• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.411-418
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of chestnut inner skin tea, brown rice-green tea and Cassia lora tea on the activation of physiological functions (regional cerebral blood flow, mean arterial blood pressure, proliferation of immunocytes in vitro and in vitro, suppression of cancer cell proliferation) in mouse and rat. We used 8 weeks-old balb/c male mice, 300g ICR rats and L1210 cell lines. Regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) and mean arterial blood pressure(BP) were measured using Leser-Doppler Flowmetry(LDF) and the proliferation of cells was measured using a colorimetric tetrazolium assay(MTT assay). The experimental results are as follows : 1. rCBF was increased by Cassia tora tea, but decreased by chestnut inner skin tea in rats. 2. BP was increased by brown rice-green tea in rats. 3. Proliferation of mouse thymocytes and splenocytes were significantly increased by chestnut inner skin tea in vitro. 4. Proliferation of mouse thymocytes was decreased by Cassia tora tea and brown rice-green tea in vitro. 5. Proliferation of mouse thymocytes was decreased by Cassia tora tea and brown rice-green tea in L1210 transplanted mice. 6. Proliferation of splenocytes was accelerated by chestnut inner skin tea in L1210 transplanted mice. 7. Proliferation of L1210 cells was inhibited by chestnut inner skin tea and Cassia tora tea in L1210 transplanted mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2009

Piperine is an alkaloid-amine found in pepper and has been reported to have anticarcinogenic properties. To explore the possibility that piperine has cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects in colon cancer, we examined whether piperine inhibits the growth of HT-29 human colon cancer cells and investigated the mechanisms for this effect. Cells were cultured with various concentrations ($0{\sim}40{\mu}M$) of piperine. Piperine decreased the cell viability and induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Western blot analysis of total cell lysates revealed that piperine decreases the protein levels of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and intact Bid but increases Bik levels. Piperine increased the percentage of cells with depolarized mitochondrial membrane, and the release of cytochrome c into cytoplasm. Piperine induced the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspases 8, 9, 7, and 3 and increased the Fas levels. In addition, piperine significantly decreased the protein levels of survivin. The present results indicate that piperine inhibits the growth of HT-29 colon cancer cells by the induction of apoptosis, which may be mediated by its ability to change the Bcl-2 family proteins, increase the activation of caspases, and decrease survivin levels. Overall, our findings suggest that piperine has cancer chemotherapeutic effects in colon cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1598-1604
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• 2009

In order to determine chemical components of onion flesh and peel, general nutrients, vitamin C, and total flavonoids were measured. Onion peel showed less moisture (14.3%) and no vitamin C compared to onion flesh. Onion peel contained more amounts of total flavonoids compared to onion flesh. In addition, the inhibitory effects of solvent extracts from onion flesh and peel on $H_2O_$-induced oxidative stress and growth of cancer cell lines (AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma and HT-29 human colon cancer cells) were investigated. Acetone with methylene chloride (A+M) and methanol (MeOH) extracts from onion flesh and peel appeared to significantly reduce the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (p<0.05) and a greater antioxidant effect was observed in onion peel. Among fractions, 85% aq. methanol showed a higher protective activity against oxidative stress in both flesh and peel and there was no effect in the water and hexane fractions. The growth of cancer cells exposed to medium containing extracts and fractions from onion flesh and peel was inhibited dose-dependently. The growth of AGS was inhibited more in both flesh and peel compared to HT-29, and onion peel was more effective than onion flesh. Among fractions, 85% aq. methanol showed the greatest effect on growth inhibition in both flesh and peel. $IC_{50}$ values of 85% aq. methanol fraction from onion flesh and peel on AGS were 0.04 and 0.03 mg/ml, respectively, while those on HT-29 were 0.23 and 0.04 mg/ml. From our results, 85% aq. methanol fraction had an inhibitory effect against oxidative stress and growth of cancer cells, suggesting that it may contain biological active compounds.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.303-308
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• 2019

L-carnitine is found in high levels in muscle tissues. It has been developed as a nutrient and dietary supplement, and also used as a therapeutic supplement in various diseases including type II diabetes, osteoporosis and metabolic neuropathies. However, it is not fully understood how it affects cellular mechanisms in colorectal cancer. Therefore, we attempted to determine the effect of L-carnitine in HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells. First, the HCT116 cells were exposed to L-carnitine for 24 hours at 0-40 mM, and then analyzed for cellular proliferation, oxidative stress and related mechanisms. In a MTT assay, L-carnitine inhibited cellular proliferation and induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HCT116 by DCF-DA analysis. To analyze the mechanism of L-carnitine in colorectal cancer cells, we performed a western blot analysis for pERK1/2 and pp38 MAP kinase. The western blot showed that L-carnitine significantly increased protein levels of pERK1/2 and pp38 compared with control. Taken together, we found that L-carnitine has anti-proliferative function via increased ROS and activation of ERK1/2 and p38 pathway in HCT116. These findings suggest that L-carnitine may have an anti-proliferative role on colorectal cancer.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2008

This study was performed to determine the antimutagenic and anticancer effects of ethanol extract of buckwheat sprout using Ames test and SRB assay, respectively. An ethyl acetate fraction (200 ${\mu}/plate$) from the ethanol extract of buckwheat sprout showed inhibition rate of 80.6% against the mutagenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 strain. Also the ethyl acetate fraction (200 ${\mu}/plate$) showed higher antimutagenic activity than other fractions against the mutagenesis induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. In addition, the ethyl acetate fraction (200 ${\mu}/plate$) showed high antimutagenic effect of 80.9% and 85.9% against the mutation of TA98 and TA100 strains induced by 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido-(4,3-b)indol (Trp-P-1), respectively. The cytotoxic effects of each solvent fraction from the ethanol extract of buckwheat sprout against human cancer cell lines including lung carcinoma (A549), gastric carcinoma (AGS), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B), and colon adenocarcinoma (Colo 205) were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction of buckwheat sprout ethanol extract at the concentration of 1.0 mg/ml showed strong cytotoxic activities of 70.3, 94.8, 79.6, 82.3, and 73.2% against A549, AGS, MCF-7, Hep3B and Colo 205 cancer cell lines, respectively.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2011

Red ginseng is one of the most popular traditional medicines in Korea. In this study, we developed a new technique in which ethanol extract of $\underline{r}$ed $\underline{g}$inseng (HRG) was exposed to the $Co^{60}$ gamma radiation ranging from 1~5 kGy. The irradiated HRG (IHRG) were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine any compositional changes of ginsenosides due to irradiation. No appreciable difference was observed in the HPLC pattern of ginsenosides of HRG. Using MTT assay, the cytotoxicity effect was significantly increased by IHRG compared to HRG. The $LD_{50}$ concentration was $30{\mu}g/mL$ for IHRG-1 (1 kGy), and $15{\mu}g/mL$ for IHRG-5 (5 kGy). The evidences of apoptosis, such as nuclei cleavage and Annexin V staining, were observed in the human prostate cancer PC-3 cells treated with the IHRG. Additionally, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was apparently elevated by IHRG. We also studied the inhibitory effect of IHRG on the growth rate of tumor xenografts in BALB/c male mice. The tumor growth rates were inhibited by 56.9 and 76.1% in mice treated with 10 mg/kg of IHRG-1 and IHRG-5, respectively, compared with control group (21.1%). These results suggest that some biologically active and soluble components in HRG can be more effectively enhancement of anti-tumor effects using irradiation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.903-909
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• 2014

Plants are an invaluable source of potential new anti-cancer drugs. Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (Korean name, Jeju-Joritdae) is one of these plants with medical value, which is a bamboo grass widely distributed in Mt. Halla on Jeju Island, Korea. Here, we investigated the apoptotic effects of S. quelpaertensis leaf extracts in six human cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, HepG-2, Hela, HCT116 and A375). MTT assay signified the antiproliferative nature of S. quelpaertensis extracts against all tested cancer cells: S. quelpaertensis displayed slight cytotoxicity against A549, MCF-7 and HepG-2 cells, whereas it was exclusively cytotoxic to Hela, HCT116 and A375 cells. Apoptotic cells were evaluated using PI staining of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry (sub-G1 peak). PI staining indicated increasing accumulation of Hela, HCT116 and A375 cells at sub-G1 phase. Further events like generation of nitric oxide ($NO^{\bullet}$) were accompanied in the S. quelpaertensis Nakai-induced apoptosis. Augmented $NO^{\bullet}$ generation resulted in the DNA fragmentation of Hela, HCT116 and A375 cells by treatment with S. quelpaertensis leaf extracts. These results suggest that S. quelpaertensis may be a potential natural resource for treating cancer cell. To identify the exact mechanisms of molecular mechanism of S. quelpaertensis induced apoptosis awaits further investigation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2014

This study was performed to determine the anticancer effects of cultivated Orostachys japonicus (COJ) and wild Orostachys japonicus (WOJ) on primary human prostate cancer cells (RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells). The morphology of cells treated with COJ and WOJ was distorted to shrunken cell masses. In addition, cell death induced by COJ and WOJ was associated with increased population of cells in sub-G1 phase as well as the formation of apoptotic bodies and nuclear condensation. COD and WOJ markedly reduced the number of viable prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, and cell numbers were lower than control cells. COJ and WOJ also inhibited increases in cell proliferation induced by environmental hormones such as dioxin and bisphenol A in charcoal-treated FBS (cFBS) medium. COJ and WOJ methanol extracts at the tested concentrations (150, 300, and 600 ${\mu}g/mL$) also dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation induced by environmental hormones. These results indicate that COJ and WOJ exert anticancer effects on primary human prostate cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.44-52
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• 2015

In the present study, the substance that show anti-proliferation of cancer cells as well as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect was searched. As a results, the methanol extract of Pogostemon cablin (P. cablin), is a well-known herb for traditional medicine in Korea and China for treating the digestive disorders, less of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, inhibited the growth of various cancer cells such as A549, HepG2, MCF7 and HT29 cells. Cytotoxic effect of methanol extraction of P. cablin was excellent in A549 cells. P. cablin extract induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase of A549 in a dose dependent manner. And it induced phosphorylation of p38 and Cdc25A and reduced expression of Cdc25A, Cdks, Cyclins and phospho-Retinoblastoma (Rb) proteins. Therefore, P. cablin extract seems to act through the p38 - Cdc25A - Cdk - Cyclin - Rb pathway in A549 cells. In addition, P. cablin extract showed anti-oxidant effect by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and anti-inflammation effect by inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that P. cablin may be used as not only candidate materials for anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, moreover, it would be possible utilized in various health functional food materials.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1235-1242
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• 2006

Sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate derived from hydrolysis of glucoraphanin in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, was shown to induce phase II detoxification enzymes and inhibit chemically induced mammary tumors in rodents. Recently, sulforaphane is known to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human canter cells, however its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In tile present study, we demonstrated that sulforaphane acted to inhibit proliferation and induce morphological changes of human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. Treatment of HepG2 cells with $10{\mu}M\;or\;15{\mu}M$ sulforaphane resulted in significant G2/M cell cycle arrest as determined by DNA flow cytometry. Moreover, $20{\mu}M$ sulforaphane significantly induced the population of sub-G1 cells suggesting that sulforaphane induced apoptosis. This anti-proliferative effect of sulforaphane was accompanied by a marked inhibition of ryclin A, cyclin 31 and Cdc2 protein. However, the levels of tumor suppressor p53 and Cdk inhibitor p21 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased by sulforaphane treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Although further studies are needed, the present work suggests that sulforaphane may be a potential rhemoprevetiveichemotherapeucc agent for the treatment of human cancer cells.