• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.513-528
• /
• 2019

Coriandrum sativum L., an annual herbaceous plant of Apiaceae family. The present study evaluated the anti-oxidant activities and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts of C. sativum. The anti-oxidant activities of C. sativum were measured by total contents of polyphenol, flavonoid, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging and reducing power activity. And anti-inflammatory effects of C. sativum were measured by LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results showed that the contents of total polyphenol and flavonoid were 76.03 ± 1.36 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g and 182.23 ± 4.32 mg of rutin equivalents/g at concentration 1 mg/mL of C. sativum. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be 52.8% at 500 ㎍/mL. The ABTS radical scavenging activity was shown in 58.3% after exposure to 1,000 ㎍/mL. Reducing power activity was found to be 66.8% at 2,000 ㎍/mL. The inhibitory effect of NO production was found to be 65% concentration 500 ㎍/mL. In the generation quantity of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β in cell culture medium, the expression levels of inflammatory proteins in cells were showed decrease with the increase of concentration. Therefore, we suggest that the C. sativum should be a potential source of alternative anti-inflammatory drug with good anti-inflammatory effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.613-618
• /
• 2016

1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-${\beta}$-D-glucose (PGG) is a gallotannin isolated from various plants such as Galla Rhois. In a previous study, it was reported that PGG has anti-allergic effects by inhibiting interleukin (IL)-4 signaling in B cells. However, the effect of PGG on basophilic cells remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of PGG on mitogen and calcium ionophore-induced allergic responses. PGG had no effect on proliferation and cytotoxicity of RBL-2H3 cells. PGG significantly suppressed cell degranulation (histamine and ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$) as well as inflammatory cytokine production such as IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. The underlying mechanism of PGG on these anti-allergic actions was correlated with inhibition on translocation of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ from the cytosol to nucleus. These data suggest that PGG is a potentially effective functional compound for prevention of allergic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.9
• /
• pp.1256-1263
• /
• 2015

Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka has been traditionally called Yuza in Korea and is used as a cuisine material or tea as well as medicinal herb. In this study, we evaluated the immune-enhancing effect of Citrus junos ethanol extract (CJE) on RAW264.7 mouse macrophage and primary immunocytes. CJE treatment showed increased macrophage activity in a dose-dependant manner. CJE also enhanced natural killer (NK) cell activity. We measured lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level as a measurement of NK cell cytotoxicity against YAC-1 lymphoma cells. CJE treatment showed an increased LDH level in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, we evaluated the effect of CJE on mouse primary splenocyte proliferation. CJE treatment slightly increased splenocyte proliferation compared to the control. The results of this study suggest that CJE can help immune function via macrophage cytokine production, increased NK cell activity, and splenocyte proliferation.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.7
• /
• pp.713-720
• /
• 2014

In this study, the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of Ardisia arborescens ethanol extract (AAEE) were evaluated using in vitro assays and a cell culture model system. AAEE exhibited potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), similar to ascorbic acid, which was used as a positive control. Moreover, AAEE effectively suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, AAEE induced the expression of antioxidative enzymes, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1), in addition to their upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), in a dose-dependent manner. The upstream signaling pathways of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) might regulate the modulation of HO-1, TrxR1, and Nrf2 expression. On the other hand, AAEE inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) formation, without cytotoxicity. Suppression of NO formation was the result of AEEE-induced down-regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). The suppression of NO and iNOS by AAEE might be modulated by their upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$, and activator protein (AP)-1 pathways. Taken together, these results provide important new insights into the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of A. arborescens. AAAEE might represent a promising material in the field of nutraceuticals.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.402-409
• /
• 2019

Korean red ginseng made from steaming and drying fresh ginseng has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine due to its effects on the immune, endocrine, and central nerve systems and its anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of a formulated Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria. RGE inhibited LTA-induced nitric oxide (NO) secretion and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in BV-2 microglial cells, without affecting cell viability. RGE also inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65 and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In addition, RGE increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of RGE on iNOS expression was abrogated by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HO-1. Moreover, RGE induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates HO-1 expression. Furthermore, the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors suppressed RGE-mediated expression of HO-1, and RGE enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38, and c-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs). These results suggested that RGE suppressed the production of NO, a proinflammatory mediator, by inducing HO-1 expression via PI-3K/Akt- and MAPK-dependent signaling in LTA-stimulated microglia. The findings indicate that RGE could be used for the treatment of neuroinflammation induced by grampositive bacteria and that it may have therapeutic potential for various neuroinflammation-associated disorders.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2009

Clinical and animal studies have shown that free radical overload is an important cause for a variety of diseases. Although ginseng has been recognized as antioxidant, how it modulates anti-oxidative process at the molecular level remains unknown. Free radical production is induced by tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) under the stress condition, and (TNF-$\alpha$) release is activated by TNF-$\alpha$-converting enzyme (TACE). Since TACE inhibitor is also well known for anti-inflammatory agent, ginseng seems to show anti-oxidative activity by repressing TACE pathway. Further studies on signal transduction would be warranted to elucidate molecular action mechanisms of ginseng on anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.275-284
• /
• 2014

This study was orchestrated with the purpose of uncovering new nutraceutical resources possessing biological activities in the plant kingdom. To fulfill our objective, we analyzed several Chinese plants and selected three possessing powerful anti-oxidative activities. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects these three Chinese plants, Malus hupehensis, Ophiorrhiza cantonensis, and Psychotria rubra ethanol extracts were then evaluated. First of all, they possessed potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl, similar with that of ascorbic acid, used as a positive control. Moreover, they inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species, in a dose-dependent manner, in RAW 264.7 cells. Also, they induced the expression of an anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1, and its upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2. Furthermore, they suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) formation, without cytotoxicity. The inhibition of NO formation was the result of the down regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). The suppression of NO and iNOS by the three extracts might be the result of modulation by the upstream transcription factors, nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1. Taken together, these results indicate that these three Chinese plants possess potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, they might be utilized as promising materials in the field of nutraceuticals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2015

This study was carried out to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effect of tuna oil (TO) using LPS-induced inflammation responses and mouse models. First, nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were suppressed up to 50% with increasing concentrations of TO without causing any cytotoxicity. Also, the expression of a variety of proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), was suppressed in a dosedependent manner by treatment with TO. Furthermore, TO also inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 protein kinase (p38). Moreover, in in vivo testing the formation of ear edema was reduced at the highest dose tested compared to that in the control, and a reduction of ear thickness and the number of mast cells was observed in histological analysis. In acute toxicity test, no mortalities occurred in mice administrated 5,000 mg/kg body weight of TO over a two-week observation period. Our results suggest that TO has a considerable anti-inflammatory property through the suppression of inflammatory mediator productions and that it could prove to be useful as a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic material.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.113-121
• /
• 2020

Macrophages are initiators for regulating a host's defenses to eliminate pathogens and trigger tissue repair. Macrophages are classified into two types: classically (M1) activated macrophages and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages. M1-phenotype macrophages directly or indirectly kill infectious organisms and tumor cells via pro-inflammatory responses, whereas M2-phenotype macrophages remodel wounded tissue through anti-inflammatory responses. In this paper, we investigated how Phellinus linteus hot water extract passed from Diaion HP-20 resin (PLEP) regulates polarization of M1-like or M2-like macrophages in human THP-1 cells. PLEP did not have cytotoxicity at a high concentration of 300 ㎍/ml. We observed morphological alteration of the THP-1 cells, which are stimulated by PLEP, LPS/INF-γ (M1 stimulators) or IL-4/IL13 (M2 stimulators). PLEP exposure induced morphology contiguous with LPS/INF-γ. qPCR was also performed to determine whether PLEP influences M1 or M2 polarization-related genes. M1-phenotype macrophage-specific genes, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10 and CCR7, were enhanced by PLEP in a dose-dependent manner similar to LPS/INF-γ. Conversely, M2-phenotype-specific genes, such as MRC-1, DC-SIGN, CCL17 and CCL22, were suppressed by PLEP. PLEP also significantly up-regulated secretory inflammation cytokines related to M1 polarization of macrophages, including TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, which was similar to the gene expression. Further, MAPK and NF-κB signaling were increased by treatment with PLEP, resulting in enhancement of cytokine secretion. PLEP might therefore be used as a promising booster of pro-inflammatory responses through M1 polarization of human THP-1 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.625-634
• /
• 2011

Green tea seed coat (GTSC) was extracted with 100% ethanol for 4 hr and then fractionated with petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EtOAC) and butanol (BuOH). The EtOAC fraction showed the highest level in total phenol contents and the lowest level in nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cell. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory and its mechanisms of GTSC EtOAC fraction in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cell. GTSC EtOAC fraction contained EGC ($1146.48{\pm}11.01\;{\mu}g/g$), tannic acid ($966.99{\pm}32.24\;{\mu}g/g$), EC ($70.88{\pm}4.39\;{\mu}g/g$), gallic acid ($947.61{\pm}1.03\;{\mu}g/g$), caffeic acid ($37.69{\pm}1.46\;{\mu}g/g$), ECG ($35.46{\pm}3.19\;{\mu}g/g$), and EGCG ($15.53{\pm}0.09\;{\mu}g/g$) when analyzed by HPLC. NO production was significantly (p<0.05) suppressed in a dose-dependent manner with an $IC_{50}$ of $80.11\;{\mu}g$/mL. Also prostaglandin $E_2$ level was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, iNOS protein expression was suppressed in dose-dependent manner but COX-2 gene expression was not affected. Total antioxidant capacity and glutathione (GSH) levels were enhanced more than the LPS-control. Expressions of antioxidative enzymes including catalase, GSH-reductase and Mn-SOD were elevated compared to LPS-control. Nuclear p65 level was decreased in the GTSC EtOAC fraction in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that GTSC EtOAC fraction inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory responses through elevated GSH levels, antioxidative enzymes expressions and suppression of iNOS expression via NF-${\kappa}B$ down-regulation.