• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.1055-1061
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• 2007

Caesalpinia sappan L. is an indeciduous tree distributed in China, India, Miyanmar and Vietnam. Its heartwood has long been used in oriental folk medicines to treat diseases. In this study, antioxidative activities of Caesalpinia sappan L. and the effect of gamma irradiation on its chemical and biological properties were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc fr.) of Caesalpinia sappan L. was irradiated with 100 kGy of gamma ray. The dark red color of EtOAc fr. was significantly (p<0.05) removed by irradiation (Hunter L and b values increased and a value decreased). The total phenolic content of EtOAc fr. was 865 mg/g and it was increased to 1195 mg/g by gamma irradiation. DPPH radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity of EtOAc fr. were very high and its activities were also increased by gamma irradiation. EtOAc fr. also inhibited the irradiation-induced DNA damage of lymphocyte as determined by comet assay. In conclusion, EtOAc fr. of Caesalpinia sappan L. extract showed high antioxidative activities in vitro. Furthermore, gamma irradiation on EtOAc fr. ameliorated the color and antioxidative properties. Therefore, it can be suggested that Caesalpinia sappan L. may be a good material for antioxidant function and gamma irradiation may be applied for the improvement of chemical and biological properties of Caesalpinia sappan L.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1406-1413
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa(PBE) on chronically ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rat liver. Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 90-130 g were divided into 5 groups; normal group(NOR), ethanol(35%, 10 ml/kg) treated group(CON), PBE 200 mg/kg treated group(P1), PBE 200 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P2), and PBE 400 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P3). PBE was also fractionated by the following solvent: n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and n-butanol. The antioxidative capacity of the n-hexane fraction was the highest among fractions and was similar to that of butylated hydroxytoluene(BHT). The body weight gain and feed intake of the rats were decreased by ethanol administration, but were gradually increased to the similar levels of the NOR group by administering PBE. The AST activity in serum elevated by ethanol was significantly decreased by administering the high dosage of PBE, but exerted no significant change on serum ALT activity. It was also observed that the hepatic activities of xanthine oxide(XO), catalase and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) increased by ethanol were markedly decreased in the combined ethanol and PBE administered groups(P2 and P3), but not in the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) as compared with the CON group. The glutathione(GSH) contents were decreased by ethanol adminstration, however, increased after administering PBE. These results suggest that ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa has a possible positive effect on the liver function in hepatotoxicity-induced rats by ethanol administration.