• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.128-133
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• 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the antioxidative and antidiabetic activities of the flowers, leaves, and roots of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.). The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of the leaves were higher than those of the flowers and roots. However, the DPPH radical-scavenging and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities of the flowers were higher than those of the leaves and roots. The nitrite-scavenging ability under acidic conditions was high in Jerusalem artichoke flower extracts. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity and ${\alpha}-amylase$ inhibitory activity of a methanol extract of Jerusalem artichoke roots were about 60% (5 mg/mL concentration). Based on these experiments, it can be concluded that the flowers leaves, and roots of the Jerusalem artichoke can be used as natural preservatives. Therefore, they can be developed as functional foods, to take advantage of their antioxidant activity and abundant polyphenols. This study suggests that the whole Jerusalem artichoke, including roots, leaves, and flowers, is useful as a functional, nutritious food product.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2020

Metformin is a recommended first-line therapy drug for type 2 diabetes patients. However, compared to other oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD), metformin has a large unit dosage, with bioavailability of 40-60%. This limiting bioavailability is because metformin is absorbed only in the upper gastrointestinal tract as a BCS class 3 drug. Hence, we propose that applying the Gastroretentive Drug Delivery System (GRDDS) and extending drug release time in the stomach will result in improved bioavailability. We selected the swelling type delivery system, as it is considered the most stable gastroretention technology compared to other GRDDSs. We modified the swelling excipient by using a natural swelling excipient to form a swelling tablet made of carrageenan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). Our results indicate that the swelling complex tablet made of carrageenan and HPMC has a good swelling ability and shows required sustained release in a dissolution pattern. In addition, the carrageenan complex has a better swelling ability than the marketed metformin tablet, as determined by the ratio, (swelling ability)/(excipient weight). Taken together, our results indicate that the carrageenan complex can be developed as a good swelling excipient. Further optimizations are required for the commercialization of the carrageenan complex.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6973-6979
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• 2015

Background: Ovarian cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in Indian women. Despite an initial 70-80% response rate, most patients relapse within 1-2 years and develop chemoresistance. Hence, identification or repositioning of drugs to resensitise ovarian cancer cells to existing chemotherapy is needed. Traditionally immortalized cell lines have been used in research, but these may contain genetic aberrations and chromosomal abnormalities serving as poor indicators of normal cell phenotype and progression of early-stage disease. The use of primary cells, maintained for only short periods of time in vitro, may serve as the best representative for studying in vivo conditions of the tissues from which they are derived. In this study we have attempted to evaluate the effect of metformin (an antidiabetic drug) in primary ovarian cancer cells because of its promising effect in other solid tumours. Materials and Methods: Primary cultures of epithelial ovarian cancer cells established from ascitic fluid of untreated ovarian cancer patients were used. The cells were treated with metformin at doses standardized by MTT assay and its ability to induce apoptosis was studied. The cells were analysed for apoptosis and apoptosis related proteins by flow cytometry and western blotting respectively. Results: Metformin induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, provoking cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 and S phase. It induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells by, down-regulating Bcl-2 and up-regulating Bax expression. Conclusions: Metformin was able to induce apoptosis in primary ovarian cancer cells by modulating the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins. These data are relevant to ongoing translational research efforts exploring the chemotherapeutic potential of metformin.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.277-283
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• 2017

Background: The ginseng berry has various bioactivities, including antidiabetic, anticancer, antiinflammatory, and antioxidative properties. Moreover, we have revealed that the active antiaging component of the ginseng berry, syringaresinol, has the ability to stimulate longevity via gene activation. Despite the many known beneficial effects of ginseng, its effects on skin aging are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of ginseng and the ginseng berry on one of the skin aging processes, melanogenesis, and age-related pigment lipofuscin accumulation, to elucidate the mechanism of action with respect to antiaging. Methods: The human melanoma MNT1 cell line was treated with ginseng root extract, ginseng berry extract, or syringaresinol. Then, the cells were analyzed using a melanin assay, and the tyrosinase activity was estimated. The Caenorhabditis elegans wild type N2 strain was used for the life span assay to analyze the antiaging effects of the samples. A lipofuscin fluorescence assay was performed during 10 passages with the syringaresinol treatment. Results: A 7-d treatment with ginseng berry extract reduced melanin accumulation and tyrosinase activity more than ginseng root extract. These results may be due to the active compound of the ginseng berry, syringaresinol. The antimelanogenic activity was strongly coordinated with the activation of the longevity gene foxo3a. Moreover, the ginseng berry extract had more potent antiaging effects, caused a life span extension, and reduced lipofuscin accumulation. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that these antimelanogenic effects and antiaging effects of ginseng berry mediate the activation of antioxidation-FoxO3a signaling.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.9-24
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• 2022

Low-molecular weight peptides derived from fish collagen exhibit several bioactivities, including antioxidant, antiwrinkle, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antihypertension effects. These peptides are also involved in triglyceride suppression and memory improvement. This study aimed to investigate the optimal processing condition for preparing low-molecular weight peptides from flounder skin, and the properties of the hydrolysate. The optimal processing conditions for peptic hydrolysis were as follows: a ratio of pepsin to dried skin powder of 2% (w/w), pH of 2.0, and a temperature of 50℃. Peptic hydrolysate contains several low-molecular weight peptides below 300 Da. Gly-Pro-Hyp(GPHyp) peptide, a process control index, was detected only in peptic hydrolysate on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight(MALDI-TOF) spectrum. 2,2'-azinobis-(3-3-ethylbenzothiazolline-6- sulfonic acid(ABTS) radical scavenging activity of the peptic hydrolysate was comparable to that of 1 mM ascorbic acid, which was used as a positive control at pH 5.5, whereas collagenase inhibition was five times higher with the peptic hydrolysate than with 1 mM ascorbic acid at pH 7.5. However, the tyrosinase inhibition ability of the peptic hydrolysate was lower than that of arbutin, which was used as a positive control. The antibacterial effect of the peptic hydrolysate against Propionibacterium acne was not observed. These results suggest that the peptic hydrolysate derived from a flounder skin is a promising antiwrinkle agent that can be used in various food and cosmetic products to prevent wrinkles caused by ultraviolet radiations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.797-805
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• 2023

Species belonging to the Vernonia (Asteraceae), the largest genus in the tribe Vernonieae (consisting of about 1,000 species), are widely used in food and medicine. These plants are rich sources of bioactive sesquiterpene lactones and steroid saponins, likely including many as yet undiscovered chemical components. A phytochemical investigation resulted in the separation of three new stigmastane-type steroidal saponins (1 - 3), designated as vernogratiosides A-C, from whole plants of V. gratiosa. Their structures were elucidated based on infrared spectroscopy (IR), one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), and electronic circular dichroism analyses (ECD), as well as chemical reactivity. Molecular docking analysis of representative saponins with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was performed. Additionally, the intended substances were tested for their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase activity in a laboratory setting. The results suggested that stigmastane-type steroidal saponins from V. gratiosa are promising candidate antidiabetic agents.