• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2013

Velvet deer antler (VDA) is well known oriental medicine claimed to have tonic activities as improving bone mineral density (BMD), immune-enhancing, rejuvenating and many other medicinal activities. Ossified deer antler (ODA) is bony product produced by over-calcification of deer antler due to late harvesting. The extraction efficiency of ODA by conventional boiling in water must be very poor due to bony nature, hence the reputations for the medicinal efficacies of ODA has been highly under-evaluated compared to that of VDA without any experimental evidences. Employing our new efficient water extraction process ($135^{\circ}C$), the extracts of ODA and VDA were analysed to compare the contents of bioactive components and the potencies of pharmacological activities. The results showed that; 1) The $135^{\circ}C$ extraction (autoclaving) of ODA gave highly increased amount of biomass, 120% more than the conventional extraction by 100-boiling, whereas the same treatment for VDA showed only 15% increased amount of biomass. 2) Feeding the ODA- or VDA-extracts to oophorectomized rats showed very potent BMD-recovering activity. 3) During the ossification of deer antler, the total collagen content was found to be increased by addition of type-1 to pre-existing type-2 collagen, but not replacement of type-2 to type-1 collagen. High titer of peptide hormones like growth hormone and IGF-1 were detected in the ODA- and VDA-extracts and also in the serum of ODA- or VDA-treated oophorectomized animals dose-dependently. Present experimental data will give a conclusion that folkloric poor reputations on ODA must be concerned only with poor extraction efficiency of conventional $100^{\circ}C$ water extraction and not based on the composition of bioactive substances of ODA.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.885-894
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• 2000

Deer antler has been widely prescribed in Chinese and Korean pharmacology. Although there have been several reports concerning the effects of deer antler, such as anti-aging action, anti-inflammatory activity, antifungal action and regulatory activity of the level of glucose, the effect on bone has not determined yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of deer antler on osteoblast differentiation. Hexane extract(CN-H) and chloroform extract(CN-C) were acquired from deer antler(Cervus nippon) and MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were cultured in the presence or absence of each extract. Osteoblast differentiation was estimated with the formation of mineralized nodules and the mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase(ALP), osteocalcin(OC) and bone sialoprotein(BSP) which are markers of osteoblast differentiation. Non-treated group did not show mineralized nodule. CN-C or CN-H-treated group showed minerlaized nodules in 16 days. In northern blot analysis, CN-C or CN-H-treated group showed the elevated expression of ALP, BSP and OC in 16 days. These results suggest the possibility to develop deer antler as a bone regenerative agent in periodontal therapy by showing the stimulating activity of deer antler on differentiation of osteoblast.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2018

Background: Examination of the effects of deer antler, old antler, and antler glue on postmenopausal osteoporosis in an ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rat model. Methods: The study involved 7 experimental groups; SHAM (sham-operated rats), OVX (ovariectomized rats), E2 (ovariectomized rats with estradiol $10{\mu}g/kg$ daily, orally), DA (ovariectomized rats with deer antler extract 5.83 mg/kg), OA (ovariectomized rats with old antler extract 3.8 mg/kg), low-AG (ovariectomized rats with low dose of antler glue powder 12.5 mg/kg), high-AG (ovariectomized rats with high dose of antler glue powder 37.5 mg/kg). After 6 weeks of treatment, body weight, blood calcium, phosphorus, estradiol, liver [alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT)] and kidney [blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio] function, and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) were measured. Results: The body weights of DA, OA, low-AG, and high-AG groups did not significantly differ from OVX group. Blood estradiol levels were significantly increased in the DA, low-AG, and high-AG groups compared to the OVX group. Blood calcium, phosphorus, ALP, AST, and ALT levels and BUN/creatinine ratio did not show significant changes in the DA, OA, low-AG, and high-AG groups. BMDs of the femur, and femoral head and neck were significantly increased in the low-AG group. In the OA group, the BMD of the femoral head and neck was significantly increased. Conclusion: Treatment with deer antler, or antler glue for 6 weeks was effective for increasing estradiol and femoral BMD in ovariectomized rats, suggesting that this may be of therapeutic benefit for osteoporosis.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 2022

In this study, keratin peptides were produced through high-temperature anaerobic fermentation of keratin, a protein contained in deer antler, with Fervidobacterium islandicum AW-1, and factors related to human hair, confirming the possibility of keratin peptides as cosmetic ingredients. As a result of the cytotoxicity and proliferation of deer antler fermented keratin peptide according to the concentration in the dermal papilla cell line, cytotoxicity was not observed and the cell proliferation effect was shown. For human dermal papilla cells, statistically significant increasing in growth factors according to the deer antler fermented keratin peptide was determined possiblity of effects on hair growth. Cosmetic products containing deer antler fermented keratin peptides were manufactured and skin safety and anti hair loss efficacy clinical tests were conducted. As a result, after 12 weeks of use, the total number of hairs statistically significant increased compared to before using the product and the difference in total number of hairs compared to the control group was found. In conclusion, we suggest that the possibility of fermented deer antler keratin peptide as a cosmeceutical ingredient as well as a health functional food material was confirmed.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.905-912
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• 2005

The study was conducted to determine the effects of hormone injection on casting day of antler, velvet antler yield, and blood hormone concentration in elk deer and Sika deer. The study revealed that the casting day of Elk and Sika deer at medroxy progesterone acetate(MPA) injection averaged 21 days after MPA injection, which was earlier 38 and 24 days, respectively, compared control(P<0.01). The regrowth of antler in both Sika deer and Elk occurred in the MPA injection and the duration of antler growth was 2 times longer than control. The total yield of velvet antler of Elk in the control and MPA injection was 7.31 and 10.11kg and the that of sika deer was 1.00 and 1.41kg, respectively. Blood testosterone concentration of Sika deer and Elk was less than 4.0ng/ml for both at the casting and during the antler growing. Blood IGF-1 concentrations of Sika deer and Elk during the antler growing tended to increase with the same as growth curve of antler.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.497-506
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to estimate the factors that can be used as a predictive indicator of antler productivity in elk. Body weight and antler data from 115 stags raised at the Animal Genetic Resources Research Center in Korea were used in this study. The function for the average antler weight was derived by age, which was $y=-3.4693+5.3747x-0.8x^2+0.0424x^3$, and $R^2$ was 0.991. The analysis of the relationship between body weight at birth and the 1st and 2nd year and the antler weight after the 2nd year showed a correlation between them. There was a correlation between the antler weight of 1 and 2 year old stags and the weight of 2 year old stags as well; especially, both antler weights for the 1st and 2nd year were highly correlated with the antler weight of the 4th year. However, there was no relationship between the antler main beam length for the 1st and 2nd year and the antler weight after the 3rd year. Therefore, it is expected that a large amount of antler will be obtained in the future if proper management is carried out for young deer from birth to 2 years old. Additionally, the results of this study are expected to be useful for the development of a deer breeding program and the deer industry.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.439-446
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• 2005

This study was conducted to elucidate the influence of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) on the plasma IGF-I profiles in deer stags. Slow release rBST (250mg each) preparations were injected subcutaneously during the antler's non-growing period and growing period. It was observed that significant increases in the plasma IGF-I concentrations were occurred right after injections of the rBST irrespective of antler's non-growing period or growing period. When the rBST preparations were injected two times with one week interval during the antler's non-growing period, the mean level of IGF-I was found to be 2,920.7ng I mL, indicating that the IGF-I concentration increased up to 8.4-folds compared with a control. After two weeks from second shot, however, the IGF-I levels decreased to the level of the control. Similar results were also obtained with both a Sika and a Red deer during the antler's growing period. Increases in the IGF-I level of up to 5.6-folds with the Sika deer and 4.3-folds with the Red deer were found. Based on the present study, it is likely that the rBST may be used as a possible candidate for an antler's growth stimulating agent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.126-126
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• 1998

Studies on natural products are of great interest, due to the limits in development of synthesized medicine and its side effects. Deer antler is the most popular cure-all type drug among Asian folk medicines. In this study, we newly isolated the biologically active components from chloroform extract and 70% ethanol extract of deer antler, and analyzed their structures. First, the structure of monoacetyldiglyceride in deer antler was identified. To investigate the structure-activity relationship of monoacetyldiglycerides, we synthesized diverse substituted glycerides from glycerol, and confirmed their structures by spectroscopic methods. Among seven structurally-interesting compounds tested in this study, compound 1,2,3,5, and 6 showed activity toward [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/ increase in fura-2 loaded rat pancreatic acinar cells. Second, 70% ethanol extract of deer antler stimulated insulin release from rat pancreatic islets. We found the most effective fraction was CN-Es-8 in 70% ethanol extract, and it increased intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ concentration in pancreatic ${\beta}$-cell.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1737-1741
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to provide basic information to allow improved nutritional management for velvet production by investigating the effects of dietary protein levels on dry matter intake and production and chemical composition of velvet antler in spotted deer (Cervus nippon). Twenty-four spotted deer stags were assigned to 4 unreplicated groups, Control (15% CP in diet, higher dry matter), CP10 (10% CP), CP15 (15% CP) and CP20 (20% CP). The velvet antlers were harvested from each stag on the 55th day after casting of the buttons from the previous set, measured for their size and weight, and the chemical composition of each antler was determined in three sections (top, middle, and base). Dry matter (DMI) and crude protein (CPI) intake were highest (p<0.05) for the Control and increased progressively (p<0.05) with increasing dietary protein level. Although not significant, mean length and girth of the main antler beam tended to be larger in either left or right beam with increasing protein level in the diet, longest in CP20 and shortest in CP10. Velvet antler production was lowest in CP10 and highest in CP20, which differed significantly (p<0.05). Only negligible differences were found between groups in chemical composition. It is concluded that dietary protein clearly influenced dry matter intake and velvet antler production, whereas there was comparatively little effect of dietary protein on chemical composition of antler in spotted deer.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.451-458
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We examined the chemical composition and the effect of fermented deer antler on hematopoietic factors in bone marrow cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: For the preparation of fermented deer antler extract (FAB), fermentation was carried out using Bacillus subtilis at $30^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. The hematopoietic effect of FAB was investigated hematopoietic factors in marrow cells. RESULTS: The contents of total sugar, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and uronic acid and the dry weight gradually increased with fermentation time. The sialic acid content (from 0.14 mg/mL to 0.54 mg/mL) was the highest on the 4th day of fermentation after which it decreased. The proliferating activity of bone marrow cells increased with fermentation times. The levels of various hematopoietic growth factors were determined to verify the beneficial effect of deer antler extract fermented by B. subtilis on hematopoiesis. FAB increased the number of stem cell factors and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in bone marrow cells. In addition, FAB augmented the burst-forming unit erythroid and total colonies in splenocyte-conditioned medium compared with non-fermented antler extract (NFA). However, FAB did not affect the mRNA levels of erythropoietin, an important factor for erythropoiesis. CONCLUSIONS: FAB, like NFA, did not directly affect hematopoiesis, but contributed to hematopoiesis by stimulating the production of hematopoietic factors.