• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.93-100
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• 2011

Inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity is the most common mechanism underlying the lowering of blood pressure. In the present study, five organic extracts of a marine brown seaweed Ecklonia cava were prepared by using ethanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane, and diethyl ether as solvents, which were then tested for their potential ACE inhibitory activities. Ethanol extract showed the strongest ACE inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of 0.96 mg/ml. Five kinds of phlorotannins, phloroglucinol, triphlorethol-A, eckol, dieckol, and eckstolonol, were isolated from ethanol extract of E. cava, which exhibited potential ACE inhibition. Dieckol was the most potent ACE inhibitor and was found to be a non-competitive inhibitor against ACE according to Lineweaver-Burk plots. Dieckol had an inducible effect on the production of NO in EAhy926 cells without having cytotoxic effect. The results of this study indicate that E. cava could be a potential source of phlorotalnnins with ACE inhibitory activity for utilization in production of functional foods.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.199-203
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• 2006

Background: Eckol purified from Ecklonia cava, a brown alga has been known to have cytoprotective effects on some cell lines against oxidants and ionizing radiation. However, there is no study about the effects of eckol on immune cells. Methods: Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were used to demonstrate the immunomodulatory effects of eckol on DCs, such as viability, the expression of surface markers, allogeneic stimulating capacity using MTI, flow cytometric, $^3H$-thymidine incorporation assay. Results: Eckol did protect DCs against cytokine withdrawal-induced apoptosis in a concentration dependent manner based on MTT assay. And also, it increased the expression of MHC class II and CD86 (B7.2) molecules, maturation markers, on the surface of viable DCs gated in FACS analysis. Furthermore, eckol-treated DCs stimulated the proliferation of allogeneic $CD4^+$ T lymphocytes compared to imDCs in $^3H$-thymidine incorporation assay. $CD4^+$ T lymphocytes activated with eckol-treated DCs produced the larger amount of IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-4 than those cells with imDCs. Conclusion: Taken together, we demonstrate in this study that eckol, a pure compound of Ecklonia cava, may modulate the immune responses through the phenotypic and functional changes of DCs.

• ALGAE
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.89-101
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• 2015

Ecklonia cava Kjellman is a common kelp found in shallow subtidal in warm-temperate waters in the northwest Pacific Ocean. This species has shown substantial morphological variation along with subsistence in different locations and local environments. We quantified the magnitude of morphological variation of E. cava from six populations along ~700 km of coastline from Jeju Island to Dokdo in Korea. In addition, we examined genetic distance among the populations using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Most morphological characteristics investigated were significantly different among locations. Multivariate analyses indicated two phenetically distinct groups (nearshore, sheltered vs. offshore, exposed), indicating wave exposure with turbidity are presumably major factors for the separation. With RAPD data, results of Nei's diversity (H) and AMOVA showed considerable variations in within- and between-populations. Pairwise ${\Phi}_{ST}$ and $N_m$ values indicated moderate gene flow between the six locations. Results of Nei's analysis revealed three genetically distinct groups, not consistent with the morphological groupings, indicating that a time gap may exist between morphological and genetic variations. This study also suggests dispersal distance of this kelp may be longer than what is commonly thought and genetic similarity in the populations was largely reflected by the direction of ocean current rather than just geographical distance.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.170-177
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• 2014

Endothelial cell dysfunction is considered to be a major cause of vascular complications in diabetes. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of a baechu kimchi added Ecklonia cava extract (BKE) against high glucose induced oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Treatment with a high concentration of glucose (30 mM) induced cytotoxicity, whereas treatment with BKE protected HUVECs from high glucose induced damage; by restoring cell viability. In addition, BKE reduced lipid peroxidation, intracellular reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide levels in a dose dependent manner. Treatment with high glucose concentrations also induced the overexpression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2 and NF-${\kappa}B$ proteins in HUVECs, but BKE treatment significantly reduced the overexpression of these proteins. These findings indicate that BKE may be a valuable treatment against high glucose-induced oxidative stress HUVECs.

• ALGAE
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.333-342
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• 2011

Macroalgae are important primary producers in marine ecosystem. They don't only play an important role as bioindicators but also provide economic resources for humans. Seasonal and vertical variations in seaweed species composition and biomass were examined to determine the ecological status of seaweed beds around Udo, near Jeju Island. We obtained samples at two sites in the high-intertidal to subtidal zones using the quadrat method between June 2010 and May 2011. A total of 262 species were collected, including 31 green, 61 brown, and 170 red algae. The composition of algal species revealed a decrease in species growing in cold water in comparison with the list 20 years ago. The macroalgal mean biomass (g wet wt $m^{-2}$) was 3,476 g and 2,393 g from the two sites, respectively. Ecklonia cava had the greatest biomass at both sites. The seasonal dominant species by biomass at site 1 from the low-intertidal to 1-3 m depth of the subtidal zone was mostly comprised of thick-leathery form, such as Sargassum hemiphyllum, S. coreanum, and Ecklonia cava, whereas site 2 was comprised of the turf form, such as Chondrophycus intermedius, Chondracanthus intermedius, Dictyopteris prolifera, and Gelidium elegans. The current ecological status of the seaweed community in Udo is stable based on diversity and dominance indices.

• BMB Reports
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.62-68
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• 2010

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-endopeptidases which can degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) components and play important roles in a variety of biological and pathological processes. 6,6'-bieckol isolated and characterized from an edible marine brown alga Ecklonia cava (EC), according to the comprehensive spectral analysis of MS and NMR data. Here the influence of 6,6'-bieckol on expressions of MMPs was examined by zymography and western blot analysis via human fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080). It is shown that 6,6'-bieckol significantly down regulated the expressions of MMP-2 and -9 in dose-dependent manner. The influence of 6,6'-bieckol on the cell viability and cell behavior of HT1080 cells were also investigated, our dates shown that it suppressed the migration and 3D culture in HT1080 cells. Meanwhile, we explored several signal pathways which may contribute to this process, and found the suppressing of MMPs expressions in HT1080 cells might be due to the suppression of NF-${\kappa}B$ signal pathway.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.614-620
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• 2005

The antioxidative effect of Ecklonia cava, a brown marine alga, was investigated on radical scavenging, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and hydroxyl and alkyl radicals, using an electron spin resonance (ESR) technique, and on the inhibition of $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage using comet assay. E. cava was enzymatically hydrolyzed with five food industrial proteases (Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Kojizyme, Neutrase and Protamex) to prepare water-soluble extracts. All the proteolytic hydrolysates exhibited strong dose-dependent radical scavenging activities (above 80%) at a concentration of $2.5\;{\mu}g/mL$. Kojizyme extract (obtained by proteolytic hydrolysation of E. cava with Kojizyme) showed the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of around 98%. In addition, the $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage was determined using a comet assay, which was quantified by measuring the tail length. Reduction of DNA damage increased with increasing concentrations of Kojizyme extract from E. cava. These results indicated that E. cava has a potential as a valuable natural antioxidative source.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.909-915
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• 1997

The nitrite scavenging effect of methanol extracts of marine algae were evaluated to discover new natural nitrite scavengers. Among the tested seaweeds, Ecklonia stolonifera, an edible brown algae, showed the strongest scavenging effect. The MeOH extract was then sequentially partitioned into $CH_2Cl_2,\;CH_2Cl_2$ insoluble interface, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ layers. The EtOAc and n-BuOH fraction demonstrated high levels of nitrite-scavenging activity while the $CH_2Cl_2,\;CH_2Cl_2$ insoluble interface, and $H_2O$ fractions were inactive. A column chromatography of the EtOAc fraction through silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 yielded phloroglucinol and a new compound tentatively named phlorotannin A. The nitrite scavenging activity of phloroglucinol $(IC_{50}=3.9{\mu}g/ml)$ was more potent than that of L-ascorbic acid $(IC_{50}=65.0{\mu}g/ml)$. However, phlorotannin A $(IC_{50}=193.2{\mu}g/ml)$ showed only low levels of activity. From the above results, it is possible to suggest that both the MeOH extract and their fractions and isolated phloroglucinol and phlorotannin A obtained from E. stolonifera may be applicable as scavengers of nitrite, which is a precursor for the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.134-139
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• 2005

Seven brown algal species (Ecklonia cava, Ishige okamurae, Sargassum fulvellum, Sargassum horneri, Sargassum coreanum, Sargassum thunbergii and Scytosiphon lomentaria) were hydrolyzed using five proteases (Protamex, Kojizyme, Neutrase, Flavourzyme and Alcalase) and screened for angiotensin 1-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. Most algal species examined showed good ACE inhibitory activities after the enzymatic hydrolysis. However, E. cava was the most potent ACE inhibitor of the seven species. Flavourzyme digest of E. cava exhibited an $IC_{50}$ of around $0.3\;{\mu}g/mL$ for ACE; captopril has an $IC_{50}$ of $\~0.05\;{\mu}g/mL$. The Flavourzyme digest was separated to three fractions by an ultrafiltration membrane (5, 10, 30 kDa MWCO) system according to the molecular weights. The active components were mainly concentrated in >30 kD fraction which are composed of the highest protein content $(27\%)$ and phenolic content (261 mg/100 mL) compared to the other two smaller molecular weight fractions. Therefore, the active compounds appear to be relatively high molecular weight complex molecules associated with protein (glycoprotein) and polyphenols. Therefore, E. cave is a potential source of antihypertensive compound.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권12호
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• pp.1376-1380
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• 2005

In this study, ethanolic extracts from 18 seaweed variants were assessed for hepatoprotective activity against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Only one of these, Ecklonia stolonifera Okamura (Laminariaceae), a member of the brown algae, exhibited promising hepatoprotective activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction obtained from the ethanolic extract of E. stolonifera, resulted in the isolation of several phlorotannins [phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5)]. Compounds 2 and 4 were determined to protect Hep G2 cells against the cytotoxic effects of tacrine, with $EC_{50}$ values of 62.0 and 79.2 $\mu$g/mL, respectively. Silybin, a well characterized hepatoprotective agent, was used as a positive control, and exhibited an $EC_{50}$ value of 50.0 $\mu$g/mL. It has been suggested that the phlorotannins derived from marine brown algae might prove useful sources in the development of novel hepatoprotective agents.