• Title/Summary/Keyword: Ultraviolet radiation

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Synthesis and Property Evaluation of Bio-adhesives Using Peach Gum(桃膠) (도교(桃膠)를 이용한 바이오 접착제의 합성 및 물성 평가)

  • Park, Min-Seon;Oh, Seung-Jun;Wi, Koang-Chul
    • Journal of Conservation Science
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    • v.37 no.3
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    • pp.282-288
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    • 2021
  • This basic research was conducted to support the development of woodcraft bio-adhesives using peach gum, which is the resin produced by peach trees. The synthesis conditions of these adhesives were optimized by performing 144 experiments. The application potential of peach gum adhesives was explored by comparing their properties with those of three natural adhesives and four synthetic adhesives. The best adhesive strength was obtained by dissolving the resin in 80 mL of distilled water containing 1.5 g NaOH, 1.65 g H2O2 ( pH 8.0-9.0), 0.5 g NaClO, and 0.5 g H2BO2. The adhesive strength, which showed minimal changes and excellent reversibility, was 125.39 kgf/cm2. Ultraviolet radiation-mediated deterioration in strength in the absence of total aerobic bacteria was negligible (△E*ab = 2.75). These data confirm the potential value of peach gum-based bio-adhesives for woodcraft as well as their utility as alternatives for natural and synthetic adhesives used for the manufacture and restoration of handicrafts and preservation of cultural assets.

Fabrication of High Density and High Uniformity Irradiation Light Source for Exposure Curing System Using 365 nm and 385 nm Wavelength SMD LED and High Transmittance Silicone Resin TIR Bar Type Lens (365 nm 및 385 nm SMD LED와 TIR 바형 렌즈를 이용하는 고밀도 고균일성 특성의 경화용 광원모듈 제작 )

  • Pil Hong Jeong;Beom Jin Kim;Yeong Jin Kim;Dong Gyu Jeon;Hyo Min Kim;Jae Hyeon Kim;Hyeong Min Kim;Gyu Seong Lee;Kawan Anil;Eung Ryul Park;Soon Jae Yu;Min Jun Ann;Do Won Hwang
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.394-399
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    • 2024
  • An irradiator is developed using two UVA wavelength ranges of SMD LEDs as a curing light source. This module has dimensions of 545×111×300 mm3 and is equipped with a TIR bar-shaped lens made of PDMS silicone resin. The developed irradiator offers high uniformity, with 89% in the centerline of the horizontal axis direction, for two different wavelength ranges of 365 nm and 385 nm. The radiation intensity from the light source module shows highly directional characteristics, and the irradiator provides a maximum irradiance of 1,634 mW/cm2 at a working distance of 50 mm. During the initial 5 minutes of operation, the irradiance experiences a rapid decrease. However, this issue is addressed by optimizing the LED's current reduction characteristics and managing the Transistor's temperature rise in the constant current circuit. After continuous operation for approximately 60 minutes. The highest temperature, near the central part of the irradiating surface, reaches 69.7℃, while the lowest temperature, near the edges, is 41.1℃.

Photoimmunology -Past, Present and Future-

  • Daynes, Raymond A.;Chung, Hun-Taeg;Roberts, Lee K.
    • The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.311-329
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    • 1986
  • The experimental exposure of animals to sources of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which emit their energy primarily in the UVB region (280-320nm) is known to result in a number of well-described changes in the recipient's immune competence. Two such changes include a depressed capacity to effectively respond immunologically to transplants of syngeneic UVR tumors and a markedly reduced responsiveness to known inducers of delayedtype (DTH) and contact hypersensitivity (CH) reactions. The results of experiments that were designed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for UVR-induced immunomodulation have implicated: 1) an altered pattern of lymphocyte recirculation, 2) suppressor T cells(Ts), 3) deviations in systemic antigen presenting cell (APC) potential. 4) changes in the production of interleukin-1-like molecules, and 5) the functional inactivation of epidermal Langerhans cells in this process. The exposure of skin to UVR, therefore, causes a number of both local and systemic alterations to the normal host immune system. In spite of this seeming complexity and diversity of responses, our recent studies have established that each of the UVR-mediated changes is probably of equal importance to creating the UVR-induced immunocompromised state. Normal animals were exposed to low dose UVR radiation on their dorsal surfaces under conditions where a $3.0\;cm^2$ area of skin was physically protected from the light energy. Contact sensitization of these animals with DNFB, to either the irradiated or protected back skin, resulted in markedly reduced CH responses. This was observed in spite of a normal responsiveness following the skin sensitization to ventral surfaces of the UVR-exposed animals. Systemic treatment of the low dose UVR recipients with the drug indomethacin (1-3 micrograms/day) during the UVR exposures resulted in a complete reversal of the depressions observed following DNFB sensitization to "protected" dorsal skin while the altered responsiveness found in the group exposed to the skin reactive chemical through directly UVR-exposed sites was maintained. These studies implicate the importance of EC as effective APC in the skin and also suggest that some of the systemic influences caused by UVR exposure involve the production of prostaglandins. This concept was further supported by finding that indomethacin treatment was also capable of totally reversing the systemic depressions in CH responsiveness caused by high dose UVR exposure (30K joules/$m^2$) of mice. Attempts to analyze the cellular mechanisms responsible established that the spleens of all animals which demonstrated altered CH responses, regardless of whether sensitization was through a normal or an irradiated skin site, contained suppressor cells. Interestingly, we also found normal levels of T effector cells in the peripheral lymph nodes of the UVR-exposed mice that were contact sensitized through normal skin. No effector cells were found when skin sensitization took place through irradiated skin sites. In spite of such an apparent paradox, insight into the probable mechanisms responsible for these observations was provided by establishing that UVR exposure of skin results in a striking and dose-dependent blockade of the efferent lymphatic vessels in all peripheral lymph nodes. Therefore, the afferent phases of immune responses can apparently take place normally in UVR exposed animals when antigen is applied to normal skin. The final effector responses, however, appear to be inhibited in the UVR-exposed animals by an apparent block of effector cell mobility. This contrasts with findings in the normal animals. Following contact sensitization, normal animals were also found to simultaneously contain both antigen specific suppressor T cells and lymph node effector cells. However, these normal animals were fully capable of mobilizing their effector cells into the systemic circulation, thereby allowing a localization of these cells to peripheral sites of antigen challenge. Our results suggest that UVR is probably not a significant inducer of suppressor T-cell activity to topically applied antigens. Rather, UVR exposure appears to modify the normal relationship which exists between effector and regulatory immune responses in vivo. It does so by either causing a direct reduction in the skin's APC function, a situation which results in an absence of effector cell generation to antigens applied to UVR-exposed skin sites, inhibiting the capacity of effector cells to gain access to skin sites of antigen challenge or by sequestering the lymphocytes with effector cell potential into the draining peripheral lymph nodes. Each of these situations result in a similar effect on the UVR-exposed host, that being a reduced capacity to elicit a CH response. We hypothesize that altered DTH responses, altered alloresponses, and altered graft-versus-host responses, all of which have been observed in UVR exposed animals, may result from similar mechanisms.

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Simultaneous Determination of UV Absorbers Migrated from Polyethylene and Polypropylene Food Packaging Materials into Food Simulants by HPLC-UVD (HPLC-UVD를 이용한 폴리에틸렌, 폴리프로필렌 기구 및 용기·포장 유래 자외선흡수제 동시분석법)

  • Choi, Heeju;Choi, Jae Chun;Bae, In-Ae;Lee, Chanyong;Park, Se-Jong;Kim, MeeKyung
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.32 no.5
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    • pp.434-442
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    • 2017
  • The UV light in sunlight breaks down the chemical bonds in a polyolefin polymer through a process called photodegradation, ultimately causing cracking, chalking, colour changes, and loss of physical properties such as impact strength, tensile strength, elongation, and others. UV absorbers are used to prevent or terminate the oxidation of plastics by UV light. They are receptive to UV radiation and dissipate the energy harmlessly as heat. Benzotriazoles and benzophenones are used mainly in polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene. In this study, we have developed a method for the analysis of 12 UV absorbers, which are Uvinul 3000, Cyasorb UV 24, Uvinul 3040, Tinuvin 312 and P, Seesorb 202, Chimassorb 81, Tinuvin 329, 234, 326, 328 and 327, migrated from the food packaging materials into four food simulants for aqueous, acidic, alcoholic and fatty foods. The UV absorbers in food simulants were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatograph-ultraviolet detector with 310 nm after solid-phase extraction with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge or dilution with isopropanol. The analytical method showed a good linearity of coefficient ($R^2{\geq}0.99$), limits of detection (0.049~0.370 mg/L), and limits of quantification (0.149~1.120 mg/L). The recoveries of UV absorbers spiked to four food simulants ranged from 70.05% to 110.13%. The developed method would be used as a reliable tool to determine concentrations of the migrated UV absorbers.

The Effect of Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) of the Arctic Copepod Calanus glacialis on Protecting Escherichia coli Cells against Oxidative Stress (북극 동물플랑크톤 Calanus glacialis TCTP (Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein)가 산화적 스트레스 상태에서 E. coli 세포의 저항성에 미치는 효과)

  • Park, Yu Kyung;Lee, Chang-Eun;Lee, Hyoungseok;Koh, Hye Yeon;Kim, Sojin;Lee, Sung Gu;Kim, Jung Eun;Yim, Joung Han;Hong, Ju-Mi;Kim, Ryeo-Ok;Han, Se Jong;Kim, Il-Chan
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.30 no.11
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    • pp.931-938
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    • 2020
  • Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is one of the most abundant proteins in various eukaryotic organisms. TCTPs play important roles in cell physiological processes in cancer, cell proliferation, gene regulation, and heat shock response. TCTP is also considered an important factor in the resistance to oxidative stress induced by dithiothreitol or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Arctic calanoid copepods have a variety of antioxidant defense systems to regulate the levels of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species generated by ultraviolet radiation in the Arctic marine ecosystem. However, information on the antioxidant activity of TCTP in the Arctic Calanus glacialis is still scarce. To understand the putative antioxidant function of the Arctic copepod C. glacialis TCTP (Cg-TCTP), its gene was cloned and sequenced. The Cg-TCTP comprised 522 bp and encoded a 174-amino acid putative protein with a calculated molecular weight of ~23 kDa. The recombinant Cg-TCTP (Cg-r TCTP) gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli (BL21), and Cg-rTCTP-transformed cells were grown in the presence or absence of H2O2. Cg-rTCTP-transformed E. coli showed increased tolerance to high H2O2 concentrations. Therefore, TCTP may be an important antioxidant protein related to tolerance of the Arctic copepod C. glacialis to oxidative stress in the harsh environment of the Arctic Ocean.

Photoprotection and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Chinese Medical Plants (약용식물추출물의 광보호 효과와 항염증 효과 연구)

  • Jin-Hwa, Kim;Sung-Min, Park;Gwan-Sub, Sim;Bum-Chun , Lee;Hyeong-Bae, Pyo
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.227-233
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    • 2004
  • Chronic exposure to solar radiation, particularly ultraviolet (UV) light, causes a variety of adverse reactions on human skin, such as sunburn, photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by UV exposure or other environmental facts play critical roles in cellular damage. And, repeated-UV irradiation activated the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and induced skin irritation. Therefore, the development of effective and safe photoprotectants that can reduce and improve the skin damage has been required. The purpose of this study was to investigate the photo-protective effect of several chinese medical plants (Juniperus chinensis) on the UV -induced skin cell damages. We tested free radical and superoxide scavenging effect in vitro. Fluorometric assays of the proteolytic activities of MMP-1 (collagenase) were performed using fluorescent collagen substrates. UVA induced MMP-1 synthesis and activity were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and gelatin-based zymography in skin fibroblasts. We also examined anti-inflammatory effects by the determination test of proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 6 in HaCaT keratinocytes. Expression of prostaglandin E$_2$ (PGE$_2$) after UVB irradiation was measured by competitive enzyme immunoassay(EIA) using PGE$_2$ monoclonal antibody. In the human skin we tested anti-irritation effect on the SLS-induced damage skin after appling the extract containing emulsion. We found that Juniperus chinensis extract had potent radical scavenging effect by 98% at 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. The extract of Juniperus chinensis showed strong inhibitory effect on MMP-1 activities by 97% at 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL and suppressed the UVA induced expression of MMP-1 by 79% at 25$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. This extract also showed strong inhibition on MMP-2 activity in UVA irradiated fibroblast by zymography. In the test of proinflammatory cytokines of human keratinocytes Juniperus chinensis extract decreased expression of interleukin 6 about 30%. The amount of PGE$_2$ by HaCaT keratinocytes was significantly increased at the doses of above 10 mJ/$\textrm{cm}^2$ of UVB (p < 0.05). At the concentrations of 3.2-25$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL of this extract, the production of PGE$_2$ by HaCaT keratinocytes (24 h after 10mJ/$\textrm{cm}^2$ UVB irradiation) was significantly inhibited in culture supernatants (p < 0.05). In SLS-induced skin irritation model in vivo, we found to reduce skin erythema and improve barrier recovery after appling Juniperus chinensis extract containing emulsion when compared to irritated non-treated and placebo-treated skin. Our results suggest that Juniperus chinensis extract can be effectively used for the prevention of UV and SLS-induced adverse skin reactions and applied as anti-aging and anti-irritation cosmetics.

Melanogenesis regulatory constituents from Premna serratifolia wood collected in Myanmar

  • WOO, SO-YEUN
    • Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2019.04a
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    • pp.21-22
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    • 2019
  • Melanin is a mixture of pigmented biopolymers synthesized by epidermal melanocytes that determine the skin, eye, and hair colors. Melanocytes produce two different kinds of melanin, eumelanin (dark brown/black insoluble pigments found in dark skin and dark hair and pheomelanin (lighter red/yellow). The biological role of melanin is to prevent skin damage by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, the overproduction or deficiency of melanin synthesis could lead to serious dermatological problems, which include melasma, melanoderma, lentigo, and vitiligo. Therefore, regulating melanin production is important to prevent the pigmentation disorders. Myanmar has a rich in natural resources. However, the chemical constituents of these natural resources in Myanmar have not been fully investigated. In the effort to search for compounds with anti-melanin deposition activity from Myanmar natural resources, five plants were collected in Myanmar. Extracts of these collected five plants were tested for anti-melanin deposition activity against a mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10) induced with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and their anti-melanin deposition activities were compared with the positive control, arbutin. Among the tested extracts, the CHCl3 extracts of the Premna serratifolia (syn: P. integrifolia) wood showed anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of $81.3{\mu}g/mL$. Hence, this study aims to identify secondary metabolites with anti-melanin deposition activity from P. serratifolia wood of Myanmar. P. serratifolia belongs to the Verbenaceae family and is widely distributed in near western sea coast from South Asia to South East Asia, which include India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. People in Tanintharyi region located in the southern part of Myanmar utilize the P. serratifolia, Sperethusa crenulata, Naringi crenulata, and Limonia acidissima as Thanaka, traditional cosmetics in Myanmar. Thanaka is applied in the form of paste onto skins to make it smooth and clear, as well as to prevent wrinkles, skin aging, excessive facial oil, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. However, the chemical constituents responsible for their cosmetic properties are yet to be identified. Moreover, the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia was almost uncharacterized. Investigation of the P. serratifolia chemical constituents is thus an attractive endeavor to discover new anti-melanin deposition active compounds. The investigation of the chemical constituents of the active CHCl3 extract of P. serratifolia led to isolation of four new lignoids, premnan A (1), premnan B (2), taungtangyiol C (3), and 7,9-dihydroxydolichanthin B (4), together with premnan C (5) (assumed to be an artifact), one natural newlignoid,(3R,4S)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylcarbonyl)-3-[(R)-1-(1,3-benzo dioxol-5-yl)-1-hydroxy methyl]tetrahydro-2-furanone (6), and five known compounds (7-11)1,2). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with the reported literatures. The absolute configurations of 1-3 and 5 were also determined by optical rotation and circular dichroism (CD) data analyses1). The anti-melanin deposition activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated against B16-F10 cell line. 7,9-Dihydroxydolichanthin B (4) and ($2{\alpha},3{\alpha}$)-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (11) showed strong anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of 18.4 and $11.2{\mu}M$, respectively, without cytotoxicity2). On the other hand, compounds 1-3, 5, and 7 showed melanogenesis enhancing activities1). To better understand their anti-melanin deposition mechanism, the effects of 4 and 11 on tyrosinase activities were investigated. The assay indicated that compounds 4 and 11 did not inhibit tyrosinase. Furthermore, we also examined the mRNA expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2). Compounds 4 and 11 down-regulated the expression of Tyr and Mitf mRNAs, respectively. Although the P. serratifolia wood has been used as traditional cosmetics in Myanmar for centuries, there are no scientific evidences to support its effectiveness as cosmetics. Investigation of the anti-melanin deposition activity of the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia thus provided insight into the effectiveness of the P. serratifolia wood as a cosmetic agent.

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The Dyeing Properties of Woody Fiber Regenerated from Waste MDF by Reactive Dyes (반응성염료에 의한 폐MDF 재생 목질섬유의 염색특성)

  • Ju, Seon-Gyeong;Roh, JeongKwan
    • Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.163-177
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    • 2019
  • This study aims to review the relations between the dyeing conditions (i.e., dye concentration, addition amounts of salt and alkali, and dyeing temperature) and dyeing properties and color fastness to light for identifying the optimal dyeing conditions when dyed regenerated woody fibers were obtained through the defibration of waste medium density fiberboard (MDF) using reactive Red H-E3B (Bis-monochlorotriazine (MCT)/MCT type) and reactive Red RB133% (Bis-MCT/Vinyl sulphone type). The dyeing yield (K/S) obtained using two types of reactive dyes increased as the dye concentration increased by 1-10% (on the weight of fiber (OWF)). In addition, the K/S of H-E3B was higher than that of RB133% irrespective of the dye concentration. The color difference of H-E3B after ultraviolet (UV) radiation was lower than that of RB133%, denoting good resistance to discoloration by UV. As the amount of sodium sulfate increased, the color difference and K/S also increased, and the adequate salt content was determined to be 50-70 g/L. Further, the color difference and K/S significantly increased only the addition of 2 g/L of sodium carbonate; however, almost no difference was observed when more than 2 g/L of sodium carbonate was added. The addition amount of sodium carbonate was adequate 5-10 g/L to dyeing the fiber and the pH at this addition level was 10. The dyeing yield of H-E3B increased when the dyeing temperature increased; however, it subsequently decreased after the dyeing temperature became $80^{\circ}C$. The dyeing yield of RB133% was almost the same up to $60-70^{\circ}C$ but declined subsequently. Thus, the adequate temperatures were $80^{\circ}C$ and $60^{\circ}C$ for H-E3B and RB133%, respectively. If the waste MDF woody fiber was dyed under the aforementioned optimal conditions, dyed regenerated woody fiber can be obtained having the following colors: 1.5 to 2.0R with the H-E3B dye and 9.6 to 10.0 PR with RB133%.

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Cytoprotective Effects of the Extract and Its Fraction Obtained from Rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC (범부채 뿌리 추출물 및 분획물의 항산화, 항균 및 세포 보호 효과)

  • Song, Ba Reum;Lee, Sang Lae;Lee, Yun Ju;Shin, Hyuk Soo;Park, Soo Nam
    • Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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    • v.29 no.6
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    • pp.772-781
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    • 2018
  • In this study, we investigated antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytoprotective effects of 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of the 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction were 621.5 and $253.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Total antioxidant capacities ($OSC_{50}$) of the extract and fraction were 13.6 and $3.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ethyl acetate fraction for Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were 156, $1,250{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, indicating similar or higher levels of those of using methyl paraben. Cytoprotective effects of the 50% ethanol extract against $^1O_2$-induced cellular damage (${\tau}_{50}$) showed in a dose dependent manner at 4 to $64{\mu}g/mL$. ${\tau}_{50}$ of the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction and (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol at $16{\mu}g/mL$ were 36.4, 45.0 and 45.8 min respectively, and the ethyl acetate fraction showed cytoprotective effects similar to (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. In ultraviolet B radiation-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) up to 45.9% at $8{\mu}g/mL$. Also in $H_2O_2$-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction significantly increased the cell viability at $0.5{\sim}8.0{\mu}g/mL$. As a result of chemical analyses of the ethyl acetate fraction, the presence of flavonoids and polyphenol such as irisflorentin, irigenin, tectorigenin, resveratrol, iridin and tectoridin were identified. In conclusion, the extract/fraction from rhizomes of B. chinensis can be applied as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial material to cosmetics.

Atorvastatin and Fluvastatin Can Reduce IL-1β-induced Inflammatory Responses in Human Keratinocytes (Atorvastatin 그리고 fluvastatin 약물의 IL-1β-유도 염증반응 억제 효과)

  • Choe, Yeong-In;Moon, Kyoung Mi;Yoo, Jae Cheal;Byun, June-Ho;Hwang, Sun-Chul;Moon, Dong Kyu;Woo, Dong Kyun
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.418-424
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    • 2021
  • Skin inflammation (dermatitis) is caused by varying skin damage due to ultraviolet radiation and microbial infection. Currently prescribed drugs for dermatitis include anti-histamine and steroid drug classes that soothe inflammation. However, incorrect or prolonged use of steroids can cause weakening of skin barriers as well as osteoporosis. Therefore, treating dermatitis with a drug that has minimal side effects is important. Statins, also known as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been widely treated for hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, recent studies have shown the anti-inflammatory effects of statins in both experimental and clinical models for of osteoarthritis. This study investigated the possible anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin and fluvastatin in human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), which are crucial components of skin barriers. Stimulation of HaCaT cells with IL-1β increased the expression of the COX2 protein, a major player of inflammatory responses. However, this induction of the COX2 protein was downregulated by pretreatments with atorvastatin and fluvastatin. Treatment with IL-1ß-induced the upregulation of other inflammatory genes (such as iNOS and MMP-1) and these expressions were similarly lowered by these two statin drug treatments. Taken together, these results indicated that atorvastatin and fluvastatin can reduce IL-1β-induced inflammatory responses in HaCaT cells. In conclusion, the findings suggest that atorvastatin and fluvastatin can be potential modulators for ameliorating skin inflammation.