• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1385-1393
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• 2010

Three mold strains, Aspergillus oryzae (AOFAG), Aspergillus kawachii (AKFAG), and Monascus purpureus (MPFAG) were used for fermentation of Angelica gigas Nakai powder. The contents of polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, minerals, decursin and decursinol angelate and the activities of DPPH (${\alpha},{\alpha}'$-diphenyl-$\beta$-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging, reducing power, and tyrosinase were measured. The highest contents of phenolic compound and flavonoid were NFAG at 2.78% and MPFAG at 1.18%, respectively. Major minerals were K, Mg, Fe, Na and Ca. Decursin and decursinol angelate were the major ingredients of Angelica gigas according to HPLC analysis. Decursin area was higher in all fermented Angelica gigas than in NFAG. The activities of free radical scavenging and tyrosinase were stronger in all fermented Angelica gigas than NFAG. However, the Fe/Cu reducing powers were stronger in NFAG than all fermented Angelica gigas. Overall, these results may provide the basic data needed to understand the biological activities and chemical characteristics of Angelica gigas fermented by mold for the development of functional foods.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality characteristics of cookies made with Angelica gigas Nakai fermented by Lactobacillus paracasei. As the content of Angelica gigas Nakai fermented by L. paracasei (AFL) powder increased, the pH of the cookies decreased from 6.3 to 5.2. There was no significant difference in the moisture content depending on AFL powder content. The content of reducing sugar also increased with increasing AFL powder content. Regarding the surface color of the cookies, the L- and b-values decreased with increasing AFL powder content, whereas the a-value increased. As the AFL powder content increased, the total polyphenol content and ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities significantly increased. Cookies with 8% AFL powder (AC8) had the highest levels of 107.16 mg%, 38.69%, and 65.56%, respectively. The texture, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness of the cookies with various AFL powder levels were not significantly different, and hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness showed no tendencies toward changes. Taken together, these results showed that when AFL powder was added to cookies, bioactivities such as antioxidant activity increased, making AFL powder a good material with high potential for use in commercially baked products.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.919-929
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• 2017

This study investigated the biological activities and chemical characteristics of Monascus-fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (A. gigas) with a view to the development of health foods. We also investigated the effect of the cultivation region of three A. gigas cultivars, namely Sancheong, Pyeongchang, and Jecheon. After fermentation, the content of decursin and decursinol angelate was increased compared to non-fermentation; the highest content of decursin and decursinol angelate was found in non-fermentation Pyeongchang A. gigas (PA) at 615.504, 326.742 ppm and fermented Pyeongchang A. gigas (FPA) at 792.610, 429.500 ppm, respectively. The highest content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and minerals was found in the FPA group, in which DPPH (${\alpha},{\alpha}^{\prime}-diphenyl-{\beta}-picrylhydrazyl$) radical scavenging activity and Fe/Cu reducing power were stronger in fermented than in non-fermented A. gigas. The FPA group in particular showed the highest activity. We measured nitric oxide (NO) production from lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells and the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. The inhibition of activity of NO production and cancer cell (MCF-7 and Hep3B) viability was significantly decreased in the FPA group. The results suggest that FPA may be highly useful as a health food. Overall, the study provides basic data for understanding the biological activities and chemical characteristics of A. gigas fermented by Monascus purpureus for the development of health foods.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.7-14
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• 2023

The effects of fermented Achyranthes japonica Nakai, Angelica gigas Nakai, and Eucommia ulmoides Oliver extracts (FAAE) on regulation of inflammation and apoptosis were investigated in primary cultured rat cartilage cells. To identify the protective effects of FAAE against H₂O₂, cell survival was measured by MTT assay. Smad3, Collagen type I, MMP3, and MMP13 were measured by real-timpe PCR and westernbot and the inflammatory (NF-κB pathway, COX-2, iNOS) factors were determined by western blot. The apoptosis related factors (JNK, c-Fos, c-Jun, caspase 3, Bax, and Bcl-2) were determined by western blot. FAAE significantly increased the follwing: H₂O₂ treated cell survival, mRNA and protein expression of Smad 3, collagen type I. In addition, FAAE significantly decreased the protein expression of inflammatory and apoptosis related factors. This study suggests that FAAE have a protection effect of chondrocytes through inhibition of inflammation and apoptosis. Thus, FAAE is a therapeutic potential food componet in osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 2018

This study aimed to identify the effects of extracts of fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (A. gigas) with a Monascus purpureus strain on anti-obesity in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven dietary groups (n=8 per group), as follows: a normal diet group (N) and six HFD groups (C: control, HFD and no treatment; AG: HFD +10% A. gigas extracts; FAG2.5: HFD +2.5% fermented A. gigas extracts; FAG5: HFD +5% fermented A. gigas extracts; FAG10: HFD +10% fermented A. gigas extracts; GC: HFD + Garcinia cambogia extracts). FAG-fed rats exhibited effectively lowered rates of increasing body weight and visceral fat accumulation in the HFD-induced obesity model. The activities of several hepatic marker enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were increased with HFD-induced obesity, but levels of these marker enzymes were significantly decreased in FAG-fed rats. The consumption of FAG reduced triglyceride concentrations in serum to normal levels. FAG-fed rats showed effectively increased leptin concentrations in the HFD-induced obesity model. HFD ingestion induced a significant increase in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, which was decreased in FAG-fed rats. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Oil Red O staining of the liver showed that the lipid deposits were decreased via FAG feeding. Moreover, hematoxylin and eosin staining of epididymal adipose adipose tissue showed that the adipocyte were decreased by feeding FAG.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1371-1380
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• 2013

The effect of Monascus-fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (AFAG) on the contents of serum lipids and tissue lipid peroxidation was investigated in alcohol feeding rats (Alc group). The serum contents of total lipid and free fatty acid in the alcohol feeding rats were significantly increased, but these increases tended to decrease in the AFAG group. The content of serum triglyceride was also significantly decreased in the AFAG group compared to the other groups. The serum content of total-cholesterol was not significantly different between the normal group and the AFAG group. The content of HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly increased in the AFAG group compared to the Alc group. The content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, heart, spleen, and testis were significantly increased in the Alc group compared to the normal group, but these increases were significantly decreased in the AFAG group. The content of liver zinc was decreased in the Alc group and it was significantly increased in the AFAG group, which suggested that the lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with the liver zinc content. The hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the Alc group, but this content was significantly increased in the AFAG group, and it showed the antioxidant ability of glutathione. These activities were also compared to the standard silymarin drug treatment. Thus, the findings of the present study indicated the significant antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activity of Monascus-fermented Angelica gigas Nakai against ethanol-induced toxicity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.743-749
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to identify the effect of fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (A. gigas) on lipid metabolism in orotic acid-induced fatty liver model rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into four dietary groups (n=6 per group): a normal (N) group fed a standard diet only, OA control, OA acid plus 5% (w/w) A. gigas (OAG), and OA plus 5% (w/w) fermented A. gigas (OFAG). OA treatment induced enlargement of the liver and accumulation of hepatic triglycerides. The consum ption of fermented A. gigas reduced triglyceride concentrations in the liver and increased the serum lipid concentrations to normal levels. Furthermore, OA treatment significantly decreased serum triglyc eride concentrations without diminishing mRNA expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protei n (MTP) and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). Hepatic MTP mRNA expression increased 1.08-fold in response to OA treatment, despite triglyceride accumulation in the liver relative to that of the normal group. OFAG administration was slightly lower as compared to the OA treatment. This result suggests that MTP mRNA expression is not always correlated with hepatic triglyceride accumulation in the OA-induced fatty liver model. However, PDI mRNA expression was significantly increased in the OAG and OFAG groups (1.62-fold and 1.63-fold, respectively) compared with the normal group. The hepatocytes in the OA group contained numerous large fat droplets. These were slightly reduced in the OFAG group.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.411-418
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• 2014

This study was to investigate the potential effects of fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (FAG) at 5% (w/w) levels in Sprague-Dawley strain rats, which were intoxicated with 1% (w/w) orotic acid (OA) for 10 days. The activities of several hepatic enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cholinesterase were increased when OA was treated, but these parameters were significantly decreased by FAG administration. OA treatment induced a significant increase in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, which was attenuated by FAG administration. Liver nonheme ion was decreased in the OA treatment group and was significantly increased in FAG administration, which suggests that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. The glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the OA treatment group compared with the normal group, but this concentration was significantly increased in the FAG group, and it showed the antioxidant ability of glutathione. Based on these results, fermented Angelica gigas Nakai is a material with significant potential for development into a health food that can improve fatty liver conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1136-1143
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological activities of an aqueous extract of Angelica gigas (Ag) fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc). First, the soluble solids of the F/3 group, in which the Ag was fermented by Sc for 3 days, decreased from $1^{\circ}Bx$ to $0.9^{\circ}Bx$. On the other hand, the pH increased with the number of days of fermentation. The result of a TLC experiment confirmed that it gradually decomposed into a low-molecular weight sugar form upon fermentation. The total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents were higher in the fermented group than in the non-fermented group. K and Ca contents were increased by fermentation in the following order: F/3, NF, and F/0 groups. Decursin and decursinol angelate contents were highest in the F/3 group. The DPPH (${\alpha}$, ${\alpha}{\prime}$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of the NF, F/0, and F/3 groups were 41.89%, 39.51%, and 60.26%, respectively. The inhibition activities of tyrosinase and lipoxygenase were stronger in the F/3 group than in the NF group. This experiment showed that the fermentation of Ag Nakai can lead to an increase in its antioxidant ability, physiological activity, whitening and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, this oriental herbal medicine can be developed into a functional material that can be utilized in the development of cosmetic products in future.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1155-1158
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to examine the cytotoxicity of species of Angelica (Angelicas Radix; the root of Angelica gigas Nakai, A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, and A. acutiloba Kitag.) on HepG2 cells. The water extracts of roots of Angelica gigas (WAG), A. sinensis (WAS), and A. acutiloba (WAA) were studied for HepG2 cell viability by a modified MTT assay in the concentrations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 250, 500 ug/ml for 24, 48, 72 h. WAG and WAS did not reduced the cell viability significantly. But WAA reduced the cell viability in the concentration of 500 ug/ml for 24 h (85.45%), 48 h (75.01%). In conclusion, WAG and WAS have not the significant cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells in the suitable dose.