• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.150-155
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• 2005

The ethanolic extract of chestnut (Castanea crenata S. et Z., Fagaceae) inner shell (CISE) and one of its components, ellagic acid (EA), were evaluated for their protective effects against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine (DPPH) free radical generation and hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative DNA damage in a mammalian cell line. CISE and EA were shown to possess the free radical scavenging effect against DPPH radical generation, significantly. They were also found to strongly inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage from Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cell, assessed by single cell gel electrophoresis assay and 8-hydroxy -2'-deoxy guanosine (8-OH-2'dG) assay. Furthermore, topical application of CISE [$12.5\%$(w/w) cream] and ellagic acid [$1.0\%$(w/w) cream] for 14 days potently inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) formation of mouse dorsal skin (a marker of lipid peroxidation) induced by ultraviolet B exposure. Therefore, CISE and its component, ellagic acid, may be the useful natural antioxidants by scavenging free radicals, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and protecting oxidative DNA damage when topically applied.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 1982

It has been known that retinoids are intrinsically of critical importance for control of premalignant epithelial cell differentiation. In the absence of retinoids, normal cellular differentiation and growth does not occur in epithelia such as those of trachea and bronchi. Furthermore, it was also reported that retinoid deficiency enhanced susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis in the respiratory system, in the bladder, and in the colon of the experimental animal. In 1974, Bollag examined the effects of synthetic retinoids in prevention of development of cancer and demonstrated synthetic retinoids to have more favorable therapeutic index than retinoic acid for causing regression of skin papilloma in mice. Therefore, it was assumed that this anticarcinogenic effect of vitamin A derivatives could be due to modification of the metabolism of the carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbon, which must first be activated to exert their effect. Hill and Shih reported that vitamin A compounds and analogs had inhibitory effect on drug metabolizing enzyme from liver and lung tissue of mouse and hamster. Lucy suggested that the chemoprevention effect of vitamin A derivatives is due to reaction with molecular oxygen, and it is possible that inhibition of hydroxybenzpyrene formation is a result of this property. On the other hand, butylated hydroxytoluene which is a potent antioxidant strongly inhibited the formation of mammary tumor induced by dimethylbenranthracene. Also, it was observed that this antioxidant inhibited cancer induction in rats by N-2-fluo-renylacetamide. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect of vitamin A derivatives such as retinoic acid and retinoid on drug-metabolizing enzyme and to determine whether riboflavin tetrabutylate or vitamin E could prevent of modify any changes induced by vitamin A delivatives in the rats. The results obtained were as followings. 1) Body weight was significantly reduced by retinoic acid, but not by retinoid. 2) Retinoic acid markedly increased liver weight while retincid showed no effect on liver weight. Treatment of riboflavin tetrabutylate did not affect retinoic acid-induced change in both body weight and liver weight. 3) Both retinoic acid and retinoid remarkably decreased the activity of aminopyrine demethylase. Pretreatment of riboflavin tetrabutylate, however, prevented inhibitory effect of retinoic acid on the enzyme activity. 4) No significant effect of vitamin E on aminopyrine demethylase was observed in both groups treated with retinoic acid and retinoid.