• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

Chemoprevention refers to the use of non-toxic chemical agents to prevent the neoplastic development by inhibiting, delaying, or reversing a multi-stage carcinogenesis. The primary goal of chemoprevention research is to identify or produce effective agents and strategies for clinical trials for applications to normal or high risk human populations. A large number of compounds have been tested for their possible chemopreventive activities, and it is of interest to note that many of them are naturally occurring substances. Thus, a variety of plant and vegetable constituents, particularly those included in our daily diet, have been found to possess substantial protective properties against experimental carcinogenesis. These substances, collectively known as dietary phytochemicals, exert their chemopreventive effects by influencing specific step(s) of multi-stage carcinogenesis: some inhibit metabolic activation or enhance detoxification of carcinogens, others interfere with covalent interactions between ultimate eloctrophilic carcinogens and the target cell DNA and still others may exert anti-promoting or anti-progressing effects. Mechanism-based interventions by use of safe dietary phytochemicals may provide one of the most practical and promising cancer chemopreventive strategies.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2014

Coffee enema was started by American doctor Max Gerson for cancer patients in 1920s. Coffee enema is known to remove waste material and toxins in the colon, and increase the enzymatic activity in the liver. In alternative medicine, It is to be used for fecal stasis removal, detoxification, obesity, pain control etc. In recently, The Society of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research make strenuous efforts to spread a new treatment about obesity. And Obesity is already known as one of the main causes of adult diseases. If we use the Korean medical treatment, and at the same time use coffee enema, maybe we will have a good or better clinical result about obesity and metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, we introduce a method that can be easily coffee enema. Thus, we hope that the reference to the teaching of patients.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.373-385
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• 1994

Resistance to paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridilium ion) has developed in 12 species of 8 genera to which paraquat has been applied 6 to 10 times per year for 5 or more years. In recent years, tolerance to paraquat has been found in Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Liboch. ex Fisch. & Mey. which has never been applied with any herbicides involving paraquat. In this review, we differentiate the terms, resistance and tolerance, on the basis of the paraquat-exposure history. Five hypotheses have been evaluated in several species as potential mechanisms of paraquat resistance and/or tolerance. In a species, the mode of action may be due to 1) reduced quantities of paraquat absorbed through the leaf surface, 2) detoxification of paraquat caused by the enhanced paraquat-metabolic activity, 3) rapid sequestration reducing level of paraquat at the site of action in chloroplast, 4) alteration of site of action in photosystem I resulting in interruption of electron transport to paraquat, and 5) rapid enzymatic detoxification of superoxide and other toxic forms of oxygen.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.21-26
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• 1984

The balance between metabolic activation of xenobiotics and detoxification of their active metabolites may playa vital role in controlling mutagenic and carcinogenic processes. To assess the possible role of P. ginseng C.A. Meyer in detoxification of xenobiotics, we studied the effects of ginseng on several parameters of the monooxygenasd system, including benzo(a) pyrene monooxygenase(AHH) and benzo(a) pyrene epoxide hydratase(EH) as well as effects of ginseng on the conjugation system. Test animals receiving ginseng saponin-fraction induced epoxide hydratase activity to over $150\%$ (20mg/kg b.w.) of the control and increased glutathione transferase activity (GSH-T) up to $140\%$ (20mg/kg b.w.) of the control, whereas no significant changes were observed in the benzopyrene monooxygenase activity (AHH). Such a selective induction of the inactivation enzyme epoxide hydratase, combined with a marked elevation of the detoxifying enzyme glutathione transferase, without a concurrent induction of benzopyrene monooxygenase which is responsible for the formation of carcinogenic intermediates, demonstrates that ginseng has the potential to alter the metabolic course of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thereby enhance detoxification. Thus, ginseng may play an important role in the prevention of tumors caused by carcinogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2020

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). AFB1 is reported to have high thermal stability and is not decomposed by heat treatment during food processing. Therefore, in this study, knowing that AFB1 is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP), our aim was to develop a method to detoxify A. flavus-contaminated maize, under normal temperature and pressure, using Escherichia coli expressing human CYP3A4. First, the metabolic activity of AFB1 by recombinant human CYP3A4 was evaluated. As a result, we confirmed that recombinant human CYP3A4 metabolizes 98% of AFB1. Next, we found that aflatoxin Q1, a metabolite of AFB1 was no longer mutagenic. Furthermore, we revealed that about 50% of the AFB1 metabolic activity can be maintained for 3 months when E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 is freeze-dried in the presence of trehalose. Finally, we found that 80% of AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize was metabolized by E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 in the presence of surfactant triton X-405 at a final concentration of 10% (v/v). From these results, we conclude that AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize can be detoxified under normal temperature and pressure by using E. coli expressing human CYP3A4.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Arsenic (As), which is ubiquitous throughout the environment, represents a major environmental threat at higher concentration and poses a global public health concern in certain geographic areas. Most of the conventional arsenic remediation techniques that are currently in use have certain limitations. This situation necessitates a potential remediation strategy, and in this regard bioremediation technology is increasingly important. Being the oldest representativse of life on Earth, microbes have developed various strategies to cope with hostile environments containing different toxic metals or metalloids including As. Such conditions prompted the evolution of numerous genetic systems that have enabled many microbes to utilize this metalloid in their metabolic activities. Therefore, within a certain scope bacterial isolates could be helpful for sustainable management of As-contamination. Research interest in microbial As(III) oxidation has increased recently, as oxidation of As(III) to less hazardous As(V) is viewed as a strategy to ameliorate its adverse impact. In this review, the novelty of As(III) oxidation is highlighted and the implication of As(III)-oxidizing microbes in environmental management and their prospects are also discussed. Moreover, future exploitation of As(III)-oxidizing bacteria, as potential plant growth-promoting bacteria, may add agronomic importance to their widespread utilization in managing soil quality and yield output of major field crops, in addition to reducing As accumulation and toxicity in crops.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.544-551
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• 2020

Background: Previous studies have shown the insecticidal efficacy of ginsenosides. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the metabolic mechanism related to the inhibitory effect of panaxadiol saponins (PDSs) against the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee). Methods: Third instar larvae of O. furnacalis were fed normal diets with different concentrations of PDSs for 4 days. The consumption index, relative growth rate, approximate digestibility, and conversion of ingested and digested food were recorded. A targeted gas chromatographye-mass spectrometry assay was performed to detect the profiles of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates in larvae of O. furnacalis. In addition, the activity of detoxification-related enzymes was determined. Results and Conclusions: PDSs decreased the consumption index, relative growth rate, approximate digestibility, and conversion of ingested and digested food in the 3rd instar larvae of O. furnacalis in a dose-dependent manner. PDSs decreased 15 free amino acids, 16 free fatty acids, and 5 carbohydrates and increased the levels of palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, and 9-octadecenoic acid in the 3rd instar larvae. The activity of detoxification-related enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase, cytochrome P450, carboxylesterase, trehalase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase, was reduced in a dose-dependent manner in the 3rd instar larvae exposed to PDSs. These data confirmed the inhibitory effect of PDSs against growth, food utilization, and detoxification in the 3rd instar larvae of O. furnacalis and the potential for using PDSs as an efficient tool for insect pest management for O. furnacalis larvae.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.396-401
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• 2012

Overnutrition is one of the major causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is characterized by an accumulation of lipids (triglycerides) in hepatocytes and is often accompanied by high plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFA). In this study, we compared the energy metabolism in acute steatotic and non-steatotic primary mouse hepatocytes. Acute steatosis was induced by pre-incubation with high concentrations of oleate and palmitate. Labeling experiments were conducted using [$U-^{13}C_5$,$U-^{15}N_2$] glutamine. Metabolite concentrations and mass isotopomer distributions of intracellular metabolites were measured and applied for metabolic flux estimation using transient $^{13}C$ metabolic flux analysis. FFAs were efficiently taken up and almost completely incorporated into triglycerides (TAGs). In spite of high FFA uptake rates and the high synthesis rate of TAGs, central energy metabolism was not significantly changed in acute steatotic cells. Fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation does not significantly contribute to the detoxification of FFAs under the applied conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 1993

Carboxylesterase is widely distributed in the tissues of vertebrates, insects, plants and mycobacteria. Among various tissues of animals and humans, the highest esterase activity with various substrates is found in the liver. Kidney has moderate carboxylesterase activity in the proximal tubules. Considerable esterase activity is also found in the small intestine epithet elial cells and serum of mammals. Besides these tissues, carboxylesterase has been found in the lung, testis, adipose tissue, nasal mucosa and even in the central nervous system. Hepatic microsomal carboxylesterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds such as carboxylester, thioester and aromatic amide. Since carboxylesterases are important for metabolic activation of prodrugs and detoxification of xenobiotics, differences in substrate specificity and immunological properties of this enzyme are important in connection with choosing a suitable laboratory animal for the evaluation of biotransformation and toxicity of drugs. On the other hand, liver, kidney, intestine and serum were found to contain multiple forms of carboxylesterases in animal species and humans. In fact, we have purified more than fifteen isoforms of carboxylesterases from microsomes of liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa of nine animal species and humans. and characteristics of these isoforms were compared each other in terms of their physical and immunochemical properties. On the other hand, we have reported that hepatic microsomal carboxylesterases are induced by many exogenous compounds such as phenobarbital, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Aroclor 1254, aminopyrine and clofibrate. Later, we showed that some isoforms of hepatic carboxylesterase were induced by glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and 16 ${\alpha}$-carbonitrile, but other isoforms were rather inhibited by these compounds. These findings indicate that involvement of carboxylesterases in the metabolism and toxicity of drugs should be explained by the isoforms involved. Since 1991, we have carried out detailed research investigating the types of carboxylesterases involved in the metabolic activation of CPT-11, a derivative of camptothecin, to the active metabolite, SN-38. The results obtained strongly suggest that some isoforms of carboxylesterase of liver microsomes and intestinal mucosal membrane are exclusively involved in CPT-11 metabolism. In this symposium, the properties of carboxylesterase isoforms purified from liver, kidney and intestine of animal species and humans are outlined. In addition, metabolism of CPT-11, a novel antitumor agent, by carboxylesterases in relation to the effectiveness will also be discussed.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 1998

Dithiocarbamate and mixed disulfide containing allyl functions were designed and synthesized as putative chemopreventive agents, i.e. N,N-diallyldithiocarbamate (DATC) and S-(N,N-diallyldithiocarbamoyl)-N-acetylcysteine (AC-DATC). DATC and AC-DATC were administered and the activities of cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and microsomal N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) deethylase were assayed in order to test the effects of these organosulfur com-pounds on the detoxification and metabolic activation system of NDEA. The amounts of hepatic glutathione (GSH and GSSG) was also determined. The administration of DATC to rats led to an increase in the activity of GR and to an inhibition of CYP2E1-mediated NDEA deethylation. AC-DATC induced the activity of GR and GST, increased the hepatic GSH content and inhibited the rate of NDEA deethylation. The level of GSSG was decreased as a consequence of the increased activity of GR. These effects may contribute to possible antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic action of the dithiocarbamates investigated.