• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 1999

In the previous report, E-kong-san, which is usually used for recovering health in traditional medicine, has been shown to decrease cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. The significant reduction of E-kong-san on the cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity led us to investigate whether the effect of this water extract was a result of triggering antioxidation. In monkey kidney Vero cells, E-kong-san at $5{\sim}10\;mg/ml$ was able to attenuate 2mM cisplatin-stimulated cell death by 46.8% and 31.8%, respectively. E-kong-san showed strong free radical scavengering activities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical and xanthine/xanthine oxidase (XOD) generated superoxide anion radical $(O_2^{-.})$. We further studied the effects of E-kong-san on lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes induced by enzymatic and nonenzymatic methods. Moreover, E-kong-san exhibited significant inhibition on both ascorbic $acid/Fe^{2+}$ and $ADP/NADPH/Fe^{3+}$ induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes. Based on these results, we suggest that E-kong-san protects the cisplatin induced cytotoxicity by its antioxidative mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.4 s.143
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• pp.324-331
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• 2005

The roots of Rosa rugosa have been used to treat diabetes mellitus in the folkloric society of Korea. To demonstrate the active component for the rat obesity induced by high fat diet for 6 weeks, the phytochemical fractionation and the pharmacological activity test were performed on this crude drug. It was shown that the methanolic extract and its EtOAc fraction inhibited the weight increase of the rat body, abdominal fat pad and hyperlipidemia at 200 mg/kg dose. Further, the triterpenoids, euscaphic acid and tormentic acid, isolated from R. rugosa roots were active at 30 mg/kg in the same assay. The two components shifted serum total-, HDL, and LDL-cholesterol levels toward the values of the unteated group, suggesting that the active compounds has hypolipidemic effects. The rats fad euscaphic acid and tormentic acid also reduced thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and hydroxyl radical in the rat blood and increased superoxide dismutase activity compared to the control. TBARS values and carbonyl contest of the hepatic protein were reduced by treatment with the two triterpenoids. Antioxidative enzyme (SOD, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) activities in hepatic were increased by treatment of rats with the triterpenoids, which suggests that triterpenoids inhibited the reduction of hepatic antioxidative activity caused by high fat diet. Taken together, these results support that euscaphic acid and tormentic acid improve a high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia via the activation of antioxidative mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1216-1220
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• 2003

The antioxidative activities of methanol extracts of chestnut flower (Castanea Crenata Flos.) were determinated in vitro using an experimental model system. Solid yield of chestnut flower extracts was 6.26% and total phenolic acid accounted for about 20% of the crude extract. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of methanol extracts prepared from chestnut flower was 17.22%. Although the DPPH radical scavenging activity of chestnut flower extracts was lower than that of other antioxidants, chestnut flower extracts showed continuous activity by time course. The SOD-like activities of methanol extracts prepared from chestnut flower were 65.10%, 95.70% in BHT, 93.29% in quercetin, and 30.30% in ascorbic acid. Chestnut flower extracts showed 51.45% inhibitory effect on peroxidation of egg yolk lecithin.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.270-277
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• 1986

Ficin, a proteolytic enzyme in Fig latex, was extracted and purified with using ammonium sulfate and CM-cellulose column chromatography, respectively, and studied for its chemical properties. The disc gel electrophoresis showed one major and three minor bands for $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ extract and only one band showed after CM-cellulose chromatography. The optimum conditions for ficin activity was found to be pH 7.0 and $50^{\circ}C$. The amino acids composition of the purified ficin were 21.8% as acidic, 3.5% as basic and 74.7% as neutral amino acids. The amino acids analysis indicated that the ficin was composed of 174 amino acids residue having molecular weight of 19,500.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2009

This study was conducted for the isolation, purification, and characterization of a protease from Korean pear, to see its proteolytic activity on chicken actomyosin and to find the optimum pH and temperature of activity on chicken actomyosin. The protease was isolated from crude extract of Korean pear by ammonium sulfate precipitation. Further purification was done by DEAE-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography, Mono-Q and Mini-Q column chromatography. The purified enzyme gave a single protein band on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the molecular weight was found to be 38 kDa. The specific activity of purified enzyme was 34,907 unit/mg with 25 fold purification and the yield was 2%. The purified enzyme incubated with chicken actomyosin showed high activity. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity on chicken actomyosin were 6.5 and $70^{\circ}C$, respectively. A protease was purified from Korean pear for the first time and characterized. It was found to be promising for meat tenderization.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.350-356
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• 2008

Etiological studies of diabetes and its complications showed that oxidative stress might play a major role. Therefore, many efforts have been tried to regulate free oxygen radicals for treating diabetes and its complications. Cheonghyul-san has been known to be effective for the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and antiobesitic prescription, and composed of four crude herbs. In male ob/ob mouse with severe obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hypergiycemia, hyperlipidemia, the acting mechanisms of Cheonghyul-san were examined. Mice were grouped and treated for 5 weeks as follows. Both the lean (C57/BL6J black mice) and diabetic (ob/ob mice) control groups received standard chow. The experimental groups were fed with a diet of chow supplemented with 7.5, 15 and 30 mg Cheonghyul-san per 1 kg of body weight for 14 days. The effects of Cheonghyul-san extract on the ob/ob mice were observed by measuring the serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid components, and the kidney levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), MDA+HAE, GSH and also the enzyme activities involved in polyol pathway. Cheonghyul-san lowered the levels of serum glucose and insulin in a dose dependent manner. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were decreased, while the HDL-cholesterol level was increased, in Cheonghyul-san treated groups. Renal aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities were increased in the ob/ob mice, whereas those were inhibited in the Cheonghyul-san-administered groups. Cheonghyul-san inhibited the generation of ROS in the kidney. Finally, MDA+HAE level was increased and the GSH level was decreased in the ob/ob mice, whereas those were improved in the Cheonghyul-san-administered groups. The results suggested that Cheonghyul-san exerted the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities by regulating the activities of polyol pathway enzymes, scavenging ROS, regulating the MDA+HAE and GSH levels in the ob/ob mice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.89-94
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• 1998

Marine sponges are recognized as a plentiful source of diverse biologically active secondary metabolites. Recently, we have initiated a research to discover antitumor constituents from the marine sponges collected from Korean Waters. Marine sponges collected from the South Sea of Korea were screened for several biological activities including such as brine shrimp lethality and cytotoxicity. Significant brine shrimp lethality was detected in the crude extract of a two-sponge association of Poecillastra sp. and Jaspis sp. A cross-section of this sample showed two layers of morphologically distinct sponges. The thin and dirty yellow outer layer was identified as Poecillastra sp. (Pachastrellidae), the surface of which was very rough. The light-grey inner layer was identified as Jaspis sp. (Jaspidae), the surface of which was smooth. This two-sponge association appears to be consistent as these sponges were always found in associated form regardless of collection site or collection period. Investigation of the bioactive constituents monitored by brine shrimp lethality assay led to the isolation of pectenotoxin II (PTX2) and psammaplin A as causative compounds for the brine shrimp lethality. $^1$H- and $\^$13/C-nmr signals of PTX2 was fully assigned utilizing TOCSY, HETCOR, Long-range HETCOR, and Homonuclear J-resolved 2D experiments. PTX2 displayed very potent and selective cytotoxicities in the 60 cell line panel antitumor assay at the NCI. PTX2 has progressed to acute toxicity determination and in vivo antitumor assay at the NCI (Table 1). However, significant in vitro antitumor activity of PTX2 can not be affirmed in the in vivo assay.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.394-402
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• 2008

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease commonly characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into skin lesions. Keratinocytes produce many chemokines that are involved in the pathogenesis of skin disorders. In particular, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) and thymus and activationregulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) are Th2-type cytokines. Serum MDC and TARC levels are increased in AD patients. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of action of the active fraction from Prunus yedoensis bark. We evaluated their inhibitory effects on the AD-like inflammatory markers (MDC and TARC) and JAK-STAT pathway (STAT1) in HaCaT keratinocytes. The EtOAc fraction of the crude extract (80% EtOH) and the E5 sub-fraction potently inhibited the induction of MDC and TARC mRNA and protein at 50 ${\mu}g$/mL in HaCaT cells. In addition, the E5 sub-fraction inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT1 protein associated with IFN-$\gamma$ signaling transduction in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, P. yedoensis may have antiatopic activity by suppressing the inflammatory chemokines (MDC and TARC).

• The Microorganisms and Industry
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.2-9
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• 1999

A study was made on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in T. concretivorus grown with and without glucose. The present results show that T. concretivorus possesses high activities of pentose shunt pathway and related enzymes, glucokinase, G-6-P dehydrogenase, 6-PG dehydrogenase, and phosphoglucoisomerase, but low activities of enzymes unique to EMP(fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase). Although the synthesis of the latter enzymes remains largely unaffected by the growth enviroment, that of the former is stimulated by glucose. And the failure to detect ED pathway enzymes in cells grown in thiosulate or thiosulfate-glucose medium eliminates the ED pathway as a significant route of glucose catabolism in T.concretivorus. These results suggest that pentose shunt pathway performs an energetic role in glucose metabolism by T.concretivorus with EMP as a subway. The absence of ED pathway and the presence of pentose shunt pathway which is the major route of catabolism in T.concretivorus are similar to those of other obligately chemolitho-trophic thiobacilli. The G-6-P and 6-PG dehydrogenase are both NAD and NADP specific, but MAD predominant. However, the 3-PGAL dehydrogenase is only NAD specific. Since the specific activity of 3-PGAL generated from glucose is converted mainly into pyruvate which is channeled into the TCA cycle. All enzymes of the TCA cycle tested and NADH oxidase are detected in the cells of T.concretivorus grown in thiosulfate. The specific activities of fumarase and isocitrate dehydrogenase are high and others are low. The presence of two isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-and NADP-linked) may have important regulatory function for this organism. The activity of NAD-oxidase, which is implicated in the energy generating metabolism, was very high in the crude cell-free extract of T.concretivorus, recording 55.11 m.mu. mole/min/mg protein. This well coincides with the fact that activities of NAD-linked G-6-P dehydrogenase, 6-PG dehydrogenase and 3-PGAL dehydrogenase were high.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1973

A study was made on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in T. concretivorus grown with and without glucose. The present results show that T. concretivorus possesses high activities of pentose shunt pathway and related enzymes, glucokinase, G-6-P dehydrogenase, 6-PG dehydrogenase, and phosphoglucoisomerase, but low activities of enzymes unique to EMP(fructose-1, 6-diphosphate aldolase). Although the synthesis of the latter enzymes remains largely unaffected by the growth enviroment, that of the former is stimulated by glucose. And the failure to detect ED pathway enzymes in cells grown in thiosulate or thiosulfate-glucose medium eliminates the ED pathway as a significant route of glucose catabolism in T.concretivorus. These results suggest that pentose shunt pathway performs an energetic role in glucose metabolism by T.concretivorus with EMP as a subway. The absence of ED pathway and the presence of pentose shunt pathway which is the major route of catabolism in T.concretivorus are similar to those of other obligately chemolitho-trophic thiobacilli. The G-6-P and 6-PG dehydrogenase are both NAD and NADP specific, but MAD predominant. However, the 3-PGAL dehydrogenase is only NAD specific. Since the specific activity of 3-PGAL generated from glucose is converted mainly into pyruvate which is channeled into the TCA cycle. All enzymes of the TCA cycle tested and NADH oxidase are detected in the cells of T.concretivorus grown in thiosulfate. The specific activities of fumarase and isocitrate dehydrogenase are high and others are low. The presence of two isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-and NADP-linked) may have important regulatory function for this organism. The activity of NAD-oxidase, which is implicated in the energy generating metabolism, was very high in the crude cell-free extract of T.concretivorus, recording 55.11 m$\mu$ mole/min/mg protein. This well coincides with the fact that activities of NAD-linked G-6-P dehydrogenase, 6-PG dehydrogenase and 3-PGAL dehydrogenase were high.