• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.625-633
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• 2016

Allium hookeri is known as a healthy food since it contains larger amounts of sulfur compounds than commonly known alliaceous plants. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of A. hookeri were compared between two types of extracts, $80^{\circ}C$ water and 95% ethanol extracts of A. hookeri roots. A. hookeri root 95% ethanol extracts displayed superior total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity [1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) radical scavenging activity], and anti-inflammation activity than those of water extracts (P<0.05). We studied the effects of A. hookeri root 95% ethanol extracts (95% ethanol extracts group: AHE) on acute alcohol-induced intoxication in mice. AHE [250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg body weight (BW)/d] was orally administered to the study group once a day for 1 week. On the last day of AHE treatment, 40% ethanol (10 mL/kg BW) was orally administered to induce acute liver injury. The blood alcohol concentration of mice treated with AHE was significantly lower compared to the control group (P<0.05). The levels of hepatic aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were lower in the AHE-treated group than the control group (P<0.05). The RT-PCR results for alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase measured based on mRNA in liver tissues showed that enzyme activities were higher in the AHE-treated group than in the control group at a low blood alcohol concentration.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.98-102
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• 2015

Allium hookeri, a member of the onion family, has long been mainly cultivated for food and medicinal use in Southeast Asian countries, owing to its various biological properties. However, no studies of the anti-oxidative effects of fermented A. hookeri root extracts have been conducted to date. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of different starter cultures on the antioxidant activities of hot water extract of A. hookeri root by using the following five strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterum longum, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, total phenolic acid contents, and total antioxidant capacity were higher in the hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures than those of A. hookeri root. Among hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures, fementing with S. cerevisiae showed the highest antioxidant activities. The results of this study provide new evidence of the anti-oxidative properties of A. hookeri root with starter cultures, indicating that it may be highly valuable as a natural product owing to its high-quality functional components.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2016

This study was conducted to verify the potential of Allium hookeri to control blood glucose metabolism in diabetes model. We fed the experimental diets(ALE, ARE) supplemented with the extract of Allium hookeri leaf or root at 1% of diet to the diabetic mice (C57BLKS/J, db/db) for 8 weeks. Hetero and control mice were fed the control diet without any extract of Allium hookeri leaf or root. At 8th week of feeding the diets, we measured body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, and plasma insulin levels and conducted an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and staining insulin immunoreactive cells in islets of pancreas. ARE group treated with the root of A. hookeri showed significantly lower blood glucose levels than the Cont group at 120 min in the OGTT. However, HbA1c level was significantly reduced in both ALE and ARE groups, and higher serum insulin levels and increased density of insulin immunoreactive cells compared with the Cont group were found in these 2 groups. Based on these results, A. hookeri is considered to be effective in improving glucose tolerance by partially affecting insulin secretion and it may be used to prevent and treat diabetic disease.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.694-701
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• 2014

Allium hookeri L. (Alliaceae family) is an important ethnomedicinal plant native to the Himalayan region of Asia. The aim of this research was to establish a high-frequency plant regeneration system for in vitro propagation of A. hookeri. Among the tissue types examined, receptacle explants derived from immature flower buds showed the highest regeneration rate of shoots ($93.33{\pm}4.63%$), roots ($76.67{\pm}7.85%$), and calli ($80.00{\pm}7.43%$) when cultured on Gamborg B5 (B5) medium containing $10{\mu}M$ 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) + $1{\mu}M$ naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), $0.5{\mu}M$ BA + $5{\mu}M$ NAA, and $1{\mu}M$ BA + $10{\mu}M$ NAA, respectively. Shoot multiplication was superior when cultured in liquid rather than on solid medium and relatively high concentrations of BA, ranging from 5 to $10{\mu}M$. Efficient bulblet formation following root induction from shoot clumps was achieved with culture in liquid B5 medium containing 7% (w/v) sucrose. Regenerated bulblets were successfully acclimatized to ex vitro conditions with a greater than 95% survival rate. By this method, a maximum of 62 plantlets per receptacle could be propagated within 9 weeks of initial culture. The in vitro propagation system established in this study will promote A. hookeri biotechnology, including large-scale production of healthy and aseptic clones, preserving parental genotypes with desirable traits, and genetic manipulation to enhance medicinal value.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.87-92
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• 2019

Allium hookeri (Liliaceae) has been received the increasing attention as a bioactive resource due to its potent biological activities including anti-oxidant, anti-obesity, anti-microbial and lipid-regulating activities. The beneficial effects of A. hookeri are known contributed from the high content of organosulfur compounds in A. hookeri. Though a variety of articles demonstrated that A. hookeri contains 'saponin' as a bioactive constituent, the scientific evidence to prove it was limited. In the present study, we have attempted to identify saponin contained in A. hookeri through chromatographic isolation and NMR spectroscopic methods. As a result, a spirostane-type steroidal saponin (1) has been successfully isolated from the methanolic extract of A. hookeri roots. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D spectroscopic methods including ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY; identified as (3β, 22R, 25S)-spirost-5-en-3yl O-6-deoxy-α-L-mannopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-6-deoxy-α-L-mannopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-[6-deoxy-α-L-mannopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-gluco pyranoside. 1 showed the significant inhibitory activity on mushroom tyrosinase with IC₅₀ values of 248.7 μM while the inhibition on alpha-glucosidase was not significant.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.314-319
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• 2017

To evaluate the longevity property of Allium hookeri (Liliaceae) leaves, this study was performed. Ethanol extract of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions, and lifespan-extending effects of the fractions were checked using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. The most active ethyl acetate-soluble fraction elevated heat stress tolerance, and increased expression of stress resistance protein. Further studies were performed to investigate several aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans. The results revealed that there were no significant changes in aging-related factors including reproduction and food intake, however, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction treatment led to up-regulation of locomotory ability and growth of aged worms, suggesting ethyl acetate-soluble fraction affected healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.234-242
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• 2015

Allium hookeri (Liliaceae), native to India is widely cultivated in Korea lately as a medicinal plant. This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and lifespan extending effects of the root of A. hookeri. Methanol extract from the root of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and H₂O soluble fractions. Antioxidant effects of the fractions were measured by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide quenching activities. Lifespan extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. In addition, stress resistant, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also studied. Furthermore, we had investigated aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans to find any sample-induced significant change. Our results revealed that ethyl acetate soluble fraction from the root of A. hookeri showed the most potent antioxidant and lifespan extending effects, and this fraction elevated the most potent SOD and catalase activities of worms, and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.263-272
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• 2014

The effect of the addition of Allium hookeri on the quality of fermented sausage made with meat from sulfur fed pigs was examined, throughout a 60 d ripening period. There were two treatments in animal management: normal feed fed pigs, and sulfur fed pigs given 0.3% sulfur mixed normal feed. Fermented sausage manufactured with meat from normal feed fed pigs, and with meat from sulfur fed pigs, and 1% A. hookeri-containing fermented sausage processed with meat from sulfur fed pigs, were determined at 1 d, 15 d, 30 d, and 60 d. The meat qualities in fermented sausage were measured by DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH), $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity ($ABTS^+$), total phenolic acids, and total flavonoid contents. Fermented sausage made from pigs that had been fed with 0.3% sulfur was protected from oxidation by reduced free radical, as shown by the significant increase in DPPH and $ABTS^+$ values, compared with fermented sausage made from normal feed fed pigs (p<0.05). A. hookeri-added fermented sausage with sulfur fed pork was shown to increase the values in DPPH, $ABTS^+$, total phenolic acid, and total flavonoid contents, by comparison with both the control sausage, and sausage with sulfur fed pork, at 60 d. These results suggest that A. hookeri in meat from sulfur fed pigs could be a source of natural addition, to increase quality in the food industry.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.242-249
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• 2015

This study examined the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of 70% ethanol extracts and water extracts of Allium hookeri root. We evaluated the effects of water extracts of A. hookeri root on storage of seasoned pork added with water extracts at $4^{\circ}C$ for 21 days in order to evaluate its potential as a functional food material. A. hookeri root water extracts displayed antioxidant activities (total polyphenol content and DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities) that were superior to those of 70% ethanol extracts. The 70% ethanol extracts and water extracts of A. hookeri root showed antimicrobial activities against food-borne Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that were about 1/400 times greater than that of vancomycin. Chemical composition analysis was conducted on pork seasoned with sauce containing 5%, 10%, and 15% water extracts. Moisture and crude ash contents significantly decreased as the amount of water extracts increased (P<0.05), and the highest crude protein content was in the 10% group. Acidity of seasoned pork increased proportionally in the early stages of storage, whereas it significantly decreased as the amount of water extracts increased after day 12 (P<0.05). Although the total number of bacteria in seasoned pork continuously increased during storage, growth of bacteria was significantly restricted as level of A. hookeri root water extracts increased (P<0.05). In the sensory evaluation, pork seasoned with 10% A. hookeri root water extracts showed the highest scores for taste, texture, and overall acceptance (P<0.05). In summary, A. hookeri water extracts display antioxidant and antimicrobial activities that can improve quality characteristics of seasoned pork and have potential as natural preservatives to restrict bacteria growth. Regarding the amount of extracts, 10% was determined to be the most appropriate level to minimize changes in seasoned pork during storage and improve sensory quality.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Allium hookeri on growth performance, bone strength, and blood biochemical profiles in growing broiler chickens. Twelve hundreds of one-day old Arbor Acres male broilers were divided into 6 treatments with 4 replicates and 50 birds per replicate (n=200 chicks/treatment). Chickens fed basal diet (Control), basal diet with commercial X (Positive control) at 0.05% of diet, or each one of the experimental diets (L3, L5, R3, R5) supplemented with the powder of A. hookeri leaf or root at 0.3 and 0.5% of diet respectively for 5 weeks. At the 5th week of feeding the diets, body weight, tibia strength, and blood biochemical profiles including antibody titers were measured. Dietary A. hookeri (L3, L5, R3, R5) significantly increased final body weight than the control group. And the dietary leaf of A. hookeri effectively increased the growth performance than dietary root of A. hookeri. Interestingly dietary leaf of A. hookeri improved tibia strength than the control group and L3 showed the highest value. The antibody titers against infectious bursal disease (IBD) increased with the addition of dietary leaf of A. hookeri compared with positive control, R3, and R5 groups. But there was no significant difference in serum biochemical parameters such as albumin, globulin, glucose, cholesterol, Ca, P, total protein, total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase. These results suggest that A. hookeri can be used as a good supplement to improve growth performance and health by increasing bone strength and antibody titer against IBD without any anti-nutritional or toxic effects in growing broilers.