• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-74
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic Effects of Taeyeumjowee-tang and its modified prescription on the animal model of obesity and hyperlipidemia induced high-fat diet. Method : 1) The extracts of Taeyeumjowee-tang (TJT) and its modified prescription, Taeyeumjoweetang gagam-bang (TJGB) were evaluated for its inhibitory effects on obesity. 2) The body weight and feed weight were determined in the pre-treated and post-treated mice and the lipid profiles in the serum were analyzed in order to evaluate the anti-hyperlipidemia action of the extracts. 3) The effect of each extract was investigated for the influences on monoamine oxidase activity and HMG-CoA reductase activity. Results 1. TJT and TJGB extracts dose-dependently reduced the body weight and feed intake in normal mice. The effect of TJGB extract was better than that of TJT extract. 2. TJGB extract diminished the body weight increase and reduced the feed intake in the pre-treatment or post-treatment of the extract 3. TJGB extract decreased the amount of total cholesterol slightly and triglyceride potently after the pre-treatment or post-treatment, but HDL cholesterol exhibited no remarkable change compared with control. 4. TJGB extract weakly potentiated the monoamine oxidase activity, but its effect was better than that of TJT extract. 5. TJGB extract weakly inhibited the HMG-CoA reductase activity, but its effect was better than that of TJT extract. Conclusion : Taeyeumjowee-tang and its modified prescription can clinically be useful as anti-obesity drug and also for the improvement of hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.193-202
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• 2010

In vitro activities of Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) 70% ethanol extract and its fractions (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water) were examined by total polyphenol content, reducing power, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-$\beta$-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. The ethyl acetate fraction from CL ethanol extract (CLEA) showed the highest total polyphenol content (22.7 mg/g) among five fractions, and also exhibited an excellent reducing power (0.42~1.27 at $250\sim1,000\;{\mu}g/mL$). CLEA at $100\sim400\;{\mu}g/mL$ concentrations had 27.7~70.3% of ABTS radical scavenging activity and the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (81.6% at $400\;{\mu}g/mL$). CLEA had dominantly higher $ORAC_{{ROO}{\cdot}}$activity compared to other fractions. CLEA and butanol fraction had significantly higher $ORAC_{{OH}{\cdot}}$ activities than 70% ethanol extract, hexane, chloroform and water fractions. The CLEA exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in CL 70% ethanol extract and its fractions. Thus, effect of CLEA treatment on antioxidant gene expression under the oxidative stress conditions by a high fat diet in animal model was studied by microarray and RT-PCR methods. The 31 antioxidant genes were expressed but the genes were not up-regulated at least a two-fold by CLEA treatment. We concluded that CLEA does not have an indirect antioxidant effect but a direct antioxidant effect by up-regulation of antioxidant genes in high fat diet-induced obese mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.354-361
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• 2019

The red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important vegetables in traditional Korean food, containing vitamins A, C, and E, polyphenol, and flavonoids. In addition, red peppers have high anti-oxidant ability and are known to be effective in preventing obesity, diabetes, hypertension, digestive disorders, stress, and aging. In this study, we investigated the effects against obesity and diabetes of both fermented and non-fermented red pepper. C57BL/6N mice with induced obesity from an eight-week 45% high fat diet (HFD) were then fed either an HFD or diets containing 2.5% non-fermented red pepper marc (NRM), 1.25% fermented red pepper marc (FRM), or 2.5% FRM for a further eight weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed seven weeks after dietary intake, and body weight, liver, epididymal fat weight, serum insulin level, and HOMA-IR were measured and a lipid content test performed at eight weeks. The results show that the 2.5% FRM diet reduced body and tissue weight, lipid content, serum insulin levels, and HOMA-IR compared to the 2.5% NRM and HFD diets. These results suggest that fermented red pepper is effective against obesity and diabetes. We will use this information as the basic data for the development of health food materials using red pepper.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.962-970
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• 2022

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that highly increases the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and there are few therapeutic options available in the clinic. Poricoic acid (PoA), a component of Poria cocos Wolf, has a wide range of pharmacological activities; however, little is known about its effects on NASH. The preventive effects of PoA on NASH were examined in vivo and in vitro by analyzing triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis. In the high fat and methionine-choline deficient diet (HFMCD)-induced NASH mice, PoA reduced the liver weight and the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase compared with non-treated HFMCD group. The staining with Oil Red O and hematoxylin and eosin revealed that PoA administration reduced red staining and the size of lipid droplet. qPCR analysis showed that PoA also reduced the expression of genes related to triglyceride synthesis. Further, immunostaining with CD68 and qPCR analysis revealed that PoA reduced the staining with CD68 and the expression of inflammatory genes induced by HFMCD. Moreover, PoA reduced the staining with sirius red and antibody of α-smooth muscle actin and also reduced the expression of genes related to fibrosis. The treatment of PoA to AML12 cells reduced the increase in triglyceride amount and expression of genes associated with triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis. Taken together, our study indicate that PoA has therapeutic effect on NASH through preventing triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.515-521
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the liver lipid and antioxidant metabolism in obese rats following ingestion of Orostachys japonicus (OJ) hot water extract. The rats were fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks to induce obesity. In the experimental group, 2.5% or 5% OJ hot water extract was added to the diets for 6 weeks. To determine the changes in the liver lipid and antioxidant metabolism in obese rats, the livers were collected and weighed, lipid content was measured, and antioxidant enzyme activity was determined. A significant decrease in liver weight was observed in the group fed with OJ hot water extracts and decreased lipid accumulation was observed in the morphological observation of liver tissue. Total cholesterol and triglyceride contents were also decreased. Both OJ extracts significantly decreased 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. Further, the levels of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased in rats treated with OJ extracts. These results suggest that the intake of OJ hot water extracts may improve liver lipid metabolism by activating antioxidant enzymes.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

Objectives We evaluated the improving effects of Taeksa-tang (TST) using 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6 mice were fed on a high-fat diet. Methods The anti-radical activities of TST were studied using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid). The content of total polyphenol was measured using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, whereas aluminum chloride colorimetric method was used for the content of total flavonoid. Moreover, the factors related to lipid profile and the protein expressions such as 𝛽-oxidation and anti-oxidant enzyme were analyzed using serum and western blotting of 3T3-L1 cells. Additionally, we examined lipolysis through glycerol appearance in mouse adipose tissue. Results TST treatment showed strong free radical scavenging activities with half maximal inhibitory concentration and the presence of a amount of total polyphenol and total flavonoid. TST treatment significantly increased factors related to 𝛽-oxidation such as carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 and uncoupling protein 2 via the phosphorlyation of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, the protein expressions of anti-oxidant enzyme and lipolysis were significantly elevated by TST administration. In addition, TST supplementation lowered serum malondialdehyde, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels compared with the control group. Taken together, these data suggest that TST treatment regulated lipid parameters via the increase of 𝛽-oxidation by LKB1-AMPK signaling pathway. Conclusions TST may have a potential remedy in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Therefore, this study may provide the scientific basis for TST use.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.311-317
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• 2009

This study was performed using animals to confirm the effect of tourmaline-ionized water (TIW) the properties of which were changed by tourmaline energy and electric discharge. In the ICR mice fed high-fat diet, body weight increasing rate of the TIW-treated group (Exp) was generally decreased and moreover exhibited significance at 11th week (P<0.05) compared with the control (Con) group fed distilled water, although water intake of the Exp group was lower than that of the Con group. In the ICR mice with $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity, AST and ALT activities of the Exp group were not significant but showed some decreasing trend, and histological damage of liver was less compared with thatof the Con group. On the study of ethanol-induced hangovers in Sprague-Dawley rat, blood alcohol concentration was significantly decreased (P<0.01), activity of GST, antioxidant enzyme related to the alcohol metabolism, was increased in liver tissue (P<0.05), and AST and ALT show a tendency to be decreasedin the Exp group. These results suggest that drinking TIWhas not only some obesity preventing effect but also an alcohol detoxification effect and liver protecting effect in vivo. It is supposed due to a structural change of water cluster and a property which maintains the changed structure through tourmaline energy and electric discharge. Therefore, TIW has a potentiality to be developed as functional water with several beneficial effects as well as for daily drinking, but further study on the mechanism related with efficacy will be necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2012

This study was performed to investigate the physiochemical properties and anti-diabetic effect of yacon vinegar by two-step fermentation. Yacon was matured at room temperature for 20 days. The sugar content of yacon juice prepared from mature yacon was approximately $14^{\circ}Brix$. In the first stage, yacon wine was produced from the juice at $28^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. In the second stage, acetic acid fermentation was conducted at $30^{\circ}C$ and 200 rpm for 6 days to produce yacon vinegar with 4.75% acidity. The major free sugars of yacon vinegar were glucose and fructose at 2,072.12 mg% and 463.95 mg%, respectively. The acetic acid content was the highest of the major organic acids at 3,881.44 mg%. The total free amino acid content was 62.88 mg% with the main free amino acids being proline, ${\gamma}$-amino-n-butyric acid and ornithine. The major minerals of yacon vinegar were Ca, K and Mg. The in vivo anti-diabetic activity of yacon vinegar was investigated in high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Diabetic mice were administered orally with 10% yacon juice and two yacon vinegars (5% and 10%) at a dose of 7 mL/kg body weight once per day for 4 weeks. Five% yacon vinegar improved the fasting blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance test significantly compared to the diabetic control group (p<0.05). Yacon vinegar increased the pancreatic C-peptide concentration in a dose-dependent manner. These results show that 5% yacon vinegar has a more potent effect on ameliorating hyperglycemia than 10% yacon juice.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.341-348
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• 2014

We investigated the anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of extracts of two roasted coffee beans (Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2) and fermented coffee beans with Monascus rubber mycelium (MR) by solid-state culture. C57B/L6 mice were divided into seven groups: normal diet (ND) group, high fat diet (HFD) group, and HFD groups with hot water extracts from Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans (HFD-VR-MR), MR-fermented Vietnam robusta coffee beans with 10% brown rice (HFD-VR-MR-BR10), Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES), and MR-fermented Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 coffee beans (HFD-ES-MR). After 6 weeks, body weight gain and food efficiency ratio were higher in the HFD group, but significantly reduced in the coffee extracts-fed groups. The HFD-ES-MR group showed greater body weight reduction than the HFD-ES group. The serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels as well as the atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor all tended to decrease in groups fed Vietnam robusta coffee extracts compared to the HFD group. These results suggest that Vietnam robusta and Ethiopia mocha sidamo G2 may be used to make functional coffee beverages with anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic activities.