• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.361-373
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• 2016

This study tested the antioxidant activities and anti-aging effects of an extract of Orostachys japonicus, a herb used as a folk remedy for cancer for a long time. To assess the antioxidant activities of the Orostachys japonicus extract (OJE), the total polyphenol content was confirmed to have a high caffeic acid equivalent weight of 12 g by dry weight of 100g OJE and the total flavonoid content was confirmed that the quercetin equivalent of 1.7 g by dry weight of 100g OJE. DPPH free radical scavenging activity was confirmed a high scavenging activity of 79.7% at a concentration of 1%. To confirm the anti-aging effect of OJE, MMP-1 expression was decreased in $25{\mu}L/mL$ and $50{\mu}L/mL$ similar to control. In a clinical experiment, a group of subjects who used a cosmetic product containing OJE showed a significant increase in the amount of skin moisture from the forehead, left cheek, and chin. The experimental group showed a significant increase in the amount of skin sebum from the chin and maintaining pH balance of normal skin, As a result, the OJE demonstrates the efficacy of natural cosmetic material as antioxidant and anti-aging.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.888-895
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• 2017

Salsola collina (S. collina) is an annual plant widely distributed in drought and semi-drought areas, which has been used for a long time as a kind of folk remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of hypertension. Previously, the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer activities of S. collina were elucidated in our research group. In this study, the anti-obesity activities of S. collina ethanol extract (SCEE) were evaluated using a pancreatic lipase enzyme inhibition assay and cell culture model. The results showed that SCEE effectively suppressed pancreatic lipase enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SCEE significantly suppressed adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, and triglyceride (TG) content, and triggered lipolysis on insulin, dexamethasone, and 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine-treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Its anti-obesity effect was modulated by cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) gene, as well as protein expressions. Taken together, these results offer the important new insight that S. collina possesses anti-obesity properties, such as pancreatic lipase inhibition and anti-adipogenic and lipolysis effects through the modulation of their upstream signaling pathway. It could become a promising source in the field of nutraceuticals, and the identification of active compounds that confer the biological activities of SCEE may be needed.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-42
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to show that, before registration of chronic degenerative diseases and enforcing management system in health centers, the management of hypertension could achieved comprehensively and continuously by knowing the realities of drug-taking and its related factors those who are being cared for in health centers. For one year, a questionnaire about drug-taking realities of hypertensive patient was distributed at 8 health centers in Taegu from March 24. 1997 to April 24. 1997. The questionnaires were then collected and analysed. The results are as follows: Of 691 patients, 77.4% of patient were taking medicine regularly every day. The reasons why patients weren't taking medicine every day was as follows: the blood pressure became normal(34%, the highest of the group), patients forgot(28.2%), it was difficult to buy the medicine(15.4%), there was no effect even though the patient took medicine continuously. The experience of medical treatment outside of health centers was 28.9%. The types and percentages of alternative medicine are herbs (50.5%), health food(24.5%), folk remedy(13.7%). Among them, 44.6% of patients didn't know if the medicine was effective. Medical treatment places excluding health centers was pharmacies(63.5%-the highest rate). In simple analysis, the older one was the more regularly one took the medicine, but there was no statistical relations. Of health activities, patients eating low-salt diet showed that they took the medicine regularly. Nonsmoking patients and those who experienced drug side-effect and those who doubted doctor's prescriptions and instructions showed that they took alternative, excluding modem medicine. Anti-hypertensive drug medication status according to recognition, attitude, experiences of hypertension showed that patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time took the medicine regularly(82.3%). The reasons for patients turning to alternatives varied. In case of having subjective symptom(34.1%), those who thought they knew the hypertension well(36.6%), they decided to use alternatives. In multiple logistic regression analysis the key statistics were as follows: The older patients, patients who ate low-salt diet, patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time, all showed that they took medicines regularly. And also patients who experienced drug side-effect, doubted prescriptions and instructions, and patients who had subjective symptoms, patients who thought that he knew the hypertension very well, all showed higher rate of using alternative medicine. In the future, at the health centers, to register and manage hypertension patients effectively, we must educate patients about regular drug-taking, and alternatives without doctor's prescriptions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.465-469
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• 2015

Background: Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (A. Berger) is commonly used as a folk remedy for cancer therapy. However, the mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity are poorly investigated in human cancer cells. In this study, we investigated whether flavonoids extracted from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (FEOJ) might have anticancer effects in human leukemia cells, focusing on cell death mechanisms. Materials and Methods: U937 human leukemic cancer cells were used. Results: FEOJ induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in human U937 cancer cells. Flow cytometry revealed significant accumulation of cells with sub-G1 DNA content at the concentrations of $200{\mu}g/mL$ and $400{\mu}g/mL$. FEOJ-induced apoptosis was caspase-dependent through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ${\Delta}{\Psi}m$) in human U937 cancer cells, which might be associated with suppression of Bcl-2 and XIAP proteins. FEOJ induced the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, playing at least in part an important role in FEOJ-induced apoptosis. Conclusions: This study suggested that FEOJ may induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in human leukemic cells by regulating MMP (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$) through suppressing Bcl-2 and X-IAP. In addition, the results indicated that upstream p38 MAPK signaling regulates the apoptotic effect of FEOJ. This study provides evidence that FEOJ might have anti-cancer potential for human leukemic cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.1785-1792
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• 2015

This study was carried out to investigate the antidiabetic, alcohol metabolism, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects of Acer tegmentosum extracts (ATE). A. tegmentosum has been traditionally used as a folk medicine to treat hepatic disorders. The antioxidative activities of ATE were measured by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and superoxide (SOD) assay. DPPH radical scavenging and SOD activities of ATE were about 89% and 82.9% at $0.5{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activities were 118.0% and 177% at 2 mg/mL, respectively. ${\alpha}-Glucosidase$ inhibitory activity of ATE was 75% higher at $50{\mu}g/mL$ and remarkably increased in a dose-dependent manner. Nitric oxide productions in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide was reduced to 16.7% by addition of ATE at 1 mg/mL. ATE showed significant protective effects against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells at $100{\mu}g/mL$. Based on our results, we conclude that ATE may be used as a major pharmacological agent and anti-diabetic, anti-hepatitis, and anti-inflammatory remedy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.888-894
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• 2012

Salvia plebeia R. Br. (Labiatae), distributed in many countries such as Korea, China, India, Iran, and Australia, is used as a folk remedy for a variety of inflammatory diseases including hepatitis, cough, diarrhea, gonorrhea, menorrhagia, tumors, and hemorrhoids. This study focused on determining the involvement of anti-inflammatory heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the inhibitory activity of an extract of Salvia plebeia R. Br. leaves (SPL) on nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. SPL extract at the highest concentration (500 ${\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited NO production by approximately 85% and suppressed iNOS protein expression by approximately 90% compared to LPS-stimulated cells. The SPL extract induced the expression of HO-1 in a dose-dependent manner, and blocking HO-1 activity abolished the inhibitory effects of the SPL extract on NO production. These results suggest that an SPL extract has potent anti-inflammatory activity through HO-1 induction in RAW264.7 macrophages.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2001

Safflower has been cultivated in Korea and thought to have excellent effects on bone in oriental medicine and folk remedy and has been taken for a long time. Safflower is thought to be helpful for the development and sustenance of bones according to the result of recent assay of its components. Otherwise, any reliable experimental data have not been suggested so far. We have carried out this study to examine the prophylactic effects of safflower-seed-powder on the prevention of osteoporosis induced by the ovariectomy 12 Weeks-old Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 230 g was kept in the experimental condition and used in this study. Animals were taken 0.3 g of safflower-seed-powder once a day for 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks after ovariectomizing both ovaries and observed the fine structure of tibia. Tissues were fixed with traditional SEM preparation methods and decalcified for 10 hours with 10% nitric acid and dehydration, drying, and gold-coating were followed by the routine procedures and observed with scanning electron microscope (Hitachi, S-450). Loss of bone was started just after ovariectomy and thickness of bone from the medullary cavity to the compact bone was reduced and the extension of medullary cavity was serious in the control group of 7 weeks. Experimental groups taken safflower-seed-powder showed similar findings from 1 week to 7 weeks. These results suggest that the safflower-seed-powder is thought to be efficient for the prevention of osteoporosis owing to the deficiency of female sex hormone.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.323-326
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• 2006

Suaeda (S.) asparagoides $M_{IQ}$, one of the halophyte groups, has been used as a folk remedy for digestive disturbances in Korea. However, its pharmacological activity on gastrointestinal motility has not been reported yet. In this study, the effects of this halophyte extracts with various solvent fractions (ethanol, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water) on mice ileal spontaneous motility was examined. All solvent fractions at the concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$ showed inhibitory actions on spontaneous motility of ileum with the potency order of water > 70% ethanol > hexane ${\gg}$ chloroform ${\geq}$ butanol ${\geq}$ ethyl acetate, respectively. In addition, the water fraction of extracts from S. asparagoides $M_{IQ}$ (WFSA) dose-dependently ($1-100{\mu}g/ml$) inhibited the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contraction and area under the contractile curve (AUC). The inhibitory effect of water fraction at the concentration of $10{\mu}g/ml$ was not affected by tetrodotoxin (TTX), $Na^+$ channel blocker ($1{\mu}M$), and $N^w$-nitro-L-arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME), nitric oxide synthase inhibitor ($100{\mu}M$). However, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, $10{\mu}M$), inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase, almost blocked the inhibitory effects of WFSA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) on the spontaneous phasic contraction of mouse ileum. But, CPA did not inhibit the lowering basal tone effects of WFSA. The result of this study showed that various extracts of S. asparagoides $M_{IQ}$ induce inhibitory effects on spontaneous contraction of mice ileal segments. More over, the polar solvent fractions were shown to be more potent than non-polar solvent fractions. The effects of S. asparagoides $M_{IQ}$ extracts are not mediated by nerve or nitric oxide. The inhibitory effects of WFSA at least partially mediated by sarcoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase. However, further study is required to determine the exact pharmacological mechanisms of this halophyte on its gastrointestinal motility inhibitory effects.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.912-916
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• 2014

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Siebold and Zucc.) is a deciduous tree of the family Rosaceae, and it has long been used as a folk remedy for cough and dyspepsia. A new cultivar 'Okjoo' was developed from a cross between 'Gyokuei' and 'Rinsyu' carried out at the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science in 1993. It w as s elected for good shape, large size and high yield capacity in 2006, and then it was granted official patent No. 4556 in 2013. It blooms 4 days and 2 days earlier than 'Gyokuei' and 'Rinsyu', respectively. Its flower petal color is pink, and the pollen amount is negligible. Its S-genotype, determined using Polymerase Chain Reaction with a S-RNase gene-specific primer pair, is $S_3S_6$. The average optimum harvest time of 'Okjoo' is late June. The fruit is round in shape and its suture is shallow. Average fruit weight is 18.5 g, and it contains total soluble solids $7.66^{\circ}Brix$ and titratable acidity at 4.81%. Fruit skin color is green. Sometimes only the light side of the fruits seems to develop blush. The incidence levels of scab (Cladosporium carpophilum Thumen) and bacterial shot hole (Xanthomonas arboricola pv. Pruni) are quite low. Consequently, 'Okjoo' seems to be a promising new cultivar for Japanese apricot growers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2004

The polysaccharide isolated from Phellinus species has been known as a folk remedy, including antitumor and immune-stimulating activities. However, there are lacks of knowledge about mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide (EH) production in its submerged culture. We investigated the optimal conditions on mycelial growth and EPS production in Phellinus baumii. The optimal temperature and initial pH for mycelial growth and EPS production in shake flask culture of P. baumii were proved to be 3$0^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0, respectively. In case of carbon source, cellobiose and maltose were highly efficient for mycelial growth and fructose and mannitol were also relatively favorable for EPS production. Yeast extract was the most suitable nitrogen source for mycelial growth and EPS production. The composition of optimal culture medium was determined to be fructose 20 g/L, yeast extract 20 g/L, and $CaCl_2$ 0.55 g/L, respectively. Under the optimal culture condition, the maximum mycelial biomass and EPS achieved in a 5-L stirred-tank fermenter were 17.43 g/L and 3.6 g/L, respectively. It was found that the EPS was a glycoprotein onsisted of mainly arginine (14.1%) and glycine (12.0 %) in protein moiety and mainly mannose (48.7%) and arabinose (38.4%) in carbohydrate moiety.