• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.386-393
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• 2006

The effects of Curcuma extract Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum), and maltodextrose on acute hepatotoxicity in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were investigated. Acute hepatotoxicity was induced by 0.5 mL of carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) per kg of SD rats, which was injected to them before administration of Curcuma extract or both Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum) and maltodextrose mixtures. SD rats dose with Curcuma extract of 4 mg or 40 mg per kg per day significantly (p<0.05) reduced the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) after 7 days compared to the controls dose with water. Treatments of Curcuma extract with 4 mg per kg per day in SD rats significantly (p<0.05) reduced aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) to 78.0%, 82.6%, and 76.3% after 7 days compared to the controls, respectively. The levels of AST and ALT in SD rats dose with both Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum) and maltodextrose mixtures or either alone had no significantly different (p>0.05) compared to the controls. Treatments of Curcuma extract combined with Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum) and maltodextrose mixtures was 'liked more' to the sensory scores for odor and flayer compared to the controls. It was considered that Curcuma extract combined with both Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum) and maltodextrose mixtures could be used to functional food for enhancement of health and consumer acceptance.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.40-48
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate safety of postpartum herbal medicine by assessing the effect of taking herbal medicine of postpartum period on liver function. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 167 mothers who underwent liver function tests (LFT) within 3 months before and after childbirth among mothers who gave birth at ○○ Hospital between January 1, 2016 and May 31, 2018. Mothers with abnormally elevated LFT during pregnancy were excluded. Among 167 women, 6 women are herbal-medicine-group took herbal medicine for 5-6 weeks during postpartum period, and 161 patients are general -group who did not take herbal medicine. LFT Variation of Subjects before and after childbirth were compared between the two groups. And subjects who had elevated liver levels above the normal range after delivery were classified separately, the characteristics and causes of changes in liver levels were analyzed, and the presence or absence of drug-induced liver damage was confirmed. Results: Among a total of 167 subjects, there were 5 women in the herbal-medicine-group and 150 women in the general-group who had changes in liver values within the normal range after childbirth. Aspartate transaminase (AST) change before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 3.40±1.82, and AST change in the general-group was 2.92±8.59, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.901). Increase of Alanine transaminase (ALT) before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 5.60±3.65, and ALT change in the general-group was 8.01±11.81, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.651). There were 12 subjects who had elevated AST, ALT above the normal range after delivery, including 1 in the herbal-medicine-group and 11 in the normal mothers group. Valuation of 1 Subject of the herbal-medicine-group before and after delivery was 17 IU/L of AST and 52 IU/L of ALT. Because results of AST, ALT is under the standard to diagnose to liver damage, she was observed without any treatment. However the cause of AST, ALT elevation was not found in the chart, she was receiving treatment for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The general-group had an average increase of AST 35.64±22.67 IU/L and ALT 53.00±26.80 IU/L. As a result of analyzing the cause, there were direct causes such as autoimmune hepatitis, chronic hepatitis B, and acute pyelonephritis. Abnormal elevations in liver levels were also found in mothers with hypothyroidism, diabetes, and fever of unknown cause, although they were not direct causes. Conclusions: To investigate the safety of taking herbal medicines, we assess the variation in AST and ALT within 3 months before and after delivery in the herbal-medicine-group and general-group. There was no significant difference between two groups.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.139-147
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective activity of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, isolated from Curcuma longa Linne, on hepatocyte injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl$_4$,10 mM), t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH, 0.5 mM) and D-galactosamine (GaIN,30 mM). Primary cultures of rat hepatocyte (18 h culture) were treated with CCl$_4$, TBH or GaIN and various concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ${\mu}$M) of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin CCl$_4$ significantly increased the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The increases in LDH, ALT and AST levels were inhibited by curcumin. Demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin decreased the levels of AST. Curcumin inhibited the increases in ALT and AST levels induced by TBH. The increased levels of LDH, ALT and AST induced by TBH were inhibited by bisdemethoxycurcumin. GaIN markedly increased the levels of LDH, ALT and AST. These increases were significantly inhibited by bisdemethoxycurcumin. The increase in AST level was inhibited by curcumin. These results suggest that curcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin have potent hepatoprotective activities.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and the efficacy of Korean herbal, western and combination medicine use in patients with abnormal liver function tests. Methods: We investigated nerve disease patients with abnormal liver function tests who were treated with Korean herbal, western and combination medicine at Dong-Eui University Oriental Hospital from January 2011 to August 2011. We compared aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (T-bil) levels before and after taking medicine and excluded patients who had liver-related disease when admitted. Results: AST and ALT were decreased significantly in patients who had taken herbal, western medicine. AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. Compare to herbal medicine, AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken western medicine, and ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. There were no significant differences between western and combination medicine. Conclusions: This study suggests that prescribed Korean herbal medicine, at least, does not injure liver function for patients', moreover, it was shown to be effective in patients with abnormal liver function tests.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.174-182
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• 2003

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been recognized as an important childhood liver disease, especially where the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing. The purpose of this study is to clarify the usefulness of elevated serum aminotransferase activities and their ratio for predicting the presence of fatty liver and its severity in obese children. Methods: Forty-four children (M/F 29/15, age 4 to 16 years) with obesity (weight excess>20%) were analyzed retrospectively with medical records based on degree of obesity, bioelectrical impedence, serum aminotransferase activities, lipid profiles and ultrasonography. Results: 1) Ultrasonography was carried out in 34 cases. Elevated serum ALT was found in 89.7% (26/29) of the patients diagnosed as fatty liver by ultrasonography and decreased AST/ALT ratio (<1) was found in 96.6% (28/29). There was a strong correlation between elevated serum ALT (>45 IU/L) or decreased AST/ALT ratio (<1) and the fatty liver in obese children (p<0.05). 2) There was no significant correlation between the serum ALT or AST/ALT ratio and the degree of fatty liver (p>0.05). 3) There was a significant correlation between total cholesterol, triglyceride and fatty liver (p<0.05). Conclusion: Serum ALT activity and AST/ALT ratio were useful to predict the presence of fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonography in obese children, whereas they were not useful to predict the degree of fatty liver. Therefore, to prevent fatty liver progressing to advanced liver disease, it is necessary to manage and monitor the obese children continuously, especially those who have predicting factors of fatty liver.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.197-200
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• 2006

We analyzed total protein (TP), albumin (AL), aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea nitrogen (UN), creatinine (CRE) and serum protein electrophoretic fractions in sera of rural elderly patients to evaluate the health status in rural elderly patients. We observed that the frequencies of patients showed lower level of total protein, albumin, and both total protein and albumin than them of reference range were 20.3%, 22.8% and 19.0%, respectively. The rates of patients showed higher level of AST, ALT, both of AST and ALT, UN, creatinine and both of UN and creatinine than them of reference range were 33.8%, 40.0%, 30.0%, 17.7%, 15.2% and 7.9%, respectively. Comparison of protein fractions of each patient to reference range showed that 77.2% of patients showed normal in all of patterns. Few of patients showed abnormal pattern in albumin (13.6%), ${\alpha}1-globulin (0.0%),\;{\alpha}_2-g10bulin(1.1%),\;{\beta}-globulin(1.9%)\;and\;{\gamma}-globulin(6.2%)$. These data suggest that many of rural elderly patients may suffer from heart, liver and kidney diseases. The serum protein fractions are not typical criterion to evaluate the disease, but production of proteins in rural elderly patients may be affected by liver disease and kidney disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.91-96
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• 2013

The results of the alcohol decomposition ability of Aronia melanocarpa are as follows. Plasma alcohol concentration of the Aronia group was ca. 48.9% lower than the control group, but half an hour faster in that of Aronia before alcohol group, ca. 54.9% higher and half an hour later than that of the control group. ALDH(acetaldehyde dehydrogenase) of the Aronia group was ca. 243% higher than that of the control group. But maximal ALDH of the group taking Aronia before alcohol administration showed 0.5h faster and ca. 267% higher than that of the control group. This result shows that the activity of ALDH was increased by the Aronia. Aronia group's AST and ALT are increasing with similar patterns and their levels continually under the control's, but ca. 12.6% lower at AST and ca. 19.0% lower at ALT than those of control group. Ca. 21.7% lower at AST and ca. 40.5% lower at ALT in the Aronia group before alcohol administration than those of the control group. This result shows that Aronia has a role of suppressor against the liver damage. Therefore, this study proved lucidly the protective effects of Aronia on the hepatocyte.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2009

Object : The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether herbal medication may injure the liver function and kidney function in stroke patients. Method : We observed the serum AST, ALT, r-GTP, Creatinine, BUN of 78 patient from May 1. 2008 to June 30. 2009 admitted in Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University. Liver function and Kidney function tests were done on admission and before discharge. And all patients take herbal medicine with Western medicine. Result : AST, ALT, r-GTP, Creatinine, BUN decreased on discharge compared with the value on admission. The liver function and kidney function test score(AST, ALT, r-GTP, Creatinine, BUN) by administration period of herbal medication was not significantly changed. Conclusion : This study suggests that general herbal medication does not injure liver function and kidney function of human.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2005

It is well known that intaking alcohol chronically and heavily causes many formsof physical systemic distress including serious chronic alcoholic liver disease such as alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis and hepatoma. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is known as a specific marker in detecting and monitoring alcohol associated disease. Weanalyzed various alcohol-associated parameters to evaluate the clinical usefulness of CDT. The first patient group consisted of fifty patients, who had been diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease from January 2003 to June 2004 at Chungnam National University Hospital. The second group consisted of 12 patients with non-alcoholic liver disease. The third group consisted of 19 teetotalerswho had visited the hospital for the purpose of routine healthcare checks. Various hepatic parameters such as CDT, $\small{\Gamma}$-GT (gamma-glutamyl transferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase) were compared in the three groups. CDT and AST increased in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption with high significance, but $\small{\Gamma}$-GT and ALT showed arbitrary patterns with no statistical significance. The sensitivities of CDT, $\small{\Gamma}$-GT, AST and ALT were 74 %, 96 %, 68 % and 58 %, respectively and the specificities were 95 %, 74 %, 68 % and 79 % in order respectively. The correlation study of CDT with $\small{\Gamma}$-GT, AST and ALT showed a very low value of correlation coefficients, implying that CDT could be taken as an independent parameter in evaluating alcohol liver disease compared to $\small{\Gamma}$-GT, AST and ALT. This present study suggested that CDT coud be one of the most useful parameters in reflecting the amount and duration of alcohol consumption as well as being another independent parameter in assessing and following up patients with alcoholic liver disease. Moreover we recommend it is the best method of measuring both CDT and $\small{\Gamma}$-GT in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.270-275
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• 2012

This paper presents a portable and compact optical device which can conveniently be used to perform a functional analysis of human liver function. The proposed system employed red/green LEDs, as a light source, and CMOS image sensor, which is commonly used in cellular phones. With this system, several blood serum samples have been evaluated for liver functional analysis by measuring light absorption level through the blood serum samples depending on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin concentration. The light absorption through the blood serum samples containing AST, ALT, or total bilirubin can provide their concentrations. The green light absorption is more sensitive to the concentration of AST or ALT, and the red light absorption is more sensitive to the total bilirubuin concentration. Additional calibration steps were performed by using a MATLAB program in order to eliminate the light scattering effects from the extraneous particles existing in each blood serum sample. From the blind test, three standard light intensity curves through each enzyme have been obtained and the enzyme concentration values have been compared to those obtained from a commercially available biochemistry analyzer (Toshiba 200 FR). The average percent difference in the obtained concentrations from two systems for AST, ALT, and total bilirubin concentration came out to be 7.79%, 7.98%. and 7.56%, respectively, with the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2) higher than 0.98. This system can possibly lead to a low-cost and simple system that can be used as a point-of-care (POC) system in a condition without advanced equipments.