• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.638-645
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• 2015

This study analyzed the physiological quality of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) extract. M. crystallinum is a succulent plant found in Africa, southern Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. It has known antidiabetic, antioxidant, and activation of lipid metabolism effects. Extracts from M. crystallinum were prepared with methanol (MCM), ethanol (MCE), hot water (MCHW), and methanol after hot water (MCHM) extractions. The yields of MCM, MCE, MCHW, and MCHM were 0.37, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.07%, respectively. To determine the biological activities of the extracts, mushroom tyrosinase, pancreatic lipase, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) production, and α-glucosidase assays were conducted. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the MCHW extract was 62.9% at a concentration of 400 μg/ml, which was the highest of all the extracts. The MCM extract showed the highest inhibition activity of α-glucosidase and NO production (56.6 and 57.2%, respectively). The pancreatic lipase inhibition of the MCE extract was similar to that of the MCM extract, with significant inhibition of 90%. The mushroom tyrosinase inhibition of all the extracts was very low (approximately 30%). These results suggest that extracts from M. crystallinum have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and antidiabetic activities. Thus, it may have potential as a functional food product and therapeutic potential as an antidiabetic or antiobesity agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.794-802
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• 2021

In this study we investigated the role and mechanism of cardamonin on IL-1β induced injury in OA. CHON-001 cells were treated with cardamonin and IL-1β and transfected with silencing nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (siNrf2). Cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometer assay was utilized for cell apoptosis assessment. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and Nrf2 mRNA expression was tested by qRT-PCR. Western blot was employed to evaluate MMP-3, MMP-13, Collagen II, Nrf2, NQO-1, NLRP3, Caspase 1 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-1 recruitment domain (ASC) protein levels. In CHON-001 cells, IL-1β suppressed cell viability and Collagen II level while promoting cell apoptosis and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α), MMPs (MMP-3, MMP-13), NQO-1, and NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, Caspase 1 and ASC), with no significant influence on Nrf2. Cardamonin reversed the effect of IL-1β on cell viability, cell apoptosis, pro-inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, Collagen II, and NLRP3 inflammasome levels. In addition, cardamonin advanced Nrf2 and NQO-1 expression of CHON-001 cells. SiNrf2 reversed the function of cardamonin on IL-1β-induced cell apoptosis and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Nrf2, NQO-1, and NLRP3 inflammasome in chondrocytes. Taken together Cardamonin inhibited IL-1β induced injury by inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome via activating Nrf2/NQO1 signaling pathway in chondrocyte.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.301-305
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• 2003

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important bioactive agent that mediates a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological events. NO overproduction by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) results in severe hypotension and inflammation. This investigation is part of a study to discover new iNOS inhibitors from medicinal plants using a macrophage cell culture system. Two sesquiterpenes (1 and 2) were isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi (Compositae) and were found to inhibit NO synthesis ($IC_{50} 3.64 \mu g/mL and 2.81 \mu$g/mL, respectively) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Their structures were identified as 3-Ο-methyl-iso-secotanapartholide (1) and iso-secotanapartholide (2). Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited the LPS-induced expression of the iNOS enzyme in the RAW 264.7 cells. The inhibition of NO production via the down regulation of iNOS expression may substantially modulate the inflammatory responses.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1532-1536
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• 2008

Quercetin which isolated form the roots of Houttuynia cordata. was determined on the basis of IR, ID and 2D NMR specta by direct comparison with authentic compounds. Protein tyrosine phophatase 1B (PTP1B) is thought to be a negative regulator in insulin signal-transduction pathway. Insulin-resistance by the activation of PTP1B is a hallmark of both type 2 diabetes and obesity. Thus, the compound inhibiting PTP1B can improve insulin resistance and can be effective in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Quercetin which measured the inhibitory activity against PTP1B was 92.1% inhibition in the 30 ${\mu}g$/mL, 83.4% inhibition in the 6 ${\mu}g$/mL and 76.5% inhibition in the 3 ${\mu}g$/mL. These results suggest that quercetin retains a potential PTP1B activity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1106-1109
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• 2008

The anti-Helicobacter pylori activity, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activity of white ginseng extract (WGE) were investigated in vitro in this study. The antimicrobial effects of WGE toward H. pylori strains 52 J99, SSI, and 51 were tested using the disk diffusion method. Among these H. pylori strains, H. pylori 52 was the most sensitive, having the largest inhibition zone (19 mm), followed by J99, SSI, and 51. The zone of inhibition due to WGE increased significantly with increasing dosage. The cytotoxicity of WGE toward the human cancer cell lines A-549 (human lung carcinoma), HEC-1-B (human endometrial adenocarcinoma), HeLa (human uterin adenocarcinoma), and SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma) was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylate-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. WGE exhibited an inhibitory effect on cell growth at 2.0 mg/mL for all tumor cell lines. An analysis of anti-inflammatory activity using the RAW 264.7 cell line showed that the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production increased as the WGE content increased. These results demonstrate the potential of WGE to be used as a health-promoting substance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1806-1813
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• 2018

A new sesquiterpene lactone dimer [1], together with five known compounds (2-6), was isolated from the flowers of Inula britannica. The structures of these compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic studies and chemical evidence. The inhibitory activities of these isolated compounds (1-6) against human neutrophil elastase (HNE) were also evaluated in vitro; compounds 1 and 6 exhibited significant inhibitory effects against HNE activity, with $IC_{50}$ values of 8.2 and $10.4{\mu}m$, respectively, comparable to that of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; $IC_{50}=10.9{\mu}M$). In addition, compounds 3 and 5 exhibited moderate HNE inhibitory effects, with $IC_{50}$ values of 21.9 and $42.5{\mu}M$, respectively. In contrast, compounds 2 and 4 exhibited no such activity ($IC_{50}$ > $100{\mu}M$). The mechanism by which 1 and 3 inhibited HNE was noncompetitive inhibition, with inhibition constant ($K_i$) values of 8.0 and $22.8{\mu}M$, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2021

27-Hydroxycholesterol (27OHChol) exhibits agonistic activity for liver X receptors (LXRs). To determine roles of the LXR agonistic activity in macrophage gene expression, we investigated the effects of LXR inhibition on the 27OHChol-induced genes. Treatment of human THP-1 cells with GSK 2033, a potent cell-active LXR antagonist, results in complete inhibition in the transcription of LXR target genes (such as LXRα and ABCA1) induced by 27OHChol or a synthetic LXR ligand TO 901317. Whereas expression of CCL2 and CCL4 remains unaffected by GSK 2033, TNF-α expression is further induced and 27OHChol-induced CCL3 and CXCL8 genes are suppressed at both the transcriptional and protein translation levels in the presence of GSK 2033. This LXR antagonist downregulates transcript levels and surface expression of CD163 and CD206 and suppresses the transcription of CD14, CD80, and CD86 genes without downregulating their surface levels. GSK 2033 alone had no effect on the basal expression levels of the aforementioned genes. Collectively, these results indicate that LXR inhibition leads to differential regulation of 27-hydroxycholesterol-induced genes in macrophages. We propose that 27OHChol induces gene expression and modulates macrophage functions via LXR-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.595-603
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• 2016

(E)-3-Phenyl-1-(2-pyrrolyl)-2-propenone (PPP) is a pyrrole derivative of chalcone, in which the B-ring of chalcone linked to ${\beta}$-carbon is replaced by pyrrole group. While pyrrole has been studied for possible Src inhibition activity, chalcone, especially the substituents on the B-ring, has shown pharmaceutical, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties via inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity. Our study is aimed to investigate whether this novel synthetic compound retains or enhances the pharmaceutically beneficial activities from the both structures. For this purpose, inflammatory responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells were analyzed. Nitric oxide (NO) production, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) mRNA expression, and the intracellular inflammatory signaling cascade were measured. Interestingly, PPP strongly inhibited NO release in a dose-dependent manner. To further investigate this anti-inflammatory activity, we identified molecular pathways by immunoblot analyses of nuclear fractions and whole cell lysates prepared from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with or without PPP pretreatment. The nuclear levels of p50, c-Jun, and c-Fos were significantly inhibited when cells were exposed to PPP. Moreover, according to the luciferase reporter gene assay after cotransfection with either TRIF or MyD88 in HEK293 cells, NF-${\kappa}B$-mediated luciferase activity dose-dependently diminished. Additionally, it was confirmed that PPP dampens the upstream signaling cascade of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 activation. Thus, PPP inhibited Syk, Src, and TAK1 activities induced by LPS or induced by overexpression of these genes. Therefore, our results suggest that PPP displays anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of Syk, Src, and TAK1 activity, which may be developed as a novel anti-inflammatory drug.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2011

This study was carried out on 4 batch reactors to determine the specific ammonium oxidizing rate (SAOR), specific nitrate forming rate (SNFR) and inhibitory degree of nitrifying activities with saline concentrations. Under salt free condition ammonia was consumed during the reaction period within 200 min. When the salt level increased to 10, 20 and 30 g $NaClL^{-1}$ in reactor, ammonia depletion took 250, 300 and above 350 min, respectively. During concentration above 10 g $NaClL^{-1}$, there was nitrite accumulation. Also, at 30 g $NaClL^{-1}$ ammonia did not depleted and $NO_2{^-}$-N accumulated until the final reaction. Nitrate formation rates decreased with increasing salt concentration. SAOR and SNFR showed a decreasing trend as salinity concentrations were increased. The SAOR was reduced from 0.2 to 0.08 mg $NH_4{^+}$-N $g^{-1}VSS\;day^{-1}$ as the salt concentration increased from 0 to 30 g $NaClL^{-1}$. Similarly, the SNFR decreased from 0.26 kg $NO_3{^-}$-N $kg^{-1}VSS\;day^{-1}$ at saline free to 0.1 kg $NO_3{^-}$-N $kg^{-1}VSS\;day^{-1}$ at saline 30 g L-1. A severe inhibition of nitrifiers activity was observed at increased salt concentrations. The inhibition ratio of specific ammonium oxidation rates were 17, 47 and 60% on the reactor of 10, 20 and 30 g $NaClL^{-1}$ added, respectively. The inhibition ratio of specific nitrate forming rates also were inhibited 30, 53 and 62% on the reactor of 10, 20 and 30 g $NaClL^{-1}$ added, respectively. As the salinity concentrations increased from 0 to 30 mg $NaClL^{-1}$, the average MLSS concentration increased from 1,245 to 1,735 $mgL^{-1}$. The SS concentration of supernatant in reactor which settled about 30 minutes was not severely difference between concentration of salt free reactor and one of those high salt contained reactors.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2017

Purpose: Neuroinflammation is mediated by activation of microglia implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Inhibition of neuroinflammation may be an effective solution to treat these brain disorders. Petalonia binghamiae is known as a traditional food, based on multiple biological activities such as anti-oxidant and anti-obesity. In present study, the anti-neuroinflammatory potential of Petalonia binghamiae was investigated in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Methods: Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Production of nitric oxide (NO) was examined using Griess reagent. Expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was detected by Western blot analysis. Activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) signaling was examined by nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 subunit and phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B$. Results: Extract of Petalonia binghamiae significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated NO production and iNOS/COX-2 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Pretreatment with Petalonia binghamiae suppressed LPS-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B$. Co-treatment with Petalonia binghamiae and pyrrolidine duthiocarbamate (PDTC), an $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor, reduced LPS-stimulated NO release compared to that in PB-treated or PDTC-treated cells. Conclusion: The present results indicate that extract of Petalonia binghamiae exerts anti-neuroinflammation activities, partly through inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling. These findings suggest that Petalonia binghamiae might have therapeutic potential in relation to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.