• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.461-469
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of ethanol extracts of Black oryzasativa, Sesamum indicum, Oryza sativa, Rhynchosia Nulubilis, and Polygoni multiflori radix (MIXEE) on melanogenesis to develop a natural product for black hair growth. An accumulation of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) in hair follicles, which reduces melanin synthesis, is responsible for hair graying. In the present study, MIXEE showed scavenging activity against DPPH radicals and reducing power. In addition, it reduced the cellular $H_2O_2$ level, indicating that it could inhibit oxidation and promote melanin synthesis, which was decreased by $H_2O_2$. On the other hand, it did not affect tyrosinase activity in vitro but promoted the turnover of L-DOPA into melanin. MIXEE promoted melanin synthesis at the cellular level in B16F1 cells. Furthermore, MIXEE increased the expression levels of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and SOD3 in western blot analysis. In addition, MIXEE increased the expression levels of tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-2, which promoted melanin synthesis from L-DOPA. The results suggested that MIXEE could promote melanogenesis. Therefore, MIXEE may have potential as a natural product for promotion of melanin production and reversal of gray hair to black hair.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.465-475
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• 2018

This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Melissa officinalis extracts and their fractions. The total polyphenol contents of the extracts were 33.02-302.76 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid contents were 9.98-325.07 mg CE/g. In 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in the extracts and water fractions of M. officinalis and similar to that of ascorbic acid ($30{\mu}M$). In addition, the treatment of chloroform fraction significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that they have anti-inflammatory activity. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity of $200{\mu}g/mL$ of 100% ethanol reflux extract showed better inhibitory activity than arbutin treatment at statistically significant level. As a result, it is considered that M. officinalis can be used as an effective cosmetic ingredient having antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and whitening activity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.124-132
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) No. 1 was developed for production of bio-ethanol, and for the purpose the silver grass growing sector was established in Geumgang basin, Iksan, Jeonbuk, in 2011. However, the other application potentials except for using as the bio-energy resources should be considered because of the drop in international oil prices. Therefore, there is the necessity of a scientific basis to use the silver grass instead of rice straw as the organic matter source that is used for improvement of soil quality in the plastic film house. METHODS AND RESULTS: The silver grass was applied at 5, 10, 15 and 20 Mg/ha and tilled before the watermelon was planted in the plastic film-house. The control plot was treated with 10 Mg/ha with rice straw, and watermelons have been cultivated for 3 years(2017~2019). Soil aggregation, soil chemistry, and the growth characteristics were investigated, when the watermelon was harvested every year. Soil aggregation levels at the 2nd and 3rd year of watermelon harvest were similar from the plot applied with the silver grass at 5 Mg/ha and the control plot, and increased in the silver grass treated plots with more than 10 Mg/ha. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the plots. The nitrogen mineralization of silver grass in the control plot tended to be similar to the 5 Mg/ha plot, but the silver grass treated plots with over 10 Mg/ha showed low nitrogen mineralization. Soil EC on harvest stage was proportional to the applied mass of the silver grass, but pH was in inverse with the applied mass. Soil organic matter content, available phosphate, and exchangeable cations increased with the continued use of silver grass. Watermelon weight found to be the best on more than 15 Mg/ha of silver grass, and the sugar content was highest when 10 Mg/ha was treated. CONCLUSION: The use of the silver grass at 10 Mg/ha annually as the organic source was effective in replacing rice straw while growing fruits and vegetables on the plastic film house.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.553-560
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• 2021

Theanine, the major amino acid and a sweet umami component of green tea, has anti-stress effects in humans. From green tea, theanine was extracted at 80℃ for 2 h using a low temperature, high pressure extractor, and caffeine was removed using an HP-20 column with 80% ethanol. Theanine extracts were applied to produce functional jelly using three kinds of gelling agents (I, II, and III) or various concentrations of theanine extracts (10-50%). Theanine jelly was characterized with respect to its physical properties, product stability, and physiological function. Gelling agent III (tamarind gum, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum=2:3:5, w/w/w) and S3 (35% theanine extracts) jelly exhibited the optimum textural properties with lower hardness and high springiness. Among theanine jellies, S3 exhibited optimum product stability, high 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. These results indicate that the anine extracts could be used as a neuroprotective source in the food industry.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.296-303
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• 2021

The antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory activities of water, 30, 70, and 100% ethanol extracts of leaves of three different species of bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra, P. bambusoides, and Sasa borealis) were investigated. The levels of total polyphenol and flavonoid were measured, and antioxidant activity was evaluated using various antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 microglial cell activation was used to evaluate the anti-neuroinflammatory properties of the bamboo leaf extracts. Treatment with both aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed no cytotoxicity in BV-2 microglial cells. Pre-treatment of BV-2 cells with bamboo leaf extracts significantly inhibited LPS-induced excessive production of nitric oxide in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, phytochemical analysis based on the extraction solvent showed that caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, and tricin are the principal constituents of all three bamboo leaf extracts. Therefore, our findings suggest that bamboo leaf extract contains potent antioxidants and anti-neuroinflammatory compounds that can be used as potential therapeutic agents for the treat neuroinflammatory diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible use of the Boehmeria nivea var. nipononivea extract and fractions for the development of natural cosmetic ingredients. The leaves of B. nivea var. nipononivea, extracted by 70% ethanol, were sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, and n-butanol. As a result of DPPH and ABTS test, ethyl acetate fractionation was shown to be excellent in radical scavenging activity. For the antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Cutibacterium acnes and antibiotic resistant strains, MIC and birth control rate were observed by paper disc method. In the antibacterial activity by the disc diffusion assay against S. aureus, S. epidermidis and C. acnes, the dichloromethane and ethylacetate fraction showed stronger antibacterial activity than the other fractions and extract. Moreover, the ethylacetate fraction showed strong nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell. In conclusion, we found that B. nivea var. nipononivea extract was not cytotoxic and showed antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest that the Boehmeria nivea var. nipononivea extract and fractions could be applied as an effective cosmetic material with antioxidant activity.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2021

Aucklandia lappa Decne., a traditional herbal medicine, has been used to treat various diseases, including asthma, coughs, rheumatism, and diarrhea. In the present study, the effects of the oral administration of Aucklandia lappa Decne. extract on hair growth was investigated in hair-removed mice. A 70% ethanol extract of Aucklandia lappa Decne. (ALD) was prepared, and the extraction yield and total polyphenol content of ALD were measured as 27.30±0.01 and 28.39 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, respectively. The oral administration of ALD to hair-removed CL57BL/6 mice for six weeks had no significant effects on food intake and body weight changes. Biochemical and histological examinations also showed that the oral administration of ALD for six weeks had no significant effect on the liver and kidney functions. On the other hand, hair growth was significantly higher in the ALD group than the control group and the Pancidil group (positive control). In addition, the number of hair follicles and the degree of collagen production in the dermis were significantly higher in the ALD group than in the control and pancidil groups. These results suggest that ALD is a potential source of nutricosmetics with hair growth-promoting effects.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1524-1532
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• 2021

In this study, Gomchwi (Ligularia fischen) derived from Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do was extracted with 70% ethanol (LFE) and antioxidant activity was measured. The following experimental techniques were used to evaluate the antioxidant efficacy of LFE. Total phenolic contents, ABTS/DPPH radical scavenging analysis, cell viability assay, NO assay, and quantitative real-time PCR technique. The content of polyphenol and flavonoid was each 113.97±0.37 mg GAE/g or 29.22±2.06 mg QE/g in LFE. DPPH radical scavenging activity was measured to be 25 ㎍/㎖ 11.26±0.95%, 50 ㎍/㎖ 17.12±0.63%, 100 ㎍/㎖ 29.54±0.36%, 250 ㎍/㎖ 68.31±0.28%, 500 ㎍/㎖ 75.12±0.05%, and 1000 ㎍/㎖ 75.75±1.57%. In addition, ABTS radical scavenging activity was identified as LFE 25 ㎍/㎖ 13.75±0.21%, 50 ㎍/㎖ 26.71±0.20%, 100 ㎍/㎖ 56.92±0.22%, 250 ㎍/㎖ 91.30±0.12%, 500 ㎍/㎖ 93.40±0.02, and 1000 ㎍/㎖ 93.19±0.04%. There was no significant cytotoxicity of LFE. NO production was significantly decreased to LFE 50 ㎍/㎖ 79.40±2.64%, 100 ㎍/㎖ 55.01±5.36%, and 200 ㎍/㎖ 30.93±3.11%. Also, the NOS2 gene expression was significantly reduced to LFE 50 ㎍/㎖ 0.94±0.11, 100 ㎍/㎖ 0.59±0.05, and 200 ㎍/㎖ 0.32±0.04. This result objectively confirmed the antioxidant effect of Gomchwi. We will continue to conduct in-depth research. Therefore, it is believed that the possibility of using Gomchwi as a cosmetic and functional food material can be established.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.496-507
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• 2022

For the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH₃-SCR), a V₂O₅WO₃/TiO₂ (VW/nTi) catalyst was prepared using V₂O₅ and WO₃ on a nanodispersed TiO₂ (nTi) support by simple impregnation process. The nTi support was dispersed for 0~3 hrs under controlled bead-milling in ethanol. The average particle size (D₅₀) of nTi was reduced from 582 nm to 93 nm depending on the milling time. The NOx activity of these catalysts with maximum temperature shift was influenced by the dispersion of the TiO₂. For the V_0.5W₂/nTi-0h catalyst, prepared with 582 nm nTi-0h before milling, the decomposition temperature with over 94 % NOx conversion had a narrow temperature window, within the range of 365-391 ℃. Similarly, the V_0.5W₂/nTi-2h catalyst, prepared with 107 nm nTi-2h bead-milled for 2hrs, showed a broad temperature window in the range of 358~450 ℃. However, the V_0.5W₂/Ti catalyst (D₅₀ = 2.4 ㎛, aqueous, without milling) was observed at 325-385 ℃. Our results could pave the way for the production of effective NOx decomposition catalysts with a higher temperature range. This approach is also better at facilitating the dispersion on the support material. NH₃-TPD, H₂-TPR, FT-IR, and XPS were used to investigate the role of nTi in the DeNOx catalyst.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.25-32
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• 2017

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate candidate materials as anti-inflammatory agent from extracts of Korean medicinal plants in Hwaak mountain. Ligustrum obtusifolium (LO) is a Korea medicinal plants that commonly used for robustness and hemostasis. It has been reported that LO has exhibited anti-ischemic, anti-oxidative, anti-hypolipidemic, anti-tumor and hypoglycemic effects. However, LO has not been previously reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, we have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of LO and its underlying molecular mechanisms in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods : Cell viability was determined by MTT assay in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Nitric Oxide (NO) was measured with Griess reagent and pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected by ELISA in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and p65 subunit of nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) were determined by Western blot analysis. Results : Among 15 extracts of Korean medicinal plants tested, Ligustrum obtusifolium (LO) showed the inhibition of NO production without cytotoxicity. LO reduced the expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 proteins in LPS-simulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in dose-dependent manner. Consistent with these data, LO inhibited the productions of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and $IL-1{\beta}$ in LPS-simulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, LO attenuated the LPS-induced nuclear translocation of p65 $NF-{\kappa}B$ in RAW 264.7 macrophages involving suppression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Conclusions : Taken together, these results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of LO is associated with regulation of inflammatory mediators via inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages.