The ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly assigned to Sham-Control, OVX-Control, OVX-Superjami (extract) groups. The results showed that the activity of glucokinase to keep the blood sugar constant is increased by increasing insulin secretion from pancreatic β- cells and the homeostatic regulation of glucose. Meanwhile the glyconeogenesis which is involved in the actions of the enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase showed that the glucose level is decreased. It was confirmed that these enzymes regulate the carbohydrate metabolism. On the other hand, results of the measurement of the lipid metabolism in the fat tissue and liver tissue, effect of β-oxidation enzymes and carnitine palmitoyl transferase which is involved in fatty acid oxidation for energy generation is increased. Moreover, the activity of fatty acid synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme have been reduced, therefore, it was confirmed that these enzymes regulate the lipid metabolism.

UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (UGE; EC 5.1.3.2) is an enzyme that plays an essential role in the interconverts UDP-D-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-Dgalactose (UDP-Gal). Five members of the Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) UDP-glucose 4-epimerase gene family, designated BrUGE1 to BrUGE5, have been cloned and characterized. Quantitative PCR shows that the BrUGE1and BrUGE4 mRNA are most abundant among other BrUGE genes, accounting for more than 55% of total BrUGE transcripts in most of the tissues examined. All genes showed organ specific expression pattern, two of which (BrUGE1 and 4) actively responded after Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum infection, while four genes (BrUGE-1, -3, -4 and -5)were shown to respond considerably against salt, drought and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. To better understand the function of the UGE gene, we constructed a recombinant pART vector carrying the BrUGE1 gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter and nos terminator and transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. We then investigated BrUGE1 overexpressing rice lines at the physiological and molecular levels under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Bioassay of T3 progeny lines of the transgenic plants in Yoshida solution containing 120 mM Nacl for 2 weeks, confirmed that the BrUGE1 enhances salt tolerance to transgenic rice plants. Also T3 progeny lines of the transgenic plants, when exposed to infection caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, showed tolerance to bacterial blight. These results showed that BrUGE1 can be used as potential genetic resource for engineering Brassica with multiple stress resistance.

Forest waste was interested as biomass to produce new renewable energy among various materials. To find appropriate conditions of the bio-ethanol production, acid hydrolysis and glucose fermentation experiments were conducted under various conditions. The acid-hydrolysis experiment results show that yield of glucose were increased as raise of temperature, acid concentration and reaction time. As a result, the optimal conditions for producing glucose from forest waste was under 110oC, 35%, and 100 min, respectively. The yield of glucose, which was generated from acid-hydrolysis experiment, was 2.419 mg/g·g from softwood and was 1.192 mg/g·g from hardwood. Also, it was investigated that acetic acid was more efficient than sulfuric acid for acid-hydrolysis process.

This study was designed in order to determine the influences of haw (Crataegus pinnatifida BUNGE) on the lipid metabolism syndrome. Sprague Dawley rats, 7 weeks old, were given four different types of diets for 5 weeks: ND group (noncholesterolemic diet), HE group (non cholesterolemic diet+haw extract), CD group (cholesterolemic diet), CH group (cholesterolemic diet+haw extract). Concentrations of LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, free cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, blood glucose were remarkably higher in the CD group than the other groups. But by treatment of haw extract group with cholesterolemic diet (CH group) were significantly decreased compared with CD group. Cholesteryl ester ratio was no difference between CD group and CH group. These results indicate that Crataegus pinnatifida BUNGE would be effective in lipid metabolism syndrome.

UDP-glucose 4-epimerase catalyzes the reversible conversion of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose. The gene, named BrUGE1, isolated from a Chinese cabbage composes of a total length of 1,328 bp that contains a single open reading frame (ORF) of 1,056 bp which encodes a polypeptide of 351 amino acid residues with a calculated mass of 39.0 kDa. Expression analysis showed that BrUGE1 is tissue specific and highly expressed in stem of rice plant. Interestingly, BrUGE1 mRNA was highly accumulated by drought stress with significantly higher amount of soluble sugar. Morphological evaluation showed an increase in yield and yield components compared to the wild type. Moreover, a better growth performance on galactose as well as higher UGE1 expression was observed in transgenic rice lines than in wild type. In the Ubi-1::BrUGE1 lines, the increase of UGE1 expression was apparently sufficient to overcome the toxic effects of galactose. Taken together, the Ubi-1::BrGUE1 rice lines increased yield probably by increasing the rate of filled grains. The enhanced drought tolerance may be due to the induction of soluble sugar which may act as osmolyte to compensate dehydration during drought stress.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Cordyceps militaris extract supplementation on the improvement of blood glucose, lipid compositions and hepatic functional enzyme activities in the serum of streptozotocin(STZ, 50 mg/kg BW, IP injection)-induced diabetic rats fed the experimental diets for 5 weeks. The concentrations of blood glucose and lipid compositions(total cholesterol, β-lipoprotein, free cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, triglyceride and phospholipid) and atherosclerotic index in serum were significantly lower in the DM+CM group than in the DM group, whereas the ratio of HDL-cholesterol concentration to total cholesterol in the DM+CM group were higher than in the DM group. The activities of hepatic functional enzymes(aminotransferase, LDH and ALP) in serum were lower in the Cordyceps militaris extract administration group(group DM+CM) than in the hyperglycemic DM group. The results shown above suggested that Cordyceps militaris extract supplementation effectively improves blood glucose and atherosclerosis in the serum of diabetic rats.

UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (UGE) catalyzes the reversible conversion of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose. The gene, named BrUGE1, isolated from a Chinese cabbage had a total length of 1,328 bp that contains a single open reading frame (ORF) of 1,056 bp which encodes a polypeptide of 351 amino acid residues with a calculated mass of 39.0 kDa. Sequence analysis of BrUGE1 protein has the characteristic of an active site tetrad and NAD-binding motif (typically TGXXGXXG) of the extended short chain dehydrogenase/ reductase (SRD) superfamily. Expression analysis showed that BrUGE1 is tissue specific and highly expressed in stem of rice plant. Interestingly, BrUGE1 mRNA was highly accumulated by drought stress with significantly higher amount of soluble sugar. Morphological evaluation showed an increase in yield by 27%. Panicle length, number of productive tillers/hill, and filled spikelets were significantly increased by 17~20% compared to the wild type Gopum. Moreover, the growth of the wild type Gopum seedlings on galactose was increasingly inhibited with a decrease in UDP-glc epimerase 1 expression compared to the transgenic rice lines. In the Ubi-1::BrUGE1 lines, the increase of UDP-glc epimerase 1 expression was apparently sufficient to overcome the toxic effects of galactose. Taken together, the Ubi-1::BrGUE1 rice lines increased yield probably by increasing the rate of filled grains. The enhanced drought tolerance may be due to the induction of soluble sugar which may act as osmolyte to compensate dehydration during drought stress.

Guava (Psidium guajava) contain a great deal of polyphenol compound and work on the treatment of Diabetes mellitus effectively. In this study, the bioactivities of aqueous extract (GLEx) of guava leaf were investigated. Total phenolic contents of GLEx was 266.9 mg tan/g. The effects of GLEx on digestive enzymes, α-amylase, maltase and sucrase were investigated. IC50 values of GLEx against α-amylase, maltase and sucrase were 0.65 mg/ml, 2.0 mg/ml and 3.5 mg/ml respectively. The effect of GLEx on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in normal ICR mouse, control (dstilled water) and GLEx (aqueous extract of Guava leaf) were co-administered orally with glucose, showed reducing effect on the blood glucose level. The guava is likely to useful for prevention or improvement of hyperglycemia by lowering the blood glucose level and inhibiting glycoside hydrolase activity.

본 연구는 당에 의해 유도된 HIT-T15를 이용하여 항당뇨 소재로 잘 알려져 있는 오미자 및 뽕잎 추출물의 인슐린 분비능에 미치는 영향에 대해 조사하였다. 오미자 발효주정 추출물과 뽕잎 열수 추출물의 총 폴리페놀함량은 각각 mg/g 및 mg/g이었으며, 총 플라보노이드함량은 mg/g 및 mg/g 이었다. 전자공여능은 뽕잎 열수 추출물이 로 오미자 발효 주정 추출물의 보다 높았으며 오미자 및 뽕잎 추출물의 ORAC은 각각 , TE/g

인동과에 속하는 인동덩굴(Lonicera japonica Thunb., LJ) 추출물이 활성산소의 일종인 glucose oxidase(GO)에 미치는 영향을 배양 C6 glioma 세포를 재료로 알아보았으며, 또한 LJ 추출물의 항산화 효과를 전자공여능(DPPH-radical scavenging activity)을 비롯하여 항산화 효소의 하나인 SOD의 활성과 비슷한 superoxide dismutase(SOD)-유사활성(SOD-like activity), 지질과산화 억제능(lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity) 및 lactate dehydrogenase(DH) 활성에 의하여 조사하였다. 본 연구에서 GO는 처리 농도 의존적으로 대조군에 비하여 배양 C6 glioma 세포의 생존율을 유의하게 감소시킴으로서 세포독성을 나타냈으며(P<0.01), 이 때 XTT50값은 35 mU·mL-1에서 나타났다. 또한, LJ 추출물은 GO에 의하여 감소된 세포생존율을 유의하게 증가시킴으로써 GO의 세포독성을 방어하였다. 한편, LJ 추출물은 전자공여능을 비롯한 SOD-유사활성, 지질과산화 억제능 및 LDH의 활성 감소를 보임으로서 항산화 효과를 나타냈다. 이상의 결과로부터 LJ 추출물은 항산화 효과에 의하여 GO의 세포독성을 유효하게 방어한 것으로 나타났다.

활성산소종(reactive oxygen species, ROS)인 glucose oxidase(GO)의 산화적 손상이 배양 C6glioma 세포에 미치는 영향 및 이에 대한 연꽃(Nelumbo nucifera GAERTN, NNG) 추출물의 항산화 효과를 세포생존율(cell viability)을 비롯한 DPPH-radical scavenging activity, lipid peroxidation에 의하여 분석하였다. 본 연구에서 H2O2는 배양 C6 glioma세포에 처리한 농도에 비례하여 유의한 세포생존율의 감소를 나타냈다. 한편, GO의 산화적 손상에 대한 NNG추출물의 방어효과를 조사하기 위하여 세포생존율을 조사한 결과 NNG 추출물은 GO의 산화적 손상으로 감소된 세포생존율을 유의하게 증가시켰다. 또한, NNG 추출물은 DPPH-radical scavenging activity의 분석에서 유의한 자유라디칼 소거능을 보였으며, 동시에 지질과산화에 대한 억제능을 보였다. 위의 결과로 부터 GO는 배양 C6 glioma세포에 고독성인 것으로 나타났으며 NNG추출물은 GO와 같은 ROS의 산화적 손상을 방어하는데 효과적인 것으로 나타났다.