• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 1999

This study has examined the effects of Aralia elata Seemann ethanol extract on antioxidant enzyme systems inrats along with benzo($\alpha$) pyrene(B(a)P) administration . The ethanol extract of Aralia elata Seemann (50mg/kg body wt.) was fed to rats for 4 weeks by stomach tubing. The extract administration increased antioxidant activities of glutathione sulfur transferase(GST) comparing to the control. also total superoxide dismutase(SOD) and Cu, Zn-SOD activities were stimulated. Catalase activities were increased by 50% with the extract feeding compared to the control . Combined administration of B($\alpha$)P and the extract increased GST activity in B($\alpha$) P group. Although total SOD acitivity was decreased , Cu, Zn-SOD was greately increased from 0.10unit to 0.18 unit and catalase activity also was increased compared to the group of B($\alpha$) P. GST activity in CLE group was 1.32 unit, increased by 33% comparing to the group CL of 0.99unit. Cu, Zn-SOD and catalase activities in thegroup fed high fat and ethanol extracts were increased by 25% and 39%, respectivley comparing to the group of high fat. In addition , total SOD was decreased but, Cu, Zn-SOD acitivity was increased from 0.09 unit to 0.18unit. Catalase activity was 76.05 unit in the group of B($\alpha$) P and extract comparing to 65.26 units in B($\alpha$)P group. Serum $\alpha$-tocopherol of rat was markedly increased by theextract. Administration of B9$\alpha$)P reduced $\alpha$-tocopherol levels in the serum, on the other hand, lard in the diet increased $\alpha$-tocopherol levels in the serum. The above results indicate that Aralia bud exerts antioxidant functions in vivo against B($\alpha$)P. Further research may be necessary for the identification fo the biologically active material.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.383-388
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• 2003

Bee venom is used as a traditional medicine for treatment of arthritis. The anti-inflammatory activity of the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous partitions from bee venom (Apis mellifera) was studied using cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-$\alpha and IL-1\beta$) production, in vitro. COX-2 is involved in the production of prostaglandins that mediate pain and support the inflammatory process. The aqueous partition of bee venom showed strong dose-dependent inhibitory effects on COX-2 activity ($IC_{50} = 13.1 \mu$ g/mL), but did not inhibit COX-1 activity. The aqueous partition was subfractionated into three parts by molecular weight differences, namely, B-F1 (above 20 KDa), B-F2 (between 10 KDa and 20 KDa) and BF-3 (below 10 KDa). B-F2 and B-F3 strongly inhibited COX-2 activity and COX-2 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, without revealing cytotoxic effects. TNF-$\alpha and IL-1\beta$ are potent pro-inflammatory cytokines and are early indicators of the inflammatory process. We also investigated the effects of three subfractions on TNF-$\alpha and IL-1\beta$ production using ELISA method. All three subfractions, B-F1, B-F2 and B-F3, inhibited TNF-$\alpha and IL-1\beta$production. These results suggest the pharmacological activities of bee venom on anti-inflammatory process include the inhibition of COX-2 expression and the blocking of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-$\alpha and IL-1\beta$) production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.993-999
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• 2015

For the purpose of investigating the in vitro antidiabetic activity of a medicinal herb and herb mixture extracts prepared through traditional antidiabetic prescription, this study examined ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Tyrosinase, a type I membrane glycoprotein, is synthesized and glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi. The enzyme is subsequently transported to melanosomes, where it participates in melanogenesis. Previous studies showed that disruption of early ER N-glycan processing by an ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor suppresses tyrosinase enzymatic activity and melanogenesis. According to the results, most oriental medicinal herbal extracts were stronger than acarbose and N-butyldeoxynojirimycin, known as an ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor. Interestingly, ethyl acetate layer of enzyme hydrolyzed Cheongsimyeonjaeum had an inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis in B16F1 cells, although it did not inhibit tyrosinase activity directly. Together, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity could be used to evaluate anti-melanogenesis, although cross-checking with melanin inhibitory assay is recommended.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.113-118
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• 1984

The effect of the saponin fraction extracted from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer on the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ was investigated in vitro as well as in vivo. Microsomal preparation of albino rat (Sprague-Dawley, 180-200g) was incubated in the mixture containing NADPH, $Fe^{3+},$ ATP, ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ with and/or without ginseng saponin fraction for 30 minutes and the malondialdehyde formed was assayed and found that the saponin fraction stimulated the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ cooperatively. It was also realized that the cooperative stimulation of the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ was most eminent when the concentration of the saponin fraction was around $10^{-5}\%$ in the reaction mixture. Alcoholic suspension of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ with and/or without ginseng saponin fraction was administered orally to rats in which the lipid peroxidation was induced by ethanol administration and the lipid peroxide contents of the liver were assayed at certain periods of time after ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ administration in this animal. It was reported that the saponin fraction stimulated the absorption of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ in rats and this was confirmed again in the present work. From the previous work and present experimental results, it seemed that the saponin fraction accelerated the absorption of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ and therefore stimulated the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ more effectively in the animal body.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.328-333
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• 2004

The maximum productivity of ${\alpha}-galactosidase,$ capable of hydrolyzing completely ${\alpha}-D-l,6-galactopyranosyl$ linkages within oligomeric substrates such as melibiose, raffinose and stachyose to liberate galactose residue, was reached to 718 mU/ml in the culture filtrate of Bacillus licheniformis at death phase. The ${\alpha}-galactosidase$ was identified to show different efficiencies for hydrolyzing the ${\alpha}-galactooligosaccharides$ according to analysis of reaction products by both TLC and quantification of the liberated reducing sugars. The enzyme was active on ${\alpha}-galactooligosaccharides$ in the order of melibiose, raffinose, and stachyose. Though the hydrolyzing activity of enzyme was faintly inhibited by reaction products such as galactose, glucose and sucrose with amounts of five folds more than the added substrates (20 mM), the largest inhibition of enzyme activity was caused by galactose among the end products. Unknown compound, which migrated slower than melibiose on TLC, was detected during hydrolysis reaction of melibiose, suggesting that the ${\alpha}-galactosidase$ has a glycosyl transferase activity. In addition, the enzyme was able to hydrolyze efficiently raffinose and stachyose existed in the soluble extract of soybean meal.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2010

This study was performed to the activity of antioxidant and anti-diabetic from Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruit. The Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruits were extracted with water, 100% methanol, 100% ethanol, 70% methanol and 70% ethanol. The activities of each extracts were measured by antioxidant tests, such as total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, hydroxyl radical activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power and $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibition activity assay. The water extract represented the highest activity in the antioxidants properties in vitro, including hydroxyl radical activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power. Furthermore, water extract also showed significantly high total phenolic contents but the 100% methanol extract showed high total flavonoid contents estimated as $196.48{\mu}g/mg$. The $IC_{50}$ values for $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibition activity of the 100% ethanol and 100% methanol extracts were $275.66{\mu}g/mg$ and $261.44{\mu}g/mg$. Our results indicated that the Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruit expected to be useful as antioxidants.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.892-900
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• 1994

A variety of important roles for branched-chain amino acids in metabolic regulation has been suggested. Branched-chain $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase(BCKAD) complex is a rate limiting enzyme in branched-chain amino acid metabolism. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on the activity and activity state of branched-chain $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase in rat hert and liver thssues. Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into three experimental groups : sedentary control, exercised, or exercised-rested. Submaximal exercise(running) for two hours significantly increased basal activity without a change in total activity in both tissues, with a concomitiant increase in activity state of the enzyme complex. At 10 min post-exercise, heart enzyme activity significantly decreased, though not to the control level, while liver enzyme activity remained unchanged. These data suggested that the exercise-induced increase in branched-chain $\alpha$-keto acid decarboxylation in rat tissues may not be the result of enzyme synthesis, but rather is due to increased activity of the BCKAD.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2001

Present study was aimed to verify the role of insulin and TNF-$\alpha$ in development of preimplantation embryos. Mouse morula were cultured for 40 hr in the presence or absence of insulin(400 ng/ml) and TNF-$\alpha$ (50 ng/ml). The morphological development, cell number of blastomeres per blastocyst, and mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) activity were examined. The developmental rate and cell number per embryo were the highest in insulin treatment group and the lowest in TNF-$\alpha$ treatment group. There was no significant difference in developmental rate between control and insulin plus TNF-$\alpha$ group. Taken together, it suggested that TNF-$\alpha$ impaired embryonic development and that insulin rescued developmental impairment imposed by TNF-$\alpha$. In blastocysts, insulin treatment significantly increased MAPK activity. TNF-$\alpha$ decreased the MAPK activity in a concentration-dependent manner. In the TNF-$\alpha$(50 ng/ml) -primed embryos, activation of MAPK by insulin was attenuated. In conclusion, these results suggest that there was a cross talk between insulin and TNF-$\alpha$ by means of activation of MAPK in preimplantation embryos and that insulin might rescue damage of embryos exposed to TNF-$\alpha$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1998

${\alpha},\;{\beta}-Adrenergics$, and calcium channels were known to be related to inducing cardiac hypertrophy. Recently, it was reported that the cardiac renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was an important factor in ventricular hypertrophy. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of ${\alpha},\;{\beta}-adrenergic$, and calcium channel blockers that might be involved in the regulation of cardiac RAS. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of renin gene in the perfused rat heart. Changes in angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and cyclic AMP (cAMP) content which were thought to play a role in inducing cardiac hypertrophy were measured in the perfused rat heart. The expression of renin gene was not only increased by isoproterenol with metoprolol-pretreatment but also increased by vasopressin treatment in the presence of calcium channel blocker, nifedipine or verapamil. Either prazosin alone or norepinephrine with prazosin-pretreatment significantly increased the ACE activity. However, isoproterenol with metoprolol-pretreatment significantly decreased the ACE activity. On the other hand, the ACE activity was not changed by vasopressin, nifedipine, or verapamil treatments. The content of cAMP was significantly increased by either isoproterenol or vasopressin treatment. According to these results, renin gene expression was associated with ${\beta}2$ - adrenoceptor and calcium channel. ACE activity was associated with ${\alpha}-\;and{\beta}2$ - adrenoceptor. In conclusion, ${\beta}2$ - adrenoceptor was important in cardiac renin gene expression and ACE activity and ${\alpha},\;{\beta}$ -adrenergic, and calcium channel blockers might be involved in the regulation of cardiac RAS in a complicated way.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 1995

The branched-chain ${\alpha}$-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKAD) complex is a rate limiting enzyme which catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of branched-chain ${\alpha}$-keto acids. Numerous studies have suggested that BCKAD is subject to covalent modification in vitro via phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which are catalyzed by a specific kinase and phosphatase, respectively. The biggest difficulty in the assay of BCKAD activity is to arrest the interconversion between the active and inactive forms. BCKAD activity was determined from fresh rat heart and liver tissues using homogenizing and assay buffers containing inhibitors of phosphatase and kinase. The results suggest that a radiochemical assay using ${\alpha}$-keto[1-$^{14}C$]-isovalerate as a substrate for the enzyme can be applied as a reliable method to determine in vitro enzyme activity with arrested interconversion between the active and inactive forms of the BCKAD complex.