• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1543-1552
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• 2021

Atractylodes japonica has been widely used in a traditional Korean herbal medicine exerting various pharmacological activities such as diauretic action, asriction, anti-allergy, neuroprotective activity, anti-cancer, immunomodulation and gastrointestinal protective effect. This study was to investigate the antioxidant, nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines production of A. japonica extract by water and 70% ethanol. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activity were increased in a dose-dependent manners with both extracts and there was no difference with extract solvents. 70% ethanol extract of A. japonica showed a very strong inhibitory effect on NO production. Both extracts of A. japonica significantly reduce the expression of iNOS and COX-2 proteins involved in NO prodction. A. japonica extract by water and 70% ethanol inhibited LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1b. In this study, 70% ethanol extract of A. japonica significantly suppresses LPS-induced NO and inflammatory cytokine production. Therefore it can be widely used to treat and improve inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.666-674
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• 2022

Background: Ginsenosides and their metabolites have antidepressant-like effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We previously identified 14-3-3 ζ as one of the target proteins of 20 (S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a fully deglycosylated ginsenoside metabolite. Methods: Corticosterone (CORT) was administered repeatedly to induce the depression model, and PPD was given concurrently. The tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST) were used for behavioral evaluation. All mice were sacrificed. Golgi-cox staining, GSK 3β activity assay, and Western blot analysis were performed. In vitro, the kinetic binding analysis with the Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) was used to determine the molecular interactions. Results: TST and FST both revealed that PPD reversed CORT-induced behavioral deficits. PPD also ameliorated the CORT-induced expression alterations of hippocampal Ser9 phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-Ser9 GSK 3β), Ser133 phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-Ser133 CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, PPD attenuated the CORT-induced increase in GSK 3β activity and decrease in dendritic spine density in the hippocampus. In vitro, 14-3-3 ζ protein specifically bound to p-Ser9 GSK 3β polypeptide. PPD promoted the binding and subsequently decreased GSK 3β activity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the antidepressant-like effects of PPD on the CORT-induced mouse depression model and indicated a possible target-based mechanism. The combination of PPD with the 14-3-3 ζ protein may promote the binding of 14-3-3 ζ to p-GSK 3β (Ser9) and enhance the inhibition of Ser9 phosphorylation on GSK 3β kinase activity, thereby activating the plasticity-related CREBeBDNF signaling pathway.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1967-1976
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of broiler chickens reared in the presence of different shades of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, correlating this information with biochemical and molecular evidence that allowed drawing conclusions on the state of health of the animals. Methods: Overall, the metagenomic approach on fecal samples was associated with evaluations on enzymes involved in the cellular response to oxidative stress: glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase and catalase; while the inflammatory aspect was studied through the dosage of a proinflammatory cytokine, the interleukin 6 (IL-6), and the evaluation of the matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9). Specifically, analysis was performed on distinct groups of chickens respectively raised in the presence of neutral (K = 3,300 to 3,700), cool (K = 5,500 to 6,000), and warm (K = 3,000 to 2,500) LED lightings, and a direct comparison was performed with animals reared with traditional neon lights. Results: The metagenomic analysis highlighted the presence of two most abundant bacterial phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroidetes, with the latter characterized by a greater relative abundance (p<0.05) in the group of animals reared with Neutral LED light. The analysis on the enzymes involved in the antioxidant response showed an effect of the LED light, regardless of the applied shade, of reducing the expression of GPX (p<0.01), although this parameter is not correlated to an effective reduction in the tissue amount of the enzyme. Regarding the inflammatory state, no differences associated with IL-6 and MMP-9 were found; however, is noteworthy the significant reduction of MMP-2 activity in tissue samples obtained from animals subjected to illumination with neutral LED light. Conclusion: This evidence, combined with the metagenomic findings, supports a potential positive effect of neutral LED lighting on animal welfare, although these considerations must be reflected in more targeted biochemical evaluations.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.45
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• pp.187-226
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• 2023

In contemporary society, digital media has become an integral part of daily life that shapes how people interact with the world around them. This phenomenon has also influenced religious activities and practices. Studies on digital religion and religious practices among digital natives in the Western world have indicated that traditional religious practices are on the decline. Instead, more accessible and flexible forms of religious activities and beliefs are emerging. Given this context, it is important to investigate whether similar trends are occurring in Korea. This study aims to explore the religious activities and expressions of Korean individuals in the online environment. Specifically, the study focuses on four main areas: ①the online religious activities of established religions such as Protestantism, Buddhism, and Catholicism; ②the online religious activities related to divination belief systems such as the Four Pillars of Destiny (四柱 saju) and Tarot; ③online holy sites and wish comments or chats; and ④popular religious neologisms such as jileumshin (지름神 a god with the power to justify consumption) and gatsaeng (갓[God]生 one's best life). Through this review, it can be ascertained that religious ideas and practices are restricted by the attributes of digital media. This implies that the emergence of simplistic forms of religious ideas and activities is associated with the features of digital media and the consumption of digital content.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.157-169
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• 2023

Gracilaria Verrucosa (GV), a seaweed used in traditional Korean medicine, was studied for its effects on MI-induced heart failure in rats. MI is caused by a blocked coronary artery, leading to severe cardiac dysfunction. The study used a rat model to assess cardiac changes over time and evaluate the impact of GV on heart failure. Ischemia was induced through LAD ligation surgery, and the extent of ischemic area was measured as a prognostic factor. GV extract administration significantly improved cardiac morphology and reduced cardiac weight compared to the MI group. GV treatment also improved cardiac function, as evidenced by positive effects on chamber dilation during MI-induced heart failure. Parameters such as ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were measured. The MI group showed decreased EF and FS compared to the sham group, while these parameters improved in the GV group. GV treatment also reduced levels of LDH, CPK, and CK-MB in the serum, indicating reduced myocardial damage. Histological analysis revealed that GV treatment attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, with reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed suppressed expression of TGF-β1 and collagen 1, involved in fibrosis. In conclusion, GV showed potential in improving cardiac function in a rat model of MI-induced heart failure. It alleviated myocardial damage, attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and suppressed fibrotic markers. Further studies are needed to explore its clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms in cardiac diseases beyond animal models.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.25_1
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• pp.25-85
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• 2015

In this study, source criticism (an establishment of authentic text) of the Hyun-Mu Sutra(玄武經) among different editions is studied and an attempt of a new interpretation appropriate to that is attempted. The Hyun-Mu Sutra, a scripture written in 1909, began to communicate with the world through the religions of Jeungsanism. In particular, it was remarkable that The Hyun-Mu Sutra was absorbed as canon textbooks Jeonkyung(典經), the Scriptures of Daesoonjinrihoe, The Fellowship of Daesoon Truth(大巡眞理) from a loner and secret pull-out of heritage traditions. However, this scripture though written in 1909 and more than 100 years has passed, remained in a state unestablished authentic text. The Hyun-Mu Sutra is the scripture consisted of 25 pages by the religions of Jeungsanism[Gang Il-sun 姜一淳(1871~1909)]. 33 page type of Hyun-Mu Sutra has been distributed in the world until now the authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra. However, as a result of the examination, diagnostic scripture(病勢文) was found to have been added by descendants. After a review of authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra, it concluded that there is no diagnostic scripture in primary The Hyun-Mu Sutra. Though The Hyun-Mu Sutra is a booklet of a small amount, the notation and expression is so unique, it has been in secrecy to read its contents. Interpretation way of The Hyun-Mu Sutra up to now can be summarized in two as follows. 1) approaches by I-ching 2) approaches by ten celestrial stemps and twelve earthly branches(10干12支). Approaches by I-ching among this sometimes was supplemented with Buddhist classification methods. Nevertheless, these studies can be evaluated limited because it fails to secure authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra. In this study, the contents of The Hyun-Mu Sutra was examined itemized by focusing on the following four points. 1) The icon of The Hyun-Mu Sutra(玄武經符) is similar as normal talisman(符籍) but it has other features. 2) 'Reverse Fonts'(反書體)[the opposite view of the standard fonts(正書體), reflected in the mirror fonts] and size or location used in text is not in uniform. 3) letters in scripture were pointed and points were stamped in the left and upper and lower characters. 4) "Spiritual poem" (詠歌, the Korean traditional music with a view of elegance as an origin of eco), and the music with the Five-Sounds[宮Gung, 商Sang, 角Gak, 徵Chi, 羽Wu) were related. As a result, content analysis of The Hyun-Mu Sutra is carried out in the next four points. 1) The icon of The Hyun-Mu Sutra (玄武經符) has been primarily developed by Jeungsan. 2) 'Reverse Fonts'(反書體)[the opposite view of the standard fonts(正書體), reflected in the mirror fonts] and reverse location such as '宙宇' [the reverse of '宇宙'] represents based on a new world based on a forward and reverse I-ching(正易). 3) Dot and neighbor points is a symbolic map that guides the position of lateral new world(後天) and era(人尊) 4) Spiritual poem is the entrance to achieve the Realization of Do(道通). The above can be considered as the results of this study.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.15-29
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• 2022

The Byungsan Neo-Confucian Academy, a 17th-century World Heritage Site in Korea, is being praised as a manifestation of naturalness or non-artificiality of the traditional Korean borrowed scenery technique (借景, chagyeong). This study, however, aims to reinterpret the chagyeong of the Byungsan Academy (hereafter the Academy) as a device of illusion evoking an idealized vision of nature. In the process of interpretation, 'picture and frame'-a widely accepted expression that represents the chagyeong of the Academy-will be foregrounded as the pivotal concept mediating the change of perspectives from naturalistic to ideological. This study consists of the following three parts. First, it shows that 'picture and frame' represent a modern way of seeing the Academy as an architectural heritage in harmony with nature; it denotes pristine nature and the empty architectural frame that safely circumscribes the innate beauty of the natural landscape. Second, departing from the naturalistic perspective, this study argues that the architectural framework of the Academy composes scenography enticing the viewer to imagine the idealized, Confucian image of nature that compares to the landscape imagery found in the landscape poetry and paintings that were produced and appreciated by the 17th-century Confucian literati. Lastly, based on the above interpretation, this study stresses that the 'picture' one encountered at the Academy in the 17th century was not the framed scene of a natural landscape but the illusion it caused; the architectural 'frame' worked not as a symbol of naturalness but as an institutional apparatus of vision manipulating the way one sees-and therefore imagines-the landscape.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.51-51
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• 2023

The world-wide rate of obesity is increasing continuously, representing a serious medical threat since it is associated with a variety of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and numerous cancers. Sophora japonicais used as a traditional herb for medicinal purposes in eastern Asia. However, the anti-obesity effects of S. japonicafruit have not been explored. The aim of this study is to investigate the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis by an ethanol extract of S. japonicafruit (EESF) in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Our results demonstrate that EESF suppressed the terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, as confirmed by a decrease in lipid droplet number and lipid content through Oil Red O staining. EESF significantly reduced the accumulation of cellular triglyceride, which was associated with a significant inhibition of the levels of pro-adipogenic transcription factors, including PPARγ, C/EBPα and C/EBPβ. In addition, EESF potentially down regulated the expression levels of adipocyte-specific proteins, including aP2 and leptin. In particular, EESF treatment effectively enhanced the activation of the AMPK signaling pathway; however, the co-treatment with compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK, significantly restored the EESF-induced inhibition of pro-adipogenic transcription factors and adipocyte-specific genes. These results indicate that EESF may exert an anti-obesity effect by controlling the AMPK signaling pathway, suggesting that the fruit extract of S. japonica may be a potential anti-obesity agent.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2023

Chrysanthemum zawadskii (C. zawadskii) is used in traditional East Asian medicine for the treatment of various diseases, including inflammatory disease. However, it has remained unclear whether extracts of C. zawadskii inhibit inflammasome activation in macrophages. The present study assessed the inhibitory effect of an ethanol extract of C. zawadskii (CZE) on the activation of the inflammasome in macrophages and the underlying mechanism. Bone marrow[-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were obtained from wild-type C57BL/6 mice. The release of IL-1β and lactate dehydrogenase in response to nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activators, such as ATP, nigericin and monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, was significantly decreased by CZE in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-primed BMDMs. Western blotting revealed that CZE inhibited ATP-induced caspase-1 cleavage and IL-1β maturation. To investigate whether CZE inhibits the priming step of the NLRP3 inflammasome, we confirmed the role of CZE at the gene level using RT-qPCR. CZE also downregulated the gene expression of NLRP3 and pro-IL-1β as well as NF-κB activation in BMDMs in response to LPS. Apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) oligomerization and speck formation by NLRP3 inflammasome activators were suppressed by CZE. By contrast, CZE did not affect NLR family CARD domain containing protein 4 (NLRC4) or absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation in response to Salmonella typhimurium and poly(dA:dT) in LPS-primed BMDMs, respectively. The results revealed that three key components of CZE, namely linarin, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and chlorogenic acid, decreased IL-1β secretion in response to ATP, nigericin and MSU. These findings suggest that CZE effectively inhibited activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.967-977
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• 2023

Rubus crataegifolius (RC) is a traditional Asian medicinal plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. The fruits of RC are known to prevent adult diseases through antioxidants. In this study, the effects of RC extract (RCex) on obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated in animal models. Twenty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were induced to become obese for 8 weeks and then the extract was orally administered for 8 weeks. RCex reduced body weight, adipose tissue, liver weight. RCex improved biochemical biomarkers including lipid metabolism (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), plasma triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol). The activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) reduced the expression of adipogenesis genes (liver × receptor (LXR), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthesis (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and the effect of enhancing carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity by RCex was verified. RCex also influence on plasma production of hormones (adiponectin & leptin) related on energy expenditure and metabolism. In addition, we confirmed that RCex improved glucose intolerance in HFD-induced obese rats. RCex was first demonstrated to have anti-obesity as well as anti-NAFLD effects by regulating fatty acid oxidation and fatty acid synthesis by phosphorylation of AMPK. This suggests that RCex could be a good supplement for the prevention of obesity and related NAFLD.