• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.39-55
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• 2012

Objectives : Recently there have been encouraging results, from a western perspective, in the cancer research field regarding the anticancer effects of herbal medicine. This paper was aimed to review herbal medicine playing its anticancer role in terms of apoptosis, inflammation control, differentiation and telomerase. Methods : New studies for tang, medicinal herb itself or effective ingradients of medicinal herb showing anti-cancer effectiveness were reviewed and summarized in terms of pharmacological action. Results : Ethanol extracts of $Spatholobus$ $suberectus$ greatly inhibited cancer cell growth inducing cell apoptosis and cytotoxic effects. $Scutellaria$ $baicalensis$ may be responsible for its anticancer activity showing inhibition of $PGE_2$ synthesis via suppression of COX-2 expression. Saikosaponins isolated from $Bupleurum$ induced the differentiation of C6 glioma cells, cancer cells, into astrocytes, normal cells. Acetone extract of $Bupleurum$ $scorzonerifolium$ inhibited proliferation of human lung cancer cells via inducing apoptosis and suppressing telomerase activity. Conclusions : Herbal medicine inhibited cancer cell growth inducing cell apoptosis and cytotoxic effects. Inflammation persisting for a decade eventually elevates the risk of cancer sufficiently that it is discernible in case control epidemiological studies. Differentiation therapy is defined as a therapy to treat cancers by inducing differentiation of the stem cells. Telomerase expression is a hallmark of cancer. Nearly the complete spectrum of human tumors has been shown to be telomerase positive.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.924-932
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• 2003

Epigallocatechin-3 Gallate (EGCG), a major constituent of green tea, has attracted increasing interest because of its many reported health benefits. Here we demonstrate for the first time that EGCG stimulates phospholipase D (PLD) activity in U87 human astroglioma cells. EGCG-induced PLD activation was abolished by the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor and a lipase inactive PLC-\gama1$ mutant, and was dependent on intracellular $Ca^{ 2+}$, and possibly involved $Ca^{ 2+}$ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II). Interestingly, EGCG induced translocation of PLC-\gama1$ from the cytosol to the membrane and PLC-\gama1$interaction with PLD1. Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that in human astroglioma cells, EGCG regulates PLD activity via a signaling pathway involving a PLC-\gama1$ (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-$Ca^{ 2+}$)-CaM kinase II-PLD pathway.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.866-875
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• 2016

In this study, we investigated the variation in free sugars, amino acids, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory activity of Solanum nigrum Linne based on harvest time. Major amino acids identified by HPLC analysis were proline, histidine, and serine. The highest content of total amino acids were found in S. nigrum aerial parts and roots harvested on July 10th and August 10th. Four kinds of free sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose) were detected in S. nigrum, and the free sugar content varied significantly with harvest time. The fructose content of S. nigrum decreased with as harvest time increased. The total polyphenol content of S. nigrum was highest in those harvested on August 30th. The antioxidant activity of ethanol extract from S. nigrum collected at different harvest times were measured by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts were assayed via nitric oxide suppression in C6 glioma cells with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response. The anti-inflammatory activity and antioxidant effects were the highest in the extract from S. nigrum collected on August 30th. Good correlations were observed between antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in ethanol extract of S. nigrum roots harvested on August 30th.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2019

This study examined the neurotoxicity of aluminum sulfate (AS), an environmental pollutant, and the protective effect of Phrymaleptostachya var. asiatica HARA (PLVAH) extract on the neurotoxicity induced by AS in the cultured C6 glioma cells. For this study, the cell viability and antioxidative effects, such as electron donating (ED) activity, lipid peroxidation (LP) activity, and superoxide anion-radical (SAR) scavenging activity, were analyzed. AS decreased the cell viability significantly in a dose-dependent manner and the $XTT_{50}$ value was measured at $120.0{\mu}M$ of AS. The neurotoxicity of AS was determined to be mid-toxic by Borenfreund and Puerner's toxic criteria. In addition, the catalase (CAT), antioxidant enzyme remarkably increased the cell viability injured by AS-induced neurotoxicity in these cultures. Regarding the protective effect of the PLVAH extract on AS-induced neurotoxicity, PLVAH extract significantly increased the ED ability, and the inhibitory ability of the LP and SAR scavenging ability. These findings suggest that oxidative stress is involved in the cytotoxicity of AS, and the PLVAH extract effectively protected against AS-induced neurotoxicity by its antioxidative effects. Natural resources, such as the PLVAH extract may be a putative therapeutic agent for the treatment of the toxicity induced by heavy metallic compounds, such as AS correlated with the oxidative stress.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.694-708
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• 2007

Objectives : Jageum-Jung is used as an anti-cancer agent in oriental medicine, but the mechanism by which it induces cell death in cancer cells is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Jageum-Jung on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HepG2 hepatoma cells. Methods : Various cancer cell lines including HepG2, C6 glioma, SH-SY5Y, PANC-1, and MCF-7 cells, were used. Apoptosis was determined by DAPI nuclei staining and flow cytometry in HepG2 cells treated with various concentrations (from 25 to 200 ${\mu}g/ml$) of $H_2O$ extract of Jageum-Jung (JGJ) for 48 hrs. Expression of cell cycle arrest mediators including Rb, p53, p21, cyclin B1, cdk4, and cyclin E proteins were measured by Western blot analysis. To estimate intracellular hydrogen peroxide levels and intracellular nitric oxide levels, HepG2 cells were stained with DCFH-DA dye and DAF dye, subjected on flow cytometric analysis. Results : 1. Jageum-Jung decreased the viability of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. 2. Jageum-Jung induced the catalytic activation of caspase-3 in HepG2 cells. 3. Jageum-Jung increased the intracellular hydrogen peroxide and NO in HepG2 cells. 4. Jageum-Jung increased the expression of Rb, p53 and p21 in HepG2 cells. 5. Jageum-Jung induced the expression of cyclin B1, cdk4, and cyclin E in HepG2 cells. Conclusions : Taken together, we suggest that Jageum-Jung exhibits cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells, causing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. The results showed that Jageum-Jung may do so by regulating the expression of specific target molecules that promote efficient apoptotic cell death following $G_2$/M phase arrest in a dose-dependent manner.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2002

Cytotoxic and antimutagenic effects of a novel cis-$\varepsilon$-viniferin and five known stilbenes, transresveratrol, trans-$\varepsilon$-viniferin, gnetin H, suffruticosols A and B, isolated from the seeds of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Paeoniaceae) were determined against five different cancer cell lines, and mutagenicity of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100, respectively. Six stilbenes showed cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner, and especially did potent cytotoxic activity against C6 (mouse glioma) cancer cell with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 8.2 to $20.5{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$. trans-Resveratrol showed significant cytotoxic activity against HepG2 (liver hepatoma) and HT-29 (colon) human cancer cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values of 11.8 and 25.2 g/ml, respectively. In contrast, trans-$\varepsilon$-viniferin and cis--viniferin, and gnetin H exhibited marked cytotoxic activity against Hela (cervicse) and MCF-7 (breast) human cancer cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values of 20.4, 21.5, and $12.9{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$, respectively. However, suffruticosol A and B had less cytotoxic effect against all cancer cells except C6. Meanwhile, six stilbenes exerted antimutagenic activity in a dose-dependent fashion. Of them, trans-resveratrol exhibited the strongest antimutagenic effect against MNNG with $IC_{50}$ value of $27.0{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/plate$, while other five resveratrol oligomers also did moderate antimutagenic activity with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 31.7 to $35.2{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/plate$.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.261-267
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• 2017

As part of the search for bioactive constituents of Korean medicinal plants, twelve steroids (1-12) were isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea nipponica. The isolated compounds were identified as diosgenin ($3{\beta}$, 25R)-spirost-5-en-3-ol (1), 25(R)-dracaenoside E (2), dioscin (3), gracillin (4), prosapogenin B (5), 25(R)-dracaenoside G (6), diosgenin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyl($1{\rightarrow}3$)-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside (7), ophipogonin C′ (8), 7-oxodioscin (9), protodioscin (10), hypoglaucin F (11), and protoneogracillin (12). Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic data and identified by comparing these data with those in the literatures. All the isolates (1-12) were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects through induction of nerve growth factor in C6 glioma cells and effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine microglia cell line BV-2. Compounds 7 and 12 were found to induce upregulation of NGF secretion without causing significant cell toxicity and compound 4 exhibited potent anti-neuroinflammatory activity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.365-372
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• 2015

Aripiprazole (ARI) is a commonly prescribed medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. To date, there have been no studies regarding the molecular pathological and immunotoxicological profiling of aripiprazole. Thus, in the present study, we prepared two different formulas of aripiprazole [Free base crystal of aripiprazole (ARPGCB) and cocrystal of aripiprazole (GCB3004)], and explored their effects on the patterns of survival and apoptosis-regulatory proteins under acute toxicity and cytotoxicity test conditions. Furthermore, we also evaluated the modulatory activity of the different formulations on the immunological responses in macrophages primed by various stimulators such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), pam3CSK, and poly(I:C) via toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), TLR2, and TLR3 pathways, respectively. In liver, both ARPGCB and GCB3004 produced similar toxicity profiles. In particular, these two formulas exhibited similar phospho-protein profiling of p65/nuclear factor $(NF)-{\kappa}B$, c-Jun/activator protein (AP)-1, ERK, JNK, p38, caspase 3, and bcl-2 in brain. In contrast, the patterns of these phospho-proteins were variable in other tissues. Moreover, these two formulas did not exhibit any cytotoxicity in C6 glioma cells. Finally, the two formulations at available in vivo concentrations did not block nitric oxide (NO) production from activated macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS, pam3CSK, or poly(I:C), nor did they alter the morphological changes of the activated macrophages. Taken together, our present work, as a comparative study of two different formulas of aripiprazole, suggests that these two formulas can be used to achieve similar functional activation of brain proteins related to cell survival and apoptosis and immunotoxicological activities of macrophages.