• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.763-771
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• 2012

In this study, total antioxidant properties of extracts from different parts of Lespedeza bicolor were determined using techniques of measuring 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl/2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-radical scavenging activity and total phenolic contents. The total antioxidant activities of leaf, stem and root extracts from various solvents (water, 50, 70, 100% ethanol, and hot-water) indicated that 50 and 70% ethanol extracts have high radical scavenging activities and phenolic contents. A systematic approach was used to determine the total antioxidant activity of different solvent fractions of the Lespedeza bicolor extracts, partitioning with chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water, and the ethyl acetate fraction was found to have the strongest antioxidant activity. Antioxidant assay-guided isolation was carried out to isolate potential antioxidant compounds. The ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf extract was subjected to silica gel, LH-20 and RP-18 column chromatography successively, and afforded compound 1, which was identified as eriodictyol by NMR and MS analysis, after which its antioxidant activity was determined.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2009

This study was carried out to determine the optimum extraction conditions for Ishige okamurai by comparing the yields, total phenolic compound content (TPC), and antioxidant properties of its 95%, 70%, 50% fermented ethyl alcohol and water extracts. Additionally, the effects of heat and pH treatments on the antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated by their TPC and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging capabilities. The yields of the extracts were greatest in the order of water > 50% > 70% > 95% fermented ethyl alcohol, and the TPC of the 70% (26.18%) and 50% fermented ethyl alcohol (27.56%) extracts were higher than those of the others. However, in terms of DPPH radical scavenging and ferrous-reducing power, the 70% fermented ethyl alcohol extract of Ishige okamurai showed the highest antioxidant effects. Additionally, in the results for the heat and pH treatments, the antioxidant properties of the 70% fermented ethyl alcohol extract were not influenced by the treatment conditions except at pH 10.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.324-332
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to examine if transient transfection of CAR can transactivate CYP2B1 PBRU reporter gene in COS cells in which the endogenous CYP2B1 gene is not induced by PB. In non-transfeced cells of both Hep G2 and COS, the endogeneous expression of CAR was not detected by antibody against CAR. When cultured cells were transfected with CAR expression plasmid, mCAR1-GFP, both cell types expressed high levels of CAR protein and could allow to examine the effect of CAR in PBRU transactivation. Both cell types expressed endogenous RXR and transfection of RXR expression plasmid dramatically increased its protein expression. Whereas CAR transactivated PBRU2C1Luciferase about 12 fold as compared to 2C1Luciferase in Hep G2 cells, it did not stimulate the luciferase activity of the PBRU reporter gene in COS cells. These results indicate that Hep G2 cells can respond to CAR differently from COS cells, and suggest that factors other than CAR and RXR may be required in inducing PBRU activation and the expression of these factors may be different between liver and kidney.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.6 s.86
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• pp.836-840
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate mineral contents of commercial powdered infant formula for obtaining basic data on infant nutrition. 11 Commercial infant formula based on cow's milk were collected and the contents of macro minerals (calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium and magnesium) and trace minerals (iron, zinc and copper) were compared with Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs). The overall mineral contents in 100 g and in 100 kcal of infant formula satisfied the recommended formula regulation and Codex. In infant formula during 0-5 monthly age, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper could supply 233.1%, 273.5%, 156.7%, 142.0%, 150.8%, 209.3%, 171.1% of recommended daily mineral intakes, respectively. The content of iron in 0-5 monthly age formula supplied2842.6% of recommended daily iron intakes. In infant formula during 6-11 monthly age, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper satisfied their recommended daily intakes. However, sodium only supplied 76.6% of its recommended daily intake. Intake ratio between Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Ca/Fe, Na/K and Zn/cu in infant formula during 0-5 monthly age were 1.7±0.2, 11.0±2.4,64.9±10.0, 0.3±0.1, and 9.6±1.0, respectively. Intake ratio between Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Ca/Fe, Na/K and Zn/cu in infant formula during 6-11 monthly age were 1.7${\pm}$0.2, 12.9${\pm}$1.5, 80.1${\pm}$13.8, 0.3, and 9.4${\pm}$1.1,respectively. From this study, evaluation of mineral contents of commercial infant formula was established, which could strengthen the basic information on infant nutrition.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.463-472
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• 2015

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide expressed in all body tissues, and its related receptors are increased in liver fibrosis. In this study, we evaluated the effect of AM deficiency on liver fibrogenesis induced by $CCl_4$ using AM heterozygous (HT) mice. The animals received a single injection of $CCl_4$ or olive oil for the acute experiment, and received $CCl_4$ or olive oil three times a week for 6 weeks for the chronic experiment. Fibrosis was accessed using histopathological analysis and the western blot. The AM HT mice showed mild pericentrilobular degeneration when compared to the AM wild type (WT) mice. In the acute experiment, there was no significant difference between the AM WT and AM HT mice. However, in the chronic experiment, the $CCl_4$-treated AM HT mice showed more severe liver fibrosis than that of the CCl₄-treated AM WT mice. The AST and ALT levels of the AM HT $CCl_4$ group were higher than those of the AM WT CCl₄ group. Additionally, the collagen deposition, $\alpha$- SMA protein and TGF-$\beta$ protein were increased in the AM HT $CCl_4$ group when compared to the AM WT $CCl_4$ group. The AM HT mice also exhibited severe lipid peroxidation through the GSH decrement. Taken together, our data suggest that AM deficiency increases the susceptibility to liver fibrosis induced by $CCl_4$, indicating a novel therapeutic target for patients with liver fibrosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.433-440
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• 2015

Several studies suggest that regular consumption of walnuts may have beneficial effects against oxidative stress-mediated disease such as cancer. The present study reports the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, together with the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of several solvent extracts (methanol, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water) obtained from walnut (Juglans regia L.) green husk. MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) values of the walnut extracts for 8 human pathogenic bacteria strain were determined using agar dilution method. Antioxidant activity of extracts were assessed using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) assays, EC₅₀ of DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities, and determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content and its correlation with DPPH and ABTS scavenging capacities. Among the six extracts, ethyl acetate extract (EtOAc Ex) showed the highest antimicrobial activity at 3.2 mg/ml of MICs against Staphylococcus aureus SG511. Total flavonoids and polyphenol contents of EtOAc Ex were 42.48 mg of quercetin equivalents (QE)/g and 223.25 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g respectively. The highest antioxidative potential was shown by the sample extracted with EtOAc Ex (EC₅₀=13.43 μg/ml for DPPH and EC₅₀=41.83 μg/ml for ABTS radical scavenging activity assay). These results showed that J. regia green husk extracts can be used as an easily accessible source of natural antibacterial agents and natural antioxidants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.955-962
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• 2016

Fish-meat gel is an intermediate product used in a variety of surimi-based seafood. One of the most-used raw materials of fish-meat gel is Alaska Pollock due to its high-quality meat in terms of gel strength and texture. However, increasing demand for fish-meat gel, along with overexploitation of the wild catch Alaska Pollock, has put the industry in need of low-cost sustainable alternative sources for fish-meat gel. Pagrus major (PM) is a widely aquacultured fish known for having white meat that is low in fat. The current study compares the quality of fish-meat gel prepared from aquacultured PM to that of high and mid-grade Alaska Pollock fish-meat gel. Gels were compared in terms of gel strength, texture, color, and protein pattern. Results indicated that fish-meat gels prepared from PM were superior to Alaska Pollock fish-meat gels with regard to gel strength, hardness, springiness, chewiness, cutting strength, and breaking force. In addition, although not matching in quality, PM exhibited a cohesiveness, whiteness, and expressible moisture content comparable to Alaska Pollock of both grades. Protein pattern analysis also showed that PM and Alaska Pollock fish-meat gels had similar protein profiles before and after gel preparation. Therefore, P. major is suggested as a potential substitute for Alaska Pollock in fish-meat gel production.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1234-1243
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• 2011

Liriope platyphylla has been used in oriental medicine as an effective medical plant to improve symptoms of cough, sputum production, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity and diabetes for long time. In order to investigate the effects of novel extracts on nerve growth factors (NGF)-stimulated neuritic outgrowth, the alteration of NGF expression and NGF receptor signaling pathway were detected in neuroblastoma cells and C57BL/6 mice. Of a total of 13 novel extracts, 4 extracts (LP-E, LP-M, LP-M50, LP2E17PJ) showed high viability on MTT assay. Also, all of these extracts induced NGF secretion and NGF mRNA expression in neuroblastoma cells. However, the NGF-induced neuritic outgrowth from PC12 cells was only stimulated by LP-E, LP-M and LP-M50. Furthermore, we selected LP-M as a best candidate, based on method and amounts of extraction, in order to verify its effect in mice. C57BL/6 mice were treated with 50 mg/kg of LP-M for 2 weeks and the effects on NGF regulation were analyzed with various methods. The expression of NGF mRNA was significantly increased in LP-M treated mice compared to vehicle treated mice. Also, the signaling pathway of p75NTR was inhibited in the cortex by LP-M treatment, with no change in the hippocampus of brain. However, the signaling pathway of TrkA was dramatically activated in only hippocampus via LP-M treatment. Therefore, these results suggest that the novel four extracts of L. platyphylla may contribute to the regulation of NGF expression and secretion in neuronal cells. LP-M was especially considered to be an excellent candidate for a neurodegenerative disease-therapeutic drug.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1628-1636
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• 2012

This study examined the antioxidant activity of the dark purple rice seeds from the rice line, MGI079, derived from insertional mutagenesis. The contents of polyphenolic compounds were 1.3 and 1.9-fold higher in the MGI079-2-1 and MGI079-2-6 rice lines than in the donor cultivar MGI079. Flavonoid contents were 6.4-fold higher in the MGI079-2-1 line. The MGI079-2-1 line showed a 24.4-fold higher activity in DPPH free radical scavenging compared to the MGI079 line. The anthocyanin content of the MGI079-2-6 line was more than 106.4-fold higher than the MGI079 line and 1.4-fold higher than the Heugnam line. Anthocyanin content in colored rice grains was negatively correlated with Hunter's L, a, and b values, with the correlation coefficients of $-5.64^{**}$, $5.21^{**}$ and -1.15, respectively. The grain length/width of a mutant of MGI079 segregated to a medium and bold type compared to the medium type of MGI079. However, the 1,000 grain weight was decreased to 13.6~19.6 g compared to 19.8 g for MGI079. Amylose content of the endosperm was 5.6~23.8% higher than in the MGI079 line. The grain of mutants of MGI079 was distinguished by its starch characteristics. The higher antioxidant activity of the MGI079-2-1 and MGI079-2-6 lines indicated functional characteristics associated with high-value resources, so future breeding should focus on the development of pigments in colored rice in new varieties.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.44-55
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• 2011

This study aimed to investigate the effects of water extract of Rubus coreanus (RCE) on the expression and activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), as well as its signal transduction pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The specific inhibitors of NOS show RCE treatment increases NO production in HUVECs due to the up-regulation of eNOS rather than iNOS. The real-time expression level of eNOS mRNA was also increased upon RCE treatment in HUVECs. While a PKC-specific inhibitor, RO-317549, did not alter RCE-induced NO production in HUVECs, tamoxifen (estrogen receptor-specific inhibitor), PD98059 (ERK-specific inhibitor) and LY-294002 (PI3K/Akt-specific inhibitor) did have suppressive effects. Increased NO production by RCE seems to result from a higher level of active eNOS (pSer1177). Specifically, inhibition of ERK not only decreased the level of active eNOS, but also increased the inactive form of the enzyme (pThr495) in HUVECs. This study suggests that RCE treatment increases NO production in HUVECs due to the increased expression and activity of eNOS. It is also shown that RCE-induced eNOS activation occurs partly through the binding of RCE to the estrogen receptor, along with ERK and PI3K/Akt-dependent signal transduction pathways. In addition, the regulatory binding proteins of eNOS including Hsp90 and caveolin-1 were related to these effects of RCE on eNOS activity in HUVECs.