• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.314-319
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• 2016

Mucus in the respiratory system is a factor to cause not only respiratory diseases but also chronic diseases. In this regard, this study is to investigate whether Benincasa hispida extracts (BHE) would stimulate secreting mucus in trachea and tracheobronchial lumen of rats. As a result, effect of stimulating the mucus secretion into trachea and trachebronchial lumen of rats is significantly increased in accordance with the administration concentration of Benincasa hispida seed extracts (BHSE). The secretion amounts of phenol red (PR) and sodium fluoreseceine (NaFI) are significantly increased by 25% and 34%, respectively, when 70% EtOH extracts of Benincasae pericarpium (BPE) are administrated to rats at the concentration of 200 mg/kg. In addition, the secretion amounts of PR and NaFI are significantly increased when BuOH fraction and water fraction are intraperitoneally administrated to rats at the concentration of 200 mg/kg. It seems the result implies the physiologically active substance that stimulates the secretion of mucus is contained in Benincasa hispida. Thus, Benincasa hispida is considered to be effective for Korean medicine treatment as a medicinal plant having effect of antitussive and apophlegmatic, and it also can be useful in developing functional food and beverage.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.865-871
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• 2004

This study was designed to examine the effects of diets containing different levels of seeds of Benincasa hispida(wax gourd) on glycogen, protein levels and lipid profiles as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were induced diabetes mellitus by STZ injection (45 mg/kg) into the tail vein and were divided into four groups: normal, STZ-control, and two experimental groups. Normal and STZ-control groups were fed the AIN-93 diet and the two experimental groups were fed a modified diet containing 2.5% and 5.0% of wax gourd seed powder for four weeks. The liver, muscle, lung, kidney, and pancreas were excised after sacrifice, then the glycogen, protein, and lipid peroxidation products were measured. The rats fed 2.5% wax gourd seed group showed higher levels of liver glycogen compared with that of the STZ-control group. The levels of kidney protein were significantly increased in the 2.5% and 5.0% wax gourd seed groups. There were no significant difference cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels of the liver and MDA concentration in the liver, lung, and kidney among all four groups. These results show that wax gourd seed treatment of 2.5% and 5.0% doses did not exhibit profound anti-lipid peroxidation properities.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.249-256
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• 2020

To investigate the natural cosmetic ingredients of Benincasa hispida seed extract on skin care, we measured anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, and whitening effect. DPPH free radical scavenging activity was increased in a dose-dependent manner. The total phenolic content was higher in methanol extract (22.42±0.002 mgGAE/g) than water extract (9.77±0.002 mgGAE/g). MTT assay was demonstrated that the seed extract did not have a cytotoxic effect in RAW264.7 and B16F10 cell lines. We also examined to find out the inhibitory activity on NO production and secretion of TNF-α cytokine in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. In B16F10 melanoma cells, the seed extract significantly suppressed α-MSH induced melanin synthesis. Furthermore, westernblot analysis revealed that methanol extract dramatically downregulated the expression level of MITF, TRP-1 and TRP-2. Taken together, the B. hispida seed extract posses anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and skin whitening activities, which might provided its functional efficacy in cosmetic materials.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.174-176
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• 1991

A electrophoretic study on seveal important enzymes was conducted with seed, leaf and stem of Benincasa hipida (Thunb) Cogn and Commelina communis L. Isozyme patterns of esterase were different from the parts and fruit of wax gourd appeared only one band. In the peroxidase isozyme, fruit of wax gourd appeared four bands, but stem of common dayflower no appeared. In the amylase isozyme, seed and fruit of 'gourd were appeared clearly one band, respectively.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2004

This study was designed to examine the effects of diets containing different levels of seeds of Benincasa hispida (wax-gourd)on plasma glucose, insulin levels and lipid profiles in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were induced diabetes mellitus by STZ injection (45 mg/kg) into the tail vein and were divide into 4 groups: normal, STZ-control, two experimental groups. Normal and STZ-control groups were fed an AIN-93 diet and 2 experi-mental groups were fed a modified diet containing 2.5% and 5.0% of wax gourd seed powder for 4 weeks. The weight gain and feed efficiency ratio in 5.0% seed groups were higher than in STZ-control group. A significant lowering effects of plasma glucose levels were observed in the wax gourd seed 2.5% and 5.0 groups. The plasma insulin level did not differ after treatment with wax gourd seed in experimental rats. The intake of 2.5% wax gourd seed did not result in sig-nificant change in plasma cholesterol levels compared to diabetic control group. The intake of 2.5% wax gourd seeds had normalized the increased levels of plasma triglyceride and free fatty acids after 4 weeks. In 5% wax gourd seed group, cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were elevated compared to 2.5% wax gourd seed group. The results of the present study indicate that 2.5% wax gourd seed group would be more effective to control the diabetes than 5% wax gourd seed group.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.165-176
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• 1999

The in vivo effects of Fructus Benincasae (FB-Baekdongkwa(B) and FB- on the expectoration (decrease in sputum viscoelasticity) by their sorts and using rats (Sp. D. male, $150{\sim}160g$). FB was divided by seed, flesh, and bark, extracted by 95% ethanol for 3 hr. The extracts were given to rats administration and the following results were obtained: 1. When FB Recens-C extract was administered at the concentration of 300 mg/kg b.w., mucus secretion effect in the trachea was desirably stimulated. 2. The secretion of phenol red was increased in the FB-treated tracheas in the order of Semen Benincasae(SB)-B $(153{\pm}8\;%)$, FB-B $(149{\pm}10\;%)$, and FBR-C $(117{\pm}26\;%)$. In general, the effect of FB-B extract on phenol red secretion was stronger than that of FB-C. 3. When tracheobronchial lavage fluid was analyzed, the mucus secretion was relatively high $(111{\pm}14\;%)$ in FB-B compared with other extracts. 4. Microscopic analysis after direct treatment of the FB extracts to the rat tracheal tissue showed that all the FB extracts possessed no effects for the activity of the ciliary movement. 5. Glycoprotein content secreted by the seed extract of FB-B was increased compared with the control group, which represents the highest secretion effect of mucus. From the above results. we could conclude that the seed of SB-B possesses better activity for mucus secretion from trachea than the extracts of any other parts. Therefore, it is expected that the seed of SB-B may be available for the purpose of expectorant activity in the prescription of traditional medicine.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2021

Donggwaja (Benincasae Semen), the seed of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., has been used in Korean traditional medicine to control the body heat and water retention caused by various diseases. Both the symptoms targeted by the herbal medicine in clinic and studies with disease mouse models support the potential anti-inflammatory effect of Donggwaja. However, it is less understood how Donggwaja exerts its possible anti-inflammatory effect. Here, we present evidence that Donggwaja suppresses macrophage inflammatory reactions via expressing tumor necrosis factor a-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3 or A20) and suppressing NF-kB activity. The ethanol extract of Donggwaja (EED) showed no toxicity when added to RAW 264.7 cells less than 100mg/ml. When treating the cells for 16 h, EED significantly suppressed the nuclear localization of NF-kB, suggesting that EED suppresses NF-kB activity. Concordantly, a semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that EED decreased the expression of prototypic pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, IL(interleukin)-6, and IL-1b. EED induced in RAW 264.7 cells the expression of A20, a ubiquitin modulator that suppresses inflammatory signaling cascades initiated from TLR4 and TNF and IL-1 receptors, while not affecting the induction of Nrf2, an anti-inflammatory factor that could suppress the effect of NF-kB. These results suggest that EED exerts its suppressive effect on inflammation, at least in part, by expressing anti-inflammatory factor A20 and suppressing pro-inflammatory factor NF-kB activity.