• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2007

Scutellaria baicalensis is known as a herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. However, effect of Scutellaria baicalensis on lupus pathogenesis that is characterized by overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and abnormalities in regulation, function, and interaction of immune cells remains unclear. We investigated effects of Scutellariae radix methanol extract (SBMeOH) on the production of proinflammatory cytokines and abnormal activation of T cells in vitro in pristane-induced lupus BALB/c mice. These results demonstrated that SBMeOH significantly decreased the LPS-stimulated production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and IL-10 by splenic and peritoneal macrophages and IL-6 and IL-10 by splenocytes from pristane-induced lupus mice. SBMeOH significantly downregulated the Con A-stimulated overproduction of IL-6, IL-10, and $IFN-{\gamma}$ by splenocytes from pristane-induced lupus mice. Also, SBMeOH significantly attenuated the Con A-induced expression of CD4+ T cells and CD69+CD4+ T cells but not CD8+ T cells in pristane-induced lupus mice. Our findings indicate that SBMeOH may ameliorate lupus pathogenic inflammation and autoimmunity via downregulation of proinflammatory cytokine production and abnormal activation of T cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1407-1413
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• 2013

A new compound, perforaphenonoside A (1), along with 11 known compounds (2-12) were isolated from a methanol extract of adventitious roots of Hypericum perforatum. Their chemical structures were elucidated using chemical and physical methods as well as comparison of NMR and mass spectral data with previously reported data. Their inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ and activation of PPAR was measured in HepG2 cells using a luciferase reporter system. Among the compounds 3, 6, 7 and 12 inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$ activation stimulated by TNF${\alpha}$ in a dose-dependent manner, with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 0.85 to $8.10{\mu}M$. Moreover, compounds 1-3, 7, 11 and 12 activated the transcriptional activity of PPARs in a dose-dependent manner, with $EC_{50}$ values ranging from 7.3 to $58.7{\mu}M$. The transactivational effects of compounds 1-3, 7, 11 and 12 were evaluated on three individual PPAR subtypes. Among them, compound 2 activated $PPAR{\alpha}$ transcriptional activity, with 153.97% stimulation at $10{\mu}M$, while compounds 1, 2 and 11 exhibited transcriptional activity of $PPAR{\gamma}$, with stimulation from 124.76% to 126.91% at $10{\mu}M$.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2016

Extract of Broussometia kazinoki Rhizodermatis has been traditionally used for geopoong, diuresis, hwalhyeol. In the present study, the apoptotic effect of methanol extract of Broussometia kazinoki (MBK) were investigated. Cell viability of A549 cells was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis-related protein and MAPK protein levels were measured by Western blot. Chromatin condensation of A549 cells was stained with DAPI. MBK inhibited cell proliferation of A549 cell. Based on DAPI staining, MBK-treated cells manifested nuclear shrinkage, condensation and fragmentation. Treatment of A549 cells with MBK resulted in activation of the caspase-3, -8, -9 and cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). In the upstream, MBK increased the expressions Bax and Bak, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and augmented the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. MBK-induced apoptosis was accompanied by sustained phosphorylation of JNK, p38 MAPK and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK)-1. These results suggest that MBK induced apoptosis in A549 cells through Bcl-2 family protein-mediated mitochondria/caspase-3 dependent pathway. In addition, MBK increased the activation of ASK-1, which are critical upsteam signals for JNK/p38 MAPK activation in A549 cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.638-645
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• 2015

This study analyzed the physiological quality of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) extract. M. crystallinum is a succulent plant found in Africa, southern Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. It has known antidiabetic, antioxidant, and activation of lipid metabolism effects. Extracts from M. crystallinum were prepared with methanol (MCM), ethanol (MCE), hot water (MCHW), and methanol after hot water (MCHM) extractions. The yields of MCM, MCE, MCHW, and MCHM were 0.37, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.07%, respectively. To determine the biological activities of the extracts, mushroom tyrosinase, pancreatic lipase, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) production, and α-glucosidase assays were conducted. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the MCHW extract was 62.9% at a concentration of 400 μg/ml, which was the highest of all the extracts. The MCM extract showed the highest inhibition activity of α-glucosidase and NO production (56.6 and 57.2%, respectively). The pancreatic lipase inhibition of the MCE extract was similar to that of the MCM extract, with significant inhibition of 90%. The mushroom tyrosinase inhibition of all the extracts was very low (approximately 30%). These results suggest that extracts from M. crystallinum have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and antidiabetic activities. Thus, it may have potential as a functional food product and therapeutic potential as an antidiabetic or antiobesity agent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1136-1142
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• 2005

To develop new anti-aging foods or cosmetics by using antioxidants, SOD activator and elastase inhibitor, both potent anti-aging substances, were screened from various extracts of medicinal Plants and its optimal extraction conditions were investigated. Antioxidant activity has showed the highest in methanol extracts of Prunus persica (seed; 98.0$\%$). Methanol extracts of Morus alba (leave; 41.0$\%$) showed the highest elastase inhibitory activity while Lycium chinense (fruit; 197$\%$) showed the highest activation effect in SOD activity. The Prunus persica extract that exhibited the highest activity was extracted by treatment of Prunus persica powder with methanol at 40$^{\circ}C$ for 18 h and the SOD activity was maximum with extract from Lycium chinense extracted with deionized water at 30$^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. Elastase inhibitory activity of Morus alba was maximally extracted when it was treated with 70$\%$ methanol at 50$^{\circ}C$ for 12 h.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.356-362
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• 2010

When pine (Pinus densiflora) needles were fractionated into cold water (PD-CW), hot water (PD-HW) and methanol extract (PD-M), PD-M showed potent simulating activity (1.19-fold of the saline control) for proliferation of bone marrow cells mediated by Peyer's patch cells in vitro. MeOH extracts were prepared by homogenization, stirring or reflux to identify the method of methanol extraction, and MeOH extract by reflux method showed significantly highest intestinal immune system modulating activity (1.30-fold) in vitro. The intestinal immune system modulating effect of orally administered PD-M fractionated from pine needles also were studied in mice. Analyzing intestinal immune system modulating activity mediated Peyer's patch cells from C3H/He mice which had been fed with PD-M at different doses for 7 days, 1.0 g/kg of BW/day indicated that the bone marrow cells had proliferated (3.65-fold of 3% EtOH administered group). In addition, the amounts of IL-6 in the culture supernatant of Peyer's patch cells at 1.0 g/kg of BW/day were increased (1.13-fold) whereas the production of GM-CSF was not dose dependent. These results indicate that oral administration of PD-M enhances the secretion of hematopoietic growth factors such as GM-CSF and IL-6 from Peyer's patch cells, and these cytokines also act on modulator of bone marrow cell proliferation.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.251-258
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• 2013

This study aims to find out a suitable cryoprotective agent (CPA) for cryopreservation and its optimum concentration in order to conduct planned artificial seed production of Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas and to preserve superior sperm. For this, we tried to understand toxicity and the effect of cryopreservation by CPA type and concentrations first and then looked into cell damage of the sperm after thawing. Toxicity analysis on the sperm of Pacific oyster according to different CPA and immersion time shows that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) comes first when it comes to survival rate and mobility followed by ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol and methanol. To identify the optimum CPA and its level, filtered seawater was used as a diluent before cryopreservation for 30 days. As a result, cryopreserved sperm of Pacific oyster with 15% of DMSO showed the highest survival rate and activation. Also, we observed the cryopreserved and thawed sperm with Scanning electron micrographs by CPAs and concentrations. Consequently, DSMO showed the lowest cell damage followed by EG, methanol, glycerol and the level was 15, 20, 10, 5% respectively. In a nutshell, it is proven that the optimum CPA and its level is 15% of DMSO.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.294-298
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• 1996

By the 505 chromotest which utilized Escherichia bolt PQ 37, Korean medicinal plants had been screened to Investigate the antimutagenic effect to aflatoxin B1(AFBl). Ikmocho(IMC, Leonurus sibiricus L.) was extracted with hot water. The extract was not found to be mutagenic in the Salmonella mutation test with or without metabolic activation, and the extract was showed to possess the antimutagenic properties towards AFB1-induced metation. The mutagenicity of AFB1 was inhibited by methanol soluble fracstion (IMC-MS) in dose-dependent. However, water-soluble fraction exhibited comutagenic activity. The greatest inhibitory effect of IMC-MS on AFB1 mutagenicity occurred when IMC-MS was first incubated, AFB1 followed by a second incubation with the cells and 59 mixture. Also lower inhibition was occurred when S9 mixtures were first incubated, with IMC-MS followed by a second incubation with AFBI. The results of the sequential incubation study support the probability that one mechanism of inhibition could involve the formation of chemical complex between IMC-MS and AFB1 rather than deactivation of S9 enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1157-1162
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• 2004

A well-holder type piezoelectric chloramphenicol (CAP) immunosensor which was prepared by binding an anti­CAP antibody to the chemisorbed monolayers of various thiol or sulfide compounds over the gold electrode surface of quartz crystals through a carboxyl-amine coupling procedure, using the activation with l-ethyl- 3-(3-dimethylarninopropyl)carbodiimide­HCl and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide, was determined for its responses to CAP, CAP succinate, and water-soluble CAP. The reaction phase used in the well holder was 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), and the solvent for analyte dissolution varied according to the solubility of the individual analyte. The analyte detection which was indicated by a steady-state frequency shift was finished within 10 min, except for CAP dissolved in methanol. The responses of CAP succinate and water-soluble CAP in the reaction phase were very stable, while a minute fluctuation was found with CAP.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1993

Transesterification reaction between dimethyl phthalate and ethylene glycol was kinetically investigated in the presense of various metal nitrate catalysts at $170^{\circ}C$. The reaction rates measured by the amount of distilled methanol from the reaction vessel. The transesterification reaction was carried out under the first order conditions respect to the concentration of dimethyl phthalate and catalyst, respectively. The over all order was 2nd. By Arrhenius plot, the activation energy was calculated as 17.4kcal/mole and 17.2kcal/mole on the transesterification reaction with zinc nitrate and lead nitrate, respectively. Apparent rate constant, k' was appeared linear about concentration of catalyst.