• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare food intakes between Korean breast cancer patients and a healthy control group. We compared the intake of nutrients of 117 food items between Korean breast cancer patients (n=97) and age matched healthy controls (n=97). Nutrient intake was estimated using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The mean caloric intake of breast cancer patients and healthy controls was not significantly different. Breast cancer patients consumed significantly less fat and antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin A, retinol, ${\beta}-carotene$, vitamin C and vitamin E when compared to the control subjects. Among the food items, the intake of eggs (p<0.01), legumes (p<0.05), vegetables (p<0.05), seasonings (p<0.001), and oils and fats (p<0.01) in breast cancer patients was significantly lower than that in the controls. These results suggest that Korean breast cancer patients consumed less amount of soy and vegetables, which are rich source of antioxidant nutrients and phytosterols. Thus, dietary guidance to increase intake of these foods may be beneficial in the prevention of breast cancer.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2014

This research aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of Lycoris radiata. The methanol extract and solvent fractions from L. radiata exhibited antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Helicobactor pylori. Open-column chromatography was used to isolate phytochemical constituents from L. radiata; spectroscopic analysis elucidated their structures as ${\beta}$-sitosterol (1), daucosterol (2), O-methyllycorenine (3), lycorenine (4), lycoricidinol (5), lycorine (6), and lycoricidine (7). Further testing of compounds 1 - 7 revealed antibacterial effects against E. coli, S. aureus, and H. pylori, which suggested the potential of these substances as antibacterial agents. We determined that compounds 1 and 2, isolated from the n-hexane fraction, were more effective against S. aureus and H. pylori. Compound 4, isolated from the methylene chloride fraction, exhibited noticeable antibacterial effects against E. coli. This study is the first report on the antibacterial activities of phytochemical constituents from L. radiata against E. coli, S. aureus, and H. pylori.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.214-219
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• 2014

Artemisia apiacea is a traditional herbal medicine using treatment of eczema and jaundice in Eastern Asia including China, Korea, and Japan. In this study, the three phytosterol constituents were isolated and identified from the hexane fraction of 80% aqueous methanol extract of A. apiacea. Compounds were isolated using open column chromatography (silica gel). Their chemical structures were also established using $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR. Moreover, neuroprotective activity of each compound against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal HT-22 cell line was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Furthermore, Inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium ion ($Ca^{2+}$) accumulation were measured for elucidation of neuroprotective mechanism of isolated compounds. They showed that stigmasterol had neuroprotective activity against the glutamate-induced toxicity by inhibition of ROS and $Ca^{2+}$ production. In conclusion, isolated compound of A. apiacea might be useful for therapeutic agent against neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.214-224
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• 2022

Red ginseng oil (RGO), rather than the conventional aqueous extract of red ginseng, has been receiving much attention due to accumulating evidence of its functional and pharmacological potential. In this review, we describe the key extraction technologies, chemical composition, potential health benefits, and safety of RGO. This review emphasizes the proposed molecular mechanisms by which RGO is involved in various bioactivities. RGO is mainly produced using organic solvents or supercritical fluid extraction, with the choice of method greatly affecting the yield and quality of the end products. RGO contains a high unsaturated fatty acid levels along with considerable amounts of lipophilic components such as phytosterols, tocopherols, and polyacetylenes. The beneficial health properties of RGO include cellular defense, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, chemoprevention, hair growth promotion, and skin health improvement. We propose several molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that underlie the bioactivity of RGO. In addition, RGO is regarded as safe and nontoxic. Further studies on RGO must focus on a deeper understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms, composition-functionality relationship, and verification of the bioactivities of RGO in clinical models. This review may provide useful information in the development of RGO-based products in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and functional cosmetics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.392-399
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• 2020

This study examined the contents of bioactive compounds and the biological activity of okra seed oil. Okra seed oil consisted mainly of linoleic acid (44.2%). The content of total phytosterols was 2.180 mg/g oil, with β-sitosterol being the highest (1.756 mg/g oil). The vitamin E content was 1.278 mg/g oil; the content of α-tocopherol was higher than γ-tocopherol. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were 2.463 mg gallic acid equivalent/g and 1.602 mg cathechin equivalent/g, respectively. The 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and α-α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activities were 15.297% and 22.265%, respectively, and the reducing power was 4.524 mg gallic acid equivalent/g. The okra seed oil inhibited 77.692% of the α-glucosidase activity. The present study showed that okra seed oil had a considerable amount of phytochemicals and exhibited biological activity. These results suggest that okra seed oil is a potential natural therapeutic for the management of metabolic syndromes.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2010

The seeds from two mulberry fruits [Morus alba (MA) and Cudrania tricuspidata (CT)] were examined for their oil content, and fatty acid, phytosterol and tocopherol compositions and contents. Moreover, polyphenolic compounds and biological activity of the two defatted seed residue extracts were also evaluated. Oil contents of MA and CT seeds were 29.36% and 16.69%, respectively, while MeOH extracts of the defatted MA and CT seed residues were 5.10% and 6.22%, respectively. The two seed oils were composed of 81.4 and 74.37% linoleic, 5.75 and 11.39% oleic, 8.40 and 10.18% palmitic acid, and 3.52 and 3.0% stearic acids, and two other minor fatty acids, such as linolenic and arachidic acids. MA seed had higher contents of phytosterols (507.59 mg/100 g of oil), tocopherols (99.64 mg/100 g of oil), and total flavonoid (106.50 mg/100 g of seed) than CT seed, whereas CT seed had higher levels of total polyphenol than MA seed. The MeOH extract of MA seed residue showed higher antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-melanogenic activity than that of CT seed residue. trans-Resveratrol (9.62 mg/100 g), quercetin (54.83 mg/100 g), and 4-prenylmoracin (48.70 mg/100 g), were found to be the main polyphenolic components in the MeOH extract of MA seed residue. These results indicate that MA seeds are good sources of essential dietary phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-melanogenic activity.

• CELLMED
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.7
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• 2012

Stachys tibetica Vatke (Lamiaceae) is an important medicinal plant in the folk medicine of Ladakh, India and Tibet for the treatment of various mental disorders. Infusion and decoction of the whole plant is used as a cup of tea for a severe fever, headaches and to relieve tension. The recent study is aimed to evaluate the preliminary pharmacognostical and phytochemical nature of Stachys tibetica Vatke. The whole plant material was subjected to successive soxhlet extraction with petroleum ether (40 - $60^{\circ}C$), chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and finally decocted with water to get the respective extracts. The fluorescence characteristics of the powdered materials were analysed under ultraviolet light and ordinary light. Different physicochemical parameters such as ash value, extractive value, foaming index, pH values, loss on drying and determination of foreign matter were carried out as per WHO guidelines. The total fat, flavonoid, saponin and volatile contents were also determined. Macroscopical studies revealed the authentication of the plant drug. Physicochemical parameters helped to standardize the plant material while preliminary qualitative chemical tests of different extracts showed the presence of Glycosides, Carbohydrates, Phytosterols/triterpenoids, Saponins, Fixed oils, Fats and phenols/tannins. Quantification of the total flavonoids and saponins and contents were determined as $54.66{\pm}0.58mg/g$ and $75.42{\pm}0.48mg/kg$ respectively, while the volatile and fat contents were 6.5% and 0.7% respectively. Results may lay the foundation for the standardization of the drug and discovery of new molecules from S. tibetica for the treatment of various diseases.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.283-287
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• 2011

In order to produce centellosides from whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, we evaluated the synergistic effects of thidiazuron (TDZ) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) on whole plant growth and centelloside production. After 4 weeks of treatment with 0.025 mg/L of TDZ coupled with 0.1 mM MJ, the production of made-cassoside and asiaticoside from whole plant cultures was estimated to be 2.40- and 2.44-fold, respectively, above that of MJ elicitation alone. When whole plants were treated with a growth regulator and an elicitor, the growth of whole plants, as compared to the controls, did not differ. Additionally, total phytosyterol content in the leaves of whole plants co-treated with MJ and TDZ was 1.08-fold greater than those of MJ alone. These results demonstrate that combined treatments not only stimulate the accumulation of centellosides in the leaves but also inhibit the reduction of phytosterol levels caused by MJ elicitation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.124-127
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to evaluate the estrogenic activity of Cucurbita pepo seed extract which includes ${\beta}-sitosterol$ and other phytosterols. Sample was extracted from Cucurbita pepo seed by supercritical carbondioxide method and resuspended with ethanol. Estrogenic activity was measured by recombinant yeast assay which detects estrogenic activity using recombinant yeast with high level of estrogenic receptor. However, estrogenic activity of pumpkin seed extract was not found in this study. Based on this data, pumpkin seed extract will not cause estrogenic disturbance.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.527-537
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• 2020

Panax ginseng, a medicinal plant, has been used as a blood-nourishing tonic for thousands of years in Asia, including Korea and China. P. ginseng exhibits adaptogen activity that maintains homeostasis by restoring general biological functions and non-specifically enhancing the body's resistance to external stress. Several P. ginseng effects have been reported. Korean Red Ginseng, in particular, has been reported in both basic and clinical studies to possess diverse effects such as enhanced immunity, fatigue relief, memory, blood circulation, and anti-oxidation. Moreover, it also protects against menopausal symptoms, cancer, cardiac diseases, and neurological disorders. The active components found in most Korean Red Ginseng varieties are known to include ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, alkaloids, polyacetylene, and phenolic compounds. In this review, the identity and bioactivity of the non-saponin components of Korean Red Ginseng discovered to date are evaluated and the components are classified into polysaccharide and nitrogen compounds (protein, peptide, amino acid, nucleic acid, and alkaloid), as well as fat-soluble components such as polyacetylene, phenols, essential oils, and phytosterols. The distinct bioactivity of Korean Red Ginseng was found to originate from both saponin and non-saponin components rather than from only one or two specific components. Therefore, it is important to consider saponin and non-saponin elements together.