• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2004

In the present study, the protective effects of Artemisia capillaris (AC) on the DNA damage induced by $^{60}$ Co ${\gamma}$-rays were evaluated using alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE, comet assay) in the mouse peripheral lymphocytes and micronuclei (MN) formation test in the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. We also investigated the effect of AC on 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) formation in the mouse liver and thymus exposed to ${\gamma}$-ray, The tail moment and the frequency of MN, which were markers of DNA damage in the SCGE and MN formation test, were decreased in the groups treated with AC extract before exposure to 200 cGy of ${\gamma}$-ray. We also observed its activities, lowering 8-OHdG level, an index of oxidative DNA damage, in the groups treated with AC extract before whole body ${\gamma}$-irradiation (800 cGy). It is plausible that scavenging of free radicals by AC may have played an important role in providing the protection against the radiation-induced damage to the DNA. These results indicated that AC protects the DNA damage induced by ${\gamma}$-rays and might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic product.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.529-538
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• 1995

It has been believed that the increased release of free oxygen radicals ($O_2^-,H_2O_2$, and $OH^-$) might be a factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX) and catalase can protect the tissue damage from the $H_2O_2$. In order to investigate the GSH-PX and catalase activity in the blood plasma and red blood cells(RBCs) of the patients with periodontitis, 19 patients who had good general health, attachment loss more than 6 mm and bone loss were selected as periodontitis group, 7 patients who had severely inflamed gingiva were selected as gingivitis group, and 15 volunteers with good general and periodontal health were selected as normal group. 17 of 26 patients were performed scaling and root planing to reduce the gingival inflammation for gingivitis and periodontitis groups, and were selected as posttreatment group. After blood plasma and RBCs were collected and separated 1 ml of peripheral blood from each subject, GSH-PX activity in blood plasma and RBCs was measured by the same method that Stefan et al. did, and catalase activity in RBCs was measured by the same method that Beers et al. did. The difference of GSH-PX and catalase activity between normal, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups was statistically analyzed by ANOVA with SPSS/PC+ program, and the difference between pretreatment and posttreatment groups was analyzed by Student t-test. The results were as follows : 1. GSH-PX activity in blood plasma was significantly lower in the gingivitis group($0.8683{\pm}0.0658$), periodontitis group($0.7130{\pm}0.1333$) than in the normal group($1.0241{\pm}0.0801$)(p<0.05), and GSH-PX activity in RBCs was significantly lower in the gingivitis groupt. $0.8156{\pm}0.1167$), periodontitis group($0.7533{\pm}0.1185$) than in the normal group($l.1963{\pm}0.2044$)(P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance in the difference of GSH-PX activity in RBCs between the gingivitis group and periodontitis group(p>0.05). 2. Catalase activity in RBCs was siginficantly lower in the periodontitis group($117.34{\pm}35.01$) than in the normal group($l52.38{\pm}32.09$)(p<0.05). 3. GSH-PX activity in blood plasma was significantly increased in the posttreatment groupe $1.0376{\pm}0.2820$) compared to the pretreatment group(0.7608 0.1600) (p<0.05), and GSH-PX activity in RBC was significantly increased in the posttreatment group($1.0421{\pm}0.2330$) compared to the pretreatment group($0.7728{\pm}0.1210$)(p<0.05). 4. There was no statistical significance in the difference of catalase activity in RBCs between the pretreatment group($112.04{\pm}43.65$) and posttreatment group($l33.41{\pm}39.16$)(p>0.05).The results, within the limits of the present experiment, suggest that the lowered activity of GSH-PX and catalase in blood plasma and RBCs may be related with periodontopathogenesis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.1
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• pp.50-61
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• 2020

Street trees are very important to urban environments as they can alleviate air pollution. However, when ozone is absorbed through the stomata, it can induce the formation of free radicals inside the tree, negatively affecting the vegetation. The present study investigated the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of four major street tree species: Prunus yedoensis, Zelkova serrata, Chionanthus retusus, and Pinus densiflora. Two-year-old seedlings were placed in a phytotron and fumigated with 100 nL·L^-1 (ppb) ozone for 4 weeks, following which the ascorbic acid contents, chlorophyll contents, leaf pHs, and relative water contents were measured. There was no significant difference in the APTI of Prunus yedoensis and Zelkova serrata between the ozone and control treatments. By contrast, the ozone treatment caused the APTI of Chionanthus retusus to increase and that of Pinus densiflora to decrease compared with the respective controls. These results suggest that the APTI of these tree species exhibit very different responses to ozone. Therefore, more detailed research should be conducted on a range of species in the future.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2009

Purpose : Perinatal asphyxia is an important cause of neonatal mortality and subsequent lifelong neurodevelopmental handicaps. Although many treatment strategies have been tested, there is currently no clinically effective treatment to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of hypoxia and ischemia in humans. Erythropoietin (Epo) has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects in various brain injury models although the exact mechanisms through which Epo functions are not completely understood. This study investigates the effect of Epo on hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury and the possibility that its neuroprotective actions may be associated with iron-mediated metabolism. Methods : HI brain injury was produced in 7-day-old rats by unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by hypoxia with 8% oxygen for 2 h. At the end of HI brain injury, the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of 5,000 units/kg erythropoietin. Random premedication with iron, deferoxamine, iron-deferoxamine, or saline were performed 23 d before HI brain injury. The severity of the brain injury was assessed at 7 d after HI. Results : Single Epo treatment post-HI brain injury reduced the gross and histopathological findings of brain injury. Iron premedication did not increase the incidence or severity of the injury as measured by the damage score. Deferoxamine administration before HI brain injury improved the brain injury as compared to no treatment or Epo treatment. Conclusion : These findings indicate that Epo provides neuroprotective benefits after HI in the developing brain. These findings suggest that Epos neuroprotective actions may involve reducing iron in tissues that mediate the formation of free radicals.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2015

Physiological activities of 70% methanol, fermented ethanol and hot-water extracts of Pleurotus eryngii were investigated. Free radical scavenging activities of P. eryngii extracts were determined according to the elimination of DPPH radicals. Their nitrite scavenging activity and total polyphenol content were also determined. Amino acid analysis showed that phenylalanine (Phe) and glutamic acid (Glu) are most abundant essential and non-essential amino acids in the analyzed extracts. The hot-water extract of ASI 2394 represented the highest antioxidant activity with the DPPH radical scavenging rate value of $40.97{\pm}1.65%$. ASI 2820 displayed the superior capacity to eliminate nitrate regardless of extraction solvents. The hot-water extract of ASI 2887 had the highest content of polyphenol. Our results showed that P. eryngii is well qualified as a functional food.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1147-1151
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• 2007

The human skin is constantly exposed to environmental irritants such as ultraviolet, smoke and chemicals. Free radicals and reactive oxygen species caused by them play critical roles in cellular damage. They not only injure the skin structure but also participate in the immensely complex inflammatory reaction. Anti-wrinkle effects of the Oriental herb extracts(OHE) were evaluated by the determination of anti-oxidation, collagenase inhibition and collagen synthesis in normal human fibroblast. OHE showed antioxidative activity as high as vitamin C, trolox and DL-penicillamine. Also OHE showed promotive effect on collagen synthesis and inhibitory effect on collagenase activity. These results demonstrated that OHE could be useful as an anti-wrinkle cosmetic ingredient.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1352-1359
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• 2009

We designed this study to investigate the effects of continuous strenuous aerobic exercise on the respiratory system in a rat model. After exercise for 8 weeks, rats' weights were higher in the exercise groups than in the Control group (non-exercise). Rats in Exercise-120 min group (Ex-120 group) had the lowest weights. Total leukocyte counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were higher in exercise groups than in Control group. The Ex-30 and Ex-120 groups had higher neutrophil counts, whereas that in the Ex-60 group was lower than in the Control group, and that in the Ex-30 group was the highest. Lymphocyte and monocyte counts were higher in all exercise groups than in the Control group, and those in the Exercise-120 min group were the highest. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) level was the highest, while IL-10, interferon-$\gamma$ and nitric oxide (NO) levels were the lowest in the Ex-120 group when compared to the Control and other exercise groups. These findings suggest that strenuous aerobic exercise for short periods (30 min) may have a beneficial effect on decrease in body weight, whereas prolonged-strenuous aerobic exercise (>1 hr) may be adverse to leukocyte and immune levels in the bronchoalveolar system, as well as result in an increased production of oxygen free radicals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2002

The objectives of this study were to understand the possible mechanism of duck sperm toxicity induced by arsenic exposure in vivo, and to investigate the roles of the antioxidant L-ascorbic acid in ameliorating the arsenic-induced sperm impairment. To test the acute toxicity, the percentages of mortality of mature drakes treated with different concentrations of trivalent sodium arsenite, As (III), and pentavalent sodium arsenate, As (V) were measured. The LD50 value of As (III) for mature drakes was $4.89{\pm}1.49$ ppm. Although As (V) didn't cause any deaths even at a concentration of 40 ppm, the chronic toxicity of As (V) on sperm quality was shown by a decreased fertilization rate. When the concentrations of As (V) were above 0.4 ppm, fertilization rates were lower than those of 0.04 ppm and control. Drakes treated with 40 ppm of As (V) had the highest malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the testis tissue, $3.100{\pm}0.218{\mu}mole/g$ testis. This showed that 40 ppm of As (V) significantly induced lipid peroxidation in testis tissue. For the 1.2 ppm As (III) treatment, several significant effects were observed: (1) sperm motility was decreased most dramatically by $52.0{\pm}9.1$% after three days of incubation; (2) fertilization rate of artificially inseminated semen was the lowest, $26.4{\pm}15.4$; (3) the MDA concentration in testis tissue, $7.846{\pm}0.246{\mu}mole/g$ testis, was significantly higher than the others (p<0.05); (4) the sperm number, $1.17{\pm}0.40({\times}10^9)$, was significantly lower than with the 60 ppb and control treatments (p<0.05); (5) a black appearance and soft texture was observed in the testis tissue. The antioxidant L-ascorbic acid administered along with 1.2 ppm As (III) decreased the toxicity of arsenic. The ameliorating effects included: improved sperm motility, increased sperm number and fertilization rate, and decreased MDA concentration in the testis tissue. This study suggests that the toxicity of the trivalent arsenic on sperm quality is partly from free radicals generated by its metabolic pathway, and the antioxidant ascorbic acid ameliorates arsenic-caused sperm impairment.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis. However, excessive ROS production damages cellular components such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids and promotes skin aging. In this study, we confirmed the antioxidant effect of CSYJE to prevent excessive oxidative stress. First, DPPH and ABTS assays were performed to confirm the antioxidant effect of CSYJE and the radical scavenging activity was confirmed depending on the concentration. As a result of performing the MTT assay to confirm the cell viability, it was confirmed that there was no cytotoxicity at a concentration of 1,000 ㎍/mL. As a result of western blotting to confirm the expression levels of the antioxidant-related proteins nuclear-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), it was confirmed that the expression was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. After inducing ROS with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an intracellular ROS-causing substance, DCF-DA was performed to confirm the inhibitory effect of ROS production, and the inhibition of ROS production was confirmed to concentration-dependent. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to confirm the mRNA expression level of inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediator caused by ROS generation, mRNA expression was reduced in a dose dependent manner. Therefore, this study confirmed the antioxidant effect of CSYJE through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, which suggests that CSYJE can be used as an antioxidant cosmetic material by inhibiting free radicals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1385-1390
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• 2016

Gallic acid is a representative hydroxybenzoic acid and is found in free form in several plants and in various esterified forms as a part of hydolyzable tannins. Convenient enzymatic transformation of trihydroxylated gallic acid with polyphenol oxidase originating from pear was evaluated to investigate whether polyphenol oxidase can be used as a valuable compound to improve the biological activity of gallic acid. Enzymatic oxidation processing of gallic acid using polyphenol oxidase was carried out for five different reaction times. The antioxidant effects of transformed gallic acid for different reaction times were evaluated via radical scavenging assays using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals. In addition, the anti-diabetic property of the transformed gallic acid was measured based on ${\alpha}$-glucosidase. Gallic acid reacted for 5 h showed significantly higher antioxidant and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities compared to the tested positive control substances. Biotransformation of simple gallic acid induced by polyphenol oxidase might be responsible for enhancing the biological activity of gallic acid.