• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2021

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asian countries. It is produced by the fermentation of a particular yeast (in general, Monascus purpureus) as rice and various cereals (barley, soybean, etc.). Monascus sp. produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites―specifically, monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, dimerumic acid, and monascus pigments―have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while showing anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of ethanol extract from red yeast barley (RYB) fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK 2 on 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-obesity effects of RYB extract were examined: its lipid accumulation inhibitory effect was tested by Oil Red O staining, and obesity-related mRNA expression levels were tested by real-time RT-PCR in MDI stimulated 3T3-L1 cells. The intracellular lipid content of MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 cells decreased significantly to 5.04%, 12.24%, and 23.52% in response to 200, 400, and 800 ㎍/ml RYB, respectively. Moreovers, we evaluated that RYB extract significantly downregulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP-1, and PPAR-γ gene in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, red yeast barley ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-obesity effects. Also, the results indicate that red yeast barley could be used as a functional anti-obesity food material.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1985

The degree of The degree of The degree of ${Zn}^{2+}$ effect on the photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation activities in barley chloroplasts has been tested.${Zn}^{2+}$treatment was done in the 2 ways. One was that it was added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants grown under the normal ${Zn}^{2+}$level (10$^{-6}$ M). The other was that the different concentrations of ${Zn}^{2+}$was applied in each growth medium. Then, it was not added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants. PS II activity in both way of the treatments was more severely inhibited than PS I by the increment of ${Zn}^{2+}$ concentration. The photophosphorylation activity measured by pH measurement was gradually decreased with the increase of ${Zn}^{2+}$concentration in both ways, too. However, it was shown that M $n^{2+}$ could be near fully overcome the inhibitory effect of ${Zn}^{2+}$in PS II, and $Mg^{2+}$ could also reduce the Z $n^{2+}$ inhibition in the photophosphorylation. In the low concentrations of $Mg^{2+}$ (3 to 5$\times$10$^{-3}$ M) in the suspension, ${Zn}^{2+}$(2$\times$10$^{-5}$ M) could increase the activity of photophosphorylation. As compares to other cations, Z $n^{2+}$ caused less inhibitory effect on the photophosphorylation activity than Cu, Cd, but more than Pb and Ni. It may be assumed that a complex from reaction of Z $n^{2+}$ and mercaptoethanol was produced and it could reduce the stability of CPI band during SDS-PAGE.effect on the photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation activities in barley chloroplasts has been tested. Z $n^{2+}$ treatment was done in the 2 ways. One was that it was added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants grown under the normal Z $n^{2+}$ level (10$^{-6}$ M). The other was that the different concentrations of Z $n^{2+}$ was applied in each growth medium. Then, it was not added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants. PS II activity in both way of the treatments was more severely inhibited than PS I by the increment of Z $n^{2+}$ concentration. The photophosphorylation activity measured by pH measurement was gradually decreased with the increase of Z $n^{2+}$ concentration in both ways, too. However, it was shown that M $n^{2+}$ could be near fully overcome the inhibitory effect of Z $n^{2+}$ in PS II, and $Mg^{2+}$ could also reduce the Z $n^{2+}$ inhibition in the photophosphorylation. In the low concentrations of $Mg^{2+}$ (3 to 5$\times$10$^{-3}$ M) in the suspension, Z $n^{2+}$ (2$\times$10$^{-5}$ M) could increase the activity of photophosphorylation. As compares to other cations, Z $n^{2+}$ caused less inhibitory effect on the photophosphorylation activity than Cu, Cd, but more than Pb and Ni. It may be assumed that a complex from reaction of Z $n^{2+}$ and mercaptoethanol was produced and it could reduce the stability of CPI band during SDS-PAGE.effect on the photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation activities in barley chloroplasts has been tested. Z $n^{2+}$ treatment was done in the 2 ways. One was that it was added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants grown under the normal Z $n^{2+}$ level (10$^{-6}$ M). The other was that the different concentrations of Z $n^{2+}$ was applied in each growth medium. Then, it was not added into the chloroplasts suspensions isolated from the plants. PS II activity in both way of the treatments was more severely inhibited than PS I by the increment of Z $n^{2+}$ concentration. The photophosphorylation activity measured by pH measurement was gradually decreased with the increase of Z $n^{2+}$ concentration in both ways, too. However, it was shown that M $n^{2+}$ could be near fully overcome the inhibitory effect of Z $n^{2+}$ in PS II, and $Mg^{2+}$ could also reduce the Z $n^{2+}$ inhibition in the photophosphorylation. In the low concentrations of $Mg^{2+}$ (3 to 5$\times$10$^{-3}$ M) in the suspension, Z $n^{2+}$ (2$\times$10$^{-5}$ M) could increase the activity of photophosphorylation. As compares to other cations, Z $n^{2+}$ caused less inhibitory effect on the photophosphorylation activity than Cu, Cd, but more than Pb and Ni. It may be assumed that a complex from reaction of Z $n^{2+}$ and mercaptoethanol was produced and it could reduce the stability of CPI band during SDS-PAGE.ld reduce the stability of CPI band during SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.709-714
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• 2005

Antibacterial activities of the freeze-dried bamboo sap dissolved into the water or 50% ethanol were determined and antimicrobial activity of bamboo sap dissolved into distilled water was most strong with 15 mm of the diameter of inhibiting clear zone against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19114 among gram positive bacteria tested, but it did not inhibit Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 at all, and the sap was most greatly inhibited the growth of Shigella dysenteriae ATCC 9361 among gram negative bacteria with 15 mm of the diameter of inhibiting clear zone. Bamboo sap dissolved into 50% ethanol most strongly inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes ATCC 19114 and it also inhibited the growth of B. subtilis ATCC 6633 which did not show any with the sap dissolved into distilled water. The sap dissolved into 50% ethanol was most greatly inhibited the growth of S. dysenteriae ATCC 9361 among gram negative bacteria with 23 mm of the diameter of inhibiting clear zone, and it inhibited Vibrio parahaemolyticus WSDH 22, Vibrio vulnilicus ATCC 29307 and Escherichia coli O157 WSDH 54 with 16 mm of the diameter of inhibiting clear zone. However, Both of the saps dissolved in distilled water and 50% ethanol did not showed any inhibition against the lactic acid bacteria of Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC and Lactobacillus brevis KCTC. Most of the tested bacteria were more sensitive to the sap dissolved in 50% ethanol than the sap dissolved in distilled water. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration of the bamboo sap dissolved into 50% ethanol was 0.6 mg eq./disc with L. monocytogenes ATCC 19114, but that of the sap dissolved into distilled water was 0.8 mg eq./disc with Staphylococcus epidermides ATCC 12228, S. dysenteriae ATCC 9361, L. monocytogenes ATCC 19114, Salmonella typhimurium WSU 2380 and V. parahaemolyticus WSDH 22. In a model food system of the sterilized chocolate milk, antibacterial activities of the sap dissolved into 50% ethanol were relatively stronger than those of the sap dissolved into distilled water and the activities against the bacteria tested were very similar each other. These result suggested the bamboo sap can be used as a natural food preservative.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5903-5908
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• 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the combined effects of exemestane and aspirin on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Methods: Antiproliferative effects of exemestane and aspirin, alone and in combination, on growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were assessed using the MTT assay. Synergistic interaction between the two drugs was evaluated in vitro using the combination index (CI) method. The cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blotting was used to investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2 and Bcl-2. Results: MTT assays indicated that combination treatment obviously decreased the viability of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells compared to individual drug treatment (CI<1). In addition, the combination of exemestane and aspirin exhibited a synergistic inhibition of cell proliferation, significantly arrested the cell cycle in the $G_0/G_1$ phase and produced a stronger inhibitory effect on COX-1 and Bcl-2 expression than control or individual drug treatment. Conclusion: These results indicate that the combination of exemestane and aspirin might become a useful method to the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. The combination of the two inhibitors significantly increased the response as compared to single agent treatment, suggesting that combination treatment could become a highly effective approach for breast cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.37-48
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• 2017

Objectives: Artemisiae Annuae Herba is the dried aerial part of Artemisia annua L. (AAL). In Oriental medicine, Artemisiae Annuae Herba (AAH) is traditionally used to treat fever. AAH clears summerheat or damp-Heat, clears deficiency fevers, cools the blood and stops bleeding, stops malarial disorders and relieves heat, clears liver heat and brightens the eyes. Recently, there were many studies about effects of AAH on anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hair growth and plasma lipid composition. So, we expected AAH has an availability that can effect on skin whitening and elasticity. Methods: The present study was designed to investigate the effects of AAH on skin whitening and elasticity in SK-MEL-2 cells. In this experiment, the effects of AAH on proliferation rates, melanin synthesis, tyrosinase activities and production levels of tyrosinase, MMP-1 and MMP-9 in vitro were examined. Results: AAH did not affect viability of SK-MEL-2 cells and inhibited melanin synthesis induced by ${\alpha}$-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) significantly. In addition, AAH also inhibited tyrosinase activity and lowered tyrosinase level in SK-MEL-2 cells. Finally, AAH inhibited productions of Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Conclusions: These data suggest that AAH can be used to treat patients with skin diseases such as freckled face and also used as skin whitening agent.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.365-378
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• 2018

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, which is one of the major diseases of red dates, causes severe damages in jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller) production in Korea. This study was done to evaluate the inhibition of anthracnose occurrence and pathogen growth by the treatment of environment-friendly materials such as a Bordeaux mixture and loess-sulfur mixture and by defense-response signaling in jujube. The in vitro test of the environment-friendly materials and signaling molecules that were routinely applied did not exhibit any antifungal activities against the pathogen for jujube anthracnose. The Bordeaux mixture and loess-sulfur mixture at a two-fold concentration showed inhibition zones that were 16.0 and 20.3 mm in diameter, respectively. In the pathogen inoculation test with detached jujube tree leaves, while treatment with the environment-friendly materials diluted by half showed no inhibition of lesion development, they did show inhibition of lesion development when they were routinely applied to the leaves. In detached jujube fruits inoculated with the pathogen, better suppressive effects by the treatment of the environment-friendly materials were seen in the fruits at a young stage rather than in the ripening stage. The in vivo test with jujube trees in pots showed that the treatment of salicylic acid (1 mM) resulted in the best suppressive effects against lesion development. The results suggest that it is possible to manage the incidence of anthracnose by the treatment of environment-friendly materials such as the Bordeaux and loess-sulfur mixtures and signaling chemicals such as ethephon, hydrogen peroxide, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid in jujube trees and fruits. Consequently, these findings suggest that environment-friendly materials and defense response signaling molecules could be used as suitable candidates for sustainable agrochemicals to manage anthracnose in jujube production.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2008

Long term exposure of Jurkat cells to 2 ATA pressure resulted in the inhibition of cell growth. Under a 2 ATA pressure, the morphological changes in the cells were visualized by electron microscopy. The cells exhibited significant inhibitory responses after three passages. However, short-term exposure study was carried out, 2 ATA pressure may have beneficial effects. The Jurkat cells were exposed to $H_2O_2$ (25 and $50{\mu}M$) in order to induce DNA damage, and then incubated under at either normal pressure or 2 ATA for 1 or 2 hours in order to recover the DNA damage. The extent of DNA damage was determined via Comet assay. More recovery from DNA damage was observed at 2 ATA than at normal pressure. The activity of the DNA repair enzymes, DNA polymerase-$\beta$, was also evaluated at both normal pressure and 2 ATA. The activity of DNA polymerase-$\beta$ was observed to have increased significantly at the 2 ATA than at normal pressure. In conclusion, the effects of hyperbaric pressure from 1 ATA to 2 ATA on biochemical systems can be either beneficial or harmful. Long term exposure to hyperbaric pressure clearly inhibited cell proliferation and caused genotoxic effects, but short-term exposure to hyperbaric pressure proved to be beneficial in terms of bolstering the DNA repair system. The results of the present study have clinical therapeutic application, and might prove to be an useful tool in the study of genotoxicity in the future.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Oldenlandia diffusa extract on WiDr human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Methods : We examined cell death by (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) MTT assay and the caspase 3 and 9 activity assay with Oldenlandia diffusa extract. To examine the inhibitory effects of Oldenlandia diffusa extract, we performed a cell cycle (sub-G1) analysis and mitochondrial membrane potential for the WiDr cells after 24 hours with Oldenlandia diffusa extract. Results : 1. Oldenlandia diffusa extract induced cell death in WiDr cells. 2. The sub-G1 peak was increased by Oldenlandia diffusa extract in WiDr cells. 3. Oldenlandia diffusa extract leads to increase the mitochondrial membrane depolarization in WiDr cells. 4. Oldenlandia diffusa extract increases caspase 3 and 9 activities in WiDr cells. 5. Oldenlandia diffusa extract combined with several anti-cancer drugs (paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, ectoposide, doxorubicin and docetaxel) markedly inhibited the growth of WiDr cells compared to Oldenlandia diffusa extract and anti-cancer drugs alone. Conclusions : Oldenlandia diffusa extract has an apoptotic role in human colorectal cancer cells and a potential role in developing therapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.286-292
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• 2006

In this study, we evaluated the antiproliferative effects of Panax notoginseng, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 in the human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell line. Our results indicated that both Panax notoginseng radix extract (NRE) and Panax notoginseng rhizoma extract (NRhE) possess significant antiproliferative activities in MCF-7 cells. Compared to control group (100%), at the concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/ml NRE, cell growth was concentration-dependently reduced to 81.0 ${\pm}$ 6.1 (P < 0.01), 34.2 ${\pm}$ 4.8 (P < 0.001), and 19.3 ${\pm}$ 1.9 (P < 0.001), respectively. Similar results with NRhE at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml were obtained in these MCF-7 cells. To identify the responsible chemical constituent, we tested the antiproliferation effects of two representative saponins, ginsenoside Rb1 and notoginsenoside R1, on the MCF-7 cells. The data showed that ginsenoside Rb1 was endowed with antiproliferative properties, while notoginsenoside R1 did not have an inhibitory effect in the concentrations tested. Our studies provided evidence that Panax notoginseng extracts and ginsenoside Rb1 may be beneficial, as adjuvants, in the treatment of human breast carcinoma.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the antimetastatic and immunomodulating effects of extracts of Ulmus davidiana extracts(U. D. Ex.). Methods: Antimetastatic experiments were conducted in vitro and in vivo by using colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma, L5178Y-R lymphoma cell and Hela cell. To observe the immunomodulating effects of U. D. Ex., we measured IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and TNF-$\alpha$ from peritoneal macrophages. And we evaluated the activation of NK cell by using anti-asialo-GM1 serum. Results: We found that the administration of U. D. Ex. significantly inhibited tumor metastasis in vivo. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis, cell growth are closer to 100% in case of Colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma, L5178Y-R lymphoma cell and Hela cell at low concentration. In case of macrophage, cell proliferation is closer to 100% less than $250{\mu}g/ml$ of U. D. Ex.. The level of cytokine such as IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 which stimulates U. D. Ex. was increased in dose-dependent manner compared to the control group. In case of TNF-$\alpha$, the level was increased at concentration of $1,000{\mu}g/ml$. The depletion of NK cells by anti-asialo GM1 serum partly abolished the inhibitory effect of U. D. Ex. on tumor metastasis. Conclusion: Ulmus davidiana appears to have considerable activity on the anti-metastasis by activation the immune system.