• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.297-301
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• 2009

Stephania delavayi Diels. (S. delavayi Diels.) has been used as a drug for pain-relieving and acute gastroenteritis treatment in China. Because the major therapeutic mechanism of anti-inflammatory drug is to inhibit the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and because COX-2 proteins inhibit apoptosis, COX-2 inhibitor has been thought as the anticancer drug candidate. For this reason, we examined S. delavayi Diels. as an anticancer drug. S. delavayi Diels. was fractionated with methanol and then partitioned with ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and reducing power. DPPH radical scavenging activities of the crude fractions at the concentration of $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ were 75.23% (n-butanol), 68.11% (methanol), 63.58% (ethyl acetate), and 50.13% (water). The reducing power increased according to the concentration in dose-dependent manner. Also, when the antiproliferation effects of each fraction against human breast cancer cell-lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 were examined, methanol extract, n-butanol fraction and ethyl acetate fraction exhibited cell proliferative inhibition effects in both cell-lines whereas water fraction did not. Among the crude fractions, the n-butanol fraction exhibited the most potent anti-proliferation effect. In conclusion, fractions from S. delavayi Diels. are promising anticancer drug candidates.

• Korean Journal of Korean Medical Institute of Dermatology and Aesthetics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-90
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• 2005

Purpose: Contents of astragaloside I, II and IV, cytotoxicity, anticancer activity, immunomodulatory activity and antioxidant capacity were to be compared as a function of the cultivated years as one, three, five and seven years. Method: Major components of Astragali membranacei Radix were separated as astragaloside I, astragaloside II, astragaloside IV by HPLC analysis. Cytotoxicity and anticancer activities were measured by MTT and SRB assay. For immunomodulatory activity, the secretion of IL -6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$, NK cell activation and macrophage activation were observed as well as kinetics of responding to human T cells by a microphysiometer. In vitro antioxidant activities were measured by several radical scavenging activities of superoxide anion radican, DPPH, LDL and linoleic acid. For in vivo activity, the activation of SOD, GSH-px, catalase, ALDH and ADH was measured as well the relative weight of liver. Result : 1. For HPLC analysis, the contents of all of astragaloside I, astragaloside II, astragaloside IV were in order of three, five, one and seven years. 2. The cytotoxicity of normal human lung cell line, HEL299 showed lower than 18% in adding 0.25 mg/ml, and 28.9% in adding 1.0 mg/ml of water extract of seven year root. For methanol extracts, three year root showed highest cytotoxicity as 35.2 % and there was no difference between the cultivated years. 3. For anticancer activities, methanol extracts of one and three year roots showed relatively high inhibition of human stomach cancer cells, AGS, breast cancer cells, MCF-7, lung cancer cells, A549 and liver cancer cell, Hep3B as well as high selectivities. 4. The water extract of seven year root could yield high secretion of IL-6 from both human Band T cells while the methanol extracts of three and five year roots secreted high amounts of IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from both Band T cells. 5. As a result of in vitro antioxidant activities, both water and methanol extracts from five and seven year roots showed high activities for superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, inhibiting linoleic acid peroxide and contents of total phenols. 6. For in vivo tests, Mn-SOD and GSH-px activities and weight of liver were better in adding seven year root. For ALDH activity one year root was better and for ADH activity five year root. Overall speaking, seven year root showed relatively better antioxidant activities. Conclusion:There was difference of the contents of astragaloside I, astragaloside II, astragaloside IV according to cultivation year. Methanol extract showed better activities of anticancer and immune activation rather than water extract Interestingly enough, for methanol extracts, overall activities were improved as the cultivation year increased. There might be further investigation required for the clinical uses of the results as several biological activities varied according to the cultivated year of Astragali membranacei Radix.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the mutagenic, antimutagenic, cytotoxicity and antitumor effects of Adenophora triphylla (AT). AT was extracted with 70% ethanol and then further fractionated to hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Antimutagenic, cytotoxicity and antitumor effects of AT extracts were measured by using Ames test, SRB method, and the tumor growth inhibition test. AT extracts did not show any mutagenicity in the Ames test; however, 70% ethanol extracts and its fractions had strong antimutagenic effects against mutation induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO). The ethyl acetate fraction of AT (200 ${\mu}g$/plate) showed approximately 66.5% inhibitory effect on the mutagenesis induced by 4NQO against TA98 strain, whereas 83.3% and 75.1% inhibitions were observed on the mutagenesis induced by MNNG and 4NQO against TA100 strain. In anticancer effects, the cytotoxicity of AT extract and its fractions against cancer cell lines including human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human gastric carcinoma (AGS), human lung carcinoma (A549) and transformed primary human embryo kidney (293) were investigated. The treatment of 1 mg/mL AT ethyl acetate faction had the highest cytotoxicity of 79.9%, 74.9%, 66.0%, 71.0% and 74.3% against HeLa, Hep3B, MCF-7, AGS and A549 cells, respectively. In contrast, the extract and its fractions showed only $3{\sim}36%$ cytotoxicity for a normal human kidney cell line (293). In vivo anti-cancer effect of Adenophora triphylla extract was tested using Balb/c mice transplanted sarcoma-180 cells. Adenophora triphylla ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest inhibition rate of 37.2% at the 50 mg/kg concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1200-1208
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• 2009

Tight junctions (TJs) that act as paracellular permeability barriers play an essential role in regulating the diffusion of fluid, electrolytes and macromolecules through the paracellular pathway. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the tightening of TJs, permeability and the invasive activity of genistein - a bioactive isoflavone of soybeans - in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The inhibitory effects of genistein on cell proliferation, motility and invasiveness were found to be associated with the increased tightness of the TJs, which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and a decrease in paracellular permeability. Additionally, the immunoblotting results indicated that genistein repressed the levels of the proteins that comprise the major components of TJ, claudin-3 and claudin-4, which play a key role in the control and selectivity of paracellular transport. Furthermore, genistein decreased the metastasis-related gene expressions of insulin like growth factor-1 receptor and snail, while concurrently increasing that of thrombospondin-1 and E-cadherin. In addition, we demonstrated that claudins play an important role in the anti-motility and invasiveness of genistein using claudin-3 small interfering RNA. Taken together, our results indicate a possible role for genistein as an inhibitor of cancer cell invasion through the tightening of TJs, which may counteract the up-regulation of claudins. In addition, our results indicate that this may be beneficial for the inhibition of tumor metastasis.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.612-617
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• 2012

The antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of ovotransferrin were investigated in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of ovotransferrin was evaluated using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, antimicrobial effects using the agar well diffusion method, and cytotoxicity using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylatetetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The DPPH radical-scavenging capacity of ovotransferrin at 1 mg/mL level reached approximately 60% after 48 h of reaction. The antimicrobial effects of ovotransferrin against common food-borne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus KCCM 32395, Bacillus cereus KCCM 40935, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895, and Helicobacter pylori HpKCTC 26695 were dose dependant. Gram-positive bacteria was more sensitive to ovotransferrin than gram-negative bacteria. Ovotransferrin showed stronger antimicrobial effect against L. monocytogenes than other gram-positive bacteria tested. The cytotoxicity of ovotransferrin was evaluated in human cancer cell lines, various tissue origins, including the larynx (Hep-2), stomach (AGS), lung (SK-MES-1), liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7), cervix (HeLa), and colon (HT-29). Ovotransferrin displayed relatively high cytotoxicity (${\leq}60%$ inhibition effects) at 40 mg/mL. At lower concentrations (${\leq}10mg/mL$), however, ovotransferrin cytotoxic effects were not significant in all cancer cell lines tested. These results indicated that ovotransferrin has potential to be used as an antioxidant or antimicrobial agent in foods or a pharmaceutical agent against cancers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.551-563
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• 2022

L-asparaginase (E.C. 3.5.1.1) purified from bacterial cells is widely used in the food industry, as well as in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In the present study, the Burkholderia pseudomallei L-asparaginase gene was cloned into the pGEX-2T DNA plasmid, expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS, and purified to homogeneity using Glutathione Sepharose chromatography with 7.26 purification fold and 16.01% recovery. The purified enzyme exhibited a molecular weight of ~33.6 kDa with SDS-PAGE and showed maximal activity at 50℃ and pH 8.0. It retained 95.1, 89.6%, and 70.2% initial activity after 60 min at 30℃, 40℃, and 50℃, respectively. The enzyme reserved its activity at 30℃ and 37℃ up to 24 h. The enzyme had optimum pH of 8 and reserved 50% activity up to 24 h. The recombinant enzyme showed the highest substrate specificity towards L-asparaginase substrate, while no detectable specificity was observed for L-glutamine, urea, and acrylamide at 10 mM concentration. THP-1, a human leukemia cell line, displayed significant morphological alterations after being treated with recombinant L-asparaginase and the IC₅₀ of the purified enzyme was recorded as 0.8 IU. Furthermore, the purified recombinant Lasparaginase improved cytotoxicity in liver cancer HepG2 and breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 1.53 and 18 IU, respectively.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 2009

Phytoestrogens are the natural compounds isolated from plants, which are structurally similar to animal estrogen, $17{\beta}$-estradiol. Tectoridin, a major isoflavone isolated from the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis. Tectoridin is known as a phytoestrogen, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its estrogenic effect are remained unclear. In this study we investigated the estrogenic signaling triggered by tectoridin as compared to a famous phytoestrogen, genistein in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Tectoridin scarcely binds to ER ${\alpha}$ as compared to $17{\beta}$-estradiol and genistein. Despite poor binding to ER ${\alpha}$, tectoridin induced potent estrogenic effects, namely recovery of the population of cells in the S-phase after serum starvation, transactivation of the estrogen response element, and induction of MCF-7 cell proliferation. The tectoridin-induced estrogenic effect was severely abrogated by treatment with U0126, a specific MEK1/2 inhibitor. Tectoridin promoted phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but did not affect phosphorylation of ER ${\alpha}$ at $Ser^{118}$. It also increased cellular accumulation of cAMP, a hallmark of GPR30-mediated estrogen signaling. These data imply that tectoridin exerts its estrogenic effect mainly via the GPR30 and ERK-mediated rapid nongenomic estrogen signaling pathway. This property of tectoridin sets it aside from genistein where it exerts the estrogenic effects via both an ER-dependent genomic pathway and a GPR30-dependent nongenomic pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.799-804
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• 2003

In order to verify the occurrence of an estrogenic compound in natural products, the estrogenic activity was measured using an in vitro detection system. For this system, human breast cancer cell line MCF7 was transfected using an estrogen responsive CAT reporter plasmid. Estrogenic activities of photosynthetic algae spirulina and sea lettuce were evaluated using this system. Estrogenic activities of a $500\mug/ml\; and\; 50 \mug/ml$ ethanol extracts of spirulina were as much as that of $10^{-8}$M standard solution (17$\beta$-estradiol) and activity of $5\mug/ml$ ethanol extract of spirulina was as much as that of $10^{-10}$ M standard solution. However, no significant estrogenic activity was observed using sea lettuce extract. Estrogenic activities of marine animals, such as star fish and shrimp, were also evaluated using this system, however, no significant estrogenic activity was observed in these extracts. In this result, it is confirmed that spirulina extract possesses estrogenic compound.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.272-277
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• 2020

Protein kinase CK2 downregulation induces premature senescence in various human cell types via activation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-p53-p21^Cip1/WAF1 pathway. The transcription factor "nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2" (Nrf2) plays an important role in maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis. In this study, Nrf2 overexpression attenuated CK2 downregulation-induced ROS production and senescence markers including SA-β-gal staining and activation of p53-p21^Cip1/WAF1 in human breast (MCF-7) and colon (HCT116) cancer cells. CK2 downregulation reduced the transcription of Nrf2 target genes, such as glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase 2, and glutathione reductase 1. Furthermore, CK2 downregulation destabilized Nrf2 protein via inhibiting autophagic degradation of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Finally, CK2 downregulation decreased the nuclear import of Nrf2 by deactivating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Collectively, our data suggest that both Keap1 stabilization and AMPK inactivation are associated with decreased activity of Nrf2 in CK2 downregulation-induced cellular senescence.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2009

Triglyceride solid lipid with medium chain fatty acid, tricaprin (TC), was used as a core matrix of lipid nanoparticles (LN) to solubilize water-insoluble paclitaxel and enhance the stability of nanoparticles by immobilization of incorporated drug in the solid core during storage at low temperature. In the present study, TC-LN containing paclitaxel was prepared by hot melt homogenization method using TC as a core lipid and phospholipids as stabilizers. The particle size of TC-LN containing paclitaxel was less than 200 nm and its zeta potential was around -40 mV. Calorimetric analysis showed TC core could be solidified by freezing and thawing in the manufacturing process in which the hot dispersion should be prepared at elevated temperature and subsequently cooled to obtain solid lipid nanoparticles. The melting transition of TC core was observed at $27.5^{\circ}C$, which was lower than melting point of TC bulk. The particle size of TC-LN remained unchanged when kept at $4^{\circ}C$. Paclitaxel containing TC-LN showed comparable anticancer activity to the Cremophore ELbased paclitaxel formulation against human ovarian (OVCAR-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Thus, lipid nanoparticles with medium chain solid lipid may have a potential as alternative delivery system for parenteral administration of paclitaxel.