• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.466-475
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• 2017

Dietary supplements have exhibited myriads of positive health effects on human health conditions and with the advent of new technological advances, including in the fields of proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics, biological and pharmacological activities of dietary supplements are being evaluated for their ameliorative effects in human ailments. Recent interests in understanding and discovering the molecular targets of phytochemical-gene-protein-metabolite dynamics resulted in discovery of a few protein signature candidates that could potentially be used to assess the effects of dietary supplements on human health. Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is a folk medicine, commonly used as dietary supplement in China, Japan, and South Korea, owing to its different beneficial health effects including anti-diabetic implications. However, neither mechanism of action nor molecular biomarkers have been discovered that could either validate or be used to evaluate effects of persimmon on human health. In present study, Mass Spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic studies were accomplished to discover proteomic molecular signatures that could be used to understand therapeutic potentials of persimmon leaf extract (PLE) in diabetes amelioration. Saliva, serum, and urine samples were analyzed and we propose that salivary proteins can be used for evaluating treatment effectiveness and in improving patient compliance. The present discovery proteomics study demonstrates that salivary proteomic profile changes were found as a result of PLE treatment in prediabetic subjects that could specifically be used as potential protein signature candidates.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major chronic disease which increases global health problems. Diabetes-induced renal damage is associated with inflammation and fibrosis. Alpha (AT) and gamma-tocopherols (GT) have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in inflammation-mediated injuries. The primary aim of this study was to investigate effects of AT and GT supplementations on hyperglycemia induced acute kidney inflammation in alloxan induced diabetic mice with different levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG). MATERIALS/METHODS: Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg, i.p) in ICR mice (5.5-week-old, male) and mice were subdivided according to their FBG levels and treated with different diets for 2 weeks; CON: non-diabetic mice, m-DMC: diabetic control mice with mild FBG levels (250 mg/dl ${\leq}$ FBG ${\leq}$ 450 mg/dl), m-AT: m-DM mice fed AT supplementation (35 mg/kg diet), m-GT: m-DM mice with GT supplementation (35 mg/kg diet), s-DMC: diabetic control mice with severe FBG levels (450 mg/dl < FBG), s-AT: s-DM mice with AT supplementation, s-GT: s-DM mice with GT supplementation. RESULTS: Both AT and GT supplementations showed similar beneficial effects on $NF{\kappa}B$ associated inflammatory response (phosphorylated inhibitory kappa B-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, C-reactive protein, monocyte chemotactic protein-1) and pre-fibrosis (tumor growth factor ${\beta}$-1 and protein kinase C-II) as well as an antioxidant emzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in diabetic mice. On the other hands, AT and GT showed different beneficial effects on kidney weight, FBG, and oxidative stress associated makers (malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) except HO-1. In particular, GT significantly preserved kidney weight in m-DM and improved FBG levels in s-DM and malondialdehyde and catalase in m- and s-DM, while AT significantly attenuated FBG levels in m-DM and improved glutathione peroxidase in m- and s-DM. CONCLUSIONS: the results suggest that AT and GT with similarities and differences would be considered as beneficial nutrients to modulate hyperglycemia induced acute renal inflammation. Further research with careful approach is needed to confirm beneficial effects of tocopherols in diabetes with different FBG levels for clinical applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.81-99
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• 2000

The shelterbelts are very important to conserve and protect the sandy land, vegetation coverage, farmland, livestock and human life in the desertified land. The shelterbelts are constructed by the several row-plantings of high-adaptable species in the desertified land. The shelterbelts have various kind of type, and there are shelterbelts for conservation of farmland in dry the region, the protective shelterbelts (windbreaks for blowing-sand, artificial sanddune fixation by revegetation, and construction of farmland shelterbelts to protect farmland and pasture from wind erosion, etc.) in the semi-dry steppe, shelterbelts around the villages and oasis for sanddune fixation, shelterbelts for protection of railroads, and so on. The shelterbelts consist of main she1terbelts and minor shelterbelts. The main shelterbelts were constructed by being perpendicular to main wind direction, and the minor shelterbelts were constructed by being perpendicular to the main shelterbelts. Generally, the width of shelterbelts is 8~20m, and the number of row-planting is 4~10. The grid sizes of shelterbelts networks are $400{\times}400m$, $300{\times}500m$, $100{\times}200m$, and so on, and there are ventilation type and closing type in the type of shelterbelt. The width, number of row-planting, grid size and type of shelterbelt are selected by the local characteristics. The effects of shelterbelts are mainly the climate improvement and mitigation, such as prevention of occurrence of strong wind, cold wind and blowing-sand. And, the other effects of shelterbelts are effect of reforestation, increase of agricultural productions, establishment of greenbelts and green forests, construction of landscape-eco shelterbelts, improvement of life environment of local villages, supply of fuel wood and agricultural wood, land amelioration, effect of revegetation and restoration of desertified land, and so on. The kinds of the tree species mainly used for the construction of shelterbelts have differences between regions, but main species are Populus euphratica, Populus simonii, Populus bolleana, Populus tomentosa, Salix flavida, Salix mongolica, Tamarix chinensis, Hedysarum scoparium, and so on.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.991-998
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines and health foods. Korean red ginseng (KRG; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) extract is known to have potential therapeutic activities, such as anti-viral effects, the amelioration of food allergies, anti-oxidant effects, and obesity reduction. Nevertheless, no reports have been issued the modulatory effects of KRG extract on the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP). In the present study, we investigated the modulatory effect of KRG extract in vitro and in vivo by using pooled human liver microsomes and male ICR mice. When human liver microsomes were incubated with KRG extract at 0.01-10 mg/ml, CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A were not significantly inhibited by KRG extract, although CYP2B6 was slightly inhibited. Mice were orally administered KRG extract at 50, 250, or 500 mg/kg daily for 3, 7, or 14 days. However, the activities of CYPs in mouse livers were not significantly different from those of vehicle-treated controls. In conclusion, no significant ginseng-drug interaction was observed. KRG extract did not significantly modulate the activities of CYPs in vitro or in vivo.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4393-4402
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• 2012

Colon cancer is the third most common malignant neoplasm in the world and it remains an important cause of death, especially in western countries. The toxic environmental pollutant, 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), is also a colon-specific carcinogen. Tannic acid (TA) is reported to be effective against various types of chemically induced toxicity and also carcinogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the chemopreventive efficacy of TA against DMH induced colon toxicity in a rat model. Efficacy of TA against the colon toxicity was evaluated in terms of biochemical estimation of antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, histopathological changes and expression of early molecular markers of inflammation and tumor promotion. DMH treatment induced oxidative stress enzymes (p<0.001) and an early inflammatory and tumor promotion response in the colons of Wistar rats. TA treatment prevented deteriorative effects induced by DMH through a protective mechanism that involved reduction of oxidative stress as well as COX-2, i-NOS, PCNA protein expression levels and TNF-${\alpha}$ (p<0.001) release. It could be concluded from our results that TA markedly protects against chemically induced colon toxicity and acts plausibly by virtue of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.341-344
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• 1997

To check the possibility to use the pharmaceutical by product of ginkgo leaf for the improvement soil fertility, a pot experiment was conducted with paddy rice. There were three treatment; NPK alone, NPK+7000kg(air dry)/ha of ginkgo leaf waste and NPK+700 kg of water-washed ginkgo leaf waste (air dry)/ha. The result indicated that the application of ginkgo leaf waste severely retarded the growth of rice. Water washing did reduce the severity of retardation, but the water washed ginkgo leaf waste also retarded the growth of rice significantly. The result of this study suggested that ginkgo leaf waste may contain some growth inhibiting substance.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.275-282
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• 2006

In previous our studies, we have reported that eugenol derived from Eugenia caryophyllata(Myrtaceace) exhibits acute N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)- and oxygen/glucose deprivation-induced neurotoxicity in primary cortical cultures and protects hippocampal neurons from global ischemia. In this study, we investigated whether the extracts and fractions of E. caryophyllata or eugenol shows the neuroprotective effects against delayed neuronal injury evoked by NMDA or ${\alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionate(AMPA), and oxidative damage induced by arachidonic acid-, hydrogen peroxide-, $FeCl_2$/ascorbic acid-, and buthionine sulfoximine(BSO) in primary cortical cultures. We examined the neurotoxicity of eugenol itself in cultures and inhibitory effect of eugenol on NMDA- or kainate(KA)-induced convulsion in BALB/c mice. Each water, methanol extract and methanol fraction of E. caryophyllata was significantly attenuated NMDA-induced delayed neurotoxicity, respectively. Eugenol exhibited a significant inhibitory action against the convulsion evoked by NMDA and KA, and reduced delayed or brief neurotoxicity induced by NMDA, AMPA, and various oxidative injuries. These results suggest that eugenol derived from E. caryophyllata may contribute the neuroprotection against delayed-type excitotoxicity and excitotoxins-mediated convulsion through the amelioration of oxidative stress.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.210-217
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• 2018

Neuroinflammation is an immune response within the central nervous system against various proinflammatory stimuli. Abnormal activation of this response contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington disease. Therefore, pharmacologic modulation of abnormal neuroinflammation is thought to be a promising approach to amelioration of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we evaluated the synthetic flavone derivative 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone, investigating its anti-neuroinflammatory activity in BV2 microglial cells and in a mouse model. In BV2 microglial cells, 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone successfully inhibited production of chemokines such as nitric oxide and prostaglandin $E_2$ and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, and interleukin 6 in BV2 microglia. It also inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor $(NF)-{\kappa}B$ activation. This indicates that the anti-inflammatory activities of 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone might be related to suppression of the proinflammatory MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathways. Similar anti-neuroinflammatory activities of the compound were observed in the mouse model. These findings suggest that 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of microglia-related neuroinflammatory diseases.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.676-681
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• 2007

A process designed to synthesize rigid polyurethane foam (PUF) with insulative properties via the modulation of PUF cell size via the addition of clay and the application of ultrasound was assessed. The blowing agents utilized in this study include water, cyclopentane, and HFC-365mfc, all of which are known to be environmentally-friendly blowing agents. The rigid PUFs were prepared from polymeric 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) and polyether polyol with a density of $50kg/m^3$. In addition, rigid PUFs/clay nanocomposites were synthesized with clay modified by PMDI with and without the application of ultrasound. The PUF generated using water as a blowing agent evidenced the highest tensile strength. The tensile strength of the PUF/nanocomposites was higher than that of the neat PUF and the strength was even higher with the application of ultrasound. The cell size of the PUF/clay nanocomposites was less than that of the neat PUF, regardless of the type of blowing agent utilized. It appears that the higher tensile strength and lower cell size of the PUF/clay nanocomposites may be attributable to the uniform dispersion of the clay via ultrasonic agitation. The thermal conductivity of the PUF/clay nanocomposites generated with HCFC-141b evidenced the lowest value when PUF/clay nanocomposites were compared with other blowing agents, including HFC-365mfc, cyclopentane, and water. Ultrasound has also proven effective with regard to the reduction of the thermal conductivity of the PUF/clay nanocomposites with any of the blowing agents employed in this study. It has also been suggested that the uniformly dispersed clay particles in the PUF matrix function as diffusion barriers, which prevent the amelioration of the thermal insulation property.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.843-850
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• 2015

The1hepatic cell death induced by acetaminophen (APAP) is closely related to cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, which is mainly caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor of low energy status. AMPK regulates metabolic homeostasis by stimulating catabolic metabolism and suppressing anabolic pathways to increase cellular energy levels. We found that the decrease in active phosphorylation of AMPK in response to APAP correlates with decreased ATP levels, in vivo. Therefore, we hypothesized that the enhanced production of ATP via AMPK stimulation can lead to amelioration of APAP-induced liver failure. A769662, an allosteric activator of AMPK, produced a strong synergistic effect on AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation with APAP in primary hepatocytes and liver tissue. Interestingly, activation of AMPK by A769662 ameliorated the APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in C57BL/6N mice treated with APAP at a dose of 400 mg/kg intraperitoneally. However, mice treated with APAP alone developed massive centrilobular necrosis, and APAP increased their serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Furthermore, A769662 administration prevented the loss of intracellular ATP without interfering with the APAP-mediated reduction of mitochondrial dysfunction. In contrast, inhibition of glycolysis by 2-deoxy-glucose eliminated the beneficial effects of A769662 on APAP-mediated liver injury. In conclusion, A769662 can effectively protect mice against APAP-induced liver injury through ATP synthesis by anaerobic glycolysis. Furthermore, stimulation of AMPK may have potential therapeutic application for APAP overdose.