• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.750-758
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• 2022

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional condition between normality and dementia. Ginseng is known to have effects on attenuating cognitive deficits in neurogenerative diseases. Ginsenosides are the main bioactive component of ginseng, and their protein targets have not been fully understood. Furthermore, no thorough analysis is reported in ginsenoside-related protein targets in MCI. Methods: The candidate protein targets of ginsenosides in brain tissues were identified by drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) coupled with label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Network pharmacology approach was used to collect the therapeutic targets for MCI. Based on the above-mentioned overlapping targets, we built up a proteineprotein interaction (PPI) network in STRING database and conducted gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Finally, we assessed the effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) and different ginsenosides on mitochondrial function by measuring the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex and performing molecular docking. Results: We screened 2526 MCI-related protein targets by databases and 349 ginsenoside-related protein targets by DARTS. On the basis of these 81 overlapping genes, enrichment analysis showed the mitochondria played an important role in GTS-mediated MCI pharmacological process. Mitochondrial function analysis showed GTS, protopanaxatriol (PPT), and Rd increased the activities of complex I in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular docking also predicted the docking pockets between PPT or Rd and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I. Conclusion: This study indicated that ginsenosides might alleviate MCI by targeting respiratory chain complex I and regulating mitochondrial function, supporting ginseng's therapeutic application in cognitive deficits.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.641-644
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• 2001

This study was performed for development of new analytical method of monascus pigments in foods. In this method, analysis of monascus pigment in foods has been carried out by detection of monascin and ankaflavin of the main color component of monascus pigment as indicator compounds. Monascin and ankaflavin were isolated and identified by TLC, HPLC, Prep. HPLC, $^{1}H-NMR$ and Mass spectrophotometer. The analysis of monascin and ankaflavin in foods such as massal, sausage, mixed press ham, mixed fish sausage, semi-dried sausage and syrup was performed by using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatograph with Capcell Pak C18 column at wave length 390 nm. The quantitative results of monascin were as follows : $0.01{\sim}3.31\;{\mu}g/g$ item in massal, $0.05{\sim}0.10\;{\mu}g/g$ in mixed fish sausage, and $0.34{\sim}0.35\;{\mu}g/g$ in semi-dried sausage. But the quantitative results of ankaflavin were as follows: $0.02{\sim}0.89\;{\mu}g/g$ in massal, ankaflavin were not founded in other samples.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.344-350
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• 2016

Background: Mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) and cultivated ginseng (CG) both belong to Panax ginseng and have similar ingredients. However, their pharmacological activities are different due to their significantly different growth environments. Methods: An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based approach was developed to distinguish MCG and CG. Multivariate statistical methods, such as principal component analysis and supervised orthogonal partial-least-squares discrimination analysis were used to select the influential components. Results: Under optimized UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS conditions, 40 ginsenosides in both MCG and CG were unambiguously identified and tentatively assigned. The results showed that the characteristic components of CG and MCG included ginsenoside Ra3/isomer, gypenoside XVII, quinquenoside R1, ginsenoside Ra7, notoginsenoside Fe, ginsenoside Ra2, ginsenoside Rs6/Rs7, malonyl ginsenoside Rc, malonyl ginsenoside Rb1, malonyl ginsenoside Rb2, palmitoleic acid, and ethyl linoleate. The malony ginsenosides are abundant in CG, but higher levels of the minor ginsenosides were detected in MCG. Conclusion: This is the first time that the differences between CG and MCG have been observed systematically at the chemical level. Our results suggested that using the identified characteristic components as chemical markers to identify different ginseng products is effective and viable.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2001

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), an endogenous component of the L-carnitine family, is a naturally existing molecule synthesized from L-carnitine (LC) by carnitine acetyl transferase. ALC has been shown to improve the cognitive performance of patients suffering from dementia of the Alzheimer's type and proposed for treating Alzheimer's disease in pharmacological doses. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioefuivalence of two ALC tablets, $Nicetile^{TM} (Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co.) and $L-Cartin^{TM}$ (Kuhn Il Pharmaceutical Co.), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The ALC release from the two ALC tablets in vitro was tested using KP VII Apparatus II method in various dissolution media (pH 1.2, 6.0 and 6.8). Twenty six normal male volunteers, $24.46\pm3.67$ years in age and $64.45\pm5.54$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2\times2$cross-over study was employed. After one tablet containing 500 mg of ALC was orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of ALC in serum were determined using HPLC with fluorescence detector. Because of the presence of endogenous ALC, the calibration was performed using dialyzed serum. The dissolution profiles of the two ALC tablets were similar in all the dissolution media. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t,\;C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters. The results showed that the differences in $AUC_t,\;C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ between two tablets were $0.35\%,\;0.93\%\;and\;2.34\%$ respectively, when calculated against the $Nicetile^{TM} tablet. The powers $(1-\beta)\;for\;AUC_t$ , and Cmax were $98.72\%\;and\;85.48\%$, respectively. Minimum detectable differences $(\Delta)\;at\;\alpha=0.05\;and\;1-\beta=0.8$ were less than $20\%,\;(e.g.,\;13.21\%\;and\;18.42\%\;for\;AUC_t,\;and\;C_{max}$ respectively). The $90\%$ confidence intervals were within $\pm20\%\;(e.g.,\;-7.38\sim8.09\;and\;-9.86\sim11.72\;for\;AUC_t,\;and\;C_{max}$, respectively). These two parameters met the criteria of KFDA for bioequivalence, indicating that $L-Cartin^{TM}$ tablet is bioequivalent to $Nicetile^{TM} tablet.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.837-849
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• 2019

Latent class models (LCM) are useful tools to draw hidden information from categorical data. This model can also be interpreted as a mixture model with multinomial component distributions. In some cases, however, an available dataset may contain both categorical and count or continuous data. For such cases, we can extend the LCM to a mixture model with both multinomial and other component distributions such as normal and Poisson distributions. In this paper, we consider a LCM for the data containing categorical and count data to analyze the Drug Review dataset which contains categorical responses and text review. From this data analysis, we show that we can obtain more specific hidden inforamtion than those from the LCM only with categorical responses.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.441-448
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• 2006

11-nor-9-carboxy-${\Delta}^9$-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) is the major metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana. It is also the target analyte for the discrimination marijuana use. A method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed for the determination of THCCOOH in human urine. Urine samples (3 mL) were extracted by SPE column with a cation exchange cartridge after basic hydrolysis. The eluents were then evaporated, derivatized, and injected into the GC/MS. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 0.4 and 1.2 ng/mL, respectively. The response was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 within the concentration range of 1.2 (LLE 1.3)~50.0 ng/mL. The precision and accuracy were stable within 1.20% and the recovery was 83.6~90.7%. The recovery of SPE method was lower than that of liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), but there were no apparent differences in LOD, LOQ, precision and accuracy between the two methods. While SPE method is used as a very effective and rapid procedure for sample pretreatment, and clean extracts, LLE method was not suitable for the extraction procedure of THCCOOH in urine. The applicability of the method was proven by analyzing a urine samples from a marijuana abusers.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2009

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid, a member of the salicylate family, is frequently used as an analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet drug. Because aspirin is chemically unstable in water and heat for tablet formulation, additives including lubricants are used in preparing aspirin tablets, using a dry-granulation process. Aspirin tablets are produced by a number of manufacturers which usually use their own unique combination of additives during the manufacturing process. In this study, we employed an NMR based metabolomics technique to identify the manufacturers of various aspirin tablets. Aspirin tablets from six different companies were analyzed by 1H 400 MHz NMR. The acquired data was then integrated and processed by principal component analysis (PCA). Based on the NMR data, we were able to identify peaks corresponding to acetylsalicylic acid in all of the six samples, whereas different NMR patterns were found in the aromatic and aliphatic regions depending on the unique additive used. These observations led to the conclusion that the differences in the NMR patterns among the different aspirin tablets were due to the presence of additives.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2016

Objectives : To verify the equivalence between Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba herbal prescription(HP-ARA) and Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba herbal sub stance(HS-ARA). Methods : Safety tests by microbial regulation and heavy metal analysis (total heavy metal, Pb, As) and a stability test by long term shelf test for HP-ARA according to notification of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety were carried out. Then, multi component profile of HP-ARA and HS -ARA were analyzed by HPLC. Results : The safety and stability of HP-ARA confirmed by several tests. Correlation coefficient of equivalence of HP-ARA and ARA-HS showed 0.992. Conclusion : Based on this result of equivalence between HP-ARA and HS-ARA, HP-ARA can substitute HS-ARA used to make herbal medicines (herbal decoction, pills and powder).

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.120-122
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• 2007

All living organisms use numerous signal-transduction pathways to sense and respond to their environments and thereby survive and proliferate in a range of biological niches. Molecular dissection of these signalling networks has increased our understanding of these communication processes and provides a platform for therapeutic intervention when these pathways malfunction in disease states, including infection. Owing to the expanding availability of sequenced genomes, a wealth of genetic and molecular tools and the conservation of signalling networks, members of the fungal kingdom serve as excellent model systems for more complex, multicellular organisms. Here, we employed Cryptococcus neoformans as a model system to understand how fungal-signalling circuits operate at the molecular level to sense and respond to a plethora of environmental stresses, including osmoticshock, UV, high temperature, oxidative stress and toxic drugs/metabolites. The stress-activated p38/Hog1 MAPK pathway is structurally conserved in many organisms as diverse as yeast and mammals, but its regulation is uniquely specialized in a majority of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A and D strains to control differentiation and virulence factor regulation. C. neoformans Hog1 MAPK is controlled by Pbs2 MAPK kinase (MAPKK). The Pbs2-Hog1 MAPK cascade is controlled by the fungal "two-component" system that is composed of a response regulator, Ssk1, and multiple sensor kinases, including two-component.like (Tco) 1 and Tco2. Tco1 and Tco2 play shared and distinct roles in stress responses and drug sensitivity through the Hog1 MAPK system. Furthermore, each sensor kinase mediates unique cellular functions for virulence and morphological differentiation. We also identified and characterized the Ssk2 MAPKKK upstream of the MAPKK Pbs2 and the MAPK Hog1 in C. neoformans. The SSK2 gene was identified as a potential component responsible for differential Hog1 regulation between the serotype D sibling f1 strains B3501 and B3502 through comparative analysis of their meiotic map with the meiotic segregation of Hog1-dependent sensitivity to the fungicide fludioxonil. Ssk2 is the only polymorphic component in the Hog1 MAPK module, including two coding sequence changes between the SSK2 alleles in B3501 and B3502 strains. To further support this finding, the SSK2 allele exchange completely swapped Hog1-related phenotypes between B3501 and B3502 strains. In the serotype A strain H99, disruption of the SSK2 gene dramatically enhanced capsule biosynthesis and mating efficiency, similar to pbs2 and hog1 mutations. Furthermore, ssk2, pbs2, and hog1 mutants are all hypersensitive to a variety of stresses and completely resistant to fludioxonil. Taken together, these findings indicate that Ssk2 is the critical interface protein connecting the two-component system and the Pbs2-Hog1 pathway in C. neoformans.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.488-492
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• 2015

In this study, the effective preparation method of (S)-(+)-pranidipine, the active component of antihypertensive drug as a calcium channel blocker, was developed using optical resolution. The racemic monocarboxylic acid 5 obtained by the hydrolysis of (±)-pranidipine was mixed with optically active quinidine to form salts, and the insoluble diastereomeric salt was collected and successive treatment with base and acid furnished (R)-(-)-carboxylic acid 7. (S)-(+)-Pranidipine was prepared by esterification of this acid with cinnamyl alcohol, and the analysis by chiral HPLC showed 100% enantiomeric excess (ee). This process would be industrially very useful to prepare chiral (S)-(+)-pranidipine, since the use of strong base and anhydrous solvents, and ultra-low temperature condition were excluded in this process.