• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5783-5788
• /
• 2013

Trigonella foenum in graecum (Fenugreek) is a traditional herbal plant used to treat disorders like diabetes, high cholesterol, wounds, inflammation, gastrointestinal ailments, and it is believed to have anti-tumor properties, although the mechanisms for the activity remain to be elucidated. In this study, we prepared a methanol extract from Fenugreek whole plants and investigated the mechanism involved in its growth-inhibitory effect on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Apoptosis of MCF-7 cells was evidenced by investigating trypan blue exclusion, TUNEL and Caspase 3, 8, 9, p53, FADD, Bax and Bak by real-time PCR assays inducing activities, in the presence of FME at $65{\mu}g/mL$ for 24 and 48 hours. FME induced apoptosis was mediated by the death receptor pathway as demonstrated by the increased level of Fas receptor expression after FME treatment. However, such change was found to be absent in Caspase 3, 8, 9, p53, FADD, Bax and Bak, which was confirmed by a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. In summary, these data demonstrate that at least 90% of FME induced apoptosis in breast cell is mediated by Fas receptor-independently of either FADD, Caspase 8 or 3, as well as p53 interdependently.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.59-67
• /
• 2011

Background: Insulin resistance is an integral feature of metabolic syndromes, including obesity, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we evaluated whether the aloe component could reduce obesity-induced inflammation and the occurrence of metabolic disorders such as blood glucose and insulin resistance. Methods: Male C57BL/6 obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 54 days received a supplement of aloe formula (PAG, ALS, Aloe QDM, and Aloe QDM complex) or pioglitazone (PGZ) and were compared with unsupplemented controls (high-fat diet; HFD) or mice fed a regular diet (RD). RT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to quantify the expression of obesity-induced inflammation. Results: Aloe QDM lowered fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin compared with HFD. Obesity-induced inflammatory cytokine (IL-$1{\beta}$, -6, -12, TNF-${\alpha}$) and chemokine (CX3CL1, CCL5) mRNA and protein were decreased markedly, as was macrophage infiltration and hepatic triglycerides by Aloe QDM. At the same time, Aloe QDM decreased the mRNA and protein of $PPAR{\gamma}/LXR{\alpha}$ and $11{\beta}$-HSD1 both in the liver and WAT. Conclusion: Dietary aloe formula reduces obesity-induced glucose tolerance not only by suppressing inflammatory responses but also by inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines in the WAT and liver, both of which are important peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The effect of Aloe QDM complex in the WAT and liver are related to its dual action on $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $11{\beta}$-HSD1 ression and its use as a nutritional intervention against T2D and obesity-related inflammation is suggested.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.7
• /
• pp.1113-1120
• /
• 2010

This study investigated the efficacy of macelignan and hot water with Chinese traditional herb (CTH) extract on altering severe diabetic conditions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Previously, the anti-diabetic effects of macelignan were partly reported as a PPAR $\alpha/\gamma$-dual agonist. Here, we futher studied whether a combination of macelignan and CTH had more beneficial effects or not. The macelignan and CTH compound significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared to macelignan-treated mice, and also significantly improved postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and plasma lipid profiles (FFA, and TG). On the other hand, insulin levels were not significantly changed compared to the diabetic control group. There were no significant changes in the concentrations of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, but there were changes in HTR and AI. These results suggest that the macelignan and CTH compound ameliorates hyperglycemia and efficiently improves postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and hyperlipidemia compared with macelignan in db/db mice. Moreover, the macelignan and CTH compound seems to be more potent in affecting diabetic complications than macelignan.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.145-155
• /
• 2016

Cow's milk and dairy products are elements of the human diet that could play an important role in improving human health. The macronutrients and micronutrients found in milk could supply the nutrients required to maintain human health. Among them, milk-derived bioactive peptides have been identified as potential ingredients found in health promoting functional foods. These bioactive peptides target diet-related chronic diseases, particularly non-communicable ones such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Additionally probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are can be considered live microorganisms that confer health benefits for the host-, when administered in adequate amounts. Further, the calcium, vitamin D, and protein content of milk and dairy products could play a role in proving bone health. The effect of milk and calcium on bone mineral density could prevent against fracture, osteoporosis and rickets. Furthermore, milk and dairy products also contain which factors that, which protect against dental caries (anti-cariogenic properties). This paper reviews the various nutritional functions of milk and dairy products in improving human health.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.86-97
• /
• 2021

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer has been used as a nourishing edible herb in East Asia for thousands of years. 25-OH-PPT was first discovered as a natural rare triterpenoid saponin in ginseng stems and leaves by our group. Research found that it showed strong inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, and protected cardiocytes (H9c2) through PI3K/Akt pathway. Methods: In the research, in order to optimize the 25-OH-PPT enrichment process, optimal macroporous resins and optimal purification conditions were studied. Meanwhile, the hypoglycemic effect and mechanism of 25-OH-PPT were evaluated by using STZ to establish insulin-dependent diabetic mice and the spontaneous type 2 diabetes DB/DB mice. Results and Conclusion: Research found that 25-OH-PPT can reduce blood glucose and enhance glucose tolerance in STZ model mice. It increases insulin sensitivity by upregulating GLUT4 and AMPK in skeletal muscle, and activating insulin signaling pathways. In DB/DB mice, 25-OH-PPT achieves hypoglycemic effects mainly by activating the insulin signaling pathway. Meanwhile, through the influence of liver inflammatory factors and lipids in serum, it can be seen that 25-OH-PPT has obvious anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects. These results provide new insights into the study of ginseng as a functional food.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.619-628
• /
• 2023

In the modern era, chronic kidney failure due to diabetes has spread across the globe. Prunetin (PRU), a component of herbal medicines, has a broad variety of pharmacological activities; these may help to slow the onset of diabetic kidney disease. The anti-nephropathic effects of PRU have not yet been reported. The present study explored the potential nephroprotective actions of PRU in diabetic rats. For 28 days, nephropathic rats were given oral doses of PRU (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg). Body weight, blood urea, creatinine, total protein, lipid profile, liver marker enzymes, carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, C-reactive protein, antioxidants, lipid peroxidative indicators, and the expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2) mRNA genes were all examined. Histological examinations of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas were also performed. The oral treatment of PRU drastically lowered the blood glucose, HbA1c, blood urea, creatinine, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid profile, and hexokinase. Meanwhile, the levels of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase were all elevated, but glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase dropped significantly. Inflammatory marker antioxidants and lipid peroxidative markers were also less persistent due to this administration. PRU upregulated the IRS-1 and GLUT-2 gene expression in the nephropathic group. The possible renoprotective properties of PRU were validated by histopathology of the liver, kidney, and pancreatic tissues. It is therefore proposed that PRU (80 mg/kg) has considerable renoprotective benefits in diabetic nephropathy in rats.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.391-397
• /
• 2009

Carnosine is a dipeptide ($\beta$-alanyl-L-histidine) found in mammalian brain, eye, olfactory bulb and skeletal muscle at high concentrations. Its biological functions include antioxidant and anti-glycation activities. The objectives of this study were to investigate anti-diabetic effects of carnosine as determined by blood glucose levels in glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT), insulin level and serum biochemical and lipid levels in male C57BL/6J db/db mice. There were five experimental groups including normal (C57BL/6J), control (vehicle), and three groups of carnosine at doses of 6, 30, and 150 mg/kg b.w. Carnosine was orally administered to the diabetic mice everyday for 8 weeks. There was no significant difference in body weight changes in carnosine-treated groups compared to the control. The treatments of carnosine significantly decreased the blood glucose level in the diabetic mice compared with the control (p < 0.05) after 5 weeks. The treatments of carnosine also significantly decreased the blood glucose levels in GTT and ITT and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), compared with the control (p < 0.05). Carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased the serum insulin level compared to the control (p < 0.05). Carnosine significantly increased total proteins but significantly decreased lactate dehydrogenase and blood urea nitrogen compared with the control (p < 0.05). Carnosine also significantly decreased glucose, LDL, and triglyceride in the serum of diabetic mice compared to the control (p < 0.05). These results suggest that carnosine has a hypoglycermic effect resulting from reduction of glucose and lipid levels and that high carnosine-containing diets or drugs may give a benefit for controlling diabetes mellitus in humans.

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

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 2017

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by chronic lipid accumulation due to dysregulation of lipid metabolism in the liver, and it is associated with various human diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Histone acetylation is a representative epigenetic mechanism regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and deacetylases. We observed that tartary buckwheat sprout (TBS) suppressed lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through its anti-HAT activity. We showed that TBS was a novel HAT inhibitor with specificity for the major HAT enzyme p300. Importantly, TBS reduced acetylation of total and histone proteins, H3K9, H3K36, and H4K8, resulting in decreased transcriptional activities of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, ATP citrate lyase, and fatty acid synthase. These results suggest that TBS inhibits the NAFLD transcription-modulating activity of lipogenesis-related genes through modification of histone acetylation.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.60-66
• /
• 2012

Human skin is the first line of defense for the protection of the internal organs of the body from different stimuli. Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces skin damage and inflammation through the secretion of various cytokines, which are immune regulators produced by cells. To prevent the initiation of skin inflammation, keratinocytes that have been irreversibly damaged by radiation must be removed through the apoptotic mechanism. Ixeris dentata (family: Asteraceae) is a perennial medicinal herb indigenous to Korea. It has been used in Korea, China, and Japan to treat in digestion, pneumonia, diabetes, hepatitis, and tumors. To gain insight into the anti-inflammatory effects of I. dentata, we examined its influence on UVB-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), by observing cells that were stimulated with UVB in the presence or absence of I. dentata. In the present study, pro-inflammatory cytokine production was determined by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis to measure the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs). I. dentata inhibited UVBinduced production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Further, I. dentata inhibited the UVB-induced expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Furthermore, I. dentata inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 MAPKs, suggesting that it inhibits the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, and COX-2 expression, by blocking MAPK phosphorylation. These results suggest that I. dentate can potentially protect against UVB-induced skin inflammation.