In this article, So-Young Park is inadvertently omitted from the listed author names. In the Acknowledgement section, funding source is incorrectly cited and has been changed upon request of authors.

Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng are well known for their diverse pharmacological effects including antithrombotic activity. Since adventitious roots of mountain ginseng (ARMG) also contain various ginsenosides, blood flow-improving effects of the dried powder and extract of ARMG were investigated. Rats were orally administered with dried powder (PARMG) or ethanol extract (EARMG) of ARMG (125, 250 or 500 mg/kg) or aspirin (30 mg/kg, a reference control) for 3 weeks. Forty min after the final administration, carotid arterial thrombosis was induced by applying a 70% FeCl₃-soaked filter paper outside the arterial wall for 5 min, and the blood flow was monitored with a laser Doppler probe. Both PARMG and EARMG delayed the FeCl₃-induced arterial occlusion in a dose-dependent manner, doubling the occlusion time at high doses. In mechanism studies, a high concentration of EARMG inhibited platelet aggregation induced by collagen in vitro. In addition, EARMG improved the blood lipid profiles, decreasing triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Although additional action mechanisms remain to be clarified, it is suggested that ARMG containing high amount of ginsenosides such as Rg₃ improves blood flow not only by inhibiting oxidative thrombosis, but also by modifying blood lipid profiles.
Animals ; Aspirin ; Cholesterol ; Collagen ; Ethanol ; Ginsenosides ; In Vitro Techniques ; Panax* ; Platelet Aggregation ; Rats ; Thrombosis ; Triglycerides

Anti-atherosclerosis effects of perilla oil were investigated, in comparison with lovastatin, in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet (HCD). Hypercholesterolemia was induced in rabbits by feeding the HCD containing 0.5% cholesterol and 1% corn oil, and perilla oil (0.1 or 0.3%) was added to the diet containing 0.5% cholesterol for 10 weeks. HCD greatly increased blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, and caused thick atheromatous plaques, covering 74% of the aortic wall. Hyper-cholesterolemia also induced lipid accumulation in the liver and kidneys, leading to lipid peroxidation. Perilla oil not only attenuated hypercholesterolemia and atheroma formation, but also reduced fat accumulation and lipid peroxidation in hepatic and renal tissues. The results indicate that perilla oil prevents atherosclerosis and fatty liver by controlling lipid metabolism, and that it could be the first choice oil to improve diet-induced metabolic syndrome.
Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Corn Oil ; Diet* ; Fatty Liver ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Kidney ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Liver ; Lovastatin ; Perilla* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Rabbits*

This article has been retracted.

Helicobacter pylori-eliminating effects of FEMY-R7, composed of Laminaria japonica and Oenothera biennis extracts, were investigated in mice and humans. Male C57BL/6 mice were infected with the bacteria by intragastric inoculation (1x10(9) CFU/mouse) 3 times at 2-day intervals, and simultaneously, orally treated twice a day with total 20, 64 or 200 mg/kg/day FEMY-R7 for 2 weeks. In Campylobcter-like organism (CLO)-detection tests on gastric mucosa and feces, FEMY-R7 reduced the urease-positive reactivity in a dose-dependent manner; i.e., the positivity ratios were decreased to 70, 20, and 10% for gastric mocosa and to 80, 50, and 20% for feces. In a clinical sudy, human subjects, confirmed to be infected with Helicobacter pylori, were orally administered twice a day with capsules containing total 100, 320 or 1,000 mg/man/day FEMY-R7 (matching doses for 20, 64 or 200 mg/kg/day, respectively, in mice from a body surface area-based dose translation) for 8 weeks. FEMY-R7 decreased the positivity ratios in feces to 70, 40, and 30%, respectively. In bacterial culture, H. pylori was identified from the CLO-positive stools of mice and humans. The bacterial identification ratios exhibited a good correlation between the matching doses in mice and humans. It is suggested that FEMY-R7 could be a promising functional food without tolerance as an adjunct to reduce the dosage of antibiotics for the treatment of recurrent H. pylori infection.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Capsules ; Feces ; Functional Food ; Gastric Mucosa ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Laminaria* ; Male ; Mice* ; Oenothera biennis*

The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of MB12662, a synthetic dunnione compound, on cisplatin-induced vomiting reflexes and intestinal, renal, immune system, and hematopoietic toxicities in ferrets and mice, respectively. Male ICR mice were orally administered MB12662 (5, 10, 25 or 50 mg/kg) for 10 days, during which intraperitoneally challenged with cisplatin (3.5 mg/kg) from day 4 to 7, and sacrificed on day 10 for the pathological examination. Male ferrets were orally administered MB12662 (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg) for 7 days, subcutaneously challenged with cisplatin (5 mg/kg), and monitored for vomiting reflexes and survival of the animals. Four-day injection of cisplatin (3.5 mg/kg) to mice caused body weight loss and degeneration and atrophy of intestinal villi, reducing villi/crypt ratio to a half level of control animals. Cisplatin also induced renal and hepatic toxicities, and depletion of splenocytes and bone marrow progenitor cells. The systemic toxicities including decreased villi/crypt ratio, immune system atrophy, splenocyte depletion, and decreased cellularity in bone marrow were improved by MB12662. Cisplatin (5 mg/kg) induced retching and emetic responses of ferrets, which were remarkably attenuated by MB12662 in a dose-dependent manner. All the ferrets pretreated with MB12662 survived the challenge of cisplatin, in comparison with 40% mortality in vehicle-treated animals, and blood parameters of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity were markedly recovered. It is expected that MB12662 could be a candidate for the body protection against burden, including emesis, of chemotherapeutic agents.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Body Weight ; Bone Marrow ; Cisplatin ; Ferrets ; Humans ; Immune System ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mortality ; Reflex ; Stem Cells ; Vomiting*

As the request of the authors, Acknowledgments section has been changed.
Oenothera biennis*

Since scalp hair loss has increased recently even in young people, seriously affecting individual's quality of life, the hair growth-stimulating effects of Laminaria japonica extract (LJE) and Cistanche tubulosa extract (CTE) were investigated. After confirming anagen phase of follicles under shaving, male C57BL/6 mice were dermally applied with 3% Minoxidil or orally administered with the combinations of LJE and CTE for 21 days. Minoxidil promoted the hair regrowth and increased gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities. In addition, Minoxidil up-regulated epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Co-administration of LJE and CTE at 54 mg/kg LJE plus 162 mg/kg CTE exerted synergistic promoting effects on the hair regrowth, comparable to 3% Minoxidil. LJE preferentially enhanced ALP activity, while CTE increased both gamma-GTP and ALP activities as well as EGF and VEGF expressions. In vivo air pouch inflammation model, carrageenan-induced vascular exudation and increased nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 concentrations in the exudates were synergistically suppressed by co-administration of LJE and CTE. In addition, inflammatory cell infiltration was substantially inhibited by the combinational treatment. The results suggest that combinational oral treatment with LJE and CTE in appropriate doses and ratios prevent hair loss and improve alopecia, which might be in part mediated by their anti-inflammatory activities.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Alopecia ; Animals ; Cistanche* ; Dinoprostone ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Exudates and Transudates ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Hair* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Laminaria* ; Male ; Mice ; Minoxidil ; Nitric Oxide ; Quality of Life ; Scalp ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

As the request of the authors, one paragraph has been changed.

In order to assess inhibitory potentials of white rose petal extracts (WRPE) on the activities of enzymes related to dermal aging according to the extraction conditions, three extraction methods were adopted. WRPE was prepared by extracting dried white rose (Rosa hybrida) petals with 50% ethanol (WRPE-EtOH), Pectinex(R) SMASH XXL enzyme (WRPE-enzyme) or high temperature-high pressure (WRPE-HTHP). In the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-1, although the enzyme activity was fully inhibited by all 3 extracts at 100 microg/mL in 60 min, partial inhibition (50-70%) was achieved only by WRPE-EtOH and WRPE-enzyme at 50 microg/mL. High concentrations (> or =250 microg/mL) of all 3 extracts markedly inhibited the elastase activity. However, at low concentrations (15.6-125 microg/mL), only WRPE-EtOH inhibited the enzyme activity. Notably, WRPE-EtOH was superior to WRPE-enzyme and WRPE-HTHP in the inhibition of tyrosinase. WRPE-EtOH significantly inhibited the enzyme activity from 31.2 microM, reaching 80% inhibition at 125 microM. In addition to its strong antioxidative activity, the ethanol extract of white rose petals was confirmed to be effective in inhibiting skin aging-related enzymes. Therefore, it is suggested that WRPE-EtOH could be a good candidate for the improvement of skin aging such as wrinkle formation and pigmentation.
Aging ; Ethanol ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Pancreatic Elastase ; Pigmentation ; Skin Aging* ; Skin*