• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-134
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• 2014

Sessile marine bivalves including mussels, oysters and clams are often used as a sentinel species in coastal environmental monitoring since changes in the environmental quality are often well preserved in their tissues and shells. In this study, we investigated overall health condition of the Mediterranean Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis on the south coast using histology. Reproductive condition as gonad index (GI), condition index (CI) as a ratio of the tissue weight to the shell weight, digestive gland atrophy (DGA), types of parasites, and pathologic conditions including erosion, necrosis, hemocyte infiltration, and neoplasia were examined from each histological preparation. GI decreased from March to July then increased from July to September and spawning mussel could be observed as early as in April and the activity continued until September. CI also followed the monthly changes in GI, indicating that decrease in CI was associated with the weight loss due to spawning. DGA increased from March to June, decreased in July and increased from July to September. High DGA values observed in June and September were coincided with spawning and high water temperature. Histology also showed high prevalence of erosion in the digestive gland in June (36.0%) and September (56.4%), suggesting that high water temperature and spawning acted as environmental stressors. No parasitic organism was identified during the survey, although some symbiotic copepods were observed. Histology was found to be useful and affordable technique in monitoring the overall health of mussel, providing useful pathologic information of the cells and tissues.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.517-523
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rat intestinal a-glucosidase inhibitor; methanol $(80\%)$, ethanol $(80\%)$ and water extract of Schizandra chinensis in Korea (KS: Schizandra chinensis in Korea) and China (CS: Schizandra chinensis in China). When the final concentration was 1 mg/ml for each sample (KS and CS), methanol extract of KS ($IC_{50}$ 1.62 mg/ml) showed $46.8\%$, ethanol extract of KS ($IC_{50}$ 1.48 mg/ml) showed $47.4\%$, water extract of KS ($IC_{50}$ 1.72 mg/ml) showed $46.3\%$ and methanol extract of CS ($IC_{50}$ 8.35 mg/ml) showed $13.3\%$, ethanol extract of CS ($IC_{50}$ 8.05 mg/lml) showed $16\%$, water extract of CS ($IC_{50}$ 8.37 mg/ml) showed $11.54\%$ of inhibitor for p-nitrophenyl $\alpha-D-glucopyranoside$ (pNPG) $\alpha-glcosidase$ activity, respectively. And the contents of total phenol, flavonoid of Schizandra chinensis were measured. When the final concentration was 1mg/ml for each sample (KS and CS), total phenol and flavonoid in KS were higher than CS, respectively. The order superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity $IC_{50}$ values of each solvent extracts of KS were: 2.006 mg/ml methanol extract, 2.304 mg/ml ethanol extract and 2.5 mg/ml water extract, which were higher than that of each solvent extracts CS as: 2.881 mg/ml methanol extract, 3.085 mg/ml ethanol extract and 3.190 mg/ml water extract.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.2 s.53
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• pp.115-126
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• 2006

This study was conducted to find out survival rate, activity, growth and change of the organ structure of bivalves exposed to heavy metal. The results of the study confirmed that zinc (Zn) induces reduction of survival rate and activity, abnormality of organ structure of the equilateral venus, Gomphina veneriformis. Experimental groups were composed of one control condition and three Zn exposure conditions ($0.64mg\;Zn{\iota}^{1},\;1.07mg\;Zn{\iota}^{-1},\;1.79mg\;Zn{\iota}^{-1}$). As the concentration of zinc increased the accumulation of lipofucin increased in the digestive gland. Survival rate was the lowest in the lowest Zn exposure group at $0.64mg;Zn{\iota}^{-1}$. Growth was not significantly different between the control and exposure group. Activity. with the exception of the lowest Zn exposure group at $0.64mg\;Zn{\iota}^{-1}$, was similar between the control and exposure group. Histological analysis of organ system illustrated expansion of hemolymph sinus, loss of striated border of inner epidermis, increase in the number of mucous cell in the mantle. Also, histological degenerations as epithelial necrosis and hyperplasia of mucous cells are recognized in the gill and foot.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2016

Seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis a marine teleost fish, has long been used as one of the essential materials in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the uses of seahorse have been limited due to its high cost, despite its beneficial biological activities. Seahorse has not been widely explored for its biofunctional properties and active components. In the present study, the enzymatic hydrolysates of seahorse were prepared by using two digestive enzymes (trypsin and pepsin) and five food grade enzymes (neutrase, protamex, alcalase, kojizyme, and flavourzyme). The enzymatic hydrolysates indicated higher hydrolysis yields than its water extract. Among them, the distilled water-pepsin hydrolysate (DP) which was obtained by distilled water extraction followed by pepsin hydrolysis, showed the highest yield and protein content as well as the highest alkyl radical scavenging activity. Also, it provided protective effects against oxidative stress induced by AAPH in vero cell and zebrafish. Further fractionation based on the molecular weight was carried out to identify it’s active components, and < 5 kDa (less than 5 kDa) molecular weight fraction was confirmed to have the highest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this study suggests that DP of seahorse has antioxidant properties, and might be a novel and useful material from the marine origin for healthy functional foods and cosmetics.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

The tryptic enzyme activities from hepatopancreas, foregut, midgut and feces were examined to optimize the feeding method in whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. The highest tryptic enzyme activity was found in hepatopancreas. The enzyme activities of hepatopancreas were 4 times higher than those of foregut per mg dry weight at 30 minutes feeding. Post feeding period, the activities of hepatopancreas increased continuously up to 30 hours after feeding. Trypsin activities of foregut showed about 3 times higher than did those of midgut. Average activity of foregut reached the pick with $303{\pm}68\;(mean{\pm}SE)$ nmol/mg/min at two hours after feeding and kept the activity up to 4 hours after feeding and thereafter the activity decreased. Average tryptic enzyme activity of midgut increased to $96{\pm}26nmol/mg/min$ up to two hours after feeding and it decreased to $52{\pm}17nmol/mg/min$ at five hours after feeding eventhough the gastric evacuation rate was still 50% by then. Foregut clearance occurred in 30 minutes after feeding and midgut weight increased up to 2 hours after feeding. Also we found that the maximal food ingestion in foregut was equivalent to the average 0.3% of its body weight by 30 minutes after feeding. Up to 5 hours after feeding, the weight ratio of midgut to body weight reduced, but still the weight ratio of foregut to body weight kept the similarity until then. These indicated that the tryptic enzyme activity and the clearance rate are different among the digestive organs and between forgot and midgut during the post feeding period in whiteleg shrimp.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2002

This study was carried out to measure the in vitro interaction of trialkyltin with the microsomal monooxygenase (MFO) system of the clam, Coelomactra antiquata. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) level and 7-ethonvesorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity were invetigated in the microsome isolated from digestive gland of the clam (C. antiquata) exposed to tributyltin chloride (TBTC), bis-tributyltinoxide (TBTO) and triphenyltin chloride (TPTC). The specific contents of CYP in clam microsome exposedto 0.4 mM TBTC, TBTO and TPTC for 20 minutes were decreased 52, 72 and $40\%$, respectively, compared to control group. The EROD activities also were inhibited by exposure to TBTO ($92\%$) and TPTC ($85\%$) except for TBTC, The level of CYP and the EROD actintles were decreased according to the OTC exposure concentrations. The toxic effects on the level of CYP and the EROD activities were in order of TPTC>TBTC>TBTO in this study. The measurement of CYP level and EROD activity could be applied as a biomarker for environmental study.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2005

This study was investigated the condition of their maximum activity to assay the enzymes of rotifer, Brachionus rotundiformis의 $\alpha$-amylase, total alkaline Protease, trypsin and TG-lipase activities of rotifer were higher and more sensitive in phosphate-NaOH buffer than Tris-HCl buffer. $\alpha$-amylase, trypsin and TG-lipase activities were appeared the maximum at pH 8.0, and total alkaline protease activity showed the maximum activity at pH 7.0. $\alpha$-amylase activity showed the highest activity at $40^{\circ}C$, and total alkaline protease and trypsin activities were assayed the highest at $55{\~}60^{\circ}C$. However, TG-lipase activity was appeared the highest at $25{\~}30^{\circ}C$. The optimum substrate concentration of enzyme activity of a-amylase, total alkaline protease, rypsin and TG-lipase were $3.5\%$ starch, $\0.6%$ azo-casein, $87.5{\mu}M$ BApNA and 81.2 mM olive oil, respectively. The optimum reaction time of enzyme activity of $\alpha$-amylase, total alkaline protease, trypsin and TG-lipase were increased up to 40, 60, 30 and 25 min., respectively. The data obtained in this study could be used for the digestive enzyme research of rotifer, B. rotundiformis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1667-1675
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• 2009

This study was conducted to determine whether L-arginine (Arg) supplementation could improve intestinal function in weaned pigs after an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Treatments included: i) non-challenged control (CONTR, pigs fed a control diet and injected with sterile saline); ii) LPS-challenged control (LPS, pigs fed the same control diet and challenged by injection with Escherichia coli LPS); iii) LPS+0.5% Arg (pigs fed a 0.5% Arg diet and challenged with LPS); and iv) LPS+1.0% Arg (pigs fed a 1.0% Arg diet and challenged with LPS). On d 16, pigs were administrated with LPS or sterile saline. D-xylose was orally administrated at 2 h following LPS challenge, and blood samples were collected at 3 h following LPS challenge. At 6 h post-challenge, pigs were sacrificed and intestinal mucosa samples were collected. Supplementation of Arg attenuated LPS-induced damage in gut digestive and barrier functions, as indicated by an increase in ileal lactase activity, and duodenal and ileal diamine oxidase activities (p<0.05). Arg administration also prevented the increase of jejunal malondialdehyde content and the decrease of ileal superoxide dismutase activity by LPS challenge (p<0.05). Furthermore, the jejunal nitric oxide level and inducible nitric oxide synthase activity were also improved after Arg supplementation (p<0.05). These results indicate that Arg supplementation has beneficial effects in alleviating the impairment of gut function induced by LPS challenge.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.146-150
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• 2003

It had been known for a while that Crataegi Fructus(CF; Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) had only a digestive effect. Recently, it has been demonstrated that CF also has an anti-hypertensive effect. However, its mechanism of relaxant effect has not been investigated yet. This study was examined to investigate the mechanism of vascular relaxation effect of CF in isolated rat thoracic aorta. CF revealed significant relaxation to phenylephrine(PE)-induced arterial contraction but much less to KCI-induced one. When CF was pretreated, it inhibited PE-induced contraction non-competitively. Methylene blue(10/sup -6/M) completely blocked the relaxant effect of CF whereas L-NAME(10/sup -5/M) did almost completely. However, atropine(10/sup -6/M) did not have any influence on vascular relaxation effect of CF. Regarding cNOS activity, CF significantly increased its activity from rat whole brain homogenate in a dose dependent manner which was inhibited by L-NAME(10/sup -5/M). On the other hand, CF did not affect on expression of TNF-α mRNA in RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that CF is not related to iNOS activity. These results indicate that CF would be effective in relaxing vascular contraction through release of endothelial nitric oxide.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2013

The biological activity of tissue specific stem cell is under the control of their specific microenvironment and the exogenous chemicals derived from digestive tract can be one of the constructing factors of that. It is suggested that the extract of brown algae Ishige okamurae has antioxidant-, apoptosis induction-, and antiinflammatory-effects. On the other hand, a few studies have shown that antioxidant assist inhibition of accumulation of fat. So we studied the effect of the extract of I. okamura on the cellular activity and differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte to adipose cell. The viability of cell was analyzed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazo-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cell was analyzed after induction in the induction medium containing the I. okamurae extract. The cellular activity was high compared with the vehicle and 0.05 mM caffeine in all groups of I. okamurae extract treated cells. The extract of I. okamura inhibited accumulation of lipids in 10 and $50{\mu}g/ml$. The expression of the marker genes for adipocyte differentiation coincided with cytochemical results. These results suggest that the extract of I. okamurae increases the cellular viability of adipose precursor cells. On the other hand, it suppresses the differentiation of preadipocyte to adipocyte and accumulation of lipids in concentration-dependent manners. It may be possible that the major component of the extract can be applied in the control of adipose tissuegenesis.