• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.767-776
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate key properties of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OFI) ie, levels of key chemicals (carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds as well as phenolic acid) and its antioxidative potential, depending on where the plant had been cultivated in Korea. The levels of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds in OFI were 55.45~65.32 mg (+)-catechin/g and 149.00~181.15 mg gallic acid/g, respectively. Protocatechuic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in the ON1 and ON2 (161.90 and $196.25{\mu}g/g$ DW (dry weight)). Nineteen flavonoids were identified and analyzed by LC-ESI-MS in cladodes from OFI. Narcissin was the most abundant flavonoid in all of the samples ($1,241.89{\sim}1,775.10{\mu}g/g$ DW). Capxanthin and zeaxanthin were the most abundant carotenoids in OFI (64.88~128.08 and $48.10{\sim}93.82{\mu}g/g$ DW). The level of DPPH radical and ABTS radical scavenging activities in OFI were 10.78~25.35 and 16.85~34.16 mg AA eq/100 g, respectively. OFI by cultivar has different kind of phenolic acid, flavonoids, and carotenoids. Therefore, dietary intake of cladodes from OFI may be helpful for improving human health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.310-317
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• 2022

Recently, interest in the harmful factors of particulate matter (PM), a major component of air pollution, has been increasing. In particular, PM_2.5 with a diameter of less than 2.5 ㎛ is well known to induce oxidative stress accompanied by autophagy in human lung epithelial cells. However, studies on whether PM_2.5 increases autophagy under oxidative stress and whether this process is reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent are insufficient. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether PM_2.5 promotes autophagy through the generation of ROS in human alveolar epithelial A594 cells. According to our results, cells co-treated with PM_2.5 and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) showed a lower cell viability than cells treated with each alone, which was associated with increased total and mitochondrial ROS production. The co-treatment of PM_2.5 and H₂O₂ also increased autophagy induction, which was confirmed through Cyto-ID staining, and the expression of autophagy biomarker proteins increased. However, when ROS generation was artificially blocked by N-acetyl-L-cysteine pretreatment, the reduction in cell viability and induction of autophagy by PM_2.5 and H₂O₂ co-treatment were markedly attenuated. Therefore, the present results suggest that PM_2.5-induced ROS generation may play a critical role in autophagy induction in A549 cells.