• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.387-395
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• 2015

This study was conducted to verify the effects of Erigeron annuus powder on serum lipid levels of high-fat diet-induced mice from a nutritional viewpoint. Erigeron annuus powder has been used as a folk remedy since ancient times in Korea. There was no significant difference in the weight of the kidneys and spleens of the mice. The high-fat diet group had a significantly higher kidney weight compared to other groups (p<0.05). In the group of mice fed 20% Erigeron annuus powder with a high-fat diet, the concentration of serum LDL-cholesterol was high (p<0.05), whereas the concentration of triglyceride was remarkably lower compared to other groups (p<0.05). The group fed 10% Erigeron annuus with a high-fat diet had the lowest concentration of blood phospholipids (p<0.05) as well as the highest alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase levels in blood (p<0.05). There was no difference in blood insulin concentration. However, blood leptin concentration was significantly higher ($5.88{\pm}3.53ng/dL$) in mice fed a high-fat diet compared to other groups (p<0.05). Measurements of Erigeron annuus revealed that TPC, $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity of trolox, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and the measured value of FRAP were higher in the ethanol extract than in the water extract. Especially, the antioxidant activity effects were excellent for the $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activities of trolox and FRAP values of Erigeron annuus. Therefore, Erigeron annuus powder showed antioxidant activity. Hence, Erigeron annuus powder drastically lessened triglyceride concentration in blood in high-fat diet-induced mice. Thus, the powder is considered to have utility in the food processing industry. Additional related experiments are ongoing.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Doenjang, Korean traditional fermented soybean paste has been reported to have an anti-obesity effect. Because adipose tissue is considered a major source of inflammatory signals, we investigated the protective effects of Doenjang and steamed soybean on oxidative stress and inflammation in adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low fat diet (LF), a high-fat diet (HF), or a high-fat containing Doenjang diet (DJ) or a high-fat containing steamed soybean diet (SS) for 11 weeks. RESULTS: Mice fed a DJ diet showed significantly lower body and adipose tissue weights than those in the HF group. Although no significant differences in adipocyte size and number were observed among the HF diet-fed groups, consumption of Doenjang alleviated the incidence of crown-like structures in adipose tissue. Consistently, we observed significantly reduced mRNA levels of oxidative stress markers (heme oxygenase-1 and $p40^{phox}$), pro-inflammatory adipokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1), macrophage markers (CD68 and CD11c), and a fibrosis marker (transforming growth factor beta 1) by Doenjang consumption. Gene expression of anti-inflammatory adipokine, adiponectin was significantly induced in the DJ group and the SS group compared to the HF group. The anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects observed in mice fed an SS diet were not as effective as those in mice fed a DJ diet, suggesting that the bioactive compounds produced during fermentation and aging may be involved in the observed health-beneficial effects of Doenjang. CONCLUSIONS: Doenjang alleviated oxidative stress and restored the dysregulated expression of adipokine genes caused by excess adiposity. Therefore, Doenjang may ameliorate systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in obesity via inhibition of inflammatory signals of adipose tissue.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.256-264
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• 2006

Salicornia herbacea L. (Chenopodiaceae) has been used as a seasoned vegetable by living in coastal areas. S. herbacea (SH) has been demonstrated to stimulate cytokine production, nitric oxide release, and to show anti-oxidative effect. In a series of investigations to develop potential anti-diabetic and/or anti-hyperlipidemic agents from Korean indigenous plants, 50% ethanol extract of Salicornia herbacea was found to prevent the onset of the hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia induced by high fat diet in ICR mice. At 6 week old, the ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups; two control and three treatment groups. The control mice were to receive either a regular diet (RD) or high-fat diet (HFD), and the treatment groups were fed a high fat diet with either 350 mg/kg, 700 mg/kg of SH (SH350 and SH700) or 250 mg/kg of met-formin (MT250) for a 10-week period. SH not only reduced body weight but also corrected associated hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in a dose dependent manner. SH exerted beneficial effects on the plasma glucose and lipid homeostasis possibly ascribed to its specific effects on lipogenesis related genes (SREBP1a, FAS, GAPT), and PEPCK, glucose 6-phosphatase gene expressions in liver. Ethanol extract of S. herbacea has potential as a preventive agent for type 2 diabetes (and possibly hyperlipidemia) and deserves future clinical trial.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2011

Eotaxin is an important inflammatory chemokine in eosinophil chemotaxis and activation and, thus, is implicated in asthma. Recently, obesity was associated with an increased prevalence of asthma, but the relationship between obesity and eotaxin expression has only been partially understood in obese mice and human studies. Therefore, we studied the expression patterns of eotaxin in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes/adipocytes to determine whether eotaxin levels are influenced by body weight gain and/or reduction in diet-induced obese mice. First, we investigated eotaxin expression during differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Then, we treated 3T3-L1 preadipoeytes/adipoeytes with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), eotaxin, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, or leptin. To examine the effects of weight loss in high-fat diet induced obese mice, we fed C57BL/6 mice a high-fat diet or a normal diet for 26 weeks. Then, half of the high-fat diet group were fed a normal diet until 30 weeks to reduce weight. Epididymal adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, serum, and bronchoalveolar fluid of mice were examined for eotaxin expression. The results showed that eotaxin expression levels increased with adipocyte differentiation and that more eotaxin was expressed when the cells were stimulated with TNF-${\alpha}$, eotaxin, IL-4, IL-5, or leptin. An in vivo study showed that eotaxin levels were reduced in visceral adipose tissues when high-fat diet fed mice underwent weight loss. Taken together, these results indicate a close relationship between eotaxin expression and obesity as well as weight loss, thus, they indirectly show a relation to asthma.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2007

As obesity is known to be related to hyperlipidemia, diabetes and coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases, many researches have focused on functional food materials showing anti-obesity activity. The adipokines secreted by adipose tissue, resistin and adiponectin are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases directly. C-reactive protein and homocysteine are molecules regulated by adipose tissue indirectly also relate to the chronic diseases. This study was performed to study of the anti-obesity effects of Sasa borealis in diet-induced obese mice (C57/BL6J). The mice were divided into four group: NFD (Normal fat diet), HFD (High fat diet), BSE (High fat diet containing 5% of 70% ethanol extract of Sasa borealis leaves), BLW (High fat diet containing 5% of water extract of Sasa borealis leaves). The experimental diets were fed for 11 weeks. The final body weight of the mice in the groups of BSE and BLW groups were significantly lower than the HFD group. The effects of weight reduction were due to reduced body fat accumulation. The adiponectin levels are significantly decreased in HFD group compared than NFD group and increased taken by Sasa borealis containing diet. The resistin levels are not significantly different between experimental groups. The CRP and homocyteine levels are significantly higher in HFD group than NFD group and significantly decreased by Sasa borealis containing diet, especially BLW group. These results indicate that orally administered Sasa borealis not only has the effect of reducing the body weight and total fat weight, but preferable effect in adiponectin levels and related molecules as CRP and homocysteine. Therefore we expect the Sasa borealis may have an anti-obesity function and anti-metabolic syndrome effect in diet-induced obese mice.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.336-342
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• 2008

The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-obesity effects of fermented kochujang supplement in C57BL/6J mice. Thirty mice were divided into 3 groups; normal diet control group (ND), high fat diet control group (HD), and high fat diet plus kochujang supplemented group (HDK). Results were as follows: 1. Fennented kochujang supplement in high fat diet decreased body weight and epidydimal and back fat weight compared to non-supplement in HD group. 2. Lipid content and blood glucose level were lower in HDK group than HD group. 3. Fermented kochujang supplement increased mRNA level of lipolytic genes such as acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1), and uncoupling proteins-1 (UCP-1) expression, whereas decreased mRNA level of adipogenic genes such as acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) expression. These findings suggest that fermented kochujang supplement in high fat diet normalized body weight, epididymal and back fat weight, lipid content, and blood glucose levels through controlling lipid metabolism and provides basic information on the control of obesity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.910-917
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• 2007

The aim of this study is to determine the anti-obesity effects of genistein and exercise, separately and in combination, in mice. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 5 treatment groups: normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HD), high fat diet with exercise (HD+Ex), high fat diet with 0.2% genistein (HD+G), high fat diet with 0.2% genistein, and exercise (HD+G+Ex). They were allowed free access to feed and water, and exercised mice engaged in swimming on a regular basis for 12 weeks. Genistein supplemented mice gained less weight, had lower energy intake, better lipid profiles, and lower leptin than the HD mice. Furthermore, when genistein was combined with exercise (HD+G+Ex) the effects were even greater. HD, HD+Ex, and HD+G mice exhibited increased hepatic CPT-1 mRNA expression. Therefore, genistein and exercise has anti-obesity effects, as shown by changes in body weight, fat accumulation, energy intake, and leptin levels.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

Animals show a sexual dimorphism in metabolic responses. We investigated to verify whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) agonist fenofibrate regulates obesity and skeletal muscle lipid metabolism with sexual dimorphism and to determine the changes in skeletal muscle expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes. After both sexes of C57BL/6J mice received a high fat diet with or without fenofibrate for 7 weeks, we examined the effects of fenofibrate on not only body weight, adipose tissue mass, and skeletal muscle lipid accumulation, but also the mRNA expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$-related genes in skeletal muscle. Male mice given a fenofibrate-supplemented high fat diet showed decreased body weight gain and adipose tissue mass compared with mice fed a high fat diet alone, whereas fenofibrate did not reduce them in high fat diet-fed female mice. Lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle was inhibited by fenofibrate in male mice, but not in female mice. Gene expression analysis revealed that fenofibrate increased the mRNA levels of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target enzymes only in male mice. Therefore, our results suggest that sex-dependence differences in obesity and intramuscular lipid levels under fenofibrate treatment could be due in part to the differences in skeletal muscle $PPAR{\alpha}$ activation between male and female mice.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.131-144
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• 2015

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate anti-obesity effects of mixed-Powder(Raphani Semen, Coicis Semen, Poria, Plantaginis Testa & Theae folium)(HP) & mixed water extract(Citri Pericarpium, Crataegi Fructus, Maydis Stigma, Allium Skin) (HE) in mice fed a high-fat diet. Method : 50 Female ICR mice were divided into six groups; Normal group (Ve), high-fat diet group (Po), Po+HP(0.6g/kg) group(HP), Po+HE(1g/kg) group(HE), Po+(HP+HE) group(HPE), Po+(HP+HE)*2 group(DHPE). For 8 weeks, these groups were fed their respective diets. Body weight, liver weight and weights of adipose tissues, GOT/GPT index changes & Blood Glucose index changes were measured respectively. Lipid profiles in serum were analyzed by kit of blood. Results : Groups HP, HE, HPE, DHPE had significantly reduced body weight, liver weight, adipose tissue weights and GOT/GPT index, blood glucose index compared to the Po group. Also, serum triglyceride and total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, were significantly reduced when compared to the Po group. Group G1 had significantly increased high density lipoprotein levels. Conclusion : Mixed powder (HP) & mixed water extract (HE) show anti-obesity effects in mice fed a high-fat diet.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.894-901
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• 2007

This study investigated the effects of cell cultured Acanthopanax senticosus extract (ASE) supplementation and swimming exercise on lipid profiles and carnitine concentrations in C57BL/6J mice fed high fat diets. Male C57BL/6J mice (n=50), aged 4 weeks, were divided into 5 groups based on exercise and/or ASE supplementation (0.5 g/kg of body weight): normal diet (N-C), high fat diet (H-C), high fat diet non-supplement & exercise (H-NSE), high fat diet supplement & no exercise (H-SNE), high fat diet supplement & exercis (H-SE). Liver nonesterified carnitine (NEC) was significantly higher in the H-SNE group than in the H-C group, and liver total carnitine (TCNE) levels were significantly higher in the H-SNE group than in the H-NSE and H-SE groups. Liver and muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I (CPT-I) mRNA levels tended to be higher with ASE supplementation and/or exercise. These results suggest that supplementation with ASE and/or exercise might have a role in improving lipid oxidation.