• 동아시아식생활학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.315-322
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• 2005

In this study we report on the estrogen activity of silkworm pupa and herb extracts in vitro. The estrogenic activity of these resources was investigated by competition binding assays with estrogen receptor $\alpha(ER{\alpha})\;or\;ER{\beta}$, and viability of MCF-7 cells, a human breast cancer cell line. Saturation ligand-binding analysis of $ER{\alpha}\;and\;ER{\beta}$ revealed that all plant extracts competed with estrogen ligand for binding to both ER subtypes with a similar preference and degree and competed stronger with ligand for binding to $ER{\beta}\;than\;to\;ER{\alpha}$. The highest $ER{\alpha}-binding$ sample was silkworm pupa aqueous extract The highest $ER{\beta}-binding$ sample was silkworm pupa oil. These samples were further tested for bioactivity based on their ability to regulate cell growth rate in ER(+) breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 cells. Our studies showed that silkworm pupa, soritae, sesame, yam, pueraria, malt, ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, and Curcuma longa significantly stimulated the growth of MCF-7 cells (P<0.05). In summary, these results suggested that silkworm pupa and herbs might be useful as potential phytoestrogens.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.566-572
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to determine if the isoflavones from Sophorae fructus (SISO) have potential clinical benefit in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treat ment of menopausal signs, such as the levels of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). An additional aim was to present the potential antioxidant effect of SISO in a microglial cell line. For the animal model, the ovaries were removed from adult rats and the indicators of menopause were measured at the pre- and post-administration time points. Although no statistically significant correlation was found, SISO tended to decrease the TC level (p=0.15) and the FSH level (p=0.36), but to increase the HDL level (p=0.303).SISO (< 5${\mu}g$/mL) also exerted antioxidant activity on BV-2 microglial cells by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide. This cytoprotective effect was confirmed by trypan blue staining, which was used to test for cellular damage from H$_2O_2$. In conclusion, this study highlights the anti-menopausal and antioxidant effect of SISO in an ovariectomized rat model, as well as in microglial cells, and provides new clinical targets for the screening of phytoestrogens as potential candidates for HRT in menopausal women.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.119-125
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• 2006

The importance of phytoestrogens to human health is currently being actively investigated. Hesperidin, abundantly found in citrus fruits, is known to possess antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Recently, it has been reported that hesperidin inhibits bone loss and decreases serum and hepatic lipids in ovariectomized mice. In our study, to determine the possible role of hesperidin in the regulation of bone metabolism, we observed the effects of hesperidin on the proliferation and activity of osteoblasts, as well as the effects of hesperidin on osteoclast generation and activity. We observed that, when treated with hesperidin, the number and viability of osteoblastic cells increased, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblastic cells increased, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) secretion from MG63 cells decreased. Hesperidin treatment had no effect on the osteoclast generation and activity in the bone marrow cell culture, but decreased the number and resorptive activity of osteoclasts generated from RAW/264.7 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that hesperidin increases the proliferation and activity of osteoblasts, while inhibiting generation and activity of osteoclasts. Although the precise role of hesperidin remains to be elucidated, our study suggests that it is one of the important modulators of bone metabolism.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.32-39
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• 2003

Phytoestrogens, especially soy-derived isoflavones, are receiving great scrutiny as a food supplement for preventing hormone dependent disease such as postmenopausal osteoporosis. Their beneficial effects are derived from aglycone form of isoflavones, such as daidzein, genistein or glycitein. In contrast to the common usage of soybean, black bean (Rhynchosia Molubilis : Yak-kong) has been used as a supplement for preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis in oriental medicine. To investigate the effects of the saliva, artificial stomach fluid, and digestive enzymes on the conversion of glycosidic isoflavone to aglycone form, soybean and black bean were extracted with 70% methanol and freeze-dried. The recovery yield of methanol extracts of black bean was 14.1% which was higher than that of soybean, 13.5%. In terms of total isoflavones, we routinely obtained larger amount of isoflavones from black bean than those from soybean. By incubating methanol extracts of soybean and black bean with IN HCI for 180 min, the proportions of aglycones relative to the total isoflavone were significantly increased (32.4% and 52.4%, respectively). In vitro conversion, digestive enzymes ($\beta$-glucosidase and $\alpha$-glucosidase) may hydrolyze glycosidic bond of isoflavone more effectively than saliva or artificial stomach fluid did. It seems to say that the activity of $\beta$-glucosidase was higher than those of $\alpha$-glucosidase. The rate of conversion of glucoside form to aglycone form in black bean and soybean was low in physiological condition (pH) tested, although the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucoside was active. These results demonstrated that the composition of aglycone in food may be the important factors in terms of the bioavailability of isoflavones. (Korean J Nutrition 36(1): 32-39, 2003)

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2003

The effects of soy-isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens derived from plants with a flavonoid structure, on cyclooxygenase -2 (COX-2) expression, PGE2 production, and mapkinases expression, were investigated in experimentally-induced atherogenic rats by feeding a high fat-high cholesterol diet. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally ovariectomized; sham-operated animals were used as controls. Three weeks later, the animals were randomized to the following treatments for an eight-week experimental period: 17$\beta$-estradiol (200$\mu$ g/kg diet), low concentration of isoflavones (0.8g/kg diet), and high concentration of isoflavones (4.0g/kg diet). In the group supplemented with a high dose of isoflavones, COX-2 expression was down-regulated. This down-regulation was accompanied by a reduced expression of pERK1/2. In the second experiment using 48-week old female Sprague-Dawly rats, the effects of isoflavones and estrogen were compared in the basal estrogen-supplementation at the level of 600$\mu$ g/kg diet. Isoflavones induced the marked down-regulation of COX-2 protein and the decrease in $PGE_2$ production in estrogen supplemented states and this was followed by the down-regulation of p38 among mapkinases. The two different mapkinases are involved in the down-regulation of COX-2 depending on estrogen-deficient and estrogen supplemented states. This kind of COX-2 down-regulation by isoflavones was not observed in the different tissue, mammary glands. Further investigations on the relationship between COX-2 and biological activities such as vasodilation by isoflavonesin the absence or the presence of estrogen ave required in vivo system of female rats.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제8권5호
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• pp.539-543
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavones are structurally similar to estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors, suggesting that they exhibit estrogenic activities; therefore, they are referred to as phytoestrogens. Fermentation may affect the bioavailability of isoflavones altering soy isoflavone glycosides in the form of aglycones. Thus, this study investigated the effects of fermented soybeans by Rhizopus oligosporus on bone metabolism in both young rats as a pilot test and in ovariectomized (ovx) old rats as a model of menopause. MATERIALS/METHODS: In the pilot test, a total of 24 seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed one of three diets for a period of four weeks: casein, unfermented soybean product, or fermented soybean product by R. oligosporus. In the ovx rat model, 20-week-old SD rats weighing 260-290 g underwent either sham-operation (n = 10) or bilateral ovariectomy (n = 30) and were then fed the AIN-93M diet for one week. Thereafter, rats were fed sham-casein, ovx-casein, ovx-soybean, or ovx-fermented soybean diet for five weeks. After decapitation, femoral bones were isolated and preserved in 9% formalin for assessment of bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone-breaking strength (BBS). RESULTS: Ovx rats showed significantly increased weight gain and decreased uterine wet weight. Of particular interest, ovx rats fed fermented soybeans showed increased uterine wet weights compared to control rats. Fermented soybean diet caused a significant increase in plasma 17-${\beta}$ estradiol concentrations in young rats, and 17-${\beta}$ estradiol levels were enhanced in ovx rats to match those of sham-operated ones. Significantly lower femoral BMD and BMC were observed in ovx rats compared to sham-operated controls, whereas bone areas did not differ statistically among the groups. In addition, BBS tended to be increased in ovx rats fed soybeans and fermented soybeans. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of fermented soybeans could have preventive and therapeutic effects against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.66-72
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• 2004

There is some evidence that phytostrogen plays an important role in bone metabolism in postmenopausal women. In this study, we investigated the phytoestrogen intake levels and the relation between dietary phytoestrogens intake and bone mineral density of vegetarian (n = 77) and omnivore postmenopausal women (n = 122 . Vegetarian women, all of them were seven day adventists, who had been on vegetarian diet (almost lacto-ovo vegetarians;a few vegans) oyer 20 yrs. The average age of vegetarians and omnivores were 62.3 yrs and 60.2 yrs, respectively and, there was no significant difference. However, body weight (p < 0.001), body mass index (p < 0.001) of vegetarians were significantly lower than those of omnivores. The mean daily energy intake of vegetarians and omnivores were 1386.1 kcal (76.3% of RDA) and 1424.5 kcal (76.9% of RDA), respectively. The mean calcium intake of vegetarians (456.7 mg, 66.3 % of RDA) was not significantly different from that of omnivores (453.5 mg, 65.2 % of RDA). The mean daily isoflavones (daidzein +genistein) intake of vegetarians and omnivore were 33.9 mg and 23.9 mg, respectively. The vegetarians consumed significantly greater quantities of isoflavones (p < 0.05) and lignans precursor (p < 0.05). In the vegetarians, intake of isoflavones was significantly positively correlated with BMD of femoral neck, after adjusted for age and BMI. Also lignan precursor intake of vegetarians was significantly positively correlated with BMD of spine, after adjusted for age and BMI. In conclusion, in omnivore post menopausal women, intake of phytoestrogen such as isoflavones and lignans was little low, and it is not clear that positive association with bone mineral density. But in vegetarian postmenopausal women, phytoestrogen intakes be important factors related to bone mineral density.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제36권8호
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• pp.841-850
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• 2003

Soy-based formula has been used for centuries in Korea. Soybeans contain phytochemicals with a biochemically active component, isoflavone. Isoflavone is a kind of phytoestrogens, structurally and functionally similar to estrogen. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of soy-based infant formula on growth, development, and isoflavone concentration in the plasma and urine. Thirty-nine healthy infants who were delivered at K university medical center were recruited. Experimental groups were the breast milk group (n = 15, BM) who were fed breast milk, soy-based formula group (n = 10, SBF) who were fed soy-based infant formula, and the casein-based formula group (n = 14, CBF) who were fed casein-based infant formula for 4 months. HPLC analysis was used to measure the concentration of isoflavones. The measurements of infant weight, length, head circumference and chest circumference were all in the normal growth range and were similar among the experimental groups. No significant differences were found in the scores of total mean of infant development test (Development Quotient, DQ) among the experimental groups. The isoflavone content of soy-based formula was significantly higher than. that of breast milk and casein-based formula. Plasma concentration of daidzein and genistein in the infants fed soy-based formula (daidzein : 264.1 ng/ml, genistein : 392.1 ng/ml) was significantly higher (p<.0001) than that in infants fed breast milk (daidzein : 3.4 ng/ml, genistein : 3.8 ng/ml) and casein-based formula (daidzein: 8.1 ng/ml, genistein: 9.3 ng/ml). Also, urinary daidzein and genistein concentrations in infants fed soy-based formula (daidzein: 19.82 $\mu$g/ml, genistein : 17.89 $\mu$g/ml) were significantly higher (p<.001) than those in infants fed breast milk (daidzein: 0.28 $\mu$g/ml, genistein : 0.22 $\mu$g/ml) and casein-based formula (daidzein : 0.45 $\mu$g/ml, genistein : 0.33 $\mu$g/ml).

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.159-168
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• 2005

Phytoestrogens, especially Yak-kong or soybean-derived isoflavones have been traditionally used as a supplement of estrogen for preventing postmemopausal osteoporosis in oriental folk medicine. In our previous study, the treatment of Yak-kong and soybean increased estrogen receptor-a (ERa) expression and proliferation of MG-63 osteoblastic cells. In contrast, the increase of estrogen receptor-$\beta$ (ER$\beta$) expression in proliferating MG-63 cells with Yak-kong and soybean treatment was less pronounced, which suggested that ER$\beta$ may play a role rather in the regulation of bone cell differentiation To determine the role of ER$\beta$ in Yak-kong or soybean mediated regulation of bone cell differentiation, we established MG-63 cell lines stably expressing either ER$\beta$ or antisense ER$\beta$ RNAs. Increased expression of ER$\beta$ did not affect ERa expression and proliferation of MG-63 cells. However, increased expression of ER$\beta$ in MG-63 cells (ER$\beta$-MG63 cells) selectively enhanced Yak-kong or soybean induced expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a novel soluble glycoprotein which is secreted from osteoblasts and mediates the signal for osteoclast differentiation. Inhibition of ER$\beta$ expression by antisense ER$\beta$ RNAs (As-ER$\beta$-MG63) caused these cells to insensitize Yak-kong or soybean induced expression of OPG but increased MG-63 cell proliferation. Furthermore, the comparable effects between Yak-kong and the combined treatment of genistein and daidzein at $0.5{\times}l0^{-8}$ M, which is a concentration of these two isoflavones similar to Yak-kong at 0.001 mg/mL, on OPG expression in ER$\beta$-MG63 cell demonstrate that the enhanced expression of OPG with Yak-kong treatment is mediated by the synergistic effect of low leveled isoflavones in the extracts. Together, coupled with low level of ER expression in osteoclasts, our data demonstrate that ER$\beta$ in osteoblasts plays an important role in Yak-kong and soybean mediated inhibition of osteoclast differentiation indirectly by enhancing the expression of OPG.

• 약학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.317-322
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• 2005

Isoflavones are reported to playa role in menopausal women as a phytoestrogen, which can replace estradiols in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Recently; due to the risk of breast cancer by HRT, phytoestrogens (e.g. isoflavones) have been focused as an alternative therapy in menopause. In the study, we investigated whether isoflavones derived from Sophorae fructus (SISO) have more benefit than that of soybean isoflavones in estrogen deficient rats. We found that SISO effectively controled $H_2O_2$ comparing with the baseline (p<0.01 vs. post value of OVX-Cont), and the blood sugar and weight were also controlled with decreasing patterns. Additionally, in LDH assay for cytoprotective effect in Neuro-2a cell line, SISO protected cells from the damage by SNAP (p<0.05). In conclusion, SISO may have more beneficial effect in enhancing the menopausal signs than that of soybean isoflavones and the cytoprotective effect in neuron cells suggests that SISO can play a certain role in neuroprotection after menopause.