• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.783-787
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• 2011

The effects of thaumatin isolated from katemfe fruit of Thaumatococcus daiellii Benth on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation was investigated in vitro. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with various concentrations of thaumatin ranging in 0-5 ${\mu}M$. Thaumatin reduced fat accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. 3T3-L1 cell proliferation was 97.0 and 88.3% at 1 and 3 ${\mu}M$ after 8 days of thaumatin treatment, respectively. Thaumatin showed a potent inhibitory effect on stained lipid droplets at a concentration of 3 ${\mu}M$. Thaumatin reduced triglyceride accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, compared with positive control cells. This study provides basic information on the anti-obesity activity of thaumatin.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 2018

Bilirubin has an anti-inflammatory effect as an endogenous antioxidant and has been reported to be inversely correlated with hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. On the other hand, there is a lack of research evaluating the association between bilirubin and metabolic syndrome compared to liver-specific indicators. This study examined the association between the total bilirubin and metabolic syndrome prevalence in Korean adults who underwent health screening compared to ALT and GGT. This cross sectional study included 22,568 adult males and females aged 20 years or older who underwent a health examination at the General Hospital of Gyeonggi Province from March 2015 to February 2018. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) guidelines. In both genders, the metabolic syndrome diagnosed group had higher liver enzymes, and the total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were lower than those without the metabolic syndrome risk factors. The serum total bilirubin showed a weak inverse correlation with abdominal obesity (r=-0.066 vs r=-0.055) and triglyceride (r=-0.127 vs r=-0.136) in both males and females, which is weaker than ALT and GGT The data were statistically significant. In addition, total bilirubin as well as ALT and GGT in both men and women were not predictors of the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.503-509
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• 2003

For the development of the anti-obesity natural drug, the inhibitor of adipocyte differentiation was screened from Korean traditional medicinal plants. Phellodendri Cortex was selected as a candidate of adipocyte differentiation inhibitor. An inhibitory compound PC-4 was purified from the methanol (MeOH) extract of Phellodendri Cortex using silica gel and ODS RP-18 column chromatography and HPLC. PC-4 was obtained as yellow powder; UV ${\lambda}_{max}$ (MeOH): 230, 260, 340 and 430 nm. The chemical structure of PC-4 was determined as an isoquionoline alkaloid, berberine, on the basis of various NMR experiments including $^1H-\;and\;^{13}C-NMR$. The PC-4 inhibited the differentiation of preadipocyte NIH-3T3 L1 cells at a concentration of $1\;{\mu}g/mL$.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.745-750
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• 2014

This study investigated the effects of squid Todarodes pacificus liver oil on the serum lipids and adipose tissue weight of rats. The rats in the soybean oil (SO) group received a basic diet prepared according to the recommendations of the American Institute of Nutrition (AIN-93G), with 7% SO as lipid source. The rats in the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides muscle oil (PTFO) group received 5% PTFO and 2% SO as the lipid source, while the rats in the eco-friendly squid liver oil (EFSO) group received 5% EFSO and 2% SO. EFSO was prepared according to the method outlined in the author's patent. PTFO was extracted from muscle using a physical method in the author's laboratory. The prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids in the dietary oils were 18:2n-6 (54.3%) and 18:3n-3 (5.64%) in SO, DHA (6.77%) and EPA (3.61%) in PTFO, and DHA (26.2%) and EPA (9.94%) in EFSO. After feeding for 4 weeks, the serum lipid levels (e.g., triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) of the rats in the EFSO group were significantly reduced as compared with those in the SO group (P<0.05); those of the rats in the PTFO group were also reduced, albeit not significantly, compared with the SO group. On the other hand, the total white adipose tissue (visceral, epididymal, and perirenal) weight was significantly reduced in the EFSO and PTFO groups compared to the SO group. These results demonstrate that EFSO is an effective lipid modifying agent in rat blood, and that EFSO and PTFO have greater anti-obesity effects than SO.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.271-276
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• 2012

To develop antiobese food materials from medicinal plants, isolation of antiobese active compounds in $Yukeuigambitang$ of which activity was already proved in the previous study by animal experiments was performed. Antiobese effect of stepwise solvent fractions from 70% ethanol extract of $Yukeuigambitang$ was determined by the differentiation inhibition activity on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. CH2Cl2 fraction had significant antiobese activity, and n-Hexane and EtOAc fractions were the next. Three phenolic compounds from $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction were identified by GC/MS analysis and one compound was finally isolated by HPLC. It was revealed as a new compound presumed to be one of the derivatives produced from the medicinal plants mixture in $Yukeuigambitang$.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.392-399
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• 2014

Haw(Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) belongs to the rose family and has beneficial health effects such as anti-obesity and gastroprotective activities. This study compared the antioxidative activities of various solvent extracts from haw. After removing seeds, pulpy was extracted with 70% methanol, 70% ethanol, chloroform :methanol(CM, 2:1, v/v), n-butanol, and ethyl acetate(EA). Total phenol contents were 71.46, 70.41, 47.63, 47.49 and 45.95 mg/g in the 70% methanol, 70% ethanol, CM, n-butanol and EA extracts, respectively. Total flavonoid contents of CM and n-butanol extracts were higher compared to other extracts at 1.63 mg/g and 1.59 mg/g, respectively, whereas EA extract had the lowest flavonoid content at 1.12 mg/g. Corresponding to total phenol contents, among $NO_2$ radical scavenging activity, antioxidant activity by ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching assay, and superoxide dismutase(SOD)-like ability, 70% methanol and 70% ethanol extracts showed higher antioxidative activities than the other extracts. However, the lowest activities were n-butanol extract in $NO_2$ radical scavenging activity as well as EA extract in antioxidant activity by ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching assay and SOD-like ability. These results suggest that haw extracts are available as a new natural antioxidant, and its activities are attributed to antioxidant substances such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1052-1058
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• 2017

Gelidium amansii shows antioxidant and anti-obesity effects; however, the effect on postprandial blood glucose levels is not known. The objective of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of Gelidium amansii extract (GAE) on carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and its ability to alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Gelidium amansii was extracted with 80% ethanol and concentrated for use in this study. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ and ${\alpha}-amylase$ inhibition assays were performed using the colorimetric method. ICR normal and STZ-induced diabetic mice were orally administered GAE (300 mg/kg body weight) or acarbose (100 mg/kg body weight) alone or soluble starch (2 g/kg body weight). Blood samples were taken from the tail vein at 0, 30, 60 and 120 min. Our results indicated that GAE markedly inhibited ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ and ${\alpha}-amylase$ activities with $IC_{50}$ values of $0.099{\pm}0.009mg/ml$ and $0.178{\pm}0.038mg/ml$, respectively, and was a more effective inhibitor than acarbose, the positive control. Further, the postprandial blood glucose levels of STZ-induced diabetic mice in the GAE-administered group were significantly lower than those of control group mice (p<0.05). Moreover, the area under the curves (AUC) significantly decreased with GAE administration in STZ-induced diabetic mice (p<0.05). These results indicate that GAE may be effective in decreasing postprandial blood glucose levels by inhibiting carbohydrate-digesting enzymes such as ${\alpha}-amylase$ and ${\alpha}-glucosidase$. Therefore, GAE could be used as a potential functional food for alleviating postprandial hyperglycemia.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.477-482
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• 2014

This study was performed to evaluate the anti-obesity and lipid-lowering effects of phytoplant diets in rats fed with a high-fat/cholesterol diet (HFCD). Experimental diet formulae contained various phytoplants such as brown rice, barley, soybean, germinated brown rice, malt, black bean, sea tangle, and/or dietary fibers including polydextrose, garcinia combogia, glucomannan, ${\small}L$-carnitine, and chitosan. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with a HFCD for 6 weeks and then fed with a HFCD with/without phytoplants for another 6 weeks. Rats fed with phytoplant diets showed lower body weights, liver weights, visceral fat levels, and blood lipid levels compared to those of rats fed with HFCD alone. In addition, rats administered phytoplant diets showed increased daily feces production during the second experimental phase. These results suggest that phytoplant diets improve body weight, feces production, adipose tissue weight, and lipid metabolism.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2015

Sodium butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid derivative found in foods, such as Parmesan cheese and butter and is produced by anaerobic bacteria fermentation of dietary fibers in the large intestine. There have been reports that butyrate prevented obesity, protected insulin sensitivity, and ameliorated dyslipidemia in dietary obese mice. This study investigated the effects of sodium butyrate on fasting blood glucose level and serum lipid profile in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed AIN-93G for four weeks prior to intraperitoneal injections with STZ (100 mg/kg body weight). Diabetic mice had supplements of 5% sodium butyrate for four weeks. The 5% sodium butyrate diet significantly improved fasting blood glucose level and lipid profile in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Inflammation has been recognized to decrease beta cell insulin secretion and increase insulin resistance. Circulating cytokines can directly affect beta cell function, leading to secretory dysfunction and increased apoptosis. Thus, anti-inflammatory therapies represented a potential approach for the therapy of diabetes and its complications. In this animal study, the 5% sodium butyrate supplementation also inhibited inflammatory cytokine production in STZ-induced diabetic mice. These results suggested that sodium butyrate can be a potential candidate for the prevention of diabetes and its complications.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.390-396
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• 2011

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a well-known herb that is widely consumed as spice for the flavoring of foods. As part of our continuing search for bioactive materials, the in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant properties of an aqueous ethanolic extract of Z. officinale were investigated. The total phenolic content was determined using a spectrophotometric method. The antioxidant efficacies of the extract was studied with radical scavenging assays using DPPH and $ABTS^+$ radicals. Further more, the antiobesity effect of the extract was evaluated by porcine pancreatic lipase assay. In particularly, the pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble portion from Z. officinale was significantly higher than that of the other solvent-soluble portions. The results suggest that Z. officinale may have therapeutic potential that may be useful in development of an anti-obesity agent or its precursors.