Chang-Ho Jeong

Effect of Buckwheat Extract on the Antioxidant Activity of Lipid in Mouse Brain and Its Structural Change during in Vitro Human Digestion

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum Moench cv. Yangjul No. 2) extract on the antioxidant activity of lipids in mouse brain and the structural change during in vitro human digestion. Buckwheat was collected from a wild farm and extracted with water. The buckwheat extracts were then passed through an in vitro human digestion model that simulated the composition of the mouth, stomach, and small intestine juice. The results confirmed that the main phenolics of buckwheat extract were rutin, quercitrin, and quercetin. The rutin content increased with digestion of the buckwheat (from 48.82 to 96.34 μg/g) and rutin standard samples (from 92.76 to 556.56 μg/g). Antioxidant activity was more strongly influenced by in vitro human digestion of both buckwheat and rutin standard. After digestion by the small intestine, the antioxidant activity values were dramatically increased (from 5.06 to 87.82%), whereas the antioxidant activity was not influenced by digestion in the stomach for both buckwheat extract and rutin standard. Inhibition of lipid oxidation of buckwheat in mouse brain lipids increased after digestion in the stomach for both buckwheat extract and the rutin standard. The major finding of this study was that in vitro human digestion may be an important modulator of the antioxidant capacity of buckwheat and that this may be because in vitro human digestion increased the antioxidative activity via an increase in antioxidants such as rutin and quercetin.

Zeatin Prevents Amyloid β-Induced Neurotoxicity and Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive Deficits

The antioxidative and protective effects of zeatin against amyloid beta-protein (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity were investigated using PC12 cells. Zeatin showed antioxidative and cell protective effects against Abeta-induced neurotoxicity. In this study, we also evaluated the effect of zeatin on learning and memory capacity in vivo using ICR mice with amnesia induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg of body weight). Zeatin, when administered to mice at 4.5 mg/kg of body weight, significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia as measured in both the passive avoidance test and Y-maze test. Injecting mice with scopolamine impaired performance on the passive avoidance test (48 +/- 4.5% decrease) and on the Y-maze test (12 +/- 1.3% decrease). In contrast, mice treated with zeatin before scopolamine injections were protected from these changes (5-34% decrease in step-through latency; 1-4% decrease in alternation behavior). The present results suggest a possible chemopreventive role of zeatin in Alzheimers disease.

Inhibitory effects of chestnut inner skin extracts on melanogenesis

Antioxidant capacities (ABTS radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay), mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory effect, and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) induced melanogenesis inhibitory effect of 60% methanol extracts and ethylacetate fractions from chestnut inner skin in B16F10 cells were investigated to inspect whitening effect. Above research showed that 60% methanol extracts and ethylacetate fractions from chestnut inner skin resulted in a dose-dependent manner on in vitro antioxidant effects. Especially, the ethylacetate fractions inhibited enzyme activity of mushroom tyrosinases with an IC50 value of 160 μg/mL. Ethylacetate fractions from chestnut inner skin also decreased cellular melanin synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. Expression of tyrosinase showed that ethylacetate fractions from chestnut inner skin significantly decreased cellular melanogenesis. Consequently, these results suggest that chestnut inner skin extracts can be considered for a whitening agent of human skin.

Isolation of Antioxidant and Antibrowning Substance from Chionanthus retusa Leaves

This study was performed to examine in vitro antioxidative activities such as DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power and tyrosinase inhibitory effect of various solvent fractions from Chionanthus retusa leaves. Ethyl acetate fraction showed potent antioxidative activity and tyrosinase inhibitory effect. The active compound was isolated from the butanol fraction by silica gel column chromatography and MPLC. The isolated compound was luteolin-4`-O-glucoside determined by , -NMR and 2D NMR. Compared with several antioxidant compounds, luteolin-4`-O-glucoside exhibited effective DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power in a concentration dependent manner. Bioassay with pure luteolin-4`-O-glucoside showed a dose-independent inhibitory effect on L-DOPA oxidation by mushroom tyrosinase and its values were established as 23.2 . Therefore, we may suggest that luteolin-4`-O-glucoside can be used as a food additive possessing the potent antioxidative activity and skin-whitening cosmetic material.