• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1095-1101
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Gastrodiae Rhizoma (G. Rhizoma) on blood pressure-lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) fed high-fat diet supplemented with 10% (w/w) of lard during the experimental period of 8 weeks. Forty of male SHR weighing approximately 100 g were randomly divided into eight groups; A: negative control (lard 10%), B: positive control (lard 10% ＋ basal diet ＋ 5 brix water extract), C: lard 10% ＋ 1% G. Rhizoma powder, D: lard 10%＋5% G. Rhizoma powder, E: lard 10%＋2 brix 50% ethanol extract, F: lard 10%＋10 brix 50% ethanol extract, G: lard 10%＋2 brix water extract, H: lard 10% ＋ 10 brix water extract. A gain in weight did not differ significantly among dietary groups, but a little higher in control groups than in G. Rhizoma dietary groups. Except for spleen, weights of liver, kidney and testis are significantly different among dietary groups. Serum total cholesterol concentration was markedly higher in control groups than in G. Rhizoma groups (p<0.05), however, there was no significant difference in serum triglyceride. Except for negative control (A) and group D, serum HDL concentration was significantly higher in G. Rhizoma groups (p<0.05). On the other hand, serum LDL concentration was significantly higher in two control groups (A, B) and markedly lower in E and G groups of hot water extract of G. Rhizoma (p<0.05). Reference systolic blood pressure (BP) showed average 185.7$\pm$5.8 mmHg for 4 weeks after feeding high-fat diet, and the pressure was measured on every 7 days intervals after feeding of G. Rhizoma diet. Comparing with reference BP before feeding of G. Rhizoma diet, the groups of 50% ethanol (E, F) and water (G) extracts on BP level after 28 days were shown to be reduced at 16.8, 20.2 and 11.7 mmHg, respectively. When the pressure (187 mmHg) of group A was considered as 100%, the reduction rate of BP in group F was 11% (20.5 mmHg). These results indicated that the groups treated with ethanol extracts of G. Rhizoma showed to have lower blood pressure level compacred to the groups treated with whole powder or water extracts of G.Rhizoma in SHR fed with high-fat diet.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1337-1344
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• 2019

Osteoporosis is characterized by a reduction in bone mass and typically manifests as an increase in fractures. Because this disease is common in elderly populations and lifespans are rapidly increasing, the incidence of osteoporosis has also grown. Most drugs currently used for osteoporosis treatment target osteoclasts in the bone tissue to prevent absorption. However, these medications also cause certain side effects and, furthermore, cannot increase bone mass. Thus, in order to control osteoporosis, regenerative medicine that utilizes adult stem cells and osteoblasts has been extensively studied. Statins, also known as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been widely prescribed for cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of various statins on bone formation via the activation of osteoblasts. Thus, the current study investigated the effects of seven statin-family drugs on osteoblast activity during osteogenic differentiation using adult stem cells from human periosteal tissue. Specifically, statin effects on alkaline phosphatase activity, an early marker of bone cell differentiation, and on calcium deposit, a late marker of bone cell differentiation, were assessed. The results demonstrate that some statins (for example, pitavastatin and pravastatin) have a weak but positive effect on bone formation, and the findings therefore suggest that statin treatments can be a novel modulator for osteogenic differentiation and regenerative medicine using periosteal stem cells.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.463-469
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• 2008

During the last decade, monacolin-K biosynthesized by fermentation of red yeast rice (Monascus strains) was proved to have an efficient cholesterol lowering capability, leading to rapid increase in the market demand for the functional red yeast rice. In this study, the production medium composition and components were optimized on a shake flask scale for monacolin-K production by Monascus pilosus (KCCM 60160). The effect of three different soybean flours on the monacolin-K production were studied in order to replace the nitrogen sources of basic production medium (yeast extract, malt extract and beef extract). Among the several experiments, the production medium with dietary soybean flour to replace a half of yeast extract was very good for monacolin-K production. Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to determine the key factors which are critical to produce the biological products in the fermentation. According to the result of Plackett-Burman experimental design, a second order response surface design was applied using yeast extract, beef extract and $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ as factors. Applying this model, the optimum concentration of the three variables was obtained. The maximum monacolin-K production (369.6 mg/L) predicted by model agrees well with the experimental value (418 mg/L) obtained from the experimental verification at the optimal medium. The yield of monacolin-K was increased by 67% as compared to that obtained with basic production medium in shake flasks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.674-682
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• 2009

This study was designed to examine the effects of Compositae plants on plasma glucose and lipid levels in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups: normal, STZ-control and three experimental groups [Artemisia iwayomogi (A. iwayomogi), Atractylodes lancea (A. lancea), and Taraxacum mongolicum (T. mongolicum)]. Normal and STZ-control group were fed an AIN-93 diet and three experimental groups were each fed a modified diet containing 10% compositae powder for 4 weeks. The plasma glucose levels at 4 weeks of A. iwayomogi, A. lancea, and T. mongolicum groups were significantly lower than STZ-control group. The A. iwayomogi and A. lancea groups had significantly suppressed hypertrophy of liver and kidney. The hematocrit levels of A. lancea and T. mongolicum group were significantly lower than STZ-control groups. The total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and atherogenic index (AI) of A. lancea group were significantly lower than STZ-control group. Intake of Compositae plants may be effective in antihyperglycemia by lowering blood glucose levels. The A. iwayomogi, A. lancea, and T. mongolicum can be beneficial for the diabetic complications and damage from the lipid peroxidation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.270-284
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• 1997

Effects of dietary carotenoids were investigated on the metaboβsm and body pigmentation of rainbow trout(Salmo gairdneri), masu salmon(Oncorhynchus macrostomos), eel(Anguilla japonica), rock fish(Sebastes inermis) and black rock fish(Sebastes schlegeli). Three weeks later after depletion, these fishes were fed diet supplemented with ${\beta}-carotene$, lutein, canthaxanthin', astaxanthin or ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ for 4 to 5 weeks, respectively. Carotenoids distributed to and changed in integument were analyzed. In the integument of rainbow trout. zeaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$ and canthaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoids, while lutein, isocryptoxanthin and salmoxanthin were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of masu salmon, zeaxanthin was found to be the major carotenoids, while triol, lutein, tunaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$, ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and canthaxanthin were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of eel, ${\beta}-carotene$ was found to be the major carotenoids, while lutein, zeaxanthin and ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of rock fish, zeaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$, tunaxanthin$(A{\sim}C)$ and lutein were found to be the major carotenoids, while ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$, ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ and astaxanthin were the minor carotenoids. Likely in the integument of black rock fish, ${\beta}-carotene$, astaxanthin and zeaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoids, whereas ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$, ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$, lutein and canthaxanthin were the minor contributor. The efficacy of body pigmentation by the accumulation of carotenoids in the integument of rainbow trout and masu salmon were the most effectively shown in the canthaxanthin group and of eel, rock fish and black rock fish were the most effectively shown in the lutein group. Based on these results in the integument of each fish, dietary carotenoids were presumably biotransformed via oxidative and reductive pathways. In the rainbow trout, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to astaxanthin via successively isocryptoxanthin, echinenone and canthaxanthin. Lutein was oxidized to canthaxanthin. Canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$ via isozeaxanthin, and astaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via triol. In the masu salmon, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to zeaxanthin. Lutein was reduced to zeaxanthin via tunaxanthin. Canthaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via ${\beta}-carotene$. and astaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via triol. In the eel, ${\beta}-carotene$ and lutein were directly deposited but canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$, and cholesterol lowering effect by Meju supplementation might be resulted from the modulation of fecal axanthin, astaxanthin and ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ were oxidized and reduced to tunaxanthin via zeaxanthin. In the black roch fish, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$. Lutein was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$ via ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$. Canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ via successively ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and zeaxanthin. Astaxanthin converted to tunaxanthin via isocryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, and ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ was reduced to ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ via ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and zeaxanthin.