• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2019

Background: The light-emitting diode (LED) curing light used is presumed to be safe. However, the scientific basis for this is unclear, and the safety of LED curing light is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of LED curing light irradiation according to the conditions applied for the polymerization of composite resins in dental clinic on the cell viability and inflammatory response in Raw264.7 macrophages and to confirm the stability of LED curing light. Methods: Cell viability and cell morphology of Raw264.7 macrophages treated with 100 ng/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or/and LED curing light with a wavelength of 440~490 nm for 20 seconds were confirmed by methylthiazolydiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and microscopic observation. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) was confirmed by NO assay and $PGE_2$ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Expression of interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ in total RNA and protein was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Results: The LED curing light did not affect the viability and morphology of normal Raw264.7 cells but affected the cell viability and induced cytotoxicity in the inflammation-induced Raw264.7 cells by LPS. The irradiation of the LED curing light did not progress to the inflammatory state in the inflammation-induced Raw264.7 macrophage. However, LED curing light irradiation in normal Raw264.7 cells induced an increase in NO and $PGE_2$ production and mRNA and protein expression of $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, indicating that it is possible to induce the inflammatory state. Conclusion: The irradiation of LED curing light in RAW264.7 macrophage may induce an excessive inflammatory reaction and damage oral tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the long-term irradiation which is inappropriate when applying LED curing light in a dental clinic.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2019

Stevia rebaudiana (Asteraceae), a perennial plant, has been used as a low-calorie sweetener and is being developed as a therapeutic agent for diabetes, hypertension, myocardial diseases, and microbial infections. Despite the common use of its leaves and stem, the bioavailability of the components present in S. rebaudiana flowers, when used as ingredients of cosmetics, has not been well investigated. Herein, we investigated the antioxidative and antimelanogenic effects of an aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana flowers (Stevia-F). Total flavonoid and phenolic content in Stevia-F were determined to be $8.64{\pm}0.23mg$ of quercetin equivalents/100 g and $631.5{\pm}2.01mg$ of gallic acid equivalents/100 g, respectively. The $IC_{50}$ values of Stevia-F for reducing power, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate radical, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide scavenging activities were 5541.96, 131.39, 466.34, and $10.44{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Stevia-F showed inhibitory effects on the tyrosinase ($IC_{50}=134.74{\mu}g/mL$) and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase ($IC_{50}=114.81{\mu}g/mL$) activities. No significant cytotoxicity of Stevia-F was observed in B16F10 cells, treated with up to $100{\mu}g/mL$ of the extract for 24 and 48 h (p > 0.05). Stevia-F ($1-100{\mu}g/mL$) suppressed ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced melanin production in B16F10 cells (p < 0.05) and also inhibited the cellular tyrosinase activity (p < 0.05). Overall, our results show that Stevia-F possesses potential for inhibiting tyrosinase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activities and has significant antioxidant capacity. The antimelanogenic potential of Stevia-F should extend the usage of S. rebaudiana flowers in the development of skin-whitening products.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2019

Purpose: Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) is known to have effective antimicrobial and anticancer activity. The main bioactive components of PG are saponins, and these could contribute to anti-inflammatory activity. However, little is known about the anti-inflammatory effect of PG. In this study, we aim to assess the anti-inflammatory response to Red PG Extract (RPGE) in splenocytes under ex vivo conditions. Methods: The cell viability of isolated splenocytes taken from mice was analyzed by performing a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The productions of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10)) were measured utilizing Griess reagent and ELISA, respectively. Results: We found that co-treatment with RPGE and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) decreased isolated splenocyte proliferation as compared with that of the LPS-stimulated control. We also observed that RPGE markedly suppressed NO synthesis and IL-6 production that was induced by LPS. There were no significant differences of IL-10 production between co-treatment with RPGE plus LPS and treatment with LPS alone. Conclusion: When taken together, our data has shown that RPGE mitigates LPS-induced inflammation in splenocytes isolated from mice. Further research is surely needed to confirm the anti-inflammation effects of RPGE in an in vivo model.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.486-493
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The honeysuckle berry (HB) contains ascorbic acid and phenolic components, especially anthocyanins, flavonoids, and low-molecular-weight phenolic acids. In order to examine the potential of HB as a hepatoprotective medicinal food, we evaluated the in vitro anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Korean HB (HBK) and Chinese HB (HBC). MATERIALS/METHODS: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the extracts were examined in HepG2 and RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. The anti-oxidant capacity was determined by DPPH, SOD, CAT, and ARE luciferase activities. The production of nitric oxide (NO) as an inflammatory marker was also evaluated. The Nrf2-mediated mRNA levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (Nqo1), and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (Gclc) were measured. The concentrations of HB extracts used were 3, 10, 30, 100, and $300{\mu}g/mL$. RESULTS: The radical scavenging activity of all HB extracts increased in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). SOD (P < 0.05) and CAT (P < 0.01) activities were increased by treatment with $300{\mu}g/mL$ of each HB extract, when compared to those in the control. NO production was observed in cells pretreated with 100 or $300{\mu}g/mL$ of HBC and HBK (P < 0.01). Treatment with $300{\mu}g/mL$ of HBC significantly increased Nqo1 (P < 0.01) and Gclc (P < 0.05) mRNA levels compared to those in the control. Treatment with $300{\mu}g/mL$ of HBK (P < 0.05) and HBC (P < 0.01) also significantly increased the HO-1 mRNA level compared to that in the control. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the Korean and Chinese HBs were found to possess favorable in vitro anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Nrf2 and its related anti-oxidant genes were associated with both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in HB-treated cells. Further studies are needed to confirm these in vivo effects.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2019

Unripe astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb. cv. Cheongdo-Bansi) is a by-product produced when thinning out the superfluous fruit of persimmon. We investigated whether unripe astringent persimmon has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Unripe astringent persimmon extract was fractionated sequentially in n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity compared to those of the other fractions. Pretreatment of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages with the ethyl acetate fraction reduced nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and intracellular oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and p-coumaric acid as the phenolic compounds of the ethyl acetate fraction. Collectively, these findings suggest that unripe astringent persimmon is a source of functional materials that can promote antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.465-475
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• 2018

This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Melissa officinalis extracts and their fractions. The total polyphenol contents of the extracts were 33.02-302.76 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid contents were 9.98-325.07 mg CE/g. In 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in the extracts and water fractions of M. officinalis and similar to that of ascorbic acid ($30{\mu}M$). In addition, the treatment of chloroform fraction significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that they have anti-inflammatory activity. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity of $200{\mu}g/mL$ of 100% ethanol reflux extract showed better inhibitory activity than arbutin treatment at statistically significant level. As a result, it is considered that M. officinalis can be used as an effective cosmetic ingredient having antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and whitening activity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.152-159
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• 2019

To characterize new physiologically active components in Korean apple vinegar, a crude polysaccharide (KAV-0) was prepared by precipitation with 80% (v/v) ethanol. KAV-0 mainly comprises 38.2% mannose, 19.1% galactose and 14.3% glucose. In an in vitro cytotoxicity analysis, KAV-0 promoted the proliferation of peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and showed no cytotoxicity in B16-BL6 melanoma cells. Murine peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by KAV-0 produced various cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and nitric oxide (NO). Intravenous (i.v.) administration of KAV-0 significantly augmented NK cell cytotoxicity against Yac-1 tumor cells. In experimental lung metastasis caused by B16-BL6 melanomas, prophylactic i.v. administration of KAV-0 at a dosage of $1,000{\mu}g/mouse$ inhibited lung metastasis by 53.0%. These results suggest that the crude polysaccharide (KAV-0) isolated from Korean apple vinegar has a considerably high anti-metastatic activity and immunomodulatory activities beneficial to human health.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2018

This study investigated whether Ganoderma lucidum (Y2)-mediated fermentation of Artemisia capillaris extract (ACE) could synergistically enhance its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and tyrosinase-inhibiting activities. Both G. lucidum extract and fermented ACE exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability, but with poorer efficacy than ACE (even at a low ACE concentration). Viability of RAW264.7 macrophages was significantly reduced in the presence of ACE (150 mg/mL and above). However, this effect was greatly mitigated upon G. lucidum-mediated ACE fermentation. Additionally, relative to the same concentration ($25{\mu}g/mL$) of G. lucidum mycelial extract, ACE exhibited an improved ability to significantly inhibit RAW264.7 macrophage nitric oxide (NO) production. Finally, relative to the same concentration ($200{\mu}g/mL$) of a positive control (arbutin), fermented ACE exhibited an approximately 3.66 times higher capacity for tyrosinase inhibition. These results suggest that G. lucidum-fermented ACE possesses enhanced tyrosinase-inhibiting activity and may be of utility as a skin-lightening agent.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.510-515
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• 2018

In the present study, we investigated the anti-oxidant activities of selenium-treated Spinacia oleracea L. by utilizing experiments in vitro assays. The selenium content of non-treated spinach in this study was noted at $61.19{\mu}g/kg$, whereby the selenium-treated spinach which was treated by a 2000 mg/kg selenium was 1000-fold diluted, and was reported to be about 4 times higher than that of non-treated spinach. In this case, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was measured as stronger than that of the identified non-treated spinach. By the same token, the DPPH radical activity of non-treated spinach and selenium-treated spinach was recorded as 46.05~52.75% and 49.52~59.09% respectively. It is emphasized that the 2,2'-azino-di-2-ethyl-benzthiazoline-sulphonate (ABTS) radical scavenging activity as revealed in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was noted as being stronger than that of non-treated spinach. The ABTS radical activity of non-treated spinach and selenium-treated spinach was 11.85~52.01% and 27.14~53.59% respectively. In this respect, the nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was identified and noted as stronger than that of non-treated spinach. These results suggest that selenium-treated spinach could possibly be more useful as a potential antioxidant to improve human health outcomes, than the non-treated spinach.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 2018

There is an increasing concern over arsenic (As) contamination of paddy soil and rice with regard to food safety. This study was conducted to investigate total and inorganic As concentration in one hundred husked and polished rice samples collected at the non-contaminated paddy soil in Korea. Arsenic species in rice samples were extracted using 1% nitric acid ($HNO_3$) with a microwave oven and were measured using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Mean concentrations of total As in husked rice and polished rice were 0.18 and $0.11mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Also, average inorganic As concentrations in husked rice and polished rice were 0.11 and $0.07mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. These levels are lower than the standard guideline value 0.35 and $0.2mg\;kg^{-1}$ for inorganic As in husked and polished rice recommended by Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, respectively. The mean of the inorganic As ratio for the total amount of As was 0.65 and 0.67 for husked rice and polished rice, respectively, and the range was from 0.08 to 1.0. For health risk assessment, the average value of cancer risk probability was $9.24{\times}10^{-5}$ and ranged from $2.30{\times}10^{-5}$ to $1.90{\times}10^{-5}$. Therefore, human exposure to As through dietary intake of surveyed rice samples might considered to be a low health risk.