• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.811-818
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• 2011

Physiological activities of hot water (MHW) and 80% ethanol (MEH) extracts from Maesaengi (Capsosiphon fulvescens) were investigated in this study. For the evaluation of antioxidant activities for MHW and MEH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-pic-rylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity were measured. DPPH radical scavenging activity and SOD-like activity of MHW, and MEH were increased weekly in a dose-dependent manner, and were about 10.8, 13.8, 62.4, and 27.1% at 10 mg/ml, respectively. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of MHW and MEH were about 5.9% and 49.7% at 1 mg/ml, respectively. The ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory effect of MHW and MEH were about 1.4% and 67.3% at 1 mg/ml, respectively. To determine the influence of MHW and MEH on alcohol metabolizing activity, the generating activities of reduced-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) were measured. Facilitating rates of ADH activity by MHW and MEH were increased weekly in a dose-dependent manner and ALDH activities were not detected. Elastase inhibitory activities of MHW and MEH were 75.9% and 51.2% at 10 mg/ml, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1675-1682
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• 2010

The biological activity of hot water extract from Ecklonia cava Kjellman (ECE) was investigated to assess antioxidative, anti-skin aging, and nitrite scavenging abilities, as well as alcohol metabolizing activities. Antioxidant activity of ECE was measured by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity. DPPH radical scavenging activity and SOD-like activity of ECE increased in a remarkably dose-dependent manner, and were about 91.4% and 75% at 1 mg/ml, respectively. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was indicated to be about 70% at 1 mg/ml of ECE. Nitrite scavenging ability of ECE showed to be 93.6% at 1 mg/ml and pH 1.2. The influence of ECE on alcohol metabolism was demonstrated through the generating activity of reduced-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The facilitating rate of ADH and ALDH activity by ECE was 167.2% and 334% at 10 mg/ml, respectively. In addition, tyrosinase and elastase inhibitory activities of ECE were 58% and 72% at 10 mg/ml, respectively. These results indicated that ECE has valuable biological attributes owing to its antioxidant, nitrite scavenging, alcohol metabolizing, and elastase and tyrosinase inhibitory activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1262-1268
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• 2017

Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), a plant in the Myrtaceae family, is native to the semitropical rain-forests of Queensland and is presumably the most commercialized native spice. In Australian thousands of lemon-myrtle trees are under tillage. This study was carried out to investigate the alcohol metabolism, hepatoprotective effects and antidiabetic, tyrosinase inhibitory activity of hot-water (LMW) and 80% ethanol (LME) extracts from lemon-myrtle leaves. The alpha-glucosidase (${\alpha}$-glucosidase) inhibitory activities of the LMW and LME extracts were 7.66% and 40.29% at 1 mg/ml (p<0.05), respectively. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the LME extract was about 38.26 % at 1 mg/ml. The effects the LMW and LME extracts had on alcohol-metabolizing activities were determined by measuring the generation of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The ADH activities of the LMW and LME extracts significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner and were about 154.40% and 192.03% at 1 mg/ml, respectively (p<0.05). The ALDH activities of the LMW and LME extracts also significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner and were about 151.14% and 192.34% at 1 mg/ml, respectively (p<0.05). At $100{\mu}g/ml$, the LMW and LME extracts showed significant protective effects against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. The results suggested that Backhousia citriodora leaf extracts have the potential to be significant sources for natural health products.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.569-576
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• 2018

This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidative, nitrite-scavenging, alcohol-metabolizing, and anti-inflammatory effects of black-cherry tomato juice (BCTJ) on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The total phenol content of the BCTJ was $156.83{\mu}g\;tannic-acid-equivalent/ml$. The antioxidative effects of BCTJ were measured using DPPH radical-scavenging activity and SOD-like assay. DPPH radical-scavenging activity of BCTJ was increased in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05) and was 83.39% at 40%. SOD-like activity of BCTJ was 22.01% at 100%. The effects of BCTJ on alcohol-metabolism were determined by measuring generations of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). ADH and ALDH activities were 198.87% and 181.89% at 40%, respectively. Nitric scavenging activities of BCTJ were 85.06%, 58.25%, and 43.68% at pH values 1.2, 3.0, and 6.0, respectively, at 50%. Anti-inflammatory effects were examined in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Nitric-oxide production was reduced to 83.55% by the addition of BCTJ at 10%. These results suggest that black-cherry tomato juice has great potential as a resource for natural health products.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2016

Objective: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzyme defect. G6PD plays a key role in the pentose phosphate pathway, which is a major source of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). NADPH provides the reducing equivalents for oxidation-reduction reductions involved in protecting against the toxicity of reactive oxygen species such as $H_2O_2$. We hypothesized that G6PD deficiency may reduce the amount of NADPH in sperms, thereby inhibiting the detoxification of $H_2O_2$, which could potentially affect their motility and viability, resulting in an increased susceptibility to infertility. Methods: Semen samples were obtained from four males with G6PD deficiency and eight healthy males as a control. In both groups, motile sperms were isolated from the seminal fluid and incubated with 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and $120{\mu}M$ concentrations of $H_2O_2$. After 1 hour incubation at $37^{\circ}C$, sperms were evaluated for motility and viability. Results: Incubation of sperms with 10 and $20{\mu}M\;H_2O_2$ led to very little decrease in motility and viability, but motility decreased notably in both groups in 40, 60, and $80{\mu}M\;H_2O_2$, and viability decreased in both groups in 40, 60, 80, and $120{\mu}M\;H_2O_2$. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the G6PD-deficient group and controls. Conclusion: G6PD deficiency does not increase the susceptibility of sperm to oxidative stress induced by $H_2O_2$, and the reducing equivalents necessary for protection against $H_2O_2$ are most likely produced by other pathways. Therefore, G6PD deficiency cannot be considered as major risk factor for male infertility.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 2010

The hair nourisher products are used for prevention of hair loss and classified as quasi-drug in Korea. As concerns about hair loss has been increased, the demand for hair nourisher products has been growing. It is difficult to analyze their main ingredients because they contain various ingredients including natural plant extracts, vitamins, preservatives and exfoliators. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate simultaneous analytical methods of active ingredients in hair nourisher products such as nicotinamide, tocopherol, salicylic acid, dexpanthenol and benzyl nicotinate by HPLC. The active ingredients were separated on a $C_{18}$ column by using acetonitrile/phosphate buffer as a mobile phase, and detected at UV 220, 270 and 300 nm. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range of $12.5{\sim}800\;{\mu}g/mL$ and the recoveries were 97.3 ~ 103.5 % (RSD 0.9 ~ 2.8 %) in liquid matrix and 101.9 ~ 115.9 % (RSD 0.7 ~ 7.7 %) in shampoo matrix. Validated method was applied to hair nourisher products obtained from distribution market. Fortunately, all samples met their criteria. This study might be expected to provide the method for determining active ingredients in hair nourisher products and lead to promote a rapid market entry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1193-1200
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• 2018

This study investigated the physiochemical properties, antioxidative, nitrite-scavenging, and alcohol metabolism enzyme activities of nectarine vinegar prepared by a traditional fermentation method. The pH of nectarine vinegar was 3.70, the sugar content was $8.87^{\circ}Brix$, and the total acidity was 6.29%. Among organic acids detected, acetic acid was highest at 32.42 mg/ml, followed by lactic acid, malic acid, and succinic acid. Total phenol content of the nectarine vinegar was $121.84{\mu}g$ tannic acid equivalents (TAE)/100 ml. The antioxidative effects of muskmelon vinegar were measured using 1,1-Diphenyl2-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay. DPPH of nectarine vinegar was increased in a dose-dependent manner, which was 84.47% at 40% concentration. SOD activity was increased in a dose-dependent manner, which was 89.06% at 60% concentration. Nitric scavenging activities of nectarine vinegar were 94.17%, 76.91%, and 20.21% at pH values 1.2, 3.0, and 6.0 at 100% concentration, respectively. The effects of nectarine vinegar on alcohol-metabolism were determined by measuring the generation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). ADH and ALDH activities of nectarine vinegar were increased in a dose-dependent manner, which were 153.61% and 178.20 % at 60% concentration, respectively. These results suggest that nectarine vinegar has great potential as a resource for high quality functional health beverages.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2015

Excessive microglial activation and subsequent neuroinflammation lead to synaptic loss and dysfunction as well as neuronal cell death, which are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the regulation of microglial activation has been evaluated as effective therapeutic strategies. Although dieckol (DEK), one of the phlorotannins isolated from marine brown alga Ecklonia cava, has been previously reported to inhibit microglial activation, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated here molecular mechanism of DEK via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Akt and nicotinamide adenine dinuclelotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated pathways. In addition, the neuroprotective mechanism of DEK was investigated in microglia-mediated neurotoxicity models such as neuron-microglia co-culture and microglial conditioned media system. Our results demonstrated that treatment of anti-oxidant DEK potently suppressed phosphorylation of ERK in lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $1{\mu}g/ml$)-stimulated BV-2 microglia. In addition, DEK markedly attenuated Akt phosphorylation and increased expression of $gp91^{phox}$, which is the catalytic component of NADPH oxidase complex responsible for microglial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Finally, DEK significantly attenuated neuronal cell death that is induced by treatment of microglial conditioned media containing neurotoxic secretary molecules. These neuroprotective effects of DEK were also confirmed in a neuron-microglia co-culture system using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-transfected B35 neuroblastoma cell line. Taken together, these results suggest that DEK suppresses excessive microglial activation and microglia-mediated neuronal cell death via downregulation of ERK, Akt and NADPH oxidase-mediated pathways.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2017

Background: Ginsenoside Rg1 is a class of steroid glycoside and triterpene saponin in Panax ginseng. Many studies suggest that Rg1 suppresses adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1. However, the detail molecular mechanism of Rg1 on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 is still not fully understood. Methods: 3T3-L1 preadipocyte was used to evaluate the effect of Rg1 on adipocyte development in the differentiation in a stage-dependent manner in vitro. Oil Red O staining and Nile red staining were conducted to measure intracellular lipid accumulation and superoxide production, respectively. We analyzed the protein expression using Western blot in vitro. The zebrafish model was used to investigate whether Rg1 suppresses the early stage of fat accumulation in vivo. Results: Rg1 decreased lipid accumulation in early-stage differentiation of 3T3-L1 compared with intermediate and later stages of adipocyte differentiation. Rg1 dramatically increased CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein-10 (CHOP10) and subsequently reduced the $C/EBP{\beta}$ transcriptional activity that prohibited the initiation of adipogenic marker expression as well as triglyceride synthase. Rg1 decreased the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$, which are also essential for stimulating the expression of $CEBP{\beta}$. Rg1 also reduced reactive oxygen species production because of the downregulated protein level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) oxidase 4 (NOX4). While Rg1 increased the endogenous antioxidant enzymes, it also dramatically decreased the accumulation of lipid and triglyceride in high fat diet-induced obese zebrafish. Conclusion: We demonstrated that Rg1 suppresses early-stage differentiation via the activation of CHOP10 and attenuates fat accumulation in vivo. These results indicate that Rg1 might have the potential to reduce body fat accumulation in the early stage of obesity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.341-349
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• 2020

Background: The replicative senescence of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) is accompanied by growth arrest. In our previous study, the treatment of senescent HDFs with Rg3(S) lowered the intrinsic reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and reversed cellular senescence by inducing peroxiredoxin-3, an antioxidant enzyme. However, the signaling pathways involved in Rg3(S)-induced senescence reversal in HDFs and the relatedness of the stereoisomer Rg3(R) in corresponding signaling pathways are not known yet. Methods: We performed senescence-associated β-galactosidase and cell cycle assays in Rg3(S)-treated senescent HDFs. The levels of ROS, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as well as the mitochondrial DNA copy number, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)⁺/1,4-dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) ratio, and NAD-dependent sirtuins expression were measured and compared among young, old, and Rg3(S)-pretreated old HDFs. Major signaling pathways of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and sirtuin 1/3, including cell cycle regulatory proteins, were examined by immunoblot analysis. Results: Ginsenoside Rg3(S) reversed the replicative senescence of HDFs by restoring the ATP level and NAD⁺/NADH ratio in downregulated senescent HDFs. Rg3(S) recovered directly the cellular levels of ROS and the NAD⁺/NADH ratio in young HDFs inactivated by rotenone. Rg3(S) mainly downregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt through the inhibition of mTOR by cell cycle regulators like p53/p21 in senescent HDFs, whereas Rg3(R) did not alter the corresponding signaling pathways. Rg3(S)-activated sirtuin 3/PGC1α to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. Conclusion: Cellular molecular analysis suggests that Rg3(S) specifically reverses the replicative senescence of HDFs by modulating Akt-mTOR-sirtuin signaling to promote the biogenesis of mitochondria.