• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2020

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by various factors, such as cholinergic dysfunction, regulation of neurotrophic factor expression, and accumulation of amyloid-beta. We investigated whether or not a combination of Carthamus tinctorius L. seed and Taraxacum coreanum (CT) has a protective effect on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in a mouse model. Methods and Results: Mice were orally pretreated with CT (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, and scopolamine (1 mg/kg/day) was injected intraperitoneally before subjecting them to behavior tests. CT-administered mice showed better novel object recognition and working memory ability than scopolamine-treated control mice. In T-maze and Morris water maze tests, CT (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) significantly increased space perceptive ability and occupancy to the target quadrant, respectively. In addition, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of CT attenuated cholinergic dysfunction through inhibition of butyryl cholinesterase in brain tissue. Furthermore, CT-administered mice showed higher cyclic adenosine monophosphate-response element-binding protein (CREB) levels and lower amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels compared to scopolamine-treated control mice. Conclusions: CT improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment through inhibition of cholinergic dysfunction, up-regulation of CREB, and down-regulation of APP. Therefore, CT could be a useful therapeutic agent for AD with protective effects on cognitive impairment.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.368-376
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• 2021

This study was to investigate the Taraxinic acid from Taraxacum coreanum on tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis. In B16BL6 cell, Taraxinic acid did not show cytotoxicity even at concentrations of up to 100 ㎍/mL. In addition, tyrosinase inhibitory activity and melanogenesis inhibitory activity were confirmed by stimulation with α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in the presence of taraxinic acid. Taraxinic acid was added to cells at concentrations of 10, 50 and 100 ㎍/mL and treated for 48 hours to confirm tyrosinase inhibitory activity and melanin production. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity increased in proportion to the amount of the sample, and showed an inhibitory activity of about 54.5% at a concentration of 50 ㎍/mL. Melanin production decreased in proportion to the sample amount, and it was about 62.2% at the concentration of 10 ㎍/mL. From the above results, it was found that Taraxinic acid had higher tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in melanocyte than arbutin. The results suggest that Taraxinic acid can be utilized in natural whitening cosmetics.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.286-287
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• 2007

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2009

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.522-534
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• 2017

This study was investigated genetic variation in 24 Taraxacum accessions from various regions in South Korea based on the sequences of two chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) regions (trnL-trnF and rps16-trnK). T. mongolicum, T. officinale, and T. laevigatum were triploid, and T. coreanum and T. coreanum var. flavescens were tetraploid. The trnL-trnF region in native Korean dandelions (T. mongolicum, T. coreanum, and T. coreanum var. flavescens) were ranged from 931 to 935 bp in length, and that of naturalized dandelions were ranged from 910 bp (T. officinale) to 975 bp (T. laevigatum) in length. The rps16-trnK region in T. mongolicum, T. coreanum, T. coreanum var. flavescens, T. officinale, and T. laevigatum was 882-883 bp, 875-881 bp, 878-883 bp, 874-876 bp, and 847-876 bp, respectively, in length. The sequence similarity matrix of the trnL-trnF region ranged from 0.860 to 1.00 with an average of 0.949, and that of the rps16-trnK region ranged from 0.919 to 1.000 with an average of 0.967. According to the phylogenetic analysis, the Korean native taxa and naturalized taxa were divided independent clade in two cpDNA region. T. coreanum var. flavescens clustered only with T. coreanum, and there were no significant differences in their nucleotide sequences. The finding that two accessions (T. coreanum; Jogesan, T. mongolicum; Gangyang) had a high level of genetic variation suggests their utility for breeding materials.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2008

Three kinds of bacteria that influence Kimchi fermentation, Lactobacillus plantarium for acidity, Leuconostoc mesenteroides for ripening Kimchi, and Pichia membranifaciens for decreasing Kimchi quality, were regulated by natural products including Theae folium, Taraxacum coreanum, Brassica juncea, Astragali radix, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Camellia japonica, Agaricus blazei, and Cordyceps militaris. The common prescription combined T. folium, T. coreanum and C. militaris and simultaneously regulated these 3 bacteria as follows: the growth of L. plantarium and P. membranifaciens were inhibited and L. mesenteroides was promoted. The most effective mixing ratio was T. folium: T. coreanum: C. militaris = 3:2:1. With this new prescription, deep flavor, extended preservation, and a special taste are expected in the Kimchi due to these natural products.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2012

Contents of phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity were investigated in the methanol extracts of three different $Taraxacum$ species, $Taraxacum$ $coreanum$, $Taraxacum$ $mongolicum$, and $Taraxacum$ $officinale$. Total phenolics content at $1000mg\;kg^{-1}$ was more present in shoot parts than in roots, and was highest in $T.$ $mongolicum$ shoot and root extracts (76.8 and $40.0mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively), followed by $T.$ $coreanum$ and $T.$ $officinale$ ($p$ < 0.05). Total flavonoid level had same tendency to total phenolics among $Taraxacum$ species, showing lower amounts ($6.5{\sim}36.4mg\;kg^{-1}$) than total phenolics. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extracts from all the species dose-dependently increased. DPPH free radical scavenging activity at $1,000mg\;kg^{-1}$ was highest in shoot and root extracts from $T.$ $mongolicum$ by 89.6 and 83.4%, respectively. According to MTT assay, cell viability of Calu-6 (human pulmonary carcinoma) was lowest in the $T.$ $mongolicum$ shoot and root extracts ($IC_{50}$ values=83.4 and $66.4mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively), and followed by $T.$ $coreanum$ and $T.$ $officinale$ (lowest). Calu-6 was more sensitive to the extracts than SNU-601 (human gastric carcinoma). Antioxidative and anticancer activities in three different $Taraxacum$ species was more correlated with total phenolics content ($r^2$=0.0097 to 0.6213) than with total flavonoids level ($r^2$=0.0027 to 0.4627). The results showed total phenolics content and total flavonoids level were highly correlated with anticancer activity and antioxidant activity, and their content and activities were different depending on species.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

Objectives : Taraxacum coreanum (TC) have been used as a traditional medicine to treat inflammatory diseases and anti-oxidant effect in Korea. However, the anti-inflammatory effect of TC water extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation is not well-known. Therefore, this study was performed to identify the anti-inflammatory effect of TC on LPS induced inflammatory. Methods : RAW 264.7 cells were treated with 500 ng/mL of LPS. Water extracts of TC (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 mg/ml) was treated 1 h prior to LPS. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Levels of nitric oxide (NO) were measured with Griess reagent and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). We also examined molecular mechanisms such as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) activation by western blot. Results : Water Extract from TC itself did not have any cytotoxic effect in RAW 264.7 cells. TC treatment inhibited the production of NO production, and pro-inflamamtory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$ on protein and mRNA levels. In addition, TC treatment inhibited the LPS-induced activation of MAPKs such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), p38 kinases (p38), c-Jun $NH_2$-terminal kinase (JNK) and $NF-{\kappa}B$. Conclusions : In summary, our result suggest that treatment of TC could reduce the LPS-induced inflammation. Thereby, TC could be used as a protective agent against inflammation. Also, this study could give a clinical basis that TC could be a drug or agent to prevent inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.273-278
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the quality characteristics and antioxidant properties of cookies supplemented with 2~8% (w/w) Taraxacum coreanum powder (TCP). The pH and moisture content of cookie dough decreased significantly (P<0.05) while density was not influenced significantly by increasing levels of TCP. The spread ratio and loss rate of cookies increased significantly with increasing levels of TCP (P<0.05). Lightness, redness, and yellowness decreased significantly with higher amount of TCP (P<0.05). The use of TCP significantly increased hardness of cookies while 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities were significantly elevated (P<0.05). The consumer acceptance test indicated that addition of 2% TCP had a favorable effect on consumer preferences in all attributes. Based on overall observations, cookies with 2% TCP can take advantage of the functional properties of TCP without sacrificing consumer acceptability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.1763-1770
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• 2015

The effects of root of Taraxacum coreanum Nakai (TC), on the suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in ICR mice were studied. LPS (10 mg/kg body weight) was injected into ICR mice in between two consecutive oral administrations. Hot water extract of fresh TC (HWETC) was administered to mice immediately before and 24 h after LPS injection. The animal groups used in this study were as follows: NOR group (PBS injection, DW administration), CON group (LPS injection, DW administration), and TC group (LPS injection, 1.4 g/kg bw of HWETC administration). Mice in the CON group lost weight due to inflammation induced by LPS, while the body weight of the TC group mice increased significantly, indicating that inflammation was inhibited by HWETC administration. Compare with the CON group, plasma and hepatic triglyceride, reactive oxygen species, peroxynitrite, and hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentrations of the TC group decreased significantly (P<0.05). The protein expression of a pro-inflammatory transcription factor, nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and its target enzyme, cyclooxygenase 2, increased in response to LPS injection, but was suppressed by HWETC administration (P<0.05). In conclusion, HWETC appears to ameliorate the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses induced by LPS via inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation.