• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.479-485
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• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the sedative-hypnotic activity of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-enriched fermented marine organisms (FMO), including sea tangle (FST) and oyster (FO) by Lactobacillus brevis BJ20 (L. brevis BJ20). FST and FO were tested for their binding activity of the $GABA_A$-benzodiazepine and 5-$HT_{2C}$ receptors, which are well-known molecular targets for sleep aids. We also measured the sleep latency and sleep duration during pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice after oral administration of FST and FO. In $GABA_A$ and 5-$HT_{2C}$ receptor binding assays, FST displayed an effective concentration-dependent binding affinity to $GABA_A$ receptor, similar to the binding affinity to 5-$HT_{2C}$ receptor. FO exhibited higher affinity to 5-$HT_{2C}$ receptor, compared with the $GABA_A$ receptor. The oral administration of FST and FO produced a dose-dependent decrease in sleep latency and increase in sleep duration in pentobarbital-induced hypnosis. The data demonstrate that FST and FO possess sedativehypnotic activity possibly by modulating $GABA_A$ and 5-$HT_{2C}$ receptors. We propose that FST and FO might be effective agents for treatment of insomnia.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.37-49
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• 2014

In order to elucidate the usefulness of Lycopene, a cherry tomato variety, as a food material, the compositions of free amino acids, amino acid metabolites and polyphenol compounds were analyzed using HPLC and LC-MS/MS method. Lycopene contained eighteen free amino acids except for L-Cys and L-Try. L-Glu was the most abundant free amino acid, followed by L-Gln and L-Asp. The percentages of L-Glu, L-Gln and L-Asp of total free amino acid were 55.5%, 15.9% and 9.9% respectively. Lycopene contained essential amino acids with the exception of tryptophan. The following amino acid metabolites were found : ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid(GABA), carnitine(L-Car), o-phosphoethanolamine(o-Pea), hydroxylysine(Hyl) phosphoserine (p-Ser), N-methyl-histidine(Me-His), ethanolamine($EtNH_2$). Especially, GABA known as a neurotransmitter was present at a high level(305.99 mg/100 g dry weight). We identified the following polyphenol compounds in the cherry tomatoes : caffeic acid-hexose isomer I (CH I), caffeic acid-hexose isomer II (CH II), 3-caffeoylquinic acid(3-CQA), 5-caffeoylquinic acid(5-CQA), caffeoylquinic acid isomer(CQAI), quercetin-hexose-deoxyhexose-pentose(QTS), quercetin-3-rutinoside(Q-3-R), di-caffeoylquinic acid(di-CQA), tri-caffeoylquinic acid(tri-CQA), naringenin chalcone(NGC). Large quantities of Q-3-R and NGC known as bioactive compounds were found. These results revealed that Lycopene variety contained various nutritional and bioactive compounds and would be a potent functional food material.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.1395-1401
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• 2012

This study investigated the cognition-related effects on antioxidant activities, ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents, and AChE inhibitory activities in ethanol extracts from Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Korea), Curcuma longa L. (Korea), Curcuma longa L. (Myanmar), and Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (India). These extracts were investigated to determine the relationships among total polyphenols as well as DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, GABA contents, and acetylcholinestrase (AChE) inhibitory activity. For the results, C. longa L. from Myanmar exhibited the highest contents of curcumin (97.1 ${\mu}g/mg$), total polyphenols (98.4 ${\mu}g/mg$), and GABA (1.31 ${\mu}g/mg$), as well as the strongest radical scavenging activities and AChE inhibitory activity. In addition, C. aromatica Salisb from India, which had the highest total polyphenol content (98.4 ${\mu}g/mg$) and strongest radical scavenging activities, exhibited relatively high AChE inhibitory activity similar to that of C. longa L. from Myanmar. On the other hand, Z. officinale Rosc. and C. longa L. from Korea showed low contents of curcumin (12.2 ${\mu}g/mg$) and polyphenols (85.7 ${\mu}g/mg$), as well as low AChE inhibitory activities. However, we could detect 1.11 ${\mu}g/mg$ of GABA in these extracts, which was similar to that of C. longa L. from Myanmar. Therefore, GABA content was not correlated with AChE inhibitory activity. Based on the results, AChE inhibitory activity is highly correlated with polyphenol contents in Zingibearceae family. Overall, among the Zingiberaceae tested, C. longa L. from Myanmar might be a strong candidate as a cognitive-enhancing ingredient.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2017

Here we investigated the central processing mechanisms of mechanical allodynia and found a direct excitatory link with low-threshold input to nociceptive neurons. Experiments were performed on male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 230-280 g. Subcutaneous injection of interleukin 1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) ($1ng/10{\mu}L$) was used to produce mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Intracisternal administration of bicuculline, a gamma aminobutyric acid A ($GABA_A$) receptor antagonist, produced mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area under normal conditions. However, intracisternal administration of bicuculline (50 ng) produced a paradoxical anti-allodynic effect under inflammatory pain conditions. Pretreatment with resiniferatoxin (RTX), which depletes capsaicin receptor protein in primary afferent fibers, did not alter the paradoxical anti-allodynic effects produced by the intracisternal injection of bicuculline. Intracisternal injection of bumetanide, an Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC 1) inhibitor, reversed the $IL-1{\beta}$-induced mechanical allodynia. In the control group, application of GABA ($100{\mu}M$) or muscimol ($3{\mu}M$) led to membrane hyperpolarization in gramicidin perforated current clamp mode. However, in some neurons, application of GABA or muscimol led to membrane depolarization in the $IL-1{\beta}$-treated rats. These results suggest that some large myelinated $A{\beta}$ fibers gain access to the nociceptive system and elicit pain sensation via $GABA_A$ receptors under inflammatory pain conditions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2017

Objective : High frequency stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is recognized as an effective treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease. However, the neurochemical basis of its effects remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of STN HFS in intact and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rat model on changes of principal neurotransmitters, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the striatum. Methods : The authors examined extracellular glutamate and GABA change in the striatum on sham group, 6-OHDA group, and 6-OHDA plus deep brain stimulation (DBS) group using microdialysis methods. Results : High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to quantify glutamate and GABA. The results show that HFS-STN induces a significant increase of extracellular glutamate and GABA in the striatum of 6-OHDA plus DBS group compared with sham and 6-OHDA group. Conclusion : Therefore, the clinical results of STN-HFS are not restricted to the direct STN targets but involve widespread adaptive changes within the basal ganglia.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.304-313
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• 2010

This study was undertaken to discover the effects and possible mechanisms of the effect of red ginseng extract (RGE) on spontaneous sleep. The effects of a low dose (10 mg/kg) and a high dose (200 mg/kg) of RGE were compared in rats. After recovery from a surgical operation enabling electroencephalograms recordings, rats were administered RGE orally. RGE was administered orally for 1 day or once per day for 5 days in either 10 or 200 mg/kg doses. Polygraphic signs were recorded for 12 h after oral administration of RGE. Both treatment with a large dose (200 mg/kg) of RGE for one day and treatment with either a large or a small dose for 5 days reduced the number of sleep.wake cycles. Daily treatment with RGE (either 10 or 200 mg/kg) for 5 days augmented NREM and total sleep, but reduced wakefulness. Delta wave activity recorded during non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep was increased after one treatment with RGE (either 10 or 200 mg/kg). Delta wave activity during NREM was enhanced after daily treatment with RGE (either 10 or 200 mg/kg) for 5 days. Both alpha and beta subunits of the $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid $(GABA)_A$ receptor were significantly over-expressed in the hypothalamus of the RGE-treated groups. Moreover, the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase was also increased in the hypothalamus. These results demonstrate that RGE may regulate spontaneous sleep via $GABA_A$ergic systems.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.893-899
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• 2009

We compared the physicochemical properties of commercial brown rice vinegar fermented with and without ethanol. The pH and total acidity did not significantly differ between the two types of vinegar. Sugar content, reducing sugar content, and free sugar concentration were higher in commercial brown rice vinegar fermented with ethanol, whereas browning, turbidity, and overall color darkness were higher in vinegar fermented without ethanol. The ratio of acetic acid to total organic acids was 0.94 - 0.96 and 0.97 - 1.00 in commercial brown rice vinegar fermented with or without ethanol, respectively. A higher content of total amino acids, 93.07 - 509.48 ppm, was found in vinegar fermented without ethanol. Fermentation conditions affected the physicochemical properties of brown rice vinegar, as shown by significantly higher $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in brown rice vinegar fermented without versus with ethanol.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.200-206
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• 2019

A potentially functional yogurt co-fermented with Monascus-fermented soybean powder (MFSP) was prepared, and its quality and antioxidant properties were investigated. Skim milk powder with (SMP+MFSP, 1:1, w/w) or without MFSP (SMP; control) was fermented by probiotic cultures consisting of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KCTC 3635 and S. thermophilus KCTC 5092. The functional yogurt fermented with MFSP contained significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of ${\gamma}-aminobutryric$ acid (GABA; $107.22{\pm}3.06{\mu}g/g$), isoflavone aglycone (daidzein+genistein; $201.21{\pm}6.29{\mu}g/g$), and ubiquinone ($39.05{\pm}0.08{\mu}g/g$) than the control yogurt. During fermentation at $36^{\circ}C$ for 48 h, the functional yogurt displayed higher titratable acidity, viable cell numbers, and radical scavenging activity and a lower pH than the control yogurt (p<0.05). These results indicate that MFSP has great potential for enriching the free isoflavones, GABA, and ubiquinone contents in yogurt.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.695-702
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• 2017

The sustained tonic currents ($I_{tonic}$) generated by ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid A receptors ($GABA_{A}Rs$) are implicated in diverse age-dependent brain functions. While various mechanisms regulating $I_{tonic}$ in the hippocampus are known, their combined role in $I_{tonic}$ regulation is not well understood in different age groups. In this study, we demonstrated that a developmental increase in GABA transporter (GAT) expression, combined with gradual decrease in $GABA_AR{\alpha}_5$ subunit, resulted in various $I_{tonic}$ in the dentate gyrus granule cells (DGGCs) of preadolescent rats. Both GAT-1 and GAT-3 expression gradually increased at infantile ($P_{6-8}$ and $P_{13-15}$) and juvenile ($P_{20-22}$ and $P_{27-29}$) stages, with stabilization observed thereafter in adolescents ($P_{34-36}$) and young adults ($P_{41-43}$). $I_{tonic}$ facilitation of a selective GAT-1 blocker (NO-711) was significantly less at $P_{6-8}$ than after $P_{13-15}$. The facilitation of $I_{tonic}$ by SNAP-5114, a GAT-3 inhibitor, was negligible in the absence of exogenous GABA at all tested ages. In contrast, $I_{tonic}$ in the presence of a nonselective GAT blocker (nipecotic acid, NPA) gradually decreased with age during the preadolescent period, which was mimicked by $I_{tonic}$ changes in the presence of exogenous GABA. $I_{tonic}$ sensitivity to L-655,708, a $GABA_AR{\alpha}_5$ subunit inverse agonist, gradually decreased during the preadolescent period in the presence of NPA or exogenous GABA. Finally, Western blot analysis showed that the expression of the $GABA_AR{\alpha}_5$ subunit in the dentate gyrus gradually decreased with age. Collectively, our results suggested that the $I_{tonic}$ regulation of altered GATs is under the final tune of $GABA_AR{\alpha}_5$ subunit activation in DGGCs at different ages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.421-427
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• 2010

This study was conducted to compare and analyze the active and general components between mulberry leaf tea (MLT) and fermented mulberry leaf tea (FMLT). Among the general ingredients, the crude lipids of FMLT contained higher than that of MLT, while the level of carbohydrates was higher in the MLT. Although free sugar of FMLT was a lower concentration than MLT, the value of maltose was higher in the MLT. In FMLT, maltose was not analyzed but small amount of lactose was analyzed. In addition, the level of total free amino acid of MLT was higher than that of FMLT. The level of glutamic acid was highest in MLT, while that of cystine was highest in FMLT. The value of $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was greater in the derivatives of amino acids, and the content was similar for both MLT and FMLT. FMLT also contained a lower level of unsaturated fatty acids than MLT. In addition, the content of total mineral was higher in FMLT, and the level of K was the highest and similar in both teas.