• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.261-267
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• 2005

Alcohol metabolizing and antioxidant activity of Mentha species were investigated in rat liver. Fifty six Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups such as normal (ethanol excluded), negative control (40% ethanol (10 g/kg of body weight/day) fed), positive control (1 g Silymarin/kg of body weight/day with ethanol fed), two Mentha viridis extracts (0.2 g & 1 g M. viridis methanol ext./kg of body weight/day with ethanol fed) and two M piperita extracts (0.2 g & 1 g M. piperita methanol ext./kg of body weight/day with ethanol fed) groups. After 2 weeks, rats were sacrificed under ether. The activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), catalase (CAT), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GAH-px) and the content ofthiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in the rat livers and the activity of glutamate pyruvate transferase (GPT) in serum were evaluated. From the analyses, 1 g M. viridis and 0.2 g M. piperita administrated groups showed higher ADH and ALDH activity than the other groups. Groups fed with 0.2 g and 1 g M. viridis ext. and 0.2 g M. piperita ext. showed higher CAT activity than the other groups. All the Mentha extract fed groups exhibited more effective in recovering Mn-SOD, GSH-px and GPT acitivities to a similar degree of normal group. TBARS contents of two M. viridis ext. fed group and 0.2 g M. piperita ext. fed group were higher than those of the other groups. M. viridis extract fed groups showed more effective in CAT and Mn-SOD activities than M. piperita extract groups at p < 0.05. Finally, it is concluded that both Mentha species have alcohol metabolizing and antioxidant activity and M viridis is more effective than M. piperita.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.1 s.96
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• pp.72-78
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial and antioxidative effects of mycelium cultural extract from mushroom. Mushroom mycelium was grown in a defined synthetic liquid medium and citrus extracts, and the culture extracts were examined for antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Myceliums of Phellinus linteus, Cordyceps militaris, Coriolus versicolor, Sparassic crispa, Agaricus blazei, lnonotus obliquus, Lentinus edodes, Hericium erinacium, Gonoderma lucidium in 10% citrus extract supplemented medium and synthesis medium were incubated in a shaking incubator (120 rpm, $24{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ ) for $7{\sim}15$ days. The antimicrobial activity of the culture fluid of mushroom mycelium grown in submerged liquid culture was tested against 12 microorganisms which were fish pathogens and common bacterial species. The culture extracts showed high activity against Vibrio sp. and had poor effect on Streptocouus sp., S. parauberis, S. iniae. The culture extracts obtained from the synthetic medium showed $30{\sim}93%$ of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenger activity, the culture extracts obtained from the citrus extracts medium exhibited antioxidant activity up to 55%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.651-657
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• 1993

The protective effects of dietary vatamin E and selenium on peroxidative damage and hematopoietic inhibition by lead poisoning were investigated in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150$\pm$5g were divided into six groups according to dietary vitamin E and / or selenium levels, i.e. control(vitamin E, 40mg/kg diet), 0E(without vitamin E, Se), 40E(vitamin E, 40mg/kg diet ; without Se), 200E(vitamin E, 200mg/kg diet ; without Se), 200ES(vitamin E, 200mg/kg diet ; Se, 0.5ppm) and 0Es(without vitamin E ; Se, 0.5ppm) groups. All experimental groups were fed ad libitum 2000ppm lead in diet except control for 4 weeks. Hemoglobin contents and hematocrit values of lead groups were lower than control group except 200ES group and were the lowest in 0E group. Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase(ALAD) activities of blood and liver were sequentially reduced in 200ES, 200E, 0ES, 40E and 0E groups, compared to control, were as urinary aminolevulinic acid (ALA) excretions were increased in the groups which represented low ALAD activity. Heapatic superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities was lower in 0E, and higher in 40E, 200E and 200ES groups, compared with control. Glutathione peroxidase(GPX) activities of liver were reduced in 0E and 40E groups, but those of 0ES, 200E and 200ES groups were significantly increased. Especially GPX activities in 200ES and 200ES groups were not different from control group. The reduced glutathione contents in liver were lowest in 0E and 40E groups, compared with control, whereas levels of the oxidized form were opposite phenomena of that. Liver lipid peroxide values of 0E, 0ES, 40E and 200E groups were 6.4, 2.9, 2.1 and 1.3 fold higher than control, respectively, but 200ES groups was not different from control.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.1388-1394
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• 2012

The physiological functionalities of 70% ethanol extracts (EE) from Cudrania tricuspidata fruit (ECFD, EE of C. tricuspidata subjected to freeze-drying; ECHD, EE of C. tricuspidata subjected to heat air drying; ECID, EE of C. tricuspidata subjected to infrared drying) were investigated. Yields of freeze-dried powders of ECFD, ECHD, and ECID were 51.50%, 53.91%, and 56.14%, respectively. Color $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$, and $H^{\circ}$ values of ECHD and ECID decreased. Dried ECHD and ECID had relatively higher contents of total polyphenolics and flavonoids than ECFD. Electron donating abilities at a concentration of 10 mg/mL (w/v) were in order of ECID (62.37%) >ECHD (80.17%)>ECFD (77.80%). Reducing powers ($OD_{700}$) of ECFD, ECHD, and ECID were 0.75, 1.70, and 1.89, respectively. Additionally, ABTS radical scavenging ability of ECID was the highest with a value of 62.37% at a concentration of 10 mg/mL (w/v). Nitrite scavenging activities of ECFD, ECHD, and ECID at a concentration of 10 mg/mL (w/v) were 28.76%, 30.69%, and 41.64%, respectively. SOD (superoxide dismutase)-like activities at 5 mg/mL (w/v) were in the order ECFD (891.93 mUnits)>ECHD (723.02 mUnits)>EFID (611.97 mUnits). Whereas ferrous ion chelating activity of ECFD (52.36%) and ECID (47.16%) was significantly higher than that of ECHD (30.04%). ACE inhibitory and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities of ECHD and ECID at a concentration of 1 mg/mL (w/v) were higher than those of ECFD. In conclusion, we provided experimental evidence that extracts of pre-dried C. tricuspidata exhibit increased physiological functionalities. Further, infrared drying technique is the best method for enhancement of antioxidant activity of C. tricuspidata fruit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.706-713
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the contents of monacolin K and citrinin, along with the sensory quality and antioxidant activity of mulberry leaf tea fermented by $Monascus$ $pilsous$ (FMM). Total monacolin K content of FMM was 0.058%, but citrinin was not detected. Redness of brewed FMM was remarkably higher than that of unfermented mulberry leaf tea (UFM). In sensory evaluation of brewed FMM, while astringent taste and savory taste were lower, flavor, color, and overall acceptability were significantly higher than those of UFM. Total polyphenol contents of UFM and FMM were 83.1 and 23.61 mg/g (dry basis), total flavonoid contents of UFM and FMM were 17.96 and 3.99 mg/g (dry basis), respectively. Xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of FMM were lower than those of UFM. Electron-donating ability and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of FMM were slightly lower than those of UFM. However, the antioxidant activities of FMM per polyphenol content were markedly higher than those of UFM. These results suggest that FMM may scavenge excessive reactive oxygen spices (ROS) via inhibition of XO and SOD-like activity. Furthermore, FMM demonstrated relatively higher acceptability and antioxidant ability along with functionality of $Hongguk$ (red yeast rice), and therefore could be utilized to prevent various ROS-induced diseases.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2017

Arsenic (As) is known to be the most toxic element and frequently detected in groundwater environment. Inorganic As exists as arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] in reduced and oxidized environments, respectively. It has been reported that the toxicity of arsenite is much higher than that of arsenate and furthermore arsenite shows relatively higher mobility in aqueous environments. For this reason, there have been numerous researches on the process for oxidation of arsenite to arsenate to reduce the toxicity of arsenic. In particular, photooxidation has been considered to be simple, economical, and efficient to attain such goal. This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of naturally-occurring goethite as a photocatalyst to substitute for $TiO_2$ which has been mostly used in the photooxidation processes so far. In addition, the effects of several factors on the overall performance of arsenite photocatalytic oxidation process were evaluated. The results show that the efficiency of the process was affected by total concentration of dissolved cations rather than by the kind of those cations and also the relatively higher pH conditions seemed to be more favorable to the process. In the case of coexistence of arsenite and arsenate, the removal tendency by adsorption onto goethite appeared to be different between arsenite and arsenate due to their different affinities with goethite, but any effect on the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite was not observed. In terms of effect of humic acid on the process, it is likely that the higher concentration of humic acid reduced the overall performance of the arsenite photocatalytic oxidation as a result of competing interaction of activated oxygen species, such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, with arsenite and humic acid. In addition, it is revealed that the injection of oxygen gas improved the process because oxygen contributes to arsenite oxidation as an electron acceptor. Based on the results of the study, consequently, the photocatalytic oxidation of aqueous arsenite using goethite seems to be greatly feasible with the optimization of process.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2012

The anti-obese, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of post-fermented green tea by Monascus pilosus was tested with mice fed with high-fat diet for 7 weeks. The body weight gain and feed efficiency ratio (FER) in normal control group (NC), CHA (2% non-fermented green tea powder supplemented high-fat diet group) and mCHA (2% green tea powder post-fermented by M. pilosus supplemented high fat diet group) groups were significantly lower than those of high fat diet control group (HC). Epididymal fat weight in mCHA and NC were significantly lower than HC. The hepatic lipid peroxide was dramatically higher in HC than that of NC and was significantly lower in CHA and mCHA. In addition, dehydrogenase type activity of xanthine oxidoreductase in HC was lower than that of NC, but significantly higher than CHA and mCHA. In histopathological findings, hepatic fat accumulation in HC was higher than that of NC, CHA and mCHA. Antiobese, hypolipidemic and antifatty liver effect of green tea powder post-fermented by M. pilosus was slightly higher than that of non-fermented green tea. In conclusion, the constituents of green tea fermented by M. pilosus has been proven to not only inhibit obesity and hyperlipidemia but also decrease the hepatic fat accumulation in high fat diet-induced obese mice.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2008

Prunus sargentii R. of Rosaceae familiy, has been reported to have radical scavenging activity and anti-inflammatory effect. On these facts, biological activity and safety test were conducted to evaluate biological activities of the extracts of P. sargentii R. as a potential pharmaceutical ingredient. The electron donating ability of its ethanol extracts at a 500 ppm level showed 92%, which was higher than that of hot water extract (59%), the superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of the water extract of P. sargentii R. was about 50%, the ethanol extract of P. sargentii R. was about 40% at 1,000 ppm concentration. Xanthine oxidase inhibition by the water extract of P. sargentii R. was about 40% and that by the ethanol extract was 60% respectively at 500 ppm concentration. From the measurement on lipid oxidation, the $Cu^{2+}$ chelating effect of the ethanol extract was higher than that of hot water extract. The $Fe^{2+}$ chelating effect was also shown to be about 80% at a 500 ppm concentration in both hot water extract and ethanol extract. The tyrosinase inhibition effect related to skin-whitening was 26% by hot water extract and 20% by ethanol extract respectively at a 1,000 ppm. Hyaluronidase inhibition activity related to the anti-inflammation effect was 96% in ethanolic extract at a 500 ppm. Clear zones formed by P. sargentii R. against the human skin-resident micro-flora such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Propionibacterium acnes indicated that antimicrobial activity of the ethanol extract was higher than that of the hot water extract.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2004

Radioprotective effects of ginseng extracts on liver damage induced by high energy x-ray were studied. To one group of ICR male mice were given white(50 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) and fermenta ginseng extracts(500 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) before irrdiation. To another group were irradiated by 5 Gy dose of high energy x-ray. Contrast group were given with saline(0.1 ml). This study also investigated the radioprotective effect between SOD, CAT, hydrogen peroxide and ginseng extracts on hepatic damage. This study measured the level of superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) in liver tissue. Administrating orally white (50 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) and fermenta ginseng extracts(500 mg/kg/day), the activity of SOD, CAT were generally increased and the hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) was decreased. After irradiation, the activity of SOD, CAT were generally decreased and the hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) was increased. Therefore, ginseng extracts increased antioxidative enzyme activity. And We know that the antioxidatant effect of extracts from white and fermenta ginseng protect radiation damage by direct antioxidant effect involving SOD, CAT. It was included that ginseng can protect against radiation damage through its antioxidatant properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.79-92
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• 2007

Oxidative stress have known to be a risk factor for the degenerative processes and closely related to a lot of diseases. It is well established that antioxidants are good in protection and therapeutic means against oxidative damage. There is increasing interest in natural antioxidants and many natural antioxidants have been found and utilized as the possible protection for various diseases and skin aging. We have screened natural antioxidant agents for cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and drugs as therapeutic and preventive means against oxidative stress, and have developed a number of novel antioxidants from various natural sources. A novel melanin synthesis inhibitor, Melanocin A, isolated from the metabolite of a fungal strain Eupenicillium shearii F80695 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase and melanin biosynthesis of B16 melanoma cells with $IC_{50}$ value of 9.0 nM and MIC value of $0.9\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Melanocin A also exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging of DPPH and superoxide anion radicals. UV was found to increase the level of hydrogen peroxides and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin tissues. This increase in ROS may not only alter the structure and function of many genes and proteins directly but may also modulate their expressions through signal transduction pathways and, ultimately, lead to skin damage. We investigated the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced premature skin aging. Firstly, the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT in vitro was investigated. Acute UV irradiation induced MMP-9 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and Melanocin A suppressed this expression in a dose-dependent manner. We then investigated UV-induced skin changes in hairless mice in vivo by Melanocin A. Chronic exposure of hairless mouse dorsal skin to UV increased skin thickness and induced wrinkle formation and the gelatinase activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, Melanocin A significantly suppressed UV-induced morphologic skin changes and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. These results show that Melanocin A can prevent the harmful effects of UV that lead to skin aging. Therefore, we suggest that Melanocin A should be viewed as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and/or treating premature skin aging. Terrein is a bioactive fungal metabolite isolated from Penicillium species. Terrein has a relatively simple structure and can be easily synthesized. However, the biologic effects of terrein are comparatively unknown. We found for the first time that terrein potently inhibit melanin production in melanocytes and has a strong hypopigmentary effect in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab. Treatment of Mel-Ab cells with terrein (10-100 mM) for 4 days significantly reduced melanin levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, terrein at the same concentration also reduced tyrosinase activity. We then investigated whether terrein influences the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway and the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), which is required for tyrosinase expression. Terrein was found to induce sustained ERK activation and MITF down-regulation, and luciferase assays showed that terrein inhibits MITF promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the correlation between ERK pathway activation and a decreased MITF transcriptional level, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK pathway, was applied before terrain treatment and found to abrogate the terrein-induced MITF attenuation. Terrein also reduced the tyrosinase protein level for at least 72 h. These results suggest that terrain reduces melanin synthesis by reducing tyrosinase production via ERK activation, and that this is followed by MITF down-regulation.