• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2010

To evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of a water extract (KMF-WE) of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) fruit, we examined its ability to induce humoral and cellular immune response against keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH). Immunized mice with KLH admixed with KMF-WE (KLH/KMF-WE) showed significant induction of KLH-specific antibodies compared to mice immunized with KLH alone. The assay for determining isotypes of antibodies revealed that KMFWE augmented KLH-specific-IgG1 and -IgG2a production. In vitro T lymphocyte proliferation analysis against KLH revealed that the splenocytes of mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE showed a significantly higher proliferative ability than those from mice immunized with KLH alone. The culture supernatants of splenocytes, which were harvested from mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE, showed higher levels of both Th-1 type (IL-2, IFN-${\gamma}$) and Th-2 type (IL-4) cytokines in response to KLH stimulation compared to those from mice immunized with KLH alone. Also, in delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay, mice immunized with KLH/KMF-WE showed a significantly higher reaction to KLH than mice treated with KLH alone. These results suggest that KMF-WE possess immunoadjuvant activity to enhance both antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses against protein antigens (KLH).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2009

Antitumor activity of Korean mistletoe extract (KM-110) and European commercial mistletoe preparation (Helixor) was investigated. KM-110 showed the cytotoxic effect that it is high for various tumor cell lines and normal splenocytes in comparison with Helixor. Administration of two mistletoe extracts ($100{\mu}g$) to mice did not show any significant changes on the level of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvate transaminase (GTP), blood creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in sera. The culture supernatant of macrophages stimulated with KM-110 inhibited effectively tumor growth whereas Helixor had little effect. Administration of KM-110 or Helixor resulted in a effective inhibition of lung metastasis after the i.v. inoculation of colon 26-M3.1 lung carcinoma, B16-BL6 melanoma and L5178Y-ML25 lymphomas. In all cases, the mice treated with KM-110 showed more effective anti-tumor metastatic activity than the mice of Helixor. These results suggest that Korean mistletoe extracts, KM-110 might be used as an alternative methods having antitumor activity like European mistletoe preparation, Helixor.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2020

This study was designed to investigate whether Loranthus parasiticus extract (LPE) could inhibit the activities of carbohydrate digestive enzymes and alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Lyophilized L. parasiticus was extracted with 80% ethanol and concentrated. The inhibitory effects of LPE on carbohydrate digestive enzymes were evaluated by examining α-glucosidase and αamylase, and it was seen to inhibit the activities of both enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. More specifically, the IC50 values of LPE against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were 0.121±0.007 and 0.157±0.004 mg/ml, respectively, significantly lower than those of acarbose, showing that LPE has stronger inhibitory effects than the positive control. These results suggest that LPE strongly inhibits the activities of these digestive enzymes. Blood glucose levels in the control group of diabetic mice increased to 490.00±28.52 mg/dl and 474.60±25.30 mg/dl at 60 and 120 min after a meal, respectively. However, when LPE was added to starch, postprandial blood glucose levels were significantly reduced (463.0±23.73 and 418.5±24.50 mg/dl at 60 and 120 min, respectively; p<0.05). The area under the curve also significantly decreased following administration of LPE, with no cytotoxicity. These results therefore indicate that LPE could be used as an α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor and delay carbohydrate digestion and, thus, glucose absorption after a meal.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.324-330
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• 2015

In this study, the anti-diabetic activity of a cold water extract of Korean mistletoe (KME) was investigated in C57BL/6J Lep ob (ob/ob) mice. Oral administration of KME (50 or 100 mg/kg/d) significantly inhibited the level of blood glucose of ob/ob mice after 5 days from the beginning of KME treatment. And the anti-diabetic effect of KME was stabilized 10 days after oral administration, showing a substantial reduction of blood glucose levels by more than 20% as compared with control mice. The results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) revealed that oral administration of KME gave rise to a remarkable improvement in overall glucose response. Oral administration of KME in ob/ob diabetic mice also significantly reduced blood total cholesterol (TCHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels compared with the diabetic control mice. Moreover, in an in vitro experiment using C2C12 myotubes, treatment of KME prominently increased glucose uptake. Interestingly, KME significantly increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-${\alpha}$ ($PGC-1{\alpha}$), a head regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism, and $PGC-1{\alpha}$-associated genes such as glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), estrogen-related receptor-${\alpha}$ ($ERR-{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TmfA) in C2C12 cells. These results suggest that KME has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for diabetes, and its anti-diabetic activity may be related to the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.838-847
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• 1999

Based on the results that the extract of Korean mistletoe (KM-110) has immunological and anti-tumor activities and its main component is lectin called KML-U, this study was carried out to investigate the immunostimulatory and anti-tumor activities of FKM-110, fermented KM-110 with lactobacillus, as a basic study for the development of functional food with anti-tumor activity. The amount of lectin after fermentation determined by ELISA was varied with the fermentation time and kinds of lactobacillus. Cytotoxic effects of FKM-110 on the various tumor cells was significant and dependent on the concentration of KML-U and the kinds of lactobacillus. FKM-110 stimulated macrophage and resulted in the secretion of some cytokines such as IL-1 and $IFN-{\gamma}$, but this effect was not correlated with the concentration of lectin. FKM-110 fermented with Marshall Lactobacillus casei showed the most potent antitumor activity in experimental and spontaneous metastasis models. When yoghurt produced with KM-110, Marshall Lactobacillus casei and skim milk was administered orally to mouse, the metastasis of tumor cells was significantly inhibited.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.170-178
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• 2001

Background: Korean mistletoe (Viscum album) extract has been found to posses immunostimulatory activity. In this study, Korean mistletoe extract, M11C (non-lectin components), was used to know whether this extract might activate mouse peritoneal macrophages to produce interleukin $1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$). Methods: Hemagglutination assay was carried out to examine whether M11C contained a lectin or not. To know the effect of M11C on the production of IL-$1{\beta}$, the macrophages were treated by the M11C, and then collected the supernatant (M11C stimulated macrophages-conditioned media; MMCM). MMCM was analyzed for the IL-$1{\beta}$ quantification and mRNA expression by means of ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. Results: Maximum effective dose and time of M11C on IL-$1{\beta}$ production from macrophages were $20{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and 8 hours, respectively. This ELISA data was reconfirmed by immunoblotting assay. indicating that M11C is a good candidate for an immunomodulator. The dose and time dependent effects of M11C on the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA from macrophages was also shown in expression of mRNA detected by RT-PCR. Treatment dose and time for the maximum expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA were $20{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and 4 hours, respectively. Maximum gene expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ was much earlier than maximum production of it. Conclusion: As results, Korean mistletoe extract, M11C, may be used for an immunomodulator. This will be able to make up for and solve the problems caused by existent immunoagent with many adverse effects through many other studies in future including one molecule extraction.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 2008

Viscum album coloratum (Korean mistletoe; KM) is a semi-parasitic plant growing on various trees. This plant hasbeen shown to possess a variety of biological functions such as immunomodulation, apoptosis-induction and antitumor activity. However, there is no information about how the extract of KM affects life span of the host. In this study, in order to examine the effect of KM on the longevity of the host, we investigated whether a Korean mistletoe extract (KME) was able to extend the life length in an experimental model using the spring silkworm moth of Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera bombycidae). We established a model test for survival in which all of the male and female moths died within 18 days after the beginning of the experiment. Mean survival time of female moths was longer than that of male moths. Both male and female moths fed with KME containing diet (200 or 400 ${\mu}g$/head/day) showed significantly higher mean survival times than those of the control moths. Studying the effect of KME on prolongation of mean survival time showed that male moths were more susceptible than female moths. The moths fed with KME-containing diet showed a slight decrease in body weight. Interestingly, however, no difference in food intake was observed between moths fed with KME-containing diet and those with control diet. In analysis for mRNA increase in the SIRT2 gene, a member of the Sir2 gene family playing important roles in regulation of cell death and prolongation of life span, moths fed with KME-containing diet showed a significant increase in SIRT2 gene expression. These results suggest that KME has a potential to extend the life span in Bombyx mori, and its effect is partly associated with increase in SIRT2 gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 1994

To investigate the effect of Korean mistletoe on stimulation of macrophage, the activity to induce interleukine-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factors-${\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ from murine peritoneal macrophage by its extracts originated from oak was examined. From in vitro analysis of the cytokines using the culture supernatants of macrophages stimulated with its extracts for 1hr, it was found that Korean mistletoe induces IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from murine macrophage. Furthermore, both extracts of Korean mistletoes that were extracted with distilled water and 2% acetic acid exhibited a significant activity to induce two cytokines. In the stimulation for 30 min, Korean mistletoe at concentration of $1{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$ showed a significant induction of IL-1 from macrophage until 24 hrs after stimulation, showing maximal activity on $5{\sim}10\;hrs\;at\;10{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$. On the other hand, $TNF-{\alpha}$ was induced on the early period, 2 hrs, after stimulation at a wide range of concentration, $1{\sim}500\;\mu/ml$. In addition, the fraction of Korean mistletoe from 80% saturated ammonium sulphate precipitation showed a significant activity to induce both cytokines from macrophage. The present study demonstrates that Korean mistletoe contains immunoregulatory factors responsible for stimulating murine macrophage to secrete IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ which play an important role in immune responses, and suggests that the activity of Korean mistletoe to induce two cytokines is functioned by a possible independent stimulation manner.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.3 s.134
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• pp.210-217
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• 2003

Korean mistletoe (Viscum album) extract has been found to posses immunostimulatory activity. In this study, Korean mistletoe extract, M11C (non-lectin components), was used to know whether this extract might activate mouse splenic macrophages to produce tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha}$) and might play a role in anticancer. To know the effect of M11C on the production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, the splenic macrophages were treated by the M11C, and then collected the supernatant (M11C stimulated splenic macrophage-conditioned media; MSCM). MSCM was analyzed for the $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion by means of ELISA and immunoblotting, and mRNA expression was analyzed by RT-PCR. The S-180 murine sarcoma model was established to know the effect of M11C on the inhibition of tumor growth. M11C had the effect of $TNF-{\alpha}$ production from splenic macrophages performed by ELISA technique. This ELISA data was reconfirmed by immunoblotting assay. The effects of M11C on the expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA from the macrophages was also shown. M11C also had the inhibitory effect of S-180 tumor growth. These data suggest that Korean mistletoe extract M11C may be used for an immunomodulator.