The effect on the antioxidant activity and Nitric Oxide activity production inhibitory activity of Taraxacum has not been known. Therefore, phenolics and flavonoid contents were investigated from the ethanol extracts of five different Taraxacum species. The results showed that, among the five Taraxacum, T. hallaisanensis contains the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents. When the antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, ABTS+ and reducing power activity, the free radical scavenging activity of T. hallaisanensis was also the highest among five Taraxacum species. However, measurement by CCK-8 assay in Raw264.7 cells indicated that the extracts of Taraxacum species have no effect on cell viability. Moreover, we also investigated the effect of Taraxacum species on NO scavenging activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. The results clearly showed that Taraxacum species inhibited NO production, and the inhibitory effect of T. hallaisanensis was the strongest. The above results suggested that Taraxacum species affected the antioxidant and NO scavenging activity, and among the five species, antioxidant and NO scavenging activity assay of T. hallaisanensis was significantly higher than those of other four Taraxacum species. Therefore, T. hallaisanensis could be used as a potential drug with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.

This study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial activity against pathogens of acne and the anti-inflammatory effect of 75% ethanol extract and its fractions from the leaves of Prunus sargentii. In the antibacterial activity by the disc diffusion assay, the extract showed the highest effect against Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 5 mg/disc. However, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antibacterial activity in 1 mg/disc. On the other hand, the hexane and chloroform fraction showed strong nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cell. In the cell viability of Raw 264.7 by MTT assay, the extract and all fractions were exhibited normal viabilities as nontoxic result. Consequently, the extract from the leaves of P. sargentii and its ethyl acetate fraction could be applicable to functional materials for antibacterial activity related fields. Moreover, the hexane and chloroform fraction could be applicable to candidate materials as anti-inflammatory agent.

In this study, we investigated on antioxidative activity and nitric oxide production inhibitory activity of various solvent extracts of Lespedeza bicolor. The total polyphenol content of the methanol extract was 192.6 mg/g and flavonoid content of the acetone extract was 40.6 mg/g, as the highest content. In DPPH radical scavenging ability, SC50 values of the ethanol and methanol extract were exhibited 0.69mg/ml and 0.89mg/ml, respectively. However, in nitric oxide(NO) scavenging ability, SC50 values of the acetone was exhibited 0.72mg/ml as the highest activity. Moreover, the acetone extract showed strong NO production inhibitory effect in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cell. In the cytotoxicity measurement by MTT assay, the extracts were exhibited Raw 264.7 cell viabilities of 92.57~129.04% as nontoxic result in concentration of 65~650μg/ml. As a result, the acetone extract of L. bicolor could be applicable to functional materials for anti-inflammatory related fields.

The study was conducted to investigate functional materials as skin whitening and anti-inflammatory agent from Taraxacum officinale and Taraxacum coreanum. The total polyphenol and flavonoid content in the ethanol extract of Taraxacum officinale were found to be 64.07mg/g and 32.46mg/g, respectively. In tyrosinase inhibitory activity, the hot water extract of Taraxacum coreanum was higher than the other extracts. However, in nitric oxide (NO) scavenging ability, the ethanol extract of Taraxacum coreanum was higher than the other extracts. the ethanol extract of Taraxacum coreanum showed strong NO production inhibitory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cell. In the cell viability measurement by MTT assay and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay against L929 cell, the extracts were exhibited fine cell viabilities and normal LDH release levels as nontoxic result in sample concentration of 250~1000μg/ml. As a result, the ethanol extract and the hot water extract of Taraxacum coreanum could be applicable to functional materials for anti-inflammatory and skin whitening related fields, respectively.

본 연구에서는 도라지 분말을 유기용매로 추출한 후 도라지의 추출물과 분획물들에 의한 세포 내 활성산소종 및 glutathione (GSH)를 측정하여 항산화효과를 검토하였고 NO 생성 저해 효과를 알아보았다. 세포 내 활성산소종 생성억제 실험에서 건조 도라지의 A+M 및 MeOH 추출물과 추출물을 n-hexane, 85% aq. MeOH, n-BuOH, water로 다시 추출하여 얻어진 각각의 분획물들을 농도별로 HT1080 세포에 처리하였을 때

A variety of herbs and plants have been traditionally used in oriental folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In our attempt to search for anti-inflammatory agents from natural products, we investigated 64 methanol extracts from 42 medicinal plants belonging to 10 families which were evaluated for inhibitory activities of NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, 16 extracts exhibited inhibitory activities of NO production (IC50 values ranging from 59.6 to 94.7 μg/ml). Only the extract from aerial parts of Hosta lancifolia (H. lancifolia) did not exert cytotoxic effects at the concentrations tested. The extract from H. lancifolia decreased the mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in activated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that the extract may contain bioactive compounds that suppress expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may prove beneficial with regard to the development of natural agents for prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

To search for immunoactive natural products exerting anti-inflammatory activity, we have evaluated the effects on the water extracts of Artemisia princeps Pampanini (APP) on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. Our data indicate that this extract is a potent inhibitor of NO production and it also significantly decreased PGE2 and TNF-α production. Consistent with these results, the protein and mRNA expression level of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was inhibited by water extracts of APP in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that APP may exert anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects possibly by suppressing the inducible NO synthase and COX-2 expressions.

Curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant purified from turmeric, has been known to possess various biological activities such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, we have explored anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin using Gram (-) bacterium-derived endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide: LPS) and macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Curcumin suppressed NO production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, Curcumin also blocked the activation of NF-kB but not AP-1 according to luciferase assay. Furthermore, this compound suppressed the phosphorylation of a series of intracellular signaling components such as Src, JAK-2, Akt, IKK and IkBα under LPS stimulation in a time dependent manner, Therefore, our data suggest that curcumin was able to protect the host from Gram(-) bacterial-infection-mediated inflammatory symptoms.

To search for immunoactive natural products exerting anti-inflammatory activity, we have evaluated the effects of the ethanol extracts of Rubus coreanus Miq. (ERC) on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production by RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. Our data indicate that this extract is a potent inhibitor of NO production and it also significantly decreased IFN-γ and TNF-α production. Consistent with these results, the protein level of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was inhibited by ethanol extracts of ERC in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that ERC may exert anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects possibly by suppressing the inducible NO synthase and COX-2 expressions.

태국산과 베트남산의 용안육 원료 및 그 발효물의 전자공여능, 일산화질소(NO) 생성효과, 인체암 세포주인 자궁경부암세포(HeLa) 및 간암세포(HepG2)의 항암활성 효과를 조사하였다. 원료 용안육의 총 유기산은 태국산 용안육(473.49 mg/g)이 베트남산(148.48 mg/g) 용안육에 비하여 3.2배 높은 함량을 나타내었고, 전체 유기산의 각각 89.2%와 86.8%를 나타내었으며, 주요 유기산은 formic acid와 malic acid