• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2003

Background: The mushroom Phellinus linteus (PL) has been shown to have the anti-tumor and immunostimulatory effects. We hypothesized that the hot water extract of PL (WEPL) exerts its significant immunostimulatory effect by inducing production of the Th1-derived cytokine interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$) by T lymphocytes. Methods: T lymphocytes were isolated from the mice fed with 200 mg/kg of WEPL once a day for 4 weeks, and then stimulated with the mitogen concanavaline A (Con A). IFN-${\gamma}$ gene and intracellular protein expressions were analyzed by RT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The production of IFN-${\gamma}$ was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: WEPL significantly enhanced the transcription of IFN-${\gamma}$ mRNA. The effect of WEPL on IFN-${\gamma}$ expression was further supported by a concomitant increase in the number of cells with intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ protein as well as the secretion of IFN-${\gamma}$. However, WEPL did not modulate either gene expression or protein secretion of interleukin-4, a Th2-associated cytokine, by Con A-stimulated T lymphocytes. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that one of the potentially beneficial anti-tumor and immunostimulatory effects of WEPL may be mediated through the enhancement of IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion by T lymphocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1537-1543
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• 2008

We tested Trichoderma harzianum as a biocontrol agent for Rhizoctonia solani AG2-1, using six natural antifungal materials to improve its efficacy. Among the six materials tested, peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) root bark (PRB) showed the strongest antifungal activity against R. solani AG2-1, and was not antagonistic to T. harzianum. Scanning electron microscopy showed that treatment with PRB extract resulted in shortened and deformed R. so/ani AG2-1 hyphal cells. The control of radish damping-off caused by R. so/ani AG2-1 was greatly increased by combined treatments of T. harzianum and PRB, as compared with either of the two treatments alone, with the control effect increased from 42.3-51.5% to 71.4-87.6%. The antifungal compound in PRB, which was isolated in chloroform and identified as paeonol by mass spectrometry, $^1H$ NMR, and $^{13}C$ NMR analyses, inhibited the growth of R. so/ani AG2-1 but not that of T. harzianum. Thus, PRB powder or extract may be used as a safe additive to T. harzianum to improve the control of the soil borne diseases caused by R. so/ani AG2-1.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2002

Antioxidative effect of 42 medicinal plant extracts was screened to search natural antioxidants. The extracts of Terminalia chebula, Caesalpinia sappan, Sanguisorba officinalis, Rubus coreanus, and Alpinia katsumadai showed strong inhibition effect on DPPH radical, and LDL oxidation. Those of Eugenia caryophyllata, Alpinia officinarum, Zingiber officinale, Xanthium strumarium, Sophora japonica, Aristolochia contorta, and Alpinia katsumadai exhibited potent antioxidative activity on linoleic acid peroxidation. Among 42 medicinal plant materials, the extract of Terminalia chebula showed the highest scavenging activity $(3.08\;{\mu}g/ml)$ on DPPH radical which was higher than that $(13.52\;{\mu}g/ml)$ of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$. The extract of Terminalia chebula showed also stronger inhibition activity on LDL oxidation than that of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ did.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2006

G. japonicum is a perennial hem and the flowering plant has been used as a diuretic and an astringent in Japan and China. However, little information is available about the anti-inflammatory action of G. japonicum. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the antiinflammatory action of fractions from G. japonicum methanol extract. Inhibition of NO production was observed when cells were cotreated with fractions of G. japonicum and lipopolysaccharide. We observed that ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum inhibited NO production by LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells, and that the suppression induced by ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum was associated with antioxidant activity and direct NO clearance. In addition, only ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum inhibited stimulated $PGE_2,\;TNF-\alpha,\;IL-1\beta$ production, whereas water and methyl chloride fractions showed no such effects. The ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum methanol extract showed a remarkable scavenging activity on the 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical. Based on the results, ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum may be useful source as natural antioxidants and antiinflammation. Therefore, the results obtained from this study provide an alternative protective mechanism of ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum and provide information on the potential use of ethyl acetate fraction of G. japonicum in chemoprevention or pathogenic conditions related to overproduction of NO and $PGE_2$. However, the mechanism of the inflammatory effect must be evaluated through various parameters for induction of NO production.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.459-465
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, Chemical antiseptics have become great problems for health and environmental, so that developing of new substitutes for chemical antiseptics is more and more important. Natural product is a kind of environment-friendly additive that could be used as antiseptic in food industry. Thuja orientalis cv Aurea Nana is a gymnospermous plant of the family Cupressaceae, native to northwestern China and widely naturalised elsewhere in Korea and Japan. This study was aimed to investigate the antibacterial potential of various organic extracts from T. orientalis cones against some food-borne and food-spoilage bacteria. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hexane extract (HE), chloroform extract (CE), ethyl acetate extract (EAE) and methanol extract (ME) were obtained from female cones of T. orientalis. The antibacterial activities of various extracts were tested by standard agar diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against five gram-positive and six gram-negative bacteria. Cell viability and morphology change of L. monocytogenes ATCC 10943 treated with hexane extract were also observed. The various extracts displayed remarkable antibacterial effects against all the gram-positive bacteria but did not show any effect against the gram-negative bacteria. Hexane extract has the highest inhibitory effect on cell viability of L. monocytogenes ATCC 10943. SEM observation also demonstrated the damaging effect of the hexane extract on the morphology of L. monocytogenes ATCC 10943 at the minimum inhibitory concentration. CONCLUSION(s): The tested gram-positive bacteria were significantly inhibited by organic extracts of T. orientalis cone. Hexane extract was the most potent against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 10943, as evidenced by the lowest MIC level and the complete inhibition of cell viability within shortest exposure time, along with SEM observation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2010

Low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites from plants play an important role in reproductive processes and in the defense against environmental stresses or pathogens. In the present study, we isolated various volatiles and phenolic compounds from white Rosa rugosa flowers, and evaluated the pharmaceutical activities of these natural products in addition to their ability to increase survival in response to environmental stress and pathogen invasion. The DPPH and hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidation assay revealed that the white rose flower extract (WRFE) strongly scavenged free radicals in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, WRFE inhibited the growth of E. coli and fatally attacked those cells at higher concentration (>0.5 mg/mL). FITC-conjugated Annexin V stain provided further evidence that WRFE had strong antimicrobial activity, which may have resulted from a cooperative synergism between volatiles (e.g. 1-butanol, dodecyl acrylate and cyclododecane) and phenolic compounds (e.g. gallic acid) retained in WRFE. In conclusion, secondary metabolites from white rose flower hold promise as a potential natural source for antimicrobial and non-chemical based antioxidant agents.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.1 s.132
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• pp.100-108
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• 2003

The regulation of plasma lipid level, particularly LDL cholesterol, represents the focus of current therapy for atherosclerosis. And $Lp-PLA_2$ is able to hydrolyse oxidized phosphatidylcholine within LDL into lyso-PC and oxidized fatty acids. $Lp-PLA_2$ is a potential biomarker of coronary heart disease and plays an important proinflammatory role in the progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the inhibitory effects of methanol extracts of 224 natural plants on $Lp-PLA_2$ activity. Seven kinds of methanol extracts of tested plants showed above 50% inhibitory effect with the concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. The concentrated aqueous suspensions of each methanol extract were partitioned with n-hexane, $CHCl_3$, and EtOAc. Among them, EtOAc extracts of Astilbe chinensis var. davidii (root) and Pourthiaea villosa var. brunnea (leaf) significantly inhibited $Lp-PLA_2$ activity at the same concentration.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.145-152
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• 1982

Three species of genus Polygonum, namely P. cuspidatum, P. sachalinense and P. ellipticum are distributed in Korea. Polygonum ellipticum Migo is a perennial herb in Polygonaceous plants. The root of the plant (Polygoni Rhizoma, 'Ho-jang') have been used as laxative, diuretic and for the treatment suppurative dermatitis in the oriental medicine. As the part of the study for the comparison of the three species in their components, the authors attempted to isolate the anthraquinones and stilbene derivative from the rhizome of P. ellipticum. The methanolic extract of dried rhizome of this plant was fractionated into ether soluble and insoluble fraction and each fraction was applied to column chromatography to isolate above mentioned components. Anthraquinone derivatives were isolated first; comp. I, mp $204{\sim}205^{\circ}$ (physcion), comp. II, mp $254{\sim}255^{\circ}$ (emodin), comp. IV, mp $191{\sim}192^{\circ}$ $(emodin-8-O-{\beta}-D-glucoside)$ and comp. III, mp $280{\sim}282^{\circ}$ $({\beta}-sitosterol-glucoside)$. They were identified by chemical properties and UV, IR and NMR spectra and by the direct comparison with authentic samples. Stilbene derivative was isolated secondly; comp. V, mp $255{\sim}256^{\circ}$ which was reported to possess antibacterial and antifungal activities.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.278-283
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• 2014

This study was investigated the antibacterial activities of Cirsium japonicum from extracts five regions(Chungnam, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeju and Jeonnam) extract against six food-borne pathogenes(Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and Vibrio vulnificus) using the broth dilution and agar diffusion method. At concentrations between 0 and $750{\mu}g/mL$ the extracts showed an antibacterial effect against all tested bacteria. The antibacterial activities of Cirsium japonicum from Jeju and Gangwon are stronger than others. The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) values against the six bacteria ranged from 93.75 to $750{\mu}g/mL$. In time killing assay(cell growth curves), the tested bacteria inactivated upon exposure to the extracts for 24h. At the 24h exposure to the extracts, all bacteria were inhibited to over 70% for growth. In particular, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella enterica and Vibrio vulnificus conveyed an inhibition of growth to almost complete. It is anticipated that Cirsium japonicum extracts may have greater potential as natural food preservatives.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.555-567
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Abeliophyllum distichum is a plant endemic to Korea, containing several beneficial natural compounds. This study investigated the effect of A. distichum leaf extract (ALE) on adipocyte differentiation. MATERIALS/METHODS: The cytotoxic effect of ALE was analyzed using cell viability assay. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated using induction media in the presence or absence of ALE. Lipid accumulation was confirmed using Oil Red O staining. The mRNA expression of adipogenic markers was measured using RT-PCR, and the protein expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR𝛾) were measured using western blot. Cell proliferation was measured by calculating the incorporation of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into DNA. RESULTS: ALE reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes, as indicated by Oil Red O staining and triglyceride assays. Treatment with ALE decreased the gene expression of adipogenic markers such as Ppar𝛾, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/ebp𝛼), lipoprotein lipase, adipocyte protein-2, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase. Also, the protein expression of PPAR𝛄 was reduced by ALE. Treating the cells with ALE at different time points revealed that the inhibitory effect of ALE on adipogenesis is higher in the early period treatment than in the terminal period. Furthermore, ALE inhibited adipocyte differentiation by reducing the early phase of adipogenesis and mitotic clonal expansion. This was indicated by the lower number of cells in the Synthesis phase of the cell cycle (labeled using BrdU assay) and a decrease in the expression of early adipogenic transcription factors such as C/ebp𝛽 and C/ebp𝛿. ALE suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPK, confirming that the effect of ALE was through the suppression of early phase of adipogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, the results of the present study revealed that ALE inhibits lipid accumulation and may be a potential agent for managing obesity.