• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.176-183
• /
• 2010

The hypoglycemic effects of red ginsgeng-chungkukjang plus seaweeds, green laver and sea tangle, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing $140\pm10$ g (10 animals/group) were fed for four weeks with the following: nondiabetic control (NC group); STZ-induced diabetic (D group); diabetic rats fed 3% red ginseng (20%, w/w)-chungkukjang (D-RC group); diabetic rats fed RC containing 10% (w/w) green laver powder (D-RCG group); diabetic rats fed RC containing 10% (w/w) sea tangle powder (D-RCS group). Partially normalized body weight gain, FER, and blood glucose levels were observed in the D-RC, D-RCG and D-RCS groups as compared to the D group. In these three groups, serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol were found to be lower than in the D group, whereas HDL-cholesterol levels increased. Serum insulin level in D was significantly lower than that of NC, although D-RC, D-RCG, and D-RCS almost recovered to the NC. Serum ALT activity was markedly increased in the D group, while the serum ALT levels in the D-RC, D-RCG, and D-RCS were almost the same as the NC group. Due to diabetes, hepatic xanthine oxidase (XO) activity was significantly increased and administration of red ginseng-chungkukjang or seaweeds resulted in decreased levels of the XO activity. Activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) were significantly decreased in the D group, but the activity in the D-RC, D-RCG, and D-RCS groups were similar to that of the NC group. Results of the present study indicate that supplementation of red ginseng-chungkukjang with seaweed after the onset of diabetes ameliorated hyperglycemia via an increase in serum insulin.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.25-30
• /
• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate active constituents of Bombysis corpus on the neurite outgrowth from PC 12 cells led to isolate three new and a known sphingolipids from the n-hexane soluble portion and five amines from the butanol soluble portion of its methanol extract. On the basis of spectroscopic data, their structures have been elucidated as (4E,6E,2S,3R)-2-N-eicosanoyl-4,6-tetradecasphingadienine, (4E,2S,3R)-2-N-eicosanoyl-4-tetradecasphingenine,(4E,6E,2S,3R)-2-N-docosanoyl-4,6-tetradecasphingadienine,(4E,6E,2S,3R)-2-N-docosanoyl-4,6-tetradecasphingadienine,(4E,2S,3R)-2-N-octadecanoyl-4-tetradecasphingenine, 1,7-dimethyl-xanthine, uracil, urea, betaine and tyrosine, respectively. The neurite outgrowth activities of these compounds were examined in PC12 cells by measuring the length of neurites. These compounds promoted neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells significantly.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.321-330
• /
• 2001

Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the action mechanism of Holotrichia (HT) at parameter related to dementia. Methods: HT was tested for the effects on acetylchonine esterase and monoamine oxidase activities, lipid peroxidation, antioxidation in brain of lead acetate-treated rats. Lead acetate were treated firstly into samples for 10 days, and then lead acetate and HT were set with them for 20 days. Results: The level of lipid peroxide, acetylcholine esterase and monoamine oxidase activities, enzyme activities and ratio of type conversion of xanthine oxidase increased in lead acetate-treated rats were decreased as highly as normal group by HT. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities, the level of acetylcholine decreased in lead acetate-treated rats were increased as lowly as normal group by HT. Conclusions : These results suggest that HT might have an effect on treatment of dementia according to decreasing the activities of acetylcholine esterase, monoamine oxidase and level of lipid peroxide in brain.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.1187-1195
• /
• 2006

Panax notoginseng exhibit several beneficial effects including anti-oxidant effects. P. notoginseng is used as a therapeutic agent to stop haemorrhages and a tonic to promoted health in Korean and Chinese medicine. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the main P. notoginseng are still not accurately investigated. The exact mechanism of the anti-oxidant activitys of water extracts of P. notoginseng, however, has not been determined. in present study, I examined the effects of water extracts of P. notoginseng on high cholesterol diet atherosclerosis-induced rats in serum and abdominal aorta. A total of 3-week old 9 male rats of Sprague-Dawley were divided into 3 groups and fed with the basal diet (normal group), high cholesterol diet (atherosclerosis induced group) for 8 weeks, high cholesterol diet supplemented with water extracts of P. notoginseng (P. notoginseng group) for 4 weeks. And rats were sacrificed, serum lipid level, abodominal aortic anti-oxidant activities and lipid peroxide were measured. These results indicated that serum total cholesterl, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides concentration significently lowered in P. notoginseng group than high cholesterol diet group. But HDL-cholesterol concentraion significently higher in P. notoginseng group than high cholesterol feed group. And abdominal aortic xanthine oxidase activity was significantly reduced by dietary water extracts of P. notoginseng supplementation (p<0.05) Also abdominal aortic superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly increased by dietary water extracts of P. notoginseng supplementation (p<0.05) Especially, abdominal aortic level of lipid peroxide tended to increase in high cholesterol feed group, but water extract of P. notoginseng intake reduced the value (p<0.05).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.1181-1186
• /
• 1997

This study was performed to investigate the effects of Codonopsis lanceolata extract on the activities of antioxidative enzymes in carbon tetrachloride treated rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed until they reached about 110$\pm$10g body weight. Thereafter they were divided into normal group(N), carbon tetrachloride treated group(T), carbon tetrachloride and Codonopsis lanceolata water extract treated group(TW). Normal group were fed standard diet and carbon tetrachloride treated group were fed carbon tetrachloride once a week at the level of 0.12ml/100g body weight. Carbon tetrachloride and Codonopsis lanceolata water extract treated group were fed carbon tetrachloride once a week at the level of 0.12ml/100g body weight and Codonopsis lanceolata water extract at the level of 0.1ml/100g body weight once a day. The rats were sacrificed after 6weeks of feeding period. Content of hepatic cytochrome P-450 diminished by carbon tetrachloride was significantly increased by Codonopsis lanceolata water extract. Significant decrease in hepatic xanthine oxidase activity was found in rats treated with Codonopsis lanceolata water extract. The activity of superoxide dismutase was decreased by carbon tetrachloride, but it was significantly increased by Codonopsis lanceolata water exract. The activity of glutathione peroxidase increased by carbon tetrachloride was significantly decreased by Codonopsis lanceolata water extract. The activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly influenced by Codonopsis lanceolata water extract. Contents of glutathione and lipid peroxide were increased by carbon tetrachloride, but they were significantly diminished by Codonopsis lanceolata water extract.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.135-149
• /
• 2002

To date, research on the regulation of melanogenesis has focused on factors which affect tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the melanogenic pathway, by searching for chemicals which competitively inhibit tyrosinase function. Many types of tyrosinase inhibitors have been developed, but no satisfactory results have been made clinically until now, To find a new whitening agent, which effectively inhibits melanogenesis, we synthesized several compounds and selected compounds by cell-based assay system. Finally, 3, 4, 5-trimethoxy cinnamaie thymol ester(TCTE, Melasolv) was selected and the effects of TCTE on melanogenesis were investigated. Treatment of mouse-derived melanocyte melan-a cells with TCTE results in a marked down-regulation of tyrosinase activity. 80% decrease of tyrosinase activity occurs with 30uM TCTE treatment for 72 hours without affecting cell growth. The inhibition of tyrosinase activity is dose-dependent and melanin content was also decreased to 40%. From the in vitro tyrosinase assay using cell extract, TCTE does not act as a direct inhibitor of the enzyme. Treatment of melan-a cultures with TCTE blocks the increase in tyrosinase activity by either forskolin, 3-isobutyl-1-methtyl-xanthine. TCTE decreased the expression of tyrosinase, TRP-1 without effects on TRP-2 protein expression through the down regulation of tyrosinase and TRP-1 mRNA. From the results of cAMP immunoassays, intracellular levels of the cyclin nucleotide are unaffected in cells treated with TCTE. The inhibitory effects of melanin synthesis were also shown in reconstitute human epidermis model by topical application. These findings suggest that TCTE can be used for studying the regulation of melanogenesis and depigmenting agent.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.23-43
• /
• 2010

Objective : This study was performed to assess the effects of Aloe and Violae herba extracts on skin disease and skin beauty. Methods : Anti-oxidant effects were measured by the scavenging for DPPH radical, xanthine oxidase activity. Anti-inflammatory effects were examined by relations in NO synthesis, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$, NF-kB, COX-2, MAP kinase. The skin wrinkle formation effects were measured by collagenase and elastase activities. The whitening effects were examined by tyrosinase activities, melanin synthesis in MNT-1 cell. Results : 1. In an anti-oxidant test, Aloe and Violae herba extracts showed high radical scavenging activity. 2. In an anti-inflammatory test, Aloe and Violae herba extracts strongly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced nitric oxide(NO) release from the RAW 246.7 macrophage cells. Aloe and Violae herba extracts also inhibited the LPS-induced IL-$1{\beta}$ and COX-2 expressions. The inhibitory effects of Aloe and Violae herba extracts on macrophage activation were via the inhibition of NF-kB, evidenced by transient transfection assay. Furthermore, Aloe and Violae herba extracts weakly inhibited the activation of Jun-N-terminal kinase(JNK) but they did not have any effects on p38 MAP kinase in RAW 264.7 cells. 3. In the skin wrinkle formation assay, Aloe extract strongly inhibited collagenase and elastase, whose activity are tightly related with the wrinkle formation. 4. In the skin whitening assay, Aloe and Viloae herba extracts weakly inhibited tyrosinase activity, however, it was not statistically significant. Besides they did not have any effects on melanin synthesis, indicating that they could not be applicable for skin whitening. Conclusion : This study show that Aloe and Violae herba extracts may play a significant role in skin disease and skin beauty.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.357-364
• /
• 2018

Manganese (Mn) is used as main materials in various chemical processes of industry, but it suggested that Mn brings about its toxicant by fume or dust through respiratory system and skin barrier. Mn toxicant induces the loss of mental health and life quality by cerebrovascular and skin diseases. Nevertheless, it lefts much unknown on the mechanism and the effectively therapeutic methods about Mn toxicant. Therefore, this study was evaluated the cytotoxicity induced by manganese dioxide ($MnO_2$) in cultured NIH3T3 fibroblasts, and also, the correlation between $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress was examined. While, the effect of Eclipta prostrata L. (EP) extract belong to Compositae was assessed against $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity in the view of antioxidative effect for searching the natural resources mitigating or preventing the $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity. In this study, $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity was revealed as mid-toxic by Borenfreud and Puerner's toxic criteria, and catalase (CAT), an antioxidant prevented $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity by the remarkable increase of cell viability in these cultures. While, in the protective effect of EP extract on $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity, EP extract effectively prevented the cytotoxicity induced by $MnO_2$ via antioxidative effects such as xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory ability and DPPH-radical scavenging ability. From the above results, EP extract showed the effective prevention against $MnO_2$-induced cytotoxicity correlated with oxidative stress by antioxidative effects. Conclusively, this study may be useful to research or development the alternatively therapeutic agent from natural resources like EP extract for the treatment of diseases resulted in oxidative stress.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.371-387
• /
• 2019

Although the dried root of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. (Umbelliferae) is a popular medicinal plant in East Asia, there has been no systemic toxicological evaluation of a water extract of Saposhnikoviae Radix (SRE). In this experiment, an oral acute and 13-week subchronic toxicological evaluations of SRE (500-5,000 mg/kg body weight) were performed in both sexes of Crl:CD(SD) rats. Based on the results from mortality, clinical signs, effects on body weight and organ weight, clinical biochemistry, hematology, urinalysis, and histopathology, significant acute, 4-week repeated dose range finding (DRF) and 13-week subchronic toxicity of SRE was not observed in either sex of rats; thus, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 5,000 mg (kg/day). To identify anti-hyperuricemia potential of SRE, the suppressive effect of SRE was determined in mice challenged with potassium oxonate (PO; 250 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection for 8 days (each group; n = 7). SRE supplementation suppressed the uric acid level in urine through significant xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. Kidney dysfunctions were observed in PO-challenged mice as evidenced by an increase in serum creatinine level. Whereas, SRE supplementation suppressed it in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, SRE was safe up to 5,000 mg (kg/day) based on NOAEL found from acute and 13-week subchronic toxicological evaluations. SRE had anti-hyperuricemia effect and lowered the excessive level of uric acid, a potential factor for gout and kidney failure.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.62-70
• /
• 2019

Objectives: This study was carried out to analyze the cytotoxicity of cadmium sulfate ($CdSO_4$) and the antioxidative effect of Typha orientalis L. (TO) extract on the oxidative stress induced by cytotoxicity of $CdSO_4$ in the cultured NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Methods: For this study, the cell viability and the antioxidative effects such as the inhibitory activity of lipid peroxidation (LP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and xanthine oxidase (XO)-inhibitory activity were assessed. Results: The cadmium sulfate significantly decreased cell viability in dose-dependently, and $XTT_{50}$ value was measured at $47.4{\mu}M$ of $CdSO_4$. The cytotoxicity of $CdSO_4$ was determined as highly toxic by Borenfreund and Puerner's toxic criteria. The butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as antioxidant significantly increased cell viability injured by $CdSO_4$-induced cytotoxicity in these cultures. In the protective effect of TO extract on $CdSO_4$-induced cytotoxicity, TO extract remarkably increased the inhibitory ability of LP and XO as well as SOD-like ability. Conclusions: From the above results, it is suggested that the oxidative stress is involved in the cytotoxicity of $CdSO_4$, and TO extract effectively protected $CdSO_4$-induced cytotoxicity by antioxidative effects. The natural component like TO extract may be a putative therapeutic agent for treatment of the toxicity induced by heavy metallic compound like $CdSO_4$ correlated with the oxidative stress.