• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.43-54
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• 1974

The cactus family Cactaceae, numbering about 1,500 species, is a fleshy-stemmed perennial plant which is principally distributed in the south and north America. On the other hand, the cactus plant is presumed to be introduced into Korea in 1912-1945, thereafter it has been cultivated merely in favor of ornamentation with the exception of being occasionally used as medication among laymen. Opuntia elata which belongs to Opuntia genus, the Cactaceae family is one of the cacti being cultivated a great deal in Korea. Cho et. al. reported in 1974 that Opuntia dilenii manifested the cardiac inhibitory effect and oxytocic effect, and its mechanism might be partially due to the direct action. Besides this, there are few reports on the pharmacological research concerning Opuntia genus to be demonstrated in Korea. However, some other cacti have the remarkable pharmacological effects; the active ingredients, mescaline, anhalamine, anhalanine, etc. from Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) belonging to Lophophora genus have the psychotomimetic and sympathomimetic effects, and the cardioactive glycosides from Cactus Grandifolius (Selenicereus grandiflorus) belonging to Cereus genus have the cardioactive and diuretic effects. The authors hereby inquired into this study to find out the propriety of the pharmacological properties of the ethanol extract of Opuntia elata (EX) on the heart, blood pressure, respiration, intestine and uterus in the experimental animals. The results of the experiment were as follows: 1. Administration of EX manifested the cardiac inhibitory effect caused by the negative inotropic action in the isolated heart of frog, and the pretreatment of atropine did not affect the inhibitory effect produced by EX. 2. Administration of EX manifested the transient hypotensive effect in the intact rabbit, and the pretreatment of atropine did not affect the hypotensive effect produced by EX. 3. Administration of the small dose of EX manifested no significant effect, but moderate dose or more the stimulating effect, and the large dose the asphyxia on the respiratory motility in the intact rabbit. 4. Administration of EX manifested the sustained augmentation of contractility in the excised duodenum of rabbit, and the pretreatment of atropine did not affect the stimulating effect produced by EX. 5. Administration of EX manifested the sustained augmentation of contractility in the excised pregnant uterus of rabbit, and the pretreatment of atropine and oxytocin did not affect the oxytocic effect produced by EX, but that of barium chloride more or less stimulated the oxytocic effect produced by EX.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

The ultrastructure of spermatogenesis and sperm in Chinese minnow, Rhynchocypris oxycephalus belonging to Leuciscinae was investigated by light and electron microscopes. The whitish testis was located between intestine and air bladder. The size of testis was major axis 2.3 cm, minor axis 6 mm. The testis contained numerous testicular cysts, and spermatogenesis was non-synchronized in these testicular cysts. In the case of spermatogonium, the nucleus was comparatively large ellipsoidal, and mitochondria showed a marked development. The size of primary spermatocyte was smaller than that of spermatogonia, and secondary spermatocyte was smaller than primary spermatocyte. The chromatin of spermatocyte was highly condensed according to their development. The nucleus with electron-dense was round shape. In spermiogenesis, flagella started to be formed and chromatin was more condensed. The mitochondria were rearranged in a middle piece. The sperm was formed by loss of cytoplasm. The head of mature sperm was a spherical shape and have not acrosome. The microtubules of flagella were arranged 9+2 structure. Also, the tail of sperm have not lateral fins.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2009

Extracts and fractions of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga in Russia) have been known to have various biological activities, including antimutagenic, anticancer, antioxidative, and immunostimulating effects. This study was performed to confirm anticancer effect of 10% superfine Chaga mushroom processed by nano-mill technology on C57BL/6 mice. Chaga particles belonged in the size of 1 ${\mu}m$ was about 40% after nanomill processing according to the volume distribution. As the result of subcutaneous injection of B16BL6 melanoma cells to the mice, the tumor volume (p<0.001) and tumor weight (p<0.01) was significantly decreased in the experimental (NCh) group as compared with control (C) group and the tumor growth inhibitory rate was 29.2%. On examination of survival rate after intraperitoneal injection of B16BL6 melanoma cells, the mean survival time per a mouse was 17.7 and 26.0 days in C and NCh group respectively. The survival rate of NCh group was 40% when that of C group was 0% at the 35th day. On the result of examination to confirm histological toxicity by Chaga superfine particles, both groups did not show any morphological and pathological changes in the small and large intestine under the light microscope. These results suggest that feeding of superfine Chaga produced by nanomill technique has a tumor growth inhibitory effect in vivo.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1612-1612
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• 2001

The production of grain for export and domestic use is one of Australia's most important agricultural industries, and the NIR technique has been used extensively over many years for the routine monitoring of grain quality, particularly moisture and protein content. Because most Australian grain is intended for human food production, the determinants of grain quality for livestock feed, apart from protein, have been largely ignored. However the increasing use of grain for feeding to pigs, poultry, beef cattle and dairy cows has led to an important national research project entitled “Premium Grains for Livestock”. Two of the objectives of this project are to determine the compositional and functional characteristics of grains which influence their nutritional quality for the various classes of livestock, and to adopt rapid and objective analytical tests for these quality criteria. NIR has been used in this project firstly to identify a set of grain samples from a large population of breeders' lines which showed a wide spectral variation, and hence a potentially wide variation in nutritional value. The selected samples were not only subjected to an extensive array of chemical, physical and in vitro analyses, but also were grown out to produce sufficient quantities of grain to feed to animals in vivo studies. Additional grains were also strategically selected from farms in order to include the effect of weather damage, such as rain, drought and frost. In this study to date, NIR calibrations have been derived or attempted, on both ground and whole grains, for in vivo dry matter digestibility (DMD), pepsin-cellulase dry matter disappearance, protein, fat, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, starch, in sacco DMD and in vitro assays to simulate starch digestion in the lumen and small intestine. Results so far indicate high calibration accuracy for chemical components (SECV 0.3 to 2.6%) and very promising statistics for in vivo DMD (SECV 1.8, $R^2$ 0.93, SD 7.0, range 61.9 to 92.3, n=60). There appears to be some potential for NIR to estimate some in vitro properties, depending upon the accuracy of reference methods and appropriate sample populations. Current work is in progress to extend the range of grains with in vivo DMD values (a very laborious and expensive process) and to increase the robustness of the various NIR calibrations, with the aim of implementing uniform testing procedures for nutritional value of grains throughout Australia.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1998

Two experiment were conducted to evaluate the feeding value of probiotics for the broiler chicks. Basal diets based on corn and soybean meal with no supplemental probiotics contained 21% dietary crude protein for the first 3 weeks and 19% for the rest of two weeks. In experiment 1, 0.2 % probiotics containing 2X 10 6 cfu /ml of Saccharomyces cerevisiae(S), Clostridium butyricum(C), Lactobacillus acidophilus(L), Bacillus polyfermenticus(B) were respectively supplemented to control groups. Two hundred day-olo chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments which had four replicates of 10 chicks each per treatment. Weight gain, feed consurnption, feed conversion ratio (FCR) were weekly measured for 5 weeks. The number of intestinal microflora was examined at the end of experiment. In experiment 1, Weight gain and feed intake of chicks fed probiotics exhibited a significant response compared to those of control for the first three weeks(P<0.01). Weight gain of S or C treatments was higher than that of control for the rest of two weeks, whereas it was significantly lower in L and B treatments than S or C treatments (P<0.01). Chicks fed S or C was significantly increased weight gain(P <0.05) compared to that of control at five weeks of age. FCR of C treatment seemed to improve relative to other supplemental probiotics groups, but was not significantly different. The number of intestinal anaerobes and Lactobacillus in large intestine of chicks fed probiotics supplements was significantly decreased compared to control groups(P<0.01). In experiment 2, there were six treatments: Ti, control; T2, 0.2%S; T3, 0.2%S + 0.2%C; T4, 0.2%S + 0.2%L; T5, 0.2%S + 0.2%B; T6, 0.2%S + 0.1%C + o.i%L + 0.1%B. Control diet based on corn soybean meal contained 21% CP and 3,2OOca1 /g ME with no probiotics. There were four replicates of 10 chicks each per treatment. Weight gain of chicks fed probiotics tended to increase compared to control groups, but were not significantly different between them. FCR was also improved in probiotics treatments. However, there were no significant differences between probiotics supplementation and control groups. The results of these experiments indicated that dietary supplemental probiotics improved weight gain, feed efficiency for the first three weeks of young broiler chicks, whereas supplementation of C, L, B combined probiotics to young broiler chicks was not superior to those of single or two probiotics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.560-567
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• 1996

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of indigestible dextrin on bowel function and serum lipid. Recently developed indigestible dextrin is water soluble dietary fiber obtained by heating and enzyme-treatment of potato starch with low viscosity. SD male rats weighing 80~85g were divided into three groups; control diet(IC), control +5% pectin(IP), control +5% indigestible dextin(ID). Experimental rats were fed one of the experimental diets ad libitum for six weeks. Weight gain, food intake, and food efficiency ratio were not significantly different among other groups. Those of ID tended to be higher than in IP and IC. Weights of liver, spleen and kidney were not significantly different among groups. Epididymal fat pads weight in W and ID tended to be lower than in IC. The weight of cecum was sinificantly higher in m than in other groups(p<0.05). The weight and length of large intestine tended to be higher in IP and ID than in IC. Total feces excretion of ID and If tended to be more than that of IC. Transit time was shorter in IP than in other groups. Serum total lipid, total cholesterol and TG levels were higher in IC group than other groups. The fecal excretion of lipid was significantly higher in IP than in other groups(p<0.05). That of ID tended to be more than that of IC, so fat apparent absorption of ID was lower than that of IC. Ca absorption were decreased more in IP than in other groups(p<0.05).

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1984

A scanning eletron microscopic study was performed to observe the tegumental surface of adult Fibricola seoulensis. The adult worms were collected from the small intestine of mice 5 days to 3 weeks after experimental infection with the metacercariae. The metacercariae were obtained from the viscera of the snakes, Matrix tigrina lateralis, by artificial digestion technique. The results were as follows: 1. The tegument of anterior body was covered with cobblestone-like cytoplasmic processes and that of posterior body showed finger-like processes. The posterior body had 4-5 large transverse wrinklings which formed many discontinued shallow rugae. 2. The entire surface of anterior body was regularly arranged with the spines of which tips diverged into 3 to 4 points. They were densely packed in anterior mid-median portion of dorsal surface where appeared a few spines indented upto 5 points. Farther laterally and posteriorly from this portion, the pointed spines were more sparse and became single tipped and extended to anterior one-third of posterior body, 3. The posterior surface of oral sucker was armed with 50-60 spines having 2-3 tips and ventral sucker also covered with such spines. On anteriormost dorsal surface arranged 60-70 spade-shaped spines. The tribocytic organ was armed with many stout recurved pile-like spines arranged radially. 4. There were 3 types of sensory papillae. The ciliated knob-like (Type I) papillae were almost bilaterally symmetrical in ventral and dorsal surfaces of anterior body, and abundant especially aroundbases of oral and ventral suckers, tribocytic organ, and in lateral margins of anterior body. About 24 non-ciliated round swellings (Type II) were observed around each lip of oral and ventral suckers. The plate-like elevated papilla without cilium (Type III) was found to distribute only in posterior body. These 3 types of papillae seem to be tangoreceptive and/or rheoreceptive in function when their morphology and distributions are considered.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.537-546
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• 1994

This experiment was carried out to compare the effects of six different plant protein sources such as soybean meal, extruded full-fat soybean, canola meal, rapeseed meal, cottonseed meal and perilla meal as a sole protein source of diets on growth performance and amino acid bioavailabilities in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 54 pigs with average 25 kg of body weight were used as experimental subjects for a 65-d feeding trial. Digestion trial was carried out with seven ileal-cannulated pigs. The most rapid rate of weight gain was observed in pigs fed soybean meal and full-fat soybean, the moderate one in pigs fed canola meal and cottonseed meal and the least one in pigs fed rapeseed meal and perilla meal (p<0.005). Feed efficiency was better for groups fed soybean meal and full-fat soybean than other protein meals (p<0.05). The apparent ileal digestibilities of essential amino acids of soybean meal and full-fat soybean (82.5% and 81.6%) were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of other protein sources (61.2 to 69.4%). Regardless of protein sources, the apparent ileal digestibility of arginine was highest, whereas that of histidine was lowest among essential amino acids. Proline had the lowest digestibility among non-essential amino acids. True amino acid digestibilities tended to be higher than apparent amino acid digestibilities. The differences between true and apparent ileal digestibilities were greater in canola meal, rapeseed meal or cottonseed meal than other protein sources. The differences was greatest in praline except for cottonseed meal. The fecal digestibility appeared to be higher than the ileal digestibility. The differences between fecal and ileal digestibilities were greater in canola meal, rapeseed meal, cottonseed meal and perilla meal than in soybean meal and full-fat soybean. In general, praline was the most disappeared amino acid in the hind gut, while the net synthesis of lysine in the large intestine was observed in all protein sources except perilla meal. It is appropriate that swine feeds should be formulated based on true ileal amino acid digestibility of protein sources for pig's normal growth.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.301-314
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• 2005

Objective: Rebamipide is a propionic acid derivative that has an action of the inhibition of superoxide production and removal of hydroxyl radical with the sperm incubation and cryopreservation. In the present study, to investigate whether rebamipide is useful to treat male infertility and sterility, the author observed the antioxidative effects in patient with male infertility and also examined its absorption and distribution in rat genital organ. Methods: To measure the distribution of rebamipide in reproductive organ in the rat, carbon indicated rebamipide, $^{14}C-OPC-12759$, was orally administered to 10 Spraque-Dawley rats and its organ concentration in serum, liver, kidney, stomach, duodenum, colon, urinary bladder, seminal vesicle, epididymis and testicle were measured each time after 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours by using HPLC fluorescent method. The concentrations in semen were measured by HPLC fluorescent method in a sample of 50 infertile males who took 900 mg of rebamipide daily for 3 months. To measure the antioxidative effect and fertility rate for 3 months, each month before and after the treatment, sperm motility, vitality, the oxygen free radical formation, level of peroxidation, fetilizing capacity of semen sample which were obtained from infertile male patients by masturbation after at least 48 hours abstinence were analyzed by computer assisted semen analyzer, eosin-nigrosin stain, chemiluminescence, thiobarbituric acid method and hypo-osmotic swelling test. Simultaneously in a sample that wanted baby, both pregnancy and delivery were researched. Results: The $^{14}C-OPC-12759$ concentration in the body of white rats was highest in gastrointestinal organ like stomach, smal intestine and duodenum and followed by genital organ like seminal vesicle, testis and epididymis. The rebamipide concentration in semen of infertile males was $220.77{\pm}327.84ng/mL$ (SD) which showed a large deviation but it was higher than serum which was $126{\pm}76ng/mL$ (SD). In the infertile males, after the treatment with rebamipide, the level of seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation have significantly decreased in duration of the treatment (p<0.05) and sperm vitality and fertilizing capacity except sperm motility significantly improved on post treatment of 2~3 months (p<0.05). Out of the 41 cases who hoped for pregnancy, 15 cases (36.6%) became pregnant and 12 cases had childbrith, 2 cases had miscarriage and one case is ongoing. The side effect was observed in 1 case (2%) which experienced diarrhea but it was lost spontaneously. Conclusions: We conclude from this study that rebamipide showed relatively high tendancy of absorption and excretion in the genital organ. In infertile males who had elevated ROS in semen, by specifically inhibiting the cell damage from the antioxidation, a way to preserve sperm motility, vitality and fertilizing capacity was confirmed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.833-842
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• 2020

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a commonly encountered large intestine disease in the contemporary world that terminates into colorectal cancer; therefore, the timely treatment of UC is of major concern. Panax ginseng Meyer is an extensively consumed herbal commodity in South East Asian countries, especially Korea. It exhibits a wide range of biologically beneficial qualities for almost head-to-toe ailments in the body. Epimedium koreanum Nakai (EKN) is also a widely used traditional Korean herbal medicine used for treating infertility, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. Materials and methods: Separately the anti-inflammatory activities of both red ginseng extracts (RGEs) and EKNs had been demonstrated in the past in various inflammatory models; however, we sought to unravel the anti-inflammatory activities of the combination of these two extracts in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice model because the allopathic remedies for UC involve more side effects than benefits. Results: Our results have shown that the combination of RGE + EKN synergistically alleviated the macroscopic lesions in DSS-induced colitic mice such as colon shortening, hematochezia, and weight loss. Moreover, it restored the histopathological lesions in mice and decreased the levels of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines through the repression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP-3) expression. In vitro, this combination also reduced the magnitude of nitric acid (NO), proinflammatory mediators and cytokine through NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Conclusion: In the light of these findings, we can endorse this combination extract as a functional food for the prophylactic as well as therapeutic treatment of UC in humans together with allopathic remedies.