• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.192-201
• /
• 2022

This study aimed to compare bioactivities of Centella asiatica (CA) cultivated in smart farms and fields. Component analysis, cell viability, anti-inflammatory activity, neuroprotection activity, and antioxidant activity were examined with 70% ethanol extracts of CA cultivated in smart farm (SEE) and field (FEE), respectively. Asiaticoside was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and as a result, SEE had more asiaticoside content than FEE. After treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with SEE and FEE, there was no cytotoxicity within the treated concentrations. SEE and FEE showed nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 inhibitory activities in a dose-dependent manner in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, SEE inhibited more NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 production levels than FEE. SEE and FEE reversed the H₂O₂-induced SH-SY5Y cell death. Especially, SEE was more effective in changing the H₂O₂-induced SH-SY5Y cell death than FEE. The antioxidant activity was confirmed by various methods such as total phenol content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). As a result, SEE showed the most potent antioxidant activities about TPC, DPPH, and SOD methods. This study suggested that SEE has higher bioactivities such as effect of anti-inflammation, neuroprotection, and antioxidation than FEE.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.1.1-1.11
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This study evaluated the dentinal penetration depth of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in root canals with and without preparation and different irrigant activation protocols. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three bovine mandibular incisors were randomly allocated to 6 groups (n = 10): G1, preparation + conventional needle irrigation (CNI); G2, preparation + passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI); G3, preparation + Odous Clean (OC); G4, no preparation + CNI; G5, no preparation + PUI; G6, no preparation + OC; and CG (negative control; n = 3). Samples were filled with crystal violet for 72 hours. Irrigant activation was performed. Samples were sectioned perpendicularly along the long axis, 3 mm and 7 mm from the apex. Images of the root thirds of each block were captured with a stereomicroscope and analyzed with an image analysis software. One-way analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey post hoc test, and the Student's t-test were used for data analysis, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The NaOCl penetration depth was similar when preparation was performed, regardless of the method of irrigation activation (p > 0.05). In the groups without preparation, G6 showed greater NaOCl penetration depth (p < 0.05). The groups without preparation had a greater NaOCl penetration depth than those with preparation (p = 0.0019). Conclusions: The NaOCl penetration depth was similar in groups with root canal preparation. Without root canal preparation, OC allowed deeper NaOCl penetration. The groups without preparation had greater NaOCl penetration than those undergoing root canal preparation.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 2017

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory activities and cell viability of Amelanchier asiatica (A. asiatica) 70% ethanol extracts against RAW 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell toxicity test on macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) was performed by 3-[4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay and results showed 96% cell viability at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ concentration. Anti-inflammatory activity was examined via the inhibitory tests on the production of LPS induced NO in RAW 264.7 cells by Griess assay. The result showed that the extract inhibited NO production in concentration dependent manner. The iNOS and COX-2 protein expression inhibitory effects were confirmed by western blot and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). From the former they were decreased by 84.3%, 56.2% at $500{\mu}g/mL$ concentration, respectively, and from the latter decreased by 89.8%, 84.9% at $500{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. In conclusion, this study showed the anti-inflammatory effects of A. asiatica extracts. Thus, this could be applied to an anti-inflammatory agent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 2023.04a
• /
• pp.105-105
• /
• 2023

Heavy metals, including lead (Pb) toxicity, are increasing in soil and are considered toxic in small amounts. Pb contamination is mainly caused by industrialization - smelting, mining. Agricultural practices - sewage sludge, pests and urban practices - lead paint. It can seriously damage and threaten crop growth. Pb can adversely affect plant growth and development by affecting the photosystem, cell membrane integrity, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)andsuperoxide(O₂.-). NO is produced via enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants to scavenge ROS and lipid peroxidation substrates in terms of protecting cells from oxidative damage. Thus, NO improves ion homeostasis and confers resistance to metal stress. Our results here suggest that exogenous NO may aid in better growth under lead stress. These enhancements may be aided by NO's ability in sensing, signaling and stress tolerance in plants under heavy metal stress in combination with lead stress. Our results show that GSNO has a positive effect on soybean seedling growth in response to axillary pressure and that NO supplementation helps to reduce chlorophyll maturation and relative water content in leaves and roots following strong burst under lead stress. GSNO supplementation (200 µM and 100 µM) reduced compaction and approximated oxidative damage of MDA, proline and H₂O₂. Under plant tension, a distorted appearance was found in the relief of oxidative damage by ROS scavenging by GSNO application. In summary, modulation of these NO, PCS and prolongation of metal past reversing GSNO application confirms the detoxification of ROS induced by toxic metal rates in soybean. In summary, these NO, PCS and metal traditionally sustained rates of reverse GSNO application confirm the detoxification of ROS induced by toxic metal rates in soybean.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.156-166
• /
• 2008

Objective : Pamooltang (PM) and Sipjeondaebotang (SC) are used in Korea to treat many diseases such as sterility, menstrual disorder, and general prostration. We made a comparative study of PM and SC which are different in component ratio between Astragalus membranaceus BUNGE (AC) and Cinnamomum cassia PRESL. (CC). Methods : Anti-oxidation was studied by 1.1.-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and anti-inflammation was investigated by prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay. For immune response activities, this study used NO synthesis on RAW 264.7 cells and splenocyte proliferation. Results : The results showed that PM and SC components had no significant effect of anti-oxidation or anti-inflammation. However, we observed their effects upon inducible NO synthesis in Raw 264.7 cells. The SC2 stimulated NO synthesis $11.42\pm1.36{\mu}M$ (control; $0.89\pm0.00{\mu}M$). PM and SC components had the effect of immune response which in a dose-dependent manner significantly induced the splenocyte proliferation. The splenocyte proliferation induced by SC2 was higher than others at the concentration of 1, 10, 100, 1000 and 2000 ${\mu}g/ml$. The SC8 was shown to up-regulate IgG, 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ 3.3 times, 1000 ${\mu}g/ml$ 2.6 times as a control. Conclusions : These results may have important implications for our understanding of the ratios of AC and CC in SC.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed to analyze the toxicity and to find the lethal dose of the test substance Water-soluble Carthami-flos pharmacopuncture (WCF) when used as a single intravenous-dose in 6-week-old, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: The experiment was conducted at Biotoxtech according to Good Laboratory Practices. 20 female and 20 male Spague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups of 5 female and 5 male animals per group. The rats in the three experimental groups received single intravenous injections with 0.125-mL, 0.25-mL and 0.5-mL/animal doses of WCF, Groups 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and the control group, Group 1, received a single intravenous injection with a 0.5-mL dose of normal saline. Clinical signs were observed and body weight measurements were carried out for 14 days following the injections. At the end of the observation period, hematology, clinical chemistry, histopathological tests and necropsy were performed on the injected parts. Results: No deaths occurred in any of the groups. Also, no significant changes in body weight, hematological parameters or clinical chemistry test results between the control group and the experimental groups were observed. Visual inspection after necropsy showed no abnormalities. Histopathological tests on the injected parts showed no significant differences, except for Group 1 females; however, the result was spontaneous generation and had no toxicological meaning because it was not dose-dependent. Therefore, this study showed that WCF had no effect on the injected parts in terms of clinical signs, body weight, hematology, clinical chemistry, and necropsy. Conclusion: As a result of single intravenous-dose tests of the test substance WCF in 4 groups of rats, the lethal dose for both males and females exceeded 0.5 mL/animal. Therefore, WCF is a relatively safe pharmacopuncture that can be used for treatment, but further studies should be performed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2014

Objectives : Suryeon-hwan (SRH) exhibits potent anti-inflammatory activity with an unknown mechanism. However, there has been a lack of studies regarding the effects of SRH on the inflammatory activities and effector inflammatory disease mechanism about macrophage before is not known. So, the investigation focused on whether SRH inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) productions, as well as the expressions of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Methods : Cells were treated with 200 ng/mL of LPS 30 min prior to the addition of SRH. Cell viability was measured by MTS assay. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was determined by reacting cultured medium with Griess reagent. The content of level of cytokines (PGE, IL-6) in media from LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells was analyed by ELISA kit. The expression of COX-2, iNOS and MAPKs was investigated by Western blot, RT-PCR. Results : We found that SRH inhibited LPS-induced NO, $PGE_2$ and IL-6 productions as well as the expressions of iNOS and COX-2. Furthermore, SRH suppressed the LPS-induced phosphorylation of MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) activation. Conclusions : These results suggest that SRH has inhibitory effects on LPS-induced $PGE_2$, NO, and IL-6 production, as well as the expressions of iNOS and COX-2 in the murine macrophage. These inhibitory effects occur through blockades on the phosphorylation of MAPKs following activation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2007

The ultimate objective of this study is to develop oxygen-enriched combustion techniques applicable to the system of practical industrial boiler. To this end the combustion characteristics of lab-scale LNG combustor were investigated as a first step using the method of numerical simulation by analyzing the flame characteristics and pollutant emission behaviour as a function of oxygen enrichment level. Several useful conclusions could be drawn based on this study. First of all, the increase of oxygen enrichment level instead of air caused long and thin flame called laminar flame feature. This was in good agreement with experimental results appeared in open literature and explained by the effect of the decrease of turbulent mixing due to the decrease of absolute amount of oxidizer flow rate by the absence of the nitrogen species. Further, as expected, oxygen enrichment increased the flame temperatures to a significant level together with concentrations of $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ species because of the elimination of the heat sink and dilution effects by the presence of $N_2$ inert gas. However, the increased flame temperature with $O_2$ enriched air showed the high possibility of the generation of thermal $NO_x$ if nitrogen species were present. In order to remedy the problem caused by the oxygen-enriched combustion, the appropriate amount of recirculation $CO_2$ gas was desirable to enhance the turbulent mixing and thereby flame stability and further optimum determination of operational conditions were necessary. For example, the adjustment of burner with swirl angle of $30\sim45^{\circ}$ increased the combustion efficiency of LNG fuel and simultaneously dropped the $NO_x$ formation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.279-283
• /
• 2011

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in induction of innate immune responses. The activation of TLRs triggers inflammatory responses that are essential for host defense against invading pathogens. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) extracted from cruciferous vegetables has an effect on anti-inflammatory therapy. Dysregulated activation of nuclear factor-${\kappa}$B (NF-${\kappa}$B), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been shown to play important roles in the development of certain inflammatory disease. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of PEITC, NF-${\kappa}$B activation and COX-2 and iNOS expression induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, TLR4 agonist), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly[I:C], TLR3 agonist), 2 kDa macrophageactivating lipopeptide (MALP-2, TLR2 and TLR6 agonist) or oligodeoxynucleotide 1668 (ODN1668, TLR9 agonist) were examined. PEITC inhibits the activation of NF-${\kappa}$B induced by LPS or Poly[I:C] but not by MALP-2 or ODN1668. PEITC also suppressed the iNOS expression induced by LPS or Poly[I:C]. However, PEITC did not suppress COX-2 expression induced by LPS, Poly[I:C], MALP-2, or ODN1668. These results suggest that PEITC has the specific mechanism for antiinflammatory responses.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.160-169
• /
• 2009

Poly-$\gamma$-glutamic acid ($\gamma$-PGA) was mixed natural flora of Bacillus subtilis, contaminated from cooked soybeans. Also, it was performed to find out the antiallergic activity by using NC/Nga mice, in vitro. The $\gamma$-PGA (PGA-HM : PGA-high molecular weight), Molecular weight 300 kDa, was decomposed and made PGA-LM (PGA-low molecular weight) which has molecular weight below 30 kDa by sonication. Therefore, it was same result between PGA-HM and PGA-LM, and reported PGA-LM as basic result. We found that PGA-LM contains antiallergic efficacy that inhibit B cells and Th2 cells activation from isolated CD4+T cells in NC/Nga atopic dermatitis model mice, and not show a cytotoxicity in the hFCs. To investigate the effects of these PGA-LM in vitro, isolation of splenic B cell and CD4+ T cells in atopic dermatitis mice were used. To elucidate the role of PGA-LM in anti-CD40+ interleukin-4 (IL-4)-mediated B-cell activation, showed that the capacity of B cells to expression IL-$1\beta$, IL-6, and TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA down-regulated, and IL-10 mRNA up-regulation by PGA-LM treatment, but it had no effect on TGF-$\beta$ expression. In addition to CD4+IFN-$\gamma$+ and CD4+CD25+foxp3+, the functions of PGA-LM in the development of the CD4+CD25+foxp3+ and CD4+IFN-$\gamma$+cells, the phenotype and functions of PGA-LM induced CD4+CD25+foxp3+, and CD4+IFN-$\gamma$+cells in CD4+T cells. These results suggested that PGA-LM could change cytokine production and generate CD4+CD25+foxp3+ Tregs in NC/Nga mice, and may be effective for immunotherapy in patients with AD.