• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.349-352
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• 2004

We examined MeOH extracts of the marine plants from Korea for their inhibitory activities on rat lens aldose reductase in vitro. Among the MeOH extracts tested, the extracts of Enteromorpha prolifera, Ecklonia cava, Pelvetia siliquosa and Salicornia herbacea exhibited a rat lens aldose reductase inhibition (IC$_{50}$: 3.04, 8.84, 11.42 and 4.99 $\mu$g-ml$^{-1}$, respectively) in vitro.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.269-275
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• 2022

Betula platyphylla extract includes various materials which showed biological activity such as terpenoids. For this reason, Betula platyphylla extract has been used to alleviate inflammation. In this study, extract of Betula platyphylla was obtained and purified using several solvents and evaluated whether they showed effect on prevention of hair loss. Cell cytotoxicity assay was performed to investigate the effect of extracts on cell proliferation. Western blotting was performed to observe the changes in expression of several related growth factors such as β-catenin, VEGF, IGF1, and cyclin D. Also, 5-α-reductase activity was measured. The ethyl acetate extract was divided into four partial extracts and named as H3-1, H3-2, H3-3, and H3-4. The H3-2 extract showed proliferation activity of human derma papilla cell and increased the protein expression of several related growth factors such as β-catenin, VEGF, IGF1, and cyclin D, comparable to the effect of Ethyl 3,4,5-Trimethoxy Benzoate (ETB)and Lupeol (LPO). Moreover, we found that the fraction H3 was shown to decrease 5-α-reductase activity while ETB and LPO had no significant effect on 5-α-reductase activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.158-170
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• 1997

New HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, in which 3-substituted 4, 5-polymethylenepyrazoles are employed as a hydrophobic anchor connected to tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-2H-pyran-2-one by a two-carbon bridge, were designed and synthesized to exhibit significant inhibitory activity comparable to mevinolin. The most potent enzyme inhibitor $(11cc, IC_{50}=0.01{\mu}M)$ is 4-fold more potent than lovastatin.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.342-350
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• 1999

The antibacterial activity against Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), $5{\alpha}-reductase$ inhibition and comedolytic effects are the important pharmacological target sites of antiacne drughs. We previously reported on the antibacterial activities against P. acnes by natural products. In the present study the screening of $5{\alpha}-reductase$ inhibition and comedolytic effects from natural products were performed. Seven natural products such as Angelica koreana, Sophora flavescens, Prunus persica, Bombyx mori, Areca catechu, Galla rhois and Gleditschia koraiensis perfectly inhibited the activity of $5{\alpha}-reductase$ at the concentration of 0.01% (w/v). Sixteen natural products which were shown to have the potent antibacterial activities against P.acnes or $5{\alpha}-reductase$ inhibition activities were assayed for the comedolytic test. In the results of comedolytic effects on experimentally-induced comedones (EIC), Sophora flavescens showed the strongest comedolytic effect on EIC, and Polygonum cuspidatum and Angelica koreana showed stronger comedolytic effects on EIC than azelaic acid used for a positive control at the concentration of 3% (w/v). These results suggest that several natural products including Sophora flavescens can be developed as noble antiacne agents.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.958-962
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• 1999

Hydroxy methylglutaryl CoA(HMG CoA) reductase and acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase(ACAT) are two important enzymes that are associated with regulation of cholesterol metabolism. The inhibitors of HMG CoA reductase and ACAT are very effective in lowering serum cholesterol in most animal species. In present study, various plant extracts with hot water were used to examine the inhibitory activities against HMG CoA reductase and ACAT that are involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and cholesterol esterification in tissues, respectively. The extracts of Fagophyrum rotundatum, Rosa multiflora, Rosa rugosa and Alisma orientalis exhibited significant inhibitory activities against the ACAT, 29%, 24%, 19%, and 18%, respectively. However the extracts of Typha augustifolia, Polygonum cuspidatum, Crataegus pinnatifida, Polygonum multiflorum inhibited the HMG CoA reductase activity by 53%, 42%, 37%, and 33% respectively. Results suggest that these plant extracts might play important roles in the regulation of the cholesterol metabolism in vivo.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.361-369
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• 1987

The four azo dyes such as Amaranth (FD & C Red No. 2), Tartrazine (FD & C Yellow No. 4), sunset Yellow (FD & C Yellow No. 5) and Allura red (FD & C Red No. 40) are currently employed as a food additives in Korea. In this study, the effects of these azo dyes on the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase systems in Rats. (i.e., Cyt. P-450, Cyt. b$_5$, NADPH cyt. c-reductase and azo reductase) were investigated. Furthermore, to determine the relationship among the electron transport systems, each level of azo reductase, Cyt. P-450 and NADPH cyt. c-reductase was measured upon the administration of phenobarbital (known as an inducer of Cyt. P-450), 3-methylcholanthrene (Known as an inducer of Cyt. P-448), CoCl$_2$ (inhibitor on Cyt. P-450) or $CCl_4$ (inhibitor on Cyt. P-450). The results of these studies are as follows; (1) The levels of Cyt. P-450 and Cyt. b$_5$ were decreased upon the administration of these azo dyes. (2) When the level of Cyt. P-450 was decreased, the azo reductase activity was also decreased. (3) These azo dyes did not show any significant effect on the level of NADPH cyt. c-reductase. (4) The administration of 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in the elevation of azo reductase activity. The 3-methylcholanthrene may be responsible for the induction of CO-insensitive electron transport system.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.221-224
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• 1997

Effects of melatonin on hepatic glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione-reductase (GSH-reductase) activities were studied in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats administered i.p. (10 mg/kg body weight) with melatonin during 15 days. The activity of cytosolic GSH-reductase in the liver was not changed by melatonin. However, melatonin injection increased significantly the activity of liver cytosolic GSH-Px activity compared with those in saline-treated rats. At the same time, plasma GSH-Px was also increased significantly in melatonin-treated rats. Since GSH-Px, a major antioxidative enzyme, removes $H_2O_2$ and lipid peroxides which are formed during lipid peroxidation from cellular membrane, such elevation of heptatic GSH-Px activity may contribute to the improvement of antioxidative effects under oxidative damage in the liver.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.925-930
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to know whether the information of caries activity and caries experience of the children can be used to predict the behavior of the children during the dental treatment. The subjects of the study were one hundred and eighty-one preschool children, three to six years old. Salivary reductase activity was tested by the Resazurin Disc Test. Caries experience was examined. The children's behavior was observed using the rating scale of Frankl. Salivary reductase activity of the negative behavior group was slightly higher than that of the positive behavior goup, but the difference was not significant. dt index and ds index of the negative behavior group were significantly higher than those of the positive behavior group. There were no significant differences in ft index and fs index between the two behavior groups. The results suggest that the negative behavior of a child can be predicted when the child has many untreated dental caries.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 1995

Thioredoxin reductase is a flavoprotein oxidoreductase catalyzing the reduction of a cystine disulfide in thioredoxin. Thioredoxin, in turn, can reduce disulfide bonds in other proteins and serves as a reducing agent in enzymatic reactions such as those of ribonucleotide reductase and methionine sulfoxide reductase. In this work thioredoxin reductase was found to directly reduce DTNB in the absence of thioredoxin. This new reactivity of E. coli thioredoxin reductase was produced by relatively high concentrations of univalent cations such as $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Li^+$, and ${NH_4}^+$, and it appeared with the oxidation of NADPH. These results indicate that E. coli thioredoxin reductase may be slightly modified by univalent cations, and the modified enzyme directly reacts with DTNB. This DTNB-reducing activity offers a new assay method for E. coli thioredoxin reductase.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2004

Cholesterol inhibitory activity was investigated to develop the functional food from edible forest resources such as Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum and other 12 species. Among tested samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), leaf extracts of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum inhibited 73.9% of the activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) which is the highly regulated and major rate-limiting of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, those extracts inhibited 76.7% of squalene synthase which catalyzes the head-to-head condensation of two farnesyl pyrophosphate molecules to form squalene in the biosynthesis of cholesterol. In order to find out the compounds which would play a key role in inhibitory activity of cholesterol, kaempferol and quercetin were isolated from the dichloromethane soluble fraction of extracts of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum. Kampferol, quercetin and each soluble fraction was also subjected to the test of the mRNA expression of HMG-CoA reductase and squalene synthase by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, respectively. By treating both enzymes with 10 ㎍/㎖ of kaempferol and quercetin for 24 hours, respectively, the mRNA expression was not observed, suggesting that both compounds inhibited the biosynthesis of cholesterol at mRNA level. In this regard, it could be inferred that cholesterol inhibitory activity of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum was derived from kaempferol and quercetin. Both compounds have already been found in many plant extracts including hardwood and softwood, but it might be first known that they have cholesterol inhibitory activity.