• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.7-13
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• 2013

Objectives: Whether the ultra-highly-diluted remedies used in homeopathy can effectively bring about modulations of gene expressions through acetylation/deacetylation of histones has not been explored. Therefore, in this study, we pointedly checked if the homeopathically-diluted anti-cancer remedy Condurango 30C (ethanolic extract of Gonolobus condurango diluted $10^{-60}$ times) was capable of arresting the cell cycles in cervical cancer cells HeLa by triggering an epigenetic modification through modulation of the activity of the key enzyme histone deacetylase 2 vis-a-vis the succussed alcohol (placebo) control. Methods: We checked the activity of different signal proteins (like $p21^{WAF}$, p53, Akt, STAT3) related to deacetylation, cell growth and differentiation by western blotting and analyzed cell-cycle arrest, if any, by fluorescence activated cell sorting. After viability assays had been performed with Condurango 30C and with a placebo, the activities of histone de-acetylase (HDAC) enzymes 1 and 2 were measured colorimetrically. Results: While Condurango 30C induced cytotoxicity in HeLa cells in vitro and reduced HDAC2 activity quite strikingly, it apparently did not alter the HDAC1 enzyme; the placebo had no or negligible cytotoxicity against HeLa cells and could not alter either the HDAC 1 or 2 activity. Data on $p21^{WAF}$, p53, Akt, and STAT3 activities and a cell-cycle analysis revealed a reduction in DNA synthesis and G1-phase cell-cycle arrest when Condurango 30C was used at a 2% dose. Conclusion: Condurango 30C appeared to trigger key epigenetic events of gene modulation in effectively combating cancer cells, which the placebo was unable to do.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2005

This study was performed to determine the inhibitory effects on cell survival and Quinone reductase induced activity of Aster yomena (AY) on human cancer cells which, using methanol, was extracted and fractionated into five different solvent types: hexane (AYMH), ethylether (AYMEE), ethylacetate (AYMEA), butanol (AYMB) and aqueous (AYMA) partition layers. The experiment was conducted to determine cytotoxicity of various Aster yomena partition layers on HepG2, HeLa and MCF-7 cells by MTT assay. Among various partition layers of Aster yomena, A YMEE and A YMEA showed the strong cytotoxic effects on all cancer cell lines we used. The Quinone reductase (QR) induced activity on HepG2 cells, A YMH at a does of 100 $\mu$g/mL was 2.46 times more effective compared to the control value of 1.0.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2012

In this study, antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of the extracts from pericarp and seed of $Vitis$ $coignetiea$, which were extracted with 0.1% HCl-60% ethanol, were analyzed. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined by paper disc diffusion method against food spoilage and food-borne pathogens. The pericarp extract showed high antibacterial activity against $Bacillus$ $cereus$, $Escherichia$ $coli$ O157:H7, and $Pseudomonas$ $aeruginosa$, and the seed extract represented the high antibacterial activity against $B.$ $cereus$, $E.$ $coli$ O157:H7, and $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$. The cytotoxicity of the $Vitis$ $coignetiea$ extract against human cancer cells was determined using the MTT assay and SRB assay. The pericarp extract represented strong growth-inhibition activity against G361 and Hep3B cells and the seed extract greatly inhibited the growth of HeLa and G361 cells in the MTT assay. In addition, the pericarp extract displayed a high inhibition activity against the growth of AGS cells and the seed extract greatly inhibited the growth of HeLa, Hep3B, and MCF7 cells in the SRB assay. Especially, the cytotoxicities of the seed extract against HeLa were significantly higher than those of the extract against other cancer cells at all test concentrations. This study demonstrates that the extract from pericarp and seed of $Vitis$ $coignetiea$ possess high antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.582-590
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• 2023

Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic aggregates of RNA-protein complexes that form in response to various cellular stresses and are known to restrict viral access to host translational machinery. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SGs during viral infections require further exploration. In this study, we evaluated the effect of SG formation on cellular responses to coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection. Sodium arsenite (AS)-mediated SG formation suppressed cell death induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a)/cycloheximide (CHX) treatment in HeLa cells, during which G3BP1, an essential SG component, contributed to the modulation of apoptosis pathways. SG formation in response to AS treatment blocked CVB3-mediated cell death, possibly via the reduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, we examined whether AS treatment would affect small extracellular vesicle (sEV) formation and secretion during CVB3 infection and modulate human monocytic cell (THP-1) response. CVB3-enriched sEVs isolated from HeLa cells were able to infect and replicate THP-1 cells without causing cytotoxicity. Interestingly, sEVs from AS-treated HeLa cells inhibited CVB3 replication in THP-1 cells. These findings suggest that SG formation during CVB3 infection modulates cellular response by inhibiting the release of CVB3-enriched sEVs.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.32-41
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• 2015

Objectives: Condurango (Gonolobus condurango) extract is used by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners as a traditional medicine, including homeopathy, mainly for the treatment of syphilis. Condurango bark extract is also known to reduce tumor volume, but the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. Methods: Using a cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) as our model, the molecular events behind condurango extract's (CE's) anticancer effect were investigated by using flow cytometry, immunoblotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Other included cell types were prostate cancer cells (PC3), transformed liver cells (WRL-68), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: Condurango extract (CE) was found to be cytotoxic against target cells, and this was significantly deactivated in the presence of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), suggesting that its action could be mediated through ROS generation. CE caused an increase in the HeLa cell population containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage at the G zero/Growth 1 (G0/G1) stage. Further, CE increased the tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and the fas receptor (FasR) levels both at the ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the protein levels, indicating that CE might have a cytotoxic mechanism of action. CE also triggered a sharp decrease in the expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells ($NF-{\kappa}B$) both at the RNA and the protein levels, a possible route to attenuation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caused an opening of the mitochondrial membrane's permeability transition (MPT) pores, thus enhancing caspase activities. Conclusion: Overall, our results suggest possible pathways for CE mediated cytotoxicity in model cancer cells.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.356-361
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• 2004

When SiHa cells were incubated for varying periods of time with extracts of PFF and PFM, the cytotoxicity of the ethanol extracts of PFF was higher than those of the other extracts. These results indicated that the extracts from fruiting bodies of p. ferulae contain antitumor Substances. When A549, SiHa and HeLa cells were incubated with different concentrations of PFF and PFM extracts, the ethanol extracts of PFF showed strong cytotoxicity against A549 tells at concentrations over $10{\mu}g/mL$ and against SiHa and HeLa cells at concentrations over $40{\mu}g/mL$. However, the differences in the cytotoxic effects of the hot water and ethanol extracts of PFM and the hot water extracts of PFF on all 3 cancer cells were not significant. Also, the PFF ethanol extracts induced synergistic effects on the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in A549 cells, which were strongly resistant to TRAIL. These results indicated that ethanol extracts of PFF were the most prominent antitumor agents toward lung cancer cells (A549).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.880-885
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• 2002

This study was performed to determine the antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic activities of the Momordica charantia L. (MC) on several microorganisms and human cancer cell lines. In the paper disk test, its antimicrobial activity was increased in proportion to its concentration. Among the various solvent fractions of Momordica charantia L., the ethylether partition layer (MCMEE) showed the strongest antimicrobial activity. Also, the ethylacetate partition layer (MCMEA) and the butanol partition layer (MCMB) showed antimicrobial activity. We also determined the cytotoxicity and chemopreventive effect of Momordica charantia L. extract and fractions on human cancer cells. The experiment was conducted to determine the cytotoxicity of Momordica charantia L. partition layers on HepG2, HeLa and MCF-7 cells by MTT assay. Among the various partition layers of Momordica charantia L., MCMEE and MCMEA showed strong cytotoxic effects on all cancer cell lines. The chemopreventive effect of the quinone reductase induced activities of HepG2 cell, the hexane partition layer (MCMH) at a dose of 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL was 3.62 times more effective compared with the control values of 1.0. Therefore, based on these studies, Momordica charantia L. may be developed into a potentially useful cancer chemopreventive agent.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.177-179
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• 1971

The study on cytotoxicities of domestic antitumour crude drugs were carried out in order to evaluate the antitumour activity. The eleven crude drugs were studied in this paper. No cytotoxicities were observed both at 0.1ml of water extracts and alcohol extracts deuted against monkey kidney cell and HeLa-cell after 3 days cultivation at $37^{\circ}C$. The sample shown the heavy cytotoxicities against monkey kidney cell at 0.3ml alcohol extracts diluted sample solution are Lonicerae Flos and Puchrestae Radix.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.371-377
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• 2018

The fruits of Panax ginseng were extracted with 80% aqueous MeOH and the concentrates were partitioned into EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ fractions. The repeated $SiO_2$ and octadecyl $SiO_2$ column chromatographies for the EtOAc fraction led to isolation of five ginsenosides. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined as ginsenoside F1 (1), ginsenoside F2 (2), ginsenoside F3 (3), ginsenoside Ia (4), notoginsenoside Fe (5) based on spectroscopic analyses including nuclear magnetic resonance, MS, and infrared. Compounds 2-5 were isolated for the first time from the fruits of P. ginseng in this study. All isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell lines such as HCT-116, SK-OV-3, human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), HepG2, and SK-MEL-5. Among them compounds 2, 4, and 5 showed significant cytotoxicity on cancer cells. Compound 2 exhibited cytotoxicity on SK-MEL-5, HepG2, and HeLa cells with $IC_{50}$ values of 82.8, 86.8, and $78.3{\mu}M$, respectively. Compound 4 showed cytotoxicity on HCT-116, SK-MEL-5, SK-OV-3, HepG2, and HeLa cells with $IC_{50}$ values of 24.5, 25.4, 26.3, 22.0, and $24.9{\mu}M$, respectively. Compound 5 did on SK-MEL-5 cell with $IC_{50}$ value of $81.7{\mu}M$. The cytotoxicity of ginsenoside 2, 4, and 5 isolated from the fruits of Panax ginseng showed strong inhibition effect against on cancer cells, all of which have a glucopyranosyl moiety on C-3.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 1996

Verapamil, a potent calcium channel blocker, has been proved to be one of the modulators to overcome drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. In the present experiment, the possibility of verapamil as a MDR modulator was investigated by using MTT assay. Sole treatment of verapamil on the HeLa and Caski cervical cancer cell line revealed dose dependent cytotoxicity within a range of tested dose. Combined treatment of verapamil with 5-FU, DDP on two human cervical cancer cell line led to a significant synergistic cytotoxicity. Therefore , these studies showed that verapamil had a possibility to be applicable to cancer chemotherapy in gynecological oncology.