• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.889-894
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• 2002

Acharan sulfate (AS) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) prepared from the giant African snail, Achatina fulica. In this study, some biological activities of AS were evaluated on the basis of structural similarities to heparin/heparan sulfate and the biological functions of GAGs. We demonstrated that it exhibited strong immunostimulating activities as measured by carbon clearance test in mice and in vivo phagocytosis. It also exhibited a significant hypoglycemic activity in epinephrine (EP)-induced hyperglycemia as well as antifatigue effects by weight-loaded forced swimming test. And it showed hypolipidemic activities in cholesterol-rich mixture induced hyperlipidemia in rats. The above results indicate that AS has diverse biological activities and suggest therapeutically important target molecules.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.286-291
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• 2011

In this study we investigated effects of supplementation with ethyl acetate extracts of the brown alga Eisenia bicyclis on innate immune cells to evaluate the possibilities as an immunomoulator in exercise stress. Twenty male SD rats were divided into four groups and the treatments were as follows: A, no Eisenia bicyclis extract (EBE) (200 mg/kg) intake and maintained at rest ; B, no EBE intake and undergoing exercise ; C, EBE intake and undergoing exercise ; D, EBE intake and maintained at rest. After 5 weeks of oral supplementation, rats were undergoing intensive swimming exercises for 2 h and sacrificed to assess the effects on peritoneal macrophages, spleen cells and natural killer (NK) cells. We showed increasing effects on nitric oxide-inducible nitric oxide synthase (NO-iNOS) production by macrophages and no effects of NK tumoricidal activity and suppressive effects on spleen cell proliferation in exercise group. However, EBE supplementation suppressed NO-iNOS production by macrophages and increased NK tumoricidal activity and spleen cell proliferative response to mitogen in exercise group. Overall, these results that EBE supplementation has differential effects on innate immune response and could be useful as sports nutrition.