• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.450-461
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• 2022

A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical study was used to determine the cognitive functions related to working memory (WM) and antioxidant properties of fermented Laminaria japonica (FLJ) on healthy volunteers. Eighty participants were divided into a placebo group (n = 40) and FLJ group (n = 40) that received FLJ (1.5 g/day) for 6 weeks. Memory-related blood indices (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; angiotensin-converting enzyme; human growth hormone, HGH; insulin-like growth factor-1, IGF-1) and antioxidant function-related indices (catalase, CAT; malondialdehyde, MDA; 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-oxo-dG; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) were determined before and after the trial. In addition, standardized cognitive tests were conducted using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Batteries. Furthermore, the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS)-IV, and the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) were used to assess the pre and post intake changes on WM-related properties. According to the results, FLJ significantly increased the level of CAT, BDNF, HGH, and IGF-1. FLJ reduced the level of TBARS, MDA, and 8-oxo-dG in serum. Furthermore, FLJ improved physical activities related to cognitive functions such as K-WAIS-IV, MoCA-K, Paired Associates Learning, and Spatial Working Memory compared to the placebo group. Our results suggest that FLJ is a potential candidate to develop functional materials reflecting its capability to induce antioxidant mechanisms together with WM-related indices.

• CELLMED
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• v.13 no.14
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• pp.17.1-17.23
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• 2023

Menopause is a physiological phase experienced by all women as part of normal aging known as menopause. Per se, menopause is not a disease, but hormonal imbalance may lead to menopausal symptoms in some women. The unani physician described that in Sinn-i-Inḥiṭāṭ/ Sinn al-Yās, Burūdat (coldness) increases lead to Ihtibās al-Tamth (amenorrhea) that can occur naturally. Besides, Khilt Dam (blood) production decreases from the liver, slight production occurs, tends towards Burūdat. Therefore, at this age, Ihtibās al-Tamth is associated with Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās(menopausalsymptoms) including weight gain, loss of appetite, hirsutism, fatigue, headache, backache, arthralgia, neck pain, general myalgia, nervousness, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The traditional Unani manuscripts are enriched with knowledge for the management of Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās. Consequently, an extensive exploration of classical texts concerning the management of Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās was undertaken. Moreover, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and other indexing databases were thoroughly explored for evidence-based approaches to managing menopausalsymptoms. The principle management as per Unani texts is to treat the cause of Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās. Unani medicines with emmenagogue, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties are beneficial for the amelioration of Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās. Unani Herbs such as Asgandh, Aslusūs, Khārkhasak, Tagar, Shuneez, Ustukhuddus, Zafran, and Majūn Najāh possess properties and are proven scientifically for their efficacy in Alāmāt Sinn al-Yās. Hence, the substantiation and preservation of traditional knowledge assume paramount importance in facilitating prospective research and proving invaluable in the modern era. Moreover, the conduct of randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses becomes imperative.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.617-629
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• 2023

Reactive oxygen species are the byproducts of metabolic processes in the body, However, excessive amount may cause side effects such as cancer. Therefore, to reduce the production of these species, but their long-term administration at high doses may induce side effects. Hence, natural materials with antioxidant activities are attracting attention. Two of these natural materials are soybean sprouts and Hovenia dulcis Thunb. fruits, but few studies have evaluated the effects of their combination. Thus, we prepared a soybean sprout extract containing 1.5% H. dulcis Thunb. fruit concentrate (BHM) to develop a functional food material derived from natural products and then confirmed its physicochemical properties and physiological activity. Among the organic acids detected in BHM, malic acid exhibited the highest content of 1,451.03 ppm, and the main free sugars were glucose (645.48 ppm) and fructose (738.11 ppm). Taurine was the most abundant free amino acid at a concentration of 11.95 ppm, followed by those of arginine (10.97 ppm) and glutamic acid (10.16 ppm). Analyses of the mineral components revealed large amounts of Zn and Fe in BHM, and the respective total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in BHM were 957.16 and 601.93 ppm. The DPPH radical and H₂O₂ scavenging activities and reducing power indicated excellent antioxidant efficacy compared to the positive controls. Furthermore, blood alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations were measured to confirm the hangover-relieving effects of BHM, with both significantly decreased (p<0.05). BHM displays potential for development as a functional food, and the results of this study may be used as basic data in further research.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.129-142
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• 2024

Alendronate sodium (ALS) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate used for the treatment of different bone disorders. However, its adverse effect on oral soft tissue has been detected. Rutin (RUT) is natural flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This work aimed to investigate the possible effect of ALS on the tongue of adult male albino rats and to evaluate the possible protective role of RUT. Forty adult male albino rats were equally divided into four groups: group I (control), group II (RUT): Received RUT 50 mg/kg, group III (ALS): Received ALS 1 mg/kg, group IV (ALS+RUT):(ALS+RUT): Received ALS and RUT with the same doses as pervious groups. The drugs were given once daily for 5 weeks. Tongue specimens were taken and processed for light and scanning electron microscopic inspection. ALS treated group revealed structural changes in the tongue in the form of decrease in the height of the filiform papillae with blunt ends, marked atrophy in some papillae with areas of focal loss, loss of some epithelial cells, pyknotic nuclei and cytoplasmic vacuoles in some epithelial cells. The lamina propria showed inflammatory cellular infiltration with congested blood vessels. Statistically, there were highly significant decrease in the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunopositive cells, area percentage of Bcl-2 immunoexpression and highly significant increase in the collagen content compared to control group. Administration of RUT with ALS minimizes these changes. RUT protected the rat tongue against the histological and immunohistochemical changes induced by ALS through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.103-125
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• 1997

An epidemiologic study on pleuropneumonia in the slaughter pigs(Chonan and Asan area, Chungnam province, Korea) during the period of January 1994 through December 1995 was conducted. Isolation of A pleuropneumoniae was attempted in 425 pigs with pneumonic lesions. Biochemical properties, antimicrobial susceptibility, serotypes and pathogenicity of isolated A pleuropneumoniae were investigated. In addition, outer membrane protein(OMP) of the Isolates were extracted to determine its properties and immunogenicity in both mice and piglets The results obtained through this study were summarized as followed ; 1. Of 3, 395 slaughter pigs, pleuropneumonia was observed in 425 pigs(10.6%). A pleuropneumoniae was isolated from 22 pigs(5.2%) out of 425 pigs with pneumonic lesions. The biochemical properties of all isolates were same as those of reference A pleuropneumoniae strain. Among 22 isolates, 9, 1 and 12 isolates were serovar 2, 3 and 5, respectively. 2. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that the isolates showed high susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and cephalothin, moderate susceptibility to amikacin, gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin, and low susceptibility to erythromycin, tylosin and sulfadimethoxin. 3. The isolates were varied in pathogenicity to mice. Median lethal dose of LE9402(serovar 2) and LE9511(serovar 5) were $9.2{\times}10^7$ CFU and $2.8{\times}10^7$%CFU, respectively. Specific pneumonic lesions were observed from the infected mice with clinical signs. Bacteria recovery rate was high in the lung, but low In heart blood and tracheas. 4. Serovar 2 was found to be more pathogenic than serovar 5 in guinea pig. Mortality on guinea pigs inoculated with serovar 2($5.4{\times}10^8-5.4{\times}10^6$CFU) and serovar 5($2.8{\times}10^8-2.8{\times}10^6$ CFU) was 20~40% and 40~80%, respectively. A severe hemorrhagic lesions and focal pneumonic lesions were observed from dead guinea pigs. Bacteria recovery rate was relatively higher in the lung than that of other organs. 5. In the SDS-PAGE analysis, OMP-enriched fractions of both isolates and reference strains contain common peptide bands equivalent to molecular weight of 17, 27, 42, 52 and 95Kd. In addition to common peptide bands, the bands which are specific to each isolate were also observed. The profiles of Sephadex G25 fractions showed 3 major peaks. The common peptide bands which were observed by SDS-PAGE of the crude OMPs were found in the peaks 1 and 2. 6. The OMPs extracted from serovar 2(LE9402) and serovar 5(LE9511) provided high level of protection in mice(70~80%) and pigs(100%). All animals inoculated with OMPs were seroconverted, showing micro-agglutination titer of 640 to 1280.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.671-675
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• 2002

The present study was conducted to elucidate functional properties of sulfated polysaccharides from ascidian tunics, In physical properties of the crude polysaccharides, emulsion ability and foaminess were more excellent compared with chitin and chitosan, particular dye binding capacity was prominent. Anti-blood coagulation of partially purified sulfnted polysaccharides showed with respect to APTT (Activated partial thromboplastin time). Especially, active fraction $(F_4)$ obtained by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography showed highest activity, which was approximately $20\%$ of the activity of heparin. ACE inhibitory activity also similar to anticoagulant activity. Active fraction $(F_4)$ obtained by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography showed about $34\%$, in ACE inhibitory activity.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.127-134
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• 2003

This study investigates the effects of a raw diet (RD) on blood glucose and lipid metabolism in non-diabetic (normal) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley vats were assigned to four groups (normal control, normal RD, diabetic control, and diabetic RD), for the four-week experimental period. The control groups were fed the AIN diet and the RD groups were fed a diet consisting only of raw materials. Weight gain was statistically lower in the RD group than the control. fasting plasma glucose was significantly lower in the diabetic RD group compared to the diabetic control group. The levels of triglycerides (TG), and of total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-cholesterol in the plasma, were lower in the RD groups than the control groups, but not significantly. There was a statistically significant decrease in the levels of TG and TC in the livers of the diabetic RD group, compared to the diabetic control group. The fecal levels of total lipids, TG, and TC were significantly higher in the RD groups, compared to the non-RD groups. It can be postulated that this raw diet may possess substantial hypoglycemic/hypolipidemic properties in diabetic rats.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2005

Commonly used spices in Korean cooking (red pepper powder, garlic, ginger) were evaluated for anti-obesity properties and effects on triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol in blood and adipose tissues in rats fed a high fat (20%) diet. SD rats were raised for four weeks on either a normal diet (ND, based on the AIN-93M diet), high fat diet (HFD, supplemented with 16% lard oil in the ND), or diets containing 5% red pepper powder (RPP), garlic or ginger. These spices significantly decreased weight gain compared to HFD, but garlic and ginger showed a greater effect on reducing weight gain than RPP. The weights of liver and epididymal and perirenal fat pads in garlic and ginger diet groups were lower than those of the HFD groups (p < 0.05). The garlic and ginger also decreased triglyceride and cholesterol contents in liver and epididymal and perirenal fat pad, reversing the higher levels seen in HFD. RPP, garlic and ginger supplemented diets were effective in lowering serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels (p< 0.05). These results indicated that garlic and ginger more effectively suppressed the effects of HFD on body fat gain and lipid values of adipose tissues and serum than RPP.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.358-363
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• 2007

Swine endothelial cells are commonly used as an in vitro model for studying features of the blood-brain barrier and some hemorrhagic diseases. However, primary cultures of swine cells have finite lifespans. To establish immortalized swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVECs) using human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the plasmid pCI-neo-hTERT was transfected into SUVECs by lipofection. Clones were selected for G418 resistance, and positive clones were amplified. One of the clones was cultured for up to 50 passages. Factor VIII-related antigen and CD34 were detected. The immortalized cells shared the properties of normal cells, such as contact inhibition, serum requirement and anchorage dependence. Karyotype analysis revealed that the immortalized cells were in the diploid range. In addition, both in vivo and in vitro assays of tumorigenicity showed no neoplastic transformation. Furthermore, NO, $PGI_2$, and ET-1 concentrations in the transfected cells were normal. These results suggest that the SUVECs immortalized by hTERT retain their original characteristics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.566-571
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• 2017

Weight loss ${\geq}5$ percent is sufficient to significantly reduce health risks for obese people; therefore, development of novel weight loss compounds with reduced toxicity is urgently required. After screening of natural compounds with anti-adipogenesis properties in 3T3-L1 cells, we determined that kahweol, a coffee-specific diterpene, inhibited adipogenesis. Kahweol reduced lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation-related factors. Levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated JAK2, that induce lipid accumulation, decreased in kahweol-treated cells. Particularly, kahweol treatment significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. We revealed that depletion of AMPK alleviated reduction in lipid accumulation from kahweol treatment, suggesting that inhibition of lipid accumulation by kahweol is dependent on AMPK activation. We detected more rapid reduction in blood glucose levels in mice administrated kahweol than in control mice. We suggest that kahweol has anti-obesity effects and should be studied further for possible therapeutic applications.