• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.387-394
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• 2008

This research was performed to determine the proximate compositions, mineral contents, alginic acid, antioxidative activities and amino acids of sea mustards (Miyeok: Undaria pinnatifida) collected from Gijang and Wando area. Ash content was higher in Gijang samples, whereas carbohydrate and moisture were higher in Wando Sil Miyeok. General compositions of dried sea mustard showed different contents as manufacture's company and places. The major free amino acids were hydroxyproline, alanine, glutamic acid and asparagine in Gijang samples. Both Gijang and Wando Sil Miyeok showed lower contents comparing with Gijang Gadak Miyeok. Major mineral content was Na, K, Ca, Mg and P, and especially, Na and K were the most abundant in both Gijang and Wando sea mustards. Alginic acid content was almost similar in both sea mustards. Antioxidative activity of methanol extract of sea mustards was measured by using DPPH radical scavenging and SOD-like activity. DPPH radical scavenging activity was 45.5% $(40\;{\mu}g/ml)$ in Gijang Gadak Miyeok and 37.0% and 26.0% $(40\;{\mu}g/ml)$ in Gijang and Wando Sil Miyok, respectively. SOD-like activity of Gijang and Wando Sil Miyok was 63% and 71% $(10\;{\mu}g/ml)$, respectively. These results show that biological activities depend on Miyeok manufacture's process. When stimulated macrophages RAW264.7 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), inhibition of NO production in Gijang Sil Miyeok (44.2%) was 9% high comparing with that of Wando Sil Miyeok (35.7%).

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the role of colonoscopy in children with hematochezia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 277 children who underwent colonoscopy because of hematochezia between January, 2003 and July, 2010. Results: The mean age of the patients was $6.0{\pm}4.4$ (7 days~17.8 years) years. The male to female ratio was 2.2:1. The duration between the 1st episode of hematochezia and colonoscopy was $4.9{\pm}12.1$ months. Characteristics of hematochezia included red stool (65.1%), blood on wipe (12.8%), bloody toilet (11.9%), and blood dripping (10.2%). The most proximal region of colonoscopic approach was terminal ileum (84.5%), cecum (9.5%), hepatic flexure (2.8%), and splenic flexure (3.2%). Eighty five patients (30.6%) had no specific abnormal findings. Major causes of hematochezia were polyp (26.4%), food protein induced proctocolitis (6.9%), infectious colitis (5.4%), lymphofolliculitis (5.7%), non specific colitis (5.7%), and vascular ectasia (5.1%). The hemorrhagic sites included the rectum (24.0%), rectosigmoid junction (18.1%), sigmoid colon (13.5%), ascending colon (14.2%), transverse colon (11.3%), descending colon (7.8%), cecum (8.1%), and terminal ileum (3.1%). The recurrence rate of hematochezia after colonoscopy was 19.1%. Colonoscopy was performed in 262 patients (94.6%) with conscious sedation. Endoscopic hemostasis was performed in 5 patients. Complications of colonoscopy or sedation were not found. Conclusion: The causes and lesional localization of pediatric hematochezia were diverse. Colonoscopy has an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of hematochezia in children. Total colonoscopy is recommended to detect the cause of hematochezia.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.351-358
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• 2021

The study was investigated to compare growth characteristics, the antioxidant activity, and the triterpenoid content of two Centella asiatica cultivars ('Giant Tiger Care' and 'Good Tiger Care'). At 41 days after transplanting, lengths of leaf and petiole were significantly longer in 'Good Tiger Care' than in 'Giant Tiger Care'. However, the growth characteristics (leaf area, petiole thickness, petiole length, and weight) were greater in 'Giant Tiger Care' than in 'Good Tiger Care' at 104 days after transplanting (harvest time). Antioxidant activity and total phenol content in four extracts (WE, water extract; HWE, hot water extract; 50E, 50% EtOH extract; 70E, 70% EtOH extract) of the two cultivars were high in 70E of 'Giant Tiger Care'. As a result of the triterpenoids analysis, the major triterpenoids of the two cultivars were identified as madecassoside and asiaticoside. The total triterpenoid content was high in 50E and 70E of 'Giant Tiger Care' and 'Good Tiger Care', respectively but the total triterpenoid content was highest in Good Tiger Care'. However, at the 104 days after planting, the yield of 'Giant Tiger Care' was three times higher than that of 'Good Tiger Care'. In addition, the total triterpenoid content that can be produced in the same cultivation area (3.3m²) was 2.459mg in 50E of 'Giant Tiger Care', which was ~2.2times higher than that of 70E of 'Good Tiger Care' (1.103 mg). Thus, it is considered economical to cultivate 'Giant Tiger Care' which has the highest antioxidant activity and high total triterpenoid production per cultivation area.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.214-232
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• 2001

CTA ester bonds in TG molecules were not attacked by pancreatic lipase and lipases produced by microbes such as Candida cylindracea, Chromobacterium viscosum, Geotricum candidium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Rhizophus delemar, R. arrhizus and Mucor miehei. An aliquot of total TG of all the seed oils and each TG fraction of the oils collected from HPLC runs were deuterated prior to partial hydrolysis with Grignard reagent, because CTA molecule was destroyed with treatment of Grignard reagent. Deuterated TG (dTG) was hydrolyzed partially to a mixture of deuterated diacylglycerols (dDG), which were subsequently reacted with (S)-(+)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl isocyanate to derivatize into dDG-NEUs. Purified dDG-NEUs were resolved into 1, 3-, 1, 2- and 2, 3-dDG-NEU on silica columns in tandem of HPLC using a solvent of 0.4% propan-1-o1 (containing 2% water)-hexane. An aliquot of each dDG-NEU fraction was hydrolyzed and (fatty acid-PFB ester). These derivatives showed a diagnostic carboxylate ion, $(M-1)^{-}$, as parent peak and a minor peak at m/z 196 $(PFB-CH_{3})^{-}$ on NICI mass spectra. In the mass spectra of the fatty acid-PFB esters of dTGs derived from the seed oils of T. kilirowii and M. charantia, peaks at m/z 285, 287, 289 and 317 were observed, which corresponded to $(M-1)^{-}$ of deuterized oleic acid ($d_{2}-C_{18:0}$), linoleic acid ($d_{4}-C_{18:0}$), punicic acid ($d_{6}-C_{18:0}$) and eicosamonoenoic acid ($d_{2}-C_{20:0}$), respectively. Fatty acid compositions of deuterized total TG of each oil measured by relative intensities of $(M-1)^-$ ion peaks were similar with those of intact TG of the oils by GLC. The composition of fatty acid-PFB esters of total dTG derived from the seed oils of T. kilirowii are as follows; $C_{16:0}$, 4.6 mole % (4.8 mole %, intact TG by GLC), $C_{18:0}$, 3.0 mole % (3.1 mole %), $d_{2}C_{18:0}$, 11.9 mole % (12.5 mole %, sum of $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$ and $C_{18:1{\omega}7}$), $d_{4}-C_{18:0}$, 39.3 mole % (38.9 mole %, sum of $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ and its isomer), $d_{6}-C_{18:0}$, 41.1 mole % (40.5 mole %, sum of $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$, $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13r}$ and $C_{18:3\;9t,11t,13c}$), $d_{2}-C_{20:0}$, 0.1 mole % (0.2 mole % of $C_{20:1{\omega}9}$). In total dTG derived from the seed oils of M. charantia, the fatty acid components are $C_{16:0}$, 1.5 mole % (1.8 mole %, intact TG by GLC), $C_{18:0}$, 12.0 mole % (12.3 mole %), $d_{2}-C_{18:0}$, 16.9 mole % (17.4 mole %, sum of $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$), $d_{4}-C_{18:0}$, 11.0 mole % (10.6 mole %, sum of $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$), $d_{6}-C_{18:0}$, 58.6 mole % (57.5 mole %, sum of $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ and $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$). In the case of Aleurites fordii, $C_{16:0}$; 2.2 mole % (2.4 mole %, intact TG by GLC), $C_{18:0}$; 1.7 mole % (1.7 mole %), $d_{2}-C_{18:0}$; 5.5 mole % (5.4 mole %, sum of $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$), $d_{4}-C_{18:0}$ ; 8.3 mole % (8.5 mole %, sum of $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$), $d_{6}-C_{18:0}$; 82.0 mole % (81.2 mole %, sum of $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ and $C_{18:3 9c,11t,13c})$. In the stereospecific analysis of fatty acid distribution in the TG species of the seed oils of T. kilirowii, $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13r}$ and $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ were mainly located at sn-2 and sn-3 position, while saturated acids were usually present at sn-1 position. And the major molecular species of $(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})_{2}$ and $(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})$ were predominantly composed of the stereoisomer of $sn-1-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$, and $sn-1-C_{18:1{\omega}9}$, $sn-2-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$, respectively, and the minor TG species of $(C_{18:2{\omega}6})_{2}(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})$ and $ (C_{16:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})_{2}$ mainly comprised the stereoisomer of $sn-1-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-2-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$ and $sn-1-C_{16:0}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c}$. The TG of the seed oils of Momordica charantia showed that most of CTA, $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13r}$, occurred at sn-3 position, and $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ was concentrated at sn-1 and sn-2 compared to sn-3. Main TG species of $(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$ and $(C_{18:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$ were consisted of the stereoisomer of $sn-1-C_{18:1{\omega}9}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ and $sn-1-C_{18:0}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, respectively, and minor TG species of $(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})_{2}$ and $(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13c})$ contained mostly $sn-1-C_{18:2{\omega6}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ and $sn-1-C_{18:1{\omega}9}$, $sn-2-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$. The TG fraction of the seed oils of Aleurites fordii was mostly occupied with simple TG species of $(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{3}$, along with minor species of $(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, $(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$ and $(C_{16:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})$. The sterospecific species of $sn-1-C_{18:2{\omega}6}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-1-C_{18:1{\omega}9}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ and $sn-1-C_{16;0}$, $sn-2-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$, $sn-3-C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ are the main stereoisomers for the species of $(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_2$, $(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$ and $(C_{16:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})$, respectively.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.229-236
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• 2017

This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical characteristics of cultivated cereals by Phellinus linteus mycelium. Also, we investigated the content of free sugar, organic acid, free amino acid, mineral and fatty acid of cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium. The major free sugars were determined the glucose, maltose, and fucose by HPLC. The content of total free sugars was the highest in cultivated red rice by P. linteus mycelium at $36^{\circ}C$. The content of fucose was the highest in cultivated red rice by P. linteus mycelium at all cultivation temperatures. The organic acids were identified oxalic acid, malic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid, as in the case of free sugar, higher contents of organic acids were observed in the cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium than control. There was no significant difference in the mineral content between the control and cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium. Sixteen kind of free amino acid were detected in cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium. And the content of total free amino acids were higher in the cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium than the control. And essential amino acids showed significantly differences between control and cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium. Fatty acids were detected with seven kinds of fatty acids, and the major fatty acid was determined the linoleic acid by GC-MS. The content of linoleic acid was higher in the cultivated cereals by P. linteus mycelium than the control.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.747-754
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• 2005

Nutritional regulation of gene expression associated with growth and feeding behavior in avian species can become an important technique to improve poultry production according to the supply of nutrients in the diet. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) found in chickens has been characterized to be a 70 amino acid polypeptide and plays an important role in growth and metabolism. Although it is been well known that IGF-I is highly associated with embryonic development and post-hatching growth, changes in the distribution of IGF-I gene expression throughout early- to late-embryogenesis have not been studied so far. We revealed that the developmental pattern of IGF-I gene expression during embryogenesis differed among various tissues. No bands of IGF-I mRNA were detected in embryonic liver at 7 days of incubation, and thereafter the amount of hepatic IGF-I mRNA was increased from 14 to 20 days of incubation. In eyes, a peak in IGF-I mRNA levels occurred at mid-embryogenesis, but by contrast, IGF-I mRNA was barely detectable in the heart throughout all incubation periods. In the muscle, no significant difference in IGF-I gene expression was observed during different stages of embryogenesis. After hatching, hepatic IGF-I gene expression as well as plasma IGF-I concentration increases rapidly with age, reaches a peak before sexual maturity, and then declines. The IGF-I gene expression is very sensitive to changes in nutritional conditions. Food-restriction and fasting decreased hepatic IGF-I gene expression and refeeding restored IGF-I gene expression to the level of fed chickens. Dietary protein is also a very strong factor in changing hepatic IGF-I gene expression. Refeeding with dietary protein alone successfully restored hepatic IGF-I gene expression of fasted chickens to the level of fed controls. In most circumstances, IGF-I makes a complex with specific high-affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). So far, four different IGFBPs have been identified in avian species and the major IGFBP in chicken plasma has been reported to be IGFBP-2. We studied the relationship between nutritional status and IGFBP-2 gene expression in various tissues of young chickens. In the liver of fed chickens, almost no IGFBP-2 mRNA was detected. However, fasting markedly increased hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression, and the level was reduced after refeeding. In the gizzard of well-fed young chickens, IGFBP-2 gene expression was detected and fasting significantly elevated gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels to about double that of fed controls. After refeeding, gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression decreased similar to hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression. In the brain, IGFBP-2 mRNA was observed in fed chickens and had significantly decreased by fasting. In the kidney, IGFBP-2 gene expression was observed but not influenced by fasting and refeeding. Recently, we have demonstrated in vivo that gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in fasted chickens was rapidly reduced by intravenous administration of insulin, as indicated that in young chickens the reduction in gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in vivo stimulated by malnutrition may be, in part, regulated by means of the increase in plasma insulin concentration via an insulin-response element. The influence of dietary protein source (isolated soybean protein vs. casein) and the supplementation of essential amino acids on gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression was examined. In both soybean protein and casein diet groups, the deficiency of essential amino acids stimulated chickens to increase gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression. Although amino acid supplementation of a soybean protein diet significantly decreased gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels, a similar reduction was not observed in chickens fed a casein diet supplemented with amino acids. This overview of nutritional regulation of IGF-I and IGFBP-2 gene expression in young chickens would serve for the establishment of the supply of nutrients to diets to improve poultry production.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 1988

The purpose of this research is to analyze the tendencies of poultry consumption in Korea. The information used is the data collected three times during the period from Sept. 1, 1985 to April 30, 1987 throughout the major cities. Those who participated in the survey are 2, 598 including housewives, nutritionists, cookers, group feeding institutions, woman's organizations, and the students of doing nutrition－related studies. Consumer preferences for poultry meat and eggs tend to move toward high quality and more strict sanitary standards. Following this line of consumer preference changes, the poultry product marketing supported by cold chain system is rapidly developing. Household consumption of poultry meat largely consists of hi－and semi－broilers but the household demand for these two broilers tends to decrease steadily over time. In general poultry meat consumption appears to be affected by consumer taste rather than market factors such as prices. In addition consumer choices are quite different depending on poultry meat parts which are preferred in order of drum sticks, wings, and breasts. In particular drum sticks are most preferred than any other parts. An important problem in poultry production is related to consumption seasonality since large part of poultry meat consumption is concentrated during the summer season. Another problem is associated with little development of cooking methods. At present there are two types of primary commercial cooking techniques, fries and samgaetang (boiled chicken with jinsang and rice). For promoting domestic poultry meat disposal and reducing the demand seasonality, new cooking methods should be developed and followed by more aggresive advertisements. In domestic egg trade, smaller packing units(i.e., 10 eggs per unit) tend to bi preferred to large ones (i.e., 30 eggs per unit). In consumers egg purchasing decisions nearness to the shops and convenience appear to be important factors. For egg shell colors consumers recognize that there is no difference in nutritional values. However, survey results show that consumers highest preference lies in eggs with brown color. Eggs are most popular among children and preferred in order of middle－and high－school students, 17-25 age people, and adults. Egg prices are concieved relatively cheap to its nutritional values. In house－holds eggs are consumed in the forms of fries, side dishes, and lunch basket dishes. However, high level of cholesterol content in eggs appears to be an important problem in promoting eggs consumption.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2009

Milk is called an almost complete food in terms of nutrition, especially for the younger generations because it contains a number of nutrients required for growth and development. Lactose intolerance is defined as a malabsorption of lactose in the intestine with some typical symptoms of abdominal pains and bloating, and occurred at 75% of global populations, which hampers milk consumption worldwide. Lacks of milk consumption in the underdeveloped countries frequently lead to many nutrients deficiencies, so that diseases including osteoporosis, hypertension, and colon cancer are more prevalent in the recent days. Lactose in foods needs to be hydrolyzed prior to intestinal absorption. The hydrolytic enzyme responsible for splitting lactose into its monomeric forms, glucose and galactose, is called as lactase or $\beta$-galactosidase. The former is primarily used as blood sugar and energy source and the latter used in glycolipid synthesis of brain tissues in infants. Lactose is clinically diagnosed with the breath hydrogen production test as well as intestinal biopsy. Reportedly, symptoms of lactose intolerance are widely prevalent at 25% of Europeans, 50 to 80% of Hispanics, South Indians, Africans, and Jews, almost 100% of Asians and native Americans. For the adults, phenotype of lactase persistence, which is able to hydrolyse lactose, is more common in the northern Europeans, but in the other area lactase non-persistence or adult-type hypolactasia is dominant. Genetic analysis on human lactase gene continued that lactase persistence was closely related to the err site of 1390 single nucleotide polymorphism from the 5'-end. To alleviate severity of lactose intolerance symptoms, some eating patterns including drinking milk a single cup or less, consumption along with other foods, whole milk rather than skimmed milk, and drink with live yogurt cultures, are highly recommended for the lactose maldigesters. Also, delay of gastric emptying is effective to avoid the symptoms from lactose intolerance. Frequency of lactose intolerance with conventional diagnosis is thought overestimated mainly because the subjects are exposed to too much lactose of 50 g rather than a single serving amount. Thus simple and accurate diagnostic method for lactose intolerance need to be established. It is thought that fermented milk products and low- or free lactose milks help improve currently stagnant milk consumption due to lactose intolerance which contributes to major barrier in milk marketing especially in Asian countries.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.296-301
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• 2014

Rotavirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children in developed and developing countries. The use of probiotics for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases is both safe and easily accessible. In this study, we evaluated the anti-rotaviral activities of probiotic mixtures in a Sprague-Dawley rat. 24 litters with their dams were randomly assigned to four groups; placebo, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and two probiotic mixture (PRO-1 and PRO-2) groups. All rats were inoculated with rotavirus at dose of 8 log plaque forming units per rat at 5 days old. Animals in the PRO-1 and PRO-2 groups were orally administered probiotic mixtures 1 or 2, respectively, at a dose of 8 log colony forming units daily during 4 days. For control purposes, placebo and PBS groups were orally administered the same amount of placebo (containing maltose and polydextrose) or PBS once daily for 4 days, respectively. Antiviral analysis was performed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and observing intestinal villi. As a result, weights of small intestines were greater in the PRO-1, PRO-2 groups than in control groups. Villi were short and villous epithelial necrosis was exhibited in control groups, but these morphological changes were not observed in PRO-1, PRO-2 treated rats. RT-qPCR analysis showed that VP7 gene level of rotavirus in fecal samples and small intestinal epithelial cells were lower in the PRO-1 and PRO-2 groups. These findings suggest that probiotic mixtures may be useful probiotics for the treatment of or as alternative therapies for rotaviral gastroenteritis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Platycodin D is a major constituent of triterpene saponins, which is found in the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, Platycodi Radix, which is widely used in traditional Oriental medicine for the treatment of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Several pharmacological effects of this compound have been reported recently, such as anti-inflammation, immunogenicity, anti-adipogenesis, lowered cholesterol, and anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanism by which this action occurs is poorly understood. In this study, we found that platycodin D greatly increased the potential of the anti-proliferative effect in various cancer cell lines. Our data revealed that platycodin D treatment resulted in a time- and concentration-response growth inhibition of U937 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and the accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase. Apoptosis induction of U937 cells by platycodin D correlated with an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caused the down-regulation of IAP family members. In addition, platycodin D treatment resulted in proteolytic activation of caspase-3, the concomitant degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, and the collapse of the mitochondria membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}_m$). However, the cytotoxic effects induced by platycodin D treatment were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, which demonstrated the important role that caspase-3 played in the observed cytotoxic effect. These findings suggest that platycodin D may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for use in the control of human leukemia U937 cells. These findings also provided important new insights into possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of platycodin D.