• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.486-491
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• 2010

Tight control of blood glucose is the most important strategy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of Welsh onion on fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia. Inhibitory activities of hot water extracts from the green stalk and white bulb, which are the edible portions of the Welsh onion, and the fibrous root extract against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase were measured in vitro. To study the effects of Welsh onion on postprandial hyperglycemia, a starch solution (1 g/kg) with and without Welsh onion fibrous root extract (500 mg/kg) or acarbose (50 mg/kg) was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after an overnight fast. Postprandial plasma glucose levels were measured and incremental areas under the response curve were calculated. To study the hypoglycemic effects of chronic feeding of Welsh onion, five-week-old db/db mice were fed an AIN-93G diet or a diet containing either Welsh onion fibrous root extract at 0.5% or acarbose at 0.05% for 7 weeks after 1 week of adaptation. Fasting plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin were measured. Compared to the extract from the edible portions of Welsh onion, the fibrous root extract showed stronger inhibition against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, with an $IC_{50}$ of 239 ${\mu}g/mL$. Oral administration of Welsh onion fibrous root extract (500 mg/kg) and acarbose (50 mg/kg) significantly decreased incremental plasma glucose levels 30-120 min after oral ingestion of starch as well as the area under the postprandial glucose response curve, compared to the control group (P < 0.01). The plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin levels of the Welsh onion group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.01), and were not significantly different from those fed acarbose. Thus, we conclude that the fibrous root of Welsh onion is effective in controlling hyperglycemia in animal models of diabetes mellitus.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.33.2-33.2
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• 2007

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1970-1975
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• 2007

Squalene synthase plays an important role in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. Inhibiting this enzyme in hypercholesterolemia can lower not only plasma cholesterol but also plasma triglyceride levels. A squalene synthase inhibitor was screened from Prunus mume fruit, and then purified via sequential processes of ethanol extraction, HP-20 column chromatography, ethyl acetate extraction, silica gel column chromatography, and crystallization. The squalene synthase inhibitor was identified as chlorogenic acid with a molecular mass of 354 Da and a molecular formula of $C_{16}H_{18}O_9$ based on UV spectrophotometry, $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMRs, and mass spectrometry. Chlorogenic acid inhibited the squalene synthase of pig liver with an $IC_{50}$ level of 100 nM. Since chlorogenic acid was an effective inhibitor against the squalene synthase of an animal source, it may be a potential therapeutic agent for hypercholesterolemia.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.344-353
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• 2021

Juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (mean weight 66.7±7.1 g; mean length 19.2±0.9 cm) in a bio-floc environment were exposed to microplastic (PE: polyethylene, size 40-48 ㎛) at 0, 4, 20, 100, 500 and 2,500 mg L^-1 for 96 hours. No P. olivaceus deaths were observed following microplastic exposure. In the plasma components, calcium was significantly decreased whereas there was no significant change with magnesium following microplastic exposure. Glucose was significantly decreased with over 100mg L^-1 at 48 hours and 20mg L^-1 at 96 hours. Cholesterol was significantly decreased with over 20mg L^-1 after 48 hours, whereas there was no significant change in the total protein content. In enzymatic plasma components, the AST(Aspartate aminotransferase) was significant decreased by microplastic exposure. The results of this study indicate that acute exposure to microplastic induces blood physiological changes in P. olivaceus.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.401-410
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• 2023

This study examined the characteristics of eel Anguilla japonica sperm using the CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) system and attempted to provide the composition for artificial seminal plasma by regulating of inorganic elements. Sperm samples were first divided into four groups based on motility and progressive motility: (A) 0-10%, (B) 10-40%, (C) 40-70%, and (D) 70-100%. For observing sperm velocity variations, VCL, which is curve motion velocity, showed the highest values in all groups. The directional factor, beat cross frequency, was lower in higher activity groups, showing an opposite correlation with sperm activity. The head sizes of spermatozoa in higher activity groups were significantly larger than those in lower activity groups. The Na⁺ and K⁺ ions were important in the inorganic composition of seminal plasma in this species. Furthermore, regulating the composition in artificial seminal plasma improved the formula compared to the existing element, exhibiting 120 mM Na and 30 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a long time and 120 mM NA and 40 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a short time.

• Proceedings of the KSCN Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.181-181
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.82-82
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• 2002

The Wnt signaling pathway plays pivotal roles in embryonic development and oncogenesis through various signaling molecules inculding Frizzled receptor, recently characterized LRP5/6 and Dickkopf protein. Although Wnt signaling has been characterized in both developmental and oncogenic processes, little is known about its function in the normal adult. The ability of LRP5 to bind apolipoprotein E(apoE) and the abundant expression of LRP5 transcripts in hepatocytes, raise the possibility that LRP5 plays a role in the hepatic clearance of ApoE-containing chylomicron remonants, a major plasma lipoprotein carrying diet-derived cholesterol. (omitted)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.298-303
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• 2001

The hypolipidemic effect of the diet containing uncooked food was evaluated in hyperlipidemic rats. Body weightgain, food intake and food efficiency ratio were not significantly different among the diet groups examined. Significant decrease in plasma total cholesterol(8.8%), triglyceride(10.0%) and LCL-cholesterol(34.8%) were observed in uncooked food diet groups, and the liver total cholesterol and triglyceride level to the extent of 8.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Uncooked food groups substantially increased the plasma HDL to total cholesterol ratio(47.2%) and decreased the atherogenic index(37.6%) as well. Gut transit time for uncooked food was significantly higher, up to 104 minutes, compared to that of control diet group. These results suggest that uncooked food may have beneficial effects on blood lipid level and gut transit time in hyperlipidemc rats.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2003

Abnormalities in fibrinolysis system is associated with risk of hypertension. In this report, the Alu repeat insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and the Hind III RFLP of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) genes were investigated in 115 normotensives and 83 patients with hypertension, and their association with anthropometrical data and plasma biochemical parameters were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the gene frequencies of the two candidate genes between normotensives and hypertensives, respectively. Our results indicate lack of associations between the two polymorph isms in t-PA and PAI-1 genes and risk of hypertension in the population under study. However, the Hind III RFLP of PAI-1 gene was significantly associated with plasma glucose level, suggesting its role in glucose metabolism. It needs to be tested whether this RFLP of PAI-1 gene is associated with insulin resistance syndrome or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in the Korean population.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.200-203
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• 2008

Obesity has become a worldwide health problem. Orlistat, an inhibitor of pancreatic lipase, is currently approved as an anti-obesity drug. However, gastrointestinal side effects caused by Orlistat may limit its use. In this study the inhibitory activities of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) against pancreatic lipase in vitro and in vivo were measured to determine its possible use as a natural anti-obesity agent. The inhibitory activities of the 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale and Orlistat were measured using 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate (4-MU oleate) as a substrate at concentrations of 250, 125, 100, 25, 12.5 and $4\;{\mu}g/ml$. To determine pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity in vivo, mice (n=16) were orally administered with com oil emulsion (5 ml/kg) alone or with the 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale (400 mg/kg) following an overnight fast. Plasma triglyceride levels were measured at 0, 90, 180, and 240 min after treatment and incremental areas under the response curves (AUC) were calculated. The 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale and Orlistat, inhibited, porcine pancreatic lipase activity by 86.3% and 95.7% at a concentration of $250\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. T. officinale extract showed dose-dependent inhibition with the $IC_{50}$ of $78.2\;{\mu}g/ml$. A single oral dose of the extract significantly inhibited increases in plasma triglyceride levels at 90 and 180 min and reduced AVC of plasma triglyceride response curve (p<0.05). The results indicate that T. officinale exhibits inhibitory activities against pancreatic lipase in vitro and in vivo. Further studies to elucidate anti-obesity effects of chronic consumption of T. officinale and to identify the active components responsible for inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase are necessary.