• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.416-423
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• 2020

Objective: This study examined the effects of divergence in residual feed intake (RFI) on expression profiles of key genes related to lipid transport in the liver and duodenal epithelium and their associations with feed efficiency traits in meat-type ducks. Methods: A total of 1,000 male ducks with similar body weight (1,042.1±87.2 g) were used in this study, and their individual RFI was calculated from 21 to 42 d of age. Finally, the 10 highest RFI (HRFI) and 10 lowest RFI (LRFI) ducks were chosen for examining the expression of key genes related to lipid transport in the liver and duodenal epithelium using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the liver, expression levels of albumin (ALB), CD36 molecule (CD36), fatty acid hydroxylase domain containing 2 (FAXDC2), and choline kinase alpha (CHKA) were significantly higher in LRFI ducks than in HRFI ducks (p<0.01); negative correlations (p<0.05) between expression levels of ALB, CD36, FAXDC2, and CHKA and RFI were detected in the liver. Additionally, ALB expression was strongly positively correlated (p<0.05) with CD36, FAXDC2, CHKA, and apolipoprotein H (APOH) expression in the liver. In duodenal epithelium, we found that mRNA levels of ALB, CD36, FAXDC2, and APOH were significantly higher in LRFI ducks than in HRFI ducks (p<0.01); RFI was strongly negatively correlated (p<0.05) with ALB, FAXDC2, and APOH expression, while ALB expression was strongly positively correlated with APOH expression (p<0.01) in duodenal epithelium. Furthermore, expression levels of both ALB and FAXDC2 genes were significantly associated with feed conversion ratio and RFI in both liver and duodenal epithelium (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings therefore suggest that ALB and FAXDC2 genes might be used as potential gene markers designed to improve feed efficiency in future meat-type duck breeding programs.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the functionality of fermented black garlic extracts under various conditions. Black garlic powder was prepared by aging for 0~72 hours at 80℃ depending on relative humidity (RH). It showed the highest antioxidant effects among the samples; the total antioxidant activity of black garlic powders at RH 75%, 84%, and 90% for 72 hours was increased 31.9 times, 28.2 times, and 22.6 times compared with that of the fresh garlic powder, respectively. Also, the alliin content was gradually decreased. S-ally-L-cysteine and S-ethyl-cysteine levels were increased; the highest values were 495.9 ㎍/g and 1,769.7 ㎍/g after aging for 72 hours at RH 75%. Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were increased following high fat diet feeding, but the rise was obviously reduced by administration of black garlic extract. The total cholesterol, LDL/VLDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride contents in serum were significantly lower in methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet treatment groups than in the positive control group. The concentration was increased following the intake of black garlic and fermented black garlic extracts. Therefore, black garlic extracts could be an ideal material as a dietary supplement in healthy functional foods to improve the effects on fatty liver.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.154-163
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• 1988

Effects of alchohol and fat content in a balanced diet on chemical composition and morphology of liver were investigated in growing rats. Fourth eight male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing about 160g were divided into 4 groups ; high fat diet group, alcohol-administered high fat diet group, low fat diet group and alcohol-administered high fat diet group, low fat diet group and alcohol-administered low fat diet group. High and low fat diets supplied 30% and 12%, respectively, of total calorie intake from fat, and alcohol was given by adding ethanol in drinking waster at 10%. Diets contained adequate amounts of all nutrients required for rats, including lipotrpoic agents(choline and methionine) to minimize effects of factors other than alcohol on liver damage. Ratios of liver weight to body weight were statistically different among groups. Liver/dody weight ratios alcohol-administered rats were significantly higher than those of non-alcohol groups after 6 weeks treatment. Although total lipid and triglyceride per gram liver were increased in alcohol-administered rats, especially low fat diet fed rats, the values were not significantly different. Opticmicroscopical observation revealed increase in cell size and no change in morphology of liver. Examination of hepatocytes by electron microscopy showed that fat droplets were observed in all groups but enlarged in the alcohol-administered low fat diet fed rat. Contents of protein, cholesterol and phospholipid were not affected by alcohol consumption. The level of lipid peroxide was significantly lower in the livers of alcohol-administered rats than in the livers of non-alcohol groups. The results of this study indicate that even moderate alcohol drinking and dietary fat content did not affect any significant change in composition and morphology of liver until 6 week treatment but that even moderate alcohol drinking caused some signs of steatosis of liver.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.766-772
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• 2023

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an effective anti-stress treatment. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential effects of KRG on relieving stress in a general population using transcriptome analysis. Methods: We conducted an 8-week clinical pilot study on 90 healthy men who reported stress. The study was completed by 43 participants in the KRG group and 44 participants in the placebo group. Participants were randomized 1:1 to the KRG and placebo groups. We evaluated the stress by stress response inventory (SRI) at baseline and 8 weeks. The main outcomes were changes in the levels of neurotransmitters (NTs) and NT-related gene expression. NTs were analyzed using automated (GC) content, and levels of gene expression were measured by reads per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (RPKM). Results: The KRG group showed significantly preserved epinephrine decrease compared with placebo group at 8 weeks (changes in epinephrine, KRG vs. placebo; -1623.2 ± 46101.5 vs. -35116.3 ± 86288.2, p = 0012). Among subjects who higher SRI score, meaning stress increased compared to baseline, the KRG group showed a smaller decrease in serotonin than the placebo group (changes in serotonin, KRG vs. placebo; -2627.5 ± 5859.1 vs, -8087.4 ± 7162.4, p = 0.005) and a smaller increase in cortisol than the placebo group (changes in cortisol, KRG vs. placebo; 1912.7 ± 10097.75 vs. 8046.2 ± 8050.6 , p = 0.019) in subgroup analysis. Transcriptome findings indicated that KRG intake affects gene expression related with metabolism of choline, adrenalin, and monoamine. Conclusion: These findings suggest that KRG has beneficial effects on the amelioration of stress response in NTs, and this effect is more prominent in stressful situations. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the anti-stress effect of KRG.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the memory enhancing effect of Poria cocos Wolf (Hoelen cum radix) against scopolamine-induced amnesia in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. To induce amnesia, scopolamine (0.75 mg/kg) was intraperitonically injected into SD rats 30 min before starting behavior tests. We have conducted Morris water-maze and Y-maze tests to monitor learning and memory functions. Poria cocos effectively reversed scopolamine-induced memory impairment in SD rats which was represented by an improvement of mean escape latency in water-maze test and spontaneous alterations in Y-maze test. To elucidate possible molecule mechanism, we have measured mRNA as well as protein expression of acetylcholine esterase (AchE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAchR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Poria cocos increased mRNA levels of ChAT and mAchR in rat hippocampus compared with those in the scopolamine-injected amnesic group. In addition, protein expression of ChAT and BDNF was also elevated by Poria cocos intake. Furthermore, as an upstrem regulator, the activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. In this immunohistochemical analysis, the phosphorylation of CREB (p-CREB) was reduced by scopolamine injection, which was restored back to control levels by administration of Poria cocos. These results suggest that Poria cocos may improve memory and cognitive deficit in amnesia and have therapeutic potentials through up-regulation of ChAT, mAchR, and BDNF, which seemed to be mediated by activation of CREB.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2002

Betaine functions as an osmoregulators in the cells and its inclusion in diet can spare the choline and carcass fat reduction in chicken. Thus, two hundred eighty eight laying hens were fed with 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000 ppm of betaine from seventy eight to eighty six weeks of age during the environmentally high temperature stress. Com and soybean basal diets contained 2,800 kcal/kg ME and 16% CP. Egg production, feed intake, and feed conversion were examined for eight weeks. Egg quality characters, serum cholesterol, liver betaine, and lower ileal osmolality were measured at the end of experiment. Egg Production rates of hens fed with 500 or 2,000 ppm of betaine were 75.06 and 75.02%, respectively and tended to increase compared to the control. The feed conversion(FCR) of these treatments was significantly(P<0.05) improved compared to that of control although it did not significantly differ in the e99 Production rates between 500 and 2,000 ppm of betain groups. Eggshell breaking strength of hens fed betaine was significantly(P<0.05) higher than those of control. However, betaine supplements did not influence to improving the albumen height and Haugh unit. Liver betaine in hens fed with betaine was linearly increased unto 2,000 ppm. The birds fed with 2,000 ppm betaine showed significantly(P<0.05) higher in the liver betaine than the control birds. Total cholesterol and triglyceride tended to be increased by dietary betaine supplement. The lower ileal osmolality in betaine supplement group tended to be slightly decreased. As a result, dietary betaine supplement tended to improve the egg Production and eggshell Quality in laying hens during heat stress.