• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.680-687
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• 2017

Recently, there has been a marked increase in the use of bioactive products resulting from the fermentation of natural substances by microorganisms. In this study, Opuntia humifusa (OH) was fermented using Lactobacillus plantarum (fermented Opuntia humifusa; fOH). We then examined the anti-obesity effect of fOH in mice fed a 45% Kcal high fat diet (HFD). In this study, mice were treated with fOH concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg. The mice in the control group were treated with OH at a concentration of 400 mg/kg based on previous animal experiments. All of the mice given a continuous HFD showed an increase in their weight, the density of abdominal fat, and the accumulated periovaric and abdominal fat. All of these obesity-linked factors, however, were significantly decreased in the groups treated with fOH at concentrations of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Mice treated with fOH at 100 mg/kg did not show a significant decrease in these obesity-linked factors compared to the control group. It appears that fOH fermented by L. plantarum has a greater anti-obesity effect in HFD-supplied mice compared to unfermented OH. While further studies of fOH are needed to examine its effect on obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, renal function, and type II diabetes with its relevant complications, fOH may have significant therapeutic potential in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2011

This study was carried out to examine the electron donating ability (EDA), nitrite scavenging, tyrosinase inhibition, ACE inhibition and fibrinolytic activity of culture extracts from Fomitella fraxinea which was grown added rice bran, pine needles and turmeric in brown rice. Electron donating ability was higher in the extract by hot water than ethanol. Nitrite scavenging activity was the highest from ethanol extract of culture products added to the pine needles, showed the scavenging activity was approximately 50%. Tyrosinase inhibition activity was highest in the extract by hot water, showed inhibition rate of rice bran was 72.49%, pine needles 87.34% and turmeric powder 82.75%, respectively. ACE inhibition activity were very low effective at all water and ethanol extracts. Fibrinolytic activities were similarly strong in the rice bran, pine needles and turmeric powder. Especially, when the rice bran and turmeric powder were added, showed the activities were increased about 10% than plasmin. Therefore, it may be used for the food and cosmetic industry as natural source of bioactive compound after further investigation such as in vivo experiment.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.183-190
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• 2020

This study evaluated the possibility of Hoangtonogak Plus extracts as a bioactive ingredients for cosmetic products. Methanol(MN) and hot-water(WN) extracts were analysed by DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging activity, FRAP value for anti-oxidant activity, MTT assay for cell viability, inhibition of NO production and iNOS protein expression for anti-inflammatory effect, paper disc diffusion method for anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli.. The contents of total polyphenol of MN and WN extracts were 2.92±0.01 mgGAE/g and 1.67±0.02 mgGAE/g, respectively. DPPH, ABTS and FRAP values of MN extracts were higher than WN at each concentration. No significant cytotoxicity was observed in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, NO production of MN and WN at 1 mg/mL concentration was measured as 11.69 μM, 20.4 μM, respectively. In addition, MN extracts showed anti-microbial effect only on S. epidermidis. Also MN extracts suppressed iNOS protein level in a concentration-dependent manner. According to our results, the MN extracts demonstrated its potential as a natural source of antioxidant with anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.980-986
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• 2021

Natural products have always been an attractive source in terms of novel anti-metastatic compounds which can hinder MMP expression and activity. Corydalis heterocarpa is a salt marsh plant found in the seashores throughout Korea. Its yellow flowers and spikes have been an ingredient in folk medicine to treat spasm and contractions. The present study assessed the potential of different solvent-based fractions from the crude extract of Corydalis heterocarpa (CHE), a halophyte with reported bioactivities, to suppress the PMA-induced MMP expression in human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. The solvent fractions which were named after the solvent used for fractionation (n-hexane, 85% aqueous (aq.) methanol (MeOH), n-butanol (BuOH), and H₂O were shown to inhibit the both elevated mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and simultaneously relieved the suppression on the expression of the endogenous MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. Results indicated that the CHE fractions might intervene with the PMA-induced activation of the MAPK signaling which is the upstream activator of MMP overexpression. Among tested samples, 85% aq. MeOH and n-hexane fractions of CHE was determined to be the most active and future studies to isolate the bioactive substances responsible for the regulation of the MMP expression are, therefore, urged. In conclusion, C. heterocarpa was shown to be a potential source of anti-metastatic compounds and n-Hexane and MeOH fractions might yield lead molecules to develop novel MMP inhibitors.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2022

In modern society, interest in antioxidants is increasing as the stress caused by oxidants increases. However, the demand for synthetic antioxidants is decreasing because some studies have confirmed that they are harmful when consumed in large quantities; thus, studies on antioxidants derived from natural substances are actively being conducted to replace synthetic antioxidants. Blueberry, known as one of the world's top ten long-lived foods, is a plant of the Vaccinium (Ericaceae) family, and various pharmacological activities of blueberry including antioxidant activity have been studied. Vaccinium oldhamii (VO) is a deciduous broad-leaved shrub in the same genus as blueberries, and in this paper, we summarize the studies on the efficacy analysis of VO extracts and purified products. The content of phenolic compounds in VO fruits was proportional to antioxidant and anti-influenza activity such as the inhibition of NO production, and the total content of polyphenols and anthocyanin was higher than that in blueberries. VO fruit extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity and anti-cancer activity against human acute leukemia; in contrast, VO branch extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity, activity to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption due to inflammatory response, and anti-cancer activity against several human cancer cell lines. Compared to blueberries, VO showed higher phenolic compound content, antioxidant activity, and various physiological activities. In addition, VO is considered to have sufficient value as an alternative crop to blueberries, such as it can be grown natively in Korea, with simple mass cultivation and no need to pay royalties for commercialization.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.283-289
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• 2016

Naturally occurring antioxidants, such as polyphenols are widely found in fruits, vegetables, wines, juices, and other plant-based dietary sources and are divided into several sub classes, including phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, stilbenoids, and lignans. As part of the our ongoing search for bioactive food ingredients, the antioxidant and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation inhibitory activities of the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Cirsium setidens were investigated in vitro bioassay system. The antioxidant properties were evaluated through radical scavenging assays using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) ($ABTS^+$) radicals. In addition, the activity of C. setidens against diabetes complications was also tested via AGEs formation inhibition assay. The total phenolic contents were determined using a UV-VIS spectrophotometric method. All tested samples showed a dose-dependent radical scavenging and AGEs inhibitory activities. In particular, the n-butanol (BuOH)-soluble portion showed the most potent radical scavenging activities against DPPH and $ABTS^+$ radicals with $IC_{50}$ values of $24.3{\pm}1.7$ and $25.0{\pm}3.3{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Futhermore, the inhibition of AGEs formation by the n-BuOH-soluble portion ($IC_{50}$ value; $46.0{\pm}1.5{\mu}g/mL$) was higher than that those of the soluble portions for the other solvent. The results showed that C. setidens could be considered as an effective source of natural antioxidants and other ingredients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2015

Various natural products or their derivatives, mostly originating from plants, fungi, and bacteria, have been exploited as therapeutic drugs to treat various human diseases. In addition to previously explored organisms, research on natural compounds has now expanded into unexamined living organisms in order to identify novel bioactive substances. Here, we determined whether or not the larval form of the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle, contains cytotoxic substances that exclusively affect cancer cell viability. Ethanol extract and its solvent partitioned fractions, hexane and ethyl acetate fractions, showed anticancer effects against various human cancer cells derived from the prostate (PC3 and 22Rv1), cervix (HeLa), liver (PLC/PRF5, HepG2, Hep3B, and SK-HEP-1), colon (HCT116), lung (NCI-H460), breast (MDA-MB231), and ovary (SKOV3). Cell death induced by the fractions was a mix of apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. The hexane fraction was administered intraperitoneally to nude mice bearing a hepatocellular carcinoma SK-HEP-1 and showed inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, we concluded that worm extracts contain cytotoxic substances, which can be enriched by proper fractionation protocols, and further separation and purification could lead to the identification of novel molecules to treat human cancers.