• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.66-70
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• 1999

Effects of the enhanced level of L-ascorbic acid (AA) on the water deficit-induced oxidative damage were studied in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. The seedlings sprayed with 20 to 80 mM L-galactono-${\gamma}$-lactone (GL), a putative precursor of AA, showed 2 to 5-fold higher levels of AA compared with controls. Pretreatment of the seedlings with GL prior to water stress imposition caused virtually no effect on dehydration of tissues during water deficit but substantially mitigated oxidative injury, as accessed by 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, chlorophylls and ${\beta}$-carotene. Proline accumulation during water stress was also significantly lowered in the treated seedlings. In a complementary experiment, AA retarded photodegradation of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol in isolated thylakoids far more efficiently than glutathione. GL in itself did not show any noticeable reactivity toward ${\alpha}$-tocopheroxyl radical. The results demonstrate the antioxidative function of AA in rice seedlings encountering water-limited environments, suggesting a critical role of AA as a defense against oxidative stress in plants.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Carotenoids being most important pigments among those occurring in nature, have received increased interest owing to their beneficial effects on human health. An effort is made to review marine carotenoids as important bioactive compounds with reference to their presence, chemical, and biofunctional benefits they afford. The potential beneficial effects of marine carotenoids were particularly focused on astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, major marine carotenoids found in marine animals and aquatic plants, respectively. Both carotenoids show strong antioxidant activity which is attributed to quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. The potential role of the carotenoids as dietary antioxidants has been suggested as being one of the main mechanism by which they afford their beneficial health effects such as anticancer activity and anti-inflammatory effect. Only recently, antiobesity effect and antidiabetic effect have been noted as specific and novel bio-functions of fucoxanthin. Nutrigenomic study reveals that fucoxanthin induces uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) mitochondria to lead to oxidation of fatty acids and heat production in WAT. Fucoxanthin improves insulin resistance and decreases blood glucose level, at least in part, through the down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ ($TNF{\alpha}$) in WAT of animals.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2005

We fabricated pyrromethene 597(PM597) solid-state dyes which were dissolved in PMMA(poly- methylmethacrylate) and characterized the lasing characteristics. The laser was end-pumped by a frequency doubled Q-switched Nd : YAG laser. We obtained the slope efficiency of $76\%$ at lasing wavelength of 585 nm. We demonstrated the laser lifetime to be more than 100,000 shots with output energy of 250 mJ and repetition rate of 4 Hz by adding singlet oxygen quencher DABCO(1,4-diazabicyclo [2,2,2]octane) to the solid-state dye.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.93-114
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• 2007

Vaccinium uliginosum L. (VU) is a flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium has berry fruit. This study was performed to investigate the effect of water extract of Vaccinium uliginosum L. and fractions on inhibition of melanogenesis and wrinkle formation. One hundred grams of the Vaccinium uliginosum L. was extracted with 2,000 mL of water ($90^{\circ}C$, 16h, 2 times). The water extracts were lyophilized and stored at $4^{\circ}C$ until used. Vaccinium uliginosum L. extracts showed scavenger activities on DPPH radical, superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen radical, dose dependently. And VU extract and fractions reduced melanin contents on B16F10 melanoma and inhibited the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP-1) and dapachrometa utomerase (Dct, TRP-2). Moreover VU extract and fractions stimulated procollagen production and inhibited MMP-1 production in human fibroblast. And it decreased degree of wrinkle formation in hairless mouse skin that induced by DVB irradiation for 9 weeks. From the above results, it is possible that Vaccinium uliginosum L. may be developed to be the health functional food and functional cosmetics that have anti-melanogenesis and anti-wrinkle effect.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.78-81
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• 1986

The photosensitized lysis of egg lecithin lipid membranes (liposomes) have been performed to UV-B light (270-320 nm) by L-tryptophan(L-Trp) and its peptide such as N-acetylphenylalanyl-L-tryptophan(NAPT) incorporated in the liposomes(ca. 0.1% by weight) or in the external buffer (0.1-0.3 mM). Requirement of oxygenation suggests that the lysis of liposomes is caused by the photosensitized oxidation of lipids. There was significant protection against lysis photosensitized by Trp in the external buffer by low concentration of ferricyanide (0.8 mM), but there was no effect on the lytic efficiency by $N_3^-$ which is singlet oxygen($^1O_2$) quencher, indicative of an electron transfer mechanism involved in the photosensitization. The small change of the lytic efficiency with increasing pH from 4 to 9 was interpreted by large target theory and subsequently indicates that superoxide($O_2^-$) may be an active intermediate for the oxidation. The efficiency of photosensitization of Trp was higher than that of NAPT under the same experimental condition. The weak lytic efficiency of liposomes photosensitized by NAPT was enhanced by incorporating NAPT in liposomes, but it was again quenched by ${\beta}$-carotene incorporated in the bilayer of liposomes. These results indicate that a portion of liposome lysis may be due to $^1O_2$ formation from the excited NAPT.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.773-786
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• 2017

The loss of green coloration via chlorophyll (Chl) degradation typically occurs during leaf senescence. To date, many Chl catabolic enzymes have been identified and shown to interact with light harvesting complex II to form a Chl degradation complex in senescing chloroplasts; this complex might metabolically channel phototoxic Chl catabolic intermediates to prevent oxidative damage to cells. The Chl catabolic enzyme 7-hydroxymethyl Chl a reductase (HCAR) converts 7-hydroxymethyl Chl a (7-HMC a) to Chl a. The rice (Oryza sativa) genome contains a single HCAR homolog (OsHCAR), but its exact role remains unknown. Here, we show that an oshcar knockout mutant exhibits persistent green leaves during both dark-induced and natural senescence, and accumulates 7-HMC a and pheophorbide a (Pheo a) in green leaf blades. Interestingly, both rice and Arabidopsis hcar mutants exhibit severe cell death at the vegetative stage; this cell death largely occurs in a light intensity-dependent manner. In addition, 7-HMC a treatment led to the generation of singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$) in Arabidopsis and rice protoplasts in the light. Under herbicide-induced oxidative stress conditions, leaf necrosis was more severe in hcar plants than in wild type, and HCAR-overexpressing plants were more tolerant to reactive oxygen species than wild type. Therefore, in addition to functioning in the conversion of 7-HMC a to Chl a in senescent leaves, HCAR may play a critical role in protecting plants from high light-induced damage by preventing the accumulation of 7-HMC a and Pheo a in developing and mature leaves at the vegetative stage.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.426-436
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• 1985

Preparative and kinetic photochemical reactions of several benzanilides were studied. Several substituted benzanilides were synthesized by acylation of substituted anilines with substituted benzoyl chlorides. While benzanilide gave a photo-Fries type reaction product, 2-chlorobenzaniline, 2-bromobenzanilide, and 2-methoxybenzanilide gave a photocyclization reaction product, phenanthridone. Since 8-chlorophenanthridone was obtained from 2,2'-dichlorobenzanilide, the carbonyl phenyl is the excited site. Quantum yield of photocyclization of 2-chlorobenzanilide, 2'-chlorobenzanilide, and 2-methoxybenzanilide were obtained. 2-Chlorobenzanilide was photocyclized effectively and 2'-chlorobenzanilide ineffectively. Since the oxygen present in the reaction medium retarded the photocyclization reaction of 2-chlorobenzanilide, the triplet state of 2-chlorobenzanilide is involved. The mechanism of the photocyclization of 2-chlorobenzanilide is suggested: $\pi-complex$ between carbonyl phenyl and N-phenyl was formed from the triplet state of 2-chlorobenzanilide; neighbour phenyl (N-phenyl) assists for leaving of chlorine from carbonyl phenyl to make an intermediate, cyclized conjugated radical, because electron donating group on the N-phenyl ring accelerated the reaction; hydrogen detachment from the intermediate is obviously not a rate determined step because there was no isotope effect on the rate of photocyclization. The photocyclization reaction rate of 2-methoxybenzanilide was faster in the presence of oxygen than in the absence of oxygen. Thus, the singlet excited state of 2-methoxybenzanilide is involved in the reaction. Probably, the intermediate, methoxyhydro-phenanthridone is oxidized by oxygen in the medium to give phenanthridone.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2017

With ultraviolet and visible light exposure, some pharmaceutical substances applied systemically or topically may cause phototoxic skin irritation. The major factor in phototoxicity is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen and superoxide anion that cause oxidative damage to DNA, lipids and proteins. Thus, measuring the generation of ROS can predict the phototoxic potential of a given substance indirectly. For this reason, a standard ROS assay (ROS assay) was developed and validated and provides an alternative method for phototoxicity evaluation. However, negative substances are over-predicted by the assay. Except for ultraviolet A (UVA), other UV ranges are not a major factor in causing phototoxicity and may lead to incorrect labeling of some non-phototoxic substances as being phototoxic in the ROS assay when using a solar simulator. A UVA stimulator is also widely used to evaluate phototoxicity in various test substances. Consequently, we identified the applicability of a UVA simulator to the ROS assay for photoreactivity. In this study, we tested 60 pharmaceutical substances including 50 phototoxins and 10 non-phototoxins to predict their phototoxic potential via the ROS assay with a UVA simulator. Following the ROS protocol, all test substances were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide or sodium phosphate buffer. The final concentration of the test solutions in the reaction mixture was 20 to $200{\mu}M$. The exposure was with $2.0{\sim}2.2mW/cm^2$ irradiance and optimization for a relevant dose of UVA was performed. The generation of ROS was compared before and after UVA exposure and was measured by a microplate spectrophotometer. Sensitivity and specificity values were 85.7% and 100.0% respectively, and the accuracy was 88.1%. From this analysis, the ROS assay with a UVA simulator is suitable for testing the photoreactivity and estimating the phototoxic potential of various test pharmaceutical substances.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.1053-1062
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• 2011

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen (${O_2}^1$), superoxide anion radical ($O_2{\cdot}^-$), hydroxyl radical ($HO{\cdot}$), peroxyl radical ($ROO{\cdot}$), hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), and hypochlorous (HOCl), are generated as byproducts of normal cellular metabolism. ROS induce damage to many biological molecules, such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA. It is widely believed that some degenerative diseases caused by ROS can be prevented by the high intake of fruits and vegetables due to their antioxidant activities. Recently, research on natural antioxidants has become increasingly active in various fields. Several assays have been developed to measure the total antioxidant capacity of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables in vitro. These assays include those for DPPH radical scavenging activity, SOD-like activity, total polyphenol content, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, reducing power, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay), single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay), and a cellular antioxidant activity assay. Because different antioxidant compounds may act through different mechanisms in vitro, no single assay can fully evaluate the total antioxidant capacity of foods. Due to the complexity of the composition of foods, it is important to be able to measure antioxidant activity using biologically relevant assays. In this review, recently used assays were selected for extended discussion, including a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each assay and their application to fruits and vegetables.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.203-208
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• 1998

The photochemical reactivities of 2-halobenzyl phenyl ether, in which 2-halobenzyl moiety are tethered to phenyl moiety by the etheral alkyl linkage, has been studied. In the presence of nitrogen, the photochemical reaction of 2-chlorobenzyl phenyl ether (1) produces mainly phenol and photo-Fries type reaction products, while the corresponding bromo analog 2 produces photocyclization and photoreduced products, along with phenol and photo-Fries type products. The former result implies that since chlorine is bound to the benzyl ring firmly, the rather weaker $CH_{2}-O$ bond of 1 is cleavaged to produce the photo-Fries type product. The latter implies that the photoinduced fission of phenyl-bromine bond of 2 can compete with the fission of $CH_{2}-O$ bond, since the bond energy of phenyl-bromine is lower than that of phenyl-chlorine. Since by the presence of oxygen the formation of phenol is not affected much, the formation of photo-Fries type products is changed a little, and the formations of photocyclization and photoreduced products are affected effectively, a singlet state is involved in the formation of phenol, and both singlet and triplet state may be involved in the formation of photo-Fries type reaction, while a triplet state is involved in the formation of photocyclization and photoreduction products.