• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1133-1139
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant activities of extracts from various parts of the pine tree, which is known as a good source of functional food material. While ethanol extraction yields of pine bud and cone were higher than water extraction yields of pine bud and cone, water extraction yield of pine needle was higher than ethanol extraction yield of the pine needle. The content of polyphenols in the pine cone ethanol extract was 5 times higher than that in the pine bud and needle. Further, the content of flavonoids in the pine cone ethanol extract was 8 times higher than that in the pine bud and needle. DPPH radical scavenging effect of the pine cone ethanol extract was 3~5 times higher that of the pine bud and needle extract. Regardless of the extraction solvents, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the pine cone were stronger than those of the other parts of the pine tree. Taken together, it can be expected that the pine cone can be practically used as an antioxidant substance in food and beauty industries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.9
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• pp.1342-1348
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• 2014

Seeds of Korean pine cone (Pinus koraiensis) have long been consumed as an edible food in countries located in North-East Asia, On the other hand, Korean pine cone, containing various polyphenols, is discarded as a useless garbage after removing seeds. This study investigated the lipolytic effects of pine cone extract in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Intracellular lipid accumulation was measured by Oil red O staining, free glycerol release by colorimetric reaction, and expression of genes related to lipid metabolism by real-time PCR. Compared to control, pine cone extract reduced intracellular lipid accumulation by 8.8% and increased free glycerol release by 8.2% a concentration of $5{\mu}g/mL$ in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. mRNA levels of fatty acid synthesis were not significantly different between control and pine cone extract, but mRNA levels of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) significantly increased by 38.7% and 94.1% at a concentration of $5{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Thus, pine cone extract is suggested to have lipolytic effects through induction of LPL and HSL gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2019

This study investigated the effect of diet supplementation with pine cone extracts (pine cone ethanol extract: PCEE; pine cone ethanol-hexane extract: PCEHE) on growth performance, digestive organ characteristics and intestinal microbiota of semi-broiler. Twenty two-weeks-old semi-broilers were divided into four dietary groups (n=5/group; control(-): no antibiotics and pine cone extracts; control(+): 2% antibiotics [20 g/kg basal diet]; PCEE: 2% PCEE [20 g/kg basal diet]; PCEHE: 2% PCEHE [20 g/kg basal diet]). Chicks were reared and their diets were supplemented accordingly for 16 days. Final weight, weight gain and feed intake were lowest (P<0.05) in semi-broilers whose diet was supplemented with pine cone extracts, but both PCEE and PCEHE groups showed lower (P<0.05) feed conversion ratios compared to the control(-) group. Gizzard and small intestinal weight were also lower (P<0.05) in both PCEE and PCEHE groups than in the control(-) group. Intestinal length and villus height were similar for all treatments. Furthermore, cecal microbiota was not improved by PCEE and PCEHE supplementation. These findings suggest that diet supplementation with pine cone extracts improves the feed conversion ratio and affects the digestive organ weight of semi-broilers.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2014

Red pine (Pinus densiflora) is widely used traditional medicine, pharmacological and nutritional values from which the phytochemical compounds are derived. The present study was aimed to examine the antibacterial effects in the absence and presence of a immature red pine cone extract against 13 microorganisms. The components in the aqueous extract from immature red pine cone were identified by GC-MS. About 1.4% of total polyphenolic compound was measured in aqueous extract collected from immature red pine cone. Also, the high concentration of ${\beta}$-phellenandrene, ${\alpha}$-pinene, limonene, bornyl acetate and aldehyde was detected in total ion chromatograms. Of total 13 microorganisms, 4 microorganisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholera, Listeria monocytogenes, Klebsiella pneumonia were effectively killed by aqueous extract of immature red pine cone. The highest anti-bacterial effect was detected in P. aeruginosa, followed by V. cholera, L. monocytogenes and K. pneumonia. In case of P. aeruginosa, the largest diameter of inhibition zone was maintained to 1/2 solution treated cells and slightly decreased at 1/4 and 1/8 solution treated cells. Also, in test used V. cholera and L. monocytogenes, the inhibition zone was strongly formed in only 1 and 1/2 solution treated cells, while K. pneumonia showed the very small diameter of inhibition zone in all concentrations. Therefore, these results suggested that the aqueous extracts of immature red pine cone should be considered as a new and potentially important anti-bacterial substrate to effectively prevent the microbial infection and penetration.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.607-611
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• 2012

Non-toxic stimulation of dendritic cells (DCs), which are central immunomodulators, may aid the prevention of cancer. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by anticancer agents contributes to the induction of DC maturation. We previously reported that extracts from $Pinus$ $parviflora$ Sieb. et Zucc pine cone and $Mucuna$ seed induce differentiation of mouse bone marrow cells into mature dendritic cells and also induce apoptosis in various human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we screened 31 kinds of edible beans with biological activity similar to that of extracts from pine cone and $Mucuna$ and found that the heat-stable extract from azuki bean ($Vigna$ $angula$) stimulated differentiation of bone marrow cells into immature DCs with the greatest efficacy. The level of IL-6 produced by sequential treatment of DCs with azuki extract and lipopolysaccharide was the highest among the examined beans. Azuki extract also inhibited the growth of human leukemia U937 cells, leading to induction of apoptosis. These results suggest that azuki bean and its extract are immunopotentiating foods that can be used as a dietary supplement for cancer prevention and immunotherapy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.722-730
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• 2016

The carcass traits and meat quality of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) whose diets were supplemented with direct-fed microbial (DFM) and pine cone extract (PCE) were evaluated. Twenty head of Hanwoo steers were divided equally into four groups and for a period of 6 months were given different diets: One group was fed a basal diet as control (CON), the other three groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with DFM-1%, DFM+PCE-1% and DFM+PEC-3%, respectively. DFM+PCE3% diet resulted the lowest carcass quality grade. The loins of DFM-1% contained higher moisture and lower fat than did the loins from the CON group. The crude protein content of DFM+PCE-3% group was significantly higher than that of the other groups. The water holding capacity and Warner-Bratzler shear force of the DFM+PCE-1% and 3% groups were lower than those of the CON and DFM-1% groups. The DFM-1% and 3% groups contained lower saturated fatty acid, higher unsaturated fatty acid, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, and poly-unsaturated fatty acid than did CON and DFM+PCE 1% group. Moreover, the n6:n3 ratios of DFM-1% and DFM+PCE-1% and 3% groups were slightly lower than that of the CON group. Thus we concluded that DFM and PCE supplementation resulted healthier Hanwoo beef with lower fat content and n6:n3 ratio.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.1027-1034
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• 2017

The immune system is a complex process within the body that protects against disease. Recently, many studies have attempted to discover immunomodulative compounds from natural sources. Pinus koraiensis (PK) cone shell is a by-product of PK. One of the major compounds of PK cone shell is dehydroabietic acid, which has bioactivity, including antiulcer and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, this study was performed to examine the immunomodulative effects of PK cone shell. The immunomodulatory effects of PK cone shell extracted with 20% ethanol (EtOH) in vivo were examined initially by measuring the natural killer (NK) cell activity, phagocytic activity, Th1/Th2 cytokines release, serum immunoglobulin, and T/B cell proliferation. The NK cell activity and phagocytic activity were increased significantly by a treatment with a 20% EtOH extract of PK cone shell. Th1 type cytokine and T cell proliferation increased and Th2 type cytokine, B cell proliferation and serum immunoglobulin A, G, and E decreased after a treatment with PK cone shell extract. The 20% EtOH extract of the PK cone shell normalized the unbalanced production of Th1/Th2 type cytokine. This suggests that a 20% EtOH extract of PK cone shell has great potential as a health food.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1701-1707
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• 2016

The present study investigated the anti-obesity effect of pine cone (PC, Pinus koraiensis) supercritical extract in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with HFD, HFD+catechin, and HFD+PC [two different doses, 20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) and 100 mg/kg b.w.] in each AIN93G supplement for 8 weeks. Treatment of HFD mice with both low and high doses of PC significantly reduced body weight gain compared to HFD mice. Liver weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (24.19% and 19.83%, respectively). Total adipose tissue weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (45.54% and 62.66%, respectively). Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups, and ratios of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol increased by 94.55% in the high dose PC-supplemented group. Serum leptin was significantly reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (28.14% and 62.72%, respectively). These results were supported by genetic expression of protein and enzymes related to lipid metabolism assessed by real-time PCR. There was significant reduction of lipid regulatory transcription factors such as $PPAR-{\gamma}$, C/EBP, and SREBP and lipid enzymes such as fatty acid synthesis and lipoprotein lipase in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups. However, there was no statistical difference between low and high dose PC treatments. These results suggest that pine cone supercritical extract supplementation is able to regulate serum lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels, followed by regulation of expression of lipid metabolic factors, resulting in reduction of weight gain in HFD-induced obese mice.