• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.375-385
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• 2015

This study aims to identify geographical variations and factors that affect smoking rates. The data are collected from the Community Health Survey conducted between 2009 and 2011 by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government organizations. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the factors influencing smoking rates. For the purpose of investigating regional variations, we employed a decision tree model. The study has found that the significant factors associated with geographical variations in the smoking rates were the rate of hazardous drinking, the completion rate of hypertension education, the experience rate of anti-smoking campaigns, stress awareness rate, hypertension prevalence, health insurance cost, diabetes prevalence, obesity rate, and strength training rate. Convergence-based analysis on geographical variations of the smoking rates is highly important when the regionally customized healthcare programs is implemented. In the future, it is necessary to develop effective program and customized approach for the regions of high smoking rates. Our study is expected to be used as meaningful data for the design of effective health care programs and assessments to lead effective non-smoking program.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.857-863
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• 2018

This study examined whether the supplementation of Salicornia herbacea L. (SH), a member of the Chenopodiaceae subfamily, affects tissue specific triglyceride (TG) accumulation and the peroxisome proliferator-activated $receptor-{\gamma}$ $coactivator-1{\alpha}$ ($PGC-1{\alpha}$) and peroxisome proliferator-activated $receptor-{\gamma}$ ($PPAR-{\gamma}$) protein expressions of skeletal muscle in rats with a high-fat diet. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into three groups: control normal diet group (CD), high-fat diet group (HD), and 5.0% SH supplemented high-fat diet group (SD). The weights of fat tissue of the SD group were reduced by approximately 25%(p<0.01), while the skeletal muscle weight of the SD group increased approximately 5% compared to those in the HD group (p<0.01). The serum and hepatic TG of the SD group decreased approximately 20% compared to those of the HD group (p<0.05). In the protein expression levels in the skeletal muscle, the $PGC-1{\alpha}$ and $PPAR-{\gamma}$ expressions of the SD group were 1.5-folds higher than those of the HD group (p<0.01). From these results, SH supplementation contributes to the improvement of the serum and hepatic TG concentrations, and the $PGC-1{\alpha}$ and $PPAR-{\gamma}$ protein expression levels in the skeletal muscle of fed a high-fat diet. Thus, SH supplementation was effective in reducing fat mass and increasing muscle mass.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.927-931
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of defatted grape seed extract (DGSE) on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. DGSE at 100 ${\mu}g$/mL significantly suppressed lipid accumulation and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in hormonally stimulated adipocytes, an indicator of adipocyte differentiation. In order to understand the anti-adipogenic effects of DGSE, the changes in the expression of several adipogenic transcription factors including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) $\gamma$, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) $\alpha$ and $\beta$ were investigated using immunoblotting. DGSE suppressed the expression of PPAR$\gamma$, C/EBP$\alpha$, and C/EBP$\beta$ proteins compared with control adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. This results indicated that DGSE may alter fat mass by directly affecting adipogensis in maturing preadipocytes and thus may have applications for the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1163-1169
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• 2007

Effects of Sotosaja hwan on Blood Glucose, Hyperlipidemia, Polyol Pathway and Antioxidative Mechanism in ob/ob Mouse Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Etiological studies of diabetes and its complications showed that oxidative stress might play a major role. Therefore, many efforts have been tried to regulate free oxygen radicals for treating diabetes and its complications. Sotosaja-hwan has been known to be effective for the antiaging and composed of four crude herbs. In male ob/ob mouse in severe obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia, which are features of NIDDM, the hyperglycemic activites and mechanisms of Sotosaja-hwan were examined. Mice were grouped and treated for 5 weeks as follows. Both the lean (C57/BL6J black mice) and diabetic (ob/ob mice) control groups received standard chow. The experimental groups were fed with a diet of chow supplemented with 30 and 90 mg Sotosaja-hwan per 1 kg of body weight for 14 days. The effects of Sotosaja-hwan extract on the ob/ob mice were observed by measuring the serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid components, and the kidney levels of superoxide anion radical $({\cdot}O_2)$, MDA+HAE, GSH/GSSG ratio, and also the enzyme activities involved in polyol pathway. Sotosaja-hwan lowered the levels of serum glucose and insulin in a dose dependent manner. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were decreased, while the HDL-cholesterol level was increased, in Sotosaja-hwan treated groups. Renal aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities were increased in the ob/ob mice, whereas those were inhibited in the Sotosaja-hwan-administered groups. Sotosaja-hwan inhibited the generation of ${\cdot}O_2$ in the kidney. Finally, MDA+HAE levels was increased and GSH/GSSG ratio was decreased in the ob/ob mice, whereas those were improved in the Sotosaja-hwan-administered groups. Sotosaja-hwan showed the antidiabetic and anti hyperlipidemic activities by regulating the activities of polyol pathway enzymes, scavenging reactive oxygen species and reducing the MDA+HAE levels in the ob/ob mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.407-413
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• 2012

In previous studies, we performed joint animal studies and clinical trials between Yonsei University and Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co. Ltd. We have shown that coffee bean extract has potent anti-obesity and hypotriglyceridemic activities as well as beneficial effects on body fat reduction.In this study, the effects of coffee bean extract (100 mg/capsule) on body fat reduction were evaluated in overweight/obese women (body mass index of 25~30 $kg/m^2$ or body fat > 30%) not diagnosed with any type of disease. Subjects were randomly assigned to a coffee bean extract group (n=10) or placebo group (n=10). We measured anthropometric parameters, abdominal fat distribution by computed tomography and blood components before and after the 8week intervention period. After supplementation, the coffee bean extract group showed body weight (p=0.08), body mass index (p=0.06), hip circumference (p<0.05), and upper waist circumference (p< 0.01). In addition, after 8 weeks, the coffee bean extract group showed a significant decrease in abdominal internal fat area compared to 0 weeks (0 weeks : $155.8cm^2$; 8 weeks : $145.9cm^2$, ${\Delta}$ change : $-9.9cm^2$, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in lipid profiles or serological measurements between the coffee bean extract group and placebo group. The results of our human study demonstrated that coffee bean extract supplementation for 8 weeks has beneficial effects on reducing abdominal internal fat area as well as hip and waist circumferences.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2007

Yam has been recognized as healthy food due to its various biological activities, such as anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anticancer and immune-stimulation activities. In this study, antibacterial activities of 800 more natural plant extracts against yam-putrefactive psychrotrophic bacterium, Pseudomonas rhodesiae YAM-12, were evaluated to select a natural preservative, which is useful to long-term storage of yam and fresh-cut production. Finally, the clove oil was selected, and applied for the production of yam fresh-cut. The 1% of clove oil treated fresh-cut showed minor color changes during 31 days storage at $4^{\circ}C$ and the microbial growth was not detected. When the artificially contaminated fresh cut by dipping with P. rhodesiae YAM-12 suspension for 3 min was treated 1% clove oil, the microbial growth was identified to $10^4$ CFU/g from $10^3$ CFU/g with minor color changes. Whereas, treatment of sterilized water, or 100 ppm NaOCl into artificially contaminated fresh cut showed severe putrefaction $(10^8\;CFU/g)$ and color changes. Considering the previous reports that clove oil has antimicrobial, antioxidation, and antithrombosis activity, the use of clove oil into the yam fresh cut will provide market safety and consumer acceptability by prevention of microbial putrefaction and its biological activity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2006

Yam has been recognized as healthy food due to its various biological activities, such as anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anticancer and immuno-stimulation activities, and its consumption has been increased during last decades. In this study, to investigate low-temperature, long-term storage of yam and to develop processed yam products, yam-putrefactive psychrotrophic bacteria were isolated from rotted yam and identified based on BBL identification system, fatty acid analysis in cell membrane and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The putrefaction activity of isolated thirteen bacteria was evaluated using yam-slices (NaOCl-treated, autoclaved yam and without treatment), and YAM-10 and YAM-12 were identified as major psychrotrophic putrefactive bacteria. Both YAM-10 (Pseudomonas cepacia) and YAM-12 (Pseudomonas rhodesiae) bacteria grew well at 4$\sim$12$^{\circ}C$ and showed strong activity of polymer degrading enzymes, especially amylase, carboxy methyl cellulase and xylanase, at 20$^{\circ}C$. But they failed to grow at acidic pH (<5) or alkaline pH (>10). Our results suggested that the control of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas sp. by pH change and inhibition of polymer degrading enzymes, such as amy-lase, are necessary to long-term storage of yam.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2146-2152
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• 2015

Apios americana Medik (hereinafter Apios) has been reported to treat diseases, including cancer, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The therapeutic effect of Apios is likely to be associated with its anti-inflammatory activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of Apios in animal models of acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus (H1N1). Mice were exposed to LPS or H1N1 for 2-4 days to induce acute lung injury. The treatment groups were administered Apios extracts via oral injection for 8 weeks before LPS treatment or H1N1 infection. To investigate the effects of Apios, we assessed the mice for in vivo effects of Apios on immune cell infiltration and the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and histopathological changes in the lung. After induction of acute lung injury, the numbers of neutrophils and total cells were lower in the Apios-treated groups than in the non-Apios-treated LPS and H1N1 groups. The Apios groups tended to have lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-6 in BAL fluid. In addition, the histopathological changes in the lungs were markedly reduced in the Apios-treated groups. These data suggest that Apios treatment reduces LPS- and H1N1-induced lung inflammation. These protective effects of Apios suggest that it may have therapeutic potential in acute lung injury.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.969-974
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory activity of Ecklonia cava (EC) against lipase and the stability of this activity under various heat and pH conditions. As a result, EC ethanol extract showed lipase inhibitory activity of 59, 34 and 19% at concentrations of 5, 2.5 and 1 mg/mL, whereas the water extract showed low inhibitory activity at all concentrations compared to that of the ethanol extracts. In a heat and pH stability test, the inhibitory activity of the EC ethanol extract increased with heat treatment at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min compared with the control and was stable in the pH range of 2~10. Therefore, the EC ethanol extract could be useful as a natural anti-obesity agent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2017

Data are limited on biological mechanisms underlying the associations of sleep insufficiency with obesity and dyslipidemia. To explore these mechanisms, we investigated appetite-regulating hormones, stress-related hormones, and cardiometabolic indicators in association with sleep fragmentation, which is a type of sleep disorder. In an experimental study, we randomly allocated 40 Wistar male rats aged 7 weeks into four groups; rats with ad libitum sleep and ad libitum intake (Control), those exposed to sleep fragmentation (SF), those with diet restriction (DR), and those exposed to sleep fragmentation and diet restriction (SF+DR). Amongst them, 13-day chronic sleep fragmentation was applied to the SF and SF+DR groups while 50% reduction in chow intake was applied to the DR and SF+DR groups for 13 days. After these experiments, blood lipid and lipoprotein profiles, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels were compared among the four groups. In the results, the SF group showed the highest levels of serum ghrelin (P<0.001) and the lowest levels of serum adiponectin (P<0.01). All experimental groups showed higher levels of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) than the Control (P<0.001). LDL-C levels and the ratio of LDL-C and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol were positively correlated with ghrelin levels (P<0.05) in the SF group, but not in the DR and SF+DR groups. In the SF group, the highest levels of serum free fatty acids were also observed and correlated with lower levels of serum adiponectin, which reflects insulin resistance (P<0.05). Based on these findings, we suggest that chronic sleep fragmentation may induce disturbances in lipid metabolism and appetite-regulating hormones independent of food intake, and these metabolic disturbances may be worse due to insulin resistance related to overeating, which is indicated by elevated ghrelin levels in sleep fragmentation. For persons with sleep insufficiency, anti-atherogenic dietary interventions may be recommended to prevent cardiovascular disease.