• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.909-918
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• 2012

The phenolic compounds which were extracted with 70% ethanol from Ulmus pumila for 12 hr were the highest as $17.9{\pm}1.0\;mg/g$. DPPH scavenging activity of 70% ethanol extracts was also the highest as $89.5{\pm}1.9%$ and it was confirmed to be high as 80% over in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing $50{\mu}g/mL$ over phenolic concentration. ABTS radical cation decolorization activities of water and 70% ethanol extracts were higher as $96.8{\pm}2.9%$, antioxidant protection factor (PF) was 2.0 PF in 70% ethanol and showed higher activities in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration as 2.5 PF than BHA. TBARs of 70% ethanol extracts was $86.5{\pm}4.6%$, it showed high anti-oxidative activity in $50{\sim}200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentrations of water and 70% ethanol extracts as 80% over. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts against hypertension was 77.4% and 90.6% in water and 70% ethanol extracts of $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts for anti-gout effect was not observed in water extracts, but it showed 30% inhibitory activity in 70% ethanol extracts, and 48.1% at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.787-795
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• 2021

Eupatorium chinensis var. simplicifolium (EUC) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Young sprouts of EUC have been used as food for a long time, and the whole EUC plant has been used as an herbal remedy in oriental medicine. Arteriosclerosis, or chronic inflammation in arterial vessels, is a cardiovascular disease and is involved in various disorders. Cardiovascular diseases such as restenosis and neuropathic hyperplasia are mainly caused by abnormal growth and movement due to multiple growth factors in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a mitogen released from damaged vessel walls and is involved in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. To determine the effects of EUC on the abnormal proliferation and migration of VSMCs, the present study investigated intracellular signaling pathways in PDGF-BB-induced VSMCs treated with and without EUC. Pretreating PDGF-BB-induced VSMCs with EUC tended to effectively decrease cell proliferation and migration. Subsequently, the intracellular growth-related signaling pathways of AKT, phospholipase C gamma (PLC-γ), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were investigated using western blotting to confirm inhibited phosphorylation. Furthermore, flow cytometry data showed that EUC blocked the cell cycle of VSMCs. These results suggest that EUC can inhibit the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by controlling the cell cycle and growth factor receptors. Furthermore, this indicates that EUC can be used as a preventative against cardiovascular disease resulting from abnormal proliferation and migration of VSMCs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.410-420
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• 2019

Citrus unshiu peel extracts possess a variety of beneficial effects, and studies on their anticancer activity have been reported. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this activity remain unclear. In the current study, the apoptotic effect of ethanol extract of C. unshiu peel (EECU) on human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells and related mechanisms were investigated. The results showed that the survival rate of MDA-MB-231 cells treated with EECU was significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis. EECU-induced apoptosis was associated with the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9, which initiate extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways, respectively, and caspase-3, a representative effect caspase. EECU suppressed the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins, leading to an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and proteolytic degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. EECU also enhanced the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol, along with truncation of Bid. In addition, EECU activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, significantly weakened EECU-induced apoptosis and cell viability reduction. Furthermore, EECU promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which acted as upstream signals for AMPK activation as pretreatment of cells, with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine reversing both EECU-induced AMPK activation and apoptosis. Collectively, these findings suggest that EECU inhibits MDA-MB-231 adenocarcinoma cell proliferation by activating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, which was mediated through ROS/AMPK-dependent pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.402-409
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• 2019

Korean red ginseng made from steaming and drying fresh ginseng has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine due to its effects on the immune, endocrine, and central nerve systems and its anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of a formulated Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria. RGE inhibited LTA-induced nitric oxide (NO) secretion and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in BV-2 microglial cells, without affecting cell viability. RGE also inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65 and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In addition, RGE increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of RGE on iNOS expression was abrogated by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HO-1. Moreover, RGE induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates HO-1 expression. Furthermore, the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors suppressed RGE-mediated expression of HO-1, and RGE enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38, and c-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs). These results suggested that RGE suppressed the production of NO, a proinflammatory mediator, by inducing HO-1 expression via PI-3K/Akt- and MAPK-dependent signaling in LTA-stimulated microglia. The findings indicate that RGE could be used for the treatment of neuroinflammation induced by grampositive bacteria and that it may have therapeutic potential for various neuroinflammation-associated disorders.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.295-302
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• 2019

Liquiritigenin (LG) is a chiral flavonoid isolated from the roots of licorice. It exhibits multiple biological activities including anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. In particular though, the anti-cancer activity of LG in oral squamous cell carcinoma has yet to be elucidated, and LG-induced apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we tested the role of LG in inducing apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. LG treatment of HN22 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell viability as detected by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The induction of apoptosis in terms of Annexin V/7-Aminoactinomycin D staining, sub-G1 population, and multi-caspase activity were assessed with a $Muse^{TM}$ Cell Analyzer. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that LG treatment resulted in G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression and downregulation of cyclin B1 and CDC2 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. It also resulted in significant upregulation of p27. In addition, LG was seen to trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species and induce CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein and 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein in concentration-dependent upregulation. The LG treatment of HN22 cells led to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$); it also reduced the levels of anti-apoptotic protein and increased the expression of apoptotic protease activating factor-1, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose)polymerase and Bax. Overall, our results indicate that the pro-apoptotic effects of LG in HN22 cells depend on the activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways. Thus, our results suggest that LG constitutes a natural compound with a potential role as an anti-tumor agent in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.173-179
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• 2019

The aim of this study is to investigate the biological activities of Hericium erinaceus. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of H. erinaceus extract was higher than positive control. The inhibitory activities of xanthin oxidase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, and hyaluronidase was measured as functional food activity, and inhibitory activities on collagenase, tyrosinase, and astringent effect as beauty food activity in water and ethanol extracts from H. erinaceus. In functional food activity, xanthin oxidase inhibitory activities at $50-200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration in ethanol extracts from H. erinaceus showed inhibitory activity in dose dependent manner. ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase inhibitory activities at $50{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration showed high activity of higher than 80%. Inhibitory activities on hyaluronidase as anti-inflammation factor showed inhibition effect in dose dependent manner both in water and ethanol extracts. In beauty food activity, Inhibitory activities on collagenase at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration in water and ethanol extracts showed high activity to 65.09 and 58.38% dose dependently. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity in water extract showed 9.4-58.24%. Astringent activity as pore shrink effect in ethanol extracts also showed a very high activity of 18.94-100%. Antimicrobial activity on pathogenic bacteria was highly effective on Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Escherichia coli at 2.5 mg/mL or above. Therefore, the extracts from H. erinaceus can be used as a functional food and beauty food resources and natural antimicrobial agent on pathogenic bacteria in food.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.187-193
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• 2019

The newly bred Picnic apple was extracted using water and ethanol for extracting solvent. Each water and ethanol extract showed relatively high phenolic compound of 3.69 and 5.55 mg/g. Each water and ethanol extract of Picnic apple showed 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl of 88.10 and 88.07%, 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) of 98.79 and 97.25%, antioxidant protection factor of 2.07 and 2.00 PF and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances showed anti-oxidation effect of 9.69 and 19.83% all at $100{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. Therefore extract of Picnic apple can be considered as anti-oxidant for anti-aging. The anti-inflammatory effect (hyaluronidase inhibition) of extract of Picnic apple were 4.62% with water extract and 4.39% with ethanol extract both at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. Both water and ethanol extract showed low ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibition effect but each showed 67.37 and 79.16% of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition effect at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. In anti-wrinkle effect, water extract showed each 23.70 and 66.29% in elastase inhibition and collagenase inhibition and ethanol extract showed 64.83 and 65.70% each. These result show high potential for functional food and cosmetic source. Picnic apple was identified to have various functions of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-wrinkle effect, and anti-diabetic effect. Therefore, Picnic apple is qualified as a source for new functional cosmetics and functional foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.215-222
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• 2019

Muscle dysfunction may arise from skeletal muscle atrophy caused by aging, injury, oxidative stress, and hereditary disease. Powdered heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis (EF-2001) has anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. However, its antioxidant and anti-atrophy effects are poorly characterized. In this study, we examined the effects of EF-2001 on muscle atrophy. To determine the protective effect of EF-2001 on oxidative stress, C2C12 myoblasts were treated with $H_2O_2$ to induce oxidative stress. This induced cell damage, which was reduced by treatment with EF-2001. The mechanism of EF-2001's effect was examined in response to oxidative stress. Treatment with EF-2001 reversed the expression of HSP70 and SOD1 proteins. Also, mRNA levels of Atrogin-1/MAFbx and MuRF1 increased under oxidative stress conditions but decreased following EF-2001 treatment. To evaluate muscle volume, two and three dimensional models of the muscles were analyzed using micro-CT. As expected, muscle volume decreased after sciatic denervation and recovered after oral administration of EF-2001. Therefore, EF-2001 is a candidate for the treatment of muscular atrophy, and future discovery of the additional effects of EF-2001 may yield further applications as a functional food with useful activities in various fields.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2019

Ursolic acid is recognized for various effects such as anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we confirmed the anti-cancer effect of ursolic acid on human melanoma cancer cells, A375SM and A375P. Survival rate of the melanoma cells was confirmed by MTT assay and the proliferation rate was confirmed by wound healing assay. The rate of apoptotic bodies was confirmed by DAPI staining, and apoptosis rate was confirmed by flow cytometry. The induction of apoptosis protein was examined by western blotting according to the concentration of ursolic acid in melanoma cells. The survival and proliferation rates of melanoma cells were decreased according to the treatment concentrations of ursolic acid. DAPI staining showed that chromosomal condensation of melanoma cells was increased with increasing concentrations of ursolic acid, and increased apoptosis rate of melanoma cells by ursolic acid was confirmed by flow cytometry. We also confirmed by western blotting that cleaved-PARP and Bax were increased and Bcl-2 was decreased at $12{\mu}M$ concentration of uricolic acid in melanoma cells. This study was carried out at low concentrations of ursolic acid, 0 to $20{\mu}M$, and analyzed 24 h after treatment. As a result of this study, it is thought that ursolic acid has the anti-cancer effect through the regulation of apoptosis-related proteins in melanoma cells A375SM and A375P.