• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2014

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the effects water extract of fermented new korean medicinal mixture, combinations of Mori Folium, Adenophorae Radix, Phllostachyos Folium and Citri Pericarpium (F-MAPC), on adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis and glucose uptake using undiffernentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myoblasts. Methods : Each herb and those mixture were respectively fermented and then extracted with water. We carried on MTT assay for check-up on cell toxicity, Oil Red O staining for determination of cell differentiation and intracelluar adipogenesis. Western blot analysis for measurement of pAMPK and pACC, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\gamma}$ and Glut-4 protein expressions were performed. Results : F-MAPC showed significant inhibitory activity on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes without affecting cell toxicity as assessed by measuring fat accumulation, and this effect was 2 fold higher in 0.2 mg/ml F-MAPC than that of the same dose of each fermented herbal extract alone. In addition, these effects were associated with modulation of adipogenic transcription factors, such as $C/EBP{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\gamma}$, as well as stimulated phosphorylations of AMPK and ACC. Translocation of Glut-4 was significantly increased by 10.2% in L6 cells treated with 0.2 mg/ml F-MAPC compared with that of control. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that F-MAPC may be an ideal candidate for therapy of obesity and diabetes by disturbing the differentiation into adipocytes, as well as the inducement of intramuscular glucose uptake from blood.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.301-311
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• 2015

To enhance Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) efficacy, four Cry toxins were purified from four different Bt strains and assessed in their combined efficacy. The Cry mixtures significantly expanded their target insect spectra. Bacterial culture broth of Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) significantly suppressed insect cellular immune response and increased Cry toxicity. The addition of Xn culture broth to Cry mixture significantly enhanced Bt efficacy in target insect spectrum and insecticidal activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.35 no.4 s.139
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• pp.324-329
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• 2004

SKT is consisted of skullcap radix, knope-sedge radix and trametes mushroom. SKT mixture extract has been used for curing breast cancer and cervical cancer as a folk medicine without any kind of experimental evidence to support the rationales for its clinical use. This study was undertaken to investigate the antitumor effects and toxicity of SKT. Tumor was induced by implantation of B16F10 melanoma cells $(1{\times}10^6\;cells/mouse)$ into abdominal skin in ICR mice and SKT application (5 mg/mouse, p.o.) was initiated 4 days prior to tumor induction and lasted for 42 days. SKT significantly inhibited not only tumor growth but also metastasis of i.v. implanted melanoma cells into lung and showed prolonged life span of tumor bearing mice. The combined theraphy of SKT with doxorubicin was more effective against tumor metastasis into lung. SKT almostly recovered serum SGPT to normal level of galactosamine/LPS-induced hepatitis mice. High dose of SKT did not show any acute side effects. But, in vitro SKT did not inhibit the growth of melanoma cells, which suggests that the antitumor effects of SKT might be menifested by indirect mechanisms.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.519-527
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• 1996

To examine the possibility of biomonitoring of heavy metal removal ability and soil, a study was performed to investigate the heavy metal removal ability and metal-binding protein (MBP) as detoxification process using Oenanthe stolonifera. After O. stolonifera was exposed to individuals (cadmium, zinc) and mixture (cadmium+zinc)for 4 days, removal rate of heavy metal and pH in the treatment medium was measured. MBP was assayed by means of ion exchange column chromatography. The exposure to mixture (Cd:76.8%, Zn:75%) rather than individuals (Cd:82.9%, Zn:90.4%) showed a synergism raising the toxic effect. Initial removal rate was different for each heavy metal : in case of exposure to cadmium it was over 60% on day 1, while for zinc it was 75~90% on day 4. Throughout the experimental period, pH value of treatment medium continuously decreased, since cortex in the roots may secret organic acid to adjust and prevent toxicity of metals. The existence or MBP in the 70~80 fraction and the presence of Zn-enzyme pool was ascertained with the column chromatography. This study demonstrated a possibility that heavy utilized as a biomarker of heavy metal pollution.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.93-96
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• 2005

Mutagenicity of Gamgung-tang (GGT) was tested using in vitro S-9 mixture in vitro host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium. In the previous reports, GGT was tested for the safety using Ames(-S-9), Bacillus subtilis Rec, and umu gene expression mutagenicity tests. Mutagenic activity in any assays we tested was not found. In this report, we further investigated safety of GGT after metabolic activation in vivo. Ames test with S-9 mixture and host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 were used to identify metagenic property of GGT. GGT was administered 3 times with i.m. to Balb/c mice did not induced mutagenic effect in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 recovered from the liver after 3.5h with i.p. treatment. Over the entire dose range $(3{\sim}150mg/mouse)$ tested no toxicity was detected to the bacterial cells. These results suggest that there was no DNA damage and mutagenicity by GGT.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.323-333
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• 2009

Parabens are alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which are widely used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutic products as preservatives. Absorbed parabens are metabolized fastly and excreted. Actually human body is exposed to complex mixture of parabens. Safety assessment at various toxicological end points revealed parabens have a little acute, subacute and chronic toxicities. Some reports have argued that as parabens have estrogenic activity, they are associated with the incidence of breast cancer through dermal absorption by cosmetics. There is an inference that antiandrogenic activity of parabens may give rise to a lesion of male reproductive system, but also there is an contrary. At cellular level, parabens may inhibit mitochondrial function of sperms and androgen production in testis, but also there is an contrary. Parabens seem to have little or no toxicity in embryonic development. Parabens can cause hemolysis, membrane permeability change in mitochondria and apoptosis, suggesting cellular toxicity of parabens. Parabens evoked endocrine disruption in several fish species and have toxic effect on small invertebrates and microbes. Therefore, the toxicity of parabens should be considered as a potentially toxic chemical in the freshwater environment. In conclusion, though parabens may be considered as a low toxic chemical, more definite data are required concerning the endocrine disrupting effect of parabens on human body and aquatic animals according to route and term of exposure as well as the residual concentration of parabens.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.208-211
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• 2016

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants possess various biological activities and have been considered as natural insecticides due to their potent insecticidal activities. In regard to develop natural insecticides, EOs are formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate and their acute toxicity against to fishes were determined in a static condition using Cyprinus carpio. Coriander EO was used as an active ingredient mixed with ethanol for solvent and various surface active agents. The tested EOs were obtained from a commercial market, and three different extractions were also undertaken to produce EO using steam distillation, solvent extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction. Among the emulsifiable concentrate including a commercial coriander EO, surface active agents such as Tween 80, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), and mixture of SDBS and Nonidet showed acute toxicity to the fish. With the three different EO extraction, coriander EO obtained from supercritical fluids with Triton X-100 exhibited acute toxicity to C. carpio. Taken together, Tetgitol and Nondet are considered as surface active agents for the emulsifiable formulation of coriander EO.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 1998

The toxicity evaluation of oriental herbal drugs is of great concern at present. Bojungchisup-tang (BCST, in Korean), a decocted medicine of oriental herbal mixture, is now well used in clinic at oriental hospitals for the treatment of edema of several diseases in practice. However, the toxicity of the oriental herbal decocted medicines such as genetic toxicity is not well defined until now. In this respect, to clarify the genetic toxicity of BCST, in vitro chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblasts and in vivo supravital micronucleus assay with mouse peripheral reticulocytes were performed in this study. In the chromosome aberration assay, we used 5,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml BCST as maximum concentration because no remarkable cytotoxicity in CHL cells was observed both in the presence and absence of S-9 metabolic activation system. No statistical significant differences of chromosome aberrations were observed in CHL cells treated with 5,000, 2,500 and 1,250 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml BCST for 6 hour both in the presence and absence of S-9 metabolic activation. However, very weak positive result (6.5-8.0% aberration) of BCST was obtained in the absence of S-9 metabolic activation system at 5,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml BCST when treated for 24 hour, i.e. 1.5 normal cell cycle time. And also, in vivo clastogenicity of BCST was studied by acridine orange-supravital staining micronucleus assay using mouse peripheral reticulocytes. We used 2,000 mg/kg as the highest oral dose in this micronucleus assay because no acute oral toxicity of BCST was observed in mice. The optimum induction time of micronucleated reticulocytes (MNRETS) was determined as 36 hours after oral administration of 2,000 mg/kg BCST. No significant differences of MNRETs between control and BCST treatment groups were observed in vivo micronucieus assay. From these results, BCST revealed very weak positive result in chromosome aberration assay in vitro with CHL cells and no clastogenicity in micronucieus assay in vivo.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.26.1-26.9
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• 2020

Background: The study evaluated the effects of a butaphosphan and cyanocobalamin mixture on the immune system and stress in olive flounders, Paralichthys olivaceus. Methods: The mixture was intramuscularly injected into olive flounders at the current recommended dose. Furthermore, to determine the toxicity of overdose, a histological examination was performed after injection of 1-, 2-, and 4-fold higher than the recommended dose. Results: Immunity parameters were altered during the first 2 weeks after a single intramuscular injection of the mixture in olive flounders (average weight 20.5 ± 1.1 g). The levels of all tested items, except glutathione and antiprotease, were higher in the treated group than in the control group in the first week; the levels of all tested items were even higher in the second week in the treated group than in the control group. The level of nitro-blue tetrazolium, myeloperoxidase, and superoxide dismutase between the two groups differed significantly. Changes in the stress response to different seawater temperatures (increase or decrease in seawater temperature by 3-5 ℃ using 50 L heated or cooled seawater tanks) were studied by determining the changes in cortisol and glucose levels on days 1 and 7. Both cortisol and glucose levels were significantly lower in the treated group than in the control group. Histological analysis did not reveal any abnormalities after intramuscular injection of the mixture at doses that were 1-, 2-, and 4-fold higher than the recommended dose. Conclusions: Intramuscular injection of a butaphosphan and cyanocobalamin mixture is safe and effective in reducing stress and improving immunity in olive flounders.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2019

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent and commonly detected in marine ecosystem. They coexist with a various contaminants including heavy metals in real environment, but most studies have been still focused on single effects of these contaminants to aquatic organisms. In this study, the single and combined effects of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ were investigated in the brackish water flea, Diaphanosoma celebensis. For combined effect study, three mixtures A (3:7), B (5:5), and C (7:3) of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ were determined by 48 h - LC₅₀ values of single exposure. Combined effects of both chemicals were estimated by concentration addition (CA) model and independent action (IA) model. As results, 48 h - LC₅₀ values of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ was 25.75 ㎍ l^-1 and 3.6 ㎍ l^-1, respectively. TU values of mixture A, B, and C were 1.06, 0.83, and 0.96, respectively, indicating additive effects of mixtures using CA model. This study will be helpful as basic data for understanding the combined effects of contaminants in marine environment.