• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.929-937
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• 2022

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the grains of sorghum, three Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench variants (Hwanggeumchal, Huinchal, and Chal) being cultivated in Korea, the 80% ethanol (EtOH) extracts of individual sorghum grains were compared for their inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line. Among them, the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains could exert the highest inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced NO production. However, under these conditions, the viability of RAW264.7 cells was not affected. When the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains was sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol, the anti-NO production activity was predominantly detected in both MC and EtOAc fractions. In particular, treatment with the MC fraction reduced dose-dependently the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Simultaneously, the MC fraction could prevent LPS-induced activating phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). HPLC analysis of the MC fraction showed gentisic acid and naringenin as the major phenolic components. Both gentisic acid and naringenin commonly exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells. Together, these results provide the evidence of the inhibitory activity of Hwanggeumchal grains on LPS-induce inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells and also suggest that sorghum grains possess beneficial health effects which can be applicable in development of the grain-based functional foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2019

Limonium tetragonum, an edible halophyte that grows on salt marshes in Korea, is thought to possess various health benefits (e.g., antioxidant, antitumor, and hepatoprotective). In the present study, different solvent partitioned subfractions, water ($H_2O$), buthanol (n-BuOH), 85% aqueous methanol (85% aq. MeOH), and hexane (n-hexane), from crude extract of L. tetragonum were tested for their ability to prevent adipogenesis in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The treatment of differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with L. tetragonum subfractions (LTFs) resulted in suppressed adipogenesis and reduced expression of adipogenesis-related transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$), CCAATT/enhancer-binding protein alpha ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) at both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the LTF treatment notably decreased the levels of phosphorylated p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in association with $PPAR{\gamma}$-linked adipogenesis. Among all the tested LTFs, $H_2O$ and n-hexane were the most effective in lowering lipid accumulation and regulating the adipocyte differentiation via $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway. Taken together, the results indicated that the $H_2O$ and n-hexane LTFs contain bioactive compounds that may exhibit significant antiadipogenesis activity by downregulation of the $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway and inactivation of the MAPK signal pathway in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.216-221
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• 2003

Purpose: To investigate the modulation of radiosensitivity by celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on cancer cells over- and under-expressing COX-2. Materials and Methods: A clonogenic radiation survival analysis was performed on A549 human lung and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines incubated in both 1 and $10\%$ fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media. The apoptosis in both cell lines was measured after treatment with radiation and/or celecoxib. Results: Celecoxib enhanced the radiation sensitivity of the A549 cells in the medium containing the $10\%$ FBS, with radiation enhancement ratios of 1.58 and 1.81 respectively, at surviving fractions of 0.1, with $30\muM\;and\;50\muM$ celecoxib. This enhanced radiosensitivity disappeared in the medium containing the $1\%$ FBS. Celecoxib did not change the radiation sensitivity of the MCF-7 cells in either media. The induction of apoptosis by celecoxib and radiation was not synergistic in either cell line. Conclwsion: Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, preferentially enhanced the effect of radiation on COX-2 over-expressing cancer cells compared to the cells with a low expression, and this effect disappeared on incubation of the cells during drug treatment in the medium with suboptimal serum concentration. Apoptosis did not appear to be the underlying mechanism of this radiation enhancement effect due to celecoxib on the A549 cells. These findings suggest radiosensitization by a selective COX-2 inhibitor is COX-2 dependent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.688-696
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• 2019

This study investigated changes in triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis and tyrosinase activity induced by ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) extract, which cannot be stored for long periods of time due to its high moisture content when it was fermented to improve its storage stability. The accumulation of triglyceride and cholesterol in HepG2 cells inhibited the accumulation with a relatively large magnitude in n-butanol and aqueous fractions that generally have high polarity, however, changes in inhibition potency due to the fermentation were not significant. As for the effect to inhibit tyrosinase activity, when L-tyrosine was used as a substrate, the inhibitory activity was the highest for the aqueous fraction at $60.58{\pm}4.03%$ and $63.35{\pm}4.35%$, before and after fermentation, respectively, which amounted to 72% of that of the positive control group (arbutin, $100{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, when L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was used as a substrate, the inhibitory activity was also found the highest for the aqueous fraction at $56.85{\pm}1.57%$ and $59.38{\pm}1.74%$, before and after fermentation, respectively, which amounted to at least 88% of that in the positive control (kojic acid, $100{\mu}g/ml$). Overall, the activity of the fermented ice plant extract was similar or a little higher compared to that of the one without fermentation, indicating that fermentation can be a good approach to improve the storage stability of the ice plant.