• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.213-219
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• 2007

To develop an anti-dementia agent with potential therapeutic value in the protection of neuronal cells, we selected a water extract of Helianthus annuus seed for analysis. We measured acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity in the extract, and analyzed the protective effect of the extract on neuronal cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide, or amyloid ${\beta}-peptide$, of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The result showed that the extinct exerted protective effects of 83%, 72% and 53% respectively, on cell death induced by 100M, 200M, and 500M hydrogen peroxide. Also, when 50M of amyloid ${\beta}-peptide$ was added to the cells, the extract showed a protective effect (up to 80%) on cell death. Overall, the results showed that the H. annuus extract inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity in a dose-dependent manner, and the extract also strongly protected against cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide or amyloid ${\beta}-peptide$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.657-664
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to screen a therapeutic agent with a cognitive function. The inhibitory effect of $Curcuma$ $longa$ hot water extract (CLWE) on the angiotension-converting enzyme and acetylcholinesterase derived from rabbit lungs and neural cells (PC12), as well as its antioxidant effect, was investigated in this study. Thus, for the first time, the direct scavenging effect of CLWE on DPPH radicals, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, lipid peroxidation, reducing power, and the protective effect of DNA oxidation related to oxidative stress was evaluated in vitro. In addition, it was observed that CLWE especially exhibited a scavenging effect on reducing power and superoxide anions in this study. CLWE showed a protective effect on DNA oxidation produced by hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, CLWE inhibited the activity of angiotensin-converting enzymes above 0.25%. Additionally, the extract inhibited oxidative stress and inducible nitric oxide in neuronal cells. Therefore, these results demonstrated that CLWE has antioxidant activity and neuronal cell protective effects, suggesting that it may have great potential as a natural source for human health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.656-662
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• 2015

Natural products and natural product structures play a general and highly significant role in drug discovery and development process because it has various merits and potentials for new drug source that have extensive clinical experience, development time contraction, excellent stability and safety. In several neurological disorders, neuronal death and excessive activation of microglia (neuro-inflammation) are observed. A number of drug discovery-related neuronal cell death and neuro-inflammation was studied from natural products, respectively. However, until now, it has not been possible to study dual-protection molecules recorded in the Natural Product library. In the present study, using the natural product-derived library of the Institute for Korea Traditional Medical Industry, we investigated dual-protective molecules against glutamate (a classical excitatory neurotransmitter)-induced oxidative stress mediated neuronal cell death and LPS-induced excessive activated microglial cells (immune cells of the brain). Chrysophanol, extracted from Rheum palmatum, had dual-protective effects against both glutamate-induced neuronal cell death and LPS-induced NO production, triggering proinflammatory cytokines and microglia activation and resulting in neuroinflammation. Flow-cytometry analysis revealed that chrysophanol had a scavenger effect, scavenging glutamate- and LPS-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by neuronal and microglial cells, respectively. Based on the present study, chrysophanol may have an important protective role against neuronal cell death and neuroinflammation in the brain. The results may be helpful for studying drug development candidates for treating central nervous system disorders.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2013

We compared the preventive capacity of high intakes of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) on oxidative stress and liver toxicity in rats fed a low-fat ethanol diet. Thirty-two Wistar rats received the low fat (10% of total calories) Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet as follows: either ethanol alone (Alc group, 36% of total calories) or ethanol in combination with VC (Alc + VC group, 40 mg VC/100 g body weight) or VE (Alc + VE group, 0.8 mg VE/100 g body weight). Control rats were pair-fed a liquid diet with the Alc group. Ethanol administration induced a modest increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), conjugated dienes (CD), and triglycerides but decreased total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) in plasma. VE supplementation to alcohol-fed rats restored the plasma levels of AST, CD, and TRAP to control levels. However, VC supplementation did not significantly influence plasma ALT, AST, or CD. In addition, a significant increase in plasma aminothiols such as homocysteine and cysteine was observed in the Alc group, but cysteinylglycine and glutathione (GSH) did not change by ethanol feeding. Supplementing alcohol-fed rats with VC increased plasma GSH and hepatic S-adenosylmethionine, but plasma levels of aminothiols, except GSH, were not influenced by either VC or VE supplementation in ethanol-fed rats. These results indicate that a low-fat ethanol diet induces oxidative stress and consequent liver toxicity similar to a high-fat ethanol diet and that VE supplementation has a protective effect on ethanol-induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.436-441
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• 2009

The final bio-metabolites of lipid peroxidation (LPO) such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) have been suggested to mediate the oxidative stress-linked pathological incidences. Natural phytochemicals such as polyphenolic compounds in green tea have been known in preventing the LPO induced cellular growth inhibition and apoptosis. We investigated that green tea ethanol extracts (GTE) inhibit LPO-induced apoptosis in ECV 304 cells. GTE had time- or dose-dependent anti-apoptotic effects as evidenced by changes in cell morphology, MTT assay, DNA fragmentation, LPO production, and the Western blotting for apoptotic expression. In the 4-HNE-induced apoptosis model, GTE $10-20{\mu}g/mL$ decreased cell death through decreasing LPO production. GTE protected 4-HNE induced apoptosis, as evidence with down regulation of mitochondrial signaling such as cytochrome C and caspase-3 activity. GTE increased bcl2, survival signaling protein, compared to 4-HNE alone within 6 hr incubation. Since polyphenols in GTE are effective antioxidants in endothelial ECV 304 cells, we suggested that natural polyphenols might be anti-atherosclerotic.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.401-414
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• 2013

Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3) contained only in red ginseng has been found to show various pharmacological effects such as an anticancer, antiangiogenetic, antimetastastic, liver protective, neuroprotective immunomodulating, vasorelaxative, antidiabetic, insulin secretion promoting and antioxidant activities. It is well known that G-Rg3 could be divided into 20(R)-Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3 according to the hydroxyl group attached to C-20 of aglycone, whose structural characteristics show different pharmacological activities. It has been reported that G-Rg3 is metabolized to G-Rh2 and protopanaxadiol by the conditions of the gastric acid or intestinal bacteria, thereby these metabolites could be absorbed, suggesting its absolute bioavailability (2.63%) to be very low. Therefore, we reviewed the chemical, physical and biological transformation methods for the production on a large scale of G-Rg3 with various pharmacological effects. We also examined the influence of acid and heat treatment-induced potentials on for the preparation method of higher G-Rg3 content in ginseng and ginseng products. Futhermore, the microbial and enzymatic bio-conversion technologies could be more efficient in terms of high selectivity, efficiency and productivity. The present review discusses the available technologies for G-Rg3 production on a large scale using chemical and biological transformation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.4272-4278
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• 2014

One of the most effective ways of preventing skin aging is to protect the skin from UV radiation, which was identified as the primary cause of photoaging. Therefore, it is necessary to develop natural and environment-friendly materials to the human skin. This study examined the effects of MAAs extracted from Chlamydononas hedleyi on UV protection and anti-inflammation in human skin cells. The function of porphyra-334 in the skin, which was isolated and purified from MMAs mixture, was tested in terms of its UV protective ability and anti-inflammation. As a result, porphyra-334 played a role in protecting the skin from UV radiation and anti-inflammation through the suppression of COX-2 expression. These results suggest that porphyra-334 can be a useful material in cosmetic products because it can protect the skin from UV radiation and anti-inflammation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.202-207
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• 2023

We investigated the neuroprotective effects of deca nano-graphene oxide (daNGO) against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y and in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced Parkinsonian rat model. An MTT assay was performed to measure cell viability in vitro in the presence of 6-OHDA and/or daNGO. The intracellular ROS level was quantified using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. daNGO showed neuroprotective effects against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity and also displayed ROS scavenging properties. We then tested the protective effects of daNGO against 6-OHDA induced toxicity in a rat model. Stepping tests showed that the akinesia symptoms were improved in the daNGO group compared to the control group. Moreover, in an apomorphine-induced rotation test, the number of net contralateral rotations was decreased in the daNGO group compared to the control group. By immunofluorescent staining, the animals in the daNGO group had more tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells than the controls. By anti-Iba1 staining, 6-OHDA induced microglial activation showed a significantly decrease in the daNGO group, indicating that the neuroprotective effects of graphene resulted from anti-inflammation. In conclusion, nano-graphene oxide has neuroprotective effects against the neurotoxin induced by 6-OHDA on dopaminergic neurons.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: One of the mechanisms considered to be prevalent in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hyper-stimulation of microglia. Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocapa L.) is widely used to treat diabetes and atherosclerosis, and is known to exert anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; however, its neuroprotective effects have not been elucidated thus far. MATERIALS/METHODS: We undertook to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract of black chokeberry friut (BCE) in BV2 cells, and evaluate its neuroprotective effect in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of AD. RESULTS: Following stimulation of BV2 cells by LPS, exposure to BCE significantly reduced the generation of nitric oxide as well as mRNA levels of numerous inflammatory factors such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin 1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$), and tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$). In addition, AD was induced in a mouse model by intraperitoneal injection of LPS ($250{\mu}g/kg$), subsequent to which we investigated the neuroprotective effects of BCE (50 mg/kg) on brain damage. We observed that BCE significantly reduced tissue damage in the hippocampus by downregulating iNOS, COX-2, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels. We further identified the quinic acids in BCE using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). Furthermore, we confirmed the neuroprotective effect of BCE and quinic acid on amyloid beta-induced cell death in rat hippocampal primary neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that black chokeberry has protective effects against the development of AD.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2001

Silk fibroin (SF) derided from the domestic silk worm, bombyx mori, is the natural protein and widely used as bio-functional materials as well as apparels. We studied the livers protective effect of SF from alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in the alcohol preference mouse. To increase more absorption of SF in experimental animals, molecular weight of SF was lowered by 2N of HCI aqueous solution at 10$0^{\circ}C$ for 48 hrs. SF was added to liquid diet with alcohol and fed to the alcohol preference mice for 4 weeks. To assess the liver function, the concentration of alanine aminotransferase (AlT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and cholesterol present in either blood or liver tissue were measured. As compared with non-SF treated groups the SF-treated showed significantly low concentrations of ALT, AST, cholesterol and triacylglycerol values, respectively. Histopathological examination revealed that the extent of hepatocyte injury in the SF-treated group was reduced when it was compared with non SF-treated group. These results suggest that SF may have liver protective effects against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.