• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.356-362
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• 2014

Phlorotannins, the major constituent in brown algae, possess various biological activities; however, there is little information their toxicological effects. To assess the safety of phlorotannins, we investigated the acute oral toxicity of a high-purity phlorotannin preparation (PRT; total phlorotannin content 90%) in beagle dogs. Six beagle dogs (3 males, 3 females) were assigned randomly to three experimental groups. PRT was administered at oral doses of 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg by capsule. Vomiting by male and female beagles was observed with 500 and 750 mg/kg on the first day. In addition, one beagle given 750 mg/kg had soft stool and diarrhea on days 3 and 13. No deaths or abnormal clinical signs were observed during the experiment. All groups showed similar body weight gain and food consumption. Our acute toxicity study showed that PRT did not cause any toxicological effects in beagle dogs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2011

We studied the acute oral toxicity of black ginseng (BG) produced by heat process in rats. Single acute BG extract doses of 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/kg dissolved in saline were administered by oral gavage and the animals were kept under observation for 14 days. The single administration of BG extract up to 15 g/kg did not produce mortality, behavioral change or abnormal clinical signs in the rats. These results indicated that the oral $LD_{50}$ of the BG extract in the rats is higher than 15 g/kg. Compared to the control group, no treatment-related biologically significant effects of BG extract were noted in the measurements of the body weight or food intake. At the end of the period, the biochemical parameters and hematological parameters were analyzed in the plasma and blood. A histopathological examination of the liver and kidney was also conducted. Only the blood nitrogen urea and potassium levels in the biochemical indices showed significant differences at 10 and 15 g/kg doses of BG extract compared to the control group. These changes were not considered to be due to the toxicity. None of the other clinical chemistry parameters were affected. Therefore, these results indicate that the BG by heat processing is virtually nontoxic.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.12-25
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• 2016

Recently, research investment in the improvement of food safety as a food source and specializing of nutritional source of edible insects is being actively conducted. Cricket especially has been attracting considerable interest in entomophagy; however, research on the safety assessment of cricket is limited. This study investigated the effects of cricket ethanol extract when orally administrated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, we performed a 4 wk repeated oral dose toxicity test in Sprague-Dawley rats following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development test guidelines 407 under Good Laboratory Practice regulation. Rats were randomly allocated 4 groups: vehicle control, 250, 500, 1,000 mg/kg test groups and administrated based on body weight for 28 d. The animals were observed for mortalities and clinical signs, body weight changes, food and water consumption. At the end of treatment period, blood and urine were collected and analyzed. Subsequently, the animals were sacrificed and subjected to gross pathological examination and organ weight measurement. The organs were preserved for histopathological examination. The results showed that there were no systemic toxicological effects related with the cricket ethanol extract in the 4 wk oral repeated dose toxicity study. It is considered that NOAEL of cricket ethanol extract is greater than 1,000 mg/kg/d and there was no target organ detected.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.53-58
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• 2018

Objectives : Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome is black ginger indigenous to Laos and Thailand. It has been used as a folk medicine to improve blood flow and promote vitality and longevity with good health and well being. For these reasons, Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome has been focused on developing it as a food or food supplement. In addition, Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome could be under consideration of new prescription based on its characteristic compounds, polymethoxyflavonoids. However, it needs to be certified as safe before it can be used. Here, a single-oral toxicity test and safety classification was carried out to identity acute information of the toxicity of Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome powder and to make sure of its safety in clinical applications. Methods : Test substance was orally administered to male and female SD-rat at dose levels of 5000 mg/kg to estimate approximate lethal dose(ALD). Based on the acute information of the toxicity, the safety classification was estimated using the HED(human equivalent dose)-based MOS(margin of safety). Results : At 14 days after treatment with test substance. there were no of test substance related with mortalities and clinical signs. In addition, no changes in the body or organ weights and no gross or histopathological findings were observed. Thus, the ALD of Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome powder was considered over 5,000 mg/kg in both female and male mice. Conclusions : Based on the single oral toxicity test using the highest and limit dose, 5,000 mg/kg and the decision guideline for safety classification based on HED-based MOS, it was estimated that Kaempferia parviflora Rhizome powder is classified as "Specified class B" indicating that clinical dose is not limited to patients as safe as food.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.461-471
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• 1996

This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary protein and cysteine levels on cadmium toxicity in rats. Seventy-two male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighting 171$\pm$3g were blocked into 12 groups according to body weight, and were raised for 30 days. cadmium chloride was given at levels of 0 or 400ppm, protein at levels of 7, 15 and 40%, and cysteine was added(total dietary cysteine contents : 0.45%) to diet or not. The results are summarized as follow. Food intake, weight gain, food were lower than those of cadmium free group. But, these were increased with increasing dietary protein level and cysteine addition. Fecal cadmium excretion was remarkably increased in high protein (40%) groups. Thus, cadmium retention rates were decreased in high protein groups. Metallothionein concentrations in liver and kidney were increased in cysteine addition, and cadmium administration. Especially, these were remarkably increased in cadmium and cysteine added groups. Urinary calcium excretion was increased with cadmium administration, but urinary protein excretion and creatinine clearance were not changed in these animal. In conclusion, food intake, weight gain and organ weights were decreased with administration. Cadmium toxicity was alleviated by increasing fecal cadmium excretion, while cysteine addition increased metallothionein concentrations in liver and kidney. From these results, it was shown that cadmium toxicity was alliviated by synergistic effect of high protein level and cysteine addition.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2013

Chrysanthemum indicum is widely used to treat immune-related and infectious disorders in East Asia. C. indicum flower oil contains 1,8-cineole, germacrene D, camphor, ${\alpha}$-cadinol, camphene, pinocarvone, ${\beta}$-caryophyllene, 3-cyclohexen- 1-ol, and ${\gamma}$-curcumene. We evaluated the safety of C. indicum flower oil by conducting acute oral toxicity, bone marrow micronucleus, and bacterial reverse mutation tests. Mortality, clinical signs and gross findings of mice were measured for 15 days after the oral single gavage administration of C. indicum flower oil. There were no mortality and clinical signs of toxicity at 2,000 mg/kg body weight/day of C. indicum flower oil throughout the 15 day period. Micronucleated erythrocyte cell counts for all treated groups were not significantly different between test and control groups. Levels of 15.63~500 ${\mu}g$ C. indicum flower oil/plate did not induce mutagenicity in S. Typhimurium and E. coli, with or without the introduction of a metabolic activation system. These results indicate that ingesting C. indicum flower oil produces no acute oral toxicity, bone marrow micronucleus, and bacterial reverse mutation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.393-402
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• 2015

This study was conducted to measure toxicity of 1-chloropropane (CAS No. : 540-54-5). According to the OECD Test Guideline 413 (Subchronic inhalation toxicity: 90-day study), SD rats were exposed to 0, 310, 1,250, and 5,000 ppm of 1-chloropropane for 6 h/day, 5 day/week for 13 weeks via whole-body inhalation. Mortality, clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, motor activity, ophthalmoscopy, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, gross and histopathological findings were compared between control and all tested groups. No mortality or remarkable clinical signs were examined during the study. No gross lesions or adverse effects on body weight, food consumption, motor activity, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, organ weights were observed in any of male or female rats in all tested groups. In serum biochemistry, glucose was significantly decreased in males of 1,250 and 5,000 ppm groups compared to control group in dose-dependent relationship. In histopathological examination, vacuolation of acinar cells was observed in pancreas of all male and female groups exposed to 1-chloropropane. In conclusion, no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be below 310 ppm/6 h/day, 5 day/week for rats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1134-1139
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the application possibility of leaf and stem extract(LSE) from the mixture of leaf and stem of ginseng radix(Panax Ginseng CA Meyer). This study measured antifatigue effects by rota-rod test and swimming test. Also we examined the cell toxicity in normal liver and kidney cells, and acute toxicity in mice. Dropping times of LSE treated group decreased about 39-83% compared to the control group according to supplementation intake levels. Swimming time in LSE treated group increased compared to the control group at short and long supplementation. Negative effects were not found from the results of the cell toxicity. Also acute toxicity not shown. These results imply that the leaf and stem of ginseng radix could be used as possible food resources and functional food material and feed stuff.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.869-876
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• 2022

The skin, which is the largest organ of the human body, is in direct contact with pollutants in the surrounding atmosphere. Meanwhile, 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), the most abundant nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon found in particulate matter, is known to have carcinogenic effects; however, studies on its toxicity in human and canine skin are still needed. In this study, we investigated 1-NP-induced apoptosis and inflammatory pathways in HaCaT cells. In addition, we also measured the cytoprotective effect of methyl gallate (MG), which is widely distributed in medicinal and edible plants and is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. MG inhibited 1-NP-induced cell death and apoptosis pathways, including the cleavage of PARP and activation of caspase-3, -7, and -9. MG also suppressed 1-NP-induced COX-2 expression and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and MAPK kinases (MAPKKs). Our findings suggest that 1-NP induces skin toxicity in human and canine through apoptosis and inflammatory responses, and moreover, that this can be prevented by treatment with MG.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.797-810
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• 2023

Elaeagnus umbellata leaves have been reported to suppress inflammation, allergic responses, lung cancer proliferation and oral bacterial growth. Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that has been found to cause many toxicities, including liver toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of 70% ethanol extract of E. umbellata leaves (EUL) to protect human hepatocytes from Cd toxicity. After exposure of HepG2 cells to Cd at 10 𝜇M for 24 h, cell viability, expression levels of apoptosis- and antioxidant-related proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and Cd uptake were assessed. EUL protected HepG2 cells from Cd-induced apoptosis as determined by MTT assay. A decrease in caspase-3 and p-p53 protein levels was observed in cells pretreated with EUL prior to Cd exposure. Furthermore, the Cd-induced increase in intracellular DCF fluorescence was attenuated by EUL, indicating that the Cd-induced apoptosis preventing effect was associated with the suppression of ROS accumulation. Moreover, EUL's effects on the inhibition of p38, JNK, and AKT phosphorylation also appear to be associated with protection against Cd toxicity. Moreover, EUL upregulated Cd-depressed expression of Nrf2, HO-1, catalase, and MT-1,2 proteins, suggesting that Cd uptake-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells may be inhibited by EUL's antioxidative potential.