• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1002-1014
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• 2023

The root of Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (Maxim.) has long been used in traditional medicine to prevent the onset and progression of various diseases and has been reported to exert a wide range of physiological effects, including antioxidant activity. However, research on its effects on hepatocytes remains scarce. This study used the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line to investigate the antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of C. japonicum root (EECJ) on hepatocytes. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was used to mimic oxidative stress. The results showed that EECJ significantly reverted the decrease in cell viability and suppressed the release of lactate dehydrogenase in HepG2 cells treated with H₂O₂. Moreover, an analysis of changes in cell morphology, flow cytometry, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) expression showed that EECJ significantly inhibited HepG2 cell autophagy induced by H₂O₂. Furthermore, it attenuated H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and cell cycle disruption by blocking intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial superoxide production, indicating strong antioxidant activity. EECJ also restored the decreased levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and enhanced the expression and activity of superoxide dismutase and GSH peroxidase in H₂O₂-treated HepG2 cells. Although an analysis of the components contained in EECJ and in vivo validation using animal models are needed, these findings indicate that EECJ is a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-induced liver cell damage.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.307-316
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• 2015

Beetle larvae have been used as a traditional medicine to treat various human liver diseases. To prove the liver protective function of Allomyrina dichotoma larvae (ADL), we induced liver damage by the intraperitoneal injection of a hepatotoxic reagent, diethylnitrosamine (DEN), to C3H/HeN male mice and orally administered freeze-dried ADL powder. ADL powder lessened DEN-induced hepatotoxicity considering the reduced signs of acute and chronic hepatotoxicities, such as the ALP level in the blood serum, TUNEL-positive hepatocytes, ductural reactions, steatotic hepatocytes, and collagen deposition of the Masson’s trichrome staining. In addition to hepatoprotection, the anti-cancer activity of ADL has been examined. The ADL powder was extracted with ethanol and then fractionated with hexane, ethyl acetate, and water by a solvent partition technique. The ethyl acetate fraction showed cytotoxicity to various cancer cells through induction of apoptosis and necrosis, as well as the perturbed metabolism of the cancer cell to trigger autophagy. Collectively, ADL contains bioactive substances that can protect hepatocytes from toxic chemicals and trigger cell death in cancer cells. Thus, further purification and analyses of ADL fractions could lead to the identification of novel bioactive compounds.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.939-948
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• 2008

The effects of goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus var ramtschaticus Hara) ethanol extracts (AD) on the streptozotocin-induced diabetic symptoms and oxidative stress in rats were assessed. Experimental plots were divided into normal controls (NC), diabetes controls (DM), diet with 0.3% AD after diabetes induction (SA), and diet with 0.6% AD after diabetes induction (SB), then fed for 5 weeks. In the SA and SB groups as compared with the DM group, diabetic symptoms including weight loss, increase in feed and water intake, and enlargement of the liver and kidney were improved. The levels of blood glucose and serum fructosamine were reduced by $17.9{\sim}27.2%$ and $25.6{\sim}32.6%$, respectively. The activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol in the serum were reduced by $25.6{\sim}30.3$, $42.37{\sim}55.51$, $26.85{\sim}30.44$ and $37.29{\sim}39.11%$, respectively, whereas the level of HDL-cholesterol was increased by $37.29{\sim}39.11%$. Hepatic total (T) and O type (O) activities of xanthine oxidoreductase, O/T ratio(%) and level of lipid peroxide were significantly decreased, while the level of glutathione was increased, and also the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase were increased by $56.84{\sim}94.90%$ and $57.14{\sim}68.92%$, respectively. In the above results, it was noted that AD has an antidiabetic effect which alleviated hyperglycemia and the AD reduced and/or prevented the tissue damage caused by diabetes yia the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating systems concurrent with an increase in ROS scavenging.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2019

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of an ethanol extract of Elaeagnus umbellata leaves (EUL-EE) on skin-related biological activities. Previously, we have reported that gallic acid was the major phenolic compound in EUL-EE through quantitative analysis and that EUL-EE had an inhibitory effect against the proliferation of liver cancer HepG2 cells. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of EUL-EE on melanin production and tyrosinase activity in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulated hormone-stimulated B16-F0 cells were determined to assess the effects of EUL-EE on skin whitening. The anti-wrinkle effect using UVB-irradiated CCD-986sk cells was examined by the expression of type I procollagen and metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 release. The EUL-EE significantly decreased intracellular melanin production (33.0% inhibition at $100{\mu}g/ml$) when compared with untreated B16-F0 cells. Tyrosinase activities in the stimulated B16-F0 cells were also decreased by EUL-EE (47.8% inhibition at $100{\mu}g/ml$). The EUL-EE also dose-dependently increased the production of type I procollagen (up to 1.74-fold at $250{\mu}g/ml$) in CCD-986sk cells when compared with UVB-irradiated controls. EUL-EE showed no cytotoxicity at concentrations up to $500{\mu}g/ml$. In addition, EUL-EE at $10-500{\mu}g/ml$ inhibited the release of MMP-1 to the medium from UVB-irradiated CCD-986sk cells. Taken together, these observations indicate that EUL-EE has high potential for use as inner beauty and cosmetic materials due to its whitening and anti-wrinkle effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.683-693
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• 2009

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dandelion juice supplementation on attenuation of oxidative stress and hangover after drinking alcohol in healthy college male students. This human trial was conducted by two phase cross over design with two weeks wash out period. The subjects (age $24{\sim}28$ years) were volunteers who had more than 72 g of ethanol drinking capacity. Dandelion group was given dandelion juice 220 mL daily for 7 days. Biochemical markers were determined in blood samples taken at 0 and 150 minutes after administration 72 g of alcohol. The levels of plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and bilirubin, the indicators of liver cell damage, were not significantly different between groups. No significant differences in lymphocyte DNA damage level between groups was observed. However, plasma acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly (p<0.01) increased in dandelion supplemented group compared to that of control group. Furthermore, activities and protein expressions of glutathione-reductase and catalase of erythrocytes were significantly elevated in dandelion supplemented group compared to that of control group. From the above results, it is concluded that dandelion juice supplementation can reduce oxidative stress and hangover syndrome through the elevation of ALDH and antioxidative enzyme system in healthy male adults.