Agar, a heterogeneous polymer of galactose, is the main component of the cell wall of marine red algae. It is well established as a safe, non-digestible carbohydrate in oriental countries. Neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs) prepared by hydrolyzing agar by microbial β-agarase have been reported to show safety. However, their immunological effects have not been reported yet. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate immune enhancing effects of neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs) from marine red algae Gelidium elegans in mice by performing ex vivo experiments. Six-week-old mice were fed ad libitum. NAOs were orally administrated at three different concentrations (100, 500, and 2,500 mg/kg B.W./day) twice a week for four weeks. The group fed with NAOs at 2,500 mg/kg showed the highest proliferation of splenocytes and production levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) in the ex vivo experiment. In conclusion, NAOs can enhance immune function, increase proliferation of splenocytes, and increase cytokine production by activating macrophages in mice.

The present study is designed to explore an anti-tumor activity on crude extracts of Oplopanax elatus. Water extractions of Oplopanax elatus were performed at 100℃(OeE-100). OeE-100 doses up to 62.5 ㎍/㎖ had no cytotoxicity on the tumor cell lines in vitro. In experimental lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma or B16-BL6 melanoma, the prophylactic intravenous (4~100 ㎍/mouse) or oral (2 ㎎/mouse) administration of OeE-100 significantly inhibited tumor metastasis as compared with tumor controls. Peritoneal macrophages stimulated with OeE-100 produced various cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-12. In an analysis of NK-cell activities, i.v. administration of OeE-100 (10~100 ㎍/mouse) significantly augmented the cytotoxicity to YAC-1 tumor cells. Vaccination of mice with boiling-treated tumor cells (BT-vaccine) in combination with OeE-100 (100 ㎍/mouse) showed higher inhibitions in tumor metastasis when compared with the mice of BT-vaccine treatment. In addition, the splenocytes from OeE-100 admixed BT-vaccine immunized mice secreted a higher concentration of Th1 type cytokine such as IFN-γ. These results suggested that the OeE-100 stimulated immune system and was a good candidate adjuvant of anti-tumor immune responses.

A total of 240 weaned pigs (Landrace ×Yorkshire × Duroc, 22±3 d of age, 5.16±0.90 kg initial body weight) were used to study the effect of feeding level of microbial fermented soya protein on their blood hematology, enzymes and immune cell populations. The microbial (Aspergillus oryzae + Bacillus subtilis) fermented soya protein (FSP) was used. Pigs were allotted to four dietary treatments, each comprising of 4 pens with 15 pigs. Basal diets consisted of 15% soya bean meal (Control diet); while for treatment diets SBM was replaced with 3, 6 and 9% FSP. The experimental diets were fed from 0 to 14 day after weaning and then a common commercial diet was fed from 15 to 35 day. Blood was collected on 14 and 35 day of experiment and analyzed for hematology, plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) and immune cell populations. Increasing the level of FSP in the diet of pigs linearly decreased distribution of red blood cells (P<0.01), MPV (P<0.05), MO (P<0.05), EO (P<0.05) and BA (P<0.05) on d 14. Linear and quadratic decrease in the RBC (P<0.05), Hb (P<0.05), HCT (P<0.01), PLT (P<0.001) and EO (P<0.05) and linear increase in the MCHC (P<0.001), MPV (P<0.05), WBC (P<0.05) and NE (P<0.05) on d 35 was noted. Pigs fed with 6% FSP had lower (P<0.05) levels of AST and ALT on d 14, while the levels of ALT and AST on d 35 did not differ among the dietary treatments. Thus the results suggest that microbial fermented soya protein affected the hematological indices, immune cell populations and plasma enzymes in weaned pigs.

This study was conducted to explore the immune activity, anticancer activity and nitrile scavenging activities of methanol extracts from the various organs of four Korean resource plants. The immune responses from both human T and B cell line was significantly enhanced in the cell growth compared to control while the cell growth was influenced at a certain period of culture. The results revealed that the cell growth of both human T and B cell was altered in a time dependent manner. Among tested several resource plants, the flower extract of E. japonicum demonstrated a pronounced cytotoxicity against HCT-116 cell with an IC50 value 132.08 ㎍ ㎖-1. The flower extract from Corylopsis coreana had a promising scavenging activity against pH 1.2 compared to other species. Taken together, the studied resource plants have influenced significantly in response to immunity and also have the potential cytotoxicity and nitric scavenging activities. However, the species E. japonicum exhibited the pronounced activities from several resource plants. The result from this investigation suggests that the extracts of studied resource plant could be an addition to basic medicine for some diseases.

β-Glucan is a natural compound contained in cell walls of yeast or fungi, and cereal’s fiber. It is also known to boost the immune system in human. Aureobasidium is a producer of water-soluble β-1,3/1,6-glucan. In this study, natural killer (NK) cell and macrophage activity were tested to investigate the effects of β-1,3/1,6-glucan isolated from A. pullulans on immune activity. Activation of NK cell was increased about 63-39% by the treatment of 10-200 μg/mL β-1,3/1,6-glucan than control. Besides, only 10 μg/mL of β-1,3/1,6-glucan was enough to boost activation of NK cell. Phagocytosis of macrophage was increased to 15~21% by the treatment of 10~200 μg/mL of β-1,3/1,6-glucan than zymosan-treatment. In LP-BM5 proliferating inhibition test, relative mRNA level of LP-BM5 virus was decreased in β-1,3/1,6-glucan-treated cell about 36~74% than control. The decline of LP-BM5 mRNA level appeared to depend on the concentration of β-1,3/1,6-glucan. These results suggest that pure β-1,3/1,6-glucan from A. pullulans might be contributing to enhancement of immune activity through the activation of NK cell and phagocytosis of macrophage. Moreover, treatment of the β-1,3/1,6-glucan could increase the resistance to virus infection such as LP-BM5 through the restraining of the multiplication.

Background : The roots of Codonopsis lanceolata have been used as a tonic crude drug and an edible plant in Korea. The plant mainly contains triterpenoid saponins, including codonolaside, codonolasideⅠ-Ⅴ, lancemaside A-G. Their saponins have shown anti-inflammatory effects such as bronchitis and cough, insomnia and hypomnesia. C. lanceolata is well known to affect various pharmacological effects for human health, and its consumption is increasing. Recently, plant and plant-derived products were treated a part of the healthcare system by applying the bioactive phytochemicals. Antioxidant and immune activity substances in food play an important role as a health-protecting factor. This study was designed to investigate the in vitro immune cell growth and xanthine oxidase Inhibitory activity of different storage period and storage temperature of C. lanceolata. Methods and Results : The plant materials were used the roots of C. lanceolata cultivated in Jeju area, Korea. Immune enhancing effect was conducted using T cell and B cell of human immune cells. Each cell incubated for 8 days with the sample extracts compared to the control group, and the immune activation was measured according to the growth of immune cells. The xanthine oxidase Inhibitory activity was measured by modifying the method of Noro(1983). In different storage period and storage temperature conditions, the immune cell growth of C. lanceolata extract promoted a concentration-dependent manner in both human T cell and B cell, and did not show a significant difference. The xanthine oxidase Inhibitory activity of C. lanceolata extract tended to decrease more, depending on the longer the storage period or the higher the storage temperature. Conclusion : These results of this study suggested that the root of C. lanceolata may assist in the potential biological activities, and can be used as a source of human health products.

This study was executed to evaluate the immune activity, nitrite scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity against extracts of various concentration of ethanol solvent from Codonopsis lanceolata cultured at 6 local regions. The immune responses from both human T and B cell line was significantly enhanced in the cell growth compared to control while the cell growth was influenced at a certain period of culture. The results revealed that the cell growth of both human T and B cell was altered in a time dependent manner. The nitrite scavenging activity of ethanol extracts from various solvent concentration of C. lanceolata were affected by pH. At a pH of 1.2, the nitrite scavenging effect of all of the extracts tested observed higher than that of the other two pH ranges. There was no distinct detection of nitrite scavenging effects of the pH range 6.0. The ABTS radical scavenging activity was progressively increased in a dose-dependent manner, and the activity was the highest in 100% ethanol extract. The result from this investigation suggests that the extract of Codonopsis lanceolata could be an addition to basic medicine for immune modulation and natural food additives.

This study was to investigate the improvement of immune activities of the extracts from Codonopsis lan-ceolata by stepwise steaming process and high pressure process. The phenol contents was 8.742㎍/㎎ which was higher thanthat from conventional extraction using 70% ethyl alcohol at 80℃ for 24hours. All of extracts at a concentration of 1.0㎎/㎖showed relatively low cytotoxicity on human normal kidney cell (HEK293) in range of 16 19%. The immune B and T cellgrowth was improved by extracts using the steamed and high pressure precess of C. lanceolata up to 180×10⁴cells/㎖ and96×10⁴cells/㎖, respectively. The extract prepared also greatly increased the secretion of both IL-6 and TNF-α from thestepwise steamed and high pressure process. This results can conclude that stepwise steamed and high pressure processeffectively released active biomaterials which could important role in enhancing immune activity in the body.

This study was performed to investigate the enhancement of immunomodulatory activities of Lithospermum erythrorhizon by extreme process. The extracts are WE100 (water extract for 24 hours at 100℃), WE80 (water extract for 24 hours at 80℃), EE (70% ethyl alcohol extract for 24 hours at 80℃) and EPE (extreme process for 30 minutes at 25℃, 500 MPa after 70% ethyl alcohol extracts for 3 hours at 40, 50, 60℃). Extraction yield was increased up to 5~10% by extreme process, compare to the normal extraction such as water solvent extraction, 70% ethyl alcohol solvent extraction. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was showed in the range of 12.68~15.89% at 1.0mg/ml for human lung cell (HEL299). The EPE40 was showed the lowest cytotoxicity 12.68%. The EPE60 extracted by extreme process increased the growth of human B and T cells up to 12.12×104 cells/ml and 14.88×104 cells/ml, respectively and the EPE60 greatly increased the cytokine secretion of both IL-6 and TNF-α. The extracts by extreme process also exhibited higher levels of nitric oxide production from macrophages than the lipopolysaccaharides. It can be concluded that Lithospermum erythrorhizon has immune activities and The extreme process could increase higher immune activities possibly by immunomodulatory compounds.

This study was performed to investigate a methodology of improving immune activities of Berberis koreana Palibin by ultra high pressure on low temperature extraction process. Extraction yield was enhanced up to more than 35% by above process, compare to the control and extraction average. The cytotoxicity on human kidney cell (HEK293) was showed below 20.4%, 21.6% in adding 1.0 mg/ml of the highest concentration. Generally, the extracts by ultra high pressure extraction process showed less toxicity about 5% than the other processes. It could tell that toxic materials that existing in the plant could be reduced or broken by ultra high pressure process due to can be broken bond such the hydrogen bond, the electrostatic bond, the van der Waals bond, and the hydrophobic bond, can be broken by high pressure. The result could be employed to develop a new type of functional food from B. koreana Palibin by low temperature high pressure process.