• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.245-248
• /
• 2000

As a series of the studies on cultivated Korean rhubarb rhizomes (Rheum undulatum), five stilbene derivatives were screened for inhibitory activity against $5{\alpha}-reductase$. Of these, desoxyrhapontigenin, rhapontigenin, and piceatannol exhibited inhibition, whereas, two other stilbene glycosides, rhaponticin and $piceatannol-3'-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ did not show the inhibition.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.4-6
• /
• 2003

Hyperin from the leaves of Acanthopanax senticosus was tested for its effect on rat lens aldose reductase and demonstrated to exhibit a significant inhibition of rat lens aldose reductase activity with $IC_{50}$ value of $2.63\;{\mu}M$.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.178-183
• /
• 2016

Naturally occurring coumarin compounds have received substantial attention due to their pharmaceutical effects. Esculetin is a coumarin derivative and a polyphenol compound that is used in a variety of therapeutic and pharmacological strategies. However, its effect on aldose reductase activity remains poorly understood. In this study, the potential beneficial effects of esculetin on lenticular aldose reductase were investigated in galactose-fed (GAL) rats, an animal model of sugar cataracts. Cataracts were induced in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats via a 50% galactose diet for 2 weeks, and groups of GAL rats were orally treated with esculetin (10 or 50 mg/kg body weight). In vehicle-treated GAL rats, lens opacification was observed, and swelling and membrane rupture of the lens fiber cells were increased. Additionally, aldose reductase was highly expressed in the lens epithelium and superficial cortical fibers during cataract development in the GAL rats. Esculetin reduced rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) activity in vitro, and esculetin treatment significantly inhibited lens opacity, as well as morphological alterations, such as swelling, vacuolation and liquefaction of lens fibers, via the inhibition of aldose reductase in the GAL rats. These results indicate that esculetin is a useful treatment for galactose-induced cataracts.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.277-281
• /
• 1998

There is extensive evidence suggesting the protective role of fruits and vegetables against chemically induced carcinogenesis. We have tested the ability of a representative range of Korean vegetables to act as blocking agents against neoplastic initiation by determining the induction level of quinone reductase , an anticarcinogenci marker enzyme, in hepalclc 7 cells exposed to vegetable extracts. Among thirty vegetables tested, Arcitum lappa(Burdock), Brassica juncea (Mustard leaf), Pteridium aguilinum (Bracken) and Chrysanthemum cornoratium(Crown daisy) caused a significant induction of quinone teductase activity with a limited increase in arylhdrocarbon hydroxylase activity. Combination of crown daisy with burdock had synergistic effect on quinone reductase induction. Quinone reductase-inducing activity was found mostly in hesane and ehtylactate fractions of MeOH extract of crown daisy while it ws not quinone reductase activity in liver, kideny, lung, and small intestine, confirming the presence of potent QR inducer (s) in crown daisy. These sata suggest that some vegetables including crown daisy induced QR merits further investigation as a potential cancer preventive agent in human.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 1999

Three-week grown Arabidopsis thaliana leaves were wounded by cutting whole leaves with a razor blade into pieces (about$3\;mm\;{\times}\;3\;mm$) submerged in various solutions, and incubated in a growth chamber for 24 h. We measured and compared activities of several enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, thioltransferase, glutathione reductase, and $NADP^+$ -malate dehydrogenase. PAL activity was decreased in $HgCl_2$-, $CdCl_2$-, and glyphosate-treated leaf slices, and could not be detected after treatment with $CdCl_2$. TAL activity was found to be maximal in the $CdCl_2$-treated leaf slices. Activity of thioredoxin, a small protein known as a cofactor of ribonucleotide reductase and a regulator of photosynthesis, was significantly increased in the $CdCl_2$-treated leaf slices, while thioredoxin reductase activity was maximal in the $HgCl_2$-treated leaf slices. Thioltransferase and glutathione reductase activities were significantly decreased in the $HgCl_2$-treated leaf slices. $NADP^+$ -malate dehydrogenase activity remained relatively constant after the chemical treatments. Our results strongly indicate that sulfhydryl-related and phenylpropanoid-synthesizing enzyme activities are affected by chemical treatments such as hydrogen peroxide, heavy metals, and glyphosate.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.32-37
• /
• 2006

In this study, we have purified and characterized the membrane bound nitrate reductase obtained from the denitrifying bacteria, Ochrobactrum anthropi SY509, which was isolated from soil samples. O. anthropi SY509 can grow in minimal medium using nitrate as a nitrogen source. We achieved an overall purification rate of 15-fold from the protein extracted from the membrane fraction, with a recovery of approximately 12% of activity. The enzyme exhibited its highest level of activity at pH 5.5, and the activity was increased up to $70^{\circ}C$. Periplasmic and cytochromic proteins, including nitrite and nitrous oxide reductase, were excluded during centrifugation and were verified using enzyme essay. Reduced methyl viologen was determined to be the most efficient electron donor among a variety of anionic and cationic dyestuffs, which could be also used as an electron donor with dimethyl dithionite. The effects of purification and storage conditions on the stability of enzyme were also investigated. The activity of the membranebound nitrate reductase was stably maintained for over 2 weeks in solution. To maintain the stability of enzyme, the cell was disrupted using sonication at low temperatures, and enzyme was extracted by hot water without any surfactant. The purified enzyme was stored in solution with no salt to prevent any significant losses in activity levels.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.45-49
• /
• 2003

Foliar treatment with different concentrations of potassium chloride (KCl) to mulberry plants resulted in higher level of total chlorophyll, total sugars, soluble protein, in vivo nitrate reductase activity (NRA), net photosynthetic rate (NPR), pWUE and leaf yield. Optimal concentration was found to be 10.0 mM KCl with limited irrigation provided in the mulberry plantation planted in 90 ${times}$ 90 cm spacing. The deleterious effect of soil moisture stress condition has been found to be overcome by KCl foliar spray twice at 15 days interval. Regression and correlation coefficients were analyzed, and a strong positive correlation was found between chlorophyll and total sugars, soluble protein and in vivo nitrate reductase activity, leaf dry weight and net photosynthetic rate and pWUE and net photosynthetic rate.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.466-473
• /
• 2010

A series of $3{\beta}$-substituted 5-androstene-$17{\beta}$-carboxamides were synthesized from analogs of $3{\beta}$-hydroxy-5-androstene-$17{\beta}$-carboxylic acid (1) with tert-butylamine, N,N-diethylamine and 3-aminopyridine and some compounds were epoxidized with mCPBA. A rat prostate testosterone $5{\alpha}$-reductase inhibitory activity of synthesized compounds was assessed by radioimmunoassay using [1,2,6,7-3H]-testosterone as substrate. All synthesized compounds showed lower activity than finasteride and the N-(3-pyridino)-$3{\beta}$-carboxycarbonyloxy-5-androstene-$17{\beta}$-carboxamide (12) showed weak inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}$: $2.4{\times}10^{-7}M$).

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.69-74
• /
• 1987

This study was carried out to elucidate the seasonal changes of amylase an nitrate reductase activities in Zoysia japonica Steud. The seasonal changes of the amylase activity AA) in aboveground parts appeared high activity from the beginning of May to the beginning of July and in autumn showed an activity of rapid decreasing tendency. But, the AA in winter(Nov. 15~Feb 28 was not almost detected. The seasonal changes of nitrate reductase activity(NRA) in various organs appeared a very similar figures to the seasonal changes of AA. But, the NRA in the root was not almost detected.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.9-14
• /
• 1987

With the market of food products, the use of food additives is on the increase. The dye as food additives, can be used for some foods which are difficult to preserve their own colors. It can be also classified as tar dye, vegetable dye and mineral dye. Because tar dye has dense toxicity, only 15 articles among them are legally allowed to be used. Among the allowed articles, the azo compound amaranth, tartrazine, sunset yellow, and allura red, were used in determining and comparing rat hepatic azo reductase activity and we observed the flavin's effects as follows: 1. Investigation with amaranth as substrate gave an apparent Km of $645\;\mu\textrm{M}$ and Vmax of 50 n mol/min/mg protein. 2. On investigation using a fixed amaranth concentration over a range of flavin concentration, FAD significantly increased the activity of the azo reductase compared with only minor increases in reaction mediated by the NADPH-generating system alone. 3. On investigation with amaranth, tartrazine, sunset yellow allura red as electron acceptor in the absence or presence of 300 mM-FAD, sunset yellow was reduced at a rat similar to amaranth, tartrazine was reduced at a slower rate and allura red was reduced a little more rapidly.