• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2015

Curcumin, a major polyphenolic compound of turmeric, is well known to prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) related to obesity. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) in obese mice. $CCl_4$ was administrated in mice fed a normal diet (ND) or a high fat diet (HFD) for 7 weeks together with or without curcumin. It was conducted to examine for metabolic profiles, adipocyte size, and liver fibrosis by serum biochemistry, histology and immunohistochemistry. Also, Apoptosis of hepatic cells was determined by the TUNEL method. Treatment with curcumin significantly lowered the body weight, fasting glucose, serum AST and ALT, and decreased the adipocyte size, the number of macrophage and mast cells in adipose tissue, and collagen deposition in liver tissue in the HFD+$CCl_4$ group compared with the findings of the HFD+$CCl_4$ group. In contrast, treatment with curcumin on the ND+$CCl_4$ group did not show a significant difference except the body weight and mast cell number when compared with the ND+$CCl_4$ group. Furthermore, curcumin significantly reduced the number of parenchymal apoptotic cells, whereas it increased the number of non-parenchymal apoptotic cells, especially resembling an activated hepatic stellate cell in the liver. Taken together, this data suggests that curcumin might be an effective antifibrotic drug for the prevention of liver disease progression in obese mice. Thus, the development of curcumin as a therapy for obesity and liver fibrosis is supported.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.478-487
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• 2013

Onions were treated with different amounts of sulfur (S) during cultivation and examined for their physicochemical properties and flavor. Onions cultivated without S application were the control group; the treatment groups were grown in soil that had been pretreated with S and received additional S applications or four times before harvest. As the number of S applications increased, the levels of crude protein, quantified with total nitrogen; ash, approximating total amounts of minerals; and dietary fiber of the onions tended to increase. The mineral compositions also improved, with noticeable increases in the levels of Mg, K, Fe, and Zn. In particular, the reducing capacity of the onions increased appreciably (p<0.05), without increases in the levels of S-containing compounds such as thiosulfinate or S-containing amino acids. Nevertheless, the spicy hot taste and flavor, which is generated mainly from S-containing compounds, were perceived more strongly in the onions that had received more S applications.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.640-650
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• 2020

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an atypical member of the FGF protein family which is highly synthesized in the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. Depending on the expression tissue, FGF21 uses endo- or paracrine features to regulate several metabolic pathways including glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. Different physiologically stressful conditions such as starvation, a ketogenic diet, extreme cold, and mitochondrial dysfunction are known to induce FGF21 synthesis in various tissues to exert either adaptive or defensive mechanisms. More specifically, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha control FGF21 expression in adipose tissue and liver, respectively. In addition, the pharmacologic administration of FGF21 has been reported to decrease the body weight and improve the insulin sensitivity and lipoprotein profiles of obese mice and type 2 diabetes patients meaning that FGF21 has attracted huge interest as a therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, understanding FGF21 remains complicated due to the paradoxical condition of its tissue-dependent expression. For example, nutrient deprivation largely increases hepatic FGF21 levels whereas adipose tissue-derived FGF21 is increased under feeding condition. This review discusses the issues of interest that have arisen from existing publications, including the tissue-specific function of FGF21 and its action mechanism. We also summarize the current stage of a clinical trial using several FGF21 analogs.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2010

Recently, numerous construction techniques for repairing and strengthening methods for above ground or air exposed concrete structure have been developed. However repairing and strengthening methods for underwater structural members under continuous loading, such as piers and steel piles need the further development. Therefore, this study develops an aqua epoxy, which can be used for repairing and strengthening of structural members located underwater. Moreover, using the epoxy material and strengthening fibers, a fiber reinforced composite sheet called Aqua Advanced FRP (AAF) for underwater usage is developed. To verify and to obtain properties of the material and the performance of AAF, several tests such as pull-off strength test, bond shear strength test, and chemical resistance test, were carried out. The results showed that the developed aqua epoxy does not easily dissolve in wet conditions and does not create any residual particle during hardening. In spite of underwater conditions, it showed the superior workability, because of the high viscosity over 30,000 cps and adhesion capacity over 2 MPa, which are nearly equivalent to those used in dry conditions. In case of the chemical resistance test, the developed aqua epoxy and composite showed the weight change of about 0.5~1.0%, which verifies the superior chemical resistance.