don as a raw material for functional food, we examined useful substances through analysis. In the study, 124 useful substances were analyzed and 84 of them were found to be functional. In 6 species, 6 of them were found to be functional and 5 of them were functional. In the present study, the other useful substance, D-pinitol, also confirmed its functionality. Potassium isolespedezate and Potassium lespedezate act as antibiotics, Trifolin acts as an antibiotic and hepatoprotectant, and Vitexin acts as a hepatoprotectant. D-pinitol has shown excellent efficacy in patients with prediabetic and insulin-resistant diabetes. As it contains a large amount of useful substances, it can be utilized as a highly functional food.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.53-66
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• 2001

본 실험실에서는 혈당강하효과를 갖는 chiroinositol을 다량 함유하고 있는 식품이나 식용물질을 탐색하여 선발하고, 선택된 식품이나 식용물질에서 chiroinositol을 lab-scale로 분리 정제하여 제조된 chiroinositol의 추출물로 동물실험을 실시하여 혈당강하효과를 증명하고 그 기작을 연구하고 있다. 약 300여종의 식품 및 식용물질을 GC-MS 및 HPLC로 분석한 결과 식품으로 안전한 탈지대두와 두부 순물에서 chiroinositol의 함량이 각각 6.45mg/g, 20mg/g으로 조사되어 선택되었고, chiroinositol의 순도가 40-60%(w/w)인 chiroinositol의 추출물을 이용하여 동물실험을 통한 혈당강하효과를 조사한 결과, 1) steptozotocin(STZ)으로 유발된 고혈당쥐에 경구투여시, 농도 의존적으로 혈당을 감소시키는 탁월한 기능을 나타내었고, 2) 정상쥐의 혈당제거율 검사(glucose tolerance test)에서강한 제거율 및 6시간의 지속시간을 나타내었으며, 3) STZ로 유발된 고혈당쥐의 혈당제거율 검사에서 강한 혈당강하 효과(약 40%)를 나타내었으며 지속시간은 약 12시간이었다. 4) 극심한 고혈당(450 내지 500mg/d)의 경우, 경미한 고혈당(300내지 350mg/d)의 경우보다 혈당 감소율이 20% 가량 높았으며, 지속시간도 1시간 이상 긴 것으로 나타났으며, 5) 인슐린과 복합처리 했을 때 상승작용(synergy)을 나타내었으며, 저혈당증으로 전혀 발전되지 않았다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2024

Pinitol (3-O-Methyl-D-chiro-inositol) has been reported to possess insulin-like effects and is known as one of the anti-diabetic agents to improve muscle, liver, and endothelial cells. However, the beneficial effects of pinitol on the skin are not well known. Here, we investigated whether pinitol had effects on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), and human dermal equivalents (HDEs) irradiated with ultraviolet A (UVA), which causes various damages including photodamage in the skin. We observed that pinitol enhanced wound healing in UVA-damaged HDFs. We also found that pinitol significantly antagonized the UVA-induced up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), and the UVA-induced down-regulation of collagen type I and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) in HDEs. Electron microscopy analysis also revealed that pinitol remarkably increased the number of collagen fibrils with regular banding patterns in the dermis of UVA-irradiated human skin equivalents. Pinitol significantly reversed the UVA-induced phosphorylation levels of ERK and JNK but not p38, suggesting that this regulation may be the mechanism underlying the pinitol-mediated effects on UVA-irradiated HDEs. We also observed that pinitol specifically increased Smad3 phosphorylation, which is representative of the TGF-β signaling pathway for collagen synthesis. These data suggest that pinitol exerts several beneficial effects on UVA-induced damaged skin and can be used as a therapeutic agent to improve skin-related diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.243-253
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• 2018

This study aimed to investigate the effects of DCI on glucose control, quality of life(SF-36 Version 2.0, Korean) and SDSCA(Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed on 46 patients with HbA1c 7.0% taking triple anti-diabetic drug regimen who visited the department of Endocrinology and Metabolism in Chungnam National University Hospital between March 2015 and May 2016. As a result, DCI treatment in the intervention group resulted in significantly reduced HbA1c levels $8.75{\pm}0.79%$(baseline), $8.36{\pm}1.03%$(after 12weeks), and $8.65{\pm}0.81%$(after 24weeks). However, patients in the control group did not show any significant change. Interestingly, both DCI treatment group and the control group significantly showed improvements in SDSCA. Participants in the intervention group showed a small yet significant improvement in their only fasting blood glucose test in SDSCA and revealed significant increase in the quantitative levels of quality of life, from $73.05{\pm}16.85$ to $82.74{\pm}10.68$. By using pathway analysis, improvement of SDSCA scores(${\beta}=-0.505$, t=-2.743) was the most influential factor to the fasting blood glucose. The quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was affected by changes of SDSCA scores(${\beta}=0.411$, t=2.024) and fasting c-peptide(${\beta}=-0.445$, t=-2.668) in DCI treatment group. In conclusion, treatment of DCI effectively improved glucose control in patients with type 2 DM(HbA1c level>7.0%) after 12 weeks of treatment, although it had no impact on glucose control after 24 weeks of treatment. Improved glucose control may encourage diabetic patients to conduct self-care activities and improve the quality of life. Based on the present study, we suggest that diabetes self-management, as well as consideration of comprehensive laboratory findings, may be important factor in regulating the quality of life in type 2 DM patients.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.152-161
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• 2020

D-pinitol is an analog of 3-methoxy-D-chiro-inositol found in beans and plants. D-pinitol has anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects. Additionally, D-pinitol induces apoptosis and inhibits metastasis in breast and prostate cancers. However, to date, no study has investigated the anticancer effects of D-pinitol in oral cancer. Therefore, in this study, whether the anticancer effects of D-pinitol induce apoptosis, inhibit the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and arrest cell cycle was investigated in squamous epithelial cells. D-pinitol decreased the survival and cell proliferation rates of CAL-27 and Ca9-22 oral squamous carcinoma cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Evidence of apoptosis, including nuclear condensation, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and caspase-3 fragmentation, was also observed. D-pinitol inhibited the migration and invasion of both cell lines. In terms of EMT-related proteins, E-cadherin was increased, whereas N-cadherin, Snail, and Slug were decreased. D-pinitol also decreased the expression of cyclin D1, a protein involved in the cell cycle, but increased the expression of p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Hence, D-pinitol induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in CAL-27 and Ca9-22 cells, demonstrating an anticancer effect by decreasing the EMT.