• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.473-483
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• 2022

In this study we investigated the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation on the ingredients and anti-oxidant activity of Withania somnifera extract. Four strains of LAB could proliferate normally in medium containing W. somnifera extract after the pH reached 3.1~3.5. LAB fermentation increased the content of alcohols and ketones, endowing the extract with the characteristic aroma of fermentation. Compared to the control, the DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging rates in the fermented samples were significantly improved, ranging from 48.5% to 59.6% and 1.2% to 6.4%. The content of total phenols was significantly increased by 36.1% during the fermentation of mixed bacteria. Moreover, the original composition spectrum of the extract was significantly changed while the differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were closely related to bile secretion, tryptophan metabolism and purine metabolism. Therefore, LAB fermentation can be used as a promising way to improve the flavor and bioactivity of the extracts of W. somnifera, making the ferments more attractive for use as functional food.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.169-180
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• 2022

Tomato has a limited shelf life and is highly perishable due to its high moisture content. As fruit leather, is a traditional food of Nepal, it can be beneficial to move towards value addition and diversification of the traditional product. The main aim was to analyze the nutritional values and phytochemicals of the tomato pulp and prepared leather, and sensory evaluation of prepared tomato leather. Five samples A, B, C, D and E were prepared with 80:20, 72.5:27.5, 95:5, 87.5:12.5 and 65:35 fruit pulp: sugar ratio respectively. Analysis of raw tomato pulp and all the five samples was performed. Sensory quality of the product sample A was found superior to that of other samples but chemical and phytochemical properties of product sample C was found superior than that of other prepared samples. Therefore, we had two best products, in terms of sensory properties and in terms of nutritional properties. The best product on the basis of nutrients (sample C) had acidity (%), TSS (°Bx), pH, total ash content (%), crude protein (%), crude fat (%), crude fiber (%), carbohydrate (%), vitamin C (mg/100 g), total energy (Kcal/100 g), TPC (mg GAE/g of dry extract), TFC (mg QE/g of dry extract), DPPH scavenging activity (% of inhibition) and lycopene content (mg/100 g) was found to be 3.70.1, 20 ± 0.02, 3 ± 0.1, 2.30 ± 0.05, 2.69 ± 0.04, 0.87 ± 0.02, 5.46 ± 0.01, 69.68 ± 0.02, 25.17 ± 1.25, 297.31 ± 0.01, 85.35 ± 0.02, 65.39 ± 0.02, 59.23 ± 0.03 and 98.57 ± 0.02 respectively. A tasty and nutritious product of tomato, leather can be prepared which can be more appealing to the consumer.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.36-50
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was to determine the protective effects of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on the Mouse Embrio Fibroblast (MEF) cells exposed to the ultraviolet rays(UVA). Methods: The samples were assigned randomly to five groups; control group without any treatments, UVA group exposed only to UVA, DR group exposed only to the Dioscoreae Rhizoma, UVA-DR group exposed to UVA before being treated with the Dioscoreae Rhizoma, and DR-UVA group treated with the Dioscoreae Rhizoma before being exposed to UVA. The survival rate of cells, metabolic rate of cells, transformation of nucleus within cells, alteration of cell cycle, effects on the apoptosis, the change of the amount of protein related to cell cycle were measured in order to determine the cell protective effects of the Dioscoreae Rhizoma on each group. Results: 1. DR-UVA group has more cell protective effects compared to the UVA group in all experiments, indicating that the Dioscoreae Rhizoma protects skin from UVA physically and chemically. 2. UVA-DR group shows more efficiency compared to UVA group in rapid recovery of damaged cell and leading highly damaged cells to apoptosis, preventing the expression of abnormal cells. Conclusions: Dioscoreae Rhizoma has effects of protecting MEF cells from UVA, of recovering cells damaged by UVA, and of prohibiting the expression of abnormal cells.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2021

Objectives: Excessive accumulation of fat on specific region, regarded as localized fat, is one of the serious problems and well-known risk factors of health. Recently, an interest in health and aesthetics is growing by treating lipolytic injection. Polygonatum sibiricum Rehd (PS) has been known to have anti-oxidant, -aging and -atherosclerotic effects. In this study, we investigated the lipolytic effects of PS pharmacopuncture in obese mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice was fed with high fat diet to induce obesity for 12 weeks. PS pharmacopuncture was dissolved in saline by adjusting pH 7. 100 μL of PS pharmacopunture was injected subcutaneously into the left side inguinal fat pad, while saline was injected into the right side inguinal fat pad in mice as self-control. Samples were treated 3 times per weeks for 2 weeks. Results: PS pharmacopunture significantly decreased the inguinal fat weight compared to left side inguinal fat pad. Decrease rate of PS pharmacopuncture was about 21%. In addition, the diameter of adipocyte in inguinal fat tissues was significantly reduced by 17% compared to saline-injected side. There was no sign of toxicity through whole experiments. Conclusion: The present study indiates that PS pharmacopunture could be a material derived from natural herb as a lipolytic injection for decreasing localized fat.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2024

For sustainable development, better performance, and less gas pollution during rumen fermentation, there is a need to find a green and safe feed additive for ruminants. Cysteamine (CS) is a biological compound naturally produced in mammalian cells. It is widely used as a growth promoter in ruminants because of its ability to control hormone secretions. It mainly controls the circulating concentration of somatostatin and enhances growth hormone production, leading to improved growth performance. CS modulates the rumen fermentation process in a way beneficial for the animals and environment, leading to less methane production and nutrients loss. Another beneficial effect of using CS is that it improves the availability of nutrients to the animals and enhances their absorption. CS also works as an antioxidant and protects the cells from oxidative damage. In addition, CS has no adverse effects on bacterial and fungal alpha diversity in ruminants. Dietary supplementation of CS enhances the population of beneficial microorganisms. Still, no data is available on the use of CS on reproductive performance in ruminants, so there is a need to evaluate the effects of using CS in breeding animals for an extended period. In this review, the action mode of CS was updated according to recently published data to highlight the beneficial effects of using CS in ruminants.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.492-502
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• 2023

This study investigated the antioxidant and immune enhancement activities of Artemisia argyi H. fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum. The fermented A. argyi H. ethanol extract increased scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⁺), hydroxyl (·OH), and superoxide (O₂^-) radicals. Particularly, the ethanol extract of fermented A. argyi H. exhibited higher ·OH and O₂^- radical scavenging activities, compared with DPPH and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activities. To evaluate the immune enhancement effects of the fermented A. argyi H., mice were fed a normal diet supplemented the fermented A. argyi H. at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5%, respectively. The supplementation of fermented A. argyi H. dose-dependently increased splenocyte proliferation. In addition, mice fed with 5% fermented A. argyi H. showed enhanced proliferation of T-cells and B-cells, along with increased levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α, compared to the normal group. Furthermore, mice fed with fermented A. argyi H. exhibited an increase in prominent probiotics such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Lactobacillus in gut microbiota, compared to the normal group. This study suggests that fermented A. argyi H. with Lactobacillus plantarum could be used as a dietary antioxidant and immune enhancement agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.765-773
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• 2024

Ozone, a highly reactive oxidant molecule, is widely used as a complementary therapy for various skin diseases, including wound healing, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot, and infections. However, there is limited research on the effectiveness of ozone for atopic dermatitis (AD). Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is an active ingredient obtained from partially ozonated sunflower oil (SO). OSO markedly reduced the LPS-induced increase in IL-1β and nitric oxide (NO) levels in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Oxazolone (OXZ) was applied to hairless mice to induce AD-like skin symptoms and immune response. OSO significantly alleviated the OXZ-induced increases in the number of infiltrating mast cells, epidermal thickness, AD symptoms, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and filaggrin, as well as the serum levels of NO, IgE, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Furthermore, OSO inhibited the IL-4/STAT3/MAPK pathway and the expression of NF-κB. Our results suggest that OSO treatment could relieve AD-mediated skin damage through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Therefore, it can be used as a therapeutic agent against AD-related skin diseases.

• Journal of Web Engineering
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• v.14 no.23
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• pp.4997-5013
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• 2022

The clinical application of cisplatin, one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents used to treat various cancers, has been limited by the risk of adverse effects, notably nephrotoxicity. Despite intensive research for decades, there are no effective approaches for alleviating cisplatin nephrotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of a Gynostemma pentaphyllum leaves hydrodistillate (GPHD) and its major component, damulin B, against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. A hydro-distillation method can extract large amounts of components within a short period of time using non-toxic, environmentally friendly solvent. We found that the levels of AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis were tightly associated with each other in HEK293 cells treated with cisplatin. We demonstrated that AMPKα1 acted as an anti-oxidant factor and that ROS generated by cisplatin suppressed the expression of AMPKα1 at the transcriptional level, thereby resulting in induction of apoptosis. Treatment with GPHD or damulin B effectively prevented cisplatin-induced apoptosis of HEK293 cells and cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in mice by suppressing oxidative stress and maintaining AMPKα1 levels. Therefore, our study suggests that GPHD and damulin B may serve as prospective adjuvant agents against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

• Molecular Medicine Reports
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.3933-3941
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• 2019

The microbiome has recently attracted research interest in a variety of subjects, including cancer. In the present study, it was determined that reinforced clostridium media (RC M) for microbiome culture, exerts antitumor effects on renal cell carcinoma cells when compared to the microbiome 'X'. The antitumor effects of RC M were investigated for all ingredients of RC M, and the results revealed that yeast extract could be a candidate for the ingredient driving this phenomenon. Further experiments including MTT assay, cell counting, cell death analysis, cell cycle analysis and western blotting were conducted with yeast extract on renal cell carcinoma cells (Caki-1 and Caki-2) and normal human proximal tubular cells (HK-2). As a result, yeast extract exhibited dose-dependent antitumor effects on Caki-1 and Caki-2, but only slight effects on HK-2. In addition, yeast extract only exhibited slight effects on necrosis, autophagy, or apoptosis of Caki-1 and Caki-2. Yeast extract produced cell cycle arrest with an increased G0/G1 fraction and a decreased S fraction, and this was considered to be related to the decreased cyclin D1. Although yeast extract treatment increased anti-oxidant activities, the antitumor effects of yeast extract were also related to iron metabolism, based on the decreased transferrin receptor and increased ferritin. In addition, decreased GPX4 may be related to iron-dependent cell death, particularly in Caki-2. These results revealed that yeast extract may inhibit proliferation of renal cell carcinoma cells by regulating iron metabolism. Since an increased iron requirement is a classic phenomenon of cancer cells, yeast extract may be a candidate for adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.261-272
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• 2023

Calla lily is one of the most iconic and widely recognized ornamental plants. This study compared the extracts of 11 cultivars of domestic calla lily bred by the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science for their total polyphenol and antioxidant activities. Eleven cultivars were evaluated for their growth and flowering characteristics as per the Manual for Agricultural Investigation Rural Development Administration (RDA) form. The antioxidant activities were measured using 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbebzothiazoloine-6-sulfonic acid)-diammounium salt (ABTS⁺) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect. The plants have an average height of 63.80 ± 5.4 cm, average flower diameter of 7.2 ± 1.1 cm, and width of 12.4 ± 1.7 cm. On average, the diameter and width of leaves were 33.7 ± 3.5 cm and 20.0 ± 1.4 cm, respectively. Extracts of flowers and leaves in the 11 cultivars of white calla lily were compared for their antioxidant activities and total polyphenol contents. ABTS⁺ and DPPH radical scavenging, which are indicative of antioxidant activity, were higher in flowers than in leaves. When comparing by cultivar, we found that 'White Egg' showed the highest antioxidant activity in both the flowers and the leaves. Additionally, we found that by part, the content of total polyphenols was highest in flowers, and by cultivar, it was highest in the 'Swan' and 'White Egg' cultivars. Furthermore, the days to flowering showed correlations with ABTS⁺ radical scavenging, total phenolic contents (TPC), and total flavonoid contents (TFC). Our results indicate that calla lily can be used as breeding material material according to its growth characteristics and as a natural antioxidant source.