• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.550-554
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to screen the testosterone-like activities of eight oriental medicines with an in vitro testosterone compound detection (TCD) system. Distilled water and 80% ethanol, both at 80℃, were used to obtain extracts from Cervus nippon temminck (Nokgaksang), Cynanchum wilfordii (Baeksuo), Lespedeza cuneata (Yagwanmun), Panax ginseng (Hongsam), Smilax china (Toryeong), Taraxacum platycarpum (Mindlre), Tribulus terresteis (Namgase), and Trigonella foenum-graecum (Horopa), and extracts at concentrations of 5, 50, and 500 ㎍/ml were assessed using the TCD system. The testosterone-like activities of the 80% ethanol extracts were seen to increase with concentration and ranged from 0.9 to 5.0 times higher than those of the negative control; Horopa and Yagwanmun exhibited superior testosterone-like activities, followed by Mindlre and Hongsam at the same concentration. Toryeong and Namgase, on the other hand, showed low activity with Nokgaksang and Baeksuo exhibiting very low levels. Compared with the activities of the positive control (5α-DHT), the 80% ethanol extracts of Horopa and Yagwanmun at a concentration of 500 ㎍/ml showed higher testosterone-like activities than 10^-8 M 5α-DHT. The water extracts showed lower activity levels than the ethanol samples, and the change of activity with concentration was also lower. It was confirmed that the 80% ethanol extracts of Horopa, Yagwanmun, and Mindlre etc. enhance the transcription efficiency of testosterone-related genes and may therefore be useful in developing health food or medicinal treatments for the improvement of male menopausal symptoms.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1204-1211
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• 2009

Hericium erinaceus is an edible mushroom used as a medicinal food in Asian countries. In this study, the chemopreventive effects of H. erinaceus mycelia hot water extract (HEW) were evaluated. HEW remarkably induced the luciferase activity of the antioxidant response element (ARE), located in the promoter region of phase 2 and antioxidant genes and regulated by nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The up-regulation of ARE activity by HEW corresponded with the induction of Nrf2 and the antioxidant enzyme, hemeoxygenase-1. The inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity is a promising effective approach in cancer chemoprevention, and HEW prominently suppressed COX-2 protein expression in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, HEW showed anti-inflammatory activity by modulating inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, and the transcription factor, nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that H. erinaceus possessed anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects via the modulation of Nrf2/ARE and inflammatory signaling pathways, and may therefore have potential use as a natural chemopreventive agent.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.275-281
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• 2018

Pinus densiflora root (PDR) is used as a medicinal plant. In this study, we investigated whether the PDR extract has anti-inflammatory activities. Cell viability assays showed that the extract was not toxic toward RAW 264.7 cells at concentrations up to $10{\mu}g/mL$. At $10{\mu}g/mL$, the extract decreased nitric oxide (NO) content to 40% of the control level. The protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which generates NO, decreased with increasing concentrations of the extract. Prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) levels were significantly inhibited by over 50% in the presence of $10{\mu}g/mL$ of the extract. The protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which generates $PGE_2$, decreased with increasing concentrations of the extract. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and $IL-1{\beta}$, were detected in RAW 264.7 cells after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. The extract did not affect the levels of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6, but it significantly inhibited the level of $IL-1{\beta}$. It also completely inhibited the transcription of nuclear factor-kappaB ($NF-{\kappa}B$). These results indicate that the PDR extract reduces inflammatory response-related proteins, such as NO, $PGE_2$, iNOS, and COX-2, in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells via the regulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Consequently, we have provided a mechanism to explain the anti-inflammatory effect of the PDR extract; that is, it exerts such an effect by regulating $NF-{\kappa}B$. The PDR extract can therefore be considered as an effective anti-inflammatory agent.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.685-699
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has long been known as a medicinal herb effective in various diseases, including bronchitis and asthma, but is still more widely used for food. Fermentation methods are being applied to increase the pharmacological composition of PG extracts and commercialize them with high added value. This study examines the hydrolyzed and fermented PG extract (HFPGE) fermented with Lactobacillus casei in RAW 264.7 cells, and investigates the effect of amplifying the immune and the probable molecular mechanism. MATERIALS/METHODS: HFPGE's total phenolic, flavonoid, saponin, and platycodin D contents were analyzed by colorimetric analysis or high-performance liquid chromatography. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay. Phagocytic activity was analyzed by a phagocytosis assay kit, nitric oxide (NO) production by a Griess reagent system, and cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cytokines were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, whereas MAPK and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation were analyzed by Western blots. RESULTS: Compared to PGE, HFPGE was determined to contain 13.76 times and 6.69 times higher contents of crude saponin and platycodin D, respectively. HFPGE promoted cell proliferation and phagocytosis in RAW 264.7 cells and regulated the NO production and iNOS expression. Treatment with HFPGE also resulted in increased production of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand10, granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and the mRNA expressions of these cytokines. HFPGE also resulted in significantly increasing the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results imply that fermentation and hydrolysis result in the extraction of more active ingredients of PG. Furthermore, we determined that HFPGE exerts immunostimulatory activity via the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.238-246
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• 2010

In 2006 fall, a preliminary survey of viruses in two important medicinal plants, Cynanchum wilfordii and C. auriculatum, was conducted on the experimental fields at the Agricultural Research and Extension Services of Chungbuk province in Korea. On each experimental fields, percentage of virus infection was ranged from 20 to 80%, and especially an average of disease incidence propagated by roots was twice higher than that by seeds. The various symptoms were observed in Cynanchum spp. plants, such as mosaic, mottle, necrosis, yellowing, chlorotic spot and malformation etc. In electron microscopic examination of crude sap extracts, filamentous rod particles with 390-730 nm were observed in most samples. The virus particles were purified from the leaves of C. wilfordii with typical mosaic symptom, and the viral RNA was extracted from this sample containing 430-845 nm long filamentous rod. To identify the viruses, reverse transcription followed by PCR with random primers was carried out. The putative sequences of P3 and coat protein of potyvirus were obtained. From a BLAST of the two sequences, they showed 26-38% and 62-72% identities to potyviruses, respectively. In SDS-PAGE analysis, the subunit of coat protein was approximately 30.3 kDa, close to the coat protein of potyvirus. In bioassay with 21 species in 7 families, Chenopodium quinoa showed local lesion on inoculated leave and chlorotic spot on upper leave, but the others were not infected. RT-PCR detection using specific primer of C. wilfordii and C. auriculatum samples, all of 24 samples with virus symptom was positive, and five out of seven samples without virus symptom were also positive. On the basis of these data, the virus could be considered as a new member of potyvirus. We suggested that the name of the virus was Keunjorong mosaic virus (KjMV) after the common Korean name of C. wilfordii.