• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.434-440
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• 2012

A placebo-controlled double-blind ingestion study of a beauty supplement containing rice-derived ceramide was performed. Thirty three subjects who always tended to have rough skin due to dryness participated in the study. Dermatological diagnosis by physicians showed that the supplement significantly improved dryness and itching of the skin. On measurement of water content in the skin, the supplement was shown to significantly increase water content in the skin. On microscopic three-dimensional analysis of the epidermis, the supplement was shown to improve smoothness, exfoliation, and short-term ingestion of the supplement containing rice derived ceramide, which is very effective as skin beautifying food.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1726-1733
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• 2011

We performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial to determine whether or not Ishige okamurae extract supplements modulate blood glucose and antioxidant systems in type 2 diabetic patients. A total of 46 patients were randomized to either an Ishige okamurae extract group or a placebo group. The patients consumed either 1,600 mg of Ishige okamurae extract or cornstarch supplement per day for 10 weeks. The lifestyle factors and dietary intake of patients were not altered during the 10 week trial period. After 10 weeks, the fasting blood glucose level was slightly decreased in the Ishige okamurae extract group, but a significant decrease was not observed. Also, glycosylated hemoglobin was significantly (p<0.01) decreased. Especially, low-glycosylated hemoglobin ($7.12{\pm}0.38%$ to $6.56{\pm}0.53%$) was significantly decreased compared to high-glycosylated hemoglobin ($8.65{\pm}0.92%$ to $8.60{\pm}0.85%$) in that group. The superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase levels were increased in the Ishige okamurae extract group compared to the placebo group. The increase of these enzymes was associated with the decrease of MDA concentration in the Ishige okamurae extract group, but a significant decrease was not observed. The Ishige okamurae extract supplement showed no adverse effects on liver and kidney functions. Findings from this study suggest that an Ishige okamurae extract supplement can help blood glucose status in type 2 diabetic patients without adverse effects.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2002

Objectives：This study was conducted to investigate the effect of oxygen on attention and memory functions in healthy adolescents. Methods：The participant subjects were recruited from local advertisement. All subjects are students attending ordinary middle and high school. Their degree of achievement was average or below average. Before the study, its nature and purpose were fully explained to the patients and their parents, and a written informed consent was obtained from each child's parent and a written assent from each child for entire the procedure. The Ethics Committee and Clinical Research Committee of Gyeongsang National University Hospital approved the protocol. For baseline assessment, all subjects received tests for attention and memory. All tests were conducted by a certified psychologist. Stroop test, continuous performance test and trail making test A and B were used for evaluation of attention. As memory tests, we used memory assessment scale(MAS), standardized memory assessment tools. Ten to fourteen days after initial assessments, same tests was applied to the same subjects after prior 5 minute oxygen inhalation. Results：1) Attention test：Improved performances in trail making part B, and stroop test were found in normobaric oxygen inhalation group compared to air inhalation group. Improved reaction time in those tests seemed to reflect the enhanced executive prefrontal activity. 2) Memory test：More words and digits memorization were found in short-term memory subscale score in MAS in oxygen inhalation group compared to air inhalation group. This finding suggested the improved working memory function after oxygen inhalation. Conclusion：Though interpreted cautiously, these results suggested that normobaric oxygen inhalation could enhance executive function and working memory of prefrontal lobe. Further study, however, should be performed to investigate the mechanism of effects of oxygen on cognitive enhancement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1391-1398
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• 2007

We performed a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to determine whether Laminaria japonica extract (LJE) supplement modulates blood glucose, serum lipids and antioxidant systems in type II diabetic patients. We also measured critical parameters assessing safety in liver and kidney functions after LJE supplement. A total of 37 patients (18 males and 19 females) were randomized to either LJE group or placebo group. The treatment group received four 350 mg of LJE capsules (1.4 g, total) per day for 12 weeks. The placebo group received the same dose of cellulose capsules. Baseline characteristics regarding general life style and dietary intake pattern were similar between the two groups. There were no significant influences of LJE supplement except for waist circumference on anthropometric parameters. As the whole, 12 weeks of LJE supplement resulted in a little decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), but a significant decrease was not observed. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) lowered in LJE group. The antioxidant enzymes, glutathion peroxidase (GSH-px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were elevated in the LJE group (p<0.05) compared to the placebo. The increase of these enzymes was associated significantly with the decrease of MDA concentration (p<0.05). Furthermore, LJE supplement showed no adverse effects on the functions of liver and kidney. Findings from this study suggest that LJE supplement can help improve serum lipid status in type II diabetic subjects without adverse effects.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.289-298
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• 2009

Effects of Nattokinase fibrinol (NKF), defined as a fibrinolytic product, on fibrinolytic and atherogenetic markers were studied for healthy adults (20-31 years old), who is smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day. Subjects were divided into 29 for NKF group and 10 for placebo group in a short term study. They were given 2 tablets of NKF (4,000 unit) or placebo tablet and thereafter blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 4 hr prerid. For a 4-week long term study, 15 subjects for NFK group and 10 subjects for placebo group were supplemented one tablet of each NKF (2,000 unit) and placebo per day, respectively. Blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4 weeks later. The short-term experimental trial showed that NKF remarkably increased fibrinolytic activity at 2hr after consumption, which was maintained up to 4 hr, relative to that of placebo, while NKF reduced the euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) and retarded the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), as compared to placebo group. NKF supplementation for 4 weeks elevated fibrinolytic activity, shortened ECLT and retarded aPTT. Furthermore, NKF supplementation increased anti-atherogenic index by decreasing triglyceride (TG) and elevating high-density lipiprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. These results indicate that NKF supplementation for short term or long term might have beneficial effects on preventing and treating cardiovascular disease by increasing fibrinolytic activity and improving atherogenic markers such as hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.516-522
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• 2009

In this study, the effects of a mixture consisting of vitamin E, vitamin C, pycnogenol and evening primrose oil (mixture LGNC-5) on ultraviolet light (UV) induced pigmentation and wrinkle reductions of normal healthy volunteers were studied. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, each of 54 subjects took daily either 4 capsules of the mixture LGNC-5 (Group ABC; 282.5 mg/capsule) or placebo (Group Ganada). We irradiated 2.5 MED UV on the upper arms and measured the whitening effect by colorimeter-based L value. The level of wrinkle reduction was determined by image analysis using skin replica around the crow' feet, and the level of serum vitamin E was determined at baseline and 12 weeks. After 12-week oral administration, the treated group showed a significant reduction in skin pigmentation and wrinkles compared with the placebo group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.000005, respectively). Also, the level of serum vitamin E was significantly increased in the treated group after 12-week oral adminstration of the mixture compared with that in the placebo group (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, 12-week oral administration of LGNC-5 as a dietary supplement could be effective to reduce both UV induced pigmentation and skin wrinkle without side effects.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2005

Since many reports for the influence of the essential oils on the oral microorganism were presented, it is important to use the essential oils in clinical field. At the present day which emphasized the quality of life, oral malodor is one of the serious problems, so we need to try to decrease of oral malodor. This study was designed to make on evidence of the effect of essential oils to oral malodor clinically and to develop on effective treatment for oral malodor by using the dental paste which contains essential oils. 40 dental students volunteered to participate in this study and double blind test was used. At the beginning, all subjects were measured their morning malodor prior to this experiment, at the 3cm posterior to their incisal edge of the oral cavity by Halimeter(Interscan Co. Chatsworth, CA). After that we divided the students in half into two groups A and B. We have supplied different tooth pastes, dental paste A and B, to two groups respectively. The dental paste B contained essential oils which are tea tree, lemon and peppermint. All students used different tooth pastes everyday for 3 weeks. And all students were measured their morning malodor every week with the same method by using Halimeter. This study was resulted that ; 1. The dental paste which contains essential oils has continuously decreased the morning malodor during the whole period of experiments. 2. The number of students with increase in their morning malodor was generally decreased in the group B who used the toothpaste which contains essential oils, compared with the group A who used the toothpaste which didn't contain essential oils on the 2nd and 3rd week of the experiment. 3. In the group B, the average data on increasing rate of morning malodor was less than in the group A. 4. In the 2nd and 3rd week of the experiment, the data on the rate of morning malodor of the group B was generally decreased continuously compared with the group A. These results have statistically significance under 95% confidence interval of the difference.(p$\leq$0.05) As the result, the toothpaste which was containing essential oils was effective in decreasing the morning malodor.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2017

Purpose: The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of xylobiose-sugar mixture intake on defecation frequency and constipation symptoms in 31 young women with constipation. Methods: Thirty-one subjects were assigned to two groups, and subjects in each group were administered 10 g of a 7% xylobiose-sugar mixture (Experiment 1: XBS, n = 15) or 10 g of a 7% xylobiose-sugar mixture containing coffee mix (Experiment 2: XBS coffee mix, n = 16) twice per day for 6 weeks. During the study, clinical efficacy was assessed by a daily diary record. The subjects recorded their defecation frequency and fecal characteristics. Results: During pretreatment week, mean defecation frequency of XBS subjects was 2.13 times/week, whereas that of XBS coffee mix subjects was 1.56 times/week. The mean defecation frequencies of XBS and XBS coffee mix subjects increased significantly to 3.73 times/week (p < 0.05) and 3.56 times/week by week 6 (p < 0.05), respectively. After treatment with either XBS or XBS coffee mix, patients presented significant improvements in their amounts of stool, feelings of residual stool leftness, and abdominal pain symptoms (p < 0.05). The total constipation scoring system (CSS) for diagnosing constipation symptoms significantly decreased in the XBS group (10.53 score vs 7.22 score) and in the XBS coffee mix group (10.75 score vs 6.51 score) after 6 weeks. Improvement due to intake of 7% xylobiose-containing sugar seemed to last during the experimental period. Conclusion: The addition of approximately 7% xylobiose to commercially available sweeteners has been shown to improve constipation.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.174-180
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• 2002

Purpose: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is known to decrease hepatic injury by promoting the biliary secretion of retained toxic endogenous bile acids in hepatobiliary diseases complicated by total parenteral nutrition (TPN). However, most studies have focused on treatment for complications after TPN. We investigated the preventive role of early administration of UDCA in TPN-induced hepatobiliary complications by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Between May 2000 and May 2002, thirteen patients, who were given TPN more than 10 days in the hospital, were assigned randomly to two groups. One was the case group (7 patients) who were given UDCA simultaneously with TPN regimen, and the other, the control group (6 patients) who were given placebo. Their age ranged from 1 day to 13 years. They were affected with diseases impossible for enteral nutrition, such as prematurity, cerebral palsy, chronic diarrhea, anorexia nervosa, pancreatitis, and cyclic vomiting. The duration of TPN ranged from 10 to 70 days. Hematologic parameters including liver function test were measured at regular intervals, and the duration, composition, administration rate, total calorie of TPN were recorded. The serum levels of total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase were compared between groups after cessation of the study. Results: The autoregressive coefficient of the control group was 0.4419 (p=0.0651) in bilirubin, -0.0431 (p=0.7923) in AST, 0.2398 (p=0.2416) in ALT, and 0.2459 (p=0.1922) in alkaline phosphatase by mixed procedure model when the parameters were referred to the case group. Conclusion: The serum level of total bilirubin did not increase in comparison with that of the control group, but statistically insignificant, when both TPN and UDCA were administered simultaneously from the beginning.