• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.361-368
• /
• 2019

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Dendropanax morbifera (DM) extract on postmenopausal syndrome and to develop DM extract as an alternative for hormonal therapy. The following seven groups of rats; normal control (sham), ovariectomized (OVX) control, Punica granatum (PG)-treated group (770 mg/kg), estradiol treated group (0.5 mg/kg), and three DM-treated groups (200, 500, 1000 mg/kg) were compared. Indicated compounds were administrated once a day for eight weeks. To evaluate the estrogenic effect of DM extract, western blot analysis was performed on the liver tissue to confirm the expression of estrogen receptor ($ER-{\alpha}$, $ER-{\beta}$). Our analysis showed that after DM administration, collagen cross-linked C-telopeptide (CTX) value decreased while $ER-{\alpha}$ protein expression increased in a dose-dependent manner through the MAPK/ERK pathway in OVX rats. These results suggest that Dendropanax morbifera exerts estrogenic effect by inducing estrogen receptor expression and activating MAPK/ERK pathway.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2005

To investigate whether there are estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activities in various medicinal herbs and discover prominent chemo-preventive agents, we screened and compared the ethanol extracts of 9 plants through the recombinant yeast assay and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell assay, In recombinant yeast assay, seven medicinal herbs showed estrogenicity, and four extracts showed androgenecity. In MCF-7 proliferation assay, the growth of MCF-7 cells was inhibited by eight extracts before and even after co-treatment with bisphenol A. It is interesting that the extracts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Cassia tora, Syringa velutina, Zingiber officinale, Malva verticillata, and Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer exhibited inhibitory effects as phytoestrogens in estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cells. This study suggests that some Korean medicinal herbs might be considered as phytoestrogens and be useful to further analyze those plants which contain the estrogenic effect in order to identify the active principles.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2006

There is growing concern that dietary soy intake is associated with protection of breast cancer. However, questions persist on the potential adverse effects of the main soy constituent genistein(GS) on female reproductive physiology. In this study, we examined whether prepubertal exposure to GS affected on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. GS(100mg/kg/day) was administrated daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) to the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the day after VO occurred. Gross anatomy and tissue weight were compared to test the GS's effect on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay(RIA) were carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptors(PR), total RNAs were extracted from ovary and uterus and were applied to semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a results, advanced VO was shown in the GS group(PND $31.2{\pm}0.6$) compared to the vehicle group (PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$). GS treatment significantly increased wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the vehicle group. Increased serum LH levels were also shown in the GS group. Graafian follicles and corpora lutea(CL) were observed only in the ovaries from GS treated animals. Similarly, hypertrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium were found only in the GS group. Collectively, these effects were probably due to the estrogenic effects of GS. In the semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary and uterus from GS-treated group were significantly higher than those from the vehicle group. The present studies demonstrated that acute exposure to GS, at levels comparable to the ranges of human exposure, during the critical period of prepubertal stage activates the reproductive system resulting precocious puberty in immature female rats.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.179-185
• /
• 2011

Some phytoestrogens in soy and red wine, for example, might have beneficiary rather than adverse effects. In particular, dietary soy intake seems to be highly correlated with protection of breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders. However, questions persist on the potential adverse effects of the main soy constituent genistein (GS) on female reproductive physiology. Previously we found that prepubertal exposure to GS could activate the reproductive system of immature female rats leading to precocious puberty onset, and intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected GS could directly activate hypothalamic kisspeptin-GnRH neuronal circuits in adult female rats. The present study was performed to examine the hypothalamus-specific GS effects in prepubertal female rats and which subtype of estrogen receptor is mediated in this GS effect. Prepubertal female rats (PND 30) were anaesthetized, treated with single dose of GS (3.4 ${\mu}g$/animal), and sacrificed at 2 hrs post-injection. To determine the transcriptional changes of reproductive hormone-related genes in hypothalamus, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ICV infusion of GS significantly lowered the transcriptional activities of mTOR (1:$0.361{\pm}0.058$ AU, p<0.001) but increased that of GAD67 (1:$1.285{\pm}0.099$ AU, p<0.05), which are known to act as an upstream modulator of kisspeptin and GnRH neuronal activities in the hypothalamus, respectively. GS administration enhanced significantly the mRNA levels of KiSS-1(1:$1.458{\pm}0.078$ AU, p<0.001), and exerted no effect on the mRNA level of kisspeptin receptor GPR-54 (1:$1.29{\pm}0.08$ AU). GnRH gene expression was significantly decreased in GS-treated group compared to control group (1:$0.379{\pm}0.196$ AU, p<0.05). There was no difference in the mRNA level of $ER{\alpha}$ in the GS-treated group compare to control group (1:$1.180{\pm}0.390$ AU, Fig. 3A). However, icv infusion of GS significantly increased the transcriptional activities of $ER{\beta}$ (1:$4.209{\pm}0.796$ AU, p<0.01, Fig. 3B). Taken together, the present study indicated that the acute exposure to GS could directly alter the hypothalamic GnRH modulating system in prepubertal female rats. Our study strongly suggested the involvement of $ER{\beta}$ pathway in GS's hypothalamus-specific action, and this idea is consistent with the GS's well-known $ER{\beta}$-mediated protective action in breast cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.407-416
• /
• 2012

In this study, we purified the extracts from the seeds and the roots of various plant species, including Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens, and then investigated the effects of these extracts on cell growth and fat accumulation in adipocytes. We found that the extracts purified from Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens more effectively increased the cell growth, as well as promoting the fat accumulation in adipocytes to a greater extent, than other extracts in vitro. Therefore, we made breast packs containing these effective extracts, and then investigated whether they were effective in enhancing the elasticity and volume of women's breasts. The measurements of breast elasticity and size revealed that the breast packs efficiently increased the elasticity and size of women's breasts. Furthermore, evaluation of the questionnaires related to usage of the breast packs indicated great satisfaction in terms of the lift, firmness, and elasticity of breasts. In conclusion, extracts purified from Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens leading to cell growth and fat accumulation in adipocytes can effectively contribute to improving the elasticity and size of women's breasts.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.1012-1028
• /
• 2023

The findings of this study confirmed the alteration of β-glucosidase activity, nutritional constituents, isoflavones, antioxidant activities, and digestive enzyme inhibition activities in soybeans during solid-state fermentation times with mycelia of Tricholoma matsutake. After nine days, the highest activity level was observed for β-glucosidase (3.90 to 38.89 unit/g) and aglycones (163.03 to 1,074.28 ㎍/g). The sum of isoflavones showed a significant decrease (3,489.41 to 1,325.66 ㎍/g) along with glycosides (2,753.87 to 212.43 ㎍/g) for fermentation, while fatty acids showed a slight increase and amino acids showed a marked increase. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents showed a corresponding increase according to fermentation times (5.58 to 15.09 GAE mg/g; 0.36 to 1.58 RE mg/g). Antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities also increased; in particular, the highest level of scavenging activities was observed for ABTS (up 60.13 to 82.08%), followed by DPPH (up 63.92% to 71.98%) and hydroxyl (up 36.01 to 52.02%) radicals. Of particular interest, α-glucosidase (6.69 to 83.49%) and pancreatic lipase inhibition (1.22 to 77.43%) showed a marked increase. These results demonstrated that fermentation of soybeans with the mycelia of T. matsutake enhanced the nutritional and functional constituents, and the biological activities of soybeans. Thus, this fermentation technology can be used to produce a novel functional materials from soybeans.