• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2021

Objective: Chronic reflux esophagitis (CRE), characterized by esophageal mucosa ulcer, is caused by continuous backflow of gastric acid and consequent inflammation due to unstable gastroesophageal sphincter. The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of an Arecae Semen and Coptidis Rhizoma mixture (AC-mix) on CRE. Methods: CRE was surgically induced in SD rats with three experimental groups used: normal; CRE control; and CRE treatment (200 mg/kg AC-mix). Blood and esophageal tissue were collected after two weeks of drug administration. The anti-oxidant activity of the AC-mix was measured by total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents as well as by radical scavenging activity with protein levels evaluated using western blotting. Results: CRE damage to the esophageal mucosa was significantly reduced in the AC-mix group as compared with the controls, and administration of the AC-mix was seen to inhibit NF-κBp65 activity. Consequently, the inactivation of NF-κBp65 significantly inhibited inflammatory mediators such as COX-2 and iNOS. Moreover, the anti-oxidant enzyme HO-1 significantly increased through activation of the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which can break down collagen from the basement membrane and extracellular matrix, was decreased following AC-mix treatment, and elevated levels of MMP-2 were regulated by its tissue inhibitor. Conclusions: These results show that AC-mix can alleviate esophageal mucosa ulcer though inhibition of the NF-κBp65 inflammatory pathway and enhancement of the anti-oxidant Nrf2-Keap1 pathway.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.411-415
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• 2017

To evaluate the protective effects of Plantago Major extract (PME) in stimulated BV-2 microglial cells and its anti-oxidant properties, cell viability assessment was performed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to activate BV-2 microglia. Nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured using Griess assay. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) production was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antioxidant properties were evaluated by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. LPS-activated excessive release of NO in BV-2 cells was significantly inhibited by PME (P < 0.001 at $100{\mu}g/mL$). PME also scavenged DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05 at $10{\mu}g/mL$ and P < 0.001 at $20{\sim}200{\mu}g/mL$). These results indicate that PME attenuated neuroinflammatory responses in LPS-activated BV-2 microglia by inhibiting excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as NO and TNF-${\alpha}$. The anti-neuroinflammatory potential of PME may be related to its strong antioxidant properties.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2017

To develop new therapy for prevention and treatment of hair loss is very important according to increase of the number of hair loss people. The aim of this study was to investigate the hair growth promoting effects of pectin lyase-modified red ginseng extract (GS-E3D). We examined antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, human hair dermal papilla cells (HHDPC) proliferation, and testoterone-induced $5{\alpha}$-reductase inhibitory effects. GS-E3D show not only 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects as an anti-oxidant property, but also lip-oxygenase and hyaluronidase inhibitory effects as an anti-inflammatory property. Human hair dermal papilla cells proliferation by GS-E3D was higher than those of minoxidil or finasteride, using the positive controls. Moreover, GS-E3D exhibited $5{\alpha}$-reductase inhibitory activities after stimulating by testoterone. The present results indicate that GS-E3D has a potential to be as an hair growth promoting agent for cosmetic materials.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) has been known for having strong anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic activities. The free radical theory of aging, also known as the oxidative stress theory of aging, claims that cellular oxidative damage accumulated with time is a major causal factor of aging. In the present study, we investigated the effect of buckwheat extracts on resistance to oxidative stress and aging using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. Survival under an oxidative-stress condition induced by paraquat increased markedly following 500mg/L buckwheat extracts treatment, suggesting lower cellular oxidative damage by buckwheat extracts. A lifespan assay also revealed that treatment of buckwheat extracts significantly extended both the mean and maximum lifespan in C. elegans. Interestingly, this lifespan-extension by buckwheat extracts was not accompanied by reduced fertility. These findings suggest that buckwheat extracts can confer longevity phenotype to C. elegans through its strong anti-oxidant activity and support the aging theory which emphasizes a pivotal role of oxidative stress during aging.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.309-318
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• 2024

Compared to other organs, the brain has limited antioxidant defenses. In particular, the hippocampus is the central region for learning and memory and is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Glial cells are the most abundant cells in the brain, and sustained glial cell activation is critical to the neuroinflammation that aggravates neuropathology and neurotoxicity. Therefore, regulating glial cell activation is a promising neurotherapeutic treatment. Quinic acid (QA) and its derivatives possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although previous studies have evidenced QA's benefit on the brain, in vivo and in vitro analyses of its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in glial cells have yet to be established. This study investigated QA's rescue effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced behavior impairment. Orally administering QA restored social impairment and LPS-induced spatial and fear memory. In addition, QA inhibited proinflammatory mediator, oxidative stress marker, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in the LPS-injected hippocampus. QA inhibited nitrite release and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in LPS-stimulated astrocytes. Collectively, QA restored impaired neuroinflammation-induced behavior by regulating proinflammatory mediator and ERK activation in astrocytes, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent for neuroinflammation-induced brain disease treatments.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2020

Long-term exposure to environmental pollutants can impair the human skin's barrier function and promote skin aging mechanisms. The visible consequences of these effects are dryness, wrinkles, black spots and worsening skin sensitivity. As awareness of the effects of environmental stressors on the skin has recently increased, consumers' demand for cosmetics that can provide anti-pollution effects is increasing. In this study, the possibility of anti-pollution cosmetic material was investigated by measuring the inhibitory effect of free radicals using a mixture of Nypa fruticans Wurmb (NF), Saussurea neoserrata (SN), Codium fragile (CF) and Enteromorpha compressa (EC), which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects against irritation caused by dust. Combining the experimental results of a mixture of NF, SN, CF and EC by induction of fine dust stimulation, inhibition of inflammatory factors (PGE₂) and intracellular free radicals (ROS) by inhibiting effects were significant, indicating the possibility of use as anti-pollution cosmetics. The most plants used as sources of anti-pollution cosmetic ingredients contain antioxidants as active substances. In our highly industrialized and chemically polluted world, it is not surprising that most plants used as sources of anti-pollution cosmetic ingredients contain antioxidants as active substances. Considering our results, it can be suggested that this anti-pollutant consisting of NF, SN, CF and EC may be a good ingredient for skincare products for the cosmetic industry due to their antioxidant properties, which may especially alter skin aging.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.125-129
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• 2022

The purpose of study is to evaluate in vitro anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Moringa Folium and Eucommiae Cortex 2:1 (g/g) mixtures (MEMix). HaCaT and human normal dermal fibroblast were treated with 0.01-1 mg/mL of MEMix to monitor cytotoxicity. Radical scavenging activities of MEMix were examined by DPPH assay. To explore anti-inflammatory effect, Raw 264.7 cells were pretreated with MEMix for 1h and subsequently exposed to LPS for 18h. NO release and cytotoxicity of Raw 264.7 cells were measured by adding Griess and MTT reagents, respectively. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and PGE2 productions were examined by ELISA. Immunoblot analysis was conducted to examine COX-2 expression in MEMix pretreated Raw 264.7 cells. Up to 1 mg/mL concentration, treatment of MEMix for 24 h did not affect normal dermal fibroblast viability and significantly reduced cell viability of HaCaT cells with no concentration dependency. MEMix increased DPPH radical scavenging activity with concentration dependency. Radical scavenging activities by 1 mg/mL of MEMix was comparable with 30 µM of trolox. Pretreatment of MEMix did not change the reduction of Raw 264.7 cell viability. Exposure of LPS in Raw 264.7 cells significantly increased NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and PGE2 productions, and MEMix pretreatment attenuated these productions by LPS concentration dependently. However, pretreatment with MEMix did not change COX-2 expression by LPS in Raw 264.7 cells. MEMix showed in vitro anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. MEMix would be useful candidate agent against inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.1209-1218
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• 2021

The aim of this study was to assure the possiblility of Achyranthes japonica Nakai for a cosmetic material. For this we examined the Anti-oxidation, Anti-inflammation, Anti-wrinkle effects of Achyranthes japonica Nakai extract. Each material is extracted from Achyranthes japonica Nakai roots(AJNR) and Achyranthes japonica Nakai stalks(AJNS) using 70% ethanol. We carried out Nitric oxide assay of the extract with cultured RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, And we conducted MMP-1 assay, Type I procollagen synthesis assay of the extract with cultured CCD-986sk fibroblast cells. After we measured ABTS+ assay and SOD assay of AJNR and AJNS, we knew that effect of anti-oxidant increased as their concentration get higher. The result of this study was that the antioxidant activity of AJNR and AJNS was similarly excellent and the anti-inflammatory activity of AJNR was significantly higher than AJNS. The MMP-1 inhibitory activity and Type I procollagen synthesis of AJNR and AJNS was generally excellent, AJNS had slightly better than AJNR. Therefore I thought it has the chance to play an imfortant role as a functional cosmetic material for anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation and wrinkle reduction effects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1649-1654
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• 2016

Tea derived from the leaves and buds of Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) is consumed worldwide. Green tea contains various components with specific health-promoting effects, and is believed to exert protective effects against diseases including cancer, diabetes and hepatitis, as well as obesity. Of the various tea components, the polyphenol catechins have been the subject of extensive investigation and among the catechins, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate has the strongest bioactivity in most cases. Our research group has postulated that hepatocyte nuclear factor-$4{\alpha}$, sterol regulatory element-binding proteins, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ are targets of green tea constituents including (-)-epigallocatechin gallate for their anti-diabetes, anti-obesity, and anti-hepatitis effects, respectively. Published papers were reviewed to determine whether the observed changes in these factors can be correlated with anti-cancer effects of green tea. Two major action mechanisms of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate have been proposed; one associated with its anti-oxidative properties and the other with its pro-oxidative activity. When reactive oxygen species are assumed to be involved, our findings that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate downregulated hepatocyte nuclear factor-$4{\alpha}$, sterol regulatory element-binding proteins, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ may explain the anti-cancer effect of green tea as well. However, further studies are required to elucidate which determinant directs (-)-epigallocatechin gallate action as an anti-oxidant or a pro-oxidant for favorable activity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 2013

This study was conducted in order to compare the biological activities of leaf and root water extracts of Smilax china L. (SC) by measuring the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, anti-oxidant activity, inhibitory effect on ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, and anti-inflammatory gene expression. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of SC leaf (SCLE) and root (SCRE) water extracts were 127.93 mg GAE/g and 39.50 mg GAE/g and 41.99 mg QE/g and 1.25 mg QE/g, respectively. The anti-oxidative activities of SCLE and SCRE were measured using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging activity assay and reducing power assay. Both SCLE and SCRE scavenged radicals in a concentration-dependent manner, and SCLE showed stronger radical scavenging activity and reducing power than SCRE; however, both SCLE and SCRE exhibited lower activities than ascorbic acid. Compared to the anti-diabetic drug acarbose, which was used as a positive control, SCLE and SCRE exhibited low ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activities; nevertheless, the activity of SCLE was 3.7 fold higher than that of SCRE. Finally, SCLE caused significantly decreased expression of the LPS-induced cytokines, iNOS, and COX-2 mRNA in RAW264.7 cells, indicating anti-inflammatory activity. These results indicate that SCLE might be a potential candidate as an anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent.