• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2017

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of water extract of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx (ACD) on obesity and glucose tolerance in high fat diet induced obese mice. Methods: Five-week-old C5BL/6 mice were fed a high fat diet (HFD) containing or not containing ACD (100 or 300 mg/kg) for 16 weeks. Body weight, food intake, fasting blood glucose, and body temperature were checked every week and then organs, blood serums were collected after 16-week treatment. Furthermore oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was carried out after treatment. Results: ACD treated mice showed no significant decreases in body weight and adipose tissue weight as compared with HFD mice. Lipid accumulations in liver and serum lipid levels were not different between ACD treated and HFD mice. However, ACD extract administration significantly and dose-dependently reduced fasted plasma glucose and glucose tolerance as determined by OGTT. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that ACD might prevent diet-induced glucose tolerance in mouse models of obesity.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.211-224
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effects of Pinelliae rhizoma on blood serum lipids and skeletal muscle fatty acid metabolism of obese Zucker rats. Methods : Experimental groups were divided into normal Zucker rats (lean control; non-treated), obese Zucker rats (fat control; non-treated) and Pinelliae rhizoma oral feeding obese Zucker rats (fat control; treated) for 6 separate experiments. Pinelliae rhizoma was investigated for effects on total body weight, serum glucose content, total cholesterol and triglyceride content, free fatty acid content, PPARalpha, CS and beta-HAD. Results : 1. Triglycerides in blood serum showed a greater decrease in the Pinellia rhizoma oral feeding group than the overweight control group. 2. PPARa showed a significant increase in the Pinelliae rhizoma oral feeding group over the overweight control group in skeletal muscles of SOL and EDL: as for protein FABPc, the Pinelliae rhizomaoral feeding group saw a greater significant increase than the overweight control group in the skeletal muscles of SOL. 3. CS activity showed a greater increase for the Pinelliae rhizoma oral feeding group than the overweight control group in EDL Conclusions : As the experiment's results show, Pinelliae rhizoma effectively decreased the weight and triglycerides of the obese mouse, and somewhat affects the fat oxidation in the skeletal muscles.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.387-396
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• 2011

Objectives : Recently a lot of research is being done for find antidiabetic medicine which has no side effects. This study aimed to investigate the antidiabetic and antiobesity effects of Supungsunki-hwan partitioned prescriptions on obese type 2 diabetes mouse. Methods : Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity were induced by Surwit's high fat, high sucrose diet for 8 weeks. Mice were divided into 3 groups of ND (normal diet, n=10) HFD (high fat and high sucrose diet, n=10) and SPP (high fat and high sucrose diet with Supungsunki-hwan partitioned prescriptions, n=10) groups. Body weights were measured every week. After 7 weeks, fasting blood sugar and oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted. After 8 weeks, blood samples of all mice were taken from their heart and analyzed biochemically. At the same time, epididymal fat pad and liver weights were measured. Histological size of white adipocyte were measured as well. Results : Compared with a HFD group, body weight, fructosamine, epididymal fat pad weight and white adipocyte size decreased. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased in the SPP group. Conclusions : These results suggest that SPP has antidiabetic and antiobesity effects in high fat, high sucrose diet induced obese mice.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2009

Complex microbial communities play an important role in the human health and co-evolved with human in the form of symbiosis. Many literatures provide new evidences that the increased prevalence of obesity cannot be attributed solely to changes in the human genome, nutritional habits, or reduction of physical activity in our daily lives. The intestinal flora was recently proposed as an environmental factor responsible for the control of body weight and energy metabolism. A number of studies suggest that the modulation of gut microbiota affects host metabolism and has an impact on energy storage and demonstrated a role for the gut microbiota in weight gain, fat increase, and insulin resistance. Variations in microbiota composition are found in obese humans and mice and the microbiota from an obese mouse confers an obese phenotype when transferred to an axenic mouse. As well, the gut microbial flora plays a role in converting nutrients into calories. Specific strategies for modifying gut microbiota may be a useful means to treat or prevent obesity. Dietary modulations of gut microbiota with a view to increasing bifidobacteria have demonstrated to reduce endotoxemia and improve metabolic diseases such as obesity. The fermentation of medicinal herbs is intended to exert a favorable influence on digestability, bioavailability and pharmacological activity of herbal extract. Therefore we also expect that the fermented herbal extracts may open up a new area to treat obesity through modulating gut microbiota.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2008

This experimental study was designed to investigate the effects of Ijin-tang add Atractylodis rhizoma and Atratcylodis macrocephalae rhizoma (IJTAA) on the change of weight and serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, total lipid and phospholipid level in obese mice induced by high fat diet. Experimental groups were as follows ; Normal group was fed normal diet and administered distilled water during 7 weeks, Control group was fed high fat diet and administered distilled water during 7 weeks, Sample A group was fed high fat diet and administered IJTAA 500 ㎎/㎏/day/mouse during 7 weeks, Sample B group was fed high fat diet and administered IJTAA 700 ㎎/㎏/day/mouse during 7 weeks. The results were as follows ; 1. In Sample A group and Sample B group, There were significantly decreased in body weight, serum total cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, serum free fatty acid level, serum total lipid level and serum phospholipid level in comparison with Control group. 2. In Sample A group and Sample B group, There were significantly increased in serum HDL-cholesterol level in comparison with Control group. 3. In Sample A group and Sample B group, There were decreased in serum LDL-cholesterol level in comparison with Control group. According to above results, I suggest IJTAA is able to be used for managing obesity by controllong body weight, serum total cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, serum free fatty acid level, serum total lipid level and serum phospholipid level.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2021

Purpose: Obesity is a serious public health issue for the modern society and is considered a chronic health hazard. There are many surgical and pharmacological approaches to treat obesity. However, various potentially hazardous side effects remain the biggest challenge. Therefore, diets based on foods derived from natural products have gained increasing attention compared to anti-obesity drugs. Recently, research on edible insects as a food source has been a topic of considerable interest in the scientific communities. This study examined the anti-obesity effects of ingesting an edible insect by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse models with a diet containing Tenebrio molitor larvae powder (TMLP). Methods: Six-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups according to treatment: 100% normal diet (ND), 100% HFD (HFD), HFD 99% + TMLP 1% (TMLP), and HFD 97% + TMLP 3% (TMLP 3%). TMLP was added to the HFD for 6 weeks for the latter two groups. Results: Compared to the HFD group, mice in the TMLP group showed weight loss, and micro-computed tomographic imaging revealed that the volume of the adipose tissue in the abdominal area also showed significant reduction. After an autopsy, the fat weight was found to be significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. In addition, the degree of fat cell deposition in the liver tissue and the size of the adipocytes significantly decreased in the TMLP group. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis for the mRNA expression of adipogenesis-related genes namely CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP-β, C/EBP-δ), and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) showed that the expression levels of these genes were significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. Serum leptin level also decreased significantly in the TMLP group in the comparison with the HFD group. In addition, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels in mouse serum also decreased in the TMLP group. Conclusion: Taken together, our results showed that TMLP effectively inhibited adipocyte growth and reduced body weight in obese mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1081-1090
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• 2015

Diabetes has been one of major health risks in industrialized countries. Allium hookeri is a wild herb distributed in India and Myanmar. The root of the plant has been used as food and medicine in Southeast Asia. We investigated Allium hookeri extract improves type 2 diabetes mellitus in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse. C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse arise out of Type 2 diabetes and we treated Allium hookeri methanol extract 400 mg/kg (AH 400), 800 mg/kg (AH 800), positive control group (thiazolidinedine;TZDs) were administered orally for 8weeks. AH treated group normalized lipid enzyme system (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol) and serum glucose, HbA1c and plasma insulin level. AH treated group recovered β-cell damage by hyperglycemia and fatty liver disease. AH treated group significantly up regulated expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase4 (PDK4), Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP 1) and fork head box O1 (FOX 01) proteins in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. And we found that AH treated group decreased hepatic malondialdehyde formation in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. These results indicate that Allium hookeri methanol extract might be a potential anti-diabetic agent and could be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2022

High-fat diet (HFD)-fed ovariectomized (OVX) female mice were used as an animal model of obese postmenopausal women. We investigated the effects of ascorbic acid on the histological changes induced in the liver. Plasma alanine aminotransferase levels and liver weights were higher in mice fed an HFD for 18 weeks than in mice fed a low-fat diet, effects that were inhibited by ascorbic acid. Similarly, mice fed an ascorbic acid-supplemented HFD had less hepatic lipid accumulation than did mice fed an HFD alone. Moreover, administration of ascorbic acid reduced inflammatory cells, including mast cells and CD68-positive cells, and inflammatory foci in the liver and inhibited hepatocyte ballooning. Hepatic collagen levels were lower in ascorbic acid-treated versus non-treated mice. These results suggest that ascorbic acid inhibits hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in obese OVX mice. Thus, ascorbic acid intake may be useful for postmenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.257-269
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• 2009

Objective : Obesity is an important cause of diabetes, and lipotoxicity causes insulin resistance. Recently a lot of research is being done on PPAR-${\alpha}$. TNF-${\alpha}$. adiponectin, and leptin, which are important obesity related factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of Supungsunki-hwan on high fat. high carbohydrate diet-induced obese type 2 diabetic mouse models. Methods: Diabetes was induced in ICR male mouse (30${\pm}$5g) with Surwit's high fat, high sucrose diet. Mice were divided into 4 groups(n=10) of Normal. Control. Supungsunkj-hwan group. and acarbose group. The Supungsunki-hwsn group was given 10% Supungsunkj-hwan in their diet. and the acarbose group was given 0.5% acarbose in their diet. After 6 weeks. body weight. food intake, FBS and OGTT. lipid profile and liver enzymes, epididymal fat weight, and gene expression of leptin, adiponectin, TNF-${\alpha}$ and PPAR-${\alpha}$ were measured. Leptin. adiponectin. tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-${\alpha}$ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-${\alpha}$ were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results : Supungsunkj-hwan increased the gene expression of PPAR-${\alpha}$, which reduces lipotoxicity and insulin resistance. Supungsunkj-hwan also significantly reduced triglyceride. AST. ALT serum levels. and 1 hour oral glucose tolerance levels. Conclusion : These results show that Supungsunkj-hwan improves insulin resistance in the liver and muscles, by reducing triglyceride levels and lipotoxicity through increased PPAR-${\alpha}$ gene expression. This is supported by the fact that Supungsunkj-hwan significantly reduces 1 hour oral glucose tolerance levels. Therefore we suggest that Supungsunkj-hwan would be an effective treatment for obese type 2 diabetic patients.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.384-395
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a novel formulation of an herbal extracts has an inhibitory effect on obesity. To determine its anti-obesity effects, we performed anti-obesity-related experiments in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of herbal extracts using a high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model and 3T3-L1 adipose cells. The effects of each herbal extracts on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells were examined using Oil Red O staining. Results showed that treatment with each herbal extracts at $10{\sim}100{\mu}g/ml$ had no effect on cell morphology and viability. Without evidence of toxicity, herbal extracts treatment decreased lipid accumulation compared with the untreated adipocytes controls as shown by the lower absorbance of Oil Red O stain. Futhermore, compared with control-differentiated mature adipocytes, each herbal extracts significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In the HFD-fed obese mice, body weight, liver weight and white adipose tissue weights were significantly reduced by mixture of herbal extracts administration in mouse skin. Futhermore, we found that mixture of herbal extracts administration suppressed serum triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TCHO) in HFD-induced obese mouse model. The mixture of herbal extracts of permeability was estimated by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value in pig skin. The optimized formulations of herbal extracts (Test 3 formulation) showed skin permeation. However, test 1 formulation containing essential oil as enhancer showed maximum skin permeation. After confirming the enhanced skin permeability, in vivo studies were performed to assess whether skin irritation potential on the basis of a primary irritation index (PII) in rabbit skin. Reactions were scored for erythema/edema reactions at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h post-application. It was concluded that the test 1 formulation was not irritation (PII = 0). The present study suggests that the test 1 formulation might be of therapeutic interest with respect to the treatment of obesity.