• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.179-193
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• 2020

Ginseng products on the market show high variability in their composition and overall quality. This becomes a challenge for both consumers and health-care professionals who are in search of high-quality, reliable ginseng products that have a proven safety and efficacy profile. The botanical extract standardization is of crucial importance in this context as it determines the reproducibility of the quality of the product that is essential for the evaluation of effectiveness and safety. This review focuses on the well-characterized and standardized ginseng extract, G115, which represents an excellent example of an herbal drug preparation with constant safety and efficacy within the herbal medicinal products. Over the many decades, extensive preclinical and clinical research has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of G115. In vitro and in vivo studies of G115 have shown pharmacological effects on physical performance, cognitive function, metabolism, and the immune system. Furthermore, a significant number of G115 clinical studies, most of them double-blind placebo-controlled, have reinforced the findings of preclinical evidence and proved the efficacy of this extract on blood glucose and lipid regulation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, energy, physical performance, and immune and cognitive functions. Clinical trials and 50 years of presence on the market are proof of a good safety profile of G115.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.1-5
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• 2012

Recently, we reported that Jeju ground water contains vanadium components and exerts antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo via the scavenging of reactive oxygen species and enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activities. In the present study, the antioxidant actions of Jeju ground water were compared with those of tap water against gamma-ray radiation in mice. C57BL/6 mice were irradiated with gamma-ray at a dose rate of 2 Gy. The mice were then given tap water or Jeju ground water for 90 days. Jeju ground water compared with tap water enhanced the activities and levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in irradiated liver tissues. Jeju ground water also enhanced the levels of intracellular reduced glutathione, which is vital for normal liver function and repair. These results suggest that vanadium-containing Jeju ground water can safeguard against the harmful actions of gamma-ray radiation through the support of hepatic antioxidant processes.

• BMB Reports
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.260-264
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• 2009

Tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) exhibits cytotoxicity towards various tumor cells in vitro and induces apoptotic necrosis in transplanted tumors in vivo. It also shows severe toxicity when used systemically for the treatment of cancer patients, hampering the development of TNF-$\alpha$ as a potential anticancer drug. In order to understand the structure-function relation of TNF-$\alpha$ with respect to receptor binding, we selected four regions on the bottom of the TNF-$\alpha$ trimer that are in close contact with the receptor and carried out mutagenesis studies and computational modeling. From the study, various TNF-$\alpha$ muteins with a high therapeutic index were identified. These results will provide a structural basis for the design of highly potent TNF-$\alpha$ for therapeutic purposes. By conjugating TNF-$\alpha$ muteins with a high therapeutic index to a fusion partner, which targets a marker of angiogenesis, it could be possible to develop TNF-$\alpha$ based anticancer drugs.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.194-200
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• 2022

Albizia julibrissin Durazz. (AJ; family Minosaceae) is widely distributed worldwide, and its stem bark has been used as a traditional herbal medicine. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome that results in sudden loss of renal function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AJ against cisplatin-induced AKI using a human kidney proximal tubule epithelial cell line (HK-2) and cisplatin-treated mice. In vitro, cisplatin treatment increased apoptosis in HK-2 cells. However, AJ treatment decreased apoptosis of cisplatin-treated HK-2 cells. In vivo, cisplatin treatment accelerated renal injury by increasing the levels of renal injury markers, such as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, kidney injury molecule 1, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, which were reversed by AJ treatment. Histopathologically, AJ treatment resulted in decreased renal damage with less tubular necrosis and brush border desquamation compared with the AKI group. Additionally, cisplatin treatment upregulated mitochondrial fission, a pathological characteristic of AKI, which was downregulated by AJ treatment. Along with increased mitochondrial fission, AJ treatment also reduced cisplatin-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that AJ may be a potential therapeutic agent for cisplatin-induced AKI.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute an important class of drug targets and are involved in every aspect of human physiology including sleep regulation, blood pressure, mood, food intake, perception of pain, control of cancer growth, and immune response. Radiometric assays have been the classic method used during the search for potential therapeutics acting at various GPCRs for most GPCR-based drug discovery research programs. An increasing number of diverse small molecules, together with novel GPCR targets identified from genomics efforts, necessitates the use of high-throughput assays with a good sensitivity and specificity. Currently, a wide array of high-throughput tools for research on GPCRs is available and can be used to study receptor-ligand interaction, receptor driven functional response, receptor-receptor interaction,and receptor internalization. Many of the assay technologies are based on luminescence or fluorescence and can be easily applied in cell based models to reduce gaps between in vitro and in vivo studies for drug discovery processes. Especially, cell based models for GPCR can be efficiently employed to deconvolute the integrated information concerning the ligand-receptor-function axis obtained from label-free detection technology. This review covers various platform technologies used for the research of GPCRs, concentrating on the principal, non-radiometric homogeneous assay technologies. As current technology is rapidly advancing, the combination of probe chemistry, optical instruments, and GPCR biology will provide us with many new technologies to apply in the future.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제31권8호
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• pp.736-744
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• 2021

강화사자발쑥(Artemisia princeps Pampanini)은 항산화, 항염증 및 항균제와 같은 면역 기능 관련 질병에 널리 사용되는 약초이다. 이 연구에서 우리는 RAW 264.7 세포에서 AP 추출물의 항염증 효과를 조사하고 관련 메커니즘을 평가하였다. AP 추출물의 효과는 complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) 유도 관절염 및 lipopolysaccharide(LPS) 유도 마우스 모델에서도 평가되었다. RAW 264.7 세포에서 AP 추출물은 LPS에 의해 유도 된 산화질소(NO) 생성과 inducible NO synthase 및 cyclooxygenase-2 단백질 발현을 현저하게 억제했다. RAW 264.7 세포에서 LPS로 유도된 mitogen-activated protein kinase 와 nuclear factor-κB의 인산화 또한 AP 추출물에 의해 유의하게 억제되었다. AP 추출물의 경구 투여는 CFA 처리 마우스 그룹에 비해 발의 부종 및 비장 지수 증가를 억제하였다. 조직학적으로 CFA 처리 마우스 군에서는 cartilage와 synovium에서 염증 세포의 침윤이 증가한 반면 AP 추출물 투여군에서는 억제되었다. 더욱이, AP 추출물은 염증성 사이토카인으로 알려진 tumor necrosis factor-α 수준을 CFA 및 LPS 처리 마우스 모델에서 현저하게 감소시켰다. 결론적으로, AP 추출물의 항염증 및 항 관절염 효과는 in vitro 및 in vivo 모델 모두에서 확인되었으며, 이는 Artemisia princeps Pampanini가 관절염 치료의 후보 물질이 될 수 있음을 시사한다.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.99-103
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• 1999

Self-Emulsifying System(SES), an isotropic mixture of oil and surfactant which forms oil-in-water emulsion, is expected to improve in vitro drug dissolution and enhance in vivo drug absorption. A poorly water soluble drug, ibu-profen(IBP) was incorporated into the SES to improve absorption, and enhance bioavailability of drug. Medium chain triglyceride, glyceryl tricaprylate(GTC) as an oil, and Tween 85 as a surfactant were used to formulate SES. To characterize SESs with various concentrations of Tween 85, the phase separation and solubility of IBP-SEDDS containing IBP as a function of Tween 85 concentration were conducted, and the particle size was measured using photon correlation spectroscopic method. The SES with optimal concentration of Tween 85(35%(w/w)) was selected based on its high drug loading, small particle size and low surfactant concentration. After an oral administration of IBP-SEDDS and IBP suspension in methyl cellulose equivalent to 40.0 mg/kg to rats, the pharmacokinetic parameters were compared. The $C_{max}(163.17\;vs\;88.82\;{\mu}g/ml)$, $AUC(12897.01\;vs\;8751.13\;{\mu}g\;min/ml)$ and Bioavailability(86.44 vs 58.65%) significantly increased but $T_max(10\;vs\;20\;min)$ was significantly advanced. The current SEDDS containing IBP provide an alternative to improve an oral bio-availability of IBP.

• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.69-74
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• 2009

Codonopsis lanceolatae have been used as one of the traditional remedies as well as food source. We previously reported that in vitro supplementation of Codonopsis lanceolatae water extracts enhanced the splenocytes proliferation compared to the control group. This study, the combined immunomodulative effect of water extract Codonopsis lanceolatae was Seven to eight weeks old mice(balb/c) was fed ad libitum on chow diet and water extract of Codonopsis lanceolatae was orally administrated every other day for four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500 mg/kg B.W.). The production of cytokine(IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$), secreted by macrophages stimulated with LPS or not, were detected by ELISA assay using the cytokine kit. The result of ex vivo study showed that the IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$ was detected at 500 mg/kg B.W. supplementation group with LPS stimulation in all cases. Also, ratio of IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-10 was the range of 3${\sim}$7 with mitogen stimulation such as Con A and LPS. In conclusion, this study suggests that Codonopsis lanceolatae extracts may enhance the immune function by regulating the cytokine(IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$) prodution capacity by activated macrophages in mice.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2004

오이 뿌리조직으로부터 분리한 식물내생세균 EB215균은 탄저병균인 Colletotrichum species에 대하여 강한 항균활성을 보였다. 이 균은 생리 생화학적 특성과 Biolog 실험 및 16S rDNA 유전자 서열에 의해 Burkholderia cepacia로 동정되었다. 이 균의 항균물질 생산을 위한 최적배지는 nutrient 액체(NB) 배지로 그리고 배양기간은 3일로 결정되었다. B. cepacia EB215 균주의 NB 배양체로부터 원심분리, n-hexane 분획, silica gel 컬럼, preparative TLC 및 in vitro 생물검정 등을 통하여 한 개의 항균물질을 분리하였다. 이 물질은 질량분석과 핵자기공명 분석을 통하여 pyrrolnitrin으로 동정되었다. Pyrrolnitrin은 고추 탄저병(Colletotrichum coccodes), 오이 탄저병(Colletotrichum orbiculare), 벼 도열병(Magnaporthe grisea), 벼 잎집무늬마름병(Corticium sasaki) 등의 4가지 식물병에는 $11.1\;{\mu}g/ml$ 낮은 농도에서도 90% 이상의 높은 방제활성을 보였다. 그리고 또한 토마토 잿빛곰팡이병(Botrytis cinerea)과 밀 붉은녹병(Puccinia recondita)에 대해서는 $33.3\;{\mu}g/ml$ 이상의 농도에서 90% 이상의 방제활성 보였다. 하지만 Phytophthora infestans에 의한 토마토 역병에 대해서는 전혀 항균활성이 없었다. 앞으로 B. cepacia EB215균을 이용한 미생물살균제 개발에 대하 연구를 진행할 예정이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.74-80
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• 2015

Skin is the soft outer covering of vertebrates that provides protection from pathogenic infection, physical damage, or UV irradiation, and controls body temperature and water content. In this study, we examined the effects of oral intake of kimchi-derived Lactobacillus plantarum K8 lysates on skin moisturizing. In an in vitro study, we observed that the hyaluronic acid content increased in HaCaT cells treated with L. plantarum K8 lysates. Oral administration of L. plantarum K8 lysates effectively attenuated the horny layer formation and decreased epidermal thickening in DNCB-treated SKH-1 hairless mice skin. The damage to barrier function was reduced after 8 weeks of oral administration of L. plantarum K8 lysates as compared with that in the atopic dermatitis mice. For the test with volunteers, we manufactured experimental candy containing 2.1% L. plantarum K8 lysates, while control candy did not contain bacterial lysate. A significant increase in hydration in the experimental candy-administered group as compared with the control candy-administered group was observed on the face after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in horny layer thickness and TEWL value were observed on the face and forearm of the experimental group. Together, the in vitro cell line and in vivo mouse studies revealed that L. plantarum K8 lysates have a moisturizing effect. A clinical research study with healthy volunteers also showed an improvement in barrier repair and function when volunteers took L. plantarum K8 lysates-containing candy. Thus, our results suggest that L. plantarum K8 lysates may help to improve skin barrier function.