• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.253-262
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• 2013

In this study, we analyzed the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of seven medicinal herbs. All extracts of the tested herbs, Euryale ferox Salisbury, Echinops setifer Iljin, Amomum cardamomum Linne, Tetrapanax papyriferus, Illicium verum Hook. f., Typha orientalis Presl, and Piper longum Linne, exhibited potent anti-oxidative activity as confirmed by DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) production, in the RAW 264.7 cell line, was also ameliorated by all extracts' treatments in a dose dependent manner. NO suppressive activity originated from the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression by the extracts. Three extracts, E. ferox S., I. verum Hook. f., and P. longum L., possessed suppressive activity against, not only iNOS, but also cycloxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression. These three extracts may then serve as potential candidates for non steroidal analgesic inflammation drugs (NSAIDs). Furthermore, all extracts induced anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1, protein expression. Taken together, these results provide an important new insight into the fact that various medicinal herbs possess potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities and might be utilized as promising agents in the field of health products. Further studies for the identification of the active compounds from medicinal herbs are clearly needed.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2010

Male rats were given a single injection of iron, and temporal changes in iron content and iron-induced effects were examined in heart cellular fractions. Over a period of 72 h, the contents of total and labile iron, reactive oxygen species, and NO in tissue homogenate, nuclear debris, and postmitochondrial fractions were mostly constant, but in mitochondria they continuously increased. An abrupt decrease in membrane potential and NAD(P)H at 12 h was also found in mitochondria. The respiratory control ratio was reduced slowly with a slight recovery at 72 h, suggesting uncoupling by iron.While the ATP content of tissue homogenate decreased steadily until 72 h, it showed a prominent increase in mitochondria at 12 h. Total iron and calcium concentration also progressively increased in mitochondria over 72 h. Enzyme activity of the oxidative phosphorylation system was significantly altered by iron injection: activities of complexes I, III, and IV were reduced considerably, but complex II activity and the ATPase activity of complex V were enhanced. A reversal of activity in complexes I and II at 12 h suggested reverse electron transfer due to iron overload. These results support the argument that mitochondrial activities including oxidative phosphorylation are modulated by excessive iron.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.208-211
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• 2009

This study investigated the effect of vitamin $B_6$ deficiency on antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid profile in rats with exercise-induced oxidative stress. Forty eight rats were fed either a vitamin $B_6$ deficient diet (B6-) or a control diet (control) for 4 weeks and then subdivided into 3 groups: pre-exercise (PreE); post-exercise (PostE); recess after exercise (recessE). Compared to those of control group, plasma catalase and hepatic cytosol superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) activities of B6- group were lower regardless of exercise. The ratio of reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) of B6 - group was lower in PreE and there was no difference between PostE and recessE. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) of B6- was significantly higher in PreE and PostE. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level of B6- group was lower regardless of exercise. Atherosclerotic index of $B_6$- group was higher in PreE and there was no difference between PostE and recessE. It is suggested that a reduction in antioxidative status caused by vitamin $B_6$ deficiency may be aggravated under exercise-induced oxidative stress.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 1998

The entanol productivity of superoxide dismutase (SOD)-deficient mutants of Saccharo-Myces cerevisiae was examined under the oxidative stress by Paraquat. It was observed that MnSOD-deficient mutant of S. cerevisiae had higher ethanol productivity than wild type or CuZnSOD-deficient yeast both in aerobic and in anaerobic culture condition. Pyruvated dehydrogenase activity decreased by 35% and alcohol dehydrogenase activity increased by 32% were observed in MnSOD-deficient yeast grown aerobically. When generating oxygen radicals by Paraquat, the ehanol productivity was increased by 40% in CuZnSOD-deficient or wild strain, resulting from increased activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and decreased a activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase. However, the addition of ascorbic acid with Paraquat returned the enzyme activities at the level of control. These results imply that SOD-deficiency in yeast strains may cause the metabolic flux to shift into anaerobic ethanol fermentation in order to avoid their oxidative damages by Paraquat.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.675-683
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• 2003

This study investigated the effect of dietary $\beta$-carotene supplementation on lipid peroxidation and anti oxidative enzyme activity as indices of oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Fifty Sprague-Dawley male rats aging 7 weeks were used as experimental animals, which were divided into the non-diabetic control group and the diabetic group. The diabetic group received an intraperitoneal injection with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Then the diabetic rats were divided into four dietary groups which contained different amounts of $\beta$-carotene; 0%, 0.002%, 0.02%, or 0.2% of the diet. The diabetic rats were fed the experimental diets and the non-diabetic rats were fed the basal diet without $\beta$-carotene supplementation for 2 weeks and then sacrificed. The diabetic group had a significantly higher blood glucose level than the non-diabetic group. However, blood glucose level were not significantly changed by the level of dietary $\beta$-carotene supplementation. Compared to the non-diabetic control group, the diabetic control group indicated a significant increase of plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). Liver TBARS level also tended to be higher in diabetic control group, although it was not significant. The $\beta$-carotene supplementation did not reduce plasma TBARS level. However, Liver TBARS level was significantly decreased when 0.02% or more $\beta$-carotene was supplemented in the diet. The liver lipofuscin level in the diabetic control group was higher than in the non-diabetic control group, but the effect of $\beta$-carotene supplementation did not show any differences. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly lower in the diabetic group, but it was increased in groups receiving 0.02% or more $\beta$-carotene. Compared to the non-diabetic control group, lower activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were observed in the diabetic control group, although it was not significant. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities tended to increase as the levels of $\beta$-carotene supplementation increased, although it was not statistically significant. Therefore, it seems that dietary $\beta$-carotene supplementation might reduce diabetic complications by partly decreasing the lipid peroxidation and increasing the activity of antioxidative enzyme in diabetes.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2014

Pretreatment of chinese cabbage leaves with $100{\mu}M$ sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, effectively improved their tolerance to subsequent $2{\mu}M$ paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative damage. The fresh weight, and chlorophyll and protein contents in primary leaves treated with PQ alone were noticeably reduced over 24 h light incubation. However, these leaf injury symptoms were significantly alleviated with $100{\mu}M$ SNP pretreatment for 3 h prior to PQ exposure. In additions, the increase of the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and $H_2O_2$ due to PQ exposure were significantly inhibited by SNP pretreatment. Together with the protective effects of SNP against PQ toxicity in leaves, the changes of ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes activities were examined. In the PQ alone treatment, the activities of APX, DHAR, and GR after 6 h incubation were rapidly reduced and showed 19%, 50% and 39% respectively, compared with those of the control. However, the decreases in these enzyme activities were significantly inhibited by SNP pretreatment. As a result, their activities were higher than those of PQ alone treatment by 5 times, 2 times, and 1.5 times, respectively, at 6 h incubation. Thereafter, these enzymes decrease their activities gradually showing high levels than those of PQ alone. Based on the above results, it can be assumed that the activation of ascorbate-glutathione cycle by SNP pretreatment in chinese cabbage leaves exposed to PQ can prevent $H_2O_2$ accumulation, thereby leading to protection against PQ-induced oxidative stress. Also, these results indicate that NO acts as an protectant against PQ stress in the leaves of chinese cabbage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2014

Red yeast rice (RYR) has been known to exhibit various biological effects, including anti-hyperlipidemia, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammtory activities. Oxidative stress is a main risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidant effect of RYR on rats fed a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with either 0.2%, 1%, or 5% RYR for 4 weeks. We measured lipid profiles in the plasma and liver, antioxidant enzyme activities in plasma and erythrocyte, gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, and oxidative DNA damage in lymphocytes. The group supplemented with 0.2% RYR had total cholesterol level in plasma decreased by 24%, while the group supplemented with 5% RYR had high-density cholesterol increased by 20% compared to the control. The antioxidant enzyme activities were also affected by RYR supplementation. Total superoxide dismutase activities in plasma significantly decreased by 11% in the 1% RYR group, while these activities in the liver significantly decreased by 16% and 21% in the 1% and 5% supplemented group compared to the control, respectively. Glutathione peroxidase activities in plasma and erythrocytes increased 13% and 48% in the 1% RYR group, respectively. Catalase (CAT) activity in erythrocytes significantly increased by 49% and 68% in the 1% and 5% RYR group compared to the control, respectively. The gene expression of CAT was up-regulated 7.9 fold compared to the control in the 5% RYR supplemented group. These results suggest that RYR can control hyperlipidemia by improving the lipid profile and modulating oxidative stress.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2016

Oxidative stress activates several intracellular signaling cascades that may have deleterious effects on neuronal cell survival. Thus, controlling oxidative stress has been suggested as an important strategy for prevention and/or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we found that ginsenoside Rh1 inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species generation and subsequent cell death in rat primary astrocytes. Rh1 increased the expression of phase II antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, superoxide dismutase-2, and catalase, that are under the control of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways. Further mechanistic studies showed that Rh1 increased the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of Nrf2 and c-Jun to the antioxidant response element (ARE), and increased the ARE-mediated transcription activities in rat primary astrocytes. Analysis of signaling pathways revealed that MAP kinases are important in HO-1 expression, and act by modulating ARE-mediated transcriptional activity. Therefore, the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes by Rh1 may provide preventive therapeutic potential for various neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with oxidative stress.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2002

Objectives: In traditional medicine, Wolgukwhan has been used for the treatment of digestive system disease, such as indigestion, brash, ructation, nausea and vomiting. This study was purposed to investigate the effects of Wolgukwhan methnol extract (WGWM) on oxidative liver cell injury. Methods: In vivo assay, we administerated acetaminophen(500mg/kg, i.p.) to starved mice 24hrs after pretreatment of WGWM for 6days. In the liver homogenates, lipid peroxide and glutathione(GSH) levels were measured. In addition, activities of hepatic enzyme, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase(GPX), glutathione S-transferase(GST) were measured in the hepatic mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions. Results: In vivo administeration of WGWM showed effective inhibition of acetaminophen induced lipid peroxidation and elevations of glutathione level. The acetaminophen treatment resulted in a decrease of catalase, GPX and GST activities. By contrast, WGWM pretreatment increased compare to those of untreated groups. Conclusions: These results suggested that WGWM might protect against lipid peroxidation by free radicals, destruction of hepatic cell membranes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.280-285
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• 2015

Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of Cotoneaster horizontalis Decne ethanol extract (CHEE) were evaluated. CHEE possessed a potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl, which was similar to the activity of ascorbic acid which was used as a positive control. CHEE also effectively suppressed hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species on RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, CHEE induced the expression of the anti-oxidative enzyme heme oxygenase 1, and its upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2. CHEE inhibited LPS induced nitric oxide (NO) formation as a consequence of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) down regulation. Taken together, these results provide us with an important new insight; that C. horizontalis possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, C. horizontalis may be utilized as a promising material in the field of nutraceuticals.