• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of yellow and white bitter yams from South Western Nigeria using methanolic extraction and simulated gastrointestinal digestion models. The phenolic compounds in the bitter yam varieties were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The total phenolic content of the bitter yams was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, reductive potential by assessing the ability of the bitter yam to reduce $FeCl_3$ solution, and the antioxidant activities were determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical ($DPPH^{\cdot}$) scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation ($ABTS^{{\cdot}+}$) scavenging activity, nitric oxide radical ($NO^{\cdot}$) scavenging ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, and ability to inhibit $Fe^{2+}$-induced lipid oxidation. The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of some phenolic compounds in the studied bitter yam varieties, with varying degree of quantitative changes after cooking. The antioxidant indices (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, reducing power, $DPPH^{\cdot}$ scavenging activity, $ABTS^{{\cdot}+}$ scavenging activity, and $NO^{\cdot}$ scavenging activity) were higher in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion model compared to the methanolic extract, with the in vitro digested cooked white bitter yam ranking higher. Similarly, the in vitro digested yams had a higher inhibitory action against lipid oxidation compared to the methanolic extracts, with the cooked white bitter yam ranking high. The methanolic extracts and in vitro enzyme digests showed no acetylcholinesterase inhibitory abilities, while methanolic extracts and the in vitro enzyme digest displayed some level of butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Therefore the studied bitter yams could be considered as possible health supplements.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3363-3368
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• 2014

Background: Curcumin, a phenolic compound extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, has shown cytotoxic effects against a variety of cancers. The aim of this study was to identify potential microRNA (miRNA) mediators of the anticancer effects of curcumin in ovarian cancer cells. Materials and Methods: SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells were treated with curcumin ($10-60{\mu}M$) and miR-9 expression, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed. The effects of miR-9 depletion on curcumin-mediated growth suppression were also examined. Phosphorylation of Akt and forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) was measured in cells with miR-9 overexpression or curcumin treatment. Results: Curcumin caused a significant and dose-dependent increase of miR-9 expression in SKOV3 cells, while significantly impeding cell proliferation and stimulating apoptosis. Depletion of miR-9 significantly (p<0.05) attenuated the growth-suppressive effects of curcumin on SKOV3 cells, coupled with reduced percentages of apoptotic cells. In contrast, overexpression of miR-9 significantly enhanced the cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and promoted apoptotic death in SKOV3 cells. Western blot analysis showed that both miR-9 overexpression and curcumin similarly caused a significant (p<0.05) decline in the phosphorylation of Akt and FOXO1, compared to untreated cells. Conclusions: The present study provided evidence that curcumin exerts its cytotoxic effects against SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells largely through upregulation of miR-9 and subsequent modulation of Akt/FOXO1 axis. Further studies are needed to identify direct targets of miR-9 that mediate the anticancer effects of curcumin in ovarian cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.617-622
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• 2014

Voacanga globosa (Blanco), a plant endemic to the Philippines, is traditionally used especially by indigenous people of Bataan in the treatment of ulcers, wounds and tumorous growths. This study aimed to provide scientific evidence to therapeutic properties by determining cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activity of HPLC fractions from leaves on HCT116 human colon carcinoma and A549 human lung carcinoma cell lines. Ethanolic extraction was performed on V globosa leaves followed by hexane and ethyl acetate partitioning. Silica gel column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) produced MP1, MP2 and MP3 fractions. Cytotoxic activity of the fractions was determined through MTT assay against the cancer cell lines HCT116 and A549 and the non-cancer AA8 Chinese hamster ovarian cell line. Pro-apoptotic activities of the most active fractions were further assessed through DAPI staining, TUNEL assay and JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assay with HCT116 cells. While the MPI fraction exerted no significant activity against all cell lines tested, MP2 and MP3 fractions demonstrated high toxicity against HCT116 and A549 cells. The MP3 fraction induced formation of apoptotic bodies, condensed DNA and other morphological changes consistent with apoptosis of HCT116 cells and TUNEL assay showed significant increase in DNA fragmentation over time. In these cells, the MP3 fraction also induced mitochondrial membrane destabilization, which is generally associated with the beginning of apoptosis. Phytochemical analysis demonstrated the presence only of saponins and terpenoids in the MP3 fraction. The results indicate that the MP3 fraction exerts cytotoxic activity on HCT116 cells via induction of apoptosis triggered by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential crucial for cell survival.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.379-389
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• 2017

In this study, we set up an analytical method that can be used for rapid and accurate determination of representative isoquinoline alkaloids in medicinal plants using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF MS (ultra pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry). The compounds were eluted on a C18 column with 0.1 % formic acid and acetonitrile, and separated with good resolution within 13 min. Each of the separated components was characterized by precursor ions (generated by ESI-Q-TOF) and fragment ions (produced by collision-induced dissociation, CID), which were used as a reliable database. We also performed method validation: analytes showed excellent linearity ($R^2$, 0.9971-0.9996), LOD (5-25 ng/mL), LOQ (17-82 ng/mL), accuracy (91.6-97.4 %) as well as intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD, 1.8-3.2 %). In the analysis of Chelidonium majus L., magnoflorine, coptisine, sanguinarine, berberine and palmatine were detected by matching retention times and characteristic fragment ion patterns of reference standards. We also confirmed that, among the quantified components, coptisine was present in the highest quantity. Furthermore, alkaloid profiling was carried out by analyzing the fragment ion patterns corresponding to peaks of unknown components. In this manner, protopine, chelidonine, stylopine, dihydroberberine, canadine, and nitidine were tentatively identified. We also proposed the molecular structure of the fragment ions that appear in the mass spectrum. Therefore, we concluded that our suggested method for the determination of major isoquinoline alkaloids by UPLC-Q-TOF can be useful not only for quality control, but also for rapid and accurate investigation of phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2015

Our body's immune system has defense mechanisms against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Immune responses are primarily initiated by the activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs). In particular, TLR4 is well-characterized and is known to be activated by gram-negative bacteria and tissue damage signals. TLR4 requires myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) as a co-receptor to recognize its ligand, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which is an extracellular membrane component of gram-negative bacteria. Gambogic acid is a xanthonoid isolated from brownish or orange resin extracted from Garcinia hanburyi. Its primary effect is tumor suppression. Since inflammatory responses are related to the development of cancer, we hypothesized that gambogic acid may regulate TLR4 activation. Our results demonstrated that gambogic acid decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines ($TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-12, and $IL-1{\beta}$) in both mRNA and protein levels in bone marrow-derived primary macrophages after stimulation with LPS. Gambogic acid did not inhibit the activation of Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) induced by TBK1 overexpression in a luciferase reporter gene assay using IFN-${\beta}$-PRD III-I-luc. An in vitro kinase assay using recombinant TBK1 revealed that gambogic acid did not directly inhibit TBK1 kinase activity, and instead suppressed the binding of LPS to MD2, as determined by an in vitro binding assay and confocal microscopy analysis. Together, our results demonstrate that gambogic acid disrupts LPS interaction with the TLR4/MD2 complex, the novel mechanism by which it suppresses TLR4 activation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.217-221
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• 2020

Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (CM) has been used to treat certain medical conditions such as hemorrhage, hepatitis, and hypertension. Cirsimaritin was previously found as the major flavonoid in CM and is said to contribute to its pharmacological effects. There are currently no reports detailing the qualitative and quantitative detection of phytochemical indicators in the aerial parts of CM. Therefore, we developed a method to rapidly identify and quantify cirsimaritin in CM using HPLC/UV, and we optimized and validated this analytical method. The results showed good linearity in the concentration range tested (0.25-0.015 mg/mL, r² ≥ 0.9999), accuracy (93.9-111.3%), and precision (RSD ≤ 0.59%). The developed method can therefore be used for the rapid evaluation of cirsimaritin in CM.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2016

In our search for natural products affecting blood circulation, the n-butanol fraction from whole plant of Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schm. (GLB) improved blood lipid parameters, and ameliorated obesity in high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mouse model. Hyperlipidemia was induced by high-fat-diet for 4 weeks, and then GLB was orally administrated with 400 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. GLB-treated group showed that the gain in body weight was significantly attenuated, the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride significantly lowered on blood chemical analysis, and significantly prolonged the mice bleeding time when compared with those of HFD control group. Concomitantly, phytochemical composition of GLB was investigated by HPLC-hyphenated spectroscopy, and two major phenolic compounds, rutin and chlorogenic acid were identified in the GLB. Taken together, these results indicate that GLB has cardiovascular protective effects and could be a natural medicine candidate for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2011

Seventeen 30% EtOH extracts from the Compositae plants collected in Gangwon-do, Korea during autumn season were analyzed by HPLC using three standard caffeoylquinic acids (chlorogenic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-Omuco-quinic acid) and six flavonoids (rutin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, quercitrin, quercetin and kaempferol) to find the composition of phenolic compounds and also assayed to evaluate the peroxynitrite (ONOO$^-$) scavenging effect. The extracts with $IC_{50}$ values less than 2.0 ${\mu}g/ml$ were as follows: Aster tartaricus ($IC_{50}$, $1.26{\pm}0.10\;{\mu}g/ml$), A. maaki ($1.45{\pm}0.03\;{\mu}g/ml$), Solidago virga-aurea, ($1.45{\pm}0.03\;{\mu}g/ml$), Picris hierraciodes var. glabrescens ($1.45{\pm}0.04 \;{\mu}g/ml$), Lactuca triangulata ($1.50{\pm}0.09\;{\mu}g/ml$), Chrysanthemum zawadskii ssp. acutilobum, ($1.79{\pm}0.14\;{\mu}g/ml$). Particularly, the proportion of total phenolic compounds measured in the extract of L. triangulata was highest as the value 54.51%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.872-881
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• 2012

The inhibitory effect of the Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 strain caused by the hexane extract of Halimeda discoidea (Nor Afifah et al., 2010) was further evaluated by means of the microscopy view and its growth curves. The morphological changes of the K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883 cells were observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) after they were treated at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 0.50 mg/ml) (Nor Afifah et al., 2010) for 12, 24, and 36 h. The results showed the severity of the morphological deteriorations experienced by the treated cells. The killing curve assay was performed for 48 h at three different extract concentrations (1/2 MIC, MIC, and 2 MIC). An increase in the extract concentration of up to 2 MIC value did significantly reduce the number of cells by approximately 1.9 $log_{10}$, as compared with the control. Identification of the potential compounds of the extract responsible for the antibacterial activity was carried out through the gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS) analysis of the active subfraction, and the compound E-15-heptadecenal was identified and suggested as the most potential antibacterial compound of this extract. The subsequent cellular degenerations showed by the data might well explain the inhibitory mechanisms of the suggested antibacterial compound. All of these inhibitory effects have further proven the presence of an antibacterial compound within H. discoidea that can inhibit the growth of K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.260-265
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro potential of methanolic seed extract of Abelmoschus esculentus as a natural antioxidant. The DPPH activity of the Ethyl acetate soluble fraction (10, 20, 40, 80, and $160{\mu}g/mL$) was increased in a dose dependent manner, which was found in the range of 18.97-90.47% as compared to ascorbic acid 26.44-93.71%. The $IC_{50}$ values of Ethyl acetate soluble fraction (EAES) and ascorbicacid in DPPH radical scavenging assay were obtained to be 28.12 and $18.43{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Measurement of polyphenol content of the EAES of A. esculentus seed was achieved using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent containing 53.80 mg/g of total phenolic content, which was found signicantly higher when compared to reference standard gallic acid. Similarly total flavonoids and proabthocyanidis of EAES and chloroform soluble fraction (CAES) were found significantly 147 mg/g and 14.24 mg/g respectively when both compared to reference standard quercetin. EAES exhibited high significant lipid peroxidation inhibition effects in a dose-dependent manner, with $IC_{50}$ values of $38.08{\mu}g/mL$, whereas, standard quercetin, with $IC_{50}$ value of $36.67{\mu}g/mL$. All extract/fractions showed dose dependent reducing power ability and these differences were statistically significant (p<0.001). The results obtained in this study clearly indicate that A. esculentus seed has a signicant potential to use as a natural antioxidant agent.