• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.249-257
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• 2018

Objectives: The hepatotoxicity induced by Acetaminophen (AAP) mostly mediated by effect on oxidative stress parameters. The Zataria multiflora (Z.M) is an herbal medicine with well-known antioxidant effect. The aim of this study is investigation of preventive effects of Z.M and Carvacrol (CAR) on AAP-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into four groups including: 1) Control, 2) Acetaminophen (AAP), 3) and 4) CAR. The saline, Z.M (200 mg/kg) and CAR (20 mg/kg) were administrated orally for 6 days, after that AAP (600 mg/kg) was administrated in the $7^{th}$ day. Blood sampling was performed on the first and last days. Also, the liver tissue was removed for evaluation of Malondyaldehide (MDA), Thiol content, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT). Total Protein (tPro), Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (GOT), Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (GPT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) in liver tissue were evaluated. The changes (${\Delta}$) of enzymes activities were presented. Results: The ${\Delta}GOT$, ${\Delta}GPT$ and ${\Delta}ALP$ in CAR group significantly decreased compared to AAP group (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) and ${\Delta}GPT$ in Z.M group was significantly reduced in comparison with AAP group (P < 0.05). Also, MDA, Thiol, SOD and CAT levels in treated groups were attenuated compared to AAP group (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). Conclusion: Z.M and CAR have a powerful hepatoprotective effect. CAR is more effective than Z.M. Based on the results. Z.M and CAR could be potent supplementary agents against hepatotoxicity of AAP in patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2019

Purpose: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are implicated in secondary osteoporosis, and the resulting fractures cause significant morbidity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a vital role in bone metabolism. However, few trials have studied the impact of omega-3 PUFA-containing oils against GC-induced osteoporosis. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine whether supplementation with omega-3 PUFA-containing dietary oils such as fish oil, flaxseed oil or soybean oil can impede the development of GC-induced osteoporosis. Methods: The fatty acids (FAs) content of oils was determined using gas chromatography. Male rats were subdivided into 5 groups (8 rats each): normal control (balanced diet), prednisolone control (10 mg/kg prednisolone daily), soybean oil (prednisolone 10 mg/kg + soybean oil 7% w/w), flaxseed oil (prednisolone 10 mg/kg + flaxseed oil 7% w/w), and fish oil (from cod liver; prednisolone 10 mg/kg + fish oil 7% w/w). Results: The study data exhibited a significant depletion in bone mineral density (BMD) and femur mass in the prednisolone control compared to the normal control, accompanied with a marked decrease in the levels of plasma calcium and 1,25-$(OH)_2$-vitamin $D_3$, and elevated levels of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Supplementation with fish oil, soybean oil or flaxseed oil helped to improve plasma calcium levels, and suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Additionally, bone resorption was suppressed as reflected by the decreased CTX levels. However, fish oil was more effective than the other two oils with a significant improvement in BMD and normal histological results compared to the normal control. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that supplementation with dietary oils containing omega-3 PUFAs such as fish oil, soybean oil or flaxseed oil can play a role in the prevention of bone loss and in the regulation of bone metabolism, especially fish oil which demonstrated a greater level of protection against GC-induced osteoporosis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2019

Cadmium is a strong toxic heavy metal which presents in paints and liquid wastes and causes oxidative stress in fish. On the other hand, lead is widely used for different purposes, e.g. lead pipes, it targets vital organs such as liver and kidney causing biochemical alterations. The present study evaluates the effects of 60 days exposure to Cd and Pb either single or combined together in African catfish. Sixty-four fishes were divided into 3 groups and exposed to $CdCl_2$ (7.02 mg/L) or $PbCl_2$ (69.3 mg/L) or a combination of them along with control group. Activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) were estimated. Moreover, gill, liver and kidney were assayed for activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Individual exposure showed that both Cd and Pb significantly decreased LDH activity and SOD activity in the kidney. Pb significantly increased G-6-PDH activity and decreased GSH level in the gill. CAT activity in liver and kidney elevated significantly on Cd exposure while lead caused a significant depletion in the liver and significant elevation in the kidney. Both Cd and Pb significantly increased MDA levels in liver and kidney while Pb increased its level in gills. The combined exposure resulted in normalization of LDH, G-6-PDH activity, and CAT activity in liver and kidney as well as GSH level in both tissues and MDA in gill and kidney. The combination increased SOD activity and MDA level in liver and decreased SOD activity in kidney and GSH level in gills. In conclusion, the antioxidant system of African catfish was adversely affected by prolonged exposure to Cd and Pb. The combined exposure caused less damage than individual exposure and returned most parameters to those of controls.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.364-368
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• 2018

The R2R3-type protein IbMYB1 transcription factor is a key regulator for anthocyanin biosynthesis in the storage roots of sweet potatoes. It was previously demonstrated that the IbMYB1 expression stimulates anthocyanin pigmentation in tobacco leaves, arabidopsis and storage roots of sweet potatoes. In this study, we generated the transgenic potato plants that express the IbMYB1 genes, which accumulated high levels of anthocyanins under the control of either the tuber-specific patatin (PAT) promoter or oxidative stress-inducible peroxidase anionic 2 (SWPA2) promoter. The PAT-MYB1 transgenic lines exhibited higher anthocyanin levels in the tuber than the empty vector control (EV) or SWPA2-MYB1 plants. When combined, our results indicated that overexpression of the IbMYB1 is a highly promising strategy for the generation of transgenic plants with enhanced tissue specific anthocyanin production.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatocyte protective effects of guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaves cultivated in Korea. The contents of the total polyphenol of the extract was 271.57 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g residue. Antioxidant activities of leaf extract were evaluated by examining the free radical scavenging ability. 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ${\alpha}-{\alpha}$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities of the extract were 1133.23 mg trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)/g residue and 721.68 mg TEAC/g residue, respectively. The hepatocyte protective effect of guava leaf extract was examined in HepG2 cells. Against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), the viability of HepG2 cells were increased by the treatment of leaf extract. In addition, guava leaf extract led to the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in HepG2 cells. The leaf extract increased the activity of glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) against oxidative stress. These results suggested that guava leaves might be regarded as a potential source natural antioxidant and a hepatoprotective material.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2019

Previous studies have shown that spinosin was implicated in the modulation of sedation and hypnosis, while its effects on learning and memory deficits were rarely reported. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of spinosin on the improvement of cognitive impairment in model mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) induced by $A{\beta}_{1-42}$ and determine the underlying mechanism. Spontaneous locomotion assessment and Morris water maze test were performed to investigate the impact of spinosin on behavioral activities, and the pathological changes were assayed by biochemical analyses and histological assay. After 7 days of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of spinosin ($100{\mu}g/kg/day$), the cognitive impairment of mice induced by $A{\beta}_{1-42}$ was significantly attenuated. Moreover, spinosin treatment effectively decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and $A{\beta}_{1-42}$ accumulation in hippocampus. $A{\beta}_{1-42}$ induced alterations in the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), as well as inflammatory response in brain were also reversed by spinosin treatment. These results indicated that the ameliorating effect of spinosin on cognitive impairment might be mediated through the regulation of oxidative stress, inflammatory process, apoptotic program and neurotrophic factor expression,suggesting that spinosin might be beneficial to treat learning and memory deficits in patients with AD via multi-targets.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.761-767
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• 2018

Degenerative diseases are commonly associated with excess free radicals. Acer okamotoanum, a plant endemic to Korea, is reported to have anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-viral activities. We previously isolated flavonoids from the ethyl acetate fraction of A. okamotoanum such as quercitrin (QU), isoquercitrin (IQ), and afzelin (AF). In the present study, the in vitro antioxidant activity of flavonoids such as QU, IQ, and AF isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of A. okamotoanum were investigated by measuring the free radical scavenging activity including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical ($^{\cdot}OH$), and superoxide anion ($O_2{^-}$). The flavonoids (QU, IQ, and AF) concentration-dependently showed a DPPH radical scavenging activity. In particular, QU and IQ showed a higher DPPH radical scavenging activity than that of AF. In addition, the flavonoids (QU, IQ, and AF) at $10{\mu}g/mL$ showed over an 80% scavenging effect against $^{\cdot}OH$ radical production. Furthermore, the $O_2{^-}$ radical scavenging activity of the flavonoids, QU, IQ, and AF increased in a dose-dependent manner. Particularly, IQ exerted the strongest scavenging activities against $^{\cdot}OH$ and $O_2{^-}$ radicals among the other flavonoids. These results indicate that the flavonoids from A. okamotoanum, in particular IQ, would have a protective activity against oxidative stress induced by free radicals, and potentially be considered as a natural antioxidant agent.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.209-216
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• 2018

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS) are involved in cellular signaling processes as a cause of oxidative stress. According to recent studies, ROS and RNS are important signaling molecules involved in pain transmission through spinal mechanisms. In this study, a patch clamp recording was used in spinal slices of rats to investigate the action mechanisms of $O_2{^{{\bullet}_-}}$ and NO on the excitability of substantia gelatinosa (SG) neuron. The application of xanthine and xanthine oxidase (X/XO) compound, a ROS donor, induced inward currents and increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) in slice preparation. The application of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), a RNS donor, also induced inward currents and increased the frequency of sEPSC. In a single cell preparation, X/XO and SNAP had no effect on the inward currents, revealing the involvement of presynaptic action. X/XO and SNAP induced a membrane depolarization in current clamp conditions which was significantly decreased by the addition of thapsigargin to an external calcium free solution for blocking synaptic transmission. Furthermore, X/XO and SNAP increased the frequency of action potentials evoked by depolarizing current pulses, suggesting the involvement of postsynaptic action. According to these results, it was estblished that elevated ROS and RNS in the spinal cord can sensitize the dorsal horn neurons via pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. Therefore, ROS and RNS play similar roles in the regulation of the membrane excitability of SG neurons.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.503-511
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Ginger, a root vegetable, is known to have antioxidant and antiobesity effects. Preparation, such as by steaming, can affect the chemical composition of prepared root vegetables or herbs and can change their functional activities. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of steamed ginger against oxidative stress and steatosis in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet. MATERIAL/METHODS: The levels of polyphenols and flavonoids in two different extracts of steamed ginger, i.e., water extract (SGW) and ethanolic extract (SGE); as well, their antioxidant activities were examined. Forty male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (ND, n = 10), high-fat diet (HFD, 60% fat, w/w, n = 10), HFD supplemented with 200 mg/kg of SGE or garcinia (GAR) by weight (SGED or GARD, respectively, n = 10) for 12 weeks. Serum chemistry was examined, and the expressions of genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined in the liver. Histological analysis was performed to identify lipid accumulations in epididymal fat pads and liver. RESULTS: The SGE had higher contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and higher DPPH and $ABTS^+$ free radical scavenging activities compared to those of SGW. Treatment with SGE or GAR significantly decreased the HFD-induced weight gain. Both SGE and GAR significantly reduced the high serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein levels induced by HFD. Compared to ND, HFD significantly increased hepatic TC and TG levels. SGE or GAR supplementation significantly decreased the increase of hepatic lipids by HFD. Interestingly, SGE had a more significant effect in reducing hepatic TC and TG levels than GAR. Furthermore, hepatic genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis were altered in both the SGED and GARD groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that steamed ginger supplementation can decrease plasma TC and TG and can inhibit liver steatosis by regulating the expressions of hepatic genes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.337-342
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• 2019

We published that bacterial heme was over-produced in a recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum expressing 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase ($hemA^+$) under control of a constitutive promoter ($P_{180}$) and the heme-producing C. glutamicum had commercial potentials; as an iron feed additive for swine and as a preservative for lactic acid bacteria. To enhance the heme production, the $hemA^+$ gene was expressed under controls of various promoters in the recombinant C. glutamicum. The $hemA^+$ expression by $P_{gapA}$ (a constitutive glycolytic promoter of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) led 75% increase of heme production while the expression by $P_{H36}$ (a constitutive, very strong synthetic promoter) resulted in 50% decrease compared with the control ($hemA^+$ expression by $P_{180}$ constitutive promoter). The $hemA^+$ expression by a late log-phase activating $P_{sod}$ (an oxidative-stress responding promoter of superoxide dismutase) led 50% greater heme production than the control. The $hemA^+$ expression led by a heat-shock responding chaperone promoter ($P_{dnaK}$) resulted in 121% increase of heme production at the optimized heat-shock conditions. The promoter strength and induction phase are discussed based on the results for the heme production at an industrial scale.