• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2023

We validated the physiological activity of Syzygium claviflorum (Roxb.) Wall. ex A.M. Cowan & Cowan (S. claviflorum) extracts (leaves, stems, fruits, and flowers) as a cosmetic ingredient. Firstly, S. claviflorum extracts removed over 80% of free radicals at various concentrations in antioxidant experiments using the DPPH and ABTS assay. In cytotoxicity experiments using human epidermal keratinocytes, S. claviflorum extracts showed low cytotoxicity. In addition, S. claviflorum extracts significantly increased the expression of keratin (KRT)1, KRT2, KRT9, KRT10, which are differentiation markers of keratinocytes, as well as genes involved in the maintenance of skin barrier function, including involucrin (IVL), loricrin (LOR), filaggrin (FLG), and claudin1 (CLDN1). In particular, the expression of FLG protein, inhibited by interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13 in atopic dermatitis, was restored by S. claviflorum extracts in in vitro experiments. Therefore, S. claviflorum extracts with excellent antioxidant efficacy and skin barrier improvement function will be useful materials for the development of future atopic dermatitis treatments and cosmetics.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.344-352
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• 2012

Mercury is a toxic and non-essential metal in the human body. Mercury is ubiquitously distributed in the environment, present in natural products, and exists extensively in items encountered in daily life. There are three forms of mercury, i.e., elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. This review examines the toxicity of elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds. Inorganic mercury compounds are water soluble with a bioavailability of 7% to 15% after ingestion; they are also irritants and cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Upon entering the body, inorganic mercury compounds are accumulated mainly in the kidneys and produce kidney damage. In contrast, human exposure to elemental mercury is mainly by inhalation, followed by rapid absorption and distribution in all major organs. Elemental mercury from ingestion is poorly absorbed with a bioavailability of less than 0.01%. The primary target organs of elemental mercury are the brain and kidney. Elemental mercury is lipid soluble and can cross the blood-brain barrier, while inorganic mercury compounds are not lipid soluble, rendering them unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Elemental mercury may also enter the brain from the nasal cavity through the olfactory pathway. The blood mercury is a useful biomarker after short-term and high-level exposure, whereas the urine mercury is the ideal biomarker for long-term exposure to both elemental and inorganic mercury, and also as a good indicator of body burden. This review discusses the common sources of mercury exposure, skin lightening products containing mercury and mercury release from dental amalgam filling, two issues that happen in daily life, bear significant public health importance, and yet undergo extensive debate on their safety.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 2012

Objective : In this study, we assessed the anti-bacterial effects and epidermal permeability barrier function of red onion juice comparing to yellow onion juice and $Houttuynia$ $cordata$ extract $in$ $vitro$. Methods : 3types of red and yellow onion juice were prepared as antibacterial agent candidates with Houttuynia cordata hot water extract using 4 different bacterial strains ($Escherichia$ $coil$, $Salmonella$ $enterica$ $subsp.$ $enterica$, $Staphylococcus$ $epidermidis$, $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$ $subsp$) by colony counting method. The expression of filaggrin, a marker of keratinocyte differentiation, and serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT), a marker of the formation of the stratum corneum lipid barrier, in human HaCat keratinocytes were analyzed using HaCaT cell line. The expression of COX-2 and AP-1 which is a factor of COX-2 transcription were also analyzed by western blotting method. Results : There was detectable anti-bacterial effects on $Staphylococcus$ $epidermidis$, $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$ $subsp$ among 1%, 5%, 10% extracts of yellow and red onion.(81%-100%) The bacteriocidal effects were not shown on $Escherichia$ $coil$, $Salmonella$ $enterica$ $subsp.$ $enterica$ among $Houttuynia$ $cordata$, yellow onion and red onion extracts. The in vitro results showed the concentration-dependent effects on the expression of both filaggrin and SPT in HaCat cells among 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5% extracts in Houttuynia cordata and red onion, reflecting the notion that $Houttuynia$ $cordata$ and red onion can induce epidermal keratinocyte differentiation and improve the recovery of skin barrier functions. The concentration-dependent effects also have been shown on the expression of both COX-2 and AP-1 among 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5% extracts in $Houttuynia$ $cordata$ and red onion, while slight effect in yellow onion. Conclusion : Red onion juice could be a potential candidate enhanser for the skin care and cosmetology.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.226-231
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• 2018

Chijabaegpi-tang (CHG) is an oriental herbal medicine that has been used for its various pharmacological effects, which include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immunoregulation activities. In the present study, we investigated which skin inflammations are involved in the $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN{\gamma}$-induced HaCaT cells. We investigated the suppressive effect of CHG on $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN{\gamma}$-induced HaCaT cell production of the following chemokines: macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC)/CCL22; regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)/CCL5; and interleukin-8 (IL-8); thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17. The pre-treatment of HaCaT cells with CHG suppressed $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN{\gamma}$-induced nuclear transcription factor kappa-B ($NF-{\kappa}B$). In addition, CHG inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN{\gamma}$-induced phosphorylation of ERK and p38. $TNF-{\alpha}/IFN{\gamma}$ suppressed the expression of skin barrier proteins, including filaggrin (FLG), Involucrin (IVL) and loricrin (LOR). By contrast, CHG restored the expression of FLG, IVL and LOR. Taken together, our findings suggest that CHG could be a therapeutic agent for prevention of skin disease, including atopic dermatitis.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2015

'Tight junctions (TJ)' have recently been identified in the granular cell layer of the human epidermis, where they contribute to the normal adhesion between keratinocytes and to the physiologic barrier function of the epidermis. Among the TJ proteins in the epidermis, occludin is an important transmembrane protein, which is considered as a major component. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether regional variation exists in the expression of the tight junction protein occludin in normal human epidermis. Indirect immunofluorescence staining for occludin was performed with specimens taken from different areas of normal skin (4 from each of 7 different anatomical sites, including the scalp, face, posterior neck, upper arm, abdomen, lower back, and inner thigh). The degrees of the expression-intensity in each specimen were estimated with the reciprocals of positive end-point titer of occludin in an indirect immunofluorescence study. The highest degree expression-intensity of the TJ protein occludin among the different areas of normal epidermis was observed on the face and abdomen with a titer of 600 (p=0.001). The lowest intensity of expression of occludin was seen in the epidermis from the upper arm. Skin specimens from the scalp, neck, back, and leg demonstrated intermediate degrees of the expression in intensity. The expression of occludin in the skin samples obtained from different locations of the body showed a statistically significant variation. This suggests that there is a certain degree of regional variation in the expression-intensity of TJ protein 'occludin' in the human epidermis.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2012

In this study, we prepared elastic liposome containing rutin, known as antioxidants, and evaluated the physical characterization and enhanced skin permeation effect. The elastic liposome was prepared using the different ratios of egg phospholipids and $Tego^{(R)}$ care 450. The mean diameter of rutin loaded elastic liposomes formulations ranged between 205.7 ~ 298.0 nm and deforability 20.9 ~ 42.5, The loading efficiency was observed to be 52.0 ~ 71.0 %. The highest loading efficiency (71.0 %) and deformability (42.5) were observed at the optimal ratio of 85 : 15 (egg phospholipids : $Tego^{(R)}$ care 450) in the 0.1 % rutin loaded elastic liposome formulations. The elastic liposome formulation was selected for further transdermal permeation study. The elastic liposome(129.9 ${\mu}g/cm^2$) exhibited a significantly higher skin permeation compared with general liposome (98.0 ${\mu}g/cm^2$) and 1,3-butylene glycol (76.3 ${\mu}g/cm^2$) solution. These results suggest that the elastic liposome formulation using $Tego^{(R)}$ care 450 as a major edge activator could be useful for the delivery of active ingredient through the skin barrier.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2016

Hataedock is a Korean medical treatment that administers herbal extracts orally to newborn infants. This method is used for alleviating harmful heat and excreting fetal wastes by meconium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory effect of Hataedock method with Douchi on 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD). The 3-week-old NC/Nga mice were divided into 3 groups: the control group (Ctrl), the AD-induced group (AE), and the Hataedock-treated group (GT). Only the GT group was treated with Hataedock at the 3rd week. After 28 days from Hataedock treatment, we induced AD-like dermatitis to the AE and GT group by DNFB. The effects of Hataedock were evaluated by immunohistochemical method. In the epithelium, PKC-positive reaction of the GT group was decreased by 57%. In the dermal papillae, IL-4-positive reaction was decreased by 34%. In the dermis, the distribution of degranulated mast cells was decreased and substance P-positive reaction was decreased by 49%. In the skin tissue, edema was decreased and MMP-9-positive reaction was decreased by 71%. Tissue damage such as epithelial cell hyperplasia, infiltration of granulocyte and lymphocyte, and capillary distribution were also decreased. The Hataedock method with Douchi maintained skin barrier and inhibited skin-damaging factors via regulating Th2 differentiation. In conclusion, Hataedock has a potential for preventative treatment of AD. Further studies are necessary to investigate the immune-regulating mechanism and verify the safety and efficacy of the Hataedock method.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.870-882
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• 2021

Coptis chinensis has been used in the treatment of various diseases such as soothing, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial and antipyretic in oriental traditional medicine. In this study, we investigated the effect of hot water extract of Coptis chinensis(CCW) on skin barrier and inflammation-related factors in UVB and TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells and evaluated its potential as a moisturizing and anti-inflammatory material. Based on result, the amount of HA (Hyaluronic acid) production and protein and mRNA expression of filaggrin were measured. In TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells, CCW increased the amount of HA production in a concentration-dependent manner. In the measurement of protein and mRNA expression of filaggrin, the expression rate increased as the concentration of CCW increased. In UVB-induced HaCaT cells, CCW decreased the production of ROS and showed significant results with EGCG ((-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a positive control. In addition, CCW inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells. It was confirmed that the protein and mRNA expression of COX-2, a major factor in skin inflammation, was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that hot water extract from Coptis chinensis can be used as a cosmetic material having a moisturizing and anti-inflammatory effect.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2016

Allergic skin inflammation such as atopic dermatitis is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, edema, and infiltration with various inflammatory cells. The anti-inflammatory effects of Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone, isolated from Sargassum muticum, have been described in many diseases, but the mechanism by which it modulates the immune system is poorly understood. In this study, the ability of Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone to suppress allergic reactions was investigated using a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. The Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone-treated group showed significantly decreased immunoglobulin E in serum. Also, Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone treatment resulted in a smaller lymph node size with reduced the thickness and length compared to the induction group. In addition, Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone inhibited the expression of interleukin-4, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin-stimulated lymphocytes. These results suggest that Apo-9'-fucoxanthinone may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating chronic inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.356-362
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• 2010

Ceramide is important not only for the maintenance of the barrier function of the skin but also for the water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum. Although the exact role of ceramide in the human skin is not fully understood, ceramide has become a widely used ingredient in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Compared with other microorganisms, yeast is more suitable for the production of ceramide because yeast grows fast and is non-toxic. However, production of ceramide from yeast has not been widely studied and most work in this area has been carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Regulating the genes that are involved in sphingolipid synthesis is necessary to increase ceramide production. In this study, we investigated the effect of the genes involved in the synthesis of ceramide, lcb1, lcb2, tsc10, lac1, lag1, and sur2, on ceramide production levels. The genes were cloned into pYES2 high copy number vectors. S. cerevisiae was cultivated on YPDG medium at $30^{\circ}C$. Ceramide was purified from the cell extracts by solvent extraction and the ceramide content was analyzed by HPLC using ELSD. The maximum production of ceramide (9.8 mg ceramide/g cell) was obtained when the tsc10 gene was amplified by the pYES2 vector. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the increase in ceramide content was proportional to the increase in the tsc10 gene expression level, which was 4.56 times higher than that of the control strain.