• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.155-160
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• 2008

This study was conducted to examine the volatile flavor compounds of Hahyangju, a traditional Korean liquor, and to evaluate the effect of the beverage on alcohol metabolism in rats. By GC/MS analysis, 17 volatile flavor compounds including iso-butyl alcohol and iso-amyl alcohol were detected in Hahyangju. The concentrations of acetaldehyde and ethylacetate in Hahyangju were decreased by filtration. Alcohol (0.035 mg/dL) and acetaldehyde (0.29 mg/dL) levels in the blood of rats given Hahyangju (HT animals) were lower than in rats given 17% (v/v) alcohol (AT rats). Also, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities in HT rats were $24.63{\pm}1.8{\mu}$moles/mg protein and $9.8{\pm}1.3{\mu}$moles/mg protein, respectively, and were higher than in AT animals. The increases in ADH and ALDH activity in HT animals resulted in decreases in alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations in blood, compared to the levels seen in rats given 17% (v/v) alcohol. These results suggest that Hahyangju may increase alcohol metabolizing activity, and consumption of Hahyangju may result in less of a hangover than follows ingestion of beverages (such as wine) containing about 17% (v/v) alcohol.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.74-82
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• 2023

Nepeta sibirica L. or Siberian catmint is a medicinal plant species used in Mongolian traditional medicine for curing human different disorders and veterinary practices. The previous study of the whole plant concentrated on the determination of its essential oil composition and reported that the major ones are sesquiterpenes, including nepetalactone. The aim of this study was to reveal a new biological activity of the above-ground parts of N. sibirica L. and compare the activity of different extracts correlating with the content of biologically active compounds and evaluate their toxicity. For this purpose, anti-oxidative and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of the above-ground parts of N. sibirica L. aqueous and ethanol (EtOH) (40%, 70%) extracts were assayed spectrophotometrically. The aqueous extract showed positive anti-oxidative activity by both tested DPPH and FRAP assays with IC₅₀ 134.24 ± 1.42 mg/mL and FRAP value 1385.15 ± 8.12 µmol/L at 200 ㎍/mL, in contrast to 40% and 70% EtOH extracts. The 70% EtOH extract presented the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 77.29 ± 0.38 mg/mL) followed by 40% EtOH extract (176.72 ± 0.35 mg/mL) and aqueous extract (275.41 ± 0.23 mg/mL). Total phenolics were found to be gallic acid equivalent, % 3.74 ± 0.05 (70% EtOH), 3.94 ± 0.04 (40% EtOH), and 3.79 ± 0.16 (aqueous), whereas the total flavonoids as a rutin equivalent, % as 2.01 ± 0.12, 1.44 ± 0.17 and 1.99 ± 0.02, each. The aqueous extract showed the best anti-oxidative and lowest activity against the acetylcholinesterase; however, the 70% EtOH extract showed the opposite effects than that of the aqueous. No mortality incidence was visible at various doses, indicating that the oral median lethal dose of aqueous and 70% EtOH extracts were considered greater than 5000 mg/kg. N. sibirica L. belongs to the non-toxic category of the OECD 423 classification.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.331-342
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• 2020

The suppression of neuroinflammatory responses in microglial cells can be considered a key target for improving the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Asparagus cochinchinensis has traditionally been used as a medicine to treat fever, cough, kidney disease, breast cancer, inflammatory diseases, and brain diseases. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective mechanism of an aqueous extract from A. cochinchinensis root (AEAC), particularly its anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 microglial cells. BV-2 cells were treated with four different concentrations of AEAC. No significant toxicity was detected in BV-2 cells treated with AEAC. Nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA levels were 21% lower in the AEAC+LPS group than in the Vehicle+LPS group. Lower proinflammatory (TNF-α and IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and IL-10) levels were also detected in the AEAC+LPS group than in the Vehicle+LPS group, albeit at varying rates. Moreover, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) members after LPS treatment was significantly recovered in the AEAC-pretreated group compared to the Vehicle+LPS group, enhancement of the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) members after LPS treatment was significantly recovered in the AEAC-pretreated group, while cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase caused by LPS treatment was less severe in the AEAC+LPS group. The increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by LPS treatment was also lower in the AEAC-pretreated group than in the Vehicle+LPS group. This is the first study to show that AEAC exerts anti-neuroinflammatory activity against LPS stimulation by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway, the cell cycle, and ROS production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1522-1528
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to develop a model for simulating gastric digestion in the pig. The model was constructed to include the chemical and physical changes associated with gastric digestion such as enzyme release, digestion product removal and gastric emptying. Digesta was collected from the stomach cannula of pigs to establish system parameters and to document the ability of the model to simulate gastric digestion. The results showed that the average pH of gastric digesta increased significantly from 2.47 to 4.97 after feed consumption and then decreased 140 min postprandial. The model described the decrease in pH within the pigs' stomach as $pH_t=5.182e^{-0.0014t}$, where t represents the postprandial time in minutes. The cumulative distribution function of liquid digesta was $V_t=64.509e^{0.0109t}$. The average pepsin activity in the liquid digesta was 317Anson units/mL. There was significant gastric emptying 220 min after feed consumption. The cybernetic dynamic system of gastric digestion was set according to the above data in order to compare with in vivo changes. The time course of crude protein digestion predicted by the model was highly correlated with observed in vivo digestion (r = 0.97; p = 0.0001), Model prediction for protein digestion was higher than that observed for a traditional static in vitro method (r = 0.89; p = 0.0001).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2000

The antidotal, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects of physostigmine and procyclidine. the combinational prophylactics for organophosphate poisoning, were evaluated in rats. In comparison with a low protective effect (1.6 fold) of atropine (15 mg/kg) and 2-pralidoxime (30 mg/kg), the traditional antidotes regimen, a marked protection ratio of 7.3 fold was achieved by combinational pretreatment with physostigmine (0.05 mg/kg) and procyclidine (10 mg/kg), which was superior to that (3.5 fold) with pyri-dostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine (15 mg/kg). Rats exposed to a high dose (10 mg/kg. 2 X $LD_{50}$) of diisopropylfluorophosphate showed severe epileptiform seizures on electroencephalography, resulting in necrotic and apoptotic brain injuries in discrete brain regions under histopathological and TUNEL immuno-histochemical examinations in 24 hr. Such seizures and excitotoxic brain injuries were fully prevented by pretreatment with physostigmine (0.05 mg/kg) and procyclidine (10 mg/kg). in contrast to a negligible effect of pyridostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine (15 mg/kg). Taken together, it is proposed that the prophylactics composed of physostigmine and procyclidine could be a promising regimen for the prevention of lethality, seizures and brain injuries induced by organophosphate poisoning.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.751-756
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• 2002

A study was carried out to evaluate the incidences and causes of bovine mastitis in Tanzanian shorthorn zebu (Bos indicus) in the traditional sector and crossbred cows (Bos taurus${\times}$Bos indicus) in the dairy ranching sector, both found under the extensive range management system. Management practices were evaluated through a survey study using structured questionnaires. A total of 120 lactating cows (60 cows from each sector) were screened for the disease using the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Confirmatory tests used for infected cows included; the Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC), culture, bacteriological and biochemical laboratory assays. Survey results showed that management practices were generally very poor in both sectors with 84% of the surveyed herds being kept and milked under very unhygienic environmental conditions. The level of infection was higher in the crossbred cows (5% clinical and 38.3% sub-clinical mastitis) and lower in the zebu cows with only sub-clinical mastitis (23.3%). Crossbred cows had (p<0.05) higher somatic cell counts than zebu cows. The four highest-ranking bacterial isolates in order of importance were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae and Bacillus spp. It was concluded that bovine mastitis under the extensive management system in Tanzania was a result of poor management practices and that zebu cows were more resistant to the diseases than crossbred cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.806-813
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• 2010

Animal bioreactors have been regarded as alternative tools for the production of limited human therapeutic proteins. The mammary glands of cattle are optimal tissues to produce therapeutic proteins that cannot be produced in large amounts in traditional systems based on microorganisms and eukaryotic cells. In this study, two knock-in vectors, pBCTPOKI-6 and pBCTPOKI-10, which target the hTPO gene on the bovine beta-casein locus, were designed to develop cloned transgenic cattle. The pBCTPOKI-6 and pBCTPOKI-10 vectors expressed hTPO protein in culture medium at a concentration of 774 pg/ml and 1,867 pg/ml, respectively. Successfully, two targeted cell clones were obtained from the bovine fibroblasts transfected with the pBCTPOKI-6 vector. Cloned embryos reconstructed with the targeted nuclei showed a lower in vitro developmental competence than those with the wild-type nuclei. After transfer of the cloned embryos into recipients, 7 pregnancies were detected at 40 to 60 days of gestation, but failed to develop to term. The results are the first trial for targeting of a human gene on the bovine milk protein gene locus, providing the potential for a large-scale production of therapeutic proteins in the animal bioreactor system.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.310-319
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• 2000

WooHwangChungSimWon is a traditional prescription formula for treating with hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coma, and stroke in China, Korea, and Japan. In the new prescription of WooHwangChungSimWon, the civet is substituted for the musk, the major component of WooHwangChungSimwon, because of the prohibition law (CITES) on the commercial use of musk. We have made a comparative study of the effects on the hypertension and contractile force of heart between the musk-containing and civet-containing WooHwangChungSimWon. The SHR rats were used for investigating the effects on the hypertension and the rabbits were used for investigating effects on the contractile force of isolated heart. The blood pressure which was recorded during the adminstration period showed that all the samples except the low dose of musk-containing WooHwangChungSimWon decreased the blood pressure, and the effects on the heart works of all the samples were higher than control group, which resulted from the examination of isolated heart. These results suggest that all the musk-containing and civet-containing WooHwangChungSimWon formula have similar protective effects on hypertension and palpitation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.119-142
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• 2008

Zizyphi Spinosi Semen (ZSS) has been widely used for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia in Korea and China. This experiment was performed to know whether sanjoinine A, one of major alkaloid compounds of ZSS has anxiolytic and hypnotic effects through the GABAergic systems. Our results showed that administration of sanjoinine A increased open arm entries and spent time in open arm in the elevated plus-maze and increased head dips in hole board test. Different from traditional anxiolytic, diazepam, sanjoinine A itself did not decrease locomotor activity and strength level in mice. Furthermore, Sanjoinine A (0.5-2.0 mg/kg) prolonged sleeping time and reduced sleeping latency induced by pentobarbital in a dose-dependent manner similar to muscimol, a $GABA_A$ receptor agonist. Sanjoinine A (0.25-1.0 mg/kg) also increased sleeping rate and sleeping time in the combined administration at the sub-hypnotic dose of pentobarbital and showed synergic effects with muscimol in potentiating sleeping onset and enhancing sleeping time induced by pentobarbital. However, sanjoinine A itself did not induce sleeping at the higher dose. In addition, both of sanjoinine A and pentobarbital increased chloride influx in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells. Sanjoinine A decreased the $GABA_A$ receptor ${\alpha}$-subunit expression and increased ${\gamma}$-subunit expression, and had no effects on abundance of ${\beta}$-subunit in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells, showing different expression of subunits from pentobarbital. In conclusion, sanjoinine A shows anxiolytic-like effects and augments pentabarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through the modification of GABAergic systems. [This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD) (The Regional Research Universities Program/Center for Healthcare Technology Development)].

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2017

A species of Cordyceps, an ingredient in Chinese traditional medicine well-known for its major component, cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), has been known to have antiplatelet effects; however, its effects on regulation of phosphoprotein have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated how cordycepin regulates the phosphoprotein, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and p38, to inhibit platelet aggregation, which are concerned with fibrinogen binding to glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$) and granule secretion in platelets. Our finding suggests that cordycepin inhibits collagen-induced platelet aggregation with $261.1{\mu}M$ of $IC_{50}$ and also inhibits fibrinogen binding to ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ by a suppression of PI3K/Akt phosphorylation in a dose dependent manner. In addition, cordycepin further showed to inhibit collagen-induced p38 phosphorylation, reducing granule secretion (i.e. ATP- and serotonin-release) and thromboxane $A_2$ ($TXA_2$) production without regulating cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and thromboxane A synthase (TXAS) activities, as well as phospholipase $C-{\gamma}_2$ ($PLC-{\gamma}_2$) phosphorylation. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that cordycepin-mediated antiplatelet effects were due to the inhibition of fibrinogen binding to ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ via the suppression of PI3K/Akt phosphorylation and inhibition of granule secretion & $TXA_2$ production by suppressing p38 phosphorylation. These results strongly indicate that cordycepin might have therapeutic or preventive potential for platelet aggregation-mediated disorders, regulating the phosphoprotein, including PI3K/Akt and p38.