• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.205-210
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• 2018

Salvianolic acid B, which is a compound in the Salvia miltiorrhiza, has diverse biological activities, In particular, the antioxidative effects were reported to be involved in the protection of hepatocytes, neurons, and various cell types. On the other hand, some phenolic compounds, such as ferulic acid, which is regarded as an antioxidant, plays a pro-oxidative role in the specific transitional metal environment, which could explain the anticancer effect. This study examined the pro-oxidative effects of salvianolic acid B in the presence of $Cu^{2+}$. Treatment with both salvianolic acid B and $Cu^{2+}$ induced the transition of supercoiled DNA to the open circular or linear form but not in the sole salvianolic acid B or $Cu^{2+}$ treatments. Salvianolic acid B reduced the $Cu^{2+}$ to $Cu^+$ using neocuproine, a $Cu^+$ specific chelator. In addition, catalase, an enzyme that breaks down the $H_2O_2$ to water and molecular oxygen, inhibited the DNA breakage. $H_2O_2$, a reactive oxygen species, has detrimental effects on biological molecules, particularly DNA. Overall, the reduction of $Cu^{2+}$ by salvianolic acid B could lead to the production of $H_2O_2$ followed by DNA breakage. These results suggest that the pro-oxidative effects could be the one of the anti-cancer mechanisms of salvianolic acid B, which remains to be explained.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.607-614
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• 2015

Cancers are the largest cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world. Cordycepin, an adenosine analog, is a major functional component of the Cordyceps species, which has been widely used in traditional Oriental medicine. Over the last decade, this compound has been reported to possess many pharmacological properties, such as an ability to enhance immune function, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. Recently, numerous studies have reported interesting properties of cordycepin as a chemopreventive agent as well. There is an accumulating body of experimental evidences suggesting that cordycepin impedes cancer progression by promoting apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest, modulating intracellular signaling pathways, and inhibiting invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. In many cancer cell lines, cordycepin inhibits growth and cell cycle progression by inducing arrest of the G2/M phase, resulting from the inhibition of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation and induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. To induce apoptosis, cordycepin activates the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which promotes reactive oxygen species generation and the downstream activation of kinase cascades. Cordycepin also can activate alternative pathways to cell death such autophagy. In addition, cordycepin can inhibit the pro-metastatic processes of cancer cell detachment, migration, and invasion through a variety of mechanisms, including the nuclear factor-kappa B and activated protein-1 signaling pathways. In this review, we summarized the variety of action mechanisms by which cordycepin may mediate chemopreventive effects on cancer and discussed the potential of this natural product as a promising therapeutic inhibitor of cancer development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.923-931
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• 2011

In the present study, we investigated the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural compound present in vegetables, on the cell migration and invasion of OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells. Our results indicated that I3C inhibited the proliferation of OVCAR-3 cells, a process which was associated with inhibition of cell motility as determined by wound healing experiments and cell invasion studies. I3C treatment increased the tightness of the tight junctions (TJs), which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and a decrease in paracellular permeability. The RT-PCR and immunoblotting results indicated that I3C repressed the levels of claudin-3 as well as claudin-4, proteins that comprise a major part of TJs and play a key role in the control and selectivity of paracellular transport. Furthermore, the activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were also decreased by treatment with I3C, which was connected with the down-regulation of their mRNAs and protein expression. The results suggest that I3C may be expected to inhibit cancer cell metastasis and invasion by restoring TJs and decreasing MMP activity in ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR-3.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.503-509
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• 2003

For the development of the anti-obesity natural drug, the inhibitor of adipocyte differentiation was screened from Korean traditional medicinal plants. Phellodendri Cortex was selected as a candidate of adipocyte differentiation inhibitor. An inhibitory compound PC-4 was purified from the methanol (MeOH) extract of Phellodendri Cortex using silica gel and ODS RP-18 column chromatography and HPLC. PC-4 was obtained as yellow powder; UV ${\lambda}_{max}$ (MeOH): 230, 260, 340 and 430 nm. The chemical structure of PC-4 was determined as an isoquionoline alkaloid, berberine, on the basis of various NMR experiments including $^1H-\;and\;^{13}C-NMR$. The PC-4 inhibited the differentiation of preadipocyte NIH-3T3 L1 cells at a concentration of $1\;{\mu}g/mL$.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-112
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• 2015

II~VI compound semiconductors, $Zn_xCd_{1-x}S$ thin films have been synthesized onto indium-tin-oxide(ITO) coated glass substrates using thermal evaporation technique. The composition ratio x($0{\leq}x{\leq}1$) was varied to fabricate different kinds of $Zn_xCd_{1-x}S$ thin films including CdS(x=0) and ZnS(x=1) thin films. Then, the deposited thin films were thermally annealed at $400^{\circ}C$ to enhance their crystallinity. The chemical composition and electronic structure of films were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). The optical energy gaps of the samples were determined by ultra violet-visible-near infrared(UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy and were found to vary in the range of 2.44 to 3.98 eV when x changes from 0 to 1. Finally, we measured the THz characteristics of the $Zn_xCd_{1-x}S$ thin films using THz-TDS(time domain spectroscopy) system to identify the capability for electronic and optical devices in THz region.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.216-230
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• 2005

Although the field of study in immune enhancing compounds is relatively new, natural products from plants represent a rich and promising source of novel molecules with immunomodulating properties, Microglial cells, the main immune effector cells of the brain, usually display a ramified morphology and low expression levels of immunologically relevant antigens such as MHC class I and class II. Since any compound which participates in activation of phagocytic cells contributes to the production of potentially toxic factors, the search for convenient in vitro test-systems and study of mechanisms of action of these agents are of great interest. Human blood polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells and primary microglial cells isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats were used as cellular screening tests for study of phagocytosis-stimulating action of immunomodulating agents. Numbers of phagocytic activity were evaluated by the phagocyte ingestion of yeast cells and NO-synthase activity, nitrite production, and nitroblue tetrazolium test were determined after phagocyte stimulation. It was possible to demonstrate that indexes of phagocytic activity can be used as quantitative indicators for measurement immunomodulating activity. As a positive control, Zymosan A-induced phagocytosis in both PMN cells and primary microglial cells was used. $IFN-{\gamma}$ (0.1 -1 U/ml) stimulated phagocytosis in PMN cells 1.2 times after 2 - 3 h incubation, although at higher concentrations (10 - 100 U/ml) it strongly inhibited phagocytosis. In a similar way, at higher concentrations, $IFN-{\gamma}$ (100 - 500 U/ml) suppressed phagocytosis in zymosan-A stimulated microglial cells. When Polypodium leucotomus, cambricum and vulgare extracts were tested alone, increased levels of phagocytosis were observed in PMN. In addition, microglial cells showed both increased phagocytosis and MHC class-II antigen expressions. Surprisingly, when PMN and microglia were treated with a combination of Polypodium and $IFN-{\gamma}$, phagocytosis was not inhibited. We did not find changes in NO-synthase activity and nitrite production in both microglia and PMN cells activated by different immunomodulating agents. These results indicate that primary microglial cell cultures as well as human PMN cells can provide reproducible quantitative results in screening phagocytic activity of different immunoactive compounds. Furthermore, both inhibitory or activation mechanisms might be studied using these in vitro experimental approaches.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2015

This study was conducted to develop a spray-dried garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) powder and to evaluate its quality characteristics depending on the treatment of steam blanching pretreatment $100^{\circ}C$, 3 min) and the addition of forming agents (dextrin (DE=10), ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin) during process. The steam blanching pretreatment showed an increase in $L^*$ value while a decrease in $-a^*$, $b^*$, $C^*$, and $h^o$ values of the powder. Moisture content and water soluble index were not affected by the treatment of steam blanching and the addition of forming agents, whereas the particle diameter was the smallest in the steam blanching treatment and dextrin addition. Chlorophyll, phenolic compound, and vitamin C content, and DPPH radical scavenging activity of non-pretreated powder were significantly higher than those of the steam blanching treated powders. However, there was no significant difference between the two forming agents. The sensory acceptability (color, smell, and overall acceptability) of powder treated with steam blanching were significantly higher than those of non-pretreated powders. Therefore, the steam blanching pretreatment of fresh garlic chives affected on the better quality characteristics of the spray-dried powders when compared with non-pretreated powder though it adversely affected the natural chemical quality of fresh garlic chives.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.426-432
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• 2013

The results of the content of total polyphenol and flavonoid, DPPH (1-1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] radical scavenging activity, nitrite scavenging activity and SOD-like activity of methanol extracts from immature cotton boll are follows. The contents of total polyphenol and flavonoid compound were higher in small size cotton boll, and DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity also showed a relatively high activity in the small size. These results indicate that there is a correlation between phenol content and DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging. The test concentrations of immature cotton boll extract for measuring DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were set as 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg/ml. Immature cotton boll has high radical scavenging activity at the concentration of 1.25~20 mg/ml and the result showed a tendency to increase in a concentration-dependent. The nitrite scavenging activity showed high activity in the pH 1.2, and the result in the pH 4.2 showed progressively less active, and in the pH 6.0 near neutral was confirmed that does not affect the nitrite scavenging. In addition, SOD-like activity showed somewhat lower activity compared with ascorbic acid, but tended to be higher when compared with the results of the other natural substances. Through this experiment, we confirmed that immature cotton boll was excellent antioxidant activity. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the cotton suggest the possibility of development of new material for cosmetic product or functional food in the future, and is expected to make a greater usability.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2009

This study was carried out to gather basic data on the restoration and extent of Don tea (a coin-shaped tea), the traditional tea of Korea. We examined the physicochemical components and anti-microbial activity of Don tea extracts at 0, 5 and 10 months. The Hunter value $L^*$, of Don tea extracts which were matured for 10 months decreased from 7.01 to 4.97 compared to that when the extracts were first manufactured. However, the $b^*$ value increased from 0.09 to 2.67. There were higher contents of inorganic matter in Don tea extracts following manufacture in the order of K (14.12 mg/100 mL), Mg (0.94 mg/100 mL), P (0.88 mg/100 mL), Ca (0.16 mg/100 mL) and Mn (0.16 mg/100 mL). Classified catechins contents were found in the order of C (19.97 mg/100 mL), EGC (9.30 mg/100 mL), ECG (9.02 mg/100 mL), GCG (8.50 mg/100 mL), GC (7.61 mg/100 mL) and CG (5.63 mg/100 mL). The longer the maturation period of the Don tea extracts, the lower the contents of inorganic matter and catechins. However, this did not apply to the total phenol contents, particularly in the phenol contents of Don tea extracts matured for 10 months which increased by 93.82 mg/l00 mL. Don tea extracts which were matured for longer periods showed higher anti-microbial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus mutans. However, there were lower activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. Consequently, it was concluded that a shorter maturation period was required for the effective utilization of the inorganic matter, the catechins and the gram-negative bacteria in the Don tea extracts. However, a longer maturation period of 10 months was found to effectively utilize the total phenol compound contents and the gram-positive bacteria.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.800-806
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate whether intracisternal administrations of triptolide and N-nitro-L-arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) are involved in the regulation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. The TMJ pain was induced by the injection of 5% formalin ($30{\mu}l$) into TMJ capsule of rats. The pain behavioral responses was recorded the number of grooming or scratching on the left TMJ area for 9 successive 5 minutes intervals. Triptolide and L-NAME were administrated intracisternally 10 minutes before formalin injection. The intra-articular injection of formalin produced a biphasic pattern of pain response (first phase: 0~10 minutes and second phase: 11~45 minutes). The intracisternal administration of triptolide ($1{\mu}g/10{\mu}l$) and L-NAME ($0.1{\mu}g/10{\mu}l$) suppressed the TMJ pain behavior in each experiment. Co-administration of two drugs was shown the enhanced effect than the analgesic effect by single-administration of triptolide ($1{\mu}g/10{\mu}l$). The triptolide could be a useful analgesic agent for the treatment of TMJ pain, and it is expected to reduce the substantial amount of it via co-administration of synthetic chemical compound and natural products.