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Obesity is one of the most common diseases caused by an imbalance in the intake and expenditure of energy, and it is associated with various metabolic complications. This study aimed at investigating the anti-obesity effects and mechanisms of porcine collagen peptide (PCP) using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. The PCP treatment significantly inhibited the adipocyte differentiation and attenuated the mRNA expression of transcription factors (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha [C/EBP

Silymarin is found in

We investigated whether standardized ethanolic extracts of Boswellia (FJH-BS) could alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis, including pain, inflammation, and degradation of articular cartilage. Sprague-Dawley rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis received supplementation of FJH-BS at 80 and 125 mg/kg body weight. We found that FJH-BS supplementation reduced histological and architectural changes and pain levels in rats with MIA-induced osteoarthritis. In addition, FJH-BS supplementation suppressed mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and pro-inflammatory mediators, including cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, FJH-BS treatment directly suppressed cell death, inflammation, and expression of MMPs in H2O2- or LPS-treated primary chondrocytes. Our results suggest that supplementation with standardized FJH-BS may prevent osteoarthritis progression by directly influencing chondrocytes.

Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SP), grown from autumn to spring, is used as a medicinal herb from roots to leaves. This herb exhibits antioxidant activities and various physiological effect, including anti-asthma, immune-promoting, anti-obesity, and anti-cholesterol effects. However, the effectiveness of SP against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the associated mechanism have not been elucidated. In this study, alleviation of NAFLD by SP was confirmed in a mouse model of hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet and in HepG2 cells administered free fatty acids (FFA). In the experimental model, intrahepatic lipid accumulation was investigated using the AdipoRedTM assay, Oil Red O staining, biomarker analysis, and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Furthermore, glucose tolerance was examined based on the fasting glucose levels and oral glucose tolerance. The molecular mechanisms related to hepatic steatosis were determined based on marker mRNA levels. Blood FFAs were found to flow into the liver via the action of fatty acid translocase, cluster of differentiation 36, and fatty acid transporter proteins 2 and 5. Salvia plebeia R. Br. water extract (SPW) suppressed the FFAs inflow by regulating the expression of the above-mentioned proteins. Notably, modulating the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and liver X receptor, which are involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism, stimulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α in the nucleus to induce the expression genes involved in β-oxidation and increase β-oxidation in the mitochondria. AMPK modulation also increased the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, which activated lipid synthesis enzymes. As a consequence of these events, triglyceride synthesis was reduced and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes was alleviated. Overall, our findings suggested that SPW could ameliorate NAFLD by inhibiting hepatic steatosis through AMPK modulation.

With aging, men inevitably encounter irreversible changes, including progressive loss of testosterone and physical strength, and increased fat mass. To assess the alleviatory effects of EUAJ on andropause symptoms, including in vivo testosterone deficiency, we administered EUAJ for 6 weeks in 22-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Before EUAJ (3:1) (E. ulmoides:A. japonica = 3:1, KGC08EA) administration, testosterone decline in 22-week-old SD rats was confirmed compared to 7-week-old SD rats (NC group). After administration of EUAJ (3:1) at 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg for 6 weeks, testosterone, free testosterone, and mRNA expression levels (Cyp11a1 and Hsd3b1) were significantly increased at 40 mg/kg EUAJ (3:1), whereas mRNA expression levels of Cyp19a1 and Srd5a2 were significantly reduced at this concentration, compared to the control group. Swimming retention time was significantly increased at both 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg. In summary, EUAJ (3:1) enhanced testosterone production by increasing bioavailable testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and enzymes related to testosterone synthesis at 40 mg/kg. In addition, 80 mg/kg EUAJ (3:1) also increased physical and testicular functions.

To determine the correlation between obesity and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and liver tissues, this study isolates exosomes from adipose tissue under obese conditions and investigates the effect of adipose tissue-derived exosomes (Ad-exosomes) in mouse muscle (C2C12 cells) and liver cell lines (AML12 cells).The study isolates exosomes from the adipose tissue of normal diet-fed mice or high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice and confirms the uptake into differentiated C2C12 and AML12 cells. Ad-exosomes from HFD-fed mice induce insulin resistance, triglyceride (TG) accumulation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammation in both C2C12 and AML12 cells. Interestingly, the study finds that the TG accumulation induces by Ad-exosomes from HFD-fed obese mice is dramatically increased in AML12 cells compared with that in the differentiated C2C12 cells, and glucose uptake following the same treatment is decreased in C2C12 cells and increased in AML12 cells. In addition, Ad-exosomes from HFD-fed obese mice cause not only TG accumulation but also lipogenesis in AML12 cells.The results suggest that Ad-exosomes from HFD-fed obese mice cause insulin resistance in both the muscles and liver, but their effects on metabolism during the development of insulin resistance vary between tissues.

Purpose Quinoa is an annual plant that grows well in high altitude regions with high radiation and ultraviolet intensity. It has known that high-dose radiation damages living organisms, but low-dose radiation also has a beneficial effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the hormesis effect of gamma-ray on quinoa by growth analysis and hyperspectral imaging. Materials and methods Quinoa seeds were irradiated at 50, 100, and 200 Gy emitted by 60CO. Subsequently, the seeds were germinated and transplanted into pots, then conducted growth analysis and physiological evaluation every week, and hyperspectral imaging. Photosynthetic ability was measured at 35 days after transplanting (DAT), and the plants for each dose were divided into aerial and underground parts for biomass evaluation at 91 DAT. Various vegetation indices were estimated from 14 to 35 DAT by hyperspectral analysis, and the specific bands were extracted based on the PLS model using plant height, SPAD value, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters.Results and conclusion: We found that plant height and biomass were increased in quinoa plants treated with a low dose (50 Gy) as compared to control. Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence were not different between doses at the early growth stage, but as growth progressed, the plant irradiated at 200 Gy began to be lower. The photosynthetic ability of the quinoa plant treated at 50 Gy was greater than other plants at 35 DAT. The vegetation indices related to the pigment status also were higher in the plants treated by irradiation at 50 Gy than the plants grown in other doses treatment units at the beginning of the growth. Using the PLS model we collected sensitive band wavelengths from hyperspectral image analysis. Among the collected bands, eight bands closely related to plant height, nine bands to chlorophyll content, and ten bands to chlorophyll fluorescence were identified. Conclusion Our results showed that the growth and physiological parameters of quinoa treated by low dose gamma irradiation to seeds were greater than that of control as well as the plant with higher doses. These findings confirm that the positive changes in the characteristics of quinoa with low dose radiation indicated that hormesis occurs at 50 Gy radiation.

We examined the efficacy of fermented

Cranberry powder (CR) is reported to be effective against lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and recurrent urinary tract infections. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men older than 50 years is a common cause of LUTS. Here, we attempted to evaluate if CR is also effective for treating BPH using a BPH-induced rat model, which was orally administered CR. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were randomly divided into the following six groups (

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanol extracts of Vaccinium corymbosum (VCE) on exercise-induced fatigue in mice. Mice were randomly divided into three groups; nonexercise control group (CON), exercise control group (Ex-CON), and exercise and VCE supplementation group (Ex-VCE). Compared with Ex-CON, Ex-VCE showed increased endurance exercise capacity on day 21. In Ex-VCE mice, the accumulation of lactate was inhibited and the consumption of fatty acids was enhanced, indicating the delay of muscle fatigue. In addition, VCE supplementation elevated mRNA expression levels of mitochondrial biogenesis-associated genes such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-1γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor (NRF), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) and fatty acid β-oxidation-associated genes such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1), β-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (β-HAD), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPAR-δ). These results suggest that VCE can potentially prevent muscle fatigue by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effects of the hot water extract of Eriobotrya japonica (EJW) on EtOH- or free fatty acid (FFA)-induced fatty liver injury in vitro. HepG2/2E1 cells were exposed to EtOH and HepG2 cells were exposed to a mixture of FFAs (oleic acid:palmitic acid, 2:1) to stimulate oxidative stress and to induce lipid accumulation, respectively. Antioxidant activity was significantly increased and lipid accumulation was inhibited in cells pretreated with EJW compared to those in cells exposed to EtOH or FFA only. Also, 5'adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylations were considerably increased, indicating activation of AMPK. Furthermore, EJW reduced the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of lipogenesis-associated factors such as ACC, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), and fatty acid synthase (FAS), and increased mRNA expression related to components of the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, such as AMPK, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). These results suggest that EJW possessed potential preventive effects against both EtOH- and FFA-induced fatty liver disease by alleviation of oxidative stress and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes.

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) can generate solid tumors through the properties of stem cells such as self-renewal and differentiation and they cause drug resistance, metastasis and recurrence. Therefore, establishing CSC lines is necessary to conduct various studies such as on the identification of CSC origin and specific targeted therapies. In this study, we stimulated NIH3T3 fibroblasts to exhibit the characteristics of CSCs using the whole protein lysates of B16F10 melanoma cells. As a result, we induced colony formation that displayed self-renewal and differentiation capacities through anchorage-independent culture and re-attached culture. Moreover, colonies showed drug resistance by being maintained in the G0/G1 state. Colonies expressed various CSC markers and displayed high-level drug efflux capacity. Additionally, colonies clearly demonstrated tumorigenic ability by forming a solid tumor in vivo. These results show that proteins of cancer cells could transform normal cells into CSCs by increasing expression of CSC markers. This study argues the tremendous importance of the extracellular microenvironmental effect on the generation of CSCs. It also provides a simple experimental method for deriving CSCs that could be based on the development of targeted therapy techniques.

Polyacetylenes in the bark of Dendropanax morbifera trees have been reported to promote immune cell proliferation and to strengthen the innate immune system. The immunomodulatory potential of D. morbifera branch water extract (DBW) was evaluated by determining its effect on cell viability and the expression of cytokines and immune effector molecules in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages and splenocytes. Production of nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, and IFN-γ) in RAW264.7 macrophages increased after treatment with DBW. The activation of components of the NF-κB signaling pathway, including the phospho-IκBα and the expression and translocation of p65, a subunit of NF-κB, were also increased in RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells after treatment with DBW. In addition, when mice were orally administered DBW, splenocyte cytokines and NO production were increased in a dose-dependent manner relative to control-treated mice. Furthermore, natural killer cell activity in DBW-treated mice was determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. LDH release also increased in response to DBW treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that D. morbifera extract enhances innate immunity by promoting NF-κB signaling, leading to increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and effector molecules. DBW therefore has potential therapeutic use in the context of immune stimulation.

Alzheimer's disease accounts for the majority of dementia and shows hallmarks such as sequential cognitive dysfunction and abnormal behavior. Dendropanax morbifera (DM) has traditionally been used to treat a variety of diseases in East Asia. The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic effects of DM on brain neuron damage and on cognitive deficit in neuronal cell induced by Aβ1-42 in mice. Treatment with DM reduced the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and protected against the death of neuronal cells induced by Aβ1-42 peptide. In addition, it was also found that pretreatment with DM decreased cognitive damage induced by Aβ peptide via enhancing the cholinergic system and antioxidant defense system in mice. Furthermore, the study verified that the change in the expression of both cyclic-adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein and of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus in Aβ peptide-treated mice was significantly ameliorated after treatment with DM. Accordingly, these results suggest that pretreatment with DM defends against oxidative stress and cognitive impairment caused by Aβ peptide.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease caused by immune hypersensitivity reaction. The cause of AD is unclear, but its symptoms have a negative effect on quality of life, various treatment methods to alleviate these symptoms are underway. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Rubus coreanus water extract (RCW) on AD. Total phenolic compounds and flavonoid content of RCW were 4242.40 ± 54.84 mg GAE/g RCE and 1010.99 ± 14.75 mg CE/g RCW, respectively. RCW reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species level and increased the action of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)/interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-stimulated HaCaT cells. Moreover, mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, was downregulated by RCW in the TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated cells. The levels of inflammatory chemokines (thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine, eotaxin, macrophage-derived chemokine, regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were decreased in the TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells after RCW treatment. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of filaggrin and involucrin, proteins that form the skin, were increased by RCW. Furthermore, RCW inhibited the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of the activated B cells pathway in the TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. Collectively, the present investigation indicates that RCW is a potent substance that inhibits AD.

Quinoa is an annual plant that grows well in high altitude regions with high radiation and ultraviolet intensity. It has known that high-dose radiation damages living organisms, but low-dose radiation also has a beneficial effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the hormesis effect of gamma-ray on quinoa by growth analysis and hyperspectral imaging.Quinoa seeds were irradiated at 50, 100, and 200 Gy emitted byWe found that plant height and biomass were increased in quinoa plants treated with a low dose (50 Gy) as compared to control. Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence were not different between doses at the early growth stage, but as growth progressed, the plant irradiated at 200 Gy began to be lower. The photosynthetic ability of the quinoa plant treated at 50 Gy was greater than other plants at 35 DAT. The vegetation indices related to the pigment status also were higher in the plants treated by irradiation at 50 Gy than the plants grown in other doses treatment units at the beginning of the growth. Using the PLS model we collected sensitive band wavelengths from hyperspectral image analysis. Among the collected bands, eight bands closely related to plant height, nine bands to chlorophyll content, and ten bands to chlorophyll fluorescence were identified.Our results showed that the growth and physiological parameters of quinoa treated by low dose gamma irradiation to seeds were greater than that of control as well as the plant with higher doses. These findings confirm that the positive changes in the characteristics of quinoa with low dose radiation indicated that hormesis occurs at 50 Gy radiation.

Metabolic syndrome is a worldwide health problem, and obesity is closely related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer. According to WHO in 2018, the prevalence of obesity in 2016 tripled compared to 1975. D. morbifera reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood and provides various antioxidant nutrients and germicidal sub-stances, as well as selenium, which helps to remove active oxygen. Moreover, D. morbifera is useful for treating cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Therefore, we study in vivo efficacy of D. morbifera to investigate the prevention effect of obesity and cholesterol. The weight and body fat were effectively reduced by D. morbifera water (DLW) extract administration to high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice compared to those of control mice. The group treated with DLW 500 mg∙kg−1∙d−1 had significantly lower body weights compared to the control group. In addition, High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased in the group treated with DLW 500 mg∙kg−1∙d−1. The effect of DLW on the serum lipid profile could be helpful to prevent obesity. DLW suppresses lipid formation in adipocytes and decreases body fat. In conclusion, DLW can be applied to develop anti-obesity functional foods and other products to reduce body fat.

Metabolic syndrome is a worldwide health problem, and obesity is closely related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer. According to WHO in 2018, the prevalence of obesity in 2016 tripled compared to 1975. D. morbifera reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood and provides various antioxidant nutrients and germicidal sub-stances, as well as selenium, which helps to remove active oxygen. Moreover, D. morbifera is useful for treating cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Therefore, we study in vivo efficacy of D. morbifera to investigate the prevention effect of obesity and cholesterol. The weight and body fat were effectively reduced by D. morbifera water (DLW) extract administration to high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice compared to those of control mice. The group treated with DLW 500 mg∙kg−1∙d−1 had significantly lower body weights compared to the control group. In addition, High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased in the group treated with DLW 500 mg∙kg−1∙d−1. The effect of DLW on the serum lipid profile could be helpful to prevent obesity. DLW suppresses lipid formation in adipocytes and decreases body fat. In conclusion, DLW can be applied to develop anti-obesity functional foods and other products to reduce body fat.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanol extracts of

This study investigated the immunomodulatory effect of Salvia plebeia R. aqueous extract (FIE-SP, SPW) in forced swimming exercise-induced mice and the immunostimulatory effects on Raw264.7 cells. Mice were randomly assigned to four groups: the control group (CON), the forced swimming test group (FST), and two FIE-SP groups (low and high dose of FIE-SP). Compared with the control group, the FIE-SP groups showed significantly increased ratios of T lymphocyte surface markers CD4+/CD8+ and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)I/MHCII, as well as increased concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG. FIE-SP groups significantly increased Th1 cytokines and decreased Th2 cytokines compared with negative control exercise-induced mice. Conversely, the immunostimulatory effects of FIE-SP significantly increased phagocytic activities, nitric oxide (NO) production, and pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&alpha, ) and interleukin (IL)-1&beta, in Raw264.7 cells. Furthermore, FIE-SP increased natural killer (NK) cell activities and cytokines (IL-12) in splenocytes compared with the CON group. These results indicated that FIE-SP supplementation could prevent imbalanced immune states and produce immunostimulatory effects to support innate immunity.

Obesity is the most common metabolic disease in developed countries and has become a global epidemic in recent years. Obesity is associated with various metabolic abnormalities, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Leaves from the plant Dendropanax morbiferus are beneficial to health as they contain high levels of vitamin C and tannin. There have been seminal studies on the anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetes, and antihyperglycemic effects of treatments with D. morbiferus trees. Herein, we investigated the toxicity of D. morbiferus water (DLW) extracts in vitro, and demonstrated no toxicity at 5-500 μg/mL in 24-72-h experiments with 3T3-L1 cells. The DLW increased cell viability at 48 h and inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells by reducing intracellular triglyceride levels and glucose uptake. In addition, mRNA and protein expression levels of adipogenesis-related genes were lowered by DLW, suggesting antiobesity effects in mouse 3T3-L1 cells. Because few studies have demonstrated cholesterol-lowering effects of D. morbiferus, we investigated the activities of adipogenic transcriptional factors following treatments of 3T3-L1 cells with D. morbiferus and observed increased CEBPα, CEBPβ, PPARγ, and SREBP1 activities in the cells, indicating that DLW extracts inhibit adipogenesis.

We investigated the potential effects of Costaria costata (CC) on atopic dermatitis (AD) development in chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-treated NC/Nga mice. CC is a brown alga distributed across the seas of Korea, China, and Japan. A total of 40 mice were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 8 mice per group: untreated Balb/c mice, AD control (0.1% w/v DNCB-treated NC/Nga mice), positive control (i.e., DNCB-treated NC/Nga mice fed a dietary supplement of 66.6 mg/kg of body weight [b.w.] of CJLP133), DNCB-treated NC/Nga mice fed a dietary supplement of 100 mg/kg b.w. of CCE10 (CCE10 100), and DNCB-treated mice fed a dietary supplement of 300 mg/kg b.w. of CCE10 (CCE10 300) groups. The CCE10 100 and CCE10 300 treatment groups suppressed AD development including clinical and histopathological changes and a reduction in skin hydration induced by DNCB. In addition, Th2 cytokine production in primary splenocytes, serum IgE and histamine production, and mast cell infiltration into the skin were suppressed in the CCE10 300 mice compared to the CCE10 100 mice. Our finding demonstrated an inhibitory effect of CCE10 in AD development by means of improving the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance and anti-inflammatory effect in an in vivo model.

The hepatoprotective effect of 10% ethanolic extract of Curdrania tricuspidata (CTE) was investigated in HepG2/2E1 cells and C57BL/6 J mice. When compared ethanol-only treated HepG2/2E1 cells, pretreatment of CTE prevented increased intra-cellular reactive oxygen species levels and decreased antioxidant activities by ethanol-induced oxidative stress. In C57BL/6 J mice, CTE at a dose of 250 mg/kg/day was administered for 10 days, with ethanol (5 g/kg/day) administered for the final 3 days. Pretreatment with CTE prevented the elevated activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase caused by ethanol-induced hepatic damage. CTE-treated mice displayed a reduced level of malondialdehyde and increased antioxidant activities of catalase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, as well as a reduced level of glutathione as compared with ethanol-only-treated mice. CTE-treated mice exhibited significant inhibition of CYP2E1 activities and expression. These results suggest that CTE could be a useful agent for the prevention of ethanol-induced oxidative damage in the liver, elevating antioxidative potentials and alleviating oxidative stress by suppressing CYP2El.

In the present study, the protective effects of 10% ethanol extract of Capsosiphon fulvescens (CFE10) against alcoholic liver damage were investigated in vitro using CYP2E1-overexpressing hepatocytes (HepG2/2E1). To determine whether CFE10 attenuated ethanol-induced cell death, we compared the viability of HepG2/2E1 cells treated with 250 mM ethanol in the presence or absence of CFE10. Cell viability significantly increased after treatment with CFE10 and ethanol compared with that of cells treated with only ethanol. Additionally, CFE10 inhibited ethanol-induced ROS formation and lipid peroxidation. We also found that CFE10 attenuated the mRNA expression of CYP2E1, as well as decreased ethanol-induced lipid droplets, through stimulation of the AMPK pathway. Based on these results, the protective effect of CFE10 extract from C. fulvescens against liver damage and fatty liver induced by ethanol may occur via the alleviation of oxidative stress.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effects of the hot water extract of

Our aim was to investigate whether hot water extract (CLW) of Curcuma longa L. could prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). HepG2 cells were treated with free fatty acid (FFA) mixture (oleic acid: palmitic acid, 2:1) for 24 h to stimulate in vitro fatty liver. In addition, C57BL/6 mice were fed 60 kcal% high-fat (HF) diet for eight weeks to induce fatty liver in vivo. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) productions were increased by FFA and HF-diet, but supplementation with CLW significantly decreased these levels. CLW treatment ameliorated antioxidant activities that were suppressed by exposure to the FFA and HF-diet. Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) and fatty acid transport proteins (FATP2 and FATP5) were increased in HF-diet groups, while CLW suppressed their expression levels. Moreover, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression levels were down-regulated in the CLW groups compared to HF-diet groups. On the other hand, 5&prime, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-&alpha, ), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1) expressions were up-regulated in the CLW groups. HF-diet fed mice showed high hepatic triglycerides (TG) content compared to the normal diet mice. However, the administration of CLW restored the hepatic TG level, indicating an inhibitory effect against lipid accumulation by CLW. These results suggest that CLW could be a potentially useful agent for the prevention of NAFLD through modulating fatty acid uptake.

Alzheimer's disease accounts for the majority of dementia and shows hallmarks such as sequential cognitive dysfunction and abnormal behavior.

Menopausal hot flushes (HFs), which manifest as a transient increase in skin temperature, occur most frequently in postmenopausal women, and sometimes negatively influence daily life. We investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of Cynanchum wilfordii (CWW) in a rat model of menopausal HFs, where tail skin temperature (TST) is increased after the rapid estrogen decline induced by ovariectomy. Ten-week-old female rats were ovariectomized and treated with CWW for 1 week. We measured TST and rectal temperatures (RT) and investigated serum estradiol. The TST in ovariectomized (OVX) rats was significantly elevated after ovariectomy compared with control rats, whereas the RT in OVX rats was not elevated. Administration of CWW (200 mg/kg/d for 7 days, p.o.) significantly improved the skin temperature increase in OVX rats. The lower level of serum estradiol in OVX rats was significantly increased by supplying E2, but it was not affected by CWW. The present study indicates a need for future research involving treatment with high concentrations of C. wilfordii and measurement over 24 h.