• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.119-122
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• 2005

In the course of searching for hepatoprotective agents from natural products, four compounds were isolated from the MeOH extract of Sanguisorbae Radix, as guided by their DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The structures were determined as 4,5-dimethoxy-3-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester (1), (+)-gallocatechin (2), methyl $6-O-galloyl-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (3), and pomolic acid $3-O-[{\alpha}-L-arabinopyranoside]-28-O-[{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl]$ ester (ziyu-glycoside I) (4). Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant DPPH free radical scavenging effects, exhibiting $IC_{50}$ values of 11.4 and $13.0\;{\mu}M$, respectively. L-Ascorbic acid was used as a positive control and exhibited the $IC_{50}$ value of $50.3\;{\mu}M$. In evaluation of the hepatoprotective activity of the isolated compounds on drug-induced cytotoxicity, compound 2 showed the significant hepatoprotective effect with the $EC_{50}$ value of $91.84\;{\pm}\;11.0\;{\mu}M$ on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, while silybin, a positive control, exhibited $EC_{50}$ value of $122.4\;{\pm}\;12.5\;{\mu}M$.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.502-507
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• 2006

In a previous study, an extract of Clavicorona pyxidata DGUM 29005 mycelia demonstrated an inhibitory effect against enzyme-associated perceptual disorders. We have attempted to determine whether this mycelial extract is also capable of inhibiting the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ${\beta}$-secretase (BACE) activity. Butanol, ethanol, and water extracts of C. pyxidata DGUM 29005 mycelia were shown to inhibit AChE activity by 99.3%, 93.7%, and 91.7%, respectively. The inhibitory value of the butanol extract was more profound than that of tacrine (95.4%). The ethanol extract also exerted an inhibitory effect against BACE activity; this fraction may harbor the potential for development into a pharmocotherapeutic modality for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells in culture were not determined to be susceptible to the cytotoxic activity evidenced by the mycelial extract. The ethanol extract inhibited endogenous AChE activity in PC12 cellular homogenates, with an $IC_{50}\;of\;67.5{\mu}g/ml$, after incubation with intact cells, and also inhibited BACE activity in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that the C. pyxidata mycelial extract has the potential to enhance cholinergic function and, therefore, may perform a function in the amelioration of the cholinergic deficit observed in cases of AD, as well as other types of age-associated memory impairment.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.384-388
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• 2008

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and is responsible for more than 50% of all dementia cases. There is significant interest in finding new sources of compounds that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to be used in the treatment of AD, since only a few AChE inhibitors, such as galanthamine, physostigmine, and tacrine, are available for clinical use. In the present study, ICR mice were treated with a 1 mg/kg scopolamine, which caused impaired cognitive ability. The steady consumption of a water extract of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne flowers for 3 months significantly prevented the scopolamine induced deficit of the spatial cognitive capability of mice. It also improved long-term memory in mice with amnesia induced by scopolamine, as assessed by the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. In addition, water extract consumption significantly decreased AChE activity in mouse brain, leading to inhibition of acetylcholine hydrolysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.107-107
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to examine that the efflux transport system for choline from brain to blood is present at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using brain efflux index (BEI) method. ［$^3$H］Choline was microinjected into parietal cortex area 2 (Par2) region of rat brain, and was eliminated from the brain with an apparent elimination half life of 45 min. The BBB efflux clearance of ［$^3$H］choline was 0.12 $m\ell$/min/g brain, which was calculated from the efflux rate constant (1.5${\times}$10$\^$-2/ min$\^$-1/) and the distribution volume in the brain slice (8.1 $m\ell$/g brain). This process was saturable and significantly inhibited by various organic cationic compounds including hemicholinium-3, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and verapamil, by antioxidant, ${\alpha}$-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), and by Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, such as acetyl $\ell$-carnitine and tacrine. In conclusion, this finding is the first direct in vivo evidence that choline is transported from brain to the blood across the BBB via a carrier-mediated efflux transport process.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2010

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, donepezil and tacrine suggested to be mediated by choline transport system in our previous study. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the interaction of other AChE inhibitors, rivastigmine and galantamine with choline transporter at the BBB. The effects of rivastigmine and galantamine on the transport of choline by conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell lines (TR-BBB cells) were characterized by cellular uptake study using radiolabeled choline. The uptake of [$^3H$]choline was inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine, with $IC_{50}$ values (i.e. concentration necessary for 50% inhibition) for 1.13 and 1.15 mM, respectively. Rivastigmine inhibited the uptake of [$^3H$]choline competitively with $K_i$ of 1.01 mM, but galantamine inhibited noncompetitively. In addition, the efflux of [$^3H$]choline was significantly inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine. Our results indicated that the BBB choline transporter may be involved in a part of the influx and efflux transport of rivastigmine across the BBB. These findings should be therapeutically relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with AChE inhibitors, and, more generally, to the BBB transport of CNS-acting cationic drugs via choline transporter.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.265-269
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• 2007

There is significant interest in finding new sources of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors for use in treating Alzheimer's disease, since only a few AChE inhibitors are available for clinical use, such as galanthamine, physostigmine, and tacrine. The ethanol extract of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne flowers was analyzed and found to markedly decrease AChE activity. Acaciin and $acacetin-7-O-{\beta}-D-galactopyranoside$ were identified as the active compounds responsible for the AChE inhibition by using an activity-guided fractionation strategy. The relationship between structure and activity for five flavonoids (acaciin, $acacetin-7-O-{\beta}-D-galactopyranoside$, luteolin, and two other commercially available flavonoids, i.e., apigenin and acacetin) was also investigated, revealing that the presence of methoxy groups at C-4' in the B ring and a sugar at O-7 in ring A appear to be essential for the inhibition of AChE.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.27-35
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of the fraction of Taraxacum officinale and T.coreanum on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. Methods : The cognition-enhancing effect of Taraxacum officinale and T.coreanum was investigated using a passive avoidance test, the Morris water maze test and Y-maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Results : The results showed that the Aug harvested T.offiicinale extract-treated group (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and the tacrine-treated group (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia based on the Passive avoidance Y-maze test and Watermaze test. And these results are same manner in DPPH radical scavenger effect and Acetylcholineseterase inhibition effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that Taraxacum officinale extract maybe a useful cognitive impairment treatment, and its beneficial effects are depending on the collecting time and origin plants. As a result, Taraxacum officinale harvested in August improve memory most.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.383.1-383.1
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• 2002

In connection with our studies on the isolation of hepatoprotective constituents from natural products. we have recently reported hepatoprotective compounds including phenolic bakuchiol. diarylheptanoids. furocoumarins. In the course of continuing efforts. the aqueous extract of the roots of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. (Rosaceae) was found to exhibit promising hepatoprotective activity. A. pilosa is a perennial herb distributed throughout South Korea. and its roots have been used as the hemostatic. antimalarial. and antidysenteric agent in oriental medicine. Chemical investigation of the aqueous extract of the roots of this plant. as guided by hepatoprotective active catechin (2). Compound 1 showed hepatoprotective effects on both tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in human level derived Hep G2 cells and tert-hydroperoxide-induced cytotoxicity in rat primary hepatocyles with $EC_{50}$ values of 66.2 $\pm$ 2.8 and 22.9 $\pm$ 2.6 $\mu\textrm{M}$ respectively.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.25-31
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of the Ethanolic extracts of Platycodon grandiflorum and its permented production the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. Methods : The cognition-enhancing effect of Platycodon grandiflorum and its permented production were investigated using a passive avoidance test, the Morris water maze test and Y-maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Results : The results showed that the Permented Platycodon grandiflorum extract-treated group (100 mg/kg, p.o.) and the tacrine-treated group (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia based on the Passive avoidance Y-maze test and Water maze test. And these results are same manner in DPPH radical scavenger effect and Acetylcholineseterase inhibition effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that 80% Ethanol extract of fermented P.grandiflorum showed significant anti-amnestic and cognitive-enhancing activities related to the memory processes, and these activities were parallel to treatment duration and dependent of the learning models.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.106-106
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• 2003

Choline serves critical roles in the CNS both as a precursor of neurotransmitter and as an essential component of membrane phospholipids. The long-term maintenance of brain choline concentration is dependent on choline transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), And, we examined to elucidate the characteristics of transport of choline across the BBB using conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB) in vitro. The ［$^3$H］choline in TR - BBB was increased by time dependently, but independent on Na$\^$＋/, and the transport process is saturable with Michaelis-Menten constrant, Km of about 26 ${\mu}$M. The uptake of ［$^3$H］choline is susceptible for inhibition by various organic cationic compounds including hemicholinium-3, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and $\ell$-carnitine. Also, we investigated the relationship of transport of choline and cationic drugs. The uptake of ［$^3$H］choline is inhibited by antioxidant, a-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) with IC$\sub$50/ of 1.2 mM. and by Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, such as acetyl $\ell$-carnitine, tacrine and donepezil. Also, choline uptake presented competitive inhibition with PBN, donepezil and acetyl $\ell$-carnitine in Lineweaver-Burk plot. In conclusion, TR-BBB cells express a saturable transport system for uptake of choline, and several cationic drugs may be transported into the brain by BBB choline transporter.