• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.5-16
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• 2005

The herb of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (Liliaceae) has been used as an edible wild herb and to treat heart failure and gastritis. We have already reported antihyperlipidemic anti-tumor effects of this plant. To enlarge the commercial availability of this food, it was investigated whether the extracts of A. victorialis var.platyphyllum reduce hyperlipidemia and obesity or not. The plants tested in this experiment were collected from two eco-types of IS. Ullung and Mt. Odae cultivated at Pyongchang. Extracts were prepared by extracting the fresh leaves and those dried at $36^{\circ}C$ and $90^{\circ}C$, respectively. Pretreatment with the ethanolic extracts for two weeks (p.o.) reduced serum triglyceride-, total cholesterol- and LDL-cholesterol contents in rats induced by Triton WR-1339, respectively. Furthermore, oral administration of the extracts also inhibited the hyperlipidemia induced with oral diet of 30% corn oil. In the other attempt to find to alleviate the obesity, the model rats with obesity were induced by the high fat-diet for six weeks. Post-treatment with the extracts for two weeks significantly reduced the hyperlipidemia. Retroperitoneal-, epidymal- and total abdominal fat pad weights were considerably reduced at 100 mg/kg oral administration of the extracts. Increased feces lipid contents were also found in the rat treated with the extracts. The extract of Mt. Odae eco-type showed more potent activity than that of Is. Ullung one. These results suggest that use of the fresh leaves may lead to the higher activity in treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity than of the dried one.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.821-828
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• 2015

ASW0 is a polysaccharide derived from the perennial herb Aster scaber Thunberg. We isolated ASW0, a fraction of crude polysaccharide, by means of ethanol precipitation and dialysis after hot water extraction to investigate its physicochemical properties and immunostimulatory effects. ASW0 contains neutral sugar (45.7%), acidic sugar (51.6%), protein (2.3%), and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octonate (KDO) (0.4%). The neutral sugar in ASW0 (in mole percentage) was mainly composed of arabinose (34.5 mol%), glucose (31.1 mol%), galactose (14.9 mol%), and rhamnose (8.1 mol%), which are characteristic of pectic polysaccharides. ASW0 also contained small amounts of xylose, mannose, and fucose. The anti-complementary activity of ASW-0 was similar to that of polysaccharide K (used as positive control). ASW0 exhibited no cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 macrophages and dramatically increased nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose dependent manner ($0.3{\sim}30{\mu}g/mL$). Also, macrophages stimulated with ASW0 showed enhanced production of immunostimulatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that the ASW0 have a potent immunostimulatory effect and can be used as a natural immune health ingredient.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2016

Allergic skin inflammation such as atopic dermatitis is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, edema, and infiltration with various inflammatory cells. The anti-inflammatory effects of Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone, isolated from Sargassum muticum, have been described in many diseases, but the mechanism by which it modulates the immune system is poorly understood. In this study, the ability of Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone to suppress allergic reactions was investigated using a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. The Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone-treated group showed significantly decreased immunoglobulin E in serum. Also, Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone treatment resulted in a smaller lymph node size with reduced the thickness and length compared to the induction group. In addition, Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone inhibited the expression of interleukin-4, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin-stimulated lymphocytes. These results suggest that Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating chronic inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.738-744
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of White Ginseng-Ejung-tang water extract (EJ) on production of various cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), keratinocyte-derived chemokine(KC), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Levels of cytokines were measured by High-throughput multiplex bead array cytokine assay based on xMAP (multi-analyte profiling beads) technology. EJ significantly decreased levels of IL-2, IL-12p70, IL-5, MIP-2 for 24 h incubation at the concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 ${\mu}g/mL$ in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). EJ significantly decreased levels of IL-6 at the concentrations of 50 and 100 ${\mu}g/mL$ (P < 0.05). EJ significantly decreased levels of IL-10 and VEGF at the concentrations of 25 and 100 ${\mu}g/mL$ (P < 0.05). EJ significantly decreased levels of KC at the concentrations of 100 ${\mu}g/mL$ (P < 0.05). EJ did not show any significant effect on TNF-${\alpha}$ and GM-CSF production. These results suggest that EJ has anti-inflammtory property related with its inhibition of IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, MIP-2, VEGF, and KC production in LPS-induced macrophages.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.822-829
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• 2020

Nutraceutical treatments can reduce inflammation and prevent the development of inflammatory diseases. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of Smilax guianensis Vitman extract (SGE) were examined. SGE suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated nitrite production in RAW 264.7 cells. SGE also prevented the LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) but not cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Western blot analysis showed that SGE attenuated LPS-induced phosphorylation of IκB kinase (IKK), inhibitor of kappa B (IκB), and p65. Additionally, SGE inhibited LPS-induced IκB degradation in RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot analysis of the cytosolic and nuclear fractions, as well as immunofluorescence assay results, revealed that SGE suppressed LPS-induced p65 nuclear translocation in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, SGE reduced LPS-induced interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA expression and IL-1β and IL-6 protein expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Collectively, these results indicate that SGE suppresses the NF-κB signaling pathway and thereby inhibits the production of NO, IL-1β, and IL-6.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2016

Atopic dermatitis refers to a chronic, recurrent, skin condition, typically typified by itching, inflamed skin. It precedes other allergic diseases, such as asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis, and is usually accompanied by various other immune disorders and secondary symptoms. In this study, we discovered that when treating TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$-stimulated HaCaT cells with various concentrations of Picea wilsonii Mast (PwM) extracts, the cell viability was excellent. In addition, we measured the inflammatory cytokines associated with atopic dermatitis, including IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, and MCP-1. The production of IL-6, IL-13, and MCP-1 decreased in the presence of PwM extracts, whereas there was no significant difference in the production of IL-8. Further studies are necessary to develop an effective cure for atopic dermatitis and inflammation using foreign plant extracts, and PwM efficacy should be determined with an in-depth, objective verification process using protein and mechanism analysis.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.7.1-7.7
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• 2014

The recognition that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) possess potent anti-inflammatory properties in human models has prompted studies investigating their efficacy for animal growth and immunity. This study examined the effect of feeding an n-3 PUFA-enriched diet on growth and immune response of weanling piglets. Newly weaned pigs (averaging $27{\pm}2$ days of age and $8.1{\pm}0.7kg$ of body weight) were assigned randomly to receive a control (3% vegetable oil, n = 20) or n-3 PUFA-supplemented (3% marine n-3 PUFA, n = 20) diet for 28 day after weaning. Female pigs consuming the n-3 PUFA-enriched diet were lighter at week 4 post-weaning than those fed the vegetable oil supplement. Weanling pigs gained more weight, consumed more feed and had better growth to feed ratios between days 14 and 28 than between days 0 and 14 post-weaning. Plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) decreased between days 0 ($87.2{\pm}17.0ng/mL$) and 14 ($68.3{\pm}21.1ng/mL$) after weaning and then increased again by day 28 ($155.2{\pm}20.9ng/mL$). In piglets consuming the vegetable oil-enriched diet, plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) increased from $37.6{\pm}14.5$ to $102.9{\pm}16.6pg/mL$ between days 0 and 14 post-weaning and remained high through day 28 ($99.0{\pm}17.2pg/mL$). The TNF-${\alpha}$ increase detected in the piglets fed vegetable oil was not observed in the piglets fed n-3 PUFA. Results indicate that weaning induces considerable immune stress in piglets and that this stress can be mitigated by dietary supplementation of n-3 PUFA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1047-1055
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• 2015

For the search of a potent first-in-class compound to inactivate macrophages responsible for inflammatory responses, in the present study, we investigated the anti-nflammatory effects of YH-1118, a novel synthetic compound, in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage cell line, Raw 264.7. YH-1118 inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression at both the protein and mRNA levels. The suppression of LPS-induced iNOS expression by YH-1118 was mediated via nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), but not activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor. This was supported by the finding that YH-1118 attenuated the phosphorylation of inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) and nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of NF-κB. Through the mechanisms that YH-1118 inhibited the activation of IκB kinases (IKKs), upstream activators of NF-κB, or p38 MAPK, YH-1118 significantly suppressed LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that YH-1118 inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses by blocking IKK and NF-κB activation in macrophages, and may be a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.457-464
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• 2017

Etoricoxib features antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties concomitantly, suggesting that it may be beneficial in testicular ischemia reperfusion (I/R) damage. Our aim is to investigate the effects of etoricoxib on testicular I/R damage induced with torsion-detorsion (TD). The etoricoxib + torsion-detorsion (ETD) groups of animals were given etoricoxib in 50 and 100 mg/kg of body weight (ETD-50 and ETD-100), while the testes torsion-detorsion (TTD) and sham operation rat group (SOG) animals were given single oral doses of distilled water as a solvent. TTD, ETD-50 and ETD-100 groups were subjected to $720^{\circ}$ degrees torsion for four hours, and detorsion for four hours. The SOG group was not subjected to this procedure. Biochemical, gene expression and histopathological analyses were carried out on the testicular tissues. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) and tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) were significantly higher, and the levels of total glutathione (tGSH) and glutathione reductase (GSHRd) were significantly lower in the TTD group, compared to the ETD-50, ETD-100 and SOG groups. Etoricoxib at a dose of 100 mg/kg better prevented I/R damage than the 50 mg/kg dose. Etoricoxib may be useful in clinical practice in the reduction of I/R damage on testes caused by torsion-detorsion.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.364-369
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation is associated with various types of acute and chronic alcohol liver diseases. In this study, we examined whether umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin, UF) ameliorates chronic alcohol-induced liver damage by modulating inflammatory response and the antioxidant system. METHODS: Rats were fed a Liber-Decarli liquid diet containing 5% alcohol with or without UF (0.05 g/L) for 8 weeks, while normal rats received an isocaloric carbohydrate liquid diet. RESULTS: Chronic alcohol intake significantly increased serum tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin 6 levels and decreased interleukin 10 level; however, UF supplementation reversed the cytokines related to liver damage. UF significantly suppressed hepatic lipopolysaccharide binding protein, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B, and TNF-${\alpha}$ gene expression increases in response to chronic alcohol intake. Masson's trichrome staining revealed that UF improved mild hepatic fibrosis caused by alcohol, and UF also significantly increased the mRNA expressions and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in liver, and thus, decreased lipid peroxide and mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that UF protects against alcohol-induced liver damage by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway and activating the antioxidant system.