Background: Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley was investigated as a potential natural source of antioxidants and antiinflammatory agents. Methods and Results: The yields from Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley water and ethanol extract were 17.69% and 25.77%, respectively. The antioxidant activity of Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley extracts was confirmed by various methods including assayss of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzo thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), nitrite radical scavenging, and Fe3+ to Fe2+ reducing power activity. The ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley showed improved DPPH, ABTS and nitrite radical scavenging activity compared with the water extract. After treatment of RAW264.7 cells with Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley ethanol extracts, the cell viability compared with the control was 92.82%, even at a concentration of 3,000 ㎍/㎖. The ethanol extract inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with H2O2, even at low concentrations. In addition, the ethanol extract showed an inhibitory effects on the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) in RAW264.7 cells. Conclusions: This study suggests that the extract of Ganoderma lucidum cultured on hulled barley is a potential source of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

Background : Lactuca sativa (LS) is a member of lactuca genus and the Asteraceae family. To its usual purpose as an edible leafy vegetable, lettuce has had a number of uses in ancient times as a medicinal herb. Depending on the variety, lettuce is an excellent source vitamin K and vitanin A. Methods and Results : The objective of this study is to find out the antioxidant and oxidative DNA damage prevention capacity of LS for both water and ethanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents have been estimated in this study. The extracts have been tested to assess the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2ʹ -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and nitrite scavenging activity. We have also evaluated the reducing power activity of LS. LS extracts showed a good radical scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS free radical as concentration dependent manner. The IC50 values on DPPH radical scavenging activity were 0.75 mg/mL and 0.54 mg/mL for water and ethanol extract respectively. ABTS radical scavenging activity ranges from 38-89 % for water extract and 33-96% for ethanol extract. Although ethanolic extract showed a higher radical scavenging activity as compared to the water extracts. All the extracts exhibited reducing power activity, dose dependently. Moreover, when the DNA was treated with the extracts, supercoiled DNA was restored in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion : According to the results, we suggest that LS contains considerable amount of phenolic and flavonoid content and could be used as a source of natural antioxidant substances and oxidative DNA damage preventer.

Background : Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJ) is a perennial herb with a wide distribution in East Asia including Korea, China, and Japan, and it is mainly used as a medicinal plant. In Korea, AJ has been widely used to control pain and improve symptoms in OA patients. AJ contains several important phytochemicals such as saponins, inokosterone, ecdysterone, and oleanolic acid bisdesmoside. Methods and Results : The aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of fermented and ethanol extracts of Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJ). The extracts showed strong reductive power and nitrite scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, superoxide radical scavenging, and DNA damage prevention activities. Treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with AJ inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO secretion and iNOS expression without affecting cell viability. AJ also inhibited cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression, leading to the suppression of COX-2-derived prostaglandin E2 production. These inhibitory effects of AJ were accompanied by reduced production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukins (IL)-1β, -6, and -10. Furthermore, AJ suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38. Moreover, AJ inhibited malondialdehyde production and myeloperoxidase activity in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion : The antioxidant activity of plants is closely related to their medicinal properties and is widely used as a parameter to determine the bioavailability of medicinal plants. The antioxidant and biological activities of AJ extracts might be due to the synergistic actions of multiple bioactive compounds. It can be concluded that AJ extracts are a potential source of biologically important drug candidates.

Background : ROS produced by oxidative stress damaged endothelial cells, and cause a variety of vascular complications. In diabetic hyperglycemia state, ROS increase. The polyol pathway occur in diabetic complications, the excess glucose is absorbed into the polyol pathway when aldose reductase increased, NADPH changes it to sorbitol. Glutathione (GSH) removes ROS. GSH level is reduced by glutathione reductase, using NADPH as an electron donor. Activation of the polyol pathway decrease NADPH, and GSH also reduced. As a result, ROS is increased. In diabetic hyperglycemia state, Glycolysis increases. Effects of increased glycolysis, protein kinase C (PKC) is increased. NAD(P)H oxidase, stimulated by PKC-dependent pathway, increases ROS in the cell. In this study, we measured the ROS scavenging activity of 5 natural products (Lycii fructus, Astragalus membranaceus, Cassia Tora, Polygonatum odoratum, Rubus Coreanus), to confirm the efficacy as diabetic antioxidants. Methods and Results : We extracted 5 natural product by distilled water and ethanol. DPPH radical scavenging activity was significantly higher in Lycii fructus, Rubus coreanus. ABTS radical scavenging activity was better Rubus coreanus, Lycii fructus, Cassia Tora. In addition to, Rubus coreanus, Cassia Tora, Lycii fructus was comparatively higher reducing power activity than other natural products. And total phenolic and flavonoid contents were much higher in Rubus coreanus compared with other extracts. Conclusion : These results suggest that Lycii fructus, Rubus coreanus can be applied as diabetic antioxidant that prevent vascular complications caused by ROS.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds have long been clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, the safflower buds (SB) were found to have more useful functional ingredients than safflower seed. Thus, we investigated the preventive effects of SB diet in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The rats were divided into five groups; sham operated group, OVX alone group, OVX plus 17β-estradiol (E2 10 ㎍/㎏, i.p.) and OVX plus SB diet feeding group (0.3% or 1%). Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats markedly increased trabecular formation in femur compared to OVX rats. Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats also decreased TRAP activity compared to OVX rats. These results suggest that SB diets have bone sparing effects by the decrease of osteoclast activity. We also observed that OVX rats fed with SB diet (0.3% or 3%) exhibited the decrease of calcium and phosphorus in serum compared to OVX-induced rats. Therefore, SB may be beneficial for the patients of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.