• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2005

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells is, at least in part, associated with the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Many studies have demonstrated that natural compounds obtained from fruits, vegetables, teas and medicinal plants may modulate P-gp activity. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the effect of seven natural compounds on the P-gp activity in human uterine sarcoma cell line, MES-SA/DX5. Daunomycin uptake was significantly increased by biochanin A and silymarin (p<0.0001) whereas it was reduced by morin (p<0.01). The efflux of daunomycin from the cells was significantly inhibited by biochanin A, morin, cephalotaxine, berberine (p<0.05) and silymarin (p<0.0001). Biochanin A, berberine and silymarin significantly decreased $IC_{50}$ value of daunomycin (p<0.05) while morin increased it (p<0.05). These results suggest that some natural compounds such as biochanin A and silymarin may inhibit P-gp function and can be developed as MDR reversing agents to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs when administered concomitantly.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.226-235
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• 2023

Chikungunya fever has a high morbidity rate in humans and is caused by chikungunya virus. There are no treatments available until now for this particular viral disease. The present study was carried out by selecting 19 flavonoids, which are available naturally in fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and medicinal plants. The molecular docking of selected 19 flavonoids was carried out against the Chikungunya virus capsid protein using the Autodock4.2 software. Binding affinity analysis based on the Intermolecular interactions such as Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions and drug-likeness properties for all the 19 flavonoids have been carried out and it is found that the top four molecules are Chrysin, Fisetin, Naringenin and Biochanin A as they fit to the chikungunya protein and have binding energy of -8.09, -8.01, -7.6, and 7.3 kcal/mol respectively. This result opens up the possibility of applying these compounds in the inhibition of chikungunya viral protein.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 2009

The immunosuppressive properties of flavonoids were examined for the first time by testing their effects on T-cell-mediated antibody production, using a classical plague-forming cell (PFC) assay in mice. Among the tested flavonoids including naringenin, chrysin, flavonol, galangin, quercetin, morin, myricetin and biochanin A, only quercetin, orally administered at 25 mg/kg, significantly inhibited the number of IgMproducing PFCs induced by sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Interestingly, biochanin A (isoflavone) increased the number of PFCs, suggesting an immunostimulatory effect. The other flavonoids tested did not inhibit or enhance PFC response significantly. Quercetin was also found to show thymus atrophy dose-dependently at 5-500 mg/kg. All these results indicate that quercetin inhibits in vivo antibody production probably by inhibiting T-cell function.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.70-76
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• 2003

Five isoflavonoids, biochanin A-7-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1⟶6)-β-D-gluco- pyranoside (1), (-)-maackiain (2), calycosin (3), trifolirhizin (4) and genistein (5), were tested for antifungal activity against nine fungi. These compounds were isolated from the wood (compound 1 and 2) and from the bark (compound 3, 4 and 5) of S. japonica. According to the results of antifungal activity test, (-)-maackiain was evaluated as the best antifungal compound among the isolated compounds. In this regard, it could be mentioned that high antifungal activity of S. japonica wood extracts was originated from (-)-maackiain.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.823-828
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• 2005

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the most significant obstacles in cancer chemotherapy. One of the mechanisms involved in the development of MDR is the over-expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). It is widely known that natural compounds found in vegetables, fruits, plant-derived beverages and herbal dietary supplements not only have anticancer properties, but may also modulate P-gp activity. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of naturally occurring products on P-gp function in human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (sensitive) and MCF-7/ADR (resistant). The accumulation of daunomycin (DNM), a P-gp substrate, was greater in the sensitive cells compared to the resistant cells, while the efflux of DNM was higher in the resistant cells compared to the sensitive cells over a period of 2h. The $IC_{50}$ value of DNM in the resistant cells was about 22 times higher than that in the sensitive cells, indicating an over-expression of P-gp in the resistant cells, MCF-7/ADR. All of the compounds tested, with the exception of fisetin, significantly decreased the $IC_{50}$ value of DNM. Biochanin A showed the greatest increase in $[^3H]-DNM$ accumulation, increasing by $454.3{\pm}19.5%$ in the resistant cells, whereas verapamil, the positive control, increased the accumulation by $229.4{\pm}17.6%$. Also, the accumulation of $[^3H]-DNM$ was increased substantially by quercetin and silymarin while it was reduced by fisetin. Moreover, biochanin A, silymarin, and naringenin significantly decreased DNM efflux from MCF-7/ADR cells compared with the control. These results suggest that some flavonoids such as biochanin A and silymarin may reverse MDR by inhibiting the P-gp function.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1157-1167
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• 2014

In order to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of five selected cereal grains-proso millet, hwanggeumchal sorghum, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and adlay-the inhibitory activities of 80% ethanol (EtOH) extracts obtained from the individual grains on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) generation were investigated in RAW264.7 cells. The EtOH extract of barnyard millet (Echinochloa crus-galli var. frumentacea) grains exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than that of the other grains. When the EtOH extract of barnyard millet grains was sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol, the majority of the anti-inflammatory activity was detected in the MC fraction, followed by the EtOAc fraction. Pretreatment with the MC fraction caused downregulation of the expression levels of iNOS- and COX-2-specific transcripts and proteins, as well as proinflammatory cytokine gene transcripts (IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and TNF-${\alpha}$) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, the MC fraction could suppress not only the LPS-induced nuclear translocation of cytosolic NF-kB, but also the LPS-induced activation of MAPKs, such as ERK, JNK, and p38MAPK. Further analysis of the MC fraction by HPLC identified kaempferol, biochanin A, and formononetin as the major phenolic components. Both kaempferol and biochanin A, but not formononetin, could exert anti-inflammatory effect at the same concentrations as those of the MC fraction. Consequently, these results indicate that kaempferol and biochanin A are among the most effective anti-inflammatory phenolic components in barnyard millet grains. This finding suggests that barnyard millet grains and the MC extract enriched in kaempferol and biochanin A could be beneficial functional food sources that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food and Cookery Science Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2005

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.10 no.3_4
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• pp.29-40
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• 1995

To investigate and evaluate the scavenging and antioxidative effects of various ftavonoids on paraquat induced pulmonary toxicity, in vivo and vitro tests of eight flavonoids(catechin, epicatechin, flayone, chrysin, apigenin, quercetin, morin and biochanin A) were carried out. In vitro test, inhibitory and antioxidative effects of lipoxygenase dependent lipidperoxidation, NADPH dependent cytochrome p-450 reductase to liver and lung microsome and superoxide anion production in rat peritoneal exudated macrophage were studied. In vivo test, biochemical parameters and cell population in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) in mouse and rats after administration of paraquat and flavonoids were tested. The results are summerized as follows; 1. All flavonoids tested inhibited on NADPH dependent cytochrome p-450 reductase in liver and lung microsome. 2. All flavonoids tested showed the inhibitory effects on the superoxide anion production in rat peritoneal exudated macropharge. 3. Lactate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and total protein in BALF of mouse which increased by the administration of paraquat, decreased significantly by catechin, chrysin, morin and biochanin A. 4. Numbers of alveolar macropharge and PMN in BALF of rats which increased by the administration of paraquat decreased by all the tested flavonoids. Therefore, all flavonoids tested showed the useful compounds for scavenger and antioxidant on paraquat induced pulmonary toxicity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2004

To assess the estrogenicities of Korean arrowroot (Pueraria thunbergiana) the contents of nine phytochemicals which are known to present were analyzed by HPLC. Also the estrogenecities of these phytochemicals were assayed using estrogen receptor dependent transcriptional expression assay. Daidzein and puerarin are major compounds in arrowroot, which were contained in the order of: root>stem>leaf>flower>seed. Among the assayed phytochemicals daidzein, genistein, biochanin A, formononetin, puerarin and genistin were highly estrogenic. The total estrogenicities in different parts of arrowroot and those by regions in Korea were also assessed. Roots had the highest estrogenic effects. The estrogenicities also were shown in stem and leaf. The differences in the estrogenicities of arrowroots by regions in Korea were shown. These results demonstrated that the estrogenic phytochemicals content was the highest in Korean arrowroot and also present in stem and leaf.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.131.1-131.1
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• 2003

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring compounds derived from plants. Structurally, some phytoestrogens resemble endogenous estrogen of humans and animals. Phytoestrogens exhibit estrogen agonist/antagonist properties and have many biological effects such as prevention of hormone-dependent breast cancer, anti-oxidative activity, inhibition of tyrosine kinase activities and inhibition of angiogenesis. In this study we investigated whether biochanin A, a phytoestrogen, and its metabolites such genistein, p-ethylphenol and phenolic aic affect IL-4 production in EL-4 thymoma cell-line and primary lymph node cells. (omitted)