• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.4631-4635
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• 2016

Background: The plant Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family which occupies an important position in traditional medicine prescriptions. It has been reported that a freeze-dried aqueous extract of E. elaterium fruits has cytotoxic effects on the AGS human stomach adenocarcinoma cell line. We here focused on anticancer effects of the main chemicals purified from E. elaterium fruits. Materials and Methods: We isolated cucurbitacins D, E, and I from chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions of a methanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits and assessed their cytotoxic effects on the AGS cell line by MTT assay. The methanolic extract was fractionated to petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions. The compounds isolated by column chromatography were identified by NMR spectroscopy. Results: After 24 h of incubation with AGS cells, the IC50 values were 0.3, 0.1, and $0.5{\mu}g/ml$ for cucurbitacins D, E, and I respectively. Conclusions: This finding suggests that because of its cucurbitacins, E. elaterium fruit may have some cytotoxic effects on gastric cancer cells. Also, compared with D and I, cucurbitacin E showed greater potency in this regard.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.138-143
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• 2006

Our continuing interest on Garcinia and Mesua species has led us to carry out a detail study on the chemistry of the root bark of Garcinia mangostana (Guttiferae) since this part of the plant has not been investigated before, and the strm bark of Mesua corneri (Guttiferae) an uninvestigated species. This study has yielded six xanthones, ${\alpha}-mangostin$ (1), ${\beta}-mangostin$ (2), ${\gamma}-mangostin$ (3), garcinone-D (4), mangostanol (5) and gartanin (6) from Garcinia mangostana and two xanthones rubraxanthone (7) and inophyllin B (8) from Mesua corneri. Structural elucidations were achieved using $^1H,\;^{13}C$ NMR and MS data. The crude hexane and chloroform extracts of the root bark of Garcinia mangostana and the hexane extract of the stem bark of Mesua corneri were found to be active against CEM-SS cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values less than $30\;{mu}g/ml$. Moreover, ${\gamma}-mangostin$ gave a very low $LC_{50}$ value of $4.7\;{mu}g/ml$ while rubraxanthone gave an $LC_{50}$ value of $5.0\;{mu}g/ml$ indicating these two compounds to be potential lead compounds for anti-cancer activity against the CEM-SS cell line. This paper reports the isolation and identification of these compounds as well as bioassay data for the crude extracts, ${\gamma}-mangostin$ and rubraxanthone.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.89-94
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• 1998

Marine sponges are recognized as a plentiful source of diverse biologically active secondary metabolites. Recently, we have initiated a research to discover antitumor constituents from the marine sponges collected from Korean Waters. Marine sponges collected from the South Sea of Korea were screened for several biological activities including such as brine shrimp lethality and cytotoxicity. Significant brine shrimp lethality was detected in the crude extract of a two-sponge association of Poecillastra sp. and Jaspis sp. A cross-section of this sample showed two layers of morphologically distinct sponges. The thin and dirty yellow outer layer was identified as Poecillastra sp. (Pachastrellidae), the surface of which was very rough. The light-grey inner layer was identified as Jaspis sp. (Jaspidae), the surface of which was smooth. This two-sponge association appears to be consistent as these sponges were always found in associated form regardless of collection site or collection period. Investigation of the bioactive constituents monitored by brine shrimp lethality assay led to the isolation of pectenotoxin II (PTX2) and psammaplin A as causative compounds for the brine shrimp lethality. $^1$H- and $\^$13/C-nmr signals of PTX2 was fully assigned utilizing TOCSY, HETCOR, Long-range HETCOR, and Homonuclear J-resolved 2D experiments. PTX2 displayed very potent and selective cytotoxicities in the 60 cell line panel antitumor assay at the NCI. PTX2 has progressed to acute toxicity determination and in vivo antitumor assay at the NCI (Table 1). However, significant in vitro antitumor activity of PTX2 can not be affirmed in the in vivo assay.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.418-420
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• 2005

In order to search for biologically active compounds from edible plant sources, the aerial parts of Sajabalssuk (Artemisia herba) were extracted with 80% aqueous MeOH, and the concentrated extract was partitioned with EtOAc, n-BuOH and $H_2O$, successively. From the EtOAc fraction, four compounds were isolated through the repeated silica gel and ODS column chromatographies. From the results of physico-chemical data including NMR, MS and IR, the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as eupatilin (1), jaceosidin (2), apigenin (3) and eupafolin (4). Among them, compounds 3 and 4 were isolated for the first time from Sajabalssuk (Artemisia herba).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.2193-2199
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• 2012

A series of novel polytriazoleimides were prepared from various aromatic dianhydrides and a new kind of 1,2,3-triazole-containing aromatic diamine synthesized by the Cu (I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction in DMAc, and characterized by FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR, XRD, DSC and TGA techniques. The results show the polytriazoleimides are soluble in most of strong polar solvents and have inherent viscosity values of 0.51-0.62 dL/g(DMAc). The polytriazoleimide films exhibit a tensile strength of 62.3-104.5 MPa and an elongation at breakage of 4.0-8.1%, a glass transition temperature ($T_g$) of $257-275^{\circ}C$, a decomposition temperature (at 5% weight loss) of $350-401^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere, and a dielectric constant of 2.47-3.01 at 10 MHz, which depend on the structure of the polymers. The polytriazoleimides perform good resistance to acid and alkali solution.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2015

Alginates are found in marine brown seaweeds and in extracellular biofilms secreted by some bacteria. Previously, we reported an oligoalginate lyase from Sphingomonas sp. MJ-3 (MJ3-Oal) that had an exolytic activity and protein sequence homology with endolytic polymannuronate (polyM) lyase in the N-terminal region. In this study, the MJ3-Oal was tested for both exolytic and endolytic activity by homology modeling using the crystal structure of Alg17c from Saccharophagus degradans 2-40T. The tyrosine residue at the $426^{th}$ position, which possibly formed a hydrogen bond with the substrate, was mutated to phenylalanine. The FPLC profiles showed that MJ3-Oal degraded alginate quickly to monomers as a final product through the oligmers, whereas the Tyr426Phe mutant showed only exolytic alginate lyase activity. $^1H$-NMR spectra also showed that MJ3-Oal degraded the endoglycosidic bond of polyM and polyMG (polymannuronate-guluronate) blocks. These results indicate that oligoalginate lyase from Sphingomonas sp. MJ-3 probably catalyzes the degradation of both exo- and endo-glycosidic bonds of alginate.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.350-355
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• 2011

A soluble polyamide containing photosensitive l,4-phenylenediacrylic acid (PDA) in main chain with biphenyl moiety was synthesized. The chemical structure of synthesized polyamide was investigated by means of $^1H$ NMR spectroscopy. The polymer was stable up to $280^{\circ}C$ and soluble in organic solvents, giving a good quality of thin films. The photoreaction of unpolarized LTV irradiated films was investigated by means of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and FTlR spectroscopy, and liquid crystals (LCs) alignment property was examined by exposing to linearly polarized UV light (LPUVL) of 260~380 nm. The polyamide in film has excellent photoreactivity to unpolarized UV light. Direction selective photoreaction of PDA moiety in Lhe film was found to further induce nematic liquid -crystals to align along a perpendicular direction with respect to the electric vector of LPUVL, regardless of exposure energy of LPUVL. In addition, pretilt angle was measured by means of crystal rotation method. LPUVL-exposed polymer film induced the alignment of liquid-crystals (LC) with a pretilt angle of 0.2~$0.5^{\circ}$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.539-544
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• 2004

The ability of protoberberine alkaloids, berberine and berberrubine, to act as topoisomerase II poisons is linked to the anti-cancer activity. Minor alterations in structure have a significant effect on their relative activity. Berberine, which has methoxy group at the 19-position, is significantly less potent than berberrubine. Several observations support non-specific binding to HP14 by the berberine: (i) nonspecific upfield changes in $^1H$ chemical shift for protons of the berberine; (ii) the broadening of imino protons of HP14 upon binding of the berberine; (iii) very small increases in duplex melting temperature in the presence of the berberine. Our results reveal that substitution of a hydroxyl group to a methoxy group on the 19-position, thereby converting the berberrubine to the berberine is associated with a non-specific DNA binding affinity and a reduced topoisomerase II poisoning. The presence of a bulky 19-methoxy substituent decreases intercalating properties of berberine and makes it inactive as topoisomerase II poison.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.766-771
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• 2004

Julong 601, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium strain capable of cleaving the C-ring of isoflavones daidzein and genistein, was isolated from human feces. BLAST search revealed that its complete 16S rDNA gene sequence has 99% similarity to Eubacterium ramulus. Metabolites of daidzein and genistein were determined as O-desmethylangolensin (O-Dma) and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (2-HPPA), respectively, based on UV, EI-MS, and $^1H$ and ^{13}C$ NMR spectral analyses. Enantiomers of O-Dma and 2-HPPA were isolated by chiral stationary-phase HPLC (CSP HPLC). Cleavage of the C-ring of daidzein and genistein by strain Julong 601 was highly enantioselective. Specific rotation ([$\alpha]_D$) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the enantiomers are reported here for the first time. Biotransformation kinetics of daidzein and genistein indicated that the C-ring of genistein has a higher susceptibility to bacterial degradation than that of daidzein.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.538-543
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• 2009

In this study, methotrexate (MTX)-encapsulated polymeric micelles using methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG)-grafted chitosan (ChitoPEG) copolymer were prepared. The MIX-incorporated polymeric micelles of ChitoPEG copolymer has a particle size of around 50-100 nm. In 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study, the specific peaks of MTX disappeared in heavy water ($D_2O$) and only the specific peak of MPEG was observed, while all of the peaks were confirmed in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). These results indicated that MTX was complexed with chitosan and then formed an ion complex inner-core of the polymeric micelle in an aqueous environment. The drug contents of the polymeric micelle were around $4{\sim}12%$ and the loading efficiency of MTX in the polymeric micelles was higher than 60% (w/w) for all of the formulations. The cytotoxicity of MIX and MTX-incorporated polymeric micelle against CT26 tumor cells was not significantly changed.