• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the hair growth effects of lavender oil (LO) in female C57BL/6 mice. The experimental animals were divided into a normal group (N: saline), a vehicle control group (VC: jojoba oil), a positive control group (PC: 3% minoxidil), experimental group 1 (E1: 3% LO), and experimental group 2 (E2: 5% LO). Test compound solutions were topically applied to the backs of the mice ($100{\mu}L$ per application), once per day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. The changes in hair follicle number, dermal thickness, and hair follicle depth were observed in skin tissues stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and the number of mast cells was measured in the dermal and hypodermal layers stained with toluidine blue. PC, E1, and E2 groups showed a significantly increased number of hair follicles, deepened hair follicle depth, and thickened dermal layer, along with a significantly decreased number of mast cells compared to the N group. These results indicated that LO has a marked hair growth-promoting effect, as observed morphologically and histologically. There was no significant difference in the weight of the thymus among the groups. However, both absolute and relative weights of the spleen were significantly higher in the PC group than in the N, VC, E1, or E2 group at week 4. Thus, LO could be practically applied as a hair growth-promoting agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1146-1153
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• 2022

Many probiotic species have been used as a fermentation starter for manufacturing functional food materials. We have isolated Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LDTM 8102 from the feces of infants as a novel strain for fermentation. While Glycine max has been known to display various bioactivities including anti-oxidant, anti-skin aging, and anti-cancer effects, the immune-modulatory effect of Glycine max has not been reported. In the current study, we have discovered that the extract of Glycine max fermented with B. animalis subsp. lactis LDTM 8102 (GFB 8102), could exert immuno-modulatory properties. GFB 8102 treatment increased the production of immune-stimulatory cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages without any noticeable cytotoxicity. Analysis of the molecular mechanism revealed that GFB 8102 could upregulate MAPK2K and MAPK signaling pathways including ERK, p38, and JNK. GFB 8102 also increased the proliferation rate of splenocytes isolated from mice. In an animal study, administration of GFB 8102 partially recovered cyclophosphamide-mediated reduction in thymus and spleen weight. Moreover, splenocytes from the GFB 8102-treated group exhibited increased TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β production. Based on these findings, GFB 8102 could be a promising functional food material for enhancing immune function.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2012

To develop a new starter culture for Mozzarella cheese, the immunomodulatory action of Streptococcus macedonicus LC743 in male C57BL/6 mice was studied. Mice were fed for 7 wk with feed containing 1% Mozzarella cheese made with three kinds of starter cultures from S. macedonicus LC743 (G3), FD-DVS TCC-3 (G2) and S. macedonicus LC743 : FD-DVS TCC-3(1:1) (G4) and control (feed only, G1), respectively. No significant differences in body weight gain were observed among the various groups of mice. The spleen index and thymus index were observed and no significant differences were found among the groups. The production of TNF-${\alpha}$ of S. macedonicus LC743 group significantly increased compared to the control group. The production of IL-$1{\beta}$ was significantly enhanced by the feeding of S. macedonicus LC743 group compared to the control group. In regards to the white blood cell counts, the neutrophil percentages were significantly higher in the G1 group compared to other groups. The lymphocyte percentages were significantly higher in G2, G3 and G4 groups in comparison to the control group. The results of this study may suggest that the supplementation of S. macedonicus LC743 can increase the cytokine production activity by the activated macrophages in mice. Based on the result of this study, it could be concluded that S. macedonicus LC743 could stimulate the immune functions of mice.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.1011-1018
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• 2011

Aflatoxin-contaminated feed cause mortality, suppression of the immune system, reduced growth rates and losses in feed efficiency. This research study was planned to investigate the immunomodulatory and growth promoting effect of milk thistle as feed additive against aflatoxin $B_1$ in broiler chicks at NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. Two hundred and forty (240) day old broilers chicks were randomly assigned into four major groups AfF, aflatoxin free feed; Aflatoxin $B_1$ was present in the feed at the levels of 80-520 ${\mu}g/kg$ of the feed in the remaining three groups. Aflatoxin contaminated feed was provided for 5 weeks. Group AfB was supplemented with toxin binder "Mycoad" at 3 g/kg of feed and group AfT was supplemented with milk thistle at10 g/kg of feed. Each group was further sub divided into two sub-groups, vaccinated against ND (Newcastle disease), IB (Infectious bronchitis) and IBD (Infectious bursal diseases) according to recommended schedule of vaccination or non vaccinated. Each sub group carried three replicates with 10 chicks per replicate. Chicks were reared in pens in an open sided house. Supplementary heat was provided to all the chicks during brooding period. Mean body weight gain and dressing percentage were significantly (p<0.05) higher in group AfF, followed by AfT, AfB and Af. Weight gain and dressing percentage was the same in group AfB and AfT, while it was significantly lower in group Af. Feed intake, breast, thigh and leg weight were found significantly (p<0.05) higher in group AfF, followed by AfB, AfT and Af. Significantly lower (better) FCR value was recorded in group AfT. Water intake was significantly (p<0.05) higher in group AfT and AfF as compared to other groups. Mortality was significantly (p<0.05) higher in group Af. Mean bursa and thymus weights were found significantly (p<0.05) higher in group AfF, AfB and AfT followed by Af, while higher spleen weight was recorded in group AfT. Mean antibody titer against ND, IB and IBD was significantly (p<0.05) higher in group AfT, as compared to other groups. It is concluded that milk thistle at 10 g/kg of feed could effectively be utilized as immunostimulant and growth promotant in the presence of immunosuppressant aflatoxin $B_1$ in the feed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.210-215
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• 2002

To elucidate the effect of water and methanol extracts of Cordyceps militaris, Paecilomyces japonicus and their mycelin on diabetes and organs in STZ-induced diabetic rats, weight of organs (liver, kidney, spleen, thymus), plasma level of blood glucose, total protein, triglyceride, free fatty acid, hepatic total protein, triglyceride and glycogen were determined as compared with those of negative control group. The blood glucose level of CM-1 and CM-M group showed significantly reduced, and all groups except CM-2 increased in body weight. CM-1 decreased the liver weight, and PJ-2 decreased the kidney weight. In all groups except PJ-2, plasma total protein level was increased, and the triglyceride, and CM-3 and CM-H decreased the free fatty acid was decreased in CM-3, PJ-1 and PJ-2 treated groups. In hepatic tissue, total protein was significantly increased in CM-H and CM-M treated group, and in all groups except CM-2, the triglyceride were significantly decreased and glycogen was increased. In conclusion, CM-1 and CM-M that possess potential antidiabetic activity increased glycogen and lowered serum glucose level, thus they might improve metabolic disorder originated from diabetes by increasing serum protein and reducing excess triglyceride in serum and liver tissue.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2006

In order to search the availability of the lectin extracted from Korean mistletoe(Viscum album coloratum) as an adjuvant for the avian vaccines, attempts were made to determine toxicity of the lectin in chicks and its immunostimulating activity on the inactivated vaccines against Newcastle disease virus(NDV). For the determination of toxicity, the lectin was injected into the thigh muscle of SPF chicks(Charles River) of 1-week-old and observed hematologically and pathologically. For the determination of immunostimulating effects, lectin-adjuvanted, inactivated NDV vaccines were injected into the thigh muscle of SPF chicks in the same age group. Sera of the chicks were examined for the hemagglutination-inhibition(HI) antibodies induced, their HI titers and reaction to the NDV antigens. The data were further compared with those from aluminum hydroxide [$Al(OH)_3$]-adjuvanted vaccines and vaccines without adjuvant, and the results are as follows. There were no significant changes observed in the values of RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, AST, ALT, BUN, creatinine and total proteins in the chicks administered with lectin of 1.1, 2.2 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, which means the lectin has no effects on blood values and functions of liver and kidney. In histopathologic observation, no lesions were observed in the brain, heart, liver, lung, spleen, kidney, thymus and bursa of Fabricius of the chicks administered with lectin of 1.1, 2.2 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight. There were inflammatory lesions, such as congestion, hemorrhage, edema, infiltration of macrophages and coagulation necrosis observed in the thigh muscle of chicks administered with lectin of $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, whereas no changes were observed in 1.1 and $22.2{\mu}g/kg$ lectin administered chicks. In chicks immunized with lectin($4.4{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight)-adjuvanted B1, LaSota and Ulster 2C vaccines, HI titers in reciprocal values for $log_2$ were 1.8-2.2 at 1 week after vaccination, which was similar with those of 1.5-2.9 by $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines. The HI titers by the lectin-adjuvanted vaccines reached to 3.9-5.3 at 4 weeks, whereas those by the $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines were more high as 7.3-9.3. Meanwhile, the immunostimulating effects of the lectin were recognized while compared to the HI titers with 2.4-3.7 in chicks immunized with vaccines without adjuvants at 4 weeks after vaccination. The chicks immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccines were enough to resist challenges by Kyojeongwon strain, a very virulent NDV at 4 weeks after vaccination as well as chicks immunized with $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines. The HI titers by the lectin-adjuvanted vaccines reached to high level as 8.7-10.3 as those with 8.2-9.6 by the $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines at 6 weeks after vaccination, which may be the booster effects by the challenge virus. Antibodies specific to the HN and F antigens of NDV were observed in the sera of both chicks immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccines and $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccines.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2003

Effects of various combinations of corn oil (CO) and perilla oil (PO) as respective dietary sources of ${\omega}$-6 and ${\omega}$-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on fatty acid profiles of immune organs were studied in young chicks. Seventy-five 1-day-old male (ISA Brown) chicks were assigned to five treatments with three replications. Semi-purified-type diets containing glucose and soybean meal as major ingredients were added with 8% CO, 6% CO+2% PO, 4% CO+4% PO, 2% CO+6% PO and 8% PO and fed for 7 weeks. There were no significant differences in body weight gain, feed intake and relative weights of liver and immune organs (g/100g weight) among dietary groups. Dietary fatty acid patterns were generally reflected in the fatty acid compositions of all immune organs such as spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius. The levels of a-linolenic acid(LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid in various immune organs increased with increasing levels of perilla oil in the diets, whilet the levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) decreased. Thymus appeared to have capacity to retain remarkably higher (P<0.05) levels of LA and LNA up to 37 and 22%, respectively, compared to the other organs. Thymic tissue contained ${\omega}$-3 fatty acid and ${\omega}$-6 fatty acid 10~36 times and 3~5 times higher than the other organs, respectively. Spleen tissue was specifically higher (P<0.05) in the levels of AA and EPA and the ratios of AA/LA and EPA/LNA, compared to the other organs, suggesting that the tissue might have high desaturase activity to convert LA or LNA to AA or EPA, respectively. BSA antibody production tended to increase by 18 ~ 32% with higher levels of perilla oil in diet, although the increase was not statistically significant. In conclusion, fatty acid compositions of immune organs very depending on the lipid composition of the diets and each organ appears to respond differently for its fatty acid profile to dietary lipids. Considering AA and EPA are precursors of many important eicosanoids, further studies are required to clarify the responses of the immune organs to the dietary fatty acids.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.64-74
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• 2010

Background: The present study was undertaken to examine the immunological effects of pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca-BDE) on the immune system of the dams and the developmental immune system of the offsprings. Methods: In this study, mated female C57BL/6J mice were orally administered penta-BDE, deca-BDE or corn oil for 5 weeks, from gestational day 6 to lactational day 21. Results: The body weight of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was significantly decreased relative to control mice, but that of post-natal day 63 (PND63) were recovered. Orally dosed dams with penta-BDE had significantly smaller absolute and relative spleen masses than control mice. Absolute and relative spleen and thymus masses of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE were significantly decreased over control. The exposure of dams and PND21 with penta-BDE reduced the number of splenocytes and thymocytes. As results of hematologic analysis, percentage WBC and percentage neutrophils increased in dams with deca-BDE. Splenic T cell proliferation in dams and PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was increased, and there were no significant difference in splenic B cell proliferation in all treatment groups. As results of flow cytometric analysis of splenocyte, percentage total T cell, Th cell and Tc cell in PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was slightly increased, and percentage macrophage in dams and PND21 exposed to deca-BDE was decreased. The ELISA results of antibody production show no significant difference in all treatment groups relative to controls. Conclusion: These results imply that PBDEs given to the dam were transferred to the offspring during gestation and lactation, and PBDEs transferred from the dam affect immune system of offspring.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential adverse effects of CKD-602 by a 5-day repeated intravenous dose in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article, CKD-602, was administered intravenously to male and female rats at dose levels of 0.07, 0.22, 0.67, 2.0 and 6.0 mg/kg/day for 5 days consecutively. Mortalities, clinical findings, and body weight changes were monitored for the 14-day period after cessation of the administration. At the end of 14-day observation period, all animals were sacrificed and complete gross postmortem examinations were performed. There were 2 and 5 treatment related deaths in the 0.67 and 2.0 mg/kg/day dose groups of both genders, respectively. Treatment related clinical signs, including hair loss, skin paleness, decreased locomotor activity, emaciation, and changes in stool were observed in a dose-dependent manner from the third day after initiation of the injection. Decrease or suppression of body weight was also observed dose-dependently in males and females of the treated groups. Gross postmortem examinations revealed a dose-dependent increase in the incidence and severity of atrophy or hypertrophy and white membrane formation in the spleen, atrophy of the thymus, diffuse white spots and paleness of the liver, paleness of the lung, kidney and adrenal gland, and dark red discoloration and dark red contents in the alimentary tract. Based on these results, it was concluded that the 5-repeated intravenous injection of CKD-602 to male and female rats resulted in increased incidence of abnormal clinical signs and death, decreased or suppressed body weight, and increased incidence of abnormal gross findings. In the present experimental conditions, the $LD_{50}$ value was 2.07 (95% confidence limit not specified) mg/kg/day in both genders and the $LD_{10}$ value was 1.72 (95% confidence limit not specified) mg/kg/day in both genders.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.167-172
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• 1997

Effect of combined preparation (DWP715) containing Alaska pollack extract, maltol, ascorbic acid and nicotinamide on decreasing of blood alcohol was evaluated in human blood. Treatment of DWP715 prior to administration of 25% alcohol (100 mL) decreased alcohol concentration in blood and showed significant difference after 2 hours. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), $C_{max},\;T_{max}\;and\;T_{1/2}$ were also decreased and delayed when compared with control values. Effects of DWP715 on anti-fatigue and anti-oxidation activities were also studied in the restraint stress model using various parameters (GOT, GPT, LDH values and organ weights) on mild condition and examined through the content of lipid peroxide induced by 2% $CCl_4$ in mouse livers. While GPT level, thymus and adrenal weight were not influenced by DWP715 dosing, LDH, GOT level and spleen weight used as a parameter against fatigue and stress states were recovered almost to the nomal level. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation due to $CCl_4$ was significantly inhibited by DWP715 treatment. These results suggest that DWP715 seems to metabolize the blood alcohol rapidly and to restore the damaged liver and fatigue conditions which was caused by alcohol metabolism to normal condition.