• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.55-65
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• 2002

Ginseng has been used as a key constituent in traditional medicine prescriptions for centuries. Other than its well-known anti-stress and adaptogenic properties, ginseng has also been shown to be very effective in treating age-related deterioration in metabolic and memory functions. Although it is generally believed that the saponin (GS) fraction of the ginseng root accounts for the bioactivity of ginseng, a direct demonstration on which ginsenoside does what is still generally lacking. In the past decade, our laboratory has endeavored to identify the active GS components involved in energy metabolism, memory, and anti-neurotoxicity. To examine the ergogenic effects of GS in enhancing aerobic capacity, rats were subjected to either severe cold ($40^{\circ}C$ under helium-oxygen, two hours) or exercise workload $(70\%\;VO_{2}max,$ to exhaustion). Acute systemic injection (i.p.) of ginseng GS (5-20 mg/kg) significantly elevated both the total and maximum heat production in rats and improved their cold tolerance. However, pretreating the animal with the optimal dose (10 mg/kg) of GS devoid of $Rg_1\;and\;Rb_1$ failed to elicit any beneficial effects in improving cold tolerance. This indicates that either $Rb_1\;and/or\;Rg_1$ may be essential in exemplifying the thermogenic effect of GS. Further studies showed that only pretreating the animals with $Rb_1(2.5-5\;mg/kg),\;but\;not\;Rg_l,$ resulted in an increase in thermogenesis and cold tolerance. In contrast to the acute effect of GS on cold tolerance, enhancement of exercise performance in rats was only observed after chronic treatment (4 days). Further, we were able to demonstrate that both $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are effective in enhancing aerobic endurance by exercise. To illustrate the beneficial effects of GS in learning and memory, a passive avoidance paradigm (shock prod) was used. Our results indicated that the scopolamineinduced amnesia can be significantly reversed by chronically treating (4 days) the rats with either $Rb_1\;or\;Rg_1$ (1.25 - 2.5 mg/kg). To further examine its underlying mechanisms, the effects of various GS on ${\beta}-amyloid-modulated$ acetylcholine (ACh) release from the hippocampal slices were examined. It was found that inclusion of $Rb_1$ (0.1 ${\mu}M$), but not $Rg_1$, can attenuate ${\beta}-amyloid-suppressed$ ACh release from the hippocampal slices. Our results demonstrated that $Rb_1\;and\;Rg_1$ are the key components involved in various beneficial effects of GS but they may elicit their effects through different mechanisms.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.1-19
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• 2002

The use of herbals has increased considerably while their efficacy and safety remain untested. This unsupported surge in demand has prompted a call for their clinical evaluation. One area in which evaluations are emerging is ginseng and diabetes. Growing evidence is accumulating from in vitro and animal models indicating that various ginseng species, American (Panax quinquefolius L), Asian (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), Korean Red, San-chi (Panax notoginseng [Burk.] P.R. Chen), and the non-panax species Siberian (Eleutherococcus senticossus) ginsing, and their fractions, saponins (ginsenosides) and peptidoglycans (panaxans for panax species and eleutehrans for Siberian ginseng), might affect carbohydrate metabolism and related signaling molecules. Recent human studies from our laboratory have also shown a blood glucose lowering effect of American ginseng (AG) and some other ginseng spices postprandially after acute administration and chronically after administration for 8-weeks in people with type 2 diabetes. Although generally encouraging, these data only indicate a need for more evaluations of ginsengs safety and efficacy. Because of poor industry standardization, it is not known whether all ginsengs will affect blood glucose. In this regards some ginseng batches have demonstrated null effects while others have even raised postprandial glycemia. Clinical research should therefore focus on components involved in its glucose lowering effects.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.69-76
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• 2018

Objective : The study was to investigate the neurophysiological approach to the effect of complex exercise on memory, one of brain functions, and the degree of sleep disorder using experimental animals with sleep disorders. Methods : This study carried out a complex exercise that designed in an animal laboratory for 4 days to 16 sleep - disordered model rats. After the exercise, brain function was confirmed with the changes of BDNF in the hippocampus and the change of sleep level was confirmed with the concentration of melatonin in the blood. Results : First, the effect of the complex exercise program on brain function was significantly increased in the experimental group(p<0.01). Second, the effect of complex exercise program on sleep disturbance was significantly increased in the experimental group and control group(p<0.01)(p<0.05). Conclusion : The rate of increase of the elderly in the community is rapidly increasing, and the sleep disorder of the elderly can affect the quality of life of these elderly people. Secondary memory impairment due to sleep disturbances can also be a problem. Although there are many ways to improve sleep disturbance, it has been scientifically proven through experimental animals that sleep and memory can be improved with complex exercise that is not economically, spatially burdensome.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.458-477
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the trend in the research on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) using Korean traditional medicine. Methods: This review was conducted using six electronic databases (NDSL, KMBASE, Koreantk, KISS, KISTI, and KoreaMed) with no restrictions in year. The search terms were "alcoholic liver disease", "alcoholic fatty liver", "alcoholic hepatitis", "alcoholic cirrhosis", "herbal medicine", "acupuncture" and "traditional medicine". The searched studies were analyzed according to the type of research. Results: After screening, 37 studies were selected among 552. The types of studies were as follows: 8 in vivo studies, 17 case reports, 7 case series, 1 assessment scale study, 1 randomized controlled trial, and 3 research reviews. The in vivo studies reported the efficacy and its mechanism in the animal phase of single or complex herbal medicine. In the clinical research, interventions such as herbal medicine and acupuncture were most commonly used for ALD treatment. Conclusions: We analyzed the trends in ALD treatment using Korean traditional medicine through this review. The results showed that Korean traditional medicine could be an effective method for ALD treatment. Conducting related in-depth studies, such as well-designed randomized controlled trial based on the results of experimental research, is necessary.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.457-465
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• 2019

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) often suffer from diverse skin disorders, which might be attributable to skin barrier dysfunction. To explore the role of lipid alterations in the epidermis in DM skin disorders, we quantitated 49 lipids (34 ceramides, 14 free fatty acids (FFAs), and cholesterol) in the skin epidermis, liver, and kidneys of db/db mice, a Type 2 DM model, using UPLC-MS/MS. The expression of genes involved in lipid synthesis was also evaluated. With the full establishment of hyperglycemia at the age of 20 weeks, remarkable lipid enrichment was noted in the skin of the db/db mice, especially at the epidermis and subcutaneous fat bed. Prominent increases in the ceramides and FFAs (>3 fold) with short or medium chains ($LXR{\alpha}/{\beta}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$, nuclear receptors promoting lipid synthesis, lipid synthesis enzymes such as elongases 1, 4, and 6, and fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase were highly expressed in the skin and livers of the db/db mice. Collectively, our study demonstrates an extensive alteration in the skin and systemic lipid profiles of db/db mice, which could contribute to the development of skin disorders in DM.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2019

Objectives: As a general emotion, everyone can temporarily experience depression, but depressive disorder is a disease that excessively affects daily life. Among the various causes of depression, the deficiency of monoamine-based neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine are considered significant. Thus, antidepressants that target monoamines are used frequently. However, side effects such as nausea, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction are observed. Thus, it is necessary to develop a new therapeutic agent with fewer side effects. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant effect of JG02, used to treat depression by normalizing the flow of qi (氣) in Korean medicine. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into six groups: normal, control, amitriptyline, and JG02 (50, 125, 250 mg/kg), respectively. Except for normal, depression was induced by applying restraint stress at the same time for six hours daily for 14 consecutive days. Saline, amitriptyline or JG02 samples were orally administered two hours before applying the stress. After that, a forced swimming test and an open field test were performed. Additionally, serum corticosterone, serotonin mRNA, BDNF mRNA, and protein in the hippocampal region were measured and compared. Results: JG02 decreased immobility time rate in the FST and increased the zone transition number and travel distance in the OFT. Also, JG02 inhibited the release of serum corticosterone, and increased serotonin, BDNF gene expression, and BDNF protein in the hippocampus. Conclusions: In this study, JG02 showed significant antidepressant effects on the chronic restraint stress mice model. When further research is performed based on JG02, the development of a new antidepressant is considered highly possible.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.527-533
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• 2019

The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of three types of Chestnut Meals (CM) on chemical composition and rumen fermentation characteristics of the fermented diet. The inoculants consisted of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, and Sacaromyces cerevisiae and were applied to three different types of CM; Whole Chestnut (WC), endodermis (EN), and kernel (KE). All types of CMs were ensiled at $39^{\circ}C$ for 0, 1, 2, 4, or 6 days. After ensiling, the fermented CMs were sub-sampled for laboratory assays. On day six of fermentation, counts of the lactic acid-producing Bacillus subtilis, and yeast were higher (P<0.05) in WC than in the other CM types. On day four, KE had higher (P<0.05) crude protein content but lower (P<0.05) neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents than the other treatments. In terms of rumen digestibility, KE had the highest (P<0.05) in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), total volatile fatty acid (VFA), propionate, butyrate concentrations, and total gas volume, as well as the lowest (P<0.05) acetate concentration. On the other hand, EN had the highest (P<0.05) pH and ammonia-N concentration in the rumen. In the rumen, even though WC application produced the highest microbial count and fermentation characteristics, it did not have a beneficial effect on rumen digestibility. Therefore, this study concluded that application of KE could be recommended due to the observed improvements in IVDMD and IVNDFD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2019

In recent years, progress has been made in the search for the development of new anti-cancer agents by employing specific inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC)-6 to block signal transduction pathways in cancer cells. This study examined the effects of tubastatin A (TubA), an HDAC-6 inhibitor, on the growth and development of immature oocytes in murine ovaries using RNA sequencing analysis. The results from a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that the expression of most of the gene sets involved in the cell cycle and control and progression of meiosis decreased in the TubA-treated group as compared with that in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes. In addition, an ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) suggested that TubA not only caused increased expression of p53 and pRB and decreased expression of CDK4/6 and cyclin D but also caused elevated expression of genes involved in the control of the DNA check point in G2/M stage oocytes. These results suggest that TubA may induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through the induction of changes in the expression of genes involved in signal transduction pathways associated with DNA damage and the cell cycle of immature oocytes in the ovary.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2021

In order to control algal bloom, which causes environmental problems such as eutrophication in freshwater ecological environments, many attempts have recently been made using biological approaches. Among them is filtration using bivalve. Algae control with filter-feeding bivalves is emerging as an eco-friendly method. In this study, bivalves collected at Baekje weir in Geum River in Korea from Jun to Sep 2020 were tested to find out the possibility of algae control using filter-feeding bivalves through laboratory experiments. The Unio douglasiae, Anodonta woodiana, and Anodonta arcaeformis collected from Baekje weir were put into a water tank (2 L) containing Clorella vulgaris, and as a result, the average filtration rate was 95.9% per animal after 24 hrs. Calculating this with the Chl-a concentration converted to a calibration curve, it was found that the average of 154.84 ㎍ L^-1 of Chl-a was reduced. Based on this calculation, the possibility that one bivalve can eliminate Chl-a in one month is 0.0005%. It is expected that the effect is 20.14% when there are 40,000 animals. These results indirectly showed how effective bivalve's ability to control Chl-a in their habitat is. Although this study was limited to calculating the algae control ability of aquatic ecosystem based on the filtration rate of bivalve and the corresponding Chl-a reduction rate, it is thought that it will be used as basic data for integrated research from various factors and viewpoints (phytoplankton, aquatic plants, benthic organisms, and sediments) through additional research.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is the large intestine disease that results in chronic inflammation and ulcers in the colon. Rg3-enriched Korean Red Ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) is known for its pharmacological activities. Persicaria tinctoria (PT) is also used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the attenuating effects of Rg3-RGE with PT on oxazolone (OXA)-induced UC in mice. Methods: A total of six groups of mice including control group, OXA (as model group, 1.5%) group, sulfasalazine (75 mg/kg) group, Rg3-RGE (20 mg/kg) group, PT (300 mg/kg) group, and Rg3-RGE (10 mg/kg) with PT (150 mg/kg) group. Data on the colon length, body weight, disease activity index (DAI), histological changes, nitric oxide (NO) assay, Real-time PCR of inflammatory factors, ELISA of inflammatory factors, Western blot, and flow cytometry analysis were obtained. Results: Overall, the combination treatment of Rg3-RGE and PT significantly improved the colon length and body weight and decreased the DAI in mice compared with the treatment with OXA. Additionally, the histological injury was also reduced by the combination treatment. Moreover, the NO production level and inflammatory mediators and cytokines were significantly downregulated in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the model group. Also, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-𝛋B) were suppressed in the combination treatment group compared with the OXA group. Furthermore, the number of immune cell subtypes of CD4⁺ T-helper cells, CD19⁺ B-cells, and CD4⁺ and CD25⁺ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) was improved in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the OXA group. Conclusion: Overall, the mixture of Rg3-RGE and PT is an effective therapeutic treatment for UC.