• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.97-101
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• 2003

This study was undertaken to evaluate the antinociceptive and antiinflammatory effects of the heartwood extract of Rhus verniciflua (Anacardiaceae) and the two major components, sulfuretin and fustin. The MeOH extract, its EtOAc-soluble portion and sulfuretin showed significant antinociceptive activity in writhing and hot plate test assays and antiinflammaory effects in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats. In particular, treatment of sulfuretin with 10 mg/kg dose (i.p.) reduced writhing frequency by 48.0% (p<0.01) compared to that of a control group. Further, the treatment of sulfuretin (5, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days prevented the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema significantly (p<0.01). The antiinflammatory effect of sulfuretin was also confirmed by microscopic observation of mast cell numbers in muscle. In addition, sulfuretin suppressed the cyclooxygenase- 2 (COX-2) activity $(IC_{50}\;=\;28.7\;{\mu}M)$ in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage cells. This result indicates that the inhibitory effect of sulfuretin on COX-2 may be one of the antinociceptive/antiinflammatory mechanism.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.168-174
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• 2016

Anti-melanogenic effects of amaranth (AT), one of the key source of squalene, were investigated in melanocytes. Amaranth seed powder was extracted with water and melan-a cells were treated with various concentrations of AT. By using HPLC, content of myo-inositol, one of potential active components, was measured in the crude extract of AT.AT reduced the melanin content in melan-a melanocytes and down-regulated melanogenic enzyme activity such as tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2. By regulating melanogenic enzyme activity, AT may be a potential natural source for whitening agent. Myo-inositol was detected in AT by HPLC and may be one of the active compounds from AT involved in the regulation of anti-melanogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated that AT has anti-melanogenesis properties. This new function of amaranth may be useful in the development of new skin-whitening products and its value as food.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.250-253
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• 2004

The effects of crude extracts from medicinal plants on biological activity were investigated. The crude ethanol extract of H. paucistipula inhibited the growth of the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659, (2 mm inhibition zone at 150 ㎍/disc) and the dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 28185, (7 mm inhibition zone at 150 ㎍/disc), and toxic to P388 murine leukaemia cells ATCC CCL 46 P388D1, (IC/sub 50/ 2.48 ㎍/㎖ at 75 ㎍/disc). This crude ethanol extract of H. paucistipula is the strongest antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities against P388 murine leukaemia cells ATCC CCL 46 P388D1.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.334-342
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• 2009

This study investigates the effects of Psidium guajava L. leaf (Pg), Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaf (Ls) and mixture A (Pg, Ls, Morus indica L. leaf extract, Pinus densiflora needles extract, Acanthopanax senticosus M. root extract) on streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes rats. For four weeks, STZ-diabetes rats were fed crystallized extracts of Pg, Ls, and mixture A. Compared to the diabetic control group, extracts of Pg, Ls, and mixture A decreased glucose levels in rats by 20%, 14% and 24% respectively. These extracts also decreased the level of total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid, compared to the diabetic control group, while effectively increasing levels of insulin and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. These results showed that mixture A had greater antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and insulin-increasing effects than the Pg and Ls extracts. Mixture A also showed better restoration of damaged beta cell function compared to Pg and Ls extracts. Therefore, it was proved that mixture A provides a beneficial synergistic effect when compared with Pg and Ls extracts used individually.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.165-175
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• 2011

This study investigates the effects of Psidium guajava L. leaf (Pg) extract, Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaf (Ls) extract, and mixture A (Pg, Ls, Morus indica L. leaf, Pinus densiflora needles, Acanthopanax senticosus M. roots extract) on db/db mice. For four weeks, db/db mice were fed powdered extracts of Pg, Ls, and mixture A. Compared to the diabetic control, extracts of Pg, Ls and mixture A decreased body weight, glucose and insulin. The greatest decreases were caused by mixture A. These extracts decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid compared to the diabetic control. The antihyperlipidemic effect of mixture A was the greatest. Mixture A also significantly decreased injuries of Langerhans' islets compared to the diabetic control. Mixture A showed a beneficial synergistic effect due to the supplementary pharmacological actions of the ingredients in contains, indicating that it improved hyperglycemia without the side effect of weight gain.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.265-273
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• 2019

Objective: Terminalia arjuna plant, specially its leaves, bark, and roots, are widely used in traditional herbal medicine due to presence of bioactive components and being a rich source of natural antioxidants. But its fruit has not been used for any such purposes despite its potential to retard oxidation. Hence, the antioxidant potential of Arjuna fruit extract (AFE) in retarding lipid and protein oxidation of raw ground pork was evaluated during refrigerated storage for 9 days. Methods: The AFEs were prepared using different solvents viz. ethanol (EH), water, ethanol: water (60:40) and methanol:hot water (60:40). The AFEs were analysed for total phenolic content (TPC), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power. Water extract (WE) and ethanol-water extract (EH-WE) were selected and incorporated at 1.0% into freshly minced pork meat and compared with a synthetic antioxidant, in retarding lipid and protein oxidation during storage. Results: The TPC in AFEs using different solvents ranged from 11.04 to 16.53 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and extracts exhibited appreciable scavenging activity ranging from 50.02% to 58.62%. Arjuna extracts significantly (p<0.05) improved the colour score of meat samples by reducing the formation of metmyoglobin during storage. Both the AFEs (WE and EH-WE) significantly (p<0.05) lowered the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value, peroxide formation and formation of protein carbonyls in raw pork than control sample during storage. Upon sensory evaluation of all samples, it was found that AFE treatment could prolong the storage period of meat samples, without influencing the colour and odour score, up to 6 days. Conclusion: AFEs used at 1% improved the oxidative stability, colour and odour score and prolonged the refrigerated shelf life of ground pork up 6 days. Therefore, AFE could be explored as an alternative natural antioxidant in retarding lipid and protein oxidation in meat products.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.367-371
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• 2011

Effects of the extract and fractions from Parasenecio pseudotaimingasa on rat lens aldose reductase (AR) inhibition have been investigated. Among them, the n-BuOH fraction was exhibited good inhibitory potencies ($IC_{50}$ value 1.42 ${\mu}g/ml$). Phytochemical constituents were isolated from the n-BuOH fraction by open column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated as luteolin-7-O-rutinoside (1) and luteolin-7-Oglucoside (2) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited strong AR inhibitory activity, with $IC_{50}$ values of 2.37 and 1.05 ${\mu}M$, respectively. This is the first report on the isolation of compounds 1 and 2 from P. pseudotaimingasa. These results suggest that P. pseudotaimingasa could be a useful material in the development of a novel AR inhibitory agent against diabetic complications.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.230-233
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• 2011

To evaluate the potential of naturally occurring aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors from food material, MeOH extract and stepwise polarity fractions from tartary buckwheat and two common Korean buckwheat cultivars, yangjul-maemil and daesan-maemil, were tested on AR inhibition in rat lens in vitro. The EtOAc fraction from tartary buckwheat exhibited good AR inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}$ value, $8.19\;{\mu}g$/ml). A portion of the EtOAc fraction from tartary buckwheat led to the isolation of rutin by MeOH recrystalization. Rutin exhibited good AR inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}$ value, $9.28\;{\mu}M$). These results suggest that tartary buckwheat could be a useful food material in the development of a novel AR inhibitory agent against diabetic complications.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2012

To search for the aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors from Korean folk plants, the inhibition of rat lens AR in vitro using the methanol (MeOH) extracts from Korean folk plants was investigated. Among fifty four Korean folk plants tested, the MeOH extract of Cedrela sinensis showed highest inhibition of AR ($IC_{50}$ value, 2.52 ${\mu}g/ml$). The plant C. sinensis has a possibility of new natural resources for the development of AR inhibitor for the prevention of diabetic complications.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.245-248
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate tyrosinase inhibitory activity of plant extracts, especially Korean indigenous plants, for the cosmetic use of skin whitening. When 50 plant extracts were tested, the methanol extracts of Agrimonia pilosa, Aster scaber; Dianthus sinensis, Fatsia japonica, Hemistepta lyrata, Lespedeza cuneata, Osmunda japonicum, Pyrvla japvnica, Rodgersia phodophylla and Veratrum grandiforum possessed the considerable tyrosinase inhibitory activity at 3-300 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. Especially, L. cuneata, aerial part of O. japonicum and V. gandiforum exhibited the strong inhibition (>50％ inhibition at 300 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL). In particular, the methanol extract of V. grandiforum and its ethylacetate fraction showed potent inhibition ($IC_{50}$/=30 and 13$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, respectively), while the reference compound, kojic acid, showed $IC_{50}$/ value of 26$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. These plant extracts may be used as tyrosinase inhibitors in cosmetics.