• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

cDNA for oxidosqualene cyclase was cloned by a homology-based PCR method and sequenced from Centella asiatica. In a sequences analysis, the putative polypeptide of C. asiatica cycloartenol synthase (CaCYS) deduced from the 2,274 bp nucleotide sequence, consisted of 758 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 86.3 kD. The predicted amino acid sequence exhibited high homology to that of PNX (cycloartenol synthase) from Panax ginseng ($89\%$). Southern blot analysis suggests that CaCYS may be present in one copy of the C. asiatica genome. If methyl jasmonate (MJ) is applied exogenously to plants, not only triterpene saponins are accumulated in tissues, but also it produces effects such as growth inhibition and the promotion of ethylene production. In order to investigate the effect of MJ and thidiazuron (TDZ), a cytokinin that plays a role as an antisenescence agent in several plants, on the level of CaCYS mRNA, we performed northern blot analysis. When MJ is alone treated by adding to culture medium, CaCYS transcripts were inhibited. However, sustained levels of the expression of CaCYS, by adding TDZ to the medium despite MJ treatments, were demonstrated in C. asiatica leaves.

• CELLMED
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.1.1-1.6
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• 2020

Since times immemorial, people have been dependant on plants for the various nutritional and pharamacological properties. Folk and traditional medicine recognizes thousands of plant species having miraculous benefits. Fig (Ficus carica Linn.) has been part of folk-lore since centuries. Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) is a huge deciduous tree, with more than 800 species. Different parts of Ficus carica like bark, root, leaves, fruit and latex have their own valuable importance and are frequently used for the treatment of various illnesses. Fruit of Ficus carica is commonly called as fig (anjeer) has various medicinal properties used in Unani, Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional system of medicines. Fig fruit is mostly used in gastro intestinal and respiratory disorders. In Unani medicine, fig is used as a diuretic, mild laxative and expectorant. Phytochemical studies on the leaves and fruits of the plant have shown that they are rich in Phenolics, Flavonoids, Vitamin C, Alkaloids, Saponins, Coumarins, tannins, organic acids, and volatile compounds due to which it is having great antioxidant property. Most interesting therapeutic effects include hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antimicrobial and hypolipidemic activities.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.297-303
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• 2007

The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and n-butanol fraction (NBF) of ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri aerial parts were screened for hepatoprotective activity and in vivo antioxidant activity on ethanol-induced hepatotoxic rats. Ethyl acetate fraction was found to be more potent even though both the fractions were endowed with significant hepatoprotective activity. EAF and NBF were investigated for hepatoprotective activity in albino rats at 300 mg/kg, p.o. dose and compared with standard drug Silymarin (25 mg/kg, p.o.). Results show that both the fractions were effective in blunting ethanol-induced enhanced activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, level of serum bilirubin (both total and direct), liver weight loss and was also effective in reducing ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the fractions could also enhance ethanol-induced suppressed activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and decreased level of reduced glutathione. Results of hepatocellular damage caused by ethanol and its recovery by EAF and NBF, suggest that they might be considered as a potential source of natural hepatoprotective agents, which could be related to the free radical scavenging properties of saponins present in high concentration in the fractions.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.255-263
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• 2011

Codonopsis lanceolata (Campanulaceae) has been used in traditional medicines, as its roots contain several kinds of triterpenoid saponin with high medicinal values. In this work, we induced transgenic hairy roots of C. lanceolata and analyzed triterpenoid saponins from the hairy roots and hairy root-derived transgenic plants. Hairy roots were obtained from leaf explants by the transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes R1000. Transgenic hairy root lines were confirmed by the transcriptional activities of rolA, B, C, and D genes by RT-PCR. Transgenic root lines actively proliferated on hormone-free medium but not in nontransformed roots. Hairy roots contained richer triterpenoids (lancemaside A, foetidissimoside A, and aster saponin Hb) than nontransformed roots. Transgenic plants were regenerated from the hairy roots via somatic embryogenesis. They showed phenotypic alterations such as shortened shoots and an increased number of axillary buds and adventitious roots. The transgenic plants also contained higher triterpenoid levels than wild-type plants. These results suggest that hairy roots and transgenic plants of C. lanceolata could be used as medicinal materials for the production of triterpene saponins.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.196-204
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• 2015

Nineteen compounds, including one organic acid (1), one anthraquinone (2), one amide (3), and sixteen triterpenoid saponins (4 - 19) were isolated from the leaves of Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms (Araliaceae). Their structures were determined on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analyses (HR-MS and NMR). Among them, compounds 2, 3, 7, 12 and 19 were new within Araliaceae. Compounds 4, 5, 9 - 11, 13, 14, 16 and 18 were reported for the first time from the Acanthopanax genus. Except for compounds 4 and 9, other compounds were isolated from A. henryi (Oliv.) Harms for the first time. The rare anthraquinone, compound 2, significantly decreased the production of NO and the levels of other inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α and IL-6, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first time to report anti-inflammatory effect of this compound.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.179-184
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• 2004

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ginseng saponins (panaxadiol, ginsenoside $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd) on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of mice irradiated with gamma-ray. ICR mice were given each saponin (i.p. 50 mg/kg of body weight) at 24 hours before irradiation. The radioprotective effects of saponins were compared with the irradiation control respectively. The jejunal crypts were protected by pretreatment with ginsenoside Rc (p<0.05) and Rd (p<0.05). The spleen colony was increased by pretreatment with panaxadiol (p<0.05) and ginsenoside Rd (p<0.05). And the frequency of radiation induced apoptosis was significantly reduced by pretreatment with panaxadiol (p<0.05), ginsenoside Rb2 (p<0.05), Rc (p<0.05) and Rd (p<0.01). These results suggest that ginsenoside Rc, Rd might have a major radioprotective effect.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.35-41
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• 1997

Following ginsenoside-Rb1-hydrolyzing assay, strictly anaerobic bacteria were isolated from human feces and identified as Prevotella oris. The bacteria hydrolyzed ginsenoside Rb1 and Rd to $20-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (I), ginsenoside Rb2 to $20-O-[{\alpha}-L-arabinofuranosyl (1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl] - 20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (ll) and ginsenoside Rc to $20-O-[{\alpha}-L-arabinofuranosyl (1{\rightarrow} 6){\beta}-D-g1ucopyranosyl]-20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (III) like fecal microflora, but did not attack ginsenoside Re nor Rgl (Protopanaxatriol-type). Pharmacokinetic studies of ginseng saponins was also performed using specific pathogen free rats and demonstrated that the intestinal bacterial metabolites I-111, 20(S)- protopanaxatriol(IV) and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol(V) were absorbed from the intestines to $blood(0.4-5.1\;{\mu}g/ml)$ after oral administration with total saponin(1 g/kg/day).

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.175-192
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• 2006

Screening for the cytotoxicity from plant origin is the first stage for anti-cancer drug development. A variety of terpenoids with exomethylene, epoxide, allyl, $\alpha,\beta-unsaturated$ carbonyl, acetylenes, and $\alpha-methylene-\gamma-lactone$ induces apoptosis and/or differentiation as well as cytotoxicity through the ROS signal transduction pathways. These are found among monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, diarylheptanoids, and even organosulfuric compounds. The most essential characteristics of natural cytotoxic substances is to possess the strong electrophilicity that is susceptible to nucleophilic biomolecules in the cell. Thiol-reductants and superoxide dismutase can block or delay apoptosis. Thus, ROS and the resulting cellular redox-potential changes can be parts of the signal transduction pathway during apoptosis. Disturbance of the balance of oxireduction by the pigment of natural quinones also caused the induction of the differentiation and apoptosis. Saponins with the cytotoxicity are restricted to their monodesmosides, rather than to bisdesmosides. Those saponins exhibited calcium ion-mediated apoptosis in addition to cytotoxicity whereas they showed also differentiation without extracellular calcium ion. The properties on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and differentiation were assumed to depend on resultant oxidative stress to the cells. In this review, we describe a spectrum of cytotoxic compounds with various action mechanisms.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2002

Glycosides of herbal medicines, such as glycyrrhizin, ginsenosides, kalopanaxsaponins, rutin and ponicirin, were studied regarding their metabolic fates and pharmacological actions in relation to intestinal bacteria using germ-free, gnotobiotic and conventional animals. When glycyrrhizin (GL) was orally administered, $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic\;acid\;(GA)$, not GL, was detected in plasma and intestinal contents of gnotobiotic and conventional rats. However, GA could not be detected in germ-free rats. When GL was incubated with human intestinal bacteria, it was directly metabolized to GA (>95%) or via $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic\;acid-3-{\beta}-D-glucuronide$(>5%). Orally administered GL was effective in gnotobiotic and conventional rats for liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride, but was not effective in germ-free rats. When ginseng saponins were orally administered to human beings, compound K in the plasma was detected, but the other protopanxadiol saponins were not detected. The compound K was active for tumor metastasis and allergy. When kalopanaxsaponins were incubated with human intestinal microflora, they were metabolized to kalopanaxsaponin A, kalopanaxsaponin I and hederagenin. These metabolites were active for rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic mellitus while the other kalopanxsaponins were not. When flavonoid glycosides were orally administered to animals, aglycones and/or phenolic acids were detected in the urine. The metabolic pathways proceeded by intestinal bacteria rather than by liver or blood enzymes. These metabolites, aglycones and phenolic acids, showed antitumor, antiinflammatory and antiplatelet aggregation activities. These findings suggest that glycosides of herbal medicines are prodrugs.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제26권12호
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• pp.1102-1108
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• 2003

We studied the effects of phytolaccosides, saponins from Phytolacca americana, on the intestinal absorption of heparin in vitro and in vivo. The absorption enhancing activity of these compounds (phytolaccosides B, $D_2$, E, F, G and I) was determined by changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the transport amount of heparin disaccharide, the major repeating unit of heparin, across Caco-2 cell monolayers. With the exception of phytolaccoside G, all of them decreased TEER values and increased the permeability in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. In vitro, phytolaccosides B,$D_2$, and E showed significant absorption enhancing activities, while effects by phytolaccoside F and I were mild. In vivo, phytolaccoside E increased the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time, indicating that phytolaccoside E modulated the transport of heparin in intestinal route. Our results suggest that a series of phytolaccosides from Phytolacca americana can be applied as pharmaceutical excipients to improve the permeability of macromolecules and hydrophilic drugs having difficulty in absorption across the intestinal epithelium.