• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.12
• /
• pp.1937-1941
• /
• 2014

The effects of Tabebuia avellanedae (Taheebo) on exercise endurance capacity were investigated using mice in an adjustable-current water pool. Compared to the control group, a 1.8~2.0 fold increase in swimming time was observed in mice administered hot water extract (TAW) and 80% ethanol extract (TAE) of inner bark from T. avellanedae. Blood lactate level, an important fatigue relevance factor, was significantly lower in the TAW and TAE groups than in the control group. The total phenolic contents of TAW and TAE were $93.3{\pm}1.6$ and $115.7{\pm}1.5mgGAE/g$, respectively. The levels of flavonoids in the extracts were $77.3{\pm}1.3$ and $95.9{\pm}1.7mgCE/g$, respectively. Higher antioxidant activities of TAE were observed in each assay at the same concentration as compared to TAW. Correlation between antioxidant activities of TAE with total polyphenol contents was observed. These results suggest that extracts of Taheebo increase exercise endurance capacity by elevating antioxidative potentials.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.437-442
• /
• 1996

Hypoglycemic effect of Tabebuia avellandae was investigated in the streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by injections of STZ (45 mg/kg, i.v.). Rats weighing 200-250 g were divided into 6 groups: normal, STZ-control, hexane fr., CHCl$_3$fr., BuOH fr. and $H_2O$ fr. group. Normal and STZ-control rats received 3% Tween 80 only. Four groups of diabetic rats were administered orally at doses of 100, 400, 300 and 400 mg/kg/day of hexane, CHC1$_3$, BuOH and $H_2O$ fr. respectively. Fractions were administered orally to the rats for 7 days after STZ injection. All rats were anesthetized with ether, blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture for clinical chemistry and the rats were killed by exsanguination. Liver, kidney, heart and spleen were removed, weighed and analyzed. We measured glucose, protein, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the plasma and glycogen, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in liver. The extent of blood glucose decrement in rats administered $H_2O$ fraction was greater than that in the STZ-control rats. The serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly lowered by administration of $H_2O$ fraction compared with those of STZ-control group. Treatment of rats with Tabebuia avellandae fractions caused decreases in STZ-induced elevation of cholesterol and triglyceride. Liver triglyceride level was significantly lowered hexane and BuOH fraction group compared with STZ-control group. These results suggest that $H_2O$ fraction of Tabebuia avellandae has the hypoglycemic action against STZ-induced diabetic rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.755-762
• /
• 2020

This study is desinged to examine the effects of Taheebo(Tabebuia avellanedae) extract on the prostate of male rats as a natural radiation protection agent. Taheebo extract is well known to inhibit cell growth for the cell lines of breast and prostate cancer. In this study, the X-ray 7 Gy was irradiated in the prostate of male rat to identify radiation protection effects by Taheebo Extracts, 1, 7, and 21 Days later, hematological changes, external toxicity assessments(LDH), antioxidant enzyme(SOD) activity changes and tissue change were observed. IR+TH group showed greater lymphocyte levels than the irradiation group, which is believed to affect the hematopoietic immune system's resilience. As a results of the external toxicity assessment, Taheebo extract's toxicity is maximum 18.128±5.16%, minimum 13.6945±4.43%. Taheebo is considered to be of little toxicity. The composition of prostate cell nuclei and cytoplasm in Control and TH group was honogeneous, whereas the cell nucleus cohesion in the prostate in irradiation group and inflammatory reactions in cytoplasm were shown. IR+TH group showed less inflammatory reactions of cytoplasm in the prostate than in the radiation irradiation group, but showed a cohesive phenomenon of cell nuclei. It is judged that Taheebo extract has radiation protection against prostate cells.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.05a
• /
• pp.345-346
• /
• 2009

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.722-728
• /
• 2005

The DNA topoismerase I inhibitor ${\beta}-lapachone$, the product of a lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) from South America, activates a novel apoptotic response in a number of cell lines. In the present report, we investigated the effects of ${\beta}-lapachone$ on the growth of human lung in human non-small-cell-lung-cancer A549 cells. Upon treatment with ${\beta}-lapachone$, a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability and cell proliferation was observed as measured by hemocytometer counts and MTT assay. The ${\beta}-lapachone-treated$ cells developed many of the hallmark features of apoptosis, including membrane shrinking, condensation of chromatin and DNA fragmentation. These apoptotic effects of ${\beta}-lapachone$ in A549 cells were associated with a marked induction of pro-apoptotic Bax expression, however the levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression were decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Accordingly, elevated amount of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 expression accompanied by up-regulation of tumor suppressor p53 was observed. By RT-PCR analyses, decrease in gene expression level of telomerase reverse transcriptase and telomeric repeat binding factor were also observed. Thus, these findings suggest that ${\beta}-lapachone$ may be a potential anti-cancer therapeutics for the control of human lung cancer cell model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.150-150
• /
• 2001

$\beta$ -lapachone, the product of a tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) from South America, is known to exhibit various pharmacologic properties, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the possible mechanisms by which $\beta$-lapachone exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human prostate cancer cells.(omitted)

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.9 s.89
• /
• pp.1298-1302
• /
• 2007

A hallmark of cancers is 'leaky' tight junctions (Tjs). TJs mediated paracellular permeability is elevated and TJs maintained cell polarity is frequently lost. Concomitantly, TJs-associated proteins including members of the claudin family of proteins are dysregulated. Recent findings indicate that these TJs changes can contribute to cancer progression. In this study, we examined the effects of ${\beta}-lapachone$, a quinone compound obtained from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae), on the Tjs-associated regulators in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and Hep3B. ${\beta}-lapachone$ treatment downregulated the levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-lR) proteins in both HepG2 and Hep3B cells. But the levels of claudin-3 and -4 proteins were increased in ${\beta}-lapachone$-treated HepG2 and Hep3B cells. And also the zonnula occludens-l (la-I) and p-catenin protein levels by ${\beta}-lapachone$ were increased in a time-dependent manner. However, claudin-3 and -4 mRNA levels were uninhibited by ${\beta}-lapachone$ in HepG2 and Hep3B. The present results suggest that the upregulation of claudin-3 and -4 protein levels by ${\beta}-lapachone$ occurs by a post-transcriptional mechanism and points to a novel mechanism by ${\beta}-lapachone$.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.15 no.3 s.70
• /
• pp.323-331
• /
• 2005

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of $\beta-lapachone$, a quinone obtained from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) in South America, on the cell growth of human hepatoma (HepG2) and bladder (T24) carcinoma cells. Exposure of cancer cells to $\beta-lapachone$ resulted in growth inhibition, morphological changes and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, which could be proved by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses revealed that $\beta-lapachone$ did not affect the levels of tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 (WAFl/CIPl) expression. However, the transcriptional factor Sp-l and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein levels were significantly down-regulated by $\beta-lapachone$ in both cell lines. Moreover, $\beta-lapachone$ treatment caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the expression of telomere regulatory gene products such as human telomere reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase-associated protein-l (TEP-l). Taken together, these findings suggest that $\beta-lapachone$-induced inhibition of human hepatoma and bladder carcinoma cell proliferation is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death via modulation of several major growth regulatory gene products, and provide important new insights into the additional mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of $\beta-lapachone$.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.469-476
• /
• 2002

The DNA topoismerase I inhibitor $\beta$-lapachone, the product of a tree from South America, is known to exhibit various biological properties, however the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. In the present report, we investigated the effects of $\beta$-lapachone on the growth of human prostate carcinoma DU-145 cells. Upon treatment with $\beta$-lapachone, a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability was observed and cells developed many of the hallmark features of apoptosis, including condensation of chromatin and DNA fragmentation. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that $\beta$-lapachone increased populations of apoptotic-sub Gl phase. In addition, proteolytic cleavages of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and $\beta$-catenin protein were observed after treatment of $\beta$-lapachone. These apoptotic effects of $\beta$-lapachone in DU-145 cells were associated with marked induction of Bax protein, however the levels of Bcl-2 expression were decreased in a dose-dependent manner.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.223-229
• /
• 2003

The product of a tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) from South America, $\beta$-lapachone, is known to exhibit various pharmacological properties, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the possible mechanisms by which $\beta$-lapachone exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human prostate cancer cells. We observed that the proliferation-inhibitory effect of $\beta$-lapachone was due to the induction of apoptosis, which was confirmed by observing the morphological changes and cleavage of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. A DNA flow cytometric analysis also revealed that $\beta$-lapachone arrested the cell cycle progression at the G1 phase. The effects were associated with the down-regulation of the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) as well as the enhanced binding of pRB and the transcription factor E2F-1. Also, $\beta$-lapachone suppressed the cyclindependent kinases (Cdks) and cyclin E-associated kinase activity without changing their expressions. Furthermore, this compound induced the levels of the Cdk inhibitor $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ expression in a p53-independent manner, and the p21 proteins that were induced by $\beta$-lapachone were associated with Cdk2. $\beta$-lapachone also activated the reporter construct of a p21 promoter. Overall, our results demonstrate a combined mechanism that involves the inhibition of pRB phosphorylation and induction of p21 as targets for $\beta$-lapachone. This may explain some of its anticancer effects.