• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.617-627
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• 1999

The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of four kinds of legumes(black soybean: BS, yellow soybean: YS, green peas: GP, soybean curd residue: SCR) as a high-fiber supplement in the therapeutic diet for diabetic patients. Seven groups of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were fed isocaloric experimental diets containing 8% dietary fiber from one of legumes for 6 weeks. The effects of legumes on the gastrointestinal function and diabetic symptoms in diabetic rats were also examined and compared with the effects of cellulose or pectin diet. Legume supplementations had no significant effects on alleviating typical diabetic symptoms such as polydipsia, polyphasia, polyuria, and urinary glucose excretion when compared with cellulose or pectin supplementations. The supplementations of legumes all resulted in remarkable changes in gastrointestinal functions: shortening of GI transit time and increases in fecal volume, fecal water and crude fat contents. Legume supplementations appeared to supress the damages of the small intestine villi and the enteritis symptoms in diabetic rats. GP led to regular villus patterns closer to normal villus. BS, YS and GP led to the enlargement of cecum in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the present studies have demonstrated that legumes may possess a significant physiological actions in the control of various diabetic conditions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.365-370
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Oxidative stress is a major cause of cancer. This study investigated the effects of the ethanol extracts from germinated and non-germinated Keunnunjami rice, a blackish-purple pigmented cultivar with giant embryo, on selected human cancer cell lines and on the antioxidant defense system of mice fed with a high-fat diet. MATERIALS/METHODS: High fat-fed mice were orally administered with either distilled water (HF) or extracts (0.25%, w/w) from brown (B), germinated brown (GB), Keunnunjami (K), and germinated Keunnunjami (GK) rice. RESULTS: In comparison with the brown rice extract, Keunnunjami extract showed higher anticancer effect against cervical and gastric cell lines but lower anticancer activity on liver and colon cancer cells. Mice from the HF group showed significantly higher lipid peroxidation and lower antioxidant enzyme activities than the control group. However, the oxidative stress induced by high-fat diet markedly decreased in B, GB, K, and GK groups as compared with the HF group. CONCLUSIONS: Germination may be an effective method for improving the anticancer and antioxidative properties of Keunnunjami rice and extracts from germinated Keunnunjami rice may serve as a therapeutic agent against cervical and gastric cancers and oxidative damage.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.841-846
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• 2005

Using high-fat-fed C57BL/6 mice, therapeutic effects of oral administration of aqueous extracts of Platycodon grandiflorum and Acanthopanax senticosus on obesity were evaluated by comparing body and liver weights, feed intake, adipose tissue mass, blood lipid profile, and triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in liver and feces. Obesity was successfully induced in high-fat diet group. P. grandiflorum and A. senticosus were effective in reducing food intake, serum lipid levels, adipose tissue accumulation, and weight. P. grandiflorum extract reduced triglyceride and cholesterol levels in liver by excluding them in feces. A. senticosus extract increased triglyceride level in liver but decreased in feces, and decreased total cholesterol in liver and feces, indicating active ingredient of A. senticosus exert antiobesity effect through mechanism different from that of P. grandiflorum extract. These results suggest aqueous extracts of P. grandiflorum and A. senticosus have synergistic effect for prevention of hyperglyceridemia and obesity.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was designed to observe the effects of Zizyphus jujuba seed extract on the concentrations of the lipids and blood glucose in the S.D. rats fed the experimental diets for 4 weeks. Concentrations of total cholesterol, atherosclerotic index, LDL, LDL-cholesterol, free-cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, triglyceride (TG), phospholipid (PL) and blood glucose in serum were significantly higher in the cholesterol administration groups (group 2 (cholesterol+water), group 3 (cholesterol+Zizyphus jujuba seed extract)) than those in the control group (group 1, basal diet+water). But the concentrations of total cholesterol, atherosclerotic index, LDL, LDL-cholesterol, free-cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, TG, PL and blood glucose in serum ware remarkably lower in the group 3 than those in the group 2. In the ratio of HIDL-cholesterol concentration to total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol concentration, Zizyphus jujuba seed extract administration group was higher percentage than in the group 2. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum were rather lower in the Zizyphus jujuba seed extract administration group (group 3) than in the cholesterol diet group (group 2). From the above research, Zizyphus jujuba seeds were effective on the improvement of the blood glucose, lipid compositions in serum of dietary hyperlipidemic rats. And particularly, Zizyphus jujuba seeds were more effective as a therapeutic regimen for the control of metabolic derangements in adult disease.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.459-466
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• 2019

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors, or gliptins, are a class of oral hypoglycemic drugs that have been widely used as a second-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. Gliptins, which were introduced for clinical use a decade ago, have been shown to be beneficial against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in animals and humans. Cenicriviroc (CVC), a dual antagonist of C-C chemokine receptor type 2 and 5, is currently under investigation against NASH and fibrosis. It was previously discovered that evogliptin (EVO) reduces hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese animals but the effectiveness of EVO on NASH remains unexplored. Here, we compared the effectiveness of EVO and CVC against NASH and fibrosis in mice fed a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFHF). Biochemical and histological analyses showed that mice fed a HFHF for 20 weeks developed severe hepatic steatosis and inflammation with mild fibrosis. Administration of EVO (0.2% wt/wt) for the last 8 weeks of HFHF feeding significantly reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis as well as restored insulin sensitivity, as evidenced by lowered plasma insulin levels and the improvement in insulin tolerance test curves. Treatment of mice with CVC (0.1% wt/wt) inhibited hepatic inflammation and fibrogenesis with similar efficacy to that of EVO, without affecting hepatic steatosis. CVC treatment also reduced plasma insulin concentrations, despite no improvement in insulin tolerance. In conclusion, EVO administration efficiently ameliorated the development of NASH and fibrosis in HFHF-fed mice, corroborating its therapeutic potential.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.674-681
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• 2008

Hospital malnutrition could be caused by not completing the food served in the hospital. This has been a big problem since it delays the recovery of the patient and extends the length of hospital stay. The purpose of the study was to reduce the plate waste for the DM diet by performing several nutrition service improvement activities. The study was performed in a general hospital with 900 beds. A questionnaire survey was taken by 39 DM patients to obtain their aspect of the hospital foodservice systems and the quality of the meals at the beginning of the study. The amounts of foods served in the hospital kitchen and returned were measured by weights. After the improvement activities, the measurement of the plate waste was performed again for comparison. The average percentage of plate waste for the DM diet was 23.2%. The survey showed no difference by sex, age or duration of admission in plate waste. However, this food wastage percentage showed differences between the patients having a chance to get information about the diet therapy (12.21%) and not having one (26.06%) (p < 0.05). Using a five-point Likert-type scale, the quality of food by its taste was 2.49 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), the temperature score was 3.56 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), and the amount of food served score was 2.95 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), and the preference score was 3.13 (1: very dislike, 5: very like). Nutritional care improving activities were performed by adjusting seasonings, developing new menus, and standardizing cooking methods in order to increase the satisfaction of meal quality. The dietitian's inpatients care protocol was adjusted to expand the nutritional counseling chance for the DM patients. After the improvement activities, the average plate waste was reduced to 14.6%, and the satisfaction of food taste and preference increased to 3.21 (p < 0.001), and 3.36 (p < 0.05) correspondingly. The result shows that, for therapeutic diet patients, food intake could be increased by improving the food service satisfaction by controlling the meal quality and clinical nutritional service activities.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.219-231
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was designed to determine the effects of the GGEx18 ethyl acetate fraction(EF) on body weight gain, feeding efficiency ratio, and obesity-related factors in plasma as well as histology of liver and adipose tissues using high fat diet-fed male C57BL/6N obese mice. Methods : 8 weeks old, high fat diet-fed obese male mice were divided into 5 groups: C57BL/6N normal, control, EF(1), EF(2) and EF(3). After mice were treated with EF for 9 weeks, we measured body weight gain, food intake, feeding efficiency ratio, fat weight, plasma leptin and lipid levels. We also analysed histology of liver and adipose tissues on high fat diet-fed male C57BL/6N obese mice. Results : Compared with control, EF-treated mice had significantly lower body weight gain and feeding efficiency ratio. Consistent with the effects on body weight gain, EF significantly decreased the adipose tissue weight compared with control. Consistent with the effects on feeding efficiency ratio, EF significantly decreased plasma leptin concentrations compared with control. EF reduced the size of adipocytes as well as hepatic lipid accumulation compared with control. EF seems to be safe since not only the plasma levels of ALT and AST are within the normal range, but also EF did not show any toxic effects on organs. EF(3) was most effective among EF(1), EF(2), and EF(3) at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that EF effectively reduces body weight gain, feeding efficiency ratio in high fat diet-fed obese mice, leading to the modulation of obesity. In addition, EF decreases the size of adipocytes and improves plasma lipids and controls hepatic lipid accumulation, suggesting that EF may act as a therapeutic agent for obesity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2023

Liver fibrosis is caused by chronic liver damage and results in the aberrant accumulation of extracellular matrix during disease progression. Despite the identification of the HAT enzyme p300 as a major factor for liver fibrosis, the development of therapeutic agents targeting the regulation of p300 has not been reported. We validated a novel p300 inhibitor (A6) on the improvement of liver fibrosis using two mouse models, mice on a choline-deficient high-fat diet and thioacetamide-treated mice. We demonstrated that pathological hall-marks of liver fibrosis were significantly diminished by A6 treatment through Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining on liver tissue and found that A6 treatment reduced the expression of matricellular protein genes. We further showed that A6 treatment improved liver fibrosis by reducing the stability of p300 protein via disruption of p300 binding to AKT. Our findings suggest that targeting p300 through the specific inhibitor A6 has potential as a major therapeutic avenue for treating liver fibrosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.429-439
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• 2023

Background: The incidence and clinical importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged. However, effective therapeutic strategies for NAFLD have yet to be found. Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) is a traditional herb in Eastern Asia with therapeutic effects in many chronic disorders. However, the precise effects of ginseng extract on NAFLD are currently unknown. In present study, the therapeutic effects of Rg3-enriched red ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) on the progression of NAFLD were explored. Methods: Twelve-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were fed a chow or western diet supplemented with high sugar water solution with or without Rg3-RGE. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, serum biochemistry, western blot analysis, and quantitative RT-PCR were used for in vivo experiment. Conditionally immortalized human glomerular endothelial cell (CiGEnC) and primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) were used for in vitro experiments. Results: Eight weeks of Rg3-RGE treatment significantly attenuated the inflammatory lesions of NAFLD. Furthermore, Rg3-RGE inhibited the inflammatory infiltrate in liver parenchyma and the expression of adhesive molecules to LSECs. Moreover, the Rg3-RGE exhibited similar patterns on the in vitro assays. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that Rg3-RGE treatment ameliorates NAFLD progression by inhibiting chemotaxis activities in LSECs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2018

The efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has led to an increase demand for therapeutic use, thereby necessitating investigation into drug toxicity. This study was designed to investigate the in vivo effects of HAART on sperm parameters and testicular oxidative stress in lean and obese rats. Wistar rats (males, n = 40, weighing 180~200 g) were assigned randomly into 4 groups and treated accordingly for 16 weeks as follows: Control (C): lean group fed with standard rat chow; Diet induced obesity (DIO): obese animals fed a high caloric diet; C + ART: lean animals treated with HAART; DIO + ART: obese animals treated with HAART. An antiretroviral drug combination of Tenofovir, Emtricitabine and Efavirenz at a dose of 17, 26 and 50 mg/kg/day was administered for the latter 6 weeks via jelly cube feeding. At the end of the experimental period, sperm analysis was performed on sperm collected from the caudal epididymis, while the testis was homogenized for antioxidant enzyme and lipid peroxidation assays. Results showed that HAART significantly decreased sperm motility (p < 0.05) in both lean and obese animals, and viability (p < 0.05) in the DIO group. Testicular glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the DIO+ART group was compared to Control group. Thus, the decreased sperm qualities associated with HAART might be as a result of increased testicular oxidative stress prominent in obese animals.