• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.857-862
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-proliferative mechanism by Trichosanthes kirilowii (TCK) in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell. In this study, we used human breast cancer cell line, Michigan cancer foundation-7 cells (MCF-7 cells). They were co-incubated with 30~200 ${\mu}g$/ml TCK for 48 hours, and cell viability was measured by Water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) assay. After MCF-7 cells were exposed to 60 ${\mu}g$/ml of TCK for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours, We performed flow analysis cytometry sorting(FACS) and western blot analysis. We investigated the effect of dose-dependent cell growth inhibition by TCK, which could be proved by WST-1 assay. Also, flow cytometry analysis showed that TCK increased percentage of subG1 phase and G2/M phase cell cycle. In addition, TCK induced apoptosis through the expression of caspase-9, -3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP) activation. Moreover, we showed that ATM-dependent G2/M phase arrest by DNA damage and phosphorylation of chk2, cdc25C, cdc2(Tyr15). Taken together, these results suggest that by G2/M phase arrest through DNA damage and inducing of apoptosis through intrinsic pathway, TCK may have potential tumor suppressor in breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.1 s.124
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• pp.15-21
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the antitoxic components in the water extract of the roots of Trichosanthes kirilowii (Cucurbitaceae). The results were as follows: Generally, detoxication effects by the water extract of T. kirilowii increased in proportion to the concentrations. Experimental animals were treated with cadmium and T. kirilowii water extract by oral administration. When 40 mg/kg dosage of T. kirilowii extract was administrated it showed the highest antitoxic effects in metallothionein induction. After the water extract treatment, body weights did not increase in proportion to the extract concentrations. These results suggest that T. kirilowii extract increased metallothionein concentration and decreased the toxicity of cadmium in rats. In vitro the antitoxic activity of water extract of T. kirilowii on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts was evaluated by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) and SRB (sulforhodamine B protein) assays. The light microscopic study was carried out to observe morphological changes of the treated cells. These results were obtained as follows; The concentration of $10^{-2}\;mg/ml$ of T. kirilowii extract was shown significant antitoxic activity. The number of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were increased and tend to regenerate. These results suggest that T. kirilowii extract retains a potential antitoxic activity.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.292-295
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• 1977

Physicochemical properties of Trichosanthes kirilowii Max. root and starch were investigated. Trichosanthes kirilowii root is made up of 69% of moisture, 2.7% of protein, 0.3% of crude fat, 2.0% ash and 3.4% of crude fiber. Starch granules were in the range of 4.1-22.0 microns in size, the average being 11.0 microns. The starch had raising power of 87.5, amylose content of 26.7% alkali number of 34.3 and blue value of 0.42. The initial and final gelatinization temperature were $60^{\circ}C$ and $67-68^{\circ}C$ respectively.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.150-153
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• 2005

Although each part of Trichosanthes kirilowii is frequently used as medicinal herbs, study on the chemical composition is not sufficient. It was found that sarcocarp consists of 70% of carbohydrate, 13% of crude protein, 5% of crude fat, 6% of crude fiber and 6% of crude ash; seed consists of 62.59% of carbohydrate, 12.75% of crude protein, 14.80% of crude fat, 6.50% of crude fiber and 3.36% of crude ash; and root consists of 89.40% of carbohydrate, 4.10% of crude protein, 0.50% of crude fat, 3.50% of crude fiber and 2.50% of crude ash. Sarcocarp and seed contain fifteen kinds of amino acids such as Asp, Ser, Glu, Gly, His, Arg, Thr, Ala, Pro, Try, Cys, Met, Val, Leu, and Phe. Sarcocarp contain large quantities of phenylalanine and glycine and seed does not contain leucine but lysine. The mineral contents in Trichoxanthes kirilowii are 0.55% Ca, 0.91% Mg, 10.29% Na, and 0.17% K.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 2002

Objectives: In order to investigate the relationship of Radix Trichosanthis components and the melanin synthesis, the author has analyzed the cell viability and tyrosinase activity, melanin content and morphologic changes in n-hexane, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H2O fraction. Methods: At first, in order to determine the concentration of the Radix Trichosanthis component, the author investigated the viability of B16 melanoma cell. To measure the effects of Trichosanthes kirilowii extracts (n-BuOH, n-Hexane, EtOAc, H2O fractions) on the viability of A549 cells, A549 cells were treated with various concentrations (from 0.5 to $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) of components of Trichosanthes kirilowii. After 24hrs, the cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The EtOAc components of Trichosanthes kirilowii decreased the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. H2O and n-BuOH components had no cell toxicity till $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$, the n-hexane component showed minor cell toxicity at $25{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ and the EtOAc component cell toxicity was revealed at $5{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ concentration. Results: 1. The results of tyrosinase activity and the Radix Trichosanthis component; n-hexane and EtOAc components controlled it effectively; the n-BuOH components were less effective. 2. The results of melanin content analysis showed that the n-hexane and EtOAc components effectively inhibited, the n-BuOH fraction inhibited less, and H2O component didn't inhibit the terminal melanin formation. 3. In the n-BuOH and H2O component there were no changes, but in the n-hexane component the melanin content was effectively inhibited. 4. In the EtOAc fraction, although the melanin content was inhibited, the cell count was evidently suppressed, Of all of the Radix Trichosanthis components, the n-Hexane and EtOAc fractions inhibited the melanin synthesis best, but owing to its toxicity, the EtOAc components inhibited the cell count. Conclusion: The above results demonstrated that Radix Trichosanthis n-hexane fraction efficiently inhibited the tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.175-180
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• 2022

The seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii (STK) used in traditional Oriental medicine for the treatment of dry cough and constipation have diverse pharmacological activities, including hypolipidemic, antioxidant, immunosuppressive, and anticancer effects. However, the effect of STK on angiogenesis has not been studied yet. In this study, we investigated whether the ethanolic extract of STK (ESTK) can regulate the migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and explored the underlying mechanism. Results of transwell assay showed that ESTK treatment dose-dependently suppressed the migration of HUVECs. The conditioned medium collected from H1299 human lung cancer cells was used as a chemoattractant. Our observation suggests that ESTK would inhibit the recruitment of endothelial cells into tumors. In addition, ESTK treatment significantly reduced the tube formation of HUVECs. As a molecular mechanism, we found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced phosphorylation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was completely blocked by ESTK treatment. The expression of angiogenic factors, including VEGFA, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), angiopoietin, placental growth factor (PGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), angiogenin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, was commonly decreased by ESTK treatment in H1299 cells, indicating that ESTK would reduce the production of angiogenic factors from cancer cells. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrated that ESTK exhibited anti-angiogenic effects in HUVECs, which provides another possible mechanism underlying the anticancer activities of STK.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.116-116
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• 2012

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 1991

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.673-677
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• 2013

In order to examine the effects of Korean cucurbitaceous plants on sonic hedgehog pathway and growth of cancer cells with over-activated hedgehog pathway, we measured the sonic hedgehog conditioned medium (shh-CM) induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell viability of pancreatic cancer cell lines by treatment of cucurbitaceous plants. Among the tested cucurbitaceous plants, Actinostemma lobatum Maxim, Cucumis sativus L., Momordica charantia L., Schizopepon bryoniaefolius Maxim and Trichosanthes kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam showed the potent inhibitory effects (> 50 % at $20{\mu}g/mL$) on shh-CM induced ALP activity. We also evaluated the cell viability of pancreatic cancer cells treated with the cucurbitaceous plants. The tested cucurbitaceous plants showed the very weak effects on cancer cell proliferation but, T. kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam presented the inhibitory effect of 72.7 % on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells at $20{\mu}g/mL$. Taken together, we screened the effects of Korean cucurbitaceous plants on shh-CM induced ALP activity and cell viability of pancreatic cancers to search for the modulators of the hedgehog pathway leading to the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. T. kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam, among the tested cucurbitaceous plants, showed the inhibitory effects on the shh-CM induced ALP activity and the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 1995

A new lectin, named TRA, was purified from Trichosanthes kirilowii root by acid-treated Sepharose 6B, Mono-Q, and TSK-gel 3000SW column sequential chromatography. The lectin appeared homogeneous by native gel electrophoresis at pH 4.3 and gave two protein bands of Mr=31 and 28 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the polypeptides of TRA have not been reported in amino acid sequences of the lectins. TRA lectin formed a precipitate with asialofetuin, neuraminidase-treated fetuin. A sugar inhibition assay indicated that N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, among the monosaccharides tested, was the most potent inhibitor of TRA-induced hemagglutination. Asialofetuin showed a 260-times stronger inhibitory activity than N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. TRA lectin also showed agglutination with normal leukocytes and lymphoma cells, but not with premature hemopoietic cells. These results suggest that TRA is a novel plant lectin.