• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.246-251
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• 2023

Obesity increases the risk of mortality and morbidity because it results in hypertension, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for pharmacotherapeutic drugs to treat obesity. We performed a screening assay using natural products with anti-adipogenic properties in 3T3-L1 cells and determined that tschimganidine, a terpenoid from the Umbelliferae family, inhibited adipogenesis. To evaluate the anti-obesity effects of tschimganidine in vivo. Mice were fed either a normal chow diet (NFD) or a high-fat chow diet (HFD) with or without tschimganidine for 12 weeks. Treatment with tschimganidine decreased lipid accumulation and adipogenesis, accompanied by reduced expression of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation-related factors. Tschimganidine significantly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased that of AKT. Depletion of AMPK relieved the reduction in lipid accumulation resulting from tschimganidine treatment. Moreover, tschimganidine administration drastically reduced the weight and size of both gonadal white adipose tissue (WAT) and blood glucose levels in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. We suggest that tschimganidine is a potent anti-obesity agent, which impedes adipogenesis and improves glucose homeostasis. Tschimganidine can then be evaluated for clinical application as a therapeutic agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.649-661
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• 2020

This study examined the laxative effects of hot-water extracts of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (HD), Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel (PM), and a 2:8 mixture of both (HP) in two chronic constipation models. For the loperamide-induced constipation model, animals were divided into an untreated group, negative control group (loperamide 4 mg/kg), positive control group (bisacodyl 4 mg/kg) group, and six treatment groups (HP 100 or 400, HD 50 or 100, and PM 100 or 400 mg/kg). For the low-fiber diet-induced constipation model, animals were divided into an untreated group (normal diet), negative control group (low-fiber diet), positive control group (Agio granule, 620 mg/kg), and the same treatment groups. Fecal number, weight, fecal water content, and intestinal transit ratio were higher in the groups treated with HP, HD, and PM than in the groups treated with loperamide or low-fiber diet. Thickness of colon mucosa and muscle layers were increased in the treated groups. Colon tension increased in the HP groups, and [Ca²⁺]i measurements using fura-2 as an indicator showed that HP inhibits ATP-mediated Ca²⁺ influx in IEC-18 cells. These results showed that the HP mixture has laxative activity by increased mucin secretion and inducing contractile activity and relaxation. It may be a useful therapeutic strategy for ameliorating in chronic constipation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1594-1599
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• 2005

The effects of long-term feeding of diets based on bermudagrass hay supplemented with lucerne hay cube (LH) or fermented bagasse feed (FBF) on the growth rate, feed efficiency, behaviour, gut development, carcass characteristics and meat quality of goats were investigated. Six spring-born 8-month-old male crossbred (Japanese Saanen${\times}$Tokara native goats) bucks weighing mean 21.6 kg were allotted to 2 treatment groups (3 animals each) and each animal had ad libitum access to feeds, i.e. bermudagrass hay (basal diet)+LH or FBF throughout the experiment. The FBF was produced by the solid-state fermentation of substrates containing dried sugarcane bagasse mixed with wheat bran in a ratio of 1:3 (w/w DM) with Aspergillus sojae. The live body weight, final weight and average daily gain were not different between treatments. Average basal diet intake of goats fed FBF diet was significantly higher than that fed LH diet (p<0.05), but average dry matter intake (DMI; g/day and g/$W^{0.75}$), feed conversion ratio, digestible crude protein (DCP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) intake of experimental diets were not significantly different between treatments. Goats fed on LH and FBF diets had similar eating, rumination, resting and drinking behaviours, and blood constituents except for phosphorus content. Slaughter and carcass weights, net meat percentage [(total meat/carcass weight)${\times}$100], loin ratio [(loin/total meat)${\times}$100] and rib-eye area were not different between treatments. However, goats fed FBF diet had lower dressing percentage and higher bone/muscle ratio compared with goats fed LH diet (p<0.01). Empty gut and guts fill of goats fed FBF diet were significantly greater (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively) than those fed LH diet. The weights of rumen and abomasum were also significantly heavier in goats fed FBF diet (p<0.05), but the length and density of papillae of rumen in goats were not different between treatments. Although meat composition of loin was not different in both groups, the meat of goats fed FBF diet was superior to that of LH diet in flavor, aroma and overall quality of loin (p<0.01). In conclusion, the nature of the diet consumed voluntarily did not affect subsequent growth, nutrient intake and behaviour of goats but had an influence on carcass traits and sensory evaluation of meat partly, when either of LH or FBF was fed with bermudagrass hay.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2002

Gender differences in the effects of gonadectomy and high cholesterol diet on body weight and body cholesterol were investigated by using Sprague Dawley rats. Body weight, plasma and liver levels of cholesterol and triglyceride and platelet aggregation were examined in ovariectomized(OVX) or orchidectomized(ODX) rats with their intacts after feeding diet with or without 0.5% cholesterol. Body weight was significantly increased(p < 0.01) in OVX rats and significantly decreased(p < 0.01) in ODX rats compared to their respective intact rats, and cholesterol diet significantly(p < 0.05) decreased body weight in gonadectomized rats. Liver lobes from rats fed cholesterol diet were opaque and larger than those from rats find control dict, resulting in a significant increase(p < 0.01) in LW/BW ratio. Plasma and liver levels of total cholesterol were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in female rats regardless ovariectomy when find 0.5% cholesterol diet, but those levels in male rats were increased only when they were orchidectomized(p < 0.0l). Plasma HDL-cholesterol was significantly decreased(p < 0.05) in both sexes when find cholesterol diet. HDL-cholesterol were higher in female than male rats regardless treatments(p < 0.05). Liver triglyceride was significantly increased(p < 0.05) in both sexes when find cholesterol dict. Plasma level of triglyceride was not different among groups except significant decrease(p < 0.05) in cholesterol find ODX rats. Maximum platelet aggregation in female rats was significantly lower(p < 0.05) than male, but ovariectomy and cholesterol diet caused an increase te the level of male rats. Microscopic examination showed cholesterol diet caused a lipid accumulation in liver. Results indicate that intact female rats have higher response to hypercholestcrolemic diet than intact male rats and orchidectomy causes male rats more responsive to hypercholesterolemic diet. However, ovariectomy causes an increase female food efficiency ratio to the level of male rats, significantly increasing body weight.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.1015-1026
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• 2008

The influence of dietary beef tallow (BT) versus sunflower oil (SO) on meat quality and apparent digestibility and deposition of individual fatty acids in the whole carcass was investigated in pigs fed diets containing either BT or SO. The diets contained equal amounts of energy in the form of the variable fats and were fed on an iso-energetic, restricted basis. Crude fat in the SO diet was better digested (p<0.001) than in the BT diet. The dietary fat type had no effect on growth performance, physical properties of the carcass and meat quality. The pigs fed the BT diet showed lower (p<0.001) apparent digestibilities for palmitic and linoleic acid, but those of oleic and ${\alpha}$-linolenic acid were not affected. The ratio of deposition in the carcass to intake of digestible fatty acids for the whole feeding period was decreased (p<0.01) for oleic and linoleic acid in pigs fed the SO diet. The pigs fed the SO diet instead of the BT diet had a lower (p<0.05) deposition:intake ratio for mono-unsaturated fatty acids. The calculated minimum de novo synthesis of saturated fatty acids was increased for the SO diet, but that of mono-unsaturated fatty acids was not different. In conclusion, the iso-energetic replacement of BT by SO had a marked impact on the fatty acid composition of tissues, but did not affect carcass and meat quality traits in spite of the marked difference in the deposition of linoleic acid in adipose tissues, loin muscle and the whole body. In addition, it became clear that the type of dietary fat had marked, specific effects on the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1513-1520
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• 2009

Forty-six Holstein heifers were used in a completely randomized design and assigned to 1 of 2 treatments to evaluate the effects of 2 diets varying in ruminal fermentable carbohydrate sources, namely ground corn (GC) and rolled wheat (RW), on metabolism and performance of primiparous cows in the periparturient period. The heifers were fed diets as a total mixed ration (TMR) with similar energy and crude protein content including i) 18.57% GC, or ii) 18.57% RW from -24.13${\pm}$7.73 d relative to expected calving until calving. After calving, all animals received the same lactation diet until 28 d. Animals were group fed from the beginning of the study to -7 d relative to expected calving, fed individually from d -7 to 7 days in milk (DIM), and again group fed to 28 DIM. The pre-partum diets affected (p<0.05) dry matter intake (DMI), energy intake, energy balance (EB) and urinary pH during the last week pre-partum. There was no effect of pre-partum carbohydrate source on overall plasma concentration of glucose, nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), albumin, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), insulin, and cortisol during the periparturient period. Cows fed the RW diet during the pre-partum period had greater calcium for the first week (p<0.05) and during 28 d (p = 0.08) of lactation compared with heifers fed the GC diet. Primiparous cows fed the RW diet produced greater milk protein content and yield (p<0.05). Primiparous cows fed the RW diet had lower milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and somatic cell count (SCC) than cows fed the GC diet (p<0.05). The results of this study show that feeding pre-partum diets with a rapidly fermentable source of starch but low energy content can improve animal metabolism and performance and smooth the transition of primiparous Holstein cows from gestation to lactation.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2003

To evaluate the influence of hepatic oxygen free radical systems on liver injury by topical p-phenylenediamine (PPD) application on rat skin, PPD (25 mg/16.5 $\textrm{cm}^2$) was topically applied to the abdominal region 5 times every other day and sacrificed. By PPD treatment, increasing rate of liver weight/body weight (%), serum activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and decreasing rate of microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase activity were higher in the rats fed tungstate supplemented diet than those fed a standard diet. These findings indicate that group fed tungstate supplemented diet have more severe liver injury compared with group fed standard diet on topical PPD application. However, the activities of oxygen free radical generating enzymes such as xanthine oxidase (XO) and cytochrome P450 dependent aniline hydroxylase and those of oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes were not found to be different between these two animal groups. In the present study, a novel monitoring method to detect the generating of oxygen free radicals in liver extract was devised. Throughout this method, the oxidized PPD produced by oxygen free radicals was determined colorimetrically. The increasing rate of PPD oxidation by liver homogenate was higher in tungstate fed animals than in standard diet fed ones. Among the fractionations of liver extract, the mitochondrial and postmitochondrial fractions in the liver extract of tungstate fed animals led to a higher availability of PPD oxidation by PPD treatment compared with standard diet fed ones. In conclusion, these results suggest that an enhanced liver injury in tungstate fed animals treated with PPD may be due to oxygen free radicals produced in other systems except oxygen free radicals generating from cytosolic XO system. Especially, oxidative availability by PPD can be used for oxygen free radical detection in some tissue.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 1975

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of various compositions of artificial diet for silkworms on the cocoon shell fibroin-hydrolyzing with the proteolytic enzyme. The obtained results are summarized as follows： 1. It was found that the fibroin-hydrolyzing ratio of the cocoon shell made by silkworms fed with artificial diets was lower than that of the cocoon shell made by silkworms fed with natural diet (mulberry leaf) 2. The amount of soybean meal in the artificial diet was negatively related to the sericin content of cocoon shell but it scarcely affected on the fibroin-hydrolyzing ratio. 3. The increase of sucrose in the artificial diet reduced the sericin content of cocoon shell but it didn't influence on the fibroin-hydrolyzing ratio. 4. A significant difference between male and female silkworms fed with artificial diets was found in the sericin content of cocoon shell but it was not approved in tile fibroin-hydrolyzing ratio. 5. The artificial diet containing 8 per cent of mulberry leaf powder increased the fbroin-hydrolyzing ratio more than that containing 10 per cent of mulberry leaf powder or that containing 8 per cent of mulberry leaf powder and a little of methionine did. 6. The artificial diet for all instars of silkworms increased the fibroin-hydrolyzing ratio more than the artificial diet for 1st to 3rd instars and natural diet (mulberry leaf) for the rest instars did.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.16.1-16.9
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• 2014

Fatty acids (FA) have recently been used in several studies to infer the diet in a number of species. While these studies have been largely successful, most have dealt with predators that have a fairly specialized diet. In this paper, we used FA analysis as a tool to infer the diet of the nearctic river otter (Lontra canadensis). The river otter is an opportunistic predator known to subsist on a wide variety of prey including, fishes, crayfish, molluscs, reptiles and amphibians, among others. We analyzed the principle components of 60 FA from otters and 25 potential prey species in Illinois, USA. Prey species came from 4 major taxonomic divisions: fishes, crayfish, molluscs and amphibians. Within each division, most, but not all, species had significantly different profiles. Using quantitative FA signature analysis, our results suggest that, by mass, fish species are the most significant component of Illinois River otters' diet ($37.7{\pm}1.0%$). Molluscs ranked second ($32.0{\pm}0.8%$), followed by amphibians ($27.3{\pm}4.3%$), and finally, crayfish ($3.0{\pm}0.6%$). Our analysis indicates that molluscs make up a larger portion of the otter diet than previously reported. Throughout much of the Midwest there have been numerous otter reintroduction efforts, many of which appear to be successful. In regions where mollusc species are endangered, these data are essential for management agencies to better understand the potential impact of otters on these species. Our analysis further suggests that quantitative FA signature analysis can be used to infer diet even when prey species are diverse, to the extent that their FA profiles differ. Better understanding of the otter's metabolism of FA would improve inferences of diet from FA analysis.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.198-205
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• 2005

Korean medicated diet (KMD) is not a simple combination of food and Chinese drugs, but a special carefully constructed diet made from Sasang constitutional medicines, food and condiments under the theoretical guidance of diet preparation based on differentiation of symptoms and signs of traditional Sasang medicine (TSM). It combines the functional efficacy of medicine with the delicacy of food, and can be used to prevent and cure diseases, build up one's health and prolong one's life. Korean traditional medicated diet has a long history of development. Although influenced by Chinese medicine, Korean traditional medicine has been developed into a unique system of traditional medicine that has surpassed the continental medical practice, sublimating itself into a native medical practice suitable to Korean lifestyles and physical constitutions. In the 19th century, Lee Jema's Sasang medicine (medicine of four types of energy determining the physical constitution) was introduced. It is an integration of mind and body according to the individual's physical constitution that is categorized allowing a customized method of treatment ideal for each category-making the content of Korean traditional medicated diet even richer. The characteristics of Korean medicated diet are as follows: (1) Laying stress on the wole, selecting medicated diet on the basis of differential diagnosis. (2) Suitable for prevention and treatment, outstanding in effect. (3) Good in taste, convenient for taking. KMD refers to drink and food according to certain prescriptions, by processing and cooking that can be used either for prevention and cure of diseases, or for health care and recovery. The purpose of this review is to introduce TSM and KMD based on Sasang constitutional medicines.