• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.340-345
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• 2008

Extract of Acanthopanax senticosus has recently been demonstrated to possess significant antidiabetic potential, in accordance with the traditional use of this plant as an antidiabetic natural health product. The present study evaluated the effects of fermented extract (FE) of this plant on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, glucose uptake, and streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes model. A 3 h pretreatment with FE prevented $IL-1{\beta}$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$ toxicity in isolated rat islets. However, it did not affect insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. In addition, pretreatment of mice with FE blocked the destruction of streptozotocin-induced islets and the development of type 1 diabetes. FE reduced blood glucose level, increased insulin secretion, and improved glucose tolerance in streptozotocin-treated mice, whereas nonfermented extract (NFE) had moderate effects. Immunohistochemical staining for insulin clearly showed that pretreatment with FE blocked the STZ-induced islets destruction and restored the number of islet cells that secreted insulin to the level of the control. Although the active principles and their mechanisms of action remain to be identified, FE may nevertheless represent a novel complementary therapy and a source of novel therapeutic agents against type 1 diabetes mellitus.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2004

Previously, we reported that water-extracted Acanthopanax senticasus exhibited anti-meta-static activity by stimulating the immune system. In this study, we fractionated glycoproteins (EN-SP) from the soluble protein layer (GF-AS) of A. senticasus and determined their basic chemical properties. We also investigated the anti-tumor and immunostimulating activities of the fractionated glycoprotein, EN-SP. We found that intravenous (i.v.) administration of GF-AS dramatically inhibited metastasis of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells to the lung in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro analysis showed GF-AS to enhance the proliferation of splenocytes. GF-AS also stimulated peritoneal macrophage, which was followed by the production of various cytokines such as IL-1$\beta$, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-12 and IFN-${\gamma}$. Furthermore, the production of these cytokines was partially blocked when peritoneal macrophage was cultured with the polyclonal antibodies against GF-AS. The depletion of NK cells by rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum partly abolished the inhibitory effect of GF-AS on lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 cells. Using gel filtration, EN-SP, an active glycoprotein fraction, is isolated from GF-AS. While both GF-AS and EN-SP stimulated the proliferatation of splenocytes of normal mice, EN-SP showed higher anti-metastatic activity and more potently stimulated the proliferation of splenocytes compared to GF-AS. These results suggest the use of EN-SP, the fractionated glycoprotein from A. senticasus, can be used as a therapeutical reagent to prevent or inhibit tumor metastasis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.234-239
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• 1999

The isoenzyme patterns and activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD) were investigated from leaves of Araliaceae plants. Of the eight isoenzymes, two isoenzymes(SOD 4 and SOD 6) were prevalent to leaves of Araliaceae plants. The patterns of these two isoenzymes were most various in the leaves of Acanthopanax senticosus for. inermis, while their activity was highest in the leaves of A. koreanum. These two isoenzymes were respectively identified as Fe-SOD and CuZn-SOD, based on selective inhibition with KCN or$H_2O_2$. The SOD isoenzyme patterns did not differed among stem barks, root barks and leaves of A. koreanum. However, the activities of Fe-SOD and CuZn-SOD were higher in the root bark and in leaves, respectively. Both of Fe-SOD and CuZn-SOD were stable for 1 hr at 30-4$0^{\circ}C$, while unstable above 5$0^{\circ}C$.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.778-780
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• 2006

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the analysis of the lignans eleutheroside B and eleutheroside E in the fruits of Acanthopanax species. A reverse-phase system using a gradient of $H_2O$ and acetonitrile as the mobile phase was developed and detection was at 210 nm. The analysis was successfully carried out within 20 min. The content of eleutheroside B and eleutheroside E in Acanthopanax species was measured in the fruits of A. senticosus (0.58 and $1.66\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively), A. sessiliflorus (1.15 and $8.49\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively), A. koreanum (2.16 and $1.80\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively), and A. divaricatus (1.06 and $7.08\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1209-1215
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• 2003

This study was carried out to establish a quantitative analysis method of separating immuno-activating substance (EN-SP) from Acanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) by competitive direct ELISA. Mouse antiserum (anti-EN-SP) against EN-SP was generated by immunization (s.c.) of EN-SP purified from A. senticosus as an immunogen. The titer of anti-EN-SP was about 1 : 400, and the optimal dilution of EN-SP-HRP conjugate was 1 : 1,000. When the standard curve was constructed by ELISA, its sensitivity was about $0.2{\mu}g/mL$. The coefficient variation of intra- and inter-assay were $6.13{\sim}8.81%$ and $6.73{\sim}8.60%$, respectively. According to the standard curve, the concentration of EN-SP in various senticosus extracts was found to be only $59.85\;{\mu}g$ in 10mg of extract from the bark of A. senticosus. Similarly, the immunostimulating activity to produce $TNF-{\alpha}$ or IL-12 among the various extracts of Acanthopanax was shown to be correlated with the content of EN-SP. These results demonstrated that competitive ELISA was a convenient, fast, reproducible, and accurate method for the determination of EN-SP as an immunologically active standard substance in extract of A. senticosus.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2005

Eleutherococcus senticosus (also called Acanthopanax senticosus), belonging to Araliaceae family, has been used as an important medicinal woody plant. Mature seeds of Eleutherococcus senticosus have rudimentary (extremely immature) zygotic embryos and require a long-term stratification for about 18 months to induce germination. Here, through the methods of endosperm removal and other exogenous treatments, we investigated the factors for inducing rudimentary embryos by in vitro culture, Rudimentary zygotic embryos in seeds were at globular to heart-shaped stage at about $250{\mu}m$ in length just after harvest of fruits. When the seeds without testa were cultured on 1/2 MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium, they did not germinate regardless of medium and sucrose concentrations but the removal of endosperm tissue markedly stimulated the growth of rudimentary zygotic embryos. The embryo reached ear-lier maturation, once when the endosperm surrounding the rudimentary embryos was removed. Rudimentary zygotic embryos developed cotyledons within 3 weeks of culture after endosperm emoval. However, post-mature zygotic embryos failed to germinate though they were morphologically normal, indicating another dormancy of embryos. $GA_3\;(2.0\;\cal{mg/L})$ and/or charcoal ($0.2\%$) treatment rapidly enhanced the germination of zygotic embryos. These results suggest that E. senticosus seeds have double dormancy; i. e. morphological rudimentary dormancy influenced by surrounding endosperm and physiological dormancy after post-maturation of zygotic embryos. Based on the above findings, we established the rapid germination of rudimentary zygotic embryos by in vitro culture of excised seeds with endosperm removal and $GA_3$ treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.5 s.85
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• pp.619-624
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• 2007

Species of genus Acanthopanax(Araliaceae) are long-lived trees primarily distributed throughout East Asia. These species are regarded as medically and ecologically important in Korea. A variety of Cheongsong in Korea is one of these cultivated varieties, however this variety is much longer(>100 years) than those of other cultivated groups. The components of variety of Acanthopanax in Cheongsong were analyzed for the first time and were compared to those of all Acanthopanax taxa in Korea. Nineteen components were specific to variety in Cheongsong. The main components of this variety were $\beta$-caryophyllene, hexadecanoic acid and ethyl stearate. Although some components are differ from each other, variety Cheongsong was similar to A. senticosus at phonetic topology with content of the chemicals, In addition, six species of genus Acanthopanax were investigated to compare the major chemical components by GC-MS.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.1 s.144
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

'O Ga Pi Ip' has been used in Korea to cure rheumatism, neuralgia, edema, dematopathy, and impotence. The botanical origin of the crude drug has not been confirmed pharmacognostically. To clarify the botanical origin of 'O Ga Pi Ip', the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves of Acanthopanax species growing in Korea and Japan, A. chi-isanensis Nakai, A. Koreanum Nakai, A. rufinerve Nakai, A. senticosus (Rupr.et Maxim). Harms, A senticosus (Rupr.et Maxim.) for inermis Harms, A. seoulense Nakai, A sessiliflorus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Seem, A. divaricatus Seem, A. sieboldianum Makino were compared. As a result, it was determined that 'O Ga Pi Ip' was the leaf of A. sessiliflorus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Seem, A chiisanensis Nakai, and A. koreanum $Nakai_I$.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.206.1-206.1
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• 2003

From methanol extract of Acanthopnanax senticosus, six platelet anti-aggregating compounds, chiisanogenin (1), chiisanoside (2), ursolic acid (3), oleanolic acid (4), b-sitosterol (5) and daucosterol (6) were isolated. All of the isolated compounds showed dose-dependent inhibitory activities to rat platelet aggregation induced by all the agonist employed. Compound 1 showed about 50 folds higher potency than acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on U46619 induced platelet aggregation (IC$\sub$50/ : 6.21 ${\mu}$M) and 10 ∼ 20 folds higher effect than ASA on epinephrine and arachidonic acid (AA) induced aggregation (IC$\sub$50/ ; 2.50 and 4.81 ${\mu}$M, respectively). (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.259.1-259.1
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• 2002

Many polysaccharides isolated from plants are considered to be biological response modifiers and have been shown to enhance various immune responses in vivo and in vitro. Here we demonstrate that a polysaccharide isolated from cell culture of Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) has a unique mode of immunostimulation with regard to its cell-type specificity. AS was found to markedly increase polyclonal IgM antibody production and the proliferation of B cells. and to activate iNOS transcription and NO production in macrophages. (omitted)