• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.31-43
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• 2023

Objectives : The objective of this study was to investigate the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cirsium setidens. Methods : Domestic and international articles about Cirsium setidens were investigated. A review was perfoemed via DB searching engine such as Sci.Direct, Springer, DBpia, KISS, Google scholar, Kipris, and so on. Total 73 listed literature were classified by compound analysis and pharmacological efficacy. Results : C. setidens contains pectolinarin and its glycoside, pectolinarigenin as index compounds, and linarin, apigenin, diosmetin, scopoletin, acacetin, cirsimarin, cirsimaritin, setidenosides A and B, silymarin, hispidulin, 92 volatile compounds, and 15 fatty acids. The Pharmacological activities of C. setidens has been reported to inhibit of platelet aggregation and fat accumulation in the liver, inhibit to hepatitis, anti-cancer, antibacterial, skin improvement, hair growth, liver protection, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, sedative. Also, It has been reported the effect of cholesterol-lowering and anti-obesity, neuroprotective effects, increasing human stem cell viability, inhibiting osteoclast formation and osteogenic differentiation. Conclusion : This reviews showed that C. setidens which has been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammation and hypertension, has anticancer and river protective effect, as well as hair loss and diet. In order to maximize the efficacy of C. setidens, research has also begun on the effect of processing processes such as fermentation or fine powdering and combining natural plant resources.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1044-1054
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• 2023

Growing evidence indicates a crucial role of the gut microbiota in physiological functions. Gut-brain axis imbalance has also been associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Studies have suggested that probiotics regulate the stress response and alleviate mood-related symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effects of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus IDCC3201 (L3201) on the behavioral response and fecal metabolite content in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) mouse model. Our study shows that chronic stress in mice for three weeks resulted in significant changes in behavior, including lower locomotor activity, higher levels of anxiety, and depressive-like symptoms, compared to the control group. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that disrupted fecal metabolites associated with aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis and valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis by UCMS were restored with the administration of L3201. Oral administration of the L3201 ameliorated the observed changes and improved the behavioral alterations along with fecal metabolites, suggesting that probiotics play a neuroprotective role.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.966-972
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• 2016

We investigated that methanolic extracts of 20 kinds of seaweeds from Jeju Island for their antioxidant activities, acetylcholinesterase and ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activities, and neuronal survival in order to evaluate their potentials as anti-dementia agents. Ecklonia cava extracts had the highest total polyphenol content among the 20 seaweed extracts. The antioxidant activity of seaweed extracts was measured by using 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. It was found that Ecklonia kurome extracts had the highest ABTS scavenging activity ($IC_{50}=0.07{\pm}0.01mg/mL$). As a result, Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia kurome, and Myelophycus simplex extracts were found to be the most effective in terms of acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. In the ${\beta}$-secretase activity assay, Ecklonia cava and Ecklonia kurome extracts were effectively inhibited ($84.41{\pm}1.70%$ and $81.17{\pm}2.43%$, respectively). As expected, neuronal cell death induced by $H_2O_2$ in SH-SY5Y cells was diminished by Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia kurome, and Sargassum yezoense extracts. Taken together, these results showed that Ecklonia cava extract has potential anti-dementia activity, which suggests that it might provide an effective strategy for improving dementia.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.69-78
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Gongjin-dan (Gongchen-dan, here in after GJD) in order to obtain the evidence for clinical application. Methods The GJD-related articles published from 1990 to 2013 were searched using "Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal", "Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS)", "Korean Association of Medical Journal Edition (Koreamed)", "Research Information Services (RISS4U)", "Korean Medicine Database (KMbase)", "National Discovery for Science Leader (NDSL)", "PubMed", "China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)". The search keywords were "Gongjin-dan", "Gongchen-dan". Thirty-nine articles were obtained. After excluding the eighteen article which did not meet inclusion criteria, finally twenty-one articles were included; five clinical articles and sixteen experimental articles. Results In clinical studies, GJD has the various effectiveness in cardiovascular diseases, alcoholic hepatitis, mild dementia, anemia. Also experimental studies related to the GJD show a variety of effects, such as anti-oxidative activity, neuroprotective activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, immunological activity, reproductive recovery activity with fewer side-effects. Conclusions It has been suggested that there are various effects of GJD in treating a wide-range disease. However, in order to put GJD to use for many kinds of diseases in more reasonable ways, it is needed to publish well-design clinical trial based on the variety of results of experimental studies.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2012

Ginsenosides are low molecular weight glycosides found in ginseng that exhibit neuroprotective effects through inhibition of $N$-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor channel activity. Ginsenosides, like other natural compounds, are metabolized by gastric juices and intestinal microorganisms to produce ginsenoside metabolites. However, little is known about how ginsenoside metabolites regulate NMDA receptor channel activity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ginsenoside metabolites, such as compound K (CK), protopanaxadiol (PPD), and protopanaxatriol (PPT), on oocytes that heterologously express the rat NMDA receptor. NMDA receptor-mediated ion current ($I_{NMDA}$) was measured using the 2-electrode voltage clamp technique. In oocytes injected with cRNAs encoding NMDA receptor subunits, PPT, but not CK or PPD, reversibly inhibited $I_{NMDA}$ in a concentration-dependent manner. The $IC_{50}$ for PPT on $I_{NMDA}$ was $48.1{\pm}4.6\;{\mu}M$, was non-competitive with NMDA, and was independent of the membrane holding potential. These results demonstrate the possibility that PPT interacts with the NMDA receptor, although not at the NMDA binding site, and that the inhibitory effects of PPT on $I_{NMDA}$ could be related to ginseng-mediated neuroprotection.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2011

In order to develop silk peptide (SP) preparations possessing cognition-enhancing effect, several candidates were screened through in vitro assays, and their effectiveness was investigated in facilitated brain aging model rats. Incubation of brain acetyl-cholinesterase with SP-PN (1-1,000 ${\mu}g/ml$) led to inhibition of the enzyme activity up to 35%, in contrast to a negligible effect of SP-NN. The expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA of neural stem cells expressing ChAT gene (F3.ChAT) was increased by 24-hour treatment with 10 and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ SP-NN (1.35 and 2.20 folds) and SP-PN (2.40 and 1.34 folds). Four-week subcutaneous injections with D-galactose (150 mg/kg) increased activated hippocampal astrocytes to 1.7 folds (a marker of brain injury and aging), decreased acetylcholine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid by 45-50%, and thereby impaired learning and memory function in passive avoidance and water-maze performances. Oral treatment with SP preparations (50 or 300 mg/kg) for 5 weeks from 1 week prior to D-galactose injection exerted recovering activities on acetylcholine depletion and brain injury/aging as well as cognitive deficit induced by D-galactose. The results indicate that SP preparations restore cognitive functions of facilitated brain aging model rats by increasing the release of acetylcholine, in addition to neuroprotective activity.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2016

Objective : The aim of our study was to evaluate the neuroprotective functions of the combination therapy using methylprednisolone (MP) and tranilast (TR) after spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult rats. Methods : Spinal cord compression injury model was achieved using Yasargil aneurysm clip. Rats were divided into control group, MP group, TR group, and combination therapy group using TR and MP. Rat models were assessed for locomotor functional recovery using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, spinal cord water content and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity 24 hours post SCI, haematoxylin and eosin staining and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) staining at 7 and 14 days post SCI. Results : The spinal cord water content and MPO activity in the combination therapy group was significantly lower than the control group and the individual therapy groups p<0.05. The combination therapy group had significantly higher BBB scores than control group and individual therapy groups (p<0.05). At one week after SCI, GFAP expression in the combination group was significantly lower than the control group (p<0.05) but there was no significant difference compared to the individual therapy groups (p>0.05). At 2 weeks after SCI there was a slight decrease in GFAP expression compared to the first week but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05), GFAP expression between the groups was not statistically significant p>0.05. Conclusion : Combining MP and TR is therapeutically more effective in improving functional recovery, inhibiting inflammation and glial scar formation after acute SCI.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2014

Derivatives of caffeic acid have been reported to possess diverse pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and neuroprotective effects. However, the biological activity of methyl p-hydroxycinnamate, an ester derivative of caffeic acid, has not been clearly demonstrated. This study aimed to elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of methyl p-hydroxycinnamate in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Methyl p-hydroxycinnamate significantly inhibited LPS-induced excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and $PGE_2$ and the protein expression of iNOS and COX-2. Methyl p-hydroxycinnamate also suppressed LPS-induced overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$. In addition, methyl p-hydroxycinnamate significantly suppressed LPS-induced degradation of $I{\kappa}B$, which retains NF-${\kappa}B$ in the cytoplasm, consequently inhibiting the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes by NF-${\kappa}B$ in the nucleus. Methyl p-hydroxycinnamate exhibited significantly increased Akt phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, inhibition of Akt signaling pathway with wortmaninn abolished methyl p-hydroxycinnamate-induced Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, the present study clearly demonstrates that methyl p-hydroxycinnamate exhibits anti-inflammatory activity through the activation of Akt signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2013

3,4,5-Trihydroxycinnamic acid (THC) is a derivative of hydroxycinnamic acids, which have been reported to possess a variety of biological properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and neuroprotective activities. However, biological activity of THC has not been extensively examined. Recently, we reported that THC possesses anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. However, its precise mechanism by which THC exerts anti-inflammatory action has not been clearly identified. Therefore, the present study was carried out to understand the anti-inflammatory mechanism of THC in BV2 microglial cells. THC effectively suppressed the LPS-induced induction of pro-inflammatory mediators such as NO, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IL-$1{\beta}$. THC also suppressed expression of MCP-1, which plays a key role in the migration of activated microglia. To understand the underlying mechanism by which THC exerts these anti-inflammatory properties, involvement of Nrf2, which is a cytoprotective transcription factor, was examined. THC resulted in increased phosphorylation of Nrf2 with consequent expression of HO-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. THC-induced phosphorylation of Nrf2 was blocked with SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, indicating that p38 MAPK is the responsible kinase for the phosphorylation of Nrf2. Taken together, the present study for the first time demonstrates that THC exerts anti-inflammatory properties through the activation of Nrf2 in BV2 microglial cells, suggesting that THC might be a valuable therapeutic adjuvant for the treatment of inflammation-related disorders in the CNS.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.261-267
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• 2017

As part of the search for bioactive constituents of Korean medicinal plants, twelve steroids (1-12) were isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea nipponica. The isolated compounds were identified as diosgenin ($3{\beta}$, 25R)-spirost-5-en-3-ol (1), 25(R)-dracaenoside E (2), dioscin (3), gracillin (4), prosapogenin B (5), 25(R)-dracaenoside G (6), diosgenin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyl($1{\rightarrow}3$)-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside (7), ophipogonin C′ (8), 7-oxodioscin (9), protodioscin (10), hypoglaucin F (11), and protoneogracillin (12). Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic data and identified by comparing these data with those in the literatures. All the isolates (1-12) were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects through induction of nerve growth factor in C6 glioma cells and effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine microglia cell line BV-2. Compounds 7 and 12 were found to induce upregulation of NGF secretion without causing significant cell toxicity and compound 4 exhibited potent anti-neuroinflammatory activity.