• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.103-109
• /
• 2016

Aloe vera L.(Aloe barbadensis Miller) has been used for many centuries for various medical, cosmetic and neutraceutical purposes. The gel of A. vera was reported to exert numerous biological activities including wound healing, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, and anti-psoriasis activities. Acemannan, found predominantly in the inner leaf gel of A. vera, has been identified as the main active ingredient exerting diverse biological activities. In this review, we summarized the recent findings on the immunomodulatory activities of acemannan. Studies that used purified acemannan demonstrate that acemannan exerts immune-stimulating, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and hematopoiesis-increasing activities. In addition, it is being clear that most of these activities of acemannan are mediated primarily by activating professional antigen presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.43 no.12
• /
• pp.773-780
• /
• 2010

Cancers are still difficult targets despite recent advances in cancer therapy. Due to the heterogeneity of cancer, a single-treatment modality is insufficient for the complete elimination of cancer cells. Therapeutic strategies from various aspects are needed. Gene therapy has been expected to bring a breakthrough to cancer therapy, but it has not yet been successful. Gene therapy also should be combined with other treatments to enhance multiple therapeutic pathways. In this view, gene delivery vector itself should be equipped with intrinsic anti-cancer activities. HVJ (hemagglutinating virus of Japan; Sendai virus) envelope vector (HVJ-E) was developed to deliver therapeutic molecules. HVJ-E itself possessed anti-tumor activities such as the generation of anti-tumor immunities and the induction of cancer-selective apoptosis. In addition to the intrinsic anti-tumor activities, therapeutic molecules incorporated into HVJ-E enabled to achieve multi-modal therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment. Tumor-targeting HVJ-E was also developed. Thus, HVJ-E will be a novel promising tool for cancer treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.215-223
• /
• 2020

Ganjang and doenjang are known as major fermented soy-based foods in Koreans. Current investigations have proved that fermented soybean foods impart anti-cancer, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-cancer activities of commercialized soy food, Ganjang, as a function of aging period. The test groups were classified into four time periods-short (under 5 years, S group), mid (under 10 years, M group), long (under 15 years, L group), and eternal (over 15 years, E group). The anti-cancer effects of Ganjang were determined by cell cytotoxicity assay of three types of cancer cell lines and splenocyte proliferation assay. Besides these assays, we also analyzed NK cell activity for cancer immunotherapy. The results show that the anti-cancer effect increased in the S and M period aging groups for all three cancer cell lines. Interestingly, similar to the anti-cancer result, splenocyte proliferation and NK activity showed the highest effect in the S and M groups. In contrast, Japanese ganjang-treated (JG1, JG2) groups and E group showed significantly reduced splenocyte proliferation. Collectively, these results suggest that the short and middle periods of traditional fermented Ganjang might have potential anti-cancer activities.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.597-603
• /
• 2020

Red ginseng marc (RGM) has been used on primary industries using fertilizer or forage, and it mostly has been dumped. To improve utilization of RGM, the biological activities of RGM were examined. RGM was extracted and fractionated using various solvents and their biological activities were compared. The hexane fraction from the methanol extract of RGM (RGMMH) showed strong anti-cancer activity (58.56 ± 6.04% at 100 ㎍/mL) and anti-inflammatory effect (65.72 ± 1.33% at 100 ㎍/mL). But, oil extract of RGM extracted with hexane (RGMH) showed low activities (anti-cancer: 16.42 ± 3.33%, at 100 ㎍/mL, anti-inflammatory activity: 29.46 ± 2.10%, at 100 ㎍/mL). Their metabolites were analyzed using HPLC. Panaxydol known as anti-cancer compound of RGM was one of major compounds in RGMMH. Meanwhile, panaxydol was detected in trace amount in red ginseng marc oil (RGMH). In addition, RGMMH and RGMH showed big differences in HPLC profiling. This research suggests optimal extraction method of RGM oil.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.111-126
• /
• 2002

The chemistry of secondary products from Acanthopanax species and their pharmacological activities were reviewed. A nitrogenous compound, a furan compound, a quinoid, benzoids, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, lignans, flavonoids, terpenoids, phytosterols, polyacetylenes, a pyrimidine, cyclitols, monosaccharides and an aliphatic alcohol have been isolated from Acanthopanax species and have been shown to have various levels of activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-gout, anti-hepatitis, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmanicidic, anti-oxidant, anti-pyretic, anti-xanthine oxidase, choleretic, hemostatic, hypocholesterolemic, immunostimulatory and radioprotectant effects, etc.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 2011

This study was presented to the anti-cancer activity from different fraction of Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruits. The values for human colon cancer cell(HT-29) survival rate of 0.3 mg/mL of 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts were 7.62${\pm}$0.173%, 7.66${\pm}$0.037%, respectively. It was shown that human colon cancer cell(HT-29) survival rate was in a dose-dependent manner. The percentages of cells were increased in the sub-G0 and G0/G1 phase region, meaning that cell proliferation was decreased. The RT-PCR demonstrated that 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts were down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and survivin genes in HT-29 cells. We examined that 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts anti-cancer activities initiated through ROS generation suggesting that HT-29 cells treated with ethyl acetate fraction extracts induced ROS generation. Our results revealed that the Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruit may expect for anti-cancer activities in HT-29 cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.178-184
• /
• 1999

Bamboo salt has been used for the purpose of precaution and treatment of certain diseases including cancer. Therefore, present study was carried out to ascertain the effects of bamboo salt upon anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, and anti-diabetic activities as well. To examine the anti-cancer activity of bamboo salt, ICR mice implanted with 1$\times$l0$^{6}$ cells of sarcoma 180 intraperitoneally had been treated daily with bamboo salt A, crude salt, and reagent-grade NaCl (0.2, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg, p.o.) for 60 days using adriamycin (2 mg/kg) as a positive control. Neither survival rate nor body weight had been significantly influenced by all the treatments indicating that bamboo salt A did not exert the anti-cancer effect on ICR mice. Anti-hypertensive activity was examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) which had been administered with bamboo salt A, crude salt, and reagent-grade NaCl (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% in drinking water) for 28 days using hydralazin (2 mg/kg) as a positive control. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at 1, 3, and 4 weeks after the starting date. Significant anti-hypertensive activity was not observed in any treated group compared to the positive control group. In order to determine if bamboo salt had anti-diabetic activity, rats in which diabetes had been induced by streptozotocin (45 mg/kg, i.m.) were treated daily with bamboo salt A, crude salt, and reagent-grade NaCl (0.2, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg, p.o.) for 28 days using insulin (50 U/kg, s.c..) as a positive control. Blood samples were taken and analyzed at 1,2, and 4 weeks after the starting date. Bamboo salt did not cause any decreasing effect on the blood glucose levels. These results clearly demonstrated that bamboo salt A did not exert anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, or anti-diabetic activities in the present experimental animals.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.679-685
• /
• 2017

Stachys affinis tubers are known for its high content of stachyose and eaten as an edible vegetable. In this work, we assessed on the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferation activity of a various type of extracts derived from S. affinis tubers. The n-hexane and dichloromethane fractions were showed the high cytotoxicity on the cell lines including RAW264.7 macrophages, HEK293 human kidney cell, A549 human lung cancer cell, KB human oral cancer cell, and a PC-3 human prostate cancer cell. N-butanol and water fractions were not exhibited cytotoxicity on the tested cancer cells, limited in anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Nevertheless, the ethyl acetate fraction showed little harm to RAW264.7 cells but inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) significantly. In addition, it arrests the cell growth in A549, KB, and PC-3 cell while little cytotoxicity on HEK293 cells. Consequently, these results supported that the ethyl acetate fraction of S. affinis tubers could be a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer ingredient.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.874-882
• /
• 2018

Curcumin is known to possess various biological functions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-cancer activities. Natural killer (NK) cells are large lymphocytes that directly kill cancer cells. However, many aggressive cancers, including breast cancer, were reported to escape the successful killing of NK cells in a tumor microenvironment. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effect of curcumin in coculture of human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 and NK (NK-92) cells. We found that curcumin had an immune-stimulatory effect on NK-92 by increasing the surface expression of the $CD16^+$ and $CD56^{dim}$ population of NK-92. We confirmed that the cytotoxic effect of NK-92 on MDA-MB-231 was significantly enhanced in the presence of curcumin, which was highly associated with the activation of Stat4 and Stat5 proteins in NK-92. Finally, this improved anticancer effect of curcumin was correlated with decreased expression of pErk and PI3K in MDA-MB-231.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 2021

This short review on the chemistry, pharmacological properties and patents of obovatol and obovatal from Magnolia obovata is the first publication. Pharmacological properties are focused on anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet and neuroprotective activities. Obovatol and obovatal were first isolated from the leaves of M. obovata. Also reported in the bark and fruits of M. obovata, obovatol and obovatal are neolignans i.e., biphenolic compounds bearing a C-O coupling. Other classes of compounds isolated and identified from M. obovata include sesquiterpene-neolignans, dineolignans, trineolignan, lignans, dilignans, phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, ketone and sterols. The anti-cancer properties of obovatol and obovatal involve apoptosis, inhibition of the growth, migration and invasion of cancer cell lines. However, obovatol displays cytotoxicity against cancer cells but not obovatal. Similarly, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet, neuroprotective, anxiolytic and other pharmacological activities were only observed in obovatol. The disparity in pharmacological properties of obovatol and obovatal may be attributed to the -CHO group present in obovatal but absent in obovatol. From 2007 to 2013, eight patents were published on obovatol with one mentioning obovatal. They were all published at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by scientists of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) as inventors and assignee, respectively. Some future research and prospects are suggested.