• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.7-13
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• 2016

Objectives : Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) possesses a various beneficial effects such as free radical-scavenging, inactivation of urokinase in cancer cell proliferation, antibacterial, and hypotensive. Dental caries is one of the most common oral infectious disease in a human. Oral microorganisms play a significant role in the etiology of dental caries. An aberration to this ecology due to dietary habits, improper oral hygiene or systemic factors lead to an increase in cariogenic microorganisms. Cariogenic microorganisms like Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus encourage the accumulation and adherence of plaque biofilm by metabolizing sucrose into glucans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds of Camellia sinensis and R-carvone, monoterpenes, is can be found naturally in numerous essential oils, on Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus .Methods : The antimicrobial activity of these compounds was determined by the broth microdilution method and checkerboard dilution assay to investigate the potential synergistic effects of each five compounds of Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis) and R-carvone.Results : C. sinensis-isolated compounds and R-carvone were determined with MIC of more than 1,000 ㎍/mL. However, the combination test showed significant synergism against S. mutans and S. sobrinus, implicated in the lowered MICs.Conclusions : These results suggest that combinatory application of phenolic five compounds (theophyllin, l-theanine, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, and caffeine) from C. sinensis and R-carvone has a potential synergistic effect and thus may be useful as a mouthrinse in helping control cariogenic microorganism.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.141-146
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• 2004

Fungal products indirectly mediate anti-tumor effects in vitro and in vivo. To investigate whether Lentinus edodes might possess direct anti-tumor substance, L. edodes was extracted and tested on human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 oncogenes-associated animal tumor cells (TC-1) and in an animal tumor model. Only water extract displayed direct anti-proliferative effects in TC-1 tumor cells in vitro. This inhibition was dose-dependent, and inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) was $800\;{\mu}g/mL$. Fungal extracts also showed growth inhibition to human cervical cancer cells (CaSki and HeLa) similarly to TC-1 tumor cells. When fungal extracts were added at a high dose (1.5 mg/mL), cell growth was inhibited within 6 hr following extract treatment. Cell growth inhibition was blocked by heat treatment, but not by low pH, which is indicative of heat sensitivity of this anti-proliferative substance. Cell growth suppression was mediated by apoptosis, as determined by Annexin V and propidium iodide staining. When challenged with TC-1 cells, direct intratumoral injection of fungal extracts resulted in some positive effect on tumor growth inhibition, as compared to oral delivery. Results suggest that heat labile substance of L. edodes suppresses growth of HPV oncogenes-associated tumor cells through apoptosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2015

Background: Panax ginseng (i.e., ginseng) root is extensively used in traditional oriental medicine. It is a modern pharmaceutical reagent for preventing various human diseases such as cancer. Ginsenosidesd-the major active components of ginsengd-exhibit immunomodulatory effects. However, the mechanism and function underlying such effects are not fully elucidated, especially in human monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). Methods: We investigated the immunomodulatory effect of ginsenosides from Panax ginseng root on $CD14^+$ monocytes purified from human adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and on their differentiation into DCs that affect $CD4^+$ T cell activity. Results: After treatment with ginsenoside fractions, monocyte levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 increased through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). After treatment with ginsenoside fractions, TNF-${\alpha}$ production and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK decreased in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-sensitized monocytes.We confirmed that DCs derived from $CD14^+$ monocytes in the presence of ginsenoside fractions (Gin-DCs) contained decreased levels of the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. The expression of these costimulatory molecules decreased in LPS-treated DCs exposed to ginsenoside fractions, compared to their expression in LPS-treated DCs in the absence of ginsenoside fractions. Furthermore, LPS-treated Gin-DCs could not induce proliferation and interferon gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) production by $CD4^+$ T cells with the coculture of Gin-DCs with $CD4^+$ T cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that ginsenoside fractions from the ginseng root suppress cytokine production and maturation of LPS-treated DCs and downregulate $CD4^+$ T cells.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.37-53
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• 1998

The sprig of Jinryungtang Gagambang has been used for curing as a traditional medicine without any experimental evidence to support the rational basis for their clinical use. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the possible therapeutic or antitumoral effects of Jinryungtang Gagambang extract against cancer, and to study some mechanisms responsible for its effect. The cytotoxic and antitumor effects were evaluated on human cell liens (A549, hep3B, Caki-1, Sarcoma 180) after exposure to Jinryungtang Gagambang extract using in ILS, colony forming efficency and SRB assay which were regarded as a valuable method for cytotoxic and antitumor effects of unknown compound on tumor cell lines. The results obtained in this studies were as follows. 1. As a result of exposure to Jinryungtang Gagambang extract, the proliferation of A549, hep3B, Caki-1, good correlations were shown from the results of SRB assay and those of clogenetic assay. 2. The oral administration of Jinryungtang Gagambang extract showed significant effects of increase of MST(mean survival time) and ILS(increased life span) depending on the increasing concentration. 3. Against squamous cell carcinoma induced by MCA, Jinryungtang Gagambang decreased not only the frequency of tumor production but also the number and weight of tumors per tumor bearing mice(TBM). Jinryungtang Gagambang also significantly suppressed the development of 3LL cell-implanted tumors by frequency and their size, and some developed tumors were regressed by the continuous treatment of Jinryungtang Gagambang extract into TBM. 4. Jinryungtang Gagambang extract also increased NK cell activities. According to the above results, it could be suggested that Jinryungtang Gagambang extract has prominent antiutmor effect.