• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2011

In this study, the antibacterial, antioxidative and inhibitory effects of Allium cepa peel extracts on tyrosinase and elastase were investigated. MIC values of the ethyl acetate fraction of Allium cepa peel on especially, S. aureus among the skin resident flora (Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus; Propionibacterium acnes, P. acnes; Pityrosporum ovale, P. ovale; Escherichia coli, E. coli) were 0.06%. The aglycone fraction showed more excellent free radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, DPPH) scavenging activity ($FSC_{50}=5.05{\mu}g/mL$). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) of the ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction in the luminol-dependent $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system were 0.05 and $0.03{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The cellular protective effect of the aglycone fraction on the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes exhibited more prominent (${\tau}_{50}$, 480 min at $25{\mu}g/mL$). The inhibitory effects ($IC_{50}$) of the ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction on tyrosinase were 9.16 and $8.68{\mu}g/mL$, the inhibitory effect ($IC_{50}$) of the aglycone fraction on elastase was $14.12{\mu}g/mL$ The transepidermal water loss of the cream containing 0.1% ethyl acetate fraction was decreased from $8.3g/m^2h$ in control to $6.8g/m^2h$ in the subjects applied with cream containing the ethyl acetate fraction. These results indicate that extract/fractions of Allium cepa peel can function as antioxidant in biological systems, particularly skin exposed to UV radiation by scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protect cellular membranes against ROS, and possibly as antiaging agents. Allium cepa peel extract could be used as a new cosmeceutical for whitening and anti-wrinkle products.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.796-805
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• 2015

Gintonin is a novel ginseng-derived lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand. Oral administration of gintonin ameliorates learning and memory dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models. The brain cholinergic system plays a key role in cognitive functions. The brains of AD patients show a reduction in acetylcholine concentration caused by cholinergic system impairments. However, little is known about the role of LPA in the cholinergic system. In this study, we used gintonin to investigate the effect of LPA receptor activation on the cholinergic system in vitro and in vivo using wild-type and AD animal models. Gintonin induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transient in cultured mouse hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Gintonin-mediated $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transients were linked to stimulation of acetylcholine release through LPA receptor activation. Oral administration of gintonin-enriched fraction (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg, 3 weeks) significantly attenuated scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 1 2 weeks) also significantly attenuated amyloid-${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$)-induced cholinergic dysfunctions, such as decreased acetylcholine concentration, decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and immunoreactivity, and increased acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. In a transgenic AD mouse model, long-term oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 3 months) also attenuated AD-related cholinergic impairments. In this study, we showed that activation of G protein-coupled LPA receptors by gintonin is coupled to the regulation of cholinergic functions. Furthermore, this study showed that gintonin could be a novel agent for the restoration of cholinergic system damages due to $A{\beta}$ and could be utilized for AD prevention or therapy.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.163-176
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• 1997

This study was undertaken to determine whether Juglandis Semen extraction(JS) has a protective effect against the lung cell injury caused by oxidant, t-butythydroperoxide(t-BHP) and $H_2O_2$ in rabbit lung slices. JS significantly prevented an increase in water content induced by t-BHP. Similarly, JS significantly prevented the lipid peroxidation induced by t-BHP. Cellular concentration of glutathione, and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly not altered by 5% JS. However, JS at 5% concentration significantly increased the glutathione peroxidase activity in oxidant-treated and control tissues. JS decreased directly the production of superoxide or hydroxyl radical. These results indicate that JS prevents the cell injury and lipid peroxidation induced by oxidants in the lung. Such an antioxidant effect is attributed to enhancement of major endogenous antioxidant defence systems such as glutathione peroxidase and direct inhibition of oxygen free radical production.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.351-356
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• 2011

Citrus unshiu (C. unshiu) Markovich were dried peel of mandarin orange, of which fresh fruit was one of the famous foods in Korea and Eastern Asia. In the oriental medicine, C. unshiu peel was known to have a diuretic effect and to strengthen spleen function. Recently, natural flavonoids of C. unshiu peel have been investigated. In this study, C. unshiu peel extract containing flavonoid-glycosides was cultured with Schizophyllum commune (S. commune) mycelia producing ${\beta}$-glu- cosidase and its biological activities were investigated. ${\beta}$-glucosidase of S. commune mycelia converted the flavonoid-glycosides (rutin and hesperidin) into aglycones (naringenin and hesperetin). Fermented C. unshiu peel extract compounds were analyzed by HPLC system. The photoprotective potential of fermented C. unshiu peel extract was tested in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) exposed to UVA. Fermented C. unshiu peel extract extract also showed notable in vitro anti-inflammatory effect on cellular systems generating cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) metabolites. Also, UVB-induced production of interleukin-$1{\alpha}$ in human HaCaT cells was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with fermented C. unshiu peel extract. These results suggest that fermented C. unshiu peel extract may mitigate the effects of photoaging in skin by reducing UV-induced adverse skin reaction.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.365-384
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• 2012

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that are highly productive in the presence of basic renewable natural sources (light, $CO_2$, water and nutrients). They can synthesize lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in a small number of days. Subsequently, these carbon-captured products can be processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products. Additionally, microalgae would be an ideal feedstock for replacing land-based food crops with cellular products as high energy density transportation fuels. These microscopic organisms could contribute a significant amount of renewable energy on a global scale. In Korea, microalgae biofuel research was common in the early 1990s. The research activities were unfortunately stopped due to limited governmental funds and low petroleum prices. Interest in algal biofuels in Korea has been growing recently due to an increased concern over oil prices, energy security, greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for other biofuel feedstock to compete for limited agricultural resources. The high productivity of microalgae suggests that much of the Korean transportation fuel requirements can be met by biofuels at a production cost competitive with the increasing cost of petroleum seen in early 2008. At this time, the development of microlalgal biomass production technology remains in its infancy. This study reviewed microalgae culture systems and biomass production, harvesting, oil extraction, conversion, and technoeconomical bottlenecks. Many technical and economic barriers to using microalgal biofuels need to be overcome before mass production of microalgal-derived fuel substitutes is possible. However, serious efforts to overcome these barriers could become a large-scale commercial reality. Overall, this study provides a brief overview of the past few decades of global microalgal research.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.117-124
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• 2015

Recently an opportunistic incremental relaying (OIR) system has been studied for improving the performance degradation in fading channel. However there are few studies on power control in the system, and the studies are assumed perfect knowledge of the all channels at transmitters. The assumption that the source know all channel information is difficult in practical channels. Therefore, in this paper we assume that the source knows partial channel information and propose a modified truncated channel inversion (TCI) power control scheme for the OIR system. We derive the channel capacity of the proposed system and perform Monte Carlo simulation. It is noticed that the proposed OIR system has better capacity than that of the power controlled system with direct path only, and the capacity increases with the number of relays. The power controlled OIR system gained more capacity of 29.7%, 32.7%, and 33.5% than that of the system with direct path only for the number of relays of 1, 3, and 5, respectively. The results from this paper can be applied to the estimation of a theoretical capacity for the currently operating cellular systems when they adopt the IOR system.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.16B no.4
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• pp.309-318
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• 2009

The researches on the system that automatically records and retrieves one's everyday life is relatively actively worked recently. These systems, called personal memex or life log, usually entail dedicated devices such as SenseCam in MyLifeBits project. This research paid attention to the digital devices such as mobile phones, credit cards, and digital camera that people use everyday. The system enables a person to store everyday life systematically that are saved in the devices or the deviced-related web pages (e.g., phone records in the cellular phone company) and to refer this quickly later. The data collection agent in the proposed system, called MyMemex, collects the personal life log "web data" using the web services that the web sites provide and stores the web data into the server. The "file data" stored in the off-line digital devices are also loaded into the server. Each of the file data or web data is viewed as a memex event that can be described by 4W1H form. The different types of data in different services are transformed into the memex event data in 4W1H form. The memex event ontology is used in this transform. Users can sign in to the web server of this service to view their life logs in the chronological manner. Users can also search the life logs using keywords. Moreover, the life logs can be viewed as a diary or story style by converting the memex events to sentences. The related memex events are grouped to be displayed as an "episode" by a heuristic identification method. A result with high accuracy has been obtained by the experiment for the episode identification using the real life log data of one of the authors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.450-455
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• 2003

Antioxidant enzymes are scavenger reactive-oxygen intermediates and are involved in many cellular defense systems. We previously reported that a crude extract of Garnoderma lucidum, a medicinally potent mushroom, profoundly increased the catalase gene expression and enzyme activities in mouse livers (Park et al., J. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 34. 144-149, 2001). In this study, we elucidated the detailed mechanism whereby G. lucidum stimulates the catalase activity and expression. The major active fraction was isolated from G. lucidum and methyl linoleate was considered the most major component of the fraction. In order to determine whether methyl linoleate increases mRNA and protein synthesis of catalase, Northern and Western blot analyses were performed in vivo with methyl linoleate-treated mouse liver homogenate after feeding methyl linoleate to the mice. Northern and Western blot analyses of the crude liver homogenates in the mice that were administered methyl linoleate revealed that the expression catalase was significantly increased when compared to the untreated controls. In addition, the catalase protein levels and enzymatic activities increased in the mouse liver homogenates. These results suggest that methyl linoleate that is produced by G. lucidum stimulates the catalase expression at the transcription level.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.119-131
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• 1998

It has been reported that the glycoprotein extracted from Aloe has strong anti-inflammatory response. However, there has been no research report yet about the effect of Aloe on allergic hypersensitivity reactivity. By using guinea pig lung mast cells, this study aimed to examine the effects of Aloe glycoprotein (NY945) on the mediator releases caused by mast cell activation, and also aimed to assess the effects of NY945 on the mechanism of mediator releases in the mast cell activation. We partially purified mast cell from guinea pig lung tissues by using the enzyme digestion, the rough and the discontinuous density percoll gradient method. Mast cells were sensitized with IgG1 (anti-OA) and challenged with ovalbumin. Histamine was assayed by fluorometric analyzer, leukotrienes by radioimmunoassay. The phospholipase D activity was assessed by the production of labeled phosphatidylalcohol. The amount of mass 1, 2-diacylglycerol (DAG) was measured by the $[^3H]DAG$ produced when prelabeled with $[^3H]myristic$ acid. The phospholipid methylation was assessed by measuring the incorporation of the $[^3H]methyl$ moiety into phospholipids of cellular membranes. Pretreatment of NY945 (10 ${\mu}g$) significantly decreased histamine and leukotrienes releases during mast cell activation. The decrease of histamine release was stronger than that of leukotriene during mast cell activation. The phospholipase D activity increased by the mast cell activation was decreased by the dose-dependent manner in the pretreatment of NY945. The amount of DAG produced by PLC activity was decreased by NY945 pretreatment. The amount of mass 1, 2-diacylglycerol produced by activation of mast cells was decreased in the pretreatment of NY945. NY945 pretreatment strongly inhibited the incorporation of the $[^3H]methyl$ moiety into phospholipids. The data suggest that NY945 purified from Aloe inhibits in part an increase of 1, 2-diacylglycerol which is produced by activating mast cells with antigen-antibody reactions, which is mediated via phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase D and phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C systems, and then followed by the inhibition of histamine release. Furthermore, NY945 reduces the production of phosphatidylcholine by inhibiting the methyltransferase I and II, which decreases the conversion of phosphatidylcholine into arachidonic acid and inhibits the production of leukotrienes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2002

Streptomycetes is a group of Gram-positive soil bacteria that growas a branching vegetative mycelium leading to the formation of spores, and display a physiological differenti-ation related to the synthesis of many secondary metabolites including antibiotics. Their complex life cycle and multicellular differentiation require various levels of regulation and types of signal transduction systems including eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinases and prokaryotic-type histidine/aspartic acid protein kinases. Akt kinase that was found in cells is a sorine/threonine kinase controlling signal pathway for multi-tude of important cellular events. The activation or inactivation of Akt kinase in the cell is one of the critical regulatory points to deliver cell proliferation, differentiation, survival or apoptosis signal. To find the regula-tory protein homologous to Akt in Streptomyces, the fluorescien-labeled synthetic peptide (FITC-TRRSR-TESIT) was designed from the consensus sequence of target proteins for Akt kinase. From the difference of the mobility between the nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated synthetic peptides on Agarose gel electro-phoresis, the Akt-phosphorylating activity was monitored. The cell-free extract prepared from Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 and the Akt homologous protein was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and many steps of column chromatographies such as, DEAE-Sepharose, Mono Q, Resource Phenyl-Soporose and Gel permeation column chromatographies. As a result, the protein phosphorylating the fluorescien-labeled Akt substrate was identified and it's molecular weight was estimated as 39 kDa on SDS-PAGE.