• Toxicological Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.191-203
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• 1992

The immunosuppressive effects of safrole were studied in female BALB/c mouse. Mice were given 100,200and 400mg safrole/kg daily for 14days and evaluated on day 15. The day 4 immunogloblin-M antibody response to T-dependent antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was inhibited dose-dependently in all doses studied. In vitro antibody response to polyclonal antigen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by spleen cell suspensions from safrole-treated mice were also significantly inhibited. When safrole was treated for 14days to mice, and mitogen-induced proliferation of splenocytes were assayed on day 15, there were significant suppression of responses to B-cell mitogen, LPS and T-cell mitogen concanavalin A(Con A) at a dose of 400mg safrole/kg. Direct addition of safrole on the splenocyte culture also produced a dose dependent suppression on in vitro antibody response to LPS, and mitogen-induced lymphoproliferatin at doses of 100,200,400 and 800${\mu}M$ safrole. The role of metabolic activation in safrole-induced suppression of in vitro antibody response was studied using splenocyte-hepatocyte coculture system. The suppression of in vitro antibody respose to LPS by safrole was not altered when safrole were incubated in the splenocyte-hepatocyte system for 4hr as compared with direct addition of safrole in splenocytes culture. Neither the addition of salicylamide, sulfotransferase inhibitor, nor the addation of inorganic sulfate, sulfation cofactor to the splenocyte-hepatocyte coculture, altered the suppression of antibody response by safrole. These results suggest that the immunosuppression by safrole may not by produced by the reactive metabolites which are mediated in carcinogenesis of safrole.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.99-102
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• 2003

IARC classified areca quid as a human carcinogen. Areca quid chewed in Taiwan includes Piper betle inflorescence, which contains high concentrations of safrole (15 mg/fresh weight). Safrole is a documented rodent hepatocarcinogen, and chewing areca quid may contribute to human exposure (420 $\mu$m in saliva). The carcinogenicity of safrole is mediated through 1'-hydroxysafrole formation, followed by sulfonation to an unstable sulfate that reacts to form DNA adducts. Using human liver microsomes and Escherichia coli membranes expressing bicistronic human P450s, CYP2E1 and CYP2C9 were identified as the main P450s involved in the activation of safrole. We have demonstrated the presence of stable safrole-dGMP adducts in human oral tissues following areca quid chewing using $^{32}$ P-postlabeling and HPLC mass spectrometry methods. By studying 88 subjects with a known AQ chewing history and 161 matched controls, we have demonstrated that the presence of safrole-DNA adducts in peripheral blood cells was correlated to AQ chewing, and CYP2E1 seemed to play an important role in the modulation of safrole-DNA adduct formation. We have also shown that safrole can form stable safrole-DNA adducts as well as oxidative damages in rodent liver. However, the stable safrole-DNA adducts may represent a more significant initial lesion as compared to the rapidly repaired safrole-induced 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. This oxidative DNA damage is mediated through the formation of hydoryxchavicol, the major safrole metabolite in human urine. Hydroxychavicol may have gone through two-electron oxidation to the o-quinone; then via one-electron reduction to semiquinone radicals to generate oxidative DNA damage. However, these reactive metabolites can be efficiently conjugated by GSH. These data suggest that safrole may contribute to the initiation of oral carcinogenesis through safrole-DNA adduct and not oxidative DNA damage. In addition, CYP2E1 may modulate this adduct formation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.139-144
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• 2001

Chewing betel quid is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer. The betel quid chewed in Taiwan includes the inflorescence of Piper betle, which contains high concentrations of safrole (15 mg/fresh weight). Piper betle leaf is also used in betel quid; however, the concentration of safrole in betel leaf has not been documented. Chewing betel quid may contribute to safrole exposure in man (420 mm in saliva). Using $a^{32}$P-postlabeling method, we have recently demonstrated the presence of stable safrole-like DNA adducts in human oral tissues following betel quid chewing. Safrole is a rodent hepatocar-cinogen, and the real nature of safrole-DNA adducts in human tissues beside oral has not been elucidated. In this paper, we tested the safrole DNA adducts forming potential in human hepatic and oral derived cells by the ${32}^P$-postlabeling technique. The results suggest that oral cancer derived cell OC-2 alone is not able to form safrole-DNA adduct. However, safrole DNA adducts can be detected following I'-hydroxysafrole, a proximate safrole metabolite, treatment. In addition, pretreament of cytochrome P450 inducers also enhanced the formation of previously undetectable safrole DNA adducts. This finding couples with our previous results suggest that oral may serve as a target tissue for safrole, and safrole may be involved in oral carcinogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.398-402
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• 2004

Safrolechitosan (SaCs) and eugenolchitosan (EuCs) were synthesized and characterized to increase water solubility and functionality of chitosan. Product impurities were removed by Soxhlet apparatus using methanol to obtain final product with high purity. Using Ubbelohde viscometer, molecular weights of chitosan, EuCs, and SaCs were determined as $1.2{\times}10^{5}\;Da,\;7.8{\times}10^{5},\;and\;7.5{\times}10^{5}\;Da,\;respectively$. IR spectrum of SaCs revealed chemical shift of amide II band ($1,553cm^{-1}$) of chitosan grafted by safrole caused by generation of covalent bond between primary amino of chitosan and double bond of safrole. Due to graft reaction of safrole onto chitosan, vinyl bands ($1,611\;and\;1,442cm^{-1}$) of safrole disappeared. In graft reaction of eugenol onto chitosan, shift of amide II band ($1,553cm^{-1}$) and disappearance of vinyl band were observed. On $^{1}H-NMR$ spectrum of EuCs, $H_{2}C=CH-$ peak in eugenol (monomer) disappeared, whereas $-H_{2}C-CH_{2}-$ peak appeared. Above results indicate safrole and eugenol were successfully grafted onto chitosan.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2015

Five phenylpropanoids (1-5), a benzofuran neolignan (6), two 8-O-4'-neolignans (7-8), and five tetrahydrofuran lignans (9-13) were isolated from a methanol extract of Myristica fragrans seeds. The structures of 1-13 were determined by $^1H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopic data analyses and a comparison with the literature data. Compound 3 was isolated for the first time from this plant. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against tyrosinase. Among them, safrole (1) showed significant inhibitions against both the monophenolase ($IC_{50}=32.11{\mu}M$) and diphenolase ($IC_{50}=27.32{\mu}M$) activities of tyrosinase. The kinetic analysis shows that safrole (1) is competitive inhibitors for both monophenolase and diphenolase. The apparent inhibition constant ($K_i$) for safrole (1) binding with free enzyme was determined to be 16.05 and $13.66{\mu}M$ for monophenolase and diphenolase, respectively.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.5
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• pp.173-184
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• 1987

Anethole, eugenol, isoeugenol, safrole and isosafrole are ingredients of refined oils which are obtained from some plants and their chemical structures are very similar. They are mainly used as a flavoring agent, food additive, dental analgesics and for many drugs. But, there is no report about their effect on the intestinal motility. The result of examining the effect, potency and mode of action of anethole, eugenol, isoeugenol, safrole and isosafrole on motility of isolated rabbit jejunum segment, are as follows : 1. Single administration of anethole, eugenol, isoeugenol, safrole and isosafrole showed the inhibition of motility of isolated rabbit jejunum segment, degree of which was various. The $pD_2$ values of isoeugenol, isosafrole, eugenol, safrole and anethole in isolated rabbit jejunum segment were 4.22, 4.18, 4.17, 4.15 and 3.82 (in the descending order of potency). 2. The contracted rabbit jejunum segment : by carbachol, pilocarpine, barium chloride and histarmine were relaxed by five essential oil. 3. The relaxed rabbit jejunum segment by anethole was not recovered by carbachol, pilocarpine, barium chloride and histamine. The relaxed rabbit jejunum segment by eugenol, isoeugenol, safrole and isosafrole were recovered by carbachol, pilocarpine and barium chloride but partially recovered by histamine. 4. Judging from the facts above, it is thought that five essential oil are inhibit the motility of isolated rabbit jejunum segment by neurotropic and musculotropic action.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.3571-3575
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• 2012

A number of novel small molecules, safrole oxide derivatives 4a-c, 6a-c, 9a-h, were synthesized by the reaction of safrole oxide with anilines 3 and 5, or its alkyl allyl ether derivative 7 with alkyl bromide 8 in moderate yields. The antiproliferative effects of all the target molecules on A549 cell growth were investigated and it was found that the 14 novel compounds could suppress A549 lung cancer cell growth. Among them, compound 6b was the most effective compound in inhibiting the proliferation of A549 cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 1997

Treatment of ethylacetate extract of Asiasarum sieboldi inhibited the germination and the growth of radish seeds. Two phenylpropanoids were isolated from ethylacetate extract. Their structures were identified as safrole and o-methyleugenol by spectroscopic evidence. From the test to inhibitory effect, o-methyleugenol had inhibited the germination and the growth of radish seeds, while safrole did not. The germination rate and radicle length of radish seeds were decreased to 63.0%, 31.5 % of control at 5mg/ml of o-methyleugenol, respectively. At the same concentration, o-methyleugenol inhibited the hypocotyl growth up to 100%.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 1999

This experiment was conducted to investigate the change of root yield and essential oil contents by cultivated year in Asaram siebold Mio. Growth of aerial part such as plant height, leaf length and leaf width increased rapidly in two to three-year-old. Root length and root weight per plant were increased as cultivation year passed. Especially the speed of development was very fast in two and three-year-old alike aerial part. Root yield was the highest at five-year-old. The content of essential oil was decreased gradually as cultivation year passed. Methyleugenol content was increased, while safrole content was decreased by cultivated years. The increasing of methyleugenol content in four to five-year-old was not higher than three to four-year-old. In the result, it concluded that the optimum harvest time of Asarum sieboldi MiO is five-year-old cultivated based on root yield and effective medical components.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.49-53
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• 2004