• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.398-404
• /
• 2005

Radioprotection is of practical importance for the normal tissues of tumor patients subject to radiotherapy, people with planned or accidental exposure to radiation, and the public and radiation workers. Since oxygen enhances radiation - induced biological damage, antioxidants should be related with the function as a radioprotectors. Ascorbic acid or caffeine is an essential component and antioxidant in the diet of humans and a small range of other mammals. The present study investigates functional radioprotection of caffeine and ascorbic acid against gamma radiation in irradiated C57BL/6N mice. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6N mice were irradiated with 6.5 Gy. A caffeine treated group was administered with $80mg\;kg^{-1}$ body weight by intraperitoneal injection, a single treatment 1 hr before irradiation. Ascorbic acid was administered $330\;mg\;L^{-1}$ in drinking water through all the experimental period. According to time schedules, animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. And the samples were collected 2 weeks after whole- body gamma irradiation. The caffeine treated group showed lower decrement of body and organ weights than the other experimental groups. The qualitative analysis of circulating testosterone in serum was performed by means of radioimmunoassay (RIA). The normal level of circulating testosterone was maintained by the treatment of caffeine and ascorbic acid. The change of weight of body and organ and the appearance of seminiferous tubules were improved by an effect of caffeine or ascorbic acid against irradiation. Taken together, caffeine and ascorbic acid protects impairment of spermatogenesis against gamma radiation and may act as a radio-protector.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.12
• /
• pp.1364-1370
• /
• 2014

Ascorbic acid (AA) is a multifunctional metabolite in plants that is essential for plant development and growth. We examined the effect of AA, an antioxidant, on the gravitropic response of primary roots in maize. The application of $10^{-3}$ M AA to the elongation zone did not affect the gravitropic response and slightly inhibited the root growth. However, treatment with both $10^{-5}$ M and $10^{-3}$ M AA at the root tip increased the gravitropic response and inhibited root growth. Differences in indole-3- acetic acid (IAA) activity between the upper and lower hemispheres of the root resulted in differential elongation along the horizontal root. Roots are extremely sensitive to IAA, and increasing the amount of IAA in the lower hemisphere of the root inhibited elongation. Therefore, we examined the effect of IAA in the presence of AA. The inhibitory effect of AA on the gravitropic response was greater in combination with IAA. To understand the role of AA in the regulation of root growth and the gravitropic response, we measured ethylene production in the presence of AA in the primary roots of maize. AA stimulated ethylene production via the activation of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase gene, which regulates the conversion of ACC to ethylene. These results suggest that AA alters the gravitropic response of maize roots through modification of the action of ethylene.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.94-98
• /
• 2003

Quercetin and naringenin are representative flavonoids that not only exert anti estrogenic, cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant activities but also can modulate the metabolism of many xenobiotics. The activity of the specific form(s) of CYP450 is likely to be a major determinant of susceptibility to chemically induced carcinogenesis between which varies among between individuals due to different dietary habits as well as genetic characteristics. People consume cooked meat or fish together with various vegetables containing substantial amounts of quercetin and naringenin that can modify the enzyme activity of CYP1A2 to stimulate or to inhibit the mutagenic activities of HCAs. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced by cooking meat products at high temperatures are promutagens that are activated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) lA2. Using a newly developed Salmonella typhimurium TA1538/1A2bc-b5 strain, we tested the effect of quercetin and naringenin on the mutagenicity of 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 bears two plasmids, one expressing human CYP1A2 and NADPH-P450 reductase (NPR), and the other plasmid which expresses human cytochrome b5 (cyp b5). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 cells showed high activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD) associated with CYP1A2 and are very sensitive to mutagenesis induced by several HCAs. MeIQ was found to be the strongest mutagen among the HCAs tested in this system. Mutagenicity of MeIQ was enhanced 50 and 42% by quercetin at 0.1 and 1 mM, respectively, but suppressed 82% and 96% at 50 mM and 100 mM. Naringenin also increased the MeIQ-induced mutation about 37% and 22% at 0.1 and 1 mM, but suppressed it 32% and 63% at 50 mM and 100 mM concentrations, respectively, in TA 1538/1A2bc-b5 cells. Thus, they stimulated the MeIQ induced mutation at low concentrations, but strongly suppressed it at high concentrations. This biphasic effect of flavonoids was due to the stimulation or the inhibition of CYP1A2 activity in a dose-dependent manner judging by the activities of EROD or MROD in the Salmonella cells. Collectively, it is likely that the biphasic effects of quercetin and naringenin on the MeIQ-induced mutagenesis in S. typhimurium TA1538/CYP1A2bc-b5 were due to their differential modification of the CYP1A2 activity in these cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.337-345
• /
• 2008

There are accumulating evidences that high levels of dietary iron may play a role in colon carcinogenesis. Elevated iron status has been associated with oxidative stress. Phytic acid (PA) functions as an antioxidant by chelating divalent cations and prevents formation of reactive oxygen species responsible for cell injury and carcinogenesis. The protective effect of PA was investigated on formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by azoxymethane (AOM) in iron-overloaded male F344 rats. After acclimation with AIN-93G purified diet (35 ppm Fe, normal control diet) for one week, animals were fed iron-overloaded diet (350 ppm Fe) and PA (0.5% or 2% PA in water) for 8 weeks. Animals received two (1st and 2nd week) injections of AOM (15 mg/kg b.w.) to induce colonic ACF. The colonic mucosa was examined for the total numbers of aberrant crypt (AC) and ACF after staining with methylene blue. The blood and serum were analyzed with a blood cell differential counter and an automatic serum analyzer. Iron-overloaded diet increased the concentration of iron in liver of the rats. But iron-related parameters in blood were not changed among experimental groups. The numbers of ACF per colon and AC per colon were $178.8{\pm}33.2$ and $448.4{\pm}110.2$ in the iron-overloaded F344 rats. The total AC was significantly increased, compared with normal-diet AOM control group (p < 0.05). The treatments of PA at the dose of 0.5% slightly decreased the number of ACF and AC per colon to $153.6{\pm}29.5$ and $396.3{\pm}107.5$. However, there were no significant differences in the total numbers of ACF and AC between the AOM control group and PA (0.5% or 2%)-treated groups. These results suggest that PA may not affect the formation of ACF or AC induced by AOM in ironoverloaded F344 rats.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.308-316
• /
• 2003

Purpose: The green tea polyphenol (GTPP) has been known to exert antioxidant activity as a radical scavenger as well as cancer preventive and cancer growth inhibition effect. The aim of this study was to identify whether GTPP not only potentiate the growth inhibition effect in ${\gamma}-irradiated$ human cancer cell but also exert protection action for irradiated human normal cell. Materials and Methods: GTPP (80% catechin including >45% EGCG) added in the HL60, human leukemia, and NC37, human lymphoblast, before irradiation. After establishing the amount of GTPP and the dose of radiation, the cells were treated with the GTPP for 6 hours and irradiated with the determined doses. Results: Viability when $10{\mu}g/ml$ GTPP added before ${\gamma}-irradiation$ with 1 Gy to NC37 cells was not different in comparison with control but it when was irradiated with 3 Gy significantly different (1 Gy;P=0.126, 3 Gy;P=0.010). $20{\mu}g/ml$ GTPP did not show significant difference in both NC37 cells irradiated with 1 Gy and 3 Gy (1 Gy;P=0.946, 3 Gy;P=0.096). Viabilities were significantly decreased with concentration of additional GTPP in HL60 with 1 or 3 Gy (1 Gy $69.0{\pm}1.7%\;vs\;42.4{\pm}1.3%,\;3\;Gy;\;66.9{\pm}3.9%\;vs\;44.2{\pm}1.6%$). Conclusion: In vitro study, we certified that when the cells were irradiated with dose below 3 Gy, GTPP provide not only anticancerous effect against cancer cells but also radioprotective effect in normal cells simultaneously. Theses results suggest the possibility that consumption of green tea could give the radioprotective effect and maximize the effect on internal radiation such as radioiodine therapy concomitantly.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2006

Entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris is famous for its medicinal efficacies. It has been reported to have various pharmacological activities such as anti-tumour, insecticidal, antibacterial, immunomodulatory and antioxidant. In this study, we investigated the effect of the extract of C. militaris (MPUN8501), which was identified by the analysis of the nucleotide sequences of 5.8S ribosomal RNA, on the function of liver. C. militaris powder was extracted using hot water extracts method as time, volume and temperature and using method as differential polarity of organic solvent. Each fraction was tested for the improvement of hepatic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. The BuOH extracts (CME) had highest activity which was used for the test of toxicity and efficacy of C. militaris. The enhancing effect of CME on the activity of ADH and ALDH was much more than medicine, drink, natural tea etc. Thus CME promoted the resolution of alcohol and acetaldehyde in rats, inducing recovery to normal condition rapidly. Furthermore, oral administration of CME effectively protected the carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatic injury as revealed by the hematological parameters (levels of sGOT and sGPT) and histological observation. CME was ascertained to be safe by regulatory toxicity studies of single dose toxicity and genotoxicity. These results suggest that CME would be useful for the maintaining normal hepatic activity as a functional health food.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.11
• /
• pp.1521-1531
• /
• 2008

After pigs was fed by commercial diets supplemented with various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5%) of the fermented mushroom by-product of Pleurotus eryngii, the meat qualities and the serum lipid compositions of the individual pig groups were investigated. The levels of total lipid, total cholesterol, and triglyceride in the serum were significantly lower when the pigs were fed with the diet supplemented with 1.5% fermented mushroom by-product than those of the control pigs. HDL-, LDL-, and VLDL-cholesterol contents in the serum exhibited no significant difference between the pig group fed by the diet containing the fermented mushroom by-product and the control group. In comparison to the control group, the pig group fed by the diet supplemented with 1.5% fermented mushroom by-product showed significantly lower level of AI, CRF, GOT, and LDH values in the serum, whereas the difference in the level of antioxidant activity of the serum was not significant. Sensory evaluation regarding color, off-flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability also showed that the pork from the pig group fed by the diet supplemented with the fermented mushroom by-product ($0.5{\sim}1.5%$) was better than that from the control group. Although enhancement in the lghtness ($a^*$) value of the pork was significant in 20 days of storage at $4^{\circ}C$, the redness ($L^*$) value was not significantly differential during the storage periods regardless of the supplementation of the fermented mushroom by-product into the diet. The cooking loss of the pork from the pig group fed by the diet supplemented with the fermented mushroom by-product (1% and 1.5%) decreased in the storage 10 days, but it increased in the storage 20 days. After storage for 20 days at $4^{\circ}C$, shear force of the pork obtained from the pigs fed by the diet supplemented with $1%{\sim}1.5%$ fermented mushroom by-product appeared to become significantly lower than that of the control. There were, however, no significant changes between two groups in the level of moisture content, crude lipid, and pH during the storage period. Although the TBARS content was enhanced in all groups during the storage period, the enhancement appeared to be more significant in the pork from the pig group fed by the diet containing the fermented mushroom by-product in comparison to the control. On the other hand, the ratio of UFA/SFA for the pork obtained from the individual pig groups showed no considerable diet-associated alterations during the storage period.