• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.68-77
• /
• 2011

80% methanol and 0.9% neutral saline soluble and hot water substances (hereinafter referred to Fr. NaCl, Fr. HW and Fr. MeOH, respectively) were extracted from fruiting bodies of Grifola frondosa. In vitro cytotoxicity tests, crude polysaccharides were not cytotoxic against cancer cell lines such as Sarcoma 180 and RAW 264.7 at the concentration of 10~2000 ${\mu}g/ml$, but crude polysaccharides from Fr. NaCl was slightly toxic to HT-29 and NIH3T3 at the concentration of 2000 ${\mu}g/ml$. Intraperitoneal injection with crude polysaccharides exhibited life prolongation effect of 25.0~52.9% in mice previously inoculated with Sarcoma 180. Fr. HW increased the numbers of spleen cells by 1.3 fold at the concentration of 200 ${\mu}g/ml$ compared with control. Fr. NaCl improved the immuno-stimulating activity of B lymphocyte by increasing the alkaline phosphatase activity by 1.5 fold compared with control at the concentration of 200 ${\mu}g/ml$. 10~14 ${\mu}M$ of nitric acid were generated when Fr. NaCl was added to RAW 264.7 at the concentration of 50~500 ${\mu}g/ml$, while the control group produced 4.3 ${\mu}M$ of nitric oxide. The Fr. NaCl, Fr. HW and Fr. MeOH increased the production of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, Il-2 and IL-6 by more than 1.4 times compared with the control group. The Fr. of MeOH increased the numbers of peritoneal exudate cells and circulating leukocytes by 3.0 and 2.0 folds compared with the control at the concentration of 50 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Therefore, the crude polysaccharides extracted from fruiting bodies of Grifola frondosa could improve antitumor activity of mice.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.552-559
• /
• 2009

In this study, the anticancer activity of the water extract at $100^{\circ}C$ was compared to that of the callus extracts via a ultrasonification extraction process. All the extracts were utilized to evaluate cytotoxicity, antioxidant and immune activities. The callus extracted via ultrasonification extraction showed relatively low cytotoxicity on normal human cell lines, HEK293 and HEL299, showing 13.17% and 21.78%, respectively. The callus extract has 59.82% which was similar to 61.70% for water extracts. It was also found that callus extract yielded higher nitric oxide secretion form macrophage than other extracts. The growths of both human stomach adenocarcinoma (AGS) cell and human lung carcinoma (A549) were inhibited up to 70% by adding 1.0 mg/mL of the callus extracts with ultrasonification extraction. This inhibition ratio (70%) was almost close to that of water extract. Human hepatoma carcinoma (HEP3B) cell growth was most significantly inhibited up to 75% by adding 1.0 mg/mL of callus extracts, and its selectivity was highest compared to other extracts. It indicates that the callus extracts could selectively inhibit growth of digestive system-related cancer cells. It can be also concluded from the results of this study that the callus extracts associated with ultrasonification extraction process have the potential for anticancer activity.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2008

Numerous morphological studies on N. samarangae have been well conducted over the last ten years. In this context, we have attemtped to do molecular phylogenetic analysis by using metallothionein (MT) gene from N. samarangae. To this end, we cloned the full length cDNA of MT from cDNA library of N. samarangae. The complete cDNA sequences were obtained from the expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing project of N. samarangae, The coding region of 195 bp gives an amino acid sequence of 65 residues including methionine. There are 5' (61 bp) and 3' (48 bp) untranslated region at both ends of the Ns-MT cDNA sequence. The combined results from BLAST analyses, multiple sequence alignment and molecular phylogenetic study of Ns-MT cDNA indicate that N. samarangae has similarity to land snails such as Helix pomatia, Helix aspersa and Arianta arbustorum.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.377-382
• /
• 2007

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Plebeiae Herba (Salvia plebeia R. Br.) on the proliferation of AGS cell lines and the activation of splenocytes. In an anti-cancer test using AGS cells, water and ethanol extracts of Plebeiae Herba inhibited the growth of AGS cell lines and morphological changes were also observed in a dose-dependent manner. Water extract of Plebeiae Herba showed growth-inhibitory effect of 43.3% at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ and 69.7% at $3,000{\mu}g/mL$. Ethanol extracts of Plebeiae Herba showed growth-inhibitory effect of approximately 37.3% for $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ and 75.8% for $3,000{\mu}g/mL$. The Plebeiae Herba induced the proliferation of spleen cells and increased interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$. In conclusion, these results suggest that the Plebeiae Herba seems to have antiproliferationg effect against the AGS cell and acts as a potent immunomodulator.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.38 no.12
• /
• pp.1656-1663
• /
• 2009

The antioxidant activities of water extracts from wild vegetables such as Ligularia fischeri (GC), Capsicum annuum L. (GCY), Aster scaber (CNM), Petasites japonicus S. et Z. Max (MYD), Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam) (GGM) were evaluated and compared with water extracts from freeze dried block. The antioxidant properties of water extracts from wild vegetables and their freeze dried block were evaluated using different antioxidant tests; 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging and nitrite scavenging activities. The water extracts from wild vegetables were found to have a higher total phenolic content than water extracts from freeze dried block. Total phenolic contents of water extracts from GC, GCY, CNM, MYD, and GGM were $471.66{\pm}3.52\;{\mu}g/mg,\;141.33{\pm}2.51\;{\mu}g/mg,\;177.33{\pm}2.88\;{\mu}g/mg,\;238.66{\pm}9.50\;{\mu}g/mg\;and\;122.67{\pm}3.51\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively. At the concentrations of 1000 ppm, water extracts from GC, GCY, CNM, and GGM showed higher activities than water extracts from their freeze dried block on DPPH radical scavenger activity. The activity of water extracts from CNM, GC, GCY, MYD, and GGM were 90.9%, 89.9%, 76.6%, 71.1%, and 57.4%, respectively. When 10000 ppm of GC, GCY, CNM, MYD, and GGM water extracts tested for hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, activities were increased by 38.8%, 33.4%, 35.9%, 34.3%, and 33.8%, respectively and a similar effect was found with water extracts from GCY, CNM, and GGM freeze dried block at 10000 ppm concentration. However, the water extracts from GC and MYD was slightly more effective than freeze dried block extracts. The water extracts from wild vegetables and their freeze dried block had effective DPPH radical scavenger activity and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity at all tested concentrations. Nitrite scavenging activity of GC water extract significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner and the extract had higher nitrite scavenging activity than extracts freeze dried block extracts. We found that freeze dried block maintained antioxidant activities of the wild vegetables.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.8
• /
• pp.691-701
• /
• 2004

Background: Tissue hypoxia is a characteristic of many human malignant neoplasms, and hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays a pivotal role in essential adaptive response to hypoxia, and activates a signal pathway for the expression of the hypoxia-regulated genes, resulting in increased oxygen delivery or facilitating metabolic adaptation to hypoxia. Increased level of HIF-1 a has been reported in many human malignancies, but in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the influence of HIF-1 a on tumor biology, including neovascularization, is not still defined. Material and Method: The influence of HIF-1 a expression on angiogenic factors, correlation between the tumor proliferation and HIF-1 a expression, interaction of HIF-1 a expression and p53, and correlation between HIF-1 a expression and clinicopathological prognostic parameters were investigated, using immunohistochemical stains for HIF-1 a, VEGF, CD34, p53, and Ki-67 on 77 cases of resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Result: HIF-1 a expression in cancer cells was found in 33 of 77 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases. The 33 cases (42.9%) showed positive stain for HIF-1 a. High HIF-1 a expression was significantly associated with several pathological parameters, such as histologic grade (p=0.032), pathological TMN stage (p=0.002), the depth of tumor invasion (p=0.022), regional lymph node metastasis (p=0.002), distant metastasis (p=0.049), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.004). High HIF-1 a expression had significant VEGF immunoreactivity (p=0.008) and Ki-67 labeling index (p<0.001), but was not correlated with microvascular density within tumors (p=0.088). The high HIF-1 a expression was correlated with aberrant p53 accumulation with a marginal significance (p=0.056). The overall 5-year survival rate was 34.9%. The survival rate of patients with a high HIF-1 a expression was worse than that of patients with low-expression tumors (log-rank test, p=0.0001). High HIF-1 a expression was independent unfavorable factors although statistical significance is marginal in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: It is suggested that (1) high HIF-1 a expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with tumor hypoxia, or with genetic alteration in early carcinogenesis and progressive stages, (2) high HIF-1 a expression may be associated with intratumoral neovascularization through HIF-VEGF pathway, and (3) high HIF-1 a expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and may playa role as biomarker for regional lymph node metastasis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.410-420
• /
• 2019

Citrus unshiu peel extracts possess a variety of beneficial effects, and studies on their anticancer activity have been reported. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this activity remain unclear. In the current study, the apoptotic effect of ethanol extract of C. unshiu peel (EECU) on human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells and related mechanisms were investigated. The results showed that the survival rate of MDA-MB-231 cells treated with EECU was significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis. EECU-induced apoptosis was associated with the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9, which initiate extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways, respectively, and caspase-3, a representative effect caspase. EECU suppressed the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins, leading to an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and proteolytic degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. EECU also enhanced the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol, along with truncation of Bid. In addition, EECU activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, significantly weakened EECU-induced apoptosis and cell viability reduction. Furthermore, EECU promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which acted as upstream signals for AMPK activation as pretreatment of cells, with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine reversing both EECU-induced AMPK activation and apoptosis. Collectively, these findings suggest that EECU inhibits MDA-MB-231 adenocarcinoma cell proliferation by activating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, which was mediated through ROS/AMPK-dependent pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.158-168
• /
• 2023

Natural products have been used to mitigate the effects of cancer and infectious diseases, as they feature diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Here, we chose 10 natural products that are well-known as pulmonary enhancers and investigated their bactericidal effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the disk diffusion assay, the growth of S. pneumoniae was significantly regulated by G. fructus treatment regardless of extraction method used. We first adopted spraying as a novel delivery method for G. fructus. Interestingly, mice exposed to G. fructus three times a day for 2 weeks were resistant to S. pneumoniae intranasal infection (shown both through body weight loss and survival rates compared to the control group). Moreover, we confirmed that exposure to G. fructus regulated the colonization of the bacteria despite the sustained inflammation in the lung after exposure to S. pneumoniae, indicating that migrated inflammatory immune cells may involve a host defense mechanism against pulmonary infectious diseases. While a similar number of granulocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C⁺Ly6G⁺), neutrophils (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G⁺), and monocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G^-) were found between groups, a significantly increased number of alveolar macrophages (CD11b⁺CD11c^hiF4/80⁺) was detected in BAL fluids of mice pre-exposed to G. fructus at 5 days after S. pneumonia infection. Taken together, our data suggest that this usage of G. fructus can induce protective immunity against bacterial infection, indicating that facial spray may be helpful in enhancing the defense mechanism against pulmonary inflammation and in evaluating the efficacy of natural products as immune enhancers against respiratory diseases.