• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1239-1248
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• 2016

Pumpkin juice (PJ), corn silk tea (CT), and adzuki bean tea (AT) have long been used for treatment of obesity in Korea. This study investigated the efficacy of PJ, CT, AT, and their mixture (PCA) on alteration of body weight and antioxidant metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. After being fed HFD for 4 weeks, SD rats were divided into six groups fed a normal diet (ND), HFD, HFD+PJ [250 mg/kg body weight (BW)], HFD+CT (250 mg/kg BW), HFD+AT (250 mg/kg BW), and HFD+PCA (PJ : CT : AT=1:1:1, 250 mg/kg BW) for another 9 weeks. HFD consumption resulted in total lipid, triglyceride, and total cholesterol accumulation in adipose tissue, which was reduced by administration of PJ, CT, AT, or PCA. The plasma oxygen radical absorbance capacity value and hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity significantly increased compared to the HFD group. The liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was significantly lower in the PCA group than the HFD group. HFD-induced DNA damage in hepatocytes, as measured by comet assay, decreased in the PJ, AT, and PCA-supplemented groups. The PCA group exerted a superior antigenotoxic effect compared to other treatments. PCA recovered the concentration of plasma adiponectin, which was reduced by HFD. Adipocyte surface area (%) was significantly higher in the HFD group than the ND group, significantly lower in the PJ and PCA groups than the HFD group, and not significantly different compared with the ND group. Based on the results, supplementation of PJ, CT, AT, and PCA exhibited lipid-lowering effects in adipocytes of HFD-induced obese rats. Furthermore, the PCA group exhibited superior antioxidant activity in all treated groups. This study suggests that a mixed beverage consisting of PJ, CT, and AT may be a significant source of natural antioxidants, which might be helpful in preventing obesity and progress of various oxidative stresses induced by HFD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1249-1256
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• 2016

Black ginseng (BG) obtained by a 9-fold steaming process of Panax ginseng has been reported to have anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetes effects. The current study evaluated the protective effect of BG by steaming time in an HCl/ethanol-induced acute gastritis model. BG was divided into four samples according to steaming-drying processing (Gin1, Gin3, Gin6, and BG). High performance liquid chromatography analysis, free radical scavenging activity, and total phenol and flavonoid contents were examined in ginseng and four BG samples. Compared with ginseng, BG showed a stronger radical scavenging effect and higher contents of total phenol and flavonoids. To evaluate the anti-gastritic effect of BG, mice were distributed into five groups: normal mice (N), acute gastritic mice with distilled water (CON), acute gastritic mice with 100 mg/kg of ginseng (Gin0), acute gastritic mice with 100 mg/kg of BG (BG), and acute gastritic mice with 10 mg/kg of sucralfate (SC). After 1 hour of pre-treatment with water, extracts (Gin0 and BG), or drug (SC), experimental groups except for N were orally administered 0.5 mL of 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol (v/v) mixture. Blood was collected 1 hour later from the heart, and gastric tissue was harvested. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured in serum, and related protein expression was examined by Western blot assay. In HCl/ethanol-induced acute gastritic mice, treatment with ginseng or BG improved mucosal damage in the histological evaluation. The serum ROS level significantly decreased in the BG-treated group compared with the CON group. Furthermore, expression of inflammatory cytokines significantly decreased in the BG-treated group compared with the CON group. Based on these results, antioxidant and anti-gastritic activities of ginseng were enhanced by streaming-drying processing, in part due to an increase in biological active compounds.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.370-378
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• 2020

This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Dendropanax morbifera (D. morbifera) leaf hot-water extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-treated HepG2 cells. Treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract increased the cell viability of CCl₄-treated HepG2 cells without inducing cytotoxicity. The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) released by CCl₄-treated cells were 27.6 U/L and 52.4 U/L, respectively, and were significantly higher than those in untreated control cells (10.0 U/L and 15.2 U/L, respectively). Moreover, the level of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was 5.4 times higher, while that of glutathione was 44.0% lower in CCl₄-treated cells than in control cells. However, treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the levels of ALT, AST, and GGT, and an increase in the level of glutathione. Moreover, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in CCl₄-treated HepG2 cells was effectively reduced after treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract. Additionally, overproduction of intracellular lipids induced by CCl₄ treatment was effectively inhibited by D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract treatment. Furthermore, DCFDA staining showed that overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by CCl₄ treatment was effectively reduced by treatment with D. morbifera leaf hot-water extract. Our results indicate that owing to its beneficial effects, D. morbifera leaf extract has considerable potential as a functional food material for liver protection.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 1998

Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus ochraceus as well as other molds. It is a natural contaminant of mouldy food and feed. OA has a number of toxic effects, the most prominant being nephrotoxicity. Futhermore, OA is immunosuppressive, genotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. OA inhibits protein synthesis by competition with phenylalanine in the phenylalanine-tRNA aminoacylation reaction. Recently, lipid peroxidation induced by OA has been reported, indicating that the lesion induced by this mycotoxin could be also related to oxidative pathway. Since it seems impossible to avoid contamination of foodstuffs by toxigenic fungi, detoxification and detoxication of OA are needed. In this study we investigated the protective effects of aspartame (Asp), phenylalanine (Phe), polyphenol 70S (PP) and aloe extract (AE) on the nephrotoxicity induced by subacute exposure to the OA. Asp and Phe are structural analogues of OA. PP, an ingredient of Green Tea and AE have been known as antioxidant and radical scavenger. Phe (40 mg/kg, i.p.) and Asp (25 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats simultaneously with OA (2.0 mg/kg, p.o.) for 2 weeks. PP (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and AE (50 mg/kg, i.v.) were pretreated before administration of OA, for 2 weeks and 3 days, respectively. Using enzymuria, BUN level, creatinemia and histophathologic examination as indices of renal damage, we observed that all of four compounds prevented the nephrotoxic effects induced by OA. It seems that structural analogues of OA such as Asp and Phe have better protective effect on the nephrotoxicity of OA than antioxidants. These results indicate that 1) formation of free radical and lipid peroxidation are likely to be involved in the nephrotoxicity of OA in vivo, 2) Asp, PP and AE might be used for prevention of renal lesions in cases of ochratoxicosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.796-804
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• 2017

This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant effect of methanolic extract of Houttuynia cordata (HCME) and to identify a compound having antioxidant effect. The ethyl acetate fraction of HCME showed the highest antioxidant effect in organic solvent fractions. The fraction was then separated into 12 fractions by open column chromatography. Among these fractions, the fraction 10 (Fr. 10) with the highest antioxidant activity was isolated, and its antioxidant effect was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power, TBARS, cell viability, DNA oxidation and DCF fluorescence. The Fr. 10 at a $64{\mu}g/ml$ showed 60% of inhibitory effect similar to that of vitamin C at $10{\mu}g/ml$, compared with blank group. The Fr. 10 at $64{\mu}g/ml$ showed 264% of reducing power, compared with blank group. TBARS assay showed that the Fr. 10 at $64{\mu}g/ml$ had 35.5% of inhibitory effect similar to that of vitamin E at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$, compared with blank group. The Fr. 10 above $32{\mu}g/ml$ displayed cytotoxicity. However, it was observed that the Fr. 10, above $1{\mu}g/ml$ reduced DNA damage. DCF fluorescence assay showed that the Fr. 10 inhibited oxidative stress by $H_2O_2$ in a dose dependent manner. The compound of Fr. 10 was identified to be rutin whose molecular weight is 610 by the IR and LC-MS analyses. Therefore, these results suggest that the rutin of Fr. 10 could use as a natural antioxidant for development of cosmetics and functional foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.701-707
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• 2008

Antidiabetic effect of Korean red ginseng (RG) processed by puffing in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic (DM) rats was investigated. Five week-old SD rats were divided into four groups; normal control (NC) group, DM group, red ginseng (RG) group and puffed red ginseng (PG) group. The RG and PG groups were orally provided with RG or PG dissolved in water (500 mg/kg) respectively for seven weeks after single injection of STZ (50 mg/kg, i.v.) followed by identification of DM. NC group received saline vehicle instead of STZ. At the end of feeding of RG or PG, the changes of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin and amylase level and serum lipid profiles were evaluated. Also, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), comet assay and histopathological examination were performed. At 7th week, the fasting blood glucose levels of the RG and PG groups were reduced compared to the DM group by 11.54% and 20.22%, respectively. The result of OGTT did not show significant differences among DM and two red ginseng groups. While serum insulin and TG levels were predominantly improved in PG group (p<0.05), serum amylase level was increased in RG group. Alkaline comet assay for checking the oxidative damage of DNA showed that TL (tail length, ${\mu}m$) and TM (tail moment) in the blood lymphocyte of PG group significantly decreased in contrast with DM group. Histopathological results of pancreas showed that destruction of exocrine as well as endocrine might be cured by the administration of RG and PG. These results suggest that PG could exert more protection against STZ-induced toxicity than RG group.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.759-767
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• 2014

This study examined the effect of Momordica charantia L. (bitter melon: BM) on lipid and hepatic antioxidative enzyme levels in diabetic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and rats were fed for 4 weeks with experimental groups divided into four groups: a normal control group, STZ-control and STZ-BM 5% & STZ-BM 10% treated groups. Levels of free fatty acids (FFA), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol), triglycerides (TG) in plasma and malondialdehyde (MDA) & protein in liver, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were measured in liver cytosol. Level of HDL-chol significantly increased in the STZ-BM 5% diabetic group. TG & FFA levels were significantly higher in all diabetic groups compared to the control group. MDA and protein levels were significantly higher in the STZ-BM 5% group compared to all other experimental group. CAT level was higher in the supplementary group with BM compared to the STZ-control group, although the difference was not significantly different. SOD level was not significant in any experimental groups. GST level was significantly higher in the BM-treated groups compared to the STZ-control group. XOD level was significantly lower in the BM 5% group and significantly decreased in all experimental groups. These results show that supplementation of BM fruit powder may have beneficial effects on diabetic complications and damage caused by oxidative stress.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.747-756
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin C on the formation of aflatoxin $B_1$ ($AFB_1$)-DNA adduct and $AFB_1$-induing cellular oxidative damage in rat livers treated with radiation and $AFB_1$. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: the control group, the $AFB_1$-treated group, the group treated with $AFB_1$ and vitamin C, the group treated with X-ray and $AFB_1$, and the group treated with X-ray and $AFB_1$ with vitamin C. On the first day of the experiment, only one dose of X-rays was exposed to the entire liver at 1,500 cGy. Next, vitamin C was injected at 10 mg/kg body weight via intraperitoneal injection, followed an hour later by the administration of 0.4 mg/kg of $AFB_1$ via intraperitoneal injection. These treatments were administered every three days for 15 days. On the 16th day, the animals were sacrificed. The $AFB_1$ contents of the rat sera were determined via indirect competitive ELISA. In the quantitative analysis of $AFB_1$ in the rat sera via ELISA, $5.17{\pm}0.34ng/mL$ of $AFB_1$ was detected in the $AFB_1$-treated groups, but the amount decreased more significantly to $3.23{\pm}0.76ng/mL$ in the groups treated with $AFB_1$ and vitamin C (p<0.01) than in the $AFB_1$-treated groups. The effect of vitamin C on $AFB_1$-DNA adduct formation was determined via ELISA. The values of $AFB_1$-DNA adduct formation were $9.38{\pm}0.41ng/mL$ in the $AFB_1$-treated groups, but the amount decreased more significantly to $5.28{\pm}0.32ng/mL$ in the groups treated with $AFB_1$ and vitamin C (p<0.01) than in the $AFB_1$-treated groups. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the accumulation of the $AFB_1$ was not observed in the normal liver tissue (G1). The $AFB_1$-positive materials were observed in the central vein and the portal vein of the liver tissue from the $AFB_1$(G2) treatment or the X-ray and $AFB_1$(G4) co-treatment, but the $AFB_1$-positive materials were observed weakly in the group treated with vitamin C (G3 and G5). These results indicate that vitamin C had ameliorating effects on the $AFB_1$ accumulation of liver tissue.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2013

Formaldehyde (FA) is widely used in industries, and it is an indoor and outdoor pollutant. Exposure to FA may cause inflammation and respiratory oxidative stress. Studies have demonstrated that FA can cause cancer in animal models. During the regeneration process of injured starfish (Asterina pectinifera), several changes have been observed in the expression of cytokines. In particular, higher TGF-${\beta}1$ expression has been detected in arm cut starfish extract after eight days. The current study was designed to elucidate the in-vitro and the in-vivo pharmacological effects of starfish extract on FA exposure. We investigated the protective effects of intact starfish extract and arm cut starfish extract on an IMR-90 cell line and on mouse lung injury in response to FA exposure. In the presence of FA, inhalation of the arm cut starfish extract was associated with more promising cell proliferation, TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$ decrement, and $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$ increment. In the experimental group, the pulmonary structure of the arm cut starfish extract-treated group in the presence of FA exposure was similar to the control group, whereas the FA exposure group showed damage to the pulmonary structure. Moreover, the arm cut starfish extracts was more effective than the intact starfish extracts in terms of the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$, $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$, and surfactant protein A. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that arm cut starfish extracts are more effective in protecting pulmonary structure and function against FA exposure than intact starfish extracts.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.669-675
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• 2001

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of antioxidant vitamins on the formation of $AFB_{1}-DNA$ adduct and $AFB_{1}-inducing$ cellular oxidative damage. Intraperitoneal(i.p.)injections of 10 mg/kg vitamin C(VC) and 63.8 mg/kg vitamin E(VE) were repeatedly administrated 4 times with 2 days interval to 6 week old male ICR mice. After one hour of vitamin treatments, 0.4 mg/kg $AFB_1$ was injected in $AFB_1$ plus vitamin treated groups by same way. On the other hands, $AFB_1$ treated group was only injected with $AFB_1$ by the same method described above without vitamins. According to quantitative analysis of the $AFB_1$ in mice serum by indirect competitive ELISA, 12.28 and 18.78 ng/mL were detected in $AFB_1-treated$ groups, but 7.60 and 4.85 ng/mL in $AFB_1$ plus VC and VE treated groups, respectively. 23.78, 25.48 ng/mL of $AFB_1-DNA$ adduct were detected in mice liver of $AFB_1$treated groups, while 5.26, 7.81 ng/mL in $AFB_1$ plus VC and VE treated groups, respectively. Consequently, the differences in the concentrations of $AFB_1$ related materials between vitamin treated and non-treated groups were significant. Immunohistochemistry revealed brownish infiltration of $AFB_1$ around central vein and sinusoid in $AFB_1-treated$ group. This manifestation was distinctly reduced in $AFB_1$ plus VC and VE treated groups.