Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a calcium permeable channel expressed in primary sensory neurons, induces the release of glutamate from their central and peripheral afferents during normal acute and pathological pain. However, little information is available regarding the glutamate release mechanism associated with TRPV1 activation in primary sensory neurons. To address this issue, we investigated the expression of vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) in TRPV1-immunopositive (+) neurons in the rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) under normal and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain conditions using behavioral testing as well as double immunofluorescence staining with antisera against TRPV1 and VGLUT1 or VGLUT2. TRPV1 was primarily expressed in small and medium-sized TG neurons. TRPV1+ neurons constituted approximately 27% of all TG neurons. Among all TRPV1+ neurons, the proportion of TRPV1+ neurons coexpressing VGLUT1 (VGLUT1+/ TRPV1+ neurons) and VGLUT2 (VGLUT2+/TRPV1+ neurons) was 0.4% ± 0.2% and 22.4% ± 2.8%, respectively. The proportion of TRPV1+ and VGLUT2+ neurons was higher in the CFA group than in the control group (TRPV1+ neurons: 31.5% ± 2.5% vs. 26.5% ± 1.2%, VGLUT2+ neurons: 31.8% ± 1.1% vs. 24.6% ± 1.5%, p < 0.05), whereas the proportion of VGLUT1+, VGLUT1+/TRPV1+, and VGLUT2+/TRPV1+ neurons did not differ significantly between the CFA and control groups. These findings together suggest that VGLUT2, a major isoform of VGLUTs, is involved in TRPV1 activation-associated glutamate release during normal acute and inflammatory pain.

There exists very little information on the ultrastructure of substance P immunopositive (+) fibers in the human dental pulp, which may help in understanding the mechanism for substance P associated pulpal inflammatory pain. To address this issue, we investigated the presence of substance P+ fibers in the human dental pulp by light- and electron-microscopic immunohistochemistry. Light microscopy revealed that substance P+ fibers ran within neurovascular bundles in the radicular pulp and in the core of coronal pulp. They were also frequently present in the peripheral pulp. Substance P+ fibers showed beads like swellings interconnected by thin axonal strand, in a manner similar to bouton en passants and interconnecting axonal strand in the spinal cord. Electron microscopy revealed that almost all the substance P+ axons were unmyelinated. The axonal swellings of the substance P+ contained numerous clear round vesicles (40-50 nm in diameter) and many large dense-cored vesicles (80-110 nm in diameter) as well as many mitochondria. The vesicles and mitochondria were rarely observed in the thin axonal strand interconnecting the swellings. Intimate interrelationship or synaptic structure between the swellings of substance P+ axon and nearby pulpal cells or axons was not found. These findings suggest co-release of substance P and glutamate from the substance P+ pulpal axons and its action on nearby structures in a paracrine manner.

The pre-treatment conditions of butterbur stem such as blanching, freezing, and thawing were studied to optimize it for producing frozen butterbur stem to improve its storage ability. Butterbur stems were hot water blanched at 100oC for 3, 5, or 7 min respectively and then soaked in cold water. After peeling out and cutting into blocks (4.5×1.0×0.5 cm), butterbur stems were air-dried for 5, 10, or 15 min respectively. Dried samples were analyzed for their physicochemical properties. With blanching, the hardness value increased from 2.91 kg to 3.64 kg (p>0.05); however, adhesiveness decreased drastically after 5 min of blanching (p<0.05), which changed to a crisp texture. In addition, considering other physicochemical properties, it was assumed that 5-min blanching was optimal pre-treatment to maintain the original quality of butterbur stem for freezing. Five-minute blanched butterbur stems were airdried 5 min, frozen and thawed with several methods, and analyzed for their properties. Considering the thawing loss, hardness, and color change, the fastest freezing and thawing method had the lowest changes on the quality of frozen butterbur stem. Therefore, to produce frozen butterbur stem, it was assumed that immersion freezing and running water or room temperature thawing (25oC) were the best process.

본 연구에서는 열처리가 야콘의 항산화 활성에 미치는 영향을 살펴보기 위하여 열처리 온도(100 및 121℃)와 시간 (15, 30 및 60분)에 따른 항산화 성분 및 항산화 활성 변화를 조사하였다. 열처리 후 야콘의 갈변도, 유리형 및 결합형 폴리페놀 함량, 유리형 및 결합형 플라보노이드 함량, DPPH radical 소거 활성 및 ABTS radical 소거 활성을 측정하였 다. 열처리 후 야콘의 갈변도, 유리형 폴리페놀 및 플라보노이드 함량과 항산화 활성은 열처리 온도와 시간에 따라 유의적(p<0.05)으로 증가하였고, 결합형 폴리페놀 및 플라보노이드 함량은 감소하였다. 야콘의 유리형 폴리페놀 및 플라보노이드 함량은 121℃, 60분 열처리 시 생야콘에 비해 각각 1.2배 및 1.1배로 유의적(p<0.05)으로 증가하였다. 또한, 야콘의 DPPH radical 소거 활성 및 ABTS Radical 소거 활성도 121℃, 60분 열처리 시 생야콘에 비해 각각 1.7배 및 2.0배로 유의적(p<0.05)으로 증가였다. 야콘의 갈변도, 폴리페놀 및 플라보노이드 함량과 DPPH radical 및 ABTS radical 소거 활성 간의 상관관계를 분석한 결과, 높은 상관관계(p<0.01)가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과, 열처리 방법을 통해 야콘의 항산화 성분과 항산화 활성을 강화시킬 수 있으며, 이를 활용한 기능성 식품 소재 개발이 가능할 것으로 생각된다.

국내산 녹두전분과 도토리전분을 이용하여 초산 녹두 및 초산 도토리전분을 제조하고, 이화학적 특성 및 겔의 조직감을 비교하였다. 무수 초산 6%를 반응시켜 제조한 초산 녹두와 초산 도토리전분의 %acetyl 함량은 1.88%과 1.53% 였고, 치환도는 0.07과 0.06이었다. 전분의 색도를 측정한 결과, L값과 a값은 증가하였고, b값은 감소하여 초산 처리가 전분의 색에도 영향을 주었음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 초 산전분은 전분 chain 내부에 초산기가 도입되어 원료 전분 에 비해 blue value, 팽윤력 및 용해도가 증가하는 것을 알 수 있었다. 신속호화점도계(RVA)를 이용하여 측정한 호화 특성은 녹두전분과 도토리전분의 호화온도가 각각 70.4oC, 75.7oC로 나타났고, 초산 녹두 및 초산 도토리전분은 각각64.4oC, 74.8oC로 나타나 초산 처리 시 호화온도가 감소하는 것을 알 수 있었으나, 도토리전분의 경우 초산 도토리 전분과의 유의적인 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 초산전분은 원료 전분과 최고점도, setback, breakdown에도 차이를 보였는데, 초산 녹두전분은 최고점도 164.9 RVU, setback 70.9 및 breakdown 53.4로 녹두전분의 최고점도 195.0 RVU, setback 110.6 및 breakdown 69.0에 비해 감소하였고, 초산 도토리전분은 최고점도 212.1 RVU, setback 128.7, 및 breakdown 50.3으로 도토리전분의 최고점도 198.3 RVU, setback 87.0 및 breakdown 38.2보다 증가하는 특성을 나타내었다. 초산전분으로 겔을 제조하여 조직감을 측정한 결과 초산 녹두전분은 겔을 형성하지 못하였고, 초산 도토리전분은 원료 전분 겔에 비해 경도와 탄성이 감소하였으며, 응집성, 검성, 씹힘성이 증가하여 겔이 무른 특성을 나타내었다.

Background : This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of water chestnut (Trapa japonica Flerow) extract. Methods and Results : The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of 100% methanol extract of water chestnut were investigated. The methanol extract was evaluated for its total phenolic and flavonoid content, DPPH•(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free-radical scavenging activity,reducing power, andeffect on nitric oxide (NO) production and cell viability using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The total phenolic content was 438.31 ㎍ allic acid equivalent (GAE)/㎎ extract and the total flavonoid content was 61.40 ㎍ quercetin equivalent (QE)/㎎ extract. In addition, results revealed the extract possessed antioxidant activity (DPPH• free-radical scavenging activity) with IC50 value of 5.28 ㎍㎖ The reducing power of the extract was assayed spectro photometrically and showed Abs of 0.71 at 100 ㎍㎖ Furthermore, extracts of water chestnut exhibited no cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, the NO assay revealed that LPS-induced NO production was significantly inhibited following treatment with water chestnut extracts. The expression of pro-inflammatory proteins such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The water chestnut extract also decreased tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) release. Conclusion : Therefore, the present findings provide scientific evidence for the nutritional potential, chemical composition, and biological activities of Trapa japonica Flerow anddemonstrate its potential use as a functional food forapplication in the pharmaceutical industry

Background : This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of extract from different parts of water chestnut (Trapa japonica Flerow). Methods and Results : The total polyphenol content of pericarp and seed extract was 438.31 ㎎/g and 25.32 ㎎/g respectively. DPPH radical scavenging assay showed that the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 values) of pericarp and seed extract were 5.28 ㎍/㎖ and 355.51 ㎍/㎖ respectively. In addition, the pericarp extract showed strong reducing power. In the MTT assay, the pericarp extract significantly inhibited the viability of A549, AGS, HeLa, PC-3, HCT116, HT29 and SW620 cell lines compared with the seed extract. Conclusions : These results suggest that T. japonica Flerow extracts have significant antioxidant and antiproliferative activity.

There has been little research on the harvesting time-dependent changes in the antioxidant activities of new varieties of highland cultures of Gomchwi (Ligularia fischeri) crossed with Turcs (Ligularia fischeri (Ledeb.)) and Nakai (Ligularia fischeri var. spiciformis), namely Sammany (S), Gommany (G) and Damogy (D). This study was conducted to assess the effect of different harvesting times on nutritional and health-related properties such as total phenolic contents, flavonoids, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrasyl) free radical scavenging activities and reducing power. From these harvests, extracts were prepared using methanol. Total phenolic content in Jul 14-G (Gommany harvested on July 14, 0.172 ㎎·GAE/㎖) was higher than that in other products harvested after the same period (S, 0.154; D, 0.141 ㎎·GAE/㎖). Flavonoid content was higher in Jul 3-G (0.114 ㎎·QE/㎖), compared to Jul 3-S (0.113 ㎎·QE/㎖) and Jul 14-D (0.089 ㎎·QE/㎖). Antioxidant activities were higher in samples harvested after June 12 in all cases. On July 14, the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activities among all harvest dates were seen (92.875~94.595%). The reducing power was also dependent on harvest day (Abs 0.5~0.6 on July 14), showing a pattern similar to that of DPPH free radical-scavenging activities. Antioxidant activity and harvesting times seem to correlate with total polyphenol and flavonoid contents.