• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2009

Recently, the consumption of mistletoe[Viscum album var. coloratum(Kom.) Ohwi] is increasing because of its good medical effectiveness with the increased concern on the natural medicines and foods. The result obtained from the investigation on the stem tissues of the mistletoe and the oriental chestnut oak, a host plant species, are as follows. Haustorium from the seeds of the mistletoe after their sticking to the branches of the host plant penetrates into the bark where it forms the endophyte system through the active cell division. The endophyte grown in the cambium of the host plant makes the stems and leaves as the outer tissues in a certain time. Even through lignification of the host wood in the branches the oriental chestnut oak was not progressive, its tylosis coas developed partially assembly due to the formation of the endophyte. The stems of the mistletoe consisted of vascular tracheid, selereid, and ray and axial parenchyma, classified as a hardwood without vessels. The vascular tracheids seemed to take a role instead of the vessels in the mistletoe plant from the result that the pits of the vessels in the host branches are linked to the vessel-form tracheid in the mistletoe stems. The constituent ratio of the sclereid cells in the mistletoe stems increased with aging. Furthermore their ratio of the parenchyma cells was higher, which contained the more cell content, compared with the cells of the general woody plant species.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.662-670
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• 2006

It is well documented that an extract of European mistletoe has a variety of biological effects, such as the stimulation of cytokine production from immune cells, and additional immunoadjuvant activities. While the European mistletoe has been studied intensively, we know less about Korean mistletoe as a therapeutic plant, especially as a possible immunomodulating drug. This study will investigated the effects of Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album L. var. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) on murine splenocytes to investigate whether VCA acts as an immunomodulator, which could lead to improved immune responses in these cells. The results showed that VCA inhibited cell proliferation at higher concentrations (at 1-8 ng/ml) and enhanced cell proliferation at lower concentrations (at 4-32 pg/ml). Further studies were carried out to determine if the pro-proliferative or anti-proliferative activity exhibited by VCA was correlated with cytokine secretion. Consequently, interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ secretion was decreased in concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated murine splenocytes by VCA (4-64 ng/ml), but there was no change in IL-4 levels. This suggests that VCA has the ability to modulate murine splenocyte proliferation and can possibly act on the balance of Th1/Th2 cellular immune responses.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.215.2-216
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• 2003

Velutin and betulinic acid were isolated as a cytotoxic principle from the dichloromethane extract of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) by repeated silicagel chromatography and recrystallization. In in vitro analysis of cytotoxic activity using NIH-3T3 cells, dichloromethane extract of Korean mistletoe was shown to be highly cytotoxic against tumor cells. And we obtained active compound (reffered to VD-2 and VD-6) from the dichloromethane extract. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.259.1-259.1
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• 2001

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2010

To evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of a water extract (KMF-WE) of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) fruit, we examined its ability to induce humoral and cellular immune response against keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH). Immunized mice with KLH admixed with KMF-WE (KLH/KMF-WE) showed significant induction of KLH-specific antibodies compared to mice immunized with KLH alone. The assay for determining isotypes of antibodies revealed that KMFWE augmented KLH-specific-IgG1 and -IgG2a production. In vitro T lymphocyte proliferation analysis against KLH revealed that the splenocytes of mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE showed a significantly higher proliferative ability than those from mice immunized with KLH alone. The culture supernatants of splenocytes, which were harvested from mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE, showed higher levels of both Th-1 type (IL-2, IFN-${\gamma}$) and Th-2 type (IL-4) cytokines in response to KLH stimulation compared to those from mice immunized with KLH alone. Also, in delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay, mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE showed a significantly higher reaction to KLH than mice treated with KLH alone. These results suggest that KMF-WE possess immunoadjuvant activity to enhance both antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses against protein antigens (KLH).

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.293-298
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• 2009

Korean mistletoe lectin (KML) is the major component found in Viscum album var. (coloratum), displaying anti-cancer and immunostimulating activities. Even though it has been shown to boost host immune defense mechanisms, the regulatory roles of KML on the functional activation of macrophages have not been fully elucidated. In this study, regulatory mechanism of KML on macrophage-mediated immune responses was examined in terms of KML-mediated signaling event. KML clearly induced mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phagocytic uptake in RAW264.7 cells. All of these events were strongly suppressed by U0126, whereas TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA was not diminished by SB203580 and SP600125, indicating ERK as a central enzyme managing KML-induced up-regulation of macrophage functions. Indeed, KML strongly induced the phosphorylation of ERK in a time-dependent manner without altering its total level. Therefore, these data suggest that ERK may be a major signaling enzyme with regulatory property toward various KML-mediated macrophage responses.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.650-657
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• 2016

Research has found that the management of the host plant is essential to mistletoe cultivation. A Trunk injection test on the host plant that contained a mixture of indole-3-butryc acid (IBA) and liquid fertilizer was conducted with respect to the improvement of the one year survival rate of mistletoe. As a result, the trunk injection experiments showed the effect of the IBA and liquid fertilizer mixture in all treatments. This mixture was effective to increase the survival rate of mistletoe by 20% with the IBA at 100 mg/L and Hyponex at 100 mg/L. The examination proved that the host plant fertilizer effect was the most effective treatment for organic fertilizer with 60% added NPK (4-2-1). Its effects were higher compared to the control at the length and diameter of one-years-old branches in the host plant, even when the parasitic mistletoe improved its growth in length, diameter, and number of branches. Comparing the control and host plant fertilizer, the latter was the most effective way to process 20 kg per a treatment effect in the experimental site and to process at any time after the inoculation. This treatment is effective to improve the growth of mistletoe by watering the host plant three times per week. Therefore, the management of the host plant is an essential element in the successful cultivation of mistletoe, not only to supply fertilizer and plant hormones to the host plant in the initial inoculation time but also to provide organic fertilizer and irrigation for the host plant.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2004

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) growing on Carpinus laxiflora BL. on proliferation and differentiation of HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells. Aqueous extract and its $(NH_2)_2SO_4$ saturated fractions of the mistletoe exhibited potent anti-proliferation activity against HL-60 cells. Moreover, when HL-60 cells were treated with 0~30% and 30～70% $(NH_2)_2SO_4$ saturated fractions of the mistletoe, HL-60 expressed CD 66b or CD 14 cell surface antigens and showed activity to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium, indicating that mistletoe induces the differentiation of HL-60 into granulocytes or monocytes. To understand how mistletoe induces the differentiation, we investigated the expression of molecules for modulating the proliferation and differentiation of leukemia cells, such as c-Myc and myeloblastin. The 0~30% $(NH_2)_2SO_4$ saturated fraction of the mistletoe reduced the mRNA levels of c-Myc and myeloblastin in a time-dependent manner. The results indicate that the mistletoe induces the differentiation of HL-60 cells via the decrease of c-Myc and myeloblastin expressions. Thus, it is suggested that mistletoe has a therapeutic potential for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate plant growth characteristics and anatomical studies of Korean mistel (Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi). Parasite position was upper part that has a plenty of sunshine area 5 to 10m apart from the ground, regardless host tree. Stem developed two branch stems from the each basal stem, leaf was grown from the end stems as opposite. Fruit has a light yellow color and berry size was 7 to 8 mm long diameter and it contains seed. Floral bud differentiation initiated with forming rounded dome and arch-shaped floral apex at the beginning stage, and produced heart-shaped sepal following the differentiation of leaf primordia. Floral bud formation processed centeral part first and following bilateral sides were developed in order. Leaf was thick and stoma and guard cell were observed from the two or three inner layers from the epidermis. Mistletoe penetrated cork cambium of host plant and was growing by rooting on xylem. Korean mistel connected to host plant through parasitic organ, haustorium structurally and physiologically.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.919-924
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial activities and antioxidant activities of the Korean mistletoe extract and its solvent fractions (e.g. n-hexane, ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, butanol). Ethyl ether fraction against Bacillus cereus showed stronger activities than benzoic acid (2.5 mg/mL). The MIC of korean mistletoe extract and slovent fractions were in the range of 6.25-25 mg/mL. The MIC (6.25 mg/mL) of ethyl acetate fraction onto Staphylocossus aureus was the lowest among them. Ethyl ether fraction which showed the strongest antioxidant activities by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power) methods had the highest total phenolic contents. It is suggested that Korean mistletoe could be utilized as natural preservative material through the study of the active compounds from ethyl ether fraction.