• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2022

Obesity is closely associated with profound dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease. Recent reports have suggested that alterations in gut microbiota can be linked to diet-induced obesity. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of Weissella confusa WIKIM51 isolated from kimchi were investigated, as evidenced by: i) reduced lipid accumulation and downregulated adipogenesis-related genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; ii) suppressed gains in body weight and epididymal fat mass; iii) reduced serum lipid levels, for example, triglyceride and total cholesterol; iv) increased serum adiponectin levels and reduced serum leptin levels; v) downregulated lipogenesis and upregulated β-oxidation-related genes in the epididymal fat; and vi) altered microbial communities. The collective evidence indicate the potential value of W. confusa WIKIM51 as a functional food supplement for the prevention and amelioration of obesity.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2014

Objectives : Samhwangsasim-tang (SHSST) is a traditional Korean medication, which has been used in Korea for treatment of hypertension and chest pain. Hyperlipidemia and inflammation could influence hypertension and chest pain. This study investigated whether and how SHSST reduces the hyperlipidemia and inflammation related to high-cholesterol diet-induced obesity in rats. Methods : Mice were divided randomly into four groups: the normal diet group, high-cholesterol diet group, low dose treatment group supplemented with 30% ethanol extract of SHSST (L) and high dose treatment group supplemented with 80% ethanol extract of SHSST (H). L and H groups were orally administered with SHSST at the dose of 50mg/kg a day respectively and others were administered with the same volume of physiological saline. Results : Administration of SHSST resulted in a decrease in serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Expression of hepatic genes(SREBP2, LXR, LDLR, and HMG-CoA) related with cholesterol metabolism was also suppressed. In addition, SHSST decreased the expression of inflammation-related gene (TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, TGF-${\beta}1$ and fibronectin). Histological examinations also showed that the size of the adipocytes was smaller in the SHSST treated group than in the high-colesterol diet group. In an in vitro study, SHSST inhibited the production of nitric oxide in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions : This study indicates that SHSST has anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-inflammatory effects. It may also suggest that SHSST may be alternative therapy for treatment of hyperlipidemia and its complications.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.335-350
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• 2014

Compared to the large numbers of studies on the diabetes, hyperlipidemia and cancer therpeutic effects of ginseng, the anti-obese effect and mechanisms of ginsengs have not been studied as much. To determine the effects of ginseng on obesity, 14 keywords (ginseng, ginsenoside, obesity, weight, fat, diet, overeat, appetite, lipid, 3T3-L1, adipocyte, food intake, adipogenesis and lipolysis) were combined in searching a database. Fifty-six articles published from 1983 to 2012 as well as 656 patents registered until Aug $17^{th}$, 2012, were screened for anti-obese effects of ginseng. In the classification of experimental methods, 16 papers on 3T3-L1 cells, 38 papers on animals and three papers on human were reviewed. In terms of obese mechanisms of action, the most commonly used biomarkers were in order of lipid profiles > weight change > blood glucose > adipocytokine. Most ginseng studies on obesity focused on AMPK, $PPAR{\gamma}$, GLUT-4, PI3K and SREBP-1. Korean white ginseng extracts and Re repressed the lipogenesis genes such as PPARc2, SREBP-1c, LPL, FAS and DGAT1. However, ginseng or ginsenosides, PD (Rb1) and PT (Re), showed different or contradictory results. Water and ethanol extraction of ginseng showed contradictory effects on the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, wheras IL-6 was repressed by ethanol extracts and TNF-${\alpha}$ repressed by Re in vitro. Based on the literature, further studies on anti-obese mechanisms of ginseng, such as the inflammation-related obesity or cross signals between the adipocytes and the environments, are needed, instead of more studies on its hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.6.1-6.3
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• 2011

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), often simply referred to as diabetes, has developed into a major health concern affecting more than 200 million people worldwide with approximately 4 million deaths per year attributed to the presence of the disease. Diabetes mellitus is categorized as Type 1 and Type 2, where Type 1 diabetes represents a lack of insulin production, and Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a relative lack of insulin receptor (i.e., decreased sensitivity to the effect of insulin) and cased by a complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental factors. Up to date, various studies on the pathology and mechanism in terms of genetic experiments have been conducted and approximately hundreds of genes were reported as diabetes mellitus associated genes. At this point, to support studies on the cause and mechanism of diabetes mellitus, an efficient database system to provide genetic variants related to diabetes mellitus is needed. DMBase is an integrated web-based genetic information resource for diabetes mellitus designed to service genomic variants, genes, and secondary information derived for diabetes mellitus genetics researchers. The current version of DMBase documents 754 genes with 3056 genetic variants and 66 pathways. It provides many effective search interfaces for retrieving diabetes mellitus and genetic information. A web interface for the DMBase is freely available at http://sysbio.kribb.re.kr/dmBase.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.435-447
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• 2021

Purpose: Body adiposity is negatively correlated with hepatic iron status, and Korean pine nut oil (PNO) has been reported to reduce adiposity. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of PNO on adiposity, hepatic mineral status, and the expression of genes and proteins involved in iron absorption. Methods: Five-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet containing 10% kcal from PNO (PC) or soybean oil (SBO; SC), or a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 35% kcal from lard and 10% kcal from PNO (PHFD) or SBO (SHFD). Hepatic iron, copper, and zinc content; and expression of genes and proteins related to iron absorption were measured. Results: HFD-fed mice had a higher white fat mass (2-fold; p < 0.001), lower hepatic iron content (25% lower; p < 0.001), and lower hepatic Hamp (p = 0.028) and duodenal Dcytb mRNA levels (p = 0.037) compared to the control diet-fed mice. Hepatic iron status was negatively correlated with body weight (r = -0.607, p < 0.001) and white fat mass (r = -0.745, p < 0.001). Although the PHFD group gained less body weight (18% less; p < 0.05) and white fat mass (18% less; p < 0.05) than the SHFD group, the hepatic iron status impaired by the HFD feeding did not improve. The expression of hepatic and duodenal ferroportin protein was not affected by the fat amount or the oil type. PNO-fed mice had significantly lower Slc11a2 (p = 0.022) and Slc40a1 expression (p = 0.027) compared to SBO-fed mice. However, the PC group had a higher Heph expression than the SC group (p < 0.05). The hepatic copper and zinc content did not differ between the four diet groups, but hepatic copper content adjusted by body weight was significantly lower in the HFD-fed mice compared to the control diet-fed mice. Conclusion: HFD-induced obesity decreased hepatic iron storage by affecting the regulation of genes related to iron absorption; however, the 18% less white fat mass in the PHFD group was not enough to improve the iron status compared to the SHFD group. The hepatic copper and zinc status was not altered by the fat amount or the oil type.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.298-302
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• 2015

The anti-obesity effects of starter (Leuconostoc mesenteroides+Lactobacillus plantarum) fermented kimchi on 3T3-L1 adipocyte were studied using naturally fermented kimchi (NK), a functional kimchi (FK, NK supplemented with green tea), and FK supplemented with added starters (FKS). Oil red O staining and cellular levels of triglyceride (TG) and glycerol were used to evaluate the in vitro anti-obesity effects of these kimchis in 3T3-L1 cells. The expressions of adipogenesis/lipogenesis-related genes of peroxisome proliferator-active receptor (PPAR)-${\gamma}$, CCAAT/enhance-binding protein (C/EBP)-${\alpha}$, and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were determined by RT-PCR. Kimchis, especially FKS, markedly decreased TG levels and increased levels of intracellular glycerol and lipid lipolysis. In addition, FKS also reduced the mRNA levels of PPAR-${\gamma}$, C/EBP-${\alpha}$, and FAS, which are related to adipogenesis/lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. These results suggest the anti-obesity effects of FKS were to due to enhanced lipolysis and reduced adipogenesis/lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.412-422
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates correlations between circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and obesity-related parameters among young women (aged 20-30 years old) in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed TaqMan low density arrays (TLDAs) of circulating miRNAs in 9 lean (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/㎡) and 15 obese (BMI > 25 kg/㎡) women. We also performed gene ontology (GO) analyses of the biological functions of predicted miRNA target genes, and clustered the results using the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. RESULTS: The TLDA cards contain 754 human miRNAs; of these, the levels of 8 circulating miRNAs significantly declined (> 2-fold) in obese subjects compared with those in lean subjects, including miR-1227, miR-144-5p, miR-192, miR-320, miR-320b, miR-484, miR-324-3p, and miR-378. Among them, miR-484 and miR-378 displayed the most significant inverse correlations with BMI (miR-484, r = -0.5484, P = 0.0056; miR-378, r = -0.5538, P = 0.0050) and visceral fat content (miR-484, r = -0.6141, P = 0.0014; miR-378, r = -0.6090, P = 0.0017). GO analysis indicated that genes targeted by miR-484 and miR-378 had major roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: Our result showed the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in obese subjects compared to lean subjects. Although the mechanistic study to reveal the causal role of miRNAs remains, these miRNAs may be novel biomarkers for obesity.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.696-702
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• 2017

Metabolic syndrome, including obesity, glucose intolerance and elevated blood pressure, is related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have reported the anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects of purple corn extract. We investigated the efficacy of purple corn extract (PC) against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and glucose intolerance, and examined the underlying mechanisms by analyzing expression of proteins and genes involved in glucose regulation and macrophage infiltration. C57BL/6 mice were fed with normal chow diet (ND), or HFD treated with distilled water (DW, control) or PC, for 10 weeks. Although body weights were similar in the HFD-fed groups, we observed a decrease in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) weights, and enhanced glucose tolerance test (GTT) results in the PC group, as compared with DW group. Liver showed increased Akt phosphorylation in the PC-treated mice; however, no changes were observed in the EAT, for all groups. In PC-treated mice, decreased macrophage infiltration was seen in the EAT, with a reduced expression of macrophage marker genes. Finally, proinflammatory cytokine gene expressions were decreased by PC in the EAT, and a modest trend for downregulation was observed in the liver. Hence, we conclude that PC may decrease glucose intolerance by increasing the phosphorylation of Akt and reducing the macrophage infiltration into the EAT.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the dose-dependent effects of mixtures of Atractylodes macrocephala (AM) and Amomum villosum (AV) water extracts in a ratio of 3:1 on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model. Oral administration of various concentrations with mixtures of AM and AV extracts in a ratio of 3:1 for 6 weeks inhibited HFD-induced increases of body, liver and epididymal fat weights in a dose-dependent fashions. Those effects may be mediated by decreased expressions of lipogenesis-related genes such as acetyl coA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in liver. Also, increase of insulin and decrease of adiponectin in serum by HFD supply were inhibited by three different dosages of mixtures of AM and AV extracts in a ratio of 3:1. HFD supply induced increases of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol. However, hyperlipidemia was significantly decreased in dose-dependent manners by treatment with mixtures of AM and AV extracts. Based on the results of the present study, hypolipidemic and anti-obesity effects by mixtures of AM and AV extracts were found in HFD-induced obesity model. Further clinical investigation is needed to develop anti-obesity therapeutic or preventive agents by using mixtures of AM and AV extracts.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 2015

In this study, we investigated anti-obesity effect of isoegomaketone (IK) isolated from leaves extract of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. cv. We verified differentiation and lipid accumulation by Oil Red O staining in 3T3-L1 cells after IK treatment with differentiation media. IK inhibited mRNA expression of adipocyte specific genes that were related with differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. We confirmed the effects of IK on body weight and visceral fat mass in obese mice. Mice were randomly divided into three groups; normal diet group (ND), high-fat diet group (HFD) and high-fat diet with IK group (HFD-IK). The obesity mice were induced by feeding the 45% high-fat diet to the C57BL/6J mice during 4 weeks. After HFD-IK was orally administered 10 mg/kg of IK. As a result, the body weight of HFD and HFD-IK was increased 2.4 times and 1.7 times of ND, respectively. Also visceral fat mass of HFD was increased 24 times but in the case of HFD-IK was increased to 13 times in comparison with ND. Taken together, our findings suggest that IK reduced differentiation and adiogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, decreased the body weight and visceral fat mass in obesity mice. These results suggest that IK may have a potential benefit as anti-obesity material.