• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2011

Purpose: Eupatilin is an antioxidative flavone and a phytopharmaceutical derived from Artemisia asiatica. It has been reported to possess anti-tumor activity in some types of cancer including gastric cancer. Eupatilin may modulate the angiogenesis pathway which is part of anti-inflammatory effect demonstrated in gastric mucosal injury models. Here we investigated the anti-tumor effects of eupatilin on gastric cancer cells and elucidated the potential underlying mechanism whereby eupatilin suppresses angiogenesis and tumor growth. Materials and Methods: The impact of eupatilin on the expression of angiogenesis pathway proteins was assessed using western blots in MKN45 cells. Using a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we tested whether eupatilin affects the recruitment of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) and hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) to the human VEGF promoter. To investigate the effect of eupatilin on vasculogenesis, tube formation assays were conducted using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effect of eupatilin on tumor suppression in mouse xenografts was assessed. Results: Eupatilin significantly reduced VEGF, ARNT and STAT3 expression prominently under hypoxic conditions. The recruitment of STAT3, ARNT and HIF-$1{\alpha}$ to the VEGF promoter was inhibited by eupatilin treatment. HUVECs produced much foreshortened and severely broken tubes with eupatilin treatment. In addition, eupatilin effectively reduced tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. Conclusions: Our results indicate that eupatilin inhibits angiogenesis in gastric cancer cells by blocking STAT3 and VEGF expression, suggesting its therapeutic potential in the treatment of gastric cancer.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.348-364
• /
• 1990

The activities of twenty-one flavonoids and their related compounds on the hypersensitivity reaction against various antigens were studied in vitro and in vivo. 1. Generally flavonoids inhibited significantly the homologous passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) induced by reaginic antibody as compared as anaphylaxis by compound 48/80-induced mast cell degranulation, and so more strongly active in the IgE-mediated anaphylaxis than non-IgE-mediated anaphylaxis. 2. Flavonids inhibited remarkably Arths reaction, hemolysin titer, delayed hypersensitivity, haemagglutinin titer, rosette forming cells and plague forming cells against sheep red blood cells, and so it exhibited that flavonoids inhibited type 2, 3 and 4 hypersensitivity. 3. Quercetin, kaempferol, hesperetin, disodium cromoglycate, malvin and baicalein were active dose-dependently in the all types of hypersensitivity. Fisetin, daidzein, morin, narigin, flavone, catechin, rutin, hesperidin, neophsperidin, apigenin and chrysin were significantly active in the various types of hypersensitivity, but apigenin, rutin and catechin were less active in the delayed hypersensitivity. Taxifolin was significantly active in PCA and histamine-induced anaphylaxis except other types of hypersensitivity. Rotenone and cyanin also inhibited all types of hypersensitivity, but they are toxic. 4. Based on these results from hypersensitivity, the following flavonoid structure-activity relationships became apparent. 1) Flavonoids with $C_{2-3}$ double bond in C-ring were more active than that of $C_{2-3}$ saturation. 2) Flavonoids with $C_4$ ketone group in C-ring were more active than abscence of them except catechin and malvin. 3) Flavonoids with benzene ring at positions 2 or 3 in C-ring exhibited same activities. 4) Flavonoids with opening of the C-ring does not abolish their activities. 5) The glycosylated flavonoids in position 3 or 7 was less active than their aglycone. 6) Flavonoids with the more hydroxy group in A and B-ring were more active. 7) Flavonoids with or without $C_3-OH$ did not change their activities.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.409-414
• /
• 1992

Effect of quercetin, a kind of natural plant flavonoids, on auxin-induced ethylene production in barley coleoptiles was studied. Auxin-induced ethylene production was apparently stimulated by quercetin. This stimulatory effect of quercetin appeared after 4 h of incubation period. Ethylene production was stimulated 200% over the control after 8 h of incubation by $3{\times}10^{-5}\;M$ quercetin. The quercetin effect was most prominent at $10^{-4}\;M$ of IAA. Ethylene production induced by the synthetic auxin, 2,4-D and NAA, was not significantly affected by quercetin. Also ACC-based ethylene production was unaffected by the flavonoid. In an effort to elucidate mechanisms of quercetin action on auxin-induced ethylene production, the effect of quercetin on 1M metabolism was studied. Data obtained from these experiments indicate that quercetin treatment resulted in about 90% inhibition of IAA oxidase activity. IAA ($3{\times}10^{-5}\;M$) conjugation was found to be not affected by quercetin. This results suggest that the stimulatory effect of quercetin on auxin-induced ethylene production may be due to the fact that quercetin inhibits 1M oxidase activity, thus increasing the free IAA level.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.78-84
• /
• 2000

Two flavanones and one flavone were isolated from the diethylether soluble fraction of ethanol extract of Larix leptolepis heartwood. These compounds were identified 3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavanone(taxifolin), 3,4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavanone(aromadendrin) and 3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone(quercetin) by instrumental analyses using UV, IR, MS and NMR spectrometries. Antioxidative activies of these compounds were investigated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) free radical scavenging activity. Quercetin and taxifolin indicated high free radical scavenging activities compared to ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and BHT(butylated hydroxytoluene).

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.24-33
• /
• 2005

Fallen needles (8.5kg) of Larix kaempferi were separately collected, extracted with 95% EtOH. EtOH extract was evaporated under reduced pressure, concentrated then successively fractionated with a series of hexane, methylene chloride, ethylacetate and water on a separatory funnel. Then, each fraction was freeze dried. A portion of ethylacetate and water soluble powder were packed on a column chromatography (Sephadex LH-20) eluting with aqueous MeOH and EtOH-hexane mixture. Spectrometric analyses such as NMR and FAB-MS including TLC were performed to characterize the structures of isolated compounds. 5 compounds were isolated from the fallen needles of Larix kaempferi. The antioxidative activities of each fraction and isolated compounds were done by DPPH radical scavenging test.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.108-113
• /
• 2020

Objective: Endometrial fibrosis, the primary pathological feature of intrauterine adhesion, may lead to disruption of endometrial tissue structure, menstrual abnormalities, infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. At present, no ideal therapeutic strategy exists for this fibrotic disease. Eupatilin, a major pharmacologically active flavone from Artemisia, has been previously reported to act as a potent inducer of dedifferentiation of fibrotic tissue in the liver and lung. However, the effects of eupatilin on endometrial fibrosis have not yet been investigated. In this study, we present the first report on the impact of eupatilin treatment on transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-induced endometrial fibrosis. Methods: The efficacy of eupatilin on TGF-β-induced endometrial fibrosis was assessed by examining changes in morphology and the expression levels of fibrosis markers using immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Eupatilin treatment significantly reduced the fibrotic activity of TGF-β-induced endometrial fibrosis in Ishikawa cells, which displayed more circular shapes and formed more colonies. Additionally, the effects of eupatilin on fibrotic markers including alpha-smooth muscle actin, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, collagen type I alpha 1 chain, and matrix metalloproteinase-2, were evaluated in TGF-β-induced endometrial fibrosis. The expression of these markers was highly upregulated by TGF-β pretreatment and recovered to the levels of control cells in response to eupatilin treatment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that suppression of TGF-β-induced signaling by eupatilin might be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of endometrial fibrosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.1017-1024
• /
• 2007

Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL-17), produced by keratinocytes, is a CC chemokine known to selectively Th2 type T cells via $CCR4^+$ and is implicated in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). TARC/CCL17 expression was induced by cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$). We recently found that the wogonin, a flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis, suppressed TARC expression via heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) in human keratinocytes induced with mite antigen. However, little is known about the inhibitory mechanism of wogonin on TARC/CCL-17 expression stimulated with cytokines. To investigate the inhibitory mechanism, I determined the inhibitory effects of wogonin on the activation of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ phosphorylation, and also examined the activation of p38 MAP kainase in HaCaT keratinocytes stimulated with TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$. Wogonin inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$-DNA complex, NF-${\kappa}B$ binding activity, and the phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ in a dose dependent manner. Wogonin also inhibited the translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ from cytosol to nucleus. Moreover, the phosphorylation of of p38 MAP kinase in the TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes were suppressed by wogonin in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that wogonin may inhibit cytokine-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation via suppression of p38 MAP kinase signaling pathway in keratinocytes and modulation of wogonin signaling pathway may be beneficial for the treatment of AD.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.589-601
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Baicalein, a natural flavone found in herbs, exhibits diverse biological activities. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an irreversible condition often associated with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of baicalein on the development of NASH in mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups. Three groups were fed a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet to induce NASH and were simultaneously treated with baicalein (at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg) or vehicle only (sodium carboxymethylcellulose) through oral gavage for 4 weeks. The control group was fed a methionine-choline-sufficient (MCS) diet without the administration of baicalein. Results: The baicalein treatment significantly reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, suggestive of reduced liver damage. Histological analysis revealed a marked decrease in nonalcoholic fatty liver activity scores induced by the MCD diet in the mice. Similarly, baicalein treatment at both doses significantly attenuated the degree of hepatic fibrosis, as examined by Sirius red staining, and hepatocellular death, as examined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Baicalein treatment attenuated MCD-diet-induced lipid peroxidation, as evidenced by lower levels of hepatic malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal, demonstrating a reduction in oxidative stress resulting from lipid peroxidation. Moreover, baicalein treatment suppressed hepatic protein levels of 12-lipoxygenase (12-Lox) induced by the MCD diet. In contrast, baicalein enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Additionally, baicalein treatment significantly reduced hepatic non-heme iron concentrations and hepatic ferritin protein levels in mice fed an MCD diet. Conclusion: To summarize, baicalein treatment suppresses hepatic lipid peroxidation, 12-Lox expression, and iron accumulation, all of which are associated with the attenuation of NASH progression.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2022.09a
• /
• pp.90-90
• /
• 2022

Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans contains several bioactive compounds, such as saponin, oleanolic acid, and flavone. Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans has traditionally been used to treat disorders of antioxidant activity, diabetes and liver detoxication, and it has antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, complex saponin were validity of the anti-inflammatory activity has not been scientifically investigated. In this study, to determine anti-inflammatory activity of complex saponin separated from Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans mixture extract on nitric oxide and prostaglandinE₂ assay. The anti-inflammatory activities of complex saponin separated from Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans mixture extract were evaluated for inhibitory activities against lipopolysacchride induced nitric oxide and prostaglandinE₂ production protein expressions in RAW264.7 cell lines. The complex saponin separated from Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans mixture extract inhibitory activity for both tests with protein high depressions(%) values showed in the ranges of 50~100 ㎍/ml. Overall, prostaglandinE₂ tests had a higher inhibitory effect on inflammation than nitricoxide tests. Theseis result suggest a potential role of complex saponin separated from Pueraria flos and Adzuki Beans mixture extract as source of anti-inflammation agent.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.230-238
• /
• 2023

Glabridin is a well-known active isoflavone found in the root of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) that possess a wide range of biological activity. Plant cells, hairy roots, and fungal endophytes cultures are the most important alternative methods for plant resources conservation and sustainable production of natural compounds, which has received much attention in recent decades. In the present study, an efficient culture condition was optimized for the biomass accumulation and glabridin production from fungal endophyte Aspergillus eucalypticola SBU-11AE isolated from licorice root. Type of culture medium, range of pH, and licorice root extract (as an elicitor) were tested. The results showed that the highest and lowest biomass production was observed on PCB medium (6.43 ± 0.32 g/l) and peptone malt (5.85 + 0.11 g/l), respectively. The medium culture PCB was produced the highest level of glabridin (7.26 ± 0.44 mg/l), while the lowest level (4.47 ± 0.02 mg/l) was obtained from the medium peptone malt. The highest biomass (8.51 ± 0.43 g/l) and glabridin (8.30 ± 0.51 mg/l) production were observed from the PCB medium adjusted with pH = 6, while the lowest value of both traits was obtained from the same medium with pH = 7. The highest production of total glabridin (10.85 ± 0.84 mg/l) was also obtained from the culture medium treated with 100 mg/l of the plant root extract. This information can be interestingly used for the commercialization of glabridin production for further industrial applications.