• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2009

Aldose reductase (AR) has been reported to play an important role in sugar-induced cataract. In the present study, the AR inhibitory activity of Enicostemma hyssopifolium (EH), Gymnema sylvestre, Eclipta alba, and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) were studied along with their effect on sugar-induced cataractogenic changes in sheep lenses in vitro. AR inhibitory activity of the aqueous extracts of plants and their anticataract potentials were evaluated in vitro in sheep lenses, considering the activity of normal sheep lenses as 100%. The concentration of the plant extract that showed maximum activity was selected to further study its effect on galactose-induced polyol accumulation in vitro. The $IC_50$ values of EH and TC were calculated to be 102 and 85 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. EH showed a significant inhibition (61.3%) in polyol accumulation followed by TC (53.1%). EH and TC possesses a significant anticataract activity in vitro and its anticataract potential could be related with its AR inhibitory effect.

• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.138-142
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• 2006

Soil cyanobacteria isolated from the rice paddy fields of 10 different locations across Korea were evaluated by agar plate diffusion test for antifungal activity. Aqueous, petroleum ether, and methanol extracts from one hundred and forty two cyanobacterial strains belonging to the 14 genera were examined for antifungal properties against seven phytopathogenic fungi causing diseases in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L). Of total cyanobacteria, nine cyanobacteria (6.34%) exhibited antifungal effects. The nine cyanobacteria selected with positive antifungal activities were two species of Oscillatoria, two of Anabaena, three of Nostoc, one of Nodularia, and one of Calothrix. Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea were inhibited by nine and eight species of cyanobacteria, respectively. Rhizopus stolonifer was suppressed by only methanol extract of Nostoc commune FK-103. In particular, Nostoc commune FK-103 and Oscillatoria tenuis FK-109 showed strong antifungal activities against Phytophthora capsici. Their antifungal activity at the late exponential growth phase is related to the growth temperature and not associated with the growth parameters such as cell biomass and $chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration. The high inhibition levels of antibiotics were 22.5 and 31.8 mm for N. commune FK-103 and O. tenuis FK-109, respectively. The optimal temperature for antibiotic productivity was $35^{\circ}C$.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2010

Interest in plant-derived food additives has increased recently, with efforts to identify natural antioxidant sources to replace synthetic antioxidants. This study evaluated the antioxidant effects of organic solvent fractions of 80% methanol extracts from Pediastrum duplex and Dactylococcopsis fascicularis microalgae. Among the solvent fractions tested, the ethyl acetate and n-hexane fractions from P duplex effectively scavenged 79.8% and 74.5% of DPPH free radicals, respectively. The chloroform fraction from D. fascicularis showed the strongest $H_2O_2$ scavenging ability (49.7%). The greatest scavenging of hydroxyl radicals (73.1%) was exhibited by the 80% methanol extract from P duplex. Aqueous residue and ethyl acetate fraction from P duplex provided the strongest nitric oxide scavenging (57.7%) and metal chelating effect (82.1%), respectively. Chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions from P duplex and n-hexane fraction from D. fascicularis exhibited significantly greater inhibition of lipid peroxidation than the commercial antioxidants. These results suggested that P duplex and D. fascicularis microalgae having potential anti oxidative compounds with various properties could be utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1116-1119
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• 2003

Ma huang, the dried plant stem of Ephedra Intermedia Schrenk et CA, is one of the well known medicinal herbs, and has been used for the diaphoretic, antiasthmatic, and diuretic actions. Ma huang is an ephedrine type alkaloid used for the weight loss and energy expenditure. Medications based on the Ma huang have been found to be effective in the treatment of obesity. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a 36-amino-acid peptide and concentrated in the hypothalamus, stimulates feeding desire and decrease energy expenditure. In the present study, the effect of Ma huang on the expression of NPY in the rat hypothalamus was investigated using immunohistochemistry. The present results demonstrated that Ma huang treatment suppressed weight gain and NPY expression in the hypothalamus depending upon the dosage used. Based on the results, it can be suggested that Ma huang treatment is effective in curbing the desire for food via modulation of NPY expression under the normal conditions.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2003

Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense were extracted with methanol and then fractionated with nhexane, EtOAc and BuOH to get active fractions. And their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in each fraction were determined. Ethyl acetate and butanol fraction of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense showed strong antioxidant activities, but hexane fraction did not show any activities. But in the antimicrobial test, Ethyl acetate fraction showed strong antimicrobial activities except to Aspergillus awamori, Asperigillus niger. Especially, Ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest activities against Bacillus subtilis. And aqueous fraction showed the strongest activities against Cladosporium herbarum, Hypocrea nigricans. This study was performed to determine the antimutagenic and cytotoxic effect of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense methanol extract on Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100 and cancer cell lines using Ames test and cytotoxicity assay, respectively. Cancer cell lines include human lung carcinoma(A549), human breast adenocarcinoma(MCF-7) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B). Futher fractionations with hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water from methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense were performed to obtain effective fraction, methanol extract showed 60.14% inhibition effect on the mutagenesis induced by MNNG against TA100, while 77% and 72.5% inhibition was observed on the mutagenesis induced by 4NQO against TA98 and TA100, respectively. and methanol extract showed 82.25% and 73.7% inhibitory effect on the mutagenesis induced by Trp-P-1 against TA98 and TA100, respectively. methanol extract showed the strongest effect against A549, MCF-7 and Hep3B at the same concentration compared to those of other fration.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.88-92
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• 2005

In order to make pure dyestuff extract from polygonum tinctoria, we tried to traditionally-using cockle shell which the extracted water should be filtered in indigo for 8 hours and at the $40^{\circ}C$, and 4.0 pH. The 1.631g of powder dye could be produced when the 10.0 ml of aqueous ammonia was added into the solution, which had been filtered for 8 hours with the 300 g of indigo plant and the 2.51 of water. The main components of two maded -dye which has traditionally made of this and has purely made of that compared by TLC, HPLC, LC/MC techniques. Finally, the antibacterial activities and deodorization ratio of silk fabrics with natural indigo were carried out, too.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2009

Recently, interest in plant-derived food additives has developed natural antioxidants, in order to alternate syn-thetic antioxidants with several disadvantages. In the present study, different organic fractions from solvent parti-tions of 80% methanol extract from Jeju benthic diatoms, Achnanthes longipes, Navicula sp. and Amphora coffeaeformis was assessed for their potential antioxidant effects. Among the solvent fractions tested, n-hexane (80.4%) and 80% methanol extract (76.6%) from A. longipes, chloroform (63.2%) from Navicula sp. and n-hexane (67.4%) from A. cof-feaeformis were effective in DPPH free radical scavenging. Fractions of chloroform (53.4%) and n-hexane (53.1%) from A. longipes exhibited higher activities on $H_2O_2$ scavengin. Fraction of n-Hexane from A. longipes exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and NO. scavenging activity (56.5% and 75.6%, respectively). Aqueous residue from A. coffeaeformis (75.6%) showed the highest metal chelating effect. chloroform and ethyl acetate frac-tion of all the diatoms exhibited significant antioxidant activities in lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. In particu-lar, both chloroform and the ethyl ecetate fraction from A. longipes and A. coffeaeformis exhibited lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity significantly higher than that of $\alpha$- tocopherol. These data suggest that the Jeju benthic diatoms tested are rich in hydrophilic and hydrophobic antioxidative compounds with different antioxidative properties that can be applied in food industry.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2010

The seed powder of Abrus precatorius L. has traditionally been used as oral contraceptive agent by the women in some rural areas in Bangladesh. The present study aimed to examine the antifertility activity of A. precatorius seed extracts in experimental female rats. Finely ground seeds were extracted with aqueous acetone followed by successive partitioning with n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), methanol (MeOH) and water. Water suspended crude seed powder, organic fractions of acetone extract and a standard contraceptive drug ($Nordette^{(R)}28$) were separately administered orally to the female rats for 30 days. n-Hexane, EtOAc and MeOH solubles at the doses of 2, 4 and 6 mg/rat/day, respectively and crude seed powder at 100 mg/rat/day exhibited 100% antifertility activity with lowest levels of serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and $17{\beta}$-estradiol. Histological study of ovary and uterus of these rats exhibited reduced number of developing follicles and increased number of atretic follicles in the ovary, and fewer uterine glands with shrunken morphology, reduced endometrial height, poor vascularity and compact stroma in uterus. However, the activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase and the body weight of the rats remained almost unaffected in all the seed extract treated rats compared to control. These results suggest that A. precatorius seed extracts reduced the levels of serum FSH, LH and $17{\beta}$-estradiol probably by affecting hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The reduced levels of these hormones might have affected the oestrous cycle, follicular development, and subsequently the establishment of pregnancy in treated rats.

• CELLMED
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.27.1-27.5
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• 2014

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. (Scrophulariaceae) is a traditional Ayurvedic herb known as Kutki. It is used as a remedy for diabetes by tribes of North Eastern Himalayan region of India. Present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of antidiabetic activity of standardized aqueous extract of Picrorhiza kurroa (PkE). PkE (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) was orally administered to streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, for 14 consecutive days. Plasma insulin levels were measured and pancreas of rat was subjected to histopathological investigations. Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) protein content in the total membrane fractions of soleus muscle was estimated by Western blot analysis. Plasma insulin level was significantly increased along with concomitant increase in GLUT-4 content of total membrane fractions of soleus muscle of diabetic rats treated with extract. There was evidence of regeneration of ${\beta}$-cells of pancreatic islets of PkE treated group in histopathological examinations. PkE increased the insulin-mediated translocation of GLUT-4 from cytosol to plasma membrane or increased GLUT-4 expression, which in turn facilitated glucose uptake by skeletal muscles in diabetic rats.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.77-81
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• 2010

The seed of cowpea (Vigna sinensis K.) was extracted with 80% aqueous methanol (MeOH). And the concentrated extract was partitioned with ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH) and $H_2O$, successively. The repeated silica gel and octadecyl silica gel (ODS) column chromatographic separations for the EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions led to isolation of four sterols. And the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as a mixture of stigmasterol and $\beta$-sitosterol with the ratio of 4 to 3 (1), 7-ketositosterol (2), and stigmasterol 3-O-$\beta$D-glucopyranoside (3) from the interpretation of spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum metric, mass (MS) spectrum metric and infrared (IR) spectroscope. This study reports the first isolation of $\beta$-sitosterol, 7-ketositosterol, and stigmasterol 3-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside from the seed of Vigna sinensis K. In addition, compound 2, 7-ketositosterol, is rarely occurred in natural source including plant.