• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.399-405
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• 2001

Urushiol, a natural pro-electrophilic quinone compound, has potential structural characteristics as antitumor chemotherapeutic agents. However, urushiol's use as an antitumor drug has some problems, because it is hardly miscible with an aqueous solution. Purified urushiol is highly viscous and soluble only in strong solvents. for this study, we prepared an urushiol-ethanol micro-emulsion with a unimodal size distribution by high-speed homogenization. This generated effective delivery of urushiol to its action wites, so that we could investigate its cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. Using a colony-forming assay, we were able to show that urushiol selectively inhibited the growth of the ovarian cancer cells PA-1 and 2774 at a concentration of $10^{-6}$, whereas it had only a negligible effect on normal CHO cells at the same concentration. The data suggest that urushiol may have potential as an effective antitumor agent in the treatment of ovarian cancer. In addition, we addressed the question of whether the specific cytotoxic effect of urushiol is linked to apoptosis, by DNA fragmentation and DAPI staining assays. The inhibitory effects of urushiol on the growth of ovarian cancer cells was found to be associated with DNA fragmentation and the fragmented nuclei formation, both of which represent markers for the induction of apoptosis. Therefore, the results suggested that urushiol affected its profound cytotoxicity by triggering apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.1 s.36
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• pp.22-27
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• 2007

Pacquer traditionally has been used to varnish. Many reports have revealed that lacquer has durability and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, we expect that lacquer will be used as a good antifouling agent to solve the environmental problem. Here we chemically synthesized urushiol, a major component in lacquer and two urushiol derivatives, urusiol regioisomer and cardanol. We also analyzed the antimicrobial activities of these molecules to examine the inhibitory effect on the formation of the biofilms. Our results showed that synthesized urushiol and its derivatives have strong antifungal activities. Urushiol also exhibited inhibitory effect on the growth of gram positive bacteria specifically. However urushiol derivatives have low antibacterial activities.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Objectives : Heating process is the traditional processing method that has been applied to reduce the toxicity of dried resin of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Anacardiacea) used as Geon-chil (乾漆, Lacca Rhois Exsiccata or Toxicodendri Resina). Urushiol, which is found in the plants of Toxicodendron genus, is a toxic compound that is absorbed into the skin and induces allergic dermatitis by being contacted. Hence, the reduction of urushiol level by heating processing of Geon-chil is crucial method for its medicinal application. Methods : Due to lack of Geon-chil processing-related articles, the articles researching the processing of lacquer (漆), as a coating material, were collected and analyzed to investigate the chemical change of urushiol during heating process. Results : The results demonstrate that the resin which was collected from the sap of T. vernicifluum tree was dried under warm and humid conditions repeatedly. During primary drying process, the laccase, a copper-containing enzyme in the resin, participated in the formation of urushiol polymers and thereafter urushiol-related toxicity could be reduced by making a lacquer harder and more stable. Moreover, heating a lacquer over 200℃ could cause thermo-degradation of urushiol polymers, and vaporized thermally degraded urushiol monomers and their by-products, which were determined using pyrolysis/GC-MS. Conclusions : These results support that heating process being performed over 200 ℃, such as stir-frying (炒) or calcination (煅), reduces the urushiol content in Geon-chil and hence, its medicinal use can be more stable without urushiol-related allergic reactions.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2019

This study evaluated the raw materials for spawning Perenniporia fraxinea, to eliminate urushiol. The growth rates of spawns on grains of millet, brown rice, and wheat were 4.92±0.05, 2.20±0.03, and 1.93±0.03 mm/day, respectively, and the laccase activity was 0.86±0.02, 0.04±0.01, and 0.01±0.00 U/mL, respectively. These observations revealed millet as the most appropriate grain for spawn production in terms of growth rate and enzyme activity. Inoculation of lacquer tree (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) stem bark with millet spawns of P. fraxinea resulted in a reduction of its urushiol contents, up to 86.6% on the third day and up to 98.5% on the seventh day. The optimal period of cultivation to eliminate urushiol was three days with 68% of residual flavonoids and 42% of phenolic components. When compared to the product cultivated from liquid spawn, the millet spawn reduced the cultivation period from 10 days to 3 days for eliminating urushiol.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 1998

For the comparison of the urushiol composition and biological acitivity between the fresh sap and fire distilled sap of lacquer tree(Rhus vernicifera), we analysed the urushiol composition by HPLC and EI-MS, and investigated the antioxidative , antimicrobial and anticancer acitivities according to solvent fractionations. There was no difference in the urushiol composition between fresh and fire distilled saps of lacquer tree. The hexane frqctionsof two saps showed a strong DPPH radical scaverging activity (RC50 : 7.0-7.5$\mu\textrm{g}$). They also showed a strong antifungal activity onthe spore germination of Cladosporium herbarum(MIC : 8$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml), whereas they have no or low activity against the bacteria(BAcillus subtilis , Escherichia coli). In addition , hexane and butanol fractions of two saps showed a strong inhibitory activity against cultured tumour cell lines (GI50 : 0.35, 12.29$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) in vitro. These results confirm that the fresh sap and fire distilled sap might have the similar urushiol compositions and biological activities.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.267-270
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• 2006

In Korea, for a long time Rhus verniciflua has traditionally been used as an herbal medicines plants. A stem of Rhus verniciflua has been used to treat gastrointestinal trouble with in form of boiled chicken as a folk medicine. But it has been recognized as an extremely active allergen causing skin reactions. The chief allergenic component, urushiol, is found within the oleoresinous sap of Rhus verniciflua. Most components of urushiol have unsaturated side chains. These unsaturated side chains of urushiol are important to polymerization of these natural products. The urushiol components in Korean lacquer were isolated by reversed phase HPLC. The molecular weight of purified urushiol was determined as 340 from mass analysis. This compound was identified as Heptadecatetraenyl catechol (MW 340).

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumor. 5-FU is commonly used for the treatment of CRC. However, the development of drug resistance in tumor chemotherapy can seriously reduce therapeutic efficacy of 5-FU. Recent data show that FoxM1 is associated with 5-FU resistance in CRC. FoxM1 plays a critical role in the carcinogenesis and drug resistance of several malignancies. It has been reported that urushiol V isolated from the cortex of Rhus verniciflua Stokes is cytotoxic to several types of cancer cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for its antitumor activity and its potential to attenuate the chemotherapeutic resistance in CRC cells remain unknown. Here, we found that urushiol V could inhibit the cell proliferation and induced S-phase arrest of SW480 colon cancer cells. It inhibited protein expression level of FoxM1 through activation of AMPK. We also investigated the combined effect of urushiol V and 5-FU. The combination treatment reduced FoxM1 expression and consequently reduced cell growth and colony formation in 5-FU resistant colon cancer cells (SW480/5-FUR). Taken together, these result suggest that urushiol V from Rhus verniciflua Stokes can suppress cell proliferation by inhibiting FoxM1 and enhance the antitumor capacity of 5-FU. Therefore, urushiol V may be a potential bioactive compound for CRC therapy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.260-269
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• 1998

This study was conducted to screen the biological activity of urushiol in the sap of lac tree(Rhus verniciflua STOKES) which has been used in traditional folk remedies. Cytotoxic activity of urushiol was screened with L1210(mouse luekemia cell), PC-9(human lung adenocarcinoma cell), A427(human lung adenocarcinoma cell) and KATO III (human stomach adenocarcinoma cell) The stepwise hexane : acetone eluent fractions of the urushiol were obtained by the silica gel adsorption column chromatography and added to the culture media containing L1210, PC-9. A427, and KATO III, respectively. A hexane : acetone(90 : 10, v/v) eluent fraction of them showed the lowest 50% inhibition concentration($IC_{50}$) of $0.018{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ for the cell line of A427. Much lower level of $IC_{50}$ of the hexane : acetone(90 : 10, v/v) eluent fraction of the urushiol showed the equal inhibition effect with tetraplatin(i.e., anti-cancer drug of platinum complexes) on the cancer cell lines as follows ; 3.4 times lower for L1210, 3.9 times lower for PC-9, and 105.5 times lower for A427. However, $IC_{50}$ of the hexane : acetone(90 : 10 v/v) eluent fraction for KATO III was exceptionally 3.9 times higher than that of tetraplatin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2001

Urushiol, a natural monomeric oil, was used to prepare a detergentless micro-emulsion with water and 2-propanol The formation of micro-emulsion was verified by conductivity measurements and dynamic light scattering. The conductivity data showed phase change dynamics, a characteristics of micro-emulsions, and subsequent dynamic light scattering study further confirmed the phenomenon. Average water droplet diameter was 10 nm to 500 nm when the molar ratio of 2-propanol ranged from 0.40 to 0.44 . Earlier studies were performed on toluene and hexane, in which the insoluble substrate in water phase was added to the solvents to be reacted on by enzymes. However, in the present urushiol system, urushiol was used as both solvent and substrate in the laccase polymerization of urushiol. The laccase activity in the system was examined using polymerization of urushiol. The laccase activity in the system was examined using syringaldezine as a substrate, and the activity increased rapidly near the molar ratio of 2-propanol at 0.4, where micro-emulsion started. The activity rose until 0.46 and fell dramatically thereafter. The study of laccase activity in differing mole fractions of 2-propanol showed the existence of an ‘optimal zone’, where the activity of laccase was significantly higher. In order to analyze urushiol polymerization by laccase, a bubble column reactor using a detergentless micro-emulsion system was constructed. Comparative study using other organic solvents systems were conducted and the 2-propanol system was shown to yield the highest polymerization level. The study of laccase activity at a differing mole fraction of 2-propanol showed the existence of an ‘optimal zone’ where the activity was significantly higher. Also, 3,000 cP viscosity was achieved in actual urushi processing, using only 1/100 level of laccase present in urushi.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2004

The urushiol-ethanol corpuscle of 320 nM in average particle size was prepared and concentrated by ultra homogenization and centrifugation. The cytotoxic profiles of this particle for use as anti-tumor agent have been evaluated in vitro in cultures of human fibroblasts (MRC-9) and celvical carcinoma cells (CUMC-3). The cytotoxicty assays revealed that the inhibitor effect of $10^{-5}$ M urushiol-ethanol particle on the growth of MRC-9 was hardly detected, while CUMC-3 cells exhibited over 50% of growth inhibition under the same conditions. In addition, a clear multiple-unit ladder pater of apoptotic DNA was observed for the urushiol treated CUMC-3 cells. Thus, the results indicated that urushiol inhibited growth of celvical carcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis, which is a mechanism observed with other typical antitumor agents.