• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.652-657
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• 2020

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is a traditional medicinal plant widely used in Asian countries for its pharmacological activities (e.g., amelioration of cardiovascular diseases). In this study, we investigated the anti-atherosclerotic activity of raw danshen root extract prepared using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 550 MPa for 5 min and hot water extraction. This method was useful for elimination of bacteria from cultured danshen plants and for better extraction yield of active principles. The HHP-treated danshen extract (HDE) inhibited proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and induced autophagy that was assessed by LC3 conversion and p62 degradation. HDE suppressed foam cell formation in oxLDL-induced RAW264.7 macrophages; lysosomal activity simultaneously increased, measured by acridine orange staining. HDE also reduced atherosclerotic plaque development in vivo in apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice fed a high cholesterol diet. Taken together, these results indicated that HDE exhibited anti-atherosclerotic activity via autophagy induction.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2001

The kinetics of Ti-transformed Salvia miltiorrhiza cell cultures was studied in 250-$m\ell$ shake flasks by using B5 medium with addition of 30 gfL of sucrose. In the cell cultures, the maximum cell mass obtained was 11.5 g DW/L on day 15. The highest amount of phenolic compounds - rosmarinic acid (RA) and lithospermic acid B (LAB) reached 871.3 mg/L (day 15) and 121.3 mg/L (day 13), respectively. The total tanshinone production, i.e., intracellular plus extracellular cryptotanshinone, tanshinone 1, and tanshinone IIA, was 5.3 mg/L on day 13. For the cultivations in 2.4-L stirred bioreactors, the residual sugar level and medium conductivity were a little higher in a small turbine impeller reactor ($T_s$) than those in a large turbine impeller reactor ($T_L$), while a higher cell density was obtained in the $T_L$. For the production of tanshinones and phenolics, better results were obtained in the $T_L$ than in the $T_s$. In the $T_L$, similar or even a little higher production titers of tanshinones and phenolic compounds were achieved compared to those in the flasks. The results suggest that the shake flask results could be successfully scaled up to the $T_L$ reactor. Such a large impeller reactor like $T_L$ may be better than a small impeller one for the large-scale production of the valuable metabolites by the suspension cultures of Ti transformed S.miltiorrhiza cells. This is considered due to the beneficial culture environment in the $T_L$, such as low shear rates as estimated theoretically.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.72-79
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• 2022

Licochalcone H (LCH) is a phenolic compound synthetically derived from licochalcone C (LCC) that exerts anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of LCH in human skin cancer A375 and A431 cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) cell viability assay was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of LCH. Cell cycle distribution and the induction of apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blotting assays were performed to detect the levels of proteins involved in cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. LCH inhibited the growth of cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. The annexin V/propidium iodide double staining assay revealed that LCH induced apoptosis, and the LCH-induced apoptosis was accompanied by cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Western blot analysis showed that the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 was decreased by treatment with LCH. The inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by pharmacological inhibitors against JAK2/STAT3 (cryptotanshinone (CTS) and S3I-201) simulated the antiproliferative effect of LCH suggesting that LCH induced apoptosis by modulating JAK2/STAT3 signaling.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.699-707
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• 2015

To improve the utilization of the domestic plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), this study investigated changes in the physicochemical qualities of Danshen extracts obtained from low-temperature extraction using the enzymes amylase, cellulase, pectinase, and protease. Changes in the yield, pH, sugar content, and chromaticity were investigated. The changes were found to be highest in the amylase-treated extract with the following values: yield, 58.3%; pH, 6.04; sugar content, $5.97^{\circ}Brix$. With regard to antioxidant properties, Danshen extracts treated with amylase showed the highest DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities of 84.25% and 74.11% at 55 ppm. The total phenolic compound content was highest in the group subjected to enzyme treatment at $60^{\circ}C$. The salvianolic acid B level of the Danshen extract was the highest in the amylase-treated group, with a value of 3,002.6 mg/100 g. Cryptotanshinone level was the highest in the amylase- and protease-treated group with a value of 3.8 mg/100 g. Tanshinone I was the highest in the protease-treated group, with a value of 14.2 mg/100 g. The results showed that the indicator components of Danshen were detected as stable in the extracts after using amylase for low-temperature extraction; therefore, it would be possible to use Danshen industrially as a functional ingredient through mass production. Furthermore, the enzyme-treatment extraction could be utilized for a variety of natural products.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 1999

This experiment was carried out to establish effective weed control system in the cultivation of Coix lachryma-jobi L. The effect of annual weeds artificially transplanted on the growth of Coix lachryma-jobi L. were that the higher the density of weeds, the lower the yield considerably by reducing number of grains and tillers per plant. Among four weeds of Echinochloa crusgalli galli P. BEAUV., Digitaria sanguinalis $S_{COPOL}$., Chenopodium album L., and Portulaca oleracea L., weed of Portulaca oleracea L. reduced adlay yield most by 182.6kg/10a and it was judged to be the most injurious weed to adlay production. Among four weed control systems, which are one herbicide treatment, one herbicide treatment + one cultivating work with cultivator, two times cultivating work with cultivator and two times hand-weeding, the control system of 'one herbicide treatment + one cultivating work with cultivator' showed the lowest amount of weed growth by 7.34 weeds per $m^2$ in comparison with control plot of 35.00 weeds per $m^2$. Among four weed control systems, the system of 'two times hand-weeding' had much more amount of light penetration in adlay canopy with 791.9 mol than any other systems.