• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.98-106
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• 2010

Objective: To examine the in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of Amomum xanthoides extract and its fractions. Methods: Methanol extract of Amomum xanthoides was fractionated into three fractions; petroleum ether fraction (PFAX), water fraction (WFAX) and ethyl acetate fraction (AFAX). The antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of these fractions were compared by in vitro experiments. Results: The total phenols content and DPPH (1 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity was found significant in AFAX when compared with other fractions (PFAX, WFAX). AFAX significantly inhibited NO production by RAW 264.7 cells in LPS-activated condition. In Hep $G_2$ cells, AFAX markedly prevented the leakage of LDH and release of AST against CCl4 challenge. Conclusion: Amomum xanthoides and especially ethyl acetate fraction have potent antioxidative and hepatoprotective properties.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2014

The present study was performed to examine the contraction and relaxation responses of the smooth muscles, and search for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in the tissues, of the starfish Asterina pectinifera. Frozen samples were extracted with distilled water containing 1% acetic acid. Extracts from all tissues showed potent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli D31. Relatively high levels of antimicrobial activity were also detected in the body extracts. Liver, tube feet, and body extracts caused contraction responses in the dorsal retractor muscles (DRM) of the starfish. In contrast, all tissues examined exhibited contractile activity in the esophagus of squid Todarodes pacificus. In addition, liver and gonad extracts caused contraction responses upon application to the intestine of the puffer fish Takifugu pardalis. Relaxation effects on the DRM of starfish were identified in most of the extracts, while no relaxant activity was detected in body extracts. Extracts from all tissues examined also exhibited antioxidant activities. The results of this study suggest that starfish are a potential source of novel bioactive compounds.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.289-293
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• 2003

Antioxidant activity and nicotine degradation activity (NDA) of 21 medicinal herbs were determined by using a 1,1-diphenol-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and a PLC/PRF5 human liver cell line method, respectively, to develop an anti-smoking aid. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities represented by $IC_{50}$/ value were 30 $\mu$g/mL of Eugenia caryophyllus and 3,270 $\mu$g/mL of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, respectively. Antioxidant activity of Eugenia caryophyllus was equal to 38.0$\pm$1.2 mg VCEAC(vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity)/ g herb. The highest and lowest NDA values were 1.81 of Astrgalus membranaceus Bunge and 1.01 of Raphani seed and Lespedeza tomentosa Sieb, respectively. Eleven medicinal herbs with high antioxidant activity and/or NDA were selected to make an herbal tea. The herbal tea had high antioxidant activity (50 $\mu$g/mL $IC_{50}$/ and 22.4$\pm$1.4 mgVCEAC/g) and NDA (1.243). The medicinal herb tea could help smokers quitting smoking by degrading and exhausting nicotine accumulated in body and removing reactive oxygen species.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.37-43
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• 2022

Silkworm food has been found to be effective for dementia, liver function, lowering blood sugar, and possesses antioxidant properties, which has been attracting attention as a health functional food. In this study, methods for enhancing the functionality of silkworms were explored and the production potential of high-functional silkworms was analyzed. For enhancing antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, laminarin, and glutathione were injected or fed to 5th instar silkworms, and the antioxidant activity of silkworm extract was comparatively analyzed. There was no significant change in polyphenol and flavonoid content, but it was confirmed that 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability, superoxide dismutase-like activity, and reducing power were slightly increased after injection of ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, and glutathione. To confirm the increase in antioxidant efficacy through feeding, an inducer was mixed with sucrose and sprayed on mulberry leaves. As a result, the growth rate of silkworms improved and all indicators of antioxidant activity were improved in silkworms fed with ascorbic acid and glutathione. Considering these results, producing high-functional silkworms was deemed possible.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.224-237
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• 2021

Purpose: Paeonia Radix Alba is a traditional herbal medicine used to treat the liver and the spleen. Many studies have reported that Paeonia Radix Alba extract (PR) affects liver injury, but there has been no study on liver injuries induced by thioacetamide (TAA). Therefore, we aimed at evaluating the effect of PR on a TAA-induced acute liver injury (ALI) model. Methods: The antioxidant activity of PR was assayed by the content of total polyphenol, total flavonoid, 1,1-diphenyl-2'-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities in vitro test. ALI was induced via-intraperitoneal injection of TAA (200 mg/kg body weight) for three consecutive days. Also, silymarin (100 mg/kg body weight) and PR (100 or 200 mg/kg body weight) were administered at 1 hours 30 minutes prior to TAA treatment. The levels of ammonia, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were analyzed using an assay kit. The expressions of antioxidant proteins including Nrf2, Keap1, HO-1, SOD, catalase, and GPx-1/2 and oxidative stress-related proteins including NOX2, p47^phox, and p22^phox were evaluated by the western blot analysis. Results: PR showed excellent antioxidant activity in vitro. TAA administration increased the levels of ammonia, GOT, and GPT in the ALI control group compared to the normal group, whereas it was significantly reduced by PR pretreatment. Moreover, NADPH oxidase protein expressions were upregulated after TAA treatment, while the elevated expressions were inhibited by PR pretreatment. The expressions of antioxidant protein were downregulated in the ALI control group, whereas Nrf2 activation in the PR group was accompanied by increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion: PR administration increased the antioxidant enzymes via activation of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway and inhibited the protein levels of NADPH oxidase factors. Taken together, these results showed that PR treatment may be considered to ameliorate acute liver injury induced by TAA.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.156-161
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• 1997

For the search of hepatoprotective compounds from the folk medicines, 14 natural products which have been traditionally used as hepatoprotective drugs in Korea were extracted with methanol. The extracts were screened for the antioxidant activity on lipid peroxidation induced by Fenton reaction in rat homogenate and Ac2F cell toxicity by t-hydroperoxide. Dendrobium moniliforme and Castanea crenata were chosen for the further investigation and its therapeutic effects on the liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats were evaluated. Oral administration of the extracts reduced the aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) activities in the serum of the carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rat. And the treatment of the extracts prevented the decrease of aminopyrine N-demethylation and aniline hydroxylation activities of the carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat liver. These results suggest that oral administration of Dendrobium moniliforme and Castanea crenata is effective in recovering the liver function in $CCl_4-treated$ rats.

• 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.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.439-445
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• 2010

Pretreatment with Taraxacum Mongolicum H(TMH) prior to the administration of on $CCl_4$ significantly prevented the increased serum enzymatic activity of aminotransferase(ALT, AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT) and bilirubin concentration in dose-dependent manner. In addition, pretreatment with TMH also significantly restored the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione content in the liver $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. The restoration of microsomal aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine N-demethylase activities indicated the improvement in functional status of endoplasmic reticulum. $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity was also essentially prevented, as indicated by a liver histopathologic study. TMH showed antioxidant effects in $FeCl_2$-ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate and in superoxide radical scavenging activity. Our results suggest that the protective effect of TMH against $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity possibly involve mechanisms related to its ability to block p450-mediated $CCl_4$ bioactivation and free radical scavenging effects.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the effect of soy isoflavone on plasma nitrite concentration and the antioxidant enzyme activities of erythrocyte and the liver using adult male rats fed high fat diet. Seven-week old male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups and fed high fat diet (15% beef tallow, 1 % cholesterol; control: IF0) or high fat diets containing isoflavone 80 ppm (IF80) or 320 ppm (IF320) for 10 weeks. Plasma nitrite concentration as a vasodilator, and antioxidant enzyme activities in erythrocytes and the liver were measured. Plasma nitrite concentration was increased by 45% and 35%, respectively, in IF80 and IF320 than in IF0 group. Erythrocyte catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities increased by 31 %, 30% and 40% in IF320 compared to IF0 group. Especially, erythrocyte GR activity increased by 61 % in IF80 group. However, catalase activity in the liver was decreased in IF80 group. GPx and GR activities in the liver were not differ among groups. The results suggest that soy isoflavone have the protective effect against risk factors related with cardiovascular disease by improving vasodilator factor, nitrite, and antioxidant enzyme activities in blood. (Korean J Nutrition 38(2): 89～95, 2005)

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.179-187
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• 2016

This study evaluated some markers of oxidative stress in the organs of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus from Eleyele River in Oyo State, Nigeria. Clarias gariepinus (250 g-400 g) were collected from Eleyele River (a suspected polluted River) and Clarias gariepinus from a clean fish farm (Durantee fisheries) were used as the control. Levels of Malondialdehyde (index of lipid peroxidation), Glutathione (GSH) and activities of antioxidant enzymes- Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase and Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) were evaluated in the liver, kidney and gills of the fish. From the results, there were significant (p<0.001) increases in malondialdehyde and GSH levels in the liver, kidney and gills of Clarias gariepinus from Eleyele River compared with control. The activity of GST increased significantly (p<0.05; p<0.001) in the liver and kidney of fish from Eleyele River compared with control. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05; p<0.001) in SOD activity in all the organs of Clarias gariepinus from Eleyele River compared with conrol and also a significant (p<0.001) decrease in catalase activity in the gills and kidney of the fish but catalase activity increased in the liver. Increase in lipid peroxidation and alterations in antioxidant status in Clarias gariepinus from Eleyele River show that the fish were under oxidative stress. These suggest that the River is polluted probably as a result of various wastes frequently discharged into the River. This could pose serious health risks to consumers of water and aquatic organisms from the River.