• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2016

Obesity is a growing health problem that many countries face, mostly due to the consumption of a Westernized diet. In this present study we observed the effects of a soybean extract fermented by Bacillus subtilis MORI (BTD-1) containing 1-deoxynojirimycin against high fat diet-induced obesity. The results obtained from this study indicated that BTD-1 reduced body weight, regulated hepatic lipid content and adipose tissue, and also affected liver antioxidant enzymes and glucose metabolism. These results suggest that administration of BTD-1 affects obesity by inhibiting hyperglycemia and free radical-mediated stress; it also reduces lipid accumulation. Therefore, BTD-1 may be potentially useful for the prevention of obesity and its related secondary complications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 2014

We investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-obesity effects of extracts from young Akebia quinata D. leaves, including hot water (AQH) and 80% ethanol (AQE) extracts. The inhibitory effects of AQH and AQE on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells were examined by Oil Red O staining. Compared to control, lipid accumulation was significantly reduced by 18.3% with the treatment upon AQE at a concentration of $5{\mu}g/mL$. The levels of intracellular triglycerides and free glycerol were also reduced by 52.8% and 9.1% at the same concentration of AQE. The in vivo anti-obesity effect of AQE was evaluated in terms of body and white adipose tissue weights in ICR mice. Experimental groups were divided into the following five groups: normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HFD), high fat diet with 60 mg/kg/day of Orlistat (HFD-RF), high fat diet with 200 mg/kg/day of AQE (HFD-AL), and high fat diet with 600 mg/kg/day of AQE (HFD-AH). Feeding of HFD for eight weeks resulted in significant increases in body weight as well as weight gain compared to the ND group. HFD-AH group showed reduced body weight, weight gain, epididymal white adipose tissue weight, and perirenal white adipose weight as compared to the HFD group. These results indicate that AQE supplementation might have beneficial effects on anti-obesity by inhibiting lipid accumulation.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.15-24
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between oriental obesity pattern, life habitual factors(eating attitude, physical activity) and psychological factors(depression, stress, self-esteem) in korean obese and overweight women. Methods: This study was performed in obese and overweight(BMI ${\geq}$ 23 kg/$m^2$) women in Korea (n=56). Simple anthropometry including weight, BMI, waist circumference, BIA(bioelectrical impedance analysis) were done. To assess psychological factors, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (SES) questionnaire, Beck depression inventory (BDI) questionnaire and stress response inventory (SRI) questionnaire were administered. Regarding diet, Korean eating attitude test(KEAT-26) was done. International physical activity questionnaire(IPAQ) was administered for exercise and physical activity intensity and quantities. All values were verified using correlation analysis. Results: 1. The subjects had stagnation of the liver qi>food accumulation>yang deficiency>blood stasis>spleen vacuity in the order. 2. Stagnation of the liver qi score had significant relationships with self-esteem(r=-0.520, p<0.05) and depression(r=0.688, p<0.01) in stagnation of the liver qi group. There was a relationship between food accumulation score and eating attitude(r=0.784, p<0.01) in food accumulation group. 3. Lean mass had a significant relationship with self-esteem(r=0.434, p<0.05) fat mass had a significant relationship with stress (r=0.633, p<0.01) and in stagnation of the liver qi group. 4. Physical activity had significant relationships with lean mass(r=0.628, p<0.01) and with fat mass(r=-0.478, p<0.05) in group. Conclusions: This study maintained that psychological factors play major roles in obesity with symptoms of stagnation of the liver qi and life habit(dietary factors and physical activity) in food accumulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2017

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by chronic lipid accumulation due to dysregulation of lipid metabolism in the liver, and it is associated with various human diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Histone acetylation is a representative epigenetic mechanism regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and deacetylases. We observed that tartary buckwheat sprout (TBS) suppressed lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through its anti-HAT activity. We showed that TBS was a novel HAT inhibitor with specificity for the major HAT enzyme p300. Importantly, TBS reduced acetylation of total and histone proteins, H3K9, H3K36, and H4K8, resulting in decreased transcriptional activities of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, ATP citrate lyase, and fatty acid synthase. These results suggest that TBS inhibits the NAFLD transcription-modulating activity of lipogenesis-related genes through modification of histone acetylation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.193-201
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• 2018

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a novel fibrotic mediator, which is considered to mediate fibrosis through extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in diabetic cardiovascular complications. Statins have significant immunomodulatory effects and reduce vascular injury. We therefore examined whether fluvastatin has anti-fibrotic effects in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and elucidated its putative transduction signals. We show that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) stimulated CTGF mRNA and protein expression in a time-dependent manner. AGE-induced CTGF expression was mediated via ERK1/2, JNK, and Egr-1 pathways, but not p38; consequently, cell proliferation and migration and ECM accumulation were regulated by CTGF signaling pathway. AGE-stimulated VSMC proliferation, migration, and ECM accumulation were blocked by fluvastatin. However, the inhibitory effect of fluvastatin was restored by administration of CTGF recombinant protein. AGE-induced VSMC proliferation was dependent on cell cycle arrest, thereby increasing G1/G0 phase. Fluvastatin repressed cell cycle regulatory genes cyclin D1 and Cdk4 and augmented cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p27 and p21 in AGE-induced VSMCs. Taken together, fluvastatin suppressed AGE-induced VSMC proliferation, migration, and ECM accumulation by targeting CTGF signaling mechanism. These findings might be evidence for CTGF as a potential therapeutic target in diabetic vasculature complication.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.67-80
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• 2017

Cholesterol is a vital component of the human body. It stabilizes cell membranes and is the precursor of bile acids, vitamin D and steroid hormones. However, cholesterol accumulation in the bloodstream (hypercholesterolemia) can cause atherosclerotic plaques within artery walls, leading to heart attacks and strokes. The efficiency of cholesterol absorption in the small intestine is of great interest because human and animal studies have linked cholesterol absorption with plasma concentration of total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cholesterol absorption is highly regulated and influenced by particular compounds in the food supply. Therefore, it is desirable to learn more about natural food components that inhibit cholesterol absorption so that food ingredients and dietary supplements can be developed for consumers who wish to manage their plasma cholesterol levels by non-pharmacological means. Food components thus far identified as inhibitors of cholesterol absorption include phytosterols, soluble fibers, phospholipids, and stearic acid.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2014

In this study, resistance responses were investigated during the interaction of Botrytis fabae with two faba bean cultivars expressing different levels of resistance against this pathogen, Nubaria (resistant) and Giza 40 (susceptible). Disease severity was assessed on leaves using a rating scale from 1 to 9. Accumulation levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase) were measured in leaf tissues at different times of infection. The expression profiles of two pathogenesis-related proteins (PRPs) encoded by the genes PR-1 and ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase were also investigated using reverse transcription RT-PCR analysis. The accumulation of these defense responses was induced significantly in both cultivars upon infection with B. fabae compared with un-inoculated controls. The resistant cultivar showed weaker necrotic symptom expression, less ROS accumulation, a lower rate of lipid peroxidation and higher activity of the enzymatic ROS scavenging system compared with susceptible cultivar. Interestingly, ROS accumulated rapidly in the resistant leaf tissues and peaked during the early stages of infection, whereas accumulation was stronger and more intense in the susceptible tissues in later stages. Moreover, the response of the resistant cultivar to infection was earlier and stronger, exhibiting high transcript accumulation of the PR genes. These results indicated that the induction of oxidant/antioxidant responses and the accumulation of PRPs are part of the faba bean defense mechanism against the necrotrophic fungus B. fabae with a different intensity and timing of induction, depending on the resistance levels.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.707-716
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• 2020

Red sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus, was dried using three methods-far-infrared ray, vacuum, and freeze drying and then enzymatically hydrolyzed using nine proteases: Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Kojizyme, Neutrase, Protamex, trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and papain. In addition, the potential ability of hydrolysates to inhibit lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was evaluated. The yield of hydrolysates from red sea cucumbers dried using each method was higher than that of the distilled water extract, and protein contents were either similar or higher. The hydrolysates that exhibited inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation, as demonstrated via Oil red O staining, were those obtained by far-infrared ray drying coupled with Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Kojizyme, or Neutrase treatment. In addition to the advantages of far-infrared drying and the characteristics of Flavourzyme, the Flavourzyme hydrolysate of far-infrared-dried red sea cucumber showed the highest inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation. In addition, this hydrolysate significantly decreased the expression of the protein factor fatty acid-binding protein 4, which is related to the late differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that Flavourzyme hydrolysates from farinfrared-dried red sea cucumber may be used as a functional food and/or a pharmaceutical ingredient for the inhibition of lipid accumulation.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2023

Objectives: Atriplex gmelinii C. A. Meyer is a halophyte belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, and its young leaves and stems are used as fodder for livestock. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of A. gmelinii extract and its solvent fractions on lipid accumulation during adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Methods: The samples of A. gmelinii were separately extracted using methylene chloride and methanol. Subsequently, they were combined to formulate the initial extract, which was then partitioned based on polarity to prepare solvent fractions. Oil Red O staining was employed to measure lipid accumulation during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. To verify cytotoxicity in 3T3-L1 cells, MTT assays were conducted. The expression levels of transcription factors in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were measured through Western blotting analysis. Results: At 50 ㎍/mL, treatment of A. gmelinii extract and its solvent fractions during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes significantly diminished lipid accumulation with no noteworthy cytotoxicity on cell viability. Additionally, when investigating the biochemical pathways that underlie the prevention of lipid accumulation using solvent fractions, it was found that the n-BuOH and n-hexane fractions significantly decreased the expression of key transcription factors involved in the generation of fat, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP1c). Conclusions: These findings indicate that A. gmelinii can effectively reduce the accumulation of fat in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, making it a potentially valuable material for mitigating and preventing obesity.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.479-485
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• 2015

This experiment investigated whether yogurt containing fermented pepper juice (FPJY) affects cholesterol level in high fat and high cholesterol diet (HFCD) fed rat. Twenty five Sprague-Dawley male rats of 7 wk were divided into 5 groups, and fed following diets for 9 wk; CON (control diet), HFCD (HFCD), PY (HFCD supplemented with 2% of plain yogurt), LFY (HFCD supplemented with 2% of FPJY), and HFY (HFCD supplemented with 5% of FPJY). In the LFY group, hepatic total lipid level decreased significantly compared to the HFCD group (p<0.05). Serum HDL cholesterol level tended to increase and hepatic total cholesterol level decreased and were comparable to the CON group (p>0.05). In HFY group, body weight and hepatic total lipid level significantly decreased over the HFCD group (p<0.05). Serum and hepatic total cholesterol level, kidney, and body fat weights decreased, and were compared to the CON group (p>0.05). Liver weight decreased as FPJY content was increased. Results suggested FPJY would inhibit organ hypertrophy and accumulation of body fat, hepatic lipid, and cholesterol in HFCD fed rat.