• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.256-261
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• 1996

Comparative biological activities of 70fr methanol extracts from the main roots and rhizomes of both red and white ginsengs were investigated using several in vitro experimental models. The main root of red ginseng and the rhizome of white ginseng strongly inhibited lipld peroxidation of hepatic microsomes induced by the non-enzymatic $Fe^{+}$ / Ascorbate system. The main root and rhizome of red ginseng markedly inhibited the release of G07, GPT and LDH by $CCl_4$-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes as compared with those of white ginseng. And also, the main root of red ginseng showed a slight differentiating activity on HL-60 cancer cell line. The results suggest that the rhizome of ginseng have potential as a source of medicinal crude drug with possible pharmacolobica1 applications .

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.329-335
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate physiological activities of chicory root (Cichorium intybus L. var. sativus). The anti-hepatotoxic activity of roasted chicory was studied using primary cultured rat hepatocytes where cytotoxicity was induced by galactosamine. The water extract of roasted chicory did not induced of cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Treatment with 5 mM galactosamin for 5.0 hr showed maximum increase in activity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the medium. The water extract of roasted chicory inhibited significantly and dose-dependently the release of LDH activity increased by galactosamine-induced cytotoxity. The antidiabetic activity of water extract of roasted chicory was examined in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The increased blood glucose level in the streptozotocin induced diabetic rats was significantly decreased by the administration of chicory extract (800 mg/kg). Chicory water extract (800 mg/kg) prevented weight losses in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The antimutagenic activities of chicory water extract were tested using Salmonella thyphimurium YG 1024 as tester strains and 2-aminofluorence as a potent carcinogen in the presence of S-9 mix. No mutagenic activities of the water extracts of roasted chicory were observed on all the tested strains at dose $10{\sim}5,000$ ${\mu}/g$ per plate. Water extract of roasted chicory did not inhibit the mutagencities of Salmonella thyphimurium YG 1024 induced by 2-aminofluorene.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2006

Among poly aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin and PCBs are the most controversial environmental pollutants in our modern life. These pollutants are known as human carcinogens, and liver is the most sensitive target in animal cancer models. Specific aims of the study were focused on the mechanism of carcinogenesis in hepatocytes and the structure-activity relation among these diverse environmental chemicals. Because key mechanisms of dioxin-induced carcinogenesis in human epithelial cell model are the alteration of signal transduction pathway and PKC isoforms, the alteration of the signal transduction pathways and other factors associated with carcinogenesis were studied. Rat hepatocytes cultured under the sandwich protocols were exposed with the various concentration of dioxins and PCBs, and signal transduction pathway, protein kinase C isoforms, oxidant stress, and apoptotic nuclei were evaluated. Since it is important to understand the structure-activity relation among these chemicals to properly assess the carcinogenic potentials, the study analyzed the parameters associated with carcinogenic processes, based on their structural characteristics. In addition, signal transduction pathways and PKC isoforms involved in inhibition of UV-induced apoptosis were also analyzed to elaborate the tumor promotion mechanism of these chemicals. Induction of apoptosis by UV irradiation was optimal at $60\;J/m^2$ in primary hepatocyte in culture. Compared to non coplanar PCBs such as PCB 114 and PCB 153, coplanar PCBs such as PCB 77 and PCB126 showed a stronger inhibition of apoptosis induced by UV irradiation. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was more stimulated by non-coplanar PCBs than coplanar PCBs with the most potent induction of ROS by chlorinated non-coplanar PCB. As compared to the level of induction by PCB126, non-coplanar PCB153 showed a higher increase of intracellular concentrations. Besides the alteration of intracellular calcium concentration, translocation of PKC from cytosolic fraction to membrane fraction was clearly observed upon the exposure of non-coplanar PCB. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that there is a potent structure-activity relationship among PCB congeners and the mechanism of PAH-induced carcinogenesis is structure-specific. The study suggested that more diverse pathways of PAH-induced carcinogenesis should be taken into account beyond the boundary of Ah receptor dogma to assess the health impact of PAH with more accuracy.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.600-603
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• 2004

(＋）-Dehydrovomifoliol (1）. 3-hydroxy-5$\alpha$,6$\alpha$-epoxy-$\beta$-ionone (2）, vitexin 7 -O-$\beta$-D-glucopyrano-side (3）, and vitexin 2'-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (4） were isolated as new constituents from the aerial parts of Beta vulgaris var. cicla. Compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated hepatoprotective activity with values of 65.8 and 56.1％, respectively, in primary cultured rat hepatocytes with $CCl_4$-induced cell toxicity, compared to controls. This was comparable to that of silibinin (69.8％） which was used as a positive control.trol.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.490-496
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• 1996

Naphtodianthrone hypericin produced a potent antitumor activity in vitro against several tumor cells. However, it did not show any cytotoxicity on normal cells such as Macaccus rheus monkey kidney cells (MA-104) and primary cultured rat hepatocytes up to $500{\mu}M$ concentration. Hypericin added to A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cell membrane inhibited the autophosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and the tyrosine phosphorylation of RR-SRC peptide catalyzed by an EGF-receptor. Similarly, treatment of the A431 cells with hypericin inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of EGF-dependent endogenous EGF-receptor by western blotting analysis. Hypericin also inhibited the T cell PTK, $P56^{lck}$, in a dose-dependent fashion with an $IC_{50}=5{\mu}M$. The tyrosine phosphorylation, on RR-SRC peptide and EGF-induced receptor autophosphorylation, either in vitro or in intact cells was inhibited by hypericin at the same concentration as that in A431 cell proliferation. These data suggest that hypericin directly inhibits EGF-receptor and $P56^{lck}$ PTK activity in vitro and can mediate such action in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2000

The major components were isolated from the n-hexane, EtOAc and BuOH extract of Galla Rhois(Rhus Javanica Linne). Their structures were characterized as syringic acid, gallic acid methylester, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid and 1, 2, 3, 4, $6-penta-O-galloyl-{\beta}-D-glucose$. This study was carried out to investigate the biological activities of isolated compounds. Five compounds were tested for hepatoprotective effects on CCl4-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes and antioxidative effect on Ferric-Thiocyanate method and TBA method. As a result, isolated five compounds showed stronger antioxidative activity than tocopherol, and the antioxidative activity of gallic acid methylester, protocatechuic acid and syringic acid were similar to that of BHA on Ferric-Thiocyanate method. Specially 1, 2, 3, 4, $6-penta-O-galloyl-{\beta}-D-glucose$ showed stronger effect of lipid-peroxidation inhibition than BHA. Gallic acid appeared stronger inhibitory effect of malondialdehyde on TBA method. Hepatoprotective effect of 1, 2, 3, 4, $6-penta-O-galloyl -{\beta}-D-glucose$ was similar or even higher than that of glycyrrhizin on primary cultured rat hepatocyte cytotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.138-143
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• 2003

Total methanolic extract of Chrysanthemum coronarium L. var. spatiosum (Compositae) was revealed to have anti-hepatotoxic activity against galactosamine-induced toxicity on primary cultured rat hepatocytes. After successive partitioning with chloroform, n-butanol, and water, the chloroform fraction showed a significant inhibition activity of 51% at 50 ppm, compared with that of silybin, 45.9% at $100\;{\mu}M$. The chloroform fraction was subjected to silica gel column chromatography and yielded active CH-II, CH-V and CH-VI subfractions, and the anti-hepatotoxic activity of these subfractions were 47.6, 56.3, and 23.2%, respectively, at 50 ppm. Total glutathione contents of CH-II, CH-V, and CH-VI increased by 49.8, 43.9, and 47.5% of the control, respectively at 50 ppm, whereas that of silymarin was, 59.7% at $100\;{\mu}M$ after challenged with galactosamine. The ratio of (reduced glutathione) / (total glutathione) in CH-II, CH-V and CH-VI subfraction showed similar values of $0.86{\sim}0.87$ at 50 ppm, whereas that of silymarin was, 0.85 at $100\;{\mu}M$. The incorporation of $[^3H]-uridine$ uptake into RNA was not affected by these active subfractions.