• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and an ability of a biological system, to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage. It has been suggested that developmental alloxan-induced liver damage is mediated through increases in oxidative stress. The anti-diabetic effect and antioxidant activity of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) fractions were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. After two weeks administration of PM, the liver antioxidant enzyme and hyperglycemic state were evaluated. The results showed that oral administration of PM treatments reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats by oral administration (P < 0.05). Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (sGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) were also diminished by PM supplementation. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared to those in the normal rats but were restored by PM treatments. PM fractions also repressed the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and $\gamma$-glutamylcysteine synthase (GCS) were also reduced in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. PM fractions could restore the GR and GST activities, but the GCS activity was not affected in rat livers. From the results of the present study, the diabetic effect of the butanol fraction of PM against alloxan-induced diabetic rats was concluded to be mediated either by preventing the decline of hepatic antioxidant status or due to its indirect radical scavenging capacity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Parkinson's disease is known to exhibit progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra via inhibition of glutathione metabolism. It is well known that 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induces Parkinson's disease-like symptoms, while resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in grapes and various plants, on 6-OHDA-induced cell damage to the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. Resveratrol (5 and 10 ${\mu}M$) inhibited 6-OHDA (60 ${\mu}M$)-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and induced a reduction of the number of apoptotic nuclei caused by 6-OHDA treatment. Additionally, the total apoptotic rate of cells treated with both resveratrol (10 ${\mu}M$) and 6-OHDA (60 ${\mu}M$) was less than that of 6-OHDA treated cells. Resveratrol also dose-dependently (1, 5 and 10 ${\mu}M$) scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by 6-OHDA in SH-SY5Y cells and prevented depletion of glutathione in response to the 6-OHDA-induced cytotoxicity in the glutathione assay. Overall, these results indicate that resveratrol exerts a neuroprotective effect against 6-OHDA-induced cytotoxicity of SH-SY5Y cells by scavenging ROS and preserving glutathione.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.449-460
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• 2012

Plants have versatile detoxification systems to encounter the phytotoxicity of the wide range of natural and synthetic compounds present in the environment. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is an enzyme that detoxifies natural and exogenous toxic compounds by conjugation with glutathione (GSH). Recently, several roles of GST giving stress tolerance in plants have demonstrated, but little is known about the role of ginseng GSTs. Therefore, this work aimed to provide further information on the GST gene present in Panax ginseng genome as well as its expression and function. A GST cDNA (PgGST) was isolated from P. ginseng cDNA library, and it showed the amino acid sequence similarity with theta type of GSTs. PgGST in ginseng plant was induced by exposure to metals, plant hormone, heavy metals, and high light irradiance. To improve the resistance against environmental stresses, full-length cDNA of PgGST was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum. Overexpression of PgGST led to twofold increase in GST-specific activity compared to the non-transgenic plants, and the GST overexpressed plant showed resistance against herbicide phosphinothricin. The results suggested that the PgGST isolated from ginseng might have a role in the protection mechanism against toxic materials such as heavy metals and herbicides.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.135-146
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• 2003

Objectives : Wolguk-whan has been used as a prescription of natural drug for the treatment of stress digestive system disease. Recently, we reported that Wolguk-whan methnol extract (WGWM) exerted a significant protective effect against oxidative damage to the liver of ICR mice. This study was purposed to investigate the effects of Wolguk-whan water extract (WGWW) on liver injury induced by oxidative stress. Methods : In order to investigate the effects of WGWW on acute liver injury, ICR mice were pretreated with WGWW for 6days, starved for 24hrs, and administerated acetamirtophen(500mg/kg, i.p.). In the liver homogenates, lipid peroxide and glutathione(GSH) levels were measured. In addition, activities of hepatic enzyme, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), glutathione S-transferase(GST) were measured in the hepatic mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions. Results : In vivo administeration of WGWW showed effective inhibition of acetaminophen induced lipid peroxidation, and showed elevations of GSH level, catalase, GSH-Px, GST activities. Conclusions : These results suggested that WGWW might suppress the formation of oxidative metabolites, and prevent acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.272-275
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• 1999

Generally, it is known that the composition of the cation of the dog's RBCs is high in potassium(K) and low in sodium(Na). However, it is reported that certain kinds of dogs have HK, HG phenotype which contains a large amount of reduced glutathione(GSH) by the effect of Na-K pump on the cell membrane of RBC with high concentration of K and low concentration of Na. Although this HK phenotype is not regarded as a disease, it is supposed to be an important assignment to examine the distribution and the occurrence rate of the dogs that contain HK cell in their RBCs for the proper clinical treatments as these HK dogs are very sensitive to aromatic disul-fide or onions and have a tendency to cause hemolysis. Accordingly, present study was performed to measure the concentration of K, Na and GSH in the RBCs of Jindo dogs and that of Dosa dogs at the same time.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.278-285
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• 1993

The anticlastogenic effect of N-acetylcysteine was tested in vivo in mouse bone-marrow micronucleus assay. The frequencies of micronuclei induced by adriamycin (5 mg/kg i.p.) in bonemarrow cells were decreased by the oral administration of N-acetylcysteine at 12 h before adriamycin injection. The observed suppressing effect was not a reflection of a delay in the formation of micronuclei by the cytotoxic effect of N-acetylcysteine. The anticlastogenic effects of SH compound including N-acetylcysteine, cysteine, cystine, S-carboxy methylcysteine and glutathione were also investigated by the multiple pretreatment. Each SH compound was administered orally every day for 5 days and adriamycin (5 mg/kg i.p.) was injected at 24h after the last dose of test compound. N-acetylcysteine and glutathione showed significantly the suppressive effect at dose of 10 and 25 mg/kg for N-acetylcysteine and at the dose of 25 mg/kg for glutathione. Our study suggests that N-acetylcysteine is capable of protecting the chromosomal damages in the normal cells during cancer chemotherapy by adriamycin, and may act as an anticlastogen against induction of micronuclei by superoxide generating agent such as adriamycin.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.195-202
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• 2015

The effects of waterborne arsenic (As) exposure on bioaccumulation and antioxidant defenses were examined in the liver and gills of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, under thermal stress. Tilapia were exposed to different As concentrations (0, 200, and $400{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) at three water temperatures (20, 25, and $30^{\circ}C$) for 20 days. After As exposure, higher levels of As accumulation were observed in the gills compared with the liver in elevated water temperatures. In terms of the antioxidant response, glutathione (GSH) levels and the activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) significantly decreased in the liver and gills of tilapia exposed to As for 20 days, regardless of the As concentration (200 and $400{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) or water temperature. These enzyme activities exhibited greater fluctuations in the liver and gills of tilapia after As exposure in water warmer than $20^{\circ}C$. The present findings suggest that the simultaneous stress of temperature change and As exposure can accelerate As accumulation and alter the antioxidant enzymes activities of tilapia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.351-356
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• 2000

The hepatoprotective effects of bergenin and its derivative, acetylbergenin, were evaluated against D-galactosamine-induced liver damage in rats. Bergenin is a C-glucoside of 4-O-methyl gallic acid that has been isolated from the cortex of Mallotus japonicus (Euphorbiaceae). Acetylbergenin was synthesized from acetylation of bergenin to increase lipophilic and physiological activities. Bergenin (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and acetylbergenin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) were administered orally once daily for successive 5 days after the injection of galactosamine (400 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. The substantially elevated serum enzyme activities of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and ${\gamma}-glutamyltransferase$ due to galactosamine treatment were dose-dependently restored towards normalization by post-treatment with bergenin and acetylbergenin. Bergenin and acetylbergenin also significantly prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and depletion of reduced glutathione content induced by galactosamine in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were restored towards normalization. These results suggest that effects of bergenin and acetylbergenin may be related to complex mechanisms that involve prevention of lipid peroxidation and preservation of hepatic glutathione. The results of this study clearly indicate that bergenin and acetylbergenin have potent hepatotherapeutic action against galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, and lipophilic acetylbergenin is more active in the antihepatotoxic effects against galactosamine than much less lipophilic bergenin.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 1997

This study was performed to elucidate the possible antioxidative effects of several wild plant extracts. Wild plants were extracted with methanol or water using general method. In first experiments, antioxidative effects were measured by lipid peroxidation using rat brain homogenate. Coptis japonica extract showed the highest antioxidative activity among the 15 wild plant extracts. In second experiments, rats were fed on the semipurified diets with or without Coptis japonica extracts at the level of 0.5% for 4 weeks. MDA production of liver homogenate were significantly lower in the rats fed Coptis japonica extracts (P<0.05). Cytosolic catalase. GPX, and SOD activities were not changed, whereas the activities of GST and glutathione level were significantly higher in rats fed Coptis japonica extracts (P<0.05). These results suggest that Coptis japonica extract has an antioxidative effect through increasing GST activity and glutathione level and decreasing MDA production.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.234-238
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• 2009

Effects of ginseng on in vivo antioxidant capacities with age were studied in rats. All rats were reared in the conventional system. Ginseng-treated rats were supplied with ginseng water extracts (25 mg/kg/day) continuously from 6 weeks of age to spontaneous death. None of the rats showed any discernible adverse effects of treatment with ginseng-containing water. There was no significant difference in body weight (BW) gains with age between treated and control groups. However, ginseng extracts did cause a decrease in the level of serum low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, glucose, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the treated rats. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in liver cytosol decreased with age in the control group. However, these enzyme activities were well maintained in the ginseng-treated rats and, especially, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were consistently higher than in control rats. The levels of total sulfhydryl group (T-SH) and glutathione reductase (GR) were unchanged, and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity gradually decreased with age in both groups. There were no differences in T-SH, GR, or GST between the control and treatment groups. These results indicate that long-term administration of ginseng retards age-related deterioration in some biochemical parameters such as cholesterol, glucose, and lactate dehydrogenase in serum and it has an enhancing effect on antioxidant capacity in the liver.