• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2020

Purpose: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most important diabetic complications prompted by chronic hyperglycemia, characterized by glomerulosclerosis, tubular fibrosis, and it eventually causes kidney failure. Nobiletin is a polymethoxyflavone present in tangerine and other citrus peels, and has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigated the effects of nobiletin on glomerular fibrosis through inhibition of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-Src-caveolin-1 pathway. Methods: Human renal mesangial cells (HRMC) were incubated in media containing 33 mM glucose with or without 1-20 uM nobiletin for 3 day. The cellular expression levels of fibrogenic collagen IV, fibronectin, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), TGF-β1, Src and caveolin-1 were all examined. In addition, TGF-β1, Src and caveolin-1 proteins were screened to reveal the relationship among TGF-β1-Src-caveolin-1 signaling in glomerular fibrosis. Results: High glucose promoted the production of collagen IV, fibronectin and CTGF in HRMC, which was inhibited in a dose dependent manner by 1-20 uM nobiletin. The Western blot data showed that high glucose elevated the expression of TGF-β1, Src, caveolin-1 and Rho GTPase. When nobiletin was treated to the HRMC exposed to high glucose, the expression of TGF-β1-Src-caveolin-1 was dampened. Finally, TGF-β1-Src-caveolin-1 signaling pathway was activated in high glucose-exposed HRMC, and such activation was encumbered by nobiletin. Conclusion: These result demonstrated that nobiletin blunted high glucose-induced extracellular matrix accumulation via inhibition of the TGF-β1-Src-caveolin-1 related intracellular signaling pathway. Nobiletin may be a potent renoprotective agent to counteract diabetes-associated glomerular fibrosis that leads to kidney failure.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2018

Mitochondrial calcium overload is a crucial event in determining the fate of neuronal cell survival and death, implicated in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. One of the driving forces of calcium influx into mitochondria is mitochondria membrane potential (${\Delta}{\psi}_m$). Therefore, pharmacological manipulation of ${\Delta}{\psi}_m$ can be a promising strategy to prevent neuronal cell death against brain insults. Based on these issues, we investigated here whether nobiletin, a Citrus polymethoxylated flavone, prevents neurotoxic neuronal calcium overload and cell death via regulating basal ${\Delta}{\psi}_m$ against neuronal insult in primary cortical neurons and pure brain mitochondria isolated from rat cortices. Results demonstrated that nobiletin treatment significantly increased cell viability against glutamate toxicity ($100{\mu}M$, 20 min) in primary cortical neurons. Real-time imaging-based fluorometry data reveal that nobiletin evokes partial mitochondrial depolarization in these neurons. Nobiletin markedly attenuated mitochondrial calcium overload and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in glutamate ($100{\mu}M$)-stimulated cortical neurons and isolated pure mitochondria exposed to high concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ ($5{\mu}M$). Nobiletin-induced partial mitochondrial depolarization in intact neurons was confirmed in isolated brain mitochondria using a fluorescence microplate reader. Nobiletin effects on basal ${\Delta}{\psi}_m$ were completely abolished in $K^+-free$ medium on pure isolated mitochondria. Taken together, results demonstrate that $K^+$ influx into mitochondria is critically involved in partial mitochondrial depolarization-related neuroprotective effect of nobiletin. Nobiletin-induced mitochondrial $K^+$ influx is probably mediated, at least in part, by activation of mitochondrial $K^+$ channels. However, further detailed studies should be conducted to determine exact molecular targets of nobiletin in mitochondria.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2002

Bioactive compounds of Chung-pi methoxy flavonoids were isolated by column chromatography and preparative chromatography, and investigated on the smoothing effect for the tracheal smooth muscle of rats. The tracheal smooth muscles of rats were treated with acetylcholine ($ED_{50}:3${\times}$10^{-6}M$) and with chromatographic fractions. We found that six-methoxylated flavonoid (nobiletin) was the most active compound fro the smoothing effect of which the contracted tracheal smooth muscle was screened with further separated ethyl acetate fraction. This result shows how nobiletin and its analogues could be using as a promising drug of bronchial asthma.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.362-366
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• 2009

To determine the effect of electron-beam irradiation on the contents of polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) extracts from citrus pomaces (CP), CP was irradiated at 0, 1, 2, or 5 kGy. Methanol extract of the irradiated CP were prepared and the PMF (nobiletin, sinensetin, and tangeretin) content of the extract was determined. Nobiletin and sinensetin of CP extract significantly increased with irradiation dose-dependent. However, electron-beam irradiation decreased the amount of tangeretin in the CP extract. These data suggest that irradiation can liberate phenolic compounds such as nobiletin or sinensetin, but tangeretin might have different pathway of conversion by irradiation. Therefore, irradiation can be a tool to change the composition of PMFs in CP.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 1996

Four polymethoxyfavones were isolated from the leaves of Citrus deliciosa, three of which (nobiletin, 5-O-demethylnobiletin, and tangeritin) are bioactive. The fourth (7,4'-dihydroxy-5,6,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone) is reported for the first time in the genus Citrus and is a potential chemotaxonomic marker. The structures of these flavones were confirmed by analysing their spectral data and comparison with similar compounds. The previously reported $^{13}C$ NMR assignment of 5-O-demethylnobiletin has been revised on the basis of 2D NMR experiments (HETCOR, COSY, and COLOC). The chemotaxonomic value of the present finding is verified.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2018

Previous studies have suggested that Citrus fruits might suppress the proliferation of various cancer cells. However, little is known about any specific ingredients in the extract of Citrus fruits to exert its anti-proliferative activity in cancer cells. The present study aimed to identify the active ingredients in Citrus fruits to suppress the proliferation of rat hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Among tested compounds, two polymethoxylated flavones (nobiletin and tangeritin) showed significant anti-proliferative activity whereas other compounds (synephrine, rutin, hesperidin) did not. Interestingly, nobiletin as well as tangeritin also decreased the protein amount of gluconeogenic enzymes, PEPCK and G6Pase. The possible involvement of gluconeogenic activity in the proliferation of hepatocellulacarcinoma cells are further to be investigated.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.431-443
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Nobiletin (NOB), a citrus flavonoid, is reported to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. However, there is limited research investigating the effect of long-term supplementation with low-dose NOB on high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced hypercholesterolemia and non-obese nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, we investigated the influence of NOB on hypercholesterolemia and NAFLD in HCD-fed mice. SUBJECTS/METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or HCD (35 kcal% fat, 1.25% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid) with or without NOB (0.02%) for 20 weeks. RESULTS: HCD feeding markedly reduced the final body weight compared to ND feeding, with no apparent energy intake differences. NOB supplementation suppressed HCD-induced weight loss without altering energy intake. Moreover, NOB significantly decreased the total cholesterol (TC) levels and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/very-LDL-cholesterol to TC ratio, and increased the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol/TC ratio in plasma, compared to those for HCD feeding alone. The plasma levels of inflammatory and atherosclerosis markers (C-reactive protein, oxidized LDL, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) were significantly lower, whereas those of anti-atherogenic adiponectin and paraoxonase were higher in the NOB-supplemented group than in the HCD control group. Furthermore, NOB significantly decreased liver weight, hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents, and lipid droplet accumulation by inhibiting messenger RNA expression of hepatic genes and activity levels of cholesterol synthesis-, esterification-, and fatty acid synthesis-associated enzymes, concomitantly enhancing fatty acid oxidation-related gene expression and enzyme activities. Dietary NOB supplementation may protect against hypercholesterolemia and NAFLD via regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism in HCD-fed mice; these effects are associated with the amelioration of inflammation and reductions in the levels of atherosclerosis-associated cardiovascular markers. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that NOB may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of HCD-induced hypercholesterolemia and NAFLD.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2015

This research was conducted to analyze flavonoids in juice and to investigate correlation between 60 germplasms of satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) on the basis of the result of flavonoid analysis. Juice of satsuma mandarin contained 6 flavonoids, 2 flavanones such as narirutin and hesperidin, 1 flavone such as rutin and 3 polymethoxylated flavones such as sinensetin, tangeretin and nobiletin. Hesperidin content ranged from 41 to 196 mg/L. Narirutin content ranged from 25 to 230 mg/L. The average of rutin content was 2.2 mg/L but it was not detected in some cultivars. Polymethoxylated flavone which is known as a citrus specific flavonoid, was detected in all germplasms in small quantities. Cluster analysis using R program (Version 3.1.1) was carried out with the results of the flavonoid analysis and harvesting time of satsuma mandarin germplasms. All germplasms were grouped as A, B1 or B2. But all 3 groups contained very early-ripening type, early-ripening type and commonly-ripening type cultivars. This showed there was no correlation between flavonoids in juce and their harvest time.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2001

Methoxylated flavonoids (sinenstin, nobiletin, tangeretin) were isolated and identified by preparative HPLC, mass and NMR. Chung-pi(I) and Chung-pi(II) contained methoxylated flavonoids most richly. Methoxylated flavonoids in Chung-pi obtained from Korean Milgam increased with fruit maturity, while contents of the methoxylated flavonoids gradually decreased after mid of October.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2002

Eleven flavonoids, including rutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, hesperetin, nobiletin, 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-methoxylated flavone and tangeretin in the peel of late maturing citrus fruit species of Mucott (smith tangerine), Singamha (C. natsudidai), Sambogam (C. sulcata), Hongpalsak (C. hassaku), Seminol (Dancy tangerine) and Jawdung (C. aurantium) harvested during from August to December were analyzed with HPLC. The mobile phase consisted of water and acetonitrile with 0.5% acetic acid. Wavelength in UV detector was determined at 254 nm. Naringin and neohesperidin content in the peel of Jawdung harvested at the early stage of maturation were 34.02 mg/g and 13.68 mg/g, respectively, and it was highest among the tested citrus fruits. Hesperidin content in the peel of Mucott harvested at the earthy stage of maturation was 12.48 mg/g. Rutin content of Sambogam harvested at the early stage of maturation was 5.13 mg/g. Quercetin, naringein, kaempferol, nobiletin, 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-methoxylated flavone flavonoids were in trace. Flavonoid contents of Singamha, Sambogam and Jawdung were high in the peel of fruits at the early stage of maturation, after which time they decreased rapidly.