• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.128-132
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• 2004

Ozone effects were studied by plant growth chamber to evaluate the impact of ozone ($O_3$) on the physiology of two hot pepper, Capsicum annuum L., cultivars, 'Dabotab' and 'Buchon'. Forty-day old plants with $5{\sim}7$ leaves were exposed to $O_3$ of <20 and 150 nL/L for 8h/d for 3 days. Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were measured and foliar injury was described. Foliar damage due to the treated $O_3$ was different from the varieties. 'Dabotab' was most sensitive to $O_3$ and 'Buchon' was resistant. Symptom of ozone damage on the leaves was bifacial necrosis. Decreases of net photosynthesis by $O_3$ were 56% and 40% on 'Dabotab' and 'Buchon', respectively. Decreases of stomatal conductance by $O_3$ were 66% and 63% on each variety. $O_3$ damage on net photosynthesis was started at the low levels of light on the two hot peppers. In addition, assimilation-internal $CO_2$ concentration curves were not different from the two varieties. In conclusion, $O_3$ closed the stomata and decrease net photosynthesis on hot peppers regardless of the ozone sensitivity on leaf injury, but the difference of ecophysiological responses between the two varieties was not found clearly.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2016

Prunellae Spica, the herbaceous plant in the genus Prunella, is a traditional herbal medicine and has been reported to have diuretic, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant effects. However, the mechanism of its action was not clearly identified. In the present study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Prunellae Spica extract (PSE) against the damage of mitochondria and death in hepatocyte induced by oxidative stress. Treatment of arachidonic acid (AA)+iron significantly induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in the hepatocytes. However, PSE protected cells and inhibited apoptosis by altering the protein levels such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and pro-caspase 3. Moreover, AA+iron induced reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial dysfunction, and Both of them were inhibited by PSE treatment. PSE markedly activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important regulator in cell survival. Furthermore, this activation by PSE was mediated with liver kinase B1, a major upstream kinase that phosphorylates Thr 172 of AMPKα, and this activation was associated with its cell protection, as assessed by an experiment of a chemical inhibitor. In conclusion, this study demonstrate that PSE protects hepatocytes against oxidative stress as mediated with activation of LKB1-dependent AMPK pathway.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2011

Topical natural antioxidants are a useful strategy for the prevention of oxidative stress mediated cardiovascular disease including atherosclerosis. From the viewpoint of this underlying principle, the screening of natural plant extracts with scavenging activity for pro-oxidant reactive species is a primary requirement for the development of new topical antioxidant formulations. Euryale ferox Salisbury (EF) is botanical name and it's pharmaceutical name is EURYALES SEMEN (ES). The stems and branchs of EF have been used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, leucorrhoea, incontinence and paralysis of joint. In this study, the antioxidant activity of extract from EF was studied in vitro methods by measuring the antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging activity by TEAC and DPPH, measuring the scavenging effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) [superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical] and on reactive nitrogen species (RNS) [nitric oxide and peroxynitrite] as well as measuring the inhibitory effect on $Cu^{2+}$-induced human LDL oxidation. The EF extracts were found to have a potent scavenging activity, as well as an inhibitory effect on LDL oxidation. In conclusion, the EF extracts have antioxidative effects in vitro system, which can be used for developing pharmaceutical drug against oxidative stress and chronic degenerative disease such as atherosclerosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.800-805
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• 2012

Rice straw is an important roughage resource for ruminants in many rice-producing countries. In this study, a rice brittle mutant (BM, mutation in OsCesA4, encoding cellulose synthase) and its wild type (WT) were employed to investigate the effects of a cellulose synthase gene mutation on rice straw morphological fractions, chemical composition, stem histological structure and in situ digestibility. The morphological fractions investigation showed that BM had a higher leaf sheath proportion (43.70% vs 38.21%, p<0.01) and a lower leaf blade proportion (25.21% vs 32.14%, p<0.01) than WT. Chemical composition analysis showed that BM rice straw was significantly (p<0.01) higher in CP (crude protein), hemicellulose and acid insoluble ash (AIA) contents, but lower in dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADFom) and cellulose contents when compared to WT. No significant difference (p>0.05) was detected in neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) and ADL contents for both strains. Histological structure observation indicated that BM stems had fewer sclerenchyma cells and a thinner sclerenchyma cell wall than WT. The results of in situ digestion showed that BM had higher DM, NDFom, cellulose and hemicellulose disappearance at 24 or 48 h of incubation (p<0.05). The effective digestibility of BM rice straw DM and NDFom was greater than that of WT (31.4% vs 26.7% for DM, 29.1% vs 24.3% for NDFom, p<0.05), but the rate of digestion of the slowly digested fraction of BM rice straw DM and NDF was decreased. These results indicated that the mutation in the cellulose synthase gene could improve the nutritive value of rice straw for ruminants.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2016

Rutin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone-3-rhamnoglucoside) is a bioactive flavonoid from the plant kingdom. Rutin has been studied as potential anticancer agent due to its wide range of pharmacological properties including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. Autophagy is a conserved intracellular catabolic pathway to maintain cell homeostasis by formation of autophagosome. Processing of autophagy involves various molecules including ULK1 protein kinase complex, Beclin-1-Vps34 lipid kinase complex, ATG5, ATG12, and LC3 (light chain 3). Cargo-carried autophagosomes fuse with lysosomes resulting in autophagolysosome to eliminate vesicles and degrade cargo. However, the actions of rutin on autophagy are not clearly understood. In this study, we analyzed the effect of rutin on autophagy and inflammation in cancer cell lines. Interestingly, rutin induced autophagy in leukemia (THP-1), oral (CA9-22), and lung (A549) cell lines. TNF-${\alpha}$, key modulator of inflammation, was upregulated by inhibition of rutin-induced autophagy. Taken together, these data indicated that rutin induced autophagy and consequently suppressed TNF-${\alpha}$ production.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.279-283
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• 2010

Urushinol, a plant allergen, has significantly restricted the medical application of $Rhus$ $verniciflua$, although it has been reported to possess a wide variety of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer actions. To reduce the urushinol content while maintaining the beneficial biological activities, mushroom-mediated fermentation of $Rhus$ $verniciflua$ was carried out and this method resulted in significantly attenuated allergenicity [1]. In the present study, to examine the neuroprotective properties of mushroom-fermented stem bark of $Rhus$ $verniciflua$, two constituents were isolated from mushroom-fermented bark and their neuroprotective properties were examined in a mouse model of kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity. KA resulted in significant apoptotic neuronal cell death in the CA3 region of mouse hippocampus. However, seven daily administrations of RVH-1 or RVH-2 prior to KA injection significantly attenuated KA-induced pyramidal neuronal cell death in the CA3 region. Furthermore, pretreatment with RVH-1 and RVH-2 also suppressed KA-induced microglial activation in the mouse hippocampus. The present study demonstrates that RVH-1 and RVH-2 isolated from $Rhus$ $verniciflua$ and detoxified using mushroom species possess neuroprotective properties against KA-induced excitotoxicity. This leads to the possibility that detoxified $Rhus$ $verniciflua$ can be a valuable asset in herbal medicine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.481-491
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• 2018

Allergic asthma is one of the most enduring diseases of the airway. The T-helper cells and regulatory T-cells are critically involved in inflammatory responses, mucus hypersecretion, airway remodelling and in airway hyper-responsiveness. Cigarette smoke (CS) has been found to aggravate inflammatory responses in asthma. Though currently employed drugs are effective, associated side effects demand identification and development of novel drugs with negligible or no adverse effects. Rutin, plant-derived flavonoid has been found to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the ability of rutin to modulate T-cells and inhibit inflammation in experimentally-induced asthma in cigarette smoke exposed mice. Separate groups of neonatal mice were exposed to CS for 10 days from post-natal days 2 to 11. After 2 weeks, the mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Treatment group were given rutin (37.5 or 75 mg/kg body weight) during OVA sensitization and challenge. Rutin treatment was found to significantly inhibit cellular infiltration in the airways and Th2 and Th17 cytokine levels as well. Flow cytometry revealed effectively raised $CD4^+CD25^+Fox3^+$ Treg cells and supressed Th17 cell population on rutin treatment. Airway hyper-responsiveness observed following CS and OVA challenge were inhibited by rutin. $NF-{\kappa}B$ and iNOS, chief regulators of inflammatory responses robustly activated by CS and OVA were down-regulated by rutin. Rutin also inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9, thereby aiding in prevention of airway remodelling in asthma thereby revealing to be a potent candidate in asthma therapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.297-307
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• 2003

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of the Puerarie Radix water extract (PRE) against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity and the mechanism underlying these protective effects in the rats. The pretreatment of PRE has shown to possess a significant protective effect by lowering the serum alanine and aspartate aminoteansferase (AST and ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This hepatoprotective action was confirmed by histological observation. In addition, the pretreatment of PRE prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) content and catalase activity in the liver of CC1₄-injected rats. The PRE also displayed hydroxide radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 83.6 μg/ml), as assayed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. Moreover, the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) mRNA, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), was significantly decreased in the liver of PRE-pretreated rats when compared with that in the liver of control group. Based on these results, it was suggested that the hepatoprotective effects of the PRE may be related to antioxidant effects and regulation of CYP2E1 gene expression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.510-515
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the depigmenting properties of ethanol extract from a Fritillaria verticillata Willd. (EFV) in B16F10 cells. Fritillaria verticillata Willd., a perennial herbaceous plant, has been used as a stimulator of mammary gland, expectorant, blood pressure depressant, antitussive agents in Korean herbal medicine. In the present study, we observed that melanin synthesis of B16F10 cells were significantly decreased by EFV without cytotoxicity. However, EFV could not suppress tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells and mushroom tyrosinase activity. Furthermore, EFV did not effect the protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein -1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. These results suggest that EFV inhibited melanin synthesis and the hypopigmentary effect of EVF was not due to regulation of tyrosinase protein.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.599-607
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• 2009

Prunellae Spica is the spike or whole plant of Prunella vulgaris Linne, which has been used for clearing heat from the liver, brightening the eyes and treating headache in traditional oriental medicines. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the aqueous extract of Prunellae Spica (PSE; PS extract) on the production of NO and PGE2 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, and all three doses of PS extract (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/ml) had no significant cytotoxicity during the entire experimental period. The cells were treated with 1 ${\mu}g/ml$ of LPS 1 h before adding PS extract, and increased NO and PGE2 production were detected in LPS-activated cells compared to control. However, these increases were dose-dependently attenuated by treatment with PS extract. The inhibition of NO by PS extract was due to the suppression of iNOS expression via inhibition of $NF{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation and proteolytic degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. The decreased level of PGE2 was derived from inhibition of COX-2 activity, but expression of COX-2 protein was not affected by PS extract. Moreover, PS extract reduced the elevated production of IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS. These results demonstrate that PS extract has inhibitory effects on the production of NO and PGE2 as a consequence of the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells.