• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2019

Ginseng has been recognized as a lifespan extending medicine which has been regarded as one of the medicines classified as top medicines, as the Boncho (medical herbs) study which is influenced by the idea of guidance's costume and food concept mainly in China is gaining its bona fide form. As the demand for ginseng has been expanded to other levels, the demand for ginseng has been increasing. Ginseng from the nature reached its supply chain limit due to its extinction and difficulty of picking, so it translated into ginseng cultivation of economy rather than harvesting in nature. After the start of ginseng cultivation, the ginseng cultivation was further enhanced by the rapid development of processing methods such as white-ginseng and red-ginseng, and the surge of consumption due to the traditional belief in ginseng drug efficacy and support of scientific research. In the Joseon Dynasty, the name Gasam (cultivated ginseng) had been created as ginseng was cultivated on farmland after the stage of SanYang (wild cultivated ginseng), the purpose of the new name Gasam is to differentiate from natural ginseng, and natural ginseng lost its firm position as the genuine ginseng as the Gasam replaced the genuine ginseng, and the natural ginseng got a new name of SanSam (wild ginseng). Because the real ginseng substance concept dissipated, and as Gasam is being called ginseng, the name Gasam was also disappeared. As a result, it was possible to grow large quantities according to the arrival of the Gasam era, and it was possible to supply the demand for ginseng, and it could become one agricultural industry. In this ginseng cultivation, in Japan where ginseng did not grow naturally, it was difficult to obtain ginseng from Joseon and faced with a shortage of ginseng at all times. Therefore, the shogun cultivated the Gasam systematically at the national level by the inside of the shogunate. However, since the natural ginseng is native to China and Korea, there is a concern about the deterioration of the quality of natural ginseng due to the incorporation of cultivated ginseng (Gasam). To protect the interests, the cultivation of ginseng was subject to control. For this reason, the lack of historical information on Gasam cultivation, which had to be started secretly, would be a natural result. In this paper, althouh not sufficient enough, the historical informations were used to summarize the history of ginseng cultivation in China, Japan and Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.735-739
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• 2019

The dried rhizomes and roots of Gentiana scabra (GS) have been frequently prescribed as a traditional folk medicine in East Asia (including China, Japan, and Korea) for the treatment of various pathophy-siological conditions, such as inflammatory skin diseases, anorexia, indigestion, gastric infections, and diabetes mellitus. In the present study, the effects of aqueous (GS-W) and ethanolic (GS-E) extracts of GS on gastrointestinal (GI) motor function were investigated by measuring the in vivo gastric emptying rate (GER) and the intestinal transit rate (ITR) in mice. The GER was significantly increased by GS-W at a dose of 1 g/kg. The ITR was significantly increased by GS-W (at doses of 0.1 and 1 g/kg) or GS-E (at a dose of 1 g/kg) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the ITR value of GS-W (at a dose of 1 g/kg) appeared to be higher than that of cisapride, which was the most prominent prokinetic agent in the 1900s but was removed from the market in 2000 due to its fatal side effects. The above results suggest that GS-W might be a potential prokinetic agent to replace cisapride.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.404-412
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• 2018

The influenza neuraminidase (NA, E.C. 3.2.1.18), an antiviral, has been the target of high pharmaceutical companies due to its essential role in viral replication cycle. Perilla frutescens (P. frutescens) is used in traditional Chinese medicine for various diseases, such as cold due to wind-cold, headache and cough. In this context, four major polyphenolic compounds including rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucoside (1), rosmarinic acid (2), luteolin (3), and apigenin (4) isolated from P. frutescens were evaluated for their inhibitory effect on recombinant virus H1N1 neuraminidase (rvH1N1 NA). Among the test compounds, rosmarinic acid and luteolin inhibited the rvH1N1 NA with an $IC_{50}$ of 46.7 and $8.4{\mu}M$, respectively. The inhibition kinetics analyzed by the Dixon plots indicated that rosmarinic acid and luteolin were noncompetitive inhibitors and that the inhibition constant, $K_I$, was established as 43.9 and $14.3{\mu}M$, respectively. In addition, 578 genetically diverse accessions and 39 cultivars of P. frutescens were analyzed using HPLC to characterize the diversity of polyphenolic composition and concentration. The individual and total compositions exhibited significant difference (P < 0.05), especially rosmarinic acid which was detected as the predominant metabolite in all accessions (58.8%) and cultivars (62.8%). Yeupsil and Sangback cultivars exhibited the highest rosmarinic acid ($3,393.5{\mu}g/g$) and luteolin ($383.3{\mu}g/g$) content respectively. YCPL177-2 with the high concentration ($889.8{\mu}g/g$) of luteolin may be used as a genetic resource for breeding elite cultivars.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 2019

White jelly fungus (Tremella fuciformis Berk; TF) has been used as a traditional medicine in Asia; it is known to prevent hypertension, aging, cancer, and arteriosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of fermented Tremella fuciformis Berk (FTF) ethanol extracts fermented with L. rhamnosus BHN-LAB 76. We show that FTF increases the ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity and suppress the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These inhibitory effects of FTF are accompanied by the regulation of the phosphorylation of AMPK, JNK, and Akt. These data demonstrate that FTF not only inhibits adipogenesis by affecting the adipogenic signaling, but also increases the anti-diabetic effects by regulating the insulin signaling pathway. Therefore, we suggest that the FTF can be used for developing functional food and cosmetics materials.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2019

The leave of Polygonum tinctorium (LPT) have been used for centuries as a traditional medicine and as a food ingredient and natural dye. The aim of the current study was to develop high-value added products using LPT. Hot water extract (HWE) and ethanol extract (EE) of LPT were prepared, respectively, and their bioactivity was evaluated. The extraction ratio for the HWE was 27.6%, which was two-fold higher than that of the EE. The contents of total polyphenol in the HWE and total sugar in the EE were 51.2 mg/g and 297.8 mg/g, respectively. The total flavonoid and reducing sugar contents were similar in the extracts, irrespective of the extraction solvent. The HWE did not show antimicrobial activity in a disc-diffusion assay, but the EE showed strong growth inhibition against gram-positive bacteria. The EE exhibited stronger DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and reducing power than those of the HWE. The HWE was particularly effective as a scavenger of nitrite ($RC_{50}$ of $6.0{\mu}g/ml$). In an antithrombosis activity assay, the EE showed significant anticoagulation activity as determined by an extended blood coagulation time (thrombin time, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time), in addition to platelet aggregation activity. The HWE also showed platelet aggregation inhibitory activity. This report provides the first evidence of antithrombosis activities of LPT. Our results suggest that LPT has potential as a new antioxidant and antithrombosis agent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of Diospyros malabarica stem extract, a natural materials, in oral health material. With this aim in mind, thin layer chromatography (TLC), TLC-bioautography, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and real-time qPCR were performed. The antibacterial activity of D. malabarica stem extract against Streptococcus mutans KCTC3065 was confirmed in an n-hexane fraction with low polarity. The molecular weight of the antibacterial compound was estimated to be 188 by ESI-MS analysis. The inhibitory effects of the extract on biofilm formation and gene expression related to biofilm formation of S. mutans were determined by SEM and real-time PCR analysis. The extract inhibited the formation of S. mutans biofilms at D. malabarica stem extract concentrations of 1 mg/ml, as shown by SEM. The real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of the gtfC gene, which is associated with biofilm formation, was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that D. malabarica stem extracts, a natural materials, can be used in oral health products to suppress the formation of biofilms by inhibiting tooth adhesion of S. mutans, a causative agent of dental caries.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2019

Purpose: Obesity is a major health problem of global significance because it is clearly associated with an increased risk of health problems, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Lonicera caerulea (LC) originates from high mountains or wet areas and has been used as a traditional medicine in northern Russia, China, and Japan. LC contains a range of bioactive constituents, such as vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. This study examined the anti-obesity effects of LC during differentiation in preadipocytes. Methods: The cell viability assay was performed after the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells for 7 days. Oil Red O staining was used to visualize the changes in lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 cells and mouse adipose-derived stem cells (MADSCs). The mRNA expression of obesity-related genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: According to the results of Oil Red O staining, the lipid levels and size of lipid droplets in the adipocytes were reduced and the LC extract (LCE, 0.25-1 mg/mL) markedly inhibited adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. The treatment of LCE also decreased the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) in 3T3-L1 cells. Western blot analysis showed that the $PPAR{\gamma}$, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, and SREBP1 protein levels in both 3T3-L1 and MADSC were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggest that LCE can inhibit adipogenic differentiation through the regulation of adipogenesis-related markers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1241-1250
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• 2019

Artemisia argyi H. has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine and food supplement in Asian countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the physiological activities of Artemisia argyi H. extracts prepared by butanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethyl ether, hexane, and methanol extraction. We evaluated total phenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, and osteoclastogenesis inhibition. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were highest in the methanol extract (49.46 mg GAE/g and 24.32 mg QE/g, respectively). The methanol extracts also had the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing antioxidant power), while the hexane extract had the lowest. The release of NO and ROS was dose-dependently decreased by pre-treatment with all solvent extracts. At the same concentrations, the ethyl acetate and butanol extracts showed higher inhibition of NO and ROS production when compared with the other extracts. The butanol extract, at a concentration of $20{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited about 89% of the activity of the osteoclast marker, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). These results suggest that butanol extracts of Artemisia argyi H. may be effective natural medications for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.318-324
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• 2019

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Apiaceae. Its root has been utilized as a traditional medicine in Korea. Also, it contains decursin (D) and decursinol angelate (DA) as major active components. This study was performed to compare the change in content of active components and antioxidant activity between bolting and non-bolting AGN. Bolting AGN (B1) and non-bolting AGN (NB1) were harvested in the end of August. Additional non-bolting AGN (NB2) was harvested in the end of October. The total weight of B1 was 728.7 g, which was 98.5% of NB2 weight. Next, the AGN root (B1, NB1 and NB2) was divided into main root and lateral root. And the AGN aerial part (B1, NB1) was divided into flower, leaf and stem. The two active components, D and DA, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The D content of B1 was 0.35-1.33% according to the plant parts and the DA content was 0.29-1.07%. In addition, B1 flower and leaf showed higher antioxidant activity than NB2 roots. The results show that B1 contained 15-56% of total major components compared with NB2 main roots, suggesting that B1 could be used as a potential material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2021

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asian countries. It is produced by the fermentation of a particular yeast (in general, Monascus purpureus) as rice and various cereals (barley, soybean, etc.). Monascus sp. produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites―specifically, monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, dimerumic acid, and monascus pigments―have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while showing anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of ethanol extract from red yeast barley (RYB) fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK 2 on 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-obesity effects of RYB extract were examined: its lipid accumulation inhibitory effect was tested by Oil Red O staining, and obesity-related mRNA expression levels were tested by real-time RT-PCR in MDI stimulated 3T3-L1 cells. The intracellular lipid content of MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 cells decreased significantly to 5.04%, 12.24%, and 23.52% in response to 200, 400, and 800 ㎍/ml RYB, respectively. Moreovers, we evaluated that RYB extract significantly downregulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP-1, and PPAR-γ gene in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, red yeast barley ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-obesity effects. Also, the results indicate that red yeast barley could be used as a functional anti-obesity food material.