• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.190-195
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• 2007

In the present study, the author investigated to the cytotoxocity in cultured rat hepatocytes of Viscum album lectin. The cytotoxcity effect in Viscum album lectin on the activity of LDH was also investigated. Viscum album lectin significantly increased LDH leakage into medium of hepatocytes treated or untreated with $CCl_4$ (p<0.001). However, Viscum album lectin significantly increased LDH leakage from $CCl_4$-induced hepatocyte (p<0.001). There was a significant increase in LDH levels relative to the control group. Histological observation basically supported the result obtained from LDH assay. The livers of rats challenged with $CCl_4$ produced a marked increased cytoplasmic vacuoles and inflammatory cells in number, while the number of necrotic cells and swollen hepatocytes did not change significnatly. Rats administered DMSO alone did not alter the normal hepatic architecture. Histological observation of liver section in rat treated 72 hrs with either Viscum album lectin $CCl_4$-induced liver damage showed number of cytoplasmic vaculoe and necrotic cell. The number of inflammatory cell increased markedly. This results suggest to the conclusion that Viscum album lectin has a effect of hepatotoxicity activator.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate effect of lipid metabolism in Viscum album lectin on rats. The lectin was purified by sepharose 4B affinity chromatography and gel filtration using sephadex G-150 with plant material from Viscum album collected in Mt. Duk Yui. After 72 h of $CCl_4$ injection (in olive oil, 1:1, 2 mg/kg) there was a significant increase in serum total cholesterol and triglycerige levels relative to the control group. However, treatment of both Viscum album and purified lectin were significantly decreased lipid parameters against the $CCl_4$-induced. Histological observation basically supported the result obtained from serum lipid assay. The livers of rats challenged with $CCl_4$ produced a marked increase of cytoplasmic vacuoles in number, while the number of necrotic cells and swollen hepatocytes did not change significnatly. Rats administered olive oil alone did not alter the normal hepatic architecture. Histological observation of the liver section in rats treated 72 h with either Viscum album purified lectin or $CCl_4$-induced liver lipogenesis showed decreased numbers of cytoplasmic vaculoes and necrotic cells. The normal hepatic architectural pattern was observed in Hematoxylin-eosin stain. These results suggest that Viscum album lectin has a possible protective effect of lipid metabolim in rats.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.244-249
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate effect of serum lipid and liver tissue in lectin from Viscum album on rats. The lectin was purified by sepharose 4B affinity chromatography and gel filtration using sephadex G-150 with plant material from Viscum album. After 72 h of $CCl_4$ injection, there was a significant increase in serum total cholesterol and triglycerige levels relative to the control group. However, treatment of both Viscum album and purified lectin were significantly decreased lipid parameters against the $CCl_4$-induced. Histological observation of the liver section of rats challenged with $CCl_4$ produced a marked increase of cytoplasmic vacuoles in number, while rats administered olive oil alone did not alter the normal hepatic architecture. Histological observation of the liver section in rats treated 72 h with either Viscum album purified lectin or $CCl_4$-induced liver lipogenesis showed decreased numbers of cytoplasmic vaculoes and necrotic cells. These results suggest that Viscum album lectin has a significantly decreased lipid in serum or histological observation of the liver section decreased in lipogenesis in rats.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2000

We investigated anti-diabetic effect of the crude extracts and lectin purified from the leaves of Viscum album collected in Mt. Duk Yu. The induction of diabetes mellitus was confirmed by the presence of statistically significant greater serum glucose levels in strptozotocin-treated rats compared with the untreated non-diabetic group. There are no significant differences in the serum glucose levels compared extracts and purified lectin to tap water in the non-diabetic group after administration through the oral cavity in 29 day. But for streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats the serum glucose level in extracts after administration through the oral cavity was strikely decreased to 36% than tap water in 29 day. Significantly lower glucose level was obtained at 2 hr and 4 hr after administration of purified lectin(0.4 mg/kg) through the peritoneal cavity. These results provide an evidence that Viscum album lectin has an andti-diabetic effect pharmacologically.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.429-435
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• 1998

Lectins and its A- and B-chains from Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) were isolated by affinity chromatography on the Sepharose 4B modified by lactose-BSA conjugate synthesized by reductive amination of ligand (lactose) to .epsilon.-amino groups of lysine residues of spacer (BSA) after reduction by $NaCNBH_3$. The lactose-BSA conjugate was coupled to Sepharose 4B activated by cyanogen bromide. The molecular weight determined by SDS-PAGE were a 31 kD of A-chain and a 35kD of B-chain. Amino acid analysis and N-terminal sequencing were performed. The effects of pH, temperature and guanidine chloride on the conformation of the lectin were investigated by measuring its intrinsic fluorescence and compared with its hemagglutinating activities. Blue shift was detected on the acidic pH and there was a close relationship between activities and conformation of the lectin. Under denaturing conditions, the tryptophan emission profile of lectin showed typical denaturaiional red shift which also correspond to the conformations and activity of lectin.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.118-126
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• 2004

The aqueous extract of European mistletoe (Viscum album, L.) has been used in cancer therapy. The purified mistletoe lectins, main components of mistletoe, have demonstrated cytotoxic and immune-system-stimulating activities. Korean mistletoe (Viscum album L. coloratum), a subspecies of European mistletoe, has also been reported to possess anticancer and immunological activities. A galactose- and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-specific lectin (Viscum album L. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) with Mr 60 kDa was isolated from Korean mistletoe. Mistletoe preparations have been given subcutaneously due to the low stability of lectin in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the present study, we investigated the possibility of alginate/chitosan microcapsules as a tool for oral delivery of mistletoe lectin. In addition, our strategy has been to develop a system composed of stabilizing cores (granules), which contain mistletoe lectin, extract or powder, coated by a biodegradable polymer wall. Our results indicated that successful incorporation of VCA into alginate/chitosan microcapsules has been achieved and that the alginate/chitosan microcapsule protected the VCA from degradation at acidic pH values. And coating the VCA with polyacrylic polymers, Eudragit, produced outstanding results with ideal release profiles and only minimal losses of cytotoxicity after manufacturing step. The granules prepared with extract or whole plant produced the best results due to the stability in the extract or whole plant during manufacturing process.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.155-161
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• 2002

The mistletoe lectins are major active components in the extract of European mistletoe (Viscum album L) that have been widely used in adjuvant chemotherapy of cancer. This study was performed to investigate the antitumor activity of extract of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) modified with Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album var. coloratum agglutinin, VCA). Compared with the results of VCA, survival rate was increased and experimental lung metastasis was reduced by treatment of modified extract (VCM). In addition, the treatment of VCM reduced angiogenesis and VCA-induced toxicity measured by a CAM assay. And VCM inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro in tumor cells originated from tissues which are possible to apply topically without surgery. Taken together, the antitumor activities of VCM-treated group outperformed the activities of the VCA-treated group.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.138-148
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• 2013

The three biochemical constituents pointed out as the bioactive principles of anticancer activity of Korean mistletoes, Viscum album var. colorantum, epiphyting to different host trees, different region, and different growth environments were compared. The characterizing compounds were lectin, which was glycoprotein reported has anticancer activity, homoflavoyadorinin-B, which was flavonoid glycoside reported as an antioxidant and oleanolic acid, as an anticancerous triterpenoid. We established the analysis methods for three characterizing compounds and determined by HPLC spectrophotometer, respectively. The average content of the lectin in V. album was 1.75 mg/g of dried plants and those of homoflavoyadorinin-B and oleanolic acid were 3.51 and 5.37 mg/g, respectively. The variations of contents of the three characterizing compounds according to epiphytic trees and growth region were observed but not found statistical significance clearly. We came to the conclusion that the contents of bioactive constituents of V. album except homoflavoyadorinin-B are not affected by epiphyting trees or growth environments.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.560-570
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• 2006

Mistletoe (Viscum album) lectins, which are classified as a type II ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) due to their unique biological function and the potential medical and therapeutic application in cancer cells, receive a rising attention. The heterodimeric glycoproteins contain the A-chain with catalytic activity and the B-chain with sugar binding properties. In recent years, studies involving the lectins from the white berry European mistletoe (Viscum album) and the yellow berry Korean mistletoe (Viscum album coloratum) have been described. However, the detailed mechanism in exerting unique cytotoxic effect on cancer cells still remains unclear. Here, we aim to understand and define the molecular basis and biological effects of the type II RIPs, through the studies of the recombinant Korean mistletoe lectin. To this end, we expressed, purified the recombinant Korean mistletoe lectin (rKML), and investigated its molecular characteristics in vitro, its cytotoxicity and ability to induce apoptotic cell death in cancer cells. To gain structural basis for its catalytic activity and sugar binding properties, we performed homology modeling studies based on the high degree of sequence identity and conserved secondary structure prediction between Korean and European, Himalayan mistletoe lectins, and Ricin.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.592-598
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• 2000

A lectin (agglutinin, VCA) from Korean mistletoe (Viscum album L. coloratum) was isolated by affinity chromatograpy on a asialofetuin-Sepharose 4B. The molecular weights of A- and B-chains of VCA were different from those of VAAS. The VCA recognized the antibody of VAAs in the Western blot analysis and ELLA system. We also investigated the synergistic effects of the components in mistletoe by dividing the extract into different molecular weight fractions.