• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.2460-2464
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• 2014

Recently studies indicate that the microcalorimetry is a suitable measurement for metabolic activities of organisms by recording the rate of heat outputs. In this work, we investigated the growth thermogenic curves of Escherichia coli (E. coli) affected by three kinds of Glycyrrhiza extracts by microcalorimetry. The power-time and exponential phase power-time curves of the E. coli growth at various concentrations of extracts were generated. The kinetic parameters such as the growth rate constants (C), maximum power outputs (Pm), peak times (Tm), and inhibition ratios were calculated and the relationships between Pm or Tm and C were established. Also, the clear correlations among the antimicrobial effects, Pm and C were obtained. The results revealed the Glycyrrhiza extracts had inhibitory activities towards E. coli while the Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides showed the most potent effects.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.67-70
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• 2011

The roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. were extracted with 30% aqueous ethanol (EtOH), and the concentrated extract was partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform ($CHCl_3$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and $H_2O$, successively. From the $CHCl_3$ fraction, four flavonoids were isolated through the repeated silica gel ($SiO_2$), octadecyl silica gel (ODS), and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies (c.c.). According to the results of spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR), electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI/MS), and infrared spectroscopy (IR), the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as glabrol (1), abyssinone II (2), glabridin (3), and isoliquiritigenin (4). The flavonoids were evaluated for cytotoxic effect against human cancer cell lines, HCT-116, HepG2, HeLa, SK-OV-3, SK-BR-3, MCF-7, and SK-MEL-5. Especially, glabrol (1) and glabridin (2) showed $IC_{50}$ values of lower than $25{\mu}M$.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.671-676
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• 2012

This study was conducted investigate the effect of medicinal plant extracts on physiological and sensory characteristics. The medicinal plant extracts were added to chocolate at a weight percentage of 0, 3 and 6%. Color values(L-value, redness, and yellowness), total flavonoids, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and sensory characteristics made with varying various medicinal plants concentrations of the additives were measured. In sensory evaluation, significant differences(p<0.05 and p<0.01) were shown in taste, texture, and overall acceptability depending on the addition of plant extracts, but there were no significant differences in chocolate aroma and bitterness properties.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2014

The present study was aimed at investigating the antimicrobial activities of licorice's active ingredients. Four samples of licorice ingredients (glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against six skin microorganisms. The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effects employed a disc diffusion assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration, and the challenge test. The ingredients showed antibacterial activities. Especially, isoliquiritigenin has significant antimicrobial activities against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Propionobacterium acnes) and two Gramnegative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. These samples had much higher antimicrobial activities than synthetic preservatives. Our results reveal that liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin could be useful compounds for the development of antibacterial agents for the preservation of cosmetics and foods. The two flavonoids, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, sourced from Korea, China, Uzbekistan, were quantified using HPLC. The results demonstrated that Korean licorice has two flavonoids (liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin) in much higher quantities than was observed in the licorice obtained from the two other countries. Thus, isoliquiritigenin and Korean licorice extract represent new candidates for antimicrobial agents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to lead to oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA and cause skin damage. Moreover, ROS promote melanogenesis, which causes melasma, age spots, and freckle. The main compounds of the herbal medicines Poria cocas, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Ulmus macrocarpa were reported to be parchymic acid, glabridin, and flavonoids, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the whitening and antioxidant effects of a mixture of P. cocas, G. uralensis, and U. macrocarpa extracts (PGUE) in B16F1 cells to develop whitening cosmetics. PGUE inhibited DPPH radicals and lipid peroxidation, in addition to high reduction power, compared with Glycyrrhiza uralensis ethylacetate extracts (GUEE). Furthermore, PGUE exhibited a protective effect against DNA oxidation induced by the hydroxyl radicals. In addition to its antioxidant activity, the inhibitory activity of PGUE against tyrosinase, which is associated with melanogenesis, was greater than that of arbutin used as a positive control. Moreover, PGUE exerted an inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis in live melanoma cells and reduced the expression levels of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) and tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1). These results indicate that PGUE has skin whitening and antioxidant effects, suggesting that this mixture can be used as the main ingredient in the development of effective whitening cosmetics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.940-947
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• 2010

The effects of fermented products from 40 medicinal herbals commonly available in Korea were examined according to concentrations of polyphenolic compound and kojic acid, and the activities of DPPH ($\alpha,\alpha$'-diphenyl-$\beta$-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging and tyrosinase. The polyphenolic compound concentrations were 0.24 by Corydalis turtschaminovill ~ 11.42% (dry matter basis) by Syringa velutina in the extracts and 0.18 by Poria cocos ~ 12.27% by S. velutina in the fermented products. Kojic acid concentrations were 0.02 by Poria cocos Sclerotium ~ 9.67 mM by S. velutina in the extracts and 0.33 by P. cocos ~ 10.32 mM by S. velutina in the fermented products. Syringa velutina contained the highest polyphenolic compound and kojic acid concentrations, which were higher in the fermented product than in the extract. Higher DPPH free radical scavenging activity (>60%) was observed in the extracts of A. sessiliflorum, Citrus nobillis, and Angelica gigas and the fermented product of A. sessiliflorum compared to the other medicinal plants. Higher tyrosinase inhibition activity (>50%) was observed in the extracts of Morus alba, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Rubus coreanus and the fermented products of G. glabra, Cnidium officinale, and S. velutina. Based on the above results, G. glabra, C. officinale, and S. velutina possessed high tyrosinase-inhibitive activities and kojic acid concentrations, which could be definitely enhanced by the fermentation of Phenillus linteus mycelium.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2010

This study was aimed to investigate the contents of flavonoids and the biological activity of fermented beverage of medical plants, DeulBit (DB). 50 g of Cassia semen (Cassia tora L.), 50 g of Omija (Schisandra chinensis Baillon.), 50 g of Gugija (Lycium chinense Mill), 50g of Menthae herba, 75 g of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne, 25 g of Dioscorea batatas, 5 g of Lindera obtusiloba Blume, 150 g of Polygonatum odoratum, 25 g of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, 25 g of Acanthopanacis cortex, 100 g of green tea (Camellia sinensis), and 100 g of Laminaria japonica was fermented with sucrose ($50.0{\sim}60.0^{\circ}Brix$.) and 0.5% of deep sea water in 10 L of distilled water for six months at room temperature. Total flavonoids contents of DB was calculated to $3.4{\pm}0.5\;{\mu}g/g$ and antioxidative activity of DB was measured by using DPPH radical scavenging and SOD-like activity. DPPH radical scavenging and SOD-like activity of DB was 96% and 29% at 100% of DB, respectively. In addition, DB indicated about 88% and 66% of the xanthine oxidase and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activities at 1% and 10% of DB, respectively and showed fibrinolytic activity. Nitric oxide (NO) synthesis was increased to 15 times by addition of DB. In addition, NO productions of the macrophages RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were reduced to 40.4% by addition of DB. These results suggested that DB is significant role for antioxidative and fibrinolytic activity, and have the strong xanthine oxidase and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activities.