• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.633-640
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• 1995

As a result of screening the medicinal herbs which selectively control human intestinal microflora, water extract of Akebia quinata Decaisne was proved to have a strong inhibitory activity against the growth of Clostridium pefringens, a major harmful intestinal bacterium. The anti-bacte-rial activity was stable under the thermal treatment at 100$\circ$C for 120 min and in a range of pH 1 to 11. In addition, the water extract of Akebia quinata Decaisne showed the antibacterial activities against five different strains of Clostridia including C. perfringens. On the contrary, the extract did not inhibit the growths of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis. The extract, however, suppressed markedly the growth of Bacteroides fragilis and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Alike in the mixed culture inoculated with human feces as starter, in vivo tests using rats showed that the extract tends to increase the numbers of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the intestinal microflora of rats, whereas those of Clostridia were attenuated.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.526-529
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• 2002

Lysis of erythrocytes isolated from human, rabbit, and mouse blood samples was investigated with the culture supernatant of Xenorhabdus nematophilus in a primary form. Prior to use, the culture supernatant of the bacteria was concentrated and the concentrate was dialyzed against Tris-HCl buffer (10 mM, pH 8.1) by ultrafiltration using PM-5 membrane with a molecular weight cut-off of 5,000. At $30^{\circ}C$, the supernatant exhibited no lytic activity towards three types of erythrocytes. However, at $4^{\circ}C$, the supernatant showed selective lytic activity towards rabbit erythrocytes within 90 min. yet did not lyze human or mouse erythrocytes. Microscopic examination clearly revealed that most of the rabbit erythrocytes had been fumed into ghost forms.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 1995

Natural products, total number of 175, were screened to test for their effect on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Five of them, such as Eriobotrya japonica, Eugenia caryphyllata, Cuscuta chinensis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Coptis chinensis were shown to be effective in inhibiting the replication of HIV-1 in tissue culture and their selectivity indexes were 42, 40, 14, 18 and 65, respectively. To further fractionate Coptis chinensis, which is shown to be highest anti-HIV-1 activity, methanol extracts of Coptis chinensis were fractionated into methylene chloride at pH3, pH10 and water residue. The selectivity Indexes of CH$_2$C1$_2$(pH 3), CH$_2$C1$_2$(pH 10) and water residue were 50, 22 and 98 respectively. Our results show that the water residue of Coptis chinensis was the most effective for anti-HIV-1 activity.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.365-369
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• 2005

The inhibitory effect of ferulic acid and related phenolic compounds on the growth of normal cell lines and can­cer cell line was evaluated by the MTT and XTT methods. Ferulic acid decreased the cell viability of human skin melanoma cells by the MTT method and the cell adhesion activity of human oral epithelioid carcinoma cells by the XTT method. These results suggest that ferulic acid has a potential anticancer activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.106-110
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• 1998

We have employed a DNA-native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (DNA-native-PAGE) assay system to characterize the enzyme activity of the endonuclease secreted by human B lymphoblastic IM9 cells. Experimental results clearly demonstrated that the endonuclease activity of IM9 cell culture medium is distinct from that of DNase I in the DNA-native-PAGE assay system. Immunoprecipitation analysis using anti-DNase I antibody showed that the secreted endonuclease is not recognized by the antibody. The secreted endonuclease was estimated using supercoiled plasmid DNA as a substrate. The pH optimum required for the catalytic activity was determined to be in the range of pH 6.6-7.4. No significant difference in the endonuclease secretion was observed by stimulation of the IM9 cells with interferon-${\gamma}$ or interleukin-$1{\beta}$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.417-422
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• 2002

Comparison studies of the Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) methods with new imidazo-quinolinedione derivatives were conducted using Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA), Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis (CoMSIA), and the Hologram Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (HQSAR). When the CoMFA crossvalidation value, q2, was 0.625, the Pearson correlation coefficient, r2, was 0.973. In CoMSIA, q2 was 0.52 and r2 was 0.979. In the HQSAR, q2 was 0.501 and r2 was 0.924. The best result was obtained using the CoMSIA method according to a comparison of the calculated values with the real in vitro cytotoxic activities against human ovarian cancer cell lines.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.198-203
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• 1998

In the present study, we have evaluated cytotoxic effects of Taraxaci herba extract on human skin melanoma cells. The light microscopic study showed morphological changes of the treated cells. Disruptions in cell organelles were determined by calorimetric methods: MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide), NR (Neutral red) and SRB (Sulforhodamine B protein) assay. These results suggest that Taraxaci herba retains a potential antitumor activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2000

Methanol extracts of 94 Korean plants were screened for angiogenesis inhibitors using the tube-like formation assay of HUVEC (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell) and evaluated for growth inhibitory activity on A549 cells, human lung cancer cells. Extracts of Euphorbia sieboldiana, Adonis amurensis, and Anthriscus sylvestris showed antiangiogenic and growth inhibitory activity at $50\;{mu}g/ml$. Aristolochia manshuriens and Styrax obassia expressed antiangiogenic activity without growth inhibitory action.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.428-433
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• 2015

Acetylshikonin, a natural naphthoquinone derivative compound, has been used for treatment of inflammation and cancer. In the present study, we have investigated whether acetylshikonin could regulate the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway, thereby leading to suppression of tumorigenesis. We observed that acetylshikonin significantly reduced proliferation of several cancer cell lines, including human pancreatic PANC-1 cancer cells. In addition, acetylshikonin inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or tumor necrosis-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$)-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ reporter activity. Proteome cytokine array and real-time RT-PCR results illustrated that acetylshikonin inhibition of PMA-induced production of cytokines was mediated at the transcriptional level and it was associated with suppression of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity and matrix metalloprotenases. Finally, we observed that an exposure of acetylshikonin significantly inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of PANC-1 cells. Together, our results indicate that acetylshikonin could serve as a promising therapeutic agent for future treatment of pancreatic cancer.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.640-642
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• 2002

The ethyl acetate fraction of Bupleurum longiradiatum was found to have an inhibitory effect on the tube-like formation of human umbilical venous endothelial (HUVE) cells. The active compounds, isolated from the fraction, were identified as acetylbupleurotoxin (P1) and bupleurotoxin (P2). The compounds P1 and P2 completely inhibited the tube-like formation of HUVE cells at 30 ${\mu}g$/ml, below the cytotoxic concentration. But, they did not exhibit antitumor activity on BDF1 mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma cells despite their antiangiogenic activity.