• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2014

Ginseng is widely used for its promising healing and restorative properties as well as for its possible tonic effect in traditional medicine. Nowadays, many studies focus on purified individual ginsenoside, an important constituent in ginseng, and study its specific mechanism of action instead of whole-plant extracts on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Of the various ginsenosides, purified ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, Rh1, Re, and Rd are the most frequently studied. Although there are many reports on the molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of CVDs, many concerns exist in their application. This review discusses current works on the countless pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in the area of CVDs. Results: Both in vitro and in vivo results indicate that ginseng has potentially positive effects on heart disease through its various properties including antioxidation, reduced platelet adhesion, vasomotor regulation, improving lipid profiles, and influencing various ion channels. To date, approximately 40 ginsenosides have been identified, and each has a different mechanism of action owing to the differences in chemical structure. This review aims to present comprehensive information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of ginseng, especially in the control of hypertension and cardiovascular function. In addition, the review also provides an insight into the opportunities for future research and development on the biological activities of ginseng.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2012

Herbal medicines have been used since the dawn of civilization to maintain health and to treat diseases. Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading cause of death in many developed countries. The incidence of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in India. It was estimated that India which had 19.4 million diabetes in 1995 is expected to register a near threefold increase by. Many plants reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in ayurvedic medicine, are being tested for their hypoglycemic activity in experimental animals Lagerstroemia flos- reginae is one such plant commonly found as shade trees in Kerala. In Ayurveda both root and leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes. The main objective of this study was to assess the antidiabetic effect of the alcohol extracted leaves of Lagerstroemia flos- reginae in alloxan induced diabetic rats in terms of controlling blood glucose level, lipid profile, bilirubin, uric acid in serum and lipid peroxides and glutathione in the liver of the experimental animals. The present study has been undertaken to observe the protective effect of the active constituents of Lagerstroemia flos- reginae leaf extracts against alloxan induced diabetes in experimental animal model. The activity of the active constituents was compared with Daonil -a standard drug.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbal medicines and is reported to have a wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological applications. Ginseng may also be potentially valuable in treating cardiovascular diseases. Research concerning cardiovascular disease is focusing on purified individual ginsenoside constituents of ginseng to reveal specific mechanisms instead of using whole ginseng extracts. The most commonly studied ginsenosides are $Rb_1$, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, $Rh_1$, Re, and Rd. The molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of cardiovascular disease have attracted much attention and been the subject of numerous publications. Here, we review the current literature on the myriad pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in this area. In vitro investigations using cell cultures and in vivo animal models have indicated ginseng's potential cardiovascular benefits through diverse mechanisms that include antioxidation, modifying vasomotor function, reducing platelet adhesion, influencing ion channels, altering autonomic neurotransmitters release, and improving lipid profiles. Some 40 ginsenosides have been identified. Each may have different effects in pharmacology and mechanisms due to their different chemical structures. This review also summarizes results of relevant clinical trials regarding the cardiovascular effects of ginseng, particularly in the management of hypertension and improving cardiovascular function.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.479-485
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Gelidium amansii (GA) contains plenty of agars and various biological substances, which make them a popular functional food to control body weight in previous studies. Unlike previous studies focused on agar in GA, objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of agar-free GA extract (AfGAE) on preventive and treatment models by using diets-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6J mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: AfGAE were used to test their effects on the prevention (Exp-1) and treatment (Exp-2) against obesity after pilot study in DIO mice. The weight changes of the body and fat tissues and protein expression related to lipid metabolism and inflammation as well as plasma lipid profile and insulin were detected. RESULTS: Although AfGAE did not prevent long-term DIO, it did increase the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine production and lipolysis protein. We further evaluated various doses of AfGAE in preventive and treatment models. As a result, our findings suggested that an AfGAE administration as a preventive model might be a better approach to achieve its anti-inflammatory and lipolysis-promoting effects in DIO mice. CONCLUSION: Although future studies to investigate the target materials such as polyphenols in AfGAE are required, the result suggests that GA without agar might be a therapeutic tool to improve health conditions related to inflammation.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2023

This study was designed to evaluate antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects of ethanol extracts of Taraxacum mongolicum(T.m.) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: normal (NC), STZ-control (DC), and three experimental groups. Diabetes was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats with a single intravenous injection [45 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)] of STZ. An ethanol extract of T.m. was orally given to diabetic rats for 14 days. Three experimental groups were additionally treated with T.m. extract at doses of 1 g/kg b.w./day for T.m.-1, 2 g/kg b.w./day for T.m.-2, and 3 g/kg b.w./day for T.m.-3. Oral administration of T.m.-2 significantly increased their body weights. T.m.-1 and T.m.-2 significantly decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels than DC. T.m.-1 and T.m.-2 group significantly decreased blood glucose levels. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids were significantly decreased whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased in groups treated with T.m. extract than those in the DC group. These results support the fact that administration of T.m. extract can reduce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia risk in diabetic rats.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.40-53
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• 2023

Differential bitterness perception associated with genetic polymorphism in the bitter taste receptor gene taste 2 receptor member 38 (TAS2R38) may influence an individual's food preferences, nutrition consumption, and eventually chronic nutrition-related disorders including cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the effect of genetic variations on nutritional intake and clinical markers needs to be elaborated for health and disease prevention. In this study, we conducted sex-stratified analysis to examine the association between genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 A > G with daily nutritional intake, blood pressure, and lipid parameters in Korean adults (males = 1,311 and females = 2,191). We used the data from the Multi Rural Communities Cohort, Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Findings suggested that the genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 was associated with dietary intake of micronutrients including calcium (adjusted p = 0.007), phosphorous (adjusted p = 0.016), potassium (adjusted p = 0.022), vitamin C (adjusted p = 0.009), and vitamin E (adjusted p = 0.005) in females. However, this genetic variant did not influence blood glucose, lipid profile parameters, and other blood pressure markers. These may suggest that this genetic variation is associated with nutritional intake, but its clinical effect was not found. More studies are needed to explore whether TAS2R38 genotype may be a potential predictive marker for the risk of metabolic diseases via modulation of dietary intake.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.200-206
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• 2008

We investigated the effect of rice embryo and embryo jelly with black rice bran pigment on lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity. Thirty 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed high cholesterol diets supplemented with 15% rice embryo and 25% embryo jelly added black rice bran pigment, respectively, for 6 weeks. Plasma and hepatic lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and the activity of antioxidant scavenger enzymes in liver were examined. Supplementation with rice embryo and embryo jelly had no effect on food intakes in high cholesterol-fed rats. The plasma triglyceride concentration was not significantly different among the groups. Supplementation with rice embryo and embryo jelly resulted in lower plasma and hepatic total cholesterol (TC) concentration and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C)/TC ratio and atherogenic index compared to the control group, while the plasma HDL-C concentration tended to elevated. Rice embryo and embryo jelly tended to lower plasma and hepatic levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances than the control group. Moreover, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, were significantly higher in the rice embryo and embryo jelly groups. In conclusion, rice embryo and embryo jelly was very effective in improving the lipid metabolism and reducing oxidative stress by up-regulating the hepatic antioxidant enzymes in high cholesterol-fed rats.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.832-845
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of exercise therapy on serum lipid levels and antioxidants of obese and normal college female students. The subject group composed of ten normal-weight students(below 30% body fat ratio) and ten obese students(above 30% body fat ratio). After a pilot test, the subjects were given an eight-weeks exercise program. Before and after the exercise program, the subjects were given test for serum lipid and antioxidants were analyzed. The SAS program was used in the data analysis. The statistical measurements employed here were T-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test. The results of this research are as follows. 1) The effects of exercise therapy on serum lipid levels : Before the exercise therapy, the levels of Total-cholesterol, Triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol of the obese group were highier than those of the normal-weight group. However, the HDL-cholesterol levels were highier in the normal-weight group than in the obese group, but these differences were not significant. With the exercise therapy, the levels of Total-cholesterol increased gradually. The HDL-cholesterol increased gradually, the LDL-cholesterol level decreased in both groups, However, the Triglyceride level decreased in the obese group and increased in normal group, but the difference was not significant. 2) The effects of the exercise therapy on serum antioxidants ; Before exercise therapy, the serum FR and GSSG levels of the obese group were significantly highier than those of the normal-weight group(p=0.00, p=0.04). The serum GSH level of the normal-weight group was highier than that of the obese group, and the serum MDA level of the obese group was highier than that of the normal-weight group. Again these differences were not significant. With exercise therapy, serum FR level was reduced and serum GSSG level significantly increased in both group(obese group p=0.01, normal-weight group p=0.01), The serum GSH level of the obese group significantly increased (p=0.01), and serum MDA level significantly increased in the obese group(p=0.01), but the difference in the normal-weight group was not significant. These results show that regular exercise therapy reduces serum FR levels and activation of antioxidant systems, and suppress oxidative stress. These effects were slightly highier in the obese group than in the normal-weight group. The regular exercise therapy decreased the serum Triglyceride levels more in the obese group than in the normal-weight group. However the improvement of the serum lipid profile may require a longer exercise period than eight weeks. The results show that the exercise therapy was overall more effective in the obese group than the normal-weight group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1139-1146
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of Meles meles oil as an functional resource. To assess the effects of Meles meles oil in 25 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) persons, we examined changes of fat intake level, hematological and chemical variables, serum DM indices and lipid contents during the Meles meles oil supplementation. Polyunsaturated fatty acid and $\omega$3 fatty acid intake were significantly increased by Meles meles oil intakes. The levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly decreased while HDL-cholesterol was significantly increased. Iron status improved during Meles meles oil intakes. These results show that modest dose of Meles meles oil supplementation can decrease serum triglyceride, cholesterol level without any changes in blood glucose level in NIDDM patients. These results indicated that Meles meles oil diet is effective therapeutic regimen for the control of metabolic derangements in diabetes mellitus. Also, these results imply that Meles meles oil can be used as possible food resources and functional food materials. However, large amounts of Meles meles oil should be used cautiously in NIDDM patients.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.200-210
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• 2003

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of a health promotion program(HPP) on self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood lipid profile in employees with hyperlipidemia. Methods: The subjects were forty-three employees who were diagnosed as having hyperlipidemia during routine health examination at two worksites in Seoul in 2001. Of the forty-three subjects, thirty were allocated to the experimental group and the remaining thirteen were allocated to the control group. Data were collected from September 24, 2001 to March 16, 2002. The HPP was applied to the experimental group for 11 weeks and included health education, diet counseling, watching videos, conference, and so on. The health education included information about exercise, smoking cessation, and abstinence from drinking alcohol and seven sessions of hyperlipidemia education. The experimental group was requested to keep a daily health promotion lifestyle diary. This diary was analyzed by a dietician and subjects were instructed based on the results. As for data analyses, wilcoxon signed rank test and wilcoxon rank sum test and x2-test were carried out using SAS program. Results: 1. Self-efficacy scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 5.86 10.80, control: -4.04 11.91, p=0.018). 2. Healthy lifestyle scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 0.19 0.26, control: -0.05 0.29, p=0.024). 3. Blood total cholesterol values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -13.07 30.10mg/dl, control: 10.00 26.57mg/dl, p=0.033). 4. Blood triglyceride values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -29.17 192.40mg/dl, control: 63.31 107.53mg/dl, p=0.050). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the HHP could be effective in improving self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood HDL cholesterol and decreasing blood total cholesterol in employees with hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the HHP could be suggested as an effective nursing intervention for employees in the worksite by ultimately preventing cerebral and cardiac vessel complications related to hyperlipidemia.