• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.584-590
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• 2012

This study evaluated the effects of carnosine supplementation on carnosine concentration in muscles and blood biochemical indices of rats. Thirty-two eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into a control group (CON) as well as three carnosine-treated groups. The carnosine-treated groups included groups fed diets composed of 0.01% carnosine (LC), 0.1% carnosine (MC), and 1.0% carnosine (HC). Body weight gain, food intake, feed efficacy rate, protein efficacy rate, and organ weights were not significantly different among the groups. In all groups, the mean carnosine levels in gastrocnemius muscles were higher than the mean carnosine levels in soleus muscles. Carnosine concentrations in soleus muscles and gastrocnemius muscles were significantly higher in the HC group compared to all other groups (p<0.05). Serum triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in all of the carnosine-supplemented groups were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05), while HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher than those of the control group (p<0.05). Aspartate aminotransferase levels in rats supplemented with carnosine were significantly higher than those of the control group. In conclusion, diets supplemented with high levels of carnosine can increase carnosine concentrations in skeletal muscles, which might contribute to increased exercise capacity. Furthermore, these findings suggest that high levels of dietary carnosine improve the lipid profile of rats by lowering blood LDL-cholesterol and increasing HDL-cholesterol levels.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 2007

Ion-exchange chromatography and ultra-filtration permeation were used to extract carnosine from the eel Anguilla japonica. In an investigation of its antioxidant properties, the eel carnosine prevented lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid systems, scavenged free radicals, and exhibited superoxide dismutase-like activity. These activities increased as the carnosine concentration increased. The nitrite scavenging effects (NSEs) of commercial carnosine and the eel carnosine were measured at various acidic pHs (1.2, 3.0, and 4.2). For both types of carnosine, the maximum NSE was observed at pH 1.2. At this pH, the NSE of the eel carnosine was 65.3%. Both types of carnosine were effective at maintaining reasonably good color of ground beef patties over 5 days of storage at $4^{\circ}C$ and inhibited metmyoglobin formation as well as lipid peroxidation. These data suggest that the eel carnosine might be useful as a "natural" antioxidant in commercial production and storage of muscle foodstuffs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.109-115
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• 1999

The antiosidant activity of carnosine and related compounds such as anserine, homo-carnosine, histidine, and $\beta$-alanine which are found in most mammalian tissues, was investigated using hypochlorite (HOCl)-induced oxidant systems. Carnosine and related compounds were protective against HOCl-induced ascorbic acid oxidation, as determined by UV absorbance at 265nm. L-histidine was the most effective among them. The inhibitory effect of these compounds was strongly associated with a decrease in HOCl. It was also found that carnosine and related compounds significantly protected against the HOCl-mediated erythrocyte damage, as determined by hemoglobin release and gemolysis (p<0.05). Carnosine and anserine also inhibited of $\alpha$-antiprotease($\alpha$-AP) by HOCl, thereby inactivating porcine elastase. The inhibitory effect of carnosine on inactivation of $\alpha$-AP by HOCl depended on the concentration of carnosine and on the time preincubated with HOCl. Homocarnosine, histidine, and $\beta$-alanine did not inhibit the reaction. These results indicate that carnosine and related compounds can neutralize or scavenge HOCl. Thus, these compounds may play an important role in protecting against HOCl-mediated damage of biomolecules in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.520-526
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• 2017

Carnosine was recently reported to protect against the DNA damage induced by oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of eel Anguilla japonica carnosine extracts prepared using different methods (heat treatment extracts, HTEs; ion exchange chromatography, IEC; ultrafiltration permeation, UFP) on leukocyte DNA damage using the comet assay. Human leukocytes were incubated with extracts of eel carnosine at concentrations (of 10, 50, $100{\mu}g/mL$), and then subjected to an oxidative stimulus [$200{\mu}M$ hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)]. Pretreatment of the cells for 30 min with carnosine significantly reduced the genotoxicity of $H_2O_2$ measured as DNA strand breaks. The protective effects of the three types of extract (HTE, IEC, and UFP) increased with concentration. At the highest concentration (100 g/mL). there were no statistical differences in oxidative damage between each extract treatment and PBS-treated negative controls. When leukocytes were incubated with carnosine for 30 min after exposure to $H_2O_2$. the protective ability of each extract changed. Therefore, eel carnosine inhibits the $H_2O_2$ induced damage to cellular DNA in human leukocytes, supporting the protective effect of this compound against oxidative damage.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 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 Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2010

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, glucose tolerance test (GTT), glycosylated hemoglobin, and serum biochemical and lipid levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. There were five experimental groups including normal (ICR mice), control (saline), 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 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in body weight changes in carnosine-treated groups compared to the control. The treatments of carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose level compared with the control at 2 and 4 weeks. The treatments of carnosine at the doses of 6 and 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose levels in GTT and glycosylated hemoglobin compared with the control. Carnosine significantly increased total proteins compared with the control. Carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased total cholesterol and triglyceride in the serum compared to the control. These results suggest that carnosine at a low level has a hypoglycermic effect resulting from reduction of blood glucose and that a carnosine-containing diet or drug may give a benefit for controlling diabetes mellitus in humans.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.1251-1254
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• 2005

It has been proposed that oxidation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease. In this study, L-DOPA-Fe(III)-mediated DNA cleavage and the protection by carnosine and homocarnosine against this reaction were investigated. When plasmid DNA was incubated with L-DOPA in the presence of Fe(III), DNA strand was cleaved. Radical scavengers and catalase significantly inhibited the DNA breakage. These results suggest that $H_2O_2$ may be generated from the oxidation of DOPA and then $Fe^{3+}$ likely participates in a Fenton’s type reaction to produce hydroxyl radicals, which may cause DNA cleavage. Carnosine and homocarnosine have been proposed to act as anti-oxidants in vivo. The protective effects of carnosine and homocarnosine against L-DOPA-Fe(III)-mediated DNA cleavage have been studied. Carnosine and homocarnosine significantly inhibited DNA cleavage. These compounds also inhibited the production of hydroxyl radicals in L-DOPA/$Fe^{3+}$ system. The results suggest that carnosine and homocarnosine act as hydroxyl radical scavenger to protect DNA cleavage. It is proposed that carnosine and homocarnosine might be explored as potential therapeutic agents for pathologies that involve damage of DNA by oxidation of DOPA.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2014

Objective : This study was conducted to elucidate neuroprotective effect of carnosine in early stage of stroke. Methods : Early stage of rodent stroke model and neuroblastoma chemical hypoxia model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion and antimycin A. Neuroprotective effect of carnosine was investigated with 100, 250, and 500 mg of carnosine treatment. And antioxidant expression was analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot in brain and blood. Results : Intraperitoneal injection of 500 mg carnosine induced significant decrease of infarct volume and expansion of penumbra (p<0.05). The expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed significant increase than in saline group in blood and brain (p<0.05). In the analysis of chemical hypoxia, carnosine induced increase of neuronal cell viability and decrease of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Conclusion : Carnosine has neuroprotective property which was related to antioxidant capacity in early stage of stroke. And, the oxidative stress should be considered one of major factor in early ischemic stroke.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.8
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• pp.422-429
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• 2021

Background: Carnosine has antioxidative and neuroprotective properties against hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. Hypothermia is used as a therapeutic tool for HI encephalopathy in newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia. However, the combined effects of these therapies are unknown. Purpose: Here we investigated the effects of combined carnosine and hypothermia therapy on HI brain injury in neonatal rats. Methods: Postnatal day 7 (P7) rats were subjected to HI brain injury and randomly assigned to 4 groups: vehicle; carnosine alone; vehicle and hypothermia; and carnosine and hypothermia. Carnosine (250 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered at 3 points: immediately following HI injury, 24 hours later, and 48 hours later. Hypothermia was performed by placing the rats in a chamber maintained at 27℃ for 3 hours to induce whole-body cooling. Sham-treated rats were also included as a normal control. The rats were euthanized for experiments at P10, P14, and P35. Histological and morphological analyses, in situ zymography, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assays, and immunofluorescence studies were conducted to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the various interventional treatments. Results: Vehicle-treated P10 rats with HI injury showed an increased infarct volume compared to sham-treated rats during the triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining study. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that vehicle-treated P35 rats with HI injury had decreased brain volume in the affected hemisphere. Compared to the vehicle group, carnosine and hypothermia alone did not result in any protective effects against HI brain injury. However, a combination of carnosine and hypothermia effectively reduced the extent of brain damage. The results of in situ zymography, TUNEL assays, and immunofluorescence studies showed that neuroprotective effects were achieved with combination therapy only. Conclusion: Carnosine and hypothermia may have synergistic neuroprotective effects against brain damage following HI injury.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.663-666
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• 2006

Carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine might act as anti-oxidants and free radical scavengers in vivo. In the present study, the protective effects of carnosine and related compounds on the $H_2O_2$-mediated cytochrome c modification were studied. Carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine significantly inhibited the oligomerization of cytchrome c induced by $H_2O_2$. All three compounds also inhibited the formation of carbonyl compound and dityrosine during the incubation of cytochrome c with $H_2O_2$. These compounds effectively inhibited the peroxidase activity in the cytchrome c treated with $H_2O_2$. The results suggested that carnosine, homocarnosine, and anserine might protect cytochrome c against $H_2O_2$-mediated oxidative damage through a free radical scavenging.