• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.545-551
• /
• 2017

Curcuma longa L. (CL) is widely used as a spice and coloring agent in several foods, such as curry and mustard, as well as cosmetics and drugs. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of CL extracted with various solvents [methanol (MC), ethanol (EC), acetone (AC)] on $H_2O_2-induced$ DNA damage in human leukocytes along with total polyphenol contents (TPC) and antioxidant properties. The antioxidant effects of CL were determined by measuring 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (RSA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity. The preventive effect of CL on oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and DNA repair capacities were assessed using comet assay. MC showed the highest TPC (11.17 g gallic acid equivalents/100 g) and antioxidant properties among the solvent extracts. The $SC_{50}$ for DPPH RSA was MC: 35.0 > AC: 45.8 > EC: $57.8{\mu}g/mL$ and SOD-like activity was MC: 46.6 > EC: 141.5 > AC: $296.4{\mu}g/mL$. In the comet assay, the $ED_{50}$ value of MC showed the highest inhibition ($86.7{\mu}g/mL$) of $H_2O_2-induced$ DNA damage, followed by AC ($110.0{\mu}g/mL$) > EC ($115.8{\mu}g/mL$). Analysis of the percentage of damaged cells showed that repair capacity significantly decreased at 4, 8, and 12 h from $H_2O_2-induced$ oxidative stress in each extract. After 12 h, level of DNA damage recovery was similar to the negative control level. These results suggest that CL has potential antioxidant activity and a protective effect against oxidation-induced DNA damage, and the methanol extract of CL was the most effective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.46 no.10
• /
• pp.1164-1170
• /
• 2017

Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBL) has recently been registered as a temporary food in Korea, and this study evaluated the application potential of PBL proteins as health functional food materials. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from PBL powder by enzymatic hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, and papain), and based on the results from the peptide content and SDS-PAGE analyses, PBL treated with alcalase or flavourzyme showed a high degree of hydrolysis (HD) value, whereas the HD value of those treated with neutrase, bromelain, or papain was minimal. The protein hydrolysates showing a high HD value were separated further into the fractions of >3 kDa and <3 kDa by a centrifugal filter system and then lyophilized, and according to the $RC_{50}$ values of the protein hydrolysates (<3 kDa) obtained from three different antioxidant analyses; the alcalase hydrolysates showed the highest antioxidant activity. Therefore, the alcalase hydrolysates were tested further for their inhibitory effects on the peroxidation of linoleic acid by measuring the thiobarbituric acid values. The results showed that the peroxidation of untreated linoleic acid increased dramatically during 6 days of incubation, but a pretreatment with the hydrolysates ($100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited the linoleic acid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner for 6 days. Our current studies are focused on the identification of active peptide sequences from alcalase hydrolysates.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2007.11a
• /
• pp.79-92
• /
• 2007

Oxidative stress have known to be a risk factor for the degenerative processes and closely related to a lot of diseases. It is well established that antioxidants are good in protection and therapeutic means against oxidative damage. There is increasing interest in natural antioxidants and many natural antioxidants have been found and utilized as the possible protection for various diseases and skin aging. We have screened natural antioxidant agents for cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and drugs as therapeutic and preventive means against oxidative stress, and have developed a number of novel antioxidants from various natural sources. A novel melanin synthesis inhibitor, Melanocin A, isolated from the metabolite of a fungal strain Eupenicillium shearii F80695 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase and melanin biosynthesis of B16 melanoma cells with $IC_{50}$ value of 9.0 nM and MIC value of $0.9\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Melanocin A also exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging of DPPH and superoxide anion radicals. UV was found to increase the level of hydrogen peroxides and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin tissues. This increase in ROS may not only alter the structure and function of many genes and proteins directly but may also modulate their expressions through signal transduction pathways and, ultimately, lead to skin damage. We investigated the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced premature skin aging. Firstly, the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT in vitro was investigated. Acute UV irradiation induced MMP-9 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and Melanocin A suppressed this expression in a dose-dependent manner. We then investigated UV-induced skin changes in hairless mice in vivo by Melanocin A. Chronic exposure of hairless mouse dorsal skin to UV increased skin thickness and induced wrinkle formation and the gelatinase activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, Melanocin A significantly suppressed UV-induced morphologic skin changes and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. These results show that Melanocin A can prevent the harmful effects of UV that lead to skin aging. Therefore, we suggest that Melanocin A should be viewed as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and/or treating premature skin aging. Terrein is a bioactive fungal metabolite isolated from Penicillium species. Terrein has a relatively simple structure and can be easily synthesized. However, the biologic effects of terrein are comparatively unknown. We found for the first time that terrein potently inhibit melanin production in melanocytes and has a strong hypopigmentary effect in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab. Treatment of Mel-Ab cells with terrein (10-100 mM) for 4 days significantly reduced melanin levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, terrein at the same concentration also reduced tyrosinase activity. We then investigated whether terrein influences the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway and the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), which is required for tyrosinase expression. Terrein was found to induce sustained ERK activation and MITF down-regulation, and luciferase assays showed that terrein inhibits MITF promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the correlation between ERK pathway activation and a decreased MITF transcriptional level, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK pathway, was applied before terrain treatment and found to abrogate the terrein-induced MITF attenuation. Terrein also reduced the tyrosinase protein level for at least 72 h. These results suggest that terrain reduces melanin synthesis by reducing tyrosinase production via ERK activation, and that this is followed by MITF down-regulation.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.10-21
• /
• 2023

Hydrogels that are made of natural polymer-based double networks have excellent biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and high water content, assuring that the material has the properties required for a variety of biomedical applications. However, hydrogels also have limitations due to their relatively weak mechanical properties. In this study, hydrogels based on an alginate di-aldehyde (ADA) and gelatin (Gel) double network that is reinforced with additional hydrogen bonds formed between the hydroxyl (-OH) groups of the hyperbranched polymer (HPG) and the functional groups present inside of the hydrogels were successfully synthesized. The enhanced mechanical properties of these synthesized hydrogels were evaluated by varying the amount of HPG added during the hydrogel synthesis from 0 to 25%. In addition, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) were synthesized within the hydrogels and the structures and the magnetic properties of the hydrogels were also characterized. The hydrogels that contained 15% HPG and Fe₃O₄ NPs exhibited superparamagnetic behaviors with a saturation magnetization value of 3.8 emu g^-1. These particular hydrogels also had strengthened mechanical properties with a maximum compressive stress of 1.1 MPa at a strain of 67.4%. Magnetic hydrogels made with natural polymer-based double networks provide improved mechanical properties and have a significant potential for drug delivery and biomaterial application.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.360-371
• /
• 2018

Extracts and fractions of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge were prepared and their physiological activities and components were analyzed. Antimicrobial activities of the ethyl acetate and aglycone fractions were $78{\mu}g/ml$ and $31{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, for Staphylococcus aureus and $156{\mu}g/ml$ and $125{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and aglycone fraction of A. asphodeloides extracts were $146.2{\mu}g/ml$, $23.19{\mu}g/ml$, and $71.06{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity ($OSC_{50}$) in an $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) system were $17.5{\mu}g/ml$, $1.5{\mu}g/ml$, and $1.4{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The cytoprotective effect (${\tau}_{50}$) in $^1O_2$-induced erythrocyte hemolysis was 181 min with $4{\mu}g/ml$ of the aglycone fraction. The ${\tau}_{50}$ of the aglycone fraction was approximately 4-times higher than that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\tau}_{50}$, 41 min). Analysis of $H_2O_2$-induced damage of HaCaT cells revealed that the maximum cell viabilities for the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and aglycone fraction were 86.23%, 86.59%, and 89.70%, respectively. The aglycone fraction increased cell viability up to 11.53% at $1{\mu}g/ml$ compared to the positive control treated with $H_2O_2$. Analysis of ultraviolet B radiation-induced HaCaT cell damage revealed up to 41.77% decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species in the $2{\mu}g/ml$ aglycone fraction compared with the positive control treated with ultraviolet B radiation. The findings suggest that the extracts and fractions of A. asphodeloides Bunge have potential applications in the field of cosmetics as natural preservatives and antioxidants.