• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.425-437
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• 2004

Medicinal plants are of great importance in providing healthcare to a large portion of the population in Korea. A number of plants are described in Dong-Ui-Bo-Gam for use in the treatment of allergic disorders, namely psoriasis, eczema, bronchial asthma, etc. In this study, we evaluated the effect of AllerQ, which is multi-complexes of various plants extracts such like Mori folium, Scutellaria baicallensis, Glycyrrhiza uralnsis, Mentha sacharinensis and Poncirus trifoliata on compound 48/80 induced anaphylactic shock, ovalbumin induced asthma in vivo and anti-IgE antibody induced hypersensitivity in vitro. We found antianaphylactic or antiallergic properties of AllerQ when given orally. AllerQ for prophylactic treatment for anaphylactic shocks have produced good results. AllerQ may modulate various aspects of immune function and allergic inflammation. In the present study, we analyse the effects of AllerQ on mast cell degranulation, mortality, cAMP/cGMP, O₂, H₂O₂ level, cyokine production and on the elicitation of IgE-mediated mast cell-dependent allergic inflammation in vivo and in vitro. We have established that AllerQ inhibited histamine release, cAMP/cGMP, O₂, H₂O₂ level, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) and IL-6 production without having any significant physical change. These effects have been observed in mast cell(in vitro) and serum(in vivo) derived from three different origins that were activated by either immunological or non-immunological stimuli. These results suggest that the antianaphylactic and antiasthma tic action of AllerQ may be associated with an increase in the intracellular inhibition of the cAMP phosphodiesterase. Furthermore, AllerQ identified as potent inhibitors on O₂, H₂O₂ and cytokine activity. these data suggest that AllerQ may have an inhibitory role in mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation, and thus might be considered as an useful functional food.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1208-1214
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• 1997

This study was designed to know the effect of kimchi on the hematological and immunological parameters in vivo and in vitro, respectively. To study the effects of kimchi on the hematological parameters, rats(S.D., male) were divided into 4 groups and fed diets containing of 3%, 5% and 10% kimchi or kimchi free diet(control) for 6 weeks. The results of CBC(complete blood cell) tests obtained from the bloods of rates were as follows ; In 10% kimchi group, the level of WBC(white blood cells), RBC(red blood cells), Hgb(hemoglobin), Hct(hematocrit) were increased significantly than those of control group(p<0.05). MCV(mean corpuscular volume), one of the red cell indices, was also increased significantly in the animals fed 10% kimchi(p<0.05). RDW(Red cell distritution width) and PCT(plateletcrit) was lowest in 10% kimchi group(p<0.05). To examine the effects of kimchi on immune cell growth in vitro, three types of mouse immune cells-spleen cells, bone marrow cells, thymus cells-were cultured with extracts of salted Chinese cabbage, fresh kimchi and fermented kimchi(for 1 week) for 12 or 20 days. Control was supplemented with PBS(phosphate buffer saline) excluding kimchi extract. The results of spleen cell, bone marrow cell, and thymus cell cultures showed similar tendency: control medium accelerated death of cells, extracts of salted Chinese cabbage reduced the rate of cell death, and extracts of fresh kimchi and fermented kimchi promoted cell growth. From these results, it could be suggested that kimchi possibly has an effect on the hematopoietic ability and increases immune cell development and growth in vivo.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.110-115
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• 2012

$Epimedium$ $koreanum$ Nakai is a wild medicinal plant commonly consumed in South Korea due to its beneficial health effects. In this study, the antimutagenic and immunological activities of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai extracts were investigated for their use in food. In the immunomodulating activity, the effects of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai on the B cell (Rhamos) and T cell (Molt-4) were investigated. The results showed that the growth and viability of the B and T cells were increased and activated more in the ethylacetate (1.35 and 1.48 times) and water fraction (1.30 and 1.40 times), respectively. In the Ames test, none of the fractions produced a mutagenic effect on $Salmonella$. $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA 100. The ethylacetate fraction showed a strong antimutagenic effect (98%) on and a high butanol fraction (84%) of B(${\alpha}$)P in $S.$ $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA100, respectively. In 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), all the solvent fractions showed an over 70% antimutagenic effect, except for the chloroform extract. Especially, ethylacetate and butanol showed strong inhibition of the mutagenic effects (80 and 90%) on 4NQO in $S.$ $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA100, respectively. These results provide preliminary data for the development of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai as an edible food material.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.816-820
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• 2018

The stringent response (SR), which is activated by accumulation of (p)ppGpp under conditions of growth-inhibiting stresses, plays an important role on growth and virulence in Vibrio cholerae. Herein, we carried out a genome-wide screen using transposon random mutagenesis to identify genes controlled by SR in a (p)ppGpp-overproducing mutant strain. One of the identified SR target genes was flaC encoding flagellin. Genetic studies using flaC and SR mutants demonstrated that FlaC was involved in bacterial growth, toxin production, and normal flagellum function under conditions of high (p)ppGpp levels, suggesting FlaC plays an important role in SR-induced pathogenicity in V. cholerae.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.147-159
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• 1991

Effects of twenty-one different flavonoids and their related compounds on the phagocytosis of colloidal carbon by macrophages in liver and spleen humoral immune responses against bacterial $\alpha$-amylase and cellular immune responses against oxazolone and dinitrofluorobenzene were studied in vivo and in vitro. It was shown that most of the flavonoids accelerated significantly the phagocytosis, and they suppressed significantly not only humoral and cellular immune responses but also the development of immunological memory after the antigenic stimulation. Especially, malvin was the most active in phagocysis, and disodium cromoglycate and morin were the most active in humoral and cellular immunosuppression, respectively. Daidzuin had the most potent inhibitory activity in the development of memory cells. The structure-activity relationships of the flavonoids in immunosuppression became apparant from these results: 1. The presence of $C_{2-3}$ double bond and $C_4$ Ketone group in C-ring was important for their immunosuppressive activity. 2. Flavonoids with benzene ring at 2 or 3 position in C-ring showed the almost same activities. 3. The opening of C-ring did not affect their immunosuppressive activity. 4. The glycosylated flavonoids at 3 position in C-ring were less less potent than their aglycones. 5. Di-or tri-hydroxylated flavonoids in B-ring were more potent than mono-hydroxylated. 6. Chromanochromanone also had the immunosuppressive activity.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.271-300
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• 2024

Vaccination is a cornerstone of public health, saving millions of lives each year by preventing a variety of infectious diseases. Yet, despite global vaccination efforts, emerging research highlights significant geographical disparities in vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity. These variations underscore the critical interplay between immunological factors and environmental, genetic, and nutritional elements across different populations. Our review article aimed to explore the multifactorial reasons behind geographical variations in vaccine efficacy. Also, this study has shown how important host factors like age, obesity, gender, and genetic diversity, especially within the major histocompatibility complex, are in determining how well a vaccine works. Nutritional status, namely deficiencies in micronutrients such as vitamins and zinc, and lifestyle factors including stress, sleep, alcohol consumption, and physical activity are also shown to have profound effects on vaccine-induced immunity. Importantly, our paper also brought to light the influence of microbial and ecological factors, such as the gut microbiome and environmental pollutants, on the immune system's response to vaccination. The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring vaccination strategies to accommodate the unique immunological landscapes shaped by geographical and societal factors. This tailored approach could enhance vaccine efficacy, reduce disparities in vaccine response, and ultimately contribute to the global fight against infectious diseases.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 2022

Immunological imbalance eventually results in the development of various diseases. A typical example is an imbalance of cytokines with immunomodulatory abilities. In this paper, we propose a two-variable delay model to anti-pro-inflammatory cytokine therapy for autoimmune diseases, which are caused by an imbalance between the pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were modeled mathematically to investigate the relevance of cytokines in disease processes. The delay time was estimated to maintain the stability of a biologically important steady state. In particular, the effects of delay with anti-pro-inflammatory cytokines therapy in autoinflammatory diseases were studied.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1076-1080
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• 2018

Carrageenan (CGN) has been used as a safe food additive for several decades. CGN has also been widely used to induce inflammation in various animal models. Likewise, degraded CGN (dCGN), which is produced by subjecting CGN to acid hydrolysis, also induces inflammation and does so more effectively than CGN. One of the most important characteristics of an immunological adjuvant is its ability to activate innate immunity. The immune-adjuvant effects of CGN and dCGN have not yet been studied in detail. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunological adjuvant activities of both CGN and dCGN, which was done by comparing the levels of an ovalbumin (OVA)-specific antibody after treatment with OVA in the absence or presence of CGN or dCGN in plasma from immunized mice. CGN and dCGN showed similar levels of adjuvant activity, as evidenced by increased antibody titer. Specifically, both CGN and dCGN significantly increased the levels of OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a antibodies in the plasma as compared with OVA alone (the control). However, compared to the positive control (Freund's adjuvant), both CGN and dCGN caused greater increases in IgG1 than in IgG2a. These results suggest that CGN and dCGN have similar adjuvant activities and produce more IgG1 antibodies than IgG2a.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1398-1405
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• 2016

The effects of Sparassis crispa extracts fermented with isolated strain from S. crispa on antioxidant and immunological activities were determined. S. crispa extracts fermented with Meyerozyma guilliermondii FM showed significantly higher total phenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities compared to those fermented with lactic acid bacteria. In methotrexate-induced immunosuppressed rats, reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-2, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) and increased levels of IL-10 were detected in S. crispa extract injected groups regardless of fermentation. We confirmed that rats treated with S. crispa fermented with M. guilliermondii FM showed higher blood leukocyte contents compared to other treatments. These results suggest that M. guilliermondii FM has high potential as a starter culture for fermentation of S. crispa extracts with increased antioxidant and immunological activities.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2008

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary organic acid mixture(lactic acid 12%, formic acid 9%, citric acid 5%, butyric acid 5% and phosphoric acid 6%) on growth performance, organ weight, blood immunological parameter and intestinal villi morphology in broilers. Dietary treatments included 1) CON (basal diet), 2) OA1 (basal diet + 0.1% organic acid mixture) and 3) OA2 (basal diet + 0.2% organic acid mixture). Four hundred eighty hatched Arbor Acre broiler chickens were housed in 24 pens of 20 birds each. Eight replicate pens were allotted into each treatment by completely randomized design. Daily weight gain, feed intake and feed/gain were not significantly different among the treatments. In organ weight, that of gizzard was significantly heavier in OA2 than CON (Linear effect = 0.034). However, those of spleen and intestine were not significantly different among the treatments. Blood immunological parameters such as RBC, WBC and lymphocyte were not significantly difference. In intestinal villi morphology, villi length was increased in OA1 compared to CON (Quadratic effect = 0.050). In conclusion, 0.2% organic acid mixture was effective to improve gizzard weight of broilers.