• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2015

The increase in resistance by pathogenic bacteria to multiple antimicrobial agents has become a significant treat, as the effective antimicrobial agents available for the patients infected by such resistant bacteria are reduced, or even eliminated. Several natural plant extracts have exhibited antibacterial and synergistic activity against various resistant microorganisms. Houttuynia cordata is frequently used by many traditional medicine practicioners for its antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the antibacterial effects of H. cordata extract against clinical multi-resistant bacteria, and compared the two methods used for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Thirty isolates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 10), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE, 10), Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB, 10) were included in this study. The antibacterial effect of H. cordata was tested by disk diffusion and microbroth dilution methods as per CLSI guidelines. In disk diffusion, all isolates (30) showed no inhibition to 30,000 ug/mL of H. cordata. But in the microbroth dilution method, $MIC_{90}$ of H. cordata was 4,096 ug/mL, 8,192 ug/mL and 4,096 ug/mL in MRSA, VRE and CRAB, respectively. These results demonstrate that H. cordata exhibits antibacterial activity against MRSA, VRE and CRAB. Moreover, the microbroth dilution method is a more effective method than disk diffusion to evaluate the antibacterial activity of natural products. The Disk diffusion method used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of natural products required new standard guidelines including inoculum concentration of bacteria.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.389-395
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• 2017

A simultaneous determination of 5 phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, pcoumaric acid, trans ferulic acid) and 9 flavonoids (procyanidin b1, aspalathin, rutin, vitexin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, luteolin, quercetin, chrysoeriol) in rooibos tea has been carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). A validated analysis method in this study was applied to rooibos aqueous infusions. Rooibos tea is an antioxidant-rich tea which has anti-cancer, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic effect. Extraction yield of phenolics depends on steeping time and temperature of water. Tea infusions were prepared by placing 1 g of tea leaves or 1 tea bag in 100 mL of boiled water, and then at 3, 6 and 30 minutes intervals the infused teas were taken to carry out the analysis of phenolic contents. Another tea infusion was conducted with cold water ($25-30^{\circ}C$) for 30 minuntes. As a result, the total amount of phenolics was highest in rooibos tea steeped with hot water for 30 minutes, followed by 6 minutes, 3 minutes and cold water 30minutes and the result has statistical significance.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.109-114
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• 2010

The in vivo and in vitro effects of oriental herb extracts of Cassia obtusifolia, Taraxacum platycarpum and Ulmusmacrocarpa on anti-atopic allergic reaction were evaluated in this study. A mixture of these extracts exhibited more potent anti-allergic activities in human mast cells than those from individual extracts. The herbal mixture significantly inhibited the release of compound 48/80-induced $\beta$-hexosaminidase release in the human mast cell line, HMC-1. The mixture also suppressed the production of PMA and A23187-induced inflammatory cytokines in HMC-1 cells. To further investigate the in vivo effects of the herbal mixture, a Dermatophagoides farinae (DF)-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model was utilized. Oral administration of the herbal mixture significantly decreased the ear thickness and swelling in DF treated NC/Nga mice in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, serum levels of IgE and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were significantly decreased, whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-$\gamma$) levels were increased in the mixture administrated groups when compared to the control. Taken together, our data indicate the possibility of using a mixture of the oriental herb extract to relieve symptoms of atopic dermatitis.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 2018

Bilirubin has an anti-inflammatory effect as an endogenous antioxidant and has been reported to be inversely correlated with hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. On the other hand, there is a lack of research evaluating the association between bilirubin and metabolic syndrome compared to liver-specific indicators. This study examined the association between the total bilirubin and metabolic syndrome prevalence in Korean adults who underwent health screening compared to ALT and GGT. This cross sectional study included 22,568 adult males and females aged 20 years or older who underwent a health examination at the General Hospital of Gyeonggi Province from March 2015 to February 2018. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) guidelines. In both genders, the metabolic syndrome diagnosed group had higher liver enzymes, and the total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were lower than those without the metabolic syndrome risk factors. The serum total bilirubin showed a weak inverse correlation with abdominal obesity (r=-0.066 vs r=-0.055) and triglyceride (r=-0.127 vs r=-0.136) in both males and females, which is weaker than ALT and GGT The data were statistically significant. In addition, total bilirubin as well as ALT and GGT in both men and women were not predictors of the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2013

Kalopanax pictus has pharmacologically anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect and is known to respond to treatment of backache, knee pain and etc. In this study, we investigated the effects on gastric lesions of Kalopanax pictus both from Korea (KPK) and China (KPC) compared with their related origin, Znthoxylum ailanthoide both from Korea (ZAK) and China (ZAC), and Korean Bombax malabaricum (BMK). In preliminary screening, KPK and KPC shown effective inhibition of HCI EtOH-induced gastritis in rats. To elucidate their protective effects on gastric lesions, we assessed inhibition of H. pylori colonization, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging activities, reducing power test, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. KPK was the most effective from antioxidant assays. KPK also shown the inhibition of indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Gastric secretion in rats, KPK reduced the secretion of gastric juice and total acidity and raised pH. Therefore, it is possible that KPK can be developed as health functional food and natural medicine. In addition, it can contribute to the standardization with objectivity and reliability for KPK through the criteria establishment of the precise origin of medicine, the prevention of indiscriminate distribution of imitation, and the rising rate of dependence on imports of medicinal herbs, and mixing prevention of low-quality goods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.515-522
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• 2015

Treculia africana Decne, a breadfruit species, is native to many parts of West and Tropical Africa. The breadfruit belongs to the family Moraceae and is one of the four members of the genera Treculia. The crude extract of T. africana has been used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent for various ailments, such as whooping cough. In this study, we evaluated the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer activities of the methanol extract of T. africana Decne (META) and the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer effects in human colon carcinoma HT29 cells. The META exhibited anti-oxidative activity through a DPPH radical scavenging capacity and inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner in HT29 cells. META treatment induced apoptosis of HT29 cells, showing an increase in the percentage of both SubG1 cells and Annexin V-positive cells and the formation of apoptotic bodies in a dose-dependent manner. META-mediated apoptosis was associated with the up-regulation of the death receptor FAS and Bax and a decrease in the Bcl-2 expression. META-treated HT29 cells also showed the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, and proteolytic cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). These findings suggest META may exert an anti-cancer effect in HT29 cells by inducing apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 2017

Previously, we have shown that Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis) has a protective effect against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced hepatic steatosis. Gomisin A is a bioactive phytoestrogen derived from S. chinensis. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo effects of gomisin A on ER stress and hepatic steatosis were investigated. We quantified the expression of markers of ER stress, including glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homolog protein (CHOP), and X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), in HepG2 cells treated with tunicamycin or palmitate. Tunicamycin treatment in HepG2 cells induced the expression of markers of ER stress, including GRP78, CHOP, and XBP-1c. However, treatment with gomisin A reduced the expression of markers of ER stress. These inhibitory effects were also observed in palmitate-incubated HepG2 cells. The in vivo inhibitory effects of gomisin A were assessed in mice injected with tunicamycin or fed with a high fat diet (HFD). Gomisin A reduced the expression of markers of ER stress and decreased triglyceride levels in the livers of mice after tunicamycin injection or HFD feeding. Furthermore, gomisin A decreased the expression of inflammatory genes in palmitate-incubated HepG2 cells and the liver of HFD-fed obese mice. These results suggest that gomisin A inhibits ER stress and ameliorates hepatic steatosis induced by ER stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.834-839
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• 2017

Propolis is a natural product collected from plants by honey bees product used extensively in traditional medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. Propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities because it is a complex mixture of natural substances. Ovarian cancer is the second most common newly diagnosed cancer from all cancers among women in Korea and the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. While most ovarian cancer patients initially respond to surgical debulking and chemotherapy, patients later succumb to the disease. Thus, there is an urgent need to test novel therapeutic agents to counteract the high mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer properties and the active mechanism of Australian propolis in human epithelial ovarian cancer A2780 cells. Our data revealed that propolis showed a cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis using propidium iodide staning and annexin V-FITC indicated that propolis could induce cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner on human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. These results suggest that the Australian propolis is potential alternative agent on ovarian cancer prevention and treatment.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.71-78
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• 2016

Objectives : Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes and a leading cause of end-stage renal failure in the world. Mesangial cell proliferation is known as the major pathologic features such as glomerulosclerosis and renal fibrosis. Wiryeongtang (WRT) is a well-known traditional herbal formula as therapeutic agents for chronic edema and dysuresia of renal homeostasis. In the present study, we investigated whether WRT inhibits high glucose (HG)-induced renal dysfunction by TGF-β/Smads signal regulation in cultured mesangial cells.Methods : Inhibitory effect of WRT (10-50 ㎍/ml) on HG-stimulated mesangial cells proliferation and dysfunction were evaluated by [³H]-thymidine incorporation, Western blot, and RT-qPCR.Results : WRT significantly decreased HG-accelerated thymidine incorporation in human renal mesangial cell in a dose-dependent levels. WRT induced down-regulation of cyclins/CDKs and up-regulation of CDK inhibitor, p21waf1/cip1 and p27kip1 expression. In addition, HG enhanced expression of dysfunction biomarker such as collagen IV and CTGF, which was markedly attenuated by WRT. WRT decreased TGF-β1 and Smad-2/Smad-4 expression, whereas increased Smad-7 expression under HG. Furthermore, WRT inhibited HG-induced inflammatory factors level such as ICAM-1 and MCP-1 as well as NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation and intracellular ROS production.Conclusions : These results suggested that WRT may alleviate mesangial proliferation and inflammation possibly involved in renal fibrotic process, further diabetic nephropathy through disturbing TGF-β1/Smad signaling and NF-κB/ROS pathway. Thus, WRT might prove to be effective in the treatment of renal dysfunction leading to diabetic nephropathy.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was conducted to 9% compared with the previous experimental obesity-induced metabolic function in rats that it was a mixture of pear extract and herbal drugs(Lycii Fructus, Coicis Semen, Alimatis Rhizoma and Astragali Radix) on high fat diet-induce obesity rats. Methods : The animals were used in male rats. Control group fed high-fat diet only. Experimental groups were divided four, ExpI group was fed high-fat diet with a mixture pear extract and Lycii Fructus 9%, Exp II group was fed high-fat diet with a mixture pear extract and Coicis Semen 9%, Exp III group was fed high-fat diet with a mixture pear extract and Alimatis Rhizoma 9%, and Exp IV group was fed high-fat diet with a mixture pear extract and Astragali Radix 9% for 4 weeks. Results : The body weight gain increased in all groups, but attenuated gradually in the experimental groups compared to the control group. The food intakes were significantly lower in all Exp groups than the control group. The concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol, and free fatty acid were significantly lower in Exp II than in the control group. Also the concentration of serum free fatty acid was significantly lower in the Exp IV group than in the control group. In inflammatory activities, the Exp II, IV group was significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion : The results indicated that Exp I group (administered a mixture of pear extract and Lycii Fructus) reduced fat accumulation, body weight and the highest elevated lipid metabolism, while the Exp II group (administered the mixture of pear extract and Coicis Semen) and Exp IV group (administered the mixture of pear extract and Astragali Radix) had the highest elevated immune activity.