• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.781-785
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• 2006

The chemical compositions of the seeds of the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) plant were evaluated to determine possible compound having proliferative effects on human osteoblast cells. Three-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were used to assess the effects of the isolates on the human osteoblast-like line (Saos-2). Activity guided fractionation led to the isolation of ALP activating lignin and alkaloid glycosides through the extraction of the seeds, solvent partitioning and repeated silica gel and octadecyl silica (ODS) column chromatographic separations. The data from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Mass (MS), and Infrared (IR) analyses enabled the determination of the chemical structure and characterization of two compounds as a tracheloside and an N-(p-coumaroyl)-serotonin mono-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside. These two compounds showed respectively $149.2{\pm}4.2$ and $138.9{\pm}3.5%$ ALP activity compared to the control when evaluated at a concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/mL$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.16-19
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• 2008

Bone mass in adults decreases with age because of the imbalance between the rate of bone formation and resorption. We performed this study to investigate whether Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. (ACAE) plays a role in osteoblasts differentiation and osteoclasts formation. Ethanol extract of ACAE showed increase in the differentiation and alkaline phosphatase activity of osteoblasts. Also, it decreased the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells (OCLs) and TRAP activity. Therefore, ACAE has the potential to prevent bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis by increasing the differentiation of osteoblasts and reducing both the number and activity of osteoclasts.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.399-403
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• 2009

$p19^{ras}$ is an alternative splicing variant of the proto-oncogene c-H-ras pre-mRNA of $p21^{ras}$. In contrast to $p21^{ras}$, $p19^{ras}$ does not have a C-terminal CAAX motif that targets the plasma membrane and is localized to both the cytoplasm and nucleus. We found that $p19^{ras}$ activated the transcriptional activity of $p73{\beta}$ through protein-protein interactions in the nucleus. p73 is known to play an important role in cellular damage responses such as apoptosis. Although p73 is a structural and functional homologue of p53, p73-mediated apoptosis has not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that the interaction between $p19^{ras}$ and $p73{\beta}$ accelerated $p73{\beta}$-induced apoptosis through a caspase-3 dependent pathway. Treatment with DEVD-CHO, a caspase inhibitor, also strengthened $p73{\beta}$-mediated apoptosis through a caspase-3 dependent pathway. Furthermore, the enhanced transcriptional activity of endogenous $p73{\beta}$ by treatment with Taxol was amplified by $p19^{ras}$ overexpression, which markedly increased caspase-3 dependent apoptosis in the p53-null SAOS2 cancer cell line. Our findings indicate a functional linkage between $p19^{ras}$ and p73 in caspase-3 mediated apoptosis of cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.710-718
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• 2002

It is reported that Pueraria Radix contains phtoestrogens whereas flower, and bud of Pueraria lobata Ohwi were not known. In the present study, we determined the amount of phytoestrogen in each portion of P. lobata Ohwi and carried out therapeutic effects of osteoporosis. The amounts of genistein, daidzein, and formononetin in Pueraria Radix (PR), Pueraria Flos (PF), and young Pueratia Folium (PL) were quantitated using a HPLC system. Proliferation of osteoblast and growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast were measured in order to screen their effects on osteoporosis. Proliferation of osteoblast-like cells (Saos-2) was analyzed by both MTT methods and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays. Growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast was also detected as Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assay. Ovariectomized rat as an in vivo animal model was selected and administrations of PR were 1 g/kg/day (PR-1) and 5 g/kg/day (PR-5) for 9 weeks, respectively. Trabecular bone areas (TBAs) of tibia and lumbar were analyzed usibg histomorphological methods. Results show that PR contains the highest level of daidzein ($10435{\pm}2143\;mg/kg$ of dried herb) and stimulated ALP activity, approximately 160% of the control. Growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast by both PR and daidzein were almost identical with control although $IC_{50}$ of genistein was $5.81{\times}10^{-7}$ M. Increases in body weight of OVX rats were suppressed by administration of PR but wet weights of uterus in PR-5 group were increased (p<0.05). Plasma ALP and HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased following ages (p<0.01), and LDL-cholesterol level was also decreased in PR-5 group at 20 week of age (p<0.01). TBAs of tibia and lumbar in PR-1 and PR-5 groups were higher than those of the control although the values were less than those of the sham group (each p<0.01) In conclusion, administrations of PR prevented loss of TBAs of tibia and lumber in OVX rats, while PL and PF did not (p<0.01).