• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1625-1628
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• 2006

The (-)-pimara-9 (11), 15-dien-19-oic acid, acanthoic acid was extracted from the roots of Acanthopanax koreanum using bioassay-guided isolation of a MeOH extract. Acanthoic acid was assayed against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus epidermidis causing dental caries and opportunistic pathogen. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of acanthoic acid against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus epidermidis was 2 and 4 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively, which was much lower than those of other natural antimicrobial agents such as 8 ${\mu}g/mL$ of tanshinone IIA. Acanthoic acid also significantly inhibited the growth of other cariogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus sanguis, and Streptococcus grodenii in the MIC range of 4${\sim}$32 ${\mu}g/mL$. Our findings suggest that acanthoic acid could be employed as a potential antibacterial agent for preventing dental caries and skin infections.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2010

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophic factor involved in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, survival and regeneration. BDNF draws massive attention mainly due to the potential as a therapeutic target in neurological diseases such as depression and Alzheimer's disease. In a primary screening for the natural compounds enhancing BDNF release from cultured rat primary cortical neuron, we found that compounds such as baicalein, tanshinone IIa, cinnamic acid, epiberberine, genistein and wogonin among many others increased BDNF release. All the compounds at $0.1{\mu}M$ of concentration barely showed stimulatory effect on BDNF induction, however, their combination (mixture 1; baicalein, tanshinone IIa and cinnamic acid, mixture 2; epiberberine, genistein and wogonin) showed synergistic increase in BDNF release as well as mRNA and protein expression. The level of BDNF expression was comparable to the maximum BDNF stimulation attainable by a positive control oroxylin A ($20{\mu}M$) without cell toxicity as determined by MTT analysis. Both mixtures synergistically increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as well as cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), an immediate and essential regulator of BDNF expression. Similar to these results, mixture of these compounds synergistically inhibited the up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by lipopolysaccharide treatments in rat primary astrocytes. These results suggest that the combinatorial treatment of natural compounds in lower concentration might be a useful strategy to obtain sufficient BDNF stimulation in neurological disease condition such as depression, while minimizing potential side effects and toxicity of higher concentration of a single compound.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.455-459
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• 2006

The inhibitors of prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity have been considered as potential anti-inflammatory agents. In this study, we evaluated 9 compounds isolated from 5 Korean phytomedicinal plants (Spirea prunifolia, Paeonia suffruticosa, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Artemisia capillaris) for the inhibition of $PGE_2$production and COX-2 expession in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human macrophages U937 cells. As a result, several compound such as prunioside A, penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose, tanshinone IIA, baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, scopolatin, scoparone and decursinol showed potent inhibition of $PGE_2$production (50-70% inhibition at the test concentration of $10\;{\mu}M$). In addition, these compounds were also considered as potential inhibitors of COX-2 activity (45-73% inhibition at the test concentration of $10\;{\mu}M$). These active compound mediating COX-2 inhibitory activities are warranted for further elucidation of active principles for development of anti-inflammatory agents and these properties may contribute to the anti-atopic dermatitis activity.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2019

Objectives : This study aimed to be used as basic data for obtaining excellent quality of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) root. Methods : SM cultivated in Anhui Bozou, Henan, Shandong, Henan Wenxian, Zhejiang, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, Shaanxi Shangluo, Sichuan Zhongjiang, Sichuan Minyang and Jiangsu in China were gathered and its internal morphology and physicochemical patterns were analyzed. Results : Cross-section of sang plants according to cultivated regions in China showed that cork layers consisted of cells with four to six layers, cortex width was wide, and phloem was semilunar-shaped. Although there are forms layers, yet boundary was vague. It was observed that eight to ten vascular bundles were arranged in wooden parts in all directions and as a single line of vascular was distributed nearby form layers as it nears to the center. Tanshinon IIA identified a spot in the same location with standard product near by Rf 0.9 in the test identifying TLC of SM according to cultivated areas in China. The largest amount was 0.535% identified in Shandong and the lowest amount of 0.05% in Hebei. Salvianolic acid B identified a spot in the same location with standard product near by Rf 0.7 in the test identifying TLC of SM according to cultivated areas in China. The largest amount was 2.72% identified in Liaoning and the lowest amount of 0.825% in Jiangsu. Conclusions : The results are assumed to be used as basic data for obtaining excellent quality of SM oriental medical hers and distinguishing authentic or fake herbs.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2006

This research was aimed to search for natural antimicrobial agents that are sefe for humans and specific for oral pathogens. Acanthoic was isolated from the chloroform fraction of methanol extract of Acanthopanax koreanum $N_{AKAI}$ and its structure were elucidated by 13-NMR, 1H-NNR and ESIMS. Antibacterial activity of acanthoic acid was investigated by the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimun bactericidal (MBC) concentration. MIC/MBC of acanthoic acid against Streptococcus mutans $N_{AKAI}$ causing dental caries was determined to be $2/4\;{\mu}g/mL$, which was much lower than these of other natural antimicrobial agents such as $8/16\;{\mu}g/mL$ of sangurinarine and $250/500\;{\mu}/mL$ of green tea extract, $500/600\;{\mu}g/mL$ of thymol and borneol. Acanthoic and significantly inhibited the growth of other cariogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus sobrinus $N_{AKAI}$ and Streptococcus sanguis $N_{AKAI}$, and Streptococcus gordonii $N_{AKAI}$ in the MIC range of $4{\sim}32\;{\mu}g/mL$. My finding suggests that acanthoic acid could be employed as a potential antibacterial agent for preventing dental caries.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2019

A chicken clathrin-associated adaptor protein $3-{\delta}$ subunit 2 (AP3S2) is a subunit of AP3, which is involved in cargo protein trafficking to target membrane with clathrin-coated vesicles. AP3S2 may play a role in virus entry into host cells through clathrin-dependent endocytosis. AP3S2 is also known to participate in metabolic disease developments of progressions, such as liver fibrosis with hepatitis C virus infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chicken AP3S2 (chAP3S2) gene was originally identified as one of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in chicken kidney which was fed with different calcium doses. This study aims to characterize the molecular characteristics, gene expression patterns, and transcriptional regulation of chAP3S2 in response to the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) to understand the involvement of chAP3S2 in metabolic disease in chicken. As a result, the structure prediction of chAP3S2 gene revealed that the gene is highly conserved among AP3S2 orthologs from other species. Evolutionarily, it was suggested that chAP3S2 is relatively closely related to zebrafish, and fairly far from mammal AP3S2. The transcriptional profile revealed that chAP3S2 gene was highly expressed in chicken lung and spleen tissues, and under the stimulation of poly (I:C), the chAP3S2 expression was down-regulated in DF-1 cells (P<0.05). However, the presence of the transcriptional inhibitors, BAY 11-7085 (Bay) as an inhibitor for nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF{\kappa}B$) or Tanshinone IIA (Tan-II) as an inhibitor for activated protein 1 (AP-1), did not affect the expressional level of chAP3S2, suggesting that these transcription factors might be dispensable for TLR3 mediated repression. These results suggest that chAP3S2 gene may play a significant role against viral infection and be involved in TLR3 signaling pathway. Further study about the transcriptional regulation of chAP3S2 in TLR3 pathways and the mechanism of chAP3S2 upon virus entry shall be needed.