• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2009

Atopic dermatitis, caused by immune hyper-responsiveness, is wide spread in humans as well as in the dogs, especially in industrialized condition. Pet dogs are generally exposed to the same environment as their owners, and a significant portion of these animals are also known to suffer from this allergic disease. However, diagnosis and treatment methods of atopic dermatitis in animals have not been well established. We explored the possibility of using recently developed PG102 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in the canine population. PG102 is a water soluble extract prepared from Actinidia arguta, and has been shown to produce significant therapeutic effect in variable allergy animal models. After oral administration of PG102 at a dose of 12.5 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks, severity of disease was greatly improved. IgE is one of representative members used to diagnose allergic diseases in humans. However, it is not well established whether there is any correlation between the serum level of IgE and atopic dermatitis. Our data indicated that dogs diagnosed to have atopic dermatitis contained higher level of serum IgE than the normal dogs and that treatment of dogs with PG102 significantly lowered the serum level of IgE. Taken together, this study demonstrated that PG102 treatment yielded significant amelioration of canine atopic dermatitis and down-regulation of serum IgE and that the serum level of IgE can be used as a convenient member for diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in dogs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.364-368
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• 1997

Onion (Allium cepa Linn) has been reported to have hypoglycemic activity in human and several animal models. In the present study, we performed intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) in young (1.5mo) and aged (5 mo) rats treated with onion in order to determine whether aging can influence on the anti-hy-perglycemic effect of onion. In addition, we investigated the hypoglycemic effect of onion in streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous extracts of onion (500 mg/kg, i.p., daily) for 4 weeks. Blood glucose level was determined in fasted and fed rats by using a glucometer (Johnson & Johnson). In glucose tolerance test, blood glucose level was maximally increased 15 min after glucose load (2 g/kg, i.p.), and recovered to the basal level 3 hr after glucose challenge in young and old rats. The maximum blood glucose levels of young and aged rat were 184$\pm$7.49 and 225.2$\pm$ 12.55 mg/dl, respectively. A single i.p. injection of aqueous extract of onion (1 g/kg) 30 min before glucose challenge significantly decreased blood glucose levels at 15, 30, 60, 90 min after glucose load in aged rats, while the administration of onion did not show any significant effect in young rats. In onion-treated diabetic rats, significant hypoglycemic effect (p<0.05) was observed, and the effect was greater in fasted rats than in fed. In conclusion, these results suggest that anti-hyperlycemic effect of onion can be changed by age and fasting.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2013

Purpose: The present study focused on the estimation of soluble solids content (SSC) of chestnut using reflectance and transmittance spectra in range of VIS/NIR. Methods: Four species intact/peeled chestnuts were used for acquisition of spectral data. Transmittance and reflectance spectra were used to develop the best PLS model to estimate SSC of chestnut. Results: The model developed with the transmitted energy spectra of peeled chestnuts rather than intact chestnuts and with range of NIR rather than VIS performed better. The best $R^2$ and RMSEP of cross validation were represented as 0.54 and $1.85^{\circ}Brix$. The results presented that the reflectance spectra of peeled chestnuts by species showed the best performance to predict SSC of chestnut. $R^2$ and RMSEP were 0.55 and $1.67^{\circ}Brix$. Conclusions: All developed models showed RMSEP around $1.44{\sim}2.54^{\circ}Brix$, which is considered not enough to estimate SSC accurately. It was noted that $R^2$ of cross validation that we found were not high. For all that, grading of the fruits in two or three classes of SSC during postharvest handling seems possible with an inexpensive spectrophotometer. Furthermore, the development of estimation of SSC by each chestnut species could be considered in that SSC distribution is clustering in different range by species.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2017

Objectives: Medicinal plants are vital sources of bioactive compounds that are useful for the treatment of patients with snake bites or are indirectly applicable for boosting the effects of conventional serum therapy. These plants are being used traditionally by local healers and tribes for the treatment of patients with snake bites and therefore can be used as an alternative against snake envenomation. Scientifically, using the secondary metabolites of plants to neutralize venom enzymes has an extra benefit of being based on traditional knowledge; also, the use of such metabolites for the treatment of patients with snake bites is cheaper and the treatment can be started sooner. Methods: All the available information on various secondary metabolites exhibiting venom neutralizing ability were collected via electronic search (using Google books, Pubmed, SciFinder, Scirus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) and articles of peer-reviewed journals. Results:Recent interest in different plant has focused on isolating and identifying of different phytoconstituents that exhibit Phospholipase A2 activity and other venom enzyme neutralizing ability. In this support convincing evidence in experimental animal models are available. Conclusion: Secondary metabolites are naturally present, have no side effect, are stable for a long time, can be easily stored, and can neutralize a wide range of snake enzymes, such as phospholipase A2, hyaluronidase, protease, L-amino acid oxidase, 5'nucleotidase, etc. The current review presents a compilation of important plant secondary metabolites that are effective against snake venom due to enzyme neutralization.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.145-160
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• 2011

Objectives : Rehmannia glutinosa has been used extensively in Korean traditional medicine. Although thorough clinical trials are lacking, Various pharmacological actions for Rehmannia glutinosa has been identified newly using animal models. In addition, it was reported that reactive intermediates, potentially causing toxic effects, was isolated from one of components in Rehmannia glutinosa. In this article, it is purposed for explanation and introduction of new studies for Rehmannia glutinosa in terms of pharmacological action and toxicology. Methods : New studies for Rehmannia glutinosa were reviewed and summarized in terms of pharmacological action and toxicity. Results and Conclusions : Rhmannia glutinosa and its components including iridoids, saccharides, as well as amino acid, showed a variety of pharmacological actions on the blood system, immune system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system and the nervous system. In addition, it was identified that aucubin, one of major components of Rhmannia glutinosa was biotransformed to reactive intermediates by ${\beta}$-glycosidase and acid-hydrolysis, resulting in forming aucubigenin- albumin adduct. Even if a lot of new pharmacological actions has been identified, it should be considered for Rhmannia glutinosa to contain the material producing reactive intermediates which may induce the side effects.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.153-162
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this trial was to compare the alignment efficiency and intermaxillary arch dimension changes of nickel-titanium (NiTi) or copper-nickel-titanium (CuNiTi) round archwires with increasing diameters applied sequentially to the mandibular arch. Methods: The initial alignment phase of fixed orthodontic treatment with NiTi or CuNiTi round archwires was studied in a randomly allocated sample of 66 patients. The NiTi group comprised 26 women, 10 men, and the CuNiTi ($27^{\circ}C$) group comprised 20 women, 10 men. The eligibility criteria were as follows: anterior mandibular crowding of minimum 6 mm according to Little's Irregularity Index (LII), treatment requiring no extraction of premolars, 12 to 18 years of age, permanent dentition, skeletal and dental Class I malocclusion. The main outcome measure was the alignment of the mandibular anterior dentition; the secondary outcome measure was the change in mandibular dental arch dimensions during 12 weeks. Simple randomization (allocation ratio 1:1) was used in this single-blind study. LII and mandibular arch dimensions were measured on three-dimensional digital dental models at 2-week intervals. Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between NiTi and CuNiTi according to LII (p > 0.05). Intercanine and intermolar arch perimeters increased in the CuNiTi group (p < 0.001). Inter-first premolar width showed a statistically significant interaction in week ${\times}$ diameter ${\times}$ application (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The effects of NiTi and CuNiTi round archwires were similar in terms of their alignment efficiency. However, the intercanine and intermolar arch perimeters, and the inter-first premolar width changes differed between groups.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.85-92
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• 2016

Objectives： This study is experimental comparison of brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rice (GBR) on upper gastrointestinal diseases animal models.Methods： The ICR mice were divided randomly into four groups of six animals each (Normal mice, gastritis mice, gastritis mice treated with BR, gastritis mice treated with 48h GBR). Gastritis was induced by administration of 0.5 mL 150 mM HCl-60% ethanol. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 7 groups after 1 week adaptation. (Normal rat, reflux esophagitis (RE) rat, RE rat treated with BR, RE rat treated with 24,30,36,48h GBR). Reflux esophagitis was induced by ligation with a 2-0 silk thread both the pylorus and the transitional junction between the forestomach and the corpus in SD rats.Results： HCl/ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury mice were ameliorated mucosal damage upon histological evaluation by treatment of 48h GBR than BR. Optical changes such as hyperemia and multiple erosions were observed in the rats with RE and damage to the normal rats was not apparent. The oral administration of GBR significantly diminished against gross mucosal damage in a germination time-dependent manner. Also, the administration of GBR suppressed the biomarker of oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and produces peroxynitrite (ONOO-) in serum. However, the administration of GBR could not affect to the pH level secreted from stomach when compared with Control group.Conclusions： These findings suggest that GBR could have improving effects on upper gastrointestinal diseases in a germination time-dependent manner.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2012

In order to study the effect of CPS in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), its role on various immune related cytokines were tested. Levels of liver and kidney function markers such as ALT, AST, BUN in NC/Nga mice were all normal indicating no toxicity in CPS treated group. Significant recovery from AD could be observed in CPS treated group through naked eye observation. Dermatitis index was significantly decreased after 11, 12, and 13 weeks of treatment. CD4+, CD8+, CD3+ /CD69+ immune cell ratio in DLN were decreased significantly by 37.2%, 49%, 20.8% in CPS treated group. CD4+ and CD11b+ /Gr-1+ immune cell ratio in dorsal skin were decreased significantly by 50.8% and 59.2% in CPS treated group. Expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13 and TNF-${\alpha}$ in spleen were decreased by 78.8%, 97.8%, 64.7%, 73.6%, and 68.4%, respectively in CPS treated group. The results above strongly indicated the significant immune modulatory effect of CPS and thus clinical application of CPS on AD treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.261-269
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effects of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on osteoarthritis (OA). Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were used as cranial cruciate ligament transection and partial meniscectomy models. The rabbits were divided into five groups (n = 6) according to the intra-articular injection materials: the control group with PBS, the HA group with hyaluronic acid, the CMC group with CMC, the MSC group with MSCs emerged in PBS, and the MSC+CMC group with CMC and MSCs. Knee thickness, extension angle, gross morphology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the effects of CMC and MSCs on rabbit OA. On the morphologic and histologic examination, the articular surfaces of the femur and tibia were markedly damaged in control group with higher Mankin score and lower cartilage surface thickness. However, OA related cartilage defects were alleviated by the treatment of MSC and/or CMC. The expressions of apoptotic and inflammatory cytokines were decreased and cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) related collagens I and II were enhanced by the treatment of MSC and/or CMC. In conclusion, this study showed that CMC and MSC treatments have a beneficial effects on OA via the protection of cartilage damage, the stimulation of ECM, and the inhibition of inflammatory and apoptotic reaction.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.431-440
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• 2007

A silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) extract known to contain naturally occurring iminosugars, including 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) derived from the mulberry tree (Morus alba L.), was evaluated in surrogate HCV and HBV in vitro assays. Antiviral activity of the silkworm extract and one of its purified constituents, 1-DNJ, was demonstrated against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and GB virus-B (GBV-B), both members of the Flaviviridae family, and against woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), both members of the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses. The silkworm extract exhibited a 1,300 fold greater antiviral effect against BVDV in comparison to purified 1-DNJ. Glycoprotein processing of BVDV envelope proteins was disrupted upon treatment with the naturally derived components. The glycosylation of the WHV envelope proteins was affected largely by treatment with the silkworm extract than with purified 1-DNJ as well. The mechanism of action for this therapy may lie in the generation of defective particles that are unable to initiate the next cycle of infection as demonstrated by inhibition of GBV-B in vitro. We postulate that the five constituent iminosugars present in the silkworm extract contribute, in a synergistic manner, toward the antiviral effects observed for the inhibition of intact maturation of hepatitis viral particles and may complement conventional therapies. These results indicate that pre-clinical testing of the natural silkworm extract with regards to the efficacy of treatment against viral hepatitis infections can be evaluated in the respective animal models, in preparation for clinical trials in humans.