• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2022

Kelp belongs to the brown algae family and has been reported to exert anti-cancer effects on some cancer types, however studies have not been reported on the anti-cancer effects of kelp extracts on melanoma. In this study, the anti-cancer effects of kelp extract in B16-F0 cells were investigated, and the underlying molecular mechanisms were assessed. Kelp extract was found to inhibit the proliferation of B16-F0 cells, induce cytotoxicity, inhibit cell colony formation, and induce DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. The molecular mechanism was found to involve kelp extract increasing the expression of cytochrome-c and activated caspase-9 in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In addition, kelp extract upregulated the expression of Fas-associated protein with death domain and activated caspase-8 in the extrinsic apoptosis pathway. Activation of caspase-9 and caspase-8 by kelp extract induced activation of caspase-3 and cleaved poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase, consequently inducing apoptosis. These data suggest that kelp extract represents a potential therapeutic agent for melanoma.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.969-979
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• 2021

Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic metabolic disease, and the goal of diabetes treatment is to keep blood glucose at a normal level and prevent complications from diabetes. Hyperglycemia is a key pathologic feature of type 2 diabetes that mainly results from insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. Chronic exposure of β-cells to elevated glucose concentrations induces glucotoxicity. In this study, we examined whether an 80% ethanol extract of Oxya chinensis sinuosa Mishchenko (OEE) protected INS-1 pancreatic β-cells against glucotoxicity-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress. Pretreatment with a high concentration of glucose (high glucose = 30 mM) induced glucotoxicity and apoptosis of INS-1 pancreatic β cells. Treatment with OEE significantly increased cell viability. Treatment with 0.01-0.20 mg/ml OEE dose dependently decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide levels and increased insulin secretion in high glucose-pretreated INS-1 β cells. OEE also significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes in response to high-glucose-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, OEE treatment significantly reduced the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins, including Bax, cytochrome C, caspase-3, and caspase-9, and increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression. Apoptotic cells were identified using Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining, which revealed that treatment with OEE significantly reduced high-glucose-induced apoptosis. These findings implicate OEE as a valuable functional food in protecting pancreatic β-cells against glucotoxicity-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.496-507
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• 2023

This study investigated species identification and labeling compliance of 48 shrimp products sold in the Korean online markets. Species identification was conducted using the standard DNA barcoding method, using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The obtained sequences were compared with those deposited in the NCBI GenBank and BOLD Systems databases. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis was performed to further verify the identified shrimp species. Consequently, 16 shrimp species were identified, including Penaeus vannamei, Pandalus borealis, Palaemon gravieri, Leptochela gracilis, Penaeus monodon, Pleoticus muelleri, Metapenaeopsis dalei, Euphausia pacifica, Lebbeus groenlandicus, Trachypenaeus curvirostris, Argis lar, Metanephrops thomsoni, Metapenaeopsis barbata, Alpheus japonicus, Penaeus chinensis, and Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii. The most prevalent species was Penaeus vannamei, found in 45.8% of the analyzed products. A significant mislabeling rate of 72.9% was found; however, upon excluding generic names such as shrimp, the mislabeling rate reduced to 10.4%. The mislabeling rate was higher in highly-processed products (89.3%) compared with that in minimally-processed products (50%). No correlation was found between the country of origin and mislabeling rate. The results of this study provide crucial data for future monitoring of shrimp products and improving the labeling of shrimp species in Korea.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.276-286
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• 2024

In the present study, we investigated whether a mixture of fucoidan and Crepidiastrum denticulatum extract (FCE) had the potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy of cancer treatment. The results demonstrated that FCE significantly reduced cell viability and induced the release of LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) and DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, FCE treatment also increased the protein expression level of p53, the release of cytochrome c, and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, FCE dose-dependently increased protein expression levels of Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 and -9. However, FCE decreased the protein expression level of Bcl-2. These results suggest that FCE inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway. The present study demonstrates that FCE can be used as an anti-cancer agent for liver cancer based on apoptosis mechanism.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.145-163
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• 2002

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of Woohwangcheongsim-won and to study the mechanism for neuronal death protection in hypoxia with Embryonic day 20 (E20) cortical cells of a rat (Sprague Dawley). Methods: E20 cortical cells were dissociated in neurobasal media and grown for 14 days in vitro (DIV). On 14 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won was added to the culture media for 24 hrs or 72 hrs. On 17 DIV, cells were given a hypoxic shock and further incubated in normoxia for another three days. On 20 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection were evaluated by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain and the mechanisms were studied by Bcl-2, Bak, Bax, caspase family, PKCα, ca1pain I. Results & Conclusions : 1. This study indicated that Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection in hypoxia were confirmed by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain in culture method of Embryonic day 20(E20) cortical neuroblasts. 2. Woohwangcheongsim-won's mechanisms for neuronal death protection in hypoxia are to reduce the membrane damage fraction, to restrain DNA truncate, to restrain inflow of cytochrome c into cellularity caused by Bak diminution, to reduce the caspase cascade intiator caspase-8 and the effector caspase-3, to reduce the calpain I activity and to increase PKCand its activity in the membrane fraction. (J Korean Oriental Moo 2002;23(3):145～163)

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2013

Ionizing radiation, including that evoked by gamma (${\gamma}$)-rays, induces oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This study aimed to elucidate the radioprotective effects of hyperoside (quercetin-3-O-galactoside) against ${\gamma}$-ray radiation-induced apoptosis in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, V79-4 and demonstrated that the compound reduced levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species in ${\gamma}$-ray-irradiated cells. Hyperoside also protected irradiated cells against DNA damage (evidenced by pronounced DNA tails and elevated phospho-histone H2AX and 8-oxoguanine content) and membrane lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, hyperoside prevented the ${\gamma}$-ray-provoked reduction in cell viability via the inhibition of apoptosis through the increased levels of Bcl-2, the decreased levels of Bax and cytosolic cytochrome c, and the decrease of the active caspase 9 and caspase 3 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that hyperoside defend cells against ${\gamma}$-ray radiation-induced apoptosis by inhibiting oxidative stress.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.262-270
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• 2010

CD95 receptor is a member of tumor necrosis factor receptor family that mediates apoptosis in many cell types when bound by CD95 ligand or cross-linked by agonistic anti-CD95 antibodies. To determine the role of neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase) on CD95-mediatd apoptosis, human Jurkat T lymphocytes were exposed to recombinant human CD95 ligand. Treatment with CD95 ligand induced cell death in a concentration and time-dependent manner. CD95-induced cell death was suppressed by inhibitors of SMase such as AY9944 or desipramine. Transfection with human nSMase1 siRNA plasmid into CD95 ligand-treated cells significantly prevented CD95-mediated cell death. CD95-mediated elevation of intracellular ceramide level detected by FACS analysis with anti-ceramide antibody was also decreased by nSMase1 siRNA. Knock-down of nSMase1 expression also blocked cytochrome c release into cytosol and caspase-3 cleavage in CD95-treated cells. Taken together, these results suggest that nSMase1 may play an important role in CD95-mediated apoptotic cell death in Jurkat T cells.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2013

History and current status of human taeniasis in the Republic of Korea, due to Taenia solium, Taenia asiatica, and Taenia saginata, are briefly reviewed. Until the 1980s, human taeniasis had been quite common in various localities of Korea. A study from 1924 reported 12.0% egg prevalence in fecal examinations. Thereafter, the prevalence of Taenia spp. ranged from 3% to 14% depending on the time and locality. Jeju-do, where pigs were reared in a conventional way, was the highest endemic area of taeniasis. An analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 genes of 68 taeniasis cases reported from 1935 to 2005 in Korea by a research group revealed the relative occurrence of the 3 Taenia spp. as follows: T. solium (4.4%), T. asiatica (75.0%), and T. saginata (20.6%). However, national surveys on intestinal helminths conducted every 5 years on randomly selected people revealed that the Taenia egg prevalence dropped from 1.9% in 1971 to 0.02% in 1997 and finally to 0.0% in 2004. With the exception of 3 egg-positive cases reported in 2008 and 2 worm-proven cases in 2011, no more cases have been officially recorded. Based on these surveys and also on other literature, it can be concluded that taeniasis has virtually disappeared from Korea, although a few sporadic cases may remain hidden. Human cysticercosis is also expected to disappear within a couple of decades in Korea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2021

To provide better taxonomic information of the genus Nectoneanthes, the two DNA barcode regions of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences of Nectoneanthes oxypoda and N. uchiwa were determined. In addition, the respective sequences of four nereidid species closely related to Nectoneanthes were retrieved from GenBank for comparison and to estimate intra- and inter-specific genetic distances. The aligned sequence lengths of COI and 16S rDNA were 570 bp and 419 bp long, respectively. The mean intraspecific variation in both markers was less than 1% in all species except for that in COI of H. diadroma (1.87%). The mean interspecific variation between N. oxypoda and N. uchiwa was 12.02% regarding COI and 1.85% regarding 16S rDNA. In contrast, the mean interspecific variation between species of other genera was comparably higher(i.e., genus Perinereis: 20.5% in COI and 8.3% in 16S rDNA; genus Hediste: 13.18% in COI and 2.64% in 16S rDNA), compared with that between the two Nectoneanthes species. This result indicated that these Nectoneanthes species are genetically more closely related than other congeneric species of different genera. The DNA barcoding information on Nectoneanthes species generated in this study provides valuable insights for further biodiversity studies on nereidid species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.212-220
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• 2022

An estuary is a water ecosystem with a high abundance of the species diversity, due to a variety of complex physicochemical factors of the area where freshwater and ocean mixed. The identification of Corbicula species in the estuary environments is difficult because of various morphological characteristics. In this study, we provide taxonomic information on Corbicula species with taxonomic difficulties using morphological and genetic analysis. This study was conducted on clams from the Seomjin River-Gwangyang Bay, one of the major production area of marsh clam in Korea. As a result, we characterized Cytocrome C Oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of the Corbicula. The 636 bp nucleotide sequences of COI have 98% homology among Corbicula species collected from 2 sites of Seomjin River-Gwangyang Bay. The phylogenetic analysis with 17 species of Corbicula indicated that most of the species collected from Seomjin River-Gwangyang Bay were brackish water clam (Corbicula japonica), and only one Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea). The evolutionary distance between C. japonica and C. fluminea was less than 0.003. Therefore, it was confirmed that C. japonica is phylogenetically closely related to C. fluminea. In 9 species of Cyrenidae, phylogenetic tree was classified into three lineages. These results will be used as an important data for an identification of clam species by providing genetic information for Corbicula species with a morphological diversity.