• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 1998

Seven triterpenoid saponins such as oleanolic acid 28-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl$ ester, hederagenin $28-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl$ ester, chikusetsusaponin IVa, udosaponin A, salsoloside C, udosaponins F and C were isolated from the aerial parts of Aralia continentalis, among which two $28-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl$ esters of oleanolic acid and hederagenin are isolated for the first tome from this plant. These results suggested that the chemical components of Korean Dokwhal are practically identical to those of japanese Udo supporting the chemotaxonomical point of view.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2017

Aralia continentalis Kitagawa (Araliaceae), known as "Dokwhal" in Korea, has been widely used in traditional Korean medicine for analgesia, neuralgia, sweating, and rheumatism. The biological activity was estimated with methanol extracts of from cultivated roots and adventitious roots of A. continentalis. DPPH and ABTS activities showed the highest activity in methanol extract of adventitious roots at 175.6 and $279.7{\mu}g/mL$ ($RC_{50}$), respectively. Antioxidant activity of methanol extract of the adventitious roots was higher than other samples. In the antibacterial activity assay (paper disc method), the methanol extract of adventitious roots showed activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, B. subtilis, and S. enterica. This study demonstrated that adventitious roots of A. continentalis, which was produced for the first time in the roots of A. continentalis, can be used as a natural antioxidant and antibacterial agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.413-417
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• 2015

Recently, we isolated HY253, a novel decahydrofluorene analog with a molecular structure of 7,8a-divinyl-2,4a,4b,5,6,7,8,8a,9,9a-decahydro-1H-fluorene-2,4a,4b,9a-tetraol from the roots of Aralia continentalis, which is known as Dokwhal (獨活), a traditional medicinal herb. Moreover, we previously reported its cytotoxic activity on cancer cell proliferation in human lung cancer A549 and cervical cancer HeLa cells. The current study aimed to evaluate its detailed molecular mechanisms in cell cycle arrest and apoptotic induction in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Flow cytometric analysis of HepG2 cells treated with $60{\mu}M$ HY253 revealed appreciable cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase via inhibition of Rb phosphorylation and down-regulation of cyclin D1. Furthermore, using western blots, we found that up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, such as p21^CIP1 and p27^KIP1, was associated with this G₁ phase arrest. Moreover, TUNEL assay and immunoblottings revealed apoptotic induction in HepG2 cells treated with $60{\mu}M$ HY253 for 24 h, which is associated with cytochrome c release from mitochondria, via down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, which in turn resulted in activation of caspase-9 and -3, and proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Accordingly, we suggest that HY253 may be a potent chemotherapeutic hit compound for treating human liver cancer cells via up-regulation and activation of the p53 gene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1399-1404
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• 2006

The roots of Aralia continentalis (AC) have been used traditionally in Korean as a folk medicine for anti-inflammation and as an anti-rheumatic. In this study, we report that the ethyl acetate-soluble traction (ACE) of the methanolic extract of AC root inhibited the cell growth of various human cancer cell lines and induced apoptosis of HL-60, human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Its $IC_{50}$ values on growth inhibition were estimated to be $56.3{\mu}g/ml$ on HL-60, $87.2{\mu}g/ml$ on HepG2, $93.2{\mu}g/ml$ on HeLa, $135.5{\mu}g/ml$ on DU-145, and $135.8{\mu}g/ml$ on HT-29 cells. Interestingly, ACE showed no antiproliferative effect on normal lymphocyte cells used as control. Furthermore, nuclear DAPI staining revealed the typical nuclear features of apoptosis in the HL-60 cells exposed to $80{\mu}g/ml$ ACE, and a flow cytometric analysis of the HL-60 cells using propidium iodide showed that the apoptotic cell population increased gradually from 5% at 0 h to 16% at 12 h and 20% at 24 h after treated with $50{\mu}g/ml$ of ACE. TUNEL assay also revealed the apoptotic induction of the HL-60 cells treated with ACE. To obtain further information on the ACE-induced apoptosis, the expression level of certain apoptosis-associated proteins was examined using a Western blot analysis. Treatment of the HL-60 cells with ACE resulted in the activation of caspase-3, and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The above results confirmed that the apoptosis in the HL-60 cells was induced by ACE, and that caspase-3-mediated PARP cleavage was involved in the process.