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Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin generated by Penicillium and Aspergillus species. It is often found in cereals. We hypothesized that OTA exposure induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to liver fibrosis. In this research, we explored whether the TGF‐β receptor I (TGF‐β RI)/Smad2/3 signaling pathway is related to EMT‐induced hepatic fibrosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments, mRNA and protein expression of liver fibrosis‐related markers such as fibronectin, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and E‐cadherin were assessed. The levels of alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin, which are used to assess damage, increased. We also confirmed the increase in mRNA and protein expression of TGF‐β RI, Smad2, and Smad3. The expression of liver fibrosis‐related markers was decreased by siRNA‐mediated silencing of Smad2/3, as well as TGF‐RI suppression. Liver cells exposed to OTA showed enhanced TGF‐β RI expression on the cell membrane. These results demonstrated that OTA induces hepatic fibrosis through TGF‐β RI and Smad2/3 pathways in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) extract was shown to have antihypertensive effects in hypertensive rats. This randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the ability of CL extract to prevent hypertension (HTN) in prehypertensive subjects. Eighty subjects aged 19-60 years with a systolic blood pressure (BP) of 120-139 mmHg and a diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg were recruited over 3 months. Subjects were randomized 1:1 to a CL group and a placebo (PL) group and administered CL extract and starch, respectively, for 6 weeks. (BP) was measured and blood sampled at baseline and at the end of the trial. Relative to baseline, systolic BP was significantly decreased, and catalase activity was significantly increased following CL treatment in both the elevated systolic BP and stage 1 HTN subgroups. In the elevated systolic BP subgroup, serum nitrite concentration relative to baseline was significantly increased in CL compared to PL treated subjects (p = .038). In subjects with stage 1 HTN, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = .020) and malondialdehyde (p = .039) showed significantly greater reductions from baseline in the CL than in the PL group. In summary, CL was effective in preventing endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and lipid peroxidation in prehypertensive subjects, with these effects differing according to baseline systolic BP levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to increase worldwide. Multiple factors, including diet, loss of the intestinal barrier function, and imbalance of the immune system can cause IBD. A balanced diet is important for maintaining a healthy bowel and preventing IBD from occurring. The effects of probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri‐fermented Maillard reaction products (MRPs) prepared by reacting whey protein with galactose on anti‐inflammation and intestinal homeostasis were investigated in this study, which compared MPRs and probiotics separately. RESULTS: In an animal colitis model induced by 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), FWG administration alleviated colon length loss and maintained intestinal immune system homeostasis as reflected by down‐regulated interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α output, and metallopeptidase‐9, and epithelial barrier balance as reflected by up‐regulated occludin, E‐cadherin, and zonula occludens‐1 production in the colon. Furthermore, the expression of splenic cytokines such as IL‐6, TNF‐α, and IL‐10 was up‐regulated in the FWG‐treated mice in a comparable amount to the control group to ensure the balance of immune responses. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the use of FWG protects the intestines from colitis caused by DSS and maintains immune balance. FWG increased antioxidant enzyme activity, increased intestinal permeability, and regulated the balance of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines in the intestines and spleen. Continued intake of FWG can alleviate IBD symptoms through the preservation of mucosal immune responses, epithelial junction and homeostasis through the regulated splenic cytokines. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biologic augmentation for rotator cuff repair is a challenging treatment in patients with chronic large, massive, and irreparable rotator cuff injuries. Particularly, the use of an extracellular matrix (ECM) patch such as dermal tissue offered improved biomechanical properties in previous studies. Cytokines induce cell chemotaxis, proliferation, matrix synthesis, and cell differentiation. Moreover, osteoinductive growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) affect the formation of new bone and fibrocartilage in lesions. However, the effects of using a dermal patch in combination with BMP-2 have not been evaluated to date, although many researchers have recognized the importance thereof. In this study, rhBMP-2-coated dermal patch (1 cm × 2 cm) isolated from human cadaveric donor was inserted in a rabbit model of chronic rotator cuff injury for in vivo evaluation. Bone mineral density and biomechanical strength were tested and histological and histomorphometric analyses were performed. The results showed that insertion of an rhBMP-2-coated acellular dermal patch not only significantly ameliorated new bone formation, it also improved biomechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength. Thus, the use of this combination may improve the chronic rotator cuff injury-healing rate and clinical outcomes after rotator cuff repair. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1840-1846, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoaging and glycation stress are major causes of skin deterioration. Oxidative stress caused by ultraviolet B ( UVB) irradiation can upregulate matrix metalloprotease 1 ( MMP-1), a major enzyme responsible for collagen damage in the skin. Advanced glycation end products ( AGEs) accumulate via gradual formation from skin proteins, especially from long-lived proteins such as dermal elastin and collagen. Plantamajoside ( PM), isolated from Plantago asiatica, has various biological effects including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we assessed the protective effects of PM on a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and primary human dermal fibroblasts ( HDF) against stress caused by glyceraldehyde-induced AGEs (glycer- AGEs) with UVB irradiation. We found that PM attenuated UVB- and-glycer- AGEs-induced MMP-1 expression in HaCaT and HDF cells and proinflammatory cytokines expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases ( MAPKs) activated by reactive oxygen species. Specific inhibitors of NF- κB and MAPKs attenuated the induced expression of MMP-1. PM also inhibited the phosphorylation of I κB α, and reduced nuclear translocation of NF- κB in these cells. Furthermore, PM attenuated the upregulation of receptor for AGEs ( RAGE) by glycer- AGEs with UVB irradiation. Therefore, our findings strongly suggest that PM is a promising inhibitor of skin photoaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz. ( T. chebula), which is a member of the Combfreetaceae family, is used widely in Asian countries as a traditional folk medicine, and its extract has been reported to be an anticancer, antidiabetic and anticaries agent. In our previous study, chebulic acid isolated from T. chebula extract was confirmed to show antioxidant activity and protective action against endothelial cell dysfunction. In order to support the safety-in-use of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble portion of a T. chebula ethanol extract containing 29.4% chebulic acid content, the prepared portion was tested in an in vitro mutagenicity assay, and a single- and 14-day repeated dose oral toxicity study. In the bacterial mutation assay, up to 5000 µg/mL concentration of the EtOAc-soluble portion, the numbers of colonies did not increase whether with or without metabolic activation. In the oral toxicity study, the single oral dose of the extract at 2000 mg/kg did not produce mortality or abnormal lesions in the internal organs of rats. The results of a 14-day orally repeated dose showed that the EtOAc-soluble portion of T. chebula ethanol extracts gave no adverse effects at dosages of 2000 mg/kg in rats in the study. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferulic acid derived from Pseudosasa japonica leaves, which possessed antioxidative potentials with DPPH- (54%) and ABTs- (65%) radical scavenging activities, and lipid-peroxidation inhibitory activity (71%), was orally administered to mice for 12 days in order to investigate its effects on exercise endurance capacity and alterations of antioxidant defense systems. Exhaustive swimming time was increased in the ferulic acid-supplemented group compared with the control group on days 6 and 12 (1.7- and 1.8-fold, respectively). When the mice were exhaustively exercised for 2 consecutive days, a high decrease (53%) was shown in the control group, but no change was found in the ferulic acid-treated group. The administration of ferulic acid significantly protected the depletion of enzymatic- and non enzymatic-antioxidants due to exhaustive exercise. Also, lipid-peroxidation levels decreased in the ferulic acid-treated group compared with the non exercised- and control-groups. These results suggest that ferulic acid from Pseudosasa japonica leaves has a chronic effect on endurance exercise capacity, which is attributed to its ability to ameliorate oxidative stress by improving antioxidant potentials. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycation reaction involves a series of non-enzymatic reactions between the carbonyl group on reducing sugars and the amino group on proteins leading to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are acknowledged to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic and aging-related complications. Consequently, the development of AGE inhibitors is considered to have therapeutic potential in patients with diabetes or age-related diseases. The preliminary results showed that a methanol extract (PAE) of Plantago asiatica, which is traditionally used as a folk medicine in Asian countries to treat fever, cough, wound etc., had strong glycation inhibitory activity. The effects of the extract on AGE fluorescence were dose-dependent, reaching 41% inhibition at 0.1 µg/mL of extract. The purified principle from PAE was identified as plantamajoside. As well as antioxidant activities, in vitro glycation inhibitory activities with 10 and 25 m m plantamajoside were higher than those with 10 and 25 m m aminoguanidine. The results demonstrate that PAE and plantamajoside had significant effects on in vitro AGE formation, and the glycation inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of plantamajoside were comparable to those obtained using millimolar concentrations of the standard antiglycation agent aminoguanidine, and the antioxidant ascorbate, respectively. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of barrier membranes on sandwich bone augmentation (SBA) for the treatment of implant dehiscence defects. Material and methods: Twenty-six implant-associated buccal dehiscence defects in 22 patients were treated according to the SBA concept – mineralized human cancellous allograft (inner layer), mineralized human cortical allograft (outer layer) and coverage with barrier membrane. The defects were randomly assigned to the bovine collagen membrane (BME) group; acellular dermal matrix (ADM) group; and no membrane group. Measurements at baseline and 6 months re-entry included defect height (DH: from smooth–rough junction to the most apical part of the defect), defect width (DW: at the widest part of the defect), and horizontal defect depth (HDD: at three locations – smooth–rough junction, middle, and most apical portion of the defect). All measurements were taken from a reference stent. Statistical analyses were performed for comparison of intra- and inter-group comparisons. Results: All implants placed were successfully osseointegrated. DH at baseline for three groups were not significantly different ( P=0.858). Mean % DH reductions for ADM, BME, and control groups at 6 months were 73.9±17.6%, 68.1±30.1%, and 63.6±23.9%, respectively, with no significant difference among the groups ( P=0.686). Mean horizontal bone gain, however, was significantly greater for membrane groups (1.7 mm for ADM, 1.6 mm for BME) compared with control group (1 mm) ( P=0.044). Implant exposure resulted in significant reduction in total height gain (79.1±14.3% vs. 57±23.5%, P=0.021). Conclusions: Within the limit of this study, it is concluded that SBA technique achieved predictable clinical outcomes. The addition of absorbable membranes enhanced bone gain in thickness compared with membrane-treated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantago asiatica is distributed widely in East Asia. Since ancient times it has been used as a diuretic to treat acute urinary infections, and as an antiinflammatory, antiasthmatic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic and antihepatitis drug. The major compound, plantamajoside from P. asiatica, which is used as a marker compound in chemotaxonomic studies, was reported to have antibacterial activity, inhibition activity against cAMP phosphodiesterase and 5-lipoxygenase and antioxidant activity. However, there are no reports on the safety of plantamajoside. This study assessed the toxic effects of plantamajoside concentrate (PC), the purity of which was above 80%, in rats following administration at dose levels of 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg body weight/day for 13 weeks, as recommended by the OECD guidelines. The results showed that there were no differences in body weight, food intake, water consumption, relative organ weight or the hematological and serum biochemical values among the different dosage groups. No death or abnormal clinical signs were observed during the experimental period. Therefore, the results suggested that no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of the PC in rats after oral administration is considered to be greater than 2000 mg/kg in rats under the conditions employed in this study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to obtain concentrated pinolenic acid (5,9,12–18∶3) from dietary Korean pine ( Pinus koraiensis) nut oil by urea complexation and to investigate its cholesteroi-lowering effect on the LDL-receptor activity of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Pine nut oil was hydrolyzed to provide a low-pinolenic acid-containing FA extract (LPAFAE), followed by crystallization with different ratios of urea in ethanol (EtOH) or methanol (MeOH) as a solvent to produce a high-pinolenic acid-containing FA extract (HPAFAE). The profiles of HPAFAE obtained by urea complexation showed different FA compositions compared with LPAFAE. The long-chain saturated FA palmitic acid (16∶0) and stearic acid (18∶0) were decreased with urea/FA ratios (UFR) of 1∶1 (UFR1), 2∶1 (UFR2), and 3∶1 (UFR3). Linoleic acid (9,12–18∶2) was increased 1.3 times with UFR2 in EtOH, and linolenic acid (9,12,15–18∶3) was increased 1.5 times with UFR3 in MeOH after crystallization. The crystallization with UFR3 in EtOH provided the highest concentration of pinolenic acid, which was elevated by 3.2-fold from 14.1 to 45.1%, whereas that of linoleic acid (9,12–18∶2) was not changed, and that of oleic acid (9–18∶1) was decreased 7.2-fold. Treatment of HepG2 cells with HPAFE resulted in significantly higher internalization of 3,3′-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine-LDL (47.0±0.15) as compared with treatment with LPAFAE (25.6±0.36) ( P<0.05). Thus, we demonstrate a method for the concentration of pinolenic acid and suggest that this concentrate may have LDL-lowering properties by enhancing hepatic LDL uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compositional changes of rice germ oils prepared at different roasting temperatures (160–180°C) and times (5–15 min) from rice germ were evaluated and compared with those of unroasted rice germ oil. The color development and phosphorus content of oils increased significantly as roasting temperature and time increased, whereas the FA compositions of rice germ oils did not change with roasting temperature and time. Four phospholipid classes, i.e., PE, PI, PA and PC, were identified. PE had the lowest stability under roasting conditions. There were no significant differences in γ-oryzanol levels of rice germ oils prepared at different roasting temperatures and times. Four tocopherol isomers (α−, β−, γ−, and δ-tocopherol) and three tocotrienol isomers (α−, γ−, and δ-tocotrienol) were identified, but no β-tocotrienol was detectable. The content of α− and γ−tocopherol in rice germ oil gradually increased as roasting temperature and time increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three commercially available immobilized lipases, Novozym 435 from Candida antarctica, Lipozyme IM from Rhizomucor miehei, and Lipase PS-C from Pseudomonas cepacia, were used as biocatalysts for the interesterification of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) ethyl ester and tricaprylin. The reactions were carried out in hexane, and the products were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The effects of molar ratio, enzyme load, incubation time, and temperature on CLA incorporation were investigated. Novozym 435, as compared to Lipozyme IM and Lipase PC-C, showed the highest degree of CLA incorporation into tricaprylin. By hydrolysis with pancreatic lipase, it was found that Lipozyme IM and Lipase PS-C exhibited high selectivity for the sn-1,3 position of the triacylglycerol early in the interesterification, with small extents of incorporation of CLA into the sn-2 position, probably due to acyl migration, at later reaction times. A small extent of sn-1,3 selectivity during interesterification by Novozym 435 was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantago asiatica is a member of the Plantaginaceae family, and is widely distributed in East Asia. In our previous work, a single active compound, plantamajoside was isolated and confirmed to have glycation inhibitory activity, and did not possess toxicity during a 90 day repeated oral toxicity test in rats. In the present study, a chromosomal aberration test was performed to investigate the genotoxicity of plantamajoside. From the results of the cytotoxicity test, plantamajoside proved to be less toxic when it was treated combined with S9 cell fractions. However, there was a significant increase in structural aberrations during the short-term treatment of plantamajoside at its highest dose (5000 µg/mL) even when combined with S9. This seems to have been a natural phenomenon due to the very high dose of plantamajoside that was used. However, to confirm the safety of plantamajoside for its potential use as a phytochemical agent in health products, additional mutagenicity tests are necessary. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]