• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.205-211
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• 2007

The fruits and stems of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten have been reported to exhibit a variety of pharmacological actions, including antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ulcer effects. In the present study, we evaluated effects of the butanol fraction (SK OFB901) prepared from the 50% ethanol extract of the stems on various types of neuronal injuries induced by oxidative stress, excitotoxins, and amyloid ${\beta}\;(A_{\beta})$ in primary cultured rat cortical cells. Its antioxidant and radical scavenging activities were also evaluated by cell-free bioassays. We found that SK OFB901 strongly inhibited the oxidative neuronal damage induced by $H_2O_2$ or xanthine/xanthine oxidase. In addition, it exhibited marked inhibition of the excitotoxic neuronal damage induced by glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid, or kainate. Furthermore, the $A_{\beta(25-35)}$-induced neurotoxicity was also significantly attenuated by SK OFB901. It was found to inhibit lipid peroxidation initiated by $Fe^{2+}$ and L-ascorbic acid in rat brain homogenates and scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals. These results indicate that the butanol fraction prepared from the stems of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten exerts potent antioxidant and neuroprotective effects through multiple mechanisms, implying its potential applications for the prevention or management of neurodegenerative disorders associated with oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and $A{\beta}$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.379-384
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• 2001

The cDNA encoding ribosomal protein was identified from a cDNA library of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The nucleotide sequence of the 548 by cDNA clone reveals an open reading frame, which encodes a putative protein of 166 amino acids with a molecular mass of 18.3 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the S. pombe L11 protein is highly homologous with those of rat and fruit, while it is clearly less similar to those of prokaryotic counterparts. The 1,044 by upstream sequence, and the region encoding N-terminal 7 amino acids of the genomic DNA were fused into the promoterless $\beta$-galactosidase gene of the shuttle vector YEp357 in order to generate the fusion plasmid pHY L11. Synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the fusion plasmid varied according to the growth curve. It decreased significantly in the growth-arrested yeast cells that were treated with aluminum chloride and mercuric chloride. However, it was enhanced by treatments with cadmium chloride ($2.5\;{\mu}M$), zinc chloride ($2.5\;{\mu}M$), and hydrogen peroxide (0.5 mM). This indicates that the expression of the L,11 gene could be induced by oxidative stress.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2 s.32
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• pp.17-33
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• 1996

Chinese medical science with long history has experience and theory of cure and prevention as well as the perfect different system with western medicine. Western medical science also was introduced in recent times and has been used in fast development in China extensively. Therefore only China that coexist oriental and western medicine is used the term, the integration of oriental and western medicine. Its object is to make better treatment and prevention value with utilizing their strong point and weak point. That is, its great principle is to develop through interchange together without interference in the other science. For mutual growth of both medical science, national concern and support, medical staffs, administrative system and a lot of fruits, etc should be arranged simultaneously. This paper was obtained the as follows. 1. The system of public health administration is composed a sanitary department for a western medicine and a managing agency for a chinese one in the center. There are each local organization under the control both agency in the locality 2. The importance of the integration of chinese and western medicine is to get the merit of special chinese system through the interchange of both medicine and union with modem science and chinese pharmacy. 3. It is the long term and great project. So its important study field is illness treatment and cure, oriental medical remedy and theory, acupuncture and moxibution etc. 4. It makes steady progress in all the healthy medical field. It has studied its foundation, the education of medical staffs, scientific study and strengthening of skill management considerably. 5. The products are the development of new chinese medicines and many researches about traditional chinese medical science. In brief, the integration of chinese and western medical science is the historical stream. Besides it will contribute toward the cure and prevention of human illness for future 21 century.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.294-303
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• 2010

Various types of health functional foods (HFF) are popularly used among middle-aged. We surveyed 946 middle-aged in Korea for HFF use and significant variables for their HFF use including demographic characteristics, health related variables and nutritional beliefs. The use prevalence of HFF was 58.9%, and among all types of HFF, red ginseng products were taken most frequently, followed by nutritional supplements, ginseng products > mushroom products. HFF was taken more frequently in subjects from high monthly family income (p < .001), and in those from families with a high socioeconomic status (p < .001) in comparison to each corresponding group. Mean age of users was higher than nonusers (p < .001). Self concern about health (p < .001) and usage ratio of HFF by family (p < .001) were higher in users than in nonusers of HFF. Total dietary assessment score was not different in two groups, and users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefit of HFF than nonusers (p < .001). Most users of HFF took HFF when they were healthy (52.8%) and experienced a little effect through the HFF use (51.2%). Most users of HFF obtained the information on HFF through family and relatives (30.5%) and most of them purchased HFF at pharmacy or oriental medicine clinics (44.5%). HFF users preferred multivitamin and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin mineral supplements belonged to HFF. Given the widespread use of HFF and inappropriate usage of HFF among subjects, the proper use of these products for the contribution to their optimal nutrition and overall health is a subject that should be formed through practical nutrition education considering the various variables affecting their HFF use.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.28-49
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• 2020

The efficacy and side effects associated with anticancer drugs have attracted an extensive research focus. Onconephrology is an evolving field of nephrology that deals with the study of kidney diseases in cancer patients. Most renal diseases in cancer patients are unique, and management of renal disease can be challenging especially in the presence of continuing use of the nephrotoxic drugs. Cisplatin is one of the most important chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of various malignancies, such as head, neck, ovarian, and cervical cancers. The major limitation in the clinical use of cisplatin is its tendency to induce adverse effects, such as nephrotoxicity. Recently, plant-derived phytochemicals have emerged as novel agents providing protection against cisplatin-induced renal cytotoxicity. Owing to the diversity of phytochemicals, they cover a wide spectrum of therapeutic indications in cancer and inflammation and have been a productive source of lead compounds for the development of novel medications. Of these agents, the effectiveness of triterpenoids, isolated from various medicinal plants, against cisplatin-induced renal cytotoxicity has been reported most frequently compared to other phytochemicals. Triterpenes are one of the most numerous and diverse groups of plant natural products. Triterpenes ameliorate cisplatin-induced renal damage through multiple pathways by inhibiting reactive oxygen species, inflammation, down-regulation of the MAPK, apoptosis, and NF-κB signaling pathways and upregulation of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense mechanisms. Here, we reviewed recent findings on the natural compounds with protective potential in cisplatin-induced renal cytotoxicity, provided an overview of the protective effects and mechanisms that have been identified to date, and discussed strategies to reduce renal cytotoxicity induced by anticancer drugs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of aged black garlic (ABG) in rodent models of liver injury. ABG inhibited carbon tetrachloride-induced elevation of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), which are markers of hepatocellular damage, in SD rats. D-galactosamine-induced hepatocellular damage was also suppressed by ABG treatment. However, ABG does not affect the elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a marker of hepatobilliary damage, in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride or D-galactosamine. We also examined the effect of ABG on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced fatty liver and subsequent liver damage. ABG had no significant effect on body weight increase and plasma lipid profile in HFD-fed mice. However, HFD-induced increase in AST and ALT, but not ALP, was significantly suppressed by ABG treatment. These results demonstrate that ABG has hepatoprotective effects and suggest that ABG supplementation might be a good adjuvant therapy for the management of liver injury.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.137-144
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• 2007

Although lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase, has been shown to have anti-cancer actions, the effect on human hepatoma cells was not investigated. Moreover, the exact mechanism of this action is not fully understood. In this study we investigated the mechanism by which lovastatin induces apoptosis using HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells. Lovastatin induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner in the cells, assessed by the flow cytometric analysis. Treatment with mevalonic acid, a precursor of cholesterol, did not significantly suppress the lovastatin-induced apoptosis. Lovastatin induced a rapid and sustained increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. Treatment with EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator did not significantly alter the lovastatin-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase and apoptosis, whereas intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ reduction with BAPTA/AM and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blockers (dantrolene and TMB-8) completely blocked these actions of lovastatin. In addition, the lovastatin-induced apoptosis was significantly reduced by a calpain inhibitor, a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk and inhibitors specific for caspase-9 and caspase-3 (z-LEHD-fmk and z-DEVD-fmk, respectively), but not by an inhibitor specific for caspase-8 (z-IETD-fmk). Collectively, these results suggest that lovastatin induced apoptosis of HepG2 hepatoma cells through intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release and calpain activation, leading to triggering mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These results further suggest that lovastatin may be valuable for the therapeutic management of human hepatoma.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2010

We surveyed 837 students attending elementary schoolchildren in Korea for health functional foods (HFF) consumption and significant variables for their HFF consumption including demographic characteristics, parental health concern on offsprings, food eating frequency of subjects and beliefs on potential efficacy of HFF by subjects. The consumption prevalence of HFF was 45.9%, and among all types of HFF, nutritional supplements were taken most frequently, followed by apricot extract-fermented products > lactic acid bacteria containing products > EPA/DHA containing products > red ginseng products. HFF consumption was higher in subjects had parents of high education level (p < .05) and those from families with a high socioeconomic status (p < .01) in comparison to each corresponding group. Health concern on offsprings by parents (p < .001) and consumption ratio of HFF by family (p < .001) was higher in consumers than in nonconsumers of HFF. Total score of dietary assessment was higher in consumers than in nonconsumers of HFF (p < .01), and consumers had a more positive view concerning the potential efficacy of HFF than did nonconsumers (p < .001). Most consumers of HFF took HFF when they were healthy (42.5%), and they did not feel special effects through HFF consumption (47.7%). Most consumers of HFF got the information on HFF from family and relatives (24.8%), and most of them purchased HFF at pharmacy or oriental medicine clinics (53.9%). HFF consumers preferred multi-vitamins and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin mineral supplements belonged to HFF. Given the widespread consumption of HFF by elementary schoolchildren, the reasonable consumption of these products for the contribution to their overall health and well-being should be emphasized through nutrition education for them and their family.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.491-496
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• 2016

The present sturdy was designed to determine the effect of the antiproliferation in human cancer cells, using vegetable extract of Radish, Radish leaves, Burdock, Shiitake, Carrot of the ordinary vegetable soup. Human cancer cells identify the cancer cell growth with MTS, using stomach cancer cell line (AGS), human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) and lung cancer cell line (A549). Shiitake and Carrot are effective on the cancer cell growth inhibition activities of AGS. Radish leaves, Burdock, Carrot have a significance with HL-60 and Radish, Radish leaves works well in A549. The vegetable extracts which is effective for cancer cell growth inhibition is considered to applicate base line data for using functional materials and for wellness life.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.607-618
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• 2016

In order to clarify the Gosambaeksunpibokhap-bang(GBBB)'s therapeutic possibility on atopic dermatitis (AD), influences of GBBB on the changes of various immune-related factors and histological changes in NC/Nga mice were evaluated. Experimental results are as follows. Sign of recovery from AD was observed in GBBB treated group with naked eye test. The ratio of white blood cells, neutrophil, lymphocytes, monocyte in blood were decreased to 54%, 63%, 57% and 86% respectively in the GBBB group. IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, Histamine and IgE were significantly decreased to 40%, 80%, 62%, 61% and 57% respectively in the GBBB group. H&E staining showed thickness of epidermis and dermis were decreased by GBBB and inhibited the infiltration of lymphocytes. On the basis of these results, GBBB was confirmed that the possibility as an AD treatment applied externally to the skin. In the further study, immune control mechanism of GBBB will be demonstrated through the additional molecular biological research.