• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.29 no.2 s.43
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• pp.205-232
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• 2003

Ursolic acid (UA) and Oleanolic acid (ONA), known as urson, micromerol and malol, are pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds which naturally occur in a large number of vegetarian foods, medicinal herbs, and plants. They may occur in their free acid form or as aglycones for triterpenoid saponins, which are comprised of a triterpenoid aglycone, linked to one or more sugar moieties. Therefore UA and ONA are similar in pharmacological activity. Lately scientific research, which led to the identification of UA and ONA, revealed that several pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, and anti-hyperlipidemic could be attributed to UA and ONA. Here, we introduced the effect of UA and ONA on acutely barrier disrupted and normal hairless mouse skin. To evaluate the effects of UA and ONA on epidermal permeability barrier recovery, both flanks of 8-12 week-old hairless mice were topically treated with either 0.01-0.1 mg/ml UA or 0.1-1 mg/ml ONA after tape stripping, and TEWL (Transepidermal water loss) was measured . The recovery rate increased in those UA or ONA treated groups (0.1 mg/ml UA and 0.5 mg/ml ONA) at 6 h more than $20\%$ compared to vehicle treated group (p<0.05). Here, we introduced the effects of UA and ONA on acute barrier disruption and normal epidermal permeability barrier function. For verifying the effects of UA and ONA on normal epidermal barrier, hydration and TEWL were measured for 1 and 3 weeks after UA and ONA applications (2mg/ml per day). We also investigated the features of epidermis and dermis using electron microscopy (EM) and light microscopy (LM). Both samples increased hydration compared to vehicle group from f week without TEWL alteration (p<0.005). EM examination using RuO4 and OsO4 fixation revealed that secretion and numbers of lamellar bodies and complete formation of lipid bilayers were most prominent $(ONA{\geq}UA>Vehicle)$. LM finding showed that thickness of stratum corneum (SC) was slightly increased and especially epidermal thickening and flattening was observed (UA>ONA>Veh). We also observed that UA and ONA stimulate epidermal keratinocyte differentiation via $PPAR\;\alpha$. Protein expression of involucrin, loricrin, and filaggrin increased at least 2 and 3 fold in HaCaT cells treated with either $ONA\;(10{\mu}M)$ or UA $(10{\mu}M)$ for 24h respectively. This result suggested that the UA and ONA can improve epidermal permeability barrier function and induce the epidermal keratinocyte differentiation via $PPAR\;{\alpha}$. Using Masson-trichrome and elastic fiber staining, we observed collagen thickening and elastic fiber elongation by UA and ONA treatments. In vitro results of collagen and elastin synthesis and elastase inhibitory activity measurements were also confirmed in vivo findings. These data suggested that the effects of UA and ONA related to not only epidermal permeability barrier functions but also dermal collagen and elastic fiber synthesis. Taken together, UA and ONA can be relevant candidates to improve epidermal and dermal functions and pertinent agents for cosmeseutical applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of green tea polyphenol (GTP) on anticancer treatment with cisplatin (CP), using both an in vitro cell culture model and an in vivo mouse model of established breast tumor. Mouse breast cancer cells (EMT6) were treated with or without GTP and CP followed by determination of the cell viability using an MTT assay. The relative cell viability of CP treated EMT6 cells was 96% at a 20 ${\mu}g/mL$ concentration of cisplatin; however, in combination with GTP (50 ${\mu}g/mL$), the cell viability decreased to 20% at the same concentration of CP (20 ${\mu}g/mL$). For the in vivo study, EMT6 cells were inoculated into Balb/c mice for the establishment of a tumor-bearing mice model. The tumor-bearing mice were treated with CP (5 mg/kg. i.p.) with or without dietary GTP (0.2% drinking water). Tumor growth was monitored by a measurement of tumor size using a digital caliper, and nephrotoxicity was determined by enzymatic and histological examinations. The levels of p53 and caspase-3 in tumor tissues were examined by a Western blot. In tumor-bearing mice treated with GTP plus CP, the increment of tumor volume showed a significant reduction, compared with CP or GTP alone. The levels of p53 and cleaved caspase-3 (caspase-3/p17) in tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice were increased by CP and GTP compared to CP alone. In CP treated tumor-bearing mice, ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activities were decreased, and marked tubular necrosis and dilatation were observed in the kidney. CP-induced enzymatic and histopathological changes in the kidney of tumor-bearing mice were reduced by combinations of GTP with CP. The results of these experiments demonstrated that dietary GTP has a potentiating effect on CP anti-tumor activity and a protective effect against CP-induced renal dysfunction. Therefore, GTP may be used as a modulator in anticancer treatment with CP.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-49
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• 1979

In order to evaluate the utility of the anthocyanins of Amaranthys tricolor L. as an edible pigment, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of pH. temperature, ascorbic acid, sugars and their degradation products, quercetin, thiourea, sodium pyrophosphate and metal ions on the stability of the anthocyanins in the model systems. The results obtained from this study were as follows. 1. The degradation of total anthocyanins was retarded as the pH levels decreased from 8.0 to 1.0. At pH 1.0, however. the initial degradation reaction proceeded faster than at pH 2.0 to 3.0 2. On heating in buffered aqueous solution at $80^{\circ}C$, the total anthocyanin content was higher at pH 2.0 than other pH levels. Increasing the storage temperature accelerated greatly the pigment degradation. In darkness at $40^{\circ}C$, after 10 days, only 19% of the original amount was left, while at $2^{\circ}C$, under the same conditions of storage, approximately 90% of the pigment was retained. The half-life of the pigment, 63.0 days at $2^{\circ}C$, shortened to 1. 7 days at $40^{\circ}C$. 3. An increase in ascorbic arid concentration from 0. 15 to 0.50 mg/ml lowered the anthocyanin retention. 4. There was no significant difference between glucose and fructose in anthocyanin degradation effect. Furfural was more effective than other sugar degradation products, formic acid or levulinic acid in accelerating anthocyanin breakdown. 5. Neither quercetin nor sodium pyrophosphate had a protective effect on the anthocyanins in the presence of ascorbic acid, while, in the systems 0.5 or 1 mg/ml of thiourea with $150{\;}{\mu}g/ml$ of ascorbic acid, the loss of anthocyanins was significantly reduced. 6. Both mercuric and cupric ions in 30 ppm greatly accelerated anthocyanin degradation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1658-1664
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• 2012

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) exhibits several beneficial biological activities including anticarcinogenesis and body-fat reduction. Now, we report that CLA ameliorated the oxidative stress in rat cardiomyoblast cells, H9c2, treated with hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). Cells were cultured in DMEM/F-12 media at $37^{\circ}C$ with humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$. The cells, cultured for 48 hrs, were seeded at a density $3.5{\times}10^3$ cell/well in a 24 well-plate and incubated for 24 hr. Using these cells, two experiments were performed: the cytotoxicity test of CLA (10, 20, 30, 40, and $50{\mu}Ms$), and the oxidative stress amelioration test of CLA (20 and $50{\mu}Ms$) against cells treated with $H_2O_2$ (10 and 50 ${\mu}Ms$) for 1 and 2 hrs. CLA enhanced the growth of H9c2 cells at any concentrations of CLA and at any incubation times (up to 6 days), indicating that CLA acts as a growth stimulant. No protective effect of CLA (20 and $50{\mu}Ms$) was seen in cells treated $50{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$ for 1 and 2 hr, but these CLA concentrations ameliorated (p<0.05) the adverse effect of $10{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$ in cells treated for 1 hr. These CLA concentrations significantly (p<0.05) reduced the proportion of apoptotic cells, relative to control cells. These results suggest that CLA protected H9c2 cells from the oxidative stress of $H_2O_2$ through the suppression of cell apoptosis and could be a useful compound for the prevention of cardiac diseases caused by oxidative stress.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.277-287
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was performed to compare total phenolic contents, in vitro antioxidant capacity, and reduction effect of Korean food groups on ex vivo DNA damage in human cells and analyze correlations between each indicator. Methods: Vegetable foods in the Korean diet based the results of the KNHANES V-2 (2011) were classified into 10 food groups: cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, kimchi, seaweeds, potatoes, mushrooms, legumes, and oils. Eighty-four foods constituted more than 1% of the total intake in each food group and finally designated as vegetable foods in the Korean diet. Total phenolic content of each food group was measured. Further, in vitro antioxidant capacity was measured based on DPPH radical scavenging assay, TEAC assay, and $ORAC_{ROO{\cdot}}$ assay. Ex vivo DNA damage in human lymphocytes was assessed using comet assay. Results: Total phenolic contents of food groups of the Korean diet increased in the order of mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, seaweeds, and kimchi. Meanwhile, antioxidant rankings of food groups as mean values from the three in vitro test methods increased in the order of mushrooms, seaweeds, vegetables, kimchi, and fruits. Protection against ex vivo DNA damage in human lymphocytes was highest in mushrooms, followed by vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, and kimchi. The rankings of the food groups for total phenolic content, in vitro DAC, and ex vivo DNA protection activity were similar, and correlations between each indicator were significantly high. Conclusion: Mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, and seaweeds among the tested food groups in the Korean diet showed high total phenolic contents, in vitro antioxidant capacities, and protection against DNA damage. Correlations between each indicator in terms of total phenolic content, in vitro antioxidant capacity, and ex vivo DNA protection between each food group were found to be particularly high.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2010

The contents of proximate composition, free amino acids and phenolic acids in the Fomitella fraxinea cultivated-Rhus verniciflua stem bark(FRVSB), and its adipogenesis effect were investigated. The proximate composition(%) of FRVSB was as follows: moisture(7.64), ash(6.30), crude fat(3.86), crude protein(3.59) and sugar(not detected); while Rhus verniciflua stem bark(RVSB) contained 1.64, 8.09, 7.28, 6.48 and 5.39, respectively. The total free amino acids concentration was 97.41 mg% in FRVSB and 71.91 mg% in RVSB. Phosphoserine(55.06 mg%), ammonia(17.84mg%) and aspartic acid(6.05mg%) were predominant amino acids. The content of total phenolic acids was 422.89 ppm in ethanol extract and 283.86 ppm in water extract, with syringic and gallic acid as the main component. The FRVSB extracts showed a potent free radical scavenging activity for DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate) with $IC_{50}$ of $28.54\;{\mu}g$(EtOH) and $54.70\;{\mu}g$(water), respectively, whereas $IC_{50}$ value of gallic acid was $1.84\;{\mu}g$. The protective effect of both ethanol and water extract the extracts against UV-induced oxidative stress in NIH3T3 was observed. The water extracts of FRVSB may promote adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.498-506
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• 2018

Purpose: Lycopene, a carotenoid with anti-oxidant properties, occurs naturally in tomatoes and pink grapefruit. Although the beneficial effects of lycopene on various disorders have been established, little attention has been paid to the possible anti-diabetic effects of lycopene focusing on ${\beta}$-cells. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of lycopene to protect ${\beta}$-cells against apoptosis induced by a cytokine mixture. Methods: For toxicity experiments, the cells were treated with 0.1 ~ 10 nM of lycopene, and the cell viability in INS-1 cells (a rat ${\beta}$-cell line) was measured using a MTT assay. To induce cytokine toxicity, the cells were treated with a cytokine mixture (20 ng/mL of $TNF{\alpha}$ + 20 ng/mL of IL-$1{\beta}$) for 24 h, and the effects of lycopene (0.1 nM) on the cytokine toxicity were measured using the MTT assay. The expression levels of the apoptotic proteins were analyzed by Western blotting, and the level of intracellular reactive oxidative stress (ROS) was monitored using a DCFDA fluorescent probe. The intracellular ATP levels were determined using a luminescence kit, and mRNA expression of the genes coding for anti-oxidative stress response and mitochondrial function were analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR. Results: Exposure of INS-1 cells to 0.1 nM of lycopene increased the cell viability significantly, and protected the cells from cytokine-induced death. Lycopene upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and reduced the expression of the Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) protein. Lycopene inhibited apoptotic signaling via a reduction of the ROS, and this effect correlated with the upregulation of anti-oxidative stress response genes, such as GCLC, NQO1, and HO-1. Lycopene increased the mRNA expression of mitochondrial function-related genes and increased the cellular ATP level. Conclusion: These results suggest that lycopene reduces the level of oxidative stress and improves the mitochondrial function, contributing to the prevention of cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell apoptosis. Therefore, lycopene could potentially serve as a preventive and therapeutic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study was to estimate the antioxidant activities of 50%, 70%, and 100% ethanol extracts of Lycium barbarum leaf and chlorophyll removal extract. Methods: The antioxidant activities were estimated by measuring total polyphenol content and by assays of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfate) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA fragmentation, and antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase and catalase) activities of the extracts were measured in hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-stressed HepG2 cells. Results: The total polyphenol content, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, and FRAP value of the extracts increased in an ethanol concentration-dependent manner. The antioxidant activities of the chlorophyll-removal extracts were much higher than those of the chlorophyll-containing extracts. Cytotoxicity was not observed in HepG2 cells with extracts up to $1,000{\mu}g/mL$. All extracts inhibited ROS production in a concentration-dependent manner from $31.3{\mu}g/mL$ and inhibited DNA damage at $250{\mu}g/mL$. The SOD and catalase activities of cell lines treated with the extracts and $H_2O_2$ were similar to those of normal cells, indicating a strong protective effect. Conclusion: Lycium barbarum leaf extracts had high antioxidant activities and protected $H_2O_2$-stressed HepG2 cells. Since the chlorophyll-removal extract exhibited higher antioxidant activities than the chlorophyll-containing ones and the cytoprotective effect was similar, chlorophyll removal extract of Lycium barbarum leaf could be developed as ingredients of functional food and cosmetics.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2011

In this study, the antibacterial, antioxidative and inhibitory effects of Allium cepa peel extracts on tyrosinase and elastase were investigated. MIC values of the ethyl acetate fraction of Allium cepa peel on especially, S. aureus among the skin resident flora (Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus; Propionibacterium acnes, P. acnes; Pityrosporum ovale, P. ovale; Escherichia coli, E. coli) were 0.06%. The aglycone fraction showed more excellent free radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, DPPH) scavenging activity ($FSC_{50}=5.05{\mu}g/mL$). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) of the ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction in the luminol-dependent $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system were 0.05 and $0.03{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The cellular protective effect of the aglycone fraction on the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes exhibited more prominent (${\tau}_{50}$, 480 min at $25{\mu}g/mL$). The inhibitory effects ($IC_{50}$) of the ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction on tyrosinase were 9.16 and $8.68{\mu}g/mL$, the inhibitory effect ($IC_{50}$) of the aglycone fraction on elastase was $14.12{\mu}g/mL$ The transepidermal water loss of the cream containing 0.1% ethyl acetate fraction was decreased from $8.3g/m^2h$ in control to $6.8g/m^2h$ in the subjects applied with cream containing the ethyl acetate fraction. These results indicate that extract/fractions of Allium cepa peel can function as antioxidant in biological systems, particularly skin exposed to UV radiation by scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protect cellular membranes against ROS, and possibly as antiaging agents. Allium cepa peel extract could be used as a new cosmeceutical for whitening and anti-wrinkle products.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. However, the preventive effect of Alnus japonica leaf extracts on alcohol-related liver damage has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts of Alnus japonica leaf (AJL) against ethanol-induced liver damage in HepG2/2E1 cells. Treatment with AJL significantly prevented ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2/2E1 cells by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). This protective effect was likely associated with antioxidant potential of AJL, as evidenced by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and restoration of the depleted glutathione (GSH) levels in ethanol-induced HepG2/2E1 cells. Our findings suggest that FCC might be considered as a useful agent in the prevention of liver damage induced by oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism.