• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.409-414
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorating effects of deer antler extract on the learning and memory impairments induced by the administration of scopolamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) in rats. Tacrine was used as a positive control agent for evaluating the cognition enhancing activity of deer antler extract in scopolamine-induced amnesia models. The results showed that the deer antler extract-treated group (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and the tacrine-treated group (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia based on the Morris water maze test. Although there was no statistical significance of brain ACh contents among the experimental groups, the brain ACh contents of the deer antler extract-treated group was slightly higher than that of the scopolamine-treated group. The inhibitory effect of deer antler extract on the acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain was significantly lower than that of scopolamine-treated group. The tacrine- and the deer antler-treated groups reduced the MAO-B activity compared to the scopolamine-treated group, but not significantly. These results suggest that the deer antler extract could be an effective agent for the prevention of the cognitive impairment induced by cholinergic dysfunction.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.542-551
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• 2017

The quality characteristics of velvet antlers obtained from Formosan sambar deer (Cervus unicolor Swinhoi) (SDVA), harvested from 63 to 81 d during the velvet antler growth period, were evaluated by investigating the relationships between antioxidant levels; including content, activity, and content/activity ratios, and physical properties; including shear force values, color, and Ca content. The hardness of samples from base velvet antler sections increased, and that the color of these samples tended to become reddish-yellow (redder and more yellow), suggesting that the Ca content in the base section of the sample was not ossified yet. Samples from the upper sections of velvet antler showed higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) content (3.91 to 1.50 mg/mL, 2.53 to 0.90 mg/mL, and 3.95 to 1.58 mg/mL, respectively) than did samples from the middle and base sections (p<0.05). The activity and content/activity ratios of GPX measured in the upper section were also found to be significantly greater than in the middle and base sections (p<0.05). We further observed that the content and activity of GPX was significantly and negatively correlated with Ca content, shear force values, and the content/activity ratio of this antioxidant (p<0.01). The study findings may serve as a reference index for quality evaluations of velvet antlers of Formosan sambar deer in future.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 2023

Objectives This study aimed to provide a basis for the research on the trend and safety of Korean herbal medicines among children and adolescents. Methods Patients aged <19 years who received outpatient treatment at the Korean pediatrics department of Kyung Hee University Hospital from January 1, 2017 to October 31, 2022 were included. The current state of annual visits and herbal medicine prescriptions was analyzed. A retrospective chart review was conducted by examining the medical records of subjects who received herbal medicines, including deer antler. Adverse drug reactions in patients who received herbal medicine were also investigated. Results A total of 57,457 people visited the Korean pediatrics department, and 51,768 people (90.1%) were prescribed herbal medicine. Among these, 21,826 patients (42.2%) were prescribed with deer antler. A total of 117 adverse drug reactions were reported among the patients who received herbal medicines. Conclusions This study aimed to determine the trends and safety of herbal medicine treatment, particularly deer antlers, in children and adolescents. Well-designed, long-term, multi-institutional follow-up studies are required to expand the field of Korean pediatrics.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.225-235
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• 2006

Although it has traditionally known that deer antler and medicinal herbs extract contain some functional components for health promotion, the nutritional significance remains to be elucidated. This study examined the efficacy of deer antler extract (DA) , medicinal herbs extract (MH) and their mixture (DAMH) on serum IGF-I, bone growth with growing rats in vivo and splenocyte proliferation with spleen cells in vitro. Three week-old young female rats (Sprague-Dawley) were divided into 4 groups and then fed basal diet (AIN-93G) or experimental diets containing DA, MH, DAMH, respectively, for 7 weeks. We collected blood, liver, kidney, spleen, femur and tibia from rats. There was no significant difference in weight gain, but food intake increased in DA- and MH-fed groups. There were no signs of liver and kidney damage in the DA, MH and DAMH-fed groups compared to basal diet group. In femur and tibia, wet weights: breaking forces and bone minerals (Ca, Mg and Zn) were significantly higher in the DA-fed group than in the other groups. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) , bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) activities were significantly lower in the DA, MH, DAMH-fed groups than in basal diet group. Also, serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations were significantly increased in DA-fed group compared to the other groups. Therefore DA was shown to have an activity of bone growth promotion by increasing the IGF-I, a major bone growth factor. The deer antler extract showed an enhanced immune action on the primary cultured-cells from spleen of rats, representing that splenocytes were proliferated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but not by concanavalin A (Con A). These results indicate that deer antler extract has beneficial effects on bone growth via IGF-I and on splenocyte activation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.949-956
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• 2006

The development of flip-graft, yield of antler and growth of antler in Sika deer, Red deer and Elk were investigated to establish the technology of transplantation of flip-graft. Pedicle flip-grafts were transplanted on the sides pedicle, on the midline of forehead and on the middle line of the skull. The success rate of transplantation was 42％, 5 animals out of 12. The yields of antler and number of point were 716g and 1,071g, and 2.3 and 1.0 in control and donor of flip-graft, respectively in red deer. The length and weight of anther of recipient of flip-graft in elk were 17cm, 302g. The length and weight of hard antler of recipient of flip-graft in red deer were 26cm and 122g. Flip-graft should be transplanted on the scull after removal of the corium for strong adherence.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.748-753
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• 2007

Serum biochemical values were measured in blood samples collected from 8 fasted stags from both jugular and femoral veins at 18-day intervals during antler growth. Samples were analyzed for blood substrate, enzyme activity values, minerals and electrolyte. There were no significant differences in total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, triglyceride, glucose or cholesterol concentration between veins or sampling dates. However, total-bilirubin concentration in the jugular vein on the casting date was three times higher than on the other sampling dates (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase with progressing antler growth. The highest level of alkaline phosphatase concentration was on day 55 after casting. There were no significant differences in inorganic phosphorus, sodium and chloride concentration between jugular and femoral samples. Calcium concentration was significantly higher in the femoral vein on the cutting date (55 day) than in the jugular vein (p<0.05). There were few changes in serum biochemical values. However, some electrolytes and minerals had differences during antler growth. It is suggested that despite such a big event as antler growth, blood biochemical values are not variable if feeding conditions are consistently maintained as was the case in this study.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2002

Antlers from deer species are alternative animal by-products. Due to the oriental trade, the velvet antler industry is rapidly emerging in North America. The unique biological property of antler wish a deciduous natural phenomenon offers the valuable model of biomedical research. Growing antlers showed different structures according to cell populations consisting of mesenchymes, chondroblasts, chondrocytes and osseous tissues from distal to proximal portions of main beam. Their structures were different from two tissues, cartilage and bone, in growing antlers. Zone of maturing ants calcifying chondrocytes referred as upper section was invaded by osteoblasts indicating the occurrence of endochondral ossification. The cartilaginous tissues were gradually replaced by osseous tissues downward. The bony tissues referred as the middle and base sections in this thesis contained spongy bone and cortical bone structure in the difference of the degree of mineralization antral the thickness of cortical bony in adjacent to outer velvet layer. In addition, the endocrinological regulators such as testosterone, prolactin, growth hormones and other growth factors are actively involved in the unique deciduous nature shown in the growth and development of antler.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.805-812
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to provide basic information to allow improved feeding management for velvet antler production by investigating the effects of dietary protein level on production and chemical composition of velvet antler in spotted deer(Cervus nippon). Eighteen male spotted deer of 5~6 years old were assigned to 3 unreplicated groups by production record of the previous year. Deer were fed on experimental diets at different protein level of 10%(T1), 15%(T2) and 20%(T3). Dry matter intake, crude protein intake and daily gain were increased with increasing the protein level in diets and there were significant differences(P<0.05) between groups. Although not significant, mean length of main beam tended to be longer in either left or right beam with increasing the protein level, and in girth at part of base of main beam, it was a similar pattern to the result of length. The velvet antler production was affected by dietary protein level and thus that was the smallest in T1 and the largest in T3(P<0.05). The content of crude protein in velvet antler was higher in T1 than in T3, whereas the content of crude ash in velvet antler was contrast to that of crude protein, however, there were no significant differences.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1321-1329
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• 2007

Deer antler tissue contains the most rapidly growing bone in the animal kingdom. Thus, it is likely that growing antler tissue is a rich source of local paracrine bone-stimulating factors. Growth factors, at least the insulin-like growth factor (IGF), control the bone-remodelling process. In this study, we tried to isolate and purify IGF-I from fresh antler tissue by the routine isolation and purification of protein. The purification involved ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose CL-60 ion-exchange chromatography, CM-Sepharose CL-6B ion-exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-50 chromatography. Purified fractions from each step were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PACE), Dot-blot, and Western-blot methods. Furthermore, the quantification of partially purified IGF-I was calculated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using antibody to human recombinant IGF-1. SDS-PAGE analysis of the final fraction yielded two molecular bands and the signal band was at 12 kDa on the Western-blot film. This purified IGF-I fraction showed a peak at retention time of eight min. The quantity of IGF-I in 20 g deer antler tissue as starting weight was calculated using a standard curve to be 2910 ng/ml, and total IGF-I amount is 0.291 g. The results show that IGF-I, which can be found in deer antler, can be partially purified and quantified by classic protein isolation methods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.277-290
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• 2008

The process of wound repair involves an ordered sequence of events such as overlapping biochemical and cellular events that, in the best of circumstances, result in the restoration of both the structural and functional integrity of the damaged tissue. An important event during wound healing is the contraction of newly formed connective tissues by fibroblasts. The polypeptide growth factors, like transforming growth factor-${\beta}$(TGF-${\beta}$, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF- I) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), play very important mediator roles in the process of wound contraction. Deer antlers, as models of mammalian regeneration, are cranial appendages that develop after birth as extensions of a permanent protuberance (pedicle) on the frontal bone. Antlers contain various growth factors which stimulate dermal fibroblast growth. They are involved in digestion and respiration and are necessary for normal wound healing and skin health. In order to investigate and evaluate the effects of red deer antlers on skin wound site, the speed of full-thickness skin wound healing and the expression of IGF-I, TGF-${\beta}$ and EGF in skin wounds, three groups of skin full-thickness rat models with a high concentration of antler ointment, a low concentration of antler ointment and without antler ointment were compared. At post-injury days 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 20, 32, 40 and 60, the skin wound area was measured, the expressions of IGF-I, TGF- ${\beta}$ and EGF mRNA were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and collagen formation by sirius red dye and the localization of IGF-I, TGF-${\beta}$ and EGF peptides were inspected by histological immunohistochemical techniques. Wound healing was significantly more rapid in antler treated skins. In addition, the wound treated with a high concentration antler ointment, a low concentration antler ointment, and the control closed completely at post-injury day 40, day 44 and day 60, respectively. Via RT-PCR, the expressions of IGF-I (day 8 and day 16), TGF-${\beta}$(day 8, day 16 and day 20) and EGF (day 4, day 8, day 16, and day 32) were obviously up-regulated in high concentration antler-treated skins compared to control skins. Similar results could be seen in the histological detection of collagen dye and immunohistochemical methods using the corresponding polyclone antibodies of IGF-I, TGF-${\beta}$ and EGF. These results illustrate that antlers stimulate and accelerate the repair of cutaneous wounds.