• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.720-728
• /
• 2011

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used as a source food as well as a traditional folk medicine ingredient since ancient times. Aged black garlic is a type of fermented garlic and is expected to have stronger anticancer and antioxidant activities than raw garlic. However, the mechanisms of their inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis are poorly understood. In the present study, the effects and mechanisms of water extracts of raw garlic (WERG) and aged black garlic (WEABG) on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were investigated. Treatment with WEABG significantly suppressed terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner as confirmed by a decrease in lipid droplet number and lipid content through Oil Red O staining, however WERG had no such effect. In addition, WEABG reduced accumulation of cellular triglyceride, which is associated with a significant inhibition of key pro-adipogenic transcription factors including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ (PPAR${\gamma}$), cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}$ (C/EBP${\alpha}$) and C/EBP${\beta}$. Taken together, these results provide important new insight that aged black garlic might inhibit adipogenesis by suppressing the pro-adipogenic transcription factors in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, and further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anti-obesity activity of aged black garlic.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.8
• /
• pp.1079-1085
• /
• 2011

We investigated the biological activities of extracts from the flowers of Angelica gigas Nakai. The $IC_{50}$ of the DPPH radical scavenging activity was 3,535 and 105.0 ${\mu}g/mL$ in the water and ethanol extracts, respectively, whereas it was 12.7 ${\mu}g/mL$ for ascorbic acid. The results showed that the total polyphenol content of the ethanol extracts (48.43${\pm}$0.18 mg/g) was higher than that of the water extracts (39.03${\pm}$0.69 mg/g). The flavonoid content of the ethanol extracts (67.02${\pm}$4.38 mg/g) was higher than that of the water extracts (50.32${\pm}$1.24 mg/g). The ethanol extract showed a 34.45% lower ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity than that for acarbose. The ethanol extract showed a 23.62% lower ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibition activity compared with that for acarbose. The water extract showed 16.76% lower pancreatic lipase inhibition activity. Anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity was also lower. These results suggest that the flower of Angelica gigas Nakai may be useful as an anti-oxidative agent.

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

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.569-577
• /
• 2013

Soy sauce is a traditional fermented seasoning in several oriental countries, such as Korea and Japan, and recently it has been reported to have biological activities. In Korean soy sauce, soybeans and wheat are the two main raw materials. Polysaccharides that originate from the cell wall of soybeans are resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. These polysaccharides remain in the soy sauce even after fermentation and are termed Kanjang polysaccharides (KPS). In this study, polysaccharides were obtained from dialysate of different soy sauces labeled as A~T and manufactured by fermentation or the acid-hydrolyzate method. We investigated anti-inflammatory activities by examining the effects of these KPS on proinflammatory cytokine release and mRNA expression in mast cells. Histamine and ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release were strongly decreased by the KPS treatment in RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment with KPS clearly reduced mRNA expression and the release of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) in PMACI-stimulated HMC-1 cells. In particular, KPS derived from fermented Kanjang products showed a significant anti-inflammation effect on mast cells compared to the acid-hydrolyzed Kanjang products. This study suggests that KPS appear to be effective in suppressing allergic inflammatory reactions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.927-931
• /
• 2010

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of defatted grape seed extract (DGSE) on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. DGSE at 100 ${\mu}g$/mL significantly suppressed lipid accumulation and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in hormonally stimulated adipocytes, an indicator of adipocyte differentiation. In order to understand the anti-adipogenic effects of DGSE, the changes in the expression of several adipogenic transcription factors including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) $\gamma$, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) $\alpha$ and $\beta$ were investigated using immunoblotting. DGSE suppressed the expression of PPAR$\gamma$, C/EBP$\alpha$, and C/EBP$\beta$ proteins compared with control adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. This results indicated that DGSE may alter fat mass by directly affecting adipogensis in maturing preadipocytes and thus may have applications for the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.401-409
• /
• 2013

Smilax china L., a native plant found in Asian countries, has several medicinal properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. Although the root of the plant is commonly used as traditional herbal medicine in Korea and China, the medicinal properties of the leaves have not gained the same attention. In this study, we analyzed the antioxidant activity, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory effect and lipid accumulation inhibition effect of Smilax china L. leaf water extract (SCLE) and its solvent fractions. SCLE was fractionated by using a series of organic solvents, including ethylacetate (EA) and n-butanol (BuOH). The EA fraction had the highest total polyphenol content ($440.20{\pm}12.67$ mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content ($215.14{\pm}24.83$ mg QE/g). The radical scavenging activity $IC_{50}$ values of the EA fraction for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) were 0.022 mg/mL and 0.13 mg/mL, respectively. Further, SOD-like activity and reducing power values of the EA fraction were higher than those of the other fractions. However, both the ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and lipid accumulation inhibition assays showed that the BuOH fraction ($83.35{\pm}4.18%$ at 1 mg/mL) and water extract ($11.27{\pm}2.67%$) were more effective than the EA fraction ($64.13{\pm}6.35%$, and $45.66{\pm}7.20%$). These results provide new insights into the potential anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of Smilax china L. leaf.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.7
• /
• pp.523-531
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities in ethanol extracts from herb mixture (Ephedra sinica, Atractylodes lance, Gypsum fibrosum, and Theobroma cacao). DPPH, ABTS⁺ radical and xanthine oxidase scavenging activities were measured for antioxidant activity. Extracts of the herb mixture had 75.0, 100.8, and 79.5% scavenging activities at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. We investigated the inhibition of adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation with an extract of an herb mixture in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. An extract from the herb mixture at concentrations between 0 and 50 ㎍/ml did not affect 3T3-L1 cell viability. Treatment with herb mixture extracts of 25, 50, and 75 ㎍/ml in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. As a result of a Western blot experiment, it was shown that the herb mixture inhibited the differentiation transcription factors, PPARγ and C/EBPa, by 44.2 and 77.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 75 ㎍/ml in MDI-induced differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. As a result of RT-PCR, the gene expression of C/EBPa, SREBP-1c, and PPARγ was significantly inhibited by 43.4%, 59.6%, and 55.3%, respectively, at the concentration of 75 ㎍/ml of the herb mixture compared with the MDI-treated group. In addition, the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a fatty acid synthesis regulator, was suppressed. These results can be applied to develop a functional food for anti-obesity with a herb mixture.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.641-649
• /
• 2014

The antiobesity effect of commercial kochujang and fermented wheat grains in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was studied. The experiment was consisted of 6 groups. Normal, high fat diet (HFD), HFD+raw wheat grains, HFD+first fermented wheat grains (FFWG, with Aspergillus oryzae) HFD+final fermented wheat grains (FiFWG, fermented more for 30~40 days), and HFD+ commercial kochujang. The results showed that final body weight, weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and adipose tissue weight were markedly decreased by the commercial kochujang and the fermented wheat grains, whereas non-fermented raw wheat grains had no such effect. Lipid contents such as total lipid, total triglyceride and total cholesterol decreased in the serum and organs of liver and adipose tissues by the commercial kochujang and the fermented wheat grains as well. These results also indicated that fermented wheat grains exhibited more suppressive effects on high fat induced-obesity than raw wheat grains. Increased fermentation time and adding the red pepper powder resulted in increased the anti-obesity effect. Especially, commercial kochujang showed higher antiobestic effects than fermented wheat grains. These in vivo findings suggested that well-fermented end products of the wheat grains and red pepper powder in kochujang could be useful in the prevention of obesity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 2019

In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effects of various mixtures of Atractylodes macrocephala (AM) and Amomum villosum (AV) water extracts on high-fat diet (HFD) induced mouse model. We classified five groups as follows; control, HFD, HFD + AM extracts : AV extracts (100mg/kg) (1:1), HFD + AM extracts : AV extracts (100mg/kg) (2:1), HFD + AM extracts : AV extracts (100mg/kg) (3:1). Oral administration of various mixtures of AM and AV extracts for 6 weeks inhibited HFD-induced increases of body, liver and epididymal fat weights. Also, lipid profiles including LDL cholesterol were improved by various mixtures of AM and AV extracts treatment compared with HFD-fed group. Lipogenesis-related genes such as acetyl coA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in liver changed in a favorable way for lipid biosynthesis by HFD compared to control, but various mixtures of AM and AV extracts-treated groups did not. Our results show that various mixtures of AM and AV extracts can prevent HFD-induced obesity in mice and suggests that the mechanisms are involved in expressions and modifications of lipogenesis-related genes such as ACC and FAS in liver.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the fermentation characteristics and anti-obesity effects of Cheonnyuncho (Oputia Humifusa) fruit fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum SRCM 100320 (FC). The pH gradually decreased from 4.77 to 3.63 at 72 hours during fermentation. Counts of lactic acid bacteria, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and DPPH scavenging activity were the highest at 48 hours during fermentation. Evaluation of the composition of polyphenols and flavonoids of FC fermented at 48 hours by HPLC revealed hyperoside (quercetin 3-galactoside), luteolin and kaempferol were the major components. The hyperoside content of FC was decreased, while the luteolin and kaempferol contents of FC were increased compared to unfermented Cheonnyuncho (NFC). Evaluation of the anti-obesity effects of FC in 3T3L-1 cells revealed that the accumulation of triglyceride was inhibited by about 27.3% in cells treated with FC at $150{\mu}g/mL$ compared to NFC. These findings indicate FC has the potential for use as an anti-obesity material.