Seon Ok

6-shogaol-rich extract from ginger up-regulates the antioxidant defense systems in cells and mice.

The rhizome of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is known to have several bioactive compounds including gingerols and shogaols which possess beneficial health properties such as anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive effects. Based on recent observations that 6-shogaol may have more potent bioactivity than 6-gingerol, we obtained a 6-shogaol-rich extract from ginger and examined its effects on the nuclear factor E2-related factor2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway in vitro and in vivo. 6-Shogaol-rich extract was produced by extracting ginger powder with 95% ethanol at 80 °C after drying at 80 °C (GEE8080). GEE8080 contained over 6-fold more 6-shogaol compared to the room temperature extract (GEE80RT). In HepG2 cells, GEE8080 displayed much stronger inductions of ARE-reporter gene activity and Nrf2 expression than GEE80RT. GEE8080 stimulated phosphorylations of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as ERK, JNK, and p38. Moreover, the GEE8080-induced expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were attenuated by treatments of SB202190 (a p38 specific inhibitor) and LY294002 (an Akt specific inhibitor). In a mouse model, the GEE8080 decreased the diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-mediated elevations of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase as well as the DEN-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation. Inductions of Nrf2 and HO-1 by GEE8080 were also confirmed in the mice. In addition, the administration of GEE8080 to the mice also restored the DEN-reduced activity and protein expression of hepatic antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase. In conclusion, GEE8080, a 6-shogaol-rich ginger extract, may enhance antioxidant defense mechanism through the induction of Nrf2 and HO-1 regulated by p38 MAPK and PI3k/Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo.

Testicular antioxidant mechanism of cultivated wild ginseng extracts

Recent studies have reported the relationship between reduced sperm counts and male infertility. The effects of cultivated wild ginseng extracts, which include ginsenosides, on cellular antioxidant activities were studied in testicular cells and animal models. In a study of rats, the weight of testis-right (15.38%, P<0.05) and testis-left (16.98%, P<0.05) in group D (cultivated wild ginseng extracts with bisphenol A) increased in comparison with group A (only bisphenol A). Reactive oxygen species of TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells treated with bisphenol A significantly increased, by 36-41%, compared to the controls. Cultivated wild ginseng extracts at 10 and 25 μg/mL significantly increased the expression of catalase in TM3 cells, and catalase, superoxide dismutase 1, and glutathione peroxidase enzymes in TM4 cells. The induction of expression of catalase and superoxide dismutase 1 by cultivated wild ginseng extracts in rats occurs via the ERK and p38 pathways. Cultivated wild ginseng extracts also ameliorated the histopathological changes induced by bisphenol A in the testis.

Simultaneous Analysis Method for Polar and Non-polar Ginsenosides in Cultivated Wild Ginseng by Reversed-phase HPLC-CAD

Cultivated wild ginseng is a widely used dietary supplement and medicinal herb. The aim of this study was to optimize the ginseng using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)- charged aerosol detection (CAD) for ginsenoside analysis. CAD measures the physical property of an analyte and responds to almost all non-volatile species, independent of their nature, spectral properties, or particle size. It has become widely employed in pharmaceutical analysis. The cultivated wild ginseng extracts were analyzed for compositions of ginsenosides Rb1, Rd, Rg1, Rf, Re, and Rh1. The optimal analysis condition was set up from an experiment using a gradient. Ten grams of cultivated wild ginseng were extracted with 95% EtOH 100 ml for 24 hr at 80℃. The contents of the 6six major ginsenosides in the cultivated wild ginseng extract were Rb1 (5.48±0.12 mg/g), Rd (5.33±0.14 mg/g), Rg1 (12.80± 0.05 mg/g), Rf (19.08±0.68 mg/g), Re (19.87±0.05 mg/g), and Rh1 (16.47±0.16 mg/g), respectively. HPLC showed that the protopanaxatriol group (Rg1, Rf, Re, Rh1) had more content than the protopanaxadiol group (Rb1, Rd) in cultivated wild ginseng extract. In summary, the ginsenosides were identified with HPLC-CAD analysis, and their presence and quantity imply the importance of quality control, as well as the pharmacological activity of the ginseng root.

Evaluation of genotoxicity of Bacillus mojavensis KJS-3 on culture supernatant for use as a probiotic

The genotoxicity of crude substances cultured in Bacillus mojavensis KJS-3 (B. mojavensis KJS-3) was investigated by using Ames tester strains of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) with or without metabolic activation (S9 mix). No increase in the number of revertants was observed in response to any of the doses of the culture supernatant fermented by B. mojavensis KJS-3 (5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μg/plate) in S. typhimurium TA 98, 100, 1535 and 1537 both in the absence and in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of the culture supernatant was >83.33 μg/mL. Crude substances had no effect on the DNA repair system for mutagenesis. Furthermore, the cell number of S. typhimurium strains was observed to have decreased compared to the solvent control. These results showed dose-dependent activity on the mutagenicity of crude substances in Ames test. These results strongly indicate that antimutagenic compounds are produced during fermentation by B. mojavensis KJS-3. On using the Chinese hamster lung cell line in mammalian cell system, no clastogenicity of the culture supernatant fermented by B. mojavensis KJS-3 was observed in the absence or presence of the S9 mix at the concentrations of 1.66, 8.33, 16.67, and 83.33 μg/mL. No significant increase in chromosome aberrations was observed in response to treatment with any of these concentrations, regardless of activation of the metabolic system. Consequently, the mutagenic potential of the culture supernatant was not induced with respect to in vitro bacterial reverse mutation and clastogenicity in the range of concentrations evaluated in these experiments in our study.

Cultivated wild ginseng extracts upregulate the anti-apoptosis systems in cells and mice induced by bisphenol A

Cultivated wild ginseng has a variety of pharmacological effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cultivated wild ginseng extracts (CWGE) on apoptosis. CWGE showed the ability to protect hormone production (testosterone and progesterone from in vitro results) in TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells damaged by Bisphenol A (BPA). CWGE also showed the ability to protect production of testosterone (7.24%, P<0.05), plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) (32.67%, P<0.05), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (37.34%, P<0.05) compared to the control and BPA-only groups. Reduction of apoptotic protein expression and induction of anti-apoptotic protein expression was observed in cells and rats pretreated with CWGE. These proteins are expressed through the ERK and p38 signalling pathways. In addition, CWGE might be a useful herbal medicine of cellular defense agents as our results in cells and animals.

Recovery from the Two-generation Reproductive Toxicity in Sprague-Dawley Rats by Treatment with Decursin and Decursinol Angelate

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of decursin (D) and decursinol angelate (DA) against bisphenol A (BPA) toxicity in a rat two-generation study. Adult rats were divided into the following three groups: (1) control, (2) BPA, and (3) BPA+D/DA. The D and DA treatment of F0 parents increased the terminal body weight and relative adult organ weights (testes, kidneys, spleen, and liver) when compared with the BPA group. A significant decrease in sperm count was found in the BPA+D/DA (7.69%) and BPA (64.70%, p<0.01) groups, when compared with the sperm count in the control group. No offspring were obtained in the F1 generation of the BPA (50 mg/kg/day) group, but the addition of D/DA in the BPA+D/DA group significantly restored fertility (55.78%) and gestation indices (98.87%) in the F1 generation. No significant differences were found in the fertility index between the control (75.02%) and the BPA+D/DA (78.11%) groups in the two-generation study, when compared with the one-generation study. The viability ratio during lactation in the D/DA group was also similar to that of the control group. These data indicate that D/DA (50 mg/kg/day) administered over two generations causes significant positive changes in reproductive or developmental parameters.