This study was designed to investigate the effect of fucoidan on the activation of macrophage and on induction of apoptosis in AGS cell. To measure the activity of macrophages, NO and TNF-α assays were performed in Raw 264.7 cell. Treatment with fucoidan significantly increased production of NO and TNF-α, indicating activation of macrophages. The result of MTT assay shows that cell viability was significantly decreased in a dose and time-dependent manner. Fucoidan increased to enhance mitochondrial membrane permeability, as well as the cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Fucoidan decreased Bcl-2 and XIAP expression, whereas the expression of Bax was increased in a time-dependent manner compared to the control. In addition, the active forms of caspase-9 were increased, and the inactivation of Akt was decreased in a time-dependent manner. Caspase inhibitor, z-VADFMK, canceled the apoptosis of fucoidan, expression of Bax and caspase-9 were decrease. These results indicate that fucoidan induces activation of macrophage and apoptosis through activation of caspase on AGS cell.

This study was designed to evaluate to acute oral toxicity and skin irritation of Chrysanthemum dye in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats were orally treated with Chrysanthemum dye at a dose of 0, 1 and 2 ml/kg body weight. After oral administration, the rats were observed for 14days. In primary skin irritation test, SD rats were dermally treated with Chrysanthemum dye and observed for 3 days. To ensure the safety of Chrysanthemum dye such as the following were observed and tested. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs, the ophthalmological test, the histopathological test, the mortality and skin irritation. As a result, no significant differences were found in body weight, feed intake and histopathological test between control and Chrysanthemum dye treated group. In the result of skin irritation test, Chrysanthemum dye did not induce erythema and edema after topical application. Primary irritation index was “0” in the test. Therefore, it is suggested that Chrysanthemum dye has no effect on acute toxicity and side effect in SD rats and is non-irritant material based on the score “0” of primary irritation index.

This study was designed to evaluate a repeated oral dose toxicity and immunomodulating activity of Pulsatilla koreana and Artemisiae annuae in Sprague-Dawley rats. The female rats were treated with Pulsatilla koreana and Artemisiae annuae of control group, low group (0.5 ml/kg), medium group (1 ml/kg), high group (2 ml/ kg) for distilled water, intragastrically for 4 weeks, respectively. To ensure the safety of Pulsatilla koreana and Artemisiae annuae such as the following were observed and tested. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs, the ophthalmological test, the hematological and the serum biochemical analysis. We also observed the histopathological changes of liver and kidney in rats. Hematological results were the increase of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in the high dose group of Pulsatilla koreana. The increase immune cells in the high dose group of Pulsatilla koreana might immunomodulating activity. No significant differences in body weight, feed intake, serum biochemical analysis and histopathological between control and fed group were found. In conclusion, Pulsatilla koreana and Artemisiae annuae is physiologically safe and improve immunomodulating activity.

To investigate the toxicological effects of β-glucan, we performed basic studying on β-glucan in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Standard endpoints in this study included mortality, clinical observations, changes of body weights, analysis on food consumption, ophthalmoscopic examination, hematologic examination, serum biochemistry,analysis of organ weights, gross anatomic pathology and histopathology. No clinical signs and mortality were observed in animals treated with beta-glucan throughout the experimental period. The average body weight of each treatment groups showed similar levels at end of experiment. There were no treatment-related changes in mortality,body weights changes, food consumption, ophthalmoscopic examination. Although there were statistically significant differences between the control and treated groups in some relative and absolute organ weights, and hematological and biochemical analysis, the data were in biologically normal ranges and did not show a dose-dependent manner. In the morphological change, hepatic tissue were not showed ballooning degeneration and irregular arrangement of hepatic cell in β-glucan treatment groups with control group. Also, organs weights (liver, heart, kidney and stomach) and hematological indices (WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct and Platelet) did not show statistically significant differences among the experimental groups. In summary of these results, there were no changes in mortality, mean body weight, clinical signs, food consumption. There were no changes in ophthalmological examination, hematology, blood chemistry,necropsy and histopathology. In conclusion, although further investigation of glucan should be performed in the functions registered in many ancient literatures, β-glucan is physiologically safe and may have potential as candidate food for human health.

본 연구는 8주령 Sprague-Dawley계통의 암컷 랫드에서 제독유황을 반복경구투여 독성평가를 하기위해 시행하였다. 랫드에 처치한 물질은 사료섭취량의 0.2%, 1%, 5% 제독유황과 사료섭취량의 1% 유황으로 13주 경구투여를 하였다. 제독유황의 안전성을 확인하기 위해 다음과 같은 관찰 및 검사를 하였다. 검사항목으로는 체중과 사료 섭취를 측정하였고 임상증상, 안과학적 검사, 혈액학적 검사, 혈청 생화학적 검사를 관찰하였다. 또한 랫드에 간과 신장에서 의 병리조직학적 변화를 관찰하였다. 그 결과 체중, 사료섭 취량, 혈액학적 및 병리조직검사 소견에서 대조군과 제독 유황 그룹 간의 유의적인 차이가 보이지 않았다. 혈청생화 학적 검사소견에서는 0.2% 및 1% 투여군에서는 대조군과 비교시 용량의존적으로 유의적인 차이를 보이는 항목은 보이지 않았으나, 고용량군에서는 glucose 감소에 의한 저칼 륨혈증, 인슐린 과잉분비의 독성을 의심할 수 있었으며, 또 한 ALT와 ALP의 증가는 간 독성이나 간암, 황달의 유발이 의심되었다. 한편, 병리조직학적인 검사에서는 시험 전체군에서 대조군과 비교시 유의할만한 병리조직이상이 관 찰되지 않았다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 사료섭취량 1%의 제독유황까지 투여는 랫드에서 독성을 나타내지 않는 것으로 사료된다.