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

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.18-28
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• 2018

In this study, the antioxidant activities and cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress of Lonicera japonica Thunb. 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction were investigated. Using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay, the free radical scavenging activity (FSC50) of L. japonica Thunb. 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction was determined as 152.00 and $77.25{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. To measure the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity, the total antioxidant capacity (OSC50) was determined by using a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. The antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate fraction ($0.33{\mu}g/ml$) was approximately four times stronger than that of the 50% ethanol extract ($1.12{\mu}g/ml$). The protective effect against $^1O_2$-induced cellular damage of human erythrocytes (${\tau}_{50}$) was 46.0 min at $10{\mu}g/ml$ of the 50% ethanol extract and 52.3 min at $1{\mu}g/ml$ of the ethyl acetate fraction. We also investigated the cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress induced by $H_2O_2$ and the intracellular ROS scavenging activity in response to UVB irradiation and found that the extract and fraction protected human skin cells from damage and reduced ROS. These results confirmed that L. japonica Thunb. was a valuable plant-derived natural antioxidant with potential for development as an antioxidative functional ingredient.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2000

In this study, we investigated the preventive and therapeutic effects of antler-extract for osteoporosis. Rats were ovariectomized bilaterally and were fed up with Ca- and P-free diet in order to induce osteoporosis. Body weight, organ weight, the weight of femur and bone ash quantity were examined for 5 weeks. We also performed histological and electronical microscopic examinations. 1. After adminstration of female and male antler extract to osteoporosis-induced rats at the doses of 625 and 1250 mg/kg, respectively, the body weights were significantly increased compared with those of normal control group's which was 230.2:t2.3-281.0:t2.5g (p＜0.05). 2. The weights of both right and left femur of osteoporosis-induced rats, administered with female or male antler-extract, little decreased compared with those of normal control group. 3. The bone ash quanties of femur of osteoporosis-induced rats, administered with female or male antler-extract, little decreased compared with those of normal control group. 4. The weights of liver, spleen, and kidney of osteoporosis-induced rats, administered with female or male antler-extract, decreased compared with those of normal control group. 5. Histological and electronic microscopical findings were (1) that in normal control rats the connectional of lacunae appeared well and were without loss of bone mineral, (2) that in ovariectomized rats the connections of lacunae were mostly broken and were with loss of bone mineral compared with those of normal control rats, (3) that in osteoporosis-induced rats, administrated with female or male antler-extract, the shape of lacunae and the connections of them were similar to those of normal control rats. These findings suggest a possible protective and therapeutic effects of female or male antler extract against bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2014

This study investigated anti-obesity and antioxidant effects of dietary non-fermented soybean crud residue (SCR) and fermented SCR by Monascus pilosus (FSCR) in high-fat induced-obese mice. SCR and FSCR were supplemented with high-fat diet at 2% (wt/wt) dose for 8 weeks. Both SCR and FSCR significantly lowered body weight, epididymal fat weight and weight gain rate compared to high-fat diet control (HC) group and FSCR group showed lowest weight gain rate. In addition, it was observed that serum and hepatic lipid profiles including triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly improved by supplementing SCR or FSCR. Furthermore, SCR and FSCR administration showed increase of glutathione content and decrease of hepatic lipid peroxide content, serum aminotransferase activity, and hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. On the other hand, activities of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzyme such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase in two test groups were higher than those of HC. Lastly, in comparison with SCR, FSCR was more effective in restoring obesity-related biomarkers to normal level in high-diet induced obese mice. In conclusion, the present study indicates that FSCR could have not only anti-obese effects such as inhibition of abdominal fat accumulation, but also protective effects of cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis by decreasing serum and hepatic lipid contents. Furthermore, these results suggest that experimental diets in this study could alleviate hepatic damage caused by overproduction of reactive oxygen spices (ROS) due to obesity via inhibition of ROS generating activities and induction of ROS scavenging activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1221-1229
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• 2010

Nerium indicum, an India-Pakistan-originated shrub belonging to the oleander family, is reported to possess many pharmacological activities including cardiac muscle stimulation, and anti-diabetes, anti-angiogenesis, anti-cancer and neuro-protective activities. However, the anti-inflammatory properties of N. indicum were unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of ethanol extract of the N. indicum leaf and stem (ENIL and ENIS) on the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators in U937 human pre-monocytic cell models. In U937 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), pre-treatment with ENIS significantly inhibited the expression of both cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein, which are associated with inhibition of the release of prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$, whereas the inhibitory effects appeared weakly in ENIL. Moreover, ENIS significantly attenuated PMA-induced IkappaB ($I{\kappa}B$) degradation and suppressed elevated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) nuclear translocation. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights that N. indicum exhibits anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes through the NF-kB signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1179-1186
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• 2010

The antiradical property of hot water extract from dried radish (DR) or dried radish roasted with pressure (DRRP) was investigated in vitro and in LLC-PK1 cell system. The contents of total free amino acid and reducing sugar in DR were decreased by 72.86% and 3.17%, respectively, after pressurized roasting. In vitro test, $IC_{50}$ for DR and DRRP for DPPH radical scavenging activity were 646.70 and $135.45\;{\mu}g/mL$, 896.10 and $566.98\;{\mu}g/mL$ for superoxide anion radical, and 722.26 and $531.84\;{\mu}g/mL$ for hydroxy radical, respectively. The radical scavenging effects of DRRP was significantly greater than those for DR (p<0.001). These radical scavenging effects of DR and DRRP were confirmed in LLC-$PK_1$ at which oxidative stresses were induced by superoxide, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite generated in the treatment of pyrogallol, SNP, and SIN-1, respectively. Cell viability was increased in the presence of DR or DRRP, dose dependently (p<0.05), and TBARS formation was decreased. The protective effects of DRRP against oxidative damage in LLC-$PK_1$ were greater than those of DR at the same concentration tested (p<0.05). This superior antiradical activity of DRRP might be due to the products produced during the pressurized roasting in addition to the antioxidative compounds originally present in the radish. 5-hydroxyl methyl furfural (5-HMF) known as an intermediate product of the maillard reaction was detected in DRRP (0.57 mg/g), but not from DR. In conclusion, daily consumption of DRRP may prevent oxidative damage by retarding oxidative stress.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.819-827
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, alcohol metabolizing, and hepatoprotective effects of hot water (MOW) and 80% ethanol (MOE) extracts from moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaf. The total phenol content of MOW and MOE were 45.49 and 63.06 mg tannic acid equivalents/g, respectively. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activities of MOW and MOE were remarkably elevated in a dose-dependent manner, and about 60.8% and 71.3% at 1 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.01). Superoxide dismutase-like activities of MOW and MOE were 2.8% and 7.4% at 5 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.05). ${\alpha}-Glucosidase$ inhibitory activity also increased in a dose-dependent manner in both extracts, and MOE was higher about two times than MOW at 5 mg/mL (P<0.001). The effects of MOW and MOE on alcohol metabolizing activity were determined by measuring generation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). ADH and ALDH activities significantly increased upon addition of MOW and MOE (P<0.05). Anti-inflammatory activity was examined in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Nitric oxide production was reduced to 32.1% and 81.2% by addition of MOW and MOE at 1 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.05). MOW and MOE showed significant protective effects against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep3B cells at $100{\mu}g/mL$. These results suggest that moringa leaf extracts have great potential as natural health products.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2005

The protective effects of ethanol extracts from 5 seaweeds on the mutagenic and cytotoxic damage were evaluated. They were separately extracted using ethanol from dried samples at room temperature, and freeze-dried. The inhibition effects on the mutagenicity in Salmonella assay by Ames test and cancer cell inhibitory effect in HeLa cell, MCF-7 cell and SNU -638 cell by MTT assay were assayed. Seaweed fusiforme, sea tangle and green laver showed strong inhibitory effect against 2-nitrofluorene, sodium azide- or 2-anthramine-induced mutagenicities in Salmonella Typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 at the level of 2.5 mg ethanol extract per plate. Cancer cell inhibitory effect was shown with all of the seaweed extracts. Green laver, sea mustard, sea tangle and seaweed fusiforme showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa and MCF-7 cells, with inhibiting by $92\~93\%$ and $89\~92\%$, respectively. These data show that 5 seaweeds tested in this study might be potent functional foods for cancer prevention, and consumption of these seaweeds in adequate amount is recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.657-663
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• 2015

Ionizing radiation induces cell damage through formation of reactive oxygen species. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of post-treatment with hesperetin against ${\gamma}$-irradiation-induced cellular damage and oxidative stress in BALB/c mice. Healthy female BALB/c mice were exposed to ${\gamma}$-irradiation and administered hesperetin (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, b.w., orally) for 7 days after 6 Gy of ${\gamma}$-irradiation. Exposure to ${\gamma}$-irradiation resulted in hematopoietic system damage manifested as decreases in spleen indexes and WBC count. In addition, hepatocellular damage characterized by increased levels of aspartate aminoransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in plasma. However, post-irradiation treatment with hesperetin provided significant protection against hematopoietic system damage and decreased AST and ALT levels in plasma. The results indicate that ${\gamma}$-irradiation induced increases in lipid peroxidation and xanthine oxidase (XO) as well as decreases in antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and glutathione (GSH) in the liver. These effects were also attenuated by post-treatment with hesperetin, which decreased lipid peroxidation and XO as well as increased antioxidant enzymes and GSH. These results show that post-treatment with hesperetin offers protection against ${\gamma}$-irradiation-induced tissue damage and oxidative stress and can be developed as an effective radioprotector during radiotherapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.989-997
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• 2013

In this study, based on the antioxidative effects in organic solvent fractions obtained from the main methanolic extract of L. japonica, the protective cellular effects and gene expression patterns of ethyl acetate fractions on $H_2O_2$-induced Raw 264.7 cell death ($IC_{50}$) were analyzed. The antioxidant activity of the fractions measured using DPPH free radical scavenging activity increased in a dose-dependent manner, and the $ED_{50}$ exhibited the highest $39.56{\mu}g/ml$ in the ethyl acetate fraction. In addition, the ethyl acetate fractions' cell viability on $H_2O_2$-induced Raw 264.7 cell damage increased in a concentration-dependent manner, showed a visible cell survival rate of 82.49% at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$. The gene expression patterns related to the ethyl acetate fractions' cytoprotective effect in $H_2O_2$-induced Raw 264.7 cell damage presented similar patterns to those of BHA. In comparative analysis for antioxidant activity-related genes affected by ethyl acetate fractions and BHA in $H_2O_2$-induced Raw 264.7 cells, both ethyl acetate fractions and BHA showed very similar gene expression patterns, but the gene expression level of the heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) gene making antioxidant enzymes in cells was four times higher in ethyl acetate fractions than BHA. In inflammation-related genes in $H_2O_2$induced Raw 264.7 cells, the T-box transcription factor (Tbx21) gene was expressed about two times more frequently in the ethyl acetate fraction treatment group, while it was expressed half as frequently in the BHA treatment group.