• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1697-1703
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• 2012

Obesity is a risk factor for numerous metabolic diseases. Recently, naturally occurring compounds that may improve obesity have received increasing attention. Xanthigen is a mixture of fucoxanthin and punicic acid derived from brown seaweed and pomegranate seed, respectively, which have been traditionally used for lipid-lowering effects in humans. In this study, we investigated whether Xanthigen attenuates high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6N mice. The mice were fed on a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD plus 1% Xanthigen or HFD plus 1% green tea extract (GTE) for 11 weeks. Food efficiency ratio (FER) and body weight were significantly reduced in mice fed HFD plus Xanthigen compared to HFD-fed mice. Consistent with the results in body weight change, Xanthigen also significantly decreased the weights of epididymal adipose tissue, retroperitoneal adipose tissue, and liver in HFD plus 1% Xanthigen-fed mice. The serum level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol was significantly decreased in HFD plus Xanthigen-fed mice compared to HFD-fed mice. These results suggest that Xanthigen may be useful in the development of a functional health food for anti-obesity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1247-1260
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• 2009

This dissertation aims to study the five tastes in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine. Medicinals as well as Foods are classified by the five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and pungent, which can be tasted by the tongue. With the development of the theory dealing with the medicinal properties, some flavors are summarized out of clinical actions of medicinals, therefore, there is a little difference between the flavors of medicinal herbs and the tastes got by tongue. Each taste acts on or has direct influence on a specific vital organ, and each of which has different physiologic actions. Taste also has a long-term or post digestive effect on the body and its metabolism. When each taste is consumed in moderation, it benefits the corresponding organ. Over-indulgence in any taste harms the organ and creates imbalance among the five vital organ systems. The Korean medicinal herbs with same flavor mostly possess similar actions while the medicinal herbs with different flavors show different actions in the treatment, which are shown as follows. Sour has absorbing, consolidating and astringent actions and acts on the liver. Bitter has the actions of drying or resolving dampness, purging and lowering and acts on the heart. Sweet has the nourishing, harmonizing and moistening actions and acts on the spleen. Pungent has an action of dispersing and promoting circulation of gi and blood and acts on the lungs. Salty has the effects of softening hard nodes or masses and promoting defecation, etc and acts on the kidneys. The five organ systems control and support each other. Proper coordination only exists when there is no one organ stronger or weaker than the rest. Since the five tastes have direct influences on the five organs, the diet we take should have a good combination of the five tastes in order to promote internal balance and harmony. They control our well-being and create dietary balance. Excessive consumption of any of these could result in adverse effects. In a word, when the properties of the five tastes respectively are distinguished, their natures and flavors cannot be separately considered. I think the harmonization of food and medicinals should be stressed on good nutritional diet to maintain good health. The traditional belief that food and medicine share the same origin is a part of Korean medicine tradition.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.372-378
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• 2007

The Artemisia capillaris THUNB is a perennial herb that belongs to the family Compositae spp and probably the most common plant among the various herbal folk remedies being used in the treatment of abdominal pain hepatitis chronic liver disease, jaundice and coughing in Korea. Recently the biological and pharmacological actions of herb have been studied well such as antibacterial, antidiabetic and antitumor activities. This experiment was conducted to investigate antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of Artemisia capillarix extracts against Hepa-1c1c7 and Sarcoma 180 cancer cells on in vivo experimental tests. On in vivo experimental tests using 280 ICR mice the gain of body weight in the control-group mice bearing Sarcoma 180 ascites tumor was 1.5 times more than that of the normal-group mice after 33 days. However, the gain of body weight in all experimental groups administered with Artemisia capillaris extracts was significantly lower than that of the control-group mice (P<0.05). The mean survival times of mice administered with Artemisia capillaris extracts of 25 and 100 mg/kg for 28 days were shown to be 25.39% and 15.39% longer than that of the control-group mice injected with saline (P<0.05). Artemisia capillaris extracts showed the highest tumor inhibition effects, which were 42.4% and 27.2% when intraperitoneally injected with doses of 25 and 100 mg/kg once a day for 28 days in inoculated ICR mice with Sarcoma 180 solid tumor cells (P<0.05). The results suggest that Artemisia capillaris methanol extracts have prominent antitumor effects on the cancer cell lines Hepa-1c1c7 and Sarcoma 180.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.384-391
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• 2007

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of the Korean raisin (Hovenia dulcis Thunb) extracts and polyherbal extracts consisted of 6 types herbal extracts including HDT (HDTmix) on $CCl_4$ induced organ damages. Extracts were prepared by autoclave ($121^{\circ}C$, 15 psi, 3 hours) and filtered with nylon cloth and filter paper then freezing dried. Male Sprague-Dawley rats $(200^{\circ}{\ae}20g)$ were used as experimental groups, which were divided into 5 groups; intact control group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing after HDT extract dosing group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing after HDTmix dosing group (100 mg/kg), Silymarin dosing group (5 mg/kg) after all test articles were orally dosed once a day for 28 days. They were sacrifiled under ether anesthesia. HDT extracts and HDTmix dramatically inhibits the $CCl_4$ intoxicated hepato/nephropathies with immuno-suppress changes on the spleen. They showed more dramatical protective effects on most of specific organs compared to that of Silymarin 5 mg/kg except for hepatoprotective effects in which, quite similar effects were detected. In addition, HDT extracts showed synergic effects with other types of herbal extracts because HDTmix showed more favorable protective effects on the all specific organs showing $CCl_4-related$ histopathological changes compared to HDT extracts.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.172-182
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• 2009

This study was to analyze characteristics based on tolerance and trophic guilds and to determine the level of total mercury in tissues of sentinel species, Zacco platypus at 3 sampling sites of the Mangyeong River in 2007. Total sampled fishes were 26 species and the most dominant species was Zacco temminckii (47%). Fish community analysis was resulted that eveness index and diversity index showed low value at S1. However, diversity index and richness index at other sites showed high. According to various guilds analysis, relative abundance of sensitive species was 70% and 42% at S1 and S2, respectively. While sensitive species were decreased (1%) and tolerant species were increased (60%) at S3. It was mainly carried to the impacts of wastewater treatment plants near the location. Relative abundance of insectivore species was decreased from up (S1) to midstream area (S3). In addition, chemical water quality, based on analyses of BOD, COD, TP, TN, EC, MPN and SS concentration showed similar trends. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) was averaged 164, judged as "good" habitat condition. Average concentrations of total [Hg] was 146.9 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$. In the muscles of total [Hg] was the highest, and then followed by kidney, vertebrae, liver, and gills. According to FDA standards (500 ${\mu}g$ $kg^{-1}$) of Korea, total [Hg] has not affected to the individual fish health.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1100-1111
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• 1998

The incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) and arachidonic acid(AA) into brain and liver lipid has been compared in male pups from binth to 10 weeks old by feeding DHA-rich experimental diets or chow diets to dams from pregnancy in rats. The experimental DHA-rich diets contained 7g fish oil and 3g corn oil per 100g diet. There were three experimental groups, FO-I : Dams were fed DHA-rich diet during pregnancy and lactation, and their it pups fed the same diet until 10 weeks old. FO-II Dams fed chow diet during pregnancy and DHA-diet during lactation, and their pups fed the same DHA-diet until 10 weeks. FO-III : Dams fed chow diet during gestation and lactation, and then the pups fed DHA-diet after weaning. The relative % of DHA in hepatic lipid was about 12% with chow diets, but increased rapidly to 20-25% level when DHA-rich diets were supplied after weaning. The AA(%) of FO-III group was relatively high when a chow diet containing higher amount of linoleic acid was given, but there was no significant difference between the groups after feeding on a DHA-rich diet. When the DHA-rich diet was supplied from pregnancy(FO-I), the relative % of DHA in brain lipid was 13.7% at birth and continuously increased to a maximum level(17.2%) at 3-weeks and then was sustained until 5 weeks old. Similar levels of DHA incorporation were observed when DHA-rich diet was supplied from lactation(FO-II). However, the pups of FO-III group showed significantly lower levels of DHA incorporation(72%) at birth. These livels slowly increased and reached an 87% level of FO-I at 10 weeks when the pups ate DHA-rich diets after weaning. The relative % of AA in brain lipid was 10.4% in the FO-I group at birth, which was significantly lower than those of other groups, but there was no significant difference between groups after feeding DHA-rich diets in all groups. The Ah(%) level increased to maximum(11-12%) at 3-weeks and then was slightly reduced and was sustained at about 10% after S-weeks. Total amounts of DNA in the whole brain rapidly reached maximum level at 3-weeks and then was sustained at a constant level after S-weeks. DNA content was not significantly different between groups at birth, but it was significantly higher in FO-I and FO-II groups than in FO-III group at 3-weeks. However, DNA content in FO-III group was continuously increased to 80% level of FO-I at 10-weeks after feeding DHA-rich diet since weaning. In conclusion, the DHA(%) in whole brain was most effectively deposited when DHA-rich diet had been supplied during pregnancy and lactation in rats. However, DHA supplementation after weaning also improved the incorporaton of DHA into brain and content of DNA even though brain development was almost completed, which suggests that DHA supplementation might be necessary to improve brain development in humans during infancy as well as pregnancy and lactation. (Korean J Nutrition 31(7) 1100-1111, 1998)

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mulberry fruit, mulberry leaves and silkworm powder with different mixing ratios on hepatic antioxidative system and lipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing $100{\pm}10g$ were induced diabetic by 50 mg/kg bw streptozotocin and randomly assigned to following experimental groups; normal diet group (DM), 0.3% and 0.6% mulberry fruit diet groups (F and 2F), 0.3% mulberry leaves diet group (M), 0.3% silkworm powder diet group (S), 0.15% mulberry fruit+0.15% mulberry leaves diet group (FM), 0.15% mulberry fruit+0.15% silkworm powder diet group (FS), 0.1 % mulberry fruit+0.1 % mulberry leaves+0.1% silkworm powder diet group (FMS). The experimental diets were fed for 4 weeks. Hepatic SOD activity was not changed significantly by any of single or combined supplementations of mulberry fruit, leaves and silkworm powder but GSH-px and catalase activities were increased by the groups supplemented with two or three of the test ingredients (FM, FS, FMS) as compared with the DM group. Hepatic TBARS value was not reduced significantly by any of the supplementations but lipofuscin contents were significantly reduced in the FM, FS and FMS groups as compared with the DM group. Hepatic mitochondria and microsomal carbonyl values were reduced by the single and combined supplementations of the test ingredients. Hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activities were increased in the all supplementation groups as compared with the DM group. Hepatic total lipid and triglyceride contents were increased but cholesterol contents reduced in the supplemented groups. The effects on the enzyme activities, peroxide or its products and lipid contents were most remarkable in the FMS group. In conclusion, mulberry fruit, mulberry leaves and silkworm powder have the favorable effects on antioxidative system and lipid metabolism in the diabetic liver and the mulberry fruit, leaves and silkworm powder with equal ratio exert the synergistic effect expectedly to prevent diabetic complications.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.408-417
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• 1990

To compare the hypolipidemic effect of n6 linoleic acid n3 $\alpha$-linolenic acid and n3 eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, male Sprague Dawley rats weighing about 450g were fed the experimental diets for 6 weeks which composed of fat at 15%(W/W) level and were different only in dietary PUFA. Dietary fat was corn oil, perilla oil, and fish oil concentrate as a source of n6 linoleic acid, n3 $\alpha$-linolenic acid, and n3 eicosapentaenoic acid+docosahexaenoic acid, respectively. Plasma total Chol and HDL-chol levels were significantly-lower in fish oil group than in corn oil and erilla oil groups. Plasma cholesterol lowering effect of PUFa was in the order of n3 EPA+DHA>n3 $\alpha$-linolenic acid>n6 linoleic acid. Plasma TG was significantly lower in both fish oil and perilla oil groups than in corn oil group. Plasma TG-lowering effect was greater by n3 PUFA (EPA+DHA, $\alpha$-linolenic acid) than by n6 PUFA(linoleic acid). However, there were no significant effects on lipoprotein pattern hemolysis, and the levels of tocopherol and malondialdehyde in plasma and RBC by difference dietary fat with sufficient tocopherol supplement. Liver superoxide dismutase activity was significantly increased in proportion to the degree of fat unsaturation, thereby resulted in the lower level of MDA in fish oil group. In conclusion, fish oil and perilla oil rich in n3 PUFA may have important nutritional applications in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic disease.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2017

Background: Hepatic steatosis measured with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) using transient elastography predicts metabolic syndrome in the general population. We investigated whether CAP predicted metabolic syndrome in chronic kidney disease patients. Methods: CAP was measured with transient elastography in 465 predialysis chronic kidney disease patients (mean age, 57.5 years). Results: The median CAP value was 239 (202-274) dB/m. In 195 (41.9%) patients with metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus was more prevalent (105 [53.8%] vs. 71 [26.3%], P < 0.001), with significantly increased urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (184 [38-706] vs. 56 [16-408] mg/g Cr, P = 0.003), high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (5.4 [1.4-28.2] vs. 1.7 [0.6-9.9] mg/L, P < 0.001), and CAP (248 [210-302] vs. 226 [196-259] dB/m, P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression analysis, CAP was independently related to body mass index (${\beta}=0.742$, P < 0.001), triglyceride levels (${\beta}=2.034$, P < 0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate (${\beta}=0.316$, P = 0.001), serum albumin (${\beta}=1.386$, P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (${\beta}=0.064$, P = 0.029), and total bilirubin (${\beta}=-0.881$, P = 0.009). In multiple logistic regression analysis, increased CAP was independently associated with increased metabolic syndrome risk (per 10 dB/m increase; odds ratio, 1.093; 95% confidence interval, 1.009-1.183; P = 0.029) even after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. Conclusion: Increased CAP measured with transient elastography significantly correlated with and could predict increased metabolic syndrome risk in chronic kidney disease patients.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2019

In view of the growing industrial use of Bacterial cellulose (BC), and taking into account that it might become airborne and be inhaled after industrial processing, assessing its potential pulmonary toxic effects assumes high relevance. In this work, the murine model was used to assess the effects of exposure to respirable BC nanofibrils (nBC), obtained by disintegration of BC produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages ($BMM{\Phi}$) were treated with different doses of nBC (0.02 and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively 1 and $10{\mu}g$ of fibrils) in absence or presence of 0.2% Carboxymethyl Cellulose (nBCMC). Furthermore, mice were instilled intratracheally with nBC or nBCMC at different concentrations and at different time-points and analyzed up to 6 months after treatments. Microcrystaline $Avicel-plus^{(R)}$ CM 2159, a plant-derived cellulose, was used for comparison. Markers of cellular damage (lactate dehydrogenase release and total protein) and oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxidase, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation and glutathione peroxidase activity) as well presence of inflammatory cells were evaluated in brochoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Histological analysis of lungs, heart and liver tissues was also performed. BAL analysis showed that exposure to nBCMC or CMC did not induce major alterations in the assessed markers of cell damage, oxidative stress or inflammatory cell numbers in BAL fluid over time, even following cumulative treatments. $Avicel-plus^{(R)}$ CM 2159 significantly increased LDH release, detected 3 months after 4 weekly administrations. However, histological results revealed a chronic inflammatory response and tissue alterations, being hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries (observed 3 months after nBCMC treatment) of particular concern. These histological alterations remained after 6 months in animals treated with nBC, possibly due to foreign body reaction and the organism's inability to remove the fibers. Overall, despite being a safe and biocompatible biomaterial, BC-derived nanofibrils inhalation may lead to lung pathology and pose significant health risks.