• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.111-117
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• 2011

Objectives : The present study was designed to investigate effects of mixed extract from korean medicinal herbs (MIX) on oxidation/reduction reaction-related and aging-related enzyme in vitro. Methods : We performed MTT assay, collagenase inhibition assay, elastase inhibition assay, tyrosinase inhibition assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay, SOD-like activity and xanthine oxidase inhibition assay. Results : Recently, many studies have reported that elastin is also involved in inhibiting or repairing wrinkle formation, although collagen is a major factor in the skin wrinkle formation. The MIX showed 97% inhibition of collagenase activity, and 64% inhibition of elastase activity at 1 mg/ml concentration of MIX, next only to positive control, which indicate good efficacy for anti-wrinkle ingredient. Also it's treatment showed 34% inhibition of tyrosinase activity, to relate whitening effect, at the same dose of MIX. Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH radical scavenging, xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibiting activity and SOD-like activity. Also these scavenging, XO-inhibiting and SOD-like activities were measured in 91%, 80%, and 63% inhibition, respectively, at a treated dose of 1 mg/ml, compare to control. Conclusions : These results suggest that possibility of mixed korean medicinal herbs as a functional ingredient for anti-wrinkle and whitening, anti-oxidation and anti-aging cosmetic formula.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.599-607
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• 2009

Prunellae Spica is the spike or whole plant of Prunella vulgaris Linne, which has been used for clearing heat from the liver, brightening the eyes and treating headache in traditional oriental medicines. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the aqueous extract of Prunellae Spica (PSE; PS extract) on the production of NO and PGE2 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, and all three doses of PS extract (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/ml) had no significant cytotoxicity during the entire experimental period. The cells were treated with 1 ${\mu}g/ml$ of LPS 1 h before adding PS extract, and increased NO and PGE2 production were detected in LPS-activated cells compared to control. However, these increases were dose-dependently attenuated by treatment with PS extract. The inhibition of NO by PS extract was due to the suppression of iNOS expression via inhibition of $NF{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation and proteolytic degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. The decreased level of PGE2 was derived from inhibition of COX-2 activity, but expression of COX-2 protein was not affected by PS extract. Moreover, PS extract reduced the elevated production of IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS. These results demonstrate that PS extract has inhibitory effects on the production of NO and PGE2 as a consequence of the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.369-377
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• 2014

In order to find out anticancer activity of Korean pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), the cytotoxicity against 8 cell lines including 293 (normal kidney cells) and A-431 (epidermoid carcinoma cells) of extracts by extraction solvents and plant parts were investigated using MTT assay. Also the correlation between content of capsaicin known as anticancer ingredient and cytotoxicity of extracts from pepper were analyzed. The distilled water extracts from seed and germinated seed showed very high cytotoxicity against 6 cancer cell lines including A549 (lung carcinoma cells), AGS (stomach adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma cells), HepG2 (hepatoblastoma cells), HT-29 (colon adenocarcinoma cells), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma cells). But 80% ethanol and methanol extracts showed cytotoxicity against 293 and AGS. The $RC_{50}$, that was, the concentration of sample required for 50% reduction of cell viability, of seed and germinated seed extracts against AGS were $33.4{\sim}389.1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $63.9{\sim}1,316.7{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively, so anticancer activity was higher in seed than in germinated seed. In capsaicin contents, seed with high cytotoxicity and pericarp with a little cytotoxicity contained $47.4{\sim}1,260.0{\mu}g/g$ and $58.3{\sim}1,498.0{\mu}g/g$, respectively. As these results, the correlation was not between cytotoxicity and capsaicin content.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.220-227
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• 2010

Puerariae radix (PR) is a popular natural herb and a traditional food in Asia, which has antithrombotic and anti-allergic properties and stimulates estrogenic activity. One of the major side effects of cisplatin is nephrotoxicity, leading to acute renal failure. Recent study has suggested a role of ROS and p53 in renal cell injury by cisplatin. We studied that protective effects of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in rat mesangial cell. Rat mesangial cell was preincubated with PR (50, 100, 150 and 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$) for 12 hr and then treated with 30 ${\mu}M$ cisplatin for 24 hr. Protective effect of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in ECV304 cells was determined using MTT assay, FDA-PI staining, flow cytometric analysis, caspase-3 activity assay, ROS assay and western blot. Our results showed that PR inhibited in cisplatin-induced apoptosis and ROS production in ECV304 cells. Moreover, PR reduced ERK, p38 and JNK activation that increased in cisplatin-treated rat mesangial cell. Furthermore, activation of p53 by cisplatin in rat mesangial cell was inhibited by PR treatment. These results suggest that protective effect of PR on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in rat mesangial cell may be associated with reduction of ERK, p38, JNK, p53 activation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.396-400
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• 2011

We examined the in vitro mutagenic and antimutagenic effects of hexane-extracted hemp (Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. sativa) seed oil (HO) with and without S9-mediated metabolic activation, using the TA98 and TA100 Salmonella Typhimurium strains. The MTT assay revealed no cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells for HO quantities $\leq400g$/mL. In the mutagenicity test, revertant colonies did not exceed spontaneous colonies in number. Colony numbers did not increase in either strain after HO treatment, with or without metabolic activation. HO showed no mutagenic effects and did not induce a mutation in either strain. In the antimutagenicity test, HO reduced the number of mutated colonies induced by 4NQO in both strains. The inhibition rates of HO (TA98, 21-91%; TA100, 21-85%) indicated a potent reduction in mutagenicity induced by 4NQO. HO showed no significant mutagenicity and may have antimutagenic effects, as assessed by Ames testing.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1193-1198
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• 2009

Ethylacetate and butanol fractions of leaf extracts (OLE) showed the higher contents of total phenolic compounds than hexane and water fractions. Oleuropein contents were $4.21{\pm}0.57,\;3.92{\pm}0.43,\;0.32{\pm}0.03,\;5.76{\pm}0.32$, and $32.47{\pm}0.25mg$/100g for ethanol extract, and hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol fraction, respectively. Treatment of ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiated cells with 3 OLEs prepared by using ethylacetate and butanol at concentrations 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01% respectively showed significant recovery of cell viabilities. Treatment of dexametason 1 mM reduced tumor necrotic factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ secretion by about 40%. UVB irradiated immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells were treated with 3 different OLEs at the same concentrations. Ethylacetate fraction showed the strongest inhibition activity with respect of reduction of the elevated (TNF)-${\alpha}$. Cytotoxicity of OLEs on the B16-F1 cells was evaluated through thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Ethylacetate fraction has no cytotoxicity in the range of 0.005-0.01%. A slight cytotoxicity was observed at the concentration of 0.1% butanol fraction of OLE that caused 10% decrease in cell viability.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2017

Objectives: Study of the mechanisms involved in cancer progression suggests that cyclooxygenase enzymes play an important role in the induction of inflammation, tumor formation, and metastasis of cancer cells. Thus, cyclooxygenase enzymes could be considered for cancer chemotherapy. Among these enzymes, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is associated with liver carcinogenesis. Various COX-2 inhibitors cause growth inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, but many of them act in the COX-2 independent mechanism. Thus, the introduction of selective COX-2 inhibitors is necessary to achieve a clear result. The present study was aimed to determine the growth-inhibitory effects of new analogues of chalcone epoxide as selective COX-2 inhibitors on the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line. Methods: Estimation of both cell growth and the amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were used to study the effect of selective COX-2 inhibitors on the hepatocellular carcinoma cell. Cell growth determination has done by MTT assay in 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, and PGE2 production has estimated by using ELYSA kit in 48 h and 72 h. Results: The results showed growth inhibition of the HepG2 cell line in a concentration and time-dependent manner, as well as a reduction in the formation of PGE2 as a product of COX-2 activity. Among the compounds those analogues with methoxy and hydrogen group showed more inhibitory effect than others. Conclusion: The current in-vitro study indicates that the observed significant growth-inhibitory effect of chalcone-epoxide analogues on the HepG2 cell line may involve COX-dependent mechanisms and the PGE2 pathway parallel to the effect of celecoxib. It can be said that these analogues might be efficient compounds in chemotherapy of COX-2 dependent carcinoma specially preventing and treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an irreversible neurological disorder with related locomotor dysfunction and is characterized by the selective loss of nigral neurons. PD can be experimentally induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). It has been reported that reactive oxygen species, which deplete endogenous glutathione (GSH) levels, may play important roles in the dopaminergic cell death characteristic of PD. Fucoidan, a sulfated algal polysaccharide, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant actions. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan can protect against 6-OHDA-mediated cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by using MTT and LDH assays. Fucoidan alleviated cell damage evoked by 6-OHDA dose-dependently. Fucoidan reduced the number of apoptotic nuclei and the extent of annexin-V-associated apoptosis, as revealed by DAPI staining and flow cytometry. Elevation of lipid peroxidation and caspase-3/7 activities induced by 6-OHDA was attenuated by fucoidan, which also protected against cytotoxicity evoked by buthionine-sulfoximine-mediated GSH depletion. Reduction in the glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio induced by 6-OHDA was reversed by fucoidan, which also inhibited 6-OHDA-induced disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. The results indicate that fucoidan may have protective action against 6-OHDA-mediated neurotoxicity by modulating oxidative injury and apoptosis through GSH depletion.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.176-187
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was purposed to investigate the antioxidative effects of Paeoniae radix aqua-acupuncture solution(PR) on culture liver cell system, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative enzyme activities in tert-butyl hydroperoxide(t-BHP) treatmented conditions. Methods : Cultured normal rat liver cell(Ac2F) were prepared and incubated with or without PR(at 2% volume in culture medium). After 16~18hr, cells placed in DMEM medium without serum, and then incubated with 1mM t-BHP for 2hr. Viable cells were detected by MTT assay, and the levels of lipid peroxide(LPO) were measured by TBA method. And catalase activity was measured as the decrease in hydrogen peroxide absorbance at 240nm on spectrophotometer using 30mM hydrogen peroxide. Superoxide dismutase(SOD) were assayed by recording the inhibition of nitro blue tetrazolium reduction with xanthine and xanthine oxidase. Glutathione peroxidase(GPX) activity was determined by the modified coupled assay developed by Paglia and Lawrence. The reaction was started by addition of 2.2mM hydrogen peroxide as substrate. The change in absorbance at 340nm was measured for 1min on spectrophotometer. Glutathione-S-transferase(GST) activity was assayed with CDNB as substrate and enzyme activity of GST towards the glutathione conjugation of CDNB. Results : Cell killing was significantly enhanced by addition of t-BHP compared to those of untreated group. PR pretreated cell resisted the toxic effects of t-BHP. LPO levels of t-BHP treatment group were significantly higher than other groups. This increased level was significandy reduced by PR pretreatment. The t-BHP treatment resulted in a decrease of catalase, GPX and GST activities. By contrast, PR pretreatment markedly increased compare to those of untreated groups. Conclusions : T-BHP which can produce intracellular free radical was used for inducer of the peroxidation of cellular lipids. PR protected the cell death induced by t-BHP and significantly increased cell viabiliry in the normal rat liver cell, and showed effective inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and elevations of catalase, GPX and GST activities. These results suggested that PR might play a protective role in lipid peroxidation by free radicals.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 2011

Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound that is widely used in dentistry as a component of zinc oxide eugenol cement that is commonly applied to the mouth environment. Cisplatin is one of the most potent known anticancer agents and shows significant clinical activity against a variety of solid tumors. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic apoptotic effects of co-treatments with eugenol and cisplatin on human melanoma (G361) cells. To investigate whether this co-treatment efficiently reduces the viability of G361 cells compared with each single treatment, an MTT assay was conducted. The induction and augmentation of apoptosis were confirmed by DNA electrophoresis, Hoechst staining and an analysis of DNA hypoploidy. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining were also performed to evaluate the expression levels and the translocation of apoptosis-related proteins following this co-treatment. Furthermore, proteasome activity and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) changes were also assayed. The results indicated that a co-treatment with eugenol and cisplatin induced multiple pathways and processes associated with an apoptotic response in G361 cells including nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, a reduction in MMP and proteasome activity, the increase and decrease of Bax and Bcl-2, a decreased DNA content, the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, the translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) into the nucleus, and the activation of caspase-9, caspase-7, caspase-3, PARP and DFF45 (ICAD). In contrast, separate treatments of 300 ${\mu}M$ eugenol or 3 ${\mu}M$ cisplatin for 24 h did not induce apoptosis. Our present data thus suggest that a combination therapy of eugenol and cisplatin is a potential treatment strategy for human melanoma.