• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.303-309
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• 2022

Dystaenia takesimana is an endemic plant found only in Korea, especially on Ulleung Island. The leaves and roots of D. takesimana have been used as food, forage, and oriental medicine. Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and α-glucosidase inhibition biological activities have been reported in the plant's root extract. However, studies concerning the anti-thrombosis activities of D. takesimana are still in the rudimentary stage. In this study, the extracts of the leaf (DT-L), stem (DT-S), and root (DT-R) of D. takesimana were prepared using 70% ethanol, and their anti-thrombosis activities were evaluated. DT-L extracts (0.25 mg/ml) showed strong inhibitions against platelet aggregation, comparable to aspirin, with strong radical scavenging activities. Furthermore, the DT-L extract did not show any RBC hemolysis up to 1 m/ml. The ant-coagulation and antioxidant activities of the DT-S extract were ignorable. While the DT-R extract showed inhibitions against thrombin and blood coagulation factors, it also showed strong platelet aggregation. This is a first report of the anti-thrombosis activities of D. takesimana, and our results suggest that DT-L could be developed as a valuable bioresource for high value-added products.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.356-363
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• 1980

Even now, the hemorrhagic syndrome after cardiac surgery with the aid or a pump oxygenator constitutes a significant problem. The purpose of this study is to postulate the possible causes of the bleeding after open hear surgery [OHS]. Fifteen consecutive OHS patients with various heart diseases were selected and platelet count, plasma fibrinogen, serum calcium level were observed pre-, intra- and post- operatively until 21 th postoperative day [POD]. The platelet count was significantly decreased with initiation of extracorporeal circulation [ECC] and continued to decrease slowly until cessation of ECC. Within 10 minutes after ECC the platelet count stared to increase. But it was significantly less than preoperative count until 5th POD. The peak count was found on 14th POD and the platelet count was gradually decreased. Plasma fibrinogen also decreased significantly during operation, but it recovered up to preoperative amount within 5 hours after termination of ECC. Thereafter it rapidly increased until 3rd POD when it reached its peak. From 3rd POD it showed slow downward slope until 21st POD, but it remained in significantly higher level than preoperative amount. Serum calcium levels showed minimum fluctuations during the whole course of study. Conclusively, the decrease in platelet count and fibrinogen amount may play a considerable role for the postoperative hemorrhage. But numerous other effects of ECC must be accounted for.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2014

The pentacyclic triterpenoid ursolic acid (UA) and its isomer oleanolic acid (OA) are ubiquitous in food and plant medicine, and thus are easily exposed to the population through natural contact or intentional use. Although they have diverse health benefits, reported cardiovascular protective activity is contentious. In this study, the effect of UA and OA on platelet aggregation was examined on the basis that alteration of platelet activity is a potential process contributing to cardiovascular events. Treatment of UA enhanced platelet aggregation induced by thrombin or ADP, which was concentration-dependent in a range of $5-50{\mu}M$. Quite comparable results were obtained with OA, in which OA-treated platelets also exhibited an exaggerated response to either thrombin or ADP. UA treatment potentiated aggregation of whole blood, while OA failed to increase aggregation by thrombin. UA and OA did not affect plasma coagulation assessed by measuring prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. These results indicate that both UA and OA are capable of making platelets susceptible to aggregatory stimuli, and platelets rather than clotting factors are the primary target of them in proaggregatory activity. These compounds need to be used with caution, especially in the population with a predisposition to cardiovascular events.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.212-215
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• 2006

Several reports have suggested a possible relationship between blood coagulation factors and schizophrenia. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) belongs to a serine protease inhibitor family, which regulates fibrinolysis and proteolysis by inhibiting plasminogen activation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of polymorphisms of the PAI-1 gene with schizophrenia in Korean population. Two important polymorphisms (-675 4G/5G and -844 G/A) located on promoter region of the PAI-1 gene were analyzed on 178 schizophrenia patients and 226 controls. The genotypic and allelic associations of -675 4G/5G were found significant. Furthermore, haplotype analysis revealed significant result, which suggests that -675 4G/5G polymorphism might confer increased susceptibility for schizophrenia in Korean population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.508-513
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• 2009

Pine needles have long been used as a traditional health-promoting medicinal food in Korea. To investigate the effects of pine (pinus densiflora) needle extracts on blood flow and serum lipid improvement were assessed in vivo. 8 week-old Sprague Dawley strain rats were divided into four groups of seven rats each; CON, 0.5% CHOL, HOT water and Sub-supercritical group. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride contents were lower in the CON group than the 0.5% CHOL group. Three weeks of feeding hot water and sub-supercritical extract resulted in a decrease in serum triglyceride and total cholesterol level. The level of HDL-cholesterol in the 0.5% CHOL group was significantly (p<0.05) reduced compared to the CON group, but it had a tendency to increase with pine needle extract supplementation. Blood passage time of the pine needle extracts supplemented group was higher than the 0.5% CHOL group. Microscopic observation showed that whole blood passed smoothly through the micro channels in pine needle extracts supplemented groups. The platelet aggregation ability of the groups treated with pine needle extracts was less than that of the 0.5% CHOL group. All these results suggest that pine needle extracts might improve blood homeostasis mediated via antiplatelet activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.386-393
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• 2020

Insect industry has been focused as production of food, animal feed, pollinator and for environmental remediation. Hermetia illicens, called as black soldier fly (BSF) is famous as nutritive feed. In this study, to evaluate the antithrombotic activities of BSF, the larvae (instar 2~6), pupae, residue after adult emergence [RAAE] and adult of Hermetia illicens [black soldier fly, BSF] were collected and their ethanol extracts were prepared. Growth of BSF larvae was very rapid and the weight of larvae was increased to 25-folds during 10 days cultivation. The ethanol extraction ratios showed from 1.0% (pupae) to 18.5%(adults). The highest total polyphenol, total flavonoid, and total sugar contents were observed in RAEE (17.2 mg/g), pupae (3.4 mg/g), and instar 6 (37.6 mg/g), suggesting that metabolic changes occur during the life cycle of the BSF. Anti-coagulation assay showed that extracts of RAEE, instar 6 and pupa of BSF significantly inhibited thrombin, prothrombin, and blood coagulation factors. Furthermore, the extracts of RAEE, instar 3 and adult of BSF showed a strong platelet aggregation inhibitory activity. Our results suggest that pupae and RAEE of BSF have potential as antithrombotic agents. This is the first study to provide evidence of the antithrombotic activity of the BSF and bioactivity alterations during its life cycle.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1640-1647
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• 2010

Seaweeds have been recognized as a health food, having anti-obesity, anti-constipation and anticoagulation activities, and the use of seaweeds in the food, medicine, and cosmetic industries have recently significantly increased. In this study, methanol extracts were prepared from 35 different seaweeds (17 phaeophyta, 11 rhodophyta and 7 chlorophyta), and thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were determined in order to develop safe and novel anticoagulation agents from natural products. In TT experiments, Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia stolonifera, Eisenia bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell, Ishige foliacea, I. okamurai, Sargassum confusum and S. yamade showed strong thrombin inhibition activity among the 35 different seaweeds. In PT experiments, the inhibitions of prothrombin were identified in the selected seaweeds from TT experiment, with the exception of S. yamade. In aPTT experiments, the seaweeds with blood coagulation inhibition factors were E. cava, E. stolonifera, E. bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell, I. foliacea, I. okamurai, S. confusum and Hixikia fusiforme Okamura. Further anticoagulation assay with the selected 8 seaweeds suggested that S. confusum is most effective in antithrombosis, and E. stolonifera, E. bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell, and I. foliacea have high potential as antithrombosis agents. Based on components-activity correlation analysis, flavonoids are considered as active anticoagulation components of seaweeds These results suggest that edible seaweeds, especially S. confusum, have potential as safe and novel anticoagulants, and S. yamade and H. fusiforme Okamura could be used as a thrombin-specific and coagulation factor-specific inhibitors.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.658-665
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• 2017

The current study was performed to investigate the changes of bio-activities of Salicornia europaea (SE) depending on the different dry methods. The ethanol extracts were prepared from the freeze-drying SE (FD), hot-air drying SE (HD), and shade drying SE (SD). Their anti-oxidant and anti-thrombosis activities were compared. The yields of ethanol extraction in FD, HD, and SD were 14.4, 13.2 and 11.9%, respectively. The highest contents of total polyphenol (4.6 mg/g) and total sugar (23.4 mg/g) were shown in FD, whereas, the highest content of reducing sugar (14.6 mg/g) was observed in HD. In anti-oxidation activity assay, the FD and HD showed similar radical scavenging activities and reducing power. However, in SD, nitrite scavenging activity and reducing power were severely decreased. In anti-coagulation activity assay, the thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of FD, HD and SD did not show significant changes at 5 mg/mL concentration. But the HD at 7 mg/mL had strong inhibitions against thrombin and blood coagulation factors. The platelet aggregation and hemolysis activities were not affected by dry methods. Our results suggest that both FD and HD are effective to maintain the functional ingredient of SE, and HD is economic and efficient dry process for production of functional food.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2019

In Korea, shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes, is cultivated on artificial medium containing oak sawdust and wheat bran. The annual production of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of shiitake, a byproduct of the mushroom industry, is estimated to reach over 50,000 tons per year. This study aimed to improve the use of SMS as a novel bioresource. Hot water extracts of SMS after the first and third harvest were prepared and their bioactivities evaluated. Hot water extracts of uninoculated medium and shiitake were used as controls. Extracts of SMS showed higher radical scavenging of DPPH anions, ABTS cations, nitrites, and a higher reducing power than those of shiitake or medium extracts. After the first and third harvests at 0.5 mg/disc, SMS extracts showed no antibacterial or antifungal activities against the pathogenic and food-spoilage bacteria and fungi. However, they showed good inhibitory activities against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase at 0.5 mg/ml. In addition, SMS extracts had strong anti-coagulation activities via their inhibition of thrombin, prothrombin, and blood coagulation factors without platelet aggregation activity. Our results suggested SMS should no longer be perceived as a useless byproduct but should be understood as a novel bioresource, the extracts of which could be developed as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antithrombosis agents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2024

Dioscorea alata L, commonly known as "tropical yam" is the most widely consumed yam species among the 650 yam species belonging to the Dioscoreacea family. It is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions and is a major food source in Africa and India. Also, it is used for medicinal purposes, particularly in China and Taiwan, for its anti-inflammatory properties. In comparison to other yam varieties such as D. batatas or D. opposita, the tropical yam has gained popularity in Korea due to its higher yield per unit area. In this study, the nutritional characteristics and anti-thrombosis activity of the aerial bulbils of D. alata L. tropical yam were compared to those of D. opposita. The results showed that the aerial bulbils of tropical yam exhibited nutritional characteristics and potent anticoagulant activity compared to those of domestic yam varieties. The bulbils extract of tropical yam showed superior anticoagulant activities against thrombin, prothrombin and blood coagulation factors. Furthermore, the bulbils extract of tropical yam exhibited strong platelet aggregation inhibition at 0.25 mg/ml and showed no hemolytic activity up to a concentration of 2.5 mg/ml. These findings suggest the potential development of high-value anti-thrombosis agents utilizing the aerial bulbils of tropical yam.