• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.187-190
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• 2003

Seven essential oils were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity against the cancerous cell lines A-549, HEp-2 and DLA and normal BRL-3A, NRK-49F and Vero cell lines using standard MTT, SRB and dye exclusion techniques. The A-549 cell line was found to be the most susceptible to all the essential oils. The essential oils of A. nilagirica, A. calamus and O. sanctum were found to be the more active against these cells with mean $CTC_{50}$ values of 17.75, 19.00 and $24.37\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The essential oil of Acorus calamus was found to be the most potent with low $CTC_{50}$ values against the cancerous and comparatively higher $CTC_{50}$ values against the normal cell lines. Artemisia pellens and Pelargonium graveolens oils also showed potent activity. These oils merit further investigation to identify the active principles and nature of the anti tumor activity in animal models.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.156-158
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• 2012

A synthetic coprisin analog peptide, 9-mer dimer CopA3 (CopA3) was designed based on a defensin-like peptide, Coprisin, isolated from the bacteria-immunized dung beetle Copris tripartitus. Here, CopA3 was investigated for its antimicrobial activity and cancer cell growth inhibition. CopA3 showed antimicrobial activities against various pathogenic bacteria and yeast fungus with MIC values in 2~32 ${\mu}M$ ranges, and inhibited the cell viabilities of pancreatic and hepatocellular cancer cells, except MIA-Paca2, Hep3B, and HepG2 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. The average $IC_{50}$ values of CopA3 against pancreatic and hepatocellular cancer cells were 61.7 ${\mu}M$ and 67.8 ${\mu}M$, respectively. The results indicate that CopA3 has potential in the treatments of pancreatic and hepatocellular cancers as well as microorganism infection disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

The antioxidative, antimutagenic and cytotoxic activities of ethanol extract from Cornus officianalis have been studied. The antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The inhibition effects on the mutagenicity in Salmonella Typhimurium TA100 were evaluated by Ames test and cancer cell inhibitory effects in Hep3B cell and HeLa cell were tested by MTT assay. Cornus officianalis had an important free radical-scavenging activity towards the DPPH radical. At a concentration of 500 ppm, the DPPH radical-scavenging activity of Cornus officianalis was similar to that of L-ascorbic acid. None of the extracts produced a mutagenic effect on S. Typhimurium TA100. The ethanol extract from Cornus officianalis showed about 77% of inhibition at 500 ppm on the mutagenicity induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. The extract from Cornus officianalis showed strong cytotoxicity against Hep3B and HeLa cells, with inhibition of 83 and 78% at a dose of $700{\mu}g$/plate, respectively. Moreover, the ethanol extracts had 34.33 mg H.E/g of polyphenols and 5.67 mg Q.E/g of flavonoids, respectively. Therefore, the present study showed antioxidative, antimutagenic and anticancer potential of the ethanol extract from Cornus officianalis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.487-498
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• 2016

Leptin, an adipokine predominantly produced from adipose tissue, is well known to induce tumor growth. However, underlying molecular mechanisms are not established yet. While p53 has long been well recognized as a potent tumor suppressor gene, accumulating evidence has also indicated its potential role in growth and survival of cancer cells depending on experimental environments. In the present study, we examined if p53 signaling is implicated in leptin-induced growth of cancer cells. Herein, we demonstrated that leptin treatment significantly increased p53 protein expression in both hepatic (HepG2) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells without significant effect on mRNA expression. Enhanced p53 expression by leptin was mediated via modulation of ubiquitination, in particular ubiquitin specific protease 2 (USP2)-dependent manner. Furthermore, gene silencing of p53 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed leptin-induced growth of hepatic and breast cancer cells, indicating the role of p53 signaling in tumor growth by leptin. In addition, we also showed that knockdown of p53 restored suppression of caspase-3 activity by leptin through modulating Bax expression and prevented leptin-induced cell cycle progression, implying the involvement of p53 signaling in the regulation of both apoptosis and cell cycle progression in cancer cells treated with leptin. Taken together, the results in the present study demonstrated the potential role of p53 signaling in leptin-induced tumor growth.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.189-193
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• 2004

Over the past several years, research efforts have been directed both at economically producing valuable substances from the wood biomass and at producing lignolytic enzymes at a lower cost. In the present study, we found that Phellinus igniarius, the basidiomycetes, secreted lignin peroxidase as a main lignolytic enzyme, which was detected maximum activity at 16th day of culture and showed 37 kDa of molecular mass in identification by activity assay and purification by anion-exchange chromatography. The Phellinus igniarius-derived lignin peroxidase hydrolyzed steam-exploded wood (Quercus mongolica) powder into small molecules showing cytotoxicity against cancer cel1s (HepG2 hepatoma, SK-N-SH neuroblastoma, B16 melanoma, MBT-2 bladder cancer). In addition, the enzyme hydrlysates of lignins (ELg) that were extracted from the steam-exploded oak showed more potent cytotoxic effects on the cancer cells than the enzyme hydrolysates of wood biomass (EWp), indicating that the cytotoxic effect of EWp may be due to the enzyme-degraded products of lignin among the lignocellulosics. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of ELg on Chang, normal liver cells, was much less potent than that of ELg on HepG2 and B16 cancer cells, indicating that the cytotoxic effect of ELg may be specific for cancer cells. The present results suggest that Phellinus igniarius may be a useful resource for the large-scale production of lignin peroxidase and that the lignin peroxidase may be applied for the generation of valuable biodegradation products from wood lignocellulosics for medical use.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8623-8629
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• 2014

Background: As an important component of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, NUF2 is essential for kinetochore-microtubule attachment and chromosome segregation. Previous studies also suggested its involvement in development of various kinds of human cancers, however, its expression and functions in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that NUF2 is aberrant in human HCCs and associated with cell growth. Results: Our results showed significantly elevated expression of NUF2 in human HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and high expression of NUF2 in HCC cell lines. Using lentivirus-mediated silencing of NUF2 in HepG2 human HCC cells, we found that NUF2 depletion markedly suppressed proliferation and colony formation capacity in vitro, and dramatically hampered tumor growth of xenografts in vivo. Moreover, NUF2 silencing could induce cell cycle arrest and trigger cell apoptosis. Additionally, altered levels of cell cycle and apoptosis related proteins including cyclin B1, Cdc25A, Cdc2, Bad and Bax were also observed. Conclusions: In conclusion, these results demonstrate that NUF2 plays a critical role in the regulation of HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis, indicating that NUF2 may serve as a potential molecular target for therapeutic approaches.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.163-174
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• 2016

Objectives : Rheum undulatum Linne and Glycyrriza uralensis Fischer are widely used herbal medicine. In this study, anti-oxidant and liver protective effects of R. undunlatum extract (RUE) and G. uralensis extract (GUE) were investigated in HepG2 cells, respectively. Oxidative stress and liver fibrosis were induced by arachidonic acid (AA) and iron, and CCl₄.Methods : MTT assay was assessed for cell viability, and immunoblotting analysis was performed to detect expression of apoptosis related proteins. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction were measured. In vivo, BALB/c mouse were orally administrated with the aqueous extract of 10 mg/kg RUE and 100 mg/kg GUE for 3 days and then, injected with CCl₄ 0.5 ml/kg body weight to induce acute liver damage. Serum ALT level was measured, and histological change was observed in Harris's hematoxylin and eosin stainResults : RUE and GUE pre-treatment increased relative cell viability in concentration dependent manner and altered the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins such as procaspase 3, PARP and Bcl-xL. RUE and GUE also inhibited the mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by AA and iron. In addition, RUE and GUE activated liver kinase B1 (LKB1), by increasing phosphorylation. Moreover, RUE and GUE treatment decreased liver injuries induced by CCl₄, as evidenced by decreases in histological liver damage as well as serum alanine amino transferase (ALT) level.Conclusions : These data suggest that RUE and GUE has anti-oxidant and liver protective effects against AA and iron-induced oxidative stress and CCl₄-induced liver injury.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2008

Lentinus giganteus, one of edible and medicinal mushroom belongs to Pleurotaceae of Agaricales, has been known to contain some inhibitive substances on Sarcoma 180 and curative effect on high blood pressure. Neutral saline soluble (0.9% NaCl), hot water soluble and methanol soluble substances (hereinafter referred to Fr. NaCl, Fr. HW and Fr. MeOH, respectively) were extracted from fruiting body of the mushroom. In vitro cytotoxicity tests, crude polysaccharides were not cytotoxic against cancer cell lines such as Sarcoma 180 and HepG2 at the concentration of $10{\sim}2,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, but crude polysaccharides from Fr. NaCl was toxic to NIH3T3 at the concentration of $10{\sim}2,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. Intraperitoneal injection with crude polysaccharides showed life prolongation effect of $14.3{\sim}67.5%$ in mice previously inoculated with Sarcoma 180, respectively. Fr. NaCl exhibited the immuno-potentiating activity of B lymphocyte by increasing the alkaline phosphatase activity by $1.53{\sim}1.68$ folds compared with control at the concentration of $50{\sim}200\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The numbers of peritoneal exudate cells and circulating leukocytes were increased by 7.7 and 1.6 folds by injecting Fr. NaCl and Fr. MeOH into the mice at the concentration of 50 mg/ml body weight, respectively.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.149-154
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• 2011

Objectives : Myocardial infarction is caused by heart cell death in a region where coronary arteries supplying blood to the region are occluded. In the present study, we determined whether ethanol extract of Cortex fraxini (HY5053) could attenuate heart injury by inhibiting apoptosis. Methods : Improvement of survival of HepG2 cells, a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, and reduction of apoptosis under hypoxic conditions (3% $O_2$) were assessed by trypan blue staining and DNA fragmentation assay, respectively. To assess the impact of HY5053 on the heart injury, Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 1 day of the left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. HY5053 was given by intraperitoneal injection (200 mg/kg) 1 hr prior to the occlusion. Subsequently, the heart were harvested, excised into 4 slices, and the slices were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. Finally, the extent of heart injury represented as ischemic index (%) was assessed. Results : Addition of HY5053 (400 ${\mu}g$/mL) into the culture medium for 1 day under ischemic conditions improved the cell survival by 50%, compared with control (0 ${\mu}g$/mL), consequently delayed apoptosis in 6 hr difference. Also, HY5053 (200 mg/kg) reduced the ischemic index by 44%, compared with control (0 mg/kg). Conclusions : These findings suggested that HY5053 attenuated myocardial infarction by inhibiting apoptosis. Thus, Cortex fraxini could be developed as a novel cardioprotectant to complement a currently available treatment, coronary angioplasty.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2018

Objectives: We investigated about the microbial properties and changes in the efficacy of the Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) by natural fermentation. Methods: CL was fermented for four weeks in a well-ventilated place with 2.5% salt. pH, total sugar, total polyphenol, and total flavonoid were measured to determine fermentation characteristics according to fermentation period and salt treatment. Polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and random amplification of polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction were carried out for microbial analysis during fermentation. In addition, HepG2 cell was cultured to check the lipid accumulation through oil red O staining and the glucose uptake was analyzed by measuring the 2-NBDG at C2C12 cell. Results: The pH level and the total sugar decreased with the CL fermentation. Total polyphenol and flavonoid increased after CL fermentation. It was confirmed that Leuconostoc mesenteroides were maintained continuously during fermentation. In the salt treatment CL, there was a sharp increase in Rahnella aquatilis. Lactobacillus plantarum matrix was observed in fermented CL. In addition, Lactococcus lactis, Weissella koreensis, R. aquatilis, L. plantarum, Leu. mesenteroides have been added to the salt treatment. Glucose uptake were significantly increased after fermentation with salt for four weeks. Lipid accumulation in the HepG2 cells was observed that there was difference (P<0.01) between free fatty acid group (100%) and decreased 4 weeks after fermentation (90.38%) at $800{\mu}g/mL$. Conclusions: Total polyphenol and flavonoid were increased after CL fermentation. Especially, percentage of the glucose uptake and lipid accumulation inhibition increased in CL fermentation with salt. It is expected that fermentation of salt treated CL will be more effective in diabetes and fatty liver.