• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2009

This study was conducted to develop a new method for enhancing ginsenoside $Rg_3$, which is abundant in black ginseng. The cognition-enhancing effect of black ginseng extract was investigated via the assay of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Black ginseng I was prepared through the traditional method (by steaming and drying nine times repetitions). Black ginseng II, on the other hand, was prepared by steaming the ginseng three times at $120^{\circ}C$ for 30 min after soaking it in grape juice for 24 h. The ginsenosides of white, red, and black ginseng I, and II were investigated using the HPLC method, respectively. In black ginseng II, the ginsenoside $Rg_3$ contents, which cannot be found in white ginseng, amounted to 10.91 mg/g, approximately 18 times more than that in red ginseng. In the in-vivo study, black ginseng extract (200 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibited the AChE activity after 24 h by a single administration in the brain. Thus, the new manufacturing method for black ginseng was found to more effective in the conversion of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ compared to the traditional method. Black ginseng may also have the effect of preventing the cognitive impairment induced by cholinergic dysfunction.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2006

In order to search the availability of the lectin extracted from Korean mistletoe(Viscum album coloratum) as an adjuvant for the avian vaccines, attempts were made to determine toxicity of the lectin in chicks and its immunostimulating activity on the inactivated vaccines against Newcastle disease virus(NDV). For the determination of toxicity, the lectin was injected into the thigh muscle of SPF chicks(Charles River) of 1-week-old and observed hematologically and pathologically. For the determination of immunostimulating effects, lectin-adjuvanted, inactivated NDV vaccines were injected into the thigh muscle of SPF chicks in the same age group. Sera of the chicks were examined for the hemagglutination-inhibition(HI) antibodies induced, their HI titers and reaction to the NDV antigens. The data were further compared with those from aluminum hydroxide [$Al(OH)_3$]-adjuvanted vaccines and vaccines without adjuvant, and the results are as follows. There were no significant changes observed in the values of RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, AST, ALT, BUN, creatinine and total proteins in the chicks administered with lectin of 1.1, 2.2 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, which means the lectin has no effects on blood values and functions of liver and kidney. In histopathologic observation, no lesions were observed in the brain, heart, liver, lung, spleen, kidney, thymus and bursa of Fabricius of the chicks administered with lectin of 1.1, 2.2 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight. There were inflammatory lesions, such as congestion, hemorrhage, edema, infiltration of macrophages and coagulation necrosis observed in the thigh muscle of chicks administered with lectin of $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, whereas no changes were observed in 1.1 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ lectin administered chicks. In chicks immunized with lectin($4.4{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight)-adjuvanted B1, LaSota and Ulster 2C vaccines, HI titers in reciprocal values for $log_2$ were 1.8-2.2 at 1 week after vaccination, which was similar with those of 1.5-2.9 by $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines. The HI titers by the lectin-adjuvanted vaccines reached to 3.9-5.3 at 4 weeks, whereas those by the $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines were more high as 7.3-9.3. Meanwhile, the immunostimulating effects of the lectin were recognized while compared to the HI titers with 2.4-3.7 in chicks immunized with vaccines without adjuvants at 4 weeks after vaccination. The chicks immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccines were enough to resist challenges by Kyojeongwon strain, a very virulent NDV at 4 weeks after vaccination as well as chicks immunized with $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines. The HI titers by the lectin-adjuvanted vaccines reached to high level as 8.7-10.3 as those with 8.2-9.6 by the $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines at 6 weeks after vaccination, which may be the booster effects by the challenge virus. Antibodies specific to the HN and F antigens of NDV were observed in the sera of both chicks immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccines and $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 1999

The cytotoxicity of 1,3-diphenylpropenone derivatives known to inhibit the farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase) was examined against various established tumor cell line, A549 (lung cancer), SKMEL-2 (uterine cancer), HCT-15 (skin cancer), SKOV-3 (brain cancer) and XF-498 (colon cancer) of the 1,3-diphenylpropenone derivatives showing farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase) inhibition activity. And the structure-activity relationship (SAR) between structure of 1,3-diphenylpropenone derivatives as substrate and cytotoxicity was investigated by Free-Wilson analysis as well as Hansch method with tumor cell lines. From the result of Free-Wilson analyses, X-substituents on the benzoyl group have a more important role than Y-substituents on the styryl group. The 2,4-dichloro substituent, 15 and 2,4-dimethyl substituent, 16 showed the highest cytotoxicity (average pI_(50)=5.0). Particulary, the cytotoxicity of X-substituents increased with electronic effect $({\sigma})$ due to weak electron withdrawing group with optimum value $({\sigma}_{opt}=0.22{\sim}0.29})$ whereas that of Y-substituent resulted from various factors such as logP, $B_1$ and R constant.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.97-101
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• 2005

Flupyrazofos (O,O-diethyl O-1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazo-5-yl phosphorothioate) is an organophosphorus insecticide with a pyrazole moiety which is newly developed and commercialized by SUNGBO chemical company and Korean Research Institute of Chemical Technology for effectively control against diamond back moth. This study was conducted to determine the composition and quantity of impurities in technical 1 (94.5%), technical 2 (97.6%) and purified (99.2%) flupyrazofos using GLC/MSD. Bimolecular inhibition rate constant($k_i$) with acethylcholinesterase (in vitro) and $I_{50}$ with mouse brain acetylcholinesterase (in vivo) were measured for comparing inhibitory patterns of two technicals and purified flupyrazofos. Impurities of flupyrazofos were identified as O,O,O-triethylthio-phosphoric acid (TEA), 1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-5-ethoxy pyrazole(PTMEP), O,O-diethyl O-1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazo-5-yl phosphoric acid ester(flupyrazofos oxen), O,S-diethyl O-1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazo-5-yl phosphorothionate (S-ethyl flupyrazofos). In in vitro, technical 1 showed the fastest inhibition on AChE activity among them. And technical 1 and 2 showed 40% higher in vivo inhibition against mouse brian AChE than purified flupyrazofos did. These results could be caused by the impurities such as flupyrazofos oxen and S-methyl flupyrazofos contained in technical grades of flupyrazofos.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.891-897
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• 2007

This experimental Study was designed to investigate the mechanism of Acanthopanacis Cortex Roots(ACR) 50% ethyl alcohol extract on the improvement of regional cerebral blood flow and cytokines production in cerebral ischemic rats. And was designed to investigate whether ACR inhibits lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity in neuronal cells The results were as follows; ACR significantly inhibited LDH activity in neuronal cells. These results suggest that ACR prevents the neuronal death. rCBF was significantly and stably increased by ACR(10 mg/kg, i.p.) during the period of cerebral reperfusion, which contrasted with the findings of rapid and marked increase in control group. In cytokine production of serum by drawing from femoral arterial blood at 1 hr after middle cerebral arterial occlusion, experimental group was significantly decreased $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production, and significantly increased IL-10 production compared with control group. In cytokine production of serum by drawing from femoral arterial blood at 1 hr after reperfusion, experimental group was significantly decreased $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production, and significantly increased IL-10 production compared with control group. According to above results, the author suggest that ACR had an anti-ischemic effect through the improvement of cerebral hemodynamics, and inhibitive effect on the brain damage by inhibited $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production, and accelerated IL-10 production.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.245-251
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• 2008

Single-channel recordings of TASK-1 and TASK-3, members of two-pore domain $K^+$ channel family, have not yet been reported in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, even though their mRNA and activity in whole-cell currents have been detected in these neurons. Here, we report single-channel kinetics of the TASK-3-like $K^+$ channel in DRG neurons and up-regulation of TASK-3 mRNA expression in tissues isolated from animals with spinal cord injury (SCI). In DRG neurons, the single-channel conductance of TASK-3-like $K^+$ channel was $33.0{\pm}0.1$ pS at - 60 mV, and TASK-3 activity fell by $65{\pm}5%$ when the extracellular pH was changed from 7.3 to 6.3, indicating that the DRG $K^+$ channel is similar to cloned TASK-3 channel. TASK-3 mRNA and protein levels in brain, spinal cord, and DRG were significantly higher in injured animals than in sham-operated ones. These results indicate that TASK-3 channels are expressed and functional in DRG neurons and the expression level is up-regulated following SCI, and suggest that TASK-3 channel could act as a potential background $K^+$ channel under SCI-induced acidic condition.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2014

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from abnormal cellular process lead to various human diseases such as inflammation, ischemia, and Parkinson's disease (PD). Sensitive to apoptosis gene (SAG), a RING-FINGER protein, has anti-apoptotic activity and anti-oxidant activity. In this study, we investigate whether Tat-SAG, fused with a Tat domain, could protect SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ($MPP^+$) and dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine (MPTP) toxicity. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis showed that, unlike SAG, Tat-SAG transduced efficiently into SH-SY5Y cells and into the brain, respectively. Tat-SAG remarkably suppressed ROS generation, DNA damage, and the progression of apoptosis, caused by $MPP^+$ in SH-SY5Y cells. Also, immunohistochemical data using a tyrosine hydroxylase antibody and cresyl violet staining demonstrated that Tat-SAG obviously protected DA neurons in the SN against MPTP toxicity in a PD mouse model. Tat-SAG-treated mice showed significant enhanced motor activities, compared to SAG- or Tat-treated mice. Therefore, our results suggest that Tat-SAG has potential as a therapeutic agent against ROS-related diseases such as PD.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.2349-2356
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• 2008

In this paper, we present the method to effectively extract and classify the EEG caused by only brain activity when a normal subject is in a state of mental activity. We measure the synchronous EEG on the auditory event when a subject who is in a normal state thinks of a specific task, and then shift the baseline and reduce the effect of biological artifacts on the measured EEG. Finally we extract only the mental task signal by averaging method, and then perform the recognition of the extracted mental task signal by computing the AR coefficients. In the experiment, the auditory stimulus is used as an event and the EEG was recorded from the three channel $C_3-A_1$, $C_4-A_2$ and $P_Z-A_1$. After averaging 16 times for each channel output, we extracted the features of specific mental tasks by modeling the output as 12th order AR coefficients. We used total 36th order coefficient as an input parameter of the neural network and measured the training data 50 times per each task. With data not used for training, the rate of task recognition is 34-92 percent on the two tasks, and 38-54 percent on the four tasks.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2011

The antioxidant activities of 60% ethanol extracts from different parts (leaf, stem, and root) of Artemisia argyi using an in vitro system were examined to find a possibility as natural antioxidant substances. The highest total phenolics (23.08 mg/g) was obtained by 60% ethanol extract of leaf. The scavenging activity of 60% ethanol extract from different parts of A. argyi on the DPPH and ABTS radical was raised with increasing amount of extracts, and 60% ethanol extract from leaf showed the highest radical scavenging activities. The leaf extract presented the highest reducing power and strong inhibitory effect on autooxidation of linoleic acid. In MDA formation using mouse brain homogenates, the 60% ethanol extracts of A. argyi also exhibited antioxidant activity as inhibition of MDA (71.38% at $200{\mu}g/mL$). Therefore, these results suggest that the 60% ethanol extract of A. argyi leaf possess excellent antioxidant activities and thus it has great potential as a source for natural antioxidant.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.720-726
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• 2010

The in vitro antioxidant activities and neuronal cell protective effects of 60% (w/v) methanolic extract from Houttuynia cordata were investigated. The contents of total phenolics and quercitrin in the extract were 17.71 mg/g and 75.80 ${\mu}g$/g, respectively. DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities were 87.79% and 99.27%, respectively, when the extract was tested at 5 mg/ml. The FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) assay showed a dose-dependent increse in activity. In a cell viability assay using MTT, the extract protected against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage was also inhibited by the extract, as was lipid peroxidation as shown using the mouse brain homogenate test. These data indicate that a 60% (w/v) methanolic extract of Houttuynia cordata has in vitro antioxidant activities, and ingestion there of may reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.