• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.138-143
• /
• 1997

Crude catechin extracts were prepared using ethyl acetate from Korean Puerariae Radix (PR) and their biological effects on the alcoholic liver damage were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 weeks old). Ethanol (5g ethanol/kg body weight/day) administration was performed for 8 weeks and after ethanol consuming rats were treated with one or two% catechin extracts of diet for 8 weeks. At the end of experimental period, lipid hydroperoxides in liver were analyzed using a chemiluminescence-high performance liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC) method. Compared with control animals, ethanol consumed rats showed lighter body weights, lower ratios of liver/body weight, higher activities of GOT and GPT, and increased lipid hydroperoxide amount in liver. With one or two% catechin extracts treatment, GOT and GPT activities returned to normal ranges. Lipid hydroperoxide contents in liver of on or two% PR treated rats lowered to 20% or 25% respectively, compared with the levels of those ethanol consumed animals without catechin extracts treatment. Therefore, we concluded that on or two% PR crude catechins treatment could be effective for alcoholic liver damage caused by lipid peroxidation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 2023

Tenebrio molitor, rich in protein, is used as an alternative protein source. Many studies have evaluated Tenebrio molitor larvae (TML) for anti-obesity effects, fatty liver relief, antithrombosis, and antioxidant effects. In this study, we prepared an experimental diet by adding Tenebrio molitor larvae oil (TMLO) to feed and administered it to adult male ICR mice for six weeks. The study assessed the weight gain of mice, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), blood coagulation time, and the activities of coagulation factor VII and coagulation factor XII. The weight gain of mice was suppressed in the groups fed with TMLO, indicating a potential anti-obesity effect. The blood coagulation time was delayed in the TMLO-fed groups, as evidenced by amplified PT and aPTT values. Furthermore, the activities of coagulation factor VII and coagulation factor XII were diminished in the TMLO-treated groups, indicating a potential thrombosis relieving effect. The concentrations of thromboxane B2 and serotonin declined in the TMLO-fed groups, signifying potential blood circulation effects. Finally, blood triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were reduced in the TMLO-fed groups. In summary, TMLO supplementation may have an inhibitory effect on liver damage and blood clot formation caused by obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.22-31
• /
• 1996

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E and selenium on the antioxidative defense mechanism in the liver of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats(120$\pm$10gm) were randomly assigned to one control and five STZ-diabetic groups. Diabetic groups were classified to STZ-0E (vitamin E free diet), STZ-40E(40mg vitamin E/kg of diet), STZ-400E(400mg vitamin E/kg of diet), STZ-S(0.5ppm Se/kg of diet) and STZ-400ES(400mg vitamin E and 0.5ppm Se/kg of diet) according to the level of vitamin E and selenium supplementation. Diabetes was experimentally induced by intravenous adminstration of 55mg/kg of STZ in citrate buffer(pH 4.3) after 4-weeks feedng of six experimental diets. Animals were sacrificed at the 4th day of diabetic states. Activities of the serum glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase(GOT) and the glutaminc pyruvate transaminase(GPT) in STZ-0E, STZ-40E and STZ-S rats were higher than those of control. Liver xanthine oxidase activities were similar to serum GOT and GPT. Liver superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities were higher in STZ-0E and STZ-40E groups by 33%, 22%, respectively than that of control. Glutathione S-transferase(GST) activities of liver were similar to GSH-Px activities. The contents of vitamin E in liver tissue were significantly lower STZ-0E, STZ-40E and STZ-S groups by 50%, 36%, 45% than that of control. Reduced glutathione(GSH) contents of liver were lower STZ-0E, STZ-40E, STZ-400E, STZ-S and STZ-400ES groups by 57%, 51%, 19%, 18%, 12% than that of control. Lipid peroxide values (LPO) in liver were higher 5.6, 2.3 and 2.3 times in STZ-0E, STZ-40E and STZ-S group than that of control. The present results indicate that STZ-induced diabetic rats are more sensitive to oxidative stress, leading to the acceleration of lipid peroxidation process, which can be more accelerated by feeding the low level of dietary vitamin E. In the coincident supplementation of high dietary vitamin E and selenium antioxidative enzymes activities and physiolosical antioxidants were increased more than those of the separate supplementation of vitamin E or selenium. Therefore, dietary vitamin E and selenium reduced peroxidative damage of tissue, promoting antioxidative defense mechanism against lipid peroxidation by diabetes.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.231-239
• /
• 2018

Bisphenol A, an everywhere chemical, is applied as a plasticizer in polycarbonate plastics, which often used in our everyday products and in epoxy resins as protective coatings and linings for food and beverage cans for decades. Human exposure to BPA may lead to adverse effects by interfering with oestrogen receptors. Our present study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of selenium (Se) and vitamin E (Vit E) on BPA-induced damage in the liver of male rats. Animals were randomly divided into four groups: the first group received olive oil and served as control. The second group received both (Se + Vit E) (0.5 mg/kg diet; 100 mg/kg of diet). The third one treated orally by (10 mg/kg b.w.) of BPA. The last group received (Se + Vit E) (0.5 mg/kg diet; 100 mg/kg of diet) concomitantly with (10 mg/kg b.w.) BPA. Exposure to BPA for three weeks engendered a hepatic disorder. An increased AST and ALT enzymatic activity was noticed in BPA-treated group as compared to other groups. Furthermore, a change in glucose, cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, albumin, and bilirubin level was remarkable. Moreover, exposure to BPA increased malondialdehyde levels while reduced gluthatione content was decreased in the liver homogenate. A decrease in glutathione peroxidase, glutathione s-transferase and catalase activities was observed in the same group. Administration of selenium and vitamin E through the diet in BPA treated rats ameliorated the biochemical parameters cited above. In addition, an improvement in activities of liver enzymes was recorded. The histological findings confirmed the biochemical results. The model of this study that we employed characterized the relationships between BPA-induced hepatotoxicity and its alleviation by natural antioxidants like selenium and vitamin E.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.46 no.7
• /
• pp.779-789
• /
• 2017

The effects of orally administered Seomaeyakssuk (Artemisia argyi H.) vinegar on lipid metabolism in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFC) diet were analyzed. The experimental animals were divided into five groups: a normal diet group (normal, N), HFC diet group (control, C), HFC diet with lovastatin at 20 mg/kg body weight (B.W.) group (positive control, PC), HFC diet with malt vinegar group (TM), and HFC diet with Seomaeyaksuk vinegar group (TS) (2 mL/kg B.W.). After 4 weeks of feeding rats the experimental diet, contents of serum total lipids and total cholesterol levels of TM and TS groups were significantly lower than those of the PC group. Triglyceride contents of the TM and TS groups were not significantly different from those of the PC group but significantly lower than those of the C group. Content of serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol was significantly lower than that of the N group but higher than that of the C group. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol content of serum was 190.68 mg/dL in the TS group, which was the lowest except for the N group. Aspartate transaminase and albumin transaminase activities as a measurement of liver damage index were not significantly different between the TM, TS, and C groups. Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content of the TS group was reduced to a similar level as the N group but was lower than that of the C group in the liver and significantly higher than that of the N group. Antioxidant activity of the TS group was 55.69% in serum, which was a similar to that of the N group, and was 52.39% in the liver, which was not significantly different than that of the C group. From these results, we conclude that Seomaeyakssuk vinegar improves serum lipid content as a result of the complex action of vinegar, an active ingredient of Seomaeyakssuk and a product of the fermentation process.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.16-33
• /
• 2004

In Oriental medicine, aging is just a natural process like change of seasons. Ancient Oriental people accepted it as a natural thing to be growing older and to die at last. The science of aging has advanced dramatically. In the last 2 decades, advances in genetics and molecular biology have led to extraordinary new understandings in how cells age, how apoptosis programs cells to die, and how neuroendocrinology plays a role in the lifespan of organisms. Today, the matter of primary concern about aging is a cellular and mitochondrial damage of human body induced by reactive oxygen species(ROS). The skin aging can be divided into two areas, intrinsic(chronologic)-aging and photo-aging. There are lots of photo damage about skin aging. The skin is increasingly exposed to ultraviolet(UV) irradiation in life. Therefore, the risk of photo-oxidative damage of the skin induced by reactive oxygen species(ROS) has increased substantially. Nowadays, many people believe that they can stop or at least delay the process of aging. There are lots of treatments that promise to slow the process of aging and the associated ailments. Many of these treatments, for example, exercise, Vit E, Vit C therapy, hormone therapy, restrict diet, are gradually being subjected to clinical trials. But in spite of all efforts, researches and investigations, there is no single method or treatment which is revealed to be truly effective for delaying progress of aging. Every methods insisted on effect for delaying aging process, has its dark side. All we can do is just keeping ourself healthy until the time of death.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2010

Inonotus obliquus is one of the immune-regulatory substances and is recognized to play the role in the metabolic process of inflammation, allergy and immuntiy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of water extracts of Inonotus obliquus (IOW) on the liver lymphocyte immune function in the Sprague-Dawley male rats treated with carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) to induce liver damage. Rats were fed with each experimental diet and water for 4 weeks. We found that effects of IOW on interferon-gamma (IFN-$\gamma$), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) and GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA-3) were decrease in vivo. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), STAT6, pSTAT6 and T-box expressed in T-cells (T-bet) decreased significantly lower in $CCl_4$+IOW group than the $CCl_4$ group. Our data indicated that cytokine protein production were increased in $CCl_4$ group and $CCl_4$+IOW group. As a result of this study, we assume that IOW fed could regulate the immuno-modulating functions through regulate the cytokine production capacity activated by liver damage.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.135-142
• /
• 2019

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer, known as Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), is one of the important age-old traditional herbs used in boosting libido and improving male fertility. In this study, the effects of Rg3-enriched KRG extract (KGC04P) on heat stress-induced testicular damage in experimental rats was evaluated. Methods: Male rats (Sprague-Dawley) were divided into four groups (n = 10): normal control (NC), heat-stressed control (HC), heat-stressed plus KGC04P-100 mg/kg (HK100), and heat-stressed plus KGC04P-200 mg/kg (HK200) groups. Starting 1 week prior to heat stress, animals were administered orally with KGC04P (100 and 200 mg/kg) mixed with a regular pellet diet and continued for 25 weeks. Heat stress was induced to HC, HK100, and HK200 groups by intermittently exposing the animals to high temperatures ($32{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, 2 h/day). After 6 months, animals were euthanized under general anesthesia with carbon dioxide and evaluated for various parameters in serum and testicular tissue by using Western blotting, biochemical kits, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: Significant (p < 0.05) alterations in several parameters, such as body/organ weight, sperm kinematics, and lipid metabolism marker levels, in the serum and testis of rats were observed. Further, the expression of testicular antioxidant enzymes, inflammatory cytokines, sex hormonal receptors, and spermatogenesis-related genes were also affected significantly (p < 0.05) in the heat-stressed group. However, KGC04P prevented the heat stress-induced changes in rats significantly (p < 0.05) at both concentrations. Conclusion: KGC04P attenuated heat stress-induced testicular damage by a multifunctional approach and can be developed as an excellent therapeutic agent for hyperthermia-mediated male infertility.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2014

Objectives : Dodam-tang has been reported to have a control effect against the hyperlipidemia and thrombosis. Based upon these previous reports, this study investigates the effects of Dodam-tang on the cerebral ischemic damage of the hyperlipidemic rats. Methods : Hyperlipidemia was induced by the beef tallow 30% diet for 14 days on Sprague-Dawley rats. Ischemic damage was induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 hours with the intraluminal thread method. Then water extract of Dodam-tang was administered daily for 5 days. The effect of Dodam-tang was evaluated with the serum lipids, infarct volume and edema percentage, and immunohistochemical expressions of iNOS, MMP-9, and GFAP in the brain tissue. Results : The obtained results were as follows; Dodam-tang reduced significantly the infarct size in a TTC-stained 5th brain section of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats. Dodam-tang suppressed the infarct volume of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats, but not significant statistically. Dodam-tang suppressed the edema percentage of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats significantly in the brain tissue. Dodam-tang suppressed significantly the iNOS expression in the cerebral penumbra and caudate putamen of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats. Dodam-tang suppressed significantly the MMP-9 expression in the cerebral penumbra of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats. Dodam-tang suppressed significantly the GFAP-expressed atrocytes in the cerebral penumbra of the hyperlipidemic MCAO rats. Conclusions : These results suggest that Dodam-tang suppresses the brain edema formation through the suppression of the iNOS, MMP-9 and GFAP, but the neuroprotective effect against the cerebral infarct are not distinct.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.8
• /
• pp.1104-1111
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Sikhe made by medicinal herb on the functional level of liver. Water extract I (12.9% W/W) and II (25.8% W/W) were obtained from medicinal materials: Caragana Sinica, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Atractylodes rhizoma alba, Atractylodes rhizoma alba, Crataegus pinnatifida, Paeonia lactiflora Pasll., Hordeum vulgare Linne, Oryza sativa Linne, ginger, peer and jujube. Experimental groups were divided into the control diet group (C), high fat diet group (HF), high fat diet treated with 5% extract I group (HFE I ) and high fat diet treated with 5% extract II group (HFE II). In sensory evaluation, overall quality scores associated with color, aroma, flavor and taste were significantly higher in water extract II than in water extract 1. After investigating functional and lipid levels of livers in rats, we found that the administration of water extract I or water extract II to the high fat diet group (HF) did not affect the gain of body weight but mildly reduced GOT or GPT activity in the high diet group. Moreover, administration of these medicinal herbal extracts significantly decreased the levels of total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol in the high fat diet group (HF). However, administration of these medicinal herbal extracts did not affect the level of phospholipid. In conclusion, as Sikhe made by medicinal herb slightly decreased the activity of GOT or GPT and amount of lipid in liver, prevention against high fat diet is thought to be important for liver protection.