• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.171-175
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• 2006

Alnus japonica Steud (Betulaceae) has long been used as a Korean traditional medicine for gastric disorders, hepatitis, and fatty liver. As a part of our study on the identification of secondary metabolites of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, we isolated 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,5-heptanediol(1), 5-hydroxy-1,7bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-heptanone(2), 5,3'-dihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone(3) and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxyflavone(4) from the dichloromethane and ethylacetate-soluble fractions of Alnus japonica Steud. These compounds showed significant antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The $IC_{50}$ values of compounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 30.1, 37.4, 20.2 and 13.7 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively, through the scavenging capacity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical assay.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.2 s.133
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• pp.172-178
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• 2003

This study was done to investigate the protective effect of Alnus japonica Steude on hepatotoxicity in carbon let-rachloride $(CCl_4)$ intoxicated rats. Alnus japonica Steud was extracted with methanol and fractionated with hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water. Rats were treated with those orally once a day for 6 days. The activities of aminotransferase and ${\gamma}-glutamyltranspeptidase$ and contents of cholesterol, TG and hepatic lipid peroxide in butanol fraction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats but the content of glutathione was significantly increased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. Also activities of hepatic superoside dismutase, catalase, glutathione perpxidase in butanol fraction pretreated rats were signigicantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. These result indicated that butanol fraction of Alnus japonica Steude showed hepatoprotective effect in carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2012

Alnus japonica Steud (A. japonica) have long been used in the traditional medicine for gastric disorder, hepatitis and fatty liver in Korea. Antiulcer effects of A. japonica hot water extract (AJ ext) were evaluated by in vitro antibacterial activity against H. pylori, by the inhibitory action against the in vitro gastric $H^+/K^+$-ATPase and using rat models of gastric mucosal damage and gastric ulcer induced by HCl-ethanol, indomethacin, and restraint and water-immersion stress. For the determination of antibacterial activity of AJ ext against H. pylori, the activity of urease which released from H. pylori was measured in culture. AJ ext showed weak antibacterial activity against H. pylori with the growth inhibitions of 37% and 61% by adding final concentrations of 500 and $1000{\mu}g/ml$ culture, respectively at 24 h. To observe the inhibitory activity of AJ ext against the $H^+/K^+$-ATPase in hog gastric membrane vesicle, $IC_{50}$ value of AJ ext was $806.3{\mu}g/ml$. Pretreatment of AJ ext (200, 500 mg/kg, p.o.) prevented in a dose-dependent manner the acute gastritis in HCl-ethanol model and the formation of gastric ulcer in indomethacin model and restraint and water-immersion stress model. These results suggest that the AJ ext can be used for prevention and treatment of gastric mucosal damage and ulcers induced by various stress.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.263-268
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• 1999

It was found that the level of alcohol concentration in both mouse and human sera can be significantly decreased up to 42% by oral administration of the mixtures of the extracts of Hovenia dulcis THUNB and Alnus japonica Steud. A single treatment of extract from Hovenia dulcis reduced the serum alcohol concentration to 32%, compared to 13% in treating the extract of Alnus japonica. Similar patterns were observed in enhancing alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and glutathion-S-transferase (GST) activity in the liver. The inhibition of cathepsin activity was also greatly reduced by administrating the mixture of both extracts : however, the extract of Alnus japonica did not affect the acitivity of cathepsin. It was concluded that the mixture of both extracts had synergic effect on reducing serum alcohol concentration and improving the detoxification process due to alcohol administration in the liver.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2017

The Hwasan wetland vegetation is observed at mountain basin (644~780 m a.s.l.) where had become a potential land for indigenous people since prehistoric period. We phytosociologically investigated old-growth alder (Alnus japonica) forests using the $Z\ddot{u}rich$-Montpellier School's method and analyzed their spatial distribution pattern by actual vegetation map. Species performance was determined by using coverage and r-NCD. Viburnum opulus var. calvescens-Alnus japonica community syntaxonomically belonging to the Alnetea japonicae was first described and composed of three subunits: Salix koreensis subcommunity, typical subcommunity, and Pyrus ussuriensis subcommunity. Present plant community was compared with vicariant syntaxa such as Molinia japonica-Alnus japonica community, Rhamno nipponicae-Alnetum japonicae, and Aceri-Salicetum koreensis. Hwasan's alder forest, an alluvial terrace vegetation type on valley fan in the montane zone, is evaluated as vegetation class [I], which is a sort of benchmark plant community potentially on mountain wetlands in southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Simultaneously we suggested an establishment of the national strategy for habitat conservation free from hydrologically radical transform due to military utilization.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2013

In order to develop new skin whitening agents, we prepared the EtOAc layer (AJE) after enzyme treatment of 75% EtOH extract of the Alnus Japonica Steud. We measured their tyrosinase inhibitory activity in vitro and melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in B16-F1 melanoma cells. They did not show inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase but showed melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner. In a melanin synthesis inhibition assay, AJE suppressed melanin production up to 52% at a concentration of $40{\mu}g/mL$. To elucidate the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of AJE on melanogenesis, we measured expression of melanogenesis-related proteins by the western blot assay. As a result, AJE suppressed the expression of tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1) and microphthalmia associated transcription factor (MITF). Moreover, AJE increased the expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK). These results conclude that ERK activation by AJE reduces melanin synthesis via MITF downregulation and is subsequent to the inhibition of TRP-1 expression. Therefore, we suggest that AJE could be used as active ingredients for skin whitening.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.208-208
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.110-111
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• 2004

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.299-303
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• 2003

For the screening of inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis from natural products, a simple and rapid assay method was developed using recombinant yeast carrying human lanosterol synthase, main target of this assay method. Sterol biosynthesis inhibition activity was monitored only by the inhibition of growth of the recombinant yeast. By changing the substrate, this assay method can figure out which step is inhibited in the sterol biosynthesis by the test material. With this assay method total 102 plant samples were screened for their inhibitory activity of sterol biosynthesis. Among plant water extracts screened, 11 plant samples showed inhibitory activity on sterol biosynthesis in ergosterol (-) medium. For selection of the specific inhibitory materials, 11 plant samples were reassayed in ergosterol (+) medium. After all 5 plant samples, Abutilon avicennae Gaertn. (stem), Alnus japonica Steud. (stem), Amaranthus mangostanus L. (aerial part), Philadelphus schrenckii Pupr. (leaf) and Pimpinelia brachycarpa Nakai (aerial part), showed specific inhibitory activity.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2009

Alcohol oxidation activities and optimization of extraction conditions of Rrhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extract were evaluated for the development of a functional biomaterial for improving liver function. When alcohol oxidation activities of RVS was analyzed, the Rrhus verniciflua Stokes bark (RVSB) were higher than the Rrhus verniciflua Stokes heartwood (RVSH). Alcohol oxidation activity value of RVSB increased in a concentration-dependent manner. In the comparative analysis between Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HOT) and Alnus japonica Steud (AJS) which was reported as a alcohol oxidation material, alcohol oxidation activity is much higher than the others. The experimental conditions were optimized for alcohol oxidation-active components production from RVSB. The extraction conditions such as temperature, time, pH and particle size were performed. It was recommended to extract the alcohol oxidation-active components from RVSB by hot water (pH 7.0) at $85^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours.