• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.287-297
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• 2024

It was confirmed that complex fermentation (CF) was more efficient than single-strain fermentations in inducing changes in the contents of phenolic compounds of Maclura tricuspidate and Pyrus Montana Nakai. A mixture of Maclura tricuspidata, Pyrus montana Nakai, Platycodon grandiflorum and Codonopsis lanceolata were fermented in CF using Aspergillus shirousamii (koji), yeast, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for 24 days, and the pH, °Brix, total acidity, anti-oxidant activity, polyphenol content, nitric oxide (NO), and Western blotting of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-𝛼 (TNF-𝛼) of the sample were determined. There was no significant change in pH and total acidity. °Brix significantly decreased from day 6 onwards. HPLC confirmed that the concentrations of chlorogenic acid, 4-hydrobenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and caffeic acid significantly increased from day 18 during the fermentation. Additionally, DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity, total phenol, and total flavonoid were confirmed to be increased until 18 days. NO was significantly inhibited from day 6, along with significant inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-a. In conclusion, this study confirmed that CF of low-use (or underutilized) wild vegetables enhances phenolic compounds. It effectively suppresses NO, iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-𝛼, markers of inflammation-related pathogenesis. Altogether, our results suggest that CF of the above plants has a potential anti-inflammatory effect.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.452-463
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• 2020

Purpose: Aster tataricus (AT) is one of the Asteraceae perennial herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The herb contains various bioactive substances, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic compounds in the roots, and exhibits a range of effects including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study compared the immunomodulatory effects of ethanol and water extracts of whole AT, except the roots, and analyzed the molecular mechanisms for the regulatory effects on cytokine secretion from THP-1 cells. Methods: The effects of AT extract on the cell viability and proliferation of THP-1 cells were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cell culture supernatant of the AT-treated THP-1 cells were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in the cell lysates were determined by western blotting. Results: The water extract and the ethanol extract of AT did not affect the cell viability, and increased the proliferation of THP-1 cells significantly compared to the vehicle. The water extract increased the secretion of IL-1β from THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but the ethanol extract had no effect. The expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and the phosphorylation of MAPK and Akt were induced in AT-treated cells. In addition, IκBα was degraded by AT in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-1β secretion by AT was reduced by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors, while TNF-α secretion was decreased by inhibitors of ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK. Interestingly, the p38 MAPK inhibitor increased the production of IL-1β by AT further. Conclusion: The water extract of the above-ground parts of AT contains immunomodulatory bioactive substances that stimulate immune cells through the MAPK signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1087-1096
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the physiological activity of extracts of fresh mushrooms. The components were extracted by hot water; subsequently, the hot-water extract was subjected to 60% ethanol precipitation to yield high-molecular-weight (HMW) and low-molecular-weight (LMW) fractions. Total polyphenol contents, $\beta$-glucan contents, electron-donating ability (EDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, nitrite-scavenging activity, fibrinolytic activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and inhibition of NO production of the mushroom extracts were measured using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages, RAW 264.7 cells. The extracts of Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer and Pleurotus ostreatus (Fr.) Kummer contained the highest levels of $\beta$-glucan (33.5% and 25.57%, respectively). Further, the LMW fractions of the Phellinus linteus contained the highest levels of polyphenols (233.23 mg/g). The EDA of LMW fractions (10 mg/mL) of the Phellinus linteus and Agaricus bisporus were 80.74% and 51.35%, respectively. Further, SOD-like activities of the LMW fractions were high as compared to those of the HMW fractions. Nitrite-scavenging activities of the LMW fractions (pH 1.2; concentration, 10 mg/mL) of the Phellinus linteus and Pleurotus ostreatus (Fr.) Kummer were 75.95% and 41.05%, respectively. The fibrinolytic activity of the LMW fractions of all mushrooms showed no enzyme activity by fibrin plate assay. The fibrinolytic activity of the extracts of Tricholoma matsutake was the greatest inhibitory activity at 60.4%. Further study revealed that the mushroom extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory effects on RAW 264.7 cells. The LMW fraction ($500\;{\mu}g/mL$) of the Phellinus linteus considerably inhibited NO production (100%).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2020

Quercetin is a polyphenol compound with excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, little has been reported about the efficacy of quercetin to control psoriasis. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin to regulate psoriatic dermatitis with HaCaT cell lines activated by TNF-α and IL-17A, which are in vitro psoriasis skin models. When quercetin was treated with TNF-α-activated HaCaT cell line, inflammatory cytokine expressions such as IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 were reduced by 49.1±7.14, 42.8±8.16, and 34.5±2.52%, respectively. In addition, mRNA expression levels of IL-8 and CCL20 the chemokines that attract immune cells such as Th17 cells and dendritic cells to the inflammatory reaction site, were also reduced by 38.4±5.83 and 52.9±4.59% compared to the TNF-α treatment group. The expression of proteins KRT6A and KRT16, which was nonspecifically increased in psoriatic skin was also significantly suppressed. Moreover, phosphorylation of IκBα and STAT3 proteins activated by TNF-α was also significantly inhibited. After stimulating the HaCaT with IL-17A, known as another psoriasis-inducing cytokine, it was observed that IκBα mRNA expression decreased by 55.8±5.28%, and STAT3 phosphorylation was downregulated by 36.3±6.81%. Finally, after co-activation by TNF-α/IL-17A, quercetin inhibited all of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and CCL20 gene expression. The above results strongly suggest that quercetin is a material that has not only anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, but also has an activity in improving psoriasis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.764-771
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• 2016

Extracts from Artemisia annua Linné (AAE) have been known to possess various functions, including anti-bacterial, anti-virus, and anti-oxidant effects. However, the mechanism of those effects of AAE is not well-known. The aim of this study was to analyze the inhibitory effects of AAE on cell proliferation of the human hepatoma cell line (Hep3B) and to examine its effects on apoptosis. Activation by phosphorylation of Akt is cell proliferation through the phosphorylation of TSC2, mTOR, and GSK-3β. We suggested that AAE may exert cancer cell apoptosis through Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signal pathways and mitochondria-mediated apoptotic proteins. For this, we examined the effects of extracts of AAE on cell proliferation according to treatment concentration. Treatment with AAE not only reduced cell viability, but also resulted in the induced release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). These results were determined with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Furthermore, we determined the effects of apoptosis through Hoechst 33342 staining, annexinⅤ-propidium iodide (PI) staining, 5,5′, 6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) staining, and Western blotting. Our study showed that the treatment of liver cancer cells with AAE resulted in the inhibition of Akt, TSC2, GSK-3β-phosphorylated, Bcl-2, and pro-caspase 3 and the activation of Bim, Bax, Bak, and cleaved PARP expressions. These results indicate that AAE induced apoptosis by means of a mitochondrial event through the regulate of Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signaling pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.713-723
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• 2023

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that has the highest mortality rate. It is mainly classified into small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy is used to treat lung cancer, but long-term treatment causes side effects and drug resistances. Curcumin is a bright yellow polyphenol extracted from the root of turmeric. It has biological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we observed differential cell death in human lung cancer cells. Based on the results, curcumin at 10, 30, and 50 μM exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition on the cell survival of several lung cancer cells, with minor differential phenotypes. In addition, apoptosis, autophagy, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) regeneration were observed through flow cytometry. Curcumin dose-dependently increased these phenotypes in A549 (NSCLC) and DMS53 (SCLC), which were restored by corresponding inhibitors. Western blotting was performed to measure the level of expression of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins. The results indicate that Bax, PARP, pro-caspase-3, and Bcl-2 were dose-dependently regulated by curcumin, with seemingly higher Bax/Bcl-2 ratios in DMS53. In addition, autophagic proteins, p-AKT, p62, and LC3B, were dose-dependently regulated by curcumin. ROS inhibition by diphenyleneiodonium reduced the induction of apoptosis and autophagy generated by curcumin. Taken together, it is suggested that curcumin induces apoptosis and autophagy via ROS generation, leading to cell death, with minor differences between human lung cancer cells.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.267-274
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant activities and the quality characteristics of 70% ethanol extracts from onion peels with different extraction methods (autoclave extraction, AE; low temperature high pressure extraction, LTPE; reflux extraction, RE; and stirrer extraction, SE). The yields of AE, LTPE, RE and SE were 9.00%, 5.39%, 13.21% and 12.41%, respectively. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in the AE were significantly higher than in the other extracts. The DPPH radical scavenging abilities with a concentration of 100 mg% (w/v) were : AE, 28.9%; RE, 26.07%; LTPE, 24.35%; and SE, 19.53%. The ABTS radical scavenging ability and the nitrite scavenging activity showed the same tendency as that of the DPPH radical scavenging ability. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of the LTPE and AE were higher than those of the RE and SE. The ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of the RE was higher than that of the extracts with other extraction methods. The nitrite scavenging activities with a concentration of 10 mg/mL were: AE. 33.97%; RE, 35.47%; LTPE, 21.86%; and SE, 21.71%. The ferrous ion chelating activity of the LTPE (54.73%) was significantly higher than that of the other extracts. These results suggest that AE is the superior method for the enhancement of anti-oxidant activity, and onion peel can be used as a natural antioxidant material for health foods and can be a good ingredient of functional foods.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of the present study was to development of neuroprotective antioxidant agents. For the purpose, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of anti oxidant herb, the root of Polygonum cuspidatum on transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods : The roots of Polygonum cuspidatum were extracted by 85% MeOH (PCE). Radical scavenging effects were investigated using DPPH assay and TBARs (Thiobarbituric acid reaction substance) assay in brian homogenates. Neuroprotective effect was investigated using transient focal cerebral ischemia rat model (2 h of ischemia, 22 h of reperfusion) by behavioral test and measurement of brain damage using 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Results : PCE showed potent and dose dependent radical scavenging effects in DPPH and TBARs assay. Oral administration of PCE reduced brain infarct volume by 29.7% and improved the sensory motor functional deficit by 29% compared with vehicle treated group. Conclusions : PCE showed radical scavenging effects and neuroprotective effect on stroke rat model. Therefore, Polygonum cuspidatum could be a candidate for the development of neuroprotective-antioxidant agents.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.291-302
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• 2011

The study was to investigate whitening and antioxidation effects by determining the tyrosinase inhibition activity, DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase like activity of essential oils from Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa. The aim of the present study was to suggest preliminary data for research whitening and anti-oxidant effects material of C. japonica and C. obtusa essential oils and confirm supplementary worth of natural volatile organic compounds (nVOCs). Essential oils of C. japonica and C. obtusa leaves were extracted by steam distillation method of clevenger type, and nVOCs were extracted by high-temperature reactor for utilizing nVOCs condensates released during drying of C. japonica and C. obtusa at 80, 100, and $120^{\circ}C$ temperature conditions, respectively. In the activity of whitening and antioxidation, C. japonica oil was more effective than C. obtusa oil. nVOCs of C. japonica and C. obtusa showed highly activity of tyrosinase inhibitory at higher temperature. Antioxidation activity only shown on nVOCs of C. japonica produced at $120^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.439-445
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• 2016

Soybean leaves, a Korean edible plant material, have been reported to prevent the development of osteoporosis and breast cancer. Based on this rational, soybean fallen leaves ethanolic extract (SBFL) was used for the experiment of cell invasion related to metastasis and antioxidant activity. The effect of SBFL on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in human fibrosarcoma cells, HT1080 as well as its anti-oxidant activity was investigated in this study. The effect of SBFL on scavenging activity of reactive oxygen species was evaluated in vitro using lipid peroxidation assay,DPPH radical and reducing power assay. SBFL showed the positive effects on antioxidant activity, compared with vitamin C and vitamin E used as positive controls. Furthermore, SBFL showed cytotoxicity above 16 µg/ml in MTT assay. In particular, it was found that SBFL decreased the activation of MMP-9 stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetae (PMA) and phenazine methosulfate (PMS). SBFL treatment increased the expression levels of p-FoxO-1 and SOD-1. Moreover, SBFL inhibited cell invasion stimulated by vascular endothelial growth Factor (VEGF). These results indicate that SBFL could inhibit cell invasion related to the activation of MMP-9 and oxidative stress, suggesting that it could be available as a main ingredient for prevention of metastasis.