• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.552-561
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• 2017

This study aimed to investigate glucose uptake mechanisms and metabolic mechanisms for absorbed glucose in HepG2 cells treated with Acanthopanax senticosus water extract (ASW). A colorimetric assay kit was used to measure polyphenol content, glucokinase (GK) activity, glucose uptake, glucose consumption in cell culture medium, and glycogen content. RT-PCR and western blotting were performed to examine changes in the expression levels of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), hepatocyte nuclear factor $1{\alpha}$ ($HNF-1{\alpha}$), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k), protein kinase B (Akt), phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, GK, and glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$ ($GSK3{\beta}$). Increased glucose uptake upon ASW treatment was confirmed to result from increased expression of $HNF-1{\alpha}$, which is one of the transcription factors acting on the GLUT2 promoter. From the measurements of GK activity, we observed that ASW had an effect on glucose phosphorylation, and we also confirmed that increased AMPK phosphorylation promoted glycolysis and suppressed gluconeogenesis. We confirmed that the increase in glycogen upon ASW treatment was induced by activation of Akt by PI3k, followed by phosphorylation of $GSK3{\beta}$. This study demonstrates that ASW activates glucose metabolic mechanisms in liver cells and is therefore a potential candidate to alleviate diabetes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.624-629
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• 2014

Obesity is the leading metabolic disease in industrialized countries and is closely associated with coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-adipogenic effects of two roasted coffee beans, Vietnam robusta (VR) and Ethiopia Mocha Sidamo G2 (ES), as well as fermented coffee beans with Monascus ruber (MR) mycelium on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Treatments with 1,000 ${\mu}g/mL$ of hot water extract from coffee beans significantly reduced intracellular lipid accumulation. In addition, VR more effectively inhibited transcription factors such as $PPAR{\gamma}$, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, FAS, and aP2 compared to ES. Further, ES fermented with MR showed more effective anti-adipogenic activity than non-fermented ES. These results suggest that VR and ES inhibit adipocyte differentiation which may contribute to their anti-adipogenic properties.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.330-335
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the anti-diabetic mechanism of crude polysaccharides isolated from the fruiting bodies of Grifola frondosa. We treated 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells to observe whether the crude polysaccharides isolated from Grifola frondosa would stimulate insulin sensitivity. Significant insulin sensitizing activity was observed in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and giving the crude polysaccharide of Grifola frondosa with 1 nM of insulin caused glucose uptake to increase to a similar level as giving 50 nM of insulin alone. To confirm the mechanism for the anti-diabetic effect of the crude polysaccharides, we performed further examinations within $KK-A^{y}$ mice, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. The crude polysaccharides reduced blood glucose levels in the $KK-A^{y}$ mice for 2 weeks after feeding, and also significantly lowered plasma insulin levels. These results suggest that the anti-diabetic mechanism of the crude polysaccharide of Grifola frondosa is related to the enhancement of insulin sensitivity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.204-209
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the anti-diabetic activity of Kocat-D1, which is widely used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes in Shandong, China. Sprague Dawley rats (8 weeks of age) were separated into 4 groups: a normal control, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat group (DM control), Kocat-D1-1 (diabetic rat treated with 0.25 g/kg/day hot water extract), and Kocat-D1-2 (diabetic rat treated with 1 g/kg/day hot water extract). After eight weeks of treatment, the fasting blood glucose levels of the Kocat-D1-1 ($334.3{\pm}32.9\;mg/dL$) and Kocat-D1-2 group ($259.5{\pm}35.0\;mg/dL$) were significantly lower when compared to the DM control group ($451{\pm}42.6\;mg/dL$). Furthermore, the levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), albumin and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the serum of the Kocat-D1-2 group were significantly normalized when compared to the DM control group. However, significant differences were not observed between the Kocat-D1-1 group and the DM control group. Histochemical staining of the liver of the Kocat-D1-2 group revealed no fat accumulation. The insulin level was significantly upregulated in the Kocat-D1-2 group ($0.13{\pm}0.02\;ng/mL$) when compared to the DM control group ($0.05{\pm}0.04\;ng/mL$). The relative volume of $\beta$-cells in the pancreas of the Kocat-D1-2 group ($49.4{\pm}4.2%$) also increased significantly when compared to the DM control group ($12.9{\pm}7.9%$). These results suggest that Kocat-D1 exerts an anti-hyperglycemic effect through the enhancement of insulin secretion.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2022

In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of buckwheat. The diabetic animal models were divided into four groups: normal mice group (NOR), streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice group (STZ), group treated with seeds of common or tartary buckwheat (SCB or STB), and the group treated with whole plants of common or tartary buckwheat (PCB or PTB). Rutin content was 44-48 times higher in STB or PTB than in SCB. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance were significantly reduced by treatment with STB, PCB, and PTB. Treatment with PTB also decreased the serum glucose level significantly and the serum insulin levels slightly compared with the STZ group. These results suggest that rutin content and antioxidant activity are closely related to the antidiabetic effect of the treatment. Our results demonstrate that the seeds of tartary buckwheat and whole plants of either common or tartary buckwheat have antidiabetic effects-attenuating blood glucose in an animal model of type II diabetes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.274-283
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• 2020

This study focused on the in vitro investigation of antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities, along with neuroprotection against high glucose-induced cytotoxicity, in order to evaluate the physiological effects of Zanthoxylum piperitum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium. The highest total phenolic content was measured in the 40% ethanolic extracts of Zanthoxylum piperitum (EZP) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium (EZS). The in vitro EZP antioxidant activity showed a relatively higher ABTS/DPPH radical scavenging activity and malondialdehyde inhibitory effect than that of EZS. The EZP inhibited carbohydrate hydrolysis (α-glucosidase and α-amylase) more efficiently than EZS in anti-diabetic tests. However, EZS showed a more efficient inhibition of advanced glycation end-products formation than EZP. In addition, both EZP and EZS effectively protected human-derived neuronal cells from high glucose-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, the physiological compounds were analyzed using UPLC IMS-QTOF/MS^E, and the main EZP (quercetin-3-O-glucoside and 3-caffeoylquinic acid) and EZS (5-caffeoylquinic acid) compounds were identified as phenolic compounds.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1015-1021
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• 2013

Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal, an important species of licorice, is one of the most widely used medicinal plants for over 4000 years. Glycyrrhiza plant species has been well known for its various therapeutic activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-ulcer. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal ethanol extracts (GBE) on adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation. Mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells were treated with sub-cytotoxic doses of GBE, and its effects on adipocyte differentiation were assessed. We found that GBE dose-dependently increased lipid accumulation and also induced the expression of adipocyte markers, such as $PPAR{\gamma}$ and its target genes, aP2, and adiponectin, in C3H10T1/2 cells. Consistently, similar effects of GBE on lipid accumulation were also observed in preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells that further supports the pro-adipogenic activities of GBE. We also investigated the effects of GBE on osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells. As a results, we found that GBE increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase in a dose-dependent manner and also promoted the expression of osteoblast markers, such as ALP and RUNX2, during osteoblast differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells. Similar pro-osteogenic effects of GBE were also observed in preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Finally, our data show that a major bioactive compound found in Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal, licochalcone A (LA) but not glycyrrhizic acid (GA), can mediate the pro-adipogenic and pro-osteogenic effects of GBE. Taken together, this study provides data to show the possibility of GBE and its bioactive component LA as putative strategies for type 2 diabetes and bone diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-165
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• 2012

Osteoporotic fracture became a serious social problem, which related with mortality and morbidity in old age population. Osteoclast which is responsible for bone resorption is originated from hematopoietic cell line and plays a key role osteoporotic bone loss. Cynanchum wilfordii (Asclepiadaceae) roots have been used in Korean folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and aging progression. Also, recent studies have shown that the extract and fractions of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix have various pharmacological actions including scavenging free radicals, enhancing immunity, reducing high serum cholesterol, and anti-tumor activity. However, the effect of extract of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix in osteoclast differentiation had not been reported. Thus, we evaluated the effect of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix on receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Through our study, we found that Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix suppressed the activation of p38 pathway and $NF{\kappa}B$ in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) treated with RANKL. Also, Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 and cathepsin K in BMMs treated with RANKL. Particularly, Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix inhibited the protein expression of c-fos and NFATc1. Taken together, our results demonstrated that Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix may be useful treatment option of bone-related disease such as osteoporosis leads to fracture of bone and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.511-519
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• 2011

Dietary intake of whole grains reduces the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In an earlier study, we showed that Panicum miliaceum L. extract (PME) exhibited the highest anti-lipogenic activity in 3T3-L1 cells among extracts of nine different cereal grains tested. In this study, we hypothesized that PME in the diet would lead to weight loss and augmentation of hyperlipidemia by regulating fatty acid metabolism. PME was fed to ob/ob mice at 0%, 0.5%, or 1% (w/w) for 4 weeks. After the experimental period, body weight changes, blood serum and lipid profiles, hepatic fatty acid metabolism-related gene expression, and white adipose tissue (WAT) fatty acid composition were determined. We found that the 1% PME diet, but not the 0.5%, effectively decreased body weight, liver weight, and blood triglyceride and total cholesterol levels (P < 0.05) compared to obese ob/ob mice on a normal diet. Hepatic lipogenic-related gene ($PPAR{\alpha}$, L-FABP, FAS, and SCD1) expression decreased, whereas lipolysis-related gene (CPT1) expression increased in animals fed the 1% PME diet (P < 0.05). Long chain fatty acid content and the ratio of C18:1/C18:0 fatty acids decreased significantly in adipose tissue of animals fed the 1% PME diet (P < 0.05). Serum inflammatory mediators also decreased significantly in animals fed the 1% PME diet compared to those of the ob/ob control group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that PME is useful in the chemoprevention or treatment of obesity and obesity-related disorders.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.416-424
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• 2013

In the course of a study for the development of functional foods utilizing Woosul (Achyranthis radix), the components and various biological activities of Korean Woosul (AJN: Achyranthes japonica Nakai) and Chinese Woosul (ABB: Achyranthes bidentata Blume) were compared. Woosul in Korea, including AJN and ABB, are regulated and part of the Korean Pharmacopoeia. From AJN and ABB, ethanol extracts and their subsequent organic solvent fractions were prepared and their in-vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-diabetes activities were evaluated. Although AJN and ABB have no clear distinction in terms of usage in Korea, our results suggest that AJN has higher quantities of lipid-soluble components and lower amounts of water-soluble sugars than does ABB. ABB also appears to possess greater amounts of flavonoid and polyphenol substances than AJN. Analyses of biological activities showed that the fractions of AJN were more active as antibacterial agents, and possessed more pronounced ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities than those of the ABB fractions. However, the antioxidant activities of the ABB fractions, as determined by DPPH anion-, ABTS cation-, nitrite-scavenging activity and reducing power, were higher than those of the AJN fractions. Our results suggest that the components and bioactivity of the extracts and subsequent fractions of AJN and ABB are different. Therefore, usage of either AJN or ABB should be carefully considered, as regards their individual properties, when the active fractions of Woosul are employed in the development of functional foods or novel plant-derived medicines.