• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.12-22
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to confirm the dose-dependent skin moisturizing effects of dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP) and pomegranate concentrate solution (PCS) in ICR mice. Materials and methods: To observe the in vivo skin moisturizing effects and possible underlying mechanisms of PCP and PCS, oral PCP (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) and PCS (1, 2, and 4 mL/kg) were administered to normal ICR mice. Changes in body weight, skin water content, and skin type I collagen and hyaluronan contents were measured. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of hyaluronan synthase (Has) 1, 2, and 3, and collagen type I alpha (COL1A) 1 and 2 were determined in the dorsal skin of mice by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Significant and dose-dependent increases in dorsal skin water content and type I collagen and hyaluronan contents were seen in PCP and PCS-treated mice. Moreover, the mRNA levels of Has 1, 2, and 3, involved in hyaluronan synthesis, and of COL1A1 and COL1A2, involved in collagen synthesis, were significantly and dose-dependently upregulated in PCS- and PCP-treated mice. Conclusions: In this study, PCP and PCS led to favorable skin moisturizing effects as indicated by increased skin water content and the upregulation of hyaluronan and collagen synthesis enzymes in mice treated with PCS (4 mL/kg) and PCP (200 mg/kg).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2021

7-Hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (7H-4MC) inhibits hyaluronan production in multiple cell lines and tissue types both in vitro and in vivo. It is a commercially available drug approved for human use, called hymecromone, in European and Asian countries to prevent biliary spasms. Nevertheless, as the pharmacological efficacy of 7H-4MC has not yet been reported in macrophages, this study investigated its anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of action using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells were treated with various concentrations of 7H-4MC (62.5, 125, 250, and 500 μM). The application of 7H-4MC significantly reduced nitric oxide and prostaglandin E₂ production without cytotoxic effects. Additionally, 7H-4MC strongly decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase. Furthermore, 7H-4MC reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. Finally, 7H-4MC exerted its potent anti-inflammatory actions via the upregulation of IκB-α production, which led to the inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity. These results, obtained in macrophage cell lines, suggest that 7H-4MC prevents inflammatory diseases via the NF-κB signaling pathway and that its use could be beneficial for human health. Ultimately, this is the first report describing the anti-inflammatory activity of 7H-4MC in a macrophage cell line.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2017

In this study, we evaluated the skin moisturizing effect of Brasenia schreberi (B. schreberi) mucilage polysaccharide on human skin and in vitro and the potent cosmetic ingredient for skin. To protect skin from various environmental stresses and aging, we should increase moisture content of skin and prevent water loss. We have found that polysaccharides extracted from mucilage of B. schreberi improved the roughness of skin with its lubricating behavior. In vitro, the expression of transglutaminase 1 (TGM1) gene, which plays a role in cross-linking the skin barrier, was increased when the keratinocytes were treated with B. schreberi polysaccharides. In addition, the expression of hyaluronan synthase 3 (HAS3) gene, an enzyme that synthesizes water-binding matrix hyaluronic acid, aquaporin 3 (AQP3), which regulates the movement of water and glycerol were also increased. In addition, an experiment to evaluate its potential as a cosmetic ingredient has shown anti-inflammatory and collagen synthesis-promoting effects. As a result, the mucilaginous polysaccharide from natural products which has not existed before, showed moisturizing effect, anti-inflammation and collagen synthesis-promoting effects for skin protection and hydration.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.58-65
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• 2021

As aging progresses, reactive oxygen species (ROS) reduces skin moisturization and collapses skin barrier function. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of skin moisturizing and skin barrier function enhancement by extracts from halophytes using HaCaT cells. Spartina anglica (S. anglica; SAE) and Calystegia soldanella (C. soldanella; CSE), a kind of halophytes, were collected from Dongmak beach in Incheon, and extracted with 70% ethanol. At the first, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of extracts in HaCaT cell using WST-8 Kit. As a result, the other experiment was conducted by setting the concentration at which the cell viability was 90% or more. SAE and CSE showed high radical scavenging activity through ABTS assay. Expression levels of genes related to skin moisturizing and skin barrier functions, were analyzed by real-time qPCR. As a result, it showed that the expression of aquaporin 3, hyaluronan synthase 2, and transglutaminase 1 was increased by SAE treatment but not changed by CSE. Activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase was induced by SAE. These results suggest that SAE can be used as functional materials for cosmetics for skin moisturizing and barrier function enhancement.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.08a
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• pp.74-74
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• 2020

Skin is continuously exposed to a variety of environmental stresses, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UVB is an inherent component of sunlight that crosses the epidermis and reaches the upper dermis, leading to increased oxidative stress, activation of inflammatory response and accumulation of DNA damage among other effects. In the present study, the anti-wrinkle mechanism of Acorus gramineus callus culture supernatant (GB-AGS-PSC) was elucidated in UVB treated HaCaT keratinocytes. GB-AGS-PSC prevented the matrix metalloprotease 1 (MMP-1), elastin, and pro-collagen product and cytotoxicity and SOD inhibition. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that GB-AGS-PSC-treated cells displayed dose-dependent increase in messenger RNA expression levels of Aquaporin 3 (AQP3), Keratin 1(KRT1), fillagrin, and hyaluronan synthase-2 (HAS 2) and decreased expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3, -9, and -13 in UVB treated HaCaT keratinocytes. Additionally, GB-AGS-PSC suppressed TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 product for inflammatory responses in UVB treated HaCaT keratinocytes. Therefore, GB-AGS-PSC may be useful as an anti-photoaging resource for the skin.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2013

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the major extracellular matrix components in skin. The HA content is reported to decline with age, which may contribute to decrease in skin moisture, wrinkle formation and the decrease in elasticity of the skin. Among the family of HA synthase genes (HAS-1, 2, 3) identified so far, HAS-2 plays crucial roles in the regulation of HA synthesis in human skin fibroblasts. In this study, we elucidated the effects of ferulic acid isolated from Cnidium officinale on HA production. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR showed that ferulic acid increased mRNA level of HAS-2 gene and ELISA assay also revealed that ferulic acid increased HA production in human skin fibroblasts. Our study suggests that ferulic acid might prevent age-dependent skin deteriorations such as wrinkles, dryness and elasticity decrease, all of which could be ascribed to the reduction of the HA content in human skin.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-20
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• 2021

Objective : The object of this study was to assess the efficacy of hydrolysate from Phellinus igniarius(HPI) on anti-aging activities in vitro measurement and mini clinical study performed on 5 subjects. Methods : To evaluate skin anti-aging efficacy of HPI, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging activity, type I collagen synthesis, inhibition of nitric oxide(NO) production, inhibiton of tyrosinase, hyaluronan synthase(HAS)2, 3 mRNA expression were measured in vitro. Also, mini clinical study of skin hydration was performed on 5 subjects using HPI in distilled water(DW) and 1,3-butylene glycol diluted solution(30% in DW). Results : 1. DPPH radical scavenging activity of HPI was increased in a dose-dependant. 2. Type I collagen synthesis was increased in 50, 100 and 500㎍/㎖ of HPI. 3. NO production was not inhibited in all concentrations of HPI. 4. Tyrosinase was inhibited in 500, 1000, 2500 and 5000㎍/㎖ of HPI. 5. HAS2 mRNA expression was increased in 50, 100, 150 and 200㎍/㎖ of HPI, HAS3 mRNA expression was increased in 100, 150, and 200㎍/㎖ of HPI. 6. In the mini clinical study of 5 subjects, there was a difference in skin hydration over time for each solutions, but it was not statistically siginificant. Conclusions : HPI increased DPPH radical scavenging activity, type I collagen synthesis, and HAS2, HAS3 mRNA expression. HPI also suppressed tyrosinase. The findings of this study suggest that HPI can be used as an skin anti-aging material.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.109-120
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• 2014

In this study, the extracts of Inula britannica var. chinensis (I. britannica) flower were extracted at three different temperatures (room temperature, $45^{\circ}C$, and $65^{\circ}C$) and their anti-aging effects were studied. Before investigating anti-aging effects of the extracts, their cytotoxicity was tested on B16F10, Hs683, and HaCaT cells. All extracts showed no cytotoxicity at the concentration less than 0.1% (v/v). Melanin synthesis inhibitory activities in B16F10 cells and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in Hs683 and HaCaT cells were used to see their anti-aging effects. The room temperature extract at 0.1% showed 24.5% melanin synthesis inhibition, which was better than the $45^{\circ}C$ and $65^{\circ}C$ extracts. In addition, expression rates of the room temperature extract at 0.1% on HAS-1, HAS-2, and HAS-3 related to hyaluronan synthase genes were 123.3%, 137.8%, 133.2%, respectively. which were higher than reference material of L-ascorbic acid. Expression rates of the $45^{\circ}C$ extract at 0.1% on TNF-${\alpha}$, COX-2, and IL-$1{\alpha}$, which are inflammatory related genes, was suppressed to 30.3%, 12.8%, 25.7%, respectively. It was better in anti-in flammatory effect than the room temperature and $65^{\circ}C$ extracts. As results, we showed that I. britannica var. chinensis flower extarcts decreased melanin production and expression of inflammatory related genes and increased the expression rate of hyaluronan synthase genes. Thus, it is believed that the extracts affect anti-aging effects of skin through whitening, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory processes and could be applicable to cosmetics as a functional cosmetic ingredient.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1844-1853
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• 2019

Objective: We investigated how pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) affects embryonic development during pre-in vitro maturation (pre-IVM) using porcine oocytes isolated from small follicles. Methods: We divided the follicles into the experimental groups by size (SF, small follicles; MF, medium follicles) and treated with and without PACAP and cultured for 18 hours (PreSF[-]PACAP; without PACAP, Pre-SF[+]PACAP; with PACAP) before undergoing IVM. The gene expression related to extracellular matrix formation (amphiregulin, epiregulin, and hyaluronan synthase 2 [HAS2]) and apoptosis (Bcl-2-associated X [BAX], B-cell lymphoma 2, and cysteine-aspartic acid protease 3) was investigated after maturation. The impact on developmental competence was assessed by the cleavage and blastocyst rate and total cell number of blastocysts in embryos generated from parthenogenesis (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Results: Cleavage rates in the Pre-SF(+)PACAP after PA were significantly higher than SF and Pre-SF(-)PACAP (p<0.05). The cleavage rates between MF and Pre- SF(+)PACAP groups yielded no notable differences after IVF. Pre-SF(+)PACAP displayed the higher rate of blastocyst formation and greater total cell number than SF and Pre-SF(-)PACAP (p<0.05). Cumulus cells showed significant upregulation of HAS2 mRNA in the Pre-SF(+)PACAP compared to the SF (p<0.05). In comparison to other groups, the Pre-SF(+)PACAP group displayed a downregulation in mRNA expression of BAX in matured oocytes (p<0.05). Conclusion: The PACAP treatment during pre-IVM improved the developmental potential of porcine oocytes derived from SF by regulating cumulus expansion and apoptosis of oocytes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.905-914
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• 2023

To evaluate the effectiveness of the skin barrier improvement of lactic acid (LA) and gluconolactone (GL), the expression of filaggrin, loricrin, hyaluronic acid (HA), hyaluronan syhthase-2 (HAS2), and aquaporine-3 (AQP3) in keratinocytes, and the moisture content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by clinical trials were evaluated. The expression levels of filaggrin and locricrin, which are the main factors affecting the proper functioning of skin barrier function, and HA, HAS2, and AQP3, which are skin moisturizing-related proteins measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. The results showed that the expression levels of the factors that decreased by H2O2 treatment were significantly increased by LA, GL, and a mixture of LA and GL at the mRNA and protein levels (p<0.05). The nanoemulsion containing a mixture of LA and GL was prepared using the emulsion inversion method, and the average particle size was 299.9 ± 0.287 nm. After measuring the TEWL of nanoemulsion using Vapometer, it was found that TEWL significantly decreased by 15.53% and 26.73% after two weeks and four weeks of product use, respectively, compared to TEWL before product use (p<0.001). Similarly, the skin moisture content of the nanoemulsion significantly increased by 15.40% and 26.59% after two weeks and four weeks of product use, respectively, compared to skin moisture content before product use (p<0.001). Therefore, the skin barrier function and moisturizing effect of a mixture of LA and GL are shown by increasing the moisture content and decreasing the TEWL by increasing the expression of filaggrin, loricrin, HA, HAS2, and AQP3. This suggests the possibility for the development of functional cosmetic ingredients in the future.