• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.195-205
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• 2013

Obesity may cause metabolic syndrome and adult diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate the ameliorative or useful effects of beanleaves on inflammation and liver damage in obese rat models. Rats were divided into three groups: a control group (normal diet, n=6), a fat diet group (45%-fat diet, n=7), and a bean leaf group (45%-fat+Korean bean leaves diet, n=7). Body weights in the bean leaf group were lower than those of the fat group (P<0.05). Serum tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) concentrations were lower in both the control and bean leaf groups than in the fat group (P<0.001). TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations in the bean leaf group were slightly higher than in the control group but statistically significant (P<0.05). The bean leaf group histologically exhibited lower fatty degeneration, spotty necrosis, and leukocyte infiltrations in hepatic tissues than those of the fat group. In the homogenized liver tissues, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene was only expressed in the fat group. The gene expression levels of hepatic TNF-${\alpha}$, inducible nitric-oxide synthase, peroxiome proliferator-activated receptor-${\alpha}$ (PPAR-${\alpha}$), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) were weaker in the bean leaf group than in the fat group. These results suggest that adding bean-leaves to the diet may ameliorate obesity-induced systemic inflammation and liver damage and that bean leaves may be a useful food for preventing obesity and thereby metabolic syndrome and adult diseases.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.69-69
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• 2023

Safflower seeds, classified as a member of the Asteraceae family, a dicotyledonous plant, contain linoleic acid as a major component, known for its pharmacological effect of strengthening bones. Additionally, safflower seeds have been reported to have pharmacological effects on vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of safflower seed extract by examining its impact on adipocyte differentiation using Oil Red O staining, triglyceride quantification, and GPDH activity measurement. The results showed that safflower seed extract significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, we confirmed that safflower seed extract improved body weight, liver weight, adipose tissue size, glucose, and triglyceride levels in a high-fat diet-induced mouse model. These findings suggest that safflower seed extract exhibits potent anti-obesity activity both in vitro and in vivo and has the potential to be developed as a material for future anti-obesity therapies.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.219-223
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• 2011

Obesity has been reported to be associated with low grade inflammatory status. In this study, we investigated the inflammatory response as well as associated signaling molecules in immune cells from diet-induced obese mice. Four-week-old C57BL mice were fed diets containing 5% fat (control) or 20% fat and 1% cholesterol (HFD) for 24 weeks. Splenocytes ($1{\times}10^7$ cells) were stimulated with $10\;{\mu}g/mL$ of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 6 or 24 hrs. Production of interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and TNF-${\alpha}$ as well as protein expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)2, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3, and pSTAT3 were determined. Mice fed HFD gained significantly more body weight compared to mice fed control diet ($28.2{\pm}0.6$ g in HFD and $15.4{\pm}0.8$ g in control). After stimulation with LPS for 6 hrs, production of IL-$1{\beta}$ was significantly higher (P=0.001) and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ tended to be higher (P < 0.064) in the HFD group. After 24 hrs of LPS stimulation, splenocytes from the HFD group produced significantly higher levels of IL-6 ($10.02{\pm}0.66$ ng/mL in HFD and $7.33{\pm}0.56$ ng/mL in control, P=0.005) and IL-$1{\beta}$ ($121.34{\pm}12.72$ pg/mL in HFD and $49.74{\pm}6.58$ pg/mL in control, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the expression levels of STAT3 and pSTAT3 between the HFD and the control groups. However, the expression level of NOD2 protein as determined by Western blot analysis was 60% higher in the HFD group compared with the control group. NOD2 contributes to the induction of inflammation by activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$. These findings suggest that diet-induced obesity is associated with increased inflammatory response of immune cells, and higher expression of NOD2 may contribute to these changes.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2022

Consumption of high fat diet (HFD) induces obesity by accumulating triglycerides and inflammation in the body. In the present study, we investigated the effects of black onion vinegar (BV) on HFD-induced C57BL/6 obese mice model. The HFD-fed obese mice were administered black onion juice (BJ) and BV, respectively, for 6 weeks. The HFD-fed group increased body and organ weights compared with normal control diet-induced group. However, administration of BV significantly reduced body and organ weights compared with HFD-fed group. The BJ- and BV-administered groups improved the serum lipid profiles such as total cholesterol and triglyceride, compared with HFD-fed group. In addition, BV-administered group significantly improved serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The BV-administered mice had increased the number and size of adipose cells in the liver and adipose tissues. The administrations of BJ and BV significantly down-regulated adipogenesis transcription factors and proinflammatory proteins in the liver compared with HFD-fed group. In particular, BV-administered group showed stronger attenuation of adipogenesis-related proteins than the BJ-administered group. Therefore, this study demonstrated that administration of BV attenuated HFD-induced obesity, in particular down-regulation of adipogenesis, and it could be developed as a functional vinegar for anti-obesity.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.663-669
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• 2006

The dietary effects of soy fiber beni-koji(SBCA) containing chitosan-ascorbate on the body weight and serum lipids in obese rats induced by a high fat diet were investigated. The experimental plots(6 rats per each group) were divided into a normal group(NC), a high fat diet group(HF), a 1% SBCA diet group(SBCA1) and a 2% SBCA diet group(SBCA2), and fed for 6 weeks. Compared with the HF group, the mean body weight and the $R\'{o}hrer$ index of the SBCA1 and SBCA2 groups decreased by $3.4{\sim}7.4%$ and $8.1{\sim}13.9%$, respectively. In particular, the body lipids in the SBCA2 group decreased by 42.3%. The serum triglyceride content decreased by approximately $25.54{\sim}27.34%$ in the experimental diet groups. There was no significant difference in the serum total lipids between the HF and SBCA1 groups. On the other hand, the total lipids in SBCA2 group decreased by 19.12% compared with the HF group. In the SBCA2 group, the total serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol content decreased by 6.57% and 41.20% compared with the HF group, respectively, while the HDL-cholesterol increased by 10.0%. The risk factor index(RFI) in the SBCA2 group was decreased remarkably by 58.57%.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on weight loss, food intake, lipid metabolism, adipogenesis. Methods Four week-old C57BL/6J mice acclimatized to the laboratory environment for 1 week were allocated into four groups of 6~8 mice each: normal diet group, high fat diet group, high fat diet group and treated with acupuncture at HT7, high fat diet group and treated with acupuncture at ST36 for 90days. High fat diet group was used to control group. Results 1) Body weight, food intake of the ST36, HT7 groups decreased compared with those of control group. ST36 group was more effective with body weight decrease, and HT7 group was more effective with food intake decrease. 2) NEFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST of the ST36, HT7 groups decreased compared with those of control group. ST36 group was more effective. 3) The expression of SREP-1c, SREBP-2 of the ST36 group decreased compared with those of control group. These decreased rates were statistically significant. SREBP-2 of the HT7 group decreased significantly compared to the control group. 4) LXR, FAS, SCD of the ST36 group decreased significantly compared with control group. 5) p-ACC, HMGCR of the ST36 group decreased significantly compared with those of control group. HMGCR of the HT7 group decreased significantly compared with control group. Conclusions These results suggest that ST36, HT7 acupuncture may be used prevent or treat the obesity induced by high fat diet.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.5-14
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• 2004

Acupuncture has fairly good weight-reducing effect in treating simple obesity due to the neuroendocrine regulation. In this study, the antiobesity effects of herbal acupuncture(HA) with Sang-hwang(phellinus linteus) at Fuai(SP16) were investigated in the rat fed on high-fat(HF) diet. Sang-hwang mushroom has been proven to have anti-carcinogenic effects and Sang-hwang extracts are highly effective in treatment and preventive treatment of AIDS, diabetes and high blood-pressure. To determine whether the Sang-hwang herbal acupuncture may have the anti-obesity effect, male Sprague-Dawley(4-wk-old) rats were fed a HF diet for 5 wk, which produced significant weight gain compared to rats were fed a normal diet, and then herbal acupuncture were treated for 3 wk in HF diet group. The body weight, food consumption, food effeciency ratio(FER), body fat mass, plasma nitric oxide(NO) were investigated in rats fed on normal diet, HF diet, and HF diet with HA(HF-diet-HA) groups. NO has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of food intake. In addition, the expression of appetite peptides such as orexigenic peptide neuropeptide Y(NPY) and the anorectic peptide cholecystokinin(CCK) were observed in the hypothalamus. HF-HA group reduced body weight gain, FER, body fat contents and NO concentration compared to HF diet group. The expression of NPY was reduced in arcuate nucleus(ARC), and CCK was increased in the paraventricular nucleus(PVN) after treatment of HA. In conclusion, Sang-hwang HA reduced adipocity, plasma NO and hypothalamic NPY, but increased CCK expression in the HF dietinduced obesity rat, therefore HA may have anti-obesity action through regulating body weight and appetite peptide of the central nervous system.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.219-240
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• 2006

Objective : This experimental study was designed to determine the anti-obestic effects of Bangpoongtongsungcankamibang(BTSK). Method : In vitro, BTSK extracts of various concentration (50,100, 200 $200{\mu}g/ml$)were added examination. The protein and mRNA expression of $C/EBP{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$ receptor was measured by western blot assay and RT-PCR. In vivo, BTSK extracts of various concentration (100, $200{\mu}g/ml$) were orally administered to induced hyperlipidemic rats by poloxamer-407 for consecutive four weeks and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol were measured. This method applied to induced hyperlipidemic rats by triton WR-1339, too. Obesity induced rats by the high fat-diet for six weeks were orally administered BTSK extracts of various concentration (100, $200{\mu}g/ml$) and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, hydroxy radical, superoxide dismuatse activity were measured. Results : I. In vitro 1. The 3T3-L1 cells' differentiation was significantly decreased by BTSK. 2. expression of $C/EBP{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$ was was significantly decreased by BTSK. II. In vitro 1. BTSK significantly reduced serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, contents in poloxamer-407 treated rat. 2. BTSK significantly reduced serum triglyceride, contents in Triton WR-1339 treated rat. But Total cholesterol did not show a significant change. 3. BTSK significantly reduced body weight gain of rat and adipose tissue mass of rats and serum triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, contents and significantly increased HDL-cholesterol, HTR(HDL-cholesterol/Total-cholesterol) in rats with obesity induced by the high fat-diet. 4. BTSK reduced blood lipid peroxide, hydroxy radical and increased superoxied dismuatse(SOD) activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.190-195
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• 2006

Obesity is associated with a number of pathological disorders such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. Bangpoongtongsungsankamibang (BTSK) has been widely used in the oriental medicine for the treatment of several diseases associated with inflammatory abnormalities in cardiovascular and nervous system. The BTSK is the modified prescription of Bangpoongtongsungsankamibang in which sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) were added. This study was carried out to detemine the anti-obestic effects of BTSK. Pretreatment with the BTSK at daily dose of 100 or 200 mg/kg (p.o.) far 4 weeks reduced serum triglyceride, total cholesterol contents in rat induced by Poloxamer-407 or Triton WR-1339, respectively. Furthermore, post-treatment with BTSK far four weeks also inhibited body weight gain, adipose tissue mass and hyperlipidemia induced by the high fat diet for six weeks. The BTSK shifted serum total-, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol levels toward the values of normal group, suggesting that BTSK has hypolipldemlc effects. The rats fed BTSK reduced lipid peroxide and hydroxy radical in the rat blood and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity compared to the control group. Taken together, these results superoxide that BTSK improve hyperlidemia and obesity via the upregulation of anti-oxidative mechanism.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.1-12
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• 2020

Objectives : Phyllostachys pubescens and Scutellaria baicalensis are considered to be effective in promoting blood circulation in traditional medicine. In this study, we examined whether a mixture of P. pubescens leaves and S. baicalensis root (BS21) had any anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia, or anti-hyperuricemia effects and the possible mechanisms of action. Methods : We examined the effects of BS21 in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Mice were fed HFD with BS21 (75, 150, or 300 mg/kg) or Garcinia cambogia extracts (245 mg/kg) as a positive control for 8 weeks. At the end of 8 weeks, body weight, liver and adipose weight, adipocyte size, plasma lipid profiles, adipokine and uric acid levels, and adipose tissue expression levels in obesity and uric acid production-related genes were examined. Results : BS21 decreased body weight gain, white adipose tissue, liver weight, adipocyte size, and liver triglyceride accumulation. It also reduced levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine transaminase, leptin, and uric acid. In contrast, BS21 increased adiponectin levels. Furthermore, BS21 decreased the expression levels of adipogenesis-related genes, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, and fatty acid synthase, as well as xanthine oxidoreductase, which is involved in uric acid production. Conclusions : These results suggest that BS21 may exert anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-hyperuricemia effects in HFD-induced obese mice by regulating the expression of xanthine oxidoreductase and adipogenesis-related genes.