• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.8
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• pp.1139-1147
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• 2014

We investigated whether or not Schisandra chinensis (SC), a traditional herbal medicine, has protective effects against alcohol-induced fatty liver and blood alcohol clearance. Two tests focused on acute intoxication and chronic ethanol treatment were carried out. For the chronic ethanol treatment test, rats were fed ethanol by intragastric administration everyday for 8 weeks to induce alcoholic fatty liver. Ethanol treatment significantly increased blood alcohol concentration at 90 min after acute ethanol intoxication. Compared with the two ethanol-treated groups, rats administered ethanol along with SC extracts showed an approximately 13% increased blood alcohol clearance rate at 360 min. Chronic ethanol treatment significantly increased serum and hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels, and caused fatty degeneration of liver. Ethanol treatment also elevated the serum total-cholesterol (TC) level. However, after feeding of ethanol plus SC extracts, ethanol-induced elevation of hepatic TG levels reversed, whereas elevation of serum TG and TC levels was not observed after treatment with SC extracts. Ethanol treatment significantly increased ${\gamma}$-GT, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase activities after 8 weeks. Compared with the ethanol-fed group, rats administered ethanol plus SC extracts for 4 weeks showed attenuated fatty degeneration as well as decreased hepatic function test values. SC administration also significantly increased intracellular lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and reduced steatosis score and hepatic TG levels, as measured by biochemical and histolopathological analyses. Our results indicate that the protective effects of SC are accompanied by a significant decrease in hepatic TG levels, thereby suggesting SC has the ability to prevent ethanol-induced fatty liver, by reducing hepatic TG and enzyme levels in alcoholic rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2017

In this study, for the efficient use of the byproduct of the omija (Schizandra chinensis Baillon: SC) processing industry, the ethanol extracts of the fruit (F), seed (S), and pomace (P) of SC were prepared, and their useful bioactivities were evaluated. For F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC, the extraction yields were 28.3%, 22.1%, and 7.2%, respectively, and the polyphenol contents were 8.81, 37.22, and 9.20 mg/g, respectively. The total flavonoid content in P-SC (4.31 mg/g) was 3.5-fold higher than that in F-SC (0.76 mg/g). In an antioxidation activity assay, P-SC showed stronger radical scavenging activities against DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite and stronger reducing power activities than the other extracts. The calculated concentration required for 50% radical scavenging activity, $RC_{50}s$, of P-SC for DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite was 226.2, 192.5, and $92.5{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In an antimicrobial activity assay, F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC showed similarly strong growth inhibitions against Bacillus subtilis and P. vulgaris at a concentration of 0.5 mg/disc. F-SC and P-SC showed 15-fold extended time in thrombin, prothrombin, and activated partial thromboplastin time assays at a concentration of 5 mg/ml. The anticoagulation activity of P-SC (2.5 mg/ml) was comparable to that of aspirin (1.5 mg/ml). Furthermore, F-SC and S-SC showed very good platelet aggregation inhibitory activities. F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC did not show significant hemolysis against human red blood cell up to a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. These results suggest that S-SC and P-SC, both of which are byproducts of the omija processing industry, show strong potential as novel antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antithrombosis agents.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2016

In order to investigate the utilization of the Omija (Schizandra chinensis Baillon) extract as a natural coagulant for manufacturing soybean curd, the quality characteristics of white (Baktae) and black (Seoritae) soybean curds, coagulated by the Omija extract or $MgCl_2$, were evaluated. Crude protein ($6.14{\pm}0.30$ and $6.25{\pm}0.18%$, respectively) and crude lipid ($10.86{\pm}1.74$ and $11.29{\pm}1.69%$, respectively) contents of white and black soybean curds coagulated using the Omija extract were higher than those coagulated using $MgCl_2$. Black soybean curds coagulated using the Omija extract showed higher L, a, and b values than those using $MgCl_2$. The most abundant amino acid in white and black soybean curds coagulated using the Omija extract was arginine (3.74 and 3.71 mg/100 g, dry basis, respectively). The amounts of Ca, K, Mg, and Na were the highest in both soybean curds prepared with the Omija extract. The sensory evaluation (color, flavor, taste, texture, and overall preference) showed that white and black soybean curds coagulated using the Omija extract were more preferred than those produced using $MgCl_2$. The results suggested that using the Omija extract as a natural coagulant agent could improve the quality and sensory characteristics of soybean curds.