• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 1998

One hundred and seventeen crude drugs were screened for DNA-binding activity in vitro. The DNA-methyl green assay is a useful biochemical screen for the detection or development of biologically active compounds which bind to DNA. This assay is based upon the fact that free methyl green undergoes rapid spontaneous molecular rearrangement to its colorless carbinol base so that the liberation of the dye from DNA by displacement can be followed spectrophotometrically as a decrease in absorbance at 65Onm. Seven methanolic extracts of crude drugs including Cinnamomi Cortex spissus, Coicis Semen, Coptidis Rhizoma, Perillae Semen, Plantaginis Semen, Polygalae Radix and Zanthoxyli Fructus showed less than 2,000${\mu}$g/ml as their $IC_{50}$ values. The active principles of Plantaginis Semen and Zanthoxyli Fructus were transferred into organic solvents, which showed the $IC_{50}$ values with 588 and 574${\mu}$g/ml, respectively. These fractions have been selected for isolation of biologically active constituents.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.656-663
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• 2001

The most representative nitrosamine derived from nicotine, nitrosamine-4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone(NNK), has been reported to cause lung cancer in A/J mice. It has been also demonstrated that NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis involves $O^6-methylguanine(O^6MeG)$ formation, leading to $GC\;{\rightarrow}\;AT$ transitional mispairing during DNA replication. Our in vitro experiment, modified from the method of DBA assay, examined the ability of phyto-extract mixture to inhibit the metabolism of nicotine to nitrosamines. The production of nitromorpholine from morpholine was inhibited about 75% at the concentration of 20 mg/mL of phyto-extract mixture, which was lower than vitamine C and green tea powder. NNK, which is a pro-carcinogen in laboratory animals, is hydroxylated primarily in liver and lung by CYP 1A2, 2A6 and 3A4. A critical phase. of NNK activation is its change to an unstable metabolite methyl-diazohydroxide via CYP-mediated ${\alpha}-hydroxylation$; and then it provides a methyl group to the DNA to form DNA adducts which can easily induce mutations. $Aroclor^R$ 1254 was used to induce CYPs in the liver of a Sprague-Dawley rat. The ability of various test samples to inhibit CYPs that participate in NNK activation was evaluated, following the removal of the liver from the rat. Microsomal CYPlA2 catalyzing the conversion of NNK into strong carcinogenic chemicals was inhibited more efficiently by phyto-extract mixture than green tea powder. These results indicate that phyto-extract mixture can be used to reduce $O^6MeG$ DNA adducts for chemoprevention.