• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.659-667
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• 2004

Plantain has been used for antidiarrhea, antihemorrhage and the remedy of indigestion. Plantain was extracted with ethanol and fractionated systemically with n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate (EtOAC) and n-butanol. Antioxidant index (AI was expressed as induction period of oil containing various fractions/induction period of oil of 600 ppm) of EtOAC fraction was the highest among fractions in vitro. The protective effects of the EtOAC fraction of plantain (PE) administered 1 mL orally or intraduodenally on experimentally induced gastritis, gastric ulcer and gastric secretion were evaluated in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250∼300 g were divided into 4 groups; negative control group (CON), PE 200 mg/kg treated group (PEL), PE 400 mg/kg treated group (PEH) and positive control group (cimetidine 100 mg/kg-CMT or omeprazol 100 mg/kg treated group-OMT), respectively, PE significantly suppressed HCl-ethanol induced gastric lesions and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers (administered subcutaneouly) in rats. Specially PE 400 mg/kg showed significantly inhibitory effect, which was more potent than that of 100 mg/kg of commercial drug, cimetidine, and elevated an inhibitory effect to be close to the level in inhibitory ratio of omeprazol administered group in Shay's ucler. On gastric secretion in pylorus ligated rat, PE 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg decreased the gastric volume and acid output, but did not show an apparent effect on pepsin activity. In addition, PE 400 mg/kg depressed gastric ulcers induced by water immersion stress and duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine administered subcutaneouly. These results suggest that the ethylacetate fraction of plantain can be used in prevention and treatment of experimentally induced gastric mucosal damage and ulcers.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.24-36
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• 2022

Objectives: Excessive melanin production leads to skin pigmentation, which causes various cosmetic and health problems. Citrus unshiu Markovich peel (CS) and Cimicifuga dahurica (CD) have long been widely used as a oriental medicinal plant because of their pharmacological properties including anti-ulcer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of CS, CD extracts or CS:CD=1:2 mixture on melanogenesis according to the various extraction methods. CS and CD extracted were prepared by ethanol extraction (EE), ultrasonification extraction (USE), Supercritical extraction (SCE), reflux extraction (RE), respectively. Results: DPPH radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of CD extracts or CS:CD=1:2 mixture were increased in dose-dependent manners. In addition, we evaluated the effect of CS, CD extracts or CS:CD=1:2 mixture on tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced B16-F10 melanoma cells. CS, CD extracts or CS:CD=1:2 mixture significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis at 10-200 ㎍/mL. Conclusions: Therefore, our study suggests that CS and CD extracts have potential as a safe treatment for excessive pigmentation or as a natural ingredient in cosmetics.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.437-444
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• 2016

Background: Although Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has been traditionally used for a long time, its anti-inflammatory role and underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms have been poorly understood. In this study, the anti-inflammatory roles of KRG-derived components, namely, water extract (KRG-WE), saponin fraction (KRG-SF), and nonsaponin fraction (KRG-NSF), were investigated. Methods: To check saponin levels in the test fractions, KRG-WE, KRG-NSF, and KRG-SF were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The anti-inflammatory roles and underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of these components were investigated using a macrophage-like cell line (RAW264.7 cells) and an acute gastritis model in mice. Results: Of the tested fractions, KGR-SF (but not KRG-NSF and KRG-WE) markedly inhibited the viability of RAW264.7 cells, and splenocytes at more than 500 mg/mL significantly suppressed NO production at $100{\mu}g/mL$, diminished mRNA expression of inflammatory genes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and interferon-${\beta}$ at $200{\mu}g/mL$, and completely blocked phagocytic uptake by RAW264.7 cells. All three fractions suppressed luciferase activity triggered by interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), but not that triggered by activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappa B. Phospho-IRF3 and phospho-TBK1 were simultaneously decreased in KRG-SF. Interestingly, all these fractions, when orally administered, clearly ameliorated the symptoms of gastric ulcer in HCl/ethanol-induced gastritis mice. Conclusion: These results suggest that KRG-WE, KRG-NSF, and KRG-SF might have anti-inflammatory properties, mostly because of the suppression of the IRF3 pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1015-1021
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• 2013

Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal, an important species of licorice, is one of the most widely used medicinal plants for over 4000 years. Glycyrrhiza plant species has been well known for its various therapeutic activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-ulcer. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal ethanol extracts (GBE) on adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation. Mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells were treated with sub-cytotoxic doses of GBE, and its effects on adipocyte differentiation were assessed. We found that GBE dose-dependently increased lipid accumulation and also induced the expression of adipocyte markers, such as $PPAR{\gamma}$ and its target genes, aP2, and adiponectin, in C3H10T1/2 cells. Consistently, similar effects of GBE on lipid accumulation were also observed in preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells that further supports the pro-adipogenic activities of GBE. We also investigated the effects of GBE on osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells. As a results, we found that GBE increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase in a dose-dependent manner and also promoted the expression of osteoblast markers, such as ALP and RUNX2, during osteoblast differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells. Similar pro-osteogenic effects of GBE were also observed in preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Finally, our data show that a major bioactive compound found in Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal, licochalcone A (LA) but not glycyrrhizic acid (GA), can mediate the pro-adipogenic and pro-osteogenic effects of GBE. Taken together, this study provides data to show the possibility of GBE and its bioactive component LA as putative strategies for type 2 diabetes and bone diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2008

Saussurea lappa (SL) has been used to reduce abdominal pain and tenesmus in traditional oriental medicine. SL and major compounds of SL, sesquiterpene lactones, have been suggested to possess various biological effects, including anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and cardiotonic activities. Recently, it has been reported that ethanol extracts from roots of SL have antiproliferative effects on gastric cancer cells. To explore the possibility that SL has chemopreventive effects on prostate cancer, we examined whether the hexane extract of SL (HESL) inhibits the growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Cells were incubated with various concentrations ($0{\sim}4$ mg/L) of HESL in DMEM/F12 containing 5% charcoal stripped fetal bovine serum. HESL substantially decreased viable cell numbers and induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells in dose-dependent manners. HESL increased the levels of cleaved caspase-8, -9, -7 and -3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. HESL increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic Bak and truncated-Bid proteins whereas it had no effect on the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, or Mcl-1. The present results indicate that HESL inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, which involves the activation of the caspase cascades.