• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.323-332
• /
• 2024

Background: Studies have reported that the combination of two or more therapeutic compounds at certain ratios has more noticeable pharmaceutical properties than single compounds and requires reduced dosage of each agent. Red ginseng and velvet antler have been extensively used in boosting immunity and physical strength and preventing diseases. Thus, this study was conducted to elucidate the skin-protective potentials of red ginseng extract (RGE) and velvet antler extract (VAE) alone or in combination on ultraviolet (UVB)-irradiated human keratinocytes and SKH-1 hairless mice. Methods: HaCaT cells were preincubated with RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 2 h before UVB (30 mJ/cm²) irradiation. SKH-1 mice were orally given RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 15 days before exposure to single dose of UVB (600 mJ/cm²). Treated cells and treated skin tissues were collected and subjected to subsequent experiments. Results: RGE/VAE pretreatment alone or in combination significantly prevented UVB-induced cell death, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and DNA damage in keratinocytes and SKH-1 mouse skins by downregulating mitogen-activated protein kinases/activator protein 1/nuclear factor kappa B and caspase signaling pathways. These extracts also strengthened the antioxidant defense systems and skin barriers in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells and SKH-1 mouse skins. Furthermore, RGE/VAE co-administration appeared to be more effective in preventing UVB-caused skin injury than these extracts used alone. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that the consumption of RGE/VAE, especially in combination, offers a protective ability against UVB-caused skin injury by preventing inflammation and apoptosis and enhancing antioxidant capacity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.237-244
• /
• 2010

In order to investigate the physiological properties of velvet antler of elk (Cervus e. canadensis) raised in Korea, antlers (n=378) were collected from deer in 8 provinces including Gyeonggi-do (n=53), Gangwon-do (n=49), Chungcheongbuk-do (n=62), Chungcheongnam-do (n=68), Jeollabuk-do (n=52), Jeollanam-do (n=15), Gyeongsangbuk-do (n=30) and Gyeongsangnam-do (n=49). The exterior characteristics (weight, length, girth and crown) of all antlers were measured, and 18 antler samples were randomly selected for measurement of interior characteristics such as specific gravity, capacity and diameter of cross section. The mean antler weight, length of the main beam and mean length of upper section were $4.87{\pm}1.79\;kg$, $83.7{\pm}13.2\;cm$ and $40.6{\pm}11.4\;cm$, respectively. Mean girth of the top, middle and base of the main beam were $27.1{\pm}5.9\;cm$, $22.1{\pm}3.6\;cm$ and $22.9{\pm}3.6\;cm$ respectively, indicating a slight narrowing in the middle of the antler. In each of the tines, the girth at the base was markedly thicker compared to the top. The depth of the crown at the top of the antler, and the average number of crowns and tines were $14.1{\pm}7.0\;cm$, $2.1{\pm}0.6$ and $3.0{\pm}0.5$, respectively. Although there was no significant difference in mean specific gravity between top and base, mean specific gravity of main beam tended to increase from top to base of the antler with decreasing capacity. Additionally, the inner diameter of the base of the antler was significantly reduced compared to that of the top, indicating a greater integumental thickening due to mineralization. Information on the morphological and physiological properties of elk antlers is scarce. Therefore, these results may be useful in providing basic information for the physiological properties of antler, and encourage further studies on antler morphology in other deer species showing species specific differences.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.177-182
• /
• 2002

Drying process is very important for commercialization of velvet antlers. So far, artificial drying has mostly depended on experience of farmers resulting in low efficiency of drying, deterioration during drying, and contamination by dust and bacteria. Various drying techniques for high-quality production have currently been commercialized in some developed countries, and one of them is a drying technique using microwave. In this study, application of the technique using an electronic (microwave) oven for drying of velvet antler was investigated. The results of this study are as follows. 1. It was found that the drying period was significantly affected by cornification of velvet antlers. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the velvet antlers should partly be sliced to save drying period and required drying energy. 2. It was also found that the drying speed was changeable according to tempering period and even with same drying period. The tempering period should be controlled according to processing rate. 3. The results indicated that a repeated drying of 2-min drying and 3-min tempering is the most effective when a microwave oven was used. 4. The results also showed that the drying technique using microwave of electronic oven can be effectively used for drying of velvet antlers. 5. Only drying and tempering periods were examined in this study, however, ingredient change of deer antler after drying is necessary to be investigated in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.345-349
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of pasture grazing and barn feeding system on the growth performance, weight gain and velvet antler productivity in Elk. Twelve 5-year-old elk stags about 273 kg were stratified by weight and randomly assigned by feeding system (a pasture grazing and a barn feeding, n=6). The average feed intake were not signigicant difference between two groups. Average daily gain for grazing and barn feeding group was 0.25 g and 0.29 g respectively, showing no significant difference. Velvet antler yield for grazing and barn feeding group was 7,700 g and 6, 960 g respectively, with no significant difference. In conclusion grazing group was better than barn feeding group in feed intake, body weight gain and velvet antler productivity. However, there were no statistical significant difference between the two group. These results may serve as the basis for further study of deer feeding system in Korea and further study needed to examine the grazing intensity and economic efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.8
• /
• pp.1169-1174
• /
• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the biological effect of deer's antler velvet on the testicular toxicity of rats exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD ). Thirty male rats were divided into three equal groups. The control group received vehicle (DMSO/acetone/soybean oil mixture) and saline; single dose of 50 $/mu$g/kg body weight TCDD was injected intraperitoneally into the single TCDD-treated and test group. Test group received ethanol extract of antler velvet (EAV) at daily dose of 20 mg/kg body weight for 5 weeks from one week before TCDD exposure. Decrease in body weight increment was less remarkable in test group compared with that of TCDD-treated group. TCDD-induced decrease in testicular weight, microtubular diameter and Johnson's score, and lesion were significantly alleviated by the treatment of EAV. This result led us to the conclusion that antler velvet can attenuate TCDD-induced testicular toxicity in rats.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.11-25
• /
• 2004

Objectives: These experimental studies were designed to investigate the effects of antler's extracts on the expression of leptin, IGF-l and IGF-1 receptor on cultured 3T3-L1 cells. Methods: A mouse adipoblast cell line, 3T3-L1, was cultured with or without a differentiation medium containing Isobutylmethylxanthin, Dexametasone and Insulin before adding extracts of antler of various concentratio(10, 50, ]00, 200${\mu}g/ml$). The expression of leptin and IGF-1 receptor was measured by western blot assay, and expression of IGF-1 was determined by F ACS analysis. Results and Conclusion: The 3T3-L1 cells' differentiation did not show a significant induction by extracts of antler. The expression of leptin was significantly decreased depend on antler's concentration. The expression of IGF-1 showed a slightly increase by extracts of antler, whereas that of IGF-receptor showed a tendency to increase. The total amount of intracellular triglyceride showed a tendency to diminish as the concentration of antler's extract increase.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2013

Velvet deer antler (VDA) is well known oriental medicine claimed to have tonic activities as improving bone mineral density (BMD), immune-enhancing, rejuvenating and many other medicinal activities. Ossified deer antler (ODA) is bony product produced by over-calcification of deer antler due to late harvesting. The extraction efficiency of ODA by conventional boiling in water must be very poor due to bony nature, hence the reputations for the medicinal efficacies of ODA has been highly under-evaluated compared to that of VDA without any experimental evidences. Employing our new efficient water extraction process ($135^{\circ}C$), the extracts of ODA and VDA were analysed to compare the contents of bioactive components and the potencies of pharmacological activities. The results showed that; 1) The $135^{\circ}C$ extraction (autoclaving) of ODA gave highly increased amount of biomass, 120% more than the conventional extraction by 100-boiling, whereas the same treatment for VDA showed only 15% increased amount of biomass. 2) Feeding the ODA- or VDA-extracts to oophorectomized rats showed very potent BMD-recovering activity. 3) During the ossification of deer antler, the total collagen content was found to be increased by addition of type-1 to pre-existing type-2 collagen, but not replacement of type-2 to type-1 collagen. High titer of peptide hormones like growth hormone and IGF-1 were detected in the ODA- and VDA-extracts and also in the serum of ODA- or VDA-treated oophorectomized animals dose-dependently. Present experimental data will give a conclusion that folkloric poor reputations on ODA must be concerned only with poor extraction efficiency of conventional $100^{\circ}C$ water extraction and not based on the composition of bioactive substances of ODA.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.39-74
• /
• 2002

Recently, increased attention has been paid to the growth of the height of children and adolescents. To accelerate growth, velvet antlers are typically used in Oriental medicine. The present study investigated the effects of velvet antlers of velvet antlers on bone growth using the cell line of Human Osteosarcoma (Hos), derived from the bone-generating cells essential to bone growth. In order to give certain stress to this Hos, the medium contained 1% FBS was used for culturing for Hos cell instead of 10% in control. In this condition of which the proliferation had been significantly decreased, the ethanol extract of upper part of velvet antlers was added, As a result, the cells proliferation rate was significantly increased. Using Oligonucleotide DNA microarray, comparison and analyses were done to see what kind of specific genes would be differentially expressed. The result showed that as opposed to the control group, the stressed group indicated a decrease in the expressions of 6 kinds of genes such as, Id1, retinoid X receptor(RXRB) and 14-3-3 epsilon, etc. The velvet antler treated group, as opposed to the control group, showed a decreased in the expressions of 8 kinds of genes such as Id1, etc. and an increase in the expressions of 24 kinds of genes. The number of genes that showed differences in the velvet antler treated group compared with the stressed group was 7 the expression of 1 kind of gene was decreased, and the expressions of 6 kinds of genes were increased. Considering the mechanism by which velvet antlers affected the growth of osteoblast through reviewing the functions of these genes, the following results were attained. The constraint in the proliferation of Hos cells resulting from the medium contained 1% FBS seems to be caused by three important factors: 1) the decrease of the expression of 14-3-3 epsilon involved in the signal transduction and metabolism of growth, 2) the decrease of the expression of Id1 gene involved in the metabolism of bone formation, and 3) the decreased of expression of RXRB gene involved in the metabolism of retinoci acid. It is suggested that the improvement of the cell proliferating effects by velvet antler treatment, in stressed condition si mediated by increment of 6 genes particularly 14-3-3 epsilon, RXRB, and IGF2, with are the crucial factors for the cell growth and differentiation, metabolism of retinoic acid and osteoblast proliferation, respectively.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.239-243
• /
• 2005

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of elk antler hydrolysates prepared with three kinds of proteases, pepsin, trypsin and $\alpha-chymotrypsin$, were investigated. The ACE inhibitory activity of the pepsinolytic hydrolysate was the highest with an $IC_{50}$ value of $9.3\mu g/mL.$ In addition, three kinds of pepsinolytic hydrolysates with relatively high molecular weights (over 10,000 Da), medium molecular weights (5,000 to 10,000 Da), and low molecular weights (below 5,000 Da) were fractionated using an ultrafiltration membrane system. The below 5,000 Da hydrolysate exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity. These results indicate that the pepsinolytic hydrolysates of elk velvet antler could be a good source of peptides with ACE inhibitory activity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2000

The mineral compositions were analysed of the tip and the upper section of dried domestic antlers. The upper section was divided longitudinally into four parts. The tip and the upper section were divided traversely into the velvet and the spongy bone layers. The contents of ash, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium increased (p<0.05), and those of manganese, zinc, copper and iron decreased (p<0.05) downward from the tip both in the velvet and the spongy bone layers. The contents of ash, calcium, phosphorus, manganese and zinc of the spongy bone layer were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the velvet layer. The tip, which is the growth center of the antler, had the significantly (p<0.05) lowest proportions of Ca/ash, Ca/P and Ca/Fe ratios both in the velvet and spongy bone layers.