• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.583-587
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• 1997

Incubation of an NADPH-dependent succinic semialdehyde reductase from bovine brain with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) resulted in a time-dependent loss of enzyme activity. The inactivation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with the second-order rate constant of $6.8\times{10}^3$ $M^-1$ $min^{-1}$. The inactivation was prevented by preincubation of the enzyme with substrate succinic semialdehyde, but not with coenzyme NADPH. There was a linear relation-ship between oxindole formation and the loss of enzyme activity. Spectro-photometric studies indicated that about one oxindole group per molecule of the enzyme was formed following complete loss of enzymatic activity. It is suggested that the catalytic function of succinic semialdehyde reductase is modulated by binding of NBS to a specific tryptophan residue at or near the substrate binding site of the enzyme.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2000

Up to now, there have been done much efforts in regard to nitrate reductase activity (NRA) of dicotyledonous herbs and important crop monocotyledons, but few to wild plants having canopy structure such as Carex. The objective of the present study are to determine: a) the optimum in vivo NR assay conditions for leaf samples of Carex species, b) changes of NRA according to section within leaf and leaf ages, c) diurnal variations. Optimized assay media of each Carex species were determined. NRA of C. rostrata adapted to oligotrophic habitats is readily saturated at lower substrate concentration than those of C. distans and C. gracilis, adapted to meso- and eutrophic habitats, respectively. All Carex species investigated have higher NRA in leaves than in roots. NRA of all species showed maximal values at the middle section of each leaf and in the youngest fully expanded leaves. Compared to C. gracilis, NR in leaves of C. distans was adapted readily to the light period. On the whole, Carex showed rather delayed diurnal variation. Even if the in vivo nitrate reductase assay based on nitrite estimation does not give an accurate estimation of total nitrate reduced, it still serves as a useful tool to find out relative differences in varying environmental conditions. Additionally, in vivo RNA measurements are helpful to understand nitrate reduction and basic nitrogen metabolism of Carex species having different canopy structure.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.221-230
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• 1984

The activities of aminopyrine demethylase which is marker enzyme of the microsomal drug-metabolizing system, NADPH-cytochrome a reductase and glutathione peroxidase were measured during the course of liver regeneration after about seventy percent hepatectomy in Wistar rats. In addition, the extent of lipid peroxidation and contents of cytochrome P-450 were also measured. Partial hepatectomy produced a significant depression in aminopyrine demethylase, to reach a minium about 24 hours after operation, but this activity was increased to normal value during regeneration. On the other hand, in sham-operated animals, this showed no change. All the activities of NADPH-chrome P-450 contents of liver microsomes were rapidly decreased at the early stage of regeneration. These values returned to normal after 7 days. By contrast, the activity of glutathione peroxidase was nearly unchanged. According to these results, at the early stage of regeneration, the decrease of cytochrome P-450 and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity lead to decrease of lipid peroxidation and drug metabolizing enzyme activity. But these phenomena were not detected after 7 days of regeneration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.345-350
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• 2018

This study examines the role of six species of microalgae, including Phaeodacylum tricrnutum (PT), Chaetoceros gracilis (CG), Nanochloris oculata (NO), Pavlova lutheri (PL), Chlorella ellipsoidae (CE), and Scendedemus obliquus (SO), on hair loss prevention and scalp improvement. To determine the effects of microalgae extracts on hair loss prevention and scalp improvement, antioxidant activity, cell proliferation in HaCaT cells and HFDPC cells, and the inhibition level of 5-alpha reductase activity were examined. In the study of antioxidant activity, the $EC_{50}$ values of DPPH anti-radical activities indicated that the SO, CG, and ST9 treatment groups demonstrate significant antioxidant activity. In the study of the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, CG (6.6~42.1%), ST9 (26.0~44.0%), and SO (7.8~44.3%) demonstrated significant effects. Furthermore, SO promoted the proliferation of HaCaT cells and a human epidermal cell line during a 6-day treatment. In the study of the proliferation of HFDPC cells, a hair follicle dermal papilla cell line, CG, and SO significantly stimulated cell proliferation. Finally, PT, CG, and SO significantly inhibited 5-alpha reductase activity. These results suggest that among the six microalgae used in this study, CG and SO have antioxidant effects, induce cell proliferation, inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity, and can be used for hair loss prevention and scalp improvement.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.855-862
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• 2006

Hexavalent chromium ($Cr^{6+}$) is a highly harmful pollutant, which can be detoxified and precipitated through reduction to $Cr^{3+}$. Bacillus megaterium TKW3 previously isolated from chromium-contaminated marine sediments was capable of reducing $Cr^{6+}$ in concomitance with metalloids ($Se^{4+}$, $Se^{6+}$, and $As^{5+}$). Notwithstanding approximately 50% inhibition, it was the first report of simultaneous bacterial reduction of $Cr^{6+}$ and $Se^{4+}$ (to elemental Se). No significant difference was observed among electron donors (glucose, maltose, and mannitol) on $Cr^{6+}$ reduction by B. megaterium TKW3. The reduction was constitutive and determined to be non-plasmid mediated. Peptide mass fingerprints (PMF) revealed a novel aerobic membrane-associated reductase with $Cr^{6+}$-induced expression and specific reductive activity (in nmol $Cr^{6+}$/mg protein/min) of 0.220 as compared with 0.087 of the soluble protein fraction. Respiratory inhibitor $NaN_3$ did not interfere with the reductase activity. Transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (TEM-EDX) analysis confirmed the aggregation of reduced chromium along the intracellular membrane region. Future identification of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this reductase will facilitate purification and understanding of its enzymatic action.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.493-499
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• 2007

Celastrus orbiculatus (CO) has been used as a traditional herb medicine to treat fever, chill, joint pain, edema, rheumatoid arthritis and bacterial infection in China and Korea. In this study, we investigated anticarcinogenic effects of Celastrus orbiculatus (CO). CO was extracted with methanol (COM), and then further fractionated into four different types: methanol (COMM), hexane (COMH), butanol (COMB) and aqueous (COMA) partition layers. We determined the cytotoxicity of these four partitions in four kind of cancer cell lines, such as HepG2, MCF-7, HT29 and B16F10 Cells by MTT assay. Among various partition layers of CO, the COMM showed the strongest cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines we used. We also observed quinone reductase (QR) induced effects in all partition layers of CO on HepG2 cells. The QR induced effects of COMM on HepG2 cells at 80 ${\mu}$ g/mL concentration indicated 3.28 to a control value of 1.0. The COMM showed the highest induction activity of quinone reductase on HepG2 cells among the other partition layers. Although further studies are needed, the present work suggests that CO may be a chemopreventive agent for the treatment of human cells.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.112-116
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• 2002

Effects of artificial electron donors to deliver reducing power on enzymic denitrification were investigated using nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase obtained from Ochrobactrum antroyi. The activity of nitrite reductase in the soluble portion was almost the same as that in the precipitated portion of the cell extract. Nitrate removal efficiency was higher with benzyl viologen than with methyl viologen or NADH as an artificial electron donor. The turn-over numbers of nitrate and nitrite reductase were 14.1 and 1.9 umol of nitrogen reduced/min$.$mg cell extracts, respectively when benzyl viologen was used as an electron donor.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate the biological activities related to hair loss of short anti-oxidant peptides (DK peptides) $5{\alpha}$-reductase inhibition and anti-oxidation. The series of DK peptides were generated amphipathic helical properties using leucines, lysines and tryptophan residues. Cell viability and free radical scavenging activities were performed using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. The DK peptides were investigated for inhibitory activity against $5{\alpha}$-reductase. Antioxidant activities were determined by means of, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. All peptides could inhibit $5{\alpha}$-reductase in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophage. In conclusion, DK peptides was suggested as the most attractive ingredients for improving hair loss, because of the high inhibitory against $5{\alpha}$-reductase inhibition.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2016

Hair loss affects both men and women of all ages and often significantly affects social and psychologic health. Recent therapeutic approach for hair loss such as finasteride and minoxidil focused on regulation of hormonal system blood flow. However, long-term use of these drugs caused adverse effects. To develop herbal medicine for therapeutic effect on hair growth, here we screened the 10 medicinal herbs (Red ginseng, Licorice, Ulmus, Barberry root, Lycium root, Rehmanniae radix crudus, Sophora root, Sweet flag, Polygala root, Achyranthes) based on oriental medicine literature. We measured cytotoxicity, anti-oxidant activity, and $5-{\alpha}$ reductase inhibitory effect of the herbal medicine on human dermal papilla (DP) cells to investigate therapeutic effect of the herbal medicine. Treatment of the 1% herbal medicine did not show any cytotoxic effects, and cell growth was increased by treatment of the 0.1% herbal medicine. In addition, the herbal medicine showed stronger antioxidant activity than resveratrol and comparable inhibitory activity of $5-{\alpha}$ reductase with finasteride. Furthermore, when applied to in vivo mouse model, we also observed increases in the number and length of hair of the herbal medicine-treated group. These results suggest that the herbal medicine promotes hair growth by its antioxidant activity and inhibitory activity of $5-{\alpha}$ reductase and might therefore be a promising hair growth-promoting agent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.293-297
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• 2016

Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) is the rate-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of cholesterol in animals. In this study, inhibitory effects of isoflavone glycosides on HMG-CoA reductase were investigated. At sample concentration of $100{\mu}M$, genistein-7-O-triglucoside (G2-genistin) inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity by approximately 18%, whereas daidzein-7-O-triglucoside had no inhibitory effect. In the kinetic experiments with Syrian hamster HMG-CoA reductase, G2-genistin showed inhibitory efficacy with an invariable $V_{max}$ value, suggesting that G2-genistin works as a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase and has potential for hypocholesterolemic action through direct regulation of HMG-CoA reductase.