• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.230-243
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• 2023

Objective: High temperatures can trigger cellular oxidative stress and disrupt spermatogenesis, potentially leading to male infertility. We investigated the effects of retinoic acid (RA), chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs), and retinoic acid loaded with chitosan nanoparticles (RACHNPs) on spermatogenesis in mice induced by scrotal hyperthermia (Hyp). Methods: Thirty mice (weighing 25 to 30 g) were divided into five experimental groups of six mice each. The groups were as follows: control, Hyp induced by a water bath (43 ℃C for 30 minutes/day for 5 weeks), Hyp+RA (2 mg/kg/day), Hyp+CHNPs (2 mg/kg/72 hours), and Hyp+RACHNPs (4 mg/kg/72 hours). The mice were treated for 35 days. After the experimental treatments, the animals were euthanized. Sperm samples were collected for analysis of sperm parameters, and blood serum was isolated for testosterone measurement. Testis samples were also collected for histopathology assessment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) evaluation, and RNA extraction, which was done to compare the expression levels of the bax, bcl2, p53, Fas, and FasL genes among groups. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was performed. Results: Treatment with RACHNPs significantly increased stereological parameters such as testicular volume, seminiferous tubule length, and testicular cell count. Additionally, it increased testosterone concentration and improved sperm parameters. We observed significant decreases in ROS production and caspase-3 immunostaining in the RACHNP group. Moreover, the expression levels of bax, p53, Fas, and FasL significantly decreased in the groups treated with RACHNPs and RA. Conclusion: RACHNPs can be considered a potent antioxidative and antiapoptotic agent for therapeutic strategies in reproductive and regenerative medicine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.644-653
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• 2024

Considering the emergence of various infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), people's attention has shifted towards immune health. Consequently, immune-enhancing functional foods have been increasingly consumed. Hence, developing new immune-enhancing functional food products is needed. Pinus densiflora pollen can be collected from the male red pine tree, which is commonly found in Korea. P. densiflora pollen extract (PDE), obtained by water extraction, contained polyphenols (216.29 ± 0.22 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (35.14 ± 0.04 mg CE/100 g). PDE significantly increased the production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) but, did not exhibit cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot results indicated that PDE induced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. PDE also significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of cytokines and the phosphorylation of IKKα/β and p65, as well as the activation and degradation of IκBα. Additionally, western blot analysis of cytosolic and nuclear fractions and immunofluorescence assay confirmed that the translocation of p65 to the nucleus after PDE treatment. These results confirmed that PDE increases the production of cytokines, NO, and ROS by activating NF-κB. Therefore, PDE is a promising nutraceutical candidate for immune-enhancing functional foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2005

The efficacy of extraction from Inonotus obliquus was examined from the points of antioxidative characteristics and some antioxidative compounds. To enhance the efficient extraction for the effective components from Inonotus obliquus, temperature-stepwise water extraction method was applied. Temperature-stepwise water extracts were prepared for 8 hrs as follows: the first extract at 8$0^{\circ}C$, the second extract from the residue of the first extract at 10$0^{\circ}C$, and the third extract from the residue of the second extract at 12$0^{\circ}C$. Antioxidativeactivities were determined by electron-donating ability of DPPR - free radical, scavenging ability of ABTS$.$$^{+}$radical cation, and by inhibiting ability of linoleic acid autoxidation. In results, the first extract showed the least antioxidant capacity, and the third extract showed the highest antioxidant capacity. The third extract also had the greatest amounts of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Amounts of phenolic compound from each extract were almost proportional to the radical scavenging activities and linoleic acid autoxidation inhibiting ability (r=0.960∼0.980, regression analysis). Furthermore, the effect of the pooled extract of all three extractions of Inonotus obliquus on the lipid peroxidation reacted with active oxygen species (KO$_2$, $H_2O$$_2$, $.$OH) and metals (Fe$^{2+}$, CU$^{2+}$) was evaluated by measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The pooled Inonotus obliquus extracts lowered the amounts of TBARS formed by all of the active oxygen species and metals. Especially, these lowering effects were pronounced in the reaction with $.$OH and Fe$^{2+}$. These results suggest that the pooled temperature-stepwise extract from Inonotus obliquus could be potential functional materials to reduce the oxidation of lipids and other compounds induced by free radicals.adicals.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.350-354
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• 2010

Laminaria japonica polysaccharides (LP) were prepared from L. japonica through hot water extraction, ultrafiltration and gel chromatography. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulating activity of LP (0.25-1 mg/mL) on the mitogen/alloantigen reactive proliferation and killing activity of the Balb/c mouse splenocytes. The LP directly induced the proliferation of splenocytes that was stimulated with mitogen or alloantigen in a dose-dependent manner. The killing activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and lymphokine activated killer cells (LAKs) were enhanced significantly in the LP treated cells. Also, the treatment of splenocytes with LP increased production of interleukin-2 (IL-2). These results suggest that polysaccharides from L. japonica show a substantial immunomodulating activity in mouse immune cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.738-744
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• 2018

Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai is a native Korean plant that grows only on Mt. Halla of Jeju Island. Its leaf is used for a popular bamboo tea due to its various health-promoting properties, and it has been increasingly used as food and cosmetic ingredients. To utilize the S. quelpaertensis leaf efficiently, the preparation method for phytochemical-rich extract (PRE) using the leaf's residue was previously reported, which was produced after hot water extraction. This study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of PRE and its solvent fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction of PRE (EPRE) showed higher DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide radical scavenging activities, and it effectively inhibited intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. EPRE also induced the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by increasing the level of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in a nuclear fraction. The inhibiting effect of EPRE on LPS-induced NO production was partially reversed by the HO-1 inhibitor (zinc protoporphyrin, ZPP), suggesting that HO-1 is involved in suppressing NO production. Taken together, the results suggest that EPRE has potential as a promising anti- oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.258-262
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• 2005

For the purpose of developing natural antioxidant, the antioxidative activity and antimicrobial of phenolics isolated from Baek-bu-ja (Aconiti koreani Rhizoma) were determined. Optimum extracting condition for phenolics were water extracts. HPLC analysis showed that the four major phenolic metabolites were rosemarinic, protocatechuic, caffeic and chlorogenic acids. The water extracts of Baekbuja did not have antimicrobial activity against H. pylori; however, the ethanol extracts revealed higher antimicrobial activity. Electron donation ability on DPPH of Baekbuja ethanol extract was 20% higher than other ethanol extracts. The 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical decolorization (ABTS) and antioxidant protection factor (PF) were determined with extracts from Aconiti koreani Rhizoma. 94% inhibition and 1.14 PF were shown on ABTS and antioxidant protection factor with 60% ethanol extracts. Also, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) showed $0.19\;{\mu}M$ in the control and $0.07\;{\mu}M$ in the 80% ethanol extracts. The result suggests that Baekbuja extract may be useful as potential sources of anti Helicobacter pylori, antioxidant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.989-996
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• 2007

In this study, abiotic transformation of 1-naphthol(1-NP) via oxidative-coupling reaction and its reaction products were investigated in the presence of Mn oxides. The reaction products were characterized for their relative polarity using solvent extraction experiment and reverse-phase HPLC, and for structure using CCMS and LC/MS, and for absorption characteristics using UV-Vis spectrometry. The reaction products present in aqueous phase were more polar than parent naphthol and comprised of 1,4-naphthoquinon(1,4-NPQ) and oligomers such as dimers and trimers. Hydrophilic component present in water phase after solvent$(CH_2Cl_2)$ extractions was identified as naphthol polymerized products having molecular weight(m/z) ranging from 400 to 2,000, and showed similar UV-Vis. absorption characteristics to that of foil fulvic acid. Transformation of 1,4-NPQ, which is non-reactive to Mn oxide, to the polymerized products via cross-coupling reaction in the presence of 1-NP was also verified. In this experimental conditions(20.5 mg/L, 1-NP, 2.5 g/L $MnO_2$, pH 5), the transformation of 1-NP into the oligomers and polymerized products were about 83% of initial 1-NP concentrations, and more than 30% of the reaction products was estimated to be water insoluble fractions, not extracted by $H_2O$ methanol. Results from this study suggest that Mn oxide-mediated treatment of naphthol contaminated soils can achieve risk reduction through the formation of oligomers md polymer precipitation.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.3 s.58
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• pp.161-171
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• 2006

In this study, we investigated the whitening and anti-oxidant activity of 37 Jeju island native plants. The active ingredients of the plants were prepared by methanol extraction. Whitening activity of plant extracts was examined from the inhibitory effect of tyrosinase and the inhibition of melanin synthesis of the B16-F1 cell line. Their anti-oxidant activity was measured by electron donating ability of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavenging activity in V79-4 lung fibroblast cells using DCF-DA (dichlorofluorescin diacetate). Cytotoxicity of the extracts on cell s based experiments was investigated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay. Also, the toxicity test using a rabbit and the human skin patch test were carried out for examining the safety of the extracts which showed the high whitening activity. It is interesting that the extracts of Lespedeza cuneata, Ligustrum lucidum (stem), Morus bombycis (stem) and Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina showed both potent whitening and anti-oxidant activities.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.218-225
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• 2014

Catalytic gasification of raw coals at mild condition is not realized yet mainly due to deactivation of catalysts via their irreversible interaction with mineral matters in coal. In this work, the gasification behavior of ash-free coal (AFC) was compared with that of the parent raw coal. In order to modify the gasification conditions, the raw coal gasified with fixed variables (water supply, space velocity, temperature, catalysts) in a fixed bed reactor. When catalysts are added by physical mixing method with coal, $K_2CO_3$ was the most effective additives for steam gasification of coal. However, the activity of ash-free coal (AFC) was much less reactive than raw coal due to high temperature extraction in a 1-methylnaphthalene under 30bar at $370^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, almost removed oxygen functional groups, and increased carbonization. The addition of $K_2CO_3$ in AFC achieved higher conversion rate at low temperature ($700^{\circ}C$). At that time, the molar ratio of gases ($H_2/CO$ and $CO_2/CO$) was increased because of water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) by addition of catalysts. This shows that catalytic steam gasification of AFCs is achievable for economic improvement of gasification process at mild temperature.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 1998

This study was undertaken to determine whether Bombycis Corpus extract (Bom) has antioxidant action. Kidney tissues were exposed to t-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) to induce oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation was estimated by measuring malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, and cell injury was estimated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in rabbit renal cortical slices. t-BHP increased lipid peroxidation and LDH release in a dose-dependent manner over the concentration range of 0.1-1 mM. Such effects of t-BHP on lipid peroxidase and LDH release were prevented by 0.5% Bom. When tissues were treated with t-BHP in the presence of various concentrations of Bom, lipid peroxidation and LDH release were dose-dependently inhibited by Bom. Bom at 1 and 2% concentrations inhibited lipid peroxidation and LDH release in normal tissues. Bom at 2% concentration increased glutathione peroxidase activity in tissues treated or untreated with 1.0 mM t-BHP. However, catalase activity was not altered by addition of Bom. Bom inhibited generation of reactive oxygen species. These results indicate that Bom inhibits lipid peroxidation and cell injury in tissues treated with or without oxidant and this effect is, at least in part, attributed to increased activity of glutathione peroxidase and a direct sacvenging action.