• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.669-675
• /
• 2000

This study investigated the effect of Puerariae Flos (PF; flower of Puerariae plant) and Puerariae Radix (PR; root of Puerariae plant) water extracts on the activities on the activities of ethanol-metabolizing enzymes and free radical generating/scavenging enzymes of brain in ethanol-treated rats. Five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered ethanol (25%, v/v) 5 g/kg body weight/day, and sacrificed 5 weeks post treatment. PF and PR water extracts were supplemented in a diet based on 1.2g (I) or 2.4 g (II) raw PF or PR/kg body weight/day. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity of brain was significantly lowered in PF of PR groups, whereas aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher in PR groups than those of control and PF groups. Cytochrome P-450 content, aminopyrine D-methylase and aniline hydroxylase activities were decreased in both PF and PR groups compared to control group. Aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase activities tended to decrease by Puerariae plant extract supplemented goups and degree of decrease predominated in PRI. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities were increased in PF or PR groups, whereas glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities were significantly decrased by Puerariae plant extracts supplement. These results indicated that supplementation of PF or PR lowers free radical generating enzymes activities. It was suggested that the activities of ethanol metabolizing emzymes and antioxidant enzymes in brain can be enhanced by PF or PR supplement in ethanol-treated rats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.220-227
• /
• 2010

Puerariae radix (PR) is a popular natural herb and a traditional food in Asia, which has antithrombotic and anti-allergic properties and stimulates estrogenic activity. One of the major side effects of cisplatin is nephrotoxicity, leading to acute renal failure. Recent study has suggested a role of ROS and p53 in renal cell injury by cisplatin. We studied that protective effects of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in rat mesangial cell. Rat mesangial cell was preincubated with PR (50, 100, 150 and 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$) for 12 hr and then treated with 30 ${\mu}M$ cisplatin for 24 hr. Protective effect of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in ECV304 cells was determined using MTT assay, FDA-PI staining, flow cytometric analysis, caspase-3 activity assay, ROS assay and western blot. Our results showed that PR inhibited in cisplatin-induced apoptosis and ROS production in ECV304 cells. Moreover, PR reduced ERK, p38 and JNK activation that increased in cisplatin-treated rat mesangial cell. Furthermore, activation of p53 by cisplatin in rat mesangial cell was inhibited by PR treatment. These results suggest that protective effect of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in rat mesangial cell may be associated with reduction of ERK, p38, JNK, p53 activation.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.443-450
• /
• 2017

This study was done to investigate the protective effects of ethanol extract puerariae radix(Pr) on carbon tetrachloride($CCl_4$) intoxicated rats. Male sprague Dawley rats(200~210g)was used. experimental groups were divided into normal group, $CCl_4$-control group, and ethanol extract $CCl_4$-treated group. $CCl_4$-treated groups were injected with $CCl_4$ 0.6mg/kg.b.w(i.p). The activities of Alanine aminotransferase(ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase(AST), Alkaline phosphatase(ALP), Glutamyltranspeptidase(${gamma}$-GT), Lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in extract pretrated group was significantly decreased(p<0.05) compared to the $CCl_4$-control group. The contents of triglyceride, cholesterol and lipid peroxide were significantly decreased(p<0.05). whereas content of HDL-choresterol was significantly increased.(p<0.05). In addition, activities of hepatic catalase(CAT), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) in the extract pretreated rats were significantly decreased(p<0.05) compared to the $CCl_4$-control group. but the content of glutathione(GSH) was significantly increased(p<0.05). These results suggest that extract of puerariae radix(Pr) has hepatoprotective effect in the $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.461-472
• /
• 2004

Objectives : For the screening of neuroprotective effects of medicinal herbs, the complex system of animal models suffer some disadvantages in controlling critical parameters such as blood pressure and body temperature. Additionally, application of drugs to the appropriate brain area sometimes is difficult, due to poor permeability though the blood brain barrier, and so potential protective effects might be masked. Methods : Organotypic hippocampal slice culture (OHSC) method has the advantages of being relatively easy to prepare and of maintaining the general structure, including tissue integrity and the connections between cells. Drugs can easily be applied and neuronal damage can easily be quantified by using tissues and culture media. This study demonstrates neuroprotective effects of Puerariae radix (葛根, PR), Salviae miltiorrhizae radix (丹蔘, SR), Rhei rhizoma (大黃, RR), and Bupleuri radix (柴胡, BR). These were screenedand compared to MK-801, antagonist of NMDA receptors, by using OHSC of 1 week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) were conducted in an anaerobic chamber $(85%\;N_2,\;10%\;CO_2\;and\;5%\;H_2)$ in a deoxygenated glucose-free medium for 60 minutes. Water extracts of each herbs were treated to culture media with $5\;{\mu}g/ml$ for 48 hours. Results : Neuronal cell death in the cultures was monitored by densitometric measurements of the cellular uptake of propidium iodide (PI). PI fluorescence images were obtained at 48 hours after the OGD and medicinal herb treatment. Also TUNEL-positive cells in the CAI and DG regions and LDH concentrations in culture media were measured at 48 hours after the OGD. According to measured data, MK-801, PR, SR and BR demonstrated significant neuroprotective effect against excessive neuronal cell death and apoptosis induced by the OGD insult. Especially, PR revealed similar neuroprotective effect to MK-801 and RR demonstrated weak neuroprotective effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that OHSC can be a suitable method for screening of neuroprotective effects of medicinal herbs. (This work was supported by the research program of Dongguk University and Grant 01-PJ9-PG1-01CO03-0003 from Ministry of Health & Welfare.)

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2014

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effect of root extract of Pueraria thunbergiana Bentham (Puerariae Radix, PR) in diabetic mice as similar as emaciation-thirst disease in Oriental medicine. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were fed high fat (HF) and high sucrose (HS) for 8 weeks, and then administrated with 90 mg/kg body weight (bw) of streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of diabetes which is similar to the middle emaciation stage. After 5 days, blood glucose levels were measured, and selected the mice with ranges above $250mg/d{\ell}$. PR water extract was administrated orally once a day for 4 weeks with high fat and high sucrose. The levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ${\gamma}glutamyl$ transpeptidase (${\gamma}GTP$), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were analysed in the serum. Also, observed their histological changes by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) of different organs, lung, heart, pancreas, stomach, liver, and kidney. Results : PR extract significantly decreased the levels of serum glucose and insulin in diabetic mice. PR extract significantly increased the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, GOT and GPT in diabetic mice. In H&E stain, PR extract inhibited the histopathological changes of lung (as a channel of the upper emaciation stage in the channel-tropism theory), pancreas (as a channel of the middle emaciation stage) and kidney (as a channel of the lower emaciation stage) in diabetic damage. Conclusions : PR extract has an anti-diabetic effect in HF/HS and low-dose STZ-induced diabetic mice. This result suggests that PR follows the channel-tropism theory in the emaciation-thirst disease through the protection of lung, pancreas and kidney.