• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.515-524
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• 2017

This study was intended to test anti-inflammation and cytoprotective effect against UVB after Sorghum nervosum was extracted with 70% ethanol. The efficacy of Sorghum nervosum was assessed regarding cell viability analysis, reactive oxygen species measurement, anti-inflammation, a change in COX-2 protein, and cytoprotective effect against UVB. According to the results of experiment, the cell viability of 97% or higher was shown at all concentrations of Sorghum nervosum in RAW264.7 macrophage, HaCaT cell. And in anti-inflammatory NO inhibitory activity, a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect was shown. And COX-2 protein expression was also significantly (p<.001) inhibited at 25, $50{\mu}g/mL$. With regard to cytoprotective effect against UVB, in the quantitative analysis results of reactive oxygen species within the cell, it was verified that Sorghum nervosum extract had an effect on an decrease in the total amount of ROS. When the results of study are considered comprehensively, it is thought that there is possibility of Sorghum nervosum development as raw materials for cosmetics showing an anti-inflammation and cytoprotective function against UVB.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of black rice extract (BRE) on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-induced oxidative injury in HepG2 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Methanolic extract from black rice was evaluated for the protective effect on TBHP-induced oxidative injury in HepG2 cells. Several biomarkers that modulate cell survival and death including reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase-3 activity, and related cellular kinases were determined. RESULTS: TBHP induced cell death and apoptosis by a rapid increase in ROS generation and caspase-3 activity. Moreover, TBHP-induced oxidative stress resulted in a transient ERK1/2 activation and a sustained increase of JNK1/2 activation. While, BRE pretreatment protects the cells against oxidative stress by reducing cell death, caspase-3 activity, and ROS generation and also by preventing ERKs deactivation and the prolonged JNKs activation. Moreover, pretreatment of BRE increased the activation of ERKs and Akt which are pro-survival signal proteins. However, this effect was blunted in the presence of ERKs and Akt inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that activation of ERKs and Akt pathway might be involved in the cytoprotective effect of BRE against oxidative stress. Our findings provide new insights into the cytoprotective effects and its possible mechanism of black rice against oxidative stress.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2021

Objectives: Accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress. Increased production of ROS, such as superoxide anion, or a deficiency in their clearance by antioxidant defences, mediates cellular pathology. Grewia Spp fruits are a source of bioactive compounds and have notable antioxidant activity. Although the antioxidant capacity of Grewia Spp has been studied, there is very limited evidence that links the antioxidant activities of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava to the inhibition of free radical formation associated with damage in biological systems. Methods: This study evaluated the protective effects of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts against free radical-induced oxidative stress and the resulting cytotoxicity effect using HeLa cells. Antioxidant properties determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total phenolic content (TPC) assays showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity in Grewia flava (ethanol extract) than Grewia flava (water extract) and Grewia bicolor (ethanol and water extracts). Results: Using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide or MTT assay, cytotoxicity results showed that extracts of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava were less toxic to HeLa cells at tested concentrations compared to the untreated control. This confirmed the low toxicity of these edible fruits at the tested concentrations in HeLa cells. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell loss was effectively reduced by pre-incubating HeLa cells with Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts, with Grewia flava (ethanol extract) revealing better protection. Conclusion: The effect was speculated to be associated with the higher antioxidant activity of Grewia flava (ethanol extract). Additional studies will warrant confirmation of the mechanism of action of such effects.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2023

Objectives : Native to East Asia, Japan, and Korea, Cinnamomum japonicum Siebold (CJ) is renowned for its aromatic leaves and bark. We previously assessed the antioxidant activity of fractionated CJ branches (CJB:70% EtOH extract), including hexane (CJB1), chloroform (CJB2), ethyl acetate (CJB3), butanol (CJB4), and water (CJB5). Our findings revealed that CJB3 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Here, we aimed to investigate whether CJB3 possesses cytoprotective effects and induces the activity of antioxidant enzymes in hepatocytes. Methods : As HepG2 cells were the first to exhibit the key characteristics of hepatocytes, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of CJB3 on HepG2 cells. Results : Before conducting the cell experiment, we checked that CJB3, up to a concentration of 100 ㎍/mL, did not exhibit cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells. ROS production increased because of t-BHP treatment decreased in a concentration-dependent manner upon CJB3 treatment. We confirmed that CJB3 inhibited t-BHP-induced cell death. CJB3 was found to reverse the expression of proteins associated with t-BHP-induced apoptosis. We also observed that CJB3 induced Nrf2 phosphorylation and the nuclear translocation of Nrf2. And, CJB3 treatment caused a time-dependent enhancement of GCL and NQO1 protein expression. We further confirmed that CJB3 increased the expression of Nrf2 target genes, and this effect was associated with the activation of JNK, p38, and AMPK. Conclusion : CJB3 prevents t-BHP-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and enhances the expression of Nrf2 target genes via JNK, p38, and AMPK activation. These results suggest that CJB3 is a promising candidate for the treatment of liver diseases.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2007

Objectives : Licorice has been commonly used as a detoxification agent. We previously reported that licorice and its component, liquiritigenin, exhibits cytoprotective activity against Pb-induced toxicity. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of liquiritigenin on the lead-induced cytotoxicity in PC-12 cells. Methods : PC-12 cells were pre-treated with liquiritigenin, and further incubated with lead 100 ${\mu}M$ for $12^{\sim}48$ hours. The viability of PC-12 cells was measured by MTT assay, and the levels of proteins were analysed by western blot. Results : Severe cytotoxicity was induced and nitric oxide (NO) production was augmented by the exposure of lead. Liquiritigenin protected cells from lead-induced cytoxicity and reduced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition of NO production was due to the suppression of iNOS protein via the inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation, determined by western blot analysis. Conclusions : These results suggest that liquiritigenin may exert cytoprotective effect against lead toxicity by inhibiting NO production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.277-286
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• 2016

Makgeolli lees (ML) has several physiological effects such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, but its biological functions have not been determined definitively. Here, we tested whether ML has a cytoprotective effect on paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative stress in the human lung carcinoma cell line A549. At 0.1 mg/ml ML, viability of PQ-exposed A549 cells was restored by 12.4%, 18.5%, and 48.6% after 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. ML also reduced production of the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that were generated by PQ treatment. Further experiments revealed that ML treatment enhanced the expression and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) as well as ARE-GFP reporter activity. ML treatment also effectively increased the expression of NRF2's target genes NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). Moreover, we found that expression of cytoprotective genes, including glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), superoxide dismutase (SOD1), catalase (CAT), peroxiredoxin 3 (PRDX3), and peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4), was greatly enhanced by treatment with ML during PQ exposure. Taken together, the data suggest that treatment of PQ-exposed A549 cells with ML ameliorates cytotoxicity through induction of NRF2 expression and its target genes HO-1, NQO1, and other antioxidant genes. Thus, ML may serve as a functional food applicable to ROS-mediated human diseases.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.496-500
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• 1997

A strong antioxidant activity, which was measured by the radical scavenging effect on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical, was detected in the methanol extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae). By activity-directed fractionation, compounds 1 and 2 were isolated as antioxidant principles of S. miltiorrhiza. Compounds 1 and 2 were identified as dimethyl lithospermate and 3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactamide, respectively, on the basis of spectral data. The radical scavenging effect of compounds 1 and 2 on DPPH radical exceeded that of L-ascorbic acid which is a well known antioxidant. These two compounds also showed prominent inhibitory activity against free radical generation in dichlorofluorescein (DCF) method and cytoprotective effect against t-BHP in cultured liver cell.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.114-121
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• 2019

In this study, antioxidative, antibacterial and cytoprotective effects of the ethanol extract and ethylacetate fraction of Lycopus lucidus (L. lucidus) were compared and analyzed. Free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of the L. lucidus extract and fraction were found to be 65.1 and $64.9{\mu}g/mL$ respectively. In the $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) for the extract and fraction were 6.6 and $6.3{\mu}g/mL$, respectively which showed excellent total antioxidant abilities. The extract showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus, while the fraction showed in all the bacteria except for A. niger. The cytoprotective effect of L. lucidus extract was compared to that of the fraction and the effect against $^1O_2$-induced cellular damage of human erythrocytes (${\tau}_{50}$) was 51.3 and 73.7 min at $50{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. For the cytoprotective effect of keratinocytes damaged by $H_2O_2$ and UVB, the extracts did not show any efficacy but showed efficacy at $1-2{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The fraction increased the cell viability up to 85.8 and 81.9%, respectively. As a result of intracellular ROS scavenging activity, the scavenging activity was observed at $1-2{\mu}g/mL$ of the fraction. From the results comparing the physiological activities of L. lucidus extract and the fraction, the ethylacetate fraction of L. lucidus has antioxidative effect similar to that of the extract whereas superior antimicrobial and cytoprotective effects than that of the extract. Overall, the ethylacetate fraction of L. lucidus protects cells from an external stress which can be used as a potential cosmetic material.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.407-417
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• 2018

In this study, the antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities of 50% ethanol extract of Polygoni multiflori Radix (PMR) and its ethyl acetate fraction were evaluated to confirm the applicability as a functional ingredient. The activities of the major constituent of PMR were verified and 2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (THSG) was confirmed to be the main component of extract and fraction using HPLC-DAD, LC-EIS-MS analysis. The phenolic and THSG contents of the ethyl acetate fraction were 11.1- and 3.0-folds higher than those of the ethanol extract, respectively. As a result of the DPPH assay and that of luminol dependent chemiluminescence assay in $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/H2O2 system. the ethylacetate fraction was superior to the ethanol extract in free radical and ROS scavenging activities. Especially, the ethyl acetate fraction and THSG exhibited the similar scavenging activity like L-ascorbic acid in ROS scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction perceived the most potent cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage of erythrocytes induced by photosensitization reaction, followed by the ethanol fraction, THSG and that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol, which was used as a positive control. Antimicrobial activities were evaluated by disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. In particular, the antibacterial activity of the extract and fraction against S. aureus was superior to that of methyl paraben. Taken together, our results suggest that PMR could be used as a natural ingredient for antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.152.1-152.1
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• 2000